The Zombie Zone-a to z 26 Read Online Free PDF Page A

right to a cabin in the woods. That’s where we met Byron and his owl, Bill.”
    “I think Byron’s the guy we saw in the graveyard,” Josh interrupted. “I think he stole those coffins, too, because there was red dirt on his shovel just like the clay in the cemetery!”
    Finally, Ruth Rose told her grandmother about the man they had met on the path. “It could have been him, too,” she said. “He had light hair, and he seemed pretty interested in the village.”
    Dink mentioned that the same man had been eating lunch near them yesterday. “I think he was trying to hear what we were saying,” he said.
    “Okay you’ve mentioned three different men who are tall with light hair,” Ruth Rose’s gram said. “One of them could be the man you saw last night. What I don’t understand is why any of them would have any interest in that cemetery.”
    “I just thought of something,” Dink said. “When we walked down to the water with Jack, he told us he’d love to buy a piece of that land.”
    Everyone was staring at Dink.
    “What if Jack put up that sign and dug up the graves to scare the villagers?” Dink continued. “If they left, maybe he’d be able to buy their land.”

“Well, I still think Byron did it,” Josh said. He stuck up three fingers. “One, there’s red clay on his shovel. Two, he could have left those huge footprints we saw. Three, he’s a painter, so he could have painted that sign.”
    “Byron paints?” asked Ruth Rose’s grandmother.
    “We only saw one painting,” Ruth Rose said, “but it was real good.”
    Ruth Rose’s grandmother reached for her sandals. “I have a hard time imagining that Jack is involved with grave robbing,” she said. “But I would very much like to meet Byron!”
    They flagged down a taxi in front of the hotel. Dink told the driver they wanted to go to the Old Forest Trail.
    “Got it!” the driver said as she moved smoothly into the late-afternoon traffic.
    Ten minutes later, Ruth Rose’s grandmother paid the driver. “Will you pick us up right here in an hour?” she asked.
    “Sure thing,” the driver said. She waved and drove away.
    Ruth Rose’s grandmother looked at the dark and dense forest in front of them. “Are you sure there’s a trail in here?” she asked.
    Josh showed her the plaque. “Don’t worry about snakes!” he said bravely.
    “I wasn’t even thinking about snakes until you mentioned them!” Ruth Rose’s grandmother said.
    This time Josh led the way as they hiked the trail. They stopped when they came to the zombie sign.
    “That is strange,” Ruth Rose’s grandmother said. “Someone definitely wants people to think there are zombies around here.”
    “We think it’s the same guy who dug up the graves!” Ruth Rose said.
    Her grandmother nodded. “What a busy little zombie!”
    They hiked on and soon came to Myrna’s village. No one was around.
    “Look, they’re all in that big hut,” Dink said, pointing to the largest of the buildings.
    The door was open and the kids could see people sitting on benches. Dink heard a voice speaking firmly.
    “They’re having some kind of meeting,” Ruth Rose said. “Maybe it has something to do with the dug-up graves.”
    “Is it very far to Byron’s cabin from here?” her grandmother asked.
    “No,” Dink said, pointing. “That trail goes to the cemetery, and then you take a little path to where Byron lives.”
    The three kids led Ruth Rose’s grandmother down the trail. They stopped at the little cemetery.
    “Someone worked hard to dig those graves up,” Ruth Rose’s grandmother commented, pointing to the mounds of red dirt near the two empty holes.
    “See, Gram, that’s the same clay we saw on Byron’s shovel,” Ruth Rose said.
    “Yes, but I would assume red clay could be found in other places,” her grandmother said.
    They continued walking. A few minutes later, they stood in the trees behind Byron’s cabin.
    “I don’t see him,” Ruth Rose whispered,