A to Z Mysteries: The Deadly Dungeon (3 page)

“Look,” Dink said. “Footprints on the rug.” He stepped into one of them. “Whoever made these sure has big feet!”

“Do ghosts leave footprints?” Josh asked.

“Maybe it’s Walker,” Ruth Rose suggested. “They’re too big to be Wallis’s.”

“But why would Walker come here?” Dink wondered out loud.

“Can we go?” Josh pleaded. “I just saw a monster spider, and he was looking back at me!”

“Okay, but let’s come back,” Ruth Rose said. “I want to clean this place. It’s sad to see it all dusty like this.”

Ruth Rose pulled the door shut behind them. As they crossed the drawbridge, Dink noticed something in the moat. He jumped down and picked up a bright green feather.

“Hey, guys, look! It’s like the one that was stuck to Josh’s sneaker.”

Ruth Rose held the feather up to the sun. “What’s it from?”

Josh examined the feather. “The only bird I know with this kind of feather is a parrot,” he said. “But parrots don’t live in Maine.”

Dink took the feather back from
Josh, then put it in his pocket.

“Okay we’ve explored the playhouse,” Josh said. “Now you guys have to do what I want.”

Dink grinned at his friend. “You mean eat?”

“No. I want to check out that cave down on the beach.”

“Wait a minute,” Dink said. “You were creeped out by the playhouse, but you want to explore the cave?”

“Caves are cool,” Josh said. “Come on, you guys.”

The kids headed past the castle, through the gate, and down the cliff. They stood looking at the small river flowing out of the cave. “I wonder how deep it is,” Dink said.

“There’s one way to find out,” Josh said. He stepped in the water and began wading into the cave. The water reached just above his ankles.

“Come on, you guys!” he called over his shoulder.

Dink and Ruth Rose followed him. The cave grew darker, until the sunlight disappeared. The air was cold and damp, and the black walls felt slimy.

“Josh, this water is freezing,” Ruth Rose said. Her voice sounded hollow. “I hate it in here! Can we go back?”

“The water’s getting deeper, too,” Dink said. “And I can’t even see you guys!”

“Shh!” Josh said. “I heard something!”

“Josh, don’t try to scare us!” Ruth Rose said. “I’m already—”

Suddenly a scream echoed through the cave.

“RUN!” Ruth Rose yelled.

Over their heads, hundreds of black bats streaked for daylight.

The kids didn’t stop running till they were at the top of the cliff. Dink threw himself on the ground, trying to catch his breath.

“What was that?” Ruth Rose asked, pulling off her sopping sneakers. “My heart nearly stopped!”

“It was the ghost!” Josh said. “I bet that cave leads to a secret dungeon under the castle. Maybe that’s where Emory Scott died!”

Ruth Rose burst out laughing. Josh ignored her. “There must be a secret
door leading to the dungeon somewhere. And I’m going to find it!”

“Maybe you are,” Dink said. “But
I’m
gonna take a shower and change.”

“Me too,” Ruth Rose said. “I smell like a fish!”

When they got back to the castle, Walker’s Jeep was parked out front. The kids cleaned up, then hurried down to the kitchen. Wallis, Walker, and Rip were sitting at the long table, husking ears of corn.

“Hi, kids,” Walker said. “How was your first day at Moose Manor?”

“It was great,” Josh said, shooting Dink a look. “We explored the playhouse
and found some neat stuff on the beach.”

Dink figured Josh wanted to keep his “secret dungeon” idea to himself.

“Well, I have lobsters to cook,” Wallis said. “I hope everyone’s hungry!”

After supper, the grownups decided to play Scrabble.

“You kids can join us,” Wallis said. “Or you can choose another board game from the hall closet. Help yourself.”

“Um…I think I’ll go upstairs and read,” Josh said. He motioned for Dink and Ruth Rose to follow him. They met upstairs in the hall between the bedrooms. “Let’s search up here while they’re playing Scrabble,” he said.

“What exactly are we looking for?” Dink asked.

“A secret door or passageway,” Josh
said, rapping his knuckle lightly on a wall.

“Josh, don’t you think Wallis would’ve told us about a secret door?” Ruth Rose said.

“Maybe she doesn’t know about it,” Josh said.

“I guess we should look around,” Dink agreed.
“Something
is making those weird noises.”

“Let’s start on the roof,” Ruth Rose said.

They walked down the hall, and Josh pushed open the narrow door.

At the top of the stairs, they opened another door. A cool breeze blew in their faces as they stepped onto the flat roof.

“Wow! You can see everything!” said Josh. “It would be neat to fly a kite up here!”

Dink stood between two granite
battlements that were taller than he was. He felt like a king looking over his land.

“There’s nothing up here,” Josh said.

“Okay,” Dink said. “Let’s look downstairs.”

The kids tromped back down to the hall.

Ruth Rose walked into her room while Dink and Josh searched theirs. Dink started with the closet, but found only dust and an old tennis racket.

He used the racket to poke behind the window curtains. A few spiders darted away but nothing else.

Suddenly Josh screamed from the bathroom. “Dink, it’s got me! Help!”

Dink charged into the bathroom, holding the tennis racket like a club. He looked around wildly, but the room was empty.

“Josh? Where are you?”

The shower curtain flew open. Josh stood there, grinning. “Boo!”

Dink shook his head. “You’re so lame, Josh. It would serve you right if some ghost did get you!”

Josh climbed out of the tub. “Thought you didn’t believe in ghosts, Dinkus!”

Dink just shook his head again. He crossed the hall and knocked on Ruth Rose’s door. “Find anything?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Nope.”

She and Dink searched the long hall. They looked behind the radiators and inside plant pots and one tall umbrella stand.

Josh tapped on the walls, listening for hollow sounds. Finally they gave up, sweaty and dusty.

“I don’t know where else to search,” Dink said.

“We didn’t check out the downstairs rooms,” Josh said.

“We’ll have to wait till tomorrow,” Ruth Rose said, yawning. “I’m going to bed. And I hope I don’t dream about ghosts, thanks to Josh Pinto!”

Josh grinned. “I read somewhere that ghosts eat girls with curls.”

“Just let one try!” she said, then slammed her door.

Dink and Josh climbed into bed. A few minutes later they were both asleep.

Dink woke suddenly, his heart thumping. He looked at the clock. It was midnight!

Dink climbed out of bed and tiptoed to the window. He saw black trees against a blacker sky.

Then he saw it—a ghostly light near the playhouse!

Dink gulped and felt goose bumps climbing his legs. Could it be Emory Scott’s ghost?

The light winked a few more times, then disappeared.

Dink shivered, rubbing his eyes. When the light didn’t return, he crawled back into bed.

He yawned and closed his eyes, deciding that he had seen a firefly.

But just before falling off to sleep, Dink opened his eyes again. He had seen only one light moving out there in the darkness.

Why would there be only one firefly in the woods? He thought about that until he fell asleep.

Dink dreamed that he was in the cave again. It was pitch dark. Up ahead, he heard a hideous scream. But this time, the scream didn’t stop, it just got louder. Suddenly bats were flying in his face. But these bats had feathers-bright green feathers!

Dink bolted upright in his bed. The blankets were twisted around his legs and the alarm clock was buzzing.

I’m not in a cave, Dink realized. I’m still in the castle. Relieved, he shut off the alarm.

“Josh, wake up,” he said.

Josh opened an eye. “Why?”

Dink climbed out of bed. “Walker’s taking us lobstering, remember?” He turned on the light and yanked Josh’s covers off.

“Come on, let’s go catch a lobster!”

Josh groaned, but he climbed out of bed. “I hate lobsters.”

Dink laughed. “You ate one last night.” He pulled on yesterday’s jeans and a warm sweatshirt over his T-shirt. “I’m going downstairs. Don’t go back to bed!”

Dink crossed the hall and tapped on Ruth Rose’s door. She was up and dressed in yellow from top to bottom.

“Did you see anything strange last night?” Dink asked.

Ruth Rose was pulling a brush through her hair. She shook her head.

“Well, I did! I’ll tell you about it downstairs.”

There was a light on in the kitchen. Dink saw juice glasses, cereal bowls, and some muffins on the table. He was munching when Ruth Rose and Josh came in.

“Guys, I think someone was creeping around outside last night,” Dink said. He told them about the light he’d seen in the woods.

Josh grabbed a muffin and bit off half.

“Told you,” he said, trying to grin and chew at the same time. “It was Emory’s ghost!”

“Very funny Josh,” Ruth Rose said.

Just then there was a thump in the mud room and the kitchen door crashed open. Josh nearly fell out of his chair.

Walker came in wearing tall rubber boots and a yellow slicker. “Ready to go?” he asked.

Dink laughed in relief. “Josh thought you were a ghost,” he said.

“Did not,” Josh muttered.

They walked outside and climbed into Walker’s Jeep. The sky was pitch
black. Dink peered into the woods, half expecting to see the strange light again.

A few minutes later Walker turned into his driveway. They got out and walked behind the house to the dock. Their feet made hollow noises on the wooden boards.

“Watch your step out here,” Walker said, aiming a flashlight at Dink’s feet.

Dink breathed in the salty night air. A few stars made pinpoints of light above the boat. Somewhere, he heard a night bird call.

“Ready to come aboard?” Walker asked.

Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose followed Walker onto the dark boat.