Radio Mystery (6 page)

“Hi, Gwen,” Benny said. “What are you doing?”

Gwen looked startled to see them. A guilty look passed over her face. “I, uh, I was just looking for you guys,” Gwen said unconvincingly. “Let’s go inside.”

As they followed Gwen inside the house, the Aldens exchanged glances. Had Gwen really been looking for them, or was she out of breath because she had just run home from the station? If so, what had she been doing there?

They said good night to Grandfather and Jocelyn, then headed upstairs to bed.

“Sleep well,” Henry told the others. “Tomorrow’s another big day.”

Jessie nodded. “I’ll say. If that
was
the ‘ghost’ at the station, I bet tomorrow there will be another haunting.”

“Either way,” Benny concluded, “it looks like Gwen Hawley is our number one suspect.”

“I’ve outdone myself,” Frances St. Clair bragged as she passed out the new script. “Today’s episode is even better than yesterday’s.” She helped herself to some coffee, then left the room.

Henry, Jessie, and Violet sat down and read the script. Benny watched the rain streaming down the breakroom window.

“Wow,” Henry said. “This is exciting stuff. The kids get a dog that runs away, so they go hunting for him —”

“And the ghost dog leads them into an old house in the woods,” Jessie added. “Today we end with another storm and our characters are trapped in an old mine. I wonder what will happen tomorrow?”

At that moment, Gwen came in with a box of cassette tapes. She had overheard Jessie’s last remark.

“Nobody knows, not even Frances,” she said. “That’s the way she works. She doesn’t even know the ending until it’s time for her to write it.”

“I get to do a lot of barking today,” Benny told Gwen. “I play the real dog
and
the ghost dog.”

“You’d better practice two different kinds of barks,” Gwen said. “Let’s go to the soundstage. It’s almost time for the run-through.”

The run-through went smoothly. Gwen made note of the sound effects she’d have to do, like strong winds blowing and creaking floorboards in the old house. “I’ll need a lot of tapes today,” she said, going through her box.

Avery waved, inviting them into the control booth. “Hi,” he said. “Are you ready for today? I think every kid in Deer Crossing is tuning in to your show now.”

“We’re having a lot of fun,” Jessie told him.

Henry pointed. “Is that the new turntable?” he asked.

“Yup,” Avery said. “It’s a nice one. Jocelyn brought it by early this morning.”

Jessie nodded. “She said it cost even more than she’d expected.”

“Really?” said Avery. “That’s too bad. I know Jocelyn has been worried about money. Do you think she might sell the station?”

“She seems determined not to,” Henry said.

“She won’t have to,” Benny said, “because we’re going to catch the ghost.”

Jessie noticed Avery’s duffel bag in the corner. “Are you still going to run today, even though it’s raining?”

“Yes,” Avery said. “I run in all types of weather. This job involves a lot of sitting. I need the exercise.”

Earl Biggs came down the hall, jingling his keys.

“You’re not doing that kiddie show again, are you?” Earl asked Avery. “I’d rather you played tapes of the old shows.”

“You don’t run this station,” Avery told him. “Jocelyn does.”

“Hmph,” said Earl. “We’ll see.”

It was almost time to broadcast the show. The Aldens went into the breakroom to fill four cups with water. Gwen was there buying a juice from the vending machine. They walked to the soundstage together.

Frances had placed the Aldens’ microphones in a row. Gwen’s microphone stood farther back, next to the stool holding her prop box, cassette player, and the tapes she had taken out for the show.

Frances checked to make sure everyone was ready, then counted them down. They were on the air.

“Ow-oooooo,” Benny howled into Violet’s microphone, playing the ghost dog.

Frances gave Gwen the cue for the first sound effect, a door creaking open. Gwen punched the button on her cassette player.

“Meow! Meow! Me —”

Gwen quickly hit the STOP button. Frances frowned, but cued Henry, who had the first line.

“What was that?” Henry said. “It sounded like a wolf.”

Jessie lowered her voice dramatically. “Do you think it was that strange white dog we keep seeing?”

It was time for the sound of someone walking up squeaky stairs. Gwen put the next tape into the cassette player and punched the ON button.

Rrrrrrrrr.
This time a lawn mower noise blasted from the machine.

Rattled, Gwen hit STOP. She scrabbled through her tapes.

Through the window, Jessie saw Earl Biggs pacing impatiently.

Frances waved her hands as if to say, “Forget it.” They would have to do the show without any taped sound effects. Gwen got out the men’s shoes to make footsteps.

The Aldens performed their parts well until Jessie’s microphone quit.

She tapped it lightly, but it was dead. She moved over by Violet to share hers.

Then Henry’s mike went dead! He stood by Violet and Jessie. Now all three shared the same mike. It remained working for the rest of the program.

At last the show was over.

“What a disaster!” Frances exclaimed. “What else could have gone wrong? Gwen, what happened with your tapes?”

Gwen was nearly in tears. “I don’t know! I put them in order right after the run-through.”

“Somebody obviously went through your box and switched the tape labels,” said Violet. “When could they have done it?”

“I left the soundstage after arranging my tapes,” Gwen said, “to go to the breakroom for some juice. But I was only gone a minute.”

“It takes longer than a minute to switch labels,” Violet said.

“Frances, did you see anyone?” Jessie asked.

Frances shook her head. “No, but I wasn’t in the room the whole time.”

Gwen still looked shaken. “If I didn’t know better, I might start to believe in this ghost.”

Henry was following the trail of microphone cords to the wall sockets. “Violet’s and Jessie’s mikes were only plugged in partway,” he announced. “That was dangerous — they could have shorted.”

“This ghost,” Gwen said, “means business.”

They walked out of the soundstage and into the hall.

“Sorry about today’s show,” Avery apologized to Earl. “We had technical difficulties. But the Aldens still did a great job.”

Earl looked around. “Is Jocelyn coming today?”

“Probably,” said Avery.

Benny noticed a small flashlight hanging from the key chain on Earl’s belt. Was Earl the visitor last night? Did he sneak into the station and loosen the plugs on the microphones? Did he mess up Gwen’s tapes?

Grandfather and Jocelyn pushed open the lobby door.

When Earl saw Jocelyn, he asked her, “Are you free now?” Benny watched Earl. He had a funny expression on his face.

“Sorry,” Jocelyn said to Earl. “Not now. James and I are taking the children out to lunch.”

Earl left, looking disappointed.

On the way to the diner, Violet thought about the old photo in the breakroom. “Was that really Earl Biggs in the picture of the football game? It doesn’t look like him.”

“Yes, that’s Earl,” Jocelyn replied with a laugh. “He had more hair back then.”

“Earl sure hangs around the station a lot,” Benny said.

Jocelyn smiled. “He’s an important advertiser — and an important friend.”

“I think Earl still has a crush on you, Jocelyn,” Violet said cautiously.

Jocelyn looked surprised. Then she blushed. “You might be right, Violet. Earl has been pressuring me to date him again. I told him I need some time to think about it — I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”

So that explained the mushy look on Earl’s face
, Benny thought.
Earl was in love with Jocelyn
.

Benny exchanged glances with his brother and sisters. So that’s what Earl had been asking Jocelyn on the phone!

After they were seated, Frances came into the diner. “I’m getting my lunch to go,” she told Jocelyn, stopping by their table. “I’m going back to the station to work on the last installment of the show. What better place to write a ghost story than in a haunted station?” She laughed.

Jessie nudged Henry. “Let’s go back, too,” she whispered, “to look for more clues.”

Henry nodded. “We’re running out of time. Tomorrow’s our last day on the show.”

Raindrops dripped off the trees. It had stopped raining, but jagged clouds sailed across the sky.

The Aldens didn’t tell Gwen they were going back to the station. Jocelyn’s granddaughter went up to her room right after they returned to the house, claiming she had a headache.

The Aldens walked into the station just as Avery turned off the long record he’d been playing and sat down to announce the day’s news.

“Let’s check out the soundstage,” Henry suggested. “Maybe we’ll find clues we’ve overlooked.”

As the Aldens walked into the hallway Benny grabbed Violet’s sleeve.

“What is it?” she said.

Benny pointed at the side door. “I hear noises,” he whispered. “Somebody’s out there!”

Before the Aldens could investigate, Frances St. Clair ran out of the breakroom.

“My script!” she cried. “It’s been stolen!”

“Tell us exactly what happened,” Henry said to Frances.

“I had just finished writing the script,” Frances said. “I went into the rest room to wash the ink off my fingers. When I came back, the script was gone! I don’t know how this could have happened — Avery and I are the only ones here.”

“This just happened,” Jessie said. “The thief can’t be far.”

“The side door!” Benny said. “Remember? I just heard someone out there!”

“That has to be the thief’s escape route,” Jessie said. “Hurry before he gets away!”

The Aldens dashed forward. Frances stood where she was, wringing her hands. She seemed too distraught to move.

Jessie reached the end of the hall first. She unbolted the inside lock and flung open the door.

Just beyond the doorway, a figure was crouched in the shadows. The person sprang up to run away.

“Stop!” Henry commanded.

The figure stepped into the light. It was Gwen Hawley.

“Gwen!” exclaimed Violet. “What are you doing here?”

Gwen looked embarrassed. “I came back here to look for clues,” she said.

“Clues?” asked Jessie.

Gwen nodded sheepishly. “I want to help Gran by finding the ghost. I thought I could be a detective, too. I even followed you guys to the station last night. That time you saw me in the park, I was following Frances. I thought she might be the thief.

She’s trying to earn enough money to go to California.”

The Aldens looked at one another. “Does this mean you didn’t steal tomorrow’s script?” Benny said.

Gwen looked shocked. “Steal the script? No! I was looking for clues out back.”

Henry believed her. “Well, did you see anyone out here who might have? Frances says somebody took it just a few minutes ago.”

“Oh, no!” said Gwen. “No, I didn’t see anyone.”

“The thief must have used this door,” Henry said, “because we came through the front door. But the door was locked — whoever used it had to have a key.”

“Earl has a key,” said Gwen. “So does Frances. And Avery.”

“If Earl Biggs took it, he’s already gotten away,” said Violet. “If it was Frances or Avery, they’re both still here — the script could be hidden in the station, or dropped somewhere out here.”

Jessie spoke in a near whisper. “If Frances is the thief, she could be hiding the script right now. Maybe that’s why she didn’t follow us outside.”

Just then, Frances stepped out of the station. “I didn’t see anyone in there,” she said.

“Let’s look around out here,” Benny said.

The Aldens, Gwen, and Frances fanned out to search.

Jessie glanced at the office of the Auto Sales lot. She wondered if Earl Biggs was the ‘ghost’ — he could be making trouble at the station to get Jocelyn’s attention. Maybe he had sneaked in the side door with his key, hidden in the shadows until Frances left the breakroom, then grabbed the script and gone out the side door. Gwen had been outside behind the station, so she wouldn’t have seen him.

“I don’t think we’re going to find it,” Frances said after they had searched a while. “I’ll just have to write the whole script over.” She sighed. “It’ll take me hours.”

“We’ll help,” Henry offered. “With all of us working, it won’t take so long.”