said with a laugh. “We’ll get right to it.” She handed Stevie another shopping bag. “But first I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll be back in a sec.
“Okay,” Stevie said. Humming to herself, she carried both bags into the locker room and dropped them on a bench. Then she took off her jacket, shook most of the rain off it, and shoved it into her locker.
While she waited for Dinah, she dug through the bags of goodies from the mall, pleased with their purchases. They had decided that the treasure hunt should have three categoriesof hidden objects: monster masks for Halloween, gold and silver for tradition, and lollipops for fun. The girls had taken care of the last category at the mall, buying a huge bag of multicolored lollipops. They had also found a few inexpensive gold and silver objects at the dime store, such as a big, gold-colored plastic crown. Stevie couldn’t wait to start hiding the objects, but she knew she’d have to. If she left any of them in the woods for too long before the kids started searching, raccoons and other animals would be sure to make off with them. She would have to hide most of the treasure on Saturday morning.
“I’m back,” Dinah announced, walking into the locker area. “And I had a great idea. Before we get to work, why don’t you finally introduce me to Black Magic? I’m sure she can’t be out on the trail today—not in all this rain.”
Stevie gulped, her mind racing. “Uh, she’s not here to-day,” she said. She’s, um, on the—I mean, at the farrier’s, being fitted for special shoes.”
“She’s at the farrier’s?” Dinah repeated. “But shouldn’t the farrier come here?”
“Not for this kind of shoe,” Stevie explained. These shoes have to be specially fitted with a special kind of machine, so the horse has to go there to have it done. She won’t be back until Saturday morning.” Stevie could hardly believe Dinah was buying the ridiculous story, but she didn’t seem suspicious at all. “It’s all the rage these days here in Virginia,” Stevie added helpfully.
“Oh, well,” Dinah said sadly. “I hope I get to see her sometime before I leave.”
“I’m sure you will,” Stevie assured her. “Now, come on. There are some pitchforks out there with our names on them!” She hurried out into the aisle before Dinah had a chance to respond—or to think any more about Black Magic’s high-tech shoes.
Rounding the corner toward the tack room, Stevie stopped short. Dinah almost ran into her. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Someone left a chair in the aisle,” Stevie replied. Sure enough, there in the aisle in front of the tack room was one of the folding chairs from Mrs. Reg’s office. Sitting on it was a paperback book. Stevie stepped forward and picked it up. “
Poltergeists
:
The Mischievous Menace
,” she read aloud. “It’s a book about poltergeists!”
“Really?” Dinah hurried over and grabbed the book from Stevie. She paged through it, pausing to examine some of the photographs inside. “Wow! Check this out.” She held up the book to show Stevie. “Look, it has pictures and everything. It says the word ‘poltergeist’ is a German term that means a noisy ghost that flings things around. And there’s a whole list of examples of places that were haunted by poltergeists. Pretty spooky.”
“There’s only one spooky prankster around this stable,” Stevie declared. “And his name is Phil Marsten.” She dragged the folding chair down the hall and shoved it back into Mrs. Reg’s office.
“But Stevie, how could Phil have done this?” Dinah asked, handing the book to her. “He left at the same time we did last night. If he’d sneaked away to set this up we would have seen him. And besides, you know as well as I do that Max and Red would never let this chair sit around in an aisle all night.”
Stevie shrugged. “I don’t know how he did it, but I’m sure he did,” she declared. She walked back to the locker
“Okay,” Stevie said. Humming to herself, she carried both bags into the locker room and dropped them on a bench. Then she took off her jacket, shook most of the rain off it, and shoved it into her locker.
While she waited for Dinah, she dug through the bags of goodies from the mall, pleased with their purchases. They had decided that the treasure hunt should have three categoriesof hidden objects: monster masks for Halloween, gold and silver for tradition, and lollipops for fun. The girls had taken care of the last category at the mall, buying a huge bag of multicolored lollipops. They had also found a few inexpensive gold and silver objects at the dime store, such as a big, gold-colored plastic crown. Stevie couldn’t wait to start hiding the objects, but she knew she’d have to. If she left any of them in the woods for too long before the kids started searching, raccoons and other animals would be sure to make off with them. She would have to hide most of the treasure on Saturday morning.
“I’m back,” Dinah announced, walking into the locker area. “And I had a great idea. Before we get to work, why don’t you finally introduce me to Black Magic? I’m sure she can’t be out on the trail today—not in all this rain.”
Stevie gulped, her mind racing. “Uh, she’s not here to-day,” she said. She’s, um, on the—I mean, at the farrier’s, being fitted for special shoes.”
“She’s at the farrier’s?” Dinah repeated. “But shouldn’t the farrier come here?”
“Not for this kind of shoe,” Stevie explained. These shoes have to be specially fitted with a special kind of machine, so the horse has to go there to have it done. She won’t be back until Saturday morning.” Stevie could hardly believe Dinah was buying the ridiculous story, but she didn’t seem suspicious at all. “It’s all the rage these days here in Virginia,” Stevie added helpfully.
“Oh, well,” Dinah said sadly. “I hope I get to see her sometime before I leave.”
“I’m sure you will,” Stevie assured her. “Now, come on. There are some pitchforks out there with our names on them!” She hurried out into the aisle before Dinah had a chance to respond—or to think any more about Black Magic’s high-tech shoes.
Rounding the corner toward the tack room, Stevie stopped short. Dinah almost ran into her. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Someone left a chair in the aisle,” Stevie replied. Sure enough, there in the aisle in front of the tack room was one of the folding chairs from Mrs. Reg’s office. Sitting on it was a paperback book. Stevie stepped forward and picked it up. “
Poltergeists
:
The Mischievous Menace
,” she read aloud. “It’s a book about poltergeists!”
“Really?” Dinah hurried over and grabbed the book from Stevie. She paged through it, pausing to examine some of the photographs inside. “Wow! Check this out.” She held up the book to show Stevie. “Look, it has pictures and everything. It says the word ‘poltergeist’ is a German term that means a noisy ghost that flings things around. And there’s a whole list of examples of places that were haunted by poltergeists. Pretty spooky.”
“There’s only one spooky prankster around this stable,” Stevie declared. “And his name is Phil Marsten.” She dragged the folding chair down the hall and shoved it back into Mrs. Reg’s office.
“But Stevie, how could Phil have done this?” Dinah asked, handing the book to her. “He left at the same time we did last night. If he’d sneaked away to set this up we would have seen him. And besides, you know as well as I do that Max and Red would never let this chair sit around in an aisle all night.”
Stevie shrugged. “I don’t know how he did it, but I’m sure he did,” she declared. She walked back to the locker
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