things. I wish you had just come and talked to me.”
Francis sighed. “I know that now. And I’m sorry.” Francis turned to Violet. “I apologize for frightening you.”
“And where did you put all the ‘For Sale’ signs that you stole?” asked Mr. Hudson.
“You have to return them to Josh. You upset him as well.”
Francis looked confused.
“Your brother didn’t steal the ‘For Sale’ signs,” Violet said. “Josh did that.”
“What?” Mr. Hudson turned to look at his realtor. “Why would Josh steal his own signs? That doesn’t make any sense. He wants to sell the house. It’s his job.”
Josh stuck his hands even deeper into his pockets. He seemed to be trying to find something to say.
“Josh has a friend who wants your house, Mr. Hudson,” Violet explained. “Only he can’t afford to buy it unless you lower the price. Josh didn’t start the vampire rumors, but he helped them along. He thought that if buyers were frightened away, you would be happy to sell the house for a lot less money to his friend. I saw the missing ‘For Sale’ signs in the back of Josh’s car and I overheard him on the phone with his friend.”
Josh’s face was bright red. “You should know that it is not right to eavesdrop!” he shouted at Violet.
“I was not eavesdropping!” Violet crossed her arms and stood her ground. “I was working in the garden when you made a call near the front porch. I couldn’t help but hear what you said.”
“And you should know that you were supposed to be working for me and not for your friend,” Mr. Hudson added. “You’re fired as my realtor, Josh.”
Josh bit hard on his lower lip. He took a few steps toward the door, then turned back around. “I’m very sorry, Charles,” he said. “And I’m sorry for accusing you, Violet. My friend doesn’t have a lot of money and he has five children. I thought this would be the perfect house for him. But it was wrong of me to try to ruin your chances of selling at a good price. I didn’t mean any harm, but I know what I did was wrong. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Josh pushed open the screen door to leave just as Mrs. Fairfax was about to knock.
“What is going on over here?” she complained, stepping into the living room. “All this commotion has got to stop. Realtors, children, police cars. What next?”
“Hello, Martha,” said Francis.
“Francis? Is that Francis?” Mrs. Fairfax put her hand over her heart.
Mr. Hudson helped Mrs. Fairfax into a seat. “It’s my brother all right, Martha,” he said with a smile. “He’s come back to live with me.”
“So you’re not selling the house?” Mrs. Fairfax asked.
Mr. Hudson looked at his brother and paused. “No, I’m not selling. That is,” he continued, “as long as Francis agrees to move in and help me out with the house.”
Francis stood and threw his arm around his brother’s shoulder. “Thank you, Charles,” he said. “There is nothing I would like better. It is so good to be home!”
Suddenly, a loud growling noise came from the sofa. Everyone turned to look.
Benny’s face turned bright red. He clasped his hands over his stomach. “Excuse me,” he apologized.
Everyone laughed, even Mrs. Fairfax.
“I suppose tracking down vampires can make a person quite hungry.” Mr. Hudson smiled.
“ Everything makes Benny hungry,” Henry explained.
Mr. Hudson brought out a pitcher of lemonade and set a tray of snacks on the table for his company.
Everyone was excited when Mr. Hudson told them that the producers had agreed to film the movie version of The Legend of the Vampire. It was going to be set right in Greenfield.
“Maybe we can all have a role in the film!” Benny cried.
“That would be so exciting,” Jessie agreed. “At the very least, perhaps we can come and watch the filming. Would that be all right with you, Mr. Hudson?”
“Of course!” Mr. Hudson said. “You are more than welcome.”
“Are you going to write any more
Francis sighed. “I know that now. And I’m sorry.” Francis turned to Violet. “I apologize for frightening you.”
“And where did you put all the ‘For Sale’ signs that you stole?” asked Mr. Hudson.
“You have to return them to Josh. You upset him as well.”
Francis looked confused.
“Your brother didn’t steal the ‘For Sale’ signs,” Violet said. “Josh did that.”
“What?” Mr. Hudson turned to look at his realtor. “Why would Josh steal his own signs? That doesn’t make any sense. He wants to sell the house. It’s his job.”
Josh stuck his hands even deeper into his pockets. He seemed to be trying to find something to say.
“Josh has a friend who wants your house, Mr. Hudson,” Violet explained. “Only he can’t afford to buy it unless you lower the price. Josh didn’t start the vampire rumors, but he helped them along. He thought that if buyers were frightened away, you would be happy to sell the house for a lot less money to his friend. I saw the missing ‘For Sale’ signs in the back of Josh’s car and I overheard him on the phone with his friend.”
Josh’s face was bright red. “You should know that it is not right to eavesdrop!” he shouted at Violet.
“I was not eavesdropping!” Violet crossed her arms and stood her ground. “I was working in the garden when you made a call near the front porch. I couldn’t help but hear what you said.”
“And you should know that you were supposed to be working for me and not for your friend,” Mr. Hudson added. “You’re fired as my realtor, Josh.”
Josh bit hard on his lower lip. He took a few steps toward the door, then turned back around. “I’m very sorry, Charles,” he said. “And I’m sorry for accusing you, Violet. My friend doesn’t have a lot of money and he has five children. I thought this would be the perfect house for him. But it was wrong of me to try to ruin your chances of selling at a good price. I didn’t mean any harm, but I know what I did was wrong. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Josh pushed open the screen door to leave just as Mrs. Fairfax was about to knock.
“What is going on over here?” she complained, stepping into the living room. “All this commotion has got to stop. Realtors, children, police cars. What next?”
“Hello, Martha,” said Francis.
“Francis? Is that Francis?” Mrs. Fairfax put her hand over her heart.
Mr. Hudson helped Mrs. Fairfax into a seat. “It’s my brother all right, Martha,” he said with a smile. “He’s come back to live with me.”
“So you’re not selling the house?” Mrs. Fairfax asked.
Mr. Hudson looked at his brother and paused. “No, I’m not selling. That is,” he continued, “as long as Francis agrees to move in and help me out with the house.”
Francis stood and threw his arm around his brother’s shoulder. “Thank you, Charles,” he said. “There is nothing I would like better. It is so good to be home!”
Suddenly, a loud growling noise came from the sofa. Everyone turned to look.
Benny’s face turned bright red. He clasped his hands over his stomach. “Excuse me,” he apologized.
Everyone laughed, even Mrs. Fairfax.
“I suppose tracking down vampires can make a person quite hungry.” Mr. Hudson smiled.
“ Everything makes Benny hungry,” Henry explained.
Mr. Hudson brought out a pitcher of lemonade and set a tray of snacks on the table for his company.
Everyone was excited when Mr. Hudson told them that the producers had agreed to film the movie version of The Legend of the Vampire. It was going to be set right in Greenfield.
“Maybe we can all have a role in the film!” Benny cried.
“That would be so exciting,” Jessie agreed. “At the very least, perhaps we can come and watch the filming. Would that be all right with you, Mr. Hudson?”
“Of course!” Mr. Hudson said. “You are more than welcome.”
“Are you going to write any more
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