by Maria Samuelsson

Created on: April 23, 2008   Last Updated: June 11, 2008

The Halloween Shadow Mystery

Like any New England town, children in Norfolk made or bought their Halloween costumes, went trick-or-treating, and then ate their candy with glee. No one really thought that Halloween meant anything more than fun.
Would this year be different?
Dan was walking his dog Skip one evening after dinner. It was a lovely night. And tomorrow, Halloween, was expected to be the same.

Suddenly Skip froze on the sidewalk. A low growl came from the dog's throat. Dan look around to see what could be bothering Skip.
Dan glimpsed a shadow dart behind the garage. In fact, he saw the leg and shoe of someone disappear into the bushes leading to the pond. Skip strained on the leash and dragged Dan towards the mysterious figure.
It was getting dark, and he did not have a flashlight. They reached a large tree near the pond. At twilight, Dan could not see above the branches.
Skip barked angrily until Dan commanded, "Calm down, Boy!
Suddenly the dog whimpered. What had frightened Skip? Dan didn't wait to find out. They quickly went home.
Dan burst into the kitchen and found his sister Annie.
"Oh, Annie!" Dan exclaimed. "The strangest thing just happened!"
Dan told his story and the two of them tried to fit the pieces together. Then Dan saw the gleam in Annie's eyes.
"What do you know about the new family that just moved in last month?" Dan blurted out.
The wheels in Annie's brain turned. Not a family. Just a man who worked for a large biotech company. A scientist. They both began talking at the same time.
Who was he?
What did he do in biotech?
And could it have anything to do with the shadow?
Annie quickly put some brownies on a paper plate, covered it with plastic, and took Dan down the block to the new neighbor's house.
Soon they were there.
Annie rang the bell. Seconds later they heard footsteps behind the door and saw it open.
An older man answered wearing a sweater, jeans, and sneakers. He smiled, looked at the plate of brownies and said, "I thought Halloween was tomorrow, but it looks like you two brought your own treats!"
Dan eyed the man's jeans and sneakers, the same he saw disappear earlier that evening.
"We're your neighbors. Welcome to the neighborhood! I'm Dan, and this is my sister Annie. The brownies are for you."
"Well, nice to meet you! My name is Earl Johnson." A cat scampered out the front door. "And that is my cat, Frosty."
Earl Johnson invited them both to the deck and put the plate of brownies on the patio table.
"I'll bring some

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>