Everyone discussed the vanishing ghost at dinner that night.
“We saw Rose Payne,” Benny insisted.
Grandfather said, “Benny, we’ve been over this. There are no ghosts.”
“But we saw someone,” Violet insisted. “We even followed her. But she vanished.”
“Just like a ghost!” Corey leaned forward. He and Mr. Lacey were the only ones who had eaten the tough burgers that were supper that night. Jessie figured Corey cleaned his plate every meal because he didn’t want to hurt Marianne’s feelings. Both Marianne and Mrs. Harrington did the cooking at Eagles Nest.
“Or a real person who knows a hiding place,” said Mr. Williams. He had come back from Tincup Creek without any fish and now sat discouraged over the awful hamburger and boiled cabbage supper.
“I’d like to see the ghost,” Corey said.
“She only appears at sundown,” said Mrs. Harrington.
“That’s cool,” said Corey. “Will you kids take me? Maybe we could have a picnic.”
That sounded like fun to Benny. “May we go, Grandfather?” he asked eagerly.
“Corey is an experienced hiker,” Grandfather acknowledged. “I think it would be all right.”
“Yippee!” Benny said, forgetting the picnic would probably be as terrible as the other meals.
When supper was over, James Alden and Victor Lacey went for a walk to further discuss the property offer. Mr. Williams settled down with some fishing magazines in the sitting area.
Henry meant to tell the fisherman about the net stretched across the stream, but Corey was noisily scooping up the heavy white crockery dishes.
“Stop it,” Marianne told him, annoyed.
“Make me,” he teased. “I’m helping so you’ll go for a walk with me.”
Marianne’s dark brows drew together. “I don’t want to.”
“Why? I’m cute, funny, likable.” He grinned.
Marianne glanced meaningfully at the Alden children.
“Uh ... we should go brush our teeth,” Jessie said.
They left the dining hall.
“I don’t want to brush my teeth,” protested Benny.
Violet giggled. “We don’t have to yet. But we should leave Marianne and Corey alone.”
Instead of sitting in the rockers on the front porch, the children wandered around the back of the dining hall.
“Mrs. Harrington has put out the garbage already,” Henry said, noting the sturdy, bear-proof cans lined up on the back deck.
“She probably has lots of it,” Jessie said. “Nobody but Corey and Mr. Lacey ate that nasty meal. I don’t know how they stand it.”
“I don’t know how Marianne and Mrs. Harrington stand their own cooking,” Henry added. “If I were them, I’d hire a cook.”
Benny was staring at the row of cans. Beside them was a white metal cupboard with a lock through the double handles. One door was open, the lock dangling loosely from its handle. Pretty fancy for a garbage container, he thought.
Suddenly he knew what was in the cupboard. Marianne and Mrs. Harrington didn’t eat their own cooking.
“I bet I know what’s in the cabinet,” he declared.
“What?” asked Henry.
“Something good,” said Benny. “Look, the door’s open. Can I look inside?”
Jessie nodded. “I guess it’s okay.”
Benny ran up on the porch. “I knew it! Food! Pork and beans, fruit juice, cupcakes, pickles — ”
Jessie suddenly felt nervous. “Come away from there, Benny. Mrs. Harrington might be back any minute.”
“Maybe those things will be in our picnic tomorrow,” Violet told him.
“Maybe.” But he doubted it.
Jessie pointed to some wires leading to a hinged metal panel beside the door.
“That’s the fuse box,” she said. “Those wires are for the phone and electricity.”
“I wonder why the phones and power are always going out,” Henry said. “I wonder if Mrs. Harrington tries to make this place horrible on purpose.”
“But why?” asked Violet. “She should want tourists to come, not scare them away.”
“I think the key to this mystery,” said Jessie, “is the Lady in Gray.”
“We’ll see her tomorrow,” Violet said softly.
The next afternoon the children and Corey piled into the Jeep.
“Us old guys will stay behind and chew the fat,” said Victor Lacey, waving them off.
“Chew the fat?” said Benny. “Is that what’s in our picnic basket?” He wouldn’t be surprised.
“I hope not!” Corey laughed, starting the Jeep with a roar. “Now you kids show me the way.”
The road was as bumpy as ever. Jessie felt like her bones were being rattled.
Suddenly Corey hit a huge pothole and the Jeep halted.
“Uh-oh,” he said, hopping out. He and Henry lifted the hood.
“Do you know anything about cars?” asked Henry.
“Oh, sure.” Corey twisted knobs and pulled out oily dipsticks. After tinkering with the engine about fifteen minutes, he threw up his greasy hands. “She’s a goner! We’ll have to walk.”
Violet hauled the picnic basket out of the backseat while Jessie grabbed the plaid blanket Marianne had given them to sit on.
Jessie whispered to Henry, “I thought Corey could fix cars.”
“That’s what he said,” he whispered back. “But all he did was check the oil and battery fluid.”
When they reached the wagon trail leading down into the canyon, Corey took the picnic basket and blanket from the girls. He’s really nice, Jessie thought. If he weren’t so loud, maybe Marianne would like him better.
Corey was excited about everything in Tincup. He pretended to be a cowboy getting off his horse in front of the dry goods store, giving Benny a fit of giggles. After he looped imaginary reins over the hitching post, they went inside.
“Cool,” Corey said. “I wish I lived in those days.”
“Me, too,” agreed Benny. He liked Corey.
Violet was checking the sky out the window. “The sun is starting to go down,” she reported. “We’d better get ready.”
But Rose never appeared. The sun faded over the rim of the canyon without any sign of the Lady in Gray.
“I guess even a ghost needs a night off,” Corey joked.
Sitting on the blanket, they ate their supper — cheese and stale bread with boiled eggs.
“Don’t you think the food here is lousy?” Jessie asked Corey.
He laughed. “If you had college food, you’d think this was great.” He tipped his head back. “If I’m not mistaken, serious rain clouds are rolling in. We’d better hurry back.”
They packed quickly. As they hurried down Main Street, Violet glanced back over her shoulder. She had a feeling someone was watching them.
Someone was!
Violet glimpsed half a shadowed face through the slatted swinging doors of the dance hall. A yellowed, gnarled hand gripped the edge of the door.
Was it the ghost of Rose Payne, scared off by Corey’s loud voice? she wondered. Afraid, Violet scurried to catch up with the others.
Without the Jeep, it was a long hike back to Eagles Nest. Maybe I’m imagining things, Violet thought. She decided not to tell anyone about the face.
Heavy clouds burst while the children were several yards from the motel. Soaked and shivering, they ran into the dining hall.
Grandfather had built a fire in the stone fireplace. Lanterns glowed on tables. The power was out again.
“The Jeep died,” Corey explained, taking the thin towel Marianne handed him.
“So has the electricity and phones — again,” said Mr. Williams with disgust. “I think I’ll pack it in.”
“You’re leaving?” asked Mrs. Harrington. “In this storm?”
“It’s not that far to Beaverton,” said Mr. Williams. “At least I can get a decent meal! You can send me a refund in the mail.” Then he stalked out of the hall, knocking over the stack of fishing magazines.
Henry and Benny bent to straighten the pile. In the flickering lamplight, a picture caught Henry’s eye. His suspicions about the two fishermen grew stronger.
“You guys get dry,” Jessie told her brothers and sister. “I had the blanket over my head, so I’m not as wet as you are. I’ll go to our cabins and bring dry socks and shirts.”
“Take the umbrella.” Grandfather handed her a black umbrella.
But when Jessie opened it outside, the umbrella was full of holes! Nothing worked at Eagles Nest!
“I’m better off without it,” she muttered to herself.
As she skirted puddles, she saw Corey leaving his cabin. He wore a yellow plastic rain poncho and was heading for the dining hall.
Something peculiar was sticking out from under his poncho. It looked like the gray crocheted shawl worn by the ghost of Rose Payne!
Was Corey Browne pretending to be the ghost of Tincup? |