The Midnight Mystery

  The Midnight Mystery

  Copyright © 2001

  Beverly Lewis

  Cover illustration by Paul Turnbaugh

  Cover design by Lookout Design, Inc.

  Text illustrations by Janet Huntington

  Ebook edition created 2012

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  Published by Bethany House Publishers

  11400 Hampshire Avenue South

  Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

  www.bethanyhouse.com

  Bethany House Publishers is a division of

  Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

  www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

  eISBN 978-1-4412-6083-3

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

  The internet addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication. They are provided as a resource. Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence.

  For

  Kahla Erickson,

  who loves to read.

  And

  for Erin Meyer,

  who loves to write.

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  About the Author

  Other Books by Author

  Back Cover

  ONE

  The end of the school year had come. At last!

  Dunkum Mifflin had been counting the days. He was rip-roaring ready for summer.

  He and Abby Hunter stood tall on the school stage. Miss Hershey’s class was taking their curtain call. They bowed low as the audience clapped.

  Yahoo! End of school, thought Dunkum.

  The audience kept clapping.

  Then . . . swoosh! The stage curtains dropped and the lights went up. The Blossom Hill School spring play was finished. A smashing success.

  Dunkum and Abby hurried backstage. The other Cul-de-sac Kids were waiting in the wings, behind the curtains. They were all smiles.

  Abby was the president of the block club. Five boys and four girls. They loved adventure and solving mysteries. Their club slogan was “Cul-de-sac Kids stick together.”

  Dunkum removed his space-captain suit. Carefully, he placed it in the props box. “What a cool play,” he said.

  Abby’s eyes danced. “Lots better than last year!”

  “Yep, sure was,” Jason Birchall said. He was prancing and jiving about, as usual.

  Eric Hagel and Jason gave Dunkum and Abby high fives. “All the practicing paid off,” said Eric.

  “Time to celebrate!” said Jason.

  “Everyone’s coming to my house,” Dunkum said, grinning. He had sent out invitations for an ice-cream party.

  Jason’s eyes grew bigger. “What are we waiting for?” he asked. “Let’s get going.”

  Eric and Stacy Henry agreed. “Junk food, here we come,” Stacy said. And Eric gave a thumbs-up.

  “We won’t be in Miss Hershey’s class next year,” Jason said. He tossed his space costume into the props box.

  “Don’t worry about that now,” Dunkum said. “Summer’s finally here!”

  Dunkum’s blind cousin, Ellen Mifflin, came around the curtains. Honey, her guide dog, led the way. The dog wore a shiny blue space suit and black wire antennas. He had played a poochy part in the play—Space Dog.

  Abby and her younger sister, Carly, and Carly’s best friend, Dee Dee Winters, crowded around Space Dog. “So . . . how does Honey like show business?” asked Abby.

  Ellen’s eyes were closed. “Oh, she loves it. Don’t you, girl?” She knelt down and hugged her dog. Ellen’s long brown hair covered Honey’s face.

  “Wait till you see her brand-new tricks,” Dunkum said. He took off the dog’s costume and antennas.

  “You’re kidding. New tricks?” Abby asked. She sat beside Stacy, near Honey. The boys crowded around, too.

  Ellen stood up, smiling. “Honey loves to perform. Don’t you, big girl?”

  “Woof, woof!” barked Honey. “Give us a sneak preview,” Eric pleaded.

  A mischievous grin swept across Ellen’s face. “Wait for the party,” she said.

  “Aw, why not now?” Jason begged. “Because I need ice cream for the trick,” Ellen said. She pushed her hair behind her ear.

  “That reminds me,” Dunkum said, looking at Jason. “Are you hungry for chocolate ice cream?”

  Jason licked his lips and rubbed his stomach. “Wild pit bulls couldn’t keep me away.”

  “Don’t you mean wild horses?” Dunkum said.

  “Horses . . . pit bulls, whatever.” Jason pranced around.

  “I know a good pit bull joke,” Ellen said. She held on to her dog’s harness. “Want to hear it?”

  Honey barked and shook her head.

  “Hey, it looks like Honey just said no.” Jason and the Cul-de-sac Kids watched Ellen’s guide dog closely.

  “Better cover Honey’s ears when you talk about pit bulls,” Dunkum joked.

  Ellen giggled, feeling for Honey’s ears. “There,” she said, finding them. “Now, what did the pit bull say when he sat on a pile of sandpaper?”

  The kids looked at one another. They shrugged their shoulders.

  “I think we give up,” Dunkum said, eager to know. “What did the pit bull say when he sat on the sandpaper?”

  Ellen’s eyes were open, but they stared straight ahead. “ ‘Rough, rough,’ ” she giggled.

  “Hey, that’s a good joke,” Jason said as he headed for the door. He was usually the last person to arrive anywhere. But when it came to sweets, Jason Birchall was first in line!

  Dunkum’s parents waved from the back of the room. “We’ll see you at the party,” Dunkum’s dad called.

  Dunkum’s house was across the street from the school. He and his friends were going to walk to the party.

  Abby and Stacy followed Ellen and her guide dog down the stage steps. Jason and Eric joined the girls near the outside door. So did Dunkum.

  Adam Henny, a kid with dirt on his face, showed up just then. “Where’s everyone going?” he asked.

  “No place special,” Dunkum lied.

  Adam was the last person Dunkum wanted hanging around. Adam’s clothes looked like toxic waste dump specials. Especially the ratty red T-shirt he had on.

  Besides that, Adam Henny was not a Cul-de-sac Kid. No way was Dunkum going to invite an outsider to his party!

  TWO

  Dunkum couldn’t wait to leave. “Have a nice summer,” he said to Adam.

  The dirty kid smiled a faint smile. He pushed his hand into his pants pocket and pulled out something. “Here’s my phone number.”

  Dunkum shook his head. “Uh, no, that’s OK,” he said and rushed out the door. He wanted to forget about Adam. No sense messing up the end-of-school party over that kid.

  The Cul-de-sac Kids were waiting at the flagpole. “What kind of ice-cream toppings are we having?” asked Jason.

  “That’s not polite,” Eric piped up. “Just wait and see.”

  Dunkum elbowed Eric’s ribs. “Hey, relax, Eric. School’s out. It’s pig-out time!” He began to name off all the toppings. “Je
lly beans, chocolate sprinkles, strawberry syrup . . .” He paused. “Uh, I forgot the rest.”

  “Come on, try!” Jason pleaded. “Dunkum’s always forgetting stuff,” Ellen said.

  “It’s a good thing Abby’s our club president,” Dunkum said. “She never forgets anything.”

  “And don’t you forget it,” Abby agreed.

  It was true. Dunkum was a good detective only because Abby and the others were his partners. She paid attention to details. So far they’d solved every mystery known to man. Well . . . at least the ones on Blossom Hill Lane.

  Dunkum waited at the curb for Honey to step into the street. Ellen gripped the harness with her left hand. “Honey, forward,” she said.

  But Honey waited for two more cars. When it was safe, she led Ellen across. “Good girl,” Ellen said.

  A black jeep was parked in the driveway across the street. On the back was a bumper sticker. It read I pets! A bald man was holding a fluffy, gray cat.

  “Hey, that’s Mister Whiskers!” Dee Dee said, racing across the street.

  “What’s that man doing with your cat?” Dunkum asked, staring.

  The man turned and frowned. “Poor thing. I found him just wandering around,” he explained. He gave Dee Dee her cat.

  “That’s strange,” Abby said. “I thought he stayed in the house.”

  “Mister Whiskers?” The man looked at the cat in Dee Dee’s arms. “What a nice name.” He stroked the kitten, but his eyes seemed very dark. At least Dunkum thought so.

  “Mister Whiskers is a cool Cul-de-sac Cat,” Jason said, nodding his head.

  The man turned and looked at Honey. “That’s one nice dog you’ve got there,” he said.

  “Thanks,” Ellen said. “She’s my eyes.”

  “I can see that,” the man said. Suddenly, he got into his car.

  “Thanks for taking care of my cat,” Dee Dee called to him.

  “Anytime,” the man said out his car window.

  The kids raced to Dunkum’s house.

  Party time!

  In the kitchen, a row of ice-cream toppings lined the table.

  Jason was the first to be served. “Hey, look!” he said. “There’s a worm in my ice cream.” He held up something green and wiggly. He waved it at Carly Hunter.

  “Ee-ew!” squealed Carly as Jason dropped the green Gummi Worm into his mouth.

  Dunkum and Eric ate two worms each. Just plain.

  Abby, Stacy, and Carly asked for waffle cones. Dunkum’s father scooped up chocolate ice cream for them. He pushed the ice cream into their cones. “Some worms for the ladies?” he asked, smiling.

  “Not for me, thanks,” Stacy replied.

  “How about sprinkles?” Dunkum’s dad asked.

  The girls nodded. “Sprinkles are fine, thanks,” Abby said.

  “They’re really chocolate-covered ants, you know. Fried and dried,” Dunkum teased.

  “Double dabble yuck,” Abby said, giggling. She slid in beside Ellen at the table.

  Honey lay close to Ellen’s feet, taking a snooze. The dog seemed at home in Dunkum’s house. Ellen did, too.

  Ellen’s dad was out of the country with an overseas job. Dunkum didn’t mind at all. It was lots of fun having Ellen and Honey visit.

  Dunkum’s mom dished up some ice cream for Ellen. Honey’s nose twitched, and she opened one eye. “I think it’s time for Honey’s performance,” Dunkum said.

  Eric sat across the table. He wiped off his chocolate mustache with a napkin. “Go for it.”

  Ellen reached down and touched her dog’s head. “Honey, let’s play Lickety-split.”

  Dunkum made a drum-roll on the table.

  All the kids watched closely.

  Honey stood up. The tips of her ears stood at attention. She kept her eyes on Ellen. Only Ellen.

  “Hey, check it out. The dog obeys better than I do,” Jason said, laughing.

  “Honey is real smart,” Dunkum said. “Just watch.”

  THREE

  Dunkum scooped up some ice cream. He put it in a cone for Ellen. “One vanilla cone coming up,” he said.

  “Woof, woof!” Honey barked.

  Ellen smiled. “You like this trick, don’t you, girl?”

  Honey barked again.

  Dunkum handed the cone to Ellen. She held it in front of her and gave the command. “Honey, take two licks. But only two.”

  Honey’s tongue slurped the cone. Twice.

  All the kids clapped.

  “That’s double dabble amazing!” Abby said. “Our dog would never do that.”

  “Nope,” little Carly said. “Our dog would bite the cone right out of your hand!”

  “Wait . . . there’s more,” Ellen said softly.

  Honey waited. Ears perked, tongue out.

  Ellen gave the command. “Honey, take three licks.”

  The kids counted, “1 . . . 2 . . . 3,” as Honey licked the cone.

  Eric slapped his forehead. “I don’t believe this!”

  “I not, either,” said Shawn, Abby’s Korean brother.

  “Tell Honey to take twenty licks,” Jason shouted.

  “She doesn’t know that number,” Ellen said. “But she knows this.” Ellen held up the cone again.

  Honey looked up at the ice cream.

  “Honey,” Ellen whispered. “Lickety-split!”

  Carefully, Honey opened her mouth wide and held the cone in it. She carried the cone across the room without eating it.

  Then she stood on her hind legs and tossed the cone up . . . up into the air.

  Poof!

  In one gulp, the ice cream—cone and all—disappeared into the dog’s mouth.

  The kids shouted with delight, “Do it again!”

  Honey licked her chops and gave Ellen a kiss. Dunkum quickly made another cone.

  And Honey did the trick again.

  Soon, it was time for the Cul-de-sac Kids to go home. Dunkum followed his friends to the door.

  “Thanks for the party,” Carly said. She waved while her second ice-cream cone dripped off her hand. Vanilla drops dripped all the way down the sidewalk.

  “Your party was fun, Dunkum,” said Stacy. “Even the fried ants.” She made a face and giggled with Abby.

  “See you tomorrow.” Dunkum waved to them.

  That’s when he saw something red flash in the bushes across the street!

  White moonbeams cast their shadows on Blossom Hill Lane. Dunkum stared at the bushes.

  Was someone in a red shirt hiding over there? Or were his eyes playing a trick on him?

  FOUR

  Dunkum rubbed his eyes, still watching.

  I saw something, he thought. I just know it!

  “It’s bedtime,” called his mother from the house.

  Dunkum didn’t go back inside. Instead, he ran across the street. He searched the bushes and found some old newspapers.

  Then he saw an ID bracelet. Dunkum picked it up. The letters A. H. shone in the moonlight.

  A. H.? Must belong to Abby Hunter, he thought.

  Dunkum looked up the street. He could see Abby, Carly, and their adopted brothers walking with Stacy.

  He shook his head. “There’s no way Abby could’ve dropped this. Not way over here.”

  He stuffed the bracelet into his pocket and headed back across the street. Looking down, he saw vanilla ice-cream globs on the sidewalk. “What a mess,” he whispered.

  He remembered seeing Carly’s ice-cream cone drip on the sidewalk as she left. He hurried inside to get some wet paper towels. He wanted to clean up the mess before his mother found it. And before any ants started showing up. “Mom hates ants,” he muttered.

  He left the front door open and dashed into the kitchen.

  Ellen was still sitting at the table, humming softly. “I’m too tired to put Honey’s harness back on,” she said with a yawn.

  Dunkum glanced at Honey. “Looks like she’s zonked out,” he said. “Here, I’ll help you upstairs.”

  His mot
her was cleaning up the kitchen.

  “Okay if Honey sleeps here tonight, Mom?” Dunkum asked.

  She looked at the sleeping dog under the table. “Honey looks comfortable right there.”

  Ellen stood up. “Sweet dreams, girl,” she whispered to Honey. Then she blew a kiss.

  Dunkum bent his right elbow and guided Ellen upstairs. “The party was fun,” he said.

  “I don’t think Honey had enough ice cream,” Ellen said. “She would have done that Lickey-split trick at least two more times.”

  “Too much sugar might rot her teeth,” Dunkum said. “Unless she brushes right away.”

  Ellen laughed.

  “Well, good night,” Dunkum said and headed to the kitchen.

  Honey was still asleep under the table. Dunkum watched the steady rise and fall of her breathing. “Sleep tight, Honey,” he said.

  He hugged his parents good-night and went to his room. Putting on his pajamas, Dunkum thought of Adam Henny. Dirty, rotten Adam probably didn’t own a single pair of pj’s. And he had hardly one good friend.

  Dunkum skipped saying his prayers tonight. He hopped into bed and snuggled down. Strings of moonbeams danced on the pillow as he fell asleep.

  At midnight, Dunkum sat straight up in bed.

  Something had popped into his memory. Something so important it woke him up!

  “Oh,” he groaned. “How could I forget?”

  Grabbing his bathrobe, he darted through the hall and down the stairs. He flicked on the inside switch, flooding the front yard with light. Dunkum opened the front door and looked at the sidewalk.

  Phooey!

  The ants had already come. They were having an ice-cream party parade!

  Dunkum tiptoed to the kitchen and yanked on the towel rack. The roll went flying. He crawled under the table and chased the roll of paper towels.

  Right away, he noticed the empty spot under the table. Right where Honey had been sleeping.

  “Honey?” he called softly, looking around the kitchen.

  Dunkum placed the paper towel roll on the rack and rushed upstairs. He opened Ellen’s door without making a sound. Peering into Ellen’s room, he said, “Are you in there, Honey?”

  Ellen made a squeaky little sound in her sleep.

  He didn’t want to awaken and worry her. So he closed the bedroom door and flew back downstairs.