Mystery at Skeleton Point Read Free Page B

“Somebody played a joke, but it wasn’t me.”
    When Charlotte came out, she didn’t find the joke quite as funny, though she tried to laugh about it. “Goodness. I guess I can always use them at Halloween for my trick-or-treaters.”
    Benny turned one of the skulls upside down to see if anything was inside. “We got the trick but not the treat.”
    Charlotte laughed. “Well, if you children need more treats than what I left out for your lunches, stop at the general store. The bike path runs right behind it. You’ll see a sign for it.”
    “Goody,” Benny said. “I saw lots of snacks there yesterday.”
    The children put on their helmets and set off for the bike path. Since it was still early, they had it to themselves for a while.
    Jessie checked the small bike mirror on her handlebars and saw a jogger in the distance. “I guess runners use this path, too,” she told the others. “There’s somebody behind us.”
    When Henry turned around to take a look, the jogger took off into the woods. “Whoever it was is gone.”

    The children rolled along, making good time on the smooth, empty path.
    “There’s the sign for the general store. Should we stop?” Jessie teased, even though she already knew the answer.
    “I saw gorp fixings in the store — nuts, raisins, and chocolate chips,” Henry said.
    “Good, gorp,” Benny said about the delicious, healthy snack they often brought on their outings.
    The general store was already busy with people buying fishing tackle, getting mail, drinking coffee, and picking up groceries and the morning newspaper.
    Jessie led the way to the camping section. “Here are the nuts and raisins. Benny, you and Violet go over to the baking aisle for the chips. I brought along some zip bags so we can mix up some gorp for each of us.”
    When Benny and Violet came to the next aisle, a young woman was blocking the way. She and one of the cardplayers the children had seen the day before were so busy talking, they didn’t see the children standing there.
    “Have you lived here a very long time?” the young woman asked the man, who was wearing a fishing vest today. “I’m trying to get information about those statues out at Skeleton Point. Nobody seems to know how old they are or where they came from.”
    “Or where some parts of the statues are going,” the man told the young woman. “Lots of fool stories are going around about somebody — or something — damaging the statues. Stay away from them, I say. Those old statues have been out there forever — before I was born, anyway. Leave ’em be. Why do you want to know?”
    The young woman hesitated, then stopped to read the label on a jar of honey. “Um ... just curious.”
    With that, the young woman left the store without buying anything.
    “Newcomers!” the man told Benny and Violet when he saw them standing there. “Always asking questions. You’d think from that young lady that Shady Lake was nothing but old statues covered with moss. What about our fishing? Why, our trout are practically jumping out of the lake.”
    “They are?” Benny asked, hoping to find out where he could see some of these jumping trout.
    The man left without answering Benny.
    “All set?” Jessie said when she and Henry joined the younger children. “Let’s go pay for everything.”
    While the children stood in line, they heard a grinding sound nearby. One of the clerks was making keys for a customer. “Here’s the extra key you wanted, Greeny.” The worker handed over a new key and a brown bag. “Bring it back if it doesn’t fit this lock you just bought.”
    “That must be Greeny Owen!” Henry whispered to his brother and sisters.
    “I guess even on the island you have to be careful to keep your cabin locked up, huh?” the clerk asked.
    “Um... right.” Greeny pocketed the key and put the bag in the small backpack he wore over his T-shirt and jogging shorts. He stepped away from the counter and left.
    “I think Greeny was the