Mystery of the Midnight Dog Read Free Page A

said, “I know what Watch saw. He saw the ghost dog!”
    “Benny! You know there is no such thing as a ghost. Or a ghost dog,” Jessie said.
    Violet didn’t say anything. She stared out at the darkness and the fireflies, half expecting to see a ghost dog float by.
    “Watch could have been howling at anything,” Henry said. “An owl hooting that we couldn’t hear. Or a siren far away.”
    “Come have dessert, Benny,” Grandfather said. “I’m sure the reason Watch howled is as simple as a hooting owl. No ghosts.”
    Benny looked through the screen at the night, but he didn’t see anything. Whatever had caused Watch to howl had stopped—or gone away.
    Later that night Benny and Watch came into Henry’s room. Benny who was wearing his pajamas, rubbed his eyes and yawned. Henry looked up from his book.
    Benny said, “Watch and I came to say good night.”
    “Good night,” said Henry. “And remember, I’m just across the hall if you get scared or anything.”
    “Scared?” Benny said. “I’m never scared. Only, maybe, a little worried sometimes.”
    Henry smiled at his younger brother. “Well, if you get a little worried, just call me. I’ll be right here.”
    “Okay,” said Benny. “And if you’re worried about the ghost dog, don’t be. Watch will protect us.”
    “There isn’t a ghost dog, Benny. That’s just a story,” Henry said.
    Benny looked as if he might want to argue with Henry. But all he said was, “Good night.”
    “Good night,” said Henry.
    When Benny stepped into the hall, he saw Lainey, who motioned for him to follow her. “Come on,” she said. “We’ll help the ghost dog pay Henry a visit.”
    “How?” asked Benny.
    “With an old Halloween mask I found in the closet in my room. It’s a basset hound mask.”
    “You mean, play a joke on him?” ask Benny.
    “Yep,” said Lainey.
    A few minutes later, wearing the dog mask, Benny walked back down the hall. When he reached the door, Lainey turned off the hall light.
    No light showed under Henry’s door. Benny wondered if his older brother was already asleep.
    If he was, Benny and Lainey were about to awaken him!
    “Scratch on the door a little, like a dog, but softly,” Lainey told Benny.
    Benny scratched on a lower panel of the door. As he did, Lainey let out a soft moan.
    Benny thought he heard a sound from Henry’s room.
    He scratched again. Lainey let out a low howl that sounded pretty scary to Benny.
    “What? Who’s there?” Henry’s voice sounded as if he had been asleep.
    Lainey howled once more.
    The light in Henry’s room came on. He threw open the door. Lainey howled again, and Benny did, too.
    Henry jumped back. Then he realized who it was.
    “Benny! Lainey!” he exclaimed.
    “No, it’s the ghost dog,” said Lainey, turning on the hall light. She and Benny began to laugh.
    Henry shook his head, grinning. “You almost fooled me. Almost.”
    Benny threw his arms around his brother. “Good night,” he said again. “We promise not to let the ghost dog wake you up anymore!”
    Henry rolled his eyes. “I’ll count on it. Good night.”
    “That was a pretty good joke,” Benny said.
    He went into his room and got into bed. Benny put his flashlight by his bed, just in case, then turned out the light and pulled the sheet up to his chin. He stared at the darkness. Was that a ghostly white shape by the window?
    He clicked on the flashlight.
    No, it was just a vase of white flowers.
    Benny yawned. A moment later he was sound asleep.
    Violet blinked and sat up in her bed. What had awakened her?
    She glanced at the clock by her bed. It was midnight, exactly.
    Just as she realized how late it was, Violet heard a low-sounding howl float through her open window. And then another. And another.
    The ghost dog, Violet thought and grabbed the covers to pull them up around her.
    Then another howl, much closer, made her gasp.
    It was coming from inside the house!
    Violet dropped the covers, grabbed for her robe,