The Bloodwater Mysteries: Skullduggery Read Free

too.”
    â€œHow do you tell a skunk cabbage, anyway? All these plants look the same.”
    â€œWell, for one thing, it smells sort of skunky.”
    â€œGreat. Let’s make it a point to not find any.” Without waiting for him to reply, Roni headed uphill.
    â€œWe’re supposed to stay together!” Brian said.
    â€œCome on then,” she said over her shoulder.
    Brian sighed. Hanging with Roni was like trying to walk a bull elephant. He scrambled to catch up with her, giving up on the notion of locating a stand of skunk cabbage. Maybe something else would turn up.
    About twenty yards up the slope they came to a grassy area. Above them rose the limestone cliff known as Indian Bluff. He followed Roni along the base of the bluff.
    Brian asked, “So what do you think about that Eric Bloodwater?”
    Roni’s head snapped around and her face went pink. “What do you mean by that?”
    â€œNothing,” Brian said. “I just think it’s pretty weird that he would have the same name as the town.”
    â€œThe city was named after the Bloodwater family, my dear Watson.”
    â€œYeah, but there hasn’t been a Bloodwater in Bloodwater since forever. I thought the whole family had died out.”
    â€œProbably just some distant relatives.”
    â€œI guess. Hey, do you suppose they’re the ones who are renting out Bloodwater House?”
    â€œSomebody’s living there again?”
    â€œYeah. My mom mentioned something about it. The bank is renting it to some family. I wonder if the Curse will get them.”
    Roni shook her head and continued walking. “You and your stupid Curse.” She waded through a patch of green three-leafed plants. Brian stopped. It looked like poison ivy. He opened his mouth to tell Roni what she’d just done, but before he could say anything, she held up a hand and said, “Did you hear that?”
    Brian listened, but heard only the breeze. “Hear what?”
    Roni held up her hand. “Listen.”
    They both listened. A bird calling . . . the muted drone of a distant airplane . . . and then a faint but unmistakable call for help.

6
    sweetie pie
    â€œWhere’s it coming from?” Brian asked.
    â€œShh!” Roni cocked her head, listening fiercely. She had heard the voice call out twice, but she couldn’t locate it.
    Several seconds passed.
    â€œHelp!”
    â€œThere it is again!” Brian said. He looked up the rocky face of the cliff. “Up there!”
    â€œUp where?” Roni looked up at the bluff, but saw nothing but a craggy wall of rock.
    Brian was already climbing. Roni took a deep breath and followed.
    It was easier than it looked. The rock provided plenty of handholds and crevices. As long as she didn’t look down, it wasn’t bad at all. About thirty feet up, she came to a shallow ledge. Brian was waiting for her.
    â€œI heard it again,” he said. “It sounded like it was coming right out of the rock. Come on!” Brian edged along the narrow ledge. “Watch out for snakes,” he added.
    â€œThat is not funny.”
    â€œWasn’t meant to be.”
    The ledge narrowed, and Roni’s toes were hanging out over the edge. She made the mistake of looking down. Her stomach did a flip-flop. It was only about thirty feet, but it looked like a mile.
    Again, they heard the voice, still faint but louder than before. “Hello? Can anybody hear me?”
    â€œUp here,” Brian said, and he was climbing again. Roni followed him up to another ledge.
    â€œHey!” he said. And then he seemed to melt into the rock.
    Roni did not like being halfway up a cliff, and especially not alone. She slowly inched along the ledge until she came to a hidden opening, a slash in the rock about five feet high and twelve inches wide. The air coming out of it was cool and sour smelling.
    â€œBrian?” she called out.
    There was no answer.
    Â 
    The cave