The Mystery of the Tiger's Eye Read Free Page B

white-painted door at the end of the hall. He yanked a string that turned on a dim lightbulb. Stairs led steeply upward, cloaked in shadows.
    Jessie went first. Her bare feet made no sound on the wooden steps.
    On the landing, she stopped, then gasped. She was not alone!
    A face with huge, dark eyes stared back at her.

Chapter 3
The Magician Returns
    J essie stepped back, startled. Then she realized she was looking at her own reflection!
    â€œIt’s a mirror!” she exclaimed.
    But not an ordinary mirror. The tall, wood-framed mirror had curved glass. The uneven surface made her eyes seem large and her face look ghostly.
    Dorsey moved in front of Jessie. His reflection wavered like a ghost, too.
    â€œIt’s a fun-house mirror,” he said. “But it doesn’t belong here. The mirror is supposed to be at the end of the landing.”
    â€œSomebody moved it,” Violet said. “That must be what we heard.”
    â€œWho would shove a heavy mirror in the middle of the night?” Henry wondered aloud.
    â€œI’m not sticking around to find out!” said Dorsey. “This house is just too weird!”
    He almost ran back down the stairs.
    â€œDo you think it’s a ghost?” Benny asked. The attic landing was creepy in the dim light. Shadows seemed to leap out at them.
    â€œLet’s investigate in the morning,” Jessie decided. She wasn’t exactly afraid, but something about the attic made her nervous.
    â€œGood idea,” Henry agreed. “Let’s go back to bed, everybody.”
    Snuggled under the covers once more, Jessie realized why she had felt uneasy on the attic steps. It wasn’t just who moved the fun-house mirror, but why ?
    Was someone trying to scare the Aldens off from solving this mystery?
    Sunshine poured through the wide windows in a golden stream, waking Jessie. The notion of ghosts in the attic seemed silly on such a cheerful autumn day.
    Violet was already up and dressed. “Better hurry for breakfast, sleepyhead.”
    Jessie quickly pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt. The girls met their brothers in the hall.
    â€œI’m starving!” Benny declared.
    â€œWhen aren’t you starving?” Violet said with a laugh.
    Downstairs, breakfast was set out on the sideboard in the dining room.
    Edward and Grandfather were drinking coffee on the deck.
    â€œPlease help yourselves,” Edward said to the children. “Breakfast is very informal here.”
    The Aldens piled their plates with homemade granola, fruit, Maryland ham, and scrambled eggs.
    â€œWhere’s Dorsey?” Benny wanted to know.
    â€œMaybe sleeping late,” Henry said, pouring his brother a glass of milk. “What should we do first?”
    â€œLet’s go explore the rest of the house,” suggested Benny.
    â€œOkay, but then we should go back to the attic,” Jessie said. “We need to check it out.”
    Violet nodded. “Maybe we’ll find some clues.”
    â€œWhat are we looking for?” Benny asked.
    Jessie shrugged. “I hope we’ll know when we see it.”
    The children were finishing their juice when Dorsey came in, yawning. Instead of speaking, he spooned sliced bananas and granola into a bowl. Then he went out on the deck.
    â€œWould you like to show the Aldens around the house?” Edward asked Dorsey.
    â€œNot really.” The boy stared glumly at the bay.
    Edward and Grandfather came inside. Violet could see the disappointment in Mr. Singleton’s eyes. She wondered why Dorsey was so rude to his great-uncle.
    â€œCan we see your stuff now?” Benny asked eagerly.
    â€œGuided tour, this way!” said Edward.
    They went upstairs to the second floor, where Edward showed them his bedroom, a sitting room, a library, and the room where Melanie was cataloging his collections. That door was closed, but they could hear the peck-peck of a typewriter.
    Back on the first floor, they looked into