again,” the girl said. “I hurried here to tell you.”
Benny looked at Violet. He was confused. Wendy had not been hurrying at all.
Mr. Hanson sighed. “How could that be? I just had it fixed yesterday! Did Will look at it? Is anyone stuck on the ride? Who is working in the ticket booth while you are gone?”
Wendy shrugged. “I don’t know.” She went back to looking at her phone.
Mr. Hanson introduced Wendy as his daughter. Then he jumped up. He ran his hand through his hair and walked back and forth on the porch. “I’m sorry to be so distracted,” he said to the Aldens. “But I am a little worried. I recently bought one of the amusement piers on the boardwalk.”
Benny’s eyes grew wide. He pointed toward the Ferris wheel. “Do you mean the amusement park down there? That is so cool!” Mr. Hanson nodded. “That’s the one, Benny. But it hasn’t been as much fun as I thought. I used to work there during the summers back when I was a teenager and visiting with my grandparents. Those were some of the best summers of my life. So when I heard that the amusement pier was up for sale, I bought it and moved my family here from Colorado.”
“But why isn’t it fun?” Benny asked.
Mr. Hanson ran his hand across his forehead. “Nothing is going right. The rides keep breaking down. The tickets have gone missing. One day there was a nest of bees in the cotton candy machine! Last week someone even painted smiley faces on the walls of the haunted house. It took me hours to clean it up.”
“How terrible!” Jessie said.
“And now the roller coaster is broken again. And it is my most popular ride. Two of my employees have already called in sick. It’s going to be such a busy night. I don’t know what I am going to do.”
“We could help,” Jessie said.
“Yes,” Henry agreed. “I’d be happy to do any small repairs you might need.”
“Henry is really good at fixing things,” Benny said.
Mr. Hanson looked very surprised. “But you children are on a holiday. I could not ask you to do all that work.”
“My grandchildren are very helpful,” Grandfather said. “They don’t mind hard work.”
Wendy glared at the Aldens.
“Well,” Mr. Hanson said. “If you are sure you don’t mind, I really could use the help.”
“I guess you don’t need me anymore,” she said to her father. “I’m going to go take a nap.” Wendy turned to the Aldens. “Have fun, kids. But you better watch out for old Mrs. Reddy. She’s prowling around again.” Wendy stomped into the house and slammed the screen door.
Mr. Hanson sighed again. “Don’t pay attention to that, kids. Mrs. Reddy is the lady who used to own the amusement pier. Even though she sold the pier to me, she can’t seem to stay away.”
“Then why did she sell it to you?” asked Benny.
“She told me she was ready to retire,” Mr. Hanson said. “Running an amusement pier is a lot of work. But now I think she misses it. She does not like any of the changes that I have made to the pier. She complains that I am doing everything wrong. And she gets into arguments with Bob Cooke.”
“Does he work for you, too?” Benny asked. “Oh, no, Benny. Bob does not work for me. He owns the amusement pier next to mine. It’s a long story.” Mr. Hanson rubbed his hands together. “I better get going. Why don’t you kids have a snack and relax for a little bit after your trip? I’ll see you later on tonight.” Mr. Hanson hurried away.
“What a shame,” Grandfather said. “Owning the amusement pier has always been Carl’s dream.”
Jessie stared toward the tall Ferris wheel. “It sounds like his dream is turning into a nightmare.”
CHAPTER 2
Lost in the House of Mirrors
A fter Grandfather left for his meeting, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny cleaned up the snack plates from the porch.
The children could hear Wendy walking back and forth in a room upstairs. The old floorboards creaked. She was talking to someone on her phone.
Benny looked at Violet. He was confused. Wendy had not been hurrying at all.
Mr. Hanson sighed. “How could that be? I just had it fixed yesterday! Did Will look at it? Is anyone stuck on the ride? Who is working in the ticket booth while you are gone?”
Wendy shrugged. “I don’t know.” She went back to looking at her phone.
Mr. Hanson introduced Wendy as his daughter. Then he jumped up. He ran his hand through his hair and walked back and forth on the porch. “I’m sorry to be so distracted,” he said to the Aldens. “But I am a little worried. I recently bought one of the amusement piers on the boardwalk.”
Benny’s eyes grew wide. He pointed toward the Ferris wheel. “Do you mean the amusement park down there? That is so cool!” Mr. Hanson nodded. “That’s the one, Benny. But it hasn’t been as much fun as I thought. I used to work there during the summers back when I was a teenager and visiting with my grandparents. Those were some of the best summers of my life. So when I heard that the amusement pier was up for sale, I bought it and moved my family here from Colorado.”
“But why isn’t it fun?” Benny asked.
Mr. Hanson ran his hand across his forehead. “Nothing is going right. The rides keep breaking down. The tickets have gone missing. One day there was a nest of bees in the cotton candy machine! Last week someone even painted smiley faces on the walls of the haunted house. It took me hours to clean it up.”
“How terrible!” Jessie said.
“And now the roller coaster is broken again. And it is my most popular ride. Two of my employees have already called in sick. It’s going to be such a busy night. I don’t know what I am going to do.”
“We could help,” Jessie said.
“Yes,” Henry agreed. “I’d be happy to do any small repairs you might need.”
“Henry is really good at fixing things,” Benny said.
Mr. Hanson looked very surprised. “But you children are on a holiday. I could not ask you to do all that work.”
“My grandchildren are very helpful,” Grandfather said. “They don’t mind hard work.”
Wendy glared at the Aldens.
“Well,” Mr. Hanson said. “If you are sure you don’t mind, I really could use the help.”
“I guess you don’t need me anymore,” she said to her father. “I’m going to go take a nap.” Wendy turned to the Aldens. “Have fun, kids. But you better watch out for old Mrs. Reddy. She’s prowling around again.” Wendy stomped into the house and slammed the screen door.
Mr. Hanson sighed again. “Don’t pay attention to that, kids. Mrs. Reddy is the lady who used to own the amusement pier. Even though she sold the pier to me, she can’t seem to stay away.”
“Then why did she sell it to you?” asked Benny.
“She told me she was ready to retire,” Mr. Hanson said. “Running an amusement pier is a lot of work. But now I think she misses it. She does not like any of the changes that I have made to the pier. She complains that I am doing everything wrong. And she gets into arguments with Bob Cooke.”
“Does he work for you, too?” Benny asked. “Oh, no, Benny. Bob does not work for me. He owns the amusement pier next to mine. It’s a long story.” Mr. Hanson rubbed his hands together. “I better get going. Why don’t you kids have a snack and relax for a little bit after your trip? I’ll see you later on tonight.” Mr. Hanson hurried away.
“What a shame,” Grandfather said. “Owning the amusement pier has always been Carl’s dream.”
Jessie stared toward the tall Ferris wheel. “It sounds like his dream is turning into a nightmare.”
CHAPTER 2
Lost in the House of Mirrors
A fter Grandfather left for his meeting, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny cleaned up the snack plates from the porch.
The children could hear Wendy walking back and forth in a room upstairs. The old floorboards creaked. She was talking to someone on her phone.
Similar Books
