Ghost Detectors Volume 1 by Dotti Enderle

the board. Five hundred and eighty people went to the mall on Saturday. Twice as many people went to the mall on Sunday. How many people went to the mall for the entire weekend?
    As he worked the problem, Malcolm couldn’t help but think those 580 people were all clones of his sister, Cocoa, the Mall Queen!
    He finished and faced Mrs. Goolsby. She addressed the class. “Do we all agree with Malcolm’s answer?”
    Most of the students nodded. A few gave a halfhearted, “Yes.”
    â€œYou may take your seat,” Mrs. Goolsby told him.
    She didn’t have to tell him twice. He grabbed his textbook and hurried back to his seat.
    As he scooted by, something fell from the back of his math book and fluttered to the floor. Mrs. Goolsby bent down to retrieve it.
    â€œYou dropped this,” she said, strolling over to Malcolm’s desk. Just before handing it over, she looked at it. It was the picture Malcolm had taken of the fisherman by the marquee.
    Mrs. Goolsby’s mouth dropped open, her face went pale, and she fainted on the spot.

CHAPTER TEN
IDENTIFIED

    A fter a huge commotion in the classroom, someone ran for help. Another teacher hurried in and helped Mrs. Goolsby up. She saw the picture again, then bam! fainted a second time. The nurse came in next and helped Mrs. Goolsby out of the room.
    â€œI need to lie down,” Mrs. Goolsby said, holding the back of her hand to her forehead. The nurse tucked the picture into her pocket to hide it from the teacher’s view.
    Malcolm waited. Minutes passed. The class sat quietly, as instructed, working the rest of the math problems. Malcolm held his pencil, pretending to work. He knew what was coming.
    After minutes that felt like hours, a voice came over the speaker. “Malcolm Stewart pleasereport to Mrs. Bergen’s office.” Mrs. Bergen . . . the principal!
    Dandy gave Malcolm a “good luck” look as he walked out.
    â€¢      •      •
    â€œTake a seat,” Mrs. Bergen, instructed.
    Malcolm sat.
    Mrs. Bergen was holding the picture. She glanced at it, then at Malcolm, then back at the photo.
    Malcolm wished Dandy was there to back him up. How on earth was he going to explain this? And even more important, why was Mrs. Bergen not rattled at seeing a ghost!
    â€œI understand you’re on the yearbook staff this year,” Mrs. Bergen said, her voice steady.
    â€œYes,” Malcolm answered.
    He remembered his idea to swap Mrs. Bergen’s head with the school mascot. Maybe he should scrap that plan.
    â€œAnd you brought your camera to school for that reason?” she went on.
    â€œYes.” Gulp. Malcolm’s throat was so dry it felt like he was swallowing dust.
    â€œWhile we appreciate your efforts,” she droned, “I may have to call your parents about this.”
    Malcolm tried not to look as confused as he felt. Call his parents? Because he took a picture of a ghost?
    â€œI’m aware of all the fancy trick photography programs for computers,” she said. “But Malcolm, what you did to Mrs. Goolsby was a terrible joke. Do you understand that?”
    Malcolm shook his head in confusion. He didn’t understand anything!
    â€œNow, I don’t know how you found a photo of him. Frankly, I don’t want to know. But putting her missing husband into a picture, then making sure she saw it—” She stopped speaking and clenched her fists as though to steady her words. “It’s a prank of the cruelest sort.”
    What? Malcolm’s brain tried to compute what he was hearing. The fisherman was Mrs. Goolsby’s husband?
    â€œB-but—,” Malcolm sputtered.
    Mrs. Bergen raised her palm up like a crossing guard demanding him to halt. “I don’t want to hear it.” She took a deep breath. “You owe Mrs. Goolsby an apology. Follow me.”

    Mrs. Bergen rose and motioned for Malcolm to follow. He trudged along