Chapter 1
Shadows on the Snow
S OMETHING WAKENED JAY suddenly. He opened his eyes wide. Light was flashing onto his face through his bedroom window.
He sprang out of bed and ran over to the window. “The signal!” he whispered out loud. It was pitch dark between the flashes of light. Snow had started to fall.
It was Dexter, right next door, flashing a light from his own window. The signal was a special one for the Spotlight Club members. It meant Come over now! They never used the telephone late at night. Their parents had made that rule.
Jay ran back to his bed. He reached under it and grabbed his own flashlight. Leaning against the cold windowsill, he flashed one long flash and two short ones. That meant he’d be right over.
He threw on his clothes. He kept his flashlight with him and went as quietly as he could into his sister’s room.
“Cindy!” he whispered. “It’s the signal from Dexter.”
Cindy was awake instantly.
“Let’s hurry,” whispered Jay. “I’ll run over right now. You meet us. OK?”
Cindy nodded. She was already out of bed and reaching for her clothes.
Jay crept down the stairs. He grabbed his coat and scarf from the hook in the hall.
He let himself out of the front door very quietly and walked out on the porch. He ran down the steps and turned to go over to Dexter’s.
A tall snowman stood in the yard. Just as Jay passed it he saw Dexter crouching on his porch. Dexter pointed. Jay looked. A tall figure dressed in a parka was moving quickly and quietly across the snow.
Jay stared after him. Dexter ran over to Jay.
“Hurry,” whispered Dexter. “We’ve got to follow him. I’ll explain later.” The boys started to run across the snow. Except for a single street lamp swaying on the corner, there was no light anywhere.
Dexter and Jay ran to the next corner. There was no streetlight. There was no sound. They stood and peered into the darkness.
“We’ve lost him,” said Dexter.
Suddenly they heard the sound of a car door slamming. Then an engine starting up. The car drove off without turning its headlights on.
“He’s gone,” sighed Dexter, taking off his misted glasses.
“Who was he?” asked Jay.
“I don’t know,” Dexter said. “But he was out in front of the Maxwells’ house next door. He was taking their snowmen apart. I’d gone into the bathroom on that side of the house to get a drink of water. And there he was out in the Maxwells’ yard. I kept watching. He smashed the snowmen to pieces! Then he started over to the snowman on our lawn. That’s when I signaled you.”
The boys started back to Dexter’s house.
“What do you think he was doing?” asked Jay.
“I don’t know,” answered Dexter. “He must have been looking for something.”
“Looking for something in a snowman?” asked Jay. Then he grabbed Dexter. “Look!” he whispered. “There he is.”
“Where?” asked Dexter, looking around.
“Behind the snowman in your yard,” said Jay, peering through the dark. Suddenly they both realized it was Cindy.
“Where were you?” she whispered. They ran up to her and explained quickly in hushed voices.
“He had to be looking for something,” concluded Dexter.
“Maybe he doesn’t like snowmen,” said Cindy.
“He was looking for something, all right,” said Jay. “But he didn’t know exactly where to look. First he tried the snowmen that were in the Maxwells’ yard.”
“He didn’t find anything there,” said Cindy. “He was going to look in this snowman next.” She tapped its stomach with her mitten.
They looked at the snowman from top to bottom.
“Let’s take the snowman apart,” said Cindy quickly. “Before he comes back.”
“I’ll try to dig it out from the back,” said Jay. “The man won’t see me that way. You two stand guard. Give the signal if you hear or see the car coming back.”
“Maybe he’ll park it somewhere else and walk,” said Cindy. “We’ll have to work fast.”
Jay tried to
Shadows on the Snow
S OMETHING WAKENED JAY suddenly. He opened his eyes wide. Light was flashing onto his face through his bedroom window.
He sprang out of bed and ran over to the window. “The signal!” he whispered out loud. It was pitch dark between the flashes of light. Snow had started to fall.
It was Dexter, right next door, flashing a light from his own window. The signal was a special one for the Spotlight Club members. It meant Come over now! They never used the telephone late at night. Their parents had made that rule.
Jay ran back to his bed. He reached under it and grabbed his own flashlight. Leaning against the cold windowsill, he flashed one long flash and two short ones. That meant he’d be right over.
He threw on his clothes. He kept his flashlight with him and went as quietly as he could into his sister’s room.
“Cindy!” he whispered. “It’s the signal from Dexter.”
Cindy was awake instantly.
“Let’s hurry,” whispered Jay. “I’ll run over right now. You meet us. OK?”
Cindy nodded. She was already out of bed and reaching for her clothes.
Jay crept down the stairs. He grabbed his coat and scarf from the hook in the hall.
He let himself out of the front door very quietly and walked out on the porch. He ran down the steps and turned to go over to Dexter’s.
A tall snowman stood in the yard. Just as Jay passed it he saw Dexter crouching on his porch. Dexter pointed. Jay looked. A tall figure dressed in a parka was moving quickly and quietly across the snow.
Jay stared after him. Dexter ran over to Jay.
“Hurry,” whispered Dexter. “We’ve got to follow him. I’ll explain later.” The boys started to run across the snow. Except for a single street lamp swaying on the corner, there was no light anywhere.
Dexter and Jay ran to the next corner. There was no streetlight. There was no sound. They stood and peered into the darkness.
“We’ve lost him,” said Dexter.
Suddenly they heard the sound of a car door slamming. Then an engine starting up. The car drove off without turning its headlights on.
“He’s gone,” sighed Dexter, taking off his misted glasses.
“Who was he?” asked Jay.
“I don’t know,” Dexter said. “But he was out in front of the Maxwells’ house next door. He was taking their snowmen apart. I’d gone into the bathroom on that side of the house to get a drink of water. And there he was out in the Maxwells’ yard. I kept watching. He smashed the snowmen to pieces! Then he started over to the snowman on our lawn. That’s when I signaled you.”
The boys started back to Dexter’s house.
“What do you think he was doing?” asked Jay.
“I don’t know,” answered Dexter. “He must have been looking for something.”
“Looking for something in a snowman?” asked Jay. Then he grabbed Dexter. “Look!” he whispered. “There he is.”
“Where?” asked Dexter, looking around.
“Behind the snowman in your yard,” said Jay, peering through the dark. Suddenly they both realized it was Cindy.
“Where were you?” she whispered. They ran up to her and explained quickly in hushed voices.
“He had to be looking for something,” concluded Dexter.
“Maybe he doesn’t like snowmen,” said Cindy.
“He was looking for something, all right,” said Jay. “But he didn’t know exactly where to look. First he tried the snowmen that were in the Maxwells’ yard.”
“He didn’t find anything there,” said Cindy. “He was going to look in this snowman next.” She tapped its stomach with her mitten.
They looked at the snowman from top to bottom.
“Let’s take the snowman apart,” said Cindy quickly. “Before he comes back.”
“I’ll try to dig it out from the back,” said Jay. “The man won’t see me that way. You two stand guard. Give the signal if you hear or see the car coming back.”
“Maybe he’ll park it somewhere else and walk,” said Cindy. “We’ll have to work fast.”
Jay tried to
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