horn made me look up. Kristy waved at me from the backseat of Charlie's car.
"We came to pick you up, Stace!" she called. "Claudia told us you were here."
I was glad to see them, and not just because I wouldn't have to walk home now. I still felt shaky, and it was good to see familiar faces and have someone to talk to. I climbed into the backseat. Charlie started the car and we drove off.
I told Kristy about Mr. Hennessey. Then I showed her the note. She read it and smiled. "I knew it;" she said. "Oh, well, it was fun while it lasted."
"But Kristy, what about all the weird things that happened to me and Charlotte?" I asked. "And to Claud and Mal? We still don't know how to explain them."
"Listen to what Charlie and Sam have to say about that," she said.
It turned out that Sam and Charlie had spent some time talking with the workmen once the house was demolished. The workmen had explained the whole process they'd gone through in taking it down, and a lot of other things got explained along the way. Charlie and Sam had heard about our "mystery" from
Kristy, so they were especially interested in clearing up some of the stranger things we'd seen and heard.
"That moaning sound was the pipes, Stacey,” said Charlie, looking at me in the rear-view mirror. "The plumbing was ancient, and it took those guys forever to get it out intact. But the Historical Society insisted."
Sam turned to smile at me. "And you know that fire you and Charlotte saw? Well, there was one workman who stayed behind that day. He was using an acetylene torch to loosen the bathtub from its fittings. It must have been his face you saw at the window that first day, too."
Kristy was grinning. "And remember those yucky flies that reminded you of that movie?" she said. "That was a bunch of bees whose hive had been disturbed by those guys. You're lucky you didn't get stung!"
I listened to everything they said, and it was clearer and dearer that all the members of the Baby-sitters Club had let their imaginations work overtime. I guess we kind of enjoyed being scared. But there was still one mystery left. Why had I seen the house go up in flames when it was being knocked down? I guess I had just been imagining things again, remembering my nightmare. I decided to forget about that "fire." If I told Kristy now, she'd think I was crazy!
Kristy and I decided not to tell the others all the details that Charlie and Sam had told us. The mystery was over, but we didn't have to take all the fun out of it for everyone else!
I asked Charlie to drop me off at the Perkinses' so I could pick up Charlotte. "Thanks for the ride," I called as I hopped out.
Claud was sitting on the front porch with Gabbie, Myriah, and Charlotte. She was reading to the girls from a book of fairy tales. They all looked up as I crossed the lawn. Then Charlotte hugged me.
"Hi, Char," I said. "Ready to go?" I looked over at Claud. She looked back at me curiously, but I just shook my head slightly, so she'd know that I didn't want to talk about anything just then. We've been best friends for so long now that it doesn't take much to get an idea across.
"Thanks, Claud," I said.
Charlotte started to ask about my trip to Stoneybrook Manor, but I gave her a vague answer and then got her off the track by reminding her of what was going to happen in just a little while. "Charlotte, let's go back to my house. Guess who'll be there really soon?"
"My parents!" she yelled, remembering. "They're coming to get me today! 'Bye, Gabbie! 'Bye, Myriah! 'Bye, Claudia!" She grabbed my arm and pulled me down the street.
Charlotte and I spent the rest of the afternoon packing up her belongings. Then we played a few games of War while we waited for her parents to arrive. A couple of times she brought up the house and the "mystery," but I steered the conversation away from those topics.
We'd just gotten started on our fourth game of War (after that week I hoped I'd never play it again) when we heard a car pull
"We came to pick you up, Stace!" she called. "Claudia told us you were here."
I was glad to see them, and not just because I wouldn't have to walk home now. I still felt shaky, and it was good to see familiar faces and have someone to talk to. I climbed into the backseat. Charlie started the car and we drove off.
I told Kristy about Mr. Hennessey. Then I showed her the note. She read it and smiled. "I knew it;" she said. "Oh, well, it was fun while it lasted."
"But Kristy, what about all the weird things that happened to me and Charlotte?" I asked. "And to Claud and Mal? We still don't know how to explain them."
"Listen to what Charlie and Sam have to say about that," she said.
It turned out that Sam and Charlie had spent some time talking with the workmen once the house was demolished. The workmen had explained the whole process they'd gone through in taking it down, and a lot of other things got explained along the way. Charlie and Sam had heard about our "mystery" from
Kristy, so they were especially interested in clearing up some of the stranger things we'd seen and heard.
"That moaning sound was the pipes, Stacey,” said Charlie, looking at me in the rear-view mirror. "The plumbing was ancient, and it took those guys forever to get it out intact. But the Historical Society insisted."
Sam turned to smile at me. "And you know that fire you and Charlotte saw? Well, there was one workman who stayed behind that day. He was using an acetylene torch to loosen the bathtub from its fittings. It must have been his face you saw at the window that first day, too."
Kristy was grinning. "And remember those yucky flies that reminded you of that movie?" she said. "That was a bunch of bees whose hive had been disturbed by those guys. You're lucky you didn't get stung!"
I listened to everything they said, and it was clearer and dearer that all the members of the Baby-sitters Club had let their imaginations work overtime. I guess we kind of enjoyed being scared. But there was still one mystery left. Why had I seen the house go up in flames when it was being knocked down? I guess I had just been imagining things again, remembering my nightmare. I decided to forget about that "fire." If I told Kristy now, she'd think I was crazy!
Kristy and I decided not to tell the others all the details that Charlie and Sam had told us. The mystery was over, but we didn't have to take all the fun out of it for everyone else!
I asked Charlie to drop me off at the Perkinses' so I could pick up Charlotte. "Thanks for the ride," I called as I hopped out.
Claud was sitting on the front porch with Gabbie, Myriah, and Charlotte. She was reading to the girls from a book of fairy tales. They all looked up as I crossed the lawn. Then Charlotte hugged me.
"Hi, Char," I said. "Ready to go?" I looked over at Claud. She looked back at me curiously, but I just shook my head slightly, so she'd know that I didn't want to talk about anything just then. We've been best friends for so long now that it doesn't take much to get an idea across.
"Thanks, Claud," I said.
Charlotte started to ask about my trip to Stoneybrook Manor, but I gave her a vague answer and then got her off the track by reminding her of what was going to happen in just a little while. "Charlotte, let's go back to my house. Guess who'll be there really soon?"
"My parents!" she yelled, remembering. "They're coming to get me today! 'Bye, Gabbie! 'Bye, Myriah! 'Bye, Claudia!" She grabbed my arm and pulled me down the street.
Charlotte and I spent the rest of the afternoon packing up her belongings. Then we played a few games of War while we waited for her parents to arrive. A couple of times she brought up the house and the "mystery," but I steered the conversation away from those topics.
We'd just gotten started on our fourth game of War (after that week I hoped I'd never play it again) when we heard a car pull
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