Free The Secret of Skull Island by Zack Norris Page B

dressed in a pirate costume and he was carrying a sword and mumbling about treasure. Then he told me he knew I was planning to steal it and if I tried to take it, he’d kill me! He said I’d better leave this place!”
    McNab hurried to her side. “Don’t be afraid, Ms. Wallace. We’ve all heard the ghost and he hasn’t harmed anyone.” He tried to take her hand.
    She pulled away. “Don’t you touch me!” Her eyes narrowed. “Was it you? Was this some stunt to scare me off?”
    McNab stared at her. “Why would I try to do that? You’re very upset, Ms. Wallace, or you wouldn’t say such a thing. It’s all right, though, I understand.”
    Ms. Wallace stamped her foot. “There’s something really strange going on,” she said. “Anybody’d be crazy to stay here!” She slammed her door.
    â€œWe’ve got to have a talk with Aunt Edith,” Otis said when the twins were back in their room. “These hauntings of hers won’t promote business—they’ll kill it … for real. What was she thinking with this latest trick?”
    â€œMaybe it wasn’t a trick,” said Cody. “We know it wasn’t Cordell or Keller. They were already at Ms. Wallace’s door when we arrived. That means they got there moments after she screamed. Neither one had time to change out of a costume and into pajamas.”
    â€œAw, don’t start with that pirate ghost again,” Otis said, jumping under the covers. “You know what bothers me? She said she was getting ready to get into the shower … but she had a towel around her head. Why? Wouldn’t she put the towel around her hair after the shower ?”
    Cody sat down on his bed. “You’re right.” He thought for a minute. “What if she made up the whole story? What if she screamed and talked about the ghost to scare other people away from the inn?”
    â€œYeah … but why?”
    Cody shrugged. “Maybe she wants to buy it.”
    The next morning they found their aunt before breakfast. They told her what they had learned from Winston Cato.
    â€œWhat made you put together a trick like that, Aunt Edith? Do you really think it’s good for business?”
    â€œDon’t you tell anyone I was engineering some—most—of those hauntings!”
    â€œWe won’t, but you can’t do things like you did last night,” said Cody.
    Aunt Edith put her hands on her hips and looked down. “I didn’t,” she said. “I’d already decided to stop faking the hauntings. Then that happened.”
    The twins stared back at her with eyes like saucers. “You ought to call the police again. Even if someone just wanted to scare her, they broke into her room .”
    Aunt Edith held up a hand. “Hold on, boys. I’ve already talked to Helen Wallace. She said she thought it over and realized she’d left her door open. She also said she knew who was disguised as the ghost.”
    â€œWho?” they both asked at once.
    â€œShe wouldn’t tell me. All she would say was that it was a personal vendetta and nothing dangerous.”
    That left them speechless. So did the sight of Ms. Wallace with bright red hair instead of her brown bob at breakfast.
    â€œI just decided I needed a change!” she said. “I had the hair color with me but I couldn’t make up my mind whether to use it or not—until last night.”
    â€œHair color explains the towel on her head before showering,” Rae said after breakfast. “I’d been wondering about it.”
    â€œSo were we,” said Otis. “I don’t know much about hair color. Can you explain?”
    Rae nodded. “My mom colors her hair and rinses out the color in the sink before she takes a shower. See? It makes sense.”
    Cody frowned. “But I still wonder who pulled the haunting.”
    â€œWell, let’s