Free The Ghost in the Third Row by Bruce Coville Page A

subhead. Because it was upside down and smaller than the headline, it was hard to make out. Squinting a bit, I leaned toward the scrapbook and let out a little gasp as the words came together for me. They were simple but shocking: “Andrew Heron Accused in Love Triangle Murder.”
    Pop heard my gasp. Realizing what I was looking at, he. reached out and closed the scrapbook.
    â€œYou know what smart kids do?” he asked.
    My eyes were wide as I shook my head.
    â€œThey keep their mouths shut, and their noses in their own business,” said Pop. “This is very good advice. If you have any brains, you’ll take it. Understand?”
    â€œY-yes, sir,” I stammered.
    â€œGood,” said Pop. “Now, beat it. Both of you!”
    He didn’t have to tell me twice. Chris, unaware of what I had just seen, didn’t want to leave. She wanted to ask Pop some questions.
    Grabbing her by the arm, I dragged her out of Pop’s office and up the stairs.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
    Dropouts
    â€œWell, it’s Pop,” said Chris as we were riding the bus home. “He killed Lily Larkin fifty years ago, and now he’s worried that the play is going to stir up all the dirt all over again. Maybe he got away before, and now he’s afraid we’ll find out he’s really Andrew Heron and he’ll get slapped in jail.”
    â€œSlow down, will you?” I said. “All I saw was a clipping from a newspaper, and you’ve got the guy convicted already. If he really was Andrew Heron, why would he be hanging around the theater?”
    â€œGuilt,” said Chris as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “The criminal always returns to the scene of the crime.”
    I snorted. “That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.”
    â€œYeah, well, remember that he was in love with the Woman in White. He probably can’t stand to leave the place. He’s probably bound to her by some kind of curse.”
    â€œChris, will you start talking sense!”
    She gave me a lopsided grin. “Just trying to bug you. I agree, we have to get more evidence. But I still think Pop’s the one trying to sabotage the play. He’s got to be connected with this thing in some way, or he wouldn’t have that clipping.”
    â€œIsn’t it possible he just has a collection of articles about the theater?” I asked.
    â€œOK,” said Chris, falling against me as the bus lurched over a bump, “if it’s not Pop, who is it? You got any better candidates?”
    â€œWell, not better. But certainly possible.”
    â€œLike who?”
    â€œLike no one. Maybe nobody’s really trying to sabotage the play. Maybe Eileen just took advantage of Lydia’s nervousness to get rid of that dress she hated. Or maybe Alan Bland has flipped out again and thinks he’s the ghost or something.…”
    It was Chris’s turn to protest. “Nine! How can you say that after everything Paula told us today?”
    â€œI’m not saying it’s true,” I said. “I’m just trying to list all the possibilities.”
    â€œThen don’t forget Marilyn. She could be trying to drive Lydia out so she gets her part, like Melissa thinks.”
    â€œHeck, it could be Melissa,” I said.
    â€œNot a chance,” said Chris.
    â€œWhy not?”
    Chris shrugged. “She’s not a ghost. She’s a witch!”
    I was still laughing when we got to Chris’s house.
    I was also laughing when we left, but that was because I had plenty of fuel in between. Dinner in the Gurley household is hard to describe. The closest I can come is to say it’s something like a cross between “Saturday Night Live” and feeding time at the zoo. That’s mostly because Chris has a huge batch of brothers. “It’s like living with a football team,” she complained to me.
    It seemed like every brother had something to