Midnight at the Mansion (The Virginia Mysteries Book 5) by Steven K. Smith

Author:Steven K. Smith [Smith, Steven K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Middle Grades Fiction, Children's Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, 2016, Mystery

Chapter Ten

After Sam’s outburst, a silent pause followed. He glanced at Derek who was shaking his head. Caitlin was looking at her feet.

“Well,” said Sam, “somebody had to tell him!”

Mr. Murphy raised his eyebrows even more. “I think you guys need to tell me exactly what’s going on. Don’t tell me that we just stumbled upon this mansion out here in the woods by accident.”

Caitlin let out a long breath and frowned at Sam, although he thought he noticed a hint of relief on her face. She probably didn’t like misleading her dad either.

Derek spoke up first. “It’s my fault. I convinced them it was a good idea.”

Caitlin shook her head. “No, that’s not true. It was my idea too.”

Mr. Murphy looked confused. “What was your idea?”

“The eagles,” said Sam. “The ones that were stolen from Maymont.”

“The eagles?”

“We think they’re being sold here,” explained Caitlin. “Tonight. At midnight.” She told him about seeing the man at Maymont, how he had crashed into Sam while being chased by the two other men, how they found his phone and the message, and finally how Sam received the threatening pictures and the warning not to tell anyone.

“So you see, Daddy, we couldn’t tell you. We were afraid something would happen.”

Mr. Murphy had sat down on an old fallen log. His elbows were perched on his knees and he rested his chin on his hand. He looked like one of those ancient sculptures of someone thinking, which was what he seemed to be doing. For a minute he didn’t say anything.

“I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“Yeah,” said Derek. “I guess we shouldn’t have lied to you.”

Mr. Murphy raised his head and looked at them. “So despite all this, you really don’t know if anything is going on here at all? The message could just as well have been about Maymont?”

They all stared at the ground.

“Maybe,” admitted Caitlin.

“But you do know that someone sent you a threatening message. Which you should have turned into the police, or at the very least your parents.”

“Or the FBI,” added Sam.

Caitlin shushed him to be quiet. “I guess you’re right.”

“By rushing off on this secret trip without telling me the truth, you might have put us all in more danger instead of less.” He stood up, staring toward Swannanoa. “I think you’ve let your imaginations get the best of you with this old place. It looks pretty abandoned to me.”

He pulled out his cell phone and grimaced. “No service.”

“So what should we do now?” asked Derek.

“Go home,” said Sam. “That’s what I’ve been trying to say all along.” He didn’t want to say I told you so, but he had told them so.

Mr. Murphy nodded. “That’s a good idea, Sam. I’m sure this is private property. We shouldn’t even be up here.”

Caitlin held the map up to her face, and then pointed down the hill. “If we follow the driveway, it will take us to the road with the gas station and back to the car in the parking lot.”

“Let’s go,” encouraged Sam, stepping forward.

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