The Haunted Boardwalk Page 2

  “I see Crossbones!” Stacie said. The car passed the top. Then it started going down the other side.

  Barbie’s heart beat faster. She didn’t believe in ghosts, but she still couldn’t wait to discover what was haunting the mini-golf course.

  “Something is moving down there!” Skipper said.

  “I see it, too!” Nikki said. “But it’s really dark.”

  Their car dropped lower. The mini-golf course disappeared behind trees.

  “Argh,” Skipper said. “I couldn’t tell what it was.”

  “Next time around,” Nikki said. The car revolved past the bottom and began to rise again.

  “Okay,” Barbie said. “Everyone, look closely!” Crossbones came into view.

  “Yes! I see it!” Stacie said.

  “Lots of things are moving on the course,” Skipper said. “I don’t think they’re ghosts.”

  “They’re too little,” Chelsea added.

  Once again, the car dropped past where they could see Crossbones.

  The Ferris wheel turned. Their car passed the boarding platform. It rose into the air.

  “We’re almost at the top,” Barbie said. “Can you see anything?”

  “Shapes! Shadows!” Stacie said. “What are they?”

  “We’re going to miss it!” Nikki said.

  Suddenly, the car stopped. It rocked back and forth.

  “Whee!” Rookie barked. “This is fun!”

  “They must be unloading people,” Barbie said. “This is our chance!”

  She narrowed her eyes. Dark shapes crisscrossed the mini-golf course. Chelsea was right. They were too small to be people. Or ghosts. Unless they were ghosts of giant mice as Stacie had joked earlier. Or…

  “Cats!” Barbie cried. “I think they’re cats!”

  The Ferris wheel began moving again. This time, when their car reached the bottom, it stopped. Nikki, Barbie, her sisters, and the puppies got off.

  “Cats?” Nikki said as they left the amusement pier. “I’m not sure I understand.”

  Chelsea crossed her arms. “I told you I heard a meow,” she said. “You just laughed at me!”

  “Oh, Chelsea, I’m sorry,” Barbie said. “You were right!”

  Rookie romped over to Crossbones. “Let me in! I have ghosts…uh, I mean, cats to catch!”

  Nikki unlocked the gate to the mini-golf course. They went inside.

  “I’ve been thinking about it, and I have an idea,” Skipper said. “Where are the electronic parts of the golf holes?”

  “We control them by computer,” Nikki said. “But some of the switches and wires run behind the holes. I’ll show you.”

  Then, Chelsea shrieked. “Something brushed my leg!”

  Skipper turned on her cell phone flashlight. It shone off a pair of green eyes. “A cat!” she said.

  The cat blinked at them and ran off.

  “Did you see that?” Taffy barked to the other pups.

  “I can’t believe we thought a few cats were a ghost.” DJ hung his head.

  “My sniffer must be broken,” Honey wailed.

  Skipper knelt down by the switches. “Aha!” she said. “Lots of these are out of place! The cats must have been stepping on them. Like the switch for hole nine. It’s set to a green light, not white. That’s why the skeleton was green!”

  “And that’s not all,” Barbie said. She pointed to the ground next to the switches. Several empty cans of tuna fish were scattered around.

  “I don’t get it,” Stacie said. “Tuna fish? But why would—”

  Nikki laughed. “Tuna fish!” she said. “Marcus! You know, the guy who works here? He loves animals. He has three dogs and two birds at home. I bet he was feeding the stray cats! That’s why he had so much tuna fish in the hut.”

  “He totally picked the wrong spot to feed them,” Skipper said. “Of course some of the cats would step on the switches!”

  “Marcus’s heart was in the right place,” Barbie said. “But I know a better way to take care of them. We can take them—”

  “To the animal shelter!” Stacie finished for her.

  Nikki nodded. “Great idea! The vet there will give them the shots they need. And find them good homes.”

  “Homes with lots and lots of tuna fish,” Chelsea said.

  “I’ll get Marcus to help me round up the cats tomorrow,” Nikki said.

  “Can we help?” Stacie asked.

  “Of course!” Nikki said.

  Chelsea frowned. “Does this mean the Fright Shack isn’t haunted either?” she asked.

  Skipper shrugged. “Who knows?”

  “Maybe that’s the next mystery for the Sisters Mystery Club to solve!” Stacie said.

  The puppies barked. More mysteries? That sounded fun!

  Barbie put her arms around Skipper’s and Stacie’s shoulders. “Well, what do you want to do now?”

  “Games!” Stacie said.

  “Ice cream,” Skipper said.

  “The Ferris wheel!” Chelsea said.

  Barbie looked at Chelsea. “AGAIN?” she asked.

  “Again!” Chelsea said.