Part 1

“I’m so excited!”  Sixteen-year-old Trixie Belden bounced up and down on the bus seat, leaning forward to speak to the girl in the seat ahead.  “This is going to be the best Halloween party ever, Di!” 

Trixie’s seatmate, Honey Wheeler, nodded vigorously.  “We’ve had acceptances from forty of the sixty-five people we asked.  It’s too bad the soccer team’s final district game falls on the same night, but the date we chose is the only one that Jim and Brian could make.”

“And don’t forget, my parents are taking Bobby and the twins to the Harry Potter Halloween party this weekend, so we couldn’t have it before,” Diana added.  Her violet eyes sparkled.  “A costume contest, some fun games, and dancing.  I can’t wait!”  Her black ponytail bobbed.  “What’s Mart wearing, Trix?”   

Trixie rolled her china-blue eyes.  “My almost-twin is keeping his costume a deep, dark secret.  He said we’d all be surprised at his superhero identity.”  Mart Belden, eleven months older than his sister, shared her bright blue eyes, blond hair, and freckles.  But his curls were concealed by a short crew cut.

“I think Dan’s going as the Green Hornet,” Honey said.  “I can’t wait to see that body in tights!”  She closed her hazel eyes and a blissful smile crossed her face.

“Don’t let Cheryn hear you talking like that,” Trixie cautioned her friend.  “I don’t think she’d like to know you had such thoughts about her boyfriend.”

“I’m going steady, not going blind,” Honey defended herself with a giggle.  Her steady boyfriend was Trixie’s eldest brother, darkly handsome Brian, who was a college student along with Honey’s adopted brother Jim Frayne.  “I’ve seen Jim’s costume, by the way,” she added with a teasing glance at Trixie, who blushed instantly.

Trixie and Jim had dated off and on, but both insisted they were “just friends” at the moment.  Honey and Diana had agreed not to argue the point, but both thought Trixie had more than friendly feelings for the boy she had once described as “the most wonderful boy in the world.”

The three girls giggled and chattered about the party for the rest of the two-mile trip.  As the bus shuddered to a stop at the bottom of the Wheeler drive, Honey and Trixie moved to the door, waving good-bye to Diana, whose stop was a bit farther on the route.

The intercom in Diana’s room crackled to life.  “Dinner is served,” announced the dignified voice of Harrison, the Lynches’ very formal butler.  Diana put away her schoolwork and powered down her computer (open to a menu suitable for a Halloween party).  She hummed “The Monster Mash” as she descended the stairs.  Even being pushed aside by her eight-year-old twin brothers, who were racing to get to the table first, didn’t interfere with her happy mood.  The three siblings were joined by their twin sisters, aged six, and the two part-time nannies in the family dining room, where their parents were already seated.  Diana slid into the chair next to her father.

“Diana, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you.”  Mrs. Lynch cleared her throat and looked as if she was about to cry.

Harrison had just set a roast before Mr. Lynch and was preparing to carve it.  Muriel and Eunice, the two maids, had left the room after placing bowls of vegetables, mashed potatoes, and gravy, on the table before Mrs. Lynch. 

Diana looked at her mother in apprehension.  “Yes, Mummy?  What is it?”  She hoped it wasn’t bad news about her grandfather, who had been ill recently.

“I had a call today from the box office of the children’s theater group that’s putting on the Harry Potter Halloween party,” Mrs. Lynch said.  “Due to illness of three of the cast members, the party is being pushed back to next Saturday.”

“That’s the date of the Bob-Whites’ Halloween party,” Diana exclaimed.  “Do you mean you and Daddy won’t be able to chaperone our party?”

“Yes, darling.”  Once more, Mrs. Lynch looked on the verge of tears.  “I’m afraid you’ll have to cancel your party, or at least put it off until the following week.  We’ve already bought the tickets, and this is a one-time production.”

Diana felt like crying herself.  The weekend after the party’s planned date would be after Halloween; Jim and Brian wouldn’t be available, and they’d have to notify all of the invited guests of the rescheduling.  The idea was daunting.

“All right,” she managed to choke out.

“Sweetheart, do you think you could hold the party at the Beldens’ or the Wheelers’ house?” her father asked.

“Oh, Ed, you know the Beldens are going to that costume party at the Country Club, and the Wheelers will be in Mexico on business all that week,” Mrs. Lynch reminded him.

“We’d offer to chaperone, but both of us have already accepted invitations for that night,” said one of the nannies.  The two college students earned money to pay their tuition and book fees by caring for the four youngest Lynches.

“We’ll just cancel the party.  Don’t worry.”  Diana knew she would break down if she tried to say more.  Her appetite had deserted her and after a few moments of toying with her food, she asked to be excused.        

Harrison had taken his place behind Mr. Lynch, waiting until his services were needed again.  He coughed softly.  “Mr. and Mrs. Lynch, perhaps I could be of assistance in the matter.”  He bowed in Diana’s direction.  “The Bob-Whites did me a good turn some time back, and I’d be happy to serve as a chaperone, with your permission.”

“Harrison, what a generous offer!”  Mrs. Lynch’s blue eyes glowed. 

“It’s very kind of you,” Mr. Lynch agreed.  “But do you really think you’re equipped to watch out for forty or fifty teenagers, prevent alcohol use and handle gatecrashers as well as monitor … er, private displays of affection?”   

“I don’t wish to speak for others, sir,” Harrison replied.  “But I’d be happy to ask Miss Trask and Regan to assist me.  I believe they’d agree.”

“All right, then.  If Miss Trask and Regan agree to help, you have my permission to hold the party here, Diana.”  Mr. Lynch smiled at his daughter, his eyes crinkling at the corners.  “I’d feel comfortable leaving you here with those three.”

Diana gave Harrison her most radiant smile.  She jumped up from her chair and threw her arms around him in a bear hug.  “Thank you, thank you!” she cried.

Harrison seemed a bit taken aback by her sudden gesture, but he retained enough presence of mind to say, “You’re very welcome, Miss Diana.  I’m happy to do something for you and the Bob-Whites.” 

“Oh, I just hope Miss Trask and Regan will say yes,” she said, releasing him from her hug.  “I hope they will.”

Dusk had settled on Hawthorne Street, blurring the ramshackle outlines of Olyfant’s Hotel.  The gloomy atmosphere was exaggerated by the skeletal shadows of bare tree branches, which broke up the light cast by a nearly full moon.   Flicking the embers of a still-burning cigarette to the cracked sidewalk, a hulking, black-jacketed figure strode purposefully to the door and walked inside.

Olyfant was behind the registration desk, counting out bills from the cash register.  He straightened up as a gust of wind blew in with the newcomer.

“What can I do for you today … er, that is, good to see you, Bull.”  He pulled the registration desk’s grilled opening closed, and disappeared momentarily, opening the door marked, “Private” and gesturing to his visitor.  “In here.”  As the taller man passed through the door, Olyfant’s eyes darted about the shabby foyer and up the stairwell, but no human being was in sight.  He closed the door with a click, and seconds later another metallic click signaled it was locked.

“What news you got for me, Snake-eyes?”  The other man’s dark eyes were boring a hole through Olyfant’s forehead, and he felt sweat break out on his palms.

“I got some information on your boy,” he began.  “He’s sittin’ pretty, palling around with a bunch of rich kids.  Lives out on Glen Road, on the Wheeler estate.  You heard of Matthew Wheeler, I reckon?”

“Who hasn’t?” Bull was licking the edge of his rolling paper and sticking it down to the cylinder of tobacco held delicately between his strong fingers.  “Cut to the chase, Snake-eyes.”  With the rolled cigarette between his lips, he struck a match.  Its flare highlighted Olyfant’s bald forehead above the beetling black brows – a forehead beaded with nervous sweat.

“Okay, okay.” Olyfant took a deep breath and began again, raising his hands in a placating gesture.  “His best friends are the Belden kids, that would be Peter Belden the banker’s kids; Lynch the millionaire’s oldest girl, and Wheeler’s girl.  They all go to Sleepyside Junior-Senior High School.”  He began the ritual of lighting his own cigarette.

“That ain’t enough, Snake-eyes.”  Bull blew a puff of smoke across the table and pounded his fist on the table.  “I need to get some solid dope on this kid, where he hangs out and where I can get him alone.  Spill it, now.”  Olyfant, startled by the outburst, coughed and sputtered as he inhaled more of the burning cigarette than he had intended. 

Recovering his breath, Olyfant gulped and began again.  “You’ll never be able to get him while he’s on Wheeler property.  That place is a damned wildlife sanctuary, and after he caught a couple of poachers last year, Wheeler had the whole place tricked out with electronic surveillance.  Best money can buy.”

“Damn it, Snake-eyes, quit jerkin’ me around.”  Bull grabbed Olyfant by the neck of his shirt and pulled him halfway across the desk.  “I ain’t paying you to tell me where I can’t get to my kid.  It’s yer job to tell me where I can get close to him.  Now spill it.”  He let loose of the other man’s clothing and sat down, fixing Olyfant with a steely glare.

“Okay, okay.  I was gettin’ to that.”  Olyfant pulled a grubby handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his streaming forehead.  “See, the Lynch girl’s having a Halloween party this weekend, at her place.  No electronic surveillance there, see?  Your boy and all of his rich friends are gonna be there.  You should be able to figure out how to get him alone sometime during the night.”  His face worked in what might have been a tentative grin.

“A teenage party, huh?”  Bull looked somewhat pleased, for the first time.  “What about the parents, hey?”

“Parents gonna be out of town.  Old man Lynch hired a security crew and the food’s being catered.”

“What security firm and what caterers?”  Bull jabbed his cigarette into an ashtray on Olyfant’s desk and began to roll himself a new one while Olyfant pulled a folded piece of paper from his wallet.  Smoothing it onto the scarred surface, he began to read what was written on it.

“Reliance Security Service, bonded and insured.  You’ve been relying on us to protect you since 1947.   555-6215.  That’s the security outfit.  They’ve got a good rep, but it seems they’ve hired a couple of new guys lately.”  Olyfant looked up from the slip of paper and grinned.  “The caterers are Town and Country Caterers.  Catering to fit your budget.  555-3663.  They’re a local outfit and pretty small.”

“So it wouldn’t be too hard to get onto Lynch’s place and maybe take a second job for the evening, eh?”  Bull chuckled, a chilling sound.  “Where is this Lynch place?”  He leaned back and blew a thin stream of smoke from each nostril.  “I better scope it out so I’ll know where to meet my kid.  I’m sure he’ll want to share some of the … benefits … of his new life.  Especially when he realizes the penalty for being greedy.” 

“I got a map here,” said Olyfant.  “Look here, I’ll show you where it is.”

Late in the afternoon of the party’s date, the elder Lynches were saying their good-byes to Diana before departing for the city.

“Diana, darling, don’t hesitate to call us for any reason.”  Mrs. Lynch’s forehead was puckered with worry.  “I hate to leave you children alone here after this rash of break-ins.  If the little ones wouldn’t be so disappointed, I’d have cancelled our seats at the Harry Potter Halloween party, no matter how expensive the tickets were.”  She chewed her lip in agitation.  Several burglaries in Sleepyside during the past week had nearly caused Diana’s mother to cancel her plans with her younger children in order to be at home during the teenagers’ party.

“Mother, don’t worry about a thing.”  Mr. Lynch’s laugh boomed out.  “Reliance Security is the finest security service in the state, and they came highly recommended by Matthew Wheeler.”  When Honey had told her father about Mrs. Lynch’s worries, he had suggested the security firm his company used.  “They’ll handle any party-crashers who may show up, and one guard will remain to patrol the property all night.  Besides, Harrison, Miss Trask, and Regan will be here.  Those three won’t let anything get out of control, with the guests or with our children and their dates.” 

“Daddy’s right, Mummy,” Diana agreed.  “We’re responsible and the security service will make sure no one gets in who’s not supposed to be here.  Harrison and Miss Trask will make sure we don’t do anything we’re not supposed to do.  You go on and have a good time!”  She hugged her mother.  “I’ll prove you didn’t make a mistake in trusting the Bob-Whites!”

“Lynch might be a bigwig when it comes to money, but he ain’t got a clue about securing his property,” Bull muttered to himself, standing in a small copse of trees at the bottom of the Lynches’ back yard.  While the house itself had a top-of-the-line electronic security system, the acreage around it was not protected.  

It was quite dark and he had no worries that he might be seen by the teenaged revelers.  True, a security guard patrolled the perimeter of the property every hour, but Bull had been concealed in his spot since early morning.  It had been a piece of cake to have Olyfant drop him off at the Lynches’ front gate and drive away; he had made several visits to the property earlier in the week, arriving when the Lynch kids were at school and the parents out of the house.  The Lynches kept only a small staff, not even a gardener.  The prissy butler Harrison didn’t worry him at all.  And Harrison, a middle-aged lady, and a young man were the only adults on the place tonight, barring the security staff and caterers.    

He fingered the .38 Special revolver tucked into a shoulder holster.  While he had no intentions of shooting anyone tonight, it was shortsighted not to carry insurance.  In addition, if the boy balked, the weapon might help to convince him.

Bull rolled and lit another cigarette.  The guard had passed within twenty feet of his location exactly 3 minutes ago, and it would be another thirty minutes before he made his way back again – plenty of time for a smoke.  He checked his watch – nearly ten-thirty p.m. 

“Party should be breaking up in another hour,” he murmured to himself, his mouth twisting into an evil grin.  “When the guard makes his next round, I’ll acquire myself a new outfit.  I’d like to be properly dressed for the party.” 

Fifteen minutes later, a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning caused him to adjust his plans.  No rain was falling yet, but clouds scudded across the sky, creating eerie changes in the light of the full moon, and promising rain sooner rather than later.  Bull put out his cigarette between his finger and thumb, and carefully concealed it in the pocket of his jacket.

The guard was still nowhere in sight, so he zigzagged his way to the house, ending up next to a covered outdoor terrace.  He could see the partygoers dancing and eating, clustered in little groups inside, in a long room with a fireplace at each end. It was hard to pick out his prey, though – most of the guests were wearing masks as well as costumes.  That don’t matter – I’m waiting until everyone leaves anyway, Bull reminded himself.

Regan stretched and yawned, trying to shake off his sleepiness.  Chaperoning the party had been much more tolerable than he had expected, but he still longed for his quiet apartment.  There was a storm rolling in, and it looked to be a doozy.  Although he knew the horses were safe in their stalls, he didn’t feel comfortable being away from Manor House when the weather was so foul. 

“Regan?”  Margery Trask inquired from behind him.  “Would you mind going back to the house once everyone’s gone?  I really think Harrison and I can handle things here, and I’m not sure I like the idea of the house sitting empty on a night like this – especially with all the recent burglaries.”

“Great minds think alike,” Regan answered.  “I was just thinking along those same lines.  I hate having the horses alone with the storm coming, but I didn’t want to leave you and Harrison in the lurch.”

“We’ll be fine,” Miss Trask assured him.  “Once we get everyone safely on their way, you can head home and keep an eye on things.  I think that’s the best course of action for all of us.”

“Well, you’re the boss,” Regan acquiesced with a grin.  “I’m going to step out for a little air.  Come and get me when we start cleaning up, okay?”

“I’ll do that.  Right now I’m going to find Harrison and have a chat with Mr. Williams.  I’ll find you.”  Miss Trask smiled and headed for the kitchen, leaving Regan to make a beeline for the porch.

“When would you like your check, Mr. Williams?”  Miss Trask asked the head of security.  “Mr. Lynch left it in the office.”

“My men will be heading out as soon as the last of the kids leave, ma’am,” Ernie Williams said to Miss Trask.  “I told Mr. Lynch I’d stay through the night, just as a precaution.  I’ll collect the payment in the morning before I leave.”

“Very well.”  A buzzing noise caught Miss Trask’s attention, and she retrieved her cell phone from her sensible tan leather bag.  “Please excuse me, Mr. Williams.  I need to take this call.”  With a nod, she stepped into the Lynch office, leaving the guard to return to the gallery, watching the guests as they said their goodbyes.

As the last of the guests were leaving, a flash of lightning lit up the gallery in direct contrast to the party lights strung along the walls.  Diana Lynch shivered in her Wonder Woman costume, moving a little closer to her boyfriend, Mart Belden.  Storms always made her nervous, and being well aware of that fact, Mart wrapped his Spiderman clad arm around her shoulders protectively. “One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand…” His counting was cut off by an answering roll of thunder as he approached eight.  “See,” he continued, “the storm is at least eight miles away.  Everyone’s leaving now, anyway, so we can batten down the hatches and ride it out.”

“But Dan still needs to take Cheryn home,” Di reminded him.  “I hate to think of them on the road with bad weather.”

“Dan’s not afraid of a leettle rain,” an amused voice spoke from behind them.  Di turned to see the man in question grinning at her from behind his Zorro mask.  “In fact, Dan would rather be driving een thees storm than walking een eet.”

“Oh, you!”  Diana swatted at him playfully.  “Stop talking about yourself in the third person.  It’s weird.”

“But I am El Zorro, senorita, not thees Dan person.” He touched the brim of his broad-rimmed black hat.

“Fine, Zorro,” Di grinned.  “When you see my friend, Dan, tell him I said to be careful taking Cheryn home, and to hurry back.  We’re having chocolate cake and movies as soon as we get cleaned up.”

“I will tell him thees,” he replied, switching back to his regular voice as he added, “You can save some clean up for me, Di.  I feel guilty leaving you in the lurch.”

“I told Cheryn she was welcome to spend the night with the rest of us, but she has a family thing tomorrow,” Di told him.  “So that’s not your fault.  Just hurry back. If we get done, we’ll be in the den.”

He raised his mask and winked at her. “I’ll try, but these things take time.”

Diana laughed and snuggled back under Mart’s arm.  “You’re incorrigible!” she told Dan.  “Completely incorrigible.”

“And proud of it, baby.”  Dan pulled his mask back into place and resumed his bad accent.  “Keeses, mi amiga.”  He dropped a quick kiss on Di’s forehead and swung his black cape with a flamboyant flare as he strode away.

Dan held his cape over Cheryn Russell’s head as they dodged raindrops on the way to the station wagon.  He held the door for her as she slipped inside, laughing as she tucked the skirt of her angel costume around her legs and arranged her wings so they weren’t blocking the door.  Running around to the other side, he managed to shut his cape in the door.  Tugging it free, Dan grinned sheepishly at his date.  “Oops!”

“Blame it on the wind,” Cheryn giggled, her blue eyes crinkling.  A mighty gust of the aforementioned wind rattled the car as he started it.  Cheryn sobered.  “I wish you didn’t have to drive me home in this weather,” she offered apologetically.  “I would have stayed, but it’s my grandma’s birthday tomorrow…”

“It’s okay,” Dan assured her.  “Family comes first, Cher.  Always.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” she promised.  “I’ll protect you from all the ghosts and ghouls with my angel powers.”  She leaned over and kissed his cheek, the feathers from her wings brushing his neck.

Dan slipped into his Zorro accent.  “El Zorro ees counting on that, senorita. Muy, muy counting.”  He waggled an eyebrow at her as he put the car in reverse.