Brian, Mart, Dan, and Jim each handled a rake in the front yard of Mrs. Vanderpoel’s house. The quartet had agreed to rake up the leaves on this sunny October afternoon, and had already been working for almost an hour.

“Guys, let’s take a break for a few minutes.” Mart swiped the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. All four of the guys peeled off their sweatshirts and tossed them aside in a pile on the ground.

Dan opened the small cooler they’d brought along, and tossed a bottle of water to each of his friends. “What about this Halloween party at Diana’s house?” he asked. “What kind of costume are you all wearing?”

“Di said costumes are mandatory,” Jim added. “She doesn’t want to see anyone with nothing but a mask and regular clothes.”

They all sighed in unison.

“Di’s determined to transform me into Sonny Crockett.” Mart shook his head. “I don’t know what she’s thinking.”

Dan hooted. “The sexiest man on TV? NBC’s Prettiest Peacock?”

“Di’s philosophy is ‘where there’s life, there’s hope.’ But she’s awfully optimistic.” Mart groaned.

“No kidding!” Brian clapped his brother on the back.

“What are you and Jim going as for Halloween?” Honey Wheeler turned to her best friend, Trixie Belden.

“We haven’t decided yet,” Trixie said with a sigh. “Everything I suggest, Jim finds a problem with it. You know how strait-laced he can be sometimes. What about you and Brian?”

“He’s not even sure if he’s going to be off work,” Honey lamented. “He might be the Invisible Man.”

“Diana, what about you and Mart?” Trixie asked.

“I’ve had a great idea,” Diana bubbled over. “You’re going to love it. We’re going as Sonny Crockett and Gina Calabrese from Miami Vice.”

“My goofy-looking brother is going as Sonny Crockett?” Trixie burst out laughing. “You must be planning on working a miracle to make my brother Mart into the sexiest man on television.”

“Trixie!” Honey couldn’t help giggling, but she tried to put a stern look on her face. “I’m sure Diana will be able to transform Mart into Sonny Crockett.”

“He’s already blond, and has those blue, blue eyes…” Diana’s voice trailed off and she had a dreamy smile on her face. “Well… I know Sonny’s eyes aren’t blue… but… well… I just know Mart will look like Sonny when I get finished with him.”

“Okay, I can see that he might fit the part after you put some spray tan on him and dress him in a white suit and no socks, but what are you going to do about those curls?” Trixie yanked on her own curls as she spoke.

“Oh, pooh, that’s no problem!” Diana flicked her hand as if straightening Mart’s curls could be solved as easily as waving a magic wand. “I’m going to use a flatiron on his hair. It’s pretty long right now, so I’ll probably have to do some trimming. But when we get done, you won’t recognize him.”

“Hmmm... we’ll see.”

“I think I can easily get fixed up as Gina. I’ll just curl my hair and dress in something sparkly and glamorous. Piece of cake.”

“I’m going to dress as Jeannie… you know, the genie in a bottle from the old TV show, I Dream of Jeannie?” Honey sighed. “I’ve been trying to convince Brian to dress as Tony Nelson, but he’s digging in his heels, says he doesn’t have time to hunt down an appropriate military uniform.”

“Well, what about Dan? At least, my brothers have you two to pressure them... I mean help them.” Trixie tapped a pencil against her cheek. “And I think Jim will eventually agree to anything I suggest, as long as I do all the work of putting the costume together. Dan broke up with that nice Cheri last month, and you know he’s not going to want to dress up.”

“Do you really think any of the guys want to dress up?” Honey cocked an eyebrow at her best friend. “I won’t be surprised if Brian comes in his scrubs and lab coat, as a doctor. That’s if he comes at all.”

“We’ve just got to help him.” Diana gave an emphatic nod. “We’re all going to see ‘Blue Velvet’ tonight. Even though I’ll probably need to cover my eyes during a lot of it.” She shuddered. “We can talk to him then.”

Trixie and Honey nodded and put out their hands to seal the pact.

“Dan, what kind of costume are you going to wear for Halloween?” Honey started the conversation as the Bob-Whites waited in line at the Cameo’s ticket window.

Dan shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe I’ll come as a cowboy.”

“A cowboy?” Diana’s eyebrows went up. “What about James Dean, from Rebel Without a Cause? He looks so cool in his leather jacket.”

Dan shrugged again and frowned. “I don’t have a leather jacket anymore, and really, I don’t like to be reminded of that part of my life.”

Trixie had been about to speak, but she closed her mouth and an awkward silence fell.

“I’ll think of something.” Dan jammed his hands into his pockets. “Don’t worry.”

“Hey, I just thought of an idea for Jim!” Honey grabbed Trixie’s arm. “Archie, from the Archie comics!”

“Hey!” Dan threw up his hands. “You just told me I couldn’t be a cowboy. Archie just wears regular clothes, and he even has red hair and freckles already. That’s not even a costume.”

“No wonder Jim would agree to anything you suggest if that’s your level of creativity,” Diana agreed. “Surely you can come up with something better than Archie.”

“King Arthur is traditionally considered a redhead,” Mart suggested.

“Don’t help them, Mart!” Jim raked his hands through his hair.

Brian tried to comfort his friend. “I can fix you up as The Mummy, Jim.”

Jim groaned. “That would be simple, but it sounds hot, and like it might be hard to walk.”

“We’ll think of something.” Trixie patted her boyfriend’s arm. “Don’t worry!”

The next day, Diana started her campaign to transform Mart into Sonny Crockett.

“Now Mart, you know Sonny has a killer tan. I’ve checked into spray tanning, and got a deal for you to have six sessions for the price of five. We’ll get you started tomorrow, and you can go every three days until Halloween.”

“Every three days!” Mart didn’t look happy. “How long does each application take?”

“Each visit is twenty minutes,” Diana explained. “There are a few things you need to do ahead of time to get ready.”

Mart groaned. “Why did I ever agree to this?” he asked the ceiling.

“Sweetie, don’t be that way!” Diana glared at him. “We’re talking less than a month. And you’re going to look so awesome, no one will expect it. Now, let me just explain what you need to do.”

“All right, cupcake. I trust you.” Mart took his girlfriend’s hand and kissed it. Diana smiled again, radiantly happy, and started to list all of the preparations and precautions he should take care of before spray tanning.

The things I do for love, he thought with a sigh.

“Now, Brian.” Honey frowned at her boyfriend across the hospital cafeteria table. “If you won’t dress up as Tony Nelson, I’m going to be Wonder Woman, and you can come as her boyfriend, Steve Trevor. He’s a military hero and doesn’t have a complicated costume.” She gazed at him hopefully.

“Ix-nay.” Brian shook his head. “Steve Trevor has two strikes against him. First, he’s blond. I’m not dyeing my hair or wearing a wig. Second, his creator killed him off in 1969 because he was ‘dull and boring and I didn’t like him much.’ I get enough grief for being dull and boring Brian Belden. Why do I want to dress as a dull and boring comic book character?”

Honey’s mouth hung open. “I had no idea you were such a Wonder Woman aficionado, Brian.”

“Mart and I used to collect every new Wonder Woman that came out, along with Batman and Spiderman. Even back then, Mart was in love with Diana—Diana Prince. I’m surprised you were even thinking about dressing like her. Just go back to Jeannie the genie—you remind me of her, anyway. But I’m still not going to be Captain Tony Nelson. You know I have to work that week and I’m not going to be able to do an actual costume, that’s if I even can come to the party.”

Honey snapped her fingers. “All right, I’ve just had a brainstorm. You can be Dr. Rob Caldwell—you know, the hunky pediatric resident from St. Elsewhere—the TV show. You can wear your grungy old scrubs and lab coat, and I’ll get Diana to make you an ID badge. Now you have no excuse!” She slurped the dregs of her Diet Coke as Brian rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

“At least if I can get off on time, I won’t have to spend hours getting ready.”

“So that’s settled.” Honey glanced at her watch and pushed her chair out. “I hate to run, but I need to spend some serious study time on my Econ 201 class.” She leaned over to kiss Brian good-bye.

“And I need to get back to the floor.” Brian stood and hugged her before collecting his tray to head for the tray return.

Trixie sat on the side of her bed, while Honey and Diana sat together on the other bed. “So, Trixie, did you decide on a costume yet?” Diana asked, tapping her foot.

“I’m going to be Miss Marple!” Trixie bounced on the edge of the bed. “I’ve got a hand-knitted sweater made by Aunt Alicia, Mrs. Vanderpoel promised to give me a dress, a hat, and some old-lady shoes to wear, even some old lisle stockings. And I’ll get some use out of the basket of yarn and knitting needles Aunt Alicia gave me when I was ten.”

“What about your hair?” Honey’s forehead furrowed. “Miss Marple has white hair.”

“Gleeps! I don’t know what to do about that.” Trixie leaned both elbows on her knees and rested her chin in her hands.

“I know!” Diana jumped up and executed a dance step. “Miss Darcy, the Drama teacher at Sleepyside, has some wigs that were donated to the Drama Club. I’ll bet she would loan you a wig, Trixie.”

“Not a chance.” Trixie’s bottom lip went out. “Miss Darcy hates me ever since I burst out laughing during the witchcraft trial in ‘The Crucible.’”

“But it wasn’t your fault that the big fake wart fell off Amy Morrissey’s nose during that trial scene,” Honey protested.

“And when Jamie Kenworthy, the judge, got hiccups during the trial scene right after that and you fell out of your chair because you were laughing so hard you got half of the audience tittering, it might not have helped.” Diana sighed. “All right, I’ll go and talk to her myself. I think she still likes me.”

“Di, you’re an angel!”

“Well, let’s just see how it goes before you grant me a halo and a pair of wings,” Diana said. “Now what about Jim? Is he still set on being Archie?”

“Yes, I think so.” Trixie sighed. “He just doesn’t want to dress up and put on makeup and a wig or whatever.”

“Mart suggested he could be King Arthur,” Diana reminded her.

“Yes, but you heard how he shot that down. It’ll be a cold day in… well, Miami, maybe, before he’ll agree to that.”

“There must be something in between Archie and King Arthur.” Honey frowned. “We really need to do some research. I always thought the Green Hornet was a redhead, I don’t know why.”

“What about Captain Kirk, from Star Trek?” Diana asked. “That would be a very simple costume, no tights, no makeup or weird hair.”

“That might work. He does like Star Trek.” Trixie brightened up.

“Traditionally, Judas Iscariot was also a redhead,” Diana said thoughtfully. “Of course, he wasn’t a good guy…”

“Wasn’t he the one who sold out Jesus for thirty pieces of silver?” Trixie asked. “Jim wouldn’t like that. I mean, he’s not really religious, but he’d balk at playing a traitor.”

“Yes.” Diana tapped a pencil against her cheek. “You might threaten him with Judas if he balks at Captain Kirk.”

“You’re evil, and I love it! And what about Mart? What’s the progress on turning my brother into the sexiest man alive?” Trixie whooped with laughter.

“Trixie, you’d be surprised. He’s been to the spray tan booth three times, and I think his tan’s gonna be exactly right by the time of the party. Plus, I tried using a flat iron on his hair, and I’m getting pretty good at it. I’ve only burned his scalp a couple of times.” Diana blushed, recalling Mart’s choice words as his scalp sizzled.

“Oh! I have some good news about Brian,” Honey said. “He’s going to come as Dr. Rob Caldwell from St. Elsewhere. Can you make him an ID badge that says Rob Caldwell, MD?”

“That seems almost like cheating,” Trixie complained. “You know that if Brian gets to wear his regular clothes, Jim and Dan won’t want to be in costume.”

“I hate to say it, but I agreed with Brian. I’m afraid he won’t come if he has to put on a real costume. He as much as said he’d be too busy.” Honey threw up her hands. “What else can I do?”

“Speaking of Dan, what about him? Have either of you talked to him?” Diana asked.

“I saw him yesterday,” Honey said. “I did ask him about his costume. I suggested he could come as a pirate captain. He smiled and nodded. I don’t think he has any intention of dressing up as a pirate.”

“You know he doesn’t!” Trixie nodded vigorously. “If he thinks he can get away with being a ghost, he will.”

“Do you think I should call him and beg him?” Diana wrinkled her nose.

“Really, Trixie should do it.” Honey pointed to her best friend. “He’s putty in your hands, Trix.”

Trixie flushed from neckline to hairline. “I don’t know about that. But I’ll say something to him if you think it would help.”

“Just remind him Mart’s going to a lot of trouble for this party, and he’d appreciate Dan’s support,” Honey suggested.

“That might work.” Trixie didn’t look enthusiastic, but nodded. “Hey, what about James Bond? Dan would be perfect for that, and it’s not too exotic.”

“That would be awesome, Trixie—except that I’m not sure anyone would know who he was supposed to be. He’s a guy in a suit.” Honey sniffed.

“Not just a suit—he’s wearing a black suit with a dinner jacket, a long-sleeved white dress shirt with cufflinks, a black bowtie, and a gun.” Diana got a faraway look in her eyes. “And Dan has that gorgeous dimple in his cheek, like Sean Connery.”

“Well, I’ll suggest that to him.” Trixie scribbled some lines in her notebook. “Mart—Sonny Crockett.” She coughed to cover a giggle. “Brian—Dr. Rob Caldwell. Jim—Captain Kirk. Dan—James Bond. If we can get them all to agree, I think we’re set.”

“That’s a big ‘if’,” Honey cautioned.

The day of the Halloween party dawned gloomily, spitting rain. But despite the weather, the Lynch, Wheeler, Maypenny, and Belden homes were buzzing with activity by five in the evening.

Mart stood in front of Diana, who had already gelled and flat-ironed his hair. He wore an aqua t-shirt, cream-colored loose-fitting blazer and white pleated pants, with white espadrilles.

“Smile, Mart,” she commanded. Mart dutifully obeyed. Carefully, Diana used a blond eyebrow pencil to give the illusion of a deep dimple in his right cheek; then darkened his eyebrows with a brunette pencil.

“You look perfect,” she cooed, planting a kiss on his other cheek. Diana herself wore a tight, form-fitting gown, also in aqua, but sequined all over. Her black hair was curled and swept up, while heavy eyeshadow, liner, and mascara emphasized her lustrous eyes.

“If only my eyes were brown… but we’re done,” she announced with satisfaction. “Let’s go down and make sure all of the decorations and refreshments are ready. It’ll be time to get out the ice.”

Just as Mart finished filling the cooler with ice, he heard the Lynches’ doorbell peal. He started to answer the door, but the Lynch butler, Harrison, got there first.

“Miss Trixie Belden and Mr. Jim Frayne,” he announced.

A white-haired little old lady wearing a cardigan and carrying a basket overflowing with a fleecy knitted scarf entered on the arm of Captain James T. Kirk. Kirk looked suspiciously like Jim Frayne, but the old lady wearing rimless glasses was almost unrecognizable as Trixie.

“Trix, I’ve got to admit it, you’d be a great undercover cop,” Mart said with a whistle of appreciation. Diana joined them, and added her praise for Trixie’s disguise.

“Well, Mart, Diana did an amazing job with you, too.” Trixie nodded with approval and patted his shoulder.

Diana turned to the dignified butler. “Harrison, I appreciate you so much,” she said. “But please, take off for the evening and relax. We can answer the door. You’ve already done so much.”

Harrison bowed. “Very well, Miss Diana,” he said. The elderly butler bowed and started back to his private quarters.

The doorbell sounded again, and Diana ran to greet two more guests—a witch and a ghost.

“It’s Jamie Kenworthy and Amy Morrissey,” the witch said with a giggle.

“Please, come on in and get some snacks and a drink,” Diana invited them. “Do your characters have names?”

“I’m the Ghost of Hamlet’s father,” said Jamie.

“And I’m the Wicked Witch of the West.” Amy giggled again.

Honey arrived next, but she was alone. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here earlier,” she apologized. “But Brian called just as I was heading out. He’ll be delayed a bit, but he’s coming. I suppose it’s a good thing we agreed he could be a doctor.” Honey looked amazingly like Jeannie the genie, with her hair in a high ponytail, harem pants, and a crop top. Her outfit was in shades of pink and magenta, decorated with crystals and gold braid, and she also wore exaggerated eye makeup.

“I’ll watch the food and put snacks out as needed,” she offered.

Jim directed guests to the enclosed terrace, where the majority of the party was taking place, and checked the music selection for the CD player. He made sure the sound tracks from Dark Shadows and The Nightmare Before Christmas were convenient, and started to play “The Monster Mash.”

More guests arrived. Two more ghosts and two witches—Jamie Kenworthy, Jane Morgan, Ty Scott, and Ruthie Kettner.

Dan hadn’t arrived yet. Mart tried to call him, but the call went straight to Dan’s answering machine. He let Diana know what was going on. “He’s probably on his way,” he tried to reassure her.

“What could have happened?” she worried.

Dan Mangan had driven up to Sleepyside from the city, where he was in his last year at CUNY, following a pre-law curriculum. It was a windy night, and clouds scudded across the full moon. He had to watch for deer crossing the road, but he’d finally made it through Sleepyside and was almost to Glen Road when he ran over something in the road that he couldn’t see. Crossing his fingers, he traveled on. It definitely wasn’t a person.

Before he passed the next “Do Not Pass” sign, the car was making a terrible sound, thumping against the roadway; pulling to the right. It was one of the back wheels. With a sinking stomach, he pulled over into the next driveway and got out of the car.

The rear passenger tire was flat as a pancake, although the rubber hadn’t started to shred. Must have been a squirrel thigh bone or something, he thought with an inner groan. Changing the tire would take at least fifteen to twenty minutes. With a sigh, he reached inside the car to pop the trunk, brushing the front of his black tux with its satin lapels. Well, it couldn’t be helped. At least he had a tarpaulin so he wouldn’t have to lie on the bare ground, but James Bond was not going to look debonair and sophisticated by the time this tire was changed.

Just as he let the jack down after tightening all of the lug nuts, the sky opened up. Sheeting rain pelted his hair as well as his tux and shiny leather shoes.

Dan tossed the jack into the trunk and hefted the old tire, setting it inside more carefully. Then he bundled up the tarp and laid it on top of the tire. Catching a glimpse of his face in the rear view mirror, he shook his head. Hair was a mess, and there were a couple of dirt streaks on his face. He wasn’t too worried about the tux, it was an old one of Jim’s that was too small for him. Dan had planned to have it dry cleaned anyway, but if it couldn’t be restored, he didn’t really mind too much, since Jim didn’t want it back.

Finally, he made it up the Lynches’ long driveway and parked. Hopping out of the car, he ran to the front porch. He jabbed the doorbell and assessed the damage to his costume. It was pretty bad, plus it was getting chilly since he was almost soaked to the skin by the time he’d gotten everything back into the trunk.

“Dan!” Diana had thrown the door open and her eyes were wide. “What happened to you? We were so worried!” She reached for his hand and pulled him inside.

“Sorry! Apparently I ran over a squirrel and its thigh bone punctured my tire. I had to stop and change it, and then it started to pour just as I finished with the lug nuts. Sorry to ruin the James Bond costume.”

“The only thing that counts is that you’re okay! Come on in and we’ll figure out something for you.”

Dan took a few steps inside; at least he wasn’t dripping on the floor. “Well, I have to say that you pulled off Gina very well! Gorgeous! Where’s the sexiest man on TV?”

“Thanks, I wish there was an easy way to make my eyes brown. I couldn’t do contacts, though! Can’t stand the idea of something in my eyes. Mart! Where are you?”

A blond man with a deep tan, wearing a cream jacket, white trousers, and an aqua T-shirt came from the direction of the Lynches’ indoor terrace. A candy cigarette dangled from his lips and a pair of Ray-Bans was hooked to the neckline of his T-shirt.

“What happened to you, pal?” he asked in a gravelly voice, pushing a few strands of straight hair out of his eyes.

“Okay, Diana, I bow to your talent in changing Mart here, into Sonny Crockett.” Dan laughed for the first time since his tire went flat. “If I was a judge, you’d win first prize. Di said there may be a way I could fix something up for a costume.”

“How about a ghost?” Diana suggested. “We have a few white sheets that would work perfectly. Mart can help you get changed if you want. In fact, he changed into his costume here, so he has some regular clothes maybe you can wear under the sheet. At least they’re dry.”

“Yeah, you’ll be real unique as a ghost.” Mart chuckled.

“I’ll get a couple of sheets out and Mart, you can help him.” Diana tapped her chin as she thought out the plan. “I’ll get a pillowcase and cut holes in it myself. I’ll buy a replacement so Mother won’t mind. You can change in the guest room upstairs, and let’s see, maybe you could hang your tux and stuff up in the guest bathroom.”

When Dan emerged from the guest room he felt like possibly the most awkward ghost ever, but at least he was decently covered. Diana had ended up helping to pin the sheet in place so he could use his hands and at the same time his arms were covered and he could walk without tripping. But he was barefooted.

“Daddy has some short white boots he wore to a seventies costume party last year,” Diana exclaimed, clapping her hands. “Maybe you could wear them.”

“As long as they aren’t too small.” Dan felt doubtful. Mr. Lynch was at least four inches shorter than he was.

Diana disappeared. When she returned, she was brandishing the boots along with a pair of socks, and a white cowboy hat. “Don’t worry, I called Daddy and asked permission. As soon as I mentioned the boots, he reminded me of the white cowboy hat Uncle Monty gave him. You can be Ghost Rider.”

“Ghost Rider, like the comic?” Dan brightened.

“Larry and Terry used to have a couple of toy six-shooters, but sadly, they’re gone with the wind. You’ll be unarmed tonight—unless you want to repurpose James Bond’s holster and gun.” Diana’s eyes twinkled as she placed the cowboy hat over the pillowcase on Dan’s head. “If only we had more time, I could have really fixed you up with this one, but I think you’ll have to take off the pillowcase to eat.”

Dan slipped his feet into the boots, which were surprisingly large enough for him. “They’re a little bit tight, but I think should be okay for a couple of hours. Thanks, Di! I wasn’t crazy about wearing a costume, but this is better than wet clothes.”

He followed Diana and Mart downstairs and on to the enclosed terrace, where a crowd of ghosts and witches clustered in small groups around the snacks set out on the buffet. “Guess I’m not too unique today,” he chuckled to himself.

“And here’s Ghost Rider,” Diana announced. She and Mart applauded the new arrival, and the other guests followed suit, with a few smothered giggles audible.

Spotting Miss Marple and Captain Kirk, he made a beeline to Trixie and Jim. “What gives with all of the ghosts and witches?” he asked.

“I guess most of the other guests weren’t as creative as the Bob-White girls,” Jim replied. “Everyone is supposed to introduce themselves and say who they represent,” he continued. “So I think Diana’s hoping they aren’t just generic ghosts and witches.”

“Brian’s not here yet,” Trixie pointed out. “Honey’s afraid he’ll miss the whole thing. He should get a booby prize for being the least creative costume, but at least he’ll have a name tag saying he’s Dr. Rob Caldwell, from St. Elsewhere.”

Honey floated up in her filmy harem outfit and veil. “We’ll have the two sexiest men alive,” she said with a laugh. “US Magazine called Don Johnson the sexiest man on TV—he plays Sonny Crockett on Miami Vice.” She waved a hand toward Mart, who was busy fixing himself a plate. “And People Magazine named Mark Harmon the Sexiest Man Alive for 1986—he plays Dr. Caldwell on St. Elsewhere.”

Just then, the doorbell pealed, and Diana headed to the foyer to answer it. She returned with Brian Belden, hair slightly disheveled but otherwise looking just like himself, wearing green scrubs and a white lab coat. But over his left chest area Dan could see that he wore a nametag reading Doug Ross, MD.

“Brian! So glad you made it! And that you’ve worn your costume.” Diana’s eyes twinkled as she said the last sentence. “But who’s Dr. Doug Ross? I thought you were going to be Dr. Rob Caldwell.”

“Oh, just some crazy hotshot peds resident who did a rotation with me last semester. All of the women residents were crazy about him. He’s in Chicago now.” Brian blushed, his face going almost as red as his sister’s could. “I lost the name tag you made me, but found this one in a drawer at work, and I knew he wouldn’t miss it.”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Diana assured him. “Come on, we’re about to have the parade of costumes and everyone can vote on who has the best one.”

She clapped her hands, and the buzz of conversation slowly hushed. “Everyone, I’m so glad you could all make it. The weather didn’t cooperate too well, but we have good company and good food—the two most important parts to any party. I’m glad everyone put their creativity to work…”

She was interrupted by giggles, shrieks, and whoops of laughter. Everyone except six of the Bob-Whites was dressed as either a ghost or a witch.

“It doesn’t matter that we have a lot of ghosts and witches,” she continued as the laughter subsided. “I’m sure most of you chose a famous ghost or witch from a book, a TV show, or a movie.” She held up a hand with fingers crossed. “Now I want you to form a line and walk around the room until the lead person is in front of the fireplace. When you’re in front of the fireplace, stop and tell us who your character is. Then you can take a seat and the next person will tell theirs. Jeannie the genie here, will pass out a paper ballot for each of you, and she’ll make a list of all the guests and their characters. When everyone has had their turn, we’ll pass the list of characters around of all of the characters, and each of you will write down your choice of the one who came up with the most creative idea. Does that sound too complicated?”

A chorus of “No” answered, and the guests started to line up. Mart cued up the boombox with a cassette of Bobby Bare’s Marie Laveau.

Jamie Kenworthy had ended up first in line. “Jamie Kenworthy, I’m the ghost of Hamlet’s father.” He delivered his line in a Danish accent that was convincing to his New York counterparts, and had painted his face white. He wore a long nightshirt, white-painted warrior’s helmet and a sword belt, from which he drew a sword, also painted white. “...but know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy Fathers life, Now wears his crown,” he proclaimed. Everyone clapped, and Jamie bowed before walking to the Lynches’ sofa and taking a seat.

Ruthie Kettner followed Jamie. “Ruthie Kettner, and I’m Minnie Castavet from Rosemary’s Baby.” Dressed in a drab, grayish housecoat and mules, she wore a black scarf with white polka dots to cover her hair, which was done up in large rollers. “Now, that’s what I call the long arm of coincidence,” she said, waving a hand toward the line of people dressed in black or white. Cackling, she shuffled over to sit beside Jamie.

A traditionally dressed witch in a black robe, tall, pointed hat, and pointed-toe shoes that curled up at the ends was next. Her face was green and her black hair straggled past her shoulders. A couple of large warts on her nose and chin completed her look. “Amy Morrissey, and I’m the Wicked Witch of the West.” She carried a basket and shook it, upon which a stuffed black Scottie dog appeared. “I’ll get you, my pretty!” she screeched, before walking over to join Ruthie and Jamie.

“I’m the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters.” It was Ty Scott’s voice, but he was unrecognizable in a puffy white costume that even turned his head into a giant marshmallow. The sailor hat on his head, with a navy blue sailor collar and red tie, completed his incongruous appearance as he lumbered in front of the fireplace. About to take a seat in one of the comfortable armchairs, he turned awkwardly and said, “Oh yeah! Ty Scott. The Stay-Puft Man doesn’t have any lines.”

Everyone laughed.

“Guen Bartolomeo,” the next guest said. “I’m La Befana, from Italy.” Silvery hair was drawn back in an unruly bun, and she carried a stick broom. Dressed in black except for a red bandana, she also wore striped stockings and a pair of pointed-toe boots. Like the Wicked Witch of the West, she sported a couple of facial warts, even more impressive as a few hairs sprouted from them. “I bring presents to good children at Christmas, and lumps of coal to the bad ones!” She bowed and took a seat.

“It’s Honey’s exchange student from a few years ago,” Trixie whispered excitedly to Jim. “Did you know she was coming?”

Jim shook his head. “I knew Honey had asked her, but wasn’t sure if she’d be able to make it. She’s at the University of Wisconsin, so it was a bit tricky to take the time and spend the money to fly to New York for a weekend.”

A very tall ghost stepped up to the fireplace, carrying a jack-o-lantern. “Steve Barry, I’m a friend of Guen’s. And I’m the Headless Horseman, in honor of being here in the locality.” He bowed and stepped over to stand behind Guen’s chair.

A slender young woman with long, waving white hair and white robes stepped up next. She wore a silver crown and carried a silver scepter in one hand, while the other held a box of candy. All of her makeup was pale and clear glitter gave her a frosty cold look. “I’m Julia Basscom, Honey’s college roommate, and I’m Jadis of Charn, the White Witch of Narnia. Would anyone care for a piece of Turkish Delight?”

One by one, the dozen guests stepped in front of the fireplace to introduce their characters. Diana was surprised at the creativity of many of the disguises, which initially had appeared quite similar. As the last guest stepped away from the fireplace after explaining that they were Casper the Friendly Ghost, the Bob-Whites, who hadn’t participated in the costume contest, all applauded.

“We’re going to collect the ballots now, and will come back with the results in ten minutes. Please enjoy some snacks, and dance if you like. There is a selection of cassettes by the boombox.” The Bob-Whites withdrew into the gallery to count the votes.

In ten minutes, they emerged and found their guests scattered in small clusters throughout the room. The sound track from Dark Shadows played as people carried plates of snacks, nibbling as they walked to the card tables set up at one end of the enclosed terrace.

“We have prizes,” Diana announced. “Jamie Kenworthy, the ghost of Hamlet’s father received the most votes and comes in first place. Your costume was great, and you gave us a quotation from him as well.” Jamie’s prize was a coupon for a free deluxe car wash.

“Guen, you win second place.” She held up a gift certificate to a chain bookstore. “La Befana is unfamiliar to most Americans, so your costume is unique. Congratulations!”

“Amy, your Mrs. Castavet is a scary witch I wouldn’t want to meet up with in the dark. You win third prize. Congratulations!” Diana presented Amy with a gift certificate to a local bakery.

As the guests congratulated the winners, Mart switched the tape to Louis Armstrong’s Zat You, Santa Claus? “It’s not Halloween-y, but the music is spooky,” he defended his choice.

“We’re going to play Pumpkin Pong now,” Trixie announced. “We have ten jack-o-lanterns and a ping pong ball for each guest. If you can bounce a ping pong ball into a jack-o-lantern, you’ll find a prize inside.” She led the guests to another corner of the enclosed terrace and pulled away a black curtain adorned with glow-in-the-dark stars. On a low platform, ten plastic jack-o-lanterns were arranged like bowling pins, clouds of white vapor rising from their tops.

The guests applauded and soon gales of laughter broke out as they took turns bouncing the ping pong balls. Candy, gift certificates, tubes of lip balm, and other small prizes, rewarded the successful players.

“Let’s take a break for some more snacks, and we’ll finish up with a trivia game,” Diana announced when Pumpkin Pong was finished. While Trixie and Jim ran that game, she and Mart had ensured the food and drinks were restocked. Everyone moved toward the buffet table and the buzz of conversation quieted as the guests filled up on pumpkin cheese ball, mummy-wrapped mini hot dogs, and spiderweb black bean dip with chips.

The mellow notes of Barry Manilow’s When October Goes played as Brian, Jim, Mart and Dan cleared away the Halloween decorations and extra card tables that had been set up for the party, Diana, Honey and Trixie gave good-bye hugs to the last guests to leave, Guen and Steve.

“Guen, I really wish you two would spend the night at the Manor House,” Honey said. “You should get some rest before you fly back to Wisconsin.”

Guen laughed. “We drove. It’s only fourteen hours. We’ll take turns driving and sleeping. It’ll be fine.”

“At least you can get a few hours’ sleep and take a shower first,” Honey protested.

“I suppose we could,” Guen admitted. If you’re sure your parents won’t mind, Honey.”

“They absolutely wouldn’t mind, in fact they aren’t even home right now but Miss Trask is, and she’ll be delighted to see you again, and to meet Steve,” Honey exclaimed. “If Mother and Daddy were home, and found out I’d let you drive straight back to Wisconsin, they’d be upset.”

“All right, then.” Guen smiled. “That was a great Halloween party, Diana. It’s probably the best one I’ve ever been to. Thank you all for having us.”

“I’m just so glad you could make it. And that’s all the cleanup; we used mostly disposable dishes, and Mart and I loaded all of the non-disposables into the dishwasher and ran it while everyone was busy with the trivia game.”

To a chorus of good-byes, the rest of the Bob-Whites left, so that Guen and Steve could get as much sleep as possible. Mart was the last one to leave, and after kissing his girlfriend good night, he held her close for a moment.

“It really was the best Halloween party ever,” he said. “Your party-planning skills are second to none.”

“It was a group effort,” Diana insisted. “You and all of the Bob-Whites did a ton of work. But getting Guen here was the best part.”

Mart nodded, glancing toward the door where Guen and Steve had exited. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Sometimes the best part of a party isn’t what you plan, but the people who show up.”