The Virginia Mysteries Collection: Books 1-3

by Steven K. Smith

  “What’s going on?” whispered Caitlin, as they followed behind the bikes.

  “I don’t know exactly, but just watch. I think this is going to be good,” answered Sam.

  Derek moved over next to them. “Who is that up there?”

  “Who do you think?” replied Sam, grinning wide.

  “Oh, yeah,” said Derek, now recognizing Cameron’s face. “That’s perfect!”

  Mad Dog walked his motorcycle forward slowly, revving the engine in loud bursts. Cameron and Sean stood frozen on the side of the road, lit up like Christmas ornaments. The two troublemakers turned and tried to walk the other direction, but Chris and Jonny closed in the circle. Cameron and Sean were boxed in like a couple of sheep in a pen.

  Derek walked closer, standing just behind the bikes, but still invisible because of the lights.

  “Where are you two jokers going?” Mad Dog’s voice boomed out over the idling motorcycles. “Shouldn’t you ladies be home with your mommies?”

  Cameron and Sean’s faces had turned pale. Ghost white, thought Sam. They looked around frantically for an escape. Sam would have almost felt bad for them if it hadn’t been for what they’d done earlier. He figured they deserved a good scare.

  “Hey, we’re just walking,” Cameron said.

  “Yeah, what do you want?” asked Sean. His hyena laugh had vanished now that the tables were turned.

  “That’s a nice hat, kid,” barked Mad Dog.

  Sean touched the hat on his head with a concerned, who me? look on his face.

  “Bring it to me,” Mad Dog ordered.

  Sean didn’t move. Sam figured he must have been peeing his pants right about then. Sam couldn’t see Derek’s face since he was up closer to the bikes, but he knew he must have been smiling. Sam nudged Caitlin and tried to hold in a laugh.

  “Do it!” yelled Mad Dog.

  Sean reluctantly tugged the hat from his head, shuffling forward to the unseen voice. He stretched his arm out into the light until Mad Dog snatched the hat from his hand. Then Sean scampered back to Cameron shaking his head.

  Mad Dog leaned his motorcycle onto its kickstand and passed the hat back to Derek. He placed his arm around Derek’s shoulder, and they both stepped forward into the light.

  Cameron’s face sank when he saw Derek next to Mad Dog. “You’ve got to be kidding me…” he groaned.

  “Jackson?” said Sean, still too surprised to realize what was happening.

  “I see you two dimwits know my friend, Derek,” said Mad Dog, walking up to Cameron and Sean.

  “Yeah,” Cameron muttered, looking down at his feet.

  “What?” barked Mad Dog. “Look at me, kid.”

  “Yes, sir,” Cameron said, bending his neck up to see Mad Dog’s scruffy face.

  “Derek here is one of my boys,” explained Mad Dog. “He’s not to be touched at school, out of school, anywhere. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” Cameron and Sean repeated quickly.

  “If I hear of any more trouble with Derek, his brother, or his friends, you two will answer to me.” Mad Dog placed his hand on Cameron’s shoulder, staring down into his eyes. “And kid, you’re not gonna want to answer to me, are you?”

  Cameron shook his head so fast Sam thought it might come unscrewed.

  “Thanks for the hat, Sean,” said Derek, turning and walking behind the bikes toward Sam and Caitlin.

  Sam couldn’t help it and let a chuckle sneak out. This was great!

  “Now get out of here before I change my mind and feed you to the river ghosts!” hollered Mad Dog. He raised his foot and kicked Cameron in the rear.

  Sean and Cameron took off running like a ghost was already chasing them. Maybe in some ways, a ghost really was chasing them, but not the kind they thought.

  A Confederate Ghost.

  Mad Dog walked back to his motorcycle and gave a fist bump to Derek. “Good?”

  Derek smiled excitedly. “Better than good. That was fantastic!”

  Mad Dog laughed. “Alright then. Mount up, kids. Let’s go crash this party and find your parents.”

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Mad Dog rode around the corner and into the Tredegar parking lot. The spotlights shot up into the sky as if to announce their arrival. Sam figured Mad Dog would drop them off at the curb and ride off to do whatever it is that bikers do at night—maybe head back to their hideout at the hydro plant on Belle Isle.

  Instead, they pulled into the parking lot, engines roaring, and circled a big ice sculpture next to the main tent. Everyone at the gala stopped what they were doing to look up at the menacing motorbikes. After three circles around the lot, the bikes pulled to a stop, lined up in a row, and killed their engines.

  A man walked out of the crowd toward the motorcycles, hands waving in the air like he was shooing flies away the food tables. “Excuse me, gentlemen, this is a private event. Please move along.” It was Professor Evanshade.

  Sam, Derek, and Caitlin slid off the bikes and pulled off their helmets. The professor’s face brightened with surprise when he recognized them. “Oh my golly! What are you kids doing on these motorcycles?”

  Sam stepped forward. “We, uh, got a ride from some new…” he paused, trying to think of the right word to describe Mad Dog and his crew, “friends.”

  Mad Dog pulled off his helmet, stepping off his bike. “Luke DeWitt,” he said, extending his hand to the professor for a shake.

  “Well,” the professor stammered, “isn’t this a surprise. Very nice to meet you, Mr. DeWitt. I see that we have some mutual friends.”

  “Well, we’d best be heading out,” said Mad Dog. “Enjoy the party, kids.” He reached out and gave Sam a fist bump. “Let me know if you have any more trouble.”

  “Okay, we will,” answered Sam.

  “And thanks!” said Derek.

  “Let’s roll, boys,” Mad Dog called to his buddies, the bikes roaring back to life. He eased away from the professor and the kids, turning with a wave of his hand. Soon the red taillights of his bike blended into the haze of the spotlights.

  Sam stood for a moment, listening as the three motors revved down the lane and gradually faded into the sounds of the night. He glanced past Professor Evanshade and saw his mom and dad and Caitlin’s parents walking toward them. He swallowed hard and looked over at Derek. This wasn’t going to be good. Where was Meghan and her careless attitude when they needed her?

  “Boys,” their dad said, peering down at them, his single word packed with meaning.

  “Hi, Dad,” Sam said meekly, attempting a smile.

  Derek tried a different approach. “Mom, Dad, I’d really like to hear more about your trip to Paris!” He put his arm around their mom’s shoulder and tried to lead her into the party.

  “Not so fast, buster,” she answered.

  “I don’t remember you asking to ride on any motorcycles,” added their dad. “Did I miss something?”

  Caitlin walked up to her parents, her mom looking her over to make sure she wasn’t hurt. Sam couldn’t hear what Mrs. Murphy was saying, but she kept glancing back over at Sam and Derek as if she was second guessing her daughter’s choice of friends.

  “I’m sorry, Dad, but it was completely unexpected.” Derek tried to explain, starting to speak faster. “We ran into Cameron and Sean, and they almost threw us in the river to kill us, and then they made me go across the bridge to get his hat, but they really had it the whole time, and then I got captured by the Confederate Ghosts…”

  “Ghosts?” their mom interrupted, her mouth hanging open in shock.

  “Yeah, the Confederate Ghosts,” explained Sam.

  “They’re the biker gang,” said Caitlin, stepping closer and nodding her head.

  “So they kidnapped me in the hydro plant but Sam and Caitlin rescued me until we ran into Mad Dog…” Derek took a deep breath from speaking so fast.

  “Mad Dog?” asked Mrs. Murphy.

  “That was him talking to the professor,” said Caitlin. “T
hat’s not his real name. It’s really Luke.”

  “Oh, well as long as it isn’t his real name…” said Mr. Murphy.

  “So then,” continued Derek, “he turned out to be nice, and they gave us a ride back across the bridge on their motorcycles, until we ran into Cameron. Mad Dog scared him and told him to stop bullying us.”

  “Cameron Talley? When has he been bullying you?”

  “Don’t worry about it, Mom,” said Sam. “It’s been taken care of.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that,” answered his mom.

  “I don’t like the sound of any of this,” added their dad, shaking his head like he was trying to get the cobwebs out or wake up from a dream. “We’re going to have a long talk about this after your mother and I get a good night’s sleep. I can only imagine what you two have been up to with Meghan this week if this is what happens when we’re back.” He let out a long sigh, shaking his head some more, like he was feeling older by the second.

  “I still don’t think I even understand what happened,” added their mom.

  “Maybe it’s best that we keep it that way, Mom,” said Derek.

  “Don’t bet on it,” said their dad.

  Professor Evanshade moved over to them. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but we’re about to close our evening with the firing of a cannon. Would the kids like to assist lighting the fuse?” He looked up at the two sets of parents for approval.

  Sam’s dad closed his eyes in resignation and nodded his head. Thankfully, he seemed too tired to argue.

  “Yes! Thanks, Dad,” exclaimed Derek.

  “Just stay where we can see you,” said Caitlin’s dad, also nodding.

  “Thanks, Daddy!” she squealed, rushing over to join the boys and the professor next to one of the old cannons under a spotlight.

  Another man helped stuff some powder into the cannon with a long stick with a pad on the end of it. “Stand over here, children.” He pointed to a rope sticking out of the back of the cannon.

  “Is this really gonna fire?” asked Derek.

  “Shouldn’t we aim it away from the parking lot?” asked Sam. He pictured a giant cannonball flying through the air and blowing up their minivan. That would be spectacular, but it would probably send their dad over the edge. Plus, they wouldn’t have a way home.

  The professor chuckled. “It is a real cannon, but we won’t be loading any ammunition tonight. There’s no lead ball, just powder.”

  Sam let out a deep breath, happy that the minivan would be spared.

  “But,” the old man continued, “it does pack quite a bang, so you might want to cover your ears since we’re so close.” He bent down, picked up a thin stick, and flicked it on the brick walkway. The stick was a long match that suddenly burst into a flame. He turned to Caitlin. “Young lady, would you please do us the honor of lighting the cannon?”

  “Aww,” moaned Derek.

  “Sorry, Derek, ladies first. Why don’t you boys count us down from three.” Professor Evanshade looked up at the crowd. “Move back, ladies and gentlemen, and cover your ears!”

  “Three…two…one!” counted Sam and Derek in unison.

  Caitlin touched the flame to the end of the rope, which immediately sizzled. The flame ran rapidly along the fabric to the cannon and the powder.

  Sam leaned over, his hands muffling his ears. He braced himself for the blast as the flame moved up against the metal of the cannon. Just as it seemed like nothing was going to happen—BOOM!

  The ground seemed to shake as the cannon exploded. Sam naturally turned to see what had been hit, until he remembered that there was no cannonball.

  “Wow!” hollered Derek. “That was awesome.”

  “Pretty incredible, isn’t it?” agreed Professor Evanshade. “Can you imagine being here the night that General Lee’s troops evacuated the city? Richmond was in flames and the munitions here at Tredegar began exploding something terrible. It must have been quite a time.”

  “I think I would lose my hearing,” said Caitlin, laughing.

  Sam looked toward where the Lincoln statue sat behind the building. He pictured the president walking through the streets of the city the morning after everything had burned and exploded. He wondered what would have been going through the mind of the tall man with the beard.

  Sam’s mom and dad walked over to the cannon. “You kids still have your hearing?” called his mom. “That was quite an explosion.”

  “What?” yelled Derek, pretending that his eardrums had burst.

  “Pretty cool, huh, Mom?” shouted Sam.

  “I think it’s time we headed out, boys. It’s late,” said their dad.

  “What time is it right now in Paris?” asked Caitlin.

  Their dad looked at his watch. “Let’s see, it’s six hours ahead, so it would be four in the morning.”

  “No wonder I’m tired,” yawned their mom.

  Mr. And Mrs. Murphy walked up too. “Thank the professor for the invite, Caitlin, so we can go.”

  “Thanks, Professor Evanshade,” called Caitlin.

  “Yeah, thanks,” added Derek.

  “You’re very welcome, kids,” answered Professor Evanshade. “It always seems to be exciting whenever I see you, and this was no exception.”

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  The kids walked ahead of their parents to the parking lot. As he reached their minivan, Sam realized how tired he was. So much had happened that evening.

  Caitlin turned and hugged him. “I’m glad things turned out the way they did. I was a little nervous there for a while.”

  Sam chuckled. “A little? I could hardly breathe!”

  “Maybe the rest of the summer can stay a little quieter. What do you think?” Caitlin suggested.

  Sam nodded, looking over at his parents. He knew they’d be keeping a tighter watch over him now that they were back from their trip. Things would be quieter whether he wanted them to be or not.

  He’d probably get stuck hanging out with Mr. Haskins the rest of the summer. At least now they could compare ghost stories. Sam wondered if Mr. Haskins would believe him that he rode on Mad Dog DeWitt’s motorcycle. Probably not. Sam could hardly believe it himself.

  “See you at the bookstore next Tuesday afternoon?” said Caitlin.

  “Sounds good,” answered Sam with a wave as he climbed into the minivan.

  As they pulled away, Sam took one more peek across the water to Belle Isle. A flash of light caught his eye in the distance, streaking over the water like a comet. “Whoa, Derek, look at that!”

  “What is it?”

  “A light. I saw it over the rapids.” He stared back across the water, resting his head against the seat, his eyes suddenly feeling heavy. “It was the ghosts,” he mumbled softly.

  “Sure, Sam,” said Derek.

  Sam wondered if he’d really seen something or if his imagination was just getting the best of him. Maybe it was Mad Dog heading back to the hydro plant for a mean game of cards, or Lee’s ghost preparing for one more stand in his capital city, or a Union soldier still trying to escape.

  Or maybe, just maybe, President Lincoln was making one last visit to Richmond, pushing up the James with his son Tad, unaware that his life was only days from ending. Perhaps he was hoping to catch one more glimpse of the southern city where, even a hundred and fifty years later, the effects of the war were still smoldering in time.

  Join Sam and Derek’s Next Adventure!

  The Virginia Mysteries Book 4

  Something's lurking beneath the famous staircase at The Jefferson, Richmond's historic downtown hotel. Back in 1895, when the hotel opened, real alligators roamed free in the courtyard fountains. That was ages ago ... or was it? When young brothers Sam and Derek arrive at The Jefferson for an elegant wedding weekend with their parents, they love exploring the old hotel. But when the wedding rings go missing and Sam is blamed, the boys and their friends must hunt down the truth no matter where it leads. If they're not careful, they might become dinner for t
he hotel's most unusual guests.

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  Here’s two bonus chapters from

  The Virginia Mysteries Book 4:

  Secret of the Staircase

  ONE

  Sam tugged on the top button of his collared shirt. It was too tight. He wondered if it was possible to die from shirt collar strangulation. He’d never heard of anyone dying that way, but right then it seemed possible.

  He hated wasting a perfectly good Saturday shopping for dress clothes with his mom and brother, Derek. This wasn’t much better than fifth grade math class.

  His mom draped three brightly colored ties over the dressing room door. “See which one of these you like best.”

  “Mom...” Sam groaned. “Why do I need to wear a suit anyway?”

  “It’s going to be an elegant wedding,” answered his mom. “I need you to look nice for the pictures. Anita deserves to have special memories of her big day. I haven’t seen her since she moved overseas. That’s where she met Robert, in England.”

  “But I’m not even in the wedding. Why would anyone be taking pictures of me?” Anita was Mom’s college roommate. She was getting married in a week, and Sam and Derek were supposed to hand out programs before the ceremony. Derek had asked if they could charge money for each program, like at a baseball game, but Mom said no.

  “Why don’t you wear your birthday suit, Sam?” a voice called over the wall from the next dressing room stall. “That would make some really special memories!”

  Sam shot a dirty look through the wall as his older brother cracked up at his own joke. “Laugh if you want to, Derek, but you’ll be wearing a suit too, you know.” He stepped out of the dressing room and held the three ties up in front of him in a big, angled mirror. He could see every side of himself, and each one looked stupid in the suit.