THE BOXCAR CHILDREN MYSTERIES
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN
SURPRISE ISLAND
THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY
MYSTERY RANCH
MIKE’S MYSTERY
BLUE BAY MYSTERY
THE WOODSHED MYSTERY
THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY
MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY
SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY
CABOOSE MYSTERY
HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY
SNOWBOUND MYSTERY
TREE HOUSE MYSTERY
BICYCLE MYSTERY
MYSTERY IN THE SAND
MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL
BUS STATION MYSTERY
BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY
THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY
THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY
THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN PAINTING
THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO
THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY GIRL
THE MYSTERY CRUISE
THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST
THE MYSTERY IN THE SNOW
THE PIZZA MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY HORSE
THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW
THE CASTLE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE
THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE
THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL
THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC
THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT
THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN
THE MYSTERY ON STAGE
THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC
THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK
THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON
THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE
THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN BOXCAR
THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE
THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN
THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE
THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY
THE HURRICANE MYSTERY
THE PET SHOP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE
THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO
THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO
THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY
THE SOCCER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC
THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER
THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL
THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY
THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY
THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY
THE PANTHER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS
THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY
THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY
THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP
THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN
THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL
THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK
THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY
THE POISON FROG MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE
THE HOME RUN MYSTERY
THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES
THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER GAME
THE HONEYBEE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED HOUSE
THE HOCKEY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG
THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL
THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY
THE COPYCAT MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE
THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN
THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE
THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S CURSE
THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY
THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP
THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT
THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY
THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY
THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY
THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY
THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE COOKIE
THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY
THE RADIO MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY GHOST
THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED BOXCAR
THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE
THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING BONES
THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT
THE GAME STORE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN
THE VANISHING PASSENGER
THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY
THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE
THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY
THE SECRET OF THE MASK
THE SEATTLE PUZZLE
THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW
THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND
A HORSE NAMED DRAGON
THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE
THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE
THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING TOMATOES
THE SPY GAME
THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY
THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY
SUPERSTAR WATCH
THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS
THE AMAZING MYSTERY SHOW
THE PUMPKIN HEAD MYSTERY
THE CUPCAKE CAPER
THE CLUE IN THE RECYCLING BIN
MONKEY TROUBLE
THE ZOMBIE PROJECT
THE GREAT TURKEY HEIST
THE GARDEN THIEF
THE BOARDWALK MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE FALLEN TREASURE
THE RETURN OF THE GRAVEYARD GHOST
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN SNOWBOARD
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD WEST BANDIT
THE MYSTERY OF THE SOCCER SNITCH
THE MYSTERY OF THE GRINNING GARGOYLE
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING POP IDOL
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN DINOSAUR BONES
THE MYSTERY AT THE CALGARY STAMPEDE
THE SLEEPY HOLLOW MYSTERY
THE LEGEND OF THE IRISH CASTLE
THE CELEBRITY CAT CAPER
HIDDEN IN THE HAUNTED SCHOOL
THE ELECTION DAY DILEMMA
JOURNEY ON A RUNAWAY TRAIN
THE CLUE IN THE PAPYRUS SCROLL
THE DETOUR OF THE ELEPHANTS
THE SHACKLETON SABOTAGE
THE KHIPU AND THE FINAL KEY
THE DOUGHNUT WHODUNIT
THE ROBOT RANSOM
NEW! THE LEGEND OF THE HOWLING WEREWOLF
NEW! THE DAY OF THE DEAD MYSTERY
Copyright © 2018 by Albert Whitman & Company
First published in the United States of America in 2018 by Albert Whitman & Company
ISBN 978-0-8075-2850-1
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN® is a registered trademark of Albert Whitman & Company.
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 LB 22 21 20 19 18
> Illustrations by Hollie Hibbert
Visit the Boxcar Children online at www.boxcarchildren.com.
For more information about Albert Whitman & Company, visit our website at www.albertwhitman.com.
CHOOSE A PATH. FOLLOW THE CLUES. SOLVE THE MYSTERY!
Can you help the Boxcar Children crack the case? Follow the directions at the end of each section to decide what the Aldens do next. But beware—some routes will end the story before the case is solved. After you finish one path, go back and follow the other paths to see how it all turns out!
ARRIVAL
“There it is, up on the hill,” said Grandfather.
Violet looked out the window as the Aldens’ car exited a grove of old oak trees. The mansion was still far off, but without trees in the way, she could already see it clearly.
“It’s huge!” said Benny, Violet’s six-year-old brother. He leaned past her and stuck his nose up to the window to get a better view.
Jessie scooted across the back seat to get a glimpse too. She was twelve—two years older than Violet. She held a bright yellow flier, which had the words GARDNER HOTEL GRAND REOPENING at the top. Tonight was the party to celebrate the grand reopening of the old hotel. And they were helping Grandfather’s friend prepare.
Fourteen-year-old Henry, the oldest, sat in the passenger’s seat. He had a map open in his lap.
“Turn left up ahead, Grandfather,” he said.
Grandfather turned where Henry told him to. The car moved slowly down a gravel driveway, then it pulled into a loop in front of the hotel.
“It’s so old and fancy,” Violet said after they were all out of the car.
Jessie nodded. “Look at those bricks. They must be over a hundred years old!”
The hotel was three stories high, all built in deep red bricks. But it’s steep, pointed gables made it look much bigger and fancier. Trimmed hedges and big pots of flowers surrounded the entrance.
“Juliette sure has done a good job fixing up this place,” said Grandfather. “And here she comes now!”
A woman with straight black hair walked quickly out of the hotel. She wore a rose-colored suit that matched the building. In one hand she held a clipboard, and in the other she had a cell phone.
“She looks busy,” Benny whispered.
“Grand openings are busy days,” said Jessie.
“Hello, James! These must be your grandchildren!” The woman put her phone in her pocket and trotted down the front steps to greet them.
“Yes,” said Grandfather. “Juliette, I’d like you to meet Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. Children, this is Juliette Baker, a dear old friend of mine. She bought the Gardner Hotel after it closed and has been fixing it up ever since.”
Juliette shook their hands one at a time.
“Nice to meet you,” Henry said. “We’re looking forward to helping you get ready for the big night.”
“Grandfather’s told us all about the building,” Jessie added, holding up the flier. “I can’t believe it was closed. It’s so exciting that it’s reopening!”
“It’s been a lot of work,” said Juliette. “I’m happy for the help tonight.”
“Well, you children have a lot of fun ahead of you,” Grandfather said. “I’m going to go pick up supplies for the party. I’ll be back in time to celebrate though.”
“Thanks, Grandfather!” Henry said. “See you soon!”
They waved to Grandfather as he got in the car and drove off. Then Juliette led the children inside.
“I’ll give you a tour!” she said. “The hotel was a mansion when it was first built in the 1880s. This was what’s called a grand entryway. In 1955, the Gardner family changed the mansion into a hotel, so this became the lobby. Pretty fancy, isn’t it?” She winked.
“It’s beautiful,” said Violet.
The floor was tiled black and white, and the room was furnished with a large clock, a fireplace, and red velvet chairs and couches. Even the front desk was fancy, made of dark shiny wood carved in complex swirls.
Employees were hurrying back and forth hanging streamers and balloons and a sign that said GRAND OPENING. Two curving stairways on either side of the room led to the second floor. And in the middle was the strangest and most impressive part of the room. Between the two stairways was a shiny pipe organ.
Violet had seen pipe organs like it in books. The instrument looked like an upright piano except it had rows of brass pipes that rose out of the top. Some of them almost reached the ceiling.
“Is that a real organ?” Violet asked.
“Yes,” said Juliette. For the first time, the children saw her smile fade a little. “Let’s go down to the main office. We can go over the list of things I need help with.”
“Isn’t the organ supposed to have a keyboard?” asked Jessie.
“Yes, but it’s been missing for some time,” Juliette replied quickly. It seemed like she didn’t want to talk about it. “Come on. The office is this way.”
As the children followed Juliette, they passed an empty hallway, and Violet thought she heard the creaking of a door. But when she looked, there was no movement. The old hallway was spooky. She reminded herself of the first day she and her siblings had come to live with Grandfather. After their parents had died, they had been living in an old boxcar in the woods. Moving from the boxcar into Grandfather’s house had been a big change, and sometimes the parts of the house they hadn’t explored seemed scary. But after living there and getting used to it, the kids weren’t nervous about any part of the old house. Not even down in the basement where Grandfather kept his old fishing rods and garden equipment.
Juliette opened the office door and let them in. The room was like every other part of the hotel, with fancy red carpet and luxurious furniture. A man dressed in jeans and a suit coat was sitting on the couch along with a suitcase and duffel bag. He was wearing expensive, shiny shoes and had thick black eyebrows. Juliette was surprised to see him.
“Excuse me,” she said. “Can I help you?”
“I’d like to book a room,” the man said. “It’s opening night, isn’t it? The name’s Eddie. Eddie Gardner.”
Juliette frowned. “Eddie…Charles Gardner’s son?”
The Aldens stared at Eddie. This was the son of the man who had once owned the hotel!
“Yes,” said Eddie, looking serious. “But now I’m just a guest. I came to see you because the clerk said you don’t allow pets. Is that true?”
“Yes. That’s always been the policy in the hotels I’ve managed,” said Juliette.
Eddie stood up and gently lifted his duffel bag. He shook his head. “My father loved pets. He would have allowed them.”
“Even so, my rule is that we don’t,” Juliette said. “You’re welcome to stay the night if you would like. But please, it’s very important that the opening goes smoothly—especially with the rumors that caused the hotel to close in the first place.
“As you may know, the historical committee is coming to see the building. If they approve the hotel as a historical landmark, it will be protected by the historical registry. Wouldn’t you like to see that, for your father’s sake?”
Eddie eased the duffel strap over his shoulder.
“Yes, of course I would,” he said. “Even if the only reason you want it is because it would be good for business.” He got up to leave the office without saying hello or good-bye to the Aldens. As he walked through the door, something caught Violet’s eye. She tugged on Henry’s sleeve and nodded with her chin.
“What is it?” Henry asked.
“His bag,” Violet said. “I think I saw it move!”
CONTINUE TO PAGE 9
A MYSTERY AND A MISSION
The Aldens gathered around Juliette’s desk. She shook her head.
“Having the last owner’s son around is the last thing I need tonight…but I guess it can’t be helped. I just hope he doesn’t cause a scene. I imagine he’s upset that I took over the hotel that was in his family for
generations.”
Jessie remembered something Juliette had said. “You mentioned rumors to Mr. Gardner. Did something happen that caused the hotel to close?” she asked.
“Well…” Juliette cleared her throat. “I might as well tell you. There are many reasons the hotel closed. I believe it’s mostly because the old owner, Charles Gardner, stopped taking care of it. But many people believe that the real reason the hotel closed is because it’s…haunted.”
“Haunted!” cried Benny. “Like by ghosts?” He tried to imagine what it might be like to stay in a hotel haunted by ghosts. There were so many dark hallways and empty rooms. He shivered, but it was exciting to think about.
“Yes,” said Juliette. “The rumors really got out of hand when Charles Gardner was running the hotel in his old age. But they’re just rumors. I’ve never heard any of the noises or seen any ghosts. All I know is that the stories are bad for business. People don’t want to stay in a hotel that might be haunted.”
“Don’t worry,” said Jessie. She knew Juliette was worried about the opening, especially because the historical committee was going to be there. “Everything is going to go great.”
Henry agreed. “Jessie’s right. We’re here to help you get ready. Let us know where we should start.”
Juliette let out a big breath. “Right! Right. Where was that list…ah, here we go.” She gave the Aldens a checklist from her clipboard. “These are the things you could help me with. When you are done, you can visit the kitchen for a snack. I let the chef know you’re helping.”
Jessie read over the list and handed it to Violet and Benny. Benny was just learning to read, so Violet helped him sound out some of the words.
“‘Sweep the lobby. Wash the windows. Polish the railings,’” he read out loud. He knew how to do all of the things on the list! “And then the best part—snacks!”
Juliette smiled and led them out of the office. “Thank you! I’ll show you where the cleaning closet is, where we keep the supplies.”
As they headed toward the lobby, a man in a clerk’s uniform hurried over. Jessie remembered seeing him decorating the lobby. He was out of breath. His cheeks were pale, like he’d seen something frightening. In his hand he had a white piece of paper.
“What’s wrong, Alex?” asked Juliette. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Were they hoping to rent a room tonight?” She winked at Benny.
“I got a strange message just now. Someone left it at the front desk. It’s…it’s…” Alex had trouble finishing his sentence, so Juliette gestured for him to give her the paper. When he did, she read it out loud.
Midnight at the Haunted Hotel Page 1
