She doesn’t say anything, which gives me my answer.
“You’re not denying it!” I say.
“No,” she agrees, “I’m not.”
“Where are my mom, Eliza, and Frank? What happened to them?”
“Don’t worry,” January says. “You’re about to find out.”
Something clonks me over the head.
I wake up on a ski lift, next to the Las Pistas team. We’re dangling a hundred feet—or more—above the ski slope, and the chairlift is not moving.
“What happened?” I groan.
Mom, sitting next to me, wraps her arm around me. “We got picked off one by one.”
“Like boogers!” Frank explains.
“And now we’re stuck up here,” Eliza says, her teeth chattering loudly. “At least until the ski lift opens again.”
I hate to admit it, but the trail went cold . . . literally.
CASE CLOSED.
I HAVE TO think quick on my feet, now that Frank messed us up with this Mr. Mouse business. And I think our best shot is trying to book a room.
“You don’t have us in the system because we haven’t checked in yet,” I say. “We need to do that now.”
“And do you have an adult with you, Misters and Miss Mice?” He smirks.
“How dare you!” Eliza says, in a very loud voice. Her cheeks are scarlet. “How dare you talk to us like that! Haven’t you heard of the Mouse family, wealthy oil tycoons, number thirty-two on the Forbes list of the wealthiest people in the world? That’s our parents. They are parking the car, but when they arrive with suitcases, they will be appalled to hear about the way you treated us. I demand to speak with your manager!”
The desk clerk’s smile falters. “That won’t be necessary—”
“I demand it,” Eliza repeats.
“How about a free upgrade on your room?”
She leans over the desk. Her expression is intense—almost terrifying. “Get me your manager. Now.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the clerk squeaks, and he disappears into a back hallway. When he comes back, he’s visibly sweating. “Follow me.” He leads us down a hallway, all the while trying to apologize. “Very sorry again, ma’am. Very sorry, sirs. Here’s the door. Please remember how very contrite I am.” He bows as he backs away slowly.
“I REMEMBER NOTHING!” Frank shouts.
We turn into Luther’s office. Luther Covington himself is sitting at a desk, rubbing his bald head. His dark eyes narrow at us as we come in.
“Miss Mouse, Mr. Mouse, Mr. Mouse, my apologies on behalf of my employee. Please take a seat.” He gestures for us to sit down in the three chairs he’s got across from his desk, and we obey.
“Actually, sir, we aren’t the Mouse family.”
“There is no Mouse family!” Frank cries.
Luther cocks one of his eyebrows.
“I’m Carlos Serrano, and this is Eliza and Frank Thompson. We’re detectives hired by Reese Winters. We are investigating the ghost at the Sugarcrest. And we need to talk to you.”
“So,” Luther says with a cold smile, “she hired detectives, did she?” He squints at us. “Pint-sized detectives.”
“Hey!” Frank says. “I’m quart-sized!”
“Not helping,” Eliza whispers.
Luther smirks and leans back in his chair, like a mob boss. “Reese is scared. This is perfect! It’s only a matter of time before she caves, and then the Sugarcrest Park Lodge is mine.”
* * *
TO ASK LUTHER ABOUT HIS PLANS TO BUY THE SUGARCREST, CLICK HERE.
TO ASK LUTHER WHY HE WAS AT THE SUGARCREST JUST NOW, CLICK HERE.
* * *
About the Author
Photo by Jose Hernandez
LAUREN MAGAZINER is the author of the Case Closed series, Wizardmatch, Pilfer Academy, and The Only Thing Worse Than Witches. She is originally from New Hope, Pennsylvania, and she currently lives in Philadelphia, where she writes fulltime. Lauren is also a secret undercover international detective—but don’t blow her cover. You can visit Lauren at www.laurenmagaziner.com.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
Books by Lauren Magaziner
THE CASE CLOSED SERIES
Case Closed: Mystery in the Mansion
Case Closed: Stolen from the Studio
Case Closed: Haunting at the Hotel
Copyright
Katherine Tegen Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
CASE CLOSED #3: HAUNTING AT THE HOTEL. Copyright © 2020 by Lauren Magaziner. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
Cover art © 2020 by Petur Antonsson
Cover design by Andrea Vandergrift
* * *
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Magaziner, Lauren, author.
Title: Haunting at the hotel / Lauren Magaziner.
Description: First edition. | New York, NY : Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2020] | Series: Case closed ; #3 | “Pick your path, crack the case.” | Audience: Ages 8-12. | Audience: Grades 4-6. | Summary: “Carlos and his friends must help his mother solve a haunting in a remote hotel”-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019045214 | ISBN 9780062676337 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780062676344 (paperback)
Subjects: LCSH: Plot-your-own stories. | CYAC: Mystery and detective stories. | Hotels, motels, etc.--Fiction. | Haunted places--Fiction. | Friendship--Fiction. | Plot-your-own stories.
Classification: LCC PZ7.M2713 Hau 2020 | DDC [Fic]--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019045214
* * *
Digital Edition AUGUST 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-267635-1
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-267633-7
20 21 22 23 24 PC/LSCH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FIRST EDITION
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