A CHLOE WENDLETON MYSTERY: Mystery of the Crying Ghost
~Rita Hsu Syers

PROLOGUE
50 years ago, on the morning of September 25, 1954

“Can I ride my pony later, Sarah?”

“Sure. After Mom and Daddy leave for the wedding breakfast, we’ll go down to the river and get some more rocks for your little rock garden, ok? You can ride your pony before your nap.”

Sarah Jane and Thomas Van Hise lived in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in a huge old Victorian mansion that backed up to the Delaware River.

“Can we play Hide and Seek too?”

Sarah Jane sighed in frustration. Keeping her little brother entertained was hard work, and she still had lots of Algebra homework to do. Her parents had tried babysitters, but Tommy didn’t like them. He preferred his big sister. She looked at his bright blue eyes alight with excitement, his little head with the mop of golden curls framing his beautiful face like a halo, and her heart melted. He was a pretty neat little brother, even if he was only four years old.

Besides, she really hated Algebra.

“We’ll play Hide and Seek too,” she told him, ruffling his soft hair. “But you have to promise to take your nap today, because I have homework to finish.”

“I promise, but I want to play Hide and Seek now, after Mommy and Daddy leave. Then we’ll go get rocks. Please, Sarah Jane, please?” he whined.

“Oh, fine,” she said in exasperation, “we’ll play after they leave.” At this rate, she’d never get that homework done. And there was a quiz tomorrow on it. Unless you were four years old, Hide and Seek had to be the most boring game in the world.

Tommy jumped up and down on the couch in excitement as his parents walked into the room, the scent of their mother’s perfume surrounding them.

“You look beautiful, Mom,” Sarah Jane said.

Catherine Coulton-Jones Van Hise smiled sweetly at her daughter, hugging her tightly for a moment. “Thank you, sweetheart. I wish I didn’t have to go to this thing, but we have no choice.” She wore a cream-colored wool dress with matching pearls and earrings.

“Daddy, Daddy, Sarah’s going to play Hide and Seek with me later!” Tommy shouted to his father. Elliott Van Hise picked him up and twirled him around, making his little boy scream with laughter. It was their favorite thing to do.

“Hide and Seek, is it? Make sure you don’t get so lost we can’t find you!” his father teased him.

Tommy put his arms around his father and hugged him tight. “You would always find me, right Daddy?”

“Right as rain, Tommy,” his father answered. He looked at his watch and said, “We’ll have to go, honey, or we’ll arrive after the wedding party.”

“Alright. Sarah, we’ll be home this afternoon. Don’t forget we’re having that dinner tonight at eight o’clock. What are you wearing?”

Sarah Jane made a long face. “My long burgundy dress, I guess. Do I have to be there? I have so much homework, and now I have to baby-sit all day.”

Catherine smoothed her daughter’s long blonde hair, fingering a tiny braid woven into it. How daughter was not only beautiful but extremely intelligent. Her heart swelled with pride. “I know you don’t want to come to the dinner, but you have to start to learn your social obligations, my love. And it won’t be a long dinner. We’re having lobster and filet mignon, if that’s any consolation.”

Sarah Jane brightened at this. Lobster and filet mignon were her favorite foods.

“OK. Have a good time. Bye, Daddy,” she said, kissing her father on his cheek.

He gave her a bear hug and said, “Goodbye my big girl. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

They walked out the front door, Sarah Jane and Thomas following them. It was a beautiful September morning, cool and crisp. Fall was definitely on the way. The chauffeur had the car warmed up, and as Elliott and Catherine Van Hise climbed into the backseat of the big Mercedes Benz, Catherine waved once more at her two children. Sarah was wearing the new red sweater Catherine had given her, and she looked very pretty in it.

They looked so small and helpless, standing all alone on the wide front porch of the huge Victorian house. She hated leaving them, and that was the truth. Her children meant everything to her. She worried about them constantly. What if something were to happen to them?

This was ridiculous - she was acting like a neurotic mother. She must pull herself together. After all, what could possibly happen to them? They were in their own home, sheltered and surrounded by people who loved and doted on them.

The car pulled out of the driveway and sped towards Philadelphia.

Catherine watched the children waving on the front porch until they were out of sight.

She turned and settled into the soft leather seat with a sigh.

She never saw Sarah Jane and Tommy again.

* * *

CHAPTER ONE
Ghosts in the House
Present Day - 2005

There are ghosts living in my house, wrote Chloe Wendleton in her diary one cold, snowy night in February. Outside she could hear the trees rubbing against each other, making a cracking sound as a high wind screamed around the eaves of the house. It had been snowing fiercely all day.

She was lying on her bed, dressed in warm pink flannel pajamas with cats on them, her feet encased in thick white socks. The bed was piled high with pillows. Her Himalayan cat, Isis, was curled among them, purring loudly. The cat’s eyes were half-closed, and she looked the picture of contentment.

Chloe’s dog Killian, a large Golden Retriever, lay stretched out on the floor, snoring peacefully. It was 8:30 and Chloe was supposed to be getting ready for bed, but she was too excited to even think about sleeping. There was sure to be no school tomorrow because of all the snow. She heard her grandfather tell Maria-Luiza, their housekeeper, that there was at least twelve inches on the ground already, and it was supposed to continue all night. She began to write again.

I see them all the time now. There are two of them, a girl with long blonde hair and a little boy with yellow curls all over his head. They’re holding hands. The girl is older then me, maybe thirteen or fourteen, and the little boy is two or three years old. He looks like he’s the same age as Kendall. The first time I saw them I was so scared I couldn’t even move. But the girl SMILED at me, and after that I knew she wasn’t going to hurt me. I still get nervous when they appear. The crying started right after I moved in, and no one hears it but me. I was standing with Grandpa and Maria-Luiza one night when the crying started, but they never said anything. The first time I saw them was weird, I saw a curtain move on the third floor and a little white face looking out at me. That was the scariest thing EVER. Now I hear the crying all the time. I think it’s the little boy ghost crying.

A sudden gust of wind rattled the windows and made the cat jump. The storm seemed to be getting worse.

Definitely no school tomorrow.