THE HALLOWEEN MAN continued. "I don't mean that kind of villain," said Caroline. "I mean like robbery and so on." They were back in their own street by now. Unnoticed, Catherine stepped out from behind the wall and followed them, listening eagerly. "We've got no proof he's a robber," Sinead was saying. "I mean, no one's even robbed anything that we know of." "We'll find proof then," said Caroline determinedly. "Tomorrow we'll go out and look for clues" "But we'll have to be careful he's not around," Sinead reminded her anxiously. "We'll be careful," Caroline assured her. They said good-bye at Caroline's gate and Caroline went in. Catherine went around to the back door and went in there. She met Caroline in the doorway of the sitting-room. "What did you find?" she asked. "Were there ghosts?" "Yes!" said Caroline. "Fierce, big, horrible ones, so you better stay away." "I know there weren't!" cried Catherine angrily. "And I bet I solve this mystery before you do." "You don't know anything!" said Caroline scornfully and she slammed the door in her sister's face. "You wait and see," muttered Catherine to the door. She took out her notebook and started to write everything down in it. The next day was Halloween. Caroline and Catherine had been so busy trying to outwit each other that they had almost forgotten all about it. But now it was the mystery that was forgotten for a time as everyone made their masks and costumes for the night. Catherine made a witches mask, bright green with warts all over it, and then made a hat out of rolled paper. painted black with stuck on silver stars. Caroline made an orange-coloured monster's face. Both their costumes were a lot simpler, just black plastic refuse sacks with holes cut out for their heads and arms. It was after dinner before Caroline remembered the haunted house. She went off to find Sinead straight away. By the time Catherine knew she had gone, they were both nearing the haunted house again. They crept up to it cautiously and looked in the window. There was no one in the room. One after another they tried all the other windows and the results were the same. "He's not there," said Caroline. "Now's our chance." The door had no lock, only a latch. When Caroline pushed it open, it creaked so loudly that anyone within a hundred metres would have heard it. They stood still and listened, their hearts thumping. After about a minute, Caroline said: "Quick, before he comes back. We must search." Tentatively, they stepped inside the door, leaving it open behind them. "For what?" asked Sinead, looking helplessly around the bare, dusty room. "Clues, of course," hissed Caroline. "Something to tell us what he's doing here." "He's drinking stout," said, Sinead, kicking two empty bottles along the floor. "Yes, but it's not against the law to drink. We want to find something to incriminate him. And shush, for goodness sake!" Most of the other rooms had a smell of damp and were chilly. Only one had any furniture in it, a chair and a small, rickety table, leaning against the wall. On top of it lay a strong canvas duffel bag. Sinead picked it up and looked inside. It was empty. "Well, that's that," she said with some relief. "There's no clues anywhere." "But this is one," said Caroline, taking the bag from her and turning it inside out to get a better look. "This is what he carried his stolen stuff in." "But how do you know?" protested Sinead. "It's empty and so is the rest of the house." "I'll bet he's got a hiding hole somewhere. Under the floorboards, or something." Caroline stamped on the floorboards and the sound boomed out loudly in the empty house. "Who's making noise now?" Sinead looked nervously out of the window. "We'd better go before he comes back. I have to get ready for tonight." "Yes, there's that," agreed Caroline. "I'll help you. What are you going to be?" "Probably a ghost," said Sinead sadly. Pillow cases and sheets were not very exciting, but having left it to the last moment, she had nothing else. "Ghosts aren't so bad," said Caroline as she shut the door of the house behind them. "Remember all those ones in 'Ghostbusters'?" Sinead began to feel more interested in the idea. "I've got some poster paints," she ventured. "Lovely phosphorous greens and yellows and bloody reds!" "Great! You'll frighten the whole street. We'd better hurry if we're going to get it all done." But they took so long over it that all the other ghosts and ghouls had a start on them. Catherine had gone out long before with her friend, Sally, an evil-looking pirate. Everyone was generous and their bag was bulging by the time they reached the old people's homes. It was there, much later, that Caroline and Sinead fell over them, crouched in a gateway. "What're you doing?" cried Caroline angrily as she and Sinead scrabbled around for their nuts and sweets, scattered along the pavement.  "Caroline!" whispered Catherine urgently. "There's a pumpkin-man going around the houses. He's got a big bag."  "You can't scare us!" said Caroline scornfully.  "But it's true! He's down near the end now."  Sally nodded fearfully.  "He's got a pumpkin for a head." Her voice shook. "There is someone," said Sinead, who was looking down the street. "It's someone big." Caroline looked, too.  "He's got a big head, anyway," she agreed. "Sinead! It's him!" "Him who?" said Sinead stupidly. Then she realized. "And he's trick or treating! If we don't hurry, he'll have taken all our stuff." "I'll bet he's stealing," said Caroline excitedly. Her eyes were shining. "Come on, we'll stalk him. you stay here," she said sternly to Catherine and Sally. "Mind our bag." Followed by Sinead, she glided from gate to gate, ducking down whenever she thought the pumpkin-man was going to turn his head. At the last house but one, they stole along by the wall until they were only a few metres away from where he stood, before the door of the house. It was the man from the old house, all right. Now they were near enough, Caroline was certain. Although he wore the huge pumpkin over his head, he had on the same heavy green jersey. He was talking to one of the old ladies who lived in the house, although they couldn't hear a word of what was being said, no matter how they strained their ears. They saw the old lady smile and nod and go back into the house, leaving the door open. At once the pumpkin-man stepped up to the door and looked in. He seemed to be listening carefully. Then, suddenly, he slipped inside the door and vanished from their view. Caroline and Sinead looked at each other. "I told you so," said Caroline with satisfaction. "Maybe we should call the guards?" whispered Sinead. Caroline shook her head. "We got to be sure." "But how can we be surer than that?" "We have to catch him red-handed. Duck!"  The pumpkin-man emerged from the house as silently as he had gone in. After a few seconds, Caroline risked a peep. She nudged Sinead. The man was standing facing the door again, waiting. The old lady came out with a bag of nuts and handed it to him. There was another exchange of unheard words and the old lady smiled once more and closed the door. The pumpkin-man started back down the path. They heard the gate creak as he closed it. As he passed the garden they were hiding in, he tossed the bag of nuts casually over the wall and his dufflebag clinked. Caroline nodded to Sinead. "Give him time," she whispered. "We know where he's going." The minutes seemed terribly long. They were anxious not to be too close to him, but, finally, they felt there was a danger of being too far behind.

CONTINUE

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