The Berenstain Bears in Maniac Mansion (5 page)

The dining room was silent as everyone thought about what Bonnie had said.

“She does have a point, dear,” said the squire to his wife.

“Indeed, she does,” said Lady Grizzly. She looked surprised. “In fact, she's absolutely right. I
do
believe in ghosts. But the ghosts I believe in would act exactly the same way that the ghosts Bonnie
doesn't
believe in would act!”

“Huh?” said the squire, with a puzzled look. “Oh, never mind. At least we all agree that the burglars are not ghosts.”

Everyone but Sister Bear, that is. Sister still wasn't convinced. Especially after that nightmare she'd had the night before. But it wasn't only the nightmare. It was Farnsworth Grizzly's eyes following her from his portrait. And something else was just as puzzling . . .

“But what about Maisie?” Sister said. “How do you explain what she saw in the ballroom? She couldn't have imagined it all. That would be too much of a coincidence.”

Everyone thought hard. It was a tough question.

Finally, Bonnie said, “I've got it. Maisie really did see the burglars that night. But she just
imagined
that they were dressed like Bad Bart and his men. And her imagination turned their flashlight into a candle, too.”

“Yeah,” said Brother. “Her imagination turned real burglars into ghosts because she already believed that the mansion was haunted!”

Everyone liked the idea. Even Sister had to admit that Bonnie had come up with a pretty good explanation. “It could be true,” she said.

“Of course it's true!” said Squire Grizzly. “Any explanation
that
good
deserves
to be true!”

“Well,” said Lady Grizzly, “if we all agree that ghosts didn't steal my antiques, then who did?”

The room was silent again. No one seemed to have any ideas.

“There must be a carpenter involved,” said Papa finally. “One who got a good close-up look at the antiques. I don't know of any carpenter who could make such fine copies from drawings or photographs.”

“But the carpenter may not have been in on the burglary,” said Lady Grizzly.

“Hmm,” said Papa. “A good point, Lady Grizzly. The burglars could have taken the antiques to the carpenter and paid him to copy them without his ever knowing they were stolen.”

“If that's what happened, I can find out in minutes,” said Lady Grizzly. “Make a list of the stolen items, Papa. I shall telephone every carpenter from Beartown to Big Bear City and ask them if they've made any of these copies.”

Papa made the list and gave it to Lady Grizzly, who hurried off to her east wing study.

“I just thought of something,” said Squire Grizzly. “It must have been very tricky getting those antiques out of the mansion and those copies into it. Someone inside the mansion must have helped the burglars!”

“That's easy,” said Bonnie. “I've been in lots of mystery plays, and you know what always happens in them.
The butler did it!
”

“Greeves?” gasped Squire Grizzly. “Impossible! Greeves has been with us for thirty-five years. He is one of our most loyal and trusted servants.”

“What about his strange behavior lately?” said Bonnie.

“His forgetfulness?” said the squire. “Everyone's forgetful from time to time. Especially when they're tired.”

“I guess you haven't heard Tillie's story,” said Bonnie. “Maybe you should ring her.”

The squire rang for the housekeeper. Moments later she appeared. “You rang, sir?” she said.

“Tillie,” said Bonnie, “please tell my uncle what you told me about Greeves a few days ago.”

“Yes, miss,” said Tillie. “Well, sir, it happened on Greeves's day off nearly two weeks ago. Early in the morning I saw him drive off in his car. He was wearing ordinary clothes. But a few minutes later he was back in uniform again, standing in the front hall. He said he'd almost forgotten that the exterminators were arriving that morning. They were supposed to get rid of the mice in the old cellar under the west wing. Now, here's the odd thing about it, sir. The very next morning, when I asked him if the exterminators were finished in the west wing, he said, ‘What exterminators?' He didn't remember returning to the mansion to let them in.”

“Hmm,” said Squire Grizzly. “That certainly is odd.”

“That's not all, sir,” said Tillie. “Greeves remembered all about the exterminators later. This morning I heard him use the intercom in the front hall to tell the security guard that they were coming back today.”

“Hmm,” said the squire once more. “Thank you, Tillie. You may go.” With a curtsy, Tillie left the room.

“Well, Uncle,” said Bonnie, “is that strange enough for you?”

“It's stranger than you think,” said the squire.

“Why is that?” asked Papa.

“Because,” said the squire, “neither Lady Grizzly nor I ever told Greeves to call the exterminators.”

“I'll bet those exterminators are crooks!” said Bonnie. “And Greeves is helping them!”

Squire Grizzly looked stunned. “I just can't believe that,” he said. “I'll ring Greeves and give him a chance to explain all this.”

The squire rang for the butler and waited. But no one came. He rang again. And again and again. Still Greeves didn't appear.

“Greeves!” roared the squire. “Where are you? I must speak with you!”

Still no answer.

“He's probably in the west wing, stealing more furniture!” said Bonnie.

Squire Grizzly dashed to the intercom on the wall and pressed a button. “Harris?” he said.

“Yes, sir?” said the front gate's guard.

“Have the exterminators arrived yet?”

“The Bug Bears?” said the guard. “Yes, sir. About half an hour ago. They drove their van around to one of the side doors of the west wing. Greeves was going to meet them there.”

“And they're still here?”

“Yes, sir,” said Harris.

“Now listen carefully, Harris,” said the squire. “Close and lock the front gate. Call the other guards on your walkie-talkie and tell them to lock their gates, too. Let no one leave the grounds until I say so. Got that?”

“Yes, sir,” said Harris. “Right away, sir.”

Squire Grizzly looked off in the direction of the west wing. His eyes blazed with fury. “Greeves, that traitor!” he snarled.

Hanging on the wall was a row of riding crops. The squire took two of them down and handed one to Papa. “Let's go get him, Papa!” he cried. “Him and those phony exterminators! To the west wing!”

Off ran Squire Grizzly, waving his riding crop.

Sister grabbed Papa's arm. “Don't go, Papa!” she pleaded. “It could be dangerous!”

“The squire's out of control!” said Papa. “I've got to protect him! Stay here, cubs!”

And off he ran after Squire Grizzly.

Meanwhile, in her east-wing study, Lady Grizzly was talking on the phone to a carpenter in Big Bear City. Papa's list lay before her on her desk. Against the wall behind her stood her favorite antique grandfather's clock.

Usually the peaceful ticking of the old clock and the swinging of its great pendulum were soothing to Lady Grizzly. But right now she was too upset to be soothed by anything.

“Oh, I'm so glad you're in, Mr. Bevel,” she said into the phone. “I wonder if you've recently made a copy of a Bruin Phyfe rosewood chair? No?” She ran her finger down the list. “What about a Chippenbear drop-leaf table?”

Lady Grizzly was concentrating so hard on her list that she didn't notice that the grandfather's clock had stopped ticking. It had stopped ticking because its pendulum had stopped swinging. And that was because a gloved hand had reached out from inside the wall behind the clock and grabbed the pendulum!

Now the hand carefully drew the pendulum to one side as another hand pushed open the long, narrow glass door of the clock. Moments later the clock began ticking again.