Previous chapters of the Vista Falls story:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

How should the story continue? Voting is open on the current chapter!

Last time, our friends were still at the convention center hotel where Officer Littlepoole and Chief Colbert where investigating the strange vandalism in the hotel’s lobby. The display of antiques from the Westwick mansion had been carefully upset so as to make it look as if it had been terribly vandalized, but really nothing was damaged although the wall had been spray painted with the words, “Home is where the heart is. Now, I have no heart.” Vera and her friends sat with Mr. Dinello in the lobby and were becoming bored—eager to do some investigating themselves. They had a feeling Missy Merrick was somehow involved in the vandalism due to the red paint they’d seen on her hands, and while she was a guest in the hotel, they didn’t know how to contact her. They suggested many different ways, but Mr. Dinello was unsure of the honesty of the approach. What did they do. Here’s what you decided.

Chapter 17
Being Mina

“Are we agreed?” Vera asked.

“No.” Mr. Dinello shook his head. “Somehow I seem to have lost control here. Did you forget you’re being chaperoned?”

“No.” Vera smiled. “We just figured you’d agree with us.”

“I don’t know why Sam leaves me in charge.” Mr. Dinello muttered to himself. He took a deep breath, all right what are our options?”

“Well, we could just sneak a peak at the register. We could call the operator or we could talk to that nice maid lady we saw, Mina.” Vera repeated.

“I think we should talk to Mina.” Mr. Dinello nodded.

“I agree.” Delia spoke up.

“She can tell us which room is Missy’s.” Vera smiled.

“And, even if she doesn’t because of some hotel policy,” Mr. Dinello began, “at least she can tell us what sort of things that she’s seen here lately—those ‘ghostly’ things she hinted about.”

“That’s true.” TJ nodded.

“I wonder where we’d find Mina.” Kate raised an eyebrow.

“I saw a cleaning cart down the hall by one of the ballrooms. Maybe she’s working down there.” Lucy suggested.

“Good eye.” Mr. Dinello smiled. “You’re all so smart.”

“Well, you were our teacher.” Ward laughed.

“I had nothing to do with your being smart. You’re that way because God made you that way.” Mr. Dinello shook his head.

Together, the group walked down a long and elegant corridor toward the tall, dark wooden doors that led to the ballrooms. There, pulled off to the side, was a cleaning cart. Upon the cart, written in black magic marker was the name, “Mina.”

“I think we’ve found her.” Rick laughed.

Hesitantly, Mr. Dinello opened one of the ballroom doors and peered inside. They were immediately welcomed by the sound of a vacuum cleaner humming.

Upon seeing Mr. Dinello and the teens standing in the doorway of the ballroom, Mina shut off the vacuum cleaner.

“I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “The ballroom is closed.”

“We were hoping to talk to you.” Mr. Dinello explained.

“The ballroom is closed.” Mina repeated.

“We won’t hurt anything.” Ward smiled.

“We want to talk.” Mr. Dinello repeated.

Mina narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Talk about what?”

“A lot of different things.” Mr. Dinello began.

“No.” Mina shook her head. “I can’t talk. I have to clean.”

“But,” Mr. Dinello began again.

“No.” Mina shook her head. “We are told not to talk to guests. Do you need soap?”

“No.” Ward shook his head.

“Do you need towels?” Mina asked.

“No.” Rick shrugged.

“Do you need shampoo.” Mina asked.

“Always.” Vera tossed her hair over her shoulder.

“Are you registered in the hotel?” Mina asked.

“No.” Vera answered.

“Then, you don’t get shampoo!” Mina said.

“Hmph!” Vera frowned.

“Now, no more talking. I have to clean,” Mina insisted.

“This isn’t going well.” Rick muttered.

“The ballroom is closed.” Mina said again.

“What should we do?” Vera whispered to Mr. Dinello.

What should they do?

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