them to have fun on this special night Now although the urban legend has been discredited I was able to retrieve some stories from people who said they have evidence that he is indeed real It appears that a few local towns had confirmed that this Pumpkin Thief visited them They had their pumpkins stolen and on Halloween night weird things happened to a few of the townsfolk Some said they saw ghosts peering into their homes through the windows One person claimed that floating chased about his bedroom Another said his doorbell kept ringing but no one was there I even found a few photos from a nearby town that showed strange large orb-type lights floating above their homes on Halloween night Of course experts discredited these allegations It seems no one had concrete evidence of a Pumpkin Thief caught red-handed grabbing pumpkins nonetheless the legend continues Which town will be next Nick stopped reading He had enough to go on One missing pumpkin certainly did not qualify as a visit from the Pumpkin Thief But it was kind of cool getting all worked up the night before the holiday a special holiday devoted to celebrating evil and dead things And the article intrigued him Maybe I should look into this some more find out
who else might have been visited by this legend since Jeffery wrote the article I need to track down this kid I’m sure he’s got more to tell He replaced the article on the pile of papers and went to pack his jacket pockets with all the detective tools he’d need for tonight a flashlight cell phone and a small pair of binoculars Those were all he had so far He’d ordered some other items out of one of his detective comic books but they hadn’t shipped yet He loved all the detective gadgetry He knew what he wanted to do when he grew up He wanted to be a detective with the police department He wasn’t sure how to get there but between his parents teachers and those guidance counselors they had in the big high school he’d be eventually attending he’d find his way Once he had the title of detective and access to all that high-tech gadgetry he’d seen on his favorite TV shows he’d be happier than an ant in a picnic basket And now that his family’s pumpkin had gone missing most likely stolen he’d been given the perfect opportunity for an early taste of detective work Just the thought of it excited him as he began preparations for tonight’s quick investigation Nick sat on his bed for a moment longer still imagining how one
day he’d succeed at what he wanted to do Detective work The girl The cars The life Nick had to stop thinking so much about the future and instead concentrate on solving the mystery afoot He already had an idea about who may have put their grubby hands on his pumpkin Lou the bully of his neighborhood He stood and walked out of his room closing the door behind him then to the top of the stairs But when he approached the top step he saw his evil little sibling with the pigtails at the bottom looking straight up at him Samantha put both hands on her hips and smiled Where are you going I’m telling You’ve got to be kidding me Sam What is your problem You’re ten but sometimes you act like a spoiled baby Do you really hate me that much Nick hoped a little guilt would soften his sister up and possibly keep her from saying anything to their parents She seemed to have a relentless desire to make his life a living mess For real You’re playing stupid detective again right She smiled her arms folded Well you’re going to need me if you want to solve a
mystery because I know how to be a real detective She continued to smile while blocking Nick’s exit He knew her motive She wanted to follow her big brother through a night of detective work a complete gathering of clues and hopefully witness a crime get solved through the quick actions of her detective brother He also figured she’d tell all her friends that her older brother could solve any crime that dared to enter her neighborhood He could see it in her eyes Yeah sure Get your coat and let’s go It’s getting dark out Nick wasn’t the least bit happy about having to drag Samantha along but he didn’t want her telling her friends and their parents any lies about his motives Besides she might be able to help keep an eye on things Nick and Samantha left the house together first telling his parents he was
