absolutely could not go back. What if that man was still there? That huge angry security guard with scalded pants? And then there was the waitress. âI want to see the blacksmith shop.â
âYou can see that any time. We need to check out your Prospector Man before he leaves.â Katie set off across the street without looking back.
âButâ¦â Sheilaâs eyes darted from one cousin to the other, âwe have to stick together,â she pleaded. âWe promised.â
âThen come with me,â Katie called over her shoulder. Almost halfway across the dusty road, she stopped to let a stagecoach rumble past.
âPlease, Rusty!â Sheila pleaded.
He folded his arms across his chest. âWeâre supposed to go to the blacksmith shop,â he said stubbornly.
âOkay, weâll go there, I promise. Just come across the street with us first. We canât let Katie go wandering off alone. You know what sheâs likeâsheâll probably think sheâs on the trail of some weird mystery, and the next thing we know weâll all be in trouble, just like before.â
Rusty hesitated. He didnât want to follow his cousin, but he hated to see Sheila so upset. And he knew she was right. There was no telling what trouble Katie might stir up if left to her own devices. She was already on the steps in front of the Wake-Up Jake...and they did promise GJ.
âPlease, Rusty? You donât have to come inside if you donât want. Just walk across the street with me?â
âOh, all right,â he grumbled.
Outside the Wake-Up Jake, Rusty sank onto a bench, stared at the boardwalk in front of his sneakers and tried to imagine he was totally and completely invisible. Sheila hesitated in front of the open door, took a quick breath and stepped inside.
Ten seconds later the white-bearded man stepped out. He paused, plopped his hat over his thick gray hair and turned away from Rusty toward the barbershop next door.
Katie darted out and followed. Two steps behind her, Sheila glanced at Rusty, made a face, jerked her head toward Katie and took off after her friend. Rusty eased to his feet and trailed behind.
He caught up with the girls at the barber pole. âOkay,â Sheila was saying, âwe came with you. Now you have to go with us to the blacksmith shop.â
âBut heâs in there.â Katie nodded toward the barbershop. She pressed her face against the window. âAnd heâs looking at the Hair Invigorator!â
âSo what? Heâs a tourist. Looking at stuff is what tourists do. Katie, heâs just a man dressed as a prospector which, believe it or not, is not a crime.â
âCâmon, Katie,â Rusty said. âGram and GJ will be back soon and weâre supposed to be over at the blacksmith shop.â
Katieâs dark eyes narrowed. She squinted from Sheila to Rusty to the open shop door, but when Sheila and Rusty started down the stairs from the boardwalk, she followed. âHeâs up to something, I just know it,â she whispered.
âLike what?â Sheila asked.
âI donât know, but I have this feeling .â
âRight. Katie Reid, Private Investigatorâwith Feelings.â
Katie didnât seem to hear. âSomething weird is happening and it has to do with those dusty bottles of Hair Invigorator.â
âYeah,â Rusty agreed, âFrizzy Hair sure freaked out about them.â
âHey!â Katie said. âWhat if your ghost put them there last night?â
Sheila rolled her eyes. âI canât believe this. Itâs two stupid bottles of Hair Invigorator, guys, simple as that.â
âAnd a bootprint,â Rusty reminded her.
âExactly,â Katie said. âSo tonight we keep watch until midnight.â
Rusty could not believe how uncomfortable the stagecoach ride was. Even on this relatively smooth dirt road, every bump sent a shudder