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“You
could wear this and be an explorer. I saw a
man’s brown shirt that matches. If we roll up
the sleeves, you can wear that too.”
    “That’s a good idea,” Henry said. “I found
an old metal water canteen. You could use
that as part of the costume.”
    Once Benny had his costume together,
Violet said, “Now that we all have costumes,
what is Watch going to wear?”
    “How about this bow tie and vest?” Jessie
said. “He can be a dog professor.”
    When they were ready, they went
downstairs to the shop. Mrs. McGregor
clapped her hands at the sight of them. “You
look wonderful! Let me take a picture to show
your grandfather.”
    Downtown, they found crowds of people.
“I smell something good,” Benny said as they
walked through the festival.
    “The Apple House Café has a booth here,”
Annika told him. “You’re smelling their apple
custard tarts. They’re famous for that.”
    “I’d like to try one,” Benny said, “but only
if Brett and Mr. Beekman aren’t there. I don’t
like mean people.”
    “I don’t see them.” Violet stood on tiptoes
so she could see over the crowd. “Some other
people are working there.”
    Everyone tried the tarts.
    “These are delicious.” Jessie nibbled on
hers slowly, tasting each bite. “I want to learn
to make these too.”
    “Mr. Beekman is too mean to give you the
recipe,” Annika said. “I’ll ask my mother if
she knows how to make them. We should
go say hello to Isiah. He’s working in the
library booth.”
    “That booth that says library ,” Benny said.
“I see a girl dressed as an elf, but not Isiah.”
    Annika greeted the girl and asked, “Isn’t
Isiah supposed to be working?”
    The girl slammed down a box of bookmarks.
“Yes, but he didn’t show up. I can’t believe he
didn’t even call.”
    “He’s been doing that too often,” Annika
said. “If I see him, I’ll remind him he’s
supposed to be working. We should go. It’s
almost time for the parade.”
    “Look at those funny costumes.” Benny
pointed to some adults dressed as zoo animals
walking by the booth. They were all carrying
musical instruments.
    “That’s the band that leads the parade,”
Annika said. “We can follow them to the
starting point. I wonder where Margot is. I
thought she’d be here taking pictures. ”
    All the children and pets participating in the
parade gathered at one end of the street. The
band struck up a tune. The children began to
march as the bystanders clapped for them.
    They were halfway down the block
when Violet stopped. “There’s the headless
horseman.” She pointed up the street where a
figure wearing a big black cape sat on a large
black horse. It looked like there was no head
above the cape.
    “Maybe it’s part of the parade,” Henry
suggested. “They could have someone dress
up in costume to make the end of the parade
more exciting.”
    “There’s something strange about the
horse,” Jessie said. “It has red all around its
eyes and mouth. And the coat is too shimmery
for a normal horse.”
    Other children around them began to
point as the horse and rider came closer.
    “That horse is scary,” a little girl dressed as
a fairy said.
    Watch growled.
    The horse reared up and gave an angry
neigh.

CHAPTER 7
The Horseman Strikes Again
    T he musicians in front slowed down, and the
music trailed off. The children behind them
slowed too.
    “I don’t think that person is part of the
event,” Violet said.
    The horse began to move toward them,
slowly at first, just like on the ghost tour.
    “I don’t like this,” Benny said.
    The rider kicked the horse’s sides until it
broke into a run, charging right at them.
    “Get out of the way!” Jessie gasped. Most
of the children and the musicians scattered
off the street. But Jessie noticed that two
smaller children weren’t moving. They were
too confused.
    Jessie picked up the girl in the fairy
costume and carried her to safety. Henry
took hold of the little boy in a