The Magic Box Read online

“Me? Scare people? Nah.”

  “Nah?”

  “I won’t scare anybody, Max. Nobody can see me.”

  Larry walked through the fence.

  “Uncle Larry!”

  Larry came back.

  “This may come as a news flash, but I can see you.”

  “Of course you can. I lowered my vibratory level to match your frequency so you can see me.”

  Max looked puzzled.

  “Okay, okay. Think of it like this. Every radio station has its own signal, right? Well, I’ve tuned in to your signal. See?”

  “If you tuned in to my signal, how did Marty talk to you?”

  “Telephones convert sounds into electronic signals and then transmit them. I’m all energy. I can manipulate anything electrical. No problem.”

  Larry grinned and disappeared through the fence again.

  CHAPTER 6

  I THINK I’M GONNA FAINT

  Max pushed open the gate and met Larry on the other side. They looked around. Spotting Marty was easy. He was wearing a magician’s hat and a long black satin cape. Max walked over to him. “I’m Max Monroe,” he said. “Larry’s nephew.”

  Marty looked behind Max, panic in his eyes. “Where’s Larry? I need Larry!”

  “He couldn’t make it. Sorry.”

  “Couldn’t make it!?” wailed Marty. “What do you mean he couldn’t make it? I need him! I need him now! I’ve got to find Daisy Dee in the next half hour or they’ll throw me in jail!”

  Larry’s eyebrows shot up. “Ask Marty what he did.”

  “What did you do?” asked Max.

  “I didn’t do anything. But Daisy Dee has disappeared, and they’re definitely gonna hold me responsible!” Marty’s face turned a sickly shade of gray. “I think I’m gonna faint.”

  “Just tell him to fall this way, and I’ll catch him,” said Larry, holding out his arms.

  “No,” said Max.

  “No, what?” asked Marty, looking confused.

  “No … nothing,” stammered Max.

  Larry tapped Max on the shoulder. “Ask Marty how he gets those rabbits to sit still when they’re in his hat.”

  “Later,” whispered Max.

  “Later what?” asked Marty.

  “Um … faint … you can faint later,” said Max. “First, you have to find Daisy.”

  “Yes, yes, I have to find Daisy. What am I going to do? There’s no time to call another detective, and Daisy’s mother will be back soon. When she finds out little Daisy’s disappeared, she’ll kill me. Then she’ll have me arrested!”

  Larry frowned. “How can they arrest him if he’s dead?”

  Max shot his uncle a “stop interrupting” look, then turned back to Marty.

  OH, GOSH

  “Maybe I can help,” said Max.

  “You? Help me? You’re just a kid, for crying out loud!”

  “This is a kid’s party. I’ll fit right in.”

  “Good point,” said Larry.

  Marty didn’t look convinced. “Oh, gosh, oh, gosh,” he whimpered.

  “What have you got to lose?” asked Max.

  Marty nodded his head. “I guess you’re right. Oh, gosh.”

  Thinking like a real detective, Max said, “Start at the beginning. And tell me everything that happened.”

  CHAPTER 7

  THE CASE BEGINS

  Marty took a deep breath. “My magic act was going just great. Everybody loved it. Then came the best part — where I make someone disappear from the Magic Box. I asked for a volunteer. All the kids wanted to be picked, but since it was Daisy’s birthday, I chose her.”

  “How old is Daisy?” asked Max.

  “Five.”

  “Then what did you do?”

  “I opened the curtain at the front of the box. Daisy stepped inside. I told her to stay very, very quiet. After I closed the curtain, I pushed a secret button at the side of the box. That made a panel slide across right in front of her. I waved my wand and said, ‘Abracadabra!’ When I pulled open the curtain, Daisy had disappeared. Everybody clapped and cheered. They didn’t know she was behind the panel. Right?”

  “Right!” said Larry, getting excited. “Then what happened?”

  Max tried to ignore him. “Then what happened?” he asked.

  GONE! KAPUT! VANISHED ... !

  “I closed the curtain and said more magic words. As I waved my wand, I pressed the secret button again. That made the panel slide back. When I flung open the curtain, Daisy was —”

  Larry couldn’t control himself. “Gone! Kaput! Vanished into thin air!”

  “Shh!” hissed Max.

  Marty looked hurt. “But you asked me to tell you what happened.”

  “I … I didn’t mean you.”

  “What do you mean, you didn’t mean me?” Marty looked around. “Nobody else is here.”

  “I’m here,” said Max.

  “Yeah? So?”

  “So? … What did you do after Daisy disappeared?” Max tried to sound natural, but Marty was looking at him as though he was a nutcase. “Well?” said Max.

  SMART MOVE

  “Well … I had to think fast,” said Marty. “I pretended Daisy disappearing was part of the show. I told the children there was a prize for whoever found her.”

  “Smart move,” Max and Larry said at the same time.

  “I thought so, too. But so far, nobody’s found her.”

  “Was there any other way out of the Magic Box?” asked Max.

  “There’s an emergency door at the back. But it only opens from the outside. And I’m sure it was closed.”

  “Somebody must have opened the door and taken her out,” said Max.

  “Yes, but who took her?” asked Larry.

  “Yes, but where is she?” sobbed Marty. “Please, you’ve got to find Daisy.”

  “I will,” said Max.

  Something about the way Max said “I will” made Marty feel better.

  CHAPTER 8

  LARRY REALLY WAS A BUMBLING DETECTIVE

  Max looked around the yard. “Where’s Daisy’s mother?” he asked Marty.

  “A man from the bakery dropped off Daisy’s birthday cake. It had Happy Birthday Lily written on it by mistake. By the time Mrs. Dee noticed it, the driver was gone, so she jumped in the car and drove back to get the name changed.”

  “Good. That gives us more time.”

  “More time for what?” asked Larry.

  Max looked at his uncle and shook his head. The newspapers had been right. Larry really was a bumbling detective.

  “More time to find Daisy,” whispered Max.

  “Right!” said Larry.

  STINK EYE

  Max looked around and spotted a girl sitting alone on a bench.

  “Who’s she?” Max asked.

  “That’s Daisy’s sister, Iris,” answered Marty. “I don’t think she likes me. Ever since I got here, she’s been giving me the stink eye.”

  Larry laughed. “Better than pink eye.”

  “I’ll start by talking to her,” said Max.

  As Max and Larry headed over to Iris, Larry started to get worried. “Maybe we’re getting in over our heads, Max. A kid’s disappeared. Shouldn’t we call the police?”

  “She didn’t really disappear, Uncle Larry.”

  “Maybe she’s been kidnapped! Did you think of that? Huh?”

  “How would a kidnapper know the exact time Daisy would be inside the Magic Box — or that Marty would even pick her? This is definitely an inside job.”

  “An inside job. Of course!”

  As they got close to Iris, Larry whispered, “Be friendly, Max. People always tell you more when they think you’re friendly.”

  Max put on a smile. “Hi. My name’s Max.”

&
nbsp; “Don’t tell me Mom hired another act. What do you do? Sing? Dance? Do the Hokey Pokey?”

  “I did the Hokey Pokey once,” said Larry. “But I sprained my back.”

  Max frowned at his uncle. “Shhh.”

  Iris glared at Max. “Who are you shushing?”

  “Shoe. I’ve got something in my shoe.”

  “Ask me if I care.”

  “Watch out,” said Larry. “She might bite.”

  I'M GREAT. I'M FANTASTIC!

  “You don’t sound very happy,” Max said to Iris. “Is something wrong?”

  “Wrong? I’ll tell you what’s wrong! I practiced my magic act for two whole months to perform at Daisy’s birthday. Two whole months! Then Mom said I wasn’t quite ready and she went and hired Marty the Magnificent. Not quite ready? I’m great. I’m fantastic! My act was a whole lot better than stinky old Marty’s.”

  “You must be pretty mad at Marty,” said Max.

  “You bet I am.”

  YOU’RE A MEANIE

  “Daisy! Daisy!” called out a little girl. “Where are you?”

  “Go look in the poison ivy,” snapped Iris.

  “Can you help me look?”

  “No. Now beat it. I’m busy.”

  The little girl’s mouth quivered and she ran off.

  Larry leaned right into Iris’s face and said, “You’re a meanie.” Then he vanished.

  Max didn’t like the way Iris acted either, but he needed information, and maybe she could help.

  “I haven’t met Daisy yet. Could you tell me a little bit about her?”

  Iris rolled her eyes. “She loves piggyback rides and the color pink. Her favorite game is hide-and-seek. Her favorite food is Marshmallow Mumbo. I’m bored now, so get lost.”

  “Just one more question? What was Daisy wearing when she disappeared?”

  “Why do you want to know that?”

  “Maybe I can find her and win the prize.”

  “Fine. She was wearing a pink dress and a sparkly tiara with fake diamonds on it.”

  “Did you see her disappear?”

  “That’s two questions. But just for the record, I was inside the house getting the Marshmallow Mumbo. It has to stay in the fridge till the last minute, or the heat from the sun will turn it to mush. Nobody likes mushy mumbo.”

  Talking about food made Max feel hungry. He said goodbye to Iris and headed over to the food table. On the way, he took his detective notebook out of his pocket and wrote …

  Suspect #1 — Iris

  Motive — Mad at Marty for taking her job

  Iris wanted to do the magic show for Daisy’s party. Her mother wouldn’t let her, and hired Marty the Magnificent instead. By hiding Daisy, Iris would get Marty in big trouble and maybe even fired.

  CHAPTER 9

  HIDE-AND-SEEK

  A spitball hit Max on the back of the neck. He swung around and spotted Larry waving a straw from a second-floor window. Larry was motioning for Max to come up.

  Max went over to the back patio and in through the sliding doors. Once inside, he found the stairs and headed up to the second floor. Larry was at the end of the hallway.

  “I have some information,” whispered Larry.

  “What is it?”

  “I overheard a little girl say that Daisy’s favorite game is hide-and-seek.”

  “Iris told me that, too.”

  “Did Iris also tell you that the last time Daisy had a sleepover, they played hide-and-seek? And did she tell you that Daisy hid in the clothes hamper? And did she tell you it was such a great hiding place that nobody found her?”

  “Good work, Uncle Larry.”

  “Come in here. But don’t make a sound.”

  Max followed Larry into a bedroom filled with kids’ toys. A large picture of Daisy sat on the dresser.

  Larry pointed to a pink clothes hamper with a flower design on the front. It was definitely big enough for a five-year-old to hide in.

  Max and Larry tiptoed over to it. Just as Max was about to lift the lid, a sound came from behind them.

  SHE’S GOTTA BE SOMEWHERE

  “She’s under the bed!” whispered Larry.

  “Daisy?” said Max in a kind voice. “Are you hiding under the bed?”

  He crouched down and lifted the blanket. A cute kid with no front teeth smiled at him. “She’s not under here,” the kid said, rolling out.

  Max helped him up. “Keep trying. She’s gotta be somewhere.”

  “Okay!” The kid dashed out of the room.

  Max turned back to the hamper. He lifted the lid and stuck his arm down into the clothes. His hand reached the bottom.

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?” Larry’s voice cracked and his eyes got misty. He pulled out a hanky.

  “What’s wrong, Uncle Larry?”

  “I was sure I’d solved the case!”

  “Don’t feel bad. It’s a good piece of information.”

  Larry wiped his eyes. “Other rooms, other hampers?”

  “Exactly.”

  Max and Larry made their way to the next bedroom. It had posters of a boy band on the wall, but there was no hamper.

  “Try the closet,” suggested Max.

  Larry swung open the closet door. There was a giant pile of clothes on the floor.

  Suddenly … the clothes moved.

  CHAPTER 10

  STRANGE THING TO HAVE UNDER A PILLOW

  “She’s here!” shouted Larry.

  He jammed his hand into the pile of clothes and yanked out an arm. “Bingo!”

  The arm belonged to the kid with no front teeth. When he saw his arm up in the air with nobody holding it, he screamed like crazy and ran out of the room.

  “Darn,” grumbled Larry. “Still no Daisy.”

  Max looked worried. “Uncle Larry, what if he tells someone what he saw?”

  Larry slumped down on the bed and said, “Nobody would believe him.”

  Suddenly he jumped up and lifted the pillow, revealing a black cardboard tube. Max reached for the tube.

  “Strange thing to have under a pillow, don’t you think?” said Max.

  “I kept a love letter from Diane Krolly under mine,” said Larry. “Then my cousin Marvin found it and spread the juicy details all over school. I didn’t speak to him for a month. Would have held out longer, but he gave me his peanut brittle.” Larry sighed. “I never could resist peanut brittle …”

  GOTCHA!

  Max twisted the top of the tube, and out sprang a huge black snake.

  “AAAHHHHHHHH!” Larry leaped onto the bed. “AAHH! AAHH! AAHH!”

  “It’s fake!” Max shouted over Larry’s shrieks.

  “FAKE?!” Larry shrieked back. “Are you sure?”

  Max nodded. “Since when are ghosts afraid of snakes?”

  “How would I know? They scared me when I was alive. I guess it stuck with me. But more to the point,” he said, stepping down from the bed, “what kind of lunatic would play such a horrible trick?”

  Max pulled a piece of paper out of the tube.

  “What does it say?” asked Larry. “Show me. Show me.”

  Max held up the note for his uncle to see:

  “Who the heck is Nick?”

  A car door slammed.

  Larry went into panic mode. “Oh, no! Mrs. Dee’s back!”

  They raced over to the window and looked out. A little boy holding a present was coming up the walk, waving to someone in a dark blue car.

  “It’s not Mrs. Dee,” said Max. “But she’ll be back any minute, and we’re no closer to solving the mystery.”

  CHAPTER 11

  WHAT THE HECK IS MARSHMALLOW MUMBO?

  When they got back outside, Max and Larry heard kids laughing. Marty was pulling colored scarves out
of his nose.

  “Maybe Marty can give us another lead,” said Max.

  As they headed toward him, they passed the food table. Larry stopped. “Boy, this food sure looks good.”

  “Too bad you can’t eat,” said Max.

  “I can eat.”

  “You’re a ghost. Where would the food go?”

  Larry shrugged. “Beats me.” He reached for some nachos.

  Max watched as the nachos disappeared into Larry’s mouth.

  “Yummy,” said Larry. “Try some.”

  “I feel like Marshmallow Mumbo,” said Max.

  Larry’s eyebrows went up. “What the heck is Marshmallow Mumbo?”

  “It’s a dessert made with pudding and marshmallows. Iris said she brought some out when Marty was doing the Magic Box trick.”

  Larry and Max looked all over the table.

  “Nothing here is made out of marshmallows,” said Larry, reaching for some strawberries.

  Max turned and headed back toward the house.

  “Where are you going?” asked Larry.

  “I want to check something. I’ll be right back.”

  Max opened the patio doors and made his way through the family room and into the kitchen. Two kids were checking the cabinet under the sink. “Daisy’s not here,” he heard one of them say.

  “Let’s try the closet!” said the other one. They raced out.

  Left alone in the kitchen, Max opened the refrigerator door. There was nothing that looked like Marshmallow Mumbo in there either. When he got back outside, he told Larry about the missing mumbo. “Somebody’s obviously taken it.”

  “Or eaten it!” said Larry.

  “If somebody ate it, there should be an empty dish somewhere.”