afternoon is free for party preparations.”
“Great,” Phil said. He picked up his black bag. “Then my assistant and I can do some rehearsing. Okay, Dinah?”
“I’m ready when you are, O Magnificent Marsteno,” Dinah said. “Where should we practice?”
Phil glanced at Stevie and Lisa and raised an eyebrow. “We’d better find a top-secret location,” he said. “Far away from prying eyes.”
Stevie snorted. “As if Lisa and I care about your silly little magical secrets,” she said, waving a hand dismissively as the pair headed out of the room. “We have much more important things to do, thank you very much.”
After they had gone, she turned to Lisa. “Now. What kinds of important things do we have to do?” she asked.
“First of all, we’d better finish those name tags we started yesterday,” Lisa said, pulling the materials out of her locker. She was glad Dinah had gone off with Phil. It would be nice to spend some time with Stevie without the other girl around.
The two friends got to work. Stevie began lettering names onto the tags, copying from the list Max had given them. After she finished each one, Lisa drew a picture on the name tag and then attached a safety pin.
“I didn’t want to say anything when Phil was in the room, but we had another visit from the Pine Hollow poltergeist today,” Stevie said.
“Really?” Lisa asked, concentrating on the bat she was drawing. “What happened?”
“Someone—as if we couldn’t guess who—stuck a chair inthe aisle near the tack room,” Stevie said. “This book about poltergeists was on it. Subtle, huh?” Stevie got up and looked around the room. “Hmm. That’s odd,” she muttered.
“What?” Lisa asked, looking up.
“The book,” Stevie replied. “It’s gone.” She shrugged. “Oh well. Maybe Dinah has it.” She looked around once more, then shrugged again. “That must be it,” she murmured. “She must have picked it up and moved it when I wasn’t looking. Or maybe Phil stole it back.”
“So you still think Phil is responsible for the weird things that have been happening around here?” Lisa asked.
“Of course,” Stevie replied a little impatiently. “Who else could it be?”
“I don’t know,” Lisa said. “But it seems like some of these pranks would be hard for Phil to have done. I mean, what about that first thing, the saddle soap that disappeared on Tuesday. He wasn’t even at Pine Hollow that day.”
“So what’s the explanation?” Stevie asked. “Do you really think a poltergeist is behind everything?”
“Of course not,” Lisa said. “I’m just saying that most of it could have been coincidence. Maybe Mrs. Reg didn’t put as much soap in that bucket as she thought she did. Maybe those cats chased a mouse into the tack room …”
“Only the black cats?” Stevie said skeptically. “And then who shut the door—the mouse? No, I don’t think so. Besides, that book turning up in the aisle was definitely no coincidence. Somebody put it there, and I’m sure thatsomebody was Phil. And I’m going to prove it.” With that, she settled down to work.
A few minutes later, Lisa peered over Stevie’s shoulder at the list. “How many more names do we have to do?”
“After the one I’m doing now, about half a dozen,” Stevie replied.
Lisa stood up and stretched. “Well, we’re running low on safety pins,” she said. “I’d better go see if Mrs. Reg has any.” She wandered out of the locker room and down the hall toward Mrs. Reg’s office. As she got closer, she heard giggles coming from the tack room. She glanced in as she walked past, then froze. Phil and Dinah were inside, their heads close together, talking and laughing. Phil’s magic bag was lying near the door, unopened.
At that second Phil looked up and met Lisa’s eyes. He stopped talking immediately and jumped to his feet awkwardly. “Oh—um—hi, Lisa,” he stammered. “I didn’t know you were standing
“Great,” Phil said. He picked up his black bag. “Then my assistant and I can do some rehearsing. Okay, Dinah?”
“I’m ready when you are, O Magnificent Marsteno,” Dinah said. “Where should we practice?”
Phil glanced at Stevie and Lisa and raised an eyebrow. “We’d better find a top-secret location,” he said. “Far away from prying eyes.”
Stevie snorted. “As if Lisa and I care about your silly little magical secrets,” she said, waving a hand dismissively as the pair headed out of the room. “We have much more important things to do, thank you very much.”
After they had gone, she turned to Lisa. “Now. What kinds of important things do we have to do?” she asked.
“First of all, we’d better finish those name tags we started yesterday,” Lisa said, pulling the materials out of her locker. She was glad Dinah had gone off with Phil. It would be nice to spend some time with Stevie without the other girl around.
The two friends got to work. Stevie began lettering names onto the tags, copying from the list Max had given them. After she finished each one, Lisa drew a picture on the name tag and then attached a safety pin.
“I didn’t want to say anything when Phil was in the room, but we had another visit from the Pine Hollow poltergeist today,” Stevie said.
“Really?” Lisa asked, concentrating on the bat she was drawing. “What happened?”
“Someone—as if we couldn’t guess who—stuck a chair inthe aisle near the tack room,” Stevie said. “This book about poltergeists was on it. Subtle, huh?” Stevie got up and looked around the room. “Hmm. That’s odd,” she muttered.
“What?” Lisa asked, looking up.
“The book,” Stevie replied. “It’s gone.” She shrugged. “Oh well. Maybe Dinah has it.” She looked around once more, then shrugged again. “That must be it,” she murmured. “She must have picked it up and moved it when I wasn’t looking. Or maybe Phil stole it back.”
“So you still think Phil is responsible for the weird things that have been happening around here?” Lisa asked.
“Of course,” Stevie replied a little impatiently. “Who else could it be?”
“I don’t know,” Lisa said. “But it seems like some of these pranks would be hard for Phil to have done. I mean, what about that first thing, the saddle soap that disappeared on Tuesday. He wasn’t even at Pine Hollow that day.”
“So what’s the explanation?” Stevie asked. “Do you really think a poltergeist is behind everything?”
“Of course not,” Lisa said. “I’m just saying that most of it could have been coincidence. Maybe Mrs. Reg didn’t put as much soap in that bucket as she thought she did. Maybe those cats chased a mouse into the tack room …”
“Only the black cats?” Stevie said skeptically. “And then who shut the door—the mouse? No, I don’t think so. Besides, that book turning up in the aisle was definitely no coincidence. Somebody put it there, and I’m sure thatsomebody was Phil. And I’m going to prove it.” With that, she settled down to work.
A few minutes later, Lisa peered over Stevie’s shoulder at the list. “How many more names do we have to do?”
“After the one I’m doing now, about half a dozen,” Stevie replied.
Lisa stood up and stretched. “Well, we’re running low on safety pins,” she said. “I’d better go see if Mrs. Reg has any.” She wandered out of the locker room and down the hall toward Mrs. Reg’s office. As she got closer, she heard giggles coming from the tack room. She glanced in as she walked past, then froze. Phil and Dinah were inside, their heads close together, talking and laughing. Phil’s magic bag was lying near the door, unopened.
At that second Phil looked up and met Lisa’s eyes. He stopped talking immediately and jumped to his feet awkwardly. “Oh—um—hi, Lisa,” he stammered. “I didn’t know you were standing
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