Read Online Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach - Free Book Online

black-haired librarian.
    â€œI’m sorry, this one doesn’t circulate,” the librarian said firmly, but in her same nicey-nice voice. “It’s part of our reference collection.”
    â€œBut it doesn’t have a label,” Simon protested. “And look, it’s not even a whole book. Somebody tore out a page.”
    â€œWell, that’s a shame, isn’t it?” the librarian said. “It ruins the book for other patrons. I’ll take it back to the office and see if it can be repaired.” She held out her hand for the booklet, which Simon reluctantly gave her.
    She turned to leave, but then looked back at them thoughtfully. “I’m Mrs. Thomas, the library director. What are your names?”
    â€œSimon,” Simon answered quickly. “This is Henry, and he’s Jack.”
    â€œIt’s very nice to meet you.” She extended her hand to each of them in turn. Henry took it awkwardly, noticing that it was cool and bony, and her fingertip was smudged black with ink. “What grades are you in?” Henry felt the familiar flood of panic that overcame him whenever a stranger was about to make a wrong assumption about his size or his age.
    Simon jumped in quickly, “I’m going into sixth, Henry’s going into fifth, and Jack will be in first.”
    â€œOh,” Mrs. Thomas said, her skinny eyebrows arching in surprise. “I thought—”
    â€œAnd this is Delilah,” Simon continued smoothly. Henry glanced at him gratefully.
    â€œYour sister?” the librarian asked, turning to Delilah.
    â€œNo!” the boys chorused.
    Delilah only smiled sweetly at Mrs. Thomas. “I’m Delilah Dunworthy.”
    â€œWhat a pretty name,” Mrs. Thomas said. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re looking for? Perhaps I can help.”
    Henry wasn’t sure. What if she reacted like their parents had? Maybe there was some big grown-up conspiracy to keep quiet about Superstition Mountain, the way grown-ups would never tell you all the bad stuff they did as kids because they were afraid you’d try it yourself. On the other hand, she did work here in the library, and it was her job to help people find out what they needed to know. Simon seemed to be making the same mental calculation.
    Henry cleared his throat. “We … we wanted to know more about the mountain. If anything interesting has happened up there.”
    Mrs. Thomas’s keen eyes fixed on his. “Things have been happening on that mountain for hundreds of years,” she said. “It is not a place for children.”
    â€œWhy not?” Jack piped up. “What kinds of things?”
    Mrs. Thomas continued smiling, but her eyes hardened.
    â€œBad things,” she said.
    When she said nothing more, the silence seemed to expand uncomfortably. Finally, Delilah asked, “Are there other books besides this one that we could check out?”
    The librarian’s forehead furrowed. “None of the books on this bottom shelf circulate. But you can check out anything from the upper shelves … that volume of legends, for instance.” She motioned to the one Delilah had been reading earlier. “Just bring them to the circulation desk when you’re ready.” She gave them a final piercing look of appraisal, then walked away.
    Henry eyed the booklet tucked under her arm longingly. He chose a book on the history of Arizona from the top shelf. Delilah picked up the book of legends.
    â€œThat was weird, huh?” Delilah said. “She wouldn’t tell us anything.”
    â€œProbably because those people died in a really gross, bloody way,” Simon speculated. “Grown-ups never want to talk about that.”
    This was particularly true of Mr. Barker, Henry thought. It was well-known family lore that he had fainted when Simon was born and was barred from the labor and delivery room ever after. He looked sick to