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said.
    The police arrived twenty minutes later. “We’re going to need you to write out a full confession,” one of the police officers told Mike as he led him outside to the waiting car.
    “I will,” Mike said. “And I want to do all I can to get Seymour’s things.”
    “The more you cooperate in this investigation, the lighter your sentence will be,” the officer said.
    That evening, the old black phone in the living room rang three times before Benny rushed to answer it.
    “It’s for you, Seymour,” Benny called. “It’s the police.”
    Benny waited by the phone hoping to hear some news, but the person on the other end of the line was doing most of the talking. “Yes. Yes,” Seymour was saying. “Good. Good. Really. Yes. Okay. Thank you.”
    Benny hopped on one foot, then the other. “What did they say?” he asked after Seymour hung up the phone.
    “Well, thanks to Mike’s help, the police caught up with Blake Ambrose just outside of Boston. He’s wanted in five other states for burglary — all antiques. He’s the one who did all the robberies in Chassell.”
    “Wow,” said Benny.
    “Are you getting your things back?” Jessie asked as she came into the kitchen, followed by Henry, Violet, Grandfather, Rose, Veronica, Martin, and Jeff.
    “Yes. The police are working on that. Apparently my sword and helmet were in Blake’s car, so I can have those right away. It may take longer to get the stamp collection and letters, but the police know where they are. And if the dealer has sold them, he’s kept records. In time, I’m sure I’ll get everything back.”
    “Thank goodness,” Grandfather said.
    “What’s going to happen to Mike?” Benny wanted to know.
    “Since it’s his first offense and he cooperated with the police, he won’t have to go to jail,” Seymour said. “But he may have to do lots of community service.”
    Jeff shook his head. “I had no idea Mike was under so much financial pressure. He has been looking worried lately, but he keeps everything to himself, so it’s hard to know what’s really going on with him.”
    “If we’d known Mike was so desperate, we would have lent him money,” Rose said. “We still can.”
    “I’m planning to,” Seymour said.
    “That’s kind of you,” Jeff said.
    “What a story,” Veronica commented, shaking her head. “Who would have thought all this was happening in this sleepy old orchard?”
    “Veronica,” Jessie said, “how did you know Blake Ambrose?”
    “Oh, I didn’t know him very well,” Veronica said. “I used to see him in the library when I was there getting books for my history paper on the Civil War.”
    “Did he offer to help you with your research?” Henry asked.
    “Yes,” Veronica said, laughing. “I remember once he seemed kind of mad because I was taking out some books he said he needed. He sure knew a lot about the Civil War. He told me he was an expert on military history.”
    “That’s probably how he knew so much about my sword and armor collection,” Seymour remarked. “It is a relief to have this mystery solved.”
    “Well, one mystery is solved,” Benny said. “But I still want to find out about Joshua’s ghost.”
    Veronica rolled her eyes, but everyone else laughed.
    The next three nights, Benny walked out to the orchard, sometimes alone, sometimes with Henry, Violet, or Jessie. Each night he heard a long, low boo. On the third night, Jessie convinced him it was really an owl when her flashlight spotlighted the bird in the tree.
    “But what about that hissing sound Violet and I heard?” Benny asked.
    “It could have been a snake,” Jessie said. “But I bet it was the sound of leaves rustling.”
    “That’s what Violet said.” Benny sounded extremely discouraged. “You don’t really think there’s a ghost, do you?”
    “No, I don’t,” Jessie answered.
    Benny looked so crushed that Jessie put her arms around him.
    The following morning, it rained. “Why don’t we go to