Case of the Creepy Castle (New Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley Series)

Some Halloween Surprises

"I still think we could have come up with better Halloween costumes," my twin sister, Ashley, told me.

I examined my costume in the mirror of our attic office. Wide-brimmed hat—check. Trenchcoat-check.

"What's wrong with our costumes?" I asked. "We're going as the Trenchcoat Twins!"

"That's the problem!" Ashley said. She gave the belt around her coat a tug. "It's not a costume. We are the Trenchcoat Twins!"

Okay. She's right about that. My sister Ashley and I run the Olsen and Olsen Detective Agency. We do it from the attic of our house. Today, our attic was covered with paper cats, witches, and jack-o'-lanterns.

"That's what makes it a good joke," I said. "Besides, these costumes are supereasy. Next year we'll plan ahead." We'd been so busy solving our last case that we hadn't thought about Halloween costumes. We had almost forgotten Halloween was even coming.

Ashley adjusted her hat over her strawberry blond hair., "I guess these will have to do. It just seems weird wearing our trenchcoats when we have no mystery to solve," she said.

The words hit me like a ton of jack-o'-lanterns. It was Halloween. The most mysterious day of the year and there was no mystery to be solved! Anywhere!

Ashley knelt down to pet our basset hound, Clue. Clue was wearing a ruffled clown collar just for Halloween.

"It's a good thing we don't have a casetoday, Mary-Kate," Ashley said. "After all,Great-grandma Olive is coming all the way,from Arizona to go trick-or-treating with us.

She'll be here any minute.

Great-grandma Olive! Her name alone is enough to make me smile. She isn't just thecoolest great-grandma in the world-she's also Olive Olsen, world-famous detective. Everything Ashley and I know about detective work we learned from Great-grandma Olive!

The doorbell rang and Clue barked. I glanced at the clock on my desk: It was six thirty pm.

"I'll bet that's her!" I said.

Clue's floppy ears bounced as she chased us down the stairs. Ashley and I ran so fast, we skipped steps!

"Who is it?" I shouted at the front door.

"Trick or treat! Smell MY feet! Give me something good to eat!" someone shouted back. It was a voice I knew well.

Ashley flung the door open. Our friend Tim Park stood under the porch light, dressed as a scarecrow. He wore a straw hat, overalls, and a burlap pouch over his shoulder. Bunches of straw stuck out of his sleeves and collar.

"You can't ask us for candy, Tim," Ashley said. "You're going trick or treating with us!"

"It was worth a try," Tim said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some small bags filled with candy corn. "Luckily, I got an early start."

Tim is the tallest and skinniest kid in our fifth-grade class. He also loves candy more than anything. No wonder Halloween is his favorite holiday

"VVhere'sSamantha?" I asked Tim.

"Here I am, " cried a cute gray kitty. Samantha Samuels looked great as a cat. She had drawn a black nose and whiskers on her face. Her furry gray hood covered her curly red hair.

She hurried up the walk. "That cat suit is amazing," I told her.

"Thanks," Samantha said. "Mom made it for me." She turned to show me her long gray tail. It was attached to her furry onepiece suit.

Our next-door neighbor, Patty O'Leary, walked into our yard next. She was dressed as a ballerina in a tutu, tights, and a glittery crown.

"Princess Patty?" Samantha groaned. "You didn't tell me she was coming!"

I was surprised to see Patty, too. Ashley and I had asked Patty to come along-just to be polite. But Patty had told us she was going to Brianna Martinez's party. (Ashley and I had really known that all along!)

"I know! I know what you're thinking," Patty said as she walked over. "You thought I wasn't coming. But Brianna and her brother have colds."

"Was the party canceled?" Samantha, asked.

"No," Patty said. "But I'd rather go trick or-treating than bob for apples with a' bunch of runny noses!"

Oh, great, I thought.

Patty began to twirl around. "Don't you. just love my prima ballerina costume?" sheasked. "My father ordered it from a special dance store in New York City!"

Ashley and I rolled our eyes. We don't call Patty "Princess" for nothing! She gets everything she wants.

"It's really nice, Patty," I said. Anything to get her to. stop twirling-she was making me dizzy!

Patty stopped. She stared at Ashley and me. "And you two are ... the Trenchcoat Wins?" She wrinkled her nose. "I don't get it. You are the Trenchcoat Twins!"

I felt Ashley glaring at me. Luckily, Great-grandma Olive's rented minivan pulled up just in time.

"She's here!" I cried, waving.

"Hi, Great-grandma Olive"' Ashley called out.

Great-grandma Olive parked the car in the driveway, opened the door, and stepped out. "Happy Halloween, kids!" she sang out.

Great-grandma Olive's long gray braid was tied with an orange-and-black ribbon. She was wearing jeans and a white sweater with black cats on it. But best of all we're her earrings-dangly jack-o'-lanterns. Perfect for Halloween!

"I just flew in from Arizona and boy, are my arms tired!" Great-grandma Olive joked. She gave us big hugs.

"We missed you, Great-grandma," I said.

Ashley pointed to our friends. "These are our friends, Tim, Samantha, and Patty."

"Trick-or-treat team, ready to march!" Tim said.

Great-grandma Olive looked confused.

"Trick or treat?" she asked. "I'm sorry, kids. But I'm afraid we're not going trick-or-treating this year."

Everyone froze.

"What?" I gasped.

"No trick-or-treating?" Ashley asked. "On Halloween?"