The Crazy Christmas Angel Mystery
Read The Crazy Christmas Angel Mystery Online
Authors: Beverly Lewis
Beverly Lewis Books for Young Readers
P
ICTURE
B
OOKS
Annika's Secret Wish   ⢠  In Jesse's Shoes
Just Like Mama   ⢠  What Is God Like?
What Is Heaven Like?
T
HE
C
UL-DE-SAC
K
IDS
The Double Dabble Surprise
The Chicken Pox Panic
The Crazy Christmas Angel Mystery
No Grown-ups Allowed
Frog Power
The Mystery of Case D. Luc
The Stinky Sneakers Mystery
Pickle Pizza
Mailbox Mania
The Mudhole Mystery
Fiddlesticks
The Crabby Cat Caper
Tarantula Toes
Green Gravy
Backyard Bandit Mystery
Tree House Trouble
The Creepy Sleep-Over
The Great TV Turn-Off
Piggy Party
The Granny Game
Mystery Mutt
Big Bad Beans
The Upside-Down Day
The Midnight Mystery
Katie and Jake and the Haircut Mistake
The Crazy Christmas Angel Mystery
Copyright © 1993 by Beverly Lewis
Bethany House Publishers edition published 1995. Originally published by Star Song Publishing Group under the same title.
Interior illustrations by Barbara Birch
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansâelectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwiseâwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2012
ISBN 978-1-4412-6066-6
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
To
M
ARY
E
RICKSON
Your cheerful heart
and gentle words
make me smile.
CONTENTS
ONE
It was five days before Christmas break.
Eric Hagel shoved his feet into his snow boots. He peeked out his bedroom window. A full moon made the snow twinkle. He shivered thinking about his paper route.
Downstairs, Eric stuffed newspapers into his canvas bag. He wrapped his scarf around his neck and zipped up his fleece jacket. Pushing his earmuffs on, Eric stepped out into the cold morning.
Then he saw itâa moving van parked in front of the empty house next door. Snow was stuck to its huge tires.
Eric peeked around the porch.
What a
giant moving van
, he thought.
There must be a bunch of kids moving in!
Ducking behind the tree in his yard, Eric watched. A man with a long nose and a pointy chin shouted orders to the movers. He waved his cane in the cold air, like someone directing traffic.
Eric dashed through the snow. He slid behind a hedge close to the garage. Now he could see better.
He watched as the man's long coat billowed out like a cape.
“Put the boxes in the living room,” the man said. His voice sounded gruff. And a little scary.
Eric glanced at his watch . . . 6:30. Plenty of time before school started.
The movers carried in a sofa and chair. And beds and lamps and boxes. Eric kept waiting for some kids to show up. Surely the new neighbor didn't live by himself. Surely he had a family . . . or someone.
A gust of wind blew Eric's green scarf across his eyes. He pushed it back quickly.
The old man paced back and forth. Then he stopped. He was staring at the hedge. Could he see Eric hiding behind it?
Quickly, Eric stuffed his scarf inside his coat. He pushed his newspaper bag down. He could feel his heart thumping.
The old man shuffled to the edge of the sidewalk.
Eric shivered.
Then the old man mumbled something, but Eric couldn't understand it.
Maybe he was having a bad day. Moving was like that sometimes.
Eric remembered the day he moved to Blossom Hill Lane. It was no fun. Not till he met the Cul-de-sac Kids. Now, there was no better place on earth!
We stick together, no matter what
, Abby Hunter had always said. And it was true from the first time he met them. The Cul-de-sac Kids were true friends.
Eric decided he would be the one to welcome the new kids. The ones he hoped were moving into the house at the end of Blossom Hill Lane. He would do itâeven if he had to spy a little first.
TWO
Eric watched the old man go inside. He wanted to ask where his family was. But it was time to deliver papers.
Eric got up and brushed the snow off his knees. He crossed the street to Stacy Henry's house. A light was on in the kitchen. Stacy's mother was probably getting her crockpot ready. She worked long hours.
Eric opened the storm door. He tried not to shake the Christmas wreath. Then he put the newspaper inside.
Abby Hunter's house, next door, was dark except for Christmas lights. Around each
window, red, white and green lights flashed on and off. On and off.
Next came Dunkum's house. His real name was Edward Mifflin, but nobody called him that. He was Dunkum, the hottest third grade basketball player around.
Eric opened the storm door. He placed the newspaper inside.
Eric did the same thing at each house. He wanted to keep the papers dry for the customers.
Someone was up early at Dee Dee Winter's house. Probably her dad. Mr. Winters had a long drive to work in the mountains.