Hoot the owl had been waiting for his master all these years, just as he’d promised. Now he watched as five puppies burst out of the old manor and raced for the gate. Excited, he flew after them, landing silently on the gate so he could hear what they said. “That was a ghost, dawgs!” B-Dawg exclaimed. “A real off-the-chain ghoul!”

“Maybe we imagined it,” Rosebud said uncertainly. “It was pretty spooky in there.”

“It looked totally real to me, dudette,” Mudbud said. “Was it the Howlloween Hound?”

“I said Howlloween Hound three times into the mirror, dawgs,” B-Dawg reminded the group. “I released the Howlloween Hound! You guys all saw him, too!”

“Whatever it was,” Budderball said with a nervous glance at the house, “we are outta there.”

“Come on, let’s catch up to our kids,” Buddha said. With that, the puppies ran off.

* * *

The kids’ class trip ended at Fernfield Town Hall. The place was decorated for Halloween with spooky cobwebs, carved pumpkins, fake tombstones, flapping rubber bats, and more.

“All right, kids,” Mrs. Carroll said. “That concludes the field trip. Now, I know you’re all excited about trick-or-treating tonight, but let’s not forget that your Fernfield history projects are due Monday.”

Most of the students nodded. But Billy’s eyes went wide. He’d forgotten all about that project!

“Monday?” he asked.

Rodney and Skip laughed.

“What a bonehead!” Rodney jeered.

Mrs. Carroll gave the pair a stern look. “Yes, Billy,” she replied. “It’s been assigned for two weeks. You’ll have all weekend for the finishing touches. What subject did you choose?”

“Uh…” Billy began. Then he said the first thing that came into his head: “The curse of the Howlloween Hound.”

“Certainly a good topic for this time of year,” Mrs. Carroll said. “Class dismissed! I hope to see you all at my house tonight for treats. Happy Halloween!”

As most of the students scurried off, Alice, Bartleby, Pete, and Sam gathered around Billy. He looked anxious.

“Come on,” Alice said, trying to cheer him up. Researching the mystery of the Howlloween Hound would be fun! “If the police were involved, I bet Sheriff Dan knows a thing or two.”

Alice’s friends knew she was probably right, so they went to the town hall and found Sheriff Dan. When they explained that they wanted to know about the Howlloween Hound, the sheriff led them down into the basement.

The basement was dim and dusty. Every inch of it was crammed with old boxes and stacks of files. Billy looked around and spotted a box with a label that read: HALLOWEEN, 1937.

“Good detective work, Billy,” Sheriff Dan said as he pulled out a thick file and handed it to the boy.

“Thanks, Sheriff,” Billy said. Then he noticed something interesting stuck behind the box. It was a long staff with a jewel on the top. “Whoa…that would be awesome for my presentation. Can I borrow it?”

“I suppose it couldn’t hurt. But remember, it’s still police evidence, so I’ll need it back.” Sheriff Dan chuckled. “And don’t go casting any spells. I wouldn’t want to end up a toad!”