CHAPTER ONE
Colin ran along the dark and gloomy corridor of the amusement park, his footsteps echoing in the silence. The boy grabbed a quick, worried look back over his shoulder. Sweat was running down his forehead and cheeks. He saw a big grinning clown and heard his creepy bursts of laughter.
“Let’s play tag,” the spooky clown shouted, “Run!”
“Wait a minute! I’m Colin Miller, special agent in charge of the investigation! I should dust the room for prints,” the boy stopped and yelled at the dazed and confused clown. Colin saw him step back. The clown’s scary face dropped, his brows arched. The boy followed him into the darkness of the windowless corridor. That was a huge mistake. Colin felt his legs pumping in midair. He gave a choked cry; his arms and legs were flailing. The fall seemed to take forever…The boy flinched and woke up from the dream. The room was empty.
“Oh, it’s just a nightmare,” he sighed with relief. He couldn’t think about it for long. The minute his eyes snapped open, he remembered about his birthday. He turned eleven! No time to waste! The boy flung off his covers and ran downstairs. He heard someone banging in the kitchen and ran in to find his mother pulling an apple pie from the oven.
“Happy birthday, Colin! Here’s a gift for you,” she said, and handed him a parcel. It might be spy night googles! Colin could never express how much they meant to him! A broad smile came across his face. The boy thought his heart would break with delight when he tore the paper off the parcel. There was a book inside… His face fell, and he bit his lip.
“Thanks,” he said, trying not to show his disappointment.
“I’ve always wanted you to read Conan Doyle. That was my favorite book when I was eleven. I was so fascinated by Sherlock Holmes and his adventures! Enjoy reading!”
“We’re having a party tonight! You may go to the ice cream parlor and get Vanilla or Butter Pecan,” she winked at him and added, “If I were you, I’d check the shelf above the desk for more presents. Just in case. Sorry, got to dash.”
Colin ran to his bedroom and cried with joy. There were spy night googles on the shelf! He took them and darted out of the house to the nearest ice cream parlor. It was overcrowded. The Egyptian summer was tough. Nobody could survive its devastating heat and baking sun without ice cream. The boy got in line behind a gator in a well-cut suit.
“Without ice cream, there is darkness and chaos in my head! I must eat much ice cream to stay cool. Cool as a cucumber,” said a squeaky voice.
