CHAPTER ONE

A Summer Job

Summer vacation had just started for Bill and Michelle

Martin, who lived in Portola Point, California. Bill was a tall,
handsome eighteen - year - old boy with brown hair and
blue eyes, and basketball was his sport. This was going to
be a special summer for Bill because he had just graduated
with honors from Portola Point High School and planned to
attend the University of Southern California in Los Angeles -
UCLA - in September. He had always wanted to be a
biologist and UCLA had one of the best biology programs in
the United States.

Michelle Martin, his sister, was a cute girl of seventeen,

with red hair and blue eyes. She was in her senior year at
high school and wanted to become a journalist. She loved
reading and solving mysteries.

Nick Chan, their good friend from Montego Bay, Florida,

had just graduated from high school too. He was a Chinese -
American boy of eighteen and he was a basketball player
too. Nick was an excellent student and had won a
scholarship to study veterinary medicine at Columbia
University in New York City. He was excited about the
scholarship and about moving to New York City.

Our story starts on a hot summer morning in late June.

"Have you checked your email yet?" asked Michelle,

turning on the radio. "There could be a message from Nick."

"I'm not even awake yet," said Bill sleepily. "You do it,
Michelle, and please turn down the radio."
 "Wow, I was right!" said Michelle. "There's a message
from Nick."

"What does he say?" asked Bill, trying to wake up.

"You'll never believe it! He's leaving for New York City in
two days..." said Michelle.

"Did he find an apartment yet?" asked Bill.

"No, listen, he's going to stay with his aunt and uncle
who live there until he finds an apartment. He says they
have a Chinese grocery store in New York's Chinatown."

"That's great!" said Bill, who was finally awake.

"And there's more!" said Michelle. "Come and read..."

Michelle and Bill stood in front of the computer screen

and read the whole message.

...and now the great news! The Columbia University

Student Job Program has two summer jobs at the
International Art and History Museum. There's going to be a
big show that lasts one month - from July 10 to August 10 -
and the museum needs two attendants. Most students are
away on vacation so I accepted the job and thought of you,
Bill. Why don't you come to New York and work at the
museum with me? You can stay at my aunt and uncle's; they
have a big house with three guest rooms and they would
love to have you and Michelle here. This is a great
opportunity to spend some time together and see the Big
Apple. I need your answer by tomorrow morning. I hope it's
YES! You can fly to New York City anytime after the Fourth of
July celebrations.
 Michelle and Bill stared at the screen. They couldn't
believe their eyes - Nick had just invited them to The Big
Apple.

"Breakfast's ready!" said a voice downstairs.

"Let's go and have breakfast... and give mom the

news," said Bill excitedly.

They went downstairs to the kitchen where Mrs Martin,

a friendly woman of about forty - five, was reading the
newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. Bill and Michelle
looked at each other nervously and told her all about Nick's
email and invitation.

"What! New York City! Both of you!" Mrs Martin

exclaimed, dropping the newspaper. "Is this a joke?"

"No, it's not a joke," said Bill, trying to be calm. "Mom,

it's the chance of a lifetime. Jobs aren't easy to find; I can
work and make some money before I start UCLA. I'll need
the extra money when I start buying books. And I can see
New York City."

"And what will Michelle do all day?" asked their mother,

confused. "Well, Nick invited me too," said Michelle, smiling.
"I can be a tourist and maybe I can help in his aunt and
uncle's grocery store."

"Just a minute, guys, we have to talk to your father this

evening."

"But mom, I'm eighteen years old and...," said Bill

nervously.

"I know how old you are, Bill, but we're your parents
and we care about you," said Mrs Martin. Michelle, who was
only seventeen, did not say a word. "I'm going to phone
Nick's mother in Montego Bay and see what she says."

"Nick said he needs an answer by tomorrow," said Bill.

"I know this is exciting and you kids want to go, but
New York is not around the corner. When dad gets home
we'll all discuss it during dinner. You'll have an answer by
tomorrow morning," said Mrs Martin, picking up the phone.

The next morning Michelle and Bill were awake at dawn

and decided to prepare breakfast for the family.

"Do you think mom and dad will let us go?" asked
Michelle, putting the butter and jam on the breakfast table.

"Well, they didn't say 'no' last night at dinner; they said
they would think about it," said Bill, looking at his watch.

"Yeah," said Michelle, "and mom talked to Nick's mother

on the phone for over an hour!"

At about eight o'clock the kitchen door opened and Mr

and Mrs Martin walked in.

"Good morning, kids," they said.

"Now let's sit down and talk," said Mr Martin, sitting

down at the table. "Your mother and I have thought about
Nick's invitation all night long and we've decided that we
trust you. You can go to New York City for a month. We think
this will be a great opportunity for both of you."

"Oh, dad, thanks!" cried Bill and Michelle, hugging him.

"But, wait a moment," said Mr Martin, looking at his son

and daughter kindly, "if there are any problems when you're
there, we want to know about them. Is that clear?"

"We promise!" they said laughing.

"We'll call every day... well, almost every day!" said

Michelle.

"You kids are lucky because your dad works for an

airline and you can fly almost free," said Mrs Martin. "Dad
will book seats for you today."

Michelle and Bill jumped up from their chairs saying,

"We're going to email Nick with the great news!"

"I'm going to call Pam and we can go shopping

together," said Michelle. "I need some new clothes for the
trip."

"You don't need new clothes to go to New York," said

Bill. "The people in New York have never seen your old
clothes! Besides, there are shops in the Big Apple too, you
know."

"Silly!" said Michelle. "Boys will never understand."

Mrs Martin looked at her husband and said, "We'll miss

them, won't we?"
  

CHAPTER TWO

The Big Apple

"We'll be landing at JFK International Airport in twenty

minutes," said the captain of the plane. "Thank you for
flying with us."

Nick and his aunt and uncle met Michelle and Bill at the
airport.

"Nick! Great to see you!" said Bill happily.

"You're even taller than last summer, Nick," said

Michelle laughing.

"You guys look super!" said Nick excitedly. "Bill, Michelle

I'd like you to meet my aunt and uncle - Marian and Kevin
Chan." They were a friendly - looking Chinese - American
couple of about fifty.

"Happy to meet you!" said Bill and Michelle.

"Thanks for inviting us to stay with you," said Michelle.

"It's very kind of you."

"Oh, we've heard so much about you," said Marian. "It's

a pleasure to have you here."

"And now you're probably hungry," said Kevin. "How

about a big Chinese dinner at our house?"

"Sounds great," said Bill. "But first let's call mom and
dad and tell them we've arrived."
 The three friends had so many things to tell each other
that they did not get to bed until late.

The next day Michelle decided to unpack and visit

Chinatown and Little Italy, while Nick and Bill went to the
Student Job Office at Columbia University. They met with
Professor Stefan Morescu, who taught East European History
at the university and was in charge of the big show at the
museum. Professor Morescu was a tall, thin man of about
fifty with pale skin, long grey hair and small glasses; he
rarely smiled or laughed. He was born in Eastern Europe and
was a famous professor and author.

"Please sit down, Nick, Bill," said Professor Morescu,

sitting behind an old wooden desk in a dark office with maps
of Eastern Europe on the walls. "Let me tell you about your
job at the International Art and History Museum. You'll both
work as museum attendants and wear the blue museum
uniforms and name badges. You have to collect tickets,
watch the visitors at the show and make sure that no one
touches anything. Your job is important because this show is
very special: EAST EUROPEAN CULTURE AND JEWELS OF THE
15th AND 16th CENTURIES. It's the first of its kind on the
Atlantic Coast. I personally organized it and it took me years
of research. I know it'll be a success. Part of the show is
dedicated to the great fifteenth - century Prince of
Wallachia, Vlad Tepes. The most important jewel of the show
is the Vampire's Tear, which is a huge diamond of great
value shaped like a tear. People from all over the country
will come to see it because of its beauty and tragic history."
His dark eyes shone with pride.

"The Vampire's Tear! What a strange name," said Bill

softly. Professor Morescu seemed bothered by Bill's
comment and looked at him with his deep, dark eyes.
"Strange? Why?"
 "Well, professor," said Bill nervously, "the word vampire
makes me think of... Dracula, and Bram Stoker's book. I
know it's only fiction, but..."

Professor Morescu was silent for a moment and touched

the old wooden desk with his long, thin fingers. "Only
fiction? Young man you have a lot to learn about the history
of Eastern Europe. Remember, Vlad Tepes's other name was
Vlad Dracula."

Bill and Nick were embarrassed and didn't say anything

more. "What do you know about Vlad Dracula and about
vampires?" asked Professor Morescu, staring at the two boys
with his dark eyes.

"Well, sir, not much," said Nick.

"Vampires are often called 'the living dead' because

after they die they continue living at night by feeding on
human blood. Vampires can live for centuries if they
continue drinking human blood and sleeping in their native
earth."

Bill and Nick suddenly felt cold and looked at each

other. Then Nick said, "Now we understand, sir."

"Good! The show opens on Saturday evening, the day

after tomorrow, for a special group of people. There will be a
reception with a lot of important guests, journalists and
some of New York's leading jewelers. Please be at the
reception on time, wearing your uniforms. Museum hours
are 10 am to 6 pm. Tuesday is your free day because the
museum is closed. On Wednesday the show remains open
until 10 pm. Any questions?" He paused and then said,
"Good day, boys."
 Bill and Nick left the university building and walked
around the campus.

"What do you think of Professor Morescu?" asked Nick.

"Gee, he's kind of weird, isn't he?" said Bill, looking at

Nick. "And not very friendly."

"Exactly!" said Nick, "Did you notice how dark it was in

his office? All the curtains were pulled even though it's a
beautiful sunny day."

"He must like the dark," said Bill. "That's why his skin is
so pale. What do his students say about him?"

"Well, they say he's brilliant, very strict and always

wears black, old - fashioned suits," said Nick. "He's written
several important books on East European history. His
English is perfect, but you can still hear a bit of a foreign
accent."

The two friends looked at each and started laughing.

They called Michelle and told her to take a cab and meet
them at Carnegie's Deli in Manhattan for lunch. Nick knew
Manhattan because he had spent several summers there
with his aunt and uncle.

"Sorry I'm late," said Michelle, getting out of the cab.

"I've never seen such traffic."

"Don't worry; you'll get used to it," said Nick. "Today

we're going to eat the world's biggest and best sandwiches.
There are a lot of delicatessens in New York City but
Carnegie's is world famous. Wait until you see their
sandwiches - and taste their delicious cheesecake!"
 "This place is amazing, and so is the menu," said
Michelle, after finding a seat in the crowded deli.

"I know; it takes almost an hour to read it," said Bill.

They ordered huge pastrami sandwiches and could

hardly finish the cheesecake.

"By the way," said Michelle, "Pam said to say hello to

you, Nick. She often asks about you."

"Really?" said Nick, happily. "We chat online and text

message each other. She said she might even come to visit
one day."

"How's your dog, Rover?" asked Bill.

"He's fine - as playful as ever, and with a big appetite!"

said Nick. "How about a walk through Central Park? It's not
far from here."

They got up from their table and walked towards the

door of the deli.

"I've always wanted to see Central Park," said Michelle.

"Central Park is huge, but we can see part of it today,"

said Nick. "There are free concerts in the park during the
summer and you can ride a horse there too. Did you know
that the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim
Museum are on the Fifth Avenue side of Central Park? And
the American Museum of Natural History is on the other side
of the park."

"There are so many famous museums close together,"

said Michelle.
 "That's why the area is called Museum Mile," said Nick.

After a long walk in the beautiful park Nick said, "The

Empire State Building is just a few minutes away on Fifth
Avenue. Would you like to go and see it?"

"The Empire State... it's the city's tallest building, isn't

it?" said Bill.

"Yes, it is," answered Nick.

"Can we go to the top?" asked Michelle.

"Sure!" said Nick. "All the way to the 102nd floor, where
you can get a spectacular view of the city, especially on a
clear day like this."

Once they got to the observation deck on the 102nd

floor the three of them were amazed and Michelle couldn't
stop taking pictures.

"I've never seen so many skyscrapers all together!"

said Michelle enthusiastically.

"This city's wonderful; there's so much to see and do,"

said Bill. "And you're the lucky one, Michelle, because you
can go and visit all these places while Nick and I work'."

"I'll take pictures of what I see and show you," said

Michelle smiling.

"That's not funny," said Bill, as they were taking the

elevator down.
 

CHAPTER THREE

Opening Night

The International Art and History Museum was a

beautiful early 19th - century building with three floors near
Central Park. On Saturday evening the big wooden doors on
the third floor of the museum opened for the reception.
Over fifty important guests, all fashionably dressed, were
present, and waiters moved about offering them drinks and
things to eat. Smetana's beautiful music filled the air. Nick,
Bill and four security guards stood near the entrance and
exit.

"I've never seen such an elegant reception," whispered

Bill, looking at all the guests.

"Some of the city's most important people are here

tonight," whispered Nick.

At eight o'clock Professor Morescu, who was still

wearing his old - fashioned black suit, white shirt and black
tie, began speaking to the group of people in the entrance
hall.

"Good evening everyone, and welcome to the East

European Art and Jewels Show. This evening you'll have the
opportunity to see rare artifacts and jewels from a part of
the world which is often forgotten. If you follow me I'll give
you a guided tour of the show." He moved to the first room
and the guests followed him.

"Professor Morescu, I'm Nancy Wilson the

photographer, and I'll be taking pictures of the show for a
newspaper," said a young woman of about thirty with short
blonde hair and glasses. "I hope you don't mind."

"You're welcome to do so, Miss Wilson; we want to

advertise the show as much as possible," said Morescu.
"The first part is called 'Art and Weapons' because as you
can see there are old paintings, sculptures, artifacts, maps
and all kinds of medieval weapons that were used during
the many wars of the 15th and 16th centuries. This painting
of Vlad Tepes is of great historical value and importance. He
was a famous prince and warrior of Wallachia, and also a
loving husband. Here you can admire his family tree." He
stopped for a moment and admired the painting with tears
in his eyes, and everyone was quite surprised.

"I thought Vlad Tepes was some kind of cruel prince and
a vampire...," whispered Bill.

"I know... shhh, Morescu could hear us," whispered

Nick.

"Now let's move to the second room and the next part
of the show, 'Transylvania, Land of Vampires'. Here you can
see historical maps of the area and read about the vampires
of the past."

A young woman interrupted Morescu and said,

"Vampires are just a legend, a folktale, aren't they?"

"A legend? A folktale?" asked Morescu in a low voice.

"Please remember, madam, that legends and folktales have
elements of truth in them."

"You mean vampires... existed or exist today?" asked

the young woman, whose face had become as pale as
Morescu's.
 "There are many unsolved mysteries in the world, and
vampires are one of them. Now let's move on."

The guests followed him but felt rather uneasy.

"In the center of this room you can see a very old oak
coffin from the late fifteenth century. It belonged to a
vampire who was beheaded and inside there is still some
earth from Transylvania. Vampires need to sleep in their
native earth in order to keep their powers. We ask visitors
not to open the coffin and not to touch the earth."

"Who would want to open that coffin?" whispered a

man to his wife.

"Not me!" she whispered.

"Here we have an original wooden stake that was used

in the sixteenth century to kill vampires," said Morescu
pointing to the stake. "As you can see it has a sharp point
that was driven into the vampire's heart. This is a painting
of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, a suspected vampire of the
1600s. The paintings and photographs on the wall show you
the different kinds of bats, wolves and other wild animals
that live in Transylvania. And here is an early 1900s copy of
Bram Stoker's novel Dracula translated into Romanian."

"The show is interesting but it's kind of... disturbing,"

whispered Nick to Bill.

"Now please follow me to the third part of the show,

'East European Jewels', where you will see a priceless
object: the Vampire's Tear. It is a loan from an East European
museum." Morescu's voice shook as he mentioned the name
of the 66.6 - carat diamond. "It used to belong to Vlad
Tepes' wife Kriza in the 15th century; she wore it around her
beautiful neck during important occasions. After her tragic
death in 1462, Vlad cried rivers of tears because he loved
her very much, and that is why the diamond is called the
Vampire's Tear. Nowhere in the world is there such a perfect
diamond, shaped like a tear - notice its pale pink color."

The precious diamond sat in a small wooden box lined

with white silk on top of a small glass table in the middle of
the third room. No one could get too close to it because
there was a brass chain all around it. It was very beautiful
and impressive.

A short, bald man of about forty who was elegantly

dressed said, "All my life I've wanted to see this splendid
jewel."

"Ah, it's you, Mr Simms," said Morescu. "Ladies and

gentlemen, let me introduce you to Samuel Simms, New
York's most important jeweler: he has a luxury store on Fifth
Avenue." Samuel Simms smiled nervously at the guests and
continued staring at the Vampire's Tear.

Then he suddenly said, "But it's not in a glass case - it's

not protected. Someone could steal it!"

"Steal it? Oh no," said Morescu very seriously, "the

museum has a modern infrared alarm and video cam
system that operates twenty - four hours a day. It's
impossible to steal it. Besides, the beauty of the diamond
can't be fully admired under a glass case."

"Oh, I understand," said Simms, rather confused.

"Of course our collection has other precious jewels from

Eastern Europe: earrings, bracelets, necklaces with
diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires and white and black
pearls, as you can see." Morescu continued talking about
the show for a while and then the guests were free to walk
around, talk, drink and eat until the reception was over.

When the last guests had left the show an old man and
an old woman wearing long dark grey jackets and black
trousers walked in and spoke to Professor Morescu. They
were both short, thin, had little white hair and pale, wrinkled
skin; they looked poor and hungry.

Professor Morescu seemed to know them because at

first they spoke in a foreign language. Then as Bill and Nick
walked towards them they started speaking English.

"Bill, Nick," said Morescu, "I want you to meet Victor

and his wife, Daniza. They are the cleaners who will come in
the evening when the museum closes. They are new to New
York and speak little English."

"Good evening," said Victor, with a strong, deep voice.

His wife just nodded her head and looked at her black
shoes. On the fourth finger of her left hand she wore a
strange gold ring shaped like a serpent.

"Hello - glad to meet you," said Bill and Nick, trying to

be friendly.

"Well, you boys can go home now," said Morescu.

"Remember, tomorrow morning the show opens at ten, so
be here on time."

"Alright, professor, good evening," said Bill.

"Good evening, professor," said Nick.

Once outside the museum Nick asked, "Did you get a

chance to eat or drink something during the reception?"
 "No, I'm starved," said Bill. "And everything looked so
good, too."

"Let's hurry back home and attack the refrigerator!"

said Nick, and they started running to the subway station to
catch the train back to Chinatown.
 

CHAPTER FOUR

It's Gone!

The next two weeks were busy ones for Bill and Nick,
and Michelle was having a great time visiting New York City.

One Sunday she and Marian had coffee and donuts at

Dunkin' Donuts, America's biggest coffee and donuts chain.
Then they took the ferry boat to Liberty Island to see the
Statue of Liberty. From the ferry boat they enjoyed a
wonderful view of the New York skyline. Another day she
visited Wall Street and the financial center. Then she spent
one entire day inside Macy's, the world's biggest
department store, and walked out with three huge shopping
bags - she loved every minute of it.

Professor Morescu's show was a success and he was

extremely pleased. Crowds of people visited the museum
and Bill and Nick had plenty to do. They made friends with
the two security guards, Phil and Max, who took turns
working day and night. Phil was a tall man of about fifty who
always laughed and told jokes. Bill and Nick liked him a lot.
Max was a Hispano - American of about forty who often
brought his wife's homemade cookies for the others to eat.

The newspapers wrote excellent articles about the

show and a local television station filmed parts of it. A
museum in California invited Professor Morescu to take his
show there. Samuel Simms became a regular visitor
because he wanted to admire the Vampire's Tear, and he
often brought friends and clients with him.
 Then suddenly something unexpected happened. One
Friday morning when the daytime security guard Max
opened the museum door, as he always did at half past
nine, there was a terrible, loud cry.

"Oh, no!"

Bill and Nick were coming up the stairs when they

heard the cry and started running to see what was
happening.

"Come over here, fast!" cried Max, "I'm in the third

room."

Bill and Nick ran to Max, who was kneeling next to the
other security guard, Phil.

"He... he's dead!" cried Max, his voice breaking. "One of

my best friends... oh, Phil!"

"What!" cried Bill, staring at Phil's body lying on the

floor. He felt cold and his legs were weak.

"Are you sure, Max?" asked Nick nervously, as his heart

beat wildly.

"He's cold and his face is so white," said Max, his voice
shaking. "We have to call the police."

He took out his cell phone and called 911.

"Let's close the museum door and put up a sign -

people are going to start coming soon," said Nick.

"Nick! Max! The... the Vampire's Tear... it's gone!" cried

Bill, staring at the empty wooden box.
 "No! Someone stole it ...and killed Phil," said Max, his
dark eyes filled with anger. "We've got to call the Professor."

Everything happened so quickly - like in a terrible

nightmare - someone had killed Phil and stolen the precious
Vampire's Tear. Professor Morescu was extremely upset
when he heard of the murder and the theft of the diamond;
he could barely speak when he got to the museum.

By mid - morning four New York policemen and a

detective were already investigating the scene of the
horrible crime.

A tall African - American in a dark blue suit walked in

and said, "Professor, my name is Detective Bradley Ellis, I'll
be working on this case along with the New York City Police.
My men will spend the morning looking for fingerprints and
other clues that could help us with this case. I need to ask
you and the others a few questions. Are you alright, sir?"

"Ah... yes, thank you," said Morescu, who was paler

than usual.

"Please have a seat," said Detective Ellis. "Does the

third floor of the museum have an alarm system?"

"Of course it does, and a very modern one too," said

Morescu. "It's an infrared alarm connected to a video cam
system."

"Hmm, the museum alarm never went off. I'll have to

take a look at the video tape," said Detective Ellis. "My men
checked the windows and the doors - no one forced them.
There are two tiny round windows near the high ceiling,
typical decorations of early 19th - century architecture. I
can't understand how the thief got in, killed the security
guard, stole the diamond and got out with such a modern
alarm system." He paused for a moment and looked at
Morescu. "And the strange thing about the murder is that
we don't even know how he was killed."

"What do you mean?" asked Morescu, who was

disturbed by this fact.

"There are no signs of violence on his body," said

Detective Ellis. "We'll know more after the autopsy. Who else
was here after closing time?"

"The cleaners - Victor and Daniza - and of course the

security guard. The cleaners aren't here now; they come in
the evening when the museum is closed."

"What time do they get here and what time do they

leave?" asked Detective Ellis.

"There is one security guard during the day and one at

night. The cleaners get here about nine in the evening and
leave before midnight," said Morescu, "except for
Wednesdays when the museum is open until 10 pm.

"Do you know the cleaners?" said Ellis.

"Yes, they're very good, simple people; they come from

my hometown in Eastern Europe," said Morescu. "I trust
them completely. They live near Central Park, at the home
of a cousin who works in New York."

"I'll have to talk to them too," said Ellis. "I need their
address and phone number. And I'd like a list of all the
guests at the reception on the opening night." He then
talked to Max, Bill and Nick who told him what they had
seen that morning.
 In the early afternoon Detective Ellis and his men
finished their work and were ready to leave.

"Keep the museum closed for today; my men are

coming back later to check a few things," said Ellis.

"This is terrible," said Morescu nervously. "When can

the museum open? This is an important show; it's
advertised everywhere! And it won't be the same without
the Vampire's Tear."

"You can open tomorrow morning, but I'll need to talk to

you again," said Detective Ellis, who gave his calling card to
everyone. "Here's my card. Call me if you have any
information or if you need me."

Professor Morescu sat in a chair and stared at the

painting of Vlad Tepes, whispering some strange foreign
words to himself. Then he looked at Bill, Nick and Max and
said, "Max, you and the boys can go now. We'll reopen
tomorrow morning." He put his thin hands in his long grey
hair and continued staring at the painting.

Bill and Nick slowly walked out of the building - it was a

hot summer day in Manhattan. They were both very upset
about what had just happened.

"Poor Phil - I can't believe he's... dead," said Nick sadly.

"He was such a nice guy, always ready to joke and laugh
about things."

"And we don't even know how he died," said Bill.

"Detective Ellis said there were no signs of violence on his
body."

"He said we'll know more after the autopsy," said Nick
quietly. "Well, let's go home and tell everybody what
happened."

That evening Nick, Bill, Michelle and Marian and Kevin

Chan sat around the big dinner table. At first they were
shocked and silent, but then they couldn't stop talking about
the awful event.

"Have you called your parents and told them yet?"

asked Kevin.

"Gee, I forgot," said Bill. "I'll call them after dinner."

When it was time to clean up, Michelle said, "Bill, Nick

and I can do the dishes tonight. Dinner was great, thanks!"
The three friends went to the kitchen while Marian and
Kevin turned on the TV in the living room to hear the latest
news about the murder and theft at the museum.

"Guess what?" said Michelle, who was putting the

dinner plates into the sink.

"What?" asked Bill and Nick.

"I think we have a case to solve!" she said.

"Oh, no!" cried Bill and Nick. "Not again!"

"Michelle," said Bill, "you don't know what you're

saying. This is not Montego Bay or Coyote Canyon - this is
New York City! And we're not detectives! Nick and I are busy
working all day."

"Yeah, but I don't work - I'm free!" said Michelle. "Come

on, let's talk about it, at least."

"She's right, Bill," said Nick, turning on the hot water

and putting detergent into the sink. "We can talk about it -
after all, we already have experience solving cases."

"Experience!" Bill laughed. "This case is different, we

don't even know the people involved. In Montego Bay we
knew Mr O'Nell and in Coyote Canyon we knew Pam and her
uncle, but here..."

"Well, we knew poor Phil - he was a friend," said Nick.

"We worked together and he was a great guy. And besides,
this is a weird case - it's a challenge. Something about
Professor Morescu is strange; it's hard to put it into words.
It's a feeling I get when I'm around him. And the cleaners,
Victor and Daniza, remind me of people out of the past."

"You're right, Nick, Phil was a friend," said Bill sadly.

"And there is something weird about the professor, the
cleaners and the whole show. Maybe it's because of the...
vampires and that old coffin with the earth inside."

"Vampires? Coffin? Tell me more," said Michelle

excitedly. As Bill and Nick washed the dishes and Michelle
dried them, they talked about the reception, the show, the
exhibits, Professor Morescu and Victor and Daniza. Bill
mentioned Samuel Simms, the jeweler who was very
interested in the diamond and had asked about the alarm
system.

"Samuel Simms?" said Michelle surprised. "I saw his

luxury shop on Fifth Avenue the other day; he has the kind
of clients who would love a diamond like the Vampire's
Tear."

"Are you saying that Simms stole it?" said Nick

surprised.

"No, I'm not saying that," said Michelle, "but he's a

jeweler and jewelers like Simms deal with expensive jewels.
Do you know what statistics say?"

"Please don't tell us - we already know: most jewel

thefts are committed by experts in the field like jewelers,"
said Bill, looking at his sister and grinning.

"It's a mystery how the thief or thieves entered the

museum in the first place," said Nick. "Remember, the
burglar alarm did not ring and Detective Ellis is checking the
video tape. Maybe Victor and Daniza let them in! They're
the only ones who were there that night, except for Phil.
Detective Ellis said he wanted to talk to them; but the
cleaners are only there until around midnight, then they
leave. We don't know what time Phil was killed - the police
will know only after the autopsy."

"We need to find out the time Phil was killed," said
Michelle, as she put the last plates into the cupboard.
"That's an important clue."

"We can ask Professor Morescu tomorrow," said Nick.

"Hopefully he'll tell us."

Suddenly Bill looked at his watch and said, "Gosh, it's

late and we haven't called mom and dad yet." He quickly
took his cell phone and started calling - he had a lot to tell
them.
 

CHAPTER FIVE

Midnight of Central Park

The next day Bill and Nick got up early. On their way to
work they saw the newspaper headline:

MYSTERIOUS MURDER AND THEFT AT MANHATTAN

MUSEUM!

Everyone on the subway was reading about it and Bill

and Nick felt excited because they planned to investigate it.

The museum opened on time and there were crowds of

people waiting to buy tickets. Some of them were interested
in the show but most were just curious about what had
happened the day before. After the theft, Bill and Nick were
twice as busy, watching all the visitors. Detective Ellis came
by that afternoon to talk to Professor Morescu about the
autopsy result, which Bill overheard: Phil died of a heart
attack at about midnight - something or someone scared
him to death. Detective Ellis said he watched the video tape
twice but did not see anything unusual on it.

"You know, professor," said Detective Ellis, "the video

cam moves back and forth all the time so it could miss
something. At first I saw Phil standing by the door and he
seemed fine. A little while later I saw his body on the floor
and the diamond was missing. What did he see that scared
him so badly?"

"I don't know, Detective Ellis," said Morescu, avoiding

the detective's eyes.
 "How long have you known Samuel Simms, the
jeweler?" asked Ellis.

"Many years," said Morescu. "He comes from an

important New York family and has made several generous
donations to the university. Will you ever find the Vampire's
Tear, Detective?"

"Whoever stole the diamond is going to have a hard

time selling it here in the United States and Europe. I've
advised Interpol about it," said Ellis.

That afternoon Michelle came to visit the show for the

first time. Bill and Nick were surprised to see her.

"Hi, guys!" she said. "I thought a little East European

culture would be interesting on this hot afternoon. And
guess what? I just bought three tickets to tonight's concert
at Madison Square Garden."

"You mean the 'Rock Revolution' concert?" asked Nick,

excitedly. "You found tickets? Nearly impossible!"

"Exactly right!" said Michelle, her blue eyes shining

proudly. "Now I'm going to take a look at the show and then
I'm going home to get ready for the concert. I want to wear
my new black jeans and a super rock T - shirt I just bought.
We have to get there early. I'll meet you and Bill after work
outside the museum."

"Great!" said Nick. "Oh, no, Morescu is looking at us - I

can't talk - bye!"

Michelle enjoyed looking at the show and carefully

examined the museum; she was looking for clues to the
case they wanted to solve. As she approached the old oak
coffin she felt nervous and her face was hot. She stopped
and looked at it for a while, but did not want to go near it.
Other visitors looked at it from a distance and moved on.
But she stood there and stared at it. Then she suddenly felt
her feet moving towards it. When she was standing next to
it she felt something under her shoes - it was a bit of earth
on the floor next to the coffin. She remembered what Bill
and Nick had told her about the contents of the coffin and
she suddenly felt cold, very cold. She moved backwards and
left the room and the museum in a hurry.

The three friends met in front of the museum at closing

time and Michelle immediately told them about the earth on
the floor next to the coffin.

"There was very little earth, but it was there - I could

feel it under my shoes," she said nervously.

"But what does that mean?" asked Bill. "Did someone

open it and touch the earth?"

"Who wants to open a coffin - a vampire's coffin? No

one!" said Nick. 'It's a mystery like the rest of this case."

On their way to the deli for a sandwich before the rock

concert they walked through Central Park and talked about
the exact time of Phil's death and the video tape.

"I'm amazed that the video tape showed nothing," said

Michelle. "However, the fact that Phil died around midnight
makes me suspect the two cleaners - they're involved, I feel
it."

"But then why doesn't the video show anything?" asked

Bill. "Remember, the video cam moves around - it can miss
things." insisted Michelle.
 "Yes, but Phil wasn't killed, he died of heart failure,"
said Bill. "What could Victor and Daniza have done to scare
Phil so badly? And what would they do with the diamond?
Did you see the clothes they wear? Those two old people
are harmless. Come on, Michelle, your imagination is going
wild."

"Well, Victor and Daniza could sell the diamond to

Simms - or maybe Simms paid them to steal it!" exclaimed
Michelle. "Remember, Simms has plenty of very rich clients
who would love to wear the Vampire's Tear. All he has to do
is wait a while until people have forgotten about the theft
and then he can sell it. We have to find out more about the
cleaners."

"Your sister isn't wrong, Bill," said Nick. "Remember, the

alarm didn't ring, so someone probably let the thief or
thieves in. When poor Phil saw what was happening he tried
to stop them but he saw something or someone that was so
scary that his heart stopped and he died. Now this is what I
don't understand! What could have possibly scared him like
that?"

"I agree," said Michelle. "I've got a plan. Let's wait a few
days so that the cleaners won't get suspicious. What about
next Wednesday night when the museum is open until late?
We can wait until they leave the museum at about midnight
and follow them home. You said they live near Central Park -
that's not far from the museum. We can find out where they
live, and since I'm free all day long, I can keep an eye on
them and their house during the daytime and see what they
do and who they meet."

"Sounds like a good idea," said Nick, who was excited

about this new adventure. "What do you think, Bill?"
 "The subway runs all night, so we can do it," said Bill.
"I'm glad mom and dad don't know about our plan. I don't
think they would approve."

"Let's go to 'Rock Revolution', it's getting late," said

Michelle. "There are three bands playing tonight - it'll be a
cool concert!" Wednesday finally arrived and Michelle spent
the day helping Marian and Kevin in the grocery store
because their usual clerk was ill. At first she had trouble
remembering where everything was, but after a while she
did a good job. The only clients she couldn't help were the
ones who spoke Chinese! After dinner she took the subway
to the museum and waited for closing time. When she met
Bill and Nick, they were hot, hungry and tired.

"Hi, Michelle!" said Bill and Nick.

"Why don't we go for ice - cream at Baskin - Robbins?"

said Bill. "It's only two blocks away."

"There's a super ice - cream parlor just half a block

from the museum," said Michelle, pointing down the street.
"We can have ice - cream and wait until the cleaners finish
at about midnight."

"Let's go for it," said Bill. "Ahh - a cold, creamy cone!"

"Approved!" said Nick, laughing.

They walked into to The Iceberg Parlor and looked at

the big, colorful sign on the wall that said:

Our Sizes: Like It, Love It, Cotta Have It 100 flavors!

"One hundred flavors!" said Nick.

"That's right," said one of the clerks smiling.

 "I'll have the biggest: chocolate and macadamia nut,
please," said Nick.

"That's the Gotta Have It." said the clerk.

"Me too, same flavors," said Bill.

"I'll have a Like It, white chocolate and cherry cream,

please," said Michelle. Then she looked at the boys and said,
"My new black jeans have to fit me!"

Bill kept an eye on his watch and just before midnight

he saw Victor and Daniza quickly walking by. They were
wearing the same clothes as they always wore.

The three friends got up from their table and quietly

followed them at a distance. The old couple did not notice
that someone was following them. Suddenly the two
cleaners crossed the street and entered Central Park at East
65th Street. The three friends followed them into the park.

"I didn't know the park was still open," whispered

Michelle.

"It closes at one in the morning," whispered Nick.

"They're probably crossing it to get home; you said they live
near the park, didn't you?"

"Yeah," said Michelle.

Suddenly they saw a dark figure coming along a path. It

was Professor Morescu, who, although it was a hot night,
was wearing a long black overcoat. He immediately saw Bill
and Nick and seemed embarrassed.

"Good evening, Professor Morescu," said Nick trying to

be calm.
 "What are you doing in the park at this time?" he said,
nervously. "It's past midnight. You young people should be
home and in bed."

"Good evening, Professor," said Bill. "It's a hot night

and... uh, we wanted to take a walk in the park."

"You shouldn't be out at this time," he said coldly. "Well,

good night." He quickly walked away.

By this time Victor and Daniza had disappeared into the

park and it was impossible to find them.

"Why did we have to meet Professor Morescu?" said

Nick. "We lost our chance to follow Victor and Daniza."

"I'm really angry," said Michelle. "He ruined our plan.

But did you notice one thing?"

"No, what?" said Bill.

"Maybe it was the dim light, but his lips looked... red,"
said Michelle.

"Really?" said Nick. "Probably the light. I don't think he

wears lipstick!"

The three friends laughed.

"Hey, guys," said Bill. "Let's catch the subway and go

home - we have to get up early tomorrow morning."

When they were on the train Michelle thought, "I

wonder what he was doing in Central Park at that time,
wearing that long black overcoat on such a hot night?"
 

CHAPTER SIX

Vampire Scare

On Friday, two days after the three friends' night at

Central Park, New Yorkers woke up to this terrifying
newspaper headline:

VAMPIRE SCARE IN MANHATTAN!

The Voice of New York wrote:

For the first time in the history of this city we have a

vampire scare on our hands. Early Thursday morning, John
Beacon, a homeless man of 39, was found dead in Central
Park. Rumors said he was the victim of a vampire attack.
Two teeth marks were found on his neck and the vampire
had drunk half the blood in his body, causing his death.

Last week the body of a woman was found in the

Hudson River, but no one thought of a vampire attack
because the body had been in the river for many days and it
was almost impossible to check for teeth marks on her neck.
Police are now checking other suspicious deaths of
homeless people in the Central Park area.

The Chief of Police, Timothy O'Leary, asks all homeless

people to sleep in the city shelters at night, and not out in
the open. He also advises citizens not to walk along quiet
streets at night. New Yorkers are hardly ever afraid of
anything, but this time they were terrified by the news. Late
- night restaurants and theaters in the Broadway area were
empty. People did not want to be out after dark. The show at
the museum attracted even bigger crowds that wanted to
learn more about vampires. Professor Morescu was not
present at the show that day.

Michelle, Bill and Nick met at The Iceberg in the

evening with five copies of different local papers that talked
about the vampire scare. One paper had this headline:

DRACULA IS BACK!

"What in the world is happening?" asked Michelle,

putting her spoon into her ice-cream sundae. "Vampires in
New York City - and I just know they're connected with the
show."

"No one has ever heard of vampires in this city before

the show," said Nick.

"But who is the vampire?" asked Bill. "Is that what Phil
saw that scared him to death?"

"How is the theft of the diamond connected with

vampires?" asked Michelle.

"This case is so confusing, because nothing makes

sense!" said Bill nervously.

"We've got a dead security guard, a weird show, a

strange professor, two mysterious cleaners, a vampire's
coffin, a missing diamond, and two vampire murders...," said
Nick, who looked quite confused.

"What about the vampire murder in Central Park?" said

Michelle excitedly. "We saw Professor Morescu in Central
Park on Wednesday night - that's when and where the
homeless man was killed! Remember, I said his lips looked
red that night. Could the professor be..."
 "Oh, Michelle, please - he's a bit weird but he's a
respected professor at Columbia University - I don't think
he's a... vampire," said Nick. "He's been teaching there for
over twenty years."

"But we saw him in Central Park that night," Michelle

insisted.

"Just to make things more confusing, you guys forgot

Mr Simms, the jeweler," said Nick, laughing.

"You know," said Bill thoughtfully, "we should use the

scientific approach to this case."

"What do you mean?" asked Nick.

"Well, we don't know much about vampires," said Bill.

"If we had more information about them we would
understand what's happening and why."

"You're right, Bill," said Nick, "we're trying to play a

game without knowing the rules. We need facts."

"Exactly," said Michelle. "I'll do the research and get

the facts - I've got plenty of free time."

The next day Michelle was on her way to the New York
City Public Library on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street when
she saw Detective Ellis and two policemen walking into
Simms's Jewelers.

"I wonder what Detective Ellis and the police are doing
at Simms's?" she thought. "Ellis probably suspects him."

Michelle was not wrong because Samuel Simms was

one of Ellis's first suspects, and he had asked Simms not to
leave the city. That day he had a search warrant to search
the luxurious jewelery shop.

It was a hot evening when Bill and Nick met Michelle in

Central Park after work. Bill and Nick lay down on the cool
green grass and Michelle sat between them.

"I've got a lot of information on vampires for you

today," said Michelle proudly.

"Great - tell us!" said Bill and Nick, looking up at the

early evening sky.

"Well, first of all, they're often called the undead or

living dead, because a vampire is a dead body that feeds on
living people. The vampire's victims usually die and then
become vampires themselves. You can't see vampires in a
mirror and they don't have a shadow. They sleep during the
day and go out after sunset to find their favorite food: blood.
They can change their form and become bats, wolves or
rats. And the only way to kill them is by driving a wooden
stake through their hearts, by beheading them or by burning
them."

"Ugh," said Nick. "There's an old wooden stake at the

museum."

"Well, who fits the description of a vampire?" asked

Michelle. Bill and Nick were silent. "Who works at night and
is never seen in the daytime?"

"Victor and Daniza!" said Nick. "But that's not much."

"No, it's not; they're old but they don't look like
vampires," said Bill, who was disappointed. "I mean they
don't look like bats, or rats... or wolves."
 "They don't have to change their shape to be
vampires," Michelle insisted.

"And if they're really vampires what would they do with

a diamond?" said Nick. "Vampires don't need diamonds or
money - they need blood!"

"That's just it!" exclaimed Michelle. "They need blood.

Who killed the homeless man in Central Park and the
woman found in the Hudson River? And maybe others.
Professor Morescu said Victor and Daniza came from Eastern
Europe; that's where the whole story of vampires started
long ago."

"But what in the world are they doing here in New York
City?" asked Bill. "Now I'm really confused."

"Listen," said Michelle, "first let's find out who Victor

and Daniza really are. Next Wednesday is the last day of the
show and it closes at 10 pm. Will Max be on duty that
night?"

"Yeah, he said he wants to work the last night," said

Nick.

"Great! Max will understand our plan and help us," said
Michelle enthusiastically, "because he was Phil's friend. Now
listen, you can hide inside the museum and wait until Victor
and Daniza come to clean. Then take a good look at them
and see what they do on the last day."

"I just hope they won't do something that will scare us

both to death - like poor Phil," said Bill.

The three friends looked at each other sadly and did

not say another word.
 

CHAPTER SEVEN

A Cloud of Dust

On the last day of the show there were more visitors

than usual. 'Transylvania, Land of Vampires' was the exhibit
that attracted the greatest number of people. After the
vampire scare in the city people wanted to learn more about
vampires and their history. Visitors were particularly
interested in the old oak coffin from the fifteenth century -
they stared at it silently and uneasily, but no one went close
to it.

That morning, before the show opened, Bill and Nick

were able to explain their plan to Max, who said it was a
brilliant idea.

"It's our last chance to find out who Victor and Daniza
really are," said Bill.

"I wish you guys the best of luck, because Detective

Ellis hasn't been able to solve this case yet," said Max. "It's
a tough one because there are so many elements involved."
He looked at his watch and said, "It's almost ten; time to
open the doors for the last time. Listen, you guys can hide
in my office at the entrance hall when we close; and then
you're free to move around. I'll help in any way I can."

"OK, great - thanks, Max," said Nick.

Michelle, who could hardly wait for the closing of the

show, decided to spend the day in Greenwich Village, the
unique neighborhood in the city's West Side that has always
attracted writers, poets and artists like Mark Twain, Edgar
Allan Poe and famous writers of the 1920s. She stood in
amazement in front of the Jefferson Market Courthouse, built
in 1877 and considered one of America's most beautiful
buildings, which is today a branch of the New York City
Public Library. In Washington Square she watched street
performers and visited some of the colorful shops and art
galleries. She loved walking down the narrow streets and
looking at the charming houses.

The show closed punctually at ten o'clock in the

evening, and once everyone had left, including Professor
Morescu, Bill and Nick went into Max's office and waited
quietly for the cleaners to come. Nothing happened for over
an hour. Then Victor and Daniza arrived. Max let them in
and they took off their dark grey jackets and disappeared
into the bathrooms with their cleaning equipment.

Bill and Nick remained in Max's office, which had a

glass partition that looked like a mirror from the outside. In
that way visitors thought it was a mirror, but whoever was
inside the office could see what was happening outside. Bill
heard the door of the bathroom open and he and Nick got
up and stood in front of the glass partition, while Max sat
behind his desk.

Victor and Daniza walked into the 'Transylvania, Land of

Vampires' room and walked towards the old oak coffin. They
looked at each other for a moment and then carefully
moved the lid of the coffin to one side and created a small
opening. Then Victor put his hand into the coffin and took a
handful of the dark earth. He looked at Daniza with a
strange smile on his pale lips and they both smelled the
earth a few times. Then Victor lifted his hand into the air
and threw the earth over himself and Daniza. The dark earth
formed a strange cloud of dust that hung in the air. Bill, Nick
and Max stared at the bizarre scene from behind the
partition.

"What's Victor doing?" whispered Nick anxiously.

"The guy's crazy!" whispered Bill.

"Do you guys have a camera?" whispered Max

excitedly.

"No, but my cell phone can take pictures," said Nick.

"I've got it in my hand."

Suddenly Victor and Daniza were no longer standing by

the coffin - they had disappeared. In their place there were
two black bats who started flying around the room. They
flew to the entrance hall but Bill, Nick and Max couldn't see
them, so they slowly opened the office door and walked
towards the entrance hall and hid behind the two big
billboards that advertised the show. From that position they
had a perfect view of the entrance hall and the huge
chandelier that hung there. The bats continued flying
around the huge chandelier, which had hundreds of
beautiful tear - shaped crystal ornaments on it. Nick
immediately took a picture of them with his cell phone.

Then one of the bats got close to one of the crystal

ornaments on the chandelier and removed it from its place
with its sharp teeth. The bat flew around the chandelier
several times with the ornament in his teeth. Nick quickly
took another picture and the three of them noticed that the
crystal ornament had a light pink color. It wasn't a crystal
ornament at all - it was the Vampire's Tear. The two bats
flew towards the high ceiling and out of one of the small
windows whose glass was missing. Neither the bats nor the
Vampire's Tear were ever seen again.
 Bill, Nick and Max were astonished. It took them a while
to get over the shock, but they were finally able to speak.

"Did you see... what I saw?" cried Bill excitedly.

"I sure did and I have two good pictures to prove it to

Detective Ellis!" said Nick proudly.

Max ran to his office and phoned Detective Ellis and

Professor Morescu. Michelle, who had been anxiously
waiting at The Iceberg parlor, saw Detective Ellis arrive in a
police car with two policemen and followed him to the third
floor of the museum.

Detective Ellis rushed in and Michelle followed him.

"Who are you?" he asked looking at the teenage girl.

"Hi! I'm Michelle Martin; I'm Bill's sister. I..."

"Never mind!" said Detective Ellis impatiently, looking

at Bill and Nick. "Max gave me a very confused version of
what happened here tonight, and I'm not sure I've
understood the whole story - because it sounds incredible!"

At that moment Professor Morescu walked in and joined

the others in the entrance hall.

Nick and Bill told Detective Ellis and Professor Morescu

exactly what they had seen and showed them the two
pictures taken with the cell phone. They stared at the
pictures in silence; Detective Ellis was completely
astonished, but Professor Morescu seemed to understand
what had happened. He did not say a word, but he had a
strange look in his dark eyes. He knew something that he
could not tell.
 "This is... science fiction!" Detective Ellis exclaimed
nervously. "If I didn't have three witnesses and these two
pictures, I wouldn't believe this story - it's shocking. This
means vampires... exist!" He looked at the giant chandelier
and saw that one crystal drop was missing; then he looked
at the window high in the ceiling.

"Incredible... the Vampire's Tear was in the museum all

the time, and no one knew it," said Detective Ellis, shaking
his head. "Phil probably saw the two vampires turn into bats
and he was so shocked that he died of heart failure."

"That's why I felt the earth on the floor when I came to

the show right after the theft," said Michelle. "They used the
earth inside the coffin to change their shape."

"Exactly!" said Ellis. "Then the bats took the diamond,

flew to the chandelier and hid it there where no one noticed
it because it was just one of many crystal drops - although it
had a light pink color." They stared at the giant chandelier
with its hundreds of crystal drops.

"But what I can't understand is why they hid the

diamond in the chandelier and waited until the last day of
the show to take it out of the museum. And, besides, what
in the world are two vampires going to do with the
diamond? I've been doing this job for almost twenty years
and this is the first case I don't understand!"

Suddenly Professor Morescu broke the silence and

spoke with a low voice, "The Vampire's Tear has returned to
its rightful owners: Vlad Dracula and his wife Kriza."

Everyone turned to look at Professor Morescu in

amazement. "What do you mean by 'rightful owners'?"
asked Detective Ellis with a half smile.
 "The Vampire's Tear belonged to Vlad's wife; a gift from
her loving husband. She died during the attack on Poienari
Castle on the night of July 24, 1462 - a night of the full
moon. Victor and Daniza came from Transylvania and were
none other than Vlad Dracula and Kriza!" said Professor
Morescu with a smile of satisfaction.

"What!" everyone exclaimed.

"Ah, you know nothing of the dark world of the living

dead, vampires can disguise themselves and take many
shapes."

There was a terrible silence and Michelle, Bill and Nick

felt cold and uncomfortable.

"Wait a minute," cried Ellis nervously, "did you know

about Victor and Daniza's identity all this time?"

"Yes, I did," said Morescu proudly. "I was born in

Sighisoara in Transylvania, the same town where Vlad was
born many centuries before. The people of the town have
always been loyal to him. He was a prince and a hero of his
country. In the past the vampire spirit of Vlad gave me
precious information for my research and books, making
them best - sellers all over the country. This show was a
success thanks to him. I promised to give him back the
Vampire's Tear on July 24, the day when Kriza died."

"That's the day when the diamond disappeared and

when Phil died," said Ellis, who could hardly believe what he
was hearing. "But why did they hide the diamond in the
chandelier? Why didn't they disappear with the diamond on
the night of July 24?"

"You know nothing about the vampires, Detective Ellis,"

said Morescu with an evil laugh. "They had to wait for a
night of the full moon before returning to Transylvania."

Ellis was annoyed and nervous; he raised his voice. "I

don't know anything about vampires, Professor, but you
don't know anything about American law. Those two...
vampires are responsible for theft and for the death of Phil,
and probably of the murder of two unlucky New Yorkers -
and you are a silent accomplice. American law is very tough
with silent accomplices. You're coming with me to the Police
Station for questioning."

Ellis turned to the two policemen and said, "Sergeant

Johnson, Sergeant Mendoza, take him away - and be careful,
he could be a vampire too!"

Professor Morescu had a cold half - smile on his pale,

thin lips and said, "I kept my promise to Vlad and that's all
that matters to me. Good evening to all." He left the
museum with the two policemen.

Then Detective Ellis turned to Michelle, Bill, Nick and

Max and said, "I think we've lost the Vampire's Tear forever.
I've never believed in the occult and in evil. To me vampires
and ghosts were part of an imaginary world. But now... this
case has taught me many things - frightening things!"

"I believe in ghosts," said Michelle, who briefly told Ellis

of her experiences at Montego Bay when she, Bill and Nick
solved a mystery thanks to a ghost in a picture.

"I didn't know you were such good detectives," said

Ellis. "It took a lot of courage to do what you did tonight. I
couldn't have solved this case without you. Thank you! I
need your cell phone, Nick, to show the Chief of Police the
pictures. You can come and pick it up tomorrow afternoon at
the Police Station at Central Park."
 As Michelle, Bill, Nick and Max were leaving the
museum that night Michelle turned around and took a last
look at the beautiful 19th - century building and then
observed the night sky.

"What are you looking at?" asked Nick.

"Oh, nothing. Just checking for bats!"

- THE END -

Hope you have enjoyed the reading!

Come back to http://english - e - books.net/ to find more

fascinating and exciting stories!