NOW if Norah and her mother found trails of chewed-up figs and honeysuckle leaves on the winding secret steps of Silver Lake, they knew they were getting closer and closer to finding the jacaranda werewolf.
One evening as the full moon rose into the sapphire sky, Norah and her mother set off on their walk with their lassoed dachshunds, Rudy and Inge, who yelped at every passerby. As they combed deeper into the hills of Silver Lake, they discovered that the petals from jacaranda trees had left pale purple carpets on sidewalks and car windshields.
Norah and her mother danced upon the blanket of blossoms as they whispered, "Come out to play, jacaranda werewolf!" Rudy and Inge howled in agreement.
"What does the jacaranda werewolf look like again, Mama?" Norah asked.
"He's covered from head to paw with soft jacaranda petals."
"But is he snarly like werewolves in movies?" Norah asked with a shiver.
"No, he's a bashful soul who likes to splash in children's wading pools at night."
"Is that why I find jacaranda petals in my pool in the morning?" asked Norah.
"You would make a very fine detective indeed," her mother told her.
Soon, Norah and her mother came upon a lady in a rose muumuu arranging all the garbage cans in perfect rows against the curb. A broom in hand, she swept the jacaranda petals off of the trash can lids with great gusto.
"We're looking for the jacaranda werewolf!" Norah said. "Have you seen him?"
The muumuu lady said, "I don't know what you're talking about, little girl, but these purple flowers make one heck of a fine mess on my clean trash cans! It's mighty late for little girls to be out gallivanting around, in my opinion!"
"My, isn't that a lovely muumuu?" Norah's mother said, and waved goodbye.
Tuesday: Will Norah and her mother find the jacaranda werewolf?
