Under the stormy conditions, the gang returned to the Mystery Machine and opened the back doors. Shaggy, Scooby, and Daphne sat in it and listened to Fred, who stood before them, Velma beside him.

        “Okay, so the first part of the plan is for Shaggy and Scooby to lure Ihaan out of hiding as the demon bear,” Fred explained.

        “Like, what?” Shaggy dropped his sandwich, and Scooby swallowed it. Shaggy waved his hands and added, “Oh no, Fred. Scooby and I won’t act as live bait this time. Besides, Ihaan will recognize us.”

        “That’s where Daphne comes into the picture.” Fred turned to Daphne, who showed Shaggy and Scooby her makeover purse, which was not her regular one. “Daphne will fix you guys up to look like a few of the workers, and you’ll also remain in the shadows so Ihaan won’t recognize you easily. Come on.” He cracked a grin. “You guys did so well dragging Ihaan out last time.”

        “Yeah, but this is different,” Shaggy argued. He crossed his arms and kicked empty boxes of Scooby Snacks aside. “No Scooby Snacks means no live bait. Right, Scoob?”

        “Uh-huh,” Scooby said.

        “Please, guys.” Now, Freddie looked desperate. “Do it for Ihaan. He can finally speak his mind if we get him before the workers.”

        “It will also prove that a boy does live in this forest,” Velma included, “and that we’ve solved the mystery for all of Ontario. Well, Freddie did.”

        “No, we did it together,” Freddie said. “I only realized who and what Ihaan is.” He focused on Shaggy and Scooby again—“How about this, Shaggy and Scooby?”—and unzipped his suitcase in the Mystery Machine’s trunk, pulling out a flyer for a Scooby Snack Factory. “You two act as live bait, and when we return to the country, we’ll drive to the Scooby Snack Factory and get you guys a month’s worth of their new Scooby Snack flavors.”

        Within seconds, Scooby and Shaggy were before Daphne, waiting for her to begin their makeovers.

        “Oh, ho, ho, ho!” Shaggy’s mouth watered. “A whole month’s worth of Scooby Snacks, Scooby, and a trip to the Scooby Snack Factory!”

        “Ream come true!” Scooby said. He stole Daphne’s purse and began putting on makeup, humming.

        “Oh, Scooby!” Daphne took the makeup from him. “I’m turning you and Shaggy into construction workers, not women.”

        “Oh.” Scooby tittered and looked at Shaggy. They shared a purple Game Boy Advance and an iPod Nano—one earphone in each friend’s ears—while Daphne worked her magic.

        In the meantime, Fred explained the rest of the plan: “We’ll set up a net between the foundation and a forwarder and catch Ihaan in the forwarder. It worked last time with Daphne and me.”

        “And if that fails?” Velma crossed her arms.

        “We’ll move to Plan B,” Fred answered, “the Mystery Machine. What we have to do, Daphne and Velma, while Scooby and Shaggy lure out Ihaan, is let the construction workers know what’s happening.”

        “Right, Fred,” Velma stated. “Did you catch that, Daphne?”

        “Walla!” Makeup brushes in hand, Daphne backed away from Shaggy and Scooby. “I call it Daphne Couture.” She kissed one brush.

        Shaggy and Scooby, sporting construction worker uniforms and wigs of wavy blonde hair, glanced at one another.

        “Like, Scoob,” Shaggy giggled, “you don’t look half bad.”

        Scooby returned Shaggy’s chuckle and removed the earphone from his ear, hopping out of the Mystery Machine. He stood on his hind legs and flipped his wig like a bad boy. It flew off his head, and Daphne caught it. “Rhoops,” Scooby said. “Rorry.”

        Daphne set the wig back on his head and adjusted it. “Go get them, tigers,” she told Shaggy and Scooby. “Just picture that Scooby Snack Factory—all those delicious new flavors.”

        Scooby and Shaggy licked their lips and rushed by the gang, heading for the forest. They pushed each other while they raced and disappeared into the darkness.

        “Ah,” Daphne said, “Scooby Snacks always work.”

        “They sure do,” Freddie agreed, looking at each girl and clearing his throat. “Well, what are we waiting for, girls? Let’s set the trap.”

***

        Shaggy and Scooby trekked cautiously through the forest, Scooby using his nose to track Ihaan’s scent. The wind whistled through the treetops, and he yelped, hopping into Shaggy’s arms. “Raggy! Raggy!”

        Shaggy’s knees shook. “Like, i-it’s only the wind, Scoob.” He closed his eyes. “Just picture that Scooby Snack Factory.”

        Scooby mimicked him and sighed. “Ahh.” He slipped through Shaggy’s arms and touched the forest floor, putting his sniffer on the ground again. After a few minutes, he hit a furry foot in his path, and a question mark appeared over his head. Scooby examined the foot from all angles and tapped it. He slowly backed away from the creature and jumped into Shaggy’s back. “Raggy! Raggy!”

        “Like, would you quit that, Scoob?” However, when Shaggy turned and his eyes landed on the demon bear hidden in the shadows, he said, “Zoinks! Okay, Scoob, we know who he is… Right?”

        Scooby nodded but wrapped his tail around Shaggy’s chest.

        “But just in case… Run!” Shaggy turned on his heel and sprinted, Scooby still clinging to him.

        The demon bear chased them but caught up to the two, swiping its paw over Shaggy and Scooby’s heads.

        “Like, why’s he running so well?” Shaggy questioned aloud. He and Scooby escaped the creature and darted toward the construction site. Shaggy’s eyes widened when another shadow appeared in the forest. Whatever it was, it also stood on two legs. “Like, they’re two of them!” he shouted.

        “Rwo?” Scooby dropped from Shaggy and collapsed onto his back, paws straight up.

        Shaggy picked him up and slapped his face. “Like, Scoob, you’re supposed to be the guard dog!”

        Scooby opened his eyes and whimpered, placing his paw on his forehead.

        Shaggy tossed him forward, and Scooby landed on all fours.

        Finally, the two leaped out of the forest into the construction site and moved toward the foundation, where the gang waited with the net, forwarder, and Mystery Machine.

        “Here they come!” Freddie called, pointing at the two cowards. “Get in position, Daphne and Velma.”

        Velma and Daphne stood on either side of the net, their hands on the rope.

        Fred started for the forwarder but stopped and examined the demon bear. “Wait a minute. Something’s not right.”

        The workers moved aside to let the creature, Shaggy, and Scooby through.

        Scooby, panting, fell behind Shaggy and tripped on the demon bear’s right foot. “Heelllp!” he whined when they became a snowball and bounced off the foundation’s corner, plummeting into the net and dirt.

        Daphne and Velma pulled the rope on instinct, and the net clamped around Scooby and the creature.

        “Oh, no!” Daphne reached for her cheeks. “We caught Scooby, too!”

        “Heelllp!” Scooby repeated. He and the demon bear bounced like a beach ball, curving away from the forwarder.

        Freddie changed his course and opened the Mystery Machine’s trunk. He dove into the driver’s side and put the van in reverse, punching the gas.

        With one last bounce, Scooby and the demon bear tumbled into the Mystery Machine’s trunk, the doors closing behind them.

        “We got him!” Daphne clapped and jumped up and down like a child.

        Freddie turned the Mystery Machine around and parked before the gang, his arm resting on the open windowsill.

        “Well done, kids!” a voice said behind them. Stan appeared from within the crowd of frightened workers and approached them.

        “Stan?” the teens spoke simultaneously.

        Still trying to catch his breath, Shaggy leaned on Velma’s shoulder and held up his finger. He ripped off his wig.

        “It’s about time you showed up, Stan.” Velma hooked her fingers and placed one foot behind the other. “We’ve been waiting two days for you.”

        Looking guilty, Stan said, “I know, and I’m sorry, but it seems like you guys didn’t need my help. I had to attend to a mission offsite.”

        “Wait, a mission?” Freddie opened the driver’s door and climbed out of the Mystery Machine. The workers crowded around him, his friends, and Stan, who inhaled.

        “I should’ve told you kids earlier, but…” Stan reached into his pocket and drew a badge, showing it to the Mystery Gang. “I’m a Park Ranger with the National Park Service undercover, here to look into the Ghost of Ontario.”

        Park Ranger? The gang’s palms turned sweaty, and sweat dripped down their temples.

        “Oh! You guys aren’t in any trouble,” Stan included, returning his badge to his pocket. “I’m glad you became involved. I would have never solved the mystery by myself.”

        The gang’s shoulders loosened.

        “But, who is the Ghost of Ontario?” Stan scratched his head and focused on the Mystery Machine.

        Velma approached the van’s trunk and dragged out the net carrying the demon bear and Scooby, who whined. She set it before Stan and released Scooby and the creature.

        Freddie held up his hands—“Velma, wait, that’s not”—but Velma went ahead and said:

        “The Ghost of Ontario is not who we think he is. But we’ll let him speak for himself. Stan, we give you the Ghost of Ontario—a boy named Ihaan.” Nevertheless, when she removed the mask from the creature’s head, Ihaan wasn’t under it but a stout woman with pigtails.

        Heather.