Case History: A ghostly voice calls out from a spooky mansion, beckoning to a man walking in a trance. On their way to visit their friend Sharon Weatherby, the Mysteries Inc. gang see this odd sight. When they arrive at the Weatherby's, they learn that Sharon's Uncle Stuart is missing, and they deduce that he was the man they saw going into the deserted Kingston mansion. Investigating, the gang find Uncle Stuart, but he has been transformed into an old man. He tells them that he was called out of the Weatherby house by the ghost of Elias Kingston, who demanded that the Weatherby fortune be surrendered, otherwise he would put an old-age hex on the family; he turned Uncle Stuart into an old man as a warning.

While Sharon's father goes to find the police, the gang stay behind with Sharon and her enfeebled uncle. The voice calls again, and Stuart walks out in another trance. When Scooby wakes the gang, they find that not only is Stuart gone, but Sharon is missing also. They go to the Kingston mansion to investigate. Their first clue is a watchdog that has been left to guard the mansion: what does a ghost need with a watchdog? Then they find the mummified bones of Uncle Stuart, who apparently had another run in with the ghost. Finally, Elias Kingston himself appears and repeats his threat to the kids. They watch as he disappears into the Kingston family mausoleum in the cemetary next door and follow, noting that this supposed ghost has left behind fingerprints on the doorknob to the crypt. Inside they find a book on crystalomacy, but are trapped when the ghost locks them inside. They find a secret entrance out of the cyrpt and follow up on the crystalomacy book by going into town to consult a swami. The swami is out, and Scooby winds up impersonating the swami when a customer unexpectedly enters. (Palm red gag? Check. Reading bumps on the head? Alas, no. Stupid network censors.) After the customer leaves, the face of Kingston appears in the crystal ball and the table levitates, chasing them about the room. It crashes, revealing a fan-like motor beneath, and more clues quickly reveal themselves: packed suitcases, a professional makeup kit, and a closed circuit TV camera, suitable for broadcasting images onto the crystal ball.

Back at the Kingston mansion, the gang lays a trap for the ghost. Shaggy and Scooby lure him out with a ringer which, instead of the Weatherby fortune, contains a water-squirting jack-in-the-box. They then use footage of the ghost himself to frighten him into a trap. Back at the Weatherby estate, the ghost is unmasked as Uncle Stuart.


Suspects
Uncle Stuart
Sharon Weatherby
Mr. Weatherby
Swami customer

Notes  

Disguises: Swami
Food: Sandwich; bone; chicken legs
Scooby Snacks: 4
Song: none
Exclamations: "Zoiks!" (3)
Villain's official statement: none
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Unsolved Mysteries:

  • Does the sheriff live ninety miles away? Mr. Weatherby was gone for hours.
  • Does the Weatherby family not trust banks and brokerages? Do they keep their fortune in cash, gold and cereal box tops? Why else does Uncle Stuart think they can hand over "the fortune" inside of eight hours?
  • If Sharon saw Uncle Stuart lose part of his makeup before he kidnapped her, why is she shocked at the end to learn that he was the ghost?

Season One Case Files
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