Boxcar Children Summer Special Page 11

  “He’s wearing a wetsuit,” Henry whispered. They inched a little closer. Violet noticed that the person was slim, and carrying a big chunk of coral. A snorkel mask covered most of his face.

  “Who is it?” Benny asked, edging close to Violet.

  She shook her head. “I can’t tell yet. Let’s see what he does.”

  They watched as the dark figure lifted the coral into a powerboat docked nearby and went back into the water.

  “He’s after more coral!” Violet said angrily. “We have to stop him!”

  “I know,” Henry said, “but we need help. Can you stay here and try to get a look at his face? I’m going to take the rowboat and find the others.”

  “Be quick,” Benny said.

  “Don’t worry, I will,” Henry assured them.

  He darted back to the rowboat, just as the thief emerged from the water. After dropping another load of coral in the powerboat, the figure in the wet suit stopped to rest for a moment.

  “What’s he doing now?” Benny whispered.

  “I don’t know — ” Violet started to say, and then stopped. The figure had pulled off his snorkel mask, and Violet nearly gasped in surprise. It was Katherine Kelly!

  She started to inch backward, still clutching Benny by the hand, when he gave a sharp yelp of pain.

  “Oh, Benny,” Violet said. She didn’t want Katherine to see them.

  “I’m sorry,” he said in a little voice. “I stepped on a shell.”

  Katherine’s head swung around at the sound, but before she could spot them, Violet ran into the woods and pulled Benny behind a giant banyan tree.

  Suddenly an arm appeared out of the darkness. It grabbed Violet by the shoulder and she almost screamed.

  “It’s okay,” a calm voice said. “It’s only me.” When the man stepped closer, she recognized his face.

  “Nick Simon?” she asked doubtfully.

  What was he doing in the woods at night?

  “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Nick said. Violet wasn’t sure if she could believe him.

  “What’s going on?” Henry’s voice boomed out.

  “We’re over here!” Violet called out. Her brother was at her side in a second.

  “I was just stepping into the boat when I heard Benny cry out,” Henry said. Then he looked at Nick. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here for the same reason you are. To catch the coral thief.”

  Henry hesitated. Was Nick telling the truth? Up until now, he had been one of the main suspects.

  “He’s not the thief!” Benny blurted out. “It’s Katherine Kelly. We saw her!”

  “Where is she?” Nick asked.

  “She’s down at the beach,” Violet said.

  “That’s all I need to know,” Nick said. He took a walkie-talkie out of his pocket and spoke a few words. When he finished talking, he smiled at the children. “They’ll pick her up in a few minutes. We have officers all over the island.”

  “Officers?” Jessie said in surprise. “You’re with the police?”

  “Detective Nick Simon,” he answered, pulling out his badge. “I’ve been working undercover for months, trying to get a lead on the thief. But you’re the ones who really solved the crime,” he told them. “I knew it was someone at Camp Coral, but I couldn’t figure out who.”

  “Neither could we,” Henry said. “We even suspected you.”

  “Are you sure the police will get there in time?” Violet said worriedly. “All she has to do is jump in the powerboat and get away.”

  “Not without this, she won’t.” Henry held up a thin wire. “She can’t get far with her spark plugs disconnected.”

  Nick laughed. “You’d make good detectives.”

  CHAPTER 10

  The Mystery Is Solved!

  “That about wraps it up, Nick,” a pale man with sandy hair said a few minutes later. He was standing at the edge of the shore, watching as another officer handcuffed Katherine Kelly, and helped her into a police patrol boat.

  “I know you!” Benny said. “I met you with Nick in Key West. He said you were a fisherman.”

  Nick laughed. “This is Officer Adams, Benny. I’m afraid I had to tell a little white lie. I couldn’t explain that we’re both undercover investigators.”

  “What’s going to happen now?” Henry asked. He glanced at Katherine Kelly, who glared back at him.

  “It’s an airtight case.” Officer Adams pointed to a group of men in Coast Guard uniforms who were carefully placing the stolen coral in clear plastic bags. “We’ve got eyewitnesses, we’ve got the stolen coral, and we’ve got the tools she used.”

  “It sounds like you caught her in the act,” Nick said.

  Officer Adams nodded. “We did. She had just dumped another load in her boat. It’s funny, but she couldn’t get the engine started. That was a lucky break for us.”

  Nick laughed as Henry held up the wire. “It was more than just a lucky break. Henry disconnected her spark plugs. She’d be miles away by now, without the help of my young friends.”

  Jessie and Soo Lee appeared just then, followed by a group of counselors and campers.

  “What’s going on?” Jessie asked, and then gasped as she spotted Katherine Kelly in handcuffs. “She was the one?” she whispered.

  “That’s right,” Benny said excitedly. “We caught her stealing the coral and we recognized her when she took her face mask off. And then — we had to run into the woods! It was scary!”

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” Jessie said, giving him a quick hug.

  “Someone better fill me in,” Melanie said, coming up behind Jessie. She was out of breath. “We heard the noise and ran all the way back from the other side of the island.”

  Nick smiled. “Well, the bottom line is that the kids solved the crime for us. Without them, Katherine might have made one last haul, and then disappeared for good.”

  “But I don’t understand,” Jessie said. She turned to Nick. “You’re not really a marine biologist?”

  Violet laughed. “He’s a police officer, but it’s a long story.”

  “I have a lot of questions, too,” Melanie said. “How about if we all go back to Camp Coral and discuss it?”

  Half an hour later, everyone met at the picnic tables down by the dock at the camp. The other officers had left the island, but Nick stayed behind to talk about the case. Melanie lit some tiki lamps, and the campers and counselors gathered close to ask questions.

  “Was she really an underwater photographer?” Soo Lee asked.

  “Yes, she was a real photographer. Her work has been featured in some big magazines.” Nick paused. “I guess she just decided she could make more money from stealing coral.”

  “It was the picture! That’s what made me wonder!” Violet blurted out. Everyone turned to look at her. “Katherine took a really pretty picture of a sunset and we saw it hanging to dry in the darkroom.”

  “I remember how much that picture bothered you,” Jessie said. “But I never understood why.”

  “I didn’t either — until now.” She turned to Melanie. “There was something about the rock, and the sunset that looked so familiar. I realized that I had seen that exact same view before — from your private island!”

  “So the only way Katherine could have gotten that picture was if she had been standing in the same spot we were,” Jessie said slowly. “She probably discovered the big coral bed that day and decided to chop away at it.”

  “It will take hundreds of years to grow back,” Melanie said sadly.

  “Don’t feel bad, Melanie,” Violet said, edging close to her. “At least she’ll never be able to do it again.”

  “When did you first suspect her?” A male voice came from the back of the crowd.

  Henry turned to see Joshua Slade raising his hand.

  “Right from the start,” Nick answered. “But I suspected a lot of people. You and your wife, for example.”

  Hilary Slade laughed nervously
. “Surely you didn’t suspect us.”

  “I certainly did. You two don’t know much about sailing for a couple who are supposed to run a charter business.”

  “That’s right!” Soo Lee agreed. “You didn’t even recognize a square knot when I showed you my macrame piece.”

  “And you stuffed a fish inside your shirt!” Benny piped up. “I saw you that night we were out collecting specimens.”

  “I stuffed a what? Oh, now I get it.” Joshua laughed. “That wasn’t a fish. I thought I saw a rare coin in the water, and I scooped it up and hid it in my shirt. I didn’t think anyone saw me.”

  “You’re interested in rare coins?” Henry said. “So that was you snooping around our cabin that night!”

  Joshua looked embarrassed. “I’m afraid it was. To tell the truth, we’re treasure hunters, not sailors.

  “From the way he talked, I thought Benny had found a doubloon. I didn’t realize it was worthless.” He paused. “The only valuable thing I found here was the conch shell and it was cracked.”

  “You took my conch shell?” Violet asked.

  Joshua looked embarrassed, realizing his slip. “I wanted to show it to one of my investors. I wasn’t sure how rare it really was.”

  “What did you do with it?” Melanie asked.

  “I stuffed it in a drawer in the classroom,” Joshua said defiantly. “I figured you’d find it eventually.”

  Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Jessie spoke up. “We even suspected you, Nick. Someone took a powerboat out one night, and we found a key ring with the initials NS lying on the seat.”

  “I can explain that,” Nick said. “NS stands for North Star. They’re a big coral wholesaler. Those are probably the people that Katherine was dealing with.”

  Violet reached down to pet the tabby cat who was rubbing against her legs. “At least we know now that Horace didn’t scratch Katherine.” She saw the surprised look on Nick’s face. “Her legs were all scratched from the mangrove trees on Melanie’s island, and she blamed it on poor Horace.”

  “Breaking into someone’s cabin is against camp rules,” Melanie said sternly to Joshua Slade. “You won’t be welcome here again.”

  “I’m sorry about that,” Joshua said softly. He looked at his wife and they turned and walked back to their cabin.

  “All those times they acted friendly,” Violet remarked, “they were just trying to see if we knew about any sunken treasure.”

  Benny stifled a yawn. “I can’t believe the mystery is all solved,” he said sleepily.

  “And just in time,” Violet said. She glanced at her watch. “Grandfather will be here in just a few hours to pick us up.”

  “You did a great job, kids,” Nick said.

  He stepped through the crowd to shake hands with each of them. “Without you, Katherine could have moved on to other sites and other coral beds. It might have taken months, or even years, to catch up with her.”

  “I’m glad we could help,” Henry said. He looked at Benny, who was leaning against him with his eyes half closed. “But now I think it’s time to say good night. My little brother is sleeping standing up.”

  “I’m awake,” Benny protested drowsily. As soon as Henry lifted him up, Benny’s eyes shut and he snuggled against his older brother.

  “Good night,” Melanie said softly. “I’ll see you in the morning before you leave. Let’s have breakfast together.”

  Grandfather arrived bright and early the following morning. “I’m so glad to see you!” he said, hugging Violet, Jessie, Henry, and Soo Lee. They were already packed and waiting by the camp entrance.

  “We spent days out on the water,” Jessie said. “It was wonderful.”

  “But where’s Benny?” Grandfather asked, looking around.

  “He’s here,” Violet said playfully. “He’s down by the shore. He has something special he wants to show you.” She took Grandfather’s hand. “Come on, I’ll take you there.”

  “Whatever you say,” Grandfather said good-naturedly. He was so happy to see his grandchildren. He missed them, even if they were only away for a few days.

  “Tell us about your trip, Grandfather,” Henry said.

  “It was very relaxing,” Grandfather began. “I did a little sailing and I — ” He broke off suddenly as they approached the beach. “Is that Benny?”

  “It sure is!” Jessie said proudly.

  All the children watched as a small figure skimmed over the water on a bright red wind-surfer.

  Henry whistled under his breath. “He really got the hang of it,” he said admiringly.

  “He wanted you to be proud of him, Grandfather.”

  “Well, I am,” Mr. Alden replied, waving to Benny as he zigzagged toward the shore. “I’m proud of all my grandchildren.” He moved forward to greet Benny as he neared the shore. “And what have the rest of you been doing while Benny learned wind-surfing? Did anything special happen?”

  Violet and Jessie exchanged a look and burst out laughing. “Anything special! Grandfather, we solved another mystery!”

  “Tell me about it,” he said as Benny ran along the sand toward him.

  “It will take a long time,” Soo Lee pointed out. “It’s a long story.”

  Grandfather gave Benny a bear hug and scooped him up in his arms. “That’s all right,” he said, heading back to the car. “We have a long drive back to the Miami airport. But nothing will make the time go faster than hearing about your adventures!”

  THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY

  GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER

  Illustrated by Charles Tang

  ALBERT WHITMAN & Company, Chicago

  Contents

  CHAPTER

  1. Shapes in the Fog

  2. Screams on the Beach

  3. Monster Rock

  4. Boo!

  5. Footprints in the Sand

  6. Trouble for Jessie

  7. The Disappearing Flags

  8. The Switch

  9. Secret Disguises

  10. Costume Night

  CHAPTER 1

  Shapes in the Fog

  At five o’clock on an August morning, the sun hadn’t risen yet, but the Alden family was already up and about. The streetlamps were still on. In a few minutes, the headlights on James Alden’s car were on, too.

  Four sleepy children trooped down the porch steps of the big white house where they lived. They joined their grandfather, who was already in the car.

  “Buckle up, everyone,” Grandfather Alden said. “We want to get an early start driving to Maine.”

  One by one, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and six-year-old Benny Alden slipped into Grandfather’s car. They buckled themselves in.

  Mr. Alden backed out slowly. He didn’t want to scrape the bottom of his car. It was riding low, loaded down with camp trunks, backpacks, and the five Aldens.

  The family housekeeper, Mrs. McGregor, stood by the driveway holding on to Watch, the family dog. “Good-bye, children,” Mrs. McGregor said. “Have fun at Camp Seagull. Don’t eat too much lobster!”

  Twelve-year-old Jessie tried not to yawn. She’d barely had time to braid her long brown hair and find her Junior Counselor cap. “Good-bye, Mrs. McGregor. Take good care of Watch for me.”

  “ ’Bye, Mrs. McGregor,” the other three children said.

  Watch looked at the car with his saddest face. He whined softly, the way he always did when he was left behind.

  “Watch wants to come to Camp Seagull with us, too,” Jessie said with a little catch in her voice. “I’m going to miss having him sleep at the foot of my bed.”

  Benny took one last look at Watch and Mrs. McGregor before Mr. Alden pulled away. “Too bad Watch can’t be a camper, too. Remember how he found us in our boxcar in the woods — even before you found us, Grandfather?”

  Mr. Alden smiled. Benny was quite a chatterbox, even at five o’clock in the morning. “You won’t need Watch for company, Benny. The camp is filled with children your age.”

&nb
sp; “Jessie and I will be right there as Junior Counselors,” fourteen-year-old Henry told Benny. “Violet is a camper, too.”

  “Don’t forget,” Grandfather Alden said to Benny, “at the end of each day at camp, you’ll be joining me at the Dark Harbor Inn.”

  Violet, who was ten, thought about this. “But the rest of us will be away for the whole week since we’re overnight campers. I’m going to miss you, Grandfather.”

  “And I’ll miss you,” Mr. Alden said in a quiet voice. “While I catch up on my reading, you can catch up on your painting and your crafts.”

  Violet’s eyes brightened. “I’m going to spend as much time as I can in the art studio at camp.”

  Jessie was bubbling with plans. “I’m so glad Ginny and Rich Gullen found room for us in this session of Camp Seagull, Grandfather. There’s so much going on. Last night, I looked over the counselor manual again. There’s waterskiing, Costume Night, swimming, storytelling, arts and crafts, sports — you name it.”

  “Eating. You forgot to say eating,” Benny said.

  Everyone in the car laughed. Who else in the Alden family would be thinking about food so early in the morning?

  “Don’t worry, Benny, you won’t go hungry,” Henry said.

  “I know. I never go hungry. See?” Benny pulled a bag from the backpack at his feet.

  “Mrs. McGregor said it was a long way to Maine. I wanted to be ready, so I packed some trail mix.”

  “But Benny, we’re not going on any trails today,” Henry pointed out. “Not until we get out to Claw Island, where Camp Seagull is. You don’t need trail mix riding in a car.”

  Benny disagreed. “Trail mix is good anytime, even on long car rides.” He took out some sunflower seeds to munch on. “Especially on long car rides.”

  Just as the sun came up, Mr. Alden turned onto the busy highway going north. “Off we go, children!”

  “Good-bye, Greenfield,” Violet said. “See you next week.”

  By the time Mr. Alden drove into northern Maine, the gas tank was nearly empty. As for the picnic basket Mrs. McGregor had sent along, that was nearly empty, too. And so was Benny’s trail mix bag.