Mystery in San Francisco Read online

  Joe cut his engine and drifted in. “What’s the trouble?”

  “We’ve run out of gas!” Benny shouted.

  “And the radio’s dead,” Kate added.

  “I’ll go ashore and bring back some fuel,” Joe offered.

  “Can you take the children with you?” Charlie asked.

  “Sure thing.” Joe threw a line onto Charlie’s boat. Kate caught it.

  The boats were pulled side by side. “Benny, you go first,” Henry directed.

  “Watch your step,” Joe said. He reached out his hand.

  The boats pitched and rolled. When one bobbed up, the other dropped down.

  This was not going to be easy. Benny took a deep breath. He grabbed hold of Joe’s hand.

  “Gotcha!” Joe said as Benny jumped into his arms.

  Soon the other Aldens were aboard Joe’s boat. Kate and Charlie stayed behind.

  “I’ll be back soon,” Joe said as he nosed his boat away from Charlie’s Chum.

  “Lucky you were out here,” Henry commented.

  Joe smiled. “I was just coming in.”

  “Do you go out fishing more than once a day?” Henry asked.

  Joe’s smile faded. “No. Why?”

  “Well, you went out twice yesterday,” Henry said.

  For a moment Joe looked confused. Then he smiled again. “Oh, yeah, right. When I brought in my catch, I noticed the engine seemed sluggish. I took her out later to check. That’s when I saw Tony’s boat.”

  “The engine seems fine now,” Jessie said.

  Joe nodded. “Probably my imagination.”

  Before long, the Aldens were back on shore. They waited on the pier for Charlie and Kate.

  “Who do you suppose took the fuel?” Jessie asked.

  Henry shrugged. “It was the person we saw last night. That’s the only thing I’m sure of.”

  Violet and Benny said, “What person?”

  Henry explained about the noise and the light he and Jessie had seen. “But it was too dark to tell who it was,” he concluded.

  “This morning we thought it was Charlie returning to his boat,” Jessie said. “But then he told us that he didn’t use a light.”

  “Maybe it was that mysterious man you keep seeing,” Benny teased. He hadn’t seen the man and wasn’t sure he really existed.

  Soon Charlie swung his boat up to the dock. Henry caught Charlie’s line and tied it to a post. Kate and Charlie hopped onto the deck as Vito Marino trotted up.

  “How was your catch?” he asked Charlie. “The restaurant is completely booked for tonight.”

  “We had a little trouble,” Charlie said. “It shortened our day. I’ll bring you our catch as soon as I prepare it.”

  “Show it to me now!” Vito insisted.

  Charlie swung back aboard. Vito followed him. In no time, Vito was back on the dock, complaining.

  “You can’t say they aren’t fresh,” Charlie told him.

  “They might be fresh, but there aren’t enough of them to fill tonight’s dinner orders,” Vito snapped. “I’m telling you, Charlie, I can’t deal with this.” He stormed off.

  Tony and Joe came up to find out what was happening. Kate explained.

  “If anything else happens, I’ll lose the account,” Charlie said.

  Joe’s face clouded. “That’s too bad, Charlie. That’s a good account. Vito’s is popular. He uses lots of fish.”

  Tony nodded. “I’d give anything if Vito would buy fish from me.”

  They all returned to prepare their boats for the next day. The Aldens waited nearby for Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy.

  “Do you suppose Joe or Tony is causing the trouble?” Violet asked.

  “They each have a motive,” Henry said. “If Vito doesn’t buy from Charlie, he might buy from one of them.”

  “It can’t be Joe,” Violet said. “He’s too nice.”

  “Right,” Benny agreed. “He took Tony out to get his boat, and he rescued us. Guilty people aren’t that nice.”

  “Tony can’t be the one,” Jessie said. “Someone let his boat go. He wouldn’t do that himself.”

  “He might have done it so no one would suspect him,” Violet suggested.

  “Or maybe Joe was right: Tony’s knot came undone and the boat just drifted away,” Benny said.

  “Tony was on the wharf last night,” Henry said. “He slept on his boat, remember? He could’ve sneaked onto the Chum before Charlie came back here.”

  “And he did say he’d give anything if Vito would buy fish from him,” Jessie said.

  Benny nodded. “He probably took the gas and broke the radio.”

  “There’s that strange man,” Henry said.

  “Maybe he has nothing to do with the trouble, Henry,” Violet said. “Just because he hangs around the wharf doesn’t mean — ”

  “No, no,” Henry interrupted. “I mean: There he is!”

  They followed his gaze. The man stood against a wooden shack at the other end of the wharf. His sunglasses glinted in the light.

  This time everyone — even Benny — saw him.

  CHAPTER 7

  Another Sighting

  “What are you looking at?” a voice asked.

  It was Aunt Jane.

  “We keep seeing that man,” Henry explained. “We’ve been thinking he might have something to do with the trouble.”

  Aunt Jane looked around. “What man?”

  Jessie said, “He’s over there.”

  But he wasn’t. He had disappeared again.

  “You children shouldn’t worry about these things,” Aunt Jane said. “Let Charlie and the other fishermen take care of it.”

  “But we’re very good detectives,” Benny said. “We’ve had lots of experience.”

  “Even detectives need time off, Benny,” Aunt Jane said. She held up a bag. “I’ve brought lunch,” she told them.

  After the morning’s fishing, they were all hungry.

  “Where’s Uncle Andy?” Jessie asked.

  “Working,” she answered. “After lunch, we’ll take the ferry to Sausalito. Uncle Andy will meet us there later, and we’ll drive home across the Golden Gate Bridge.”

  Jessie was especially happy to hear that. “Sounds great!” she said.

  “There’s Kate!” Henry said.

  Waving, Kate headed their way.

  “Let’s ask her if she wants to go to Sausalito with us,” Aunt Jane suggested. The Aldens liked that idea.

  Kate couldn’t go. “I have studying to do,” she said. “But I have an invitation for you. Charlie wants you to come fishing tomorrow. He feels you were cheated today because of the trouble.”

  “May we go, Aunt Jane?” Jessie asked.

  “I don’t see why not,” Aunt Jane said.

  “And you can stay with me again,” Kate said.

  “Oh, but if you have studying to do . . .” Aunt Jane objected.

  “I have all afternoon to study,” Kate assured her.

  “Well, okay, then. It’s nice of you to ask, Kate,” Aunt Jane said.

  Benny hopped on one foot. “Oh, good! We can stay!”

  “I’ll meet you back here later,” Kate said, and hurried away

  Aunt Jane and the children found a bench near the water. They ate peanut butter sandwiches, homemade chocolate chip cookies, and milk. Terns and gulls hovered overhead. When Benny dropped a bit of bread, one swooped in and caught it before it touched the ground.

  Violet squinted, looking across the water. “Where is Sausalito?”

  Aunt Jane pointed out a hill across the bay. “It’s only a twenty-minute ferry ride,” she said.

  Henry collected the trash and dropped it into a can. “Are we ready?” he asked.

  They walked along the waterfront to the ferry landing. “Looks like we just missed a ferry,” Jessie said.

  “They run often,” Aunt Jane told her.

  Waiting there, where the scenery was so beautiful, did not seem like waiting at all. Before long, a line
formed behind them. Soon another boat was ready to make the trip.

  Benny was the first down the long ramp. “Can we go to the top?” he asked.

  “You children run along,” Aunt Jane said. “I’m going to stay inside out of the wind.”

  The children clambered up the narrow stairway. “Be careful,” Aunt Jane called after them.

  They took positions along the upper rail. As they cruised across the bay, Violet pointed out a small island. Atop it was a big building. “What’s that?” she asked.

  “Alcatraz,” Henry told her.

  “What a funny name,” Benny said.

  Henry had read about the island. He knew its history. “In the beginning, no one lived there but pelicans.”

  “Look!” Violet said. “There’re some now!” Sure enough, squat, brown pelicans floated nearby.

  “That’s how it got its name,” Henry continued. “Alcatraces means ‘pelicans’ in Spanish. A long time ago, soldiers were stationed there. Later, it became a prison.”

  Benny pulled his jacket tight around him. “A cold and windy prison,” he said.

  Jessie pointed to a hill ahead. There were colorful houses on its steep slope. “That must be Sausalito,” she said.

  The ferry nosed into the dock. Aunt Jane was waiting on the lower deck. They all followed the crowd onto the ramp. People were lined up, waiting for the return trip.

  “There’s Uncle Andy!” Aunt Jane said. “He must have finished his work early.” She went on ahead to meet her husband.

  Violet noticed a man and woman huddled together talking. She poked Henry. “There’s that strange man again,” she whispered.

  “And there’s Kate!” Benny blurted. He was so surprised to see Kate in a yellow slicker, he didn’t think to keep his voice quiet.

  Jessie studied the two people. The girl had her hood up and was turned away. Jessie couldn’t tell whether or not it was Kate. But she was sure the man was the one they kept seeing on Fisherman’s Wharf.

  “I’m going to try to get a look at that woman,” Henry said. He threaded his way through the crowd. But it was too late. The woman and the man had already boarded the ferry.

  “That was Kate, all right,” Benny said.

  “We can’t be certain, Benny,” Jessica said.

  “She said she was going to study,” Violet reminded her little brother.

  “Suppose it was Kate,” Henry said. “Why would she be meeting that man?”

  “Maybe she and the man are causing all the trouble,” Benny suggested. “They met to plan more bad stuff.”

  “But why would she meet him here?” Jessie wondered aloud. “She knew we were coming.”

  Uncle Andy waved and called to them. “Hurry up, slowpokes!”

  The Aldens quickened their pace. “Let’s give this some thought,” Henry said. “We’ll talk about it later.”

  Uncle Andy and Aunt Jane led them to the main street. “This street is called Bridgeway,” Uncle Andy said.

  Lots of interesting shops were clustered along one side. Across the way, two elephant statues marked the entrance to a park. Beyond, yachts rocked in the blue waters of the marina.

  “What does Sausalito mean?” Violet asked.

  “Sauces in Spanish means ‘willow trees,’ ” Uncle Andy explained.

  “And lito means ‘little,’ ” Henry said.

  Benny looked around. “I don’t see any willow trees,” he said.

  Uncle Andy laughed. “They must be here somewhere.”

  After a while, Benny said, “All this walking makes me — ”

  “Hungry,” everyone else finished.

  “Then it’s time to go back,” Aunt Jane said.

  Uncle Andy led them to his car. “I thought you might like to eat dinner at Vito’s.”

  “Vito’s Vittles,” Benny said, chuckling to himself.

  Uncle Andy drove out of Sausalito to the main road. They rode through a tunnel and then they were on the Golden Gate Bridge.

  Jessie didn’t know where to look. To the west, the sun spread a golden path on the water. To the east, San Francisco was outlined against the brilliant sky. Straight ahead, the orange towers of the bridge rose high above them.

  “Well, Jessie,” Uncle Andy asked, “is it what you expected?”

  “Much more,” Jessie answered.

  Back at the wharf, they parked and headed toward the restaurant.

  On their way, they passed the docks. Kate and Charlie were on Charlie’s Chum. Kate was not wearing a yellow slicker.

  “How about dinner?” Uncle Andy called to them.

  Charlie said, “Not tonight, thanks.”

  “I’d better help Charlie,” Kate said.

  But Charlie wouldn’t hear of it. “You go along. I’m about finished here.”

  Kate joined them. “I am hungry,” she said.

  “Did you finish your studying?” Jessie asked.

  “Every bit of it,” Kate answered. “Seems I know more than I thought I did.” She smiled broadly and looked them in the eye. Either she wasn’t the person they had seen in Sausalito or she was a very good liar.

  The restaurant was bustling with activity. Vito greeted them at the door. “I have the perfect table for you,” he said, and he led them to a round table that looked out on the harbor. He handed menus all around.

  “I suppose we shouldn’t order fish,” Henry said.

  “Why not, Henry?” Aunt Jane asked.

  Before Henry could answer, Vito said, “Not order fish? Vito’s is known for its fish. What do you want? The catch of the day? Salmon? Tuna? Sea bass? You name it; I have it.” Then he quickly walked away.

  “That’s strange,” Jessie said.

  “What is this about?” Uncle Andy asked.

  “We ran out of fuel this morning,” Kate explained, “and we had to cut the fishing short.”

  “And Vito told Charlie he wouldn’t have enough fish for tonight’s dinner,” Henry concluded.

  “Vito was really angry,” Benny added.

  Uncle Andy shrugged. “He seems to have all the fish he needs.”

  “Maybe he bought some from someone else,” Violet suggested. Everyone sat and thought about the mystery.

  Finally they opened their menus. They had a difficult time making a selection. Everything sounded so good. Each of them decided to order something different. That way they could sample many dishes.

  Benny looked around the restaurant. Old anchors, wheels, and other boat gear hung on the walls. The window in the kitchen door was a round porthole.

  Suddenly Benny pulled at Henry’s sleeve. “There’s that man again!” he muttered. Henry looked up in time to see the mysterious man at the round window. Jessie and Violet saw him, too.

  The Aldens exchanged puzzled glances. Each wondered the same thing: What is that man doing in the kitchen of Vito’s Vittles?

  CHAPTER 8

  Sounds in the Night

  After dinner, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny went back to Kate’s boat. While they were relaxing on the boat deck, it began to rain.

  “We should go inside,” Kate said.

  “But it isn’t raining hard,” Jessie said. “May we stay up here for a little bit longer?”

  “Okay. I’ll get your jackets,” Kate said. When she came back with them, the children put on their jackets and Kate slipped into her black poncho.

  “Do you have a yellow slicker?” Violet asked.

  Kate looked at her. “A yellow slicker? No. Why?”

  Violet’s face reddened. “Oh . . . uh . . .”

  “Yellow is Violet’s favorite color,” Benny piped up. “Next to purple.”

  It began to pour. “I guess it’s time to turn in,” Kate said.

  Once the Aldens were settled for the night, they discussed the events of the day.

  “Do you suppose Vito is in on this?” Jessie asked.

  “Why would Vito be causing trouble for the fishermen?” Henry said. “He needs their fish.”

  “I do
n’t know,” Jessie said. “It just seemed odd seeing that mysterious man in Vito’s kitchen.”

  “That’s right,” Violet said. “What was he doing there?”

  “Maybe he’s the one who sold fish to Vito,” Benny suggested.

  “I don’t think he’s a fisherman,” Violet said. “Where would he get the fish?”

  They all thought about that. Finally Jessie said, “Maybe he works for one of the fishermen.”

  “That’s possible,” Henry agreed. “He could be helping to ruin Charlie’s business so Vito will buy from someone else.”

  “What about Kate?” Benny asked. “What was she doing in Sausalito with that man?”

  “That wasn’t Kate,” Violet argued. “You heard her say she doesn’t own a yellow slicker.”

  “Well, it was Kate we saw in Chinatown,” Benny said.

  “We can’t be sure, Benny,” Jessie said.

  “What about the red hair?” Benny persisted.

  After a silence, Violet said, “Benny, there are lots of people with hair like that. And San Francisco is a big city.”

  Jessie yawned. “This is getting way too complicated,” she said.

  Late that night, Benny awoke with a start. “What was that?” he whispered. There it was again: the noise that had awakened him.

  At the window, Henry said, “I think someone’s on Charlie’s dock.”

  Beside him, Jessie murmured, “Someone is out there. See that light?”

  Violet and Benny crept out of bed. Before they could reach the window, another sound cut through the silence.

  Breaking glass!

  “What’s happening?” Benny asked.

  “The light went out,” Henry told him.

  Jessie peered through the window. “I don’t see anyone.”

  “It’s too dark out there,” Henry said as he returned to bed. “And we don’t know our way around the dock very well. Let’s check it out in the morning.”

  Benny climbed under the covers. “Maybe Charlie came back to sleep on the boat again.”

  “Charlie doesn’t use a light,” Henry reminded him.

  “Maybe he needed one tonight,” Violet said. “There’s no moon.”

  “We’ll have to wait until morning to find out,” Jessie said.

  The next morning, they awoke to the sound of foghorns.