Henry crossed the floor and checked the solid pine door. “It could have been the wind,” he said hesitantly. “But this is a pretty heavy door.”
“It’s not just the door!” Benny protested. “Something was moving all around the room. I heard it!” He looked around the room nervously. “Maybe it was a . . . ghost.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Do you think that’s possible?”
Henry peered around the open door and laughed. “Here’s your ghost.” Bingo darted into the room, barking happily.
“Bingo?” Benny said doubtfully. “Do you think that’s what I heard?”
“It must have been.” Henry reached down to pat the furry collie who immediately jumped onto the bed. “Maybe he was lonely and just wanted some company.”
Benny wasn’t convinced. “But how did he get the door open? And what was he doing under my bed?”
Henry watched as Benny scrambled under the bed and dragged out the cookie tin.
The top was half off, but his coin was safe. “Why would he be sniffing around a metal box?”
Henry shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he remembered when it held cookies.” Bingo jumped down and began nosing the tin. “See? It probably still smells like food to him.”
“If you say so,” Benny said, climbing back into bed.
Henry ushered Bingo out of the cabin and closed the door firmly behind him. “Let’s get some sleep,” he said, returning to his own bed.
“Okay, but I’m going to leave my light on,” Benny said in a little voice. “Just in case.”
The next morning, Henry went to the craft room after breakfast to drill a hole in Benny’s coin. “How’s that?” Henry said, holding it up. Soo Lee had given Benny a piece of jute to use as a cord, and Benny fastened the coin around his neck.
“Now I look like a real treasure hunter!” he said proudly.
Meanwhile, Jessie, Violet, and Soo Lee were sitting in the darkroom, watching as Melanie explained how to develop black-and-white photographs.
“After you put the prints in the final bath,” she said, “you carefully lift them out of the solution with tongs and hang them to dry.” She pointed to a long line that ran the length of the room. “You might want to take a look at the work that my advanced students have done. There’s some beautiful underwater photography there.”
“Oh, look at this one,” Soo Lee said, pointing to a pretty sunset scene.
“That one was done by a professional,” Melanie said. “Katherine Kelly took that photograph.”
Violet walked over to the picture and stared at it for several seconds.
“What’s the matter?” Jessie asked, noticing the serious expression on her face. “Don’t you like it?”
“Oh, yes, it’s beautiful,” Violet said. “But . . . ”
“But what?” Soo Lee interrupted.
Violet shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s something about that picture. It looks so familiar.”
“Maybe you saw it on a postcard,” Jessie teased her. “You know, sunset, water, palm trees. Everywhere you look in Key West, you see the same scene.”
Violet shook her head. “No, it’s something else. It’s more than that.” Everyone left to have lunch then, but Violet couldn’t resist taking a last look at the photograph. Why was the picture so disturbing? Where had she seen it before? She knew it was going to bother her until she remembered. She would just have to think.
Jessie came back to drag her out of the darkroom. “Hey, we’re going to be last in the cafeteria line, if we don’t get a move on. And they’re having pizza today. They might run out!”
“I’m coming,” Violet said reluctantly.
Jessie looked at the picture and shrugged. She wondered why Violet was so troubled by it. Jessie nudged her sister playfully. “Come on, Violet. You worry too much. Let’s go eat!”
CHAPTER 8
The Thief Returns!
At lunch that day, Joshua Slade hurried to catch up with the children as they started to move through the cafeteria line.
“How are you doing today, Benny?” he asked cheerfully. “Did you have fun in Key West?”
“We saw some treasure from a shipwreck, and I got to hold a real gold bar,” Benny told him. His eyes were fixed on the goodies in front of him. Should he have a hot dog or a grilled cheese sandwich?
Again, Henry wondered why the man was being so friendly. And something else made him suspicious. Joshua was leaning forward, craning his neck to get a view of Benny’s neck. Why?
A moment later, the mystery was solved. “That’s an interesting coin you’re wearing, Benny. Is that the one you found down by the dock?”
Benny nodded, helping himself to a big bowl of chopped mangoes and papayas.
“Think I could look at it?” Joshua added. “I’ve always been interested in coins.”
“Sure,” Benny said absently. He held the coin away from his neck so Joshua could see it. “Henry drilled a hole in it for me. See, it’s got a really nice design on it, and you can still read a few letters on the top — ”
Joshua’s eyes narrowed as he inspected the coin, and then he turned away, irritated. “Yeah, it’s a great coin, kid.” His voice was harsh. “See you later.” He dropped his empty tray back in the rack and left the cafeteria abruptly.
Violet nudged Jessie. “What was that all about?”
“I don’t know.” Jessie glanced at Benny, who was reaching for a glass of milk. At least he didn’t seem bothered by Joshua’s rudeness.
“Joshua Slade acts very strange, don’t you think?” Violet asked.
Jessie nodded. “Very strange. One minute he’s friendly, and the next minute, he acts as if he doesn’t like us.”
As they ate lunch, Benny said he wanted to practice on the wind-surfing simulator that day.
“He’s done a good job,” Henry said to the girls. “Melanie said that we’ll be able to go into the water soon.”
“Shallow water,” Melanie said, slipping into a seat beside him. “With life preservers.”
Jessie nodded. At Camp Coral, safety always came first. “Have you heard anything new from the Coast Guard?” she asked Melanie.
“They don’t have any leads yet,” Melanie said regretfully. “I told Mr. Larson we’d all be on the look-out, but there’s not much else we can do.” She paused, and her eyes skimmed the crowded cafeteria. “Until the thief strikes again, of course.”
“You think the thief will come back?” Benny’s eyes were as big as saucers. He really wanted to catch the coral thief before they left camp. What a story this would be to tell Grandfather! They had solved dozens of mysteries in the past, and this might be the most exciting one of all.
“I’m sure he will,” Melanie said grimly. “I just saw a new report on how much money people are getting for a boatload of coral. I bet the thief is greedy enough to try again.”
“You think it’s someone at camp, don’t you?” Soo Lee asked. She had noticed the way Melanie had looked around the room moments earlier.
Melanie nodded. “It seems impossible, but yes, I do.” She waved to a shy-looking young girl with a ponytail. “Excuse me,” she said, pushing her chair back. “That’s a new camper and she’s feeling a little homesick.”
Everyone turned in early that night after a long, busy day out in the sun. Around midnight, Jessie awoke with a start. She heard a strange noise outside and sat straight up in bed, listening intently. Putt-putt. Putt-putt. “Someone’s starting up a boat out there,” she said softly. She knew it was against the camp’s rules to take boats out at night.
She quickly woke her sister and Soo Lee. “Do you hear that noise?” she said, pointing to the open window. The noise had grown a little fainter, but could still be recognized.
“It’s a boat,” Soo Lee said sleepily.
“It sounds strange,” Violet added. “It seems to skip a beat sometimes.”
“Why is somebody out on the water at this time of night?” Jessie asked, pulling on her shorts.
“What a
re you doing?” Violet turned on the lamp next to her.
“Well, we can’t just sit here listening,” Jessie said impatiently. “It could be the coral thief. He could be out there stealing coral right this minute.”
“Oh, no, you must be right,” Violet said, scrambling out of bed. She struggled into a pair of jeans and reached for a flashlight. “Get dressed fast, Soo Lee. We need to do some investigating!”
“Let’s get Henry and Benny,” Soo Lee suggested.
“We’ll have to hurry,” Jessie said.
“I’m ready.” Soo Lee had pulled on a pair of khaki shorts and a T-shirt.
They woke up the boys, and everyone hurried down the pathway to the dock. It was a balmy night, and a full moon made the bay look silvery. Even though it was warm, Jessie shivered a little.
“I think we’re too late,” Violet said when they reached the dock. The children stood silently, peering into the darkness. A bird called softly, but otherwise everything was still. The boat was nowhere in sight, and the engine noise had disappeared.
“Do you suppose he’s sitting out there in the dark, and he cut the motor?” Henry asked. “Maybe he can see us standing here, and he’s waiting for us to go back inside.”
Jessie stared as hard as she could. There was absolutely no movement, no sign of anyone. “No,” she said, disappointed. “I’m afraid there’s nothing out there. He’s just . . . gone.”
“If only we had been quicker,” Violet said.
“Maybe we can find some clues, just by looking around,” Jessie suggested.
“Looking around here?” Benny asked doubtfully.
“You never know what may turn up. Let’s walk along the dock before we give up,” Jessie insisted.
They walked along the row of boats, each lost in thought.
“Look at that!” Soo Lee said suddenly. She pointed to an empty berth.
“Number six.” Jessie grabbed Soo Lee’s arm in excitement. “That’s where that little white powerboat is always docked.”
“So whoever is out on the water took it,” Violet said.
“Unless they had permission to be out at night,” Jessie said.
“I don’t think so,” Henry said. “Only the counselors have keys to the boats, and they don’t go out at nighttime.”
“Well, at least we learned something important tonight,” Jessie said, as they headed back to their cabins. “We know someone was out on the water, and we know which boat they used. Tomorrow, we’ll tell Melanie and decide what to do next.”
CHAPTER 9
To Catch a Thief!
The next morning, the girls spotted Melanie in the cafeteria and told her about the mysterious boat they had heard during the night. “I’ll have to report this,” Melanie said. She looked very serious. “No one is allowed to take boats out at night — not even counselors.” She paused, stirring her coffee. “And you’re sure berth number six was vacant?”
Soo Lee nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, whoever took the boat out returned it,” Melanie said. “I was down at the docks half an hour ago, and all the berths were filled.”
Benny came racing into the cafeteria just then, followed by Henry. “We’re getting closer and closer to the thief,” Benny said.
“Maybe not,” Violet said doubtfully. “Maybe he got everything he wanted last night, and he won’t show up again.”
After breakfast, the Aldens decided to take a quick look at the docks. Maybe they could find a clue they had missed the night before. As they strolled along the docks, Benny stared hard at the powerboat docked in berth number six. It looked absolutely normal — white fiberglass finish, a wood-grain dashboard, blue vinyl seats. . . .
Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks. There was something shiny lying on one of the seats. What was it? It was so small it would fit in the palm of his hand, and it glinted in the morning sun. He tugged urgently on Henry’s arm. “Look at the seat!” he said in a hushed voice. “What is it? Can you reach it?”
Henry used one hand to steady himself and quickly stepped inside the boat. He scooped up the bright object and was back on the dock in a flash.
“What is it?” Benny was nearly jumping up and down in excitement.
“A clue,” Henry said, opening his hand. Everyone crowded around to look at a small gold cigarette lighter. It was initialed with the letters NS. “Probably a very important clue.”
“NS,” Violet said thoughtfully. She and Jessie exchanged a look. “Nick Simon!” they said in unison.
“I think he’s just moved to the top of our list of suspects,” Benny said.
That evening, the counselors took some of the campers to Bird Island for a cookout. The Aldens rode in a large boat, and Melanie rowed across the bay in a rowboat.
“That looks like fun,” Benny said, watching as Melanie smoothly guided the rowboat through the water.
“You certainly did a good job on the wind-surfing simulator,” Jessie said. “Grandfather will be proud of you. We’ll be seeing him tomorrow, you know.”
“Tomorrow?”
“We’ve been here a whole week,” Violet reminded him. “The time went fast because we’ve been doing so much.”
“And learning so many new things,” Soo Lee added.
“I wish we could stay longer,” Benny said. “I never got to use the real wind-surfer. The kind that goes in the water.”
Violet put her arm around him. “Maybe next time, Benny.”
After dinner, everyone sang songs and toasted marshmallows around a campfire. Soo Lee had never tasted marshmallows before, and Benny showed her how to thread them on a stick and hold them over the flames.
“Mmmm!” she said when she’d tried her first toasted marshmallow. “This is great!” Violet felt a little sad because she knew she would miss the camp, and especially Melanie, who had become a good friend. And worst of all, they had never solved the mystery of the missing coral!
“Are you thinking the same thing I am?” Jessie said quietly. She had caught the look on her sister’s face as she stared into the fire.
Violet nodded. “Probably. I’ve been thinking about the coral thief — who he is, what he’s planning to do next. This is the first time we’ve come up against a mystery we couldn’t solve.”
Jessie sighed. “I know. All we can do is hope that the thief slips up somehow, and Melanie catches him after we leave.”
A little later, the counselors suggested a hike around the island, but the Aldens decided to stay at the campfire. The sun had already set in a blaze of fiery orange, and the night air was soft and balmy.
“It’s so peaceful here,” Jessie said. “I want to sit and watch the stars come out one by one.”
“I want to watch the moonlight,” Violet said. “It looks so pretty when it shines on the water.”
“And I want to watch the campfire,” Benny said. “We still have another whole package of marshmallows left!”
Everyone laughed, and the group began hiking along the shore, leaving the Aldens alone.
Darkness spread across the island very quickly, and half an hour later, Benny was startled to see a flashing light on the water. It was at the far end of the island, but he could see it clearly, twinkling in the distance. He stood up, curious, and then he heard a familiar sound. Putt-putt. Putt-putt.
“There’s that boat again,” Violet said in a hushed voice. “I know it!”
Henry and the girls scrambled to their feet. “How can you be so sure?” Henry asked.
“Because it’s the same boat we heard a couple of nights ago,” she insisted.
“Don’t all powerboats sound alike?” Henry asked.
“This one’s different,” Violet said, shaking her head. “It skips a putt every now and then. I know it’s the same one we heard before. Boat number six.”
“You’re right,” Henry agreed. “Melanie said that the boat has a bad transmission, and that’s why it skips every so often.”
“What can we do?” Jessie asked eagerly
.
Suddenly the putt-putt sound stopped, and the Aldens stood motionless, straining to hear.
“Why has the noise stopped?” Benny whispered.
“I don’t know — ” Violet started to say, and then stopped. All at once she realized what was going on. “Oh, no!” she cried. “The thief has docked the boat. What if he’s going to steal more coral?”
“We have to get Melanie and the other counselors,” Henry said. “And we need to move fast.”
“They’ve been gone for a while,” Jessie said. “How will we find them?”
“We’ll have to split up,” Henry said. “Violet, you and I will take the rowboat to the other end of the island. At least we’ll know what’s going on, and we may even get a look at the thief.”
“Soo Lee and I can try to find the campers,” Jessie said.
“Don’t walk along the shoreline. It will take too long,” Henry pointed out.
“We’ll cut through the woods instead,” Soo Lee said quickly. She scrambled to her feet, glad that she had worn long pants and sturdy shoes.
“Hey,” Benny said. “How about me?”
“You’re coming with us,” Henry said, grabbing his hand.
“Good — there are three life jackets inside,” Violet said when they reached the rowboat a couple of minutes later. They quickly put them on, and Henry helped Violet and Benny into the rear seat. Then he lowered himself into the middle seat and took up the oars.
When they had almost reached the shore at the other end of the island, Benny heard a sharp sound. “What’s that?” he asked.
“I bet the thief is using a hammer on the coral bed,” Henry said in disgust. “We’ll have to hurry.”
They docked the rowboat as quietly as they could and crept cautiously along the hard-packed sand. The beach was very dark, but suddenly they saw a light dancing at the edge of the water, just a few yards away.
“That light’s moving all by itself!” Benny said in a shaky voice.
“No, there’s a person holding it,” Violet said. She grabbed Benny’s hand and held it tightly. “Someone’s coming out of the water and he’s all dressed in black. That’s why you can’t see him.”