The camp was quiet when the Aldens gathered at a picnic table down by the dock later that evening. Many of the campers used their free time to read and relax in their cabins, while others worked on their craft projects like painting, macrame, and pottery.
Violet told everyone her suspicions of Katherine Kelly, Joshua Slade, and Nick Simon. When she finished, no one said anything for a moment.
“Does anyone have any ideas?” she asked, watching as Benny skimmed a flat rock over the water.
Henry looked thoughtful. “I wonder if there could be a logical explanation for some of the things we’ve noticed.”
“There’s something else funny about Joshua Slade,” Benny said. “Remember, I saw him stuff a fish in his shirt.”
Jessie laughed. “We’re not sure it was a fish, Benny, but you’re right,” she said. “It sounds like he was hiding something that day we were all out collecting specimens together.”
“That’s true,” Soo Lee agreed. “But what about Katherine Kelly? I can’t believe that Horace really scratched her legs.”
“You’re right, that does seem strange,” Jessie offered. “But why would she lie about it?” Suddenly she remembered the first day they had visited Melanie’s island. They had wrapped beach towels around their legs to protect themselves from the dense underbrush. “The mangrove trees!” she exclaimed.
“If Katherine Kelly scratched her legs when she was stealing coral on Melanie’s island, she wouldn’t want anyone to know about it. She had to explain the scratches somehow, so she blamed Horace.”
“But how would she get to the island?” Henry asked. “Only counselors are allowed to use the boats.”
“She could go out very quietly at night when everyone was asleep,” Soo Lee suggested.
“I saw lights on the water one night!” Benny said, turning back to the group. “Do you think that’s a clue?”
Jessie smiled. Benny always loved to solve a mystery. “There are probably a lot of boats on the water at night, Benny, and they all have lights.” When she saw the disappointed look on his face, she added, “That could be a good clue, though, Benny. We’ll have to remember that.”
Henry was leaning against a palm tree, staring out at the darkening sky. “You know, I just thought of something else important. Remember that chisel I found the first day at the island? That could have been left there by the thief.”
“That’s a good point,” Jessie said. “We need to mention that to Mr. Larson from the Coast Guard. I’m sure he’ll be back tomorrow — ”
Suddenly a slim figure stepped out from the shadows. “A lovely evening, isn’t it?” Hilary Slade smiled at Benny and skimmed a stone across the water, just as he had done a few minutes earlier. “I used to love to do this, too, when I was a kid,” she said in a friendly way.
Had she been standing there all the time? Violet wondered. Had she been eavesdropping on their conversation?
Henry was puzzled too. Why was she making such an effort to be nice? She rarely bothered to talk to the children at dinner and had only spoken a few words to them during their whole time at camp.
Hilary turned her attention to Soo Lee. “That’s beautiful,” she said, touching the bright yellow jute. “It’s macrame, isn’t it? How did you ever learn to do that?”
“I’m taking a craft class,” Soo Lee explained. “It’s not very hard,” she added, holding up the bright yellow band. “I picked an easy pattern. It has only two different kinds of knots.”
“Two kinds of knots?” Hilary looked impressed. “I could never do that. I’m all thumbs.”
“No, it’s easy, really,” Soo Lee insisted. She handed her the strip of macrame. “All you have to know is a square knot and a half-hitch.” She pronounced these new words carefully.
“Never heard of them,” Hilary said with a laugh. “I guess I’ll take your word for it, though.”
Soo Lee looked surprised. “But my teacher said they are the same knots sailors use,” she said. “Don’t you use them on your boats?”
“Oh, well . . . ” Hilary’s face was flushed and she looked embarrassed. “I leave all that up to my husband.” She quickly thrust the macrame into Soo Lee’s hands. “Well,” she said briskly, “look how dark the sky is getting. I must be getting back to the cabin. See you tomorrow!” Before anyone could say a word, she turned away and hurried down the path.
“She certainly wanted to leave in a hurry,” Violet said.
“I think she didn’t want us to know that she didn’t recognize those sailing knots,” Jessie added.
“So now there are four people who are suspects,” Soo Lee said.
“Four?” Benny asked. “I thought we had three — Joshua and Hilary Slade, and Katherine Kelly.”
“Don’t forget about Nick Simon,” Henry said grimly. “Every time anyone asks him a question about fish, he seems to draw a blank.”
“And he’s supposed to be a marine biologist!” Jessie exclaimed.
“And there’s something else about him,” Henry said. “He seemed worried when we spotted him in Key West talking to that fisherman friend of his.”
“Who might not be a fisherman at all.” Jessie stood up. “Remember how pale he was?”
Henry nodded. “I don’t think he’s telling the truth about his friend, but I can’t imagine why he would lie.”
Benny yawned, and Jessie took him by the hand. “I think we should all get a good night’s sleep, and maybe we can figure out some answers tomorrow.”
When Benny started to get up, he noticed an old coin wedged between the wooden slats of the picnic table.
“Look!” said Benny, showing the coin to Henry and Jessie. “I’m going to keep this!” The coin was dented and uneven around the edges, but Benny didn’t mind. He loved to collect things, and he stuck it in his pocket.
The next morning at breakfast, the Aldens sat at a long table by the window, discussing the mystery. They stopped talking abruptly when Joshua and Hilary Slade joined them.
“Good morning!” Hilary said cheerily to the Aldens.
Everyone greeted her politely, but Henry was more suspicious than ever. Why was she being so friendly?
“What are your plans for the day?” Joshua asked.
“We’re going on a glass-bottom boat ride over the coral reef this morning,” Jessie told him. “And then we’re going back to Key West in the afternoon to visit a treasure museum.”
“A treasure museum! That certainly sounds like fun,” Hilary said. “Wouldn’t it be just wonderful to find some real buried treasure?”
“That’s what Mel Fisher did,” Henry told her. “He and his wife discovered a famous ship called the Atocha. It was a Spanish galleon that went down in a hurricane in the 1600s off the coast of Florida.”
“I read about it,” Jessie said. “It had been lying on the ocean floor all that time, and was full of treasure — gold bars, coins, and jewels. People had been looking for it for years, but it was Mel Fisher who finally found it.”
“Did he bring it up?” Benny asked excitedly. “Can we go see it?”
“The Atocha is still on the ocean floor, but he brought up all the treasure. He has a lot of it on display in his museum,” Henry told his brother.
“And that’s where we’re going today!” Benny said. “Yippee!”
“You seem to be really interested in treasure,” Joshua said.
“I am! I collect coins,” Benny said proudly. “I found a really interesting one last night.”
“Really? What’s it like?” Joshua stopped eating, his fork in midair.
“Well, it’s really old, and it’s hard to read what it says on it.” He paused, surprised at their interest.
“Do you have it with you?” Hilary asked sharply.
“No, it’s back in my room.” Benny looked a little uncertain. Hilary suddenly seemed irritated with him.
“What else did you notice about the coin?” her husband persisted.
Benny shrugged. “It’s uneven around the edges.” He grinned. “That’s what I like about it. That’s what makes it special.”
“Does it have any markings on it?” Hilary leaned close to him, her eyes piercing. “Try to remember.”
Benny scrunched his forehead in thought.
“It has a coat of arms on it, doesn’t it?” Violet said.
“A coat of arms!” Hilary was so excited she jiggled her cup, and her coffee flooded the saucer. She pushed it away and looked at her husband. “I don’t feel very hungry. Why don’t we head back to the cabin?”
“Good idea.” Joshua pushed back his chair. “See you later,” he said briefly to the children.
“Those two are acting really suspicious lately,” Jessie said quietly to the others. “I think we should keep an eye on them.”
Jessie nodded and swallowed a forkful of pancakes. “So do I. Right now, there are four suspects, and the Slades are at the top of the list.” |