儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Hidden Beach 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 1, and I got to hold a real gold bar,” Benny told him. His eyes were fixed 2 on the goodies in front of him. Should he have a hot dog or a grilled 3 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 4 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 5.



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 are 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 6 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 7 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 8 to an empty berth 9.



“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 10 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.”