by Ron Roy
The policeman crawled into the tunnel while everyone else watched. He backed out two minutes later.
“There’s food wrappers in the dirt,” the officer reported. “I have a feeling someone spent a lot of time digging the tunnel.”
The other officer looked at Riko. “Can you explain how anyone could have dug that tunnel without your knowledge?” she asked.
Riko shook his head.
“The tunnel was hidden behind the boulders. How was I supposed to know?” he asked.
“But you’re in charge here, right, sir?” the policewoman asked.
“That’s right,” Riko said. “I’m the site foreman.”
The officer beckoned to her partner to join her. “We need you gentlemen to come with us while we sort this out,” she said.
One of the workmen started to pull away, but Riko stopped him. “Sure, we’ll go with you,” Riko said.
He led them to a sloping part of the pit, where the heavy machinery was driven in and out.
“Do you think Riko did it?” Ruth Rose asked Sammi when the officers and crew were gone.
“I hope not,” Sammi said. “He seems like such a nice guy.”
Josh peered inside the tunnel entrance. “It must have taken the crooks a while to dig this thing,” he said.
“Let’s check it out,” Dink said.
The kids dropped to their knees and crawled into the tunnel. Dink went first, followed by Josh, then Ruth Rose. Sammi came last.
The tunnel was about the length of two school buses, but too low to allow standing up. The dirt under their knees was mostly sand and pebbles.
The kids could see with the help of dim light coming from both ends of the tunnel. They stopped in a spot that was wider than the rest of the passageway. Ten feet ahead, the tunnel sloped upward to the bank vault.
“Look at all this junk,” Josh said. He pointed to a pile of burger wrappers and soda cans.
Dink kicked at the food debris. “I’d say he was in here a few days, at least.”
“Wait, what’s that?” Josh said. He scooted forward and grabbed a paper that Dink’s sneaker had revealed.
“It’s some kind of note,” Dink said, looking over Josh’s shoulder. “But it’s written in Costran, Sammi.”
The kids hunched together while Sammi quickly read the note.
“This is impossible,” Sammi said after a minute.
“What does it say?” Ruth Rose asked.
Sammi pointed to the words. “This was written to Riko,” he explained. “It tells him to dump the gold over the wall, where someone else will load it into a truck and take it away.”
The kids stared at the strange note.
“Is it signed?” Dink asked finally.
“No, but there’s this.” Sammi pointed to the bottom of the sheet. There, in small blue letters, was an e-mail address: [email protected].
“This is the bank’s e-mail address,” Sammi said.
Dink put his finger on the first two letters. “These might be someone’s initials,” he said.
“They are,” Sammi said. His dark eyes gleamed in the half-light. “LB stands for Lees Baz.”
“We have to show this note to your father!” Ruth Rose said.
“Yes,” Sammi said. He took the note and slipped it into his pocket. “Pop’s going to be really upset. Mr. Baz is one of his closest friends.”
The kids crawled out of the tunnel.
They brushed dirt from their hands and knees, then stood looking at the backhoe.
“When do you think they stole the gold?” Dink asked the others.
“Probably over the weekend, when the bank was closed,” Sammi said.
“But if they planned the theft together, why would Riko need to dig a tunnel?” Dink asked. “Mr. Baz could just open the vault and take the gold.”
“Digging a tunnel into the vault would make it look like Mr. Baz wasn’t involved,” Ruth Rose said.
“But why would he use paper that had his own e-mail address at the bottom?” Dink went on.
“Maybe he meant to rip that part off and forgot,” Sammi suggested.
“Maybe,” Dink said. “But if I was robbing a bank, I’d destroy the note.”
“How would they carry all that gold to the wall?” Ruth Rose asked.
“I’d use the backhoe,” Josh said, heading toward the huge piece of equipment.
The scoop bucket was in the down position, resting on the ground. Josh stepped into the bucket and examined the metal edges.
“Take a look at this,” he said. He had his finger on a shiny mark on the metal.
The others studied the mark.
“It looks like gold scrapings,” Sammi said.
“You were right,” Dink said. “They did use the backhoe to move the gold!”
Sammi pulled the note from his pocket and read it again. “This says Riko should bring the gold to the west wall, near the tree. Let’s go check it out,” he said.
The kids climbed out of the pit and headed for the west wall. They had to pass the castle in order to get to the gate.
“Shouldn’t we tell your father about the note right away?” asked Dink.
“He’s probably still in the bank,” Sammi said. “Besides, this will only take a few minutes.”
There was a tall tree near the west wall. The kids walked the ground beneath the tree, searching for clues. Ruth Rose had stepped a few yards away from the tree. She called the other three kids over. “Look, fat tire marks,” she said.
The marks were only a few feet from the wall. Dink could easily picture what must have happened. The crook—was it Riko?—had driven the backhoe to this point, the bucket loaded with gold.
Then he had raised the backhoe’s scoop and dumped the gold bars over the wall. Someone in a car or truck must have been waiting on the other side.
“Give me a boost, someone,” Ruth Rose said. She had one arm wrapped around the tree as the other reached for the lowest branch.
“Where are you going?” Josh asked.
“If the crooks dumped a bunch of gold bars over this wall, there should be marks on the ground on the other side,” Ruth Rose said. “Boost me up so I can see!”
The boys made footholds with their hands, and Ruth Rose scampered into the branches. Two minutes later, she was perched on the top of the wall.
“See anything?” Dink called up.
Ruth Rose looked down at the boys. “The bushes and weeds are all crushed,” she said. “Like something very heavy dropped on them.”
“Okay, I’m telling my father,” Sammi said. “Come on down, Ruth Rose.”
Ten minutes later, the four kids were sitting in the king’s study. Sammi’s father sat at his wooden desk, reading the note.
The king looked up. His normally cheerful eyes looked sad. “And you found this in the tunnel?” he asked.
“Yes,” Josh said. “It was mixed in with some food wrappers and stuff. Whoever dug the tunnel must have dropped it.”
“I just can’t believe Riko and Lees would betray me like this,” the king said sadly. “They both seemed eager to have the new aquarium open.”
King Farhad sighed and reached for the phone. He called his police and told them to pick up Lees Baz immediately.
“Sammi, I’m sorry this had to happen on your special day,” his father said as he hung up. “But I’ll make it up to you later at your party.”
Just then there was a light knock on the door.
“Come in,” said the king.
“Your Highness,” came a deep voice from the doorway.
The kids looked up. The man standing there wore a long black cape, and his head was completely bald.
Dink recognized the face he had seen peeking from a room upstairs a few days ago.
The man stepped forward and bowed in front of King Farhad. “Yondo at your service,” he said.
The king nodded. “Kids, this is Yondo. He’s a magician I’ve hired for Sammi’s party tonight,” he said.
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p; “Cool!” Sammi said. “What kind of tricks do you do?” he asked the man.
Yondo wiggled his long fingers to show that his hands were empty. Then he reached over and pulled a large gold coin from the king’s hair.
With a lightning-fast flick of his hand, Yondo flipped the coin at Dink. Dink raised his hands for the catch, but it never reached him.
The coin had disappeared into thin air.
The four kids entered the royal dining room at seven o’clock. The table was set with a white tablecloth that reached the floor. The queen’s best dishes sparkled under the candlelight.
The king and queen smiled at the kids. “This is your night, Sammi. There will be no discussion of the missing gold,” the king stated.
In the middle of the table sat three large pizzas.
“How did you know pizza is my favorite meal?” Josh asked, rubbing his stomach.
Sammi grinned. “It’s my favorite, too!” he said.
A half hour later, only pizza crusts were left. A servant cleared the table.
“Time to open your presents,” Sammi’s mother said. Stacked on a nearby table were the gifts Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose had brought in their luggage.
Dink’s present was a book about Connecticut. He showed Sammi a map inside and pointed out Green Lawn.
Josh gave Sammi a small wooden eagle. “I carved it myself,” Josh said, blushing.
“It’s awesome,” Sammi said. “Thanks, Josh!”
Ruth Rose brought a travel-size Monopoly game. “I thought we could play after dinner,” she said. “But watch out for Josh. He cheats!”
The king set a large, gold-foiled box in front of Sammi. “This is from your mother and me,” he said. “Happy birthday son.”
Sammi tore off the paper to find a new computer. He gave his mother and father hugs. “Thank you, it’s just what I wanted!”
“Now we can e-mail each other!” Ruth Rose said.
“Excellent,” said the king. “And now, Yondo is going to entertain us.”
The king clapped his hands and the room lights dimmed. A door opened and everyone watched for the magician to enter. But there was no one there.
“Yondo at your service,” came a voice from the opposite side of the room. When they turned, Yondo stood at the end of the table, next to the queen. He was dressed entirely in white.
“How did you get in here?” Sammi said. “There’s only one door!”
Instead of answering, Yondo pulled a green bandanna out of Sammi’s ear.
For the next twenty minutes, Yondo amazed them with magic tricks, doing one right after the other.
He tied knots in colored hankies and let the kids check that the knots were tight. Then he ran his hand over the knots, and the hankies separated.
He turned normal eggs into rabbits and rabbits into beautiful doves.
He wet two fingers and snuffed out a candle. Then he opened his mouth and breathed fire like a dragon.
“For my final illusion, I will make one of you disappear,” Yondo said to the small group. Then he pulled a large black cloth from a sleeve and shook it out, covering himself. When the cloth dropped, Yondo was gone. In his place stood a tall silver box about the size of an old-fashioned phone booth.
A door in the box opened, and Yondo stepped out. But now he was dressed from head to toe in red.
Yondo smiled at Ruth Rose. “Will you be my assistant?” he asked.
“Okay, but be sure to bring me back again,” Ruth Rose said.
Yondo led Ruth Rose into the box. He closed the door and draped the black cloth over it. Then he knocked on the cloth with his knuckle. “Are you still in there, Ruth Rose?” he asked.
“No, I’m up here!” came Ruth Rose’s voice from above their heads.
Everyone looked up toward the ceiling. It was dark, so the king turned up the lights.
Ruth Rose was nowhere in sight.
Yondo knocked on the box again.
“Ruth Rose, are you in there?”
This time there was no answer.
Josh let out a giggle. “She really did disappear!” he whispered.
Yondo whisked the cloth away from the box and opened the door.
It was empty. The three boys leaped up and examined the box.
“What’re you all looking at?” Ruth Rose asked from behind them.
The boys whipped around. Ruth Rose was back in her seat at the table.
“How did you do that?” Josh asked Ruth Rose.
“I’ll never tell,” she said.
Just then a servant carried in a cake with ten lit candles on it.
Yondo started to leave.
“Please stay for some cake,” the king said with a smile. “As long as you don’t make it disappear!”
Yondo smiled. “Only my piece will disappear,” he said.
Sammi made a wish and blew out the candles, and they ate.
“I’m gonna bust open,” Josh said later as the servant cleared the table.
King Farhad and Queen Grace excused themselves. “You kids can sit up and play Monopoly if you wish,” the queen said. “But not too late, Sammi.”
The kids decided to play in Sammi’s room. As they climbed the stairs toward the bedroom wing, Dink was thinking about the missing gold. “Sammi, where did your father find Yondo?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” Sammi said. “I was just as surprised to see him as you guys.”
“Does he live in Costra, or did he fly here, like we did?” Dink asked.
“Why? Does it matter?” asked Sammi.
“I’m not sure,” Dink said. “But don’t you think it’s strange that your father’s gold disappeared right after Yondo got here?”
“What, you think Yondo stole the gold?” Sammi asked.
“Well, he made a lot of other stuff disappear,” Dink said. “Like you, Ruth Rose.”
“He didn’t make me disappear,” Ruth Rose said. “It was a trick. While you guys were changing for the party, Yondo asked me to help him. See, he’s a ventriloquist, too. He threw my voice up to the ceiling. When you guys all looked up there, I scooted out of the box and crawled under the table. Then I just got up and sat back in my chair again.”
“If Yondo is the thief, where did he hide the gold?” Sammi asked Dink. “And how would he get it away from Nere? The guards check every car going through the gate. No one could get past them.”
“Except maybe a magician,” Dink mumbled.
“I think Riko and Mr. Baz are the crooks,” Ruth Rose said.
“I hate to admit it, but I agree with Ruth Rose,” Josh said. “I think Mr. Baz was on the other side of the wall with the getaway car, waiting for Riko to drop the gold over.”
“They both told the cops they had never seen that note,” Sammi said. “Mr. Baz said someone must have stolen that writing paper from his office.”
Just then a shadow fell over the kids. Yondo had appeared at the top of the stairs.
“We meet again,” the magician said. “What are you whispering about?”
“We’re just talking about the gold robbery,” Sammi said.
“Ah, yes, your parents told me about the bank manager and the job foreman,” Yondo said. “What a shame. Well, I leave early tomorrow morning, so I will say good night. And happy birthday, Sammi.”
Yondo walked past the kids and disappeared into his room. They all heard the door lock.
The next morning, the kids walked down to the aquarium pit. No one was working in it. Yellow crime-scene tape had been strung around the whole place. The backhoe stood right where it had been left.
The bank was locked up, with a big CLOSED sign on the door.
“I wonder if my father will ever get the gold back,” Sammi said.
“Did Yondo leave yet?” Dink asked.
Sammi nodded. “I saw him drive away this morning,” he said.
“Hello!” the kids heard someone yell from behind them.
Dr. Skor had tied a yellow inflatable dinghy to the dock and was walkin
g toward them.
“Any news on the robbery?” he asked when he reached the four kids.
Sammi brought him up to date on Riko and Mr. Baz.
Dr. Skor nodded. “Yes, I assumed it was an inside job,” he said. “At least the culprits are behind bars, where they belong. And how was your party, Sammi?”
“Cool! My dad hired a magician, and he was awesome!” Sammi said.
“A magician, how wonderful!”
Dr. Skor showed the kids a grocery shopping list. “I must get to the store. Your parents are joining me for lunch on my boat,” he said. “You kids are invited, too, of course!” He hurried off toward the shops.
“I hope Dr. Skor is a good cook!” Josh said.
At noon, a sturdy-looking fiberglass boat pulled up to the dock. A boy who looked about sixteen years old was at the motor. He wore a bathing suit and a tank top.
“Hi, Hugo!” Sammi cried. “These are my friends Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. They’re from Connecticut in America.”
“I want to visit your country someday,” Hugo said. “Do you live near New York City?”
“Yes,” Dink said. “My uncle Warren lives there. If you come to visit, you can stay with us!”
Hugo beamed. “Thank you!”
“Hugo is going to study at the new school,” the king told the kids. “And one day he’ll work at the aquarium.”
Hugo helped everyone aboard and motored toward the yellow yacht.
“How are you spending your summer vacation?” the queen asked Hugo.
The boy grinned. “I’m doing a lot of diving and snorkeling,” he said.
“Do you see a lot of fish around here?” asked Josh.
Hugo nodded. “Every size and color you can imagine,” he said. “I’ll take you guys snorkeling later if you want.”
Sammi looked at his parents. “Can we?” he asked.
His father said, “Of course. Hugo, do you have four life vests?”
“Yes, sir,” Hugo said. He looked at his diver’s watch. “How about three o’clock?”
“Excellent!” Sammi said. “I’ve got snorkel gear you guys can borrow.”