He shook his head as he dusted off his hands. “When you didn’t come home after school, I assumed you were at Grace’s. But when dinnertime came and you still weren’t home, I decided to call and check. Andrew said that Shirley had given you a ride home—”
“That’s what Howie said,” agreed Andrew.
“So,” James continued, “I tried calling the Jensons, but no one was home. I know this is their bridge night, but I figured I might get ahold of Shirley. I tried several times with no luck. I was starting to feel frantic—almost ready to call the police. But then I thought perhaps I could track down Shirley’s parents. With Muriel’s help I managed to call all their bridge friends until we finally found them at the Hatfields’. But they said Shirley was at home. I explained that you were missing, and they said they hadn’t seen you but to try calling their house again. So I tried and tried. . . .”
“But how did you know I was here?” asked Allison again.
“Well, I got worried about tying up the phone in case you were trying to call me. So I hung up the phone and sat down and prayed. In just a few minutes the phone rang. And it was the strangest thing. A muffled voice said that I would find you on the island.”
“By then I had come over,” added Andrew. “When James told me what the mysterious caller said, we told George to phone the police, just in case, and then we ran to see if the rowboat was gone.”
“And it wasn’t?” Allison knew that Shirley had returned it but wasn’t certain that she knew how to tie it properly. It could have floated out into the ocean.
“The boat was there, but it did appear that someone had used it,” James said. “The oars were sticking out, and it had a pretty loose knot.”
“So we hopped in and came over,” said Andrew. “No easy trip, since the tide’s going out right now.”
“I’m so sorry,” said Allison again. Suddenly, she realized what a foolhardy expedition this had been—even if her hunch had been right. “Let me explain everything.”
Dad nodded. “We deserve some explanations.”
“Let’s see . . .” Allison sighed deeply. “When I heard my friend Susan’s house had been burglarized, Howie and I were trying to imagine how the burglars were moving up and down the coast without getting caught. We thought of them using a boat, then I remembered that Caroline saw a lantern moving around the lighthouse last week. I wondered if they might be stashing their loot here. It seemed like a wild hunch at the time—”
“Pretty crazy,” agreed Andrew.
“But when Shirley heard me talking about it, she said she was going to come investigate. She said that she had a right to, since the lighthouse has her name.”
James chuckled. “It figures. But what happened then?”
“Well, I didn’t want her to steal my hunch and come make some big discovery without me.” Allison looked down at her feet. “And so I came with her. I wanted to run up to the house to let someone know, but Shirley wouldn’t wait. I’m sorry. It was stupid.”
“But where’s Shirley?” James asked, looking around the lighthouse with alarm. “Is she okay?”
Allison laughed. “I’m sure she’s just fine.” She held her hands over the fire and continued. “Shirley was ready to leave, but I wanted to have a look beyond that little rise on the north side—”
“You mean where the cave is?”
“That’s right. Only I didn’t realize there was a cave there.”
“I almost forgot about that cave,” said Andrew thoughtfully. “That would be a good place to hide something.”
“Exactly,” said Allison. “So when I found the cave, I took a closer look. Do you know what I found?” She stared at them both with wide eyes. “A bunch of silver stuff and what looked like stolen goods.”
Her father’s face looked worried. “You were right? The thieves are using the island?”
Allison nodded with satisfaction. “Yep.”
James looked at the pile of furniture near the door. “So you had good reason to barricade that door like that.”
“Do you think they’ll come while we’re here?” asked Andrew.
“They already have,” said Allison. “I was afraid they might come back, though. That’s why I put that stuff there.”
“Maybe we should put it back,” suggested Andrew. “At least until the police or Coast Guard get here.”
“Not a bad idea, Andrew.” James stood, and they quickly shoved the pieces back into place. “Now, tell us, Allison. What became of Shirley?”
“Well, just when I discovered the cave, I heard the sound of a boat and got scared that it might be the thieves. I climbed over the rocks and began to run for the dock. But the boat was gone. I spotted Shirley on the other side of the inlet. She had left without me.”
“You’re kidding!” Andrew looked at her in shocked disbelief.
“I couldn’t believe it, either,” said Allison. “I told myself that she was going for help. But I doubt if she even realized that the thieves were coming. I hadn’t had a chance to tell her about the cave yet.”
“So what did you do?” Andrew asked with wide eyes.
“I hid behind a rock on the west side. I could hear their voices—it was pretty scary. I just prayed and waited until I was sure they had gone.” Allison sighed. “It seemed like hours, but it was really only about forty minutes. Then it began to rain, and I was freezing cold. So I broke into the lighthouse. Sorry about that, Dad. You’ll have to fix the knob.”
“Don’t you worry about that.” He put his arm around her. “I’m so glad that my little girl is a survivor, but I don’t know if I can take any more of these hair-raising adventures.”
“I’m really sorry, Dad. I never dreamed it would turn into something like this. When we left it was daylight, the tide was out, and it seemed safe. But I should have let you know.”
“Yes,” James agreed. “You should’ve let me know.” He shook his head. “I still cannot believe that Shirley would do such a thing. I know she’s pulled some crazy stunts, but I never would’ve imagined this—”
“Do you think she’s the one who called you, Dad?”
He nodded. “I’m sure of it now. It was a female voice.”
“Maybe she felt a twinge of guilt,” said Andrew. “Or maybe she was afraid she was going to get into trouble.”
“I’ll see that she gets into plenty of trouble,” James said. He looked at his watch. “I wonder if George got anyone to come out here. I thought we could wait until the tide shifted, but that won’t be for a while. Still, I don’t like the idea of us rowing out there when there could be a boatload of crooks nearby.”
“I could fix you both a cup of tea,” suggested Allison. “And maybe the Coast Guard will come.”
“Sounds like a good plan.” He glanced at the empty sardine tin. “That your dinner, Allison?”
She nodded as she poured steaming water into the cups. “I thought it would take too long to cook the beans.”
“Now I wished I’d waited a minute for Muriel. She was running around like a wild woman trying to throw some food together for you.”
“Don’t talk about food,” warned Allison as she handed Andrew a cup of tea.
“Thanks, Al,” Andrew said with a warming smile. He pointed at her tablet now splayed across the floor. “Were you working on something?”
“Yes. I decided to write my story about finding the thieves for the paper. I promised Howie that I would have something for him by tomorrow.”
Her father laughed. “You’re supposed to report the news, Allison, not make it!”
“I couldn’t help it—” Allison stopped in midsentence. She heard something outside. They all stood silently listening. Had the thieves returned?
The sound of a horn blasted outside, and Allison nearly jumped out of her skin.
“It’s the Coast Guard!” James exclaimed. He and Andrew began to remove the furniture barricade so they could get out the door. Allison grabbed her tablet and picked up the lantern; followi
ng them out, she waved the light for a signal. Before long the cutter was docked at the lighthouse. It seemed that George had called the police and the Coast Guard to check on them. James quickly explained all that had transpired in the past several hours to the worried captain.
“You’ll have to talk to my daughter, Allison, about all the details,” said James as he proudly presented her to the captain.
“Pleasure to meet you, miss. Now, tell me, can you describe their craft?”
Allison frowned. “I didn’t actually see their boat because I was hiding, but I heard the motor—it didn’t sound like it was a real big boat, though. And I did hear a couple of names—”
“What were the names?” asked the captain.
“Roy and Fred,” said Allison. “I wrote them down.”
“When do you think the men were last on the island?”
“I’d guess it was about four-thirty when they arrived,” said Allison. “And I’d say they left after about an hour, but it was too dark outside to read my watch by then.”
“Have they been back?”
“Not to my knowledge. But I’ve been inside the lighthouse; I might not have heard them.”
“Thanks for all your help,” said the captain. “We better check this out right away.”
Flashlights were quickly found, and the captain organized a small search crew to explore the cave and other parts of the island. He told Allison, Andrew, and James to stay with the remaining crew—in case the thieves were anywhere nearby.
“I hope the stash is still there,” said Allison as they sat in the cozy cabin of the cutter. “It sounded like they were carrying boxes and stuff. It could be that they moved it all away. . . .”
“Well, if that’s the case, maybe they can still have a stakeout here,” suggested Andrew. “If the thieves think this is a good hideout, they might come back.”
A Coast Guardsman brought the three of them paper cups of hot chocolate. “You folks look like you could use a pick-me-up,” he said. “Have you been stuck out here for long?”
“Allison’s been out here since around four,” said James. He pushed a curl out of her eyes. “I think she’s pretty worn out.” He turned to Andrew. “This is making an awfully late night for you, too, Andrew. I figure Allison should stay home tomorrow, but I hope we’re not messing up your week.”
“No problem,” said Andrew. “You think I’d rather be home missing out on all this excitement?”
“Probably not,” James grinned.
“Thanks for coming with Dad, Andrew,” Allison said quietly.
“Well, I was worried about you, too.”
“I feel bad worrying people so much,” said Allison. “It seems I’m good at it.”
“Hey,” Andrew called to the guardsman, “can you let the folks on the mainland know that Allison is okay?”
“Sure, we can radio the police, and if you give us a phone number, they can call and let someone know.”
“Good thinking, Andrew,” James said after he told the guardsman the number.
Allison reached up and rubbed a sore spot on her neck. “My locket!”
“What’s wrong?” asked Andrew.
“I must’ve lost my locket when I was running around on the rocks.” Allison frowned sadly. “I guess things could be worse, but I’ll miss my locket.” She finished her cocoa and leaned into her Dad’s shoulder, then closed her eyes and sighed. Safe. She breathed a prayer of thanks, then allowed the quiet rumbling of the boat’s engine to lull her into a half sleep.
Before long the captain’s search party returned.
“We found the loot,” announced the captain as Allison jolted awake.
“That’s great,” said James. He looked around. “But where is it?”
The captain chuckled. “Well, we were about to haul it out when we realized that we would only recover the goods, but not the thieves. So we collected a few bits of evidence and left everything as it was. We’ll leave a couple guardsmen, a short-wave radio, and some provisions to wait it out at the lighthouse. And hopefully, we’ll catch some thieves.”
Two volunteers were chosen, and the rest of the crew quickly gathered the necessary items and helped take them to the lighthouse. Allison didn’t envy the two fellows who were staying behind, but they seemed to think it was a great adventure. And she noticed that they each had a gun.
“I’ll be happy to keep an eye on things, too,” James offered. “We have a pretty good view of the lighthouse from a couple of windows.”
“That would be helpful,” said the captain. “And now, I think we should get you good people home. I tied your rowboat to the cutter, and we’ll take you across to your dock.”
“We’d appreciate the lift,” said James.
“Not nearly as much as we appreciate this young lady’s help in solving this crime spree,” said the captain.
When they reached the dock, the captain helped them all off, tipping his hat to Allison. “Oh, one more thing,” said the captain. “I’ll have to request that you all keep this business quiet until the crooks are caught. You can imagine how it would mess things up if word got out.”
Allison groaned. “Does that mean I can’t run my story in the school paper?”
The captain frowned. “Sorry, but until the thieves are caught—mum’s the word. Otherwise you would be risking the lives of my men out there.”
“Of course,” said Allison. “I understand. But do you think you could let us know when the thieves are caught? I’d like to run my story then.”
He winked at her. “You’ll be the first to know, Allison O’Brian. And thanks again for your help.”
Allison sighed as they walked up the road toward home. “Looks like I still don’t have a story for the school paper.”
Her dad laughed. “Don’t tell me that after all that has happened, you’re still worried about that. Besides, I think you better stay home tomorrow. You could wind up sick as a dog after all you’ve been through. And I’m pretty sure that Muriel will be having a stakeout right next to your bedroom door tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, Dad,” said Allison in mock exasperation.
“And as for you, Andrew,” James added, “maybe you should just spend the night here. I know that Muriel has already gotten my old room cleaned out for you.”
“Thanks,” said Andrew, “and I would, but I’m worried about Grace and the kids being alone when there are still burglars around. I think I’ll head for home, sir.”
James threw an arm around Andrew’s shoulder. “You’re more on the ball tonight than I am, Andrew. Of course that’s the right thing to do.”
They told Andrew good-night at the jalopy, then went inside the house. Allison was greeted by a warm hug from Muriel and then whooshed up the stairs and into a hot bathtub before she could even protest. “It’s the only way to take the chill out of your bones,” said Muriel. “Now, don’t fall asleep in the tub, and I’ll be right back with a snack and a flannel nightie.”
Muriel had been right about the tub. For the first time in eight hours, Allison finally felt thoroughly warmed. After her bath, she sat in bed and ate toast and peaches and a cup of warm milk.
“You look like you’re being well taken care of,” said James as he peeked in her door. “I just got off the phone with Hal Jenson. I decided not to wait until morning to give him a piece of my mind. Besides, I didn’t want to take the chance of having Shirley getting off to school without knowing that her ‘best friend’ was okay.”
Allison laughed. “As if she’d care.”
“Hal couldn’t believe that Shirley would do such a dreadful thing—he was actually offended that I would even suggest it. I told him it was easily proved.”
James shook his fist dramatically. “Who knows what she’ll do next. I know that I don’t want you ever getting in a car with her again, Allison. Not unless some serious changes take place.”
Allison nodded soberly. “I won’t, Dad. To tell you the truth, I had reservations at the time—”
“You’ve got to learn to listen to that still, small voice, Allison,” he instructed gently. “Remember what the pastor said last Sunday?”
“I know, Dad. But sometimes it’s not real clear. Because I know I’m supposed to love Shirley—even if she’s my enemy.”
“That’s right, Allison. But loving her doesn’t mean that you have to trust her. Or to put your life in her hands.”
“I think I understand. And you know, it’s funny, Dad, I don’t even feel horribly angry at her anymore. I actually feel sorry for her. I think she has some serious problems inside her.” Allison leaned back and yawned.
“I think you are exactly right.” James leaned over and removed the empty tray, then kissed her good-night. “Time for someone to get some rest. Don’t worry about school in the morning.”
“I won’t,” said Allison sleepily. “I just wish I could have turned in my story. . . .”
“All in good time, Allison. Sweet dreams.”
The next morning, Allison awoke to the jarring sound of a telephone ringing. She looked at her bedside clock. Half past nine! She was just about to leap out of bed when she remembered her late night and misadventures of the previous day. No school for her this morning. And it was a good thing because her entire body felt as if she’d been used as a punching bag. Probably a result of getting chilled and scrambling around on the rocks. She sighed and leaned back into her pillow. Her only regret was that she had no story for Howie. The Pirate Chest would look awfully barren this week. Maybe it didn’t matter, since it was almost Christmas vacation. Still, she felt badly for Howie—she had seen the concern on his face yesterday.
“Are you awake?” her father knocked lightly on her door.
“Yes, just barely. Come in.”
“I’ve got some good news,” he said with a wide grin.
“Tell me—what is it?” She sat up in bed eagerly.
“They caught your pirates red-handed.”
“Are you serious? When? How? Where—”
Allison O'Brian on Her Own, Volume 2 Page 30