Saltwater Secrets
Page 15
Part Four Josie
Sixty-Five Josie
Finnegan’s Marina—Whalehead, New Jersey
June 26 (Continued)
“You can let me out here,” Laney says.
Dad stops the pickup truck, and Laney slides out.
She says to all of us, “See you tonight for the next round of Monopoly. Get the board set up. I’ll be there.”
We watch her walk away, and Dad puts the truck in reverse, but Stella says, “Wait. Let’s watch.”
Dad puts the truck back in park.
A Coast Guard tugboat pushes a boat to the dock.
“The Koala,” Stella says.
Laney turns her reversible zip hoodie inside out, revealing SPECIAL AGENT on the back.
“She’s a secret agent,” Stella says. “I knew something was up with her!”
“Now, that’s cool,” Dr. Rodney says. “I have lots and lots to talk to her about.”
She leads a man off the boat in handcuffs. It’s the man from the pictures on her phone. Other agents board the boat and leave with bags.
“Wattle berries,” I say.
“Just like you told Santoro,” Dad says.
Dr. Rodney says, “I didn’t know what was damaging the pier or hurting the medusas, but you girls figured it out.”
A police cruiser with lights and sirens blaring schreeches to a stop in front of the marina. Laney leads the handcuffed guy to the car.
Detective Santoro gets out and opens the back door for the Australian wattle berry smuggler. He exchanges words with Laney, and the two share a fist bump.
I truly can’t believe what happens next. Detective Santoro looks over to our truck, he waves to Dad and us, and then, finally, the man cracks a smile.
Sixty-Six Josie
Beach
June 27
“Good morning, Whalehead. It’s Dario Imani here from the Jersey Shore. Turns out that the Sea Vacuum music group likes our little town and plans to set down some roots. This is evident by the fact that today they bought the former Smoothie Factory building. A statement from the group reports that it will reopen as a Water Ice Factory with a rock-and-roll theme. A portion of all profits will be donated to marine conservation. I never liked those smoothies anyway.
“Gonna be a hot one today, WLEO listeners, so stay cool.”
Stella and I hop onto the hot sand to find a spot to lie out. We don’t get too far before a four-wheeler pulls alongside us. Timmy drives, and TJ drops a rescue board onto the ground for us to stand on.
I say, “Thanks so much. The sand is wicked hot today.”
“Where’s your third wheel?” Stella asks about Tucker.
“Running, if you can believe that,” TJ says. “He actually has to pass the fitness test in a few days.”
Timmy says, “In fact, here he comes now.”
Tucker looks like he’s rolled in the sand with sweaty skin. He’s bright red and panting. “I remember why I hate running.”
“Why?” Timmy asks.
“Because, um, running is the worst,” Tucker says. “Hop off that thing. I’m riding back to the shack.”
Timmy and TJ get off the four-wheeler to let their near-dead friend use it. I notice when they step onto the sand that they’re wearing five-toed water shoes, so their feet are protected from the heat.
“Where are you guys setting up beach camp?” Timmy asks.
“Near the water,” I say. I use very few words because I’m not sure what things are like between us since we accused them of helping the Smoothie Factory.
TJ turns his back to Stella. “Hop up. I’ll get you there.” She jumps onto his back. He bends down to grab the board and jogs toward a spot near the water. Then Timmy does the same for me.
Maybe Stella’s idea of hanging out with lifeguards isn’t so bad after all.
TJ puts Stella down in the water. She tosses her bag onto the dry sand, pulls off her cover-up, and throws it on top of the bag. Then she and TJ walk down the beach.
Timmy sets me down, and I spread my towel. He sits next to me. “Your feet okay?”
“Better. But now that I’m farther away from the boardwalk, not sure how I’ll get home.”
“I’m sure I can help a pretty girl with that.”
“Pretty?” I ask.
“Yeah. I’ve been trying to tell you that all week, but you keep blowing me off.”
“You have?”
“Uh, yeah. What do you have against lifeguards?” he asks.
“Nothing. I’m sorry I made you feel that way. I think you have a noble job, saving people from drowning and all.”
“You forgot the part about wrestling sharks.” He smiles, and, for the first time, I notice his dimples. Have they always been there? I look down the shoreline at the waves crashing, kids building castles, couples walking hand in hand, teens playing Frisbee, and vacationers soaking up the sun.
“And saving girls unprepared for hot sand.” I add to the list of noble things about his job.
“Glad to help,” he says.
There are a few beats of silence. “Hey, about the Smoothie Factory, and the Koala, and kayaks, and everything. We didn’t put it all together. We were just being dumb about the mayor’s promise that we could skip a year in the training program. We didn’t look at the whole picture.”
“I know that,” I say. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. Lopez is a bad guy. He lied to you, made promises you couldn’t turn down. Gardiner did it to Angie, too. Promised her an awesome job in exchange for towing kayaks for you to use.”
He nods.
“They’ll get theirs. You know, I’ve been imagining the best punishments for them. I hope some judge sentences them to a life of scooping plastic out of the ocean. That would be better than just locking them up in jail.”
“I like the way you think,” he says. Then he surprises me and out of the blue says, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“You must’ve never mentioned us to the police. We weren’t questioned or anything. The only way that could’ve happened was if you and Stella never told that detective what we were doing.” He says, “You knew and you didn’t tell.”
I shrug.
“Are you going to the Sea Vacuum concert tonight?” he asks.
“Of course.”
“Want to go together?” he asks. “My treat.”
“It’s free.”
He bumps me with his shoulder. “I know.”
“Okay. That sounds like ripper fun.”
“Then it’s a date,” he says. And just like that, I have a date with a lifeguard (in training).
Sixty-Seven Josie
Beach
June 27 (Continued)
Stella spreads her towel out next to me and flops down on her belly. “It’s lumpy.”
“What?”
“The sand.”
“It’s never as comfortable as it looks like it’s gonna be. So,” I say to Stella, and I tell her about Timmy and the concert.
“That’s great. You like him?”
I say, “I really think I do.”
Stella says, “Now that you’ve saved the ocean, and all those concertgoers, you can have some fun.”
“I wish I could save the whole ocean,” I say. “That’s more than a one-woman job.” I close my eyes. “How about you? And TJ?”
Stella says, “I like him for sure, but I’m not getting too attached. You know, just having fun hanging out with him this summer.”
“Good plan.” I block the sun from my eyes as I look at Stella. “I don’t want to bring Peter up, but I was wondering something.”
“What?”
“Why did you get in trouble for the doctored photos on social media?”
“Because I told the principal it was my idea.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because I knew about it and I didn’t stop those girls and I should have. I thought being punished for it would make me feel better and also give me a good excuse to not hang
around them anymore.” Then Stella asks me, “Would you take the blame for something you didn’t do?”
“To protect someone that I cared about, I would,” I say, and then I see a whole new Dario coming down the beach. I sit up.
“What up, girls?” He turns his WLEO baseball hat around frontward and takes off his aviator sunglasses.
“You have a new look?” I ask.
He turns to show us his WLEO shirt—logo in the front, REPORTER written across the back. “Well, I’m kind of a celebrity now, so I need to play the part, you know?”
“Oh, for sure,” Stella says.
He sits in the sand between us, kicking some onto both of us when he does.
We groan a little and dust the sand off.
“So,” Dario asks. “I gotta know, off the record, whose idea was it to kidnap Meredith Maxwell?”
Together, Stella and I point to each other and say, “It was her.”
Sixty-Eight Josie
Beach
June 27 (Continued)
Dr. Rodney gets us all—me, Stella, Timmy, TJ, Dad, Laney, and Tucker, who also invited former Smoothie Factory employee Lydia—special passes to the Sea Vacuum concert, right up front so we can see Evan, Austin, and Lucien.
Dario’s at the side of the stage with a press pass and Apple. I’m not sure if he invited her as his guest, or if she just appeared.
The band rocks Karleigh Park, which is jam-packed with fans.
* * *
As we walk home from the park, I ask Dr. Rodney, “So, what happened in ’02?”
He says, “Ah, the summer of the terrestrial beach landing. That was the incident that proved flying saucers are flat and space beings are green.”
“For real?”
“Actually, no, officially none of that ever happened, and I made it all up.”
“Bummer. Unofficially?”
“I have the photos in the bungalow. Mark my words, it was as real as real can get. But”—he puts a finger in front of his mouth—“I signed something.”
I zip my lip, and when my hand swings down, it finds Timmy’s waiting to catch it. He asks, “Soft serve?”
Part Five Stella
Sixty-Nine Stella
Beach
June 28
“Dario Imani here with the Whalehead news from the Jersey Shore. The Sea Vacuum concert was a huge success, resulting in thousands of downloads of the band’s newest hit.
“Vacationers should be aware that Murphy’s Pier will be closed until the work crew has certified the stability of the pylons.
“In other news, Cassandra Winterhalter was discharged from Whalehead Hospital today.”
Josie and I race down the boardwalk, weaving between weekenders soaking in the last minutes of sun and fun before returning to work tomorrow morning.
We pass our favorite shops, arcades, pizza places, and the old Smoothie Factory with a sign in the window: CLOSED.
We’re just about to dash into Kevin’s Fun House when Dr. Rodney stops us. “Whoa. Where’s the fire?”
“Not a fire,” I say. “Just something we need to take care of.”
“I wanted to give this to you girls.” He reaches into a canvas tote bag that’s over his shoulder and pulls out our box… the original one.
“What?” I ask.
“Where did you get that?” Josie asks. “Have you had that all this time?”
He hands it to Josie. “Yeah, sorry. I always knew that you girls were up to something down there, and when the Smoothie Factory did all of their renovations, I thought I’d grab it and keep it safe. But then there was the toxin, the pier, Meredith Maxwell… well, you know. I just forgot about it. I’m really sorry.”
Josie opens it and peeks inside. “It’s all here,” she says to me. “All our memories.” Then she says to Dr. Rodney, “Thanks for looking after it.”
“No problem.”
I ask him, “So, what are you up to today?”
He secures his tote over his shoulder again and brushes crispy blond hairs out of his face. “There’s a little matter of China, and importing and exporting, and a meeting with the government. And waves.”
Gibberish as always with Dr. Rodney.
“Well, good luck with that. I can’t wait to hear all about it,” Josie says.
He holds a hand to his ear and says, “She’s calling me, girls.” He points to the water, which I assume is the “she,” walks down the ramp, and drops the tote. Then he stops to talk to a girl. She’s the girl from the pictures in his bungalow. “Hey, Dad!” She hugs him. His daughter.
* * *
We bypass the line.
I lead the way through the mirrors, where Josie stops to admire her extra-tall self. This time I do too. We quickly navigate the foam pillars and scale the bridge.
Josie looks right, then left. “No one’s coming.”
With the all clear, I stomp on one end of the floorboards, just like I did when Meredith was here.
We hop to the sand below, and I pull the trapdoor shut behind me.
“Josie,” I say. “You covered for me, didn’t you?”
“With Santoro?”
“Yeah. You said everything was your idea?”
“You can’t get in trouble, Stella.”
“Neither can you. What if that ruined your chances for the presidency?” I ask.
She shrugs. “I figured it was a low risk that the news would get back home.”
“Well, thanks.”
“You’re my sister. I’ve always got your back,” Josie says.
“And I’ve always got yours,” I say.
“I know.” After a hot sec Josie hunches over and walks to the tuft of grass where we hid the new box. She digs it up and transfers its contents to our old box.
Then she holds up a sticker from the Sea Vacuum concert. “My favorite day of the summer so far.”
I hold up a strip of pictures from the photo booth at the arcade—me, Josie, and Dario, with Apple photobombing.
Josie scrambles the combination lock and sets the box back into the hole in the sand.
“This is the perfect summer,” I say.
Josie says, “I hope nothing changes.”
But like all perfect things…
Two Weeks Later Josie
Seventy Josie
Police Station
July 4
I sit in the interview room at the Whalehead police station. Again. I’m embarrassed to say that it’s only been, like, two weeks since Dad brought us here to talk to his friend, the grouchy Detective Santoro. This time I’m a mess: My hair, skin, and clothes are still recovering after washing off wet cement—it’s not a pretty sight.
“I just want to make clear that this was all my fault,” I say.
Detective Santoro sighs and slides me a Coke. “But, things did change, didn’t they, Josie?” he asks.
Acknowledgments
Like a day at the beach, writing is more fun with friends. Thanks to my amazing writing partners KB, Kathleen, Jane, June, Janis, Greg, John, and Ramona for their endless support and wisdom.
Special thanks to Lucien, Austin, and Evan for agreeing to be Sea Vacuum, and to Jay and Ian for playing the roles of good cop/bad cop.
If I could pick two people to share a secret hiding place under the boardwalk with, it would be my wonderful literary agent, Alyssa Henkin from Trident Media, and my editor, Alyson Heller. Thanks to you both for your continued council!
Of course, I’d never want to play Skee-Ball without my loves: Kevin, Ellie, Evan, and Happy.
Most of all, thank you to my readers, librarians, teachers, and parents who read and recommend my books. I hope you love Saltwater Secrets as much as the Lost In books, the Just Add Magic books, and Sydney Mackenzie Knocks ‘Em Dead.
More from the Author
Potion Problems
Sydney Mackenzie Knocks 'Em Dead
Lost in Hollywood
Lost in Ireland
Lost in Rome
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p; Lost in Paris
About the Author
Award-winning author Cindy Callaghan writes stuff tweens love to read. Her books—Just Add Magic, Lost in London, Lost in Ireland (previously titled Lucky Me), Lost in Paris, Lost in Rome, Lost in Hollywood, the award-winning Sydney MacKenzie Knocks ’Em Dead, Potion Problems, and Saltwater Secrets—magically capture the tween voice and experience.
Cindy’s first book, the much-loved Just Add Magic, is now a breakout Amazon Original live-action series.
When asked what it is about her books that tweens love, she chuckles and says, “The funny! Without a doubt, it’s the funny situations, characters, and dialogue.”
In addition to writing, Cindy’s passions include animal advocacy, running, moviegoing, reading, podcasts, wine, and girlfriends, all of which take a back seat to her three children, husband, and menagerie of rescued pets.
Cindy holds an MA and an MBA. The Delawarean (by way of Los Angeles) is a Jersey girl at heart. She lives in Wilmington and escapes to her Pennsylvania mountain retreat whenever time will allow.
Aladdin
Simon & Schuster, New York
VISIT US AT SIMONANDSCHUSTER.COM/KIDS
www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Cindy-Callaghan
Don’t Miss These Great Reads from Cindy Callaghan:
Just Add Magic
Just Add Magic 2: Potion Problems
Lost in London
Lucky Me/Lost in Ireland
Lost in Paris
Lost in Rome
Lost in Hollywood
Sydney Mackenzie Knocks ’Em Dead
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.