by Charles Tang
“What makes you so sure?” Jessie asked.
“Her hair, for one thing. Kate’s is braided. That woman’s wasn’t.”
“She could have braided it after we saw her in Chinatown,” Jessie said.
That was possible, Violet thought. “But what about the yellow slicker? Kate’s not wearing one.”
“Maybe it’s here,” Benny said, heading toward the cabin door.
Jessie called him back. “Don’t snoop, Benny.”
“Kate said to look around,” Benny reminded her.
“She didn’t mean we should go through her things,” Jessie said.
Sighing, Benny sank into a deck chair.
“It’s not important, Benny,” Henry said.
“Right,” Violet agreed. “And it has nothing to do with the trouble on the wharf.”
“I’ll bet that man has something to do with it,” Jessie said.
Puzzled, the other Aldens looked at her.
“You know — the man we saw yesterday, the man in the suit. He was here again today.”
Henry was surprised. “I didn’t see him.”
“He was in different clothes, but I’m sure it was the same man,” Jessie said. “He went behind a building when Joe Martin got close to him.”
“Maybe he added the rotten fish to Charlie’s catch,” Violet suggested.
“Somebody would have seen him do that,” Henry said. “Especially yesterday. In that suit, he really stood out. We all noticed him, didn’t we?”
“Not me,” Benny said. “I didn’t see him.”
They sat quietly, thinking. The boat rocked gently. Overhead, gulls called to one another.
After a while, Benny began to giggle. “Vito’s Vittles,” he said. “That is the funniest name for a restaurant.” No one else said anything.
Benny paused. Then he said, “What does that word mean: vittles?”
“Oh, Benny, you should know that word,” Henry said. “It’s your favorite thing.”
Benny frowned. “My favorite thing?” he said. “Let me see . . .” Slowly, his face relaxed into a big smile. “Oh, I get it. Vittles means food.”
Now everyone laughed.
CHAPTER 5
More Trouble
“Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy are already back with our clothes!” Violet said. “Let’s go meet them.”
She stepped off the boat onto the dock. The other Aldens followed her, excited that they’d be staying on Kate’s boat that night.
Their aunt and uncle were visiting with Charlie on the pier near Charlie’s Chum. Charlie was filling his fuel tank. Kate was checking the fish nets to be sure there were no big tears in them.
“Let’s ask Kate about Chinatown,” Benny whispered.
“Not now, Benny,” Jessie said. “She’s busy.”
Uncle Andy waved as the children approached.
Aunt Jane held up a duffel bag. “We brought your clothes. Nice warm ones.”
A man hurried toward them calling, “Charlie! Charlie!”
Charlie squinted in the man’s direction. “That’s Tony Gregor,” he said. “Looks like more trouble.”
“Someone untied my boat!” Tony said. “It floated away!” He gestured toward the bay.
“Who could have done such a thing?” Kate wondered aloud.
The children looked at each other. They thought they knew the answer: the mysterious man in the suit. But they didn’t say anything. They had no proof.
“Calm down, Tony,” Charlie said.
Tony walked in circles. “I don’t know how much longer I can take this.”
Charlie put his hand on Tony’s shoulder.
Tony stopped his nervous pacing. “What am I going to do?” he asked.
“I’ll take you out. We’ll get your boat,” Charlie said.
Tony seemed relieved. “Thanks, Charlie.”
Just then, another boat pulled in beside the narrow pier.
Joe Martin tossed a line over a wooden post. “Hey Tony what’re you doing here?” he shouted over the sound of the engine. “I just passed your boat on my way in.”
That’s strange,Henry thought. Earlier, Joe Martin had said he’d had a great day of fishing. Why would he have taken his boat out again? Henry decided not to ask.
Tony told Joe what had happened.
“We were just going out to get it,” Charlie said.
“I’ll take you, Tony,” Joe said. His boat was running, ready to go.
Tony jumped aboard. Joe backed the boat away from the dock and turned it around. Hands on his hips, Charlie stood watching them. His face was creased with worry.
“Say, Charlie,” Uncle Andy said, “why don’t you come have supper with us. Take your mind off all this.”
“Thanks,” Charlie responded. “But I couldn’t eat. Not now. And I have some work to do.”
“How about you, Kate?” Aunt Jane asked.
“I’ll stay with Charlie,” she answered. She turned to the Aldens. “I’ll meet you back here later, okay?”
Aunt Jane left the children’s clothes with Kate. Then the Aldens and the Beans walked along the waterfront.
“Is everybody hungry?” Uncle Andy asked.
At first, no one — not even Benny! — was. They were too concerned about the trouble on the wharf to think of food.
Soon, though, the sights and smells along the wharf captured their attention.
“I changed my mind,” Benny said. “I’m hungry.”
It was such a lovely evening, they decided to eat outside. They bought crab and shrimp cocktails from the outdoor stands and ate them as they strolled near the water.
Far to the west, the sun dropped below the horizon.
“Oh, look!” Jessie said. She pointed toward the Golden Gate Bridge. Its supporting towers stood out against the rosy orange sky.
“What a beautiful sight!” Violet said. She wished she had brought her sketchbook.
Jessie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I can’t wait to see the bridge up close,” she said.
“Maybe we’ll go tomorrow after your fishing trip,” Aunt Jane told her.
Jessie smiled. That was something to look forward to.
They stopped at Pier 39 for ice-cream cones. Then they headed back toward Charlie’s. Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy were in the lead; the Aldens trailed along behind them. Henry stopped suddenly.
“What’s the matter, Henry?” Jessie asked.
“I think someone’s watching us,” he said.
Violet looked over her shoulder. She quickly turned back. “It’s that man again — the one in the suit.”
Walking backward, Benny said, “I don’t see anyone.”
Henry whirled around.
The man was gone.
By the time the Aldens reached the dock, Tony Gregor and Joe Martin had returned. “Now that everything’s shipshape,” Charlie said, “I’m going home. I could use a good night’s sleep.” He turned to Tony. “Do you want a ride?”
Tony shook his head. “I’m staying with my boat tonight,” he said. “I don’t want it to disappear again.”
“That won’t happen,” Joe assured him. “I’ll bet it was an accident. Your knot probably came loose.”
Tony glared at him. “My knots never come loose,” he said.
Joe shrugged. “Take it easy, Tony. I only meant . . . well, there’s always a first time.”
Mumbling to himself, Tony headed toward his boat, which was tied to a dock down the way.
Joe watched him. “What did I say?” he asked. Then he smiled at everyone. “Well, I’m off, too. See you in the morning.” He ambled away.
Kate picked up the Aldens’ duffel bag. “I suppose we should settle in, too,” she said.
The Beans hugged their nieces and nephews. “We’ll meet you here tomorrow,” Aunt Jane told them.
“Be careful,” Uncle Andy said.
“Don’t worry,” Kate said. “I’ll keep an eye on them.”
The Beans and Charlie headed for the
ir cars.
On Kate’s boat, she and the Aldens sat on the open deck. Boat lights bobbed in the dark waters. Overhead, stars shimmered.
“That was too bad about Tony’s boat,” Benny said. “Do you think it was an accident like Joe said?”
“I doubt it,” Kate answered. “There’s been too much going on. Someone untied that boat.”
“But why?” Jessie asked.
“If Tony lost his boat, he couldn’t fish,” Violet said.
Kate nodded. “You’re right.”
“Why would anyone want to keep Tony from fishing?” Henry asked.
Kate shrugged.
“Don’t forget the rotten fish,” Jessie said. “Vito was really angry. If he quit buying Charlie’s fish, what would Charlie do?”
“He’d probably have to quit fishing,” Kate answered. “In the old days, there were many more fishermen. The restaurant owners bought all their fish from them. But things have changed. Much of the fish is trucked in from other places. Vito could buy fish from far away.”
“It looks as if someone is trying to make all the fishermen quit fishing,” Henry concluded.
They fell silent, thinking about the trouble on the wharf.
After a while, Violet yawned. “All this sea air makes me tired.”
“And all your sightseeing,” Kate added.
That reminded Benny about Chinatown. “Were you sightseeing, too?” he asked Kate.
Kate laughed. “Today? Me? Sightseeing? No way.”
“What were you doing in Chinatown, then?”
“I wasn’t in Chinatown,” Kate said. Then she stood up and stretched. “I think it’s about time we turned in.”
The Aldens followed her inside the cabin. Bunks lined its sides. A door in the middle opened onto a staircase.
“You take the downstairs,” Kate said. “I’ll sleep up here.”
When the Aldens were tucked into their bunks, Benny said, “She was in Chinatown, all right.”
“She said she wasn’t,” Violet said. “I don’t think she would lie.”
“She didn’t want to talk about it,” Benny persisted. “She changed the subject right away.”
Henry rolled onto his side. “I don’t want to talk about it, either,” he said. “I just want to go to sleep.” He closed his eyes.
Jessie, Violet, and Benny followed his example.
Henry suddenly remembered something. “Joe said he passed Tony’s boat on the way in,” he said. “But he docked his boat right after Vito came to complain about the rotten fish. Why would he take his boat out again?”
No one answered him. They were all asleep.
Soon Henry, too, drifted off to sleep.
Later that night, something woke Jessie. She sat up, listening.
Across the room, Henry whispered, “Did you hear that?”
Jessie crept to the window.
Henry followed. “It sounded as if someone had dropped something.”
“Look!” Jessie said.
Down the way, a light moved along the dock between Joe’s and Charlie’s boats.
“That’s not a flashlight,” Henry observed. “It’s flickering.”
The light went out.
Jessie and Henry looked at each other. Each had the same question: Is someone tampering with one of the boats?
Neither had an answer.
CHAPTER 6
Out to Sea
It was still dark when Kate woke them. “Dress warmly,” she said.
The Aldens hurried into their jeans and sweatshirts. They tied their jackets around their waists.
Fruit, juice, and toast awaited them. Kate filled a large thermos. “Hot cocoa,” she said. “It tastes really good out there in the fog.” She slipped a black poncho over her head and started for the door. “I’ll meet you at Charlie’s.”
When she had gone, Violet said, “You see, Benny? A black poncho. Not a yellow slicker. We didn’t see her yesterday in Chinatown.”
“Maybe she has two raincoats,” Benny said.
At the door, Henry said, “Let’s go. The fish are waiting.”
Outside, fog hovered over the water and clung to the docks. Far off, a foghorn blared.
When they reached Charlie’s Chum,it seemed deserted.
“Where’s Kate?” Jessie wondered aloud. “She said she’d meet us here.”
Just then, Charlie appeared on deck. His gray hair was tangled and his eyes were sleepy. “Right on time,” he said. He stretched and yawned. It looked as if he had just awakened.
Henry said, “I thought you went home last night.”
Charlie smoothed his hair with his hands. “I couldn’t sleep. Kept thinking something would happen to the boat. So I came back here.”
That explained the noise Henry and Jessie had heard and the light they had seen. They were relieved to know there had been no foul play.
Kate ran up to them. “I went to buy some juice,” she said and held up a brown paper bag.
When the Aldens were on the boat, Kate untied the rope and hopped aboard. After everyone had put on a life vest, Charlie backed the boat away from the dock and turned it around.
Sea lions barked at them as Charlie’s Chum passed by on its way out into the bay. Gulls hovered overhead. One gull flew just ahead of them.
“Look!” Benny said. “That bird’s leading the way!”
Far off, foghorns sounded. The air was brisk. Before long, the Aldens slipped into their warm jackets. As they neared the Golden Gate Bridge, the water became rough. The boat bumped over the surface.
“Hang on!” Charlie shouted above the noise of the engine and the sea. The Aldens didn’t need to be told.
They passed under the bridge. Jessie looked up, hoping to see the underside of the bridge, but it was too foggy to see much.
In open waters, Charlie slowed the engines. He and Kate lowered the nets into the water.
“What can we do?” Henry asked.
“That’s it for now,” Kate said. “Just relax and enjoy the ride.”
The sun was beginning to burn through the fog. The water glimmered. The boat rose and fell.
In the distance, Henry spotted something. “Look!” he called. “A water spout!”
“Whales,” Kate said.
Suddenly a whale broke the surface of the water. As it dove back under, its tail flipped up high in the air.
“Ooohhh!” the Aldens said at once.
“Keep your eyes peeled,” Charlie said. “You’re apt to see more.”
“They’re migrating south to warmer waters,” Kate added.
Although they looked and looked, that was the only whale they saw.
Later, Charlie reeled in the nets. Fish flipped and flapped on the deck. The Aldens had never seen so many fish.
“These fish have to be sorted according to kind,” Kate said.
“That’s easy,” Henry said.
But, with the fish slipping and sliding, it was more difficult than it looked. Still, they were able to do the job.
“Now put them here,” Kate directed. She opened the tops of containers built into the deck. “These are the fish wells.”
Charlie turned the boat around. “Time to move to another spot,” he said.
By now, the fog had completely lifted. The water sparkled. The sky was clear blue. As they glided nearer to the Golden Gate Bridge, Jessie tilted her head to look up at it. It was so graceful, yet so sturdy. She thought about the people on the bridge. Soon she would be one of them.
Suddenly the engine sputtered and stopped. Kate raced to Charlie’s side. “What’s wrong?”
“The gauge reads empty,” Charlie said. “We’re out of fuel.”
“You filled the tank last night,” Henry said.
“Maybe the gauge is stuck,” Jessie suggested.
Charlie tapped the gauge. The needle didn’t move.
“Could be a leak.” He went to check the tank. It was in good condition. No holes or loose fittings.
“Someone’s s
iphoned off the fuel,” Charlie concluded.
“Why would anyone want to do that?” Violet asked
“They wanted us to be stuck out here,” Kate answered.
“But no one was near your boat last night until you came back,” Henry said.
“Yes,” Jessie added. “We saw your light.”
Charlie looked surprised. “Light? I didn’t use a light. I know this wharf like the back of my hand. I don’t need a light. A little moonlight’s all I need.”
“Then someone was at the dock last night!” Henry concluded.
Benny wasn’t listening. He was squinting toward shore. “How’re we going to get back?” he said, his voice trembling a little.
Kate put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. “Don’t worry Benny. We’ll call the Coast Guard on the radio. They’ll come get us.” She went inside the cabin.
Benny relaxed. “Good thing you have a radio, Charlie,” he said.
“We couldn’t go out without one,” Charlie told him. “We never know when we’ll need help.”
Kate came back outside. They looked at her expectantly “The radio’s not working,” she said. “One of the wires has been cut.”
Violet’s eyes grew wide. “We’re stuck out here,” she said.
“We’re drifting farther away from the bridge!” Jessie said.
Then they heard a splash. Charlie had dropped the anchor.
“Now we won’t go anywhere,” he said. “We’ll just sit here and wait. Someone will see us and come to help.”
They sat for a long time. No one came to help.
Finally Henry saw a sailboat. It seemed to be coming their way. “Violet, quick! Give me your jacket,” he said.
Violet handed him her pale lavender windbreaker.
“Your jacket is the lightest color,” he explained. “Maybe they’ll see it.” He waved it above his head.
The boat moved farther away.
“It’s going the other way,” Jessie said. Disappointed, Henry lowered the jacket.
“I might have a flare,” Charlie said, and he went inside the cabin to look. The others searched for something they could use to attract attention.
“Ahoy there!” someone called.
Benny ran to the rail. “It’s Joe!”
Sure enough: Joe Martin’s boat was moving toward them. They all waved and shouted.
