The Mystery of Smugglers Cove (The Mystery Series, Book 1)

by Paul Moxham

  “But we don’t know where the other one leads to,” Sarah said, desperation in her voice.

  “You’re right,” Joe replied, “but there’s a chance that no one will be at the end of the other tunnel. If we go to the house, there will surely be someone there.”

  “Hurry up!” Amy said, trembling. “I can hear the men coming!”

  Joe realised that if they didn’t make a decision within the next few moments, they would be caught. “Let’s try the one that goes to the left. The other one looks as though it’s used more often.”

  Leading the way, he hurried along the tunnel with the others following close behind. They hadn’t gone far when Joe noticed that the light from his torch was becoming dim. He prayed that it would last until they were out of the tunnel.

  Finally, they spotted light streaming in through a small opening.

  “Yes! An exit!” Joe yelled out as he walked the final few steps towards the light.

  Pushing away some bushes, he was able to make the hole bigger. He made his way through the small opening and stepped into the bright sunlight.

  Five hundred or so feet down the hill stood Chandler Manor.

  “Hadn’t we better get moving away from here fast?” Sarah said. “The crooks may be following us.”

  “Yes, we need to find somewhere to hide,” Joe said, urgently looking around. They could either head towards town, into the woods, or towards the manor. “Follow me,” he said as he took off running down the hill.

  Joe knew that if someone had been following them up the tunnel, they would emerge any minute, so he looked back after he was halfway down. He saw no one. With hope that this would remain so forever, he ran down the rest of the hill.

  A few moments later, Will suddenly yelled out. “Oh, no!”

  Joe glanced back and spotted Jake rushing towards them. He looked towards the manor. There was no way that they could reach it and hide somewhere in time.

  “What are we going to do?” Amy yelled.

  “We can’t go to Chandler Manor and we can’t go to the road,” Joe said.

  Will suddenly grinned. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of it before?”

  “What?” Amy asked.

  “Follow me,” Will replied. He rushed off, heading towards the woods. He sped down a well-trodden path. “This spot up here is my home away from home.”

  “What do you mean?” Joe said.

  “I know this place like the back of my hand,” Will said. “I come here all the time.”

  “How far away is it?” Sarah gasped as she tried to catch her breath.

  “We’re nearly there,” Will said. He ran around the next bend and stopped. In front of him was a river with a small island in the middle. “Our destination is over there.”

  “How are we going to get over there?” Amy asked.

  “Are we going to get wet?” Sarah queried.

  “Not if we do it right,” Will said. He sprinted over to a tree that had a rope attached to a high branch. “Last summer, my cousin and I tied this rope here so we could hold on while someone else pushed us, and then we’d fly over the water and land on the island. That’s what we’re going to do now. It will save us getting wet and, if we can get across without the man seeing us, we might lose him.”

  Will got Joe to push him, and soon he was on the other side. “Let’s go,” he called.

  “You go first,” Joe said to the girls.

  It worked according to plan until it was Joe’s turn. “How am I supposed to get across?”

  “Just climb onto that dead stump behind you. The extra height will help you get across,” Will said.

  “Okay,” Joe replied as he looked behind and saw the stump.

  Noticing a movement to his right, he glanced in the direction and saw Jake!

  Chapter 5: The Raft

  As Joe climbed onto the stump, the man grabbed his left foot. Joe slammed his other foot into the man’s face and used the momentum to push himself off the stump. Crying out in pain, the man let go.

  As Joe flew over the water, he knew it was going to be touch and go. He hadn’t managed to get a good push off, so he would be lucky if he made it to the other side.

  Reaching the island, he let go of the rope. As his feet touched the ground a foot from the water, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Phew, that was a close shave.”

  “You can say that again,” Will said.

  “Hey, look! He’s not giving up,” Amy pointed out.

  Sure enough, Jake had grabbed hold of the rope as it swung back. He was preparing to swing over himself.

  “Oh, no! What if he makes it?” Sarah exclaimed.

  “I don’t think he will,” Will said. “That rope was already old when we tied it on. With his weight, it’ll probably break. But if it doesn’t, we’ll need to make a run for it.”

  They watched as Jake launched himself off the tree stump. For a few seconds everything went fine, and then the rope broke.

  Jake tumbled into the river. He discovered with visible annoyance that the water was too deep to stand in. It was also moving quite fast. If he wasn’t careful, he would be swept down the river. After taking a deep breath, he started to swim towards them.

  “What are we going to do now?” Joe said.

  “Follow me,” Will said, smiling. “I’ve still got one more surprise in store.”

  “What is it?” Amy asked.

  “Wait and see,” Will replied, smugly, as he led them across the island. After reaching the other side, he went over to a clump of long grass and began pulling it aside.

  “What are you doing?” Joe asked.

  “You’ll see in a moment,” Will said.

  “It had better be good. The man should be nearly out of the water by now,” Amy said, rubbing her hands together anxiously.

  “Don’t worry,” Will said. With Joe helping him, he pulled aside the rest of the grass and took hold of something hidden underneath. It was a little raft made from a number of logs that had been tied together with rope.

  “It may not look like much, but this little beauty has survived many a summer,” Will said.

  “Let’s hope it works,” Joe said. “I think I hear him coming through the bushes.”

  Will nodded. “Find a place to sit and I’ll push off. There should be some oars. Grab them.”

  “Push off, Will, we’re all on,” Amy called as she sat down. “You’d better hurry. I think I see someone coming.”

  After pushing off, Will nearly missed the raft as he jumped on. It was only due to Joe quickly grabbing his arm that saved him. “Quick, paddle!” he shouted. He dug his oar into the water. Slowly but surely, the raft began to drift downstream.

  As the children paddled as fast as they could, Jake ran through the undergrowth. He was apparently so intent on getting to the water’s edge that he didn’t see a hole in his path until it was too late. He landed flat on his face. He shot to his feet, stumbled towards the edge of the island, and frowned as the raft floated by. The children watched as Jake turned and disappeared from sight, clearly annoyed with himself.

  “Do you think we’re safe now?” Sarah asked.

  “Probably, but we should make sure,” Joe said. “What do you think, Will?”

  Will nodded. “Let’s continue down the river for a little while.”

  Five minutes later, Will steered into the bank. “I think that will be enough.”

  The children climbed out of the boat and, after covering the craft with some branches, they walked towards Smugglers Cove. Before long, they were back in the small village.

  “See, we made it,” Joe laughed, playfully hitting the girls as they walked down the road. “There was nothing to worry about after all.”

  “Oh, I suppose you knew how to escape all along?” Sarah asked.

  “Of course,” Joe said, trying to keep a straight face.

  “Fibber!” Sarah yelled.

  “Come on, you two,” Amy scolded. “What are we going to do now? Hadn’t we better tell s
omeone?”

  “Tell who?” Will replied. “We know that something illegal is going on, probably in Chandler Manor, and that a tunnel connects it to the beach, but that’s all. If we told the police, they probably wouldn’t believe us.”

  “What about the boxes we saw? They must have had stuff in them,” Amy said.

  “Even if they believe us, by the time we got there with the police, they would have gone,” Joe said. “What we need to discover is who the boss is. We also need some more details about the boat.”

  “But that means that we’ll have to go back there again,” Sarah said.

  “Yes, it does,” Joe said, “but you girls needn’t come if you’re too scared.”

  “You’re not getting rid of us that easily,” Amy said. She tried to hit Joe, but missed.

  “Run, Will!” Joe said, playfully.

  Pursued by the girls, the boys ran down the road.

  ~

  “Did you have a good day at the beach?” their mother asked, as the children rushed in.

  “Yes, we did,” Amy said. “I loved the sandwiches.”

  “They were good, but I’m still hungry,” Joe said.

  “How can you be hungry already?” Sarah asked.

  “I’m a growing boy,” Joe said. “And it was hours ago that we ate those sandwiches.” He glanced down at his wrist and was surprised to see that his watch was no longer there. “Oh, no!” He stood up and hunted in his pockets.

  “What have you lost?” his mother asked.

  Joe didn’t answer as he searched every pocket in his clothing. “My watch.”

  His mother frowned. “You’d better find it. That watch cost your father a lot of money. He wouldn’t be pleased if you had lost it through carelessness.”

  “Don’t worry,” Joe replied. “I’m sure I know where it is.”

  “Okay,” his mother replied. “Now, who wants to help me in the kitchen? The potatoes need to be scrubbed and the carrots need to be chopped up. As well as that, I need someone to ride down the street to get a loaf of bread.”

  “I’ll help with the potatoes,” Amy said.

  “And I’ll chop up the carrots,” Sarah said.

  Joe smiled. “Then I guess I’ll be going shopping.” He didn’t mind riding to the bakery. It beat scrubbing potatoes any day.

  As it was getting cold outside, he put on a warm jumper before setting off. Heading towards town, he remembered the watch. He changed direction and headed for the beach.

  Minutes later, he stopped the bicycle at the edge of the sand and ran towards the cave. He ground to a halt ten feet from the entrance. He could see all that he wanted from there. It was high tide, which meant the cave was flooded. There was no way he could get the watch now.

  He rode back into town. After arriving at the bakery just before it closed, he chose a round, crusty loaf of bread which he put in his rucksack that he had brought. After paying the jolly baker, he pedalled back home.

  That night, as the girls climbed into bed, Joe crept into the room and, in a whisper, told them that he planned to retrieve his watch that night.

  “Are you crazy?” Sarah said.

  Amy frowned. “At this time of night?”

  “I have to get my watch back. I’m sure that I took it off and placed it on the ledge in the cave. Plus, you heard what those crooks said. The boss is going to visit them tonight. It might be the only chance to see him.”

  “Have you made a plan?” Amy asked.

  “I aim to grab my watch and then follow the tunnel. If no one is in the first cave, I’ll decide what to do then.”

  “Please be careful,” Sarah begged. “You don’t want to stay in there too long. Otherwise, the cave might flood again.”

  “Good point,” Joe said. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “Good luck, and be careful,” Amy said.

  “I will.” Joe crept back to his bedroom and slipped beneath his bedcovers. He lay there until he heard his parents go to their room.

  Ten minutes later, he grabbed his torch, quietly opened his door, and made his way stealthily along the hallway. Luckily, his parents were sound sleepers and their bedroom door stayed shut.

  Thankful that he hadn’t woken them, he made his way down the stairs and past the kitchen. He opened the front door and slipped out into the night.

  Chapter 6: A Night Of Adventure

  A full moon shone overhead as Joe headed towards the caves. Suddenly, a loud thunderclap broke overhead. He could just make out a number of dark clouds building as they headed inland. Hoping that it wouldn’t rain until he got back, he hurried along until he reached the cave.

  After finding the watch, he let out a sigh of relief. He put it on his wrist and hurried down the tunnel.

  Soon, he was below the hole. After putting his torch between his teeth, he climbed up the footholds. At the top, he waved his torch around the cave and saw that no one was there.

  He decided to explore just a tiny bit more. He made his way over to the door and opened it. After closing it behind him, he headed up the tunnel. He had been walking along and shining his torch in front of him for five or so minutes when he heard a sound.

  He stopped and listened. It was the sound he had been dreading. Voices. And they were heading his way. He knew that they were heading in his direction because, as the seconds passed, the voices got louder.

  He realised he had to go back the way he had come. He hurried back down the tunnel. The noise of his footsteps echoed off the walls and he hoped, desperately, that the men couldn’t hear it.

  In less than ten minutes, Joe was back in the furnished cave. Now he had to decide what he should do. He could go back to the beach or wait in the cave and see if the men would pass.

  Either option had its own share of problems, but he decided to go to the beach. He didn’t want to get caught. Judging by their speed, he guessed that they would be along in two minutes or so.

  He went over to the hole, put his hands on the footholds, and climbed down. He was about to proceed down the tunnel when he heard more voices.

  Joe frowned. He thought the voices had come from the direction of the beach. Dismissing it as tiredness, he started walking. He went about fifteen feet before stopping again.

  He could still hear voices. They were getting clearer each second. He suddenly realised that there were two lots of people, one from each end. This had turned into a desperate situation. He needed to get back into the cave and hide behind the boxes before the other group of men entered that room.

  Throwing caution to the wind, he hurried to the hole, scrambling up as fast as he could. With men closing in on him from both sides, Joe’s heart pounded as he headed over to the far side of the cave. The boxes had disappeared!

  He was furious with himself. How could he have been so stupid! He should have noticed earlier that the boxes were gone.

  He rushed over to the window. No good. Underneath the table? No good either. The men’s voices drew closer. Joe realised that he was truly and utterly trapped.

  He glanced around the room one final time. As he did so, he looked up and saw something that he hadn’t noticed before. A hole had been cut in the rock. It was small and blended in well with the roof. This must have been why he and the others hadn’t seen it earlier.

  He knew he had only moments left before the men saw him and so he climbed on the window ledge and clambered through the hole. As his feet cleared the hole, the room was flooded with light.

  Gasping with relief, Joe rested at the top of the hole, trying to be as quiet as possible. He did not want to turn on his torch in case the men saw it, so he only had the dim light of the lamp from below to try to see his surroundings. But that didn’t matter. Even in this light, he could see what he wanted. The cave, if it could be called one, was about eight feet long, four feet wide, and five feet high. Satisfied that he was safe, he tried to listen in on the men’s conversation as they sat at the table.

  From what he could make out, it seemed that half of
the group wanted to increase the number of trips the boat was making, which meant an increase in pay, but the other group wanted it to stay the same.

  He peeked down and saw five men sitting around the table. Suddenly, the door opened and in walked a man wearing a dark coat, sunglasses, and a hat. Presumably, he was the boss. He sat down and listened to the argument going on.

  “Look here,” Louis said, as he looked towards Dan, a young bloke with a crew cut and a ring in his ear. “We have a perfect setup, so I don’t see why we can’t do a few more trips.”

  Dan shook his head. “Yeah, I know we’re on a good racket, but I don’t want to take more risks. If the coppers saw the boat out there, we’d be in a nice mess.”

  Baz, a slightly older fellow with reddish hair and a beard, broke in. “If we didn’t do that, it would take ages to transport the goods. At the moment, we anchor the boat off the bay, drop the dinghy, and row it to the shore where we pick up the money. But if we—”

  “Enough said,” the boss said. “I’ve listened to all your arguments, and I’ve come up with a plan. We will increase the amount of notes that we are printing, and I will acquire another dinghy. The boat will now come once a week and will anchor here at midnight, which will mean that it will be away from the coast by sunup. I will be in contact via Rocky to announce any further developments.”

  “Is the boat still coming Friday night?” Dan said.

  “Yes. The boat will be here every Friday night. Make sure that everyone is ready. We can’t afford any slip-ups. Let’s get to work.” The boss stood up and left.

  Joe realised that if they were going to put the men behind bars, they would need to discover the name of the boss. They would have to break into Chandler Manor as soon as possible and get some real proof. Determined to put that plan into action the next day, he peered down.

  Darkness cloaked the room. He jumped down, turned on his torch, and listened. He couldn’t hear a single sound, so he walked over to the hole, climbed down, and hurried home.

  ~

  The girls were eager to hear what had happened the previous night and so, as the sun rose in the sky, they quickly got dressed and knocked on Joe’s bedroom door.