Amelia shook her head. “It’s too bad Mr. Porter didn’t get all of the information,” Amelia said. “The mine is worthless.”
“No, Mother, it isn’t. Porter told me tonight that he had a geological study done. Grandad stopped mining a few feet too soon. There’s enough gold in the mine to pay off the farm and mortgages and keep our family in the black for years to come.”
I looked over at Max. Her mouth was still hanging open with shock. “Wow, that’s great, Mrs. T. You can hire a bunch of people to help out on the farm and to make all your lavender products. You don’t have to work at all.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“Um—Max.” The sheriff looked our way. “I apologize for jumping to conclusions about you, Max. You’re a good kid.”
“No problem. If you ever need our help solving crimes, don’t hesitate to call.”
He chuckled. “Never happen.” To Fred he said, “You’re free to go, but I’ll need you to come by the office to give us an official statement.”
When the sheriff and Fred had gone home, Amelia said, “I don’t know about you girls, but I’m starving. Max, would you like to gather eggs?”
“Sure.” Max pushed away from the table. “You want to come with, Jess?”
I did. She didn’t talk much while she plucked half a dozen eggs from the nests. On the way back inside, she asked, “Do you think your parents would still let me stay with you guys?”
“Of course!” My happiness shriveled up like a raisin when I saw her expression. “If that’s what you want.”
“I’m not sure I have a choice. Mrs. T isn’t going to want me around now that she’s rich. You heard what Freddy said. She sure won’t want anyone like me hanging around.”
“I don’t believe that.” I didn’t know what else to say. I wanted Max to come back to us, but I also wanted her to be happy.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Amelia said to Max as she dished up our plates.
“I guess I’m just tired.”
“Not too tired to go into town with me, I hope. I need to take some more gift items for the tea shop, and I was hoping you and Jessie could give me a hand. And Jessie, you’ll need to bring your things. I promised your mother I’d take you home.”
Max frowned. “Why are you doing that? Fred said you were rich and that you don’t need to make any more stuff for the shop.”
Amelia laughed. “Oh, Max. Fred may be my son, but he doesn’t know me at all. I love my lavender fields and creating all the things I can make with the lavender. Working the farm is what keeps me feeling young. Besides, I’m not the kind of person who counts their chickens before they hatch.”
“Well, I was thinking about going back to the Millers’. I figure you don’t need me anymore.”
“Max.” Amelia hesitated. “If that’s what you really want …”
I looked from one to the other and rolled my eyes. I could see where this was going. Amelia and Max would be miserable without each other. “Max thinks you don’t want her anymore.”
“Jess.” Max glowered at me.
Amelia set her napkin down. “Do you still believe I only wanted you for what you could give me in return? Or for the money the state provides?”
Max stared at her plate and pushed her eggs from one side to the other. Apparently she did. I guessed she still had a hard time believing someone could want her just because she’s Max.
Amelia sighed. “I’ll tell you what, Max. Stay here for three months, and if you still want to live with Jessie and her family after that, I won’t try to stop you. In the meantime, any money that comes in from the state will go into a college fund for you. I won’t spend a dime of it. You don’t have to help me with anything. I enjoyed having you and Jessie work with me, but I did it all before you came and I can do it again.”
Max frowned. “So you still want me?”
“Of course.”
“Okay, it’s a deal.” The gap between Max’s teeth showed as she broke into a contagious grin. “But only if I can help out around here.”
“I’m glad that’s settled,” I said. “Let’s hurry and eat. We have to tell Cooper what happened and let him know you’re safe. And Ivy’s party is tonight and we have to get ready.”
“Tonight?” Max seemed surprised. “I forgot all about it.”
“Are you going?” I asked.
Her eyes lit up. “Sure, but I’d better get busy.”
“Why? Busy doing what?”
“Oh, nothing.” Her devious expression told me otherwise.
“What are you planning to do?” I was more than a little concerned knowing how Max felt about the other girls who would be there.
She looked me square in the eyes and said, “Don’t worry, Jess. I just thought I’d make some lavender cookies.”
Thanks to all the children who, over the years, gave me insight into what it means to have a serious and life-threatening illness. Their courage is mirrored in characters like Jessie, Max, and Cooper.
Internationally known author and speaker Patricia H. Rushford has book sales totaling over a million copies. She has written numerous articles and authored over forty books, including What Kids Need Most in a Mom, Have You Hugged Your Teenager Today?, and It Shouldn’t Hurt to be a Kid. She also writes a number of mystery series: The Jennie McGrady Mysteries for kids and the Helen Bradley Mysteries for adults. Her latest releases include: The McAllister Files, She Who Watches, The Angel Delaney Mysteries with As Good as Dead and a romantic suspense, Sins of the Mother. Her newest series for children is The Max & Me Mysteries.
One of her mysteries, Silent Witness, was nominated for an Edgar by Mystery Writers of America and won the Silver Angel for excellence in media. Betrayed was selected as best mystery for young adults The Oregonian (1997) and won the Phantom Friends Award. Morningsong, a romantic suspense, won the Golden Quill for Inspirational Romance award.
Patricia is a registered nurse and holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling. In addition, she conducts writers workshops for adults and children and is codirector of Writer’s Weekend at the Beach. She is the current director of the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference. Pat has appeared on numerous radio and television talk shows across the U.S. and Canada. She lives in the Portland, Oregon, area with her husband.
www.patriciarushford.com
Author/Speaker
What Kids Need Most in a Mom
The Jennie Mcgrady Mysteries
The McAllister Files
The Angel Delaney Mysteries
The Helen Bradley Mysteries
The Max & Me Mysteries (New!)
THE MAX & ME MYSTERIES SERIES
From award-winning mystery writer Patricia Rushford comes a new youth mystery series set in Washington state.
The Trouble with Max
Max Hunter and Jessie Miller, two sixth-grade girls living near the Cascade mountains, make an unlikely pair: Jessie has leukemia and is bald. Max dresses like a punk and acts tough in school. But their friendship holds life together when everything else falls apart. Then one day Jessie discovers Max’s best-kept secret. Jessie wants to help her, but doing so means risking their friendship.
Danger at Lakeside Farm
Jessie is thin and frail, Max is brave and adventurous, but together they’re a great team. Following their first adventure in book one, Max has moved in with an elderly neighbor, Amelia, at Lakeside Farm. Soon strange things start happening at the farm, and Max and Jess wonder if someone wants Amelia out.
Secrets of Ghost Island
Max and Jess discover a family of orphans living on nearby Ghost Island, trying to avoid deportation. The girls decide to help them, when suddenly the town is hit by a rash of burglaries.
by Patricia Rushford
Find them now at your favorite local or online bookstore.
www.MoodyPublishers.com
Raiders from the Sea
0-8024-3112-7
978-0-8024-3112-7
Mystery of the Silver Coins
0-8024-3113-5
978-0-8024-3113-4
The Invisible Friend
0-8024-3114-3
978-0-8024-3114-1
Heart of Courage
0-8024-3115-1
978-0-8024-3115-8
The Raider’s Promise
0-8024-3116-X
978-0-8024-3116-5
THE VIKING QUEST SERIES
Bree and her brother Devin are kidnapped from 10th century Ireland by Viking raiders. What follows is their dangerous quest to return home as their faith and courage are continually challenged.
by Lois Walfrid Johnson
Find these books now at your favorite local or online bookstore.
www.MoodyPublishers.com
Courage to Run
0-8024-4098-3
978-0-8024-4098-3
The Tinker’s Daughter
0-8024-4099-1
978-0-8024-4099-0
Almost Home
0-8024-3637-4
978-0-8024-3637-5
Ransoms Mark
0-8024-3638-2
978-0-8024-3638-2
The Hallelujah Lass
0-8024-4073-8
978-0-8024-4073-0
Shadow of His Hand
0-8024-4074-6
978-0-8024-4074-7
THE DAUGHTERS OF THE FAITH SERIES
Do you love real-life adventure stories? Then you’ll love Daughters of the Faith, true stories of young girls and the actual events they experienced. Read about Olive Oatman, who was kidnapped by a band of outlaw Yavapais. Anita Dittman, who survived the Holocaust. Mary Chilton, who came to America on the Mayflower. Harriet Tubman, a former slave, who grew up to lead other slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad.
by Wendy Lawton
Find these books now at your favorite local or online bookstore.
www.MoodyPublishers.com
Flight of the Eagles #1
0-8024-3681-1
978-08024-3681-8
The Gates of Neptune #2
0-8024-3682-X
978-08024-3682-5
The Sword of Camelot #3
0-8024-3683-8
978-08024-3683-2
The Caves That Time Forgot #4
0-8024-3684-6
978-08024-3684-9
Winged Raiders of the Desert #5
0-8024-3685-4
978-08024-3685-6
Empress of the Underworld #6
0-8024-3686-2
978-08024-3686-3
Voyage of the Dolphin #7
0-8024-3687-0
978-08024-3687-0
Attack of the Amazons #8
0-8024-3691-9
978-08024-3691-7
Escape with the Dream Maker #9
0-8024-3692-7
978-08024-3692-4
The Final Kingdom #10
0-8024-3693-5
978-08024-3693-1
THE SEVEN SLEEPERS SERIES
Join the adventure with Josh and friends as they are sent by their spiritual leader, Goel, on dangerous and challenging voyages to conquer the forces of darkness in the new world.
by Gilbert Morris
Find these books now at your favorite local or online bookstore.
www.MoodyPublishers.com
The Spell of the Crystal Chair #1
0-8024-3667-6
978-08024-3667-2
The Savage Game of Lord Zarak #2
0-8024-3668-4
978-08024-3668-9
The Strange Creatures of Dr. Korbo #3
0-8024-3669-2
978-08024-3669-6
The City of the Cyborgs #4
0-8024-3670-6
978-08024-3670-2
The Temptations of Pleasure Island #5
0-8024-3671-4
978-08024-3671-9
The Victims of Nimbo #6
0-8024-3672-2
978-08024-3672-6
The Terrible Beast of Zor #7
0-8024-3673-0
978-08024-3673-3
THE LOST CHRONICLES SERIES
Here are more exciting adventures from the Seven Sleepers. As they attempt to faithfully follow Goel, these young people encounter danger, intrigue, and mystery.
by Gilbert Morris
Find these books now at your favorite local or online bookstore.
www.MoodyPublishers.com
THE SECRETS
OF GHOST ISLAND
>> MAX & ME MYSTERIES >> BOOK 3
THE SECRETS
OF GHOST ISLAND
PATRICIA H. RUSHFORD
MOODY PUBLISHERS
CHICAGO
© 2007 by
PATRICIA H. RUSHFORD
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Cover Design: Studio Gearbox.com
Cover Photography: Steve Gardner / PixelWorks Studio
Interior Design: DesignWorks Group (thedesignworksgroup.com)
Editor: Cheryl Dunlop
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rushford, Patricia H.
Secrets of Ghost Island / Patricia H. Rushford.
p. cm. — (Max & me mysteries : bk. 3)
Summary: Jessie, Max, and Cooper investigate the disappearance of Cooper's friend Enrique and his sisters, as well as a series of robberies for which the police believe Enrique is responsible, as Jessie continues to regain her strength after her bone marrow transplant.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8024-6255-8
ISBN-10: 0-8024-6255-3
[1. Friendship—Fiction. 2. Leukemia—Fiction. 3. Missing children—Fiction. 4. Robbers and outlaws—Fiction. 5. Illegal aliens—Fiction. 6. Family life—Washington (State)—Fiction. 7. Washington (State)—Fiction. 8. Mystery and detective stories.] I. Title.
PZ7.R8962Sec 2007
[Fic]—dc22
2006035511
We hope you enjoy this book from Moody Publishers. Our goal is to provide high-quality, thought-provoking books and products that connect truth to your real needs and challenges. For more information on other books and products written and produced from a biblical perspective, go to www.moodypublishers.com or write to:
Moody Publishers
820 N. LaSalle Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60610
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
Printed in the United States of America
To Madelyn Marie,
My great-granddaughter—
What a delight!
AUTHOR
NOTE
IIt may seem strange to some that I would choose heroes like Jessie Miller and Max Hunter—one with leukemia and the other living with an abusive aunt and uncle. I suppose it’s because I have cared for children who have suffered and even died with life-threatening illnesses and have worked with children tormented with emotional and physical pain at the hands of abusive adults.
These children were so often brave and resilient and able to overcome great adversity. They showed me what being a hero is all about. As a pediatric nurse and then a counselor, I have always had a heart for children and a desire to help them in any way I can. My earlier nonfiction books Have you Hugged Your Teenager Today? and What Kids Need Most in a Mom, were written to help and encourage parents in their endeavor to better care for their children. It Shouldn’t Hurt to be a Kid helps parents, teachers, and caregivers to recognize abuse and to help bring healing to broken children.
Several years ago, I began writing The Jennie McGrady Mysteries for kids because I love a good mystery and according to the fan mail I receive, so do kids. My goal has been to provide great, exciting, and adventurous stories, but also to empower kids to rise above the problems they may encounter in life. Jessie and Max do this very well. I hope my readers and fans will enjoy their adventures as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
With Love, Patricia Rushford
www.patriciarushford.c
om
CONTENTS
AUTHOR NOTE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER
ONE
AA scream tore into my dream, ripping it away and snapping me awake. Another scream. Then another. My heart dropped like a skydiver without a parachute.
Max, what have you done this time? I’m not sure why I immediately thought of Alice Maxine Hunter, my best friend. But why else would the girls be screaming in the middle of the night? I supposed it could have been a murderer or something, but I doubted it. We live on a quiet street on the banks of Chenoa Lake in the Cascade Mountains. Even with all the tourists we get, the crime rate is low. Though considering the events of the past few weeks, not everyone would agree.
Porch and yard lights popped on outside at least four houses, including mine. My dad had taken time to put on his jeans and a T-shirt, but he was barefoot when he came outside. He stopped by the porch swing where I’d dragged my sleeping bag an hour earlier.
“Jessie, are you okay?” Dad hunkered down beside me.
“Yeah, but I don’t think they are.” I nodded toward the frantic girls bouncing around on our neighbors’ lawn.
Max & Me Mysteries Set Page 19
