Elizabeth groaned. She was stuffed too. But she couldn’t turn down more tamales.
Mrs. Anderson watched her daughter take another bite and laughed. “Well, at least I know how to make you eat. Normally, you don’t eat enough to feed a bird.”
Elizabeth put down her fork. “I can’t do it. I love these things, but I just don’t have room for another bite,” she said. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll skip the puppet show. I’m going back to the hotel to lie down. Maybe watch television.”
“Okay,” her father said. “Just be sure to check in with Uncle Dan. If you need anything, you know he’ll be at the front desk. We’ll be there in about an hour.”
“Yes, sir,” Elizabeth replied, and stood to her feet. “I’ll see you in a little while.”
Ambling back to the hotel, she watched for signs of that red ball cap. She saw tourists of all shapes, sizes, and ages, but no gangs of laughing teenagers.
Oh well, she thought. There’s always tomorrow. And tomorrow, Kate will be here to help me.
“Howdy, Elizabeth,” called Uncle Dan when she stepped into the lobby.
“Hi,” she said, walking over and leaning against the desk.
“Where is the rest of the Anderson clan?” he asked, rolling his wheelchair so he could look directly at her.
“They’re going to see a puppet show. I’m headed upstairs to chill out for a while.”
“Okay. Have fun. You know where I am if you need me,” he said.
With a wave, Elizabeth walked to the glass-walled elevator and pushed the button. One side of the elevator offered a view of the Riverwalk, and Elizabeth enjoyed looking out on her way to the fourth floor.
Maybe I’ll just ride up and down the elevator for a while, she thought.
She pushed the button for the top floor, even though her room was on the fourth. She pressed her nose against the glass as she rode to the highest point of the hotel. The elevator stopped and opened its doors, waiting for her to exit.
Instead, she stood, still looking out the glass at the view of tourists and riverboats, restaurants and mariachi bands. To her left, she saw the Fiesta Noche del Rio, and after a few moments, identified her parents and brother. James was bouncing up and down, clapping for the puppets. Elizabeth smiled. He wasn’t bad, as far as brothers were concerned.
Shifting her gaze to the right, she counted the little stone bridges up and down the Riverwalk. These bridges were located at different places along the Riverwalk so people could easily cross the narrow man-made river. Restaurants and souvenir shops lined both sides of the river. Elizabeth watched a family pose for a picture on the steps of one of the bridges.
She looked on to the next bridge, still counting. Three, four, five…what’s going on there? She noticed a commotion on one of the bridges. Why are those people ducking down on the bridge? Are they trying to hide from the people below? And was that—It was! A plaid shirt! But no ball cap.
Wait! There it was. The boy in the middle, who was about the size of an ant from her vantage point, pulled something red out of his back pocket and placed it on his head.
The group of two boys and one girl stood up. Mr. Red-cap pointed at a riverboat in the distance, and the others appeared to be laughing.
That’s them! she thought. Those are the ones who dropped the water balloon on my head! Well, they’re not going to get away with it.
She whipped around and pressed the button for the ground floor. Keeping her eyes on the group of teenagers, she went down, down, down and waited for the doors to open.
When the elevator stopped on the ground floor, Elizabeth pressed against the doors, willing them to open. Funny, she hadn’t noticed the doors being this slow before. When the doors opened, she took off running through the lobby.
“Whoa! Beth! Where’s the fire?” asked Uncle Dan as she whizzed past the front desk.
“Can’t talk now. I’ll explain when I get back,” she called, and continued through the ornate doors to the Riverwalk.
Outside, she looked around to get her bearings. The bridge where she saw the teenagers was…this way. She dodged tourists as she dashed to the bridge. She took the steps two at a time, but when she reached the top, no one was there.
Where did they go?
Looking this way and that, she only saw a sea of tourists. To one side, a mariachi band played an upbeat song, and people clapped in time to the music. Scanning the crowds, she looked for that red cap. If he wasn’t wearing it, she had no hope of finding the group.
Finally, she saw them seated at a riverside café table, munching on tortilla chips.
The nerve! she thought. They’re just sitting there enjoying the Riverwalk, as innocent as lambs! Well, they won’t get away with this.
Elizabeth walked down the stone steps and in the direction of the little group. She smiled sweetly at the waiter and sat at a table a few feet from the threesome. She pretended to study her menu, while straining to hear their conversation.
“One of these days, you’ll get caught, you know,” said the girl.
Red-cap Boy, whose cap was now hanging out of his back pocket, stretched his legs out from under the table and smiled. “Aww, we’re not hurting anybody. People should expect to get a little wet at the Riverwalk.”
The girl shook her head. “Well, from now on, when you pull your little stunts, I’m leaving. I don’t want to get grouped in with you and your shenanigans.”
Red-cap Boy laughed and said something in Spanish.
The girl said, “What do you mean, you won’t get caught? You don’t know that.”
Elizabeth peeked out from behind her menu and saw Red-cap smiling. His white teeth, framed by two deep dimples, stood out against his creamy brown skin. “Even if we do get caught, what will they do to us? We’re not breaking any laws. Besides, who would convict this face?” He gave the girl a cocky smile.
Why, that conceited little criminal! thought Elizabeth. You really think you’re something special, don’t you? Well Mr. Red-cap, you just wait. We’ll see who’s smiling when your gig is up. And trust me, your gig will be up very soon.
The threesome pushed back from the table and began to leave just as Elizabeth’s waiter returned to take her order. “What can I get for you, miss?” he asked.
Thinking quickly, she said, “You know, I don’t think I’ll eat right now after all. Sorry to have troubled you.” She excused herself and followed the group at a distance.
Through the crowds she went, keeping her eyes glued to that red cap. She almost didn’t see the rolling hot dog cart until it was too late. Scooting aside at the last moment, she said, “Oh, excuse me, sir.”
The old man smiled. “No problem, miss. Would you care for a hot dog?”
“No thank you,” she said politely and moved forward. But it was too late. The red cap was nowhere in sight.
Elizabeth turned and made her way back to the hotel. You may have escaped me today, buddy, but just wait until tomorrow.…
Breakdown!
Mr. Anderson woke up his family bright and early, and they spent the better part of the morning at the Tower of the Americas, a 750-foot-tall tower with a revolving restaurant at the top. As they left the tower, he said, “I love the view from the top! Too bad the restaurant wasn’t open yet. Let’s take another riverboat ride, then get some lunch. I never get tired of riding those little boats!”
Now, as Elizabeth sat in a River City Cruise boat watching the bridges and sidewalks for any signs of the boy with the red cap, she heard a strange noise.
Pu–pu–pu–put, puput, pu–pu…rrrrrr…rrrrrr…pu…put…pu. The engine of the small riverboat groaned and sputtered. Then it died, as concerned tourists looked at each other in confusion.
“That’s nice. I fork out ten bucks to ride this heap of junk, and now we’re stranded,” called a tall, thin, middle-aged man from the back of the boat.
“I’m very sorry for the inconvenience, folks,” replied the frustrated boat captain. “All of your money wi
ll be refunded, as soon as I push this boat to shore. Just report to the ticket office and tell them what happened.”
Elizabeth felt sorry for the captain. The crowd gasped in surprise as he suddenly jumped overboard! Their surprise turned to laughter, however, as he stood up. The water of the famous San Antonio Riverwalk only came to the man’s waist.
Another riverboat passed but didn’t stop to help. Its captain looked long and hard at the stranded group. The man leaned forward, one foot propped on the boat’s railing, and the sun glinted off his polished shoe.
Is he smiling? thought Elizabeth. Why doesn’t he offer to help us? She noticed the competing company’s logo on the side of the boat—SANTA ANNA TOURS. Maybe they have rules about helping the competition or something.…
“Here, let me give you a hand,” said Elizabeth’s father, leaping into the water. Together, the two men pushed the boat to the edge of the water and secured it to the cement siding with ropes.
The riverboat captain hefted himself onto the sidewalk then held out a hand to help Mr. Anderson. “Thank you, sir. I’ll make sure your family gets free rides for the rest of your visit here in San Antonio.”
“That won’t be necessary,” said Robert Anderson. “I was happy to help.”
The captain helped his passengers disembark. The tall, grumbly man from the back row stepped off. In a loud voice, he said, “I’d rather have a refund than a free ride. From now on, I’ll take my business to Santa Anna Tours. Now that’s a boat you can count on.”
The rude man walked away, continuing his tirade as he went. The riverboat captain kept a polite smile pasted on his face, but Elizabeth wasn’t fooled. The man was concerned about his business.
“Hey, can I jump in before I get out?” asked James. Elizabeth’s little brother loved an adventure. And he loved to get wet.
“No, you can’t,” replied Sue Anderson, helping the six-year-old off the boat. “One wet male in the family is enough for now.”
Elizabeth helped her mother step across to the sidewalk. “I’ll go swimming with you when we get back to the hotel,” she told James. Moving close to her father, she listened to the conversation between him and the captain.
“I don’t understand what could have happened,” the man said. “We service the motors every week. But this is the third time this has happened in two weeks!”
“That is strange,” replied Elizabeth’s dad. “Who services your boats? Perhaps they’ve started doing something different…ordering parts from a new company or something.”
“Maybe so…,” said the man. “Thank you again for your help.”
“No problem,” replied Elizabeth’s dad. He was sopping wet from the waist down, and he looked pretty funny. “Let’s go eat Mexican food!” he said to his family.
“Uh, Dad? Don’t you think you should get into some dry clothes first?” Elizabeth asked.
“Nonsense. In this Texas heat, I’ll be dry in no time. And besides, I’m starved!” He led his family the few steps to the closest outdoor café, the Rio Rio. The Riverwalk was lined with restaurants, and the Andersons had decided to eat at every one. The host seated them at a table bordering the water.
Elizabeth’s family studied their menus, discussing which new dish to try, but Elizabeth wasn’t interested in food. Looking at her watch, she said, “In two more hours I’m going to see Kate!”
A couple of hours later, Elizabeth sat in the ornate lobby of the plush hotel. The Andersons could never have afforded such luxury if Uncle Dan hadn’t gotten them a discount. He had also helped Kate’s youth group get a good rate for their San Antonio mission trip.
Pulling the letter—actually an email that Elizabeth had printed—from her pocket, she unfolded it. It was wrinkled and smudged from all the times Elizabeth had read it during the past few weeks.
Dear Elizabeth,
I’m coming to Texas! My church youth group is planning a mission trip to the San Antonio Riverwalk, and they’re letting me come along. I have always wanted to see Texas.
How close are you to San Antonio? Do you think you could meet me there? I would love to see you again. Since it doesn’t look like you’ll come to Philadelphia any time soon, maybe this will work.
We are still in the planning stages of the mission trip. I’m not sure where we’ll stay yet. Let me know if you think you can meet me there. You have to come. You just have to!
I’ll talk to you soon. Biscuit sends kisses.
Love, Kate
Elizabeth smiled as she refolded the letter. San Antonio was one of the Andersons’ favorite getaway places! Within two weeks after Elizabeth received the letter, Uncle Dan had helped Kate’s youth minister make all the arrangements. And now, the youth group from Kate’s church would be here any minute! She watched out the front windows of the lobby, looking for a church van from Philadelphia.
“A watched pot never boils,” said a voice from behind her.
“Hi, Uncle Dan. I can’t help it! I can’t wait to see Kate!” Elizabeth told him.
“I heard you had an exciting morning at the Riverwalk,” he said.
“Yeah, it was the strangest thing! We were puttering along listening to the captain tell stories and point out the sights when the motor just died!”
Uncle Dan looked concerned. “The owner of that riverboat company is a friend of mine. That’s been happening a lot lately, and it’s not good for his business.”
“I sure hope they fix the problem so— They’re here!” Elizabeth jumped up as she saw the blue church van pull into the parking lot. Rushing through the ornate doors, she stopped herself before running into the flow of traffic.
“Maybe you should wait here for her,” said Uncle Dan, following her.
Soon, the van doors opened, and teenaged boys and girls climbed out. One by one, Elizabeth watched each new person. No Kate. No Kate. Where is Kate? The group of teens approached the lobby, laughing and talking. Some of them smiled politely at Elizabeth.
Suddenly, like the parting of the Red Sea, they started moving to either side as a blond wisp of a girl with black-framed glasses pushed through. “Excuse me! Pardon me, coming through! I’ve got to find my friend…Elizabeth!”
Kate dropped her bags and dashed to Elizabeth. “Oh, am I ever glad to see you! That was one long trip. But I’m finally here! And you’re here!”
Suddenly, Kate’s backpack began barking.
“Biscuit!” shouted Elizabeth. “Wow, Kate, I can’t believe you’re both here at last! We are going to have so much fun!” She hugged her friend, then helped free the wiggling dog.
“Biscuit, did you ride the whole way in that backpack?” Elizabeth stroked the small dog’s black-and-white fur while fighting off slobbery puppy kisses.
“He slept most of the way,” said Kate. “I’m so glad your uncle said I could bring him. He’s missed you, Elizabeth! And so have I.”
A twentysomething man approached and said, “You must be Elizabeth. Kate has talked of nothing else for the entire trip. I’m Gary, Kate’s youth minister.”
Elizabeth shook the man’s hand. He said, “Kate, we’ll be on the fifth floor if you need us.”
“Thanks, Gary,” she said, and the two girls gathered Kate’s backpack and suitcase and headed for the elevator.
Biscuit, on the other hand, gave a series of excited barks. “Maybe we’d better find a patch of grass first, so Biscuit can take care of business,” said Kate.
Both girls laughed, and Kate clipped a leash onto the dog’s collar. Uncle Dan pointed them toward the back door, which led to a small courtyard. Within minutes, they were on their way to the Andersons’ room on the fourth floor.
“I can’t wait to tell you what happened this morning,” Elizabeth told her friend.
“I can’t wait to see the Riverwalk! And the Alamo! And the Tower of the Americas! How soon can we get started?” asked Kate.
“Whoa, there! Slow down, tourist. We have plenty of time. We don’t have to see everything today. Why don’t we
start by getting your things unpacked? Then we’ll head to the Riverwalk. Are you hungry? The food here is great,” Elizabeth said.
Kate gave her a comical look. “What do you mean, ‘Am I hungry?’ I’m always hungry!”
Elizabeth’s parents were in the suite when the girls arrived. The room was set up with two bedrooms—one for Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, and one for Kate and Elizabeth. James slept on the pull-out sofa in the living room.
“Wow, this place sure is fancy. I’ve never stayed in a hotel this nice!” exclaimed Kate.
“Neither have we.” Elizabeth laughed. “It’s one of the perks of having an uncle who works here. Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Kate. Kate, this is my mom and dad, Robert and Sue Anderson.”
“It’s very nice to meet you both,” said Kate, reaching to shake their hands.
Suddenly Biscuit growled. Something was moving under the kitchen table. The chairs shifted, and James crawled out. Biscuit decided the moving boy wasn’t a threat, and began wagging his tail.
“This is my little brother, James,” continued Elizabeth.
James waved, but kept his eyes on Biscuit. “Can I pet him?” he asked.
As if to answer the question, Biscuit jumped on James and began licking his face. James fell over, giggling, but Biscuit showed no signs of letting up.
“It looks like those two will be fast friends,” Kate said.
Elizabeth picked up Kate’s bags and said, “Come on. I’ll show you our room.”
The two headed into their bedroom, and Kate flopped on the bed. “This will be so much fun. I’m so glad you and your family could come.”
“San Antonio is one of our favorite places. We come here a lot, but we usually stay at a discount motel. Now that Uncle Dan’s working at this hotel, we’ll probably visit even more.”
Kate unzipped her suitcase and pulled out her laptop. “I need to set up my computer. I haven’t been able to update my blog or check the comments in two days! Oh hey, check out my new business card.” She handed Elizabeth a small card that read:
Super Sleuths, Inc.
Kate Oliver, Super Sleuth
Camp Club Girls: Elizabeth Page 22
