Space Shuttle Scam Read online

  “Sure,” he said. “I’ll bring Maddy and Seth over tomorrow. They have a school project to do, and I said I’d help them.”

  “A space project?” Dink asked.

  Howie shook his head. “Nope. It’s about animals,” he said, walking toward his van.

  “What kind of animals?” Josh asked.

  “Think paws and claws,” Howie said.

  Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose watched him drive away.

  “Great,” Josh muttered. “We just missed running into a mountain lion. There are bats in the trees, scorpions in the beds, and alligators in the pond! Snakes are hiding under picnic tables!”

  Dink laughed. “But Ruth Rose and I are here to protect you,” he said.

  “Guys, if we’re going to look for arrowheads, we need to do it before it gets dark,” Ruth Rose said. “Let’s get my mosquito spray.”

  The kids went inside the bunkhouse and sprayed Pine Shine over their clothes. It smelled like a Christmas tree. Dink tossed Super Science onto his bunk, and then they found shovels and a rake in the toolshed.

  “What did you want to tell us?” Josh asked Dink.

  “When we first got here, there was a note on the fridge,” Dink told his friends. “It said something about buying paper towels, and was signed H. I figure Hanna or Howie wrote it to Auntie A.”

  Josh stared at Dink. “That’s it?” he asked. “Paper towels?”

  “No,” Dink said. “I’m pretty sure the handwriting was the same as on that postcard Auntie Alice got today.”

  “The one from somebody wanting to buy her house?” Ruth Rose asked. “Why would the handwriting be the same?”

  “That’s what I want to know,” Dink said. He showed them the postcard he’d snitched from the kitchen.

  “Couldn’t be the same,” Josh said. “The writer wants to buy the house. The note writer is either Hanna or Howie, asking Auntie A. to buy paper towels!”

  “I could be wrong,” Dink said. “And the note is gone, so I can’t compare them. Anyway, let’s look for arrowheads.”

  They walked behind the barn. The algae covering the pond looked thick and slimy. Dink remembered the magazine cover. Was algae the green goo that was going to save the planet?

  “I wonder if there really is an alligator in the pond,” Josh said. “Don’t get too close, guys.”

  “Lots of animals come here to drink,” Ruth Rose said.

  “Very funny, Bunny,” Josh said.

  “Josh, I wasn’t trying to be funny,” Ruth Rose said. “Come look at these tracks.”

  Josh and Dink walked over to where she was standing. There were prints in the dark, wet ground. Most were tiny, like the ones birds or small animals would make.

  But Dink noticed wide prints with four long toes.

  The kids looked down at the tracks. “These could be from a bear,” Ruth Rose said. “Black bears eat fish, and fish live in ponds like this.”

  “I’m going home,” Josh said.

  “It’s a long walk to Connecticut,” Dink said.

  Ruth Rose stepped a few feet away. “Guys, check this out,” she said.

  Dink and Josh joined her. “What?” Dink asked.

  “More tracks,” Ruth Rose said. “Only these are human.”

  A couple of feet from the water were several shoe prints. “I wonder who was walking here,” Dink said.

  “Maybe Kenny and Hanna,” Ruth Rose suggested.

  “Or the burglars!” Josh said.

  Dink stared at the footprints. “Why would anybody hang out here, where it’s muddy and smelly?” He swatted at a mosquito. “And buggy!”

  “Maybe they got too close, and the alligator got them!” Josh said.

  “Well, we came out to look for arrowheads,” Ruth Rose said. She walked away with the rake and began scraping the dirt next to the barn.

  Dink and Josh started digging holes with their shovels.

  Ten minutes later, they had a small pile of treasures they’d dug up: three tin cans, the broken handle of a coffee mug, a green bottle, a horseshoe, and seven rusty nails.

  “Not one arrowhead,” Dink said.

  “Maybe Wallis’s uncle found them all,” Josh said. “Anyway, it’s getting dark. We can try again tomorrow.”

  They put the shovels and rake inside the toolshed and closed the door.

  “I need to wash my hands,” Ruth Rose said. The kids headed around the corner of the barn, toward the bunkhouse. Kenny and Hanna were sitting at the picnic table with books in front of them, but they weren’t reading.

  “Hey,” Kenny said when he noticed the kids. “What’s going on?”

  The kids walked over to say hi. “We were looking for arrowheads,” Dink said.

  Kenny sprayed himself and Hanna with a can of Bug Off! The smell was strong and made Dink’s eyes water. “Find any?” Kenny asked.

  “Just a lot of junk,” Josh said.

  “Bummer,” Kenny said. He was tapping his fingers on the cover of his book. Botany was printed on the front.

  “What are you reading about?” Josh asked, pointing at the title.

  “The study of plants,” Kenny said. “Trust me, there are a zillion kinds of plants in Florida.”

  “What about algae? We saw a lot of algae on the pond,” Dink said.

  “Man, I wouldn’t go near any of the ponds!” Kenny said. “I saw rattlesnakes near them last week. And I’m pretty sure there’re gators, too.”

  “How many ponds are there?” Dink asked. “We only saw one.”

  “There are more back in the jungle,” Kenny said. “But I wouldn’t go out there, either.” He grinned. “Unless you like snakes and spiders.”

  “Did you really see a mountain lion here this morning?” Josh asked.

  “Yup,” Kenny said.

  “Auntie Alice said you took a picture,” Ruth Rose said. “Could we see it?”

  Kenny opened his phone and tapped a few buttons. “Here it is,” he said. He held his phone so all three kids could see the screen.

  In the photo, a tan-colored mountain lion lay stretched out in the middle of the driveway. Its long tail was curled near its back legs. Behind the animal, Dink could see the barn.

  Dink looked closer. “Where are the cars?” he asked. “They’re not in the driveway.”

  “Cars? Oh, Howie was going to wash the cars, so I guess he moved them out front, near the hose,” Kenny said.

  Just then, they all heard someone calling. “It’s Wallis,” Ruth Rose said.

  “I hope it’s suppertime!” Josh said.

  The kids ran to the house and into the kitchen. The table was set with five places. Platters of food were lined up on the counter. Bear was under the table, slapping his tail against the floor.

  “Grab a plate and help yourselves,” Alice said. “After you wash your hands!”

  Alice and Wallis served fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. For dessert, there were three flavors of ice cream.

  After the table was cleared, they played Scrabble. Then the kids headed back to the barn.

  * * *

  —

  Two hours later, the kids were in their bunks. They had left the bunkhouse windows up to let breezes come through the screens. Crickets and frogs made chirping and cheeping noises.

  “My stomach hurts,” Josh said from his bottom bunk. He was wearing Spider-Man pajamas.

  “You ate seconds of everything,” Ruth Rose said. “Like a hungry badger.”

  “Guys, did you notice anything weird about Kenny’s picture of the mountain lion?” Dink asked. He was lying on his upper bunk, gazing out the window.

  “Weird how?” Josh asked.

  “Well, for one thing, this morning Kenny told us the lion was near the station wagon in the driveway,�
� Dink said. “But I didn’t see any cars in that picture he took.”

  “He told us Howie probably moved the cars to wash them,” Ruth Rose said from her bunk. “Maybe the lion got there after he moved them.”

  Dink sat up. “Okay, but he said the hose was out front,” he said. “The hose isn’t there, though. It’s behind the bunkhouse.”

  No answers came.

  “Another thing,” Dink continued. “The picture shows the barn in the background. But in the picture, the barn door isn’t painted with that cool space shuttle. Auntie A. told us Howie painted it last week. So if Kenny took the picture this morning, how come the barn door wasn’t painted?”

  “Maybe Auntie Alice is confused about when the lion was in the driveway,” Ruth Rose said. “Or Kenny got it mixed up.”

  Dink shook his head. “They both said the lion was there this morning,” he said.

  “Why would Kenny lie about that?” Josh asked.

  Dink thought. “Maybe he was lying to Auntie A.,” he said.

  “But why?” Josh asked.

  “Remember I thought the note on the fridge signed by H. had the same handwriting as that postcard Auntie A. got today?” Dink asked. “If I’m right, it might mean that either Hanna or Howie wrote the note and the postcards. And then if Kenny is lying about the mountain lion, it could mean the three of them are trying to get Auntie A. to sell her house.”

  “But the postcard was signed M.K.,” Ruth Rose said. “Who’s that?”

  “I know,” Dink muttered. “I mean I don’t know.”

  “It does seem weird that it’s all happening at the same time,” Josh said. “Postcards and phone calls trying to buy her house, rattlesnakes and mountain lions in her yard, and a burglar taking her husband’s stuff.”

  “It feels like someone is trying to scare Auntie A.,” Ruth Rose said.

  “Well, they’re scaring me!” Josh said.

  “Whatever’s going on,” Dink said, “my Dink brain is telling me someone’s really anxious to get this place away from Auntie A.”

  “But Howie and Kenny and Hanna are Auntie’s friends,” Ruth Rose said.

  “I know they are,” Dink said, getting under his covers. “And they all know where she keeps her key to the barn.”

  Just as Dink was dropping off to sleep, he felt Josh kick the bottom of his bunk. “Dink!” Josh whispered. “Are you awake?”

  “I am now,” Dink said. “What do you want?”

  “My Josh brain just asked me a question.”

  Dink grinned. “What did your Josh brain ask you?” he said. “And why does it have to ask right now?”

  “It asked me why the burglar didn’t steal anything valuable from the barn,” Josh said. “Like those moon rocks and those signed pictures of the astronauts. They must be worth something, right?”

  Dink thought about that. Josh was right. All the burglars took were a diary and some old letters. “See you in the morning,” he told Josh.

  Dink opened his eyes. Something had awakened him. He tried to see around him, but the bunkhouse was dark. It was quiet outside. Even the crickets had stopped making their night sounds.

  Then Dink heard something creak. He sat up and looked toward the door.

  Dink knew the hinges squeaked when the screen door opened and closed. But who would be opening it in the middle of the night? And Dink was almost certain that Josh had latched the door before climbing into his bunk.

  But he wasn’t 100 percent positive. So he threw off his blanket and climbed down the bunk’s ladder. Josh was snoring.

  As Dink’s feet reached the floor, he smelled mosquito repellent. But it didn’t have a pine scent like Ruth Rose’s. This was stronger—and familiar.

  Praying that he wouldn’t step on a scorpion, Dink walked to the door and peered out. He saw a few stars, but the moon was behind some clouds. The air was warm and damp. Flying insects bumped into the screen.

  Dink ran his hand along the wooden frame of the screen door, feeling for the hook-and-eye latch. His fingers found the hook, but it was hanging loose, not latched.

  He stood there for a minute, trying to remember what Josh had said last night. Something about locking the door to keep the wild critters out!

  So if Josh had latched the door, why was it not latched now? Dink dropped the hook into the round little eye and pushed the door to make sure it wouldn’t open.

  Dink tiptoed back to the bunk bed and climbed the ladder. He shivered and pulled his blanket up under his chin. Closing his eyes, he convinced himself that no animal had come into the bunkhouse. But who had unlatched the door?

  * * *

  —

  Sunlight coming through the window shone in Dink’s eyes, waking him. He blinked, yawned, and sat up. He looked at the pond and some palm trees through the window. Then he glanced around the bunkhouse.

  Below him, Josh was a lump under a blanket with one foot sticking out, dangling over the floor. Dink smiled. Josh had taken his shoes off, but had slept in his socks.

  Across the room, Ruth Rose was also snuggled beneath the covers. No bears, wolves, or mountain lions were there, unless they were hiding in the bathroom. He checked his watch—it was seven-thirty. Yawning, he reached for the magazine Auntie A. had lent him.

  He read part of an article about how the earth was getting warmer. He read about scientists trying to turn algae into fuel. Auntie A.’s husband had written to scientists about a similar idea. Dink looked up at the ceiling. Maybe Barney Wallace was onto something!

  Dink’s stomach growled. He dropped the magazine, wondering what they’d be having for breakfast. He pulled his toothbrush and toothpaste from his backpack and climbed down the ladder. The wood floor felt cool on his bare feet. I should’ve kept my socks on, too, he thought.

  He took a step toward the bathroom, then froze.

  Ten inches from Josh’s foot, a snake was curled up between Dink’s sneakers.

  Dink backed up, bumping Josh’s bed. “What’re you doing?” Josh mumbled.

  “There’s a snake on the floor,” Dink whispered. “Don’t move!”

  Josh snorted. “Don’t play games, James,” he said.

  Dink climbed halfway up his ladder. “I’m not!” he said. “Take a look and you’ll see it, about a foot from your bunk!”

  Josh peeked out from his blanket and gasped.

  “What’s going on?” Ruth Rose said suddenly. She was sitting up, rubbing her eyes.

  “Don’t get out of bed,” Dink said. “There’s a snake on the floor by my sneakers.”

  “OH MY GOSH!” Ruth Rose cried. “What’s it doing there?”

  “I don’t know,” Dink said.

  “How did it get in here?” Josh asked. Only his eyes and nose were visible from under his blanket.

  “Josh, did you lock the screen door last night?” Dink asked.

  “Yup,” Josh said. “Why?”

  “Because I got up during the night, and the door wasn’t latched!”

  Josh moaned.

  “It’s not moving,” Ruth Rose said. “Maybe it’s a fake snake.”

  “Nope, I just saw its little tongue come out,” Josh said. “It’s real!”

  “Guys, it has red, yellow, and black bands,” Ruth Rose said. “IT’S A POISONOUS CORAL SNAKE!”

  The three kids watched the snake, but it wasn’t doing anything. It lay curled up with its head resting on the toe of Dink’s sneaker. Every few seconds, a thin tongue shot out of its mouth. It had tiny eyes, which didn’t blink.

  “We need a plan,” Ruth Rose said.

  “I have a plan,” Josh said. “Strap me in that space shuttle, and shoot me up to the moon. I’ll hang out with Blinky!”

  “We’ll be fine as long as we stay in bed,” Dink said. “I don’t think snakes can jump.”

/>   “Dude, if this snake unlocked the door, it can climb into my bunk!” Josh said.

  “I have an idea,” Ruth Rose said. She stretched one foot out from under her blanket. Using her toes, she dragged the wire trash basket to the side of her bed. She sat up and grabbed the basket.

  “What are you doing?” Josh hissed.

  Ruth Rose tiptoed across the room and quickly dropped the wastebasket over the snake and Dink’s sneakers. The snake moved, but too late. It was a prisoner inside the basket’s wire mesh.

  “Now it can’t get us!” Ruth Rose announced.

  “And I can’t get my sneakers,” Dink said.

  Josh giggled. “Snakes love bare feet, Pete!” he said. “Thanks, Ruth Rose. You’re a rock star!”

  Dink climbed back down the ladder. He knelt to get a good look at the snake. “It’s kind of pretty,” Dink said. “I like its little red face.”

  “What should we do with it?” Ruth Rose asked.

  Dink thought for a minute. “Hey, remember when Kenny was driving us here and we passed Snake World?” he asked. “We could bring the snake over there!”

  “Great idea,” Josh said. “You take the snake while I eat a pancake!”

  After dressing in shorts and T-shirts, the kids brushed their teeth and left the bunkhouse. The snake seemed to be sleeping.

  Dink stopped to look at the hook-and-eye latch hanging on the screen door frame. When he ran his fingers over the screen, he noticed something else.

  He got down on his knees to see if a snake could fit under the door. The space between the door and the floor was less than the thickness of his finger. Dink didn’t think the snake could have squeezed through there. Besides, he’d heard the hinges creak, which meant the screen door had opened. A snake couldn’t unlatch and open a door!

  The kids went to the house for breakfast. They told Wallis and her aunt about the snake.