Seaside Mystery (4 page)

“But aren’t you coming with…” Maisie began.

Joel didn’t reply. He was already scrambling down over the rocks.

Maisie stared down at him. She couldn’t believe he had just left her to find her own way down. “That’s just great!” she said to Flame.

Flame pricked up his ears and looked at her.

Maisie watched as Joel jumped down onto the small beach and then turned to look up at her and Flame. “Are you still there? Hurry up. I’ll be just over here!” he called, waving, before turning around and disappearing out of sight behind a big rock.

Maisie clenched her fists. “Ugh! I’ve had about enough of Joel Denning. I’m climbing down there after him. How hard can it be? Hang on, Flame. Here we go.”

Steadying her shoulder bag with one hand, she stepped down onto a large flat rock. Moving slowly and reaching for firm handholds, she climbed down backward. This was easier than it looked. Now she was almost halfway down.

But on the next rock, her shoe skidded and she slid toward the edge. She grabbed at a nearby rock to steady herself.

“Oh!” Maisie gasped as the rock moved under her hand and she lost her balance. She scrabbled for a foothold, but her foot slipped again and she found herself kicking out at thin air.

Time seemed to stand still. Flame sprang out of the shoulder bag and landed on the rock above Maisie.

His long brown tabby fur glittered with sparks, and his whiskers crackled with electricity. A warm tingling feeling flowed down Maisie’s spine.

Flame raised a tiny paw and a fountain of bright silver sparks shot toward Maisie.
They swirled around her like a snowstorm.

“Oo-oh!” Maisie cried as her whole body slid backward. She screwed her eyes shut and prepared herself for a very painful landing.

But she didn’t fall. Instead, Maisie felt herself sinking down slowly and gently. Her eyes shot open and she realized that
she was encased in a big sparkling bubble. The bubble, with Maisie inside, landed on the beach. It bobbed up and down gently before settling and then disappeared with a faint pop!

Flame sprang down and landed beside Maisie. Every last trace of sparks had faded from his fur.

Maisie’s knees suddenly gave way and she sat on the sand. Although she was safe now, she still felt shaken up.

Flame jumped into her lap. “Are you hurt?” he mewed anxiously.

“No. But only thanks to you. You were amazing, Flame! I didn’t know you could do that! Thanks for saving me,” she said, kissing the top of his silky little head.

“You are welcome,” Flame purred.

Joel appeared from behind the rock. His eyebrows lifted in surprise when he saw Maisie sitting on the sand. He marched toward her, a fierce frown on his face.

“You went and hurt yourself, didn’t you? I told you not to climb down!” he shouted.

Maisie felt her cheeks reddening with anger. “You just left me up there by myself!” she shouted back.

“Because I thought you might fall, you stupid kid!” Joel snapped.

Maisie lost her temper. She jumped to her feet and put her hands on her hips. “You’re just a fat-headed idiot who likes ordering people around! I wish I hadn’t come. I’m going home, right now!” she yelled.

Joel’s mouth dropped open as Maisie turned on her heel. “Fine! See if I care,” he called after her.

Tears of anger pricked Maisie’s eyes as she found the path and stormed up the shallow rocky slope to the cliff path.

Flame scampered over the rocks and gullies, trying to keep up. He gave a frustrated little
meow
as he struggled to climb out of a gap between two rocks.

Maisie slowed down and lifted him into her shoulder bag. “Sorry, Flame,” she apologized. “I didn’t mean to march off like that.”

She put her hand inside her bag and stroked his long soft fur as she walked along. Thank goodness she had Flame for her friend, because it didn’t look like
she had any others now.

Maisie had just about calmed down by the time she and Flame reached home.

She sneaked quietly into the house, hoping to avoid awkward questions about why she was back so early.
Luckily her parents were still working in the old store.

Her heart lifted when she saw the computer set up on a wooden desk in the corner of the living room. She went to turn it on, but nothing happened.

“Oh, great,” she murmured. “I still can’t find out if Jane and Nina want to be my friends.” It felt so weird not to be in touch with them.

Her dad came into the room and saw her standing by the computer. “Hi, honey. I’m afraid it’s not working yet. The computer man can’t come to set up the Internet out for a few more days. How was Smuggler’s Cove?”

“Okay. But a bit creepy, too,” she replied. “Joel said that wreckers lured
ships onto the rocks so they could rob them.”

“Where’s Joel? Did he come back with you?”

“No. I don’t know where he is,” Maisie said vaguely. “What’s for lunch?” she asked, changing the subject.

Her dad gave her a questioning look, but didn’t say anything.

“I wonder who that can be,” Maisie said to Flame later that afternoon as she went to answer the front door.

Joel stood there with his hands behind his back and a sheepish look on his face. There was a girl with him. She was small with short brown hair and a pretty, round face and looked about eleven years old.

Maisie blinked at them in surprise. She hadn’t expected to see Joel again so soon. “What do you want?” she said stiffly.

“Er…hi,” Joel said awkwardly. “This…um, is my sister, Louise.”

Louise smiled at Maisie, her brown eyes sparkling. “Hi. Joel told me that you two had a fight this morning. He can’t help being an idiot sometimes. It’s because he’s so crazy about wildlife. He thinks everyone should take it as seriously as he does.” She grinned and nudged her brother. “Give them to her.”

“All right, I was just going to!” Joel blushed and held out a pair of battered hiking boots. “These don’t fit me anymore. I thought you might be able to use them for climbing rocks and stuff. They’re
better than sneakers. And…um, sorry about yelling at you earlier,” he mumbled.

Despite herself, Maisie smiled. “That’s okay,” she said as she reached for the boots. “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have lost my temper. Thanks for the boots.”

“Thank goodness for that!” Louise gave her brother a friendly shove and then turned back to Maisie. “Now we can all be friends. You and I are going to be in the same class at school, you know.”

“Are we?” Maisie said, liking Joel’s forceful sister more every minute. School was certainly going to be interesting with her around.

Louise looked down to where Flame was standing by Maisie’s ankle. Her eyes lit up.

“Oo-ooh! What a gorgeous kitten. Can I pick him up?”

Maisie nodded. “But be careful. He’s very small.”

“I will. Don’t worry.” Louise bent down and scooped up Flame. She held him close to her chest and scratched him
gently under his chin. “Hello, you,” she crooned.

Flame purred loudly and closed his eyes with pleasure.

Seeing that Flame felt secure, Maisie relaxed. She suddenly remembered her manners and opened the front door wide. “Why don’t you both come in? I’ll show you around and you can meet my mom and dad.”

Louise stepped inside, still carrying Flame. “I thought you’d never ask!”

Maisie took Joel and Louise through to the old store where her parents were working and introduced them. “Look what I have. Joel gave them to me,” she said, holding up the boots.

“That was very nice of you, Joel,” Mrs. Simpson said, wiping her hands on a
cloth. Joel blushed. He looked at the half-painted walls, wooden shelving, and bare floorboards. “It looks really different in here. Lighter and sort of…bigger.”

“That’s because there’s no brown wallpaper or counter with musty newspapers, and no shelves with jars of sticky old candies,” Louise said.

“Is that how it used to be? The old store sounds like a nightmare,” said Mr. Simpson.

Joel and Louise laughed.

Maisie smiled at her parents. They were so good at making people feel at ease. She showed her new friends the rest of the house and then brought them back to the kitchen. They sat at the table. “Would you two like to stay for dinner?” she asked Joel and Louise.

Louise answered. “Thanks, but we better get back. Mom will be expecting us. Come on, Joel.”