The Yellow Yacht (6 page)

“If I stole that gold, I’d stash it under the boat,” Hugo said. “If the cops searched
Sundown
, they’d never think of
looking on the bottom of the boat.”

Hugo switched on the boat’s engine. “Haul up the anchor, Sammi,” he said. “Let’s check out the
Sundown.”

Hugo motored slowly toward the yellow yacht. “Try not to look suspicious,” he said quietly. “Pretend we’re just cruising around the harbor.”

Hugo pulled up to
Sundown’s
anchor chain and tied up next to Dr. Skor’s small dinghy. He slowed the engine so the motor was barely making a sound.

“We’re behind the boat, so unless someone’s on the rear deck, they can’t see us,” Hugo whispered.

Dink squinted up at the deck. “I don’t see anyone,” he said. “Dr. Skor told us he takes naps in the afternoon.”

“Okay,” Hugo said, reaching for his mask. “I’m going in. If anyone says anything, just tell them I’m checking something on my motor.”

Hugo donned his mask and flippers
and slipped over the side. He took a deep breath and disappeared beneath the water.

The four kids stared at the spot where Hugo went under. They saw him disappear in the shadowy water under
Sundown.

They counted the seconds, holding their breath for Hugo.

Suddenly a voice came from the rear deck of
Sundown.
“What’re you doing down there? You can’t tie up on our anchor line!”

The kids looked up. They saw the man who had been making their lunches in
Sundown’s
galley.

Dink gulped. Before he could form an answer, Hugo’s face broke the surface. He blew out the breath he’d been holding, then hoisted himself into his boat.

“Is that your boat?” the man on the deck shouted down.

“Yes, sir,” Hugo shouted back. “Had a little trouble with my propeller, but it’s okay now.”

Hugo untied his line and pulled away. He turned toward the dock and revved up.

“Did you see anything?” Dink asked. He was trembling all over, and it wasn’t from the boat’s vibrations.

“Oh yeah,” Hugo said with a big grin on his face. “I saw plenty!”

“Did you find my father’s gold?” Sammi asked.

“Yes, it’s there,” he said. “Skor built a steel cage between the keel and the propeller. The gold is stacked in the cage.”

The kids all looked back at
Sundown.

“He told us he’s leaving port today,” Ruth Rose said.

“He can’t sail because there’s no wind,” Hugo said. “Which means he has to use his motor. The good news is his motor is small. He can’t go very fast.”

Hugo dropped the kids off on the dock. “Run and get your father,” he said. “I’m going back out there to keep an eye on
Sundown!”

With Sammi in the lead, the kids raced for the castle. The king was on the telephone in his office when they burst in.

The king looked up. “Sammi, I’m talking to the police. Can you pl—”

“We found the gold!” Sammi blurted out.

The king’s mouth dropped open.

“Where?” he asked, ignoring the telephone.

“Dink figured it out,” Sammi told his father. “Dr. Skor hid the gold underneath his boat!”

Interrupting each other, the kids quickly explained how Hugo had swum beneath the yacht and spotted the gold.

“But you have to hurry, Pop,” Sammi said. “A guy on
Sundown
saw us. He’ll tell Dr. Skor, and they’ll take off!”

The king spoke into the telephone. “Surround that yellow yacht in the harbor!” he ordered. “And have your fastest boat pick me up at the dock in three minutes!”

The kids were surprised at how fast the king could run. He made it to the dock before they did and leaped into a sleek police boat. The boat practically flew out of the water as it sped toward
Sundown.

Hugo zoomed back to the dock and whistled. The kids climbed into his boat, and he raced after the police.

By now three police boats had tied up to
Sundown.
As Hugo and the kids approached, Dink could see several officers boarding the yacht.

“Look!” Ruth Rose suddenly yelled. She pointed aft, where Dr. Skor sat in his rubber dinghy.

The man started the motor and the dinghy roared toward open sea.

“He’s getting away!” Ruth Rose yelled.

“Can you catch him?” Dink asked.

Hugo grinned. “Do fish drink water?” he asked. “Hold on!”

Hugo thrust the throttle all the way forward. His boat tore around
Sundown
with its bow out of the water.

The kids grabbed their seats and braced themselves as they bounced over the water.

Ruth Rose was sitting next to Hugo. “You steer!” he yelled in her ear. “Use both hands and get as close as you can to his dinghy!”

Dink, Josh, and Sammi stared as Ruth Rose and Hugo switched places. Her knuckles were white as she clutched the steering wheel.

Hugo picked up the anchor. It had
three sharp prongs that were meant to grab and hold. A long rope was tied to the anchor. The rope’s other end was attached to a metal ring on the bow.

“Can you get any closer?” Hugo shouted to Ruth Rose.

“Do monkeys eat bananas?” she shouted back. She turned the wheel, and the boat responded.

When his boat was about fifteen feet from the dinghy Hugo stood up. He spread his legs for balance, then whipped the anchor over his head.

The steel anchor landed in Dr. Skor’s rubber dinghy with a thud. Hugo grabbed the wheel from Ruth Rose and whipped it around. Then he shoved the throttle forward, and his boat lurched ahead.

Dink didn’t understand what Hugo was up to. Was he planning to tow Dr. Skor’s dinghy back to shore?

But then he got it. The anchor rope stretched to the breaking point, but it held. Suddenly they all heard a ripping noise. The anchor hooks had torn a hole in Dr. Skor’s dinghy. When they looked, it was losing air fast.

Dr. Skor turned and glared at Hugo and his passengers. The thief’s face was nearly purple with rage.

Just then two police boats roared up to them. “Good job, kids,” one of the officers said. “We’ll take it from here.”

Riko and Mr. Baz were released from jail. Dr. Skor and his crew took their place. Police divers brought the gold ashore, and it was once more locked in the bank vault.

Riko’s crew repaired the vault floor
and filled in the tunnel. The yellow crime-scene tape came down, and work began on the aquarium again.

“And I have you kids to thank for saving the day” the king said. Sammi had invited Hugo to join them for ice cream and leftover birthday cake.

“If Dink hadn’t noticed the green stripe was gone, Dr. Skor would have gotten away with it,” Ruth Rose said.

“How did you figure it out?” the queen asked Dink.

“At first, I thought Yondo took the gold,” Dink admitted. “But when we were exploring Dr. Skor’s boat, we saw a paperweight on his desk.”

“A
paperweight
gave you a clue?” Josh said.

“Not then,” Dink said. “I just remembered that it was a miniature copy of
Sundown
, even with the green stripe. Later, when we were snorkeling, Hugo
told us the sunken boat had rocks in it to weigh it down. Then I remembered a strange thing about Dr. Skor’s boat. I couldn’t see the green stripe and wondered why. The next thing that popped into my head was, something heavy must be weighing the yacht down. Something made the stripe sink below the water.”

“And of course it was gold,” the king said. He raised his lemonade glass to Dink. “Excellent reasoning, young man.”

“How did Dr. Skor get the gold to his boat?” Josh asked.

“He told the cops his men took it out through the aquarium pipe,” the king said. “They just slid the gold bars right into the water, probably at night. Then his crew moved the gold underwater to that platform he’d already built onto
Sundown’s
bottom.”

“But how could the men swim while carrying that heavy gold?” Ruth Rose asked.

The king looked at Hugo. “Why don’t you tell them?” he said.

“Everything weighs less in the water,” Hugo explained. “The crooks probably wore scuba equipment. They could easily carry the gold in baskets like deep-sea divers use.”

The king grinned at Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. “I don’t know how to thank you,” he said.

“I do,” Josh announced. He reached for the last piece of Sammi’s birthday cake.