“It’s a toolbox,” Henry said, kneeling down and examining hammers, pliers, and screwdrivers.
“So what if I do own a toolbox.” Tom snorted. “Is that a crime?” Behind his boldness, though, he appeared shaken.
Benny lay on the floor, peering under the bed. “I’ve found something else!” he yelled. “This!” He hauled out a rod-shaped piece of iron.
The captain swooped down on the piece, holding it up in triumph. “This is a part that was taken from the engine!” He glared at Tom. “Now what do you have to say for yourself?”
Tom stepped backward, bumping into the dresser.
“Admit it, Tom,” Max said. “Do you want to take all the blame and let Carla off scot-free?”
“All right,” he growled. “So I tried to slow down the ship. Will I be sent to prison for that?”
The captain looked solemn. “What you have done is very serious, Mr. Bishop. You also kept messages from being sent and from coming in!”
“And what about shouting ‘Man overboard’?” Henry said sternly.
“I only wanted to delay the ship. I didn’t mean any harm.” He glared at them.
“And you tried to hide in a closet so you couldn’t be counted,” Jessie said, tightening her lips.
Tom bent his head. “Yes,” he confessed. “I’m engaged to Carla.” He shot Max a hateful look. “We wanted to stop you from getting everything.” He paused, then snapped, “You always were Great-Aunt Edith’s favorite!”
“I’ve called ahead, Mr. Bishop,” the captain said calmly, “and the police are waiting for you in Nassau.”
“Who cares!” He gave Max a wicked smile. “At least you’ll be late coming into Miami! You won’t get a penny!”
“Look out your porthole, Tom,” Jessie said.
Tom glanced at her, then rushed to the porthole. His mouth dropped open. “We’re in Nassau!” He exclaimed in confusion. Whirling about, he faced the captain. “You announced we’d be delayed a day!”
“Yes,” the captain said, chuckling. “We played a trick on you.” He nodded in Jessie’s direction. “Give that young lady credit for a good idea!”
“We’ve lost,” Tom muttered, sinking down on his bed.
“You’ll be locked in your cabin until we go ashore,” the captain said.
Tom didn’t reply, still shaking his head in disbelief.
The captain and Max left, followed by the Aldens.
Sadly, Benny turned and gave Tom a last look. “I’m sorry, Tom. I liked you, but you did bad things.”
Tom covered his face with his hands.
“Good-bye, Tom,” Benny said softly, closing the door.
The captain locked Tom in, and they went up on deck.
“Thanks for your help,” the captain said. “You children are good detectives.” He moved toward the stairs. “Now I need to prepare for the passengers getting off at Nassau.” With a wave he was gone.
So it’s over, Violet thought. Instead of gaining money, Tom and Carla are going to end up in prison.
“Hurry up, Violet,” Jessie urged. “Let’s see Nassau!”
CHAPTER 10
The Straw Market
Once the all clear sounded, the Aldens and Max hurried down the ramp onto Bay Street.
Grandfather reached over and shook Max’s hand. “Good luck!” he said.
“I’ll make it,” Max said. “Thanks for all your help!”
The chilren waved good-bye, for Max was already rushing to a taxi.
“To the airport!” Max shouted and jumped into the cab.
“I’m glad Max is on his way,” Jessie said, breathing a sigh of relief.
“I’m glad, too,” Grandfather said. “He’ll soon be in Miami.”
“Won’t Carla be surprised to see him?” Violet said with a smile.
“There’s the police,” Henry said happily, pointing to two officers in white Bermuda shorts.
“They’re waiting to arrest Tom,” Jessie said.
“Could we hurry?” Benny asked. “I don’t want to see Tom in handcuffs.”
“Yes,” Grandfather said. “We only have six hours to see everything. We want to be back in plenty of time for our special farewell dinner.”
“Right!” Benny agreed.
They walked down a narrow street toward an open air market.
While the children wandered through the stalls of straw crafts, Grandfather drank coffee at a nearby cafe.
Benny stopped at the straw hats. Jessie, reaching for a tall hat with a big brim, said with a smile, “Here, try this one on, Benny.” She set it on his head, and it slid down to his nose. “It’s too big,” Benny complained good-naturedly.
Laughing, Violet said, “I agree!” She removed his hat and tried on a smaller one. “There!” She stepped back. “That fits fine.”
“You look like a cowboy, pardner,” Henry teased.
Benny grinned. “I feel like one, too.” And he hooked his thumbs in his belt, made a comical face, and circled Jessie and Henry.
Still chuckling, Jessie tried on a red wide-brimmed hat. “I love this.” She paid for both hats, and they moved on to visit some other shops.
Just as they had finished exploring and were about to leave to rejoin Grandfather, they met Heather. The young girl, dressed in a spotless white uniform, had a package under her arm.
“Hi!” Benny said. “What did you buy, Heather?”
A smiled crossed her face. “Just a doll for my niece.”
“Would you like to walk back to the ship with us?” Violet offered.
“N-no,” Heather answered immediately, backing away. “I’m not quite ready.” With these words, she turned on her heels and disappeared among the piles of straw purses.
Puzzled, Henry stared after her, “She’s still not very friendly,” he mumbled. Then in a louder voice, he said, “Let’s find Grandfather or he’ll be worried.”
As they arrived at the cafe, Grandfather pushed away his cup and looked about. When he glimpsed his grandchildren, his eyes lit up. “Shall we return to the ship for dinner? We mustn’t miss this one!” he said mischievously.
“Yes!” Benny answered emphatically. “I’m hungry.”
Henry laughed. “So, what else is new?”
Climbing up the ramp, the Aldens went directly to their cabins and put away their new straw purchases. They showered and dressed in their nicest clothes for the big farewell dinner.
Grandfather and the four children went into the dining room together.
Ramos handed each one a menu, which listed item after item.
“I don’t know what to choose,” Violet said, looking at the long list of appetizers. “Shall I get a hot appetizer or a cold one?”
“You may have both,” Ramos said, “but the stuffed mushrooms are especially good.”
Violet gave him a grateful smile. “I’ll have that.”
“I can’t decide between the cream of asparagus soup, the vichyssoise, or the oxtail soup,” Henry said.
“What’s Vee-shee-swozz?” Benny asked.
“Cold potato soup,” Henry answered.
“I want that,” Benny announced.
Each Alden decided on the Caesar salad, roast turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
As they finished, all at once the room became dark. Trumpets blared, and in marched two lines of waiters, bearing trays of flaming dessert.
Ramos stopped at their table and set before them baked Alaska, which was ice cream covered with meringue and drizzled with hot fudge, and topped with flaming cherries.
Benny’s mouth formed a huge O. “I’ve never seen such a wonderful dessert!” he exclaimed.
Grandfather laughed. “I’m sure you won’t want a sundae tonight!”
Benny patted his stomach. “No, sir!”
“There’s bingo in the library,” Jessie said, scooping up the last of her ice cream.
“Let’s go,” Henry said. “The magic show doesn’t start until nine-thirty.”
So they
played a game of bingo, then went into the grand ballroom for the magic entertainment.
The opening act was a juggler who did all sorts of tricks with three golden tenpins. Next was a magician who pulled a rabbit out of a hat, and sawed a woman in two. For his final act the band struck up “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” while from his sleeve the magician drew yards and yards of silk flags.
Benny’s foot kept time to the lively music, and when it was over, he turned to Henry, saying, “I wish there was more.”
Henry looked at his watch. “Do you know it’s midnight?”
Benny gave Henry a sidelong glance. “Really? I could stay up this late every night.”
“No way,” Henry said. “It was a good show, though, wasn’t it?”
“The best!” Benny said.
“Time to go to our cabins,” Grandfather said.
That night Violet went to bed with a smile on her face. What a wonderful day. They had not only seen Nassau, but a magic show as well. It was hard to believe that tomorrow they’d return to Miami. She was sorry to see the end of the cruise, but it would be good to get home, too.
CHAPTER 11
Sailing Home
On Sunday, after the children had finished packing and eaten their breakfast, Benny said, “Let’s visit my favorite place.”
“And where’s that?” asked Henry. “The navigation deck?”
“No,” Benny replied, grinning.
“The pool?” Violet asked.
“Nooo.”
“The dining room?” Jessie teased.
“Not the dining room, either,” Benny said.
“Then, where?” Violet asked, sounding puzzled.
“I want to visit Isaac!” Benny loudly announced.
“Ah,” Henry said with understanding. “The kitchen. I should have guessed that was it.”
“Yes, Benny,” Jessie said. “We must all say good-bye to Isaac. We dock in Miami at noon, so we have time to do some visiting, too.”
“The ship feels like home, now,” Violet said.
Henry laughed. “True. We know the ship from the engine room to the top of the navigation deck.”
“Follow me!” Benny said, leading the way to the kitchen.
Isaac, cleaning a refrigerator door, stopped when he saw the children and a wide smile creased his face. “Come in, come in,” he said, taking off his tall white hat and wiping his brow. “Did you come to say good-bye?”
“Yes,” Benny said, feeling sad.
“I’m sorry to see you go, but you’ve all enjoyed yourselves, haven’t you?” Isaac asked.
“Oh, yes,” Violet said.
“I wish I had a treat for you, but everything has been wrapped and put away.” Isaac put a finger to the side of his nose, thinking. “Wait. I think there’s a package of chocolate chip cookies that I could give you,” he said.
Jessie laughed. “We just finished eating breakfast, Isaac. Besides, we didn’t come for any sweets. We came because you’re our friend.”
“No, no, I insist,” Isaac said, snapping his fingers. “I know! I have something you’ll like even better than chocolate chip cookies.”He went to a freezer, taking out a plate holding four, giant chocolate-covered strawberries. He offered them to the children. “Taste these!”
Each Alden took a strawberry. Biting into his, Benny rolled his eyes. “Hmmmm, good.”
Isaac laughed. “I thought you’d like them.” He set his hat squarely on his head and solemnly stuck out his hand, shaking hands forcefully with Henry, Violet, and Jessie. Finally, he turned to Benny and scooped him up in his arms. “You’ve been my helper, Benny, and I’m glad I met you.”
“And I’m glad I met you,” Benny said happily.
“We must go,” Jessie said. “We have others we want to see.”
“I’m sure you do,” Isaac said. “You’ve made friends with many people on this cruise.”
“Except for Tom Bishop,” Henry said grimly. Then, with a wave and a smile, he added, “Good-bye, Isaac.”
They left to find Heather, who was in B Salon helping passengers with any questions and making sure their luggage was tagged.
Grandfather was getting instructions for leaving the ship.
Heather was tying tags on a woman’s luggage. Turning around, she smiled. “Hello, Aldens! I’m glad you came by.” She pointed to a comfortable sofa and matching chair. “Let’s sit over there.”
Jessie was surprised at how friendly she was. Usually Heather didn’t care to talk at all.
Heather folded her hands in her lap. “I’m sure you’ve wondered why I always ran away when I saw you.”
Henry just waited, not wanting to tell her how unfriendly he thought she had been.
Heather continued, “You know, this was my first job.” She twisted her ring. “I’m quite shy, and meeting all these passengers made me even shyer.”
“Is that why you didn’t stay and talk to us?” Benny asked.
Heather’s cheeks flushed pink, but she smiled. “Yes. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to stay and chat with you. I was grateful for how warm and friendly you were. In fact, now that I know the crew and have met people like you, I feel much more relaxed.” She gave them a warm look. “Now I enjoy my work. Since I’ve finished work on my first cruise, I know the next one will be even easier.”
Jessie reached over and touched Heather’s hand. “Now we understand why you seemed a little distant. Tell me, who is C, the one who gave you the roses? Was it your boyfriend?”
Heather gave a light laugh. “My brother Charles. He wished me good luck, knowing how nervous I was on my first job. I sent him a message back, telling him that everything was going fine.”
“You crumpled up a piece of paper when we came to play Monopoly,” Benny said.
“Yes, it was another message from Charles. I knew I shouldn’t have been reading it when I was working.” She smiled impishly. “Although I should’ve known that you wouldn’t have minded.”
Violet smiled. To think they had suspected this sweet girl just because she’d been so quiet and nervous.
All at once Heather reached into a bag beside the sofa. “I have something for each of you.”
Benny’s eyes grew big as she pulled out four white caps with visors.
Heather first gave a cap to Benny, then to Henry, Violet, and Jessie.
“Great!” Benny said, pulling the billed cap down to his eyes and grinning.
The caps had the words “West Wind” around the band. “Thank you, Heather!” Jessie said, trying hers on. “I’ll wear it home.”
“I’ll wear mine, too,” Violet said, sounding delighted.
Henry wore his rakishly to one side. “Now everyone will know we’re all from one family!”
“Oh, there are the Rands,” Heather said, standing.
“Did you know them before the cruise?” Henry asked.
“No,” Heather said. “But I’ve been helping Melissa with Robin, and we’ve become friends. That’s why I felt relaxed with them and not at all nervous.”
The Rands came closer. Ralph, holding Robin, smiled when he saw the Aldens. “I was hoping we’d find you before we left. I wanted to say good-bye.”
“And so do I,” Melissa said, shaking hands with each of them. “You’ve always been so friendly.”
Ralph chuckled. “I’m afraid we’ve been comparing the West Wind to the French line we were on, but truthfully this ship is fantastic. We like everything about it. Especially passengers like you.”
“You even bet your ship was better than the West Wind!” Benny said.
“Yes,” Melissa said with a laugh. “But we learned otherwise.” She took Ralph’s hand. “We must go.”
“Maybe we’ll meet again,” Melissa said, happily.
“I hope so,” Henry answered.
The Rands moved on.
“I must go, too,” Heather said, blowing them a kiss. Then she was gone.
Grandfather, who was filling out some papers, called to them. “Do you al
l want to go out on deck? We’re just coming into Miami!”
“Yes,” Jessie said. “We were so busy saying good-bye to everyone that we almost forgot to see our port.”
The children went out on deck, and over the blue water loomed the white buildings along Miami’s coast. Closer and closer they came.
A steward came by. “We’ll be docking in fifteen minutes. Please wait until the all clear is given for disembarking.”
The children went inside, found Grandfather, and sat with him.
Before long, over the loudspeaker, a voice said, “All passengers prepare to disembark.”
The Aldens moved along with a large group and went out on deck.
Down the ramp they hurried.
“There’re lots of people beyond the gate,” Violet said.
“Yes, they’ve come to meet their friends,” Grandfather said.
Suddenly, through the crowd, Jessie glimpsed Max. “Look! It’s Max!” she shouted.
Sure enough, when they went through the gate, Max rushed forward to meet them.
“Hello!” he called, catching up to them.
“Max!” Henry said. “We’re glad to see you!”
“How did you come out with the will?” Jessie asked anxiously.
“I was in time. I inherited the house and the money.” Max, who had always seemed so upset before, now appeared to be full of joy.
“Oh, I’m happy!” Benny said. “We were scared Carla might beat you.”
“No, I made it with plenty of time to spare,” Max said. “And when I open the house to the public, I want you to be my first guests. I’ll give you a private showing!”
His smiled broadened. “If it hadn’t been for you, I never would have gotten Great-Aunt Edith’s house. Tom and Carla would have.”
Grandfather pumped Max’s hand. “Wonderful, Max. I wish we could stay and help you celebrate, but we have a plane we have to catch.”
“I understand,” Max said, smiling, “but I just wanted to share my good news with you!”
“Good-bye, Max,” Jessie said, and smiled. “Maybe we’ll see you again someday soon. Maybe we can come and visit you.”
After they’d all wished Max good luck and good-bye, Benny said firmly, “I don’t like good-byes. I don’t like to say good-bye to people. It doesn’t seem fair.”