儿童英语读物 The Mystery in San Francisco CHAPTER 5 More Trouble

“Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy are already back with our clothes!” Violet said. “Let’s go meet them.”



She stepped off the boat onto the dock. The other Aldens followed her, excited that they’d be staying on Kate’s boat that night.



Their aunt and uncle were visiting with Charlie on the pier 1 near Charlie’s Chum. Charlie was filling his fuel tank. Kate was checking the fish nets to be sure there were no big tears in them.



“Let’s ask Kate about Chinatown,” Benny whispered.



“Not now, Benny,” Jessie said. “She’s busy.”



Uncle Andy waved as the children approached.



Aunt Jane held up a duffel bag. “We brought your clothes. Nice warm ones.”



A man hurried toward them calling, “Charlie! Charlie!”



Charlie squinted 2 in the man’s direction. “That’s Tony Gregor,” he said. “Looks like more trouble.”



“Someone untied 3 my boat!” Tony said. “It floated away!” He gestured toward the bay.



“Who could have done such a thing?” Kate wondered aloud.



The children looked at each other. They thought they knew the answer: the mysterious man in the suit. But they didn’t say anything. They had no proof.



“Calm down, Tony,” Charlie said.



Tony walked in circles. “I don’t know how much longer I can take this.”



Charlie put his hand on Tony’s shoulder.



Tony stopped his nervous pacing. “What am I going to do?” he asked.



“I’ll take you out. We’ll get your boat,” Charlie said.



Tony seemed relieved. “Thanks, Charlie.”



Just then, another boat pulled in beside the narrow pier.



Joe Martin tossed a line over a wooden post. “Hey Tony what’re you doing here?” he shouted over the sound of the engine. “I just passed your boat on my way in.”



That’s strange,Henry thought. Earlier, Joe Martin had said he’d had a great day of fishing. Why would he have taken his boat out again? Henry decided 4 not to ask.



Tony told Joe what had happened.



“We were just going out to get it,” Charlie said.



“I’ll take you, Tony,” Joe said. His boat was running, ready to go.



Tony jumped aboard. Joe backed the boat away from the dock and turned it around. Hands on his hips 5, Charlie stood watching them. His face was creased 6 with worry.



“Say, Charlie,” Uncle Andy said, “why don’t you come have supper with us. Take your mind off all this.”



“Thanks,” Charlie responded. “But I couldn’t eat. Not now. And I have some work to do.”



“How about you, Kate?” Aunt Jane asked.



“I’ll stay with Charlie,” she answered. She turned to the Aldens. “I’ll meet you back here later, okay?”



Aunt Jane left the children’s clothes with Kate. Then the Aldens and the Beans walked along the waterfront.



“Is everybody hungry?” Uncle Andy asked.



At first, no one — not even Benny! — was. They were too concerned about the trouble on the wharf 7 to think of food.



Soon, though, the sights and smells along the wharf captured their attention.



“I changed my mind,” Benny said. “I’m hungry.”



It was such a lovely evening, they decided to eat outside. They bought crab 8 and shrimp 9 cocktails 10 from the outdoor stands and ate them as they strolled near the water.



Far to the west, the sun dropped below the horizon.



“Oh, look!” Jessie said. She pointed 11 toward the Golden Gate Bridge. Its supporting towers stood out against the rosy 12 orange sky.



“What a beautiful sight!” Violet said. She wished she had brought her sketchbook.



Jessie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I can’t wait to see the bridge up close,” she said.



“Maybe we’ll go tomorrow after your fishing trip,” Aunt Jane told her.



Jessie smiled. That was something to look forward to.



They stopped at Pier 39 for ice-cream cones 13. Then they headed back toward Charlie’s. Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy were in the lead; the Aldens trailed along behind them. Henry stopped suddenly.



“What’s the matter, Henry?” Jessie asked.



“I think someone’s watching us,” he said.



Violet looked over her shoulder. She quickly turned back. “It’s that man again — the one in the suit.”



Walking backward, Benny said, “I don’t see anyone.”



Henry whirled around.



The man was gone.



By the time the Aldens reached the dock, Tony Gregor and Joe Martin had returned. “Now that everything’s shipshape,” Charlie said, “I’m going home. I could use a good night’s sleep.” He turned to Tony. “Do you want a ride?”



Tony shook his head. “I’m staying with my boat tonight,” he said. “I don’t want it to disappear again.”



“That won’t happen,” Joe assured him. “I’ll bet it was an accident. Your knot probably came loose.”



Tony glared at him. “My knots never come loose,” he said.



Joe shrugged 14. “Take it easy, Tony. I only meant . . . well, there’s always a first time.”



Mumbling 15 to himself, Tony headed toward his boat, which was tied to a dock down the way.



Joe watched him. “What did I say?” he asked. Then he smiled at everyone. “Well, I’m off, too. See you in the morning.” He ambled 16 away.



Kate picked up the Aldens’ duffel bag. “I suppose we should settle in, too,” she said.



The Beans hugged their nieces and nephews. “We’ll meet you here tomorrow,” Aunt Jane told them.



“Be careful,” Uncle Andy said.



“Don’t worry,” Kate said. “I’ll keep an eye on them.”



The Beans and Charlie headed for their cars.



On Kate’s boat, she and the Aldens sat on the open deck. Boat lights bobbed in the dark waters. Overhead, stars shimmered 17.



“That was too bad about Tony’s boat,” Benny said. “Do you think it was an accident like Joe said?”



“I doubt it,” Kate answered. “There’s been too much going on. Someone untied that boat.”



“But why?” Jessie asked.



“If Tony lost his boat, he couldn’t fish,” Violet said.



Kate nodded. “You’re right.”



“Why would anyone want to keep Tony from fishing?” Henry asked.



Kate shrugged.



“Don’t forget the rotten fish,” Jessie said. “Vito was really angry. If he quit buying Charlie’s fish, what would Charlie do?”



“He’d probably have to quit fishing,” Kate answered. “In the old days, there were many more fishermen. The restaurant owners bought all their fish from them. But things have changed. Much of the fish is trucked in from other places. Vito could buy fish from far away.”



“It looks as if someone is trying to make all the fishermen quit fishing,” Henry concluded.



They fell silent, thinking about the trouble on the wharf.



After a while, Violet yawned. “All this sea air makes me tired.”



“And all your sightseeing,” Kate added.



That reminded Benny about Chinatown. “Were you sightseeing, too?” he asked Kate.



Kate laughed. “Today? Me? Sightseeing? No way.”



“What were you doing in Chinatown, then?”



“I wasn’t in Chinatown,” Kate said. Then she stood up and stretched. “I think it’s about time we turned in.”



The Aldens followed her inside the cabin. Bunks 18 lined its sides. A door in the middle opened onto a staircase.



“You take the downstairs,” Kate said. “I’ll sleep up here.”



When the Aldens were tucked into their bunks, Benny said, “She was in Chinatown, all right.”



“She said she wasn’t,” Violet said. “I don’t think she would lie.”



“She didn’t want to talk about it,” Benny persisted. “She changed the subject right away.”



Henry rolled onto his side. “I don’t want to talk about it, either,” he said. “I just want to go to sleep.” He closed his eyes.



Jessie, Violet, and Benny followed his example.



Henry suddenly remembered something. “Joe said he passed Tony’s boat on the way in,” he said. “But he docked his boat right after Vito came to complain about the rotten fish. Why would he take his boat out again?”



No one answered him. They were all asleep.



Soon Henry, too, drifted off to sleep.



Later that night, something woke Jessie. She sat up, listening.



Across the room, Henry whispered, “Did you hear that?”



Jessie crept to the window.



Henry followed. “It sounded as if someone had dropped something.”



“Look!” Jessie said.



Down the way, a light moved along the dock between Joe’s and Charlie’s boats.



“That’s not a flashlight,” Henry observed. “It’s flickering 19.”



The light went out.



Jessie and Henry looked at each other. Each had the same question: Is someone tampering 20 with one of the boats?



Neither had an answer.