Moonfin Page 6

“And, by the way, did you bring me my food? I’m starving. Sheesh! This place is a dump.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “What’s it to you?”

  He scuttled over and jabbed her hand with his clippers.

  “If you must know … it’s Jinx. How can you hear me? Humans are usually very stupid, if you ask me, and can never understand anything I try to tell them. I never get my food on time, and look at my living room! Such a mess! They never put anything back the right way!”

  “I’m not sure why I can understand you, I just can. Why are you called Jinx? That’s a funny name.” She continued to work around his snip-snipping and snap-snapping.

  “I seem to get in heaps of trouble, see?” He held up a stubby crab arm. “My claw is gone! Got caught in some dag-blammit teeth. I’m always in the repair room with those human slice-and-dicers!” he said crustily.

  “That is sad!” said Lizzy, shaking her head in kind concern.

  “Yes … of course a crab should never pinch a horn shark!” Turning sullen, he tramped over to a rock in the corner of the tank and sat down in a huff.

  “I can see how that would get you into trouble,” she chuckled. “Perhaps you should try—”

  “What is so humorous, young lady?”

  “Oh!”

  The startling presence caused her to drop a heavy rock back into the tank, nearly missing Jinx, who barked a sharp, “Hey! Don’t turn me into crab dip!” at her. She turned around to find Dr. Krell towering over her.

  “He-hello,” Lizzy said nervously—more from the hope he didn’t see her talking to a crab than anything else. His gaze swept past her face and down her arm, which was still submerged in the water. A slight wrinkle crept over his brow.

  “And how are you getting along on your first day of work?” he said, smiling distractedly. “This crab can be quite a handful at times.” He nodded his unusually round head (like the shape of an orange, thought Lizzy) toward Jinx, his blue-tinted glasses dangling at the end of a thin, pointy nose.

  “I’m doing great. Yeah—um—he’s grumpy today,” she fumbled, pulling her arm out of the tank.

  “Grumpy, huh? And you can tell that how?”

  Oops. How could she let that slip? She thought quickly and blurted, “He kept trying to pinch my hand while I cleaned his habitat—I guess he doesn’t like to be bothered much.”

  The answer seemed to satisfy him, and he continued, “Well, well, I hear your father is up in Alaska doing some work for the Fisheries … counting king crab and all that. Your mother says that one day you want to be a biologist just like him. Is that true?”

  “Yes, sir, and my brother—Brandon was studying marine biology … before the accident, that is. I want to follow in both their footsteps someday.”

  He was silent for a moment, his mouth twisting into a very charming, yet uncomfortable grin.

  “I don’t think you will find anything at Otter Island,” he said coolly.

  Lizzy’s heart gave a leap.

  “Wh-who said anything about Otter Island?” she stammered, wondering why he would immediately bring up that particular place. “I was thinking more about work with the Coast Guard. Both my brother and father patrolled with them.”

  “I thought that’s what you meant by following in their footsteps … well, I misunderstood you, of course.” Oh, careless mistake! It was obvious he would need to keep a close eye on this girl.

  They stood locked in a checkmate stare for several seconds. The air was tense. Dr. Krell’s jaw muscle flexed as he considered his next move. He glanced down her arm again, which was dry by now, and his curiosity grew.

  Continuing to smile unflinchingly, he said, “I’d like you to move over to the lab. I think you would be an excellent help to the staff there. Would you like that?”

  Lizzy’s face brightened. “I would love to!” That meant more time with her mom in the research wing.

  “Good, you can start tomorrow. Check in with Lee, my assistant. He’ll show you the ropes.”

  “Thanks, I’ll do that!”

  She leaned down to pull a piece of driftwood out of the crab tank. Dr. Krell turned to go, paused, adjusted his glasses, and watched while Lizzy lugged the hefty chunk of wood to a tray, breathing out a faint “interesting.” His billowing lab coat disappeared down the hallway.

  Lizzy self-consciously thrust her hand in her pocket. He must’ve seen. Only when they’re wet do they show.

  “Hey, what did Dr. Krell want?” asked Kai, she and Jeff walking up.

  “I think he was checking out the new summer crew. He invited me to join the lab team.” She smiled. “Get to see more of my mom.”

  “Ooooh, the fish guts room—lucky you,” said Jeff.

  Lizzy ignored him.

  “He also brought up Otter Island and then acted all weird about it.”

  “Weird for Dr. Krell is par for the course,” said Kai.

  Jeff picked up a stick and started poking the crab menacingly with it.

  “Hey, I thought of something. Captain Quinn knows tons about this aquarium back when it was built—he’s lived here forever. We can stop in at Bubba’s diner and ask him later, since he eats there every day. He would know about any secret rooms being built.”

  “Maybe—and Otter Island too.” Dr. Krell was acting weird about the place a minute ago. And she never did get a chance to ask Captain Quinn about the day the Sundancer disappeared…. He might know some things …

  Lizzy pointed at the stick Jeff was holding. “I wouldn’t do that. He doesn’t like humans very much.”

  “You spoke to it?”

  “Yep, and a jaded little creature he is. Did you guys find out anything else?”

  Jeff lost the stick to the crab’s death grip and looked over at Kai, who shrugged her shoulders in reply.

  “Nothing out of the ordinary,” she said.

  “I found a rickety drawer with a dried-up ice cream sandwich inside, must’ve been here since the place opened three years ago,” said Jeff.

  Kai and Lizzy scrunched up their faces.

  “What is it with you and gross things, Jeff?”

  “You should talk, Lizzy. Tell us what you did to that butterscotch pudding again?”

  “Fine, you don’t have to rub it in,” she said, cheeks turning pink.

  “Oh wait! I did notice something,” piped up Kai. “That jumbo-headed octopus you call ‘Iddo’ wasn’t in his tank today.”

  Lizzy’s stomach lurched.

  “That is a problem. We could already be too late.” She couldn’t explain it, but she knew it was her job to protect Iddo. A sense of urgency rose up within her.

  “Do you guys believe me at all about any of this?” She looked imploringly at them both.

  Kai hesitated a moment. “It is a strange coincidence that Iddo is missing after you said he’d be in danger,” she said. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to do some snooping around.”

  Lizzy smiled, looking braver on the outside than she felt on the inside.

  “Okay, right then—let’s do it. We’ll track down Captain Quinn at Bubba’s after work and see if he knows anything, then sneak back here tonight after the aquarium closes. We can search around the outside for a way in.”

  “Yeah, that way ol’ hawk-eye Barklystone won’t be watching our every move,” said Jeff with shifty eyes.

  Kai shook her head.

  “No.”

  “No, what?”

  “I know what you’re thinking, and we’re not going looking for that ice cream sandwich again or any other weird thing like that tonight.”

  Sigh. “Fine.”

  Chapter 7

  BUBBA’S

  At first all they could see was the long pier jutting out into the ocean from the billowing fog, but as they made the last turn down the long dirt road, Bubba’s came into sight—a big ol’ red shack on stilts with smelly smoke puffing out the top. The creaky docks rocked with trawlers since it was a whole lot easier to get to by water than by land, a
nd the fishermen liked to eat there because the tourists didn’t. They also had the best clam chowder in town, which annoyed the Pinkertons, who tried to steal the recipe from Bubba every chance they got.

  Lizzy, Kai, and Jeff parked their bikes in back and scooted up the worn driftwood steps. It was dinnertime and the place was packed with cantankerous men bellowing for their evening grub. Many had been on the sea for weeks where polite manners were often dumped out with the latrine pots. They found an open booth and slid onto its sticky, green seats.

  Kai dug a finger into a small tear in the upholstery and pulled out a stale crouton.

  “What would you say the color of this vinyl is?”

  “Pea soup,” said Lizzy. “My dad used to take me here for chili fries when I was little. This place hasn’t changed a bit.”

  Janet, a silver-haired waitress with bright eyes and round, rosy cheeks, popped over.

  “Howdy, kids, what would you like this evening? Make it greasy and snappy.”

  “I’ll take a burger, fries, and a vanilla milkshake,” said Jeff. “Oh—and clam chowder in a bread bowl.”

  Kai looked appalled.

  “Is that all for you?”

  “What? We’ll need energy for the night ahead.”

  “You’re not running a marathon.” She ordered a basket of onion rings. Lizzy ordered her favorite: the fish-n-chips in a cup, stuffed to the brim.

  “I don’t see Captain Quinn,” whispered Lizzy, looking around the packed restaurant.

  “Don’t worry,” said Jeff, “he and his crew always come in at five-thirty on the dot after a full day of fishing. The captain doesn’t usually go for the long hauls like the others.”

  “Does your daddy know you’re eating in the enemy camp? You seem to know a lot about who comes in here,” Kai needled.

  “He’s okay with it. He wants me to figure out what Bubba puts in his frying batter—says it tastes like flaky heaven.”

  “Hush! Here comes crazy Bill. Don’t look up.”

  They scrunched down in their booth, trying hard to look small and unnoticeable, but it didn’t work. Bill leaned over their table anyway and blasted them with fusty breath.

  “Hustle and bustle, muster some muscle,” he coughed loudly in their faces.

  “Hello, Mr. Walden,” they all said in unison.

  Lizzy felt sorry for poor Bill Walden. He was branded the town crackpot, and no one knew where he came from or who his family was. There was a rumor that he came from the far northern territories to do some seasonal fishing and while out on an expedition lost all his fishing mates in a freak accident. The Coast Guard found him, the sole survivor, floating on a buoy, babbling on about how they were all eaten. He’d never spoken a sane word since. Now he lived up at the lighthouse all by himself.

  Crazy Bill grasped the edge of the table, nearly tipping it over, and cast them feverish looks.

  “The bell, a break, it’s not too late,” he croaked.

  “Er—how are you doing, Mr. Walden?” Lizzy asked kindly.

  “I think, I thought, and then I forgot,” he replied woefully and in perfect beat.

  Kai giggled and got a swift elbow in her side from Lizzy. Usually Bill would say a few cryptic phrases and move on. They tried to be respectful, but the things he said always made them want to laugh in spite of themselves. This time he looked right at Lizzy and said, “The mark, the deep, secrets to keep.”

  She sat quietly in shock while Kai and Jeff tried to maintain control of their contorting faces.

  He repeated the same phrase, face red with frustration: “The mark, the deep, secrets to keep.” Then he scratched his arm seemingly befuddled.

  Jeff and Kai were about to burst. Lizzy sat quietly rubbing her right hand, casting them both disapproving looks. Was he talking about her birthmark? This was the second time today someone seemed to notice it.

  He set a wrinkled hand on the table and gazed out the window into the harbor. He seemed to be straining to recall something—to say something, but he couldn’t find the words. They waited, frozen with anticipation, worried that something he strained out might smell awful.

  At last, he gave up and shook a finger in their faces. “You hustle and bustle, muster some muscle,” he burped out, flashing a toothless grin. And then he moved off to a corner and started talking to the pie case.

  “Where does he come up with that stuff?” Jeff laughed hysterically. “It’s awesome!”

  “I don’t know,” said Kai, “but isn’t Mai Poina Lighthouse three miles from town? He hardly ever comes this close to people. Oh, look—”

  Quinn Malloy sauntered past them and sat down in a booth across the aisle. His slickers were wet and grimy from the day’s work, his wool sweater smelled of fish guts mingled with pipe smoke. He pulled off his tartan cap and tossed it on the laminate table, raking back greasy wisps of copper-red hair with a swipe of his hand. All three kids hustled and bustled out of their booth and squished into his, which didn’t seem to make him too happy.

  “Hello, kids, what can I do for you?” He scowled, perusing the menu without looking at them. “And make it quick, I’m starving.”

  “Don’t you have the menu memorized? You eat here every day,” said Jeff matter-of-factly.

  Kai nudged him. “Don’t make him mad,” she hissed.

  “Don’t want to miss any changes. Besides, the pictures are nice,” he said curtly. “Don’t you all have something better to do than watch me order my dinner?”

  Lizzy gulped. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Brandon used to work on Captain Quinn’s fishing boat in the summers and they were good friends. She didn’t want to dredge up painful memories for either of them. Maybe she should just stick to asking questions about the aquarium. Then again, he might know something about the day Brandon went missing, and this could be her only chance to find out.

  “Right. We’ll come to the point then. Have you ever discovered anything strange about the aquarium—or Otter Island? Brandon—” Lizzy choked to a halt.

  Captain Quinn scowled deeper, making them squirm.

  “Lizzy’s brother disappeared somewhere around the island four years ago, except no one seems to know where,” Kai finished quickly.

  Janet brought over an iced tea and set it in front of Captain Quinn.

  “Here ya go, you crazy coot. You kids want your food brought over here?”

  “No—they’re not staying,” he said quickly, tearing open a sugar packet. He didn’t want a grilling by three nosy kids along with his supper tonight. “What’s this about, anyway?” Thinking about Otter Island was sure to give him indigestion, or worse, no appetite at all.

  “We need to know. Please, Captain Quinn, if you know anything, I would appreciate it if you could tell us,” pleaded Lizzy.

  He exhaled, eyes softening. He’d played that day over and over again in his mind, reliving every detail, every word. Sure, he had his own questions, doubts about the reports and all. Maybe even a cover up going on.

  Grunting, taking a swig of tea, he said, “All we know is the Coast Guard reported your brother’s boat was blown out to sea toward that island—”

  He hesitated, frowning.

  “—the thing that it didn’t say was if he was on it or not.”

  “What do you mean … not on the Sundancer?”

  “No bodies were ever found. There’s a real chance he got off the boat near the island, or I am sorry to say it, was thrown off before it headed out to sea and went down. They found pieces of the mast and some ship’s supplies, but no sign of the crew or the vessel itself. It’s a mystery no one has ever been able to solve.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense—how would he have been thrown off his boat?”

  “I couldn’t tell you exactly …”

  He fell silent, recalling the events of the other day at Otter Island and the near sinking of his own vessel.

  “Something out there just isn’t right.”

  Kai told him about their plan to visit the a
quarium that night and asked him if he knew about any secret underground tunnels.

  “Shhh, Kai! Don’t go broadcasting it,” snapped Jeff.

  “We need an ally. Besides, he might be able to give us some help,” she defended.

  Janet brought over Captain Quinn’s usual bowl of clam chowder with saltines and set it down in front of him. He sat back against the booth, feeling weary. The memory of having to tell Robert and Linda Grape their son was lost at sea still haunted him. A fisherman getting thrown from his boat wasn’t new, but Brandon was the hardest loss yet.

  “Now you kids don’t go snooping around that place,” he rasped harshly.

  Lizzy could see he was upset, but she couldn’t let it go. “Is there anything else? Anything at all?” she pressed him.

  Captain Quinn slurped down a few spoonfuls of his chowder, thinking about it. He didn’t want her in any danger, but if she was going to go poking around either way …

  “There is one thing …” he said slowly.

  Lizzy, Jeff, and Kai leaned in closer.

  “After the research labs had been built as part of the college, years before the aquarium was even thought of, Dr. Krell had truckloads of granite brought in and placed at the base of the cliff. We all thought it was strange. Now we call it Deadman’s Reef, but it wasn’t always that way.”

  “Why is that strange?” asked Jeff. “The side of that cliff is full of loose sand—probably only wanted to make it stable for the lab.”

  His blue eyes gleamed as he remembered. “That’s what he told the local newspaper. But your dad, Lizzy, thought otherwise. He believed Krell was trying to keep people away from that stretch of the beach for some reason—more likely he was trying to hide something.”

  Lizzy’s eyes grew to two enormous green saucers.

  “Hide what?”

  He shrugged and said, “Couldn’t tell ya. Brandon had been doing some work for Krell to earn a little money for college, and after he had disappeared, we set out one night to investigate … thought maybe we’d find some clues that might lead to his whereabouts, but we didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. We never said anything ’cuz there was no way to prove any wrongdoing. That cliff’s a fortress and a dangerous one at that.”