Party Summer (23 page)

She took a deep breath and lunged forward, a desperate, off-balance leap. Magically, to her own surprise, the rifle came easily from Simon's hand. She grabbed it and kept running toward the back of the kitchen.

Simon was startled at first, but then he became angry. He lurched after her—

And tripped over Martin. He cursed angrily as he fell heavily on top of his servant.

Martin stirred and blinked his eyes.

Simon groaned and grabbed at his leg with both hands. “My knee. I hurt my knee.”

Eric and Craig moved quickly to hold Simon's arms as Martin struggled uncertainly to his feet.

“What's happening?” Martin asked, rubbing the prominent dark swelling on the side of his head.

“Yes. What
is
happening?” Simon asked, suddenly switching to Simon's voice. “Why are you holding me? Where is Edward? I'll bet that brother of mine is responsible for all this confusion.”

Simon sat up, but Craig and Eric kept hold of his shoulders. “Is the kitchen open?” Simon asked. “I'm famished. Are there any sandwiches available?”

The dinghy bobbed in the early-morning waters. The motor coughed, then dropped to a steady hum. Martin guided it toward the mainland.

Eric sat in the back, his arm around Cari. Jan and Craig were toward the front behind Martin and Rose. Simon, his hands tied behind him, sat by himself on the other side, staring down at the floor of the launch.

Cari took a deep breath of the fresh, salty air, then turned to take a last wistful look at Piney Island.

“How did you do it?” Eric asked, bringing his face close to hers so she could hear him over the loud hum of the motor and the rush of waves against the hull.

“Do what?” she teased, snuggling against him.

“You know. The rifle thing.”

“Well, it was weird how it just struck me,” Cari explained. “I was staring at the rifle and thinking about it. And I realized that he'd been really close to us in the woods, and he'd fired a lot of shots. But he hadn't hit us. He hadn't hit anything.”

“Yeah? So?”

“Well, I decided he'd have to be a better shot than that.”

“I guess. But that doesn't explain—”

“Let me finish,” Cari said, gently slapping his shoulder. “Then I remembered about the hotel lobby. He fired the rifle twice in the lobby, remember? But there was no damage. Nothing crashed to the floor. No bullet holes in the walls. There weren't any ricochets. Nothing. That's when I realized that Simon's rifle was loaded with blanks.”

“Weird,” Eric said, shaking his head. “Really weird.” Cari knew he was using it as a term of admiration.

“Martin was foolish enough to allow Simon his hunting party, but he took the precaution of supplying him with only blanks. At least, that's what I hoped.”

Eric paled. “You weren't sure?”

“Pretty sure,” Cari said. She reached her face up and kissed him quickly on the cheek.

“Party summer!” Craig yelled back to them from the front of the launch. “Party summer!”

Everyone laughed.

“Maybe it wasn't exactly a party summer,” Cari said. “But just think about our great papers when it's time to write ‘What I Did on My Summer Vacation'!”

Eric grinned at her. “You're weird,” he said.

“Thanks for the compliment,” she replied. “You're weird too.” And she reached her face up for another kiss.

R. L. STINE is the author of more than twenty mysteries and thrillers for Young Adult readers. He also writes funny novels and joke books.

In addition to his publishing work, he is Head Writer of the children's TV show “Eureeka's Castle.”

He lives in New York City with his wife, Jane, and son, Matt.

THE NIGHTMARES NEVER END … WHEN YOU VISIT

NEXT:
LIGHTS OUT

(Coming July 1991)

Something is very wrong at Camp Nightwing, and junior counselor Holly Flynn is determined to solve the mystery before it destroys the camp!

The trouble begins with frightening acts of vandalism. After each, a red feather is left behind—signature of the culprit.

Suddenly one of the counselors dies a grisly death. “An accident,” say the police. But Holly knows better—and she knows she's next. Holly can't trust anyone now, not even her best friend, as she stalks the camp killer—and hopes that it soon won't be “Lights Out” for her!

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