The Case of the Missing Deed (12 page)

All that mattered was that Shane was there and that he blazed that smile at her and touched her arm as they went inside.

“You up for more cooking?” Geneviève said.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” he whispered. “Maybe this time I can help you figure out the clue.”

“Would you?” she asked.

His smile was the answer.

She was diverted, though, by a loud “Oh, no!” coming from Muriel. Along with her cousins, Geneviève hurried over to the cash register, where Chad and Rachel were placing their groceries.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“The Wongs gave in. They’ve decided to sell,” Muriel told them.

Geneviève didn’t have to be told what bad news that was. One by one, Tantalus was picking off the islanders. No doubt they were counting on the fact that, as more people went along with the mine, the last few holdouts would feel obliged to sell too.

Ringing up Rachel and Chad’s purchases, Muriel wagged her finger at them. “They’ll redouble the pressure on you next.”

“We know,” Chad said in a worried voice.

“We’ll try to hold out,” Rachel said. “Oh, if only we could start our business and get some money coming in!”

The cousins picked up the bittersweet chocolate, butter,
and almonds they needed, and rode home, each of them thinking about the bad news.

Chocolate Cinnamon Sparkle Cookies

Star light, star bright, can you see the sparkle tonight?

Ingredients:

9 ounces (approximately 1 3/4 cups) bittersweet chocolate

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 cup more for rolling

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 cup finely ground almonds or almond meal

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Chop chocolate, then set aside 1/4 cup. Fill a small pot halfway with water and bring to a simmer. Transfer remaining chocolate to a heat-proof bowl, then place bowl on top of simmering water. Stir the chocolate gently until it melts. Add cubes of butter and stir until they melt. Once all the butter and chocolate have melted, set the mixture aside to cool while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. Beat the eggs, sugar, and honey until the mixture thickens. The eggs are ready when you can lift the whisk and the mixture holds a ribbon-like shape
when you dribble it back on itself.

3. Gently stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then add the ground almonds, cocoa, salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the chocolate you set aside earlier.

4. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill it until it is firm enough to roll, at least 4 hours or overnight.

5. Preheat the oven to 325°.

6. Prepare a bowl with 1 cup of granulated sugar and the other 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Roll the chilled dough between your palms into 1 1/4″ balls, and drop the balls into the sugar.

7. Gently shake the bowl to coat cookie balls with sugar, then place on a lined or buttered baking tray 2 inches apart.

8. Bake cookies until the tops are dry but the centers are still soft, about 12 minutes.

9. Remove cookies from oven and cool 15 minutes, then gently drop the cookies (round side down) into the remaining sugar to add more sparkle.

The cookies came together quickly, and, after the cousins waited impatiently for the dough to chill, the kitchen filled with a delicious chocolatey, cinnamon smell as they baked. When Geneviève took the trays out of the oven, Claire said, “Look! They sparkle!” She smacked her head. “So
that’s
why they’re called
Sparkle Cookies!”

Everyone laughed.

Several glasses of milk later, two racks of cookies had
disappeared.

“Well, Gen, any ideas?” Sébastien said.

“Oh, yeah,” Geneviève said, looking embarrassed. “Hmm … okay, let’s see … 
Can you see the sparkle tonight?
Um …”

“I have an idea,” Shane said.

Geneviève turned to him, eyes alight. “Really? What?”

“Well, you know how sometimes the ocean glows at night with a kind of yellow-green neon light?”

“Bioluminescence,” Sébastien said. “It’s actually a chemical reaction that produces light in certain sea creatures.”

“Sébastien!” Geneviève said. “Stop showing off.”

“No, it’s cool,” Shane said. “That’s what I meant. So maybe your grandpa meant that kind of sparkle.”

“But how would we ever find something in the water?” Olivia said.

“Or are we supposed to catch one of the sea creatures?” Alex said. “Grandpa wouldn’t want us to do that.”

Shane shrugged. “Don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong.”

“No, no,” Geneviève said quickly. “It’s a great idea.”

“But we’ll have to wait for dark,” Sébastien said.

“No problem with that,” Geneviève said, blushing.

All evening, the five of them plus Shane – who stayed for dinner – waited for it to get dark. Finally, the sky turned deep blue … then inky blue … then black.

Geneviève took Shane’s hand and skipped outside. The others followed. Alex led the group to a place on the beach, to the left of the dock, that sometimes had that bioluminescent
glow. But there was no glow tonight, just the normal reflection of the waves in the starlight.

“Maybe if we walk a little farther,” Shane said. “I could have sworn I saw it around here when I was on a boat one night.”

They walked on, but still found nothing. Then they headed back the other way, to the far side of the boat shed. Nothing. Just ordinary, night-dark water.

“No glow. No sparkle. No nothing,” Sébastien said.

“And even if we did see the glow, how could we find anything?” Olivia said. “Are we supposed to dive under and feel on the bottom? Grandpa would never expect us to do such a dumb thing.”

“Liv!” Geneviève said. She turned to Shane. “Sorry.”

“She’s right,” Sébastien said angrily. “And now we’ve wasted a whole day waiting for nothing.”

“No, I’m sorry,” Shane said, sounding contrite. “I just thought … well, I was just trying to help.”

“You did help,” Geneviève said fiercely. “Don’t listen to them.”

“Maybe I got the place wrong,” Shane said. “Maybe if we walk in that direction–”

“Forget it,” Sébastien said.

“Seb!” Geneviève hissed.

A car pulled up beside the house, its headlights illuminating the deck and Grandma’s garden.

“That’s my mom,” Shane said, and sprinted toward the car. “Good luck,” he called over his shoulder.

When he was gone, Geneviève turned toward Sébastien and Olivia. “How could you!”

“How could
we?”
Sébastien repeated. “He’s the one who
steered us wrong.”

“It was just an innocent mistake,” Geneviève said.

“Oh yeah?” Sébastien shot back.

Gen put her hands on her hips. “What’s
that
supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Sébastien muttered. But he didn’t think it was nothing. He had a funny feeling that Shane had suggested the bioluminescence on purpose, to distract them. But why?

“Now he probably hates me,” Geneviève went on. “Thanks a lot!”

“Listen, Gen, I’m sorry if I was rude, but it was a stupid idea,” Olivia said.

“He was just trying to help.”

“It’s our thing, Gen, not his–” Sébastien began.

“Who cares? We need all the help we can get. The clock’s ticking, if you hadn’t noticed.”

“I’ve noticed!”

“Then stop acting like a jealous baby.”

“I’m not jealous! You shouldn’t be letting a stranger into our family business.”

“What, you think he’s a spy or something?” Geneviève’s voice rose. “You’re pathetic!”

“I am not! You’re the one–”

The kitchen door opened and a pool of light streamed out. “Kids!” Eve bellowed. “Inside. Now!”

Geneviève turned and ran.

Claire and Alex walked silently after her.

Olivia hung back with Sébastien. “I’m with you, Seb,” she said in a low voice. “I don’t trust him either.”

randma?” Alex said softly, opening the door a crack.

Grandma turned. Her hair was flattened against the pillow. Her skin was almost as pale as the sheets on her bed. Alex had the horrifying thought that if they didn’t find the deed, Grandma would just fade until she was taken away along with the cottage.

“Yes, sweetheart?” Even her voice sounded weak.

“Could we show you something?”

Grandma nodded, and the cousins entered the room, all walking carefully, as if afraid to make a loud noise. Alex held the four objects behind his back.

“Now, Grandma, these things are from Grandpa, and if you don’t want to look at them, you don’t have to,” he began. “But we think they have something to do with the deed. And we need your help to figure it out.”

“Let me see.”

Alex placed the paintbrush, the flashlight, the knitting needle, and the key on her lap. She took in a sharp breath, and her eyes filled with tears. Alex was afraid she was going to start crying, but she didn’t. She picked up the paintbrush, looked at the number on the tag, and laid it down again. She touched each of the other objects. “Tell me,” she said. Her voice trembled, but she didn’t cry.

And so they did – interrupting each other, backing up, and starting over to explain the confusing bits.

Tears rolled down Grandma’s cheeks as she listened. But, to Alex’s surprise, when they’d finished, she only sighed and said, “Oh, Sam, you dear, crazy man,” in a fond voice.

“Do you have any idea what these things are for, Grandma?” he asked.

“None.” She sighed. “Oh, if only I could remember what he said. It’s there …” She touched her head. “I can hear his voice … but then it’s gone.”

“I think maybe we can find the deed anyway, Grandma,” Sébastien said.

“Really? How?” For the first time, her voice held a spark of life.

“Well, I’m pretty sure the objects have something to do with it,” Sébastien said. “I think Grandpa put clues in the recipes so we would find these things, and he wanted us to do something with them. I just don’t know what.”

Grandma pushed herself up to a sitting position. “You know,” she said, “now that you mention it, I think Sam did say something about recipes. I was so confused at the time, I can’t remember exactly what he said, but I’m pretty sure …” She leaned forward, and there was a glint in her eyes that the children hadn’t seen since they’d arrived at the cottage. “Do you think … is it possible that these objects are leading to where the deed is hidden? That it’s some kind of puzzle that Sam set up?”

“That’s exactly what we think, Grandma,” Olivia said.

“So …,” Grandma said, her voice sounding more excited, “if you find them all … they might reveal the hiding place?”

“Right!” Claire said. She started bouncing up and down on her toes.

Grandma actually smiled. “Then there’s hope after all!”

“Yes,” Sébastien said. “And we found another one of those notes, and we think it’s a clue, but we don’t know what Grandpa is talking about. Would you … take a look?”

Grandma nodded, and Alex handed her the recipe card.

Grandma grinned. “Hugh’s Perch, of course. Grandpa and Hugh used to stargaze up there all the time. Said it was the best place on the island to see the stars.”

“Grandma, you’re brilliant,” Claire said.

“Let’s go ask Hugh if he knows anything about this,” Alex said, and they started for the door.

“Wait,” Grandma said. “First, help me out of bed.”

“Yay!”