The Secret of Skull Island (5 page)

Steve Cordell was looking at Sam Keller with an angry expression. Keller seemed annoyed. He kept huffing and pacing back and forth.

Aunt Edith seemed nervous, too. Of course, she
would
be upset at having one more accident happen. Inez looked even more nervous than Aunt Edith.

The twins and Rae stayed behind when the others went inside. They all examined the broken step. After a moment, the twins looked at each other and nodded. They had both recognized the same thing.

The wood grain on the broken step didn't match the grain on the other steps. In fact, it looked like a different kind of wood entirely. And the nails were brand-new and shiny, not dull like the others.

“Somebody planned this,” said Cody. “They just pried up the step and replaced the board with another that was thin in the middle. I wonder who changed it—and when.”

“They had plenty of time to sneak down here when everyone else was asleep,” said Otis. “They probably had the step loosened already—then they just had to pry it up and replace it with the board they had prepared. The nails probably slipped into the worn holes easily, with mostly pushing and hardly any pounding,” he said. “After all, they weren't building something that was supposed to last. It had another purpose.”

“Yeah, it sure did. Do you think whoever it was wanted to hurt Ms. Esposito?” Cody asked.

“Nah,” Otis replied. “I think they just wanted
somebody
to get hurt.”

“The question is … why?”

“Oh—you two mystery freaks,” Rae said, hands on her hips. “Maybe the step was repaired with a piece of wood that didn't match. So what? The accident could have been just that—an accident.”

The boys had to admit that she could be right. But they couldn't help thinking that maybe, just maybe, they had stumbled into a mystery.

When the three went back inside, Helen Wallace and Eric Barber were seated across from Ms. Esposito and Mr. McNab.

“You handled that situation so professionally,” Ms. Wallace told him. “You distracted Muriel so quickly and took her mind off what happened to her leg. It was like you had experience with such things.”

“Yes, indeed,” Mr. Barber agreed. “And you were so sure the way you grabbed her leg to see if it was broken.” He gave out a little chuckle. “If you hadn't told me otherwise, I'd think you were a doctor.”

“Oh, that's quite a stretch.” Mr. McNab laughed. “I've been a scoutmaster for many years. You have to learn about first aid to take a group of scouts into the wilderness. I just acted on instinct. Fortunately, it worked out.”

“Oh, come now. Are you sure you haven't had any medical training?” Ms. Wallace persisted.

Mr. McNab blinked. “No, it's just as I told you. I am a scoutmaster, and I know first aid. Beyond that, I just know it's important to try to get someone who is injured to calm down.”

The twins watched Ms. Wallace and Mr. Barber give each other meaningful looks again. It was clear that they suspected something about McNab. But what?

“Has anyone else here ever been a scoutmaster?” McNab asked. “It's very rewarding. How about you, Cordell—ever led a scouting troop?”

Steve Cordell acted as if he hadn't heard a word. He sat there staring into space, drumming his fingers on the table. When McNab repeated the question, he looked at him and blinked and then mumbled, “Aw, what a waste of time.”

Sam Keller threw down his napkin abruptly. He glanced at Cordell and muttered, “I think I'll take a walk. See ya later, Jimmy.”

Cordell slapped his hand on the table loudly enough to make everyone stop talking. He stood up and called to Keller, “Don't call me Jimmy,” he snapped. “My name is Steve, remember?”

Keller did a double take and turned around. “I'm s-sorry, S-Steve,” he stammered. “I didn't mean to, uh, offend you.”

Cordell was fuming. But after a moment he blushed scarlet and sat down again. He looked around the table. “Sorry, everyone, I'm kind of edgy. I didn't get enough sleep. That ghost woke me up.”

There were shrugs and murmurs as everyone assured Cordell that he was forgiven. Cody and Otis were thinking the same thing—that this guy was really wound up. And they were surer than ever that he was hiding something.

Meanwhile, Rae announced that she was going off for a swim. “I can't wait to get in that water,” she told the twins as she hurried away.

Later, when breakfast was over and the other guests were heading their separate ways, Otis turned to Cody and whispered, “Did you see how angry Steve Cordell got when Keller called him Jimmy by mistake?”

“Yeah—it was really weird.”

“I've figured out what it is about him that bothers me,” said Otis. “It's that I know I've seen him somewhere before. I feel like I should know who he is, but I just can't think why.” He frowned and shook his head.

“I know we planned to hunt for the buried treasure, but first let's follow Cordell and see where he goes,” said Cody. “I just have one of those hunches I get sometimes. We might learn something.”

Both boys had gotten those “hunches” from time to time. They had learned to trust them.

“Let's do it,” Otis agreed. “I'm pretty sure that he headed out to the garden. What about Rae, though? We should tell her what we're doing.”

“Rae will be happy swimming,” said Cody. “We'll catch up with her later. She won't want to spy on Cordell, and she wouldn't want to hunt for buried treasure, either. Not with that beautiful ocean out there. Let's go.”

The boys found Steve Cordell and Sam Keller seated on a bench not far from the inn. The two were having a heated discussion. Cordell was flailing his arms around as he spoke. Keller was pointing and punching the air.

The twins made every movement as quiet as a whisper. They crept closer and closer to the two men, who were caught up in their argument.

“You're an idiot,” Cordell said, his face thrust close to Keller's. “You're just a stupid, careless idiot. Why did you call me Jimmy?”

Keller pounded his fist on the arm of the bench. “Now you hold on just a minute, Jimmy,” he began.

“Stop calling me Jimmy!” Cordell exploded. “Do you want people to know who we are? We're supposed to keep it a secret. You'll ruin everything.”

“Okay, okay …
Steve
,” Keller said with a sneer in his voice. “If anybody will blow our cover, it'll be you. Why did you have to make such a big deal out of a little slip? People who've just met do it all the time.”

It made sense. But Cordell just blustered on.

“People do it all the time? Well, you're not supposed to do it. I had a plan all worked out. All we have to do is follow it.”

Keller snorted. “Well, excuse me if I say that your plan doesn't seem to be working too well. Look at what just happened. I think—”

“Don't think,” Cordell cut him off. “Just do what I told you. And don't screw up anymore.”

“I've had just about enough of you bossing me around,” said Keller, pointing a finger at Cordell. “Who do you think you are? And don't you ever,
ever
call me an idiot again.”

Cordell opened his mouth to say something. But at that very moment Otis stepped on a twig. It snapped with a loud
crack
!

The twins froze as both men jumped. “What was that?” said Cordell. “Who's there?”

The twins' hearts hammered in their chests. Each one held his breath as he backed up silently and quickly. Then they turned and ran. They didn't stop running until they got to the garden.

[Chapter Seven]

T
heir chests were heaving by the time the twins got to the garden. They stopped and leaned against some rocks to catch their breath.

“I don't think they knew it was us back there. It's a miracle they didn't run after us,” said Cody.

“We were pretty quiet.”

“So why do you think that Cordell and Keller are hiding who they are?”

Otis shrugged. “I don't know, but I think it's got something to do with whatever it is I can't remember about Cordell.”

“We should tell Dad and Maxim,” Cody said.

“I know,” Otis agreed. “But we can't prove they are doing anything wrong. Maxim and Dad will think that I'm just getting carried away because of the book about liars I've been reading.”

Cody nodded. “That's what I thought, too. Now I think they need some detectives around here. But Dad and Maxim probably wouldn't agree.”

“Keller and Cordell would deny everything. They'd say we misunderstood what they said, or didn't hear it right,” said Otis.

“I don't like keeping secrets from Dad,” said Cody.

“Neither do I,” said Otis. “But all we know now is that those guys are hiding who they really are. It's not like we heard them planning to rob a bank. Let's get something we can prove.”

They heard a rustling noise and looked up to find a wiry old gentleman in a broad straw hat. There were pruning shears in his hand.

“Afternoon, boys, I'm the gardener. Winston Cato's the name.” He smiled. His voice was soft, lilting—a mix of accents. “Do you remember that I picked you up at the airport? It was raining pretty hard that night.”

“I recognize your voice,” said Otis.

“Me, too,” Cody said. “We were keeping our heads down because of the rain.”

“Yes, it was real bad. You Carson twins are getting famous around here. Everybody's talking about how you and your cousin saved Aunt Edith from the snake.”

“You heard about the snake already?” Otis asked.

“Oh, sure,” Cato chuckled. “I hear most things right away.”

“Have you been on the island a long time?” Cody asked eagerly.

“Born here,” Cato answered, bending to examine a rose bush.

“Then have you heard about the pirate and the lost buried treasure?”

Cato stood up and nodded. “Sure have … but I couldn't tell you how to go about finding it. Nobody ever laid hands on a map … least as far as I know.”

Cody sighed. Otis shrugged. “Without a map we're kind of up a creek without a paddle,” he said.

“Do you have some shovels you could lend us, Mr. Cato?” Cody asked.

“You don't give up easily, do you?” Cato said with a grin. He walked to a shed and returned with two shovels.

“Thanks,” Cody said, taking them and handing one to Otis.

“Now we just need to know where to dig.”

“Right,” Cody agreed. “I've got an idea. C'mon.”

The twins said good-bye to Winston Cato, who wished them good luck. As they walked, Cody told Otis his idea.

“I've heard stories about people tattooing maps on their bodies,” he said. “Maybe the pirate's skull tattoo is a marker.”

“So all we've got to do is look all over the island for the skull, right?”

“Yeah.” Cody nodded enthusiastically.

“Ever wonder why the pirate can't find the treasure when he had the marker tattooed on his own chest?” Otis asked, and faced Cody with his arms crossed.

“Well—I dunno,” Cody replied.

A couple of hours later they found the answer to the question. They found a skull marker, all right. It was scratched into a rock. But then they dug and dug and dug under the rock and found nothing.

They found two more skull markers and dug under them. They had the same result as before. Zip. Nada. Nothing.

“No wonder that pirate can't find his treasure. There are markers all over the place,” said Otis. He leaned on the handle of his shovel and mopped his sweaty brow.

“I guess he left fake markers everywhere to outsmart others who were trying to look for the treasure,” said Cody, taking a seat on a rock. He wiped his dirty hands on his shorts.

“Well, he ended up outsmarting himself, didn't he?” Otis raised his eyebrows. Both boys burst out laughing.

Cody slapped his knee with his hand. “I think I've had it. For today, anyway. Let's go down to the beach and find Rae. I could use a swim.”

They found Rae sliding on the waves on her boogie board. She waved when she saw them. “Where have you guys been?”

They told her about the treasure hunt. Then they filled her in on what they had heard Cordell and Keller talking about. “I still think there is some treasure on the island,” Cody said.

“Maybe—or maybe it's just a hoax,” said Rae. “As for your mystery, I can't get excited about it. Why worry about a couple of grumpy guys when there is this beautiful island with this perfect blue water? Look at it!” She ran and plunged into the waves.

The twins looked out at the great ocean. Seabirds dotted the sky and swooped down over the water.

Cody squished sand between his toes. He smelled the scent of the sea and the flowers and trees. He forgot about Cordell and Keller and the mystery.

Otis dipped his toes into the water. “It looks like your treasure marker idea was
all wet
,” he said.