Elizabeth's San Antonio Sleuthing (10 page)

Elizabeth turned and began playing the keyboard. She noticed Joe and Pedro talking to Gary and pointing to a guitar case. Gary smiled, nodded, and then knelt to openthe case. The two of them approached the soundboard behind Elizabeth, and she tried to ignore them. People passing stopped and read the signs. Many of them stood for a few minutes, enjoying her upbeat music. The teenagers and some of the children sang along as they worked.

After a few moments, Elizabeth heard a bass guitar coming from behind her. Turning her head just a little, she saw it was Joe. A rhythmic clicking noise from the other side of her was Pedro. A drummer? He had two pencils, and was clicking away on the stair railing. It sounded good.

The three of them continued playing for a half hour. Surprisingly, Elizabeth didn't feel self-conscious. She got caught up in the music and just enjoyed herself.

Finally, they wrapped up their little concert and received light applause from the people gathered around. Unplugging the keyboard, she heard Pedro say, “That was so cool! We need a keyboardist for our band, Elizabeth. Too bad you don't live here.”

“You have a band?” she asked, and Joe laughed.

“We want to have a band. So far it's just me with my borrowed guitar and Pedro with his pencils. We're both in the band at school, but we use the school's instruments. During the summer, we have trouble finding good instruments to play.”

“What kind of music do you like to play?” Elizabeth asked.

“All kinds,” said Joe. “Mostly rock ‘n' roll. But I really like what you're playing. I never knew Christian music could be so cool.”

Elizabeth smiled. “Being a Christian is pretty cool,” she told him.

Joe looked at his feet. “Yeah, my mom's always trying to get me to go to church. Maybe I'll have to try it.”

Kate approached, Biscuit at her heels. “So, did you talk to them about…you know?” she asked Elizabeth.

Her question immediately got his attention. Maria and Pedro approached and joined the conversation.

“Talk to us about what?” asked Joe.

Elizabeth shot Kate a frustrated look, but Kate simply adjusted her glasses and smiled.

What is she up to? Elizabeth wondered. We're supposed to check with Uncle Dan before we make any more plans
.

Just then, Elizabeth's mother waved to her. James was seated on the ground beside her, dangling his feet into the river. “Elizabeth, what are you girls planning to do for lunch? Your father and I want to go to the mall, if you're interested.”

“Well, we told Uncle Dan we'd meet him after Bible Camp. If it's okay, we'd like to hang around here for a while,” she told her mother.

“Okay,” Mrs. Anderson said. She made sure Elizabeth had money for lunch, and waved good-bye. “We'll meet you back at the hotel at two o'clock,” she called over her shoulder.

When she was gone, Joe asked her once again. “Talk to us about what?”

Kate spoke up. “We may need your help with a little project we're working on. But right now, Elizabeth and I have to meet someone. Why don't we meet you in an hour at the Rio Rio. You can order us some of those great tamales your mom was making yesterday.”

The threesome agreed, and Elizabeth and Kate headed toward the hotel. “What was that about?” Elizabeth questioned. “I thought we were supposed to keep our mouths shut until we talked to Uncle Dan again!”

“My mistake,” Kate apologized. “I saw you all deep in conversation and assumed that's what you were talking about. What were you talking about, by the way?”

Elizabeth smiled. “We were talking about music. Did you hear Joe playing the guitar? He's good.”

“It's a match made in heaven,” Kate teased, and Elizabeth reached over and pulled Kate's pink ball cap over her eyes. “Hey, stop that!” Kate called, straightening her cap.

Uncle Dan was waiting for them when they entered the lobby, and wasted no time in small talk. “I've been thinking about how we can catch these guys,” he said. “Kate, didn't you say you brought a bag full of spy gizmos and gadgets?”

Kate nodded. “I have a bug we can plant to listen in on conversations. We thought we'd start with that.”

“Perfect,” said Uncle Dan. “I talked to Lyndel this morning—he's the owner of River City Cruises. He said the problems started a couple of weeks before Santa Anna Tours opened for business. I also found out that the owner of Santa Anna Tours has a history of illegal behavior. I'm not sure what he's capable of, so you girls need to stay safe. Don't go wandering off into any lonely alleys or tunnels. Stay on the Riverwalk, stay together, and stay where there is a crowd.”

Elizabeth felt chills go up her spine. “This guy sounds dangerous.”

“He's never been accused of anything violent—mostly petty theft and vandalism—but the bottom line is, he can't be trusted. We don't know what he's capable of. Can I trust you girls to act responsibly?”

The girls nodded, wide-eyed.

“Okay, then. Here's the plan,” he said, and the three spent the next half hour plotting and planning.

At 1:15 p.m., Kate and Elizabeth spotted their friends seated at the Rio Rio.

Joe smiled at Elizabeth. “We were about to give up on you,” he said. “Mom made this huge plate of tamales just for you, and I thought I would have to eat them myself.”

“Don't you dare!” Elizabeth told him, and the group laughed. They made room for the two girls to sit down and politely joined Kate and Elizabeth as they prayed over their food.

Then, Maria leaned her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands. “Joe said you wanted to talk to us about something,” she said.

Elizabeth took a bite of the delicious tamales, and closed her eyes. “I have dreamed about these tamales. These are the best things I have ever tasted. Joe, do you think your mom would give me the recipe?”

He smiled. “We might be able to work something out. But first, you need to tell us what Kate was talking about earlier. What's the big secret?”

Kate swallowed her bite of tamale then leaned back in her chair. “Well, you remember those guys who chased us yesterday? We think they're the ones who are sabotaging the River City Cruise boats. But we may need your help to catch them.”

The three cousins leaned forward. “Sounds exciting. What do you need us to do?” asked Joe.

Elizabeth began filling them in on the plan. “We'd like to use all of you, or at least a couple of you, as scapegoats. We want to blame you, very loudly and in public, for the problems with the River City boats. Then, the real bad guys will think we're off their tails, when we'll actually be watching their every move.”

Joe and Pedro looked at each other.

“What makes you think anyone would believe we had anything to do with it?” Joe asked. “We're innocent.”

Maria burst into laughter. “Innocent? You? That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time!” The girl looked at Elizabeth and Kate. “Trust me. Joe and Pedro have a reputation around here. Everyone would believe they did it.”

Pedro's eyes grew large. “What do you mean, Joe and Pedro? What about you? You're right there, whenever we do anything!”

“Hey, all I do is watch! The water balloons, the rubber snakes…”

“Shhhhh! Stop talking. You'll make us look bad,” he told his friends, glancing at Elizabeth. Maria laughed.

“If you're so innocent, why are you worried about looking bad? Your actions will speak for you,” Elizabeth said. She finally had him cornered. He had practically admitted dropping the water balloon on her.

Joe leaned back in his chair and looked down at his hands. Finally, he looked up at Elizabeth, and she could see the hurt in his eyes. “So you think we're a bunch of hoodlums. Obviously, we'd be the best ones to take the rap for the vandalism.”

Elizabeth felt terrible. Yes, she had thought they were hoodlums—in the beginning. But now she knew better, and she wouldn't want to hurt her new friends for anything.

The table grew quiet. She didn't know what to say.

After an awkward silence, Kate saved the day. “Look, nobody is accusing anybody of being hoodlums. If we thought you were hoodlums, we wouldn't ask you to help us. But don't even try to play innocent with us, Joe. We know all about your little games. Innocent fun? Perhaps. But you dropped that water balloon on Elizabeth, and everyone knows it. So why don't you just apologize and get it over with?”

Joe turned four shades of red, starting at his collar, then creeping up his chin, past his ears, and all the way to his head. After a moment, a smile crept onto his embarrassed face.

Elizabeth was taken off guard when he left his chair and knelt in front of her. The others snickered as they witnessed what was sure to be a great show.

“Señorita Anderson, it has been brought to my attention that, in my carelessness, I may have accidentally dropped a water balloon on your head,” Joe told her. “I am so clumsy, and that balloon just slipped right out of my hands. I would never, ever intentionally drop a water balloon on someone as sweet and lovely as you. Will you please forgive me?”

Now, it was Elizabeth's turn to blush. Why couldn't she think of something clever to say? “Wait a minute,” she said, rewinding his words in her mind. “Did you say it was an accident?”

The snickers got louder, and Joe just smiled.

“You expect me to believe that your dropping that water balloon on my head was an accident?” she continued. “I don't think so. Try your little apology again.”

The group of witnesses laughed and waited to see what would happen next.

Joe laughed, too, but didn't back down. “Of course it was an accident, Elizabeth. I was aiming for the person in front of you!”

There. He had admitted it. He had dropped that water balloon on purpose, and Elizabeth wasn't sure she wanted to forgive him. She crossed her arms and tried to look angry, but it didn't work. The whole thing was too funny.

Finally, in a dramatic show of mercy, Elizabeth stood to her feet, took the long-handled teaspoon that rested on the table, and looked at Joe like a queen looking down on a peasant.

“Although you don't deserve my forgiveness, Señor Garcia, I shall grant it anyway. You”—she placed the teaspoon on one of his shoulders, like a scepter—”are pardoned.” Lifting the teaspoon over his head, she touched his other shoulder.

The boy pretended to be overtaken with relief and gratitude, and the others at the table shook with laughter. Kate and Maria even had tears rolling down their cheeks, they were laughing so hard.

When they finally got under control, Pedro pulled the conversation back to its original topic. “So, tell us again what we can do to help you.”

For the next half hour, they plotted and schemed over tortilla chips and tamales. When Kate and Elizabeth stood to leave, they felt both nervous and excited about the plan that would take place later that day.