McKenzie’s Oregon Operation (5 page)

“What does that have to do with us?” McKenzie asked.

“After we approach the ship, one of our men will dive into the water to test the sea lions,” Mr. Lowry explained. “You girls will want to have your camera going. You should get some good footage.”

Mr. Lowry handed each girl a life jacket. “I'll introduce you to our crew.”

He called to a man in a blue jacket sitting behind the steering wheel. “Hey, Warren, I'd like you to meet my young friends, McKenzie Phillips and Alexis Howell. They're here to film a report for Montana Public TV.”

The girls chatted with the captain. Then Mr. Lowry led them to the back of the boat where two more men waited. A blond-haired man, wearing a black scuba diving suit, turned as the girls approached. He shook the girls' hands and introduced himself as Josh.

The other man had dark hair and wore swimming trunks and a long-sleeved T-shirt. He ignored the girls as he focused binoculars on the navy ship. After a few seconds he turned to meet the girls.

McKenzie felt her jaw drop. Before she could speak, Mr. Lowry said, “McKenzie, Alex, I'd like you to meet Mel Franks, our sea lion expert and head diver today.”

For a minute, McKenzie thought Mr. Franks wasn't going to respond. He stared at one girl and then the other, a crease forming on his forehead.
I wonder if he knows we're the ones he almost clobbered yesterday with his boat.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Franks,” McKenzie said as she stuck out her hand.

He hesitated but shook her hand. He looked at her, as if he couldn't figure out where he'd seen her. McKenzie didn't know what to say or do. She didn't really want to ask him why he had almost flattened them.

Mel Franks glanced at his wristwatch and turned to Mr. Lowry. “Ted, why don't you go tell Tony to fire up the engine? It's time to move on.”

The moment Mr. Lowry stepped away, Mr. Franks turned to the girls. “Didn't I see you girls out in the cove yesterday?”

McKenzie and Alex glanced sheepishly at each other. “Yes, our sailboat tipped,” McKenzie explained. She left out the part that he was responsible for capsizing them.

“You girls stay away from that area. It's too dangerous in there, with all the rocks and churning waters. That can pull you right down. I can't believe your parents let you go out there,” Mr. Franks scolded.

“Our parents aren't here,” McKenzie said. “We're staying with my aunt in the Seaside Bungalow.”

Mel Franks glanced around at the blond-haired man looking their way, then muttered, “Well, see to it that you stay away from that area, or I'll have a talk with your aunt.”

McKenzie took a step backward, wishing Mr. Lowry would return. She sighed with relief when the boat's motor rumbled to life, and the older man appeared.

“Hey, Mel,” Mr. Lowry called. “Aren't you going down first? You'd better suit up.”

“Yeah, yeah, I'm going,” Mr. Franks said, suddenly in a lighthearted mood. He peeled off his shirt and strode to the back of the boat.

McKenzie stifled a gasp. She couldn't believe her eyes. She nudged Alex and nodded at the blue and green fish tattoo on Mel's arm!

Mr. Franks glared at her and slipped into his scuba suit. Alex opened her mouth to speak, but McKenzie shook her head. Her heart raced as she watched Mel.

“Come on up here with your camera, girls.” Mr. Lowry motioned as the motorboat approached the navy ship. “Mel's going down. Then you'll see the sea lions go to work.”

McKenzie wanted to talk privately with Alex but knew she couldn't do that while they were on the boat.
What is going on?
she wondered.
Is Mr. Franks the man that boy saw steal Mario and Bianca?

When the boat was about fifty yards from the ship, Tony cut the boat's engine. A message crackled over his two-way radio. He spoke into the mouthpiece and turned to the crew on deck. “Captain said, ‘anytime now'.”

With his breathing gear in place, Mr. Franks flipped backward off the side of the boat. McKenzie saw the outline of his body as he swam toward the ship.

“See the sea lion.” Mr. Lowry pointed at a dark shadow beneath the water. “It's swimming to Mr. Franks with the clamp in its mouth. Watch what happens next.”

McKenzie lost sight of Mel. Seconds later, the rope hanging over the side of the navy ship jerked. The crew onboard the ship quickly reeled in Mr. Franks, hanging upside down with his leg attached to a rope. McKenzie laughed. Mr. Franks looked so funny as the navy guys hauled him onto the deck.

The rest of the crew cheered, declaring the practice mission a success. Then Josh took his turn diving. This time Alex filmed McKenzie explaining the role sea lions played in the military. In the background, Alex filmed Josh as he was jerked from the water.

They waited until a motorboat taxied Mr. Franks and Josh back to Mr. Lowry's boat. After the two men climbed aboard, Tony headed back to shore. Since these men knew a lot about sea lions, McKenzie asked the question that had been bugging her all morning.

“Mr. Lowry, have you heard about the twin sea lion pups that are missing?” She had to almost shout to be heard over the roar of the engine.

Mel Franks turned sharply, shooting McKenzie an angry look. Mr. Lowry didn't seem to notice as he offered the girls cold drinks from a cooler.

“Yes, I heard about that. I've heard talk that poachers got them,” the older man said sadly.

“I'm guessing killer whales got them,” Mel Franks said. “Poachers wouldn't have any use for sea lion pups.”

Mr. Franks changed the subject back to the sea lion mission they had just finished. McKenzie's suspicions about him began to grow. He sure fit the description of the man the little boy had seen. And he obviously didn't want to talk about Mario and Bianca.
If he did steal them, why would he do it? If he's an expert on sea lions, surely he would want to keep them safe, though,
McKenzie thought.

The crew quickly arrived back in port. The girls thanked Mr. Lowry for letting them tag along. McKenzie noticed that everyone seemed happy they had come. Everyone, except for Mel Franks.

“Aunt Becca, may we use your computer to chat with the Camp Club Girls?” McKenzie asked.

“Sure. Is that the group of girls you met at camp awhile back?” Aunt Becca opened the refrigerator door and surveyed its contents.

“Yes, we have so much fun.” McKenzie led the way to the computer.

“We're also really good at solving mysteries,” Alex piped up. “We're going to try to figure out what happened to Mario and Bianca.”

“That could be a tough job,” Aunt Becca said, preheating the oven for a frozen pan of lasagna. “Lots of things could have happened to them. I know it's not a nice thought, but sea lions have natural predators. Like sharks and killer whales.”

“That's what Mr. Franks said, too. But would an animal get both of them at the same time?” McKenzie logged on to the computer.

Aunt Becca shrugged. “I'm surprised Mr. Franks was on the boat this morning. He's one of Emerald Bay's regular customers.”

McKenzie decided it was time to tell Aunt Becca everything they knew. “We heard a little boy on the beach say he saw a man and a woman steal Mario and Bianca yesterday morning. He said the man had a fish tattoo on his arm.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “Mr. Franks has a tattoo just like that.”

Aunt Becca looked startled. “I can't imagine why Mel Franks would steal sea lions. I know you girls like to solve mysteries, but when it involves other people, you have to be extra careful. After all, you didn't see the man steal anything. And remember to talk to God first before doing anything that might hurt someone.”

“Oh, we will,” Alex said as she pulled a chair up beside McKenzie. “That's one reason we like to talk to the other Camp Club Girls. We always pray for each other and help each other.”

“Okay. I'll trust you girls to do the right thing. I guess I'm as curious as you are about those pups,” Aunt Becca said before slipping out the front door with a book.

Mickey lay at the girls' feet as they signed in to the chat room. McKenzie told the girls about the conversation they had overheard on the beach earlier. Then McKenzie told them all about Mr. Franks capsizing their sailboat yesterday and the discovery of the cave on the inlet. She continued by sharing the news of their outing earlier that day with Mr. Lowry and his crew.

Bailey:
Maybe Mr…uh…what's his name…the cave man guy wanted to go to the cave and you were in his way.

Sydney:
You mean, Mr. Franks? I don't know why he tipped McKenzie and Alex's sailboat, but we do have some clues already about the kidnappers. We know it was a man with a fish tattoo and a woman. Mr. Franks has a tattoo like that, but some other guy could have one, too.

Elizabeth:
That's right. But don't forget the silver and red boat.

Kate:
You'll have to find the pups before you can prove anything. Can you watch for silver and red boats in the area? If that couple stole two pups, they might be back for more.

McKenzie:
That would be good, Kate. But maybe we can watch Mr. and Mrs. Franks closely and find out what is going on.

Sydney:
Sea lions, like all animals, do best in natural surroundings. Maybe the kidnappers took them to a natural environment somewhere to care for them, like a zoo.

The Camp Club Girls discussed the disappearance awhile longer. Before signing off, McKenzie promised to keep them posted with any new information about the investigation.

After supper McKenzie and Alex stepped outside with their cameras. Sunset was near. Alex hoped to get some pictures of bounding whales for the photography contest. As they approached the dock, Mr. Carney called to them from his backyard.

“Hey, Mr. C.,” McKenzie hollered, scurrying toward the older man sitting in his lawn chair reading in the fading light.

“I've been reading this book on local caves you picked up for me yesterday,” he said as he snapped the book shut. “It's fascinating. According to the author, several little-known caves are on the Oregon coast. A couple of them are right around here.”

“Really? Where?” McKenzie asked excitedly.

“I'm just getting to that part, but it's about too dark to read. Besides, I need to go in the house and finish packing my bag.” He paused. “My son is taking me to his home. I won't be back until later tomorrow. I might have a few minutes to read before he gets here. Why don't I loan the book to you when I get back?”

The girls eagerly agreed and then headed to the dock. Alex took several pictures of the western sky, painted with streaks of pink, orange, and blue. McKenzie sat on the dock, dangling her legs over the side. She kicked her feet in the cool, clear water. Alex lowered her camera and pointed out a family of loons gliding through the shadowy water of the cove.

“Do you think Mel and Tia Franks stole the sea lion pups?” Alex asked as she sat down cross-legged beside McKenzie.

“I don't know. The evidence sure points to them.” McKenzie scratched her arm. “That is, if we can believe the story that little boy told.”

Alex sighed. “I wish we had seen the couple in the boat that morning. We only have a rumor to go on. We can't accuse anyone based on that.”

McKenzie jumped as her cell phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and flipped it open. “Hey, Sydney,” she said after recognizing her friend's phone number. “What's up?”

“When Bailey called Mr. Franks ‘Cave Man,' I started thinking. Maybe Mr. Franks tipped your sailboat over on purpose yesterday.”

“Why would he do that?” McKenzie pulled her feet out of the water and tucked her wet legs beneath her.

“He tipped you over by the cave entrance, right? Maybe he didn't want you to see something in that cave, like nets or something. I don't know how anyone steals a sea lion, but maybe there's stuff in there they use to capture sea mammals. If they stole two sea lions, they might steal more,” Sydney explained.

McKenzie thought for a moment. “I didn't see anything in the cave. Except for a little bit of trash.”

“I thought if the thieves stole two pups, they might come back for more. I mean, who would know if any other sea lion pups were missing? If Susie wasn't such a favorite for tourists, who would know Mario and Bianca were missing?” Sydney continued.

“I guess you've got a point,” McKenzie answered. “But there's no way we can go back to the cave. Aunt Becca would never let us sail back over there.”

“Oh, well. It was just an idea,” Sydney said. “I'm just looking for clues.”

By the time McKenzie hung up the phone, darkness had settled in and a cool wind had come up. A full moon and a sprinkling of stars lit up the sky. The lights of the resorts farther down the beach dotted the shoreline. Talking about Mr. Franks and his strange behavior on Mr. Lowry's boat made her feel uneasy. All the talk about thieves, missing sea lions, and dark caves made her shiver.