Mystery in San Francisco Read Online Free Page A

said. “It’s a sport fishing boat. But there’re plenty of bunks. Would you like to stay with me?”
    “Oh, yes!” Jessie said. She paused before adding, “If it’s all right with Aunt Jane.”
    Kate said, “Well, Mrs. Bean, what do you say?”
    Aunt Jane laughed. “I haven’t much choice,” she said. “Not with these children. Once they’ve made up their minds, there’s no arguing with them. Just like their grandfather.” There was pride in her voice.
    “Well, that’s settled,” Uncle Andy said. “Let’s go back home, Jane, and get these new fishermen a change of clothes.”
    “Give me your packages, children,” Aunt Jane said. “We’ll take them back home.”
    The Aldens handed her the things they had bought.
    “Bring jackets,” Charlie said. “It can get mighty cold out there some mornings.”
    Kate led the children to her boat. On the way, Violet asked, “Have you lived here long?”
    “On and off,” Kate answered. “The boat belongs to a friend of mine. He takes out fishing parties. When he’s away, he lets me live on the boat.”
    “Charlie said you’re going to college,” Henry told her. “What are you studying?”
    “Marine biology.”
    “What’s that?” Benny asked.
    “It’s the science of living things in the sea,” Kate explained. She stepped off the dock onto the deck of the boat. “Be careful,” she warned the others.
    One by one, they jumped onto the deck. “Look around, make yourselves comfortable,” Kate said. “I have to go back to help Charlie.”
    “May we help, too?” Jessie asked.
    Kate shook her head. “Rest up. You’ll have plenty of work to do tomorrow.” She hopped back onto the dock. “Will you be all right?”
    Henry nodded. “We’ll be fine. Don’t worry about us.”
    When she was out of sight, Benny said, “We forgot to ask her about Chinatown.”
    “That wasn’t Kate we saw,” Violet said.
    “What makes you so sure?” Jessie asked.
    “Her hair, for one thing. Kate’s is braided. That woman’s wasn’t.”
    “She could have braided it after we saw her in Chinatown,” Jessie said.
    That was possible, Violet thought. “But what about the yellow slicker? Kate’s not wearing one.”
    “Maybe it’s here,” Benny said, heading toward the cabin door.
    Jessie called him back. “Don’t snoop, Benny.”
    “Kate said to look around,” Benny reminded her.
    “She didn’t mean we should go through her things,” Jessie said.
    Sighing, Benny sank into a deck chair.
    “It’s not important, Benny,” Henry said.
    “Right,” Violet agreed. “And it has nothing to do with the trouble on the wharf.”
    “I’ll bet that man has something to do with it,” Jessie said.
    Puzzled, the other Aldens looked at her.
    “You know — the man we saw yesterday, the man in the suit. He was here again today.”
    Henry was surprised. “I didn’t see him.”
    “He was in different clothes, but I’m sure it was the same man,” Jessie said. “He went behind a building when Joe Martin got close to him.”
    “Maybe he added the rotten fish to Charlie’s catch,” Violet suggested.
    “Somebody would have seen him do that,” Henry said. “Especially yesterday. In that suit, he really stood out. We all noticed him, didn’t we?”
    “Not me,” Benny said. “I didn’t see him.”
    They sat quietly, thinking. The boat rocked gently. Overhead, gulls called to one another.
    After a while, Benny began to giggle. “Vito’s Vittles,” he said. “That is the funniest name for a restaurant.” No one else said anything.
    Benny paused. Then he said, “What does that word mean: vittles ?”
    “Oh, Benny, you should know that word,” Henry said. “It’s your favorite thing.”
    Benny frowned. “My favorite thing?” he said. “Let me see . . .” Slowly, his face relaxed into a big smile. “Oh, I get it. Vittles means food.”
    Now everyone laughed.

CHAPTER 5
More Trouble
    “ A unt Jane and Uncle Andy are already back with our