Terror at High Tide Read Online Free Page B

them that the door was locked when they arrived but the alarm had been off.
    â€œSo it was probably someone who’s familiar with the alarm code,” Crespi guessed. “Do all the employees know it?”
    â€œThe higher-level ones do—like my dad and Mr. Scarlatti, the assistant curator,” Alicia answered. “I do part-time work here, so I have a key and know the code.”
    When Detective Crespi asked Alicia if she knew whether anything had been stolen, she mentioned the cutlery and china from the Titanic. “But I can’t tell whether anything’s missing from Dad’s office,” she added.
    Holding a pad of yellow paper with notes scrawled on it, Officer Brunswick joined the group. “There’s nothing more we can do until we talk to your father,” he said, looking at Alicia. “Please have him contact us as soon as possible.He’ll be the one to know for sure if anything’s been stolen.”
    â€œHow about dusting for fingerprints?” Joe suggested. “The broken window frame might be a good place because none of us touched it.”
    â€œGood idea,” Crespi said. “I’ll do that now—and then I think we can call it a night. Of course, we’ll have to close the museum until it’s cleaned up and an inventory is taken.”
    After the police had finished their work, Alicia locked up the museum. Then she hopped on her bicycle and headed toward home, while Frank and Joe walked Callie to her apartment door.
    The Hardys strolled back to the Great White Whale, their bed-and-breakfast, carrying their skateboards and thinking about the case so far. When they reached the inn, they nearly fell into their beds, exhausted from the events of their day on the usually calm island of Nantucket.
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    â€œNow, this is what I call a breakfast,” Joe said as he attacked a pile of pancakes the next morning. He and Frank were sitting at a table in the breakfast room of the Great White Whale.
    â€œYou’d better not go swimming today, Joe,” Frank said slyly, “or you’ll sink like—”
    Frank stopped in midsentence as the front door to the inn crashed open and Alicia appeared in the doorway of the breakfast room.
    â€œAlicia!” Joe said. “What’s up?”
    Alicia’s face looked frozen with fear. She rushed into the room. “Frank, Joe,” she said in a shaky voice. “I need your help. Dad’s disappeared. He never came home from last night’s dinner!”

4 Deadbeat Dune Buggy
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    â€œWhat?” Joe exclaimed. He stood up and put an arm around Alicia, then settled her into a chair next to him and Frank. Alicia took several deep breaths, then buried her face in her hands.
    â€œAlicia,” Frank said gravely, “tell us what happened after we all left the museum last night.”
    Lifting her head, Alicia stared into space for a few moments. Frank could tell she was struggling to stay calm. “Let’s see,” she began in a shaky voice. “As you know, Dad never showed up at the museum, so I decided to wait for him at home. Well”—she paused, her lip trembling—“he never came home.”
    â€œDid you check in again with the people who gave the dinner party?” Joe asked.
    â€œYes,” Alicia said. “I called the Ferriers right away when I got home, and this time Mr. Ferrier told me that he hadn’t seen Dad since dinner. When I had called earlier from the museum, some guest who didn’t know anything took my message. She hadn’t realized that Dad had already left.”
    â€œHave you told the police?” Frank asked her.
    â€œYes,” Alicia said. “I called them right away, after I spoke to Mr. Ferrier. Dad could have still been out somewhere, but I was worried. I know it was way too early to file a missing-persons report or anything, but I thought the police would do