Campanile bell tower to find out,” M.E. said, shrugging. “Maybethe diamonds are hidden there.”
“Yeah,” Quinn agreed. “We have to check. You never know. And they might still be there after all these years.”
The kids spent the rest of their free time deciding what to buy. Quinn bought himself a tin cup that was painted with black and white stripes and had the word ALCATRAZ stenciled on the side. Luke got the T-shirt he was holding, and another one in a larger size for his
grand-mère
. Naturally M.E. picked out some striped Alcatraz knee-high socks to wear to school, claiming, “They go with everything!” Cody finally found a duplicate prison-cell key for her dad, an Alcatraz guard badge for her mother, an Alcatraz bookmark for her sister, Tana, and a fake diamond about the size of a walnut for herself.
On the way out of the shop, Cody spotted her dad. He stood on the dock a few feet away, talking to the same woman she had seen him with earlier. She went up to him with her bag of gifts andpulled out his key, ignoring the woman.
“I got you this,” Cody said to her dad, handing him the key. It was the size of a cell phone and weighed about the same. “You can use it as a paperweight to keep on your desk and remind you to get all those innocent people out of jail.”
Cody’s dad glanced at the woman next to him as he took the key. “Thank you, Dakota, but you interrupted Ms. Webster and me. We were talking.”
Cody blushed. She’d meant to interrupt him but didn’t think he’d notice. Now she felt embarrassed.
“Cody, do you know Ms. Webster?” her dad asked.
The blonde woman reached out her hand. “Hi, Dakota. I’m Matthew’s mom. We met some time ago. I don’t know if you remember.”
Cody’s blood went cold. Matt the Brat’s mom! Cody knew she’d recognized her when the chaperones had entered the classroom earlier, but she hadn’t paid attention to the introductions once she’d spotted her dad. Besides, the one time she’dseen Matt’s mom, the woman had had short brown hair and looked a lot heavier. This couldn’t be the same woman—with blonde, shoulder-length hair and a slim figure. She didn’t even have the same last name as Matt.
“You’re Matt the— Matt’s mom?” Cody asked, catching herself before the word
Brat
came flying out. “But his last name is Jeffreys …”
The woman nodded. “I changed my last name back to my maiden name when Matt’s father and I divorced a few months ago.”
Great. Her dad had been flirting with none other than Matt the Brat’s mother, and the woman was now blonde, thin, and available. Cody had to break up this little friendship quickly, before she became Matt the Brat’s stepsister!
“Dad, could I talk to you? Privately?” Cody stared at her dad, trying to will him to agree.
“Sure, Punkin.” Mr. Jones glanced at Matt’s mom and said, “Will you excuse us?”
The woman nodded.
“Hey, sweetheart. Are you having a good time?”
“Yeah, Dad, this place is totally cool. I just got some souvenirs for you and Mom and Tana.”
“Great … uh …” her father stammered, then said, “Did anything unusual happen while you were here?”
Cody thought about the lighthouse side trip and the message found there, but said nothing. That was one of the rules of the Code Busters Club—coded messages were kept secret.
“Nope,” she said, not looking her dad in the eye.
“Not even when you kids wandered off during the cafeteria talk?”
“Oh, that. Sorry. We were just curious about the benches and wanted to check them out.”
Her dad patted her back.
“Well, be careful. And let me know if you need any help with anything.”
Why would I need help with anything?
Codywondered. “Thanks, Dad,” she said.
She headed back to her friends, wondering if she should have told her dad about the message in the lighthouse. No, she decided. Nothing had happened. They hadn’t been in any danger. And she wanted to follow this
“Yeah,” Quinn agreed. “We have to check. You never know. And they might still be there after all these years.”
The kids spent the rest of their free time deciding what to buy. Quinn bought himself a tin cup that was painted with black and white stripes and had the word ALCATRAZ stenciled on the side. Luke got the T-shirt he was holding, and another one in a larger size for his
grand-mère
. Naturally M.E. picked out some striped Alcatraz knee-high socks to wear to school, claiming, “They go with everything!” Cody finally found a duplicate prison-cell key for her dad, an Alcatraz guard badge for her mother, an Alcatraz bookmark for her sister, Tana, and a fake diamond about the size of a walnut for herself.
On the way out of the shop, Cody spotted her dad. He stood on the dock a few feet away, talking to the same woman she had seen him with earlier. She went up to him with her bag of gifts andpulled out his key, ignoring the woman.
“I got you this,” Cody said to her dad, handing him the key. It was the size of a cell phone and weighed about the same. “You can use it as a paperweight to keep on your desk and remind you to get all those innocent people out of jail.”
Cody’s dad glanced at the woman next to him as he took the key. “Thank you, Dakota, but you interrupted Ms. Webster and me. We were talking.”
Cody blushed. She’d meant to interrupt him but didn’t think he’d notice. Now she felt embarrassed.
“Cody, do you know Ms. Webster?” her dad asked.
The blonde woman reached out her hand. “Hi, Dakota. I’m Matthew’s mom. We met some time ago. I don’t know if you remember.”
Cody’s blood went cold. Matt the Brat’s mom! Cody knew she’d recognized her when the chaperones had entered the classroom earlier, but she hadn’t paid attention to the introductions once she’d spotted her dad. Besides, the one time she’dseen Matt’s mom, the woman had had short brown hair and looked a lot heavier. This couldn’t be the same woman—with blonde, shoulder-length hair and a slim figure. She didn’t even have the same last name as Matt.
“You’re Matt the— Matt’s mom?” Cody asked, catching herself before the word
Brat
came flying out. “But his last name is Jeffreys …”
The woman nodded. “I changed my last name back to my maiden name when Matt’s father and I divorced a few months ago.”
Great. Her dad had been flirting with none other than Matt the Brat’s mother, and the woman was now blonde, thin, and available. Cody had to break up this little friendship quickly, before she became Matt the Brat’s stepsister!
“Dad, could I talk to you? Privately?” Cody stared at her dad, trying to will him to agree.
“Sure, Punkin.” Mr. Jones glanced at Matt’s mom and said, “Will you excuse us?”
The woman nodded.
“Hey, sweetheart. Are you having a good time?”
“Yeah, Dad, this place is totally cool. I just got some souvenirs for you and Mom and Tana.”
“Great … uh …” her father stammered, then said, “Did anything unusual happen while you were here?”
Cody thought about the lighthouse side trip and the message found there, but said nothing. That was one of the rules of the Code Busters Club—coded messages were kept secret.
“Nope,” she said, not looking her dad in the eye.
“Not even when you kids wandered off during the cafeteria talk?”
“Oh, that. Sorry. We were just curious about the benches and wanted to check them out.”
Her dad patted her back.
“Well, be careful. And let me know if you need any help with anything.”
Why would I need help with anything?
Codywondered. “Thanks, Dad,” she said.
She headed back to her friends, wondering if she should have told her dad about the message in the lighthouse. No, she decided. Nothing had happened. They hadn’t been in any danger. And she wanted to follow this
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