The Big Island Burglary

  Chapter 1

  THE MARVELOUS MANTAS

  Nancy Drew and Bess Marvin peered over the side of the boat. The water was so dark, they couldn’t see anything below the surface. Bess clutched her life vest and stared at Nancy.

  “Do you think there are sharks?” she asked nervously.

  “Of course there are sharks. It’s Hawaii!” George Fayne called out behind them. She leaned back in her seat and shrugged.

  “Stop scaring your cousin,” Mr. Fayne said. “We’re all going to be just fine. You think I brought you out here to get eaten?”

  Nancy looked off into the distance. Up ahead, a few other boats had anchored in a cove and a bunch of people had jumped into the water. They were all wearing life vests and snorkel masks. As soon as she saw them, Nancy wasn’t worried. Some of the kids in the groups looked like they were only six or seven. They were smiling and laughing.

  They didn’t seem nervous about getting into the ocean at night.

  “What do the manta rays look like?” George asked their boat’s captain. “Are they gray like sting rays?”

  Captain Tane shook his head. “They’re black and white. They have spots on their bellies and huge mouths. That’s how they eat the plankton.”

  “What’s plankton?” Nancy asked. She’d heard that word before, but realized she didn’t really know what it meant.

  “Plankton is what a lot of the big fish feed on,” Captain Tane said, scratching his goatee as he steered the boat. He was a round man with thick black hair. “It’s lots of tiny sea creatures—eggs and little crustaceans. They’re so small, you can’t see them.”

  “Can the manta rays’ tails hurt us? Are they sharp?” Bess asked. She was still staring into the water, looking worried.

  “Nah. They don’t have barbs or stingers. The mantas are gentle creatures,” Captain Tane said. “They’re called the ‘butterflies of the ocean.’ I think you’re going to love them.”

  That seemed to make Bess feel better. Ku, the first mate, passed her a pair of flippers, and she sat down on the bench to put them on. Soon their boat was gliding into the cove to join the others.

  Nancy had only been snorkeling once before, with her dad. When George’s parents invited her on their summer vacation to Hawaii, she knew it would be the first for a lot of things. From the moment they stepped off the plane, it had been nonstop fun. They were staying on the Big Island, which was just like its name—the biggest island in the Hawaiian island chain—and there was so much to do and see. On Sunday, they’d taken surfing lessons. Nancy had even managed to get up on the board and surf a tiny wave all the way to shore. Then Mrs. Fayne took them on a long hike through the jungle. It was so green and beautiful, Nancy felt like she was walking through a movie set. Tomorrow, they were going to a luau, which was a special Hawaiian feast.

  That night, Mrs. Fayne and Scotty, George’s three-year-old brother, stayed back at the hotel. Scotty was way too young to swim with manta rays, and Mrs. Fayne seemed happy to have an excuse not to go. Nancy wondered if she was as nervous as they were about getting into the water at night.

  “What are those for?” Mr. Fayne asked.

  As they got closer, they could see that each group had a guide and a surfboard covered in blue lights. The water in the cove was glowing.

  “Blue lights attract plankton,” Ku said. “The manta rays will swim up for a snack. You just have to hold on to the board. Then you watch and wait.”

  “Everyone ready?” Captain Tane asked. He parked the boat beside the others.

  George was still fiddling with her snorkel, and her dad had to adjust the strap for her. “Ruddy as ull avaa beee,” she said through the mask.

  Ku climbed down the ladder at the back of the boat and plunged into the water. He was short and muscular, and was such a good swimmer, he didn’t need a life vest. He pulled the surfboard down with him and turned on the blue lights.

  “This is going to be great, girls,” Mr. Fayne said as he jumped in behind Ku. He grabbed on to the surfboard, which had handles along the sides. They waved for Nancy and her friends to follow.

  “Eeeeeeeeeek!” Bess let out a squeal as she jumped in.

  Nancy and George climbed down the ladder and swam out to the surfboard. The water wasn’t as cold as Nancy thought it would be. All around them, people floated onto their bellies, their masks in the water as they waited for the manta rays.

  “Hold on with both hands, just like this,” Ku said as he grabbed two handles on the side of the board. He kicked his legs and lay flat.

  Nancy and Bess went on one side of the surfboard and George and her dad went on the other. They stared into the water below. Nancy could hear each of her breaths through the snorkel.

  They waited… and waited. Nancy started to get a little cold and suddenly wished she’d worn the wet suit Ku had offered her.

  All around them, other groups clustered around their surfboards. Just when Nancy was sure nothing was going to happen, she saw something swimming toward them.

  “Ahhhhhhhrrrghh!” Bess yelled through her snorkel.

  As the creature got closer, Nancy saw its huge, gaping mouth. It was like a giant sting ray. Its mouth was so big, it looked like it could swallow Nancy whole.

  Nancy raised her head from the water, suddenly nervous. George and her dad were both still floating on their stomachs and watching the manta. She put her head back down so she wouldn’t miss anything.

  The creature swam closer and closer, and Nancy’s stomach twisted into knots. It was so huge and coming right toward her. When it was a few feet away, it dipped down under them and did a backflip. Its belly was covered with dozens of black spots!

  Nancy could see into its gills as it flipped around again and again, taking in huge mouthfuls of plankton. A second manta ray swam up next to it and started doing the same thing. She understood now why people called them “the butterflies of the ocean.” They were so graceful. With all their flipping, it seemed like the manta rays were dancing together.

  The group kept watching for almost an hour. When the first manta rays swam off, new ones swam over, feeding on the plankton beneath the board. Every minute was better than the last. Ku and Captain Tane had to call Nancy and Bess several times before they picked their masks up out of the water.

  “That was incredible!” Bess said.

  “Amazing,” Nancy agreed.

  As they swam back to the boat, Nancy couldn’t stop smiling.

  Chapter 2

  HULA THE NIGHT AWAY

  “Aloha,” a woman in a colorful straw skirt said. She hung a flower garland around Nancy’s neck. “Come in. Welcome!”

  “Mahalo,” Nancy replied. Just that morning, she’d learned the Hawaiian word for “thank you.” She’d used it after she bought a coconut on the beach, and when Bess helped her take her snorkel off.

  George looked around the patio, which was lit by tiki torches. “It’s magical.…” A few of the women who worked at Sunrise Resort were now wearing hula skirts and huge, leafy green leis around their necks. Onstage, three men were playing giant drums as another man spun fire on a string. When the fireball moved through the air, it created different shapes—circles and figure eights. It was one of the coolest things Nancy had ever seen.

  “Do you believe this dinner?” Mrs. Fayne asked, handing plates to each of the girls. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a roast pig before.”

  They walked down along the long buffet table. A whole pig had been roasted on a spit and was now sitting there with an apple in its mouth. A woman with a short black bob carved steaks off a giant white fish, and there were piles and piles of brightly colored fruits. There was probably enough pineapple to last a year.

  “Whoa! What’
s that?” Nancy asked, staring at what looked like a bowl of purple mashed potatoes.

  “This is poi,” a skinny, shaggy-haired man behind the table explained. His name tag said TED. “It’s made out of taro root. Want to try some?”

  Nancy and Bess both held their plates up, and Ted scooped some onto each. The girls liked the idea of eating something new, especially a pretty purple food. When would they get the chance to do that again?

  Nancy loaded her plate with poke, a traditional Hawaiian dish made up of raw fish, soy sauce, salt, and onions. She even took a few slices of roast pig, but she had to look away when they served it. She kept thinking the pig was staring at her.

  When they found their table, it was right in the front row. Mr. Fayne and Scotty had come down to the luau a little early to find a spot. Mrs. Fayne frowned when she noticed Scotty’s plate. It just had one big pile of strawberries.

  “He refused to eat anything else!” Mr. Fayne laughed.

  George rolled her eyes. “Scotty’s going to turn into a giant strawberry.…”

  “Am not,” Scotty whined, then popped another berry into his mouth.

  “You’re definitely going to get seconds, mister,” Mrs. Fayne said, sitting down beside him. “But look at this view. Lucky us.”

  “I can feel the heat!” George said, holding up her hands. The dancer swung the fireball around and around just a few yards away.

  A bald man in a flowered shirt sat at the next table snapping dozens of pictures. He aimed his giant camera at his two teenage kids, then at his redheaded wife, then at the man spinning fire. It seemed like he was trying to capture every single second of the show.

  “Dad, stop it,” the teenage girl said, holding up her hand to block the camera. She had long brown hair and freckles, and wore purple high-top sneakers. Her brother was a foot taller than her. His black fauxhawk was gelled into place.

  “And now, for what’s sure to be your favorite part of the evening,” the emcee announced, “the hula show! Can we have a few volunteers come up here to help us out?”

  Bess’s hand shot up. She was more excited than she’d been all day.

  “Yes, the young lady in the front!” The emcee was wearing a teal suit and tie. He pointed to Bess. “Would your friends like to join you?”

  Nancy and George shook their heads. The luau was packed—there must’ve been two hundred people there. Nancy was getting stage fright just thinking about standing up in front of everyone.

  “Come on. Please?” Bess begged. She grabbed Nancy’s arm. “I can’t go up there alone.”

  Nancy could feel the entire crowd looking at them. They’d spent the afternoon snorkeling at the beach, but that hadn’t really been Bess’s thing. Her mask kept getting fogged up and she’d been worried that a giant sea turtle they’d seen was going to bite her. Maybe doing the hula with Bess wouldn’t be so bad.…

  George shook her head again. “No way, no how! I’m not doing the hula in front of everyone.” She laughed, and her brown eyes went wide.

  “Okay, I’ll go with you,” Nancy agreed. Bess nearly shrieked with delight as the girls made their way onto the stage. Bess was wearing her new dress, which had tiny palm trees all over it, and she fixed the skirt so it fell perfectly in place.

  The emcee also pulled up the bald guy from the table next to them and an elderly couple from way in the back. He asked a set of triplets two tables over to come up, but they were too shy. The littlest one clung to his seat when the emcee came near him.

  When Nancy looked out into the crowd, her hands started sweating. Everyone was watching them. She tried to focus on the two hula dancers who were showing them the moves, but she was only half paying attention. She’d never been onstage in front of so many people.

  “Are you ready?” the emcee asked.

  Nancy wasn’t so sure, but then the music started, and everyone swayed their hips back and forth. The two dancers stood a little bit in front of them. One was wearing a blue straw skirt, while the other’s skirt was purple, but they both had on colorful flowered tops. They moved their arms gracefully as they took a few steps sideways across the stage.

  Nancy and Bess followed their lead. Every time the dancers stretched their arms out to the side, Nancy and Bess stretched their arms out to the side. Every time the dancers spun around, Nancy and Bess spun around. Bess was a natural, smiling and laughing as she did each new move, and soon Nancy was having fun too. By the time the dance was over, she’d forgotten she was even onstage.

  “You girls were terrific!” Mr. Fayne said, brushing his floppy brown hair away from his face as they returned to their seats.

  “Wasn’t that so fun?” Bess asked, while the crowd clapped. The girls watched the rest of the show from their table. Soon, four more dancers went onstage, and they all spun around in a graceful, choreographed hula dance.

  After the show finished, the girls picked out some desserts from the buffet. Nancy chose kulolo, which was a solid pudding that tasted like coconut. Bess and George both tried the haupia cake, which looked kind of like a birthday cake. Mr. Fayne was the only one who had the malasada, special Hawaiian doughnuts.

  “You missed the shaved ice!” Mrs. Fayne called out as she and Scotty caught up with them. Scotty looked mad. His second plate was piled with real food—vegetables, pork, and rice. Mrs. Fayne held up a giant cup covered in fruit and berries. George dug her fork into the bowl and stole a bite.

  “Now I didn’t miss it,” she said, and smiled.

  Mrs. Fayne snuck her own spoonful of George’s haupia cake. “Yum! This is great inspiration for my catering business. I haven’t tried such inventive flavors in a long time.”

  “The frosting on the cake is the best,” Bess said. “It tastes like…”

  She trailed off as she noticed the bald man yelling about his camera a few yards away. As they got closer, Bess, George, and Nancy could see that his wife and kids all seemed upset too.

  “I don’t understand,” his wife said. “It was here on the chair just a minute ago when you went up to do the hula! I just saw it. Z, double check that it didn’t fall under the tables. Maybe someone kicked it aside?”

  The teen peered under their table, then under the table where Nancy was sitting. “It’s not here, either,” he said.

  “You’re sure you didn’t move it, Carol?” the man asked his wife. She shook her head. Then he looked to his daughter. “Can you ask the people at the next table, Lizzy?”

  Lizzy glanced around the patio. “Everyone’s leaving.…”

  It was true. Now that the show was over, most people were headed to their rooms.

  That only seemed to upset the man more. He paced back and forth, checking under the front of the stage, behind some plants, and beneath Mrs. Fayne’s chair. He kept rubbing his temples, like he had a horrible headache.

  “My camera!” he finally said. “Someone stole it.… It’s gone!”

  Chapter 3

  CAMERA CHAOS

  “Are you sure you didn’t misplace it?” Mr. Fayne asked, stepping forward to try to calm the man down. “Could it be in your bag?”

  The family with the triplets hurried past, staring at the small crowd that had formed around the table.

  “It’s not. We checked. Harry is very careful with his camera,” Carol said. “He’s never lost it, not once! Oh, this is terrible. And the pictures from Mom and Dad’s party…”

  Harry put his face in his hands. “I forgot about that! I didn’t even get to download them. Now, they’re gone forever.”

  Lizzy turned to them and tried to explain. “My grandparents had a fiftieth anniversary party last week. Dad took all the pictures. He’s kind of like our family photographer.”

  “I didn’t save them yet.” Harry shook his head. “I was going to do it when we got back home.”

  “Maybe it’ll turn up, Dad,” Z tried. “Maybe someone just thought it was theirs.”

  “Then where are they? Why haven’t they come back?” Harry glanced around
. Most of the diners had now disappeared. A few lingered by the sofas at the edge of the patio, and a group of little kids were talking to the hula dancers, asking them dozens of questions. Just then, a short, curly-haired woman in a purple Sunrise Resort shirt strolled past, waving to a few of the performers as she went. Nancy had seen her behind the front desk and talking to guests by the pool.

  “Miss! Are you the manager?” Carol called out.

  The woman paused, turning toward the group. She had a round, heart-shaped face and pretty brown eyes. “I am. What can I help you with?”

  Harry gestured to the empty patio. The servers had started pulling apart the buffet and were wheeling off carts of leftover food. “I need you to find all the people who were at the luau tonight. Someone in the crowd stole my camera. Can you call everyone back? Or search their rooms?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t,” the manager said. Nancy noticed her name tag said LULU. “But if you give me your room number, I’ll be sure to let you know if anyone brings it to the front desk. Sometimes items turn up in the lost-and-found.”

  “But what if it doesn’t?” Carol asked.

  Lulu took out a pad of paper and pen from her back pocket. “We just have to hope for the best. May I have your room number?”

  “Two-oh-eight,” Harry said. “Can you ask around and see if people saw the camera?”

  “I can’t question our guests, sir,” Lulu said. “Everyone is here to relax and have fun. I’ll let my team know to keep an eye out for it, though. Sound good?”

  Harry still looked like he might burst into tears, but he managed a small nod.

  Lulu walked back toward the front lobby.

  “We saved for a whole year to take the kids on this vacation,” Harry said, turning to Mr. and Mrs. Fayne. Scotty was so tired, he’d sat down at their feet and was playing with a lei he’d found. “We squirreled away every penny. That camera was pricey, I’m not going to lie. Now I’m going to have to save for the whole next year to replace it.”