Scuba HiJinks is a wonderful, exciting tale of fun, adventure and intrigue for young readers. When my mother interviewed me about my diving experiences as a young girl, I was thrilled to find out she was writing a teenage novel. She has captured the thrill, as well as a good basic knowledge of the fundamentals of scuba diving. I love this Holly Brannigan series.

Love you mom,

Holly Loewen

Scuba Hijinks: A Holly Brannigan Mystery

Copyright © 2015 by Kathleen W. Forbes

All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

EPUB Version

ISBN: 978-1-4866-0808-9

Word Alive Press

131 Cordite Road, Winnipeg, MB R3W 1S1

www.wordalivepress.ca

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Forbes, Kathleen W., 1930-. Author

Scuba hijinks / Kathleen W. Forbes.

(A Holly Brannigan mystery)

Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-1-4866-0805-8 (pbk.).--ISBN 978-1-4866-0806-5 (pdf).--

ISBN 978-1-4866-0807-2 (html).--ISBN 978-1-4866-0808-9 (epub)

I. Title II. Series: Forbes, Kathleen W., 1930- Holly

Brannigan mystery.

PS8611.O7215H66 2015 jC813’.6 C2015-901536-7

C2015-901537-5

Chapter 1: The Storm

Chapter 2: Underwater Adventure

Chapter 3: A Whole New World

Chapter 4: Tempest at the Club

Chapter 5: Trouble in Paradise

Chapter 6: The Island

Chapter 7: Geared Up and Ready to Go

Chapter 8: The Ransom Money

Chapter 9: Camping Out

Chapter 10: The Cave

Chapter 11: Auditions

Chapter 12: The Rehearsal

Chapter 13: Follow the Leader

Chapter 14: Shipwreck

Chapter 15: Second Ransom Demand

Chapter 16: Slip Up

Chapter 17: Return to the Island

Chapter 18: Rewards

Chapter 19: Court is in Session

Chapter 20: The Musical

Other Books by Kathleen

1: THE STORM

Help, somebody, help! Please, help us!

The frantic cries of anguished distress rang out clear across the angry sea. Obviously, someone was in trouble, and the three teenagers were struggling to keep their own little craft from floundering. The thick fog distorted the sound, making it impossible to tell from which direction the cries were coming. It was also impossible to see more than ten feet in any direction.

We hear you, Holly shouted, but we can’t see you. Keep on shouting, and we’ll try to follow your voice.

The kids were aware that fog muffled sound on the water, so they guessed that the voices had to be coming from close by. Paul was steering the boat, but he turned the wheel over to Bonnie when he realized he would probably have to go into the water to help. All three strained to see, looking in every direction as they tried to locate the folks in trouble.

The little sailing craft was being tossed around like a cork. Paul and Holly had dismantled the sails when the wind suddenly whipped up to the level of a terrifying storm. Paul had started up the little twenty-five horse motor and headed for the docks. They were making very little headway, as the motor didn’t have the power that was needed to fight the turbulent waves.

Over there! Holly shouted. I think I see them. Over to my right! There are two people. I think it’s a man and a woman. The woman looks like she’s in trouble!

The man was obviously exhausted. He was struggling to hold the woman’s head above water. She was wearing a life jacket, but the man was not. It looked like she’d passed out from exposure to the icy, cold water.

Paul was already stripping off some clothes. He was a summer lifeguard and was used to rescuing drowning victims, but not in this kind of weather, or in such frigid water. Fortunately, a slight lull in the storm enabled Paul to reach them, and he tied the rope around the lady’s waist. She had panicked and swallowed a lot of salt water.

Th-thank God you h-heard me, the man stammered. I d-don’t think I could have h-held on much longer. We prayed that God would send help, and then you c-came. I am so grateful!

Hang on to the rope, Paul shouted, and the girls will pull you in. Kick as hard as you can and I’ll guide the lady. Okay…now! he yelled. Pull on the rope, girls, but watch you don’t tip the boat, he warned them.

Holly had cut the motor, and the girls slowly and carefully pulled and strained as Paul guided the two victims to the side of the boat. The girls used their combined weight to balance and prevent tipping, and Paul struggled along with the man to lift the woman into the vessel. After what seemed like an eternity, they managed to get her on board.

At that point, the man just seemed to give up. For a moment or two, he disappeared under a huge wave. Paul was about to dive after him when he reappeared. He was exhausted and also suffering from hypothermia.

Paul tied a rope around the man as he was clinging to the side of the boat.

Give me a minute, the man said. I just need to catch my breath.

Don’t worry, Sir, Paul replied, I’ll help you. I do this for a living all summer.

Within a few minutes, Paul managed to help the man on board, where he lay gasping beside the lady. She hadn’t moved, and she still hadn’t regained consciousness.

She doesn’t look very good, Holly said. We need to get her to the hospital as soon as possible. They’re both suffering from hypothermia.

Paul decided to try artificial respiration.

Move over here, Sir, he instructed the man. I’m going to try to bring the lady around.

The man was only too grateful to comply, as he was completely wiped out, and Paul began the life-saving methods he had learned to become a certified lifeguard.

He laid her out flat on the bottom of the boat and began the pumping and breathing exercise as Holly counted along with him. The older man, they discovered, was her husband, and he sat cross-legged beside her with his hands over his anguished face.

Come on, darling, he pleaded. Please breathe. I can’t lose you now. You were so brave in the water. Don’t give up now! Start breathing, honey. Please start breathing. Please don’t die!

For several agonizing minutes, Paul worked methodically over the woman, while her husband kept repeating her name.

Norah, you know I can’t live without you, so start breathing, please. Don’t leave me now!

Suddenly, water poured out of her mouth, and she began to breathe. She coughed and gasped and began to flail her arms wildly. Her husband was crying with relief. When she tried to sit up, he reached out to assist her and lovingly put his arms around her.

Aw, Norah, my love, I thought I’d lost you, he said. You know I wouldn’t be able to cope without you. Don’t scare me like that again.

I think she’ll be all right now, Sir, said Paul, but you both need to be checked over by a doctor, so we’d better get to shore as quickly as possible. The Squamish Hospital is only a few miles up the road. We’ll try to put in at Porteau Bay. What happened to your boat, Sir? Did the waves swamp it? I didn’t see any sign of it in the water. Did it sink?

Yes, it’s gone, the man told him. We were in a seventeen foot ski boat. My brother-in-law, Roger, went over as it tipped, and we never saw him again.

Roger? Paul and the girls exclaimed in unison, and the woman started wailing.

Oh, my poor, Roger, she cried. He’s gone … just disappeared under the water! She rocked back and forth in her grief.

Are you saying there was another man in the boat? Paul questioned.

That’s right, was the reply. He didn’t have a life jacket on, and he’s a poor swimmer. He didn’t put a jacket on, possibly because I didn’t. I’m a strong swimmer, and I was sure I wouldn’t need one. But I thought I’d had it out there. If you hadn’t come along when you did… He left the sentence hanging in mid-air, but the implications left little to the imagination

It doesn’t matter if you’re a good swimmer or not, you shouldn’t go out on the Sound without a jacket, Paul said. You never know what kind of weather you’ll have, and the fog is legendary. We didn’t expect this kind of weather this morning, and we’re used to the weird changes in the winds.

I’ll remember that in the future, the man said.

Roger’s gone, his wife wailed. She was moaning and crying now in that heart-rending keening that is identified only with bereavement. Dear God in Heaven, please take care of my brother, Roger.

Her husband held her close and tried to soothe her. He didn’t have a chance, he told them. Roger is my wife’s brother. My name is Harvey Fields, and my wife’s name is Norah. We can’t bring Roger back, he said, but I’ll be forever in debt to the three of you for saving our lives. We wouldn’t have lasted another five minutes out there. Thank you from the both of us.

Let’s not worry about that now, said Paul. We’re not out of the woods yet, he warned. We still have to make it to the dock in Porteau Bay. We’ll report the accident and alert the Coast Guard that your brother is missing. Paul picked up an extra life jacket and handed it to Mr. Fields.

Here, put this on, Sir. It’s going to be rough, but I’m going to try to put in at Porteau Bay. Just stay low in the boat, he directed them. Bonnie, you stay with Mrs. Fields and try to keep her warm. I’ll take over the steering. Mr. Fields and Holly can take over bailing the water out of the bottom of the boat. The waves have been washing over the side, and we’re getting swamped, but we must try to keep ahead of it.

Paul switched places with Bonnie, and Mr. Fields and Holly began to bail using ice cream pails. They had their jobs cut out for them, for as fast as they bailed the water out, it came right back at them. The waves were crashing over the side, and they weren’t making much headway, but at least they were holding their own.

Paul was running the motor full out, yet they seemed to be standing still. It was as if they were trapped in a whirlpool with no way out. After what seemed like hours, Paul managed to maneuver the boat so that they were riding, at least for a little while, on the crest of a wave. Bonnie moved over beside Mrs. Fields. She tried to comfort her as best she could. Her wailing had subsided, and she was now emitting deep, choking sobs. The fog was still pretty thick, and Paul was worried that the breakers would throw them against the rocks. If that happened, they might all drown.

My name is Paul Castles, he told Mr. and Mrs. Fields, and my two friends are Holly Brannigan and Bonnie Tilson. The boat belongs to Holly’s father. I don’t know what he’s going to think of us taking it out in this weather.

The weather was beautiful when we set out, Holly reminded him. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, so my dad won’t blame us.

Yeah, Mr. Brannigan is a great guy, but we should have checked with the weather station before we started out. I hope we can find a phone at Porteau Bay. We might find a tent or trailer in the campground. There aren’t that many cabins or houses there.

Mrs. Fields was much calmer now, and Bonnie kept her arm around her to give her some heat. They were soaked and freezing.

I see land, Holly exclaimed. Thank Heaven the compass is working. I think I see the dock. Over to the left, Paul, she directed.

The little sailing craft, so insignificant on this angry expanse of ocean, bravely fought against insurmountable odds to reach the dock. The rocks around Porteau Bay were treacherous and could rip the little vessel to shreds if he lost control, so Paul used every trick he knew to avert such a tragedy.

Paul was one of the very few people David Brannigan trusted to take his boat and sail it around the coastline, especially with his young daughter on board.

Yes! I see it! He maneuvered the little craft with some difficulty into one of the slips. Whew! For a while there, I wasn’t sure we’d make it. Now I hope I can dock the boat without ramming it against the pier pilings.

The three teenagers had been pals for years and were almost inseparable. Mr. Brannigan never worried when they were together, though his wife, Susan, held another opinion. She believed that trouble was never far away from the adventurous three-some. At this time, her opinion might hold some credence.

Holly’s father would have heard about the storm by now, and she knew he would be anxious until he heard from them. The beach was deserted, and as they pulled alongside the slip, Harvey Fields grabbed one of the steel rings to help Paul tie up. The small craft bobbed and swayed, but with help from Paul and Mr. Fields, the girls and Mrs. Fields managed to step back onto terra-firma.

The old couple were shaking and suffering from their exposure to the icy water, so the girls covered Mrs. Fields with some of their clothing. Paul was also shaking. He hadn’t been exposed to the cold water for more than twenty minutes, but he was frozen solid.

Paul found a couple of slickers in the boat locker and told the Fields to put them on. They would help to keep the wind out. The campground was deserted … not a soul in sight. No tents or trailers to be seen. Paul and the hapless couple huddled together to find warmth, and the girls took off running along the beach to find help. They were very familiar with this area, as they’d sailed into the bay on many occasions.

They remembered some small cottages at a little private inlet on the other side of the boat launch, approximately three hundred yards along the beach. They cut through a rock pile on the other side of which was a field of tall grass and weeds. It would be tough going through the weeds, but it was a shortcut.

The rocks and washed up beach wood had been hindering their progress, so instead of following the beach, they crossed the field and came upon a lane that led from the highway to the cabins. They ran down the lane, praying that someone would be home in one of the cottages, and, hopefully, there would be a telephone.

The whole area seemed deserted. There wasn’t anyone home at the first cottage, but a little farther on there was a lovely, huge summer home. It stood on a promontory overlooking the sea.

Suddenly, there was a great crashing noise, and a huge dog bounded around the side of the house. He was barking up a storm as he ran toward the girls. They were relieved and frightened by the growling and barking. He certainly didn’t look very friendly. Holly decided to try a friendly greeting.

Hi there, boy! But it didn’t work; the dog continued to bark. Maybe we should leave, Bonnie suggested. He looks like he’s going to have us for lunch.

You’re probably right. Someone should have heard him barking by now and investigated to see what he was barking at.

Let’s not irritate him more than he already is, said Bonnie.

Quiet there, Socrates! The voice boomed from somewhere around the back of the house, and suddenly, a tall, red haired, red bearded man stepped out from behind a shed. He hurried forward to catch the dog by the collar. What’s wrong with you, Socrates? Don’t you know any better than to bark at pretty girls? I do hope he didn’t frighten you, he said. His bark, as they say, is worse than his bite. Not that he would bite you, he assured them. He thinks it’s his job to bark and behave like the bogey man. He’s really like a big teddy bear, but his manners need some polishing. Here I am rambling on. Are you lost? he inquired.

Well, not really, Holly assured him, but we need your help."

What’s wrong? Did you have an accident? he asked. I’ve always said that Highway 99 was dangerous.

Yes, there’s been an accident, Holly explained, "but not on the road. It’s a boating accident.

Could we please use your phone?

Why, yes, of course. Come with me. He preceded the girls into the house and pointed to the kitchen. The telephone is in there. Please be my guest. Is there anything I can do to help?

Yes, said Holly. We would appreciate it if we could borrow some blankets. Our friend, Paul, and Mr. and Mrs. Fields are freezing on the beach. They were in the water a long time and are suffering from exposure. I need to phone the police and an ambulance, and also my father. I’ll be glad to pay for the calls.

Of course, he said. Go make your calls, and there’ll be no charge. I’ll get the blankets.

He joined Bonnie in the living room while Holly made her calls. Bonnie explained the situation while he dug out half a dozen warm blankets. Holly’s calls were short and to the point. She called the police first and reported the accident, giving them the location and reporting that a man was missing and believed drowned. The police told her they would take care of calling the ambulance. Then she called her father. He answered immediately.

Daddy, we’re all right, Holly assured him. We put in at Porteau Bay, but we picked up two elderly people involved in a boating accident. I called the police and reported the accident, and an ambulance is on the way. We docked the boat at Porteau in slip seven. I must run. Can you pick us up at the Squamish Hospital?

I’ll be there as quickly as I can, her father told her. "Thank God you’re safe, Pumpkin! Your mother has been on her knees praying ever since