“Trying to escape the party animals?” Nancy teased, trying to ease the tension that had cropped up between Zoe and her over Theo.
Zoe nodded. “Just for a moment. It’s such a beautiful night.”
As a light breeze ruffled her hair, Nancy had to agree. The sweet scent of jasmine filled the air, and the moon cast a milky glow over the mulberry trees along the patio.
“Looks like there’s a full moon tonight,” Mick observed, staring up at the bright disk that lit up the island.
“A good night for sleuthing.” Nancy hesitated, looking at Zoe, before adding, “I’ll bet I’d be able to find my way around Theo’s boat without a flashlight.”
Mick’s flashing eyes told Nancy that he seconded the idea. Zoe was a little hesitant, but in the end she agreed. “As long as you let me come along,” she insisted. “If we run into trouble, I might be able to talk our way out of it.”
Nancy followed Zoe out through a back door that led to a narrow lane. “The marina is just a few blocks away, and we won’t be gone long,” Zoe said. “I don’t think the others will miss us.”
Although cafés along the waterfront were alive with customers, the harborside marina was quiet. Nancy soon spotted the Sea Star bobbing gently in its slip. The boat looked dark and deserted.
“It’ll go faster if we split up,” Nancy suggested as they approached the boat.
Mick nodded. “I’ll check out the cabin below. You two can cover the main deck.”
As Mick disappeared into the tiny cabin, Nancy and Zoe searched the aft deck. Zoe found that the bench seats below the orange cushions opened up. Inside were life jackets, extra rope, and two flare guns for use in an emergency.
Then they moved to the deck in front of the cabin, where they checked the cabinet below the steering column and found a flashlight and a tackle box.
“Hey,” Mick called softly from the doorway of the cabin. “Check this out.” He held up a weathered book with entries scrawled on the pages.
Zoe took the book and leafed through it. “It’s the ship’s log,” she explained.
“Does it say anything about Theo’s trips to Dragonisi?” Nancy asked.
Zoe nodded. “He’s been traveling to Dragonisi a lot—nearly every day. But it doesn’t say what he’s doing there.”
Bringing supplies to criminals? thought Nancy. The people from the cave would need food, fresh water, and news from the outside. Was Theo their tie to the rest of the world?
After Zoe explained the log entries, Mick went belowdeck to replace the book. He had just reappeared on the deck, when Nancy heard footsteps on the dock.
“Get down!” she whispered urgently.
Mick hunched on the right side of the cabin while Nancy and Zoe squeezed behind the steering column. Peering around, Nancy saw Theo walking along the dock toward his boat. A ring of keys jingled in one hand.
“It’s Theo!” Nancy reported.
Zoe sank back against the boat’s control panel. “The one person I don’t want to try to explain this to. Nancy, don’t let him find me here, please!”
But it was too late. Theo was already at the edge of the dock. He whistled as he leapt onto the deck beside the cabin—just around the corner from Mick’s hiding place!
Chapter Ten
Nancy bit her lip as Theo landed on the deck on the far side of the cabin, his weight making the boat rock slightly. There had to be a way to stall him—even distract him. Pressed against the steering column, she remembered the flashlight stowed below it, and an idea came to mind.
“Get ready to jump onto the next boat,” she whispered to Zoe, pointing to the rickety fishing boat that was moored next to the Sea Star.
While Theo collected cushions from the aft deck, Nancy reached into the cabinet and grabbed the flashlight. Staying low, she moved silently along the deck to the front of the cabin. Then she switched the flashlight on and rolled it along the deck on the left side of the cabin, opposite Mick.
Although she couldn’t see Theo, she heard his whistling stop. Peeking around the cabin, she saw him moving toward the rolling flashlight, which made a clumping noise as the beam of light skittered across the boat.
Her plan had worked!
Quickly Nancy scrambled to the opposite side of the cabin and followed Mick, who was already leaping onto the next boat. They clambered for cover under a tarp and huddled beside Zoe, the three of them breathless as they listened to Theo mutter aloud in confusion.
Zoe covered her mouth to suppress a giggle. “Poor Theo,” she whispered. “He’s wondering if his boat is haunted!”
After Theo went inside his boat’s cabin, Nancy, Mick, and Zoe quickly exited the neighboring boat and headed back toward the disco. As they walked, Mick reported that he had found nothing unusual belowdeck. “There was just fishing gear, a black wet suit, and lots of snorkeling equipment.”
Zoe had mentioned that Theo had never been interested in snorkeling before, Nancy remembered. So why did he suddenly have all this equipment? Seeing the closed, defensive expression on Zoe’s face, however, Nancy decided not to bring that up now.
“Nothing on the boat really explains what Theo is doing on Dragonisi every day,” Mick said.
“I wonder if any of the other fishermen know what he’s been up to?” Nancy said thoughtfully.
Zoe hesitated, as if making a decision. “I can ask them—in a subtle way—tomorrow morning when I go into Chora to buy seafood for the inn,” she volunteered. “I hate to spy on Theo, but if he’s involved with those dangerous people, I want to know about it.”
When they reached the disco, Zoe waved toward the hillside behind the building. Nancy saw the silhouette of a windmill at the top of the incline. “It’s such a beautiful night,” Zoe told Mick and Nancy. “You two should climb Kato Myli Hill and get a closer look at the windmills.”
“I did want to get a chance to see them,” Nancy admitted.
“Then go,” Zoe insisted. “It’s a very romantic walk.” She showed them the lane that led to the short stairway at the base of the hill. “I’ll tell the others. See you back at the hotel,” she said, then pushed past the crowd on the steps of the disco.
Following Zoe’s directions, Nancy and Mick walked past a sprawling white church built in the Cycladic style of the islands. “It looks like a giant cream puff,” Mick observed.
Nancy laughed and looped her arm through his. She always felt so . . . relaxed with Mick. It felt very natural to work out a mystery with him.
A short climb up the stairway brought them to the top of the hill. They paused at the foot of the first white windmill and stared up at the canvas and wood sails, which turned lazily in the breeze.
“Just think,” Nancy said dreamily. “These windmills have greeted thousands of people . . . rock stars, famous actors, ambassadors . . .”
“And top-notch detectives,” Mick added, cradling Nancy’s face with his hands. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips, and Nancy felt a tingle pass from head to toe.
“Right now I don’t feel like an ace detective,” she admitted. Sitting on the pedestal of one of the windmills, she added, “We really need a break in this case—like tracking down that couple from the cave. I wonder what they plan to do with those explosives?”
“That detective’s mind is ticking away again,” Mick said, slipping an arm around Nancy’s shoulders. “You’re remarkable, Nancy. I have to admit, I’m falling in love with you.”
His words took her breath away. Searching her heart, Nancy knew that she felt the same way about Mick. But how could they have fallen in love in such a short time? “Oh, Mick, we’ve only known each other for—”
“I know, just two months,” he interrupted. “And I know I’ve been hinting around about a trip to Australia. But the truth is, I’m not talking about a chartered tour. I’d like to take you back to Australia as my bride.”