Seaside Mystery (6 page)

A familiar, warm tingling flowed down her spine. She felt deep, soothing heat spreading all over her body until her shivering gradually stopped. She gasped as the pain in her ankle increased for a second and then it seemed to pour away, like water down a drain.

Flame snuggled up to her, his tiny body warm once more and his silky fur as soft as velvet. As every last spark faded, his whole body vibrated with his purring.

“Stay with Maisie, Louise, I’ll run and get help!” Joel cried.

Maisie realized that what had felt like minutes passing, while Flame performed his magic, had actually only been seconds. “No! Wait!” she called after Joel. “I’m feeling much better now. And Flame’s okay, too. Let’s just keep this between
ourselves. If my parents hear about this, I’ll be grounded until school starts!”

“You’ve got a point,” Joel agreed. “Our parents won’t be too thrilled, either. I’m the oldest, so I’ll get the blame for bringing you here.”

“But are you sure you’re all right?” Louise looked closely at Maisie and Flame. “I don’t get it. You’re hardly even wet. It’s like magic,” she said in amazement.

Maisie smiled to herself, wishing she could tell them how wonderful Flame really was. She sighed as she thought about how she could never tell anyone. “I’m fine,” she said firmly. “Come on. Let’s go!”

“I just realized what might make that awful shrieking sound,” Joel said, as they retraced their steps back to Smuggler’s Cove. “The wind blowing through a hole in the top of the cave.”

“Now he tells us!” Louise said, rolling her eyes and giving her brother a punch on the arm.

“Ow!”
Joel rubbed his arm and took a pretend swing at his sister.

Maisie bit back a grin as Joel and Louise squabbled. At least things were back to normal.

As she lifted Flame into her bike’s basket, she bent over and whispered, “Are you okay now?”

Flame licked her chin with the tip of his rough little tongue. “I am fine. Thank you for saving me, Maisie. You were very brave,” he purred.

“I wasn’t really. I just couldn’t bear to think of anything happening to you,” she whispered fondly.

She realized that it was true. She couldn’t imagine not having Flame around. Maisie felt a pang at the thought that one day he would have to go back
to his own world. She shuddered and decided that she wasn’t going to think about that.

A couple of days later, Maisie was helping her mom put books on shelves and stack china in cupboards.

Flame was curled up on the sunny living-room windowsill, dozing.

“A week’s gone by already,” Mrs. Simpson said. “It’s only a few days before we open the new gallery.”

“I know. Everything seems to be
happening at once!” Maisie said. The computer was also finally set up and working.

Maisie had discovered that Jane and Nina had sent her long e-mails and had both been worried when Maisie hadn’t replied for a few days. Now she was in touch with her friends and they were sharing news and chatting just like always.

Maisie had been e-mailing last night and received some great news. Both of them, with their families, were coming down for the grand opening on the weekend. “I can’t wait to show Jane and Nina Smuggler’s Cove and introduce them to Joel and Louise.”

Mrs. Simpson smiled, but she looked a bit worried. “It’ll be great for you to
have your old friends here. But I hope we’ll have the gallery ready in time. There seems to be so much to do.”

Maisie went over and gave her mom a hug. “Don’t worry. Flame and I will help you. Won’t we, Flame?”

Flame blinked at her with bright green eyes.

“You and your imagination, Maisie Simpson,” her mom exclaimed. “You talk as if that kitten’s capable of anything! Maybe I should give him a mop and a bucket!”

Maisie smiled inwardly, as a cute picture of Flame cleaning the floor with a tiny mop came into her mind.
If only you knew
, she thought.

Maisie and Flame were in the old store by themselves the next day, helping decorate it. Mrs. Simpson had gone into town to buy food, and Mr. Simpson was searching for a furniture shop.

“Go for it!” Maisie clapped her hands as the brush rose into the air and then dipped itself into the pot of varnish with a flourish. It wiped itself
carefully on the rim before dancing across the wooden counter, a comet’s trail of silver sparks shooting out behind it.

“Must work hard, must work hard!” the brush sang softly to itself.

“Decorating’s much more fun with you helping, Flame!” Maisie said, giggling.

Flame sat on the floor, grooming his twinkling brown tabby fur. He looked up from nibbling his front paw and grinned at Maisie. “I am glad I can be of help!”

Maisie heard the sound of footsteps. “Quick! Someone’s coming!”

A spark shot out of Flame’s paw and the brush fell silent. It zoomed back to the open varnish tin and laid
itself across the top. Every last gleaming silver spark disappeared from Flame’s fur.

Maisie rushed over and picked up the brush, just as her dad came into the store carrying a flat cardboard box under one arm.

He blinked with surprise when he saw the brush in Maisie’s hand. “Goodness me, you’ve been busy! You’re doing a grand job on that counter,” he said.

Maisie blew on her nails and polished them on her T-shirt. “Does that mean I can have an increase in my allowance?” she asked, grinning.

Her dad chuckled. “Nice try! I’ll think about it! Especially if you help me assemble this cabinet. It’s one of those make-it-yourself items.”

Maisie groaned inwardly. The words “make-it-yourself” and “dad” put together could mean trouble.

If only she could think of a way of getting her dad to go out again for a little while. Flame would have the cabinet assembled in a few sparkly seconds. But Mr. Simpson was already rolling up his sleeves, a determined look on his face.

“Okay. Where are the instructions?” he murmured, tearing open the box.

Maisie’s heart sank as she knelt on the floor and started to help her dad.

An hour and a half later, sections of the unmade cabinet and little plastic packets of screws and bolts were strewn all around.

Flame sniffed at one of the bags and batted it with one paw.

Maisie quickly rescued the screws as they skidded across the room. “No, Flame. Leave those alone, please,” she scolded gently. She looked at her dad. “Maybe you should get Mom to help you when she gets back from shopping,” she suggested.

“I think you’re right,” her dad said, exasperated. He stood up with a heavy sigh and mopped his forehead on his shirtsleeve. “I give up! Who writes these instructions, anyway? They should be sued!”

“Never mind, Dad,” Maisie said, trying hard not to laugh. “It did look really complicated. I think Flame and I will go to the beach if you don’t need us anymore.”

“Good idea. Are you going to call Joel and Louise?” he asked.

Maisie shook her head. “They had to go shopping for school uniforms with their mom. Anyway, I’ve got Flame for company. He’s the best friend anyone could have.”

Mr. Simpson smiled and reached
down to pat Flame. “Have a good time, you two. And don’t forget to keep your eyes open for any interesting bits of driftwood.”

“Definitely,” Maisie said. “Come on, Flame.”

Flame scampered after her as she went into the house and out to the front garden. Her bike was leaning against the house wall. She wheeled it out onto the street.