Fast Slide (2 page)

I'd told him that I loved swimming. I loved the clean way you felt when you moved through the water. It was like flying.

That conversation meant a lot to me, even though Brad almost ruined it by spouting out some factoid about the history of swimming pools.

My approach was to avoid Brad or suffer death by boredom. Luckily, like the other kids working at Safari Splash, he lived around here. I didn't have to endure him at my own school.

“How's it going?” he repeated.

“How do you think it's going?” I snapped. “I'm cleaning up some old lady's barf. Wanna help?”

I was being sarcastic, but Brad dropped to his knees beside me.

“Okay,” he said. He picked up a spare scooper.

I felt bad. I'd been rude to him, and he was being decent.

Brad flailed the scooper at the water. The guy was as clumsy as a blind baboon.

“Hey,” I said uneasily. “You're leaning kind of far—”

SPLASH!

Bradley Costello didn't have a clue how to swim. He was afraid of the water.

Kicking off my sneakers, I got ready to dive in. My day was getting better and better.

I looked up to the top of the slide to see if Judd knew Brad was in the water. Judd was talking to Aggie. She pointed down at me and shook her head. I could tell she was upset.

I didn't have time to wonder about it.

Bradley
needed rescuing.

“Gee, thanks, Clay.” Brad was trying to squeeze water out of his jacket sleeve without taking off the jacket. The guy was clueless. “I was trying to help, not screw up.”

I didn't trust myself to reply.

We were in the control room. I was changing into a dry uniform—there were spares for an event like this. A lifesaving. Except this was a
dork
saving.

Brad interrupted my thoughts. “I sure hope Dad isn't watching. He'll rip into me for being clumsy.”

I guess Brad had his problems.

I squinted out the control-room door to the top of the Boa. I was curious about Aggie. I was troubled by how agitated she'd looked.

Judd was on his own again. He wasn't smiling and chatting up the passengers like a good Safari Splash employee, though. He was standing at the edge of the platform, staring darkly into the Douglas firs.

I interrupted Brad, who was yakking about how much his suit had cost. “Tell me about Aggie Wentworth.”

Brad stared owlishly at me.

Earth to Brad. You go to school with
these kids.
“The pale blond who works in the souvenir shop. She seems scared about something.”

Brad bobbed his head. “Sure, I know Aggie. I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to her.”

That's because you're off on Planet Bradley all the time, I thought.

“Why would Aggie be scared?” he asked.

I hesitated. Brad was spacey, but bright. He might be able to help. “Aggie made a strange comment. She asked me if I knew about the Lynx.”

Brad's eyes widened. “The
Lynx
?” He seemed at a loss for words. “You mean the waterslide?”

“Yeah, it's crazy,” I agreed. “A tame slide like that.” I shrugged. “I've been wondering if she meant something else.”

Brad flapped at his lips with a forefinger. “Maybe she's afraid of lynxes. She might have seen one. Generally, lynxes prefer deep forests, away from coastal areas. One
could
have ventured down here though.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

I didn't think Brad was right. I didn't think Aggie had meant a stray animal. Still, Brad had tried to help me. For a dork, he could be okay sometimes. And other times he was just as dorky as always.

After a trip home to change into a fresh suit, Brad returned to the Boa. “Sorry about the trouble I caused. It won't happen again, I promise.” He leaned on the large wheel at the center of the control panel.

“Hey, stay away from that!” I said.

At my sharp tone, Brad sprang off— like a frightened grasshopper, I thought. “Sorry, Brad,” I said, “but I can't risk you budging the wheel even slightly.”

“Why?” asked Brad.

“It controls the Boa's water flow. For rides, we keep the wheel where it is now. Turning the wheel more would produce too much water—riders and rafts would be submerged.”

“Why not keep the water constant?” Brad asked.

“We increase the water pressure to clean the pool,” I explained.

Brad studied a digital clock showing red zeroes. “What's this for?”

“It's a timer,” I said. “We could set the wheel to turn automatically for the end-of-day tube cleaning. But, with the long lineups we're getting, we never know for sure when the Boa will close.”

Brad's eyes popped. He let out an ear-splitting yell.

I turned. A broad-shouldered figure was pressed against the control-room window. The figure was wearing a camouflage uniform. It was another Safari Splash employee.

With one difference.

He had the head of a lynx.

Chapter Three

A chill went through me—for a nanomoment. It wasn't a lynx head, but a lynx face mask: teeth bared, incisors gleaming, eyes fiery.

It was a cheap mask and a cheap trick to scare us. “It's okay,” I told Brad.

The lynx face dropped away. I unlocked the window, pushed it wide and looked around.

I saw a flash of green and beige around a twist of the tube. Our trickster was climbing to the top of the Boa.

The figure was the right height and build to be Judd. I looked to top of the Boa. When on duty, Judd was supposed to be on his platform at all times.

He wasn't now.

Back in the control room, Brad was waiting for me. He managed a smile, sort of. “Sorry you had to be part of that, Clay. This is just another practical joke. They have been happening since the park opened. One time someone left glue on my chair. I've had my lunch stolen from the office fridge. Whoever it was left stones in my lunch bag instead.”

What Brad had just described was bullying. And bullies preyed on people who scared easily.

“Judd's your practical joker,” I said. I remembered how upset Aggie had looked when she was with Judd on the launch platform. “And Judd is Aggie's lynx. Maybe he's been bullying her too.”

It was an effort to keep my voice calm, not to upset Brad. I didn't feel calm. I felt like marching up to the top of the ride and shoving that mask down Judd's throat.

Mr. Costello relieved me for my half-hour lunch break. Usually the owner's face brightened when saw me. This time he just looked worried. “What's this I hear about you having a violent argument with Aggie Wentworth? I'm told you knocked her to the ground.”

“I wasn't violent, Mr. C.,” I said. “I pushed Aggie away because she was clinging to my arm. She wouldn't let go.”

“Well, now Aggie's walked out. She didn't even say anything. She just left.”

I stared at him. I wondered if Aggie had bolted Safari Splash because of Judd. What had he said to her?

Mr. Costello gave me a tired grin. “I take it Aggie has a crush on you, Clay. No surprise there.” He ruffled my hair. “My Janice thinks you're something too.”

Janice was his daughter, Brad's twin sister. I hadn't seen Janice for almost a year. I bet she wouldn't be too pleased with her dad for telling me this. I grinned, embarrassed.

Mr. Costello shrugged. “Well, if Aggie can't take rejection, too bad. But go easy on the temper, Clay.”

I shook my head. “It's not my temper Aggie's scared of. It's the lynx, aka—”

Judd
, I was going to say, but Mr. Costello interrupted. “Aggie's afraid of the Lynx waterslide?” he scoffed. “If anything, we should ramp it up. We've only got one scary ride, and that's what people are coming for.”

Through the Boa's mouth echoed half-panicked, half-laughing yells. Mr. Costello beamed. “Those screams are my ka-chings!”

Usually on my break I headed over to Safari Sizzle, the water park's outdoor restaurant. Under one of the plastic palm trees, I'd guzzle an iced coffee. The stronger the caffeine hit, the better, since my job was so dull.

Today I didn't need the caffeine hit. I was already buzzed. I wanted to confront Judd. “Excuse me,” I said, edging past the crowd on the Boa stairs.

Giggles from a bunch of girls. Preteen girls—the worst kind.

They pretended to swoon. “Oooooo,
hi
. Bump against us anytime.”

“Only if I'm armed with a can of Raid,” I retorted.

At the top of the stairs, the next people in line for a raft waited behind a line painted like a—you guessed it— boa constrictor. On either side of the painted line were two metal posts. I stretched the chain from one post and fastened it to a hook on the other.

Ignoring the protests that erupted, I shouted at Judd, “We need to talk. Now.”

Till now, Judd and I had gotten along well enough. Now he was scowling. “Beat it, Gibson.”

Grabbing his arm, I tried to pull Judd behind the bamboo screen into the storage area. “What's the idea?”Judd asked as he wrenched his arm free.

“I want a word,” I said. “In private.”

Judd crossed his arms. He wasn't going to budge.

People in line were gaping at us. “If you want to make this public, fine,” I snapped. I placed a palm on Judd's chest and shoved him against the wall. “Listen and learn. Only losers hide behind masks.”

“Dunno what you're talking about.”

He was lying. I could tell by the way his small, dark eyes skittered from side to side.

“What did you say to Aggie?” I demanded. “After you gave the poor kid the full force of your charm, she walked out.”

“Oh, I get it. Our resident champion blunders in to save the day,” jeered Judd. “You should stick to blowing bubbles, Gibson.”

All this time, his dark eyes kept skittering.

I twisted his shirt and shoved him harder against the wall. “What's with the lynx routine?
What did you say
to Aggie?
”

“Do we get our ride or not?” someone called.

An older guy ducked under the chain. “C'mon, boys, break this up.”

I had to let Judd go. Able to relax now, he smirked at me. In a low voice, he taunted, “Lemme tell you about lynxes. They're in control at all times. And they toy with their prey before destroying it.
Just like I'm toying with you
.”

In my opinion, Judd needed a sock to the jaw—but the Boa-goers wanted their ride. I stomped down the stairs. High-pitched giggles greeted me. “Hi, Clay,” cooed one of the girls. “Will you rescue me if I fall in the landing pool?”

“Unlikely,” I snapped, brushing past. I was bracing myself to meet Mr. Costello. He had to have noticed the delay with the raft. He must have seen me arguing with Judd, right after he'd asked me to cool my temper.

But when I reached the lower platform, Mr. Costello wasn't there. In his place was a tall girl with long reddish brown hair and green eyes. “Hi, Clay.”

It took me a moment to recognize her. “Janice?” I asked. The last time I'd seen Brad's sister, she'd been knobby-kneed and skinny, her teeth a silver sheen of braces.

“Dad was called to the souvenir shop. He asked me to stand in.”

I realized I was staring. We were in a water park full of fake palms and fake grass roofs, and the most beautiful natural green was in this girl's eyes.

WHISH!
The next raft spun out of Boa's mouth, landing with a sideways splash that tossed a blanket of water right over me. Janice, who'd stepped back, laughed.

“Smooth one, Clay.”

“C'mon,” I objected, shaking my arms free of water. “I was distracted.”

“Yeah? By what?”

“By you,” I said and grinned at her.

But Janice didn't hear. Her smile had faded. She was looking past me in concern.

Mr. Costello was running toward us. His face was gray, like he'd aged forty years.

Charging up the platform steps, the water park owner panted, “
Clay
. When Aggie left, did she tell you where she was going? Or why?”

I shook my head. Mr. Costello leaned against the landing-pool wall. He breathed raggedly, not like a trained swimmer at all.

“With Aggie gone, I had to take over the cash register in the souvenir shop.
The
register was empty
. Cleaned out.”

Chapter Four

Aggie had looked scared.

Because she'd just lifted the contents of the cash register?

I hadn't thought Aggie was dishonest. Clingy, yes. A thief, no.

Janice was having the same doubts. “You think
Aggie Wentworth
stole the money? I dunno, Dad. I've known Aggie since elementary school. I can't see it.”

“Who else could it be?” Mr. Costello asked. “Other cashiers can open the register. But this one has built-in storage under the drawer. You need a personal identification number to open it. And only Aggie and I know the pin.”

I remembered how Aggie kept glancing around the park. I still didn't think she was a thief—but maybe she knew something. Maybe she knew who the thief was.

That would explain her nervousness. She knew too much for her own good.

“Last time I saw Aggie, it seemed like she thought someone was after her,” I said.

Mr. Costello's mouth clamped in a grim line. “She'll have people after her, all right: the Police Department. I've just called them. They're sending a detective over.”

The water park owner's face crumpled. He was near tears. “How could this happen?”

Janice put an arm around her dad's shoulders. “It's just a half-day's take, Dad. It's not like she made off with the contents of the office safe.”

In response, Mr. Costello fixed haunted eyes on her. “Janny, you know I hate that safe. I can never remember the combination, and half the time the door sticks. Every night, I empty all the park's money and receipts into the till drawer.