Read Online Ghost Messages by Jacqueline Guest - Free Book Online Page B

crate. “Ahoy!” she began in an effort to be more cabin-boyish. “Thank you for all the help yesterday. It was close. How did you get away from that goon, anyway? I didn’t see any way out but up those stairs. Oh, and, thanks for the bath. It was perfect.” She stopped, feeling embarrassed at her non-stop palaver. The warm tingle she had felt before had returned.
    His face broke into an amazing smile. “It was very entertaining.”
    Ailish had a moment of panic, thinking of her bubble escapades. “You mean the chase through the ship, right?”
    “Of course, lass. It’s not often I can be part of a dash like that.”
    “Why didn’t you find me after Dalton left?” she asked, remembering how he had disappeared.
    “Oh, the lads above decks don’t want to see the likes of me and Charlie. We’re not their sort and we don’t much like to fraternize with those riff-raff sailors either. Our place is below and we generally stay there. We like it in the belly of our ship.” He winked at her. “Besides, someone had to arrange your much needed surprise.”
    “But after all that, I’m no closer to finding the golden statue. I’m sure Dalton brought it aboard and I think I know where he’s hidden it. All I need is a genie from a lamp to tell me where his cabin is.” She sighed in her most pitiful way and leaned against the crate next to Davy, trying to look demure. She needed to find that cabin and if anyone knew where it was, it would be David Jones, bash boy.
    “I’m not a genie, exactly, but I know where Dalton’s cabin is. Never been in it of course, that’s against my principles to snoop in a man’s home, but I can tell you where to find it.”
    Ailish brightened. This was exactly what she’d hoped he’d say. “Really? Well, I don’t have any such scruples. The man’s a thief and I intend to take my property back.” She held out a pencil she’d found in her cabin and the piece of paper with OPEN ME! written on it. “You can draw the directions on the clean side of this. I sort of, well to tell the truth, I have a little trouble remembering all those turn-lefts-and go-rights you give me. It’s so confusing belowdecks.”
    Davy shook his head as though she was the class dunce and Ailish opened her mouth to protest when he pointed at a folded sheet of worn paper on the crate next to him. “I thought you might want to know where the scurvy dog holed up, so I already drew you a map.”
    She abandoned the old note and reached for the tattered paper. On it was a neat diagram showing the interior of the ship and a complicated path from Stateroom A to Dalton’s cabin on one of the lower decks. She tucked the map into her pocket. “Perfect! Thanks for this and thank you again for the magic bath. I’ve never been pampered like that.”
    “I couldn’t have you running around my ship smelling like a barnyard, now, could I?” He laughed then peered off into some dark recess. “I think I hear Charlie calling. The man’s a slave driver. See ya.” He ambled away whistling a sea shanty.
    She watched him go and the warm feeling faded. Davy was a strange boy, but she liked him.
    Rufus Dalton, however, was another matter. Yesterday had surely solidified his hatred of her and it might not be a bad thing to enlist some stronger help. Breakfast was a good place to do this.
    As she jumped off the crate, Ailish picked up the OPEN ME note and glimpsed at it. She must have splashed water on it during her fabulous bath for the ink had blurred and washed away. Thinking of those iridescent bubbles made her smile all over again. She would enjoy reliving this luxury when she and her da were once again trundling all over Ireland in their caravan – that is, if she didn’t find her horse.
    – - • – –

    When Ailish entered the crew’s mess, she spotted Paddy sitting at a table finishing his meal. He was in the middle of the room, and no way did she want to talk to him out there in the open in case the captain