whine. “Don’t be long, Joe. I’m depending on you!”
“That’s mine and Mum’s room,” said Dad, once they’d reached the second-floor landing. “Sarah is sharing with Scarlet in that one,” he added, pointing down the corridor. “And you and Toby are in here.”
The room was huge, with two big beds. Toby had already decided which one was his, and was bouncing up and down on it.
“It’s amazing!” he panted. “We’ve got our own bathroom! And our own fridge with fizzy drinks and chocolate in it!”
“Hey!” said Dad. “You haven’t been raiding the mini-bar, have you? We have to pay for that stuff, Toby. And stop bouncing!”
Joe kicked off his trainers and stretched out on his bed. It was bigger than his one at home. And more springy, too!
“Awesome,” Joe said. For a moment, he forgot all about Frankie’s troubles. “Can we go and explore?”
Just then Sarah put her head round the door. “Mum wants to know where her bag with the hair things is. Me and Scarlet need to practise our bridesmaids’ hairstyles!”
“It’s in the wardrobe in your room, Sarah,” said Dad. Then he turned to the boys. “Come on, let’s go and check out the beach.”
CHAPTER THREE
“Where are you going?” Frankie was waiting for Joe at the bottom of the stairs. He had a sulky look on his face.
Joe glanced around to make sure no one was listening. The lobby was empty and Toby was already in the revolving doors with Dad close behind.
“I’m going out!” whispered Joe. “To the beach.”
“What about the robbery?”
“I won’t be long… Anyway, you said it’s nothappening until tomorrow.”
“What if they come early?” whined Frankie. “They could strike any time!”
But Joe was already going through the revolving doors. And he was pretty sure Frankie wouldn’t follow him in there…
“Wow!” Joe murmured, as he walked along the seafront with Toby and his dad.
Skipton Sands had a big sandy beach and a long pier with games and rides on it. There were shops selling sweets and souvenirs and a tall sea wall, where a group of boys were catching crabs.
“Can we do that? Please, Dad!” begged Toby.
“Yeah, can we?” Joe said. “They sell crabbing stuff there,” he added, pointing to a nearby kiosk.
“Go on, then!” Dad pulled out some coins and handed them to Joe.
A few minutes later he and Toby were backwith a large bucket, a net, some fishing line and a squidgy packet of crab bait.
“Urghh!” said Toby when Joe unwrapped it. “Gross!”
“Crabs like it!” Joe squished the bait into the little net bag and then he attached it to the line like he’d seen the other boys do.
He crouched down and dropped the line over the side into the sea.
“Have you got one yet?” asked Toby excitedly, peering over Joe’s shoulder.
Just then, Joe felt a slight tug on the line. He quickly pulled up but the crab let go of the bait and dropped back into the water.
“Try pulling it up more slowly,” Dad said.
Joe tried again, but minutes went by and there was nothing. Then Joe felt a slight tug. This time he pulled gently…
“It’s massive!” shrieked Toby.
“Hold it by its back,” said Dad, as Joe triedto take the wriggling crab off the line. “Then it can’t nip you.”
“Can we keep it?” breathed Toby.
Dad laughed. “I don’t think Mum would like a pet crab! No, Toby, they all go back in the sea.”
When Joe had caught three more crabs, it was Toby’s turn. Joe was watching the crabs crawling over each other in the bucket, when suddenly something bashed into him…
“There you are!” yapped Frankie. “Come quickly! I’ve seen the robbers on the beach.”
Joe glanced over to make sure Dad and Toby weren’t watching. “No!” Joe whispered. “I’m crabbing!”
Frankie glared at him. “Come NOW!” he demanded.
Joe scowled back and shook his head.
Frankie’s eyes bulged, his tail drooped and he gave a long growl, showing green slimy gums and sharp
“That’s mine and Mum’s room,” said Dad, once they’d reached the second-floor landing. “Sarah is sharing with Scarlet in that one,” he added, pointing down the corridor. “And you and Toby are in here.”
The room was huge, with two big beds. Toby had already decided which one was his, and was bouncing up and down on it.
“It’s amazing!” he panted. “We’ve got our own bathroom! And our own fridge with fizzy drinks and chocolate in it!”
“Hey!” said Dad. “You haven’t been raiding the mini-bar, have you? We have to pay for that stuff, Toby. And stop bouncing!”
Joe kicked off his trainers and stretched out on his bed. It was bigger than his one at home. And more springy, too!
“Awesome,” Joe said. For a moment, he forgot all about Frankie’s troubles. “Can we go and explore?”
Just then Sarah put her head round the door. “Mum wants to know where her bag with the hair things is. Me and Scarlet need to practise our bridesmaids’ hairstyles!”
“It’s in the wardrobe in your room, Sarah,” said Dad. Then he turned to the boys. “Come on, let’s go and check out the beach.”
CHAPTER THREE
“Where are you going?” Frankie was waiting for Joe at the bottom of the stairs. He had a sulky look on his face.
Joe glanced around to make sure no one was listening. The lobby was empty and Toby was already in the revolving doors with Dad close behind.
“I’m going out!” whispered Joe. “To the beach.”
“What about the robbery?”
“I won’t be long… Anyway, you said it’s nothappening until tomorrow.”
“What if they come early?” whined Frankie. “They could strike any time!”
But Joe was already going through the revolving doors. And he was pretty sure Frankie wouldn’t follow him in there…
“Wow!” Joe murmured, as he walked along the seafront with Toby and his dad.
Skipton Sands had a big sandy beach and a long pier with games and rides on it. There were shops selling sweets and souvenirs and a tall sea wall, where a group of boys were catching crabs.
“Can we do that? Please, Dad!” begged Toby.
“Yeah, can we?” Joe said. “They sell crabbing stuff there,” he added, pointing to a nearby kiosk.
“Go on, then!” Dad pulled out some coins and handed them to Joe.
A few minutes later he and Toby were backwith a large bucket, a net, some fishing line and a squidgy packet of crab bait.
“Urghh!” said Toby when Joe unwrapped it. “Gross!”
“Crabs like it!” Joe squished the bait into the little net bag and then he attached it to the line like he’d seen the other boys do.
He crouched down and dropped the line over the side into the sea.
“Have you got one yet?” asked Toby excitedly, peering over Joe’s shoulder.
Just then, Joe felt a slight tug on the line. He quickly pulled up but the crab let go of the bait and dropped back into the water.
“Try pulling it up more slowly,” Dad said.
Joe tried again, but minutes went by and there was nothing. Then Joe felt a slight tug. This time he pulled gently…
“It’s massive!” shrieked Toby.
“Hold it by its back,” said Dad, as Joe triedto take the wriggling crab off the line. “Then it can’t nip you.”
“Can we keep it?” breathed Toby.
Dad laughed. “I don’t think Mum would like a pet crab! No, Toby, they all go back in the sea.”
When Joe had caught three more crabs, it was Toby’s turn. Joe was watching the crabs crawling over each other in the bucket, when suddenly something bashed into him…
“There you are!” yapped Frankie. “Come quickly! I’ve seen the robbers on the beach.”
Joe glanced over to make sure Dad and Toby weren’t watching. “No!” Joe whispered. “I’m crabbing!”
Frankie glared at him. “Come NOW!” he demanded.
Joe scowled back and shook his head.
Frankie’s eyes bulged, his tail drooped and he gave a long growl, showing green slimy gums and sharp
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