The Haunted Lighthouse by Penny Warner Read Free Book Online Page A

pile she was about to step in. “Watch where you step. There’s bird poop everywhere.”
    Cody glanced around. Luke was right—it was all over the place. She’d been so involved in reading the brochure she hadn’t been watching where she was walking. Yuck. Her shoes would have been ruined if she’d stepped in that stuff.
    As they neared the lighthouse, Cody glanced at the view from atop the hill. Since the fog had lifted, she could see all the way to Berkeley. Wow, she thought,
it’s beautiful from up here
.
    “There’s the door,” Quinn said. “And it’s open,” he said, wide-eyed.
    Cody nodded toward a sign Quinn had apparently missed. “But it’s off-limits. See the sign? NO ADMITTANCE . AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY .”
    “But the door’s open,” he protested.
    “Hey, what are you kids doing?” a man’s voice sounded from behind them.
    Cody and the others spun around. She recognized Geoff, the old guard who had been assisting Ranger Huynh on the tour. He stood behind them, hands on his hips, frowning. Unlike the ranger, who’d worn the park uniform, Geoff wore a traditional prison guard’s uniform—gray, with a red tie and round cap.
    “Nothing,” Quinn said, pulling back from the lighthouse door.
    “Can’t go inside,” Geoff the guard said. “Staff only. Too dangerous, especially for kids.”
    “We were just … checking it out,” Luke offered. “The ranger said we could go exploring.”
    “Yeah, but not inside the lighthouse. Didn’t you see the sign?”
    None of the kids said anything.
    The hard frown on the man’s face softened. “You’re that kid who solved the tap code, aren’t you?” he asked Quinn.
    Quinn nodded proudly.
    “I heard you kids talking. You’re on some kind of treasure hunt or something, aren’t you?”
    “Not really a treasure hunt,” Quinn said. “We’re …” He glanced at the others. “We’re just curious about the lighthouse.” He indicated Cody. “She collects lighthouse pictures.”
    “Remembered the story of Diamond Dave?”
    The Code Busters grinned and nodded.
    This guy knows what we’re up to
, Cody thought.
    “Yeah, that story always fascinated me, too. So you really want to see inside, huh?” the guard asked, readjusting his cap.
    Quinn’s eyebrows rose. “Sure!”
    “All right. If you just want a quick look. You gotta be careful, though. No fooling around. And just go up and come straight down. Got me?”
    “Awesome! We’ll be careful,” Luke said, obviously excited.
    Cody wasn’t so sure. There was probably a reason the public wasn’t allowed in the lighthouse.It really could be dangerous. What if there was another earthquake? The whole place could come crumbling down.
    Quinn seemed to notice Cody’s reluctance and nudged her. “You okay?” he whispered. “This is going to be cool.”
    Cody nodded, not wanting to appear scared. M.E. was usually the reluctant one, but this time she felt anxious.
    “Go on in,” the guard said. “But like I told you, be careful. And hurry. You got five minutes. And if you find the diamonds, we split fifty-fifty.” He grinned at them.
    Quinn led the way in through the door, while Cody brought up the rear. As soon as she entered the small, octagonal room, she was glad she’d come. Right in the middle was a black iron spiral staircase that twisted its way up to the top. Graffiti was scratched and penned on the inside walls of the room, and Cody read several slogans froma group called the American Indian Movement, which had taken over the island years before: CUSTER HAD IT COMING and TAKE BACK AMERICA .
    “Wow,” M.E. said, glancing around. Cody held tightly to the curved railing of the creaky metal staircase as they began their ascent.
    “Look for some kind of message,” Quinn said. Cody had nearly forgotten why they were here—to find a message. Well, if there was a message waiting for them inside this lighthouse, then someone who had a key must have put it there. Matt the Brat