Sandy Beach and the Mysterious Book

SANDY BEACH

AND THE

MYSTERIOUS BOOK

Sheri Ochs

*****

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, incidents, and dialogue either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Sandy Beach and the Mysterious Book

Copyright 2011 by Sheri Colberg-Ochs

Smashwords Edition

Muddy Paws Press, LLC

Virginia Beach, VA, United States of America

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

*****

Contents

Chapter 1 – The Beach by Night

Chapter 2 – The Mysterious Book

Chapter 3 – Home Sweet Home

Chapter 4 – The Missing Pooch

Chapter 5 – A Beach Sighting

Chapter 6 – Almost Another Pickle

Chapter 7 – Another Missing Pooch

Chapter 8 – A Barking Van

Chapter 9 – Proof Positive

Chapter 10 – Book Mystery Solved

Chapter 11 – Dognappers, Be Gone

Preview – Sandy Beach and the Slippery Slope (Book 2)

About the Author

More Books by Sheri Ochs

*****

Chapter 1

The Beach by Night

HOW did I manage to get myself into such a pickle, again? Sandy whispered to herself as she squeezed her eyelids shut tightly over her dark brown eyes.

She was trying to blend in with the shadows dancing on the side of the tall rock where she was crouched; although closing her eyes did not hide her more effectively, it somehow made her feel more concealed. Her hiding place could not completely cover her as she was a tall girl—already the height of her mother despite just recently starting her teenage years—and the boulder was short, but her lankiness helped some. Her naturally sun-lightened, medium brown hair reflected some of the remaining light as she tried to duck her head behind the rock.

Sandy could still hear the footsteps, thumps, and occasional curses of the two men searching for her; quite frequently they were tripping over the uneven surface of the rocky beach as they climbed around the many boulders at the beach’s edge. It was lucky for her that she knew her way around the rocky crevices next to the beach, even in the faintest moonlight, much better than they did.

I thought I saw her over there, by those rocks in front of that group of trees, Sandy heard one of the men say. She recognized his voice as belonging to the larger and burlier of the two men seeking her. He wore his dark, shoulder-length hair pulled back in a short ponytail like some men wear at the napes of their necks. Before it had gotten too dark, she had seen that he was wearing a camouflage shirt with olive green shorts and thongs on his feet—not usual beachwear, except for possibly the thongs—even for their coastal area of California.

Through her closed eyelids, she thought she saw a beam from his flashlight pass close by her face. She crouched down lower, wishing she could melt into the rock and disappear altogether.

Well, she couldn’t have gone too far. We have to find her, thanks to you, the smaller, stockier man replied angrily. Unlike the burly one, this man wore his hair short, in a buzz cut. He was also dressed differently than his companion; the smaller one’s baggy, darkly colored, long-sleeved shirt and pants seemed to be even poorer clothing choices for the beach during the summertime.

Sandy opened her eyes for a split second and made out the faint glimmer of an earring in the smaller man’s left ear as he turned his head toward her. Even though they were still more than twenty paces away from her and apparently had not spotted her, she was afraid they would hear her heart pounding if they came any closer. Besides, her brightly colored summer attire did not blend in well with the shadows on the rocks, and she feared that the two men would soon spot her hiding place.

What I wouldn’t give to be at home right now, tucked in my bed all warm and cozy with Sunny curled up next to me, she thought to herself, keeping her eyes squeezed tightly shut and imagining the scene. Sunny was Sandy’s cat. His long, yellow striped fur reminded her of sunshine on a cloudless day, and hearing him purr or feeling him rub up against her legs always cheered her up. He always came to sit on her lap whenever she was upset or crying; he even seemed to understand what she was feeling and empathize with her.

A thud in the distance brought her back to her current quandary. How long she had been hiding by the rock, Sandy was really not sure anymore. It felt like hours, but more likely it had been only a few minutes. Normally, she loved the beach—feeling the wind blow her long hair, walking by the water’s edge and feeling the sand crunching under her bare feet, hearing the waves crashing nearby—but tonight was definitely an exception.

She thought she heard the footsteps of the two men still moving a little closer to her. Suddenly, she heard a shout off in the distance, one that did not sound like it came from either of them.

Did you hear that? Let’s go over there and see if it’s the girl! she heard the smaller man yell at the other one in response to the sound. She finally began to hear their footsteps moving farther into the distance.

A feeling of hope sprung up in her chest. Maybe she would make it through this ordeal without being discovered. She wondered whom or what they had heard that had taken them in the other direction, away from her. No matter what the source, she felt very grateful for the diversion. In fact, her heart had just stopped racing quite so fast, and she had just reopened her eyes when she heard a voice nearby—coming from just on the other side of the rock that she was attempting to hide behind—and she involuntarily jumped.

We have to stop meeting like this, a boy’s voice whispered, practically right into her ear.

Her sudden fright caused her heart to feel like it would beat out of her chest, at least until a few moments later when she realized that the voice belonged to none other than her best friend. Forgetting to hide, she practically leaped over the waist-high boulder that had been shielding her to reach him.

Forrest, what are you doing here? she said in a voice muffled by the bear hug she was giving the tall, lean boy. Next to Sunny, nothing made her feel happier than seeing Forrest, especially in the throes of her current predicament.

Keep it down! They aren’t all the way gone yet, although they did fall rather nicely for my superbly planned diversionary tactic, if I do say so myself. Geez, Sandy, you do seem to need rescuing quite often these days, he whispered in a distinctly smug tone.

She gave him a playful punch in his side, although she kept hugging him gratefully at the same time. Let’s get out of here before they figure it out, he added.

Holding her hand to guide her in the semi-darkness, they both crouched and ran as best they could around the rocks down the beach in the direction opposite to where the two men had gone. A good distance away, they finally came to their favorite hiding spot in their coastal town of Rosa Beach: a partial enclosure created by three large boulders in close proximity at the edge of the beach, just past the part of the beach that was closest to their neighborhood. They ducked into it—a safe hiding spot at last—and started talking excitedly to each other in slightly lowered voices.

How did you know where to find me? Sandy blurted out her question at the same time that Forrest asked her in a concerned tone of voice, What in the world have you gotten yourself mixed up in this time, Sandy Beach?

"You first,’ Sandy demanded of Forrest. She waited expectantly, glancing over sideways at him as they both sat facing forward toward the ocean, their shoulders touching and backs leaning against the slightly uncomfortable, rocky back wall of their hideaway. His dark brown hair was a bit tousled from the constantly blowing wind coming off the ocean.

As Sandy glanced over at him, she thought, I bet no one has ever had a better friend in the whole world than Forrest.

Sandy’s thoughts flitted back to the first time that she had met her best friend, almost two years before when they were both going into sixth grade right after his family had moved in the house next door to hers.

He was the rudest boy I had ever met! When he found out that my name was not just Sandy, but Sandy Beach, he laughed in my face and asked me if my name was for real.

She had long since forgiven him for that, however. Besides, her real name was Sandra; Sandy was just the nickname that had stuck with her because of how close they lived to and how much she enjoyed the beach.

At least he could have told me then that his full name was Forrest Plant, and Forrest Plant the third, no less! He didn’t let me find that out until two weeks later, during which he constantly teased me about my name, she remembered. Boy, did I ever give him a hard time for a while after that. The novelty of both their names had, honestly, been part of the glue that fully cemented their friendship, although neither one was likely to admit that.

After gazing out at the waves for a moment, Sandy glanced back at her friend’s handsome face. His combined look of concern and admonishment brought her thoughts rapidly back to the present.

Well, he began explaining, as soon as I noticed that your light never came on in your room tonight, I knew that something was up. You said you were going to be home, and I know that something is definitely wrong if you’re not tucked in bed with Sunny and reading the latest adventures of Simone LeClerc before you go to sleep!

The window of Forrest’s bedroom faced out towards the side of Sandy’s house next door where her bedroom window was located, and they often communicated in the evening through their respective windows about homework and other stuff and kept tabs on each other that way as well. It was comforting to both of them to know that the