He wished his mind had worked faster. Then he could have taken Scotty's Megabuck unit and given it to Joe. But there was no time now, and this other arrangement probably would do as well.
"I'll pass the word to the gang on the mainland right away," Joe agreed.
Joe went back into the lab while Rick ran to Pirate's Beach. Scotty was waiting, the plane's engine turning over. Together, they launched the Sky Wagon, then climbed in, Scotty in the pilot's seat.
As Scotty took off, Rick tried Barby again on the radio. "Barby, this is Rick. Can you read me?"
"Better fly as though we were heading for Whiteside," Rick suggested. He rubbed his palms on his handkerchief. They were damp with nervous perspiration. He was not as calm as he looked.
Scotty swung around on course and Rick scanned the water as they passed over the north side of Spindrift. There was no sign of the rowboat yet.
The plane traveled in a straight line right across North Cove. The houseboat was at anchor a few hundred yards offshore, and the pram was tied up to the rear rail. There was no sign of life.
The boys reached the Whiteside pier without seeing the girls or the boat. Scotty put the plane into a tight circle and looked at Rick helplessly. "Now what?"
"They can't have gone far," Rick mused. "Not in the rowboat."
"They had the aqualungs," Scotty pointed out. "They must have expected to use them."
"Right. But how? If they planned to get aboard the houseboat, they wouldn't be using the aqualungs. Or would they?"
"Wouldn't they just row up to the houseboat on some excuse or other? I wish I'd looked. Barby might have taken those clothes Dad wore home last night."
"We can't just float around and talk," Scotty said urgently. "Let's do something."
Rick felt the same way. "Okay. Throttle down and go slow. We'll scan the whole coastline from here to Spindrift."
Scotty did so, holding the little plane barely above stalling speed. Rick leaned out and traced the shore with anxious eyes.
The plane turned and twisted as Scotty followed the coastline as accurately as he could. They reached the upper tip of North Cove and swung into the cove itself.
Scotty tapped Rick on the shoulder and pointed. A man and a woman had come out of the houseboat and were watching the plane.