3

Time flew by and the next thing everyone knew, it was dinnertime. Dinner was served on the patio, where the sea could be seen and heard. The gentle sound of waves crashing up against the rocks provided a soothing lullaby for the nervous guests—all except one.

"What's the matter, Miss Claythorne?" asked Zack. "Don't you like this dinner served before us?"

"Oh, I do," assured Maddie. "It's just that blasted noise of those waves; they're driving me insane!"

"Why ever so?" asked Zack. "I find them to be quite peaceful."

"Well—it's just—never mind," sighed Maddie. "I had a bad experience with the sea a while back."

"Ah, sea sickness," nodded Zack.

Maddie said nothing and just silently ate the steak that lay before her.

Meanwhile, Inspector Moseby was on the verge of losing his patience as he ate with London.

"But why is this desert called pineapple if there aren't any pinecones or apples in it?" asked London.

"The pineapple is a certain type of fruit that grows off the trees on the tropical island Hawaii," said Inspector Moseby, holding his knife in a most threatening position as he stabbed it into his steak. "And for the last time, a dessert is the treat you get after having supper; a desert is a barren wasteland where temperatures have been known to sore up as high as one hundred and forty degrees Fahrenheit!"

"Is anything the matter?" asked Wargrave, who was sitting at another table with Miss Brent, General Macarthur, and Armstrong.

"No, we're just fine," said Inspector Moseby, trying desperately to keep calm. As he raised his knife to cut another piece of steak, London said, "But why is it called pineapple?"

Inspector Moseby finally lost his patience and dug too deep and too fast into the steak and as he did, the steak suddenly slipped off the plate, flew in the air, and landed in Miss Brent's hair. Miss Brent let out a yelp and flung the stake off her hair and onto the ground, where Esteban, who was about to serve the rest of the dessert, slipped on the steak. The dessert went flying into the air and landed in different places; the ice cream landed in London's hair (who wondered why it was called ice cream when it had neither cream nor ice in it), the crepes landed on Zack and Maddie's plates, the strawberry cheesecake (minus the strawberry on top) landed smack dab in the middle of Wargrave, Miss Brent, General Macarthur, and Armstrong's table, the missing strawberry landed in Inspector Moseby's mouth, and the tray of chocolate chip cookies landed on a nearby gramophone player, pressing the needle down and causing the following speech to be launched: "Ladies and gentlemen! Silence please! You are charged with the following indictments! Dr. Armstrong, that you did upon the fourteenth day of March, 1925, cause the death of Louisa Mary Clees!

"Emily Caroline Brent, that upon the fifth of November, 1931, you were responsible for the death of Beatrice Taylor.

"William Henry Moseby, that you did cause the death of James Stephen Landor on October the tenth, 1928.

"Madeline Margaret Genevieve Miranda Catherine Claythorne, that upon the eleventh day of August, 1935, you killed Cyril Ogilvie Hamilton.

"Zackary Lombard, that upon a date in February 1932, you were responsible for the death of twenty-one men, members of an East African Tribe.

"General John Gordon Macarthur, that upon the fourth of January, 1917, you deliberately sent your wife's lover, Arthur Richmond, to his death.

"London Marston, that upon the fourteenth day of November last, you were guilty of the murder of John and Lucy Combes.

"Esteban Ricardo Julio Montoya De La Rosa Rogers and Muriel Rogers, that on the sixth day of May, 1929, you brought about the death of Jennifer Brady.

"Lawrence John Wargrave, that upon the fifth day of June, 1930, you were guilty of the murder of Edward Seton.

"Prisoners at the bar, have you anything to say in your defence?"

"Phew," sighed Cody, shaking his sore hand. "I don't know about you, but I think we should take a break. My hand is killing me!"

"Good idea," said Zack. "I'm fresh out of brilliant ideas anyway."

"As usual," muttered Cody.