DASH, SPLASH, CLASH!

  “The new splash pad couldn’t open on a better day,” nine-year-old Frank Hardy told his brother Joe. “It’s the hottest day since summer vacation started!”

  Eight-year-old Joe smiled. “It’s so hot,” he said, “I’ll bet popcorn is popping itself!”

  “If that’s the case,” Chet Morton declared, “make mine caramel with peanuts!”

  The brothers and their best friend were making their way to the Bayport Science Center. The new Dash and Splash Pad would be on the science center grounds.

  “I’ll bet every kid in Bayport will be at the splash pad launch today,” Frank said as the sun felt hotter with each step.

  “Yeah,” Joe agreed. “Who wouldn’t want to cool off in a cool way?”

  “I can name three kids who probably won’t show up today,” Chet said with a frown. “Adam Ackerman and his friends Seth and Tony.”

  Frank frowned too at the mention of Bayport Elementary School’s biggest bullies. “What wouldn’t they like about a splash pad?” he asked Chet.

  “Instead of the Dash and Splash Pad,” Chet explained, “Adam, Seth, and Tony wanted a bike park with extreme ramps.”

  Joe rolled his eyes. “They’ve been riding their bikes all over Bayport,” he said. “And blasting their horns, too!”

  “If Adam, Seth, and Tony didn’t want the Dash and Splash Pad,” Frank said, “there’s no reason for them to be there today.”

  “Do those three ever need a reason to make trouble?” Joe groaned.

  Frank, Joe, and Chet were just a few blocks away from the science center. As they turned a corner, they were surprised by four dogs heading toward them, pulling on their leashes. Clutching the leashes with both hands was Chet’s sister, Iola.

  “Hey, Chet,” Frank said. “You didn’t tell us you got a dog!”

  “Plus three!” said Joe.

  “Not our pups!” Chet said. “Iola is volunteering at the Wags and Whiskers Animal Shelter this summer.”

  “Why the pet shelter?” Frank asked.

  “Because it’s the next best thing to having her own dog,” Chet said. “Iola wants a dog more than anything.”

  “That’s for sure!” Iola said, getting all four dogs to stop. “I have to get these guys ready for the big pet adoption fair on Sunday!”

  “How?” Joe asked before a floppy-eared dog jumped up to lick his face.

  Iola smiled as she gently tugged the dog away from Joe. “For starters,” she said, “all of these pups have to be washed and groomed sometime today or tomorrow.”

  Joe wiped his wet face with the back of his hand. “I think that pup just washed me,” he chuckled.

  “These dogs have to be exercised, too,” Iola explained, “which is why I’m not wheeling them in the Wags and Whiskers Pup Wagon today.”

  Joe whistled between his teeth. “A wagon for getting around?” he asked. “Those are some pampered pups!”

  One dog barked as something round and yellow rolled down the block toward them. It was a lemon, bumping off a street sign and rolling around the corner!

  All four dogs dashed after the runaway lemon, dragging Iola around the corner while she shouted, “Stop! Sit! Staaaay!”

  Chet shook his head in confusion. “Since when do dogs like lemons?” he asked. “I thought they only chased squirrels and fire trucks.”

  “Where did that lemon roll in from anyway?” Joe asked.

  Frank pointed down the street. “Down the block is our answer,” he replied. “There’s Lucy Lafferty’s lemonade stand.”

  Joe looked to see where his brother was pointing. Sure enough, eight-year-old Lucy was busy setting up her stand—just like she did every summer in Bayport.

  As the boys approached the stand, Joe said, “Hi, Lucy. If you’re looking for a runaway lemon, one just rolled around the corner.”

  “Thanks,” Lucy said. “You didn’t see a lemonade truck riding around too?”

  Chet’s eyes lit up. “You mean the new ‘Be Our Zest’ lemonade truck?” he asked. “I heard they sell lemonade in all flavors—like watermelon, blueberry—”

  “Even pineapple-lemon coconut,” Joe cut in.

  “We didn’t see the truck today, Lucy,” Frank said. “But practically every kid in Bayport has heard about it.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of,” Lucy admitted. “I knew that lemonade truck would put the squeeze on me!”

  “What do you mean?” Joe asked.

  “Everyone will want to drink their lemonade instead of mine,” Lucy said. “But as they say, when life throws you lemons—make your own fancy-flavored lemonade!”

  She lifted a pitcher and declared, “And here’s mine. Ta-daaa!”

  Frank, Joe, and Chet stared into the pitcher. Besides ice, floating in the cloudy liquid were little round things no bigger than gumballs.

  “What’s… that?” Joe asked.

  “If that’s a fish tank,” Chet said, “it needs cleaning.”

  Lucy was too busy taking out three plastic cups to hear Chet’s remark. “Who’s ready to try Lucy Lafferty’s Bodacious Bubble Lemonade?” she asked.

  “Bubble lemonade?” Frank repeated.

  “Is that what those blobby things are?” Joe asked.

  “They’re tapioca bubbles that you can chew between sips,” Lucy explained. “So who wants the first cup? One to a customer, please!”

  The boys kept staring inside the pitcher. They had never tasted tapioca bubbles before—and weren’t sure they wanted to.

  “Uh…,” Joe said slowly.

  “Well…,” said Frank hesitantly.

  “I’ll pass,” Chet said. “I do gummy, crunchy, even stretchy. But never squishy.”

  Lucy’s mouth dropped open as she stared at Chet. “Chet Morton never says no to food!” she cried. “If he doesn’t want to try my bubble lemonade—no one will!”

  “Not true, Lucy,” Frank said. “There’s got to be kids in Bayport who will want to drink—or chew—your new lemonade.”

  “You just have to spread the word,” Joe said with a smile. “You know… bubble up some excitement.”

  “I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Chet said. “Maybe you could try… a new flavor?”

  Lucy appeared to be deep in thought as the brothers and Chet said good-bye and walked on. They reached the grounds of the science center and the site of the Dash and Splash Pad. Kids stood around the splash pad, eagerly waiting for the fountain jets to spurt. One group wore T-shirts reading CAMP BLAST OFF.

  “Camp Blast Off is the science center’s space camp,” Joe pointed out. “I’ll bet those kids want to be astronauts when they grow up.”

  “Space camp,” Frank said. “Do you think there’ll ever be a camp for kid detectives like us?”

  Joe smiled. He and Frank loved solving mysteries more than anything. They even had a clue book where they kept notes on their latest cases. It was filled with clues, possible suspects—even doodles.

  “Sure, there’ll be a detective camp,” Joe replied. “And they can call it Camp Whodunit!”

  A hush came over the crowd as a grinning man walked to the middle of the splash pad. He spoke through a megaphone, his voice booming out:

  “I’m Martin Young, Bayport’s new director of parks and recreation. I hope you won’t mind if I gush about our new Dash and Splash Pad!”

  Martin waited for a few chuckles, then continued.

  “Our splash pad will use less water than a swimming pool and will run on a timer,” he announced. “So every morning its fountains will turn on automatically at seven thirty sharp!”

  He waited for the cheers to die down, then shouted, “What are we all waiting for? Let’s start the countdown so we can dash and splash!”

  Frank, Joe, and Chet joined the others as they counted down: “Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven—”

  BEEP, BEEP!! HONK, HONK!!!!

  “What’s that?” Joe asked.

  All heads turned toward the loud noise. The crowd parted to make room for three kids riding bright-colored bikes. Two kids beeped their bike horns, while the third honked an air horn at full blast!

  Shadows from the riders’ helmets covered most of their faces. But for Frank, Joe, and Chet, there was no mistaking who they were.

  “Great,” Frank groaned under his breath. “Here come Adam, Seth, and Tony.”

  Joe frowned as the riders zoomed around and around Martin. “I think you mean,” he said, “here comes trouble!”

  UNBELIE-BUBBLE!

  “No bikes allowed, kids!” Martin shouted. He waved his megaphone in the air while Adam, Seth, and Tony showed off, riding on their back wheels. “You’re lucky these fountains aren’t on! Get off my lawn—I mean—splash pad!”

  Joe rolled his eyes as Adam bunny hopped his bike—bouncing on its wheels. He gave Seth and Tony a hand signal. All three bikes swerved away from Martin before speeding off the splash pad. The crowd parted again—this time to let them ride behind the science center and out of sight.

  “I had a feeling those three would come to stir up trouble,” Joe said.

  “And to settle a score,” Chet added, “because of the bike park they wanted instead of a splash pad.”

  Martin forced a smile as he began another countdown. This time everyone shouted louder than ever…

  “Five, four, three, two, one—”

  WHOOOSHHHHH!

  A cool mist filled the air and so did gasps as a dozen water jets shot up from the ground toward the sky. Frank and Joe couldn�
��t believe their eyes. The geysers must have been twelve feet high or more!

  “That’s one extreme sprinkler!” Joe exclaimed.

  The fountains bounced in perfect harmony, then suddenly dropped back down the drains. Before anyone could wonder where they went, the jets shot up again, all at different times.

  Kids cheered as they charged toward the splash pad and dancing waters. Frank, Joe, and Chet were about to follow until a voice behind them asked, “Pretty awesome, huh?”

  The boys turned to see their friend Phil Cohen. He was wearing a Camp Blast Off T-shirt.

  “Hey, Phil!” Frank said.

  “You’re just in time to dash and splash,” Joe said.

  “Can’t,” Phil said with a shake of his head. “I just came outside to watch the launch. I have to go back to space camp.”

  Frank nodded at Phil’s T-shirt. “We didn’t know you wanted to be an astronaut, Phil,” he said. “Maybe one day you’ll rocket to the moon.”

  “And find out what kind of cheese it’s made of,” Chet said with a grin. “Cheddar? Swiss? Monterey Jack?”

  “The moon is not made of cheese, Chet,” Phil insisted. “And I don’t want to be an astronaut, I want to be an astrophysicist.”

  “An astro-fizzy-what?” Joe asked.

  “An astrophysicist is a space scientist,” Phil explained. “I’m working on an awesome science experiment in space camp.”

  “What experiment?” Frank asked.

  “I can’t tell you because it’s top secret,” Phil replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of orange paper halfway. “I’ve got my top secret formula right here.”

  Frank, Joe, and Chet tilted their heads to get a better look—before Phil shoved it back in his pocket.

  “If your space project is top secret,” Joe said, “can you at least give us a hint?”

  “I know!” Chet said excitedly. “You’re making grilled moon-cheese sandwiches!”

  “I told you, Chet,” Phil said. “The moon is not made of cheese.” Then he shrugged and said, “But if you really want a hint… the secret word is ‘bubbles.’ ”

  Joe wrinkled his nose. “Bubbles?”

  “That’s your space science project?” Frank asked.

  “Grilled cheese bubbles when it gets hot,” Chet said.

  “I’ve got to get back to camp now,” Phil said with a small wave. “Happy splashing!”

  Frank, Joe, and Chet watched Phil hurry back to the science center with the other campers.

  “What kind of a hint is ‘bubbles’?” Joe asked.

  “Who knows?” Frank replied. “All I know is that Phil’s science experiments are always the best.”

  Joe turned toward the Dash and Splash Pad. It was filled with shrieking kids running in and out of the spouting waters.

  “How’s this for an awesome experiment,” Joe suggested with a smile. “Let’s see how many nozzles we can jump over before they spurt!”

  As the boys raced toward the splash pad, Joe knew that nothing could spoil Bayport’s cool new way of cooling off. Not even Adam, Seth, and Tony!

  * * *

  “You boys are up early for summer vacation,” Laura Hardy told Frank and Joe the next morning. “For a Saturday, too.”

  Fenton Hardy glanced up from his coffee mug as the brothers sat at the kitchen table. “I’ll bet you’re working on a new case,” he said with a wink. “The early bird catches the worm!”

  Mr. Hardy was a private detective and knew a lot about cases. He often liked helping Frank and Joe with theirs.

  “No mystery to solve today, Dad,” Joe said, pouring himself a glass of juice. “Frank and I woke up super early to watch the Millipede Man marathon on TV.”

  “We already watched two shows in my room,” Frank said as he grabbed a slice of toast. “The first was a new episode called ‘Millipede Man Meets Icicle Doom’!”

  “The marathon started at seven o’clock,” Joe said, stifling a yawn. “It’s going to run practically all day.”

  “I hope you won’t be watching TV all day,” Mrs. Hardy said, nodding toward the window. “It’s such beautiful summer weather!”

  “Beautiful hot summer weather, Mom,” Joe said. “That’s why Frank and I want to head to the Dash and Splash Pad right after breakfast.”

  “Maybe Chet wants to go with us again today,” Frank suggested. He turned to his parents and asked, “Can we please call him before breakfast?”

  “You can use my phone,” Mrs. Hardy said. “It’s on the desk in my office.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Frank said.

  “Chet had a blast yesterday,” Joe said with a grin. “There’s no way he’s going to miss another day of dashing and splashing.”

  The brothers went into the office, where their mom worked as a real estate agent. Frank put her phone on speaker and entered Chet’s number. After a few rings, Chet answered.

  “Mrs. Hardy?” Chet asked.

  “It’s me, Chet—Frank,” Frank said. “I’m on my mom’s phone.”

  “Oh,” Chet’s voice said glumly. “What’s up?”

  Frank glanced at Joe. Chet didn’t sound like his usual cheerful self!

  “Joe and I are going to the Dash and Splash Pad after breakfast,” Frank said. “Do you want to come too?”

  “Keep cool or drool!” Joe shouted out.

  After an awkward moment of silence, Chet blurted out, “No! I can’t! I’m not leaving the house today! Not even my own room!”

  “Why?” Frank asked. “You’re not sick, are you?”

  “Did you eat a whole box of frozen ice pops again, Chet?” Joe called. “The last time that happened, you—”

  “I feel fine!” Chet’s voice cut in. “I’ve got to go!”

  Frank listened as Chet hung up. He turned to Joe and said, “Chet didn’t sound fine. What do you think happened?”

  “The last time he was upset on a Saturday morning,” Joe said, “his parents had run out of the chocolate cereal he likes.”

  “I guess we’ll go without him,” Frank said, putting down the phone.

  The boys finished breakfast and headed for the Dash and Splash Pad. They expected to find Lucy’s lemonade stand, but the spot where it usually stood was empty.

  “I wonder where Lucy is,” Joe said. “On a hot day like today, kids line up for lemonade.”

  Frank shot his brother a sideways glance. “Maybe not the bubble kind,” he said, “like Lucy made yesterday—”

  “Bubbles!” Joe blurted out.

  “That’s what I said,” Frank responded.

  “No, Frank,” Joe said. “Look at the gusher at the Dash and Splash Pad!”

  Frank followed Joe’s gaze. Down the street was the splash pad, but it was not spurting water. Instead, out from the ground oozed thick, frothy…

  “Bubbles!” Frank exclaimed.

  The brothers couldn’t believe their eyes. They raced toward the splash pad, stopping a few feet away. The bubbles were rising into the air and bursting like popcorn!

  “Where’s a rubber duck when you need one?” Joe shouted above the popping noise. “The Dash and Splash Pad is one big bubble bath!”

  FOUNTAIN OF SLEUTH

  More astonished kids had gathered around to stare at the bubbling splash pad. Mr. Young was there too, twisting his hands nervously as he spoke to a TV news reporter.

  “From the look on Mr. Young’s face,” Joe said, “I’m guessing he’s as surprised by the bubbles as we are!”

  “Let’s see what we can find out,” Frank said.

  The brothers made their way through the crowd to Mr. Young and the reporter.

  “Nothing like this has ever happened in Bayport,” the reporter was saying. “How do you explain all these bubbles, Mr. Young?”

  “I’m pretty sure it was a prank,” Mr. Young spoke into her microphone. “The fountain turned on at seven thirty on schedule. Close to eight o’clock, I got a call that the Dash and Splash Pad was gushing bubbles!”

  Mr. Young glanced over his shoulder at the splash pad and sighed. “I had the water turned off right away, but the bubbles keep oozing… and oozing… and oozing.”

  The reporter turned toward the camera.

  “As we just heard from Mr. Young, director of parks and recreation, the Dash and Splash Pad will be closed until the prankster comes forward,” she reported. “So if you’re thinking of ‘popping’ by—you’re out of luck. This is Carly Crittenbusch for WBAY morning news.”