The Hudson River Mystery

said slowly, trying to bring the entire conversation back into her mind. ”And one you used if the water was already coming in the windows, and the other— Quick, Honey, roll down your window!”
    ”Are you sure?”
    Trixie bobbed her head. ”No more time for talking! Dive out your window! I’ll meet you when we get outside.”
    With that, Trixie rolled down her own window and began wriggling through it. It was harder work than she had expected and she cursed herself for being in Honey’s cumbersome skirt instead of her own jeans. Oh , well, it can’t be helped, she thought, balancing on the window frame on her stomach. I guess I should have taken off the skirt, but there isn’t time now.
    With a final valiant heave, she fell into the icy water, face first. Sputtering, she began treading water.
    Even though she’d managed to escape from the sinking car, Trixie was more discouraged than ever. She groaned as she pinpointed the lights on the shore. The silver car had shot farther into the river than she would have expected. There was no way she could swim that far—even Honey was bound to have trouble. Suddenly she felt like this was the longest, most exhausting Friday she had ever endured.
    Trixie swam around to the rear of the car, nearly punching Honey’s head with one of her strokes.
    ”We made it!” Trixie croaked with effort.
    ”S-Sure, but what do we do now?” By the light of the moon, Trixie could see Honey’s face, crimped and ashen. ”I can’t possibly make it to shore.”
    Trixie’s heart sank further. ”You can’t?” she repeated. She reached out to lean on the back end of the car, figuring to make use of its support as long as it was afloat.
    ”And these j-jeans aren’t h-helping,” Honey said through chattering teeth. ”I can only move my legs about half as much as usual.”
    ”I know. I could shoot myself for having that horrible idea about switching—”
    ”L-Look over there! Is that a light?”
    Trixie whirled around, lost her grip on the car, and went under. For a flash of an instant, she felt a blessed relief in surrendering herself to the pull of the water. Then Honey was helping her reach the surface, and Trixie instinctively began treading water again.
    With a final glub , the silver car was swallowed up by the Hudson.
    Trixie looked where Honey was pointing. Sure enough, a light wavered nearby. As it came closer, the girls could make out a boat, a small sailboat.
    ”It’s the Quarter Moon!” Honey breathed. ”Those silly boys! What are they doing out sailing at this time of night?”
    Honey wasn’t listening. ”Help!” she shouted weakly. To Trixie she muttered, ”What were their names again? Oh, Ken! Ken and Carl—over here! Help!”
    The catboat drifted closer, two scared faces peering out over the side. ”Are—are you ghosts?” asked a small voice.
    ”Just about,” said Trixie. ”Don’t you recognize us—or Honey, at least? Remember, she helped save your lives last weekend!”
    Ken leaned over to get a better look and almost fell overboard.
    ”Careful,” said Honey, nearly laughing with relief. She reached out to steady him. ”Ken, now you have a chance to save our lives.”
    ”I do?” Ken asked doubtfully.
    At the same time, Carl chirped, ”I remember you! Come on, Kenny, move over so they can get in.
    ”This boat is awful small,” said Ken.
    ”We’ll be very careful,” Honey promised. ”Here, Trixie, you go first.”
    Trixie didn’t hesitate. She grasped the side of the boat with both hands and mutely commanded her legs to propel the rest of her body into the boat. With a strength born of her will to survive, her legs obeyed.
    As soon as she had maneuvered herself halfway into the boat, it tipped wildly. Honey tried to steady it, while the two boys pulled Trixie the rest of the way in. Trixie lay gasping for a moment, feeling like a beached whale in the tiny craft. She noticed that Ken and Carl had learned Brian’s lesson to the point of wearing life jackets. At least if we capsize now , she thought wearily, only two out of four of us will drown.
    Then she jerked herself upright and joined the boys in dragging Honey aboard. Honey, too, was showing an almost superhuman strength as she struggled her way to safety.
    The minute Honey was all the way in, the two girls were forced to scrunch up as tightly as possible. Quarters were indeed cramped.
    The two boys didn’t complain but instead stared back at their wet passengers, their eyes