The Madman of Black Bear Mountain by Franklin W. Dixon Page B

on, I had to fight to keep my head above wateras she struggled. I wanted to tell her I was trying to help, but it’s hard to talk with a mouth full of river water.
    I’d started to think we both might wind up as fish food when I saw a pair of long, skinny arms and a beard slicing through the water toward us. Steven! I was so happy for the help, I didn’t stop to think what he was doing there. Max’s imposter actually calmed down a little when she saw Steven, and together we were able to swim her back to the shallows.
    What I hadn’t been expecting was a welcoming committee waiting for us on the riverbank! Seeing Joe next to Aleksei “Mad Hermit” Orlov and Chief Olaf in his fishing getup had to be one of the most welcome, not to mention strangest, sights of my life.
    I gave Joe a big, soggy bear hug. “Man, is it good to see you!”
    â€œLikewise, bro,” he replied with a grin. “You’ve spent so much time in the water today, I think you’re starting to sprout gills.”
    â€œYou are Frank, yes?” the big hermit asked. “You have seen my friend Max? He is okay?”
    â€œHe’s okay,” I assured him. “We wiped out on opposite sides of the river and he’s got a long hike ahead of him, but he isn’t hurt.”
    â€œWhat about Jim?” Chief Olaf asked. “You said he was hurt?”
    â€œHe sprained his ankle pretty badly, but we splinted himup and left him resting near the old ranger station with some water,” Joe said. “He should be okay for a while at least.”
    Steven carried Maxine, or whoever she was, the rest of the way onto the bank, where she crumpled to the ground, coughing water and gasping for breath.
    Casey immediately ran to her side. “Lana! Oh my God, are you okay?”
    I was about to ask how Casey knew our mystery woman when I saw the matching bear-paw tattoos on both their arms. “ ‘Don’t Call Me Maxine’ is Casey’s sister!” I blurted out.
    â€œAnd I have a hunch Steven here is who you overheard talking on the radio with her before we left for our little misadventure.” Joe fixed the lanky lodge keeper with a glare.
    Steven gave a panicked glance from my brother to the very mad Mad Hermit standing next to him and turned to run. The look on Casey’s face stopped him in his tracks. She was a bundle of fear, surprise, and hurt all in one.
    â€œSteven?” she said softly. “Why is Lana here? They think we’ve done something to hurt the Bayport High kids, but it’s all just some kind of big misunderstanding, right?”
    Steven looked away. “We were trying to help. No one was ever supposed to get hurt.”
    â€œTrying to help . . . ?” Casey repeated. “But I don’t understand.”
    Unable to look his wife in the eye, Steven turned to us. “Whatever happens next, Casey didn’t know anything aboutany of this. She never would’ve let Lana and me get ourselves into this mess if she had.”
    â€œAny of what?” Casey and Chief Olaf demanded at the same time.
    â€œKidnapping Dr. Kroopnik, stealing his identity, stranding a bunch of kids in the wilderness, and throwing Joe off a bridge, for starters,” I said when neither Lana nor Steven spoke up. Lana was still on the ground, recovering from nearly drowning, but Steven had that panicked look in his eyes again like he might try to run.
    Aleksei growled and Chief Olaf fixed Steven with one of his patented “bad cop” glares. “Are you going to cooperate? I’d really rather us not have to restrain you.”
    â€œYes, sir,” Steven said, the fight draining out of him. “Just so long as Casey isn’t blamed for anything we did.”
    He looked over at Lana, who nodded meekly. Casey stumbled away from her sister like being close to either her or Steven might burn her.
    â€œSpeak for yourself next time,”