"What're you talking about Andy?" I asked.
"Don't be mad at him John! He didn't mean to say anything! He was just
so panicked about you going out after the twins, that he let it slip
out!" Craig said.
"WHAT did you let slip out?" I asked, looking pointedly at Andy now.
Andy looked upset, but began to explain. "Well, Craig's right about the
reason. I was so scared for you and the twins. And the lads kept trying
to calm me down. Finally, Steve stood in front of me and yelled at me
that you'd be alright, that you used to be a lifeguard! He said that you
and Mike used to be life guards together all last summer, right on the
same beach, and that you were used to doing this. Well, obviously, I was
relieved. I'd forgotten about you being a life guard and all. And well,
that's when it slipped out. I'm sorry John. But without thinking, I
said 'That's right! Mike wrote that in his journal!'"
"YOU TOLD THEM ABOUT MIKE'S JOURNAL?" I yelled, as I felt my blood
pressure rising.
"I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!" Andy said, looking stricken.
"WHAT ELSE DID YOU TELL THEM?" I asked.
"Th-They asked what I was talking about. I told them I couldn't tell
them anything. That wasn't good enough though. They kept at me. So I
admitted that Mike had kept a journal, and that Brian had let you read
it. But that's all I said. I swear! I'm so sorry John!" Andy said.
"That is all he said!" Jacob piped up, glancing at me. The look on his
face was a mixture of belligerance and a little fear. "Harry and I were
there, and heard. He never meant to say anything!"
"You four take your things and go back up the beach to where we were
sitting," I said, looking at Jacob, Harry, and the twins. "And stay out
of the water! We'll be there in a few minutes!"
The four boys, looked dejected, but picked up their things, and slowly
began to trudge up the beach to where we'd been sitting.
Pete stepped forward then and said, "John, everything they're saying is
true. Andy never meant to tell us about the journal. He was just scared
about you, and it slipped out. We tried to get him to tell us what was
in it, but he wouldn't say. The thing is, we do know about the journal
now. And we were best friends with Mike too! Can't you tell us anything
about what was in them?"
"No Pete, I can't. All I can say is that Mike did keep a journal. His
brother Brian let me read it, because there was some stuff in it about
me, and at the end of it, Mike had indicated it was OK if I read it. I
wasn't supposed to tell anyone it even existed. Even Mike's parents
don't know about it," I said.
