Playing for Keeps
Joan Lowery Nixon
Language: English
Pages: 208
ISBN: 0385327595
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Rosie can’t believe her good luck. Her grandmother, Glory, needs a last-minute roommate for a cruise to the Caribbean. But Glory doesn’t really need a companion–she’s eager for Rosie to meet her friend’s grandson, Neil, a brainy guy full of facts about baseball. Once Rosie is aboard the ship, though, someone else catches her eye–a boy her own age, who introduces himself as Ricky Diago. But after the ship sails, Rosie only sees Ricky’s uncle, Mr. Diago. What’s even stranger is that Neil could swear that Mr. Diago is actually a famous Cuban baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds. Then after a day’s excursion, Rosie is approached by another boy who claims he’s Ricky Diago. She’s certain he’s not the person she met before. Suddenly Rosie finds herself caught in a high-stakes adventure of international intrigue with life-or-death consequences. Who is the real Ricky Diago? And how far is Rosie willing to go to help him?
You want the right kind.” Mom broke in. Her voice was tight as she said, “It doesn’t matter who was Rose Ann’s date at the party. It only matters that she used very poor judgment.” Glory gave a more elaborate shrug. “Well, there you have it,” she said. “Poor judgment. Certainly not a punishable offense. Rosie’s suffered enough already. Why don’t we talk about something I have in mind?” Mom had been trying hard to hide her impatience. “Later, Glory,” she’d said. “If you’ll please excuse us,
Neil asked. “She just keeps saying she tossed it.” “Maybe Bailey tossed his, too.” “I know how we can find out,” Neil said. “I’ll be back in a minute.” He went to the nearby wall phone and we heard him ask the ship’s operator to connect him with the laundry. Someone answered right away, and Neil said, “I’m calling about Mr. Anthony Bailey’s order. When will it be delivered to his stateroom?” After a pause, Neil asked, “Is a blue polo shirt with that order?” “Okay,” he said. “I understand.
Martín Urbino’s blue shirt. “Because he was lying,” I finished. It sounded lame even to me. Before I could even say goodbye to Ricky, his stateroom door was shut, with the guard standing in front of it, and Mr. Wilson was striding down the passageway. I could think of only one thing to do. I went back into Glory’s stateroom, took a sheet of stationery and an envelope from the desk drawer, and wrote a description of Mr. Urbino’s blue shirt, complete with the tiny logo on the pocket and the black
Martín Urbino’s blue shirt. “Because he was lying,” I finished. It sounded lame even to me. Before I could even say goodbye to Ricky, his stateroom door was shut, with the guard standing in front of it, and Mr. Wilson was striding down the passageway. I could think of only one thing to do. I went back into Glory’s stateroom, took a sheet of stationery and an envelope from the desk drawer, and wrote a description of Mr. Urbino’s blue shirt, complete with the tiny logo on the pocket and the black
of us was free at all times to shadow him. During my break I paid a visit to the store on the shopping level of the ship and bought one of the sunken treasure pendants for Mom. The peace offering I’d wanted. No, it wasn’t only a peace offering. It was a gift to show how much I loved her. It wasn’t going to be Mom and me or Glory and me. I loved them both. When Neil and I met Julieta late in the evening at Star Struck, she reported, “Tommy Jansen asked one of the employees who gives that