The Third Movement

by Neil Patrick Harris

  “I’m busy tomorrow anyway,” Emily answered. “But thanks for the invitation.” She glanced at Theo and Leila and Olly and Izzy, refusing to meet the gazes of Carter and Ridley. Everyone was quiet for an awkward moment. Then another. Finally, Emily asked, “So, is anyone still in the mood for lemonade?”

  Afterward, Olly and Izzy bounded up the street toward the resort, and Carter and Leila strolled back to the magic shop to check on the animals. The sun was beginning to reach toward the horizon, and Theo didn’t want to break his promise to his mother.

  “Walk me home first?” asked Ridley once they had said good-bye to the others.

  For the first time ever, Theo wanted to answer no. She had treated Emily badly. But he would not handle Ridley the same way. No matter how poorly she behaved, she had been his closest friend for what seemed like forever.

  They rounded the corner and headed up the block toward Ridley’s street. After a few moments of quiet, Ridley finally asked him, “Why do you want to hang out with that Emily girl so much? She’s not even interested in magic.”

  “Do people have to like magic in order to be friends with us?” he asked. “We all found each other because we felt like misfits. How could we push someone away simply because she is not exactly like us? It would be hypocritical, no?”

  Ridley sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t think about that. I just wanted—”

  “To protect us,” Theo finished. “I know.”

  Ridley’s cheeks colored. “I’m not a mean person,” she added. “I just care about the people who are already in my life.”

  “But look at Carter. You were worried about him when he showed up at the Vernons’, and he has turned into one of our closest friends.”

  Ridley didn’t speak for a while, then said, “I guess I’m a little like those people who Dean was talking about earlier today. The Mineral Wellsians who don’t like things to change.”

  Theo laughed. “This is coming from someone who lives for making everyday objects transform?” He pulled out his magic bow and touched it to the pouch at the back of Ridley’s chair. Lifting his arm, he caused a banana to fly up and land in her lap.

  “That’s not the same thing, and you know it.” She raised the banana to her nose and made it seem to disappear up inside her nostrils. She moved to pull the banana out of her ear, but instead handed him back a cucumber.

  “You are going to have to teach me how to do that one day.”

  They had nearly reached Ridley’s house on the corner. It was an elaborate yellow-and-purple Queen Anne Victorian. Its scalloped wooden shingles reminded Theo of fish scales, its turreted roof a lizard’s horns. To Theo, the Larsen home was all animal—wild—just like Ridley. A light was on in a window upstairs, where her mother was most likely working on another of her popular romance novels.

  “And you are going to have to teach me how that bow of yours works,” she answered.

  “Hmmmph,” said Theo, squinting at her. “Touché.”

  At home, Theo set the table without incident, and his family sat together, talking about how they had spent their day. Gio and Fio had taken a canoe across Wells Pond. Cleo and Leo had visited the falls and then hiked up into the hills near the resort, stumbling upon the old ice caverns that breathed out cold air, even on the hottest summer days. His siblings’ tales made Theo wonder if he had spent too much of the summer indoors, hiding inside that windowless room at the rear of Vernon’s Magic Shop. He thought about the tension among his friends, about the talent show, about Mr. Whispers, and even about Emily Meridian.

  When his father asked Theo about his own day, Theo considered telling his family about the ventriloquist’s arrival, the multiple dolls appearing, and the Misfits’ desire to uncover the villain’s secret plans. Instead, he told them that he had visited the music shop in town.

  “The music shop?” Fio exclaimed. “How very sensible.” Everyone smiled at him, as if they were proud that he was finally getting himself back on track. Only yesterday, this reaction might have caused him to tense up. But now, he returned their smiles.

  It feels good to be called sensible by people who love you.

  NINE

  Wendel Whispers was to begin rehearsals at the resort the next morning. So after the sun rose, Theo dressed himself, fed the doves, and practiced his violin for his father. Then he packed his violin case with a box of crackers and a bottle of apple juice (as well as his instrument) and headed out to meet his friends.

  Theo, Ridley, Carter, and Leila discovered Olly and Izzy waiting outside the wide doors of the Grand Theater.

  “Did anyone see you?” Carter asked the twins.

  “Only a few guests,” said Olly.

  “And some of the staff,” said Izzy. “But we stayed out of Mr. Whispers’s way. In fact, we followed him down from his room, keeping just out of sight. He’s been in the auditorium with the stage manager and crew ever since.”

  “Are you sure?” asked Carter.

  “As sure as a seashell in a sheepskin!” said Olly.

  “That sounds pretty sure,” said Leila.

  “Yes, it does,” said Izzy, pulling from her jacket pocket a small scallop shell wrapped in what looked like a sheepskin coat.

  “Did you make that?” asked Theo.

  “We were hoping someone would give us a chance to use it,” Izzy answered. “So, thank you, Carter. Very much!”

  “Speaking of making things,” Ridley began, “there’s something you all need to see.” She removed a parcel wrapped in cloth from the pouch at the back of her chair. She unwrapped it to reveal the feet of a Darling Daniel doll. Slowly, slowly, she pulled off the rest of the covering, until she reached the doll’s shoulders. Then, with a flourish, she revealed its head—except there wasn’t one!

  Leila gasped. Carter cringed. Theo leaned in for a closer look.

  “I did some experimenting on the doll I took home yesterday,” Ridley explained.

  “Did you get mad at it or something?” asked Olly.

  Ridley shook her head. “I found this hidden inside the head.” She opened her palm and revealed a small black device with several wires sticking out of it. The others gaped in wonder. “I believe it’s some sort of radio transmitter.”

  “Why would that have been inside the doll?” asked Leila.

  Ridley raised an eyebrow. “Why do you think?”

  “The ventriloquist wants his own radio show?” Carter suggested.

  Ridley blinked. “This isn’t the kind of device that broadcasts radio. This one is used to transmit to a home device, so that someone can listen secretly to—and maybe even record—conversations.”

  Theo inhaled a deep, nervous breath. “Do you think Kalagan is behind this?”

  “It would make sense,” said Ridley. “If Wendel is the boy from the Emerald Ring photograph, then that would make him the third member of Vernon’s old club to show up in Mineral Wells just this summer. What if these radio transmitters are the reason he’s come back? To plant them where we’ll be? To spy on us?”

  “To help Kalagan spy on us,” Leila added.

  “But these dolls have been showing up all around the village,” said Carter. “If the devices are inside all the dolls, it would mean that they’re spying on the entire town.”

  The temperature of the theater lobby seemed to drop by several degrees.

  “Which means it’s imperative that we learn more about Wendel Whispers as soon as possible,” said Ridley. “We must spy back.” She pointed toward the theater doors. “I say we break into groups so we can watch him rehearse from multiple angles.”

  “Yes!” said Carter.

  “Good.” Leila nodded.

  “What are we waiting for?” asked Izzy.

  “Should we tell someone about the transmitter?” asked Olly. “The police? Our parents?”

  Ridley pursed her lips. “I’d suggest we wait. Remember how the sheriff was being paid off by Bosso? We don’t want to alert the wrong people that we have i
nformation. It would hinder our investigation before it’s begun.”

  Theo felt relieved that the Misfits were working together again. “We must enter the auditorium without being spotted,” he said.

  They split themselves into two teams—Ridley, Olly, and Izzy in one, and Leila, Carter, and Theo in the other. Ridley and the twins headed to the orchestra pit to listen in on the ventriloquist’s rehearsal. Theo, Leila, and Carter snuck up to the rafters above the stage.

  Theo was extra careful as he climbed the long ladder. Gripping his violin case in one hand, he slowly moved up each rung by grasping and releasing with his other hand. Carter and Leila followed behind him silently. The higher they got, the more Theo thought of his flying dreams and hoped that he would not slip; though he was skilled at levitation during magic shows, those skills were mere illusions and would not save his life were he to misjudge the rungs.

  Finally, and with great relief, Theo sprawled up onto the walkway, accidentally banging his violin case against the metal mesh of the floor. Oh no! he thought. Were they caught before they even started?

  Luckily, Theo could see through the mesh down below, where Wendel Whispers was sitting center stage on a wooden stool, Darling Daniel perched on his lap. Neither Whispers nor the dummy had turned at the unexpected sound.

  Someone in the lighting booth across the auditorium was shining a spotlight on the man, making him glow. “How’s that, Mr. Whispers?” called a voice.

  “You tell me!” said the ventriloquist. “You’re the one who can see what it looks like!”

  Theo heard Carter and Leila crawling along behind him. When they’d all taken positions to get a good look at the stage below, Theo glanced at his friends, embarrassed that he’d almost ruined their plans. But Leila just shrugged and gave him a small smile, and Carter flashed a thumbs-up. Theo let out a quiet sigh of relief.

  Wendel Whispers ran through his act as the Misfits crouched, listening. Theo had to stifle laughter several times as Darling Daniel answered Wendel in an obnoxious way. He had to remind himself that they were not here to be entertained. They needed to find out what Whispers was up to.

  Unfortunately, after half an hour of listening, not once had the ventriloquist mentioned a radio transmitter. (That would have been too obvious, wouldn’t it, my friend?) Theo realized that the Misfits would have to come up with a different plan to deal with the dolls.

  Suddenly, Darling Daniel looked up at the ventriloquist and said, “Seems to me it’s time for an afternoon snack. Whaddaya say, boss?”

  “I say you don’t have teeth, Daniel,” the ventriloquist replied.

  “Stick your finger in my mouth and say that again!” the dummy said, a warning in his voice.

  “All right, all right. Don’t get your bow tie in a twist. Let’s take a break, please!” he called up to the lighting booth. Whispers then picked up the dummy and headed out the auditorium doors.

  As the room grew quiet, Theo turned to Carter and Leila. “What do you guys think so far?”

  “I think he’s pretty funny,” said Leila. “That dummy of his has quite a mouth on him.”

  “I’ve heard worse,” said Carter, rolling his eyes. “My uncle used to curse up a storm.”

  “And yet, you are so polite.” Theo smiled.

  “I will never take after Uncle Sly.”

  Leila squeezed Carter’s shoulder. Something secret passed between them. Theo knew that they had grown closer ever since they learned they were cousins. They were essentially siblings now.

  Theo again felt jealous. His siblings insisted only on giving him advice. He certainly couldn’t share his love of magic with anyone in his family the way Carter and Leila could with each other.

  As if someone were reading his mind, Theo suddenly heard whispering from below. “His parents have been giving him a hard time. But it’s only gotten worse since his brothers and sisters came home.” Were they talking about him? “It’s like they’ve all ganged up on him. And I think his performances have suffered.” Theo’s cheeks flushed as he turned to Carter and Leila, who were staring back at him in baffled horror. “Is that Ridley?” he asked them.

  “It can’t be,” said Carter.

  “I’m sure she doesn’t mean it in a bad way,” Leila answered.

  Theo flinched. “Are you saying you agree with her?” he whispered. “My magic is suffering?”

  Leila shook her head vehemently. “Not at all!”

  “I just think we need to come up with something better for the finale than those stupid birds of his,” Ridley went on.

  “And Leila’s rope trick,” added Olly. “It feels so tired.”

  “Yes!” said Izzy. “I mean, haven’t we seen it all before?”

  Now it was Leila’s turn to blush.

  Theo felt a knot rising in his esophagus. Why were they saying these things? Even if they believed them, now was not the time.

  “And don’t get me started on Carter,” Ridley went on. “That headless gimmick was so obvious.…”

  Carter lifted his pencil and began to tap on the railing overhead. Theo’s eyes went wide, as he wondered why his friend was making so much noise, but then he noticed the pattern and understood. The tapping was the Morse code that the Misfits had been learning all summer. Deciphering the message in his head, Theo nodded. Leila too.

  Stop talking. We can hear you. Whispers will too if he comes back.

  But before the other group could answer, the spotlight blinked out and the auditorium was thrown into complete darkness. A door slammed shut and they heard the sound of it locking.

  “What happened?” asked Theo.

  Carter and Leila were only dim shapes beside him. Leila said, “If I were to guess, I’d say rehearsal is over.”

  “Do you think Mr. Whispers knew we were listening?” Carter asked.

  “Who knows?” said Theo.

  They waited in the dark for a few minutes before feeling their way slowly down the ladder and out the back door to the loading dock.

  “Where do we find the others?” Carter asked, squinting in the bright light.

  “I am not sure I even want to,” Theo muttered, remembering Ridley’s criticism.

  “Let’s go around to the lobby of the theater,” Leila suggested, forcing a smile. “I’ll bet we’ll find them there.”

  But the auditorium’s lobby was empty, and Theo felt a pit open in his chest, near where the clump of dirt had hit him two days ago. Though he was angry at his friends, he hoped they were not in trouble—trouble in Mineral Wells had the potential to be devastating.

  “Look,” said Leila, rushing toward a wide architectural column in the center of the room. She bent down and picked up an object.

  Another Darling Daniel doll.

  “Do you think Mr. Whispers left it for us?” asked Carter.

  Theo and Leila did not answer. Instead, Theo held his finger to his lips and then glanced around the cavernous lobby. He could not shake the feeling that someone was watching.

  Or listening.

  TEN

  I’ll let you in on a secret to begin this next chapter, as it won’t remain a secret for long (alas, secrets never do). The reason Theo felt like someone was watching and listening…

  …was because someone was watching and listening. Two someones, in fact!

  “Here you are!” Olly shouted, appearing from behind the column.

  Carter yelped and jumped back.

  “And there you go!” said Izzy, mirroring her brother on the opposite side of the column.

  “How do you do that?” Leila asked.

  Izzy shrugged. “Do what?”

  Leila shook her head. “Never mind.” With a quick look around the column, she added, “Ridley’s not going to surprise us now, is she?”

  Olly’s usual smile dropped off his face. (The sight was so jarring, my friend, that you should be grateful you were not there. I, for one, am still shuddering at the image.) “Ridley left,” he said.

  “She left?” Carte
r echoed. “Where’d she go?”

  Theo waved his hands at the group to tell them to stop talking, then pointed at the doll. He motioned for Leila to put it back on the floor and then for everyone to follow him to the other side of the room. “Keep your voices down,” he said.

  “She called her mother to come pick her up.” Izzy pointed through the doorway toward the hotel lobby. “We asked if we could wait with her outside, but she pretty much told us to shove off. She looked upset.”

  She was upset? Theo thought. But we are the ones who should be angry. He clenched his violin case strap. “Without saying good-bye?” he asked. “Was she not feeling well?”

  Izzy and Olly gave each other an odd glance, as if they did not wish to share the answer.

  “You guys are acting weird,” Carter said. “What’s wrong?”

  “Ridley heard what you guys were saying in the auditorium,” said Olly.

  Izzy nodded. “Yeah, your voices were coming through the air vents into the orchestra pit.”

  Carter and Leila looked to Theo. “And what exactly were we saying?” Leila asked.

  There was no humor in Olly’s next comment. “I think you should talk to Ridley about that.”

  This sent chills across Theo’s skin. He ran toward the resort’s lobby, needing to locate Ridley before her mother arrived. He raced through the crowds of people, stumbling toward the front entrance. Dean scrambled to open the door for him. “Thank you,” Theo murmured, scanning the wide driveway in front of the main building.

  Ridley was nowhere to be found.

  But then he glimpsed the tail end of a familiar car, turning just out of the driveway and onto the main road back to town. It was Mrs. Larsen’s mint-green Plymouth. Ridley was slumped in the back seat, and when she noticed him, she ducked her head further.

  Footfalls came up quickly behind him. “What happened?” asked Leila.

  “I was too late,” said Theo, trying to catch his breath, just now realizing how fast he had run.