Lost In Time

by W M Wiltshire

  “Come on,” Daric yelled to be heard above the noise, as he dragged his sister through the crowd packed on the Promenade Deck.

  38: Sunday, March 14, 1937

  After leaving the hotel early in the morning, G.P. and Amelia drove through a light drizzle to the Oakland Airport administration building to get the latest weather forecast from Bill Miller. It was plain to see from the color of the sky that the weather did not look favourable.

  “Sorry to have to tell you this, folks, but, the Shoshone is reporting brisk headwinds for 1,500 miles en route to Honolulu and crosswinds from the north the rest of the way,” Bill Miller reported glumly.

  “That’s not good,” G.P. said.

  “No, it’s not,” Amelia concurred.

  “On a more positive note, I also received a message from the Coast Guard in Honolulu. They said they have completed all three runways on Howland Island,” Bill said.

  “That’s fantastic. It gives us more options for landing, depending on speed and wind direction,” Amelia said. “Bill, could you send a cable, on my behalf, thanking the Coast Guard and the Shoshone for their generous cooperation?”

  “I’ll get right on it.” Bill left for the communications office to get Amelia’s cable out.

  “We’ll have to tell the press outside we’re delaying the flight until tomorrow,” G.P. said disappointedly.

  “I’ll go speak to them,” Amelia offered, leaving the office.

  Amelia met with the press outside the administration building. She informed them of the delay and apologized for causing them to come all the way out here and not get the story they wanted: the start of her world flight.

  “Miss Earhart, are you disappointed with the delay?” a reporter asked.

  Amelia thought seriously for a moment before answering. “I’m anxious to get started, but I’m too old a hand at this game to be impatient over necessary delays.”

  After answering a few more questions, Amelia met G.P. and returned to the hotel. There was nothing they could do now but wait to see what tomorrow brought.

  Back at the hotel, Amelia rested while G.P. made a few telephone calls.

  I hope the strong winds don’t make too rough a crossing for Dani, Daric and Terry, Amelia thought.

  39: Monday, March 15, 1937

  The seas had been rough all night and today wasn’t much better. Poor Terry had spent the entire trip, so far, in her cabin, seasick. Even though it was the widest ship on the seas, modern-day stabilizers were still a thing of the future. What made it even worse was that Paul had booked them on one of the cheapest fares, E-Deck, in Tourist Class; as a result, they didn’t have private bathrooms.

  The S.S. Malolo accommodated four-hundred-fifty-seven First Class and one-hundred-sixty-three Tourist Class passengers in ultimate style and comfort. While not a large ship, she was spacious. Public rooms in both classes were elegant; their walls were lined with fine timbers complemented by subdued colors and luxurious furnishings. The S.S. Malolo was one of the first liners to have an indoor swimming pool, which had become a popular feature of the ship. The liner also offered hula classes on deck, open-air buffets, and a carefree Polynesian lifestyle.

  Dani and Terry shared a cabin; Daric’s was right next door. Furnishings in the rooms were simple but adequate: two twin beds, a dressing table with a mirror, and a padded wooden chair. The only source of natural light was a small porthole.

  The ship had an automatic ventilation system. The system had powerful air blowers that drew in and distributed fresh air throughout all public rooms and staterooms below. All the air in the ship was replaced every three minutes.

  Dani and Daric felt badly for Terry. They didn’t like to see her seasick and confined to her cabin; it was no way to enjoy the trip to Honolulu. At the same time, however, they recognized that Terry’s condition made it easier for them to talk privately. And Daric wanted to talk. He had a burning desire to find out whether the man he had met in the hangar and the man Dani had seen boarding the ship were one and the same person. He firmly believed they were.

  While Terry tried to get some rest, Dani and Daric got together in Daric’s cabin next door. It was Daric who spoke first. “If this were back home, we’d never get access to the passenger list on a ship. Here, they provide it freely to every passenger,” Daric observed as he scanned the list for one name in particular.

  “The thinking was that if you knew who was on the voyage with you, it would encourage social interaction and create a family-like environment,” Dani volunteered.

  “You’re just a fountain of information, aren’t you?” Daric muttered absent-mindedly.

  “Here he is!” Daric cried excitedly. “Rick Barak Case. That’s him. That’s the same name he gave me in Burbank. It has to be the same guy.”

  “We’ve been on board for over a day and I haven’t seen him anywhere,” Daric continued. “Have you seen him since we left San Francisco?”

  “No, but he may be in First Class. You know how they hate us lower-class passengers mingling with the upper crust. But we could try wandering around the Promenade Deck and some of the common areas over the next few days to see if we can spot him,” Dani suggested.

  “I need to get some answers,” Daric said stubbornly. “Like when he left Burbank, and when he got to Oakland, and whether that was him in the Navy hangar and, if it was, why?”

  “Let’s take this one step at a time. If he’s that shifty, he could be dangerous,” Dani cautioned.

  “If he’s up to something, and it affects Amelia, we have to find out . . . and soon. We don’t know how long we’ll be in this time period. Dad could pull us home at any moment, without warning,” Daric said resolutely.

  “Wait, you said he’s a smoker, didn’t you?” Dani had just got a great idea. “So, let’s go check out the Smoking Room.”

  40

  The morning’s routine was the same as it had been yesterday. G.P. and Amelia left the hotel early for Bill Miller’s office to get the latest weather report. This morning, however, the reporters had caught them outside their hotel.

  “Is today the day, Miss Earhart?” one reporter asked.

  “We’re ready to go,” G.P. interjected. “All that remains to be done is to arrange for some lunch and fill the Thermos bottles.”

  “Pilots often say it’s better to be on the ground wishing you could be flying, than in the air, flying but wishing you were on the ground,” Amelia said jauntily. “We’re heading to the airport now to check on the latest weather report. That will tell us whether we’ll be going today.”

  When G.P. and Amelia arrived at Bill Miller’s office, Harry and Paul were already there.

  “I talked with Pan American Airways this morning,” Bill said. “They said the weather has changed little since yesterday. Their regular Hawaii Clipper flight had to return to Alameda due to strong headwinds.”

  “If their regular flight was recalled, that would mean the Sikorsky Clipper will be grounded, too,” G.P. rationalized.

  “Which also means Pan American Airways will now have two Clippers heading to Hawaii, both having to leave before us, when we’re finally able to get going,” Amelia complained.

  “So, I guess we sit tight for another day and try again tomorrow,” Paul concluded.

  “I hate these delays,” Harry mumbled.

  The others, while not vocalizing their disappointment, had to agree with Harry.

  41

  The Smoking Room was a traditional-style lounge, but with a British feel. The walls were clad in beautiful timber; the wall at the far end was adorned with an elegant fireplace with a clock poised on the mantle above. The room featured a central domed ceiling with a timber feature and grand pillars dividing the room into sections. The furnishings were more casual than those in the First-Class lounge; sofas and lounge chairs with light-colored-floral-patterned upho
lstery, tables with checkered tablecloths, and quaint timber chairs. Light fixtures hung along all the walls, complemented by lights along the ceiling’s perimeter.

  Case was sitting by himself, partially obscured by one of the palms scattered throughout the Smoking Room. He had no desire to socialize with his fellow passengers. He just wanted to remain inconspicuous and get to Honolulu to finish his assignment. He pulled a cigarette from its pack and, snapping his thumbnail across the head of a wooden match, ignited the match before proceeding to light the cigarette. He took a deep drag. He exhaled slowly, luxuriating in the intoxication of his smoke.

  Dani and Daric got into the Fore express elevator at E-Deck. They were going up to A-Deck, which was devoted exclusively to public rooms. It boasted a succession of grand galleries leading from the Library through the Lounge and the Smoking Room to the Veranda Café. Arriving at A-Deck, Dani and Daric exited the elevator and made their way aft, through the galleries toward the Smoking Room.

  “How are we going to approach him without spooking him first, if we see him at all, that is?” Daric asked uncertainly. Now that he was this close to possibly confronting the man who kept popping up unexpectedly, Daric wasn’t at all sure what to do.

  “Let’s just wait and see if he’s here. He may not even remember you,” Dani offered.

  Case could see the two young people heading his way. He immediately recognized them. One had been in the Cadillac that he’d tried to run off the road. The other was the pest that kept turning up in the hangars.

  Daric held the door open for his sister as they entered the haze-filled room.

  Case couldn’t afford to be seen by them. He snuffed out his cigarette in the ashtray and hastily departed through the door at the other end of the lounge.

  “Dani, that’s him,” Daric whispered.

  “Let’s go.” Dani started toward the back of the Smoking Room, passing the spot where Case had been enjoying his cigarette.

  “There’s that odor again,” Daric said. “I smell that every time he’s around. Must be the brand he’s smoking. If nothing else, it proves to me that it’s been the same guy in the two places I’ve run into him previously. But I still don’t know what he’s up to.”

  “Well, he sure must have recognized you, cause he just high-tailed it outta here and disappeared down the back stairs. We’ll never catch him now.” Dani sighed.

  “We still have a couple of days. Let’s keep looking. He may turn up again,” Daric offered.

  “Okay. Let’s go back and check on Terry,” Dani proposed as they left the room the way they had entered. “I think she’s feeling better. She said she might even join us for dinner tonight.”

  Case had been hiding in the aft stairwell, waiting for them to leave. That was too close, he thought.

  I’d better stay out of sight for the rest of the voyage. I don’t want to run into them again, he concluded. He made his way down to the deck below and disappeared into his stateroom.

  42: Tuesday, March 16, 1937

  As he stared out the cabin’s porthole, Daric was determined to find Case before the ship docked in Honolulu the next evening. After that, Case would leave the ship and would be impossible to find, like trying to find a diamond in a bucket of ice cubes. As long as he was onboard the S.S. Malolo, Case was trapped, and Daric strongly believed it was only a matter of time before their paths would cross again.

  Dani had left the cabin a few minutes earlier with Terry. She was going to show Terry the ship, since Terry had spent most of the voyage, so far, in her cabin; she had been out for only a couple of hours last night for dinner.

  Daric had told his sister he was going to go up to the Promenade Deck to enjoy the fresh tropical breezes and to take in a few rays of sun. In fact, he had no intention of going there. He had quite a different plan in mind, one he had kept to himself. He was sure Dani would have objected strongly if she had known about it

  Daric opened his cabin door and checked the hallway to make sure Dani and Terry were gone. He knew they had been planning to head toward the bow to take the Fore elevator to A-Deck. He made his way toward the stern where, instead of taking the elevator, he took the stairs. His plan was to stop at every deck to check the halls. He would eventually make his way up to A-Deck and the Smoking Room, where they had first found Case. This time Daric would be blocking the back exit.

  Daric had checked all the decks and, so far, he had found nothing. He thought it quite strange that he hadn’t seen or passed anyone else using the stairs. He guessed that everyone was enjoying the express elevators: they certainly made getting around the ship much easier and faster.

  As Daric rounded the last corner to the final flight of stairs to A-Deck, he smelt something. It was a faint odor . . . and it registered just a fraction of a second too late.

  43

  When G.P. and Amelia arrived at Bill Miller’s office in the morning, it was under rain-laden cloud-filled skies.

  “The meteorologist is predicting that the rain showers will lessen and that the weather en route to Honolulu will become more favorable over the next twenty-four hours,” Bill told them. Harry was already in Bill’s office, when G.P. and Amelia arrived.

  “I also just got off the telephone with Pan American Airways and they informed me they were delaying their two Clipper flights for another day. They hope to reschedule both flights for tomorrow afternoon,” Bill explained.

  Paul came into the office and caught the tail end of Bill’s message.

  “I was just out inspecting the runways, and another day would allow them to dry out some more. If the weather forecast is correct, and the rain stops, it would allow us to take off without any problems,” Paul said confidently.

  “Okay. Let’s say we reschedule for tomorrow. We want to land in Honolulu just after dawn. With no headwind, our flight time should be about sixteen hours,” Harry said. “If we leave here at 5:00 P.M., we would be in Honolulu at 9:00 A.M. Taking into account the two-and-a-half-hour time difference, that would make it 6:30 A.M. Honolulu time, just after sunrise.”

  “So, let’s plan on leaving here around 5:00 P.M.,” Amelia said. “We’ll need to touch base with Pan American to make sure their flights have departed before 4:30 P.M. at the latest.”

  “I’m on it,” Bill said eagerly.

  Everyone could feel the excitement in the room. The adventure was about to begin, finally. And the weather was, at last, going to cooperate for them.

  “Bill, can you also contact the Coast Guard and ask them to notify the team that with the improving weather conditions, we will be making our departure from Oakland on March 17th?” Amelia asked.

  Back at the Oakland Airport Inn, Amelia held a press conference.

  “The weather conditions are predicted to steadily improve over the next twenty-four hours and also en route to Honolulu. We are delaying our departure until tomorrow afternoon at 5:00 P.M. This delay will also give the runway extra time to dry out and, we believe, it will then be able to handle our heavy takeoff load.”

  44

  That damn kid, Case thought. He had heard someone coming up the stairs and had spotted Daric two flights below; he realized he wouldn’t get past the kid this time. And he couldn’t retreat to A-Deck, where, a few minutes before, he had seen the kid’s sister with a friend. They had been heading toward the Smoking Room, forcing him to head down the back stairs, as he had done the last time. He never dreamt he’d get caught in a squeeze. Now, he was out of options.

  Timing was everything. Case couldn’t risk being seen. He looked up the last few stairs to the A-Deck entrance; no one was there. Here goes. He committed himself; there was no turning back now.

  Case reached under his jacket and pulled out his M1911 single-action, semi-automatic, 45-caliber handgun. Flipping his grip to the barrel, he swung his arm out around the blind corner, with deadly force.

  Th
e gun butt caught Daric on the side of the head, flipping him backwards and tumbling down the flight of stairs he had just ascended. He came to rest, motionless, in a heap on the B-Deck landing.

  Case made his way down to see whether his attack had produced the results he had hoped for. That would be one problem taken care of, he thought. As he bent down to check Daric’s pulse, he heard voices coming down the stairs from A-Deck. He quickly abandoned his efforts and fled down two flights and exited onto D-Deck. He could hear someone shouting for help as the sound echoed down the stairwell.

  Case sped up his pace toward the Fore elevator, but not too quickly; he didn’t want to draw any attention to himself. He took the elevator back up to B-Deck and back to the security of his stateroom.

  Case would have to catch some ship gossip later to discover the kid’s condition. Thank God he would be able to get off this confining ship tomorrow.

  45

  Dani and Terry had returned to their cabin over an hour ago. They had expected to catch up with Daric on the Promenade Deck, but he had been nowhere to be found. So, they had returned to E-Deck to check his cabin. They had knocked on his door. There was no answer.

  “It’s almost time for dinner and Daric never misses a good meal,” Dani grumbled. “And he still has to get cleaned up and changed before we can go to the dining room.” A gentle knock came at the door. “It’s about time. We’re going to be late for dinner,” she finished, as she pulled open the door. Standing there was the ship’s third mate.

  “Miss Dani Delaney?” he asked softly.

  “Yes,” Dani replied, hesitantly to the young man in uniform at her doorway.

  “There’s been an accident, miss. Will you come with me?”