by Ali McNamara
‘Oh … oh, right.’
‘Scarlett,’ Peter says, walking around to my side of the table. ‘Thank you so much for this fantastic lunch, but I really have to be going now.’
‘So soon?’ I say, standing up.
‘Yes, I’m afraid so. The business won’t run itself.’
‘Sure. Thank you so much for coming, Peter, and for all your help in getting the dragonfly back. We couldn’t have done it without you.’
‘It’s very beautiful,’ Peter says, admiring the brooch. ‘Much like its new owner. You two complement each other well.’
‘You charmer,’ I say, giving Peter a kiss on the cheek. ‘Thank you again, for everything. Meeting you has changed my life. You know that, don’t you? I don’t know what might have happened if you hadn’t thought I was choking in that Italian restaurant.’
‘Well, you know what we always say, Scarlett, don’t you?’
‘Everything happens for a reason,’ we chime in unison, grinning at each other.
‘I’ll be seeing you very soon, I expect!’ Peter calls, as he waves goodbye and heads for the door.
‘Scarlett, so sorry,’ Jamie says, appearing next to me now with Max. ‘But we’ve been called away on an urgent story. Gotta go!’
‘Really? That’s a shame, but thanks for coming anyway, guys, and for all your help again.’
‘No worries, it’s been a blast,’ Max says. ‘Who would have thought bumping into you while out doing vox pops would have turned into all this?’
‘Yes, indeed. I thought I’d return to the UK with a few souvenirs of NY, but I didn’t quite foresee a new brother being one of them.’
Jamie grins at me, and I give both him and Max a big hug.
‘Scarlett.’ It’s Dad now, and Eleanor. ‘Elle and I are going to leave you as well, if you don’t mind; we’ve got some catching-up to do. Old times, and all that.’
Dad and Eleanor exchange the kind of knowing look only old friends who understand each other well can share.
‘Sure, you two go and have fun,’ I say, feeling like a parent sending their child out on a first date. ‘You both deserve it.’
I watch them leave, and turn back to Oscar. ‘Looks like it’s just you and me, then. More sundae?’ I ask, in an attempt to keep at least one member of my party with me.
‘Actually, sweetie, I might already have had a bit too much,’ Oscar says, holding his stomach and pulling a face. ‘I think a little afternoon siesta is in order. I’ll catch you back at the hotel later, though, yes darling?’
Before I have time to respond, Oscar makes a dash for the door.
Great. I sink back down into my seat. Not only am I on my own, but I’ve been left with the bill, too. Some celebration.
One of the waiters comes over to me. ‘Your tab, ma’am,’ he says, holding out a silver tray.
‘Thanks,’ I say, taking the folded piece of paper from him. I hardly dare look at what it says as I open it up. But to my surprise, inside there is not a long list of food, drink and prices, but a typed note.
Are you suddenly finding yourself Home Alone?
Almost feeling Lost in New York? ‘Imagine’ what it
would be like to find a new friend to join your pack.
Follow the clues and you might do just that …
What on earth? I look up at the waiter. ‘What is this?’ I ask. ‘I thought you were bringing me my bill?’
‘I’m only doing as I was instructed, ma’am,’ he says. He glances down at the piece of paper. ‘What do you think it means? We’ve all been wondering.’
‘You mean, you looked at it before you brought it over to me?’ I ask disapprovingly.
He blushes. ‘Well, ma’am, the gentleman was very specific about exactly when we deliver the note, and we all wondered what it was.’
‘It makes no sense,’ I say, looking at it again.
‘Janet in the kitchen said it read like one of those cryptic crosswords, you know, the kind where you have to read between the lines?’ he suggests helpfully. ‘Try looking at it again.’
I reread the note. ‘Hmm … am I feeling Home Alone? Well, all my so-called friends and family have left me sitting all alone in your restaurant, so yes, I am a bit lonely. Almost feeling Lost in New York … no, I’m not lost. Wait a minute …’ I think about what I’ve just said; it sounds vaguely familiar. ‘Does it mean the movie Home Alone – Lost in New York? Could it be that, do you think?’
The waiter shrugs. ‘I don’t know, ma’am, what else does it say?’
I look down at the paper again. ‘“Imagine” finding a new friend to join your pack … What am I supposed to imagine about the Home Alone movie? That one was set in New York, in lots of places around the city … much of it in Central Park with the Pigeon Lady, but I don’t know where, exactly.’
‘Excuse me for interrupting,’ a lady sitting at the next table says. ‘But I couldn’t help overhearing. May I suggest something?’
‘Yes, yes, please do,’ I say gratefully, turning towards her.
‘What about Strawberry Fields in Central Park? There’s a memorial there to John Lennon, it’s got the word Imagine inscribed across the centre of it.’
I reread the clue again.
Are you suddenly finding yourself Home Alone?
Almost feeling Lost in New York? ‘Imagine’ what it
would be like to find a new friend to join your pack.
Follow the clues and you might do just that …
I almost go over and hug her. ‘Yes, I think you could be right; it makes sense. That has to be it. Thank you, thank you so much!’
‘My pleasure,’ she says. ‘How exciting to be involved in a real-life treasure hunt.’
Is that what this is, I wonder as I stand up to leave. ‘Oh – I still need to pay you,’ I say to the waiter.
‘No need, ma’am, it’s all been settled.’
‘By the same man that left the note?’ I ask.
He nods.
‘Thank you, then.’
‘I just need to give you one more thing.’ He produces a small silver key from the pocket of his apron.
‘What’s this for?’ I ask, looking at the key.
‘Again, I don’t know. Just my instructions to give you the key when you’d worked out the clue. Good luck, miss,’ he calls as I thank him again and leave the restaurant. ‘Let us know if you find the treasure!’
Luckily, Serendipity 3 is only a few blocks from the edge of Central Park, so it doesn’t take me too long to get over there and find my way to Strawberry Fields, wondering all the time just what’s going on as I clutch the piece of paper with the ‘clue’ on it tightly in my hand. I have a strange feeling this is something to do with Sean, but why would he be writing me a clue to get me to come to Central Park?
I arrive at the quiet area of the park dedicated to the memory of John Lennon, and find the central grey and white mosaic with the title from the late Beatle’s most iconic song etched across the centre. There are a few tourists about, laying flowers on the mosaic, saying prayers and taking photos. But what is it I am supposed to find here? I look at the paper again.
Are you suddenly finding yourself Home Alone?
Almost feeling Lost in New York? ‘Imagine’ what it
would be like to find a new friend to join your pack.
Follow the clues and you might do just that …
A new friend to join my pack? I look around me and notice, sitting on a bench away from everyone else, a man. He’s wearing jeans, a white t-shirt, dark sunglasses and a baseball cap pulled down over his face. He casually raises his hand and waves quickly at me.
Oh boy, do I go over? It’s against everything you’re taught, approaching strangers in Central Park, but he looks harmless enough.
I walk over to the bench and sit down a little way away from him.
‘Didn’t your mom ever teach you not to talk to strangers?’ a familiar voice says from under the cap.
I look hard at him from
across the bench. It wasn’t, was it?
‘Care to join my Wolf Pack?’ Bradley Cooper says, grinning at me.
‘But what are you doing here?’ I ask in amazement. ‘I thought …’
‘You thought what?’ Bradley asks.
‘No, no matter,’ I reply, shaking my head. Maybe it wasn’t Sean, after all.
‘I did say if you ever needed anything while you were here in New York, remember …’ He smiles. ‘So I have a gift for you.’ Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a key. Attached to the key is another note. ‘Here.’ He slides it across the bench, then slides himself along next to it.
I try not to think too much about how he’s actually here with me right now, or how good he smells as he sits this close. ‘Why the keys?’ I ask.
‘I don’t know,’ Bradley says. ‘Just read the note.’
I open up the note; it’s in the same italic print as before. I read it out loud:
Prickly and not heavy at all, even though a lot of breakfast is eaten outside.
‘What the hell does that mean?’ Bradley asks. ‘I’ve been wondering that since I got it.’
‘I know exactly what it means,’ I grin. ‘It’s Tiffany’s, isn’t it?’
‘How did you get that to equate to Tiffany’s?’
‘Prickly and not heavy at all is Holly Golightly – Audrey Hepburn’s role in the movie, and then the iconic scene at the very beginning where she eats her breakfast outside.’
Bradley shakes his head. ‘You English folk sure have one strange sense of humour.’
‘So it was someone English that gave you this clue, then?’ I ask, pricking up my ears.
‘That,’ Bradley says, pulling his cap back down over his eyes, ‘I am not at liberty to tell you.’
‘Do you want to come to Tiffany’s with me?’ I ask, thinking he’ll say no.
‘Are you kidding?’ Bradley sits up again. ‘Of course! This is the most fun I’ve had in ages. I wanna see what’s going to happen next!’
Thirty-six
We arrive at Tiffany’s, and immediately I spot Max waiting outside on the sidewalk.
‘Max,’ I call. ‘Are you my clue, by any chance?’
Max waves us over. ‘I was supposed to wait inside, but it’s not really my sort of place, Tiffany’s. Who’s your friend?’
‘Max, meet clue number one, clue number one, meet Max.’
Bradley lifts up his hat for a moment, and Max nearly melts into the sidewalk.
‘But you’re Bradley—’ he begins before we hush him.
‘Sorry,’ he says lowering his voice. ‘You’re Bradley Cooper.’
‘So I’ve been told,’ Bradley says. ‘Good to meet you, Max.’ He holds out his hand for Max to shake, and Max takes it like it’s royalty.
‘But how come you’re here?’ Max gasps, still looking with awe up at Bradley.
‘Let’s just say I owed Scarlett a favour, so when I got the call I couldn’t refuse.’
Max is about to ask him something else when I interrupt.
‘When you two have quite finished … Max, do you have another clue for me?’
‘Yep.’ Max reaches into his pocket and pulls out yet another key with a note attached.
‘Does anyone know what the significance of the keys is?’ I ask.
They both shrug. ‘No idea,’ Max says. ‘So we didn’t lose the clues, maybe?’
‘What’s this one say?’ Bradley asks eagerly.
I open up the note and read.
Better get your skates on, Scarlett, or you’ll miss this happy coincidence.
Max and Bradley look blankly at each other.
‘This is too easy,’ I say laughing. ‘It’s the Wollman Rink from Serendipity.’
‘You mean, we’ve got to go back to Central Park?’ Bradley whines. ‘We’ve only just come from there!’
‘Oh, stop moaning,’ I joke as I set off back in the direction we’ve just come from. ‘What do you want, a chauffeur-driven limo to take you there?’
‘Could you get us one of those, Brad?’ Max asks as he hurries along behind us. ‘It would be kinda cool.’
We arrive at the Wollman Rink and I look around for my next clue-bearer, but I don’t immediately see anyone familiar at all. Then I see a single glove lying on a nearby bench, so I dash over and pick it up.
‘I knew you’d see that,’ Jamie says, appearing from behind a tree. ‘Just like in the movie, eh? That little touch was my idea.’
‘You’re involved in this too?’ I ask him. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Can’t say,’ he says mysteriously. ‘But look inside the glove.’
I open up the glove and there inside is another key and a clue.
Use all your spirit to get here, but don’t bust anything because you may find all the city girls have left the building single.
I think about this for a moment. ‘Hmm …’
‘Hey, aren’t you—’ Jamie says, suddenly noticing Bradley standing next to Max.
‘Yes he is,’ I say quickly. ‘No time to explain now. What does this mean, do you think? The words “spirit” and “bust” are highlighted, to begin with.’
‘Spirit could mean alcohol, like in whiskey,’ Max suggests.
‘Or spirit as in ghost?’ Jamie says.
‘Ghostbusters!’ Bradley shouts, then quickly lowers his voice. ‘I mean, Ghostbusters. Spirit as in ghost, added to the bust part.’
‘Yes, I think you’re right there,’ I agree. ‘But what about the rest? All the city girls have left the building single? What building?’
‘What building is in Ghostbusters?’ Max asks, thinking out loud.
‘Er … lots,’ Jamie says. ‘At the beginning of the movie, the New York Public Library is haunted, and then—’
‘Wait, that’s it!’ I shout excitedly. ‘The New York Public Library is where Big jilts Carrie in the Sex and the City movie, Oscar told me. It makes sense – All the city girls have left the building single. Come on!’
As we dash back down Fifth Avenue, I’m a hundred per cent sure it will be Oscar who’s waiting for me with the next clue. The venue of Carrie Bradshaw’s wedding … it has to be! But as we run up the steps and in through the front doors, I see Peter waiting at the foot of one of the great long marble staircases.
He nods calmly at us as we all career towards him.
‘Scarlett, Jamie, Max, Bradley,’ he says, acknowledging us all; and he doesn’t seem in the least bit surprised to see Bradley.
‘Peter, you too?’ I ask him.
‘Yes, Scarlett, me too,’ he smiles. ‘Is this what you’re looking for?’ He dangles yet another key in my face. I’m getting quite a collection in my pocket now.
‘Yes please.’ I take the key from him and read the attached clue.
Chopsticks with his feet – is there anything this man can’t do? He could probably go to infinity with his talents …
A stony silence fills the space between the five of us as we all try and figure out the latest riddle.
‘Chopsticks …’ Bradley ponders. ‘Chinese?’
‘Nah,’ Max says. ‘Too easy, and how would you use them with your feet, anyway?’
‘Infinity … go to infinity …’ Jamie repeats. ‘There’s something about that that rings a bell.’
‘Sounds like Buzz Lightyear,’ I laugh. ‘Who played Buzz? No, that was just Tim Allen.’
‘But Tom Hanks played Woody,’ Peter says. ‘If that helps?’
‘Tom Hanks, hmm … think about Tom Hanks movies, everyone.’
We all stand in the New York Public Library foyer thinking hard about Tom Hanks, and then almost in unison shout, ‘Big!’
‘Yes,’ I say joyfully. ‘He played chopsticks with his feet on the Big Piano in FAO Schwarz. Looks like we’re off again, folks!’
Along Fifth we go again, my posse of cohorts getting ever larger now. Blimey, if I could pick up followers this quickly on Twitter, I’d be laughing, I half think to myself as we make our way toge
ther.
Into FAO Schwarz we bundle up the escalator to the first floor, where we find the ‘Big’ piano in full swing, with none other than Oscar himself dancing away on it.
‘Oscar,’ I call. ‘It’s me.’
‘Ah, you’re here at last,’ Oscar says, still continuing with his dancing, his brow furrowed, deep in concentration. ‘I won’t keep you a minute, darling, but I’ve been waiting ages for my turn on this.’
We all stand impatiently while Oscar finishes his own colourful rendition of Chopsticks, then he takes a great, florid bow at the end before leaping energetically off the piano.
‘Quite the band of merry men you’ve gathered around you, eh, darling?’ he says, looking admiringly at my fellow treasure-hunters all eagerly awaiting their next clue. ‘I say,’ he croons as his eyes rest on Bradley. ‘You certainly don’t mess about. We meet again, Mr Cooper.’
‘The clue, Oscar, the clue?’ I demand, wondering how many more of them there can be.
‘Here you are,’ Oscar says, pulling the key from a small satchel with a flourish. ‘Good one, this.’
‘You’ve looked?’ I ask, as I open up the clue.
‘Did you expect anything less of me, sweetie?’ Oscar says with his hands on his hips.
‘What does it say?’ Bradley asks.
I glance at him; I think he’s enjoying this more than any of us.
I’ll have what she’s having.
‘When Harry Met Sally!’ we all shout.
‘The diner,’ I say. ‘The diner where Meg fakes it. Does anyone know where that is?’
‘I do!’ Max shouts, his hand in the air in a ‘pick me’ fashion. We’re all so wound up, we’re like excited schoolchildren.
‘Well lead the way then, good sir!’ I grin, as we all follow Max down the escalator, out of the store and back down Fifth Avenue again.
‘I wish the person that put these clues together had put them in an order where we didn’t have to keep passing the same places,’ Bradley grumbles as we go by Tiffany’s again, and then the New York Public Library, trying to hail cabs as we go.