by Fiona Grace
They headed into the Arcade. The sound of bleeps and bells and electronic explosions split the air. The casino-style lights were even more dramatic inside. Groups of teenagers wandered through a forest of massive electronic consoles which cast a ghoulish light across their faces. Tandy was cheerful about the whole thing. After all, the air was thick with the scent of hot dogs and popcorn.
Sylvie walked up to the ticket booth where a young man with sleepy eyes was selling tickets.
“I’ll have a pizza package,” Sylvie said and handed him some cash.
The boy nodded and pushed a roll of tickets and a pile of tokens through the window.
“Really? You’re hungry right now?” Johnny said.
“I am always hungry,” Sylvie said.” Let’s go.”
They made their way down the carpeted aisles, searching the faces of the players, mostly boys, who were staring into their electronic tunnels and shooting at things. Up ahead were two young men wearing jeans and navy blue wind breakers with a giant “S” and the words “Big Blue” in white cursive displayed across their backs. Underneath the logo were the words “Giddy Up!”
“Billy Whitehead?” Sylvie said with one hand on her hip.
The two boys turned around and faced Sylvie.
“Who wants to know?” Billy Whitehead said.
“I heard you were good at playing games,” Sylvie said.
Billy glanced down at Sylvie’s pretty face and pixie-like figure.
“I’ll play any game you want, babe,” Billy said and nudged his buddy, Jeremy Whiner, who giggled manically. Then they both noticed Johnny Astor and Mia Bold with surprise.
“Are you the guys from Bell, Book, and Candle?” Jeremy said.
“That spook show?” Billy said with befuddled look on his face.
“That’s right,” Sylvie said. “They’re the stars. I’m behind the scenes. Look, boys, we’re doing a show about the haunted arcade. Management said you guys hang out here all the time and you know your way around the place. Is that true?”
Billy looked at Jeremy and puffed up his chest.
“Sure,” Billy said. “What do you want to know?”
“I’ve heard there’s a haunted game here,” Sylvie said.
“A haunted game?” Billy said and laughed. “What game is that?”
“Medieval Madness,” Sylvie said.
“You mean the old pinball game?” Jeremy said.
“That’s the one,” Sylvie said. “You catch on quick.”
“Nobody plays pinball anymore,” Billy said. “We play Daytona, T2, House of the Dead, and Afterburner, you know, modern games.”
“Do you want to see the haunted machine or not?” Sylvie said and headed for the line of pinball machines.
She walked over to a pinball machine lit up with deep purples and reds. On the back-glass was a medieval king with a crown, holding up a sword that turned into lightning. He was standing in front of a castle in flames with dragons, ogres, and trolls all around. On the playfield was a castle and sweeping silver bridges with graphic representations of Arthurian characters.
“This is the haunted machine?” Billy said.
“That’s what we’re here to find out,” Sylvie said. “Now if you’ll start playing, Mia here will take some electromagnetic readings.” She dug in her pocket and placed two tokens in the machine. The playfield started to tremble and shake with light. Trumpets blared and a cackling voice boomed out.
Mia followed Sylvie’s lead and took out her EMF reader and scanned the machine. Billy started to play the game, making the flippers propel the silver ball toward the castle. The machine blinked and shook. He was clearly not used to pinball and was clumsy and awkward.
“Oh dear,” Mia said in a concerned voice. “I’m getting some spikes.”
“Let me see what you got,” Johnny said, playing along. He looked over Mia’s shoulder, eyebrows knit together
“Look,” Mia said.
“That looks terrible,” Johnny said. “What does that mean?”
“What?” Jeremy said, concerned.
“There’s a strong electromagnetic field in this area. I think we have possible ectoplasm.”
“Ecto-what? Is it dangerous?” Billy said, flicking the flippers, distracted by Johnny and Mia.
“It means a ghost, Billy,” Sylvie said.
Both Billy and Jeremy stared at her in horror as the silver ball fell back into the trough. And the Game Over message lit up the back glass.
“A ghost?” Billy said and glanced at Jeremy.
“What kind of haunted stuff goes on with this machine?” Jeremy asked nervously.
“That’s what we’re going to find out,” Sylvie said and put more tokens into the machine. She took the controls, pulled the lever back and propelled the ball through the shooter lane. As the silver ball arced toward her flipper, Sylvie got a crazed look on her face like Clint Eastwood in a spaghetti western. She flipped the ball up lightly so that it balanced on the lever before whacking up through one of the castle gates at the top of the playfield. The whole machine seemed to blaze and rattle as the ball landed in Merlin’s pocket and rolled back. When Sylvie whacked the ball again, it shot straight through the gate and into the castle. Then the machine went crazy. The castle shook as mad laughter rose out of the cabinet. Then the castle broke apart. Lights blinked on and off.
“Holy crap!” Billy said, stepping back. “It is haunted!”
“Is it supposed to do that?” Jeremy said, looking worried.
“Billy Whitehead and Jeremy Whiner?” Detective Landry said, holding up his badge. “I need to speak to you.”
Mia was surprised to see him approach the teens so aggressively. She thought he’d planned to hang back. But Landry was crafty. Who knew what he was thinking.
The boys looked at Landry, then each other. It was clear he’d rattled then and for a moment it seemed like they were deciding whether they should run.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Johnny said and stepped in front of their escape route. Mia had never thought of Johnny as intimidating, but he was tall and in good shape.
Billy shrugged and they followed Landry outside with Mia, Johnny, Sylvie, and Tandy trailing behind.
Once they were in the parking lot, Billy and Jeremy faced Landry. They had their arms crossed as they stared at the ground.
“It seems you two broke into the Elmswood House,” Landry said.
The moment he uttered the words, the color drained from Billy’s face.
“That junky old teardown?” Billy said, clearly nervous. “Who says we broke in?”
“Your jacket does,” Landry said and pointed to the ripped sleeve of his Big Blue jacket. “You left a piece of it at Elmswood.”
That answered Mia’s question. Landry saw the tear and pretense became unnecessary. Why hadn’t she noticed it?
Billy unconsciously rubbed the torn spot on his sleeve. He looked as if he was about to be sick.
“We had nothing to do with that lady dying!” Jeremy Whiner said.
“Shut up, Whiner!” Billy said.
Landry seemed to coil within himself like a deadly snake about to pounce.
“So, you know about Cindy Moore?” he said.
“Everyone in Swampscott knows about it,” said Billy.
Landry leaned in closer with a menacing look on his face.
“Did you kill her?”
“Kill her? Are you nuts?” Billy’s eyes darted from Landry to his buddy.
“Then what happened?” Landry said.
Billy shuffled his feet uncomfortably. Then his shoulders slumped.
“We were just going there on a dare,” Billy said, looking at his feet. “We were going to break into the place. That lady chased us off a couple of times. So anyway, we were trying again when her car pulled up. She got out and started to look around, so we ran. She was alive when we left, I swear.”
Mia looked at the two boys. They were nervous and confused. Billy was watching Landry as
beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Jeremy had his hands thrust deep in his pockets and couldn’t meet Landry’s eyes. They seemed frightened, reckless, and stupid, but not murderers.
“Did you see anyone else with Cindy Moore that night?” Landry said.
“No, she was alone, but she looked like she was meeting someone. You know, she was dressed up, checking her phone,” Billy said.
“So you left. Then what happened?” Landry said.
Billy looked at Jeremy.
“We went to the beach and smoked a doobie,” Jeremy said.
“So you have no alibi,” Landry said.
“I guess not,” said Billy.
“All right, I want you to tell Detective Waite everything you just told me,” Landry said and took out his phone.
“Charlie? Landry here. There’s a pair of kids you need to talk to at the Salem Willows Arcade—Billy Whitehead and Jeremy Whiner. So you do know them? Well, they were at the Elmswood House the night of Cindy’s murder. That’s right. Sure, I’ll wait.” He turned to Mia. “ It’ll take him fifteen minutes to get here. I’ll call you once I know anything.”
“Thanks, Detective,” Mia said. What felt like a terrible weight lifted off her shoulders. At the very least, Detective Waite would find out more, maybe enough to take the heat off her.
***
As Mia drove back to Essex Street, she was relieved. The case felt like it was cracking. Maybe now, Detective Charlie Waite could focus on a pair of real suspects instead of her.
Sylvie was in the back seat playing with Tandy. Johnny looked over at Mia and smiled.
“Maybe this thing is over,” he said.
“I hope so, but—” Mia said.
“But what?” Johnny said.
“It’s kind of hard to imagine that either of those two dweebs killed Cindy Moore. “
“So you still think Mr. Fat Cat is somehow involved?”
“I think Cindy was dressed up to meet someone that night,” Mia said. “Until we figure out who that was we can’t be sure.”
At that moment, Johnny’s phone buzzed.
“This is Johnny Astor,” he said and held his hand over the receiver and silently mouthing Ollie Cooper. “Yes, I’m listening. Isn’t there any way to extend that deadline? Bummer. Okay, I’ll let Mia and Sylvie know.”
“What?” Sylvie said as Johnny hung up.
“Graham’s been trying to talk the cable executives down. They won’t budge about the deadline. If we don’t turn in this episode next week, our deal is over. Right now, it could go either way. Do you have an agent, Mia?”
“What do you mean? A theatrical agent?”
“Exactly, because if the show gets picked up, you’re going to need someone to represent you.”
What an interesting thought, Mia said to herself.
In fact, it gave her an idea.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Mia sat at the kitchen table, watching her phone nervously, waiting for a message from Detective Landry. Brynn had spent the night again. She was still annoyed at Jeffrey and it showed as she bustled and banged around the kitchen preparing one of Mia’s favorite breakfasts, banana pancakes. Mia couldn’t help being distracted as Brynn mashed overly ripe bananas and added a hint of cinnamon before pouring the batter into a sizzling pan.
A delicious smell filled the apartment as the pancakes cooked and Mia felt her stomach growl. Finally, Brynn flipped the steaming pancakes onto two plates and added a pad of melted butter and a drizzle of maple syrup to each. Then she slid the plates and two forks onto the table and took the chair opposite Mia.
“Why do you keep staring at that phone, Mimi?”
“Sorry,” Mia said and took a bite. The fluffy pancakes were dense, rich, and sweet. “You know, work stuff.”
Brynn picked up Rose and stroked her while taking a bite herself. Tandy lay under the table as they sipped coffee and savored their meal. Mia kept checking her phone every minute or so, trying to maintain a relaxed appearance so Brynn wouldn’t figure out she was in trouble. But she was anxious about the case and the important evidence they’d found concerning Cindy Moore’s murder. The fact that someone had come through the basement and left muddy footprints had led to two potential suspects being in custody. Billy Whitehead and Jeremy Whiner were not hardened criminals, but they were troublemakers. It was possible they killed Cindy by accident, and tried to cover it up.
I may have just solved the mystery, Mia thought. In fact, Detective Charlie Waite of the Swampscott PD was probably crossing her off his list of possible suspects right about now. Why hadn’t Landry texted her yet?
“What is going on with you, Mimi?” Brynn said between forkfuls. “You’re a million miles away!”
“I told you. Just work stuff,” Mia said.
“By ‘stuff’ do you mean your co-host, Johnny?”
Mia looked at her sister as if she had gone mad.
“Johnny? Good grief, I already told you, nothing is going on between us,”
“Are you sure?” Brynn said, stroking Rose’s silky white fur.
“Of course I’m sure!” Mia said. What she neglected to tell Brynn was that she wasn’t sure how she felt about Johnny. She had never been so mixed up over a man in her life.
Brynn looked at her with calm eyes. Nothing was going to convince her that Johnny and Mia weren’t brewing up some kind of chemistry.
“It’s been so good seeing you, Mimi,” she said, deciding to let Mia off the hook.
“I’ll miss you too,” Mia said and meant it. Having Brynn stay with her had been wonderful. “So, you’re leaving in the late afternoon?”
“Looks like it,” Brynn said.
“What are you going to do? About Jeffrey?”
“I don’t know yet,” she said thoughtfully. “I guess I better start packing.” Brynn took one last bite of the fluffy, crispy concoction and chased it with a final gulp of coffee, smiled, and added, “I cooked. You clean.” Then she picked up Rose and put her on the couch next to her suitcase. She started to carefully fold all of her coordinated pieces of clothing while the cat watched intently.
Mia stared at her messages intently. Then she checked her email. There was nothing from Landry. What was going on with him? Charlie Waite must know everything by now.
Mia was clearing the dishes when her phone rang with the Dragnet theme. Finally, Detective Landry. Awkward timing, but due to the fact he knew what was going on in Swampscott, she had to take the call.
“Hello, Clayton,” Mia said in a low voice, trying to disguise from Brynn the fact she was talking to a police officer.
“Let me guess. You’ve got company?” Landry said, startled by her unusual familiarity.
“Exactly,” Mia said, keeping an eye on Brynn as she carefully placed clothing into her roller-bag. Rose stuck close by, batting at the pile waiting to be folded with her tiny paws.
“Look, I’m calling to warn you. Billy Whitehead and Jeremy Whiner were just released from custody. Detective Waite interrogated them halfway through the night. In the end he had to let them go because once they canvassed the neighborhood, they discovered a woman saw them leaving the crime scene well before the time of death. Then we checked that against some sodas they bought and they’re in the clear.”
“What about the shoe prints?” Mia whispered. “What did Detective Waite think about them? Was he able to determine anything from them?”
There was an uncomfortable silence.
“Detective Waite found the evidence inconclusive, which brings us to why I’m calling you,” Landry said. Mia realized he sounded nervous.
“And why is that?” Mia said with a growing sense of dread building.
“Detective Waite is preparing a warrant for your arrest. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t listen,” Landry said in a reluctant voice. The words landed with a thud and Mia felt her head getting fuzzy.
Detective Waite was going to arrest her?
“What? Is he insane?” Mia barely choked the wor
ds out.
Brynn noticed Mia’s distress. She put the sweater down that she was folding and walked back to the kitchen. She leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed in a mother hen stance.
“What in the heck is going on Mimi?” Brynn whispered.
Mia looked up at her perfect sister with her carefully chosen outfit, matching jewelry, and shiny hair. She really wished she could spare her, but there was no way to keep the situation from Brynn any longer. She just hoped the fact that she was caught up in another murder investigation wouldn’t freak Brynn out too badly. Mia covered the phone and shook her head.
“I’m in trouble, Brynn,” Mia whispered.
On the phone Landry’s voice was heavy.
“Listen, Mia, you’ve got about twenty-four hours before the court approves that warrant,” he said. “I’ll do everything I can to stop this from happening, but I had to warn you.”
“Twenty-four hours?” Mia said nervously. That wasn’t much time.
“I’m afraid so,” Landry said. “Unless new information turns up soon, I can’t stop it.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” Mia said and hung up.
“What is going on, Mimi?” Brynn said, her expression pensive and deeply concerned.
“I’m going to be arrested,” Mia said.
“Arrested? What for?” Brynn’s voice had gone up an octave and was verging on panic.
“Murder,” Mia said, in a cold, resigned voice.
“Are you serious?” Brynn said in shock.
“I wish I could say this was a joke, but I can’t,” Mia said. “It’s a long story but I found a body at a creepy old mansion called the Elmswood House in Swampscott. I have no alibi for the night of the murder and now Detective Charlie Waite is going to arrest me.”
“You mean that real estate lady in the news?” Brynn said, horrified.
“Yes,” Mia said. “I found her.” Mia flashed on the horrible scene in her mind, Cindy’s bright pink skin, her pristine clothes, the smeared muddy footprints. She forced the thought from her mind. Right now, she needed to reassure her sister. “I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, Brynn. I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m sure it will be OK.”