by Tonya Kappes
The ball bounced here, there and everywhere. There was no doubt in my mind that the little ghost boy had come into The Gathering Grove and taken the ball. Out of thin air, it was gone. The ball was no longer in my sight.
“Dang.” I ran my hand through my hair, my eyes darted back and forth taking another look.
“June?” The high voice of Ophelia Biblio caught my attention when she said my name. Her curly honey colored hair cascaded down her back, giving me hair envy.
She stood on the steps of Ever After Books with winter garland in her hands that she twisted around the wrought iron railing on each side leading up to the bookstore. On each step, there was a three-foot tall nutcracker. Instead of them holding a rifle, they were all holding holiday-themed books. My favorite was a Buckingham Palace Royal Guard holding Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol”.
“Are you okay? I mean. . .” She gave a sympathetic smile. The khaki awing with Ever After Books written in purple flapped from the wind above her head. The khaki color reminded me of Paul Levy’s pants and Ophelia reminded me of Colton.
“No.” I shook my head and looked down at my cloak, wishing I had put on a different outfit. I was so eager to get out of the house to see Petunia, I had thrown on an old pair of jeans and black sweater with snow boots.
Ophelia had on a pair of skinny jeans tucked into a pair of knee-high low heel brown boots. Her red plaid waist length coat was form fitted to her figure by a matching tie around her waist.
“Why don’t you come on in and let’s talk.” She set the garland in her hand down on the step and held her hand out to me.
“I do have plenty of time.” I smiled and reached out, taking my friend’s hand. “And I could use a girlfriend’s ear.”
“You know you have mine.” We slowly walked up each step.
“You have really outdone yourself this year,” I said, looking over her head. She was only five-five to my five-eight.
Ever After Books was one of the most popular shops in Whispering Falls. She catered to tourists of all ages. The bookstore even hosted book clubs from surrounding towns or just girlfriend get-togethers. Of course she had food that was catered from The Gathering Grove and Wicked Good.
“What is this?” I asked when I saw the note taped to the door that read CLOSED. It was the middle of the day and the day before the bazaar.
She put her hand on the door knob of the shop, before turning it, she said, “I’m so light on inventory, I had to put in a book order, so I decided to take the day to get the shop ready for the bazaar.”
We stepped inside the shop and immediately I ducked to miss a flying book that grazed my shoulder. I was still not used to flying books no matter how magical the shop. Books swirled, dipped, and dove throughout the colorful shop. Each of them had their own colorful wings, creating a rainbow of colors throughout the shop. There was a lamppost at the beginning of each aisle that gave a spotlight to the bookshelves that were filled with books.
Big comfy couches with large fluffy pillows and baskets of snuggly blankets in all sorts of bright colors were in each corner of the shop, allowing the customers to sit and hang out and enjoy Ever After Books as long as they wished.
I followed her to the counter, making sure to keep an eye out for the flying books.
“Hear ye, hear ye,” Faith Mortimer’s voice swept across the airwaves as she delivered the Whispering Falls Gazette. “We are excited to announce the traveling carnival will be here tomorrow to bring jugglers, carolers, carnival foods, balloon artists, and many more fun carnival acts to the bazaar. This ad was brought to you by Glorybee Pet Shop. Be sure to stop by for all your pet care needs and send your customers to Glorybee for a 5% discount during the bazaar.” “Jingle Bells” played into the air giving Faith a little time between headlines.
“That’s new.” Ophelia tapped her toe to the music.
I agreed, but what was more exciting, I was happy to hear Faith’s news. This meant Petunia had listened to me and somehow gotten the carnival to still come. Who did she talk to? Obviously it wasn’t Paul Levy.
“The Whispering Falls police department would like you to come forward if you had any contact or had even seen Paul Levy the day leading up to his murder. There is very little evidence of Mr. Levy’s whereabouts and the police need your help. Please see Colton Lance if you saw Mr. Levy or had any sort of interactions with him during his brief time in the village. This was brought to you by the village council where they are keeping us safe and sound in our little magical town.” Faith giggled before she signed off. “Happy holiday bazaar! Let’s get our magic on!”
“That is why I’m not okay,” I groaned and plopped down on one of the couches. Ophelia stayed behind the counter. She’d grab a book as it flew past her, log it and let go. The book went to the shelf it was supposed to go to.
Faith’s message put my intuition on high alert. Even with Paul’s death, evil still lurked in our village. I could feel the tug on my gut. When Faith said the carnival was still coming, I instantly felt dizzy. The evil was still barreling our way and it had to do with the carnival. It was more important than ever to get to Azarcabam and figure out what Paul Levy was doing in Whispering Falls.
“Colton did say that it didn’t look good. But we know you.” She looked up. “We know that you couldn’t hurt a fly.”
“Thanks, but Colton was right. The evidence points to me.” I looked off in the distance. Two books were fighting for a prime spot on the front shelf.
“Stop it!” Ophelia clapped her hands together. I jumped. “You are books one and two in that series. Work it out!”
The books twirled around each other again before they finally took spots on the shelf.
“Watch out!” Ophelia blurted out in a half-giggle when a book in the shape of a ball whipped through the air. I ducked just in time for it to hit the back of the couch and land on the cushion next to me.
“That must be meant for you.” She chuckled at my near-beheading book fiasco.
My heart beat so fast, I put my hand up to my chest to keep it from beating out, and with the other I reached over and grabbed the book. It wasn’t a ball, it was in the shape of a globe.
“I’m not so sure it’s for me.” I pushed it to the side. “Why on earth do I need a globe book?”
“I don’t know, but my books have a way of picking out their owners. So humor me and take it.” She grinned.
“Fine.” I stuck the book in my bag. “Your books are kinda crazy.”
“They get so competitive.” She shook her head and went back to logging the books flying around her. “Anyway, back to you and your little situation with Paul. Let Colton do his job. Other people had to see Paul Levy besides you and Petunia.”
“Petunia?” I asked being nosy.
“Of course. She is the village president who called the meeting. He somehow had to see her. I told Colton there was more to the story than Paul Levy wanting to come to the bazaar. If that was the case and he was in charge of the carnival, they book months in advance, not days.” She lifted her head. Her eyebrow cocked.
“Thank you!” I jumped up. “I’ve got to go.”
“But. . .” Ophelia sputtered behind me. I didn’t wait around to hear her finish that thought. There was no time to waste. There was no reason I couldn’t try to summon the train immediately.
I ran down the steps of Ever After Books and took a left on the sidewalk toward Glorybee.
The pet store was probably a close second to Ever After. People loved books and animals. The store was busy with people feeding the animals in the tree.
“Squawk! Hi, June! Squawk.” Clyde, the macaw, flapped past me landing on the tree branch next to Mr. Prince Charming.
Mewl, mewl. Mr. Prince Charming greeted me.
“June,” Petunia greeted me with a very disciplined tone.
“Listen,” I bent over and whispered, “I don’t have time. I’ve got to get to the train right now.”
“Now?” She grabbed me by
the arm and dragged me behind the tree. “What do you mean now? I thought we said midnight when no one will see us.”
“I understand that you have a lot to lose, but I do too and this investigation is going nowhere. If I don’t hurry up, then Eloise, me and you are going to go to spiritual prison and that is not going to happen if I can help it.”
“I don’t know.” Nervously she put her fingertips in her messy hair. “I just don’t know if I can give you a pardon.”
“Do you want to get divorced?” I threatened. “Do you want Orin to grow up without a mother?”
“June.” Her face contorted. “Are you threatening me?”
“I’m not only threatening you, I’m threatening the village president.” I knew it was a bold move, but something had to be done.
Mac was already on his way to see Eloise and I couldn’t have her arrested. Colton was going to start looking into Petunia and not to mention anyone else coming forward that had seen Paul and Petunia together.
“Did you not hear the news?” I asked her.
“I don’t subscribe anymore because if I’m sleeping, which is rare, then I don’t want to be woken.” Petunia crossed her arms. “Why?”
“Did you approve any sort of announcement for the Gazette?” I clearly remember hearing Faith say it was sponsored by the village council.
“I don’t know.” She brought her hand to her mouth. “Oh my God! Gerald had me sign a piece of paper, but I didn’t read it because I was so tired.”
“Well, you approved an ad for the Gazette asking anyone who saw Paul while he was here in Whispering Falls to come forward with any information or anyone they saw him interact with.” I pointed to her. “I saw you two interacting in front of my shop when he left with his potion. I could easily say that you saw him in my shop and framed me. Or I can go to Azarcabam and try to find some answers to help us all.”
“Fine,” she grumbled and stuck her hand inside the cloak she was wearing and pulled out a scroll. “I was going to give it to you later.” She jabbed it toward me.
I took it and without another word, I rushed out of her shop with Mr. Prince Charming on my heels up the hill toward the wheat field.
Chapter Nineteen
The grey clouds hung over the village. The snow had begun to fall. It was fresh, puffy and lay clean on the wheat field.
Meow. Mr. Prince Charming’s long white tail was like a finger and pointed to the wooden sign with the picture of a train.
“I guess we are going on another train ride.” I reached out and tapped the arm. I held the scroll that gave me the temporary pardon and stuck it down in my bag. Madame Torres glowed. “Oh, no.” I had forgotten Madame Torres had a message for me.
The inside of my bag chirped. My cell phone. I had completely forgotten about it. I reached in and took it out, forgetting about Madame Torres and read the text.
It was from Oscar.
Oscar: How is your day? I’m thinking of you. I hope you are okay. Work is crazy here. Christmas shopper galore. I will be home tonight.
“Tonight?” I gasped realizing his twenty-four hour shift would be over. Quickly I texted back.
Me: Great. I’m helping Petunia feed her animals tonight. I’ll be home after that.
I sure wished I was going to be home. I wasn’t planning on staying in Azarcabam like I had done a year or so ago. In the jail. I was planning on asking a few questions and getting out.
Oscar: Love you! Don’t worry. Colton has really got some good leads.
Me: I’m not worried. I love you.
I flipped the phone shut and threw it back into my bag.
“We’ve got to hurry,” I said to Mr. Prince Charming and smacked the finger again. The sky was not only grey, but we were losing daylight.
Like magic, the wheat field parted, exposing the old locomotive I had ridden on before.
“All aboard for Azarcabam!” The same conductor hung out of the engine window like he had done before.
Wooh, wooh! The train whistle screamed. Steam blew from underneath the big hunk of metal and the metal wheels come to a screeching halt.
“Here we go.” Looking back, I took one long look over my shoulder. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The heavy stench of evil filled my lungs.
It was still around. I knew what I had to do.
Mr. Prince Charming and I climbed up the lit stairs and through the big heavy metal doors in the only passenger car attached to the engine.
Once I reached the top of the steps, I looked back again toward the wooden sign and the direction of Whispering Falls. There was a tug at my gut. There were answers to be found and Azarcabam was the only place I was going to get them.
The shrill noise of metal wheels turning to get us going grew as they turned on the tracks, picking up speed. Mr. Prince Charming and I took a seat on one of the two red velvet benches. Mr. Prince Charming wasted no time curling up then closed his eyes as our adventure was about to begin.
I rubbed my hand over each one of my charms, remembering all the protection I had surrounding me. And my familiars.
“Madame Torres.” I suddenly remembered her glow. I reached in and pulled her out.
“It’s about time. I’m glad you got it now before it was too late.” She let the text from Patience scroll through her ball. “If you get me stuck in some thrift shop. . .”
“Shh.” I was having a hard time concentrating on reading the note.
Paul Levy is divorced from Yancy Levy. She lives in Azarcabam. They have reached out to her as next of kin, but she has not responded. They have no children. Paul recently retired from owning a toyshop called Dots.
The ball went black.
“Dots.” I confirmed. “I must find a shop called Dots.”
As I put Madame Torres back in my bag, my hand grazed the globe book from Ever After Books, tickling my intuition.
“Hmm.” I pulled out the book and looked at Mr. Prince Charming.
He pushed out his front legs into a long stretch and yawned. He sat up on his haunches and licked down his front legs, tapping the book before he pulled them back to stand up straight and tall.
“This book really picked me?” I cocked my head to the side giving Mr. Prince Charming a glare.
Mew. Mew. The sound was barely audible between the rattling of the benches and the clicking noise behind my head.
The mini tassels on the red velvet window shades clicked against the passenger car windows like the sound of poetic rain.
I peered outside at the particularly dreary scenery as it passed by. The large castle on a hill that was located in Azarcabam was off in the distance. I knew the dungeon there well. It was a place I was not going to be visiting on this trip.
Thoughts of Oscar and our new life filled my head. There was no time to daydream, I had to find that toyshop and find some answers.
The train picked up speed. The wheels beneath me shook the passenger train floor. The tassels swooshed back and forth.
I held on to the red velvet bench with one hand and opened the globe book with the other, turning to the contents page. It seemed like the logical place to start, but nothing was very logical in my world right now.
My finger drew down the page and I quickly read the words, trying to figure out what I was supposed to find. The places didn’t read Kentucky, Alabama, or Tennessee. It was strange names I didn’t recognize. Strange places I didn’t recognize.
“Azarcabam.” My finger stopped midway down the page and dragged across to see what page number. “Twenty.”
I closed the cover again to take a closer look at the book and it was still a picture of a typical globe. Nothing special. The pages flipped beneath the pad of my finger, my eyes scanned the page numbers, stopping at page twenty.
My phone chirped from the bottom of my bag. Without looking, I was sure it was Oscar letting me know he was safe and sound in Locust Grove. Or he was probably bored and checking in.
Instead of looking, I decided to check out the Azarca
bam map. I rubbed my hand over the map. Underneath my fingers the landscape became bumpy and three-dimensional. I couldn’t help but smile. It was definitely a book to keep.
Ophelia was right. This book was meant for me. Dots Toyshop was on the far north side of the village and this map was going to get me in and out.
Suddenly everything stopped. The noise of the wheels, the tassels hitting the glass, the creak of the metal and Mr. Prince Charming’s snoring.
I looked out the window again. It was pitch black. Exactly like I remembered it.
“Get out!” The gruff, not to mention scary, voice that I remembered from last time screamed. “I said get out!”
The heavy metal door flew open.
“I said get out of my house!” The gruff voice wasn’t messing around. “Just like you did last time you were here.”
The last time I was here, the train didn’t stop at a train stop, it stopped in this guy’s shed, exactly how it had today.
“I’m sorry.” I shut the map book and stuck it under my arm. I threw my bag over my shoulder and stood up.
I walked down the steps with Mr. Prince Charming next to me. The guy wasn’t as scary as he was the last time. “I have no idea why the train must stop here.”
“Me either.” The man lifted his hand, his beard was much longer than last time and he was much more humped over. “Go!”
The smoke flew up in the air along with the flames from the barrel fires where the same men in black cloaks, mustaches, top hats, and dark lined eyes stood around it like they did last time. They reminded me so much of Gerald.
“Well, well. It looks like you are back.” One of them recognized me. “If it weren’t for that white cat, I might not have had a greeting crew here to meet you.”
“What do you want this time?” The man grinned, exposing his toothless gums.
“I’m here to look for a toyshop called Dots.” There wasn’t anyone better to ask than them.
“Dots, huh?” Another man took a long draw off his cigar and made an O with his mouth. He puffed out little dots in the air. The smoke lifted above his head and formed the word Dots.