I gestured to the floor. “Do you see all the papers here?”
“Yeppers. What cha’ up to, Miss Messy-Pants?”
I growled in her direction. Lola reached up and batted at my chin with her tiny, black paw. She looked up at me with wide eyes, no doubt wondering why a human was growling. Eh. How could you stay angry at such an innocent baby? I stroked her soft fur and took a deep breath, then puffed it out with a loud sigh.
Latifa took stock of the room and noticed the FedEx box and its contents strewn all over the floor.
“Ohhh. Hurricane Lola touched down in here, did she?”
“She did. No worries. I’ll just start over,” I grumbled. “Can you keep her occupied with something else while I work?”
Chanel meowed, and Latifa translated, “It’s naptime now, anyway.” She looked up at Lola, “Come on, Nugget, time for a nap.”
I gently put the kitten down and stroked her tiny head. “I know you meant no harm, sweetie. Papers are fun to play with, aren’t they?” She rubbed her head on my hand and purred. It was nice to have my furry little family of cats. No matter what, I never felt alone.
The three cats made their way into the cat alcove. I noticed there were now three pillows in there. The green and blue ones that matched Lola’s and Latifa’s eyes, and a new golden, copper-colored one to match Chanel’s. (I assumed that her pink pillow remained downstairs.) How the pillows got here, I had no idea, but Caldwell Crest had a way of taking care of its own. Not that they needed three pillows, mind you. They’d all end up in one big bunch on one of them. But it was a sweet gesture nonetheless.
An hour later I was still sorting through items in the box, but I was almost to the end. As I pulled the last file out, I noticed a yellow post-it note stuck to the bottom. A messy, hastily scribbled note that read: Hayden—I’m sorry. I tried. Be careful. N.
It was obvious that N was Nakita. But seriously? I’m sorry? I tried? Be careful!? She was just as vague in writing as she had been in person. What was she sorry for? Why was she killed? What did I have to do with all this? Why did she send the box to me? Why had she warned me to tell no one? That my family could be in danger? Did that still apply? She said it was life or death—did she mean her death or mine? My family? And what about the mysterious and dangerous island named Gladstone that she had warned me about? That was still an unknown. Oh my God. My brain was about to explode.
Nakita had sent me the box for a reason. I needed to find out what that reason was. It would make sense that something in here would lead me to answers. I needed to organize the paperwork so I could begin reading through it.
Finally, I had all the items sorted and lined up vertically in the box. None of them had labels that would enable me to organize them further or to determine the contents. And there was a huge stack of loose papers as well. I’d just have to start at the random beginning and work my way through.
Most of the documents so far had to do with ferry passages. That, of course, made sense. One folder contained ledgers of payments. There were about a dozen pages. The dollar amounts were large—about twenty times what I’d expect a ferry ticket to cost. There were four columns. The first was a list of names—printed and then signed. The second column was labeled Approved or Denied. The last two columns were filled in for all names, regardless of approved or denied. One column labeled Agent had one initial of A, K, or V. The final column was labeled Paid, and it also had one initial, either L or M. Oddly enough, nothing was dated.
It was strange that these ledgers were all written by hand. In today’s world, who kept handwritten ledgers? The excessive dollar amounts clearly were not for ferry tickets, unless the ferry was also used as a cruise ship! Which, I suppose, would be possible here in Destiny Falls. But there were no other indications of that. People going on and off the ferry never gave me a cruise-ship or lengthy voyage type of vibe.
I picked up the next file. It contained more of the ledgers showing the exact same format. Another dozen or so of them.
I stood up and stretched. I’d have a cup of tea and then continue going through the files.
There was a sound outside my door, and I opened it an inch and peeked out. The window seat had moved to be directly across from my door. The familiar tea cart was there, with a steaming fresh pot of tea and a platter of cookies and tiny muffins. I opened the door fully and looked both ways. No one. Whether Cleobella, the window seat, the house, or the town had created these magical little perks was a puzzle. On one hand, it was nice to find these surprises. On the other hand, well, it was just a little bit creepy. Kind of like when ads for shoes show up on your phone an hour after you’ve been looking at black leather pumps.
Creepy or not, I took it as a sign to take a break from the files, have some tea, and browse the window seat bookcase for any new books.
I poured a cup of tea, took a bite of a warm chocolate chip cookie (yum!), and scanned the bookshelves. One book title caused me to drop my cookie right into my teacup, and it landed with a splash. The title of the book was Gladstone.
19
The splashed tea and crumpled cookie were totally forgotten while I reached up and took down the book entitled Gladstone. The full title on the cover was Gladstone: Past, Present, and Myths. There was a stamped banner across the cover that said: Destroy Copy. I sat on the cushioned seat and warily opened the book.
The inside cover was a map! It too carried the Destroy Copy stamp, but I could see enough through the words. The map showed the cluster of nearly a hundred islands, just as I had seen on the enchanted globe in the library. I located the crescent-shaped island labeled Destiny Falls, and the puzzle-piece island across from it labeled Gladstone. The map on the adjacent page was of Gladstone alone. It showed a ferry landing facing directly across from Destiny Falls’ ferry landing. There was topography that showed lakes, rivers, and mountains, but not much else was called out on the map.
Neither Oliva nor Edna would discuss Gladstone. Why were they hiding something? Because here it was, big as life on the pages of this book, and it was located directly across from Destiny Falls. Certainly, they would know more about the island and why it was forbidden to travel there.
I poured myself a fresh cup of cookie-free tea and settled in to read through the book.
Chapter One started with another map. This one showed the crescent-shaped island of Destiny Falls and the opposite-shaped island of Gladstone pushed together to form one larger island. It was labeled in the corner: United States Naval Observatory, Circa 1800.
That seemed very odd. I Googled How many years does it take for an island to divide? That brought no matches, so I changed the word from island to continent. There were more matches, and I couldn’t find an exact answer, except that it seemed to take millions of years for the movement of tectonic plates that could separate a land mass.
The book somewhat answered my question in the next section, when it referred to ‘The Great Divide’:
It has always been assumed that Destiny Falls and Gladstone were at one time joined as one larger island because of the precisely matching coastlines. A Naval Observatory map discovered in the early 1900s appeared to confirm this. The map showed a date stamp of ‘Circa 1800,’ but it was unclear if the map was found then or created at that time. There was no background information to clarify when The Great Divide of the two islands occurred.
The last chapter was labeled The Myths. Here’s where it got really interesting.
Over the years, many myths have surrounded the island of Gladstone. Most often, they have to do with magical lakes, though what magic they have isn’t always clear. The most intriguing myth is one of a lake that functions much like a fountain of youth, providing a person with the power to remain ageless.
The island is protected in ways that prevent travelers from reaching it, though many try. It is rumored that some of those who try, actually do reach the island. However, once they arrive, they find a normal town that functions like any port community.
The town -of Gladstone is said to be surrounded by forested lands and mountains. Additional myths exist that tell of adventurers who are lost in the mountains while searching for the magical lakes.
Those who have traveled successfully to Gladstone and returned home hoard their secrets about what they’d seen and experienced. It’s rumored that danger befalls those who tell of it.
I knew about the concept of magical lakes after my experience at Twin Falls Lake, so the myth could easily be based on reality. Well, the distorted reality of this place. The fountain of youth would explain why people would want to travel there, even though terrible things could happen, according to Olivia, and now this book as well.
This book was frustratingly short and assumed the reader knew the basic history of the islands and the myths already. I would need to visit the historical book room again. Ahh! First, I’d go to the Observer office. I could look through more old papers. Perhaps I could locate a directory of past issues or topics to see if Gladstone was mentioned. Maybe I could find something that expanded on the details of Gladstone, the myths, and The Great Divide.
I was feeling tired from spending the morning sorting files on the floor and then sitting here studying the book. I decided that a short yoga session would revive me, then I’d head to the Observer. It felt rude to leave my teacup and cookie mess here for someone else to clean up, but the magical tea cart fairy seemed to always have that covered.
I changed into yoga pants and a tee, grabbed a towel, and went into my yoga room. As always, I glanced in the oval mirror as I passed. A tingle of joy zapped through my body as I saw that I was looking into Luna’s apartment! It appeared I was looking through the makeup mirror on her bedroom dresser. She had her back to me and was holding a watering can. She watered the plants and left the room, likely to water the other plants throughout the house.
There was no way was I going to just stand here and watch her walk away again! I zipped out to my bedroom and grabbed my cell phone and sent her a text.
LUNA!!!!!
HAYDEN!!!! LOL
I typed a note to her and then hoped with all my heart that the DF Satellite would not block it, as it had before. I had to be careful. I did not want to be responsible for Luna being sucked into Destiny Falls and forced to leave her entire family behind.
Don’t freak out. I will explain.
Follow these directions exactly.
Huh? What are you
talking about?!
Go look in the makeup mirror on your dresser.
If the room looks wavy or you see a flash of
light, immediately hit the floor and crawl
out of the room. I know that sounds weird.
You have to trust me.
Is this like a riddle or something?
I don’t get it.
No! Not a riddle. Go look in the mirror —but get out of there if things look wavy or there’s a bright light.
Seriously Hayden. You’re scaring me.
Have you been abducted by aliens?
No aliens! But it’s very strange.
Don’t freak out. I’ll explain.
Yeah. You already said that.
Are you going?
Ooookay. I’m going.
I stared into the mirror as if I could make my friend appear by sheer willpower. A minute later, she entered the bedroom. I saw her creeping up to the mirror like she expected it to pop like a jack-in-the-box. She stepped up close and I gave her my biggest smile and waved with both arms.
I could hear no sound, but it was clear that Luna was screaming. She turned around and ran out of the bedroom. I dialed her, but the call failed. I texted her, but got not no reply.
I sat at my computer and composed a note to explain to Luna what she was seeing. I rewrote it three times to get it just right. I finally hit send.
Undeliverable: Message has failed to be delivered to this recipient.
I slumped over and banged my head on the desk. Argh! Had her frightened response severed our connection? Could I get it back? I would try every day until I made it happen. And I absolutely would not give up until I made it happen.
20
The Witch
The witch braided and twisted her long blond hair into the I Dream of Jeannie hairdo and plunked the ridiculous red and pink cap on top of her head. She loved having such thick, youthful hair again, but she missed her wash-and-wear style. She hadn’t been creating this updo lately, opting instead for an easy ponytail. But today was special. Today she had guests coming. She applied a slick of pink lipstick and glued on the stupid long eyelashes. She tidied up her bottle-inspired décor and fluffed the many pointless throw pillows. At last, she was ready.
The witch sat near her doorway and listened. She could hear the three bumbling men making their way up the mountain. Oh, fiddlesticks. By the sound of their grunting and arguing, it appeared she’d hired another batch of nincompoops. Well, even nincompoops could get a job done if they had the right management, and it seems she may have gotten that part correct, since they’d already completed part one. It was time to meet these clowns in person and send a message to their bosses to put part two into play. Such clandestine nonsense. But necessary to cover their tracks.
She tapped her foot and clicked her pink nails on the arm of the wooden rocker. They were taking their sweet old time getting up here.
Finally, she heard a ruckus at the entrance to her cave. “About dang time,” she muttered.
The witch got her first look at the three men from her Ring doorbell video camera. She checked them out as they walked up to the cave and rang the bell.
“Who dares to approach my doorway?” she bellowed in her ominous witch voice. Then she covered her mouth and snickered as they all jumped back and hovered together.
“We are the representatives for Lazarus and the Commander,” one guy answered.
“Enter!” she roared as she pushed the button that caused the door to groan open. Cripes, she missed having her full powers. Having to push a button and watch a video screen was so, so, ummm. Human! She cringed at the word.
The three men walked in through the oversized wooden door and entered the cave. Their jaws dropped and they were shocked speechless. The inside of the cave was a replica of Jeannie’s magic bottle, and the woman standing before them looked like Jeannie herself, harem costume and all.
They were standing there staring at her, so she crossed her arms, nodded her head, and blinked. A light flurry of snowflakes came down on their heads. Oh, it would cost her a bit of magic, but the looks on their faces made it all worth it.
In an instant, her mood soured. “Enough play time,” she roared in her witchy voice, batting away a few flakes that drifted her way. “Have you brought the items from my list?”
One man spoke up, “You can make it snow, but you can’t get your own groceries?”
His companion whispered, “Be quiet,” but not soon enough.
The witch glared at him and pointed an oddly boney finger for such a young woman. “You know nothing of my magic and how it works!” He coughed, and his partners backed away as his tongue grew five times its size.
She would never say it out loud, but she had no idea how her magic worked now either. Since she’d been banished to this dreadful cave, her magic was frustratingly limited and inconsistent. If she could get these idiots to do her bidding, she might finally get out of this prison and on with her life.
“The list!” she roared.
The men put their bags in front of her, including the now quiet one whose tongue had shrunk back to normal size, but who was now wise enough to stay quiet.
The Jeannie-ized witch came forward and unpacked the bags, nodding her approval. The men watched as she gleefully sorted through mundane groceries. Ramen noodles, Keebler cookies, a six-pack of light beer, a huge brick of cheddar cheese, several boxes of crackers, and a super-sized bag of gummy worms.
She stepped over her loot and stood in front of them.
“Well done on
taking care of the boat lady.” She nodded at them. She had learned that compliments would keep people on track. She was clumsy at it, but it still seemed to work. They looked proud. Ridiculous men.
“Have Lazarus and the Commander taken control of the operation?”
The three looked at each other, but no one spoke.
“Do. Not. Make. Me. Repeat. Myself.” She loved to use that angry mother’s voice. It always worked.
“Not yet,” said the same guy as before. “But the transfer of power is in process. The investigation into the captain’s death is still ongoing. We’ve planted the rumor about her affair, and we bribed her estranged husband into staying hidden in Gladstone. The next step is to . . .”
“Stop!” The witch put her hand to her ear. “Someone is outside listening.” She tilted her head to concentrate.
“You fools!” she screeched. “How did you let someone follow you here?”
She flipped on her Ring doorbell camera screen. A hiker was standing right outside the door, listening.
“Go!” She pointed to the door as she pressed the button to open it.
An Asian man in full hiking gear was standing beside her cave. He was obviously eavesdropping. Too bad he was so handsome. It was a shame to dispose of him.
“Get rid of the witness!” she thundered in her most menacing voice.
The men scrambled to do her bidding.
21
Three men were loitering in front of the Observer office when I arrived. One guy was sitting on the bench, the other two standing nearby. They all turned to look at me when I walked up to my door.
“Morning, ma’am,” said the one on the bench.
For the record, I really hate when people call me ma’am. In my opinion, that should be reserved for senior citizens. I mean really senior, like centenarians. I’d even prefer a ‘hey, you’ over a ma’am. Ugh. Still, it was meant to be polite, so I smiled and said hello.
The Disappearance of Emily: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic Series Book 2 Page 10