“Hannie! What are you doing up?” They led him over to the sofa, urging him to sit. They grabbed his ankles and put his (sexy, bare) feet up on the footstool.
“Hey, girls! Calm down. I’m capable of answering a door and greeting my guest.” He said it with a laugh. It gave me a glimpse of the close relationship they shared.
He turned toward me. “Hayden, if you haven’t already guessed, these two mother hens are my sisters, Eva and Yanay. Girls, this is Hayden.”
I said hello to them, my smile lit from the feeling of warmth I felt from being with Han and his family.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Hayden. I’m Yanay,” said the slightly taller sister. In true Destiny Falls tradition, she gave me a brief welcoming hug.
“Welcome to Han’s recovery central! I’m Eva.” A warm hug followed. “Han’s forever taking care of us. Now it’s our turn to take care of him—even when he objects!”
The doorbell rang and the sisters both said, “I’ll get it!” They wandered over to the front door. I could tell by how they said hello, and the familiar hugs all around, that they already knew one another. (If you weren’t close to Eleanor, I doubt she’d be instantly huggable.) Also, Axel and Grandmother seemed casually comfortable in the house, so it appeared they’d been at Han’s home before.
I got up and greeted Axel and Grandmother with my own hugs. They said hello to Han and asked how he was feeling. I could tell he didn’t like the attention on his recovery. He said he was fine and changed the subject.
The sisters offered everyone something to drink. Then they brought out several trays of appetizers and laid out the food, drinks, plates, and napkins on the counter.
The five of us had a wonderful visit. Axel and my grandmother had another appointment, so they left together. The girls and I walked them to the door and said our goodbyes. When we turned back around, Han was asleep on the sofa.
Yanay whispered, “He needs the rest more than he knows. Hayden, can you stay a while? We can sit outside in the gazebo and let Han sleep.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Yanay gathered up a tray of snacks and Eva refreshed our tea. The three of us gathered outside in the gazebo.
“It’s so nice to get to know you, Hayden,” said Yanay. “Han speaks very highly of you.”
“Yep. Over, and over, and over,” chuckled Eva.
“It’s rare for him to be so taken with someone,” said Yanay. “He’s a very private person and doesn’t let many into his bubble.”
“I feel honored.”
“Oh, you should. Han is an amazing person. I know he’s my brother, but he’s truly a special human being. But when he cares for someone, he’s the most devoted, honest man you could imagine. You can count on him for anything,” said Yanay.
“And we do,” said Eva. “It’s nice for us to have this chance to do something for him. He fights the care tooth and nail since he’s such a caregiver himself. It’s hard for him to be on the other side.”
I sipped my tea and allowed their words to settle. I had the feeling that Han was unique and was finding that to be truer than I realized.
“So, Hayden. Tell us about the Observer. We hear you’re the new editor and the paper will soon be online,” said Yanay.
I told the girls all about the paper, which led to my story about the camera and taking photos with Han. Oops. I hadn’t meant to bring the conversation back around to Han, but it just happened.
I looked around at the yard. “The landscaping here is wonderful and this gazebo is perfect. I’d be sitting out here every day.”
“Han does all the landscaping, you know. He works in the yard and around the house to relax. He works on those little bonsai trees too,” said Eva. “Not my idea of fun, but he enjoys it. And his job can become incredibly stressful, he needs the release.”
“I didn’t realize that insurance investigation was so stressful,” I said.
The sisters looked at each other, and Eva nodded. “Right. Insurance investigation.”
“What was that look?” I asked.
“That’s not something we have the right to tell,” said Yanay. “When the time is right, you can ask Han about his work.”
Just what I needed. More mystery. It sounded like Han was still a puzzle to solve, but one I’d happily unravel. I left his home feeling full of hope. I felt closer to him than ever, and I had made two new friends.
I was planning to stop by Poppy’s Extravaganza and make my first pitch for a newspaper ad. Then, I’d head to the Observer office for more old-newspaper research on my ever-growing list of weird things.
28
It was cold and raining in Poppy’s Camping & Hiking Extravaganza. I laughed out loud. It was cold and raining inside her store! There were umbrella stands just inside, filled with umbrellas of every size and color. There were racks of rain boots, snow boots, coats, vests, scarves, gloves, and hats. These were all under cover, so shoppers could browse before facing the elements. Yes, that’s correct. Before facing the elements inside the store, in case you didn’t catch my drift the first time. Because outside was the same sunny weather as always.
I helped myself to a clear, plastic, bubble umbrella that covered my head and shoulders but provided a full-surround viewing window, and a pair of black rain boots covered in cats that slipped right over my shoes. Hmm. Figured I’d buy these. They would be perfect for rainy day walks. (If it ever rained.) And the purpose of the event was immediately clear.
The entire store was a living, breathing advertisement for everything necessary for walking, hiking, and camping in cold or rainy weather. You didn’t have to wonder if a certain tent would keep you dry on a cold, rainy, windy day. You’d wander over to the cold, rainy, windy corner of the store and walk through a group of full-size tents to gauge their wind protection and dryness. Inside each tent, you’d find a variety of sleeping bags and pads for an assessment of their warmth and comfort. Amazing and brilliant.
A walking rainbow was approaching me, and I knew in an instant it had to be Poppy. She was wearing a brilliant, red rain hat with an oversized bill over her forehead. With an eye-catching pop of bright orange, her jacket was like something a kindergartener would wear. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a rather high-tech hiking jacket, albeit in a unique color. Her rain pants were bold yellow with a florescent white stripe down the sides. Emerald green boots were appropriate. They looked like you could wade through a pond and still have dry feet.
She approached with a friendly smile. She somehow managed to hug me, even through my big, round umbrella and her excessively large hat.
“Hello, Hayden!” she said. “It’s so good to see you. Those boots are darling on you!”
“I love them. Think I’ll buy the boots and this clever umbrella, too,” I said. “How are you?”
“Oh, I’m always great,” Poppy said, “Life is too short to be anything else.”
“What a wonderful philosophy. I’m going to write that down and remember it.”
A man rolled by in a wheelchair, wearing a colorful rain poncho that covered him from top to toe, including the arms and back of his chair. It was a perfect fit. He gave Poppy a thumbs up, said thank you, and rolled over to one of the cash registers to pay.
“Wow, you’ve thought of everything,” I said.
“I hope so. If you’re planning to venture out into the mountains or visit the rainy islands, it’s important to be prepared.”
Hmm. The rainy islands, did she say? So, the sunny environment here in Destiny Falls was not repeated on all the other islands. That was new.
Poppy and I chatted for a bit while she pointed out some interesting things in the store. She enjoyed showing me the pet section with rain gear for dogs, cats, and even horses.
“How are things at the Observer?” Poppy asked. “Getting closer to the first edition?”
Ah! A perfect opening, thank you Poppy. Sales was not my forte, and I always felt uncomfortable asking for money, even if the adver
tising was a mutual benefit.
“I’m getting closer. My first goal is to sign up local businesses for regular advertising. You have the most amazing events here. Would you consider running a regular ad series?”
“That’s a wonderful idea, Hayden. Count me in. Just e-mail me the info and specs.” She handed me a business card that she pulled out of one of her many pockets. “Here’s my e-mail address.”
That was easy. I hoped that other local business owners would be just as eager to place ads.
I paid for my umbrella, boots, and a great pair of gloves and headed outside into the sunshine. I deposited my bags into the car and walked the short block to the Observer office.
The same three men from before were stationed outside my new office. It made me uneasy to see them there again. Why did they hang around in front of my window? Were they waiting for me to arrive or were they spying on my office?
What were their names, again? I pulled up the notes app on my phone and scrolled back. Ah, right. Lester, the mustached pharmacist, Vito from the hardware store, and Archibald, the accurately named bald owner of Time Travels On, the antique store next door to me.
That’s when I relaxed. Of course. The bench was in front of my place, which was right next door to his shop. It would make sense that it would be their gathering spot. I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding. Nothing nefarious here, Hayden, calm down.
“Good afternoon!” I called out as I approached.
“Hey, hey! Hello there, Hayden,” said Vito. “How ya doing, girly?”
“Afternoon, ma’am,” said Archibald.
Oy. Between the ma’am and the girly, these guys made me wince, but I disguised it with a grin.
Lester winked and smiled, his gold tooth drawing my attention in a mildly disturbing way. He gave me that familiar salute.
“How are you all today?” I asked.
There were murmurs of good and fine.
“Been poking into people’s business, yet?” asked Lester, snickering. He had an odd sense of humor, and he obviously wasn’t tired of that joke.
“Don’t pick on the girl,” said Archibald.
“When’s that paper startin’ back up?” asked Vito. “We was just sayin’ it’ll be good to have a paper to run our coupons in. People ’round here like their coupons, you know?”
Well, that was just way too easy.
I spent the next fifteen minutes getting commitments from them to run ads in the paper.
Prying myself away from the local businessmen’s club took a bit of finesse, but I finally managed. They thought it was fantastic that I was going inside to work on the first edition of the paper. I didn’t have the heart to tell them I had other, more pressing, issues to address first.
Archibald, Lester, and Vito. What an eccentric trio.
I pulled up the photo I had taken of the ledger page of names. I again felt a weird jolt of emotion when I saw my mother’s name on the list. So very strange. I figured that I’d check the newspaper directory of past articles to see if any of the names popped up. That might clue me in to the dates that these pages were created and perhaps some bit of information that explained the ferry trips.
I started entering the names one by one and, so far, had no matches. Wait a minute. I looked at the last two columns on the page: Agent: K, V, A. Paid: L, M. I circled the V, the A, and the L. Archibald, Lester, and Vito? My gran always used to say, “There are no coincidences.” I never believed that, but you had to admit, this was suspicious.
I couldn’t tell Jaxson about the ledgers, but I could tell him I felt something was odd about those three men. Maybe a little nudge would get him to investigate, just in case. I texted him a quick note.
Hey Jax. Just something
to look into. Three local
businessmen hang out in
front of the Observer.
Something’s just a bit off.
Maybe check them out?
Of course. But what do you
mean off? Names, please.
Nothing specific. Just a feeling.
Lester the pharmacist, Vito from
the hardware store, and Archibald
owner of Time Travels On, the
antique store next door to me.
OK, sure. Will do a quick check.
If you have details let me know.
Now that I knew Jaxson would check out the three men, I could proceed with my list of names. I entered them one by one until my eyes were blurry. Finally! I found a match.
There was an article about a young woman named Claire-Marie Renavand—an approved name on the list. She was originally from France and moved here for a ballet opportunity. The article was only five years old, and Claire-Marie was twenty-seven in the article! Maybe I was zeroing in on the date range for the log. I scanned the rest of the article and lost a bit of hope. She moved here with her mother, also named Claire-Marie Renavand. There was a chance this narrowed down the date on the log to recent times though. Hers was a unique name, here in the States. As long as there wasn’t a grandmother or great-grandmother with the same name. If there was, then this told me nothing. Was the name on the log the daughter or the mother? I wish I knew. There was no reference to the ferry or boat travel in the article that would give me any insight, but I knew that five years ago she lived in Destiny Falls.
I snapped a photo of the article and looked up her name in the local directory. Bingo! She, or at least someone by that name, owned the ballet studio in town. I placed a call and got a voicemail. I left a message. My maps app did not appear to work in Destiny Falls, no surprise. However, the street name seemed familiar. I thought I’d drive around and see if I could find the ballet studio.
I finally found the studio and, oddly, it was across the street from the library’s new location. I’d take that as a sign that a visit to the library was in order. When I finished here, I’d stop over there. The studio door was open, but I didn’t see anyone inside.
“Hello?” I called out.
A voice came from a back room. “Just a moment,” called a woman with a French accent.
I wandered around the studio while I waited. It was clean and pretty, but it was very tiny. Just enough for a class of maybe ten students at a time.
A beautiful woman emerged from the back. She was in her mid-thirties, I’d guess—the right age for the woman from the article. She was obviously a dancer, with her slim figure, long legs encased in footless, black tights, and hair twisted up into a bun.
“May I help you?” she asked with a pleasant smile.
“Are you Claire-Marie Renavand?”
“Yes, that is me. I am the owner of this studio. Are you interested in dance lessons?” she asked.
“No, not at this time. I’m Hayden, a reporter from the Observer.” I thought saying a reporter was less intimidating than editor, and it was one of my many hats. I reached out to shake her hand, but she didn’t take it, so I let it fall to my side.
“I’m following up on a past article. I’m wondering if you can tell me anything about the Destiny Falls ferry and a trip that was taken some time ago.”
Her smile disappeared, and her face turned hard. “I can tell you nothing.”
“Have you ever taken a trip on the ferry?”
“You sound like my mother with her obsession over the ferry and her search for youth and beauty. I never want to hear of this ferry again!” She spits on her nice, clean, wood floor.
She was turning red and looked pinched and angry, but I had to try one more question. “I’m sorry this upsets you. Perhaps I could talk with your mother?”
“My mother. She is gone. Poof!” She snapped her fingers. “The promise blinded her. She saw nothing else. She left behind a daughter with no mother. And no money. I do not wish to discuss this. Please, leave my studio and leave me in peace.” She gestured to the door. When I didn’t move, she walked to the front and yanked open the door so hard it banged against the wall. In an angry voice, she said
, “Au revoir!”
I don’t know much French, but I did know that meant goodbye.
29
From the time I was in kindergarten, library day was my favorite day of the week. I would wake up early and just about drag Nana or Granana all the way on our walk there. I couldn’t wait to get to the building and embrace all the new wonders that awaited me. There was no feeling quite like my empty blue box and shelf upon shelf of opportunities to fill it.
I never stuck to the tiny child’s corner of the library. Oh, no, not me. I would uncover hidden wonders everywhere. I’ll never forget the day I found the oversized book section. These were all the books that were too large to fit anywhere else. The subjects were endless, and most of these extra-large books contained pictures, maps, or diagrams. Different breeds of dogs. Treasures found in pyramids. Undersea creatures. Sculptures and paintings. Tattoos through the ages. Distinctive home designs. Classic cars. Photo tours of faraway places. People who changed the world. National Geographic and Audubon image collections. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you have never browsed the oversized book section in your library, do it. It’s a journey for the eyes.
I loved reminiscing about those times and my marvelous library. What I thought was the pinnacle of library visits was sea level compared to the Destiny Falls library! Not only were all books ever written available to patrons, but the library itself was a wondrous experience. Nearly every time I visited was a new and eye-popping adventure. Today was one of those adventures. The theme: Birds.
The entrance of the library today had a double-door system. I realized why they had arranged it this way as soon as I stepped out of the entry area into the main lobby. The foyer was now the largest aviary I’d ever seen. Tall, slim trees filled the room. The ceiling of the building looked to be a hundred feet up. You looked through the canopy of trees to the very top, which resembled the crest of a golden birdcage.
Birds of every size, color, and breed flew happily from tree to tree. I spotted tiny hummingbirds and a large bald eagle. I saw a pelican, colorful parrots, toucans, and a bright green quetzal with a long, wispy tail. A pair of peacocks were wandering on the ground. The sounds were a mixed melody of chirping, tweeting, and an occasional squawk.
The Disappearance of Emily: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic Series Book 2 Page 14