Elizabeth's San Antonio Sleuthing

by Renae Brumbaugh

  “Hello?” Elizabeth called. “Would you like to join us? We’re going to have a lot of fun!”

  Silence.

  Elizabeth moved down the steps, unhooked Biscuit’s leash from the railing, and stepped into the shadows where the girl was hiding.

  “What is your name?” she asked.

  No response.

  “Would you like to pet Biscuit? He seems to like you,” she told the little girl.

  Slowly, the girl lifted her eyes just enough to look at Biscuit. Her hair covered most of her face, and she reached out a tiny hand and rubbed Biscuit behind the ears. His tail wagged even more, but he remained calm. It was almost as if he knew he needed to be gentle with this girl.

  “Why don’t you come inside with me?” Elizabeth asked, and took the girl by the hand. The girl looked only at the ground, and her thick, dark curls cascaded around her face. But when Elizabeth led her up the steps and into the church, she didn’t resist.

  The two girls, with Biscuit, found seats behind the others. A brunette girl from Kate’s church was just starting. “Hello, everyone. My name is Charis, and I’m going to tell you a story.”

  Elizabeth was thrilled when the girl began placing felt figures on a flannel board. Looking around the room, she saw every child’s eyes glued to the board.

  The little girl beside her kept her head down, with her hair covering her face. But those two large brown eyes peered upward, taking in every word of the story. Elizabeth started to gently push the girl’s hair away from her eyes, but the girl moved out of reach.

  “I’m sorry,” Elizabeth whispered, and turned her attention back to the story of Jonah. I wonder what makes her so afraid of people.

  Eventually, Charis finished the story and asked everyone to bow for prayer. During the prayer, Elizabeth heard rustling beside her, but figured it was just Biscuit. When she opened her eyes, the little girl was gone.

  The rest of the morning passed quickly, and before long, Kate approached Elizabeth outside the church. Her hands were covered in marker and glue.

  “I don’t know why Gary asked me to help with crafts. It was fun, but I’m not very crafty. Give me some nuts and bolts and wires, and I’m good to go. But ask me to glue a circle onto a piece of paper, and I’m all thumbs. It was fun, though,” said Kate, using the back of her hand to push her glasses up on her nose. She pulled her backpack onto her shoulders, getting ready to leave.

  “Did you see a little girl leave the church? She had thick, dark curls, and she walked with her head down,” Elizabeth asked her.

  Charis approached them, hearing the last part of the conversation. “I noticed she left early. What happened? She listened to every word I said, but after the prayer, she was gone!”

  Kate nodded. “I did see her leave, but I was covered inglue at the moment.”

  Biscuit barked and wagged his tail. “I’ll bet Biscuit can find her, if she’s still around here,” Elizabeth said.

  Kate knelt down and stroked the little dog’s fur. “Can you find the little girl, Biscuit? Take us to her!”

  With a bark that told of understanding, the dog led the way. Kate held his leash, and Elizabeth waved to Charis before following Kate and Biscuit.

  In and out of old stucco buildings Biscuit led them, stopping here and there, sniffing an area before moving forward. Suddenly, his ears perked up, his tail stuck straight out, and he growled.

  Pulling the leash tight, he moved forward, practically dragging Kate. “Whoa, boy! Where are you taking us?”

  Biscuit continued pursuing some unknown party, Kate and Elizabeth in his wake. They rounded the corner of an old building just in time to see a flash of red ball cap disappear behind another building.

  Elizabeth and Kate looked at each other, but Biscuit gave no time for the girls to talk. Tugging fiercely on his leash, he pulled Kate, with Elizabeth following.

  Before long, they had left the vicinity of the Riverwalk. “I sure hope Biscuit can lead us back, because I’m lost!” said Elizabeth. Then, she saw a sign that read THE ALAMO, with an arrow pointing to the right.

  Biscuit barked and pulled even harder at his leash.

  “Come on,” said Kate, and they let Biscuit lead the way. They kept seeing glimpses of the red hat ahead and knew they were following the group of teenagers.

  Before long, they arrived at the Alamo site. It was crowded with tourists, and the girls could no longer see the gang of teens.

  “Whoa,” breathed Kate. “So this is really the Alamo. I’ve always wanted to see the place where the Texans won their famous battle.”

  Elizabeth stopped in her tracks. “Kate,” she said. “We lost the Alamo.”

  Kate stopped abruptly. “What? That can’t be true. In all the old Westerns, the cowboys ride around saying, ‘Remember the Alamo!’ Why would they want to remember it if they lost?”

  Elizabeth took Kate by the arm and led her toward the old structure, which was now a museum.

  “Come on, Yank. You’ve got some thangs to larn,” Elizabeth said in an exaggerated Texas accent.

  “Yank? Who are you calling a Yank? Exactly what is a Yank, anyway?” Kate asked.

  Elizabeth laughed. “A Yankee is just a person from up north who doesn’t really understand the Southern way of life.”

  “Well, technically, Texas isn’t in the South. It’s in the West,” Kate corrected her.

  “The Southwest,” Elizabeth answered playfully. “Actually, we’re not Southern or Western. We’re just plain Texan.”

  They stopped just outside the large wooden doors and read a small plaque on the wall. “Originally named Misión San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts for nearly seventy years.”

  “Mission? The Alamo was a church?”

  “Not exactly. It was a missionary home,” Elizabeth clarified. “But it was probably used for church services, too.”

  “And they blew it up?” Kate asked with disbelief. “Churches are supposed to be safe places!”

  Elizabeth took her friend by the arm and led her inside, but not before picking up Biscuit and placing him in her friend’s backpack. “Come on. I think it’s time for a history lesson.”

  The girls entered the mission just in time to join a tour group. Kate looked in awe at cannons, rusty pistols, even weathered sticks of dynamite as the tour guide gave them an overview of Texas history.

  They were about halfway through the tour when Elizabeth spotted the red cap in the group in front of them. “Look!” she whispered, but Kate ignored her. She was fascinated with the tour guide’s words.

  Kate raised her hand to ask a question. “So Santa Anna was trying to reclaim Texas to be a part of Mexico?”

  “That’s correct,” the tour guide answered.

  Elizabeth tried to get Kate’s attention again, but couldn’t. The red hat was moving toward the exit.

  “And Santa Anna’s men lost the first and second tries, but came back a third time and climbed the walls?” Kate continued.

  “Yes,” the woman answered. “Many more of Santa Anna’s men were killed than Texans. But there were more to start with so when all was said and done, Santa Anna and his men won the victory.”

  “It doesn’t seem like a fair fight to me,” Kate said.

  “Many Texans felt that way. That’s why the battle at the Alamo caused many to join Sam Houston’s army, which resulted in Santa Anna’s defeat,” the woman said.

  “Now I get it. That’s why they wanted to remember the Alamo. They didn’t want to let Santa Anna bully them anymore,” Kate said.

  The boy with the red hat, along with the rest of his gang, were leaving the building. Elizabeth grabbed Kate by the arm and said, “It’s been a wonderful tour. Thank you so much. We’re sorry we have to leave now.”

  “Hey! What are you—” For the first time, Kate caught a glimpse of the gang of teenagers just as the door was closing.

  “Oh! Bye!” Kate waved at the group of tourists and followed
Elizabeth.

  The girls stepped into the bright Texas sunlight and looked around. Nothing. The group had vanished.

  Elizabeth shook her head. “I’m glad you’re so interested in Texas history, Kate. Really, I am. But your timing is a little…off!”

  “Sorry,” said Kate. “It’s just that I had no idea! I can’t believe I’m really standing at the Alamo! I could be standing in the exact spot where…where…where John Wayne stood!”

  Elizabeth, who had begun moving forward, stopped in her tracks. “Now that sounds exactly like something Alexis would say. You do know John Wayne was an actor in a movie, don’t you? He wasn’t really at the battle of the Alamo.”

  Kate giggled. “I know. I just wanted to see what you’d say!”

  Biscuit, whose face was poking out of Kate’s backpack, became agitated. He began wiggling and barking. Elizabeth reached over, removed Biscuit, and placed him on the ground. She was about to snap his leash into place when the little dog took off running!

  “Biscuit, wait!” called Elizabeth, but Biscuit kept running. The girls had no choice but to chase their four-legged sidekick. He didn’t make it easy for them. He dodged in and out of tourists’ legs, causing several to drop their bags. Kate and Elizabeth followed after him at high speed, calling out, “Excuse me!” and “So sorry!”

  At last, Biscuit stopped. When they caught up with him, he was barking fiercely at the gang of teenagers, and had Mr. Red-cap backed into a corner.

  “Whoa, boy! What is your problem? Why don’t you like me, little dog?” the boy was saying. His back was flat against the brick wall of an art shop, and the customers and other tourists were gathering.

  “Biscuit! Stop that!” said Kate, kneeling beside him and attaching his leash. “Sorry about that,” she said to the boy. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”

  Biscuit continued growling, but submitted to Kate.

  The boy, who looked to be fifteen or sixteen, said, “This has never happened before. Dogs usually love me. I have two dogs at home.”

  Elizabeth spoke up. “Maybe he smells your other dogs and doesn’t like them.”

  The boy laughed. “I doubt it. My mom can’t stand the smell of dogs. She bathes them in some kind of girly lavender wash twice a week.”

  Kate’s jaw dropped. “Lavender? Your mom bathes your dogs in lavender? Biscuit hates lavender!”

  The group took a moment to process that, then they all burst into laughter.

  “Mystery solved!” the boy said.

  “At least one of them, anyway,” said Elizabeth.

  Red-cap Boy looked at her strangely, then held out his hand. “I’m José. My friends call me Joe. This is Maria and Pedro.” He indicated his friends.

  Elizabeth shook each of their hands, and said, “Nice to meet you. I’m Elizabeth, and this is Kate. And the growling, four-legged fellow is Biscuit.”

  Joe knelt down and spoke softly to Biscuit in Spanish. Ever so slowly, he reached out his hand and gently touched the dog’s coat.

  Gradually, Biscuit relaxed. He never wagged his tail or licked the boy’s hand as he usually did when someone was kind to him. His look seemed to say, “I guess I won’t attack you. But I’m not going to be your friend, either.”

  “Well, I guess that’s a start. So what other mystery were you trying to solve, Elizabeth?” Joe asked, looking down at her with a crooked smile.

  Elizabeth blushed. Why am I blushing? She stole a quick glance at Kate, who leveled her with a steely stare.

  “Oh, she was just talking about the mysteries of life,” Kate rescued her. “That’s Elizabeth. The philosopher. She’s always pondering the deep mysteries of the universe, and stuff like that.”

  Joe looked at Kate, then back at Elizabeth. “That’s, uh… nice,” he said.

  Elizabeth blushed even more, then said, “Well, we’d better be going. We’ll see you around!”

  Chased!

  The group waved good-bye, and the girls headed toward the Riverwalk, Biscuit on his leash. “What was that about?” Kate asked.

  “What do you mean?” Elizabeth asked, trying to play dumb.

  “I mean that little googly-eyed Romeo and Juliet scene back there. Don’t forget, Miss Anderson, that Señor Charming is one of our prime suspects.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Elizabeth.

  Kate gave her a hard stare, but said nothing.

  Finally Elizabeth said, “Okay. He has a nice smile. His teeth are so white, and those dimples…never mind. But I was not googly-eyed.”

  Kate rolled her eyes. “The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” she said.

  “Huh?” Elizabeth looked at her friend as if she were speaking a foreign language.

  “It’s from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It means that by denying so strongly that you were googly-eyed, it actually proves my point that you were googly-eyed.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “Kate, you are truly one of a kind.”

  Kate smiled.

  “And I was not googly-eyed. Whatever that means,” Elizabeth said.

  “My point exactly.” Kate gave a smug grin.

  Elizabeth changed the subject. “Look, there’s a riverboat getting ready to leave. Let’s ride!”

  “I don’t know. After what’s been happening with these boats, I’m not sure I want to take the chance.”

  “Aww, come on. It’s part of the San Antonio experience. Besides, maybe we’ll get some more clues,” Elizabeth encouraged.

  Kate adjusted her glasses. “Santa Anna Tours,” she read the side of the boat. “The company that crashed into the stage last night was River City Cruises. I guess this one’s safe.”

  “Santa Anna Tours…,” Elizabeth read. “That must be a new company. River City is the only one I’ve ever ridden.” She started to get in line, but Kate grabbed her arm.

  “Wait. I need to clean my glasses,” she said, and Elizabeth followed her to a nearby water fountain. When they returned to the line, they were surprised to see Joe and his friends already sitting on the boat.

  “Hola, chicas,” he said with his dimpled grin. “Going for a ride?”

  Elizabeth suddenly felt shy. She looked to Kate for a signal of what to do.

  “You bet we’re gonna ride,” Kate told him, giving him her fiercest stare. Moving onto the platform, she held his gaze, and forgot to look where she was stepping.

  “Watch out, miss!” cried the captain, but it was too late. Kate made a loud splash as she fell into the water.

  Biscuit followed with a smaller splash. The little dog frantically paddled to the edge of the Riverwalk and climbed out, but Kate looked like she was drowning.

  “Help!” she cried between sputters. “Help! I can’t swim! Somebody help me!” She splashed and flailed. Elizabeth read the terror in her friend’s face.

  “Kate! Stand up! The water is only waist deep!” Elizabeth called out, but Kate was too terrified to understand.

  Suddenly, there was another loud splash.

  Joe!

  The boy grabbed Kate and hoisted the tiny, dripping girl into his arms. “Calm down. I’ve got you,” he said.

  Kate clung to the boy for dear life. He walked her to the edge and set her on the concrete walkway.

  Another tourist, a woman with two children, pulled a beach towel out of her tote bag and draped it around Kate’s shoulders. “Here you go, honey. You’ll be just fine.”

  Kate nodded her thanks as Joe fished around in the water for Kate’s glasses. He handed them to her and grinned. Looking at Elizabeth, he said, “Good thing I was here to save your friend. I guess that makes me a hero.”

  Elizabeth busied herself, using the towel to dry Kate’s hair and clothes. “Are you okay?” she asked her friend.

  “Physically, I’m fine,” Kate said. “My ego, on the other hand, is suffering.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “I suppose I’ll have to give you swimming lessons when we get back to the hotel.”

  “No thanks. I�
��d prefer to stay inside with my computers and books and gadgets. It’s safer that way,” she said.

  The captain, a short, bald man with a protruding belly, had been useless during this ordeal. Laughing nervously, he said, “Okay, folks. The excitement’s over. Now who wants to go for a ride?”

  Elizabeth was surprised when Kate walked to the small boarding platform. “You still want to ride?” she asked.

  Kate leaned close and whispered, “Of course I want to ride. We have a mystery to solve, don’t we?”

  Elizabeth chuckled and followed her friend onto the boat. They sat on the opposite side of the boat from the three teenagers. Joe, now soaked, sat directly across from Elizabeth. He flashed her that grin, and she determined then and there to not look at him again.

  As the boat purred to a start, the captain picked up his microphone. “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Santa Anna Tours. We are thrilled to have you as passengers, and we believe you’ll find our Riverwalk tour superior, in every way, to our competitor’s tour. Please remain seated at all times, and keep your arms and legs inside.”

  “Eeeeeeeeeeeek!” screamed a middle-aged woman sitting in the middle section of the boat. “A snake! There’s a snake in the boat!”

  Her husband leaned over and picked up a deadly looking rubber snake. “Calm down, Rita. It isn’t real.”

  Rita covered her mouth with her hand and took a deep breath. “Well, it certainly looked real,” she said.

  The captain leaned over and took the snake from the man.

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t know how this could have happened.” He eyed Joe, but the boy just returned the captain’s gaze with an angelic look.

  “I’ll bet you a chimichanga I know who put that snake there,” Kate whispered as the boat continued on its way. The captain pointed out all the familiar sights, explaining how the Riverwalk had been built for the 1968 World’s Fair. Elizabeth never grew tired of hearing how their hotel—the Palacio del Rio—had been assembled and furnished elsewhere, and put in place—room by room—by a huge crane, as builders scrambled to get things ready for the World’s Fair. They were able to get the hotel put together just in time.