Masking for Trouble

by Diane Vallere

  “Ahem.”

  We pulled apart. Detective Nichols stood in front of us. My dad was behind her. “Ms. Tamblyn,” she said. Her eyes cut to Tak’s face, to his hand on my knee, and then back to my face. “The last time we spoke, you gave me information that implicated Sol Girard. Do you want to tell me what happened between then and now?”

  And that’s how I came to tell my audience about Cooper Price’s political ambitions, the decades-old quaternary maps that Cooper had passed as current that allowed Paul Haverford to push the plans for Havetown past city council, and how the city of Proper was no longer at risk for a hostile takeover. Sol Girard, Annette Crowley, Bill Perth, and Francine Wheeler had each been fighting to protect what they felt was theirs, but it turned out to be a different type of greed that had driven Cooper beyond normal actions to murder.

  After the detective gave me license to leave, Tak took me home, and my dad followed in the Minnie Winnebago. Even if I could have convinced one of them to take me to the PCP—which I tried, to no avail—it would have been too late to experience Halloween. I told myself there would always be next year.

  * * *

  Tuesday–Thursday

  My celebrity started to die down after a couple of days and business returned to normal. Slowly, costume rentals came back to the store. Kirby and I took turns operating the industrial steamer to remove any odors on the costumes, and the empty spaces in our inventory were filled. The week after Halloween always felt like a bit of a letdown from the energy of the month leading up to it, but this time it was different. I reminded myself over and over that things would return to normal as soon as the next themed birthday party came about. Sol’s poker game was only a few nights away, but there was a chance we’d lost his business for good, thanks to my accusations.

  Not a single person—my dad, Ebony, Don, or Dig—had commented on the apparent change in Tak’s and my relationship. When the phone rang on Wednesday, my dad simply said, “Phone call for you.” He resumed his task of removing Mina Harker and Dracula from the window display, replacing them with the cow costume he’d found on his recent trip to New Jersey.

  “I know this is last minute, but I was wondering if you were available for dinner at the restaurant tonight?” Tak asked. “Seven thirty?”

  “I’d love to.”

  “I’m going to be busy until then, so I can’t pick you up.”

  “Considering you live there, that would be silly. I’ll bring the scooter.”

  When I hung up, I looked at my dad to see if he’d been listening. “I’m going to meet Tak Hoshiyama for dinner,” I announced.

  “Sounds like fun.” He packed the plastic fruit and turkey from his display into a cardboard box and sealed it with a tape gun. “What time are you leaving?”

  His lack of reaction was suspicious. “He said to be there at seven thirty. I’ll close up and head over after.”

  * * *

  AFTER closing the store, I changed into an orange sweater and skirt and pulled on a vintage kimono from my mother’s wardrobe. The delicate fabric had a green, orange, and yellow floral pattern to it that fit the ’60s, when she must have purchased it. Although I’d never had the chance to meet her, I’d gotten to know her through what she’d left behind: the memories my father had, and the garments I’d inherited. When I wanted to feel her presence, I turned to her closet.

  I freshened up my hair and touched up my makeup. Soot watched me from the bed. “Do I look okay?” I asked. He curled his paws underneath his body and rested his head on them. Apparently, he had no concerns.

  The benefit of dining with someone who is part owner of a restaurant is that there’s little concern at seeing a full parking lot. I pulled into the bank lot and parked by the front doors, locked my helmet to the seat, and checked my reflection in the bank door windows. I was surprisingly nervous.

  I made my way across the parking lot to the entrance to Hoshiyama. Two men dressed in garb similar to Tak and his father’s samurai costumes flanked the entrance. They bowed down as I approached. When they stood back up, they pulled the heavy doors open and let me inside.

  Tak hadn’t invited me to dinner. He’d invited me to Halloween.

  The interior of the restaurant had been partitioned and decorated like the park had been. On the far left side was Bobbie and her bookcase of bears (though her inventory was significantly depleted), and to the right was a bevy of witches who stirred bubbling cauldrons that sat on top of the teppanyaki cook station. A small platform had been built in the center of the restaurant and lined with the pumpkins and orange floral arrangements that Packin’ Pistils had delivered to the PCP. Some of the petals had browned around the edges, but they were mostly intact.

  To the right of the interior was the laboratory that Kirby had built. A life-sized lab rat—Mr. Smythe, I sure hoped—stood behind it. His eyes glowed red. He pawed at the air, and then tinkered with a few of the test tubes and beakers in front of him. A large pitcher of blue liquid sat in front of him. Kirby, dressed in a white lab coat, poured the blue liquid into a glass and drank it. He tipped his head back and laughed maniacally. An explosion sounded and plumes of smoke billowed from around the table. Everybody applauded.

  I felt someone behind me and turned. Ebony and Dig stood together, dressed as Ike and Tina Turner. Ebony hugged me, and then pushed me away and held her finger up. “Don’t you ever go doing anything like that to Ebony again.”

  I looked at Dig. “What?” he said. “I’m just trying to pull off an Ike Turner costume and make it look cool.”

  “Girl, you better turn around or you’re going to miss the main event.”

  I turned back to the interior of the restaurant. Mr. Hoshiyama and Tak stood in the center of the floor, dressed in their samurai costumes. They both bowed toward me, and then bowed toward each other. In an act that must have been expertly choreographed, they raised swords and clanked them against each other, moving forward and backward. I wasn’t the only spectator who was mesmerized by the poetry of their motions.

  When they finished, the place erupted in applause. They bowed toward each other, and then bowed toward us. Tak handed his blade to his father and said something to him. His father nodded once. He watched Tak walk to me. There was pride in his father’s expression.

  “What do you think?” Tak asked.

  “I think you brought me Halloween.” I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. “It’s the best present ever.”

  “Ever?” he asked. “I’m going to have to outdo this for your birthday.”

  “You’ve got time. My birthday isn’t until July.”

  He took my hand. “That’s nine months away. A lot can change in nine months.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  We walked together through the restaurant. Tak’s mother, Lynn, stood by a food station handing out servings of Hoshiyama fried rice, skewers of yakitori, and small cups of miso soup. If anybody here had been among the people who had not included the Hoshiyamas in the Proper City events in the past, they would have a hard time ignoring their contribution today.

  “Tak, you didn’t do this by yourself. Who else was in on it?”

  “I think the question you meant to ask was who wasn’t in on it. Ebony set the place up with the help of Dig, Don, and your dad. Kirby and his teacher handled the lab rat. My parents provided the food and the restaurant. Everybody else chipped in to help move the fixtures from the park to here.”

  “What about you?”

  “My job was to make sure you didn’t suspect anything.”

  “People have been returning their costumes all week. Where did these come from?”

  “Look around. I think you’ll figure it out for yourself.”

  I scanned the crowd. For the first time, I noticed the large assortment of witches, princesses, and generic gangsters. A couple of pimps in purple velvet suits with dollar signs around t
heir necks. These costumes didn’t come from Disguise DeLimit. They were the store-bought kind that came from Candy Girls. Which reminded me of something I didn’t yet understand.

  “Why were you and Detective Nichols picking out costumes at Candy Girls?”

  He looked embarrassed. “She asked me to help her pick out a costume. I didn’t realize until we were there that she meant a couple’s costume, and then it was too late to say anything. Besides, you were showing interest in Coop. I wasn’t sure where we stood.”

  “I don’t know which is worse: that you picked out a couples costume with Detective Nichols, or that you went to Candy Girls.”

  “Before you say anything else, you should know that Candy Girls helped make this happen tonight.”

  Across the room, I caught eyes with one of the witches. Gina Cassavogli separated from her coven and walked toward us. “Give me a second,” I said to Tak.

  “Be nice,” he said. He let go of my hand and stepped back.

  Gina wore the same witches costume she’d worn at the Alexandria Hotel the night Paul Haverford was murdered. The cheap black plastic cape was knotted at her neck. Underneath she wore a tight, strapless dress that ended mid-thigh, and high-heeled platform pumps with square buckles clipped onto the front.

  “You provided the costumes so everybody could keep this a secret from me,” I said. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Forget about it. Once those maps came out, all plans for Havetown fell through. The only way Candy Girls was going to get any money out of this whole situation was to sell more costumes. I was happy to take their money.”

  “You used Tak’s idea as a business opportunity?”

  “Yep. And I don’t regret it for a second.” We had a stare-off. I don’t know what she was thinking, but I was conveying some pretty judgmental thoughts. “Fine. I’ll make a donation to Bobbie.” She turned around, her plastic cape snapping behind her.

  * * *

  THE party wound down around midnight. An impromptu costume contest led to Mr. Smythe collecting a small gold trophy that had been donated by a member of the swim team. Don and my dad held court in a corner, discussing a recent flurry of suspicious UFO activity in a canyon in Salt Lake City, Utah. By the time the party broke up, they’d organized a road trip for the weekend. That Minnie Winnie was going to get a lot of use.

  Despite other offers, I prepared to drive myself home. I’d felt like Cinderella at the ball tonight, but that didn’t change a lot of things. The store still had competition. Kirby’s break was over. He had to return to school, and it would be up to me to run the store. My dad was ready to move on with the next phase of his life, and probably I should too.

  My phone pinged with a text message. Happy Halloween, Margo. See you tomorrow.

  The screen said it was from Tak. He’d reprogrammed it from Private Number.

  I had a feeling Soot and I would be talking about what that meant for a long time.

  Recipes

  MARGO’S GANGSTER BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

  1 cup plain yogurt

  1 cup milk (almond, soy, or regular will work)

  ½ cup blueberries

  1 banana

  1 tbsp. protein powder

  ¼ tsp. vanilla seasoning

  Toss all ingredients into a blender.

  Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

  Pour into a glass and enjoy!

  MUMMY DOGS

  1 package hot dogs

  1 tube of uncooked croissant dough (must be the kind that comes flat)

  Preheat oven to temperature marked on croissant dough package.

  Unroll one sheet of croissant dough and lay flat on cutting board.

  Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, slice croissant dough into ¼–½-inch strips.

  Wind strips of dough around each hotdog, starting at one end. Wrap loosely until hot dog is covered.

  Place wrapped hot dogs on a baking sheet and follow baking direction on croissant packaging.

  Remove and serve!

  HALLOWEEN-THEMED TORTILLA CHIPS

  Warning: making these is almost as much fun as making a Halloween costume for a teddy bear.

  1 package corn tortillas

  1 bottle of vegetable oil

  Salt

  COOKING SUPPLIES:

  Shallow skillet

  Halloween-themed cookie cutters

  Wooden skewer

  Slotted spoon

  Paper towels for draining

  Pour the oil into a large skillet and turn on medium-high heat.

  While the oil is heating, take two tortillas from package and set on cutting board.

  Punch your shapes out with Halloween cookie cutters and set aside.

  Check if your oil is hot enough. (Insert a wooden skewer into the center of the skillet. If the oil bubbles around the wood, you’re good to go.)

  Add your punched tortilla shapes to the oil. (If you’re nervous about your first batch and want a practice round, use the pieces of tortilla that were left over after the shapes were punched. This is equally good for quality control.)

  Remove shapes as they harden (you’ll feel this with the spoon). They will be in and out in less than 30 seconds.

  Transfer shapes onto paper towels to drain.

  Lightly salt.

  Start next batch and continue until all shapes are fried. When you’re done with all of your cut-out shapes, fry the pieces that are left from the punched tortillas. They’ll taste just as good as the shaped ones, and trust me . . . you’ll want something to snack on.

  Serve with pico de gallo or salsa.

  HALLOWEEN PICO DE GALLO

  1 bunch cilantro

  1 tomato

  1 onion

  1 carrot (optional, adds Halloween color)

  1 can black olives (optional, adds Halloween color)

  1 jalapeño

  Chop the cilantro, discarding stems.

  Dice tomato, onion, carrot, black olives.

  Mix.

  Mince a little of the jalapeño and toss in if you want your pico to have a little kick.

  Costumes

  KIRBY AND THE SWIM TEAM’S EASY “EGGS SUNNY-SIDE UP” COSTUME

  White sheet

  Yellow swim cap

  Cut a small slit in the center of the white sheet. Hole should be just big enough to let your head fit through.

  Pull sheet over head and let it drape over shoulders.

  Put on yellow swim cap.

  OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

  Bottle of ketchup or Tabasco

  Oversized fork (since this is a prop, be sure to either make one out of cardboard or buy a plastic one from a Halloween shop. Metal forks will most likely not make it through metal detectors at public parties!)

  EASY (AND INEXPENSIVE!) MUMMY COSTUME

  Water

  Tea bags

  Five yards of muslin

  White long-sleeve T-shirt or turtleneck

  White leggings or thermal long johns

  White socks

  Boil a large pot of water and add several tea bags. Let tea steep for 30 minutes.

  Soak muslin in tea. This will dye it and give it an aged appearance.

  Remove muslin after about 30 minutes and hang to dry.

  When dry, make 1-inch cuts every 2 inches along non-selvedge edge.

  Using hands, tear the muslin into long strips.

  Dress in white T-shirt, long johns, and socks.

  Wrap the end of one strip around the toe of left foot and knot it to itself. Wind rest of strip around foot, covering sock.

  When end of strip is reached, knot end to the end of a new strip. Continue winding around foot.

  Continue winding up leg.

  Repe
at on right leg.

  Wrap strips around hips and torso.

  Wrap strips around left arm and then right (if you are left handed, do right hand and then left).

  Wrap strips around neck.

  Wrap strips around face, leaving opening around mouth and eyes.

  Knot extra strips onto body at intervals, leaving the ends loose.

  10 SLIGHTLY SCARY COSTUME IDEAS

  Witch

  Cruella de Vil

  Tippi Hedren’s character from The Birds

  Mummy

  Zombie

  Alien

  Jack the Ripper

  Evil Doll

  Giant Spider

  Headless Horseman

  GROUP COSTUME IDEA: M&M’S

  2 yards of felt

  1 square of white felt

  Marker or chalk

  Scissors

  Computer/Printer

  Pins

  Sewing Machine (or needle and thread)

  White tights

  White turtleneck

  White boots/sneakers/shoes

  Fold felt in half.

  Draw a giant circle on the felt.

  Cut out circles (cut through two layers of felt).

  On computer, type lower case letter m onto Word document. Set the font to Times New Roman, 750 pt.

  Print letter.

  Lay printout UPSIDE DOWN on white felt and pin together.

  Cut out letter m from felt, using printout as guide.

  Center white felt m on one giant felt circle.

  Pin.

  Stitch white felt m to felt circle around edge of letter.

  Imagining the circles as the face of a clock, stitch them together (m side in) from 1:00–2:00, 4:00–5:00, 7:00–8:00, and 10:00–11:00.