Beautiful Girls

by Gary S. Griffin

  Another minute later we arrived at the observation deck. The doors opened. We had to get out. I whispered to Harmony that we had to start walking.

  She nodded her head and said to me, “Stay back from the edge.”

  “OK, I will.”

  The view was even better than I expected. The western sky was turning purple. The hotel lights were coming on. The sun was about to set.

  I moved us to the western side of the deck, and near the center, so that we could lean our backs against the elevator shaft. Harmony still had her eyes closed and her face was covered by her long black hair. We were getting attention from the others visitors; some were smiling at me and some understood Harmony’s dilemma.

  A gust of wind blew through the deck and she began to cry. I moved us around the deck to get out of the breeze. She seemed to calm down.

  I then whispered where we were and asked Harmony to open her eyes for a minute so she could see the sunset. I kissed the top of her head and slowly, gently lifted her chin away from my chest and towards the fantastic view.

  She held me tight again. She slowly opened her eyes. She looked around for a moment, and then said, “It is beautiful, but I cannot look down.”

  “I understand. You can close your eyes again. But, I need to look for the clue. We will need to slowly walk around the deck so I can find it.”

  “I understand. Thank you for being kind to me, Stevie.”

  She kissed me on the lips and then closed her eyes again.

  Oh, boy! I needed to be careful here with Harmony. This was more than a simple fear of heights. She was even more scared than I thought.

  I said, “OK, let’s walk slowly to my right.”

  We did and in the middle of our second loop of the deck I found the clear plastic disk. It was above my head, stuck to a beam that held the fencing around the edge of the deck.

  “Harmony, I see the disk. I’m going to need to step on a telescope stand to reach it. I need to let go of you for just a few seconds. Here, feel this. Hold on to this. It is a beam by the elevator. You’ll be fine. I’ll be right back.”

  She whimpered and put her hair back in front of her face, but she did as I said.

  I went over to the telescope and put one foot on its stand. I reached up but couldn’t get the disk. My hand was about a foot away. So, I had to put my other foot up on the railing around the inside of the fenced cage.

  Just as I grabbed the disk some woman shouted, “Hey, what are you doing?”

  A different woman screamed. That caused Harmony to open her eyes. She saw me up on the cage and cried out too, “Oh, Stevie, no!”

  I quickly got down and showed the women and the other visitors what I had in my hand. The Tower’s attendant came up to me, grabbed my arm and asked me what I was doing.

  I said, “It’s a game, I had to find this disk. I wasn’t about to do anything dangerous.”

  That settled the crowd down. Then, Harmony rushed towards me and held me tight.

  She sobbed and said, “Don’t take him. He’s only trying to save me and my sister. I need him.”

  Harmony’s statement drew more attention to us.

  The attendant said we should leave.

  I told him, “I didn’t mean any harm. We’ll leave now.”

  He let go of my arm.

  I moved Harmony around the corner, stood in front of the elevator and waited there. I patted her back and smoothed her long hair.

  I blurted out, “Don’t cry, baby. It will be OK.”

  Before I knew it she kissed me again. Then, she said, “I love you. Don’t ever leave me.”

  “Let’s get out of here, Harmony.”

  At that moment, the elevator returned to the top of the Tower and the doors opened. Harmony pulled me inside, hugged me tight and buried her head in my chest. Within seconds we were gliding back down to Earth.

  Wow, what just happened? While Harmony pressed against me, I tried to regroup emotionally and think of what to do for her now. This was getting intense.

  ***

  We were inside Paris, seated in a replica of a Parisian café drinking a coffee.

  “Are you okay, Harmony?”

  “Yes, I guess. I am sorry for how I acted, Stevie. Please forgive me.”

  “I forgive you. It is a stressful time. If I had known how difficult heights are for you, I would have insisted that you stay down here.”

  “I should have. I am very scared right now.”

  “I do understand, Harmony.”

  “I also apologize for kissing you. I was too bold and too out of control. I do not want to endanger our new friendship.”

  “We are friends. I understand all this is very hard. You are acting like a normal person under stress. I just, umm…”

  “Yes, what is it, Stevie.”

  “This is hard to say.”

  “Go ahead, please.”

  I spoke quietly. “We need to be careful. I am engaged and will be married in a matter of days. I love Edie with all my heart. I just can’t let myself act on my lust… I mean, I feel like I am attracted to you and we can’t let that happen.”

  “I know. It will not. I want to help you and Edie in the future, too, and I do not want there to be any weird things between us.”

  “I agree.”

  Harmony then said softly, “It is hard, though, because I feel that way too. Why do you think we have these feelings?”

  “I’m not sure. I do know you remind me of Edie, very much. You two look a lot alike.”

  “I heard you tell her that this morning. Is that really true?”

  “Yes, it is. I honestly think you look more like Edie than you do Melody. And, that’s amazing because I think everyone can tell you and Mel are sisters.”

  “Oh, my God.”

  “You also have similar traits or personalities. I don’t understand how, but I know you three have some family connection. Plus, you’re vulnerable and I am too, and that always makes me weak with beautiful women. Yes, you are beautiful.”

  “Thank you for thinking I am.”

  “Of course you are. But, getting caught up in my emotions distracts me from my work. It’s dangerous for all of us.”

  “Yes, it can be.”

  “I think we must work to stay friends.”

  “We can do it. We can be very good friends.”

  “Let’s try. We can hold hands, but I think we should try not to hug or kiss each other. That’s too hard for me, OK?”

  “Yes, I agree. Stevie, can I share one more secret with you?”

  “Sure.” I wondered what this would be.

  “You are the first man I have touched since my incident.”

  “What incident was that?”

  “I was a victim of a date rape.”

  “Oh, no.”

  “Yes. It happened one night last year when I partied with friends from work. We went to The Bank. It is a nightclub in my hotel. Someone slipped a drug into my drink. The next thing I knew I woke up naked, alone, in a bed in a room in the Bellagio. I do not remember anything about that night, which probably helps my recovery. I am not even sure who took me there. My money was taken. My clothes were taken. I had sex, but do not remember. My body hurt, especially down below, and my hair had been pulled hard and I had a bruise on my left cheek. I had a hard time seeing clearly for a while. Thank God whoever did it left my purse with my keys inside. Once I could see well enough I took the bathrobe in the closet and made my way to my car. I walked down the fire escape and knew how to get to our parking garage. I think only a few people saw me and they were far from me. I made it home safely and Melody did not see me walk in as she was at work. I have only told her some of this, and no one else has heard one word of it.”

  “I’m so sorry. I had no idea, Harmony.”

  “That is not your fault. I am getting counseling. I am doing better, although you might not know it from how I acted today. It was traumatic.”

  “I’m sure it was.”

  “I just do n
ot act wildly and that incident made me even more careful.”

  “I can see why.”

  “Being with you is helping me. You are the right man for me. I mean, you are showing me the kind of man I should be attracted too. I did not know for sure in the past.”

  “Is there anything else I can do?”

  “Just continue to be yourself. That is enough.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Harmony answered, “I will be OK if you protect me. I know that is a very scary statement. But, I am being honest.”

  “I am here until this is all over.”

  “Thank you.”

  “So, let’s get back to business.”

  “Yes, let us read the new clue.”

  The disk held these verses from Chapter 25:

  David replied to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands. For I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept me from hurting you, that if you had not hurried out to meet me, not one of Nabal’s men would still be alive tomorrow morning.” Then David accepted her present and told her, “Return home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband.”

  The clue read:

  Dear David,

  Has God kept me from hurting you and the twins?

  What will happen at the end?

  What are you willing to do?

  We will see tomorrow. Now, head to the Big Apple and search the bridge to nowhere for your next clue.

  Nabal

  Brooklyn Bridge

  When we left Paris, night had fallen over The Strip. It seemed more than seventeen hours had passed since I last saw these incredible lights. It was obvious that Rob meant the New York, New York casino in his latest clue.

  We decided to walk there because it was only a mile south of Paris. It was a beautiful evening and the Saturday night crowd was just building. There were lots of people walking on the Boulevard.

  We didn’t talk more about the events at the Eiffel Tower. Harmony had regained her composure and seemed content to hold my hand as we walked along to our next stop on this long chase.

  Harmony also knew that the bridge to nowhere was the replica of the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge runs along the front of the hotel casino and is really the sidewalk. It is parallel to The Strip and shows off a large roller coaster and a copy of the New York skyline behind it.

  These skyline buildings, which include replicas of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building, are the New York, New York hotel. Each of these landmarks is a different tower of guest rooms. Various New York street scenes are captured inside and out of the hotel lobby.

  Even though the bridge is only a one-fifth replica of the original, it is still a block long. Rob’s clue gave us no specifics where in this stretch we would find the next one. The bridge had scores of people walking over it.

  Unlike the Eiffel Tower, which was a tourist destination, the Brooklyn Bridge was also a thoroughfare; people didn’t stop to look around much.

  When we reached the north end of the bridge, Harmony said, “Wow, Stevie, look at all these people. We need a plan.”

  “I agree. Let’s think for a second.”

  We moved to the right side of the bridge and let people pass us by.

  I said, “OK, we can see the clue can’t be on the roadway. And, it wouldn’t be on the suspension cables. It has to be somewhere else, like on the side rails.”

  “I agree. I think we need to walk slowly and look carefully.”

  “Yes, why don’t you walk in front of me and we’ll both look to the right.”

  “Let us be patient.”

  So, we were. The roadbed was made of paving stones. The sides of the walkway had a raised concrete base, metal uprights and a metal top railing. The bridge’s two towers were made of brown stone and stood about fifty feet above the roadway. There were a few benches along the walkway.

  We had no luck on the first pass. We took a break at the other end of the bridge.

  I asked, “What’s Rob thinking with this clue? What was his point?”

  “I do not know. I suppose he thought it would be a cool place to visit.”

  “Right, but when we got here, he probably realized there wasn’t any really good place to hide the clue.”

  Harmony said, “I think you are right. He needs to always think ahead.”

  “That’s right.”

  “I wonder how he did it.”

  “Did what?”

  “Well, think about it, Stevie. While he was here, he needed to know where he would put the clue at the next location. He really needed to plan it out.”

  “Probably.”

  “I wonder how he decided on the locations.”

  “Well, some of them aren’t that hard to choose, you know, like this and the Eiffel Tower.”

  “True, but for others, like Cirque du Soleil and Red Rock, it took more effort, some imagination even.”

  “Yes, that’s true.”

  Harmony asked me, “I wonder what he has in mind for his grand finale?”

  “I don’t know. We’ll need to be careful.”

  We started down the Boulevard side of the bridge. We still had no luck. So, we started an even slower search. During the second walk south our luck changed. There, on the underside of one of the benches, Harmony found the next clue. We sat on the bench, under a street light and read the contents.

  The next scripture passages read:

  When Abigail arrived home, she found that Nabal was throwing a big party and was celebrating like a king. He was very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything about her meeting with David until dawn the next day. In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened. As a result he had a stroke and he lay paralyzed on his bed like a stone. About ten days later, the Lord struck him, and he died.

  Rob’s clue read:

  David,

  You both did well today, even if you were slow at times. The redheaded sister is getting restless with your pace.

  We will end today’s hunt after one more stop. Before it closes for the night, find your final clue of the day in the pool of hungry sharks.

  Nabal

  “Where is a pool of sharks in Las Vegas?”

  Harmony stood, pointed down the street, and said, “Right there, at Mandalay Bay, past Excalibur and The Luxor!”

  The Tenth Clue

  Since we were closer to Mandalay Bay than our car at Paris, we continued walking down The Strip. We passed Excalibur with its brightly lit castle and turrets. Then, we walked by Luxor with the replica Sphinx in front and its massive, black-glassed pyramid in back. The pyramid really does have this intense beam of white light that shines straight up to heaven. What a strange, impressive sight!

  The third hotel and our destination, Mandalay Bay, was a South Seas paradise. We sensed the tranquil setting as we walked up the front driveway.

  Harmony held my hand the whole way and our pace was slower than our first walk. We were getting tired. Rob’s promise that this was the last stop of the day, but not the grand finale of our hunt, reduced our stress. We were almost relaxed by the time we entered the hotel lobby.

  Mandalay Bay had a very tall atrium lobby with a glass roof, potted palms, white walls and a marbled floor. Three tower wings radiated off the lobby at 120 degree angles. The center of the lobby held a large fish tank. The casinos, restaurants and shops surrounded the huge lobby.

  The concierge directed us down a hallway to the Shark Reef. We paid our seventeen dollar entrance fees and entered the venue.

  Shark Reef’s centerpiece is a massive aquarium. There were many other types of fish in the big tank with the sharks. Apparently, the sharks are fed separately and leave the other fish alone. A special feature of the big tank is a tunnel that runs through the middle. Water flows all around this tunnel so you can see fish and sharks swimming underwater.r />
  The sharks were fierce and hungry looking. The tropical fish came in all colors, shapes and sizes.

  There, in that tunnel, we found the next clue. The plastic disk was stuck to a support beam between two curved pieces of strong, thick glass. I pocketed the disk and we continued our tour of the aquarium. I especially liked the big Komodo Dragon in one of the dry side exhibits.

  Soon our energy and interest waned. It was nearly nine o’clock.

  “Harmony, let’s go have dinner. It’s been a long day.”

  “Yes, let us.”

  “I need to call Edie and Lieutenant Lomita too. Why don’t we eat here?”

  “That sounds good. Where would you like to eat?”

  “You choose. If we can find a quiet, casual place I can put Edie on speaker so we both can speak to her.”

  “Do you think she will desire to speak to me?”

  “Sure. She spoke to Mel and me last night.”

  “Oh, I see. All right then, I will choose the restaurant.”

  We walked to the lobby and determined our options. Harmony suggested the Border Grill because it was Mexican, not crowded, casual, and had outdoor seating. It fit the bill. We requested an outside table away from everyone else. The hostess obliged us; the nearest table was about forty feet away.

  ***

  “As you can tell, we’ve had a busy day, baby.”

  Edie said, “It sounds like it. You guys were all over Vegas.”

  We had already ordered dinner. I chose roasted plantains for my appetizer and seared halibut for my entrée. Harmony selected a seafood tortilla for her first round and chicken enchiladas for the second.

  We were sipping a margarita as we talked to Edie in Casa Verde. Tawny and she were back from their shopping and early dinner in Palm Springs. They spent a bunch of money on new clothes. Edie called it their form of therapy.

  Edie asked, “Did you see them anywhere you went?”