“Hullabaloo-Boo. It’s the All Hallows’ Eve Hullabaloo-Boo. Not that it matters now.” I shut up, and Jack picked up the conversation with a comment that was more to the point.
“I hear you, Ralph. These guys also strike me as a little too gun happy to be real pros. Sometimes amateurs are way more dangerous than the pros. None of that answers your question about ‘why Catmmando Mountain,' does it? Let’s say they get into the park in character, as you say around here. Why not leave through the guest exits as soon as possible?”
“I suppose we could be dealing with something else entirely if we consider that disaster in the Gallery as a decoy. Getting into the park from underground lets them bring guns or explosives that wouldn’t get past the metal detectors installed at the entrance gates. Unless they ditch those along the way, they won’t get out through those gates, either. Or with a big haul of Gallery art, either.”
“They went to a lot of trouble if the break-in was meant to be a decoy,” Jack said. “Why not just grab a couple of the big-ticket items and get out of there if it was a sham? These guys had a long shopping list, even if they didn't come well-prepared to handle the goods. A botched theft by amateurs backed into a corner by their bumbling, plus surprises from your security team, works for me."
"If they’re spooked because we're watching all the exits, the idea of leaving by the front gates might not be appealing either. Maybe they're looking for a place to hide out."
A surge of excitement hit me. “Not a hideout. They’re looking for a back door out of here, guys, and Catmmando Mountain has one. Two of them, in fact. One that takes them to a street level exit, large enough for cars or trucks to come and go. That route is used to get repair equipment and large parts into the inner workings of the Catmmando Conquest, the most complex APEX attraction in the park. There’s also a point at which they could access the public sewer system and escape that way, too.”
With that, Jack sprang into action. “Okay, so we’re back where we started, Georgie. What’s the fastest way to get to Catmmando Mountain?”
“We cut through the park, guys. They have a head start whether they’re traveling above ground or below. I know a short cut. We can also move faster than they can if we use a Catmmando Tom version of the Park-Kart. Ralph and I have access to those—they don’t.”
“They must also be carrying the stuff they looted from the Gallery. That might slow them down too, especially now that Damon’s dead, and they’re a man short.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck, a clear sign of stress.
“Yes. With a little luck, we’ll get there ahead of them. If we spot them coming our way, maybe security can nab them without a shootout or some other big scene that creates panic in the park.”
“You’re one of a kind, Georgie,” Jack said. “I’m fine with everything you’ve suggested except including you in this pursuit. Just show us the route on Ralph’s map and let us take it from here.”
“I could do that, but you still might miss a couple of turns because it’s hard to spot the landmarks in the dark. Besides, how are you two going to pick out the phony Marley World characters from the real ones? My guess is we should be looking for two men decked out in Catmmando Tom-Trooper get-ups like the one Damon had on. I know what a regulation Tom-Trooper Cat's-Eye Warrior ought to look like, so that makes me better able to spot a fake than either of you. All we need is for your guys to grab a guest or an associate and scare the heck out of them or embarrass them. Or worse, make a mistake and alert the thieves that we’re on to them.”
Ralph was on board, but Jack still appeared skeptical.
I continued, “To be honest, I only heard about this back door recently because Max is talking about using something similar in construction of buildings in New Arcadia. I have an idea about how they can get into Catmmando Mountain, but I don't know what happens once you get inside. I've been on tours inside Catmmando Mountain, too, but I wasn't thinking about anyone getting out that way. Another reason to get over there as soon as possible is to give us a chance to figure that out.”
“Technically, I’m still in charge, I think." Ralph said and paused, waiting for acknowledgement.
"Matthew's shout-out about a shooting in the tunnels was in-house, so that's true for now," Jack agreed. He tugged at his bottom lip, no doubt wrestling with the decision about whether this was a police matter at this point.
"We don’t have more time for debate,” Jack said. “Let’s get moving. Georgie, please call and update Max. Find out who would know how to get around inside Catmmando Mountain and arrange to have that person join us as soon as possible at Fortress Friendship.” Jack poked at the spot on the map still spread out on the table. “In the meantime, we’ll do what we can to head them off and be waiting when they reach Catmmando Mountain.”
“Your idea about not tipping the thieves off is a good one, Georgie,” Ralph added. “I’m going to tell Crowd Control not to shut down the Conquest, but reroute traffic away from the point of entry they’re going to use. Where is it?”
I shuddered a bit as I answered him. "There's a park maintenance entry point into Catmmando Mountain behind the picnic area where they discovered Mallory's body.” Jack’s dark eyes met mine. I knew he had been joking when he’d wondered out loud what was with this place. I don’t believe in ghosts, but it did feel a bit like that spot was haunted. Of all the places in the park, that was one I dreaded revisiting.
Jack nodded. “Getting a team in there ahead of them makes a whole lot of sense. Can you do that, Ralph?”
“No problem,” he replied as he picked up his phone to call Crowd Control and his security teams. I grabbed my phone, too.
“Great. We'll stay out of the way and let the thieves go inside where we can grab them without endangering the public. That seems less risky than scuffling with them in the park. Let’s roll.”
7 In Purr-suit
Our drive through the tunnels was short. It had grown quiet as soon as I quit making phone calls. Jack was worried. A little miffed, too. After we had our first real fight a couple of months ago—about money, not my personal safety—I’d learned to recognize the telltale signs. Jack doesn’t rant or rave when he’s ticked off. He goes silent. I glanced sideways at the man who even when unhappy with me set off those enticing snap, crackle, pop sensations. Now was not the time to get distracted by my handsome companion’s presence.
Besides, I was peeved with him, too.
When vexed, I do pretty much the same thing—shut down. I feel it’s unseemly to have a hissy-fit when you’re angry. Not because it’s unladylike, although I’d had that notion drilled into me at an early age. It’s more a fear of appearing foolish, which is what happens to a lot of people when they blow a gasket. Silence is more natural to me than to Jack, though. His garrulous side finds the humor in any dispute we’re having. Once he points out the funny part I get it, too, and the tension vanishes. Not tonight. Under the circumstances, there wasn’t much cause for laughter. I was as worried about him as he was about me.
I used the silence to ponder the puzzles tumbling through my mind. What was going on between Clara and Max? Who was Damon? Was I right to be as convinced as I was that the ruthless gunmen on the run were planning to make their getaway from Catmmando Mountain? Had we made the right call not to shut down the Conquest? Keeping it open, but doing what we could to shield our guests seemed the surest way to keep two trigger-happy bad guys on the move toward an escape route. What if we were wrong? The stress I felt was almost unbearable. Jack and Ralph must have had to make such judgment calls many times. How could they stand it?
My job at the Cat Factory wasn’t stress-free either, as my call to Max made clear. As I had expected, the man was beside himself with anxiety. Learning that there had been another death made it worse, and his fear turned into anger. Unlike Jack and me, when Max Marley gets angry, he doesn't go silent, he barks. Rumpelstiltskin was on the loose again.
“What?” he had shouted when I told him about Damon. I could imagi
ne everyone in the Gallery turning to stare. I wanted to go home, throw myself down on the couch, and listen to Miles’ more benign caterwauling. Instead, I interrupted Max in mid-bellow.
“Max, I know this is a nerve-wracking situation. We all need to stay calm and act quickly. Can we speak privately?” Silence followed. Blessed silence.
“I’ll be right back,” he said to someone. “Okay, I’m alone. What is it?”
I shared what we had learned from our brief discussion with Julie. Max gasped after it dawned on him that there were still two armed and dangerous men on the loose and in the park.
“Stay with me, Max. We’re almost certain we know where they’re going and why. Ralph and Jack have a plan for how to handle them without creating a public disturbance. Once this is over, we’ll do a thorough review of the security arrangements we have in place. Ralph has some smart ideas about how to improve our protocols.” I smiled at Ralph, who frowned in response since he hadn’t had time to dredge up any new ideas, smart or not. I gave Ralph a reassuring wave, and then continued my conversation with Max.
We were on the move even as I spoke. Ralph, Jack, and I walked to a golf cart near the entrance to 3 West, just outside the area now cordoned off by crime scene tape. I took my seat in the golf cart and continued speaking.
“Max, I have a couple of questions for you. Who can help us navigate inside Catmmando Mountain? We need someone who knows how those thieves can get to that back door.”
Max went silent again. “Dan Larson, head of the design team. You met him. Want me to call him and have him meet you there?” Oh yes, I’d met the man. Drop dead gorgeous, but too full of himself for my taste. He had seemed competent enough in his role as a glorified general contractor for New Arcadia.
“If you do it, he’ll move quicker.” That tickled Max, and he laughed. “Max, who else besides those of us who met recently about your plans for New Arcadia know about the back door?”
“Good question. I hadn’t even thought about it in years until Dan brought it up to keep the streets of New Arcadia pedestrian friendly. Anyone who worked on the Catmmando Mountain project back in the 90s would know. We’ve had electricians and other repair teams in there a dozen times over the years. Dan can tell you who he's taken in there with him recently. Other than that, I can't think of another soul, other than family, of course.”
Family? Max is divorced, and his only child is dead.
“You mean your ex?”
“Yes, that’s right. Mallory and her mother both took a complete tour. Catmmando Mountain is a stunning example of design and engineering. That was years ago, before the divorce and all of Mallory’s troubles began.” I was losing him as his voice faded. Was he spiraling toward the dark place Mallory’s memory often took him? Whether Catmmando Mountain is haunted or not, Max is. Memories of his lost child hovered around him like a phantom.
For years I’d been tormented by apparitions of a lost love, so I understood some of what he endured. In Max’s case, his recollections had to be filled with ambivalence, given that at the time of her gruesome death, Daughter Dearest had been scheming against him. That whole ordeal had aged him ten years. A ghostly image of Max Marley standing in the ransacked Gallery flitted through my mind. It was past time to wrap this up.
“One more question. Does the name Damon mean anything to you? That’s either the first or last name of the deceased young man in that photo Jack sent to Bill Miller.”
“No. I didn’t recognize his face, either. To tell you the truth, it's a relief not to have lost another person like Barry, who I know and care about. From what you’ve said, it sounds like this Damon crook knows something about how things work around here, and about that exit from Catmmando Mountain. When he meets you in the park, ask Dan about Damon. Show him that photo, too, and maybe he can identify him. I’ve got Dan on speed dial, so it won’t take more than a few seconds to reach him and tell him to get there, pronto.”
“Thanks, Max.”
“I should be thanking you, Georgie. Those men with you, too. You heard what I said about not wanting to lose anyone else I care about. Be careful, okay? Pass that along to Ralph and your detective pal, please. If anything happens to you, I’m holding them responsible.”
“Sure, Max. Will do! You have to promise to take care of yourself, too. Talk to you later.” I felt a little choked up by the concern in his voice. Maybe he was feeling guilty about sending me out on the front lines. Max also had a vulnerable side when he wasn’t mad with worry and in his imperious, ruler of the known universe mode. I made one more call, this time to my administrative assistant.
“Carol, it’s Georgie.”
“Georgie? Where are you? What is going on over there? It’s all over the news that somebody tried to burgle the joint. What on earth were they trying to steal—top secret plans for the next Dickey Duck movie?”
“Believe it or not, you’re not that far off the mark. Nothing related to the new films, but the old ones.” I explained what had gone on at the Gallery as Jack released the brake and we took off in the golf cart.
“Wow. It sounds like a huge mess. Do you need me to come in and help see that it gets cleaned up or something?”
“Or something, Carol. You know your way around the company personnel data files. We’re trying to figure out if there’s a guy by the name of Damon employed by Marvelous Marley World. The problem we’re having is not knowing whether that’s his last name or his first name. He’s young and seems to be familiar with the theme park and the procedures used to get around underground. Ralph Emerson doesn’t recognize him as an employee in security, so he must be tied to the park some other way. We’ve rousted Yvette, but as Director of Park Operations, she’s got her hands full dealing with a situation that’s still unfolding as we speak.”
“I take it you can’t ask Damon because he’s on the run, right?”
“Worse, Carol. He’s dead.”
“Oh no. I heard there was a fatality at the Gallery.”
“I'm not sure how you found that out since it’s not public information." I was concerned that rumors might cause panic.
"I'm an insider. You know I have ways of finding out things."
"Fair enough. I wouldn't be asking for your help now if it weren't true. I hate to be the one to tell you that Barry Hall's the associate we lost tonight.”
“No. Not Barry? That’s awful news. There’s another one?”
“Yes. Damon's one of the thieves. Bill Miller shot him as he ran, but didn't kill him. We found him dead and half-dressed as a Tom-Trooper in Backstage Area 3 West. A witness claims he was shot by his confederates before they took off.”
“No honor among thieves tonight, huh? What cruds.”
“Yep, that’s about it. Mum’s the word, of course. Damon’s colleagues are still on the run and using his keycard. If we can figure out who he is, we might be able to use that information to help us track them down before they can cause more trouble.”
Carol said nothing for a few seconds, and then, “Guys with guns in character outfits…in the park on All Hallows’ Eve. Say no more, Georgie. I’m on it.”
“Thanks, Carol. I’m also emailing you a picture Jack took of this guy Damon. Fair warning, it’s not a pleasant sight, but maybe it will help you find out who he is.”
“Jack, huh? What is it about you two? Can’t you find something else to do on a date night?”
“Not what I had in mind for the evening, trust me. You probably had plans to relax now that the trick-or-treaters have quit ringing the doorbell for the night.”
Carol goes all out for the holiday, so her house is a kid magnet.
“We had a record turnout. I'll have some cute pics from tonight that I'll share with you later. Don't worry about me, though. I’m glad I can help.”
“Good luck searching for a needle in a haystack. He used that card to get out of the Gallery once the sliders had come down. If I’m correct, his partners plan to use it again to gain access to Catmmando Mountain
through a maintenance entrance.”
Then the obvious struck me. His access required a Level 2 clearance or higher. “Carol, start your search for someone named Damon with keycard access at Level 2 or higher, okay? That ought to narrow your search.”
Jack heard that, and gave me a thumbs-up.
“That makes sense,” Carol said, “given that he was able to override the security measures in the Gallery. Consider it done.”
“Thanks,” was all I could think of to say. My long-suffering administrative assistant had worked with me for less than two years. Those had not been good years at Marvelous Marley World as I moved from the Food and Beverage Division to Public Relations and back again. Finding Carol had been the best outcome from those disruptive moves. She had proven herself to be flexible, resourceful, and trustworthy. All traits that would be useful to us tonight.
Two minutes later, I was still lost in thought when Jack pulled over and parked. Ralph, Jack, and I climbed out of the golf cart and into an elevator. Moments later, the three of us stepped out into the park.
An enormous full moon hung above us, its glow casting a silvery sheen on our transport vehicle. Mark, one of Ralph’s security team members, was at the wheel of an all-electric vehicle with a sleek, space-age design that mimicked the shape of a crouching feline. Catmmando Tom’s Catvenger Purr-suit Craft seemed oddly appropriate to the absurdity of the moment.
We took our seats amid a kaleidoscope of lights, motion and sound. Colorful glow sticks and pulsing LED lights were everywhere. Ghoulish hoots, hollers, and shrieks of laughter clashed with the perennial cry of parents trying to control their children. The disinhibiting effects of being in costume were made worse by the sugar overload from treats being handed out to anyone carrying Marvelous Marley World tote bags.
Tiny facsimiles of Marley World characters darted about as adult-sized characters pursued them. An exasperated mother shouted as we stopped abruptly to avoid hitting a small child who hissed at us and spread a pair of oversized bat wings.
Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery Box Set Page 22