Treacherous Toys

by Joyce

  It was a good time to look through the computer files for another reason—Bart was busy trying to get his Father Christmas act together. It would be good not to have him looking over my shoulder and asking me questions I’d rather not answer. Not yet anyway.

  I hurried down the empty hall and entered the small room near the castle gate. I was surprised to find that I wasn’t alone after all. Esmeralda was there, too.

  “We keep running into each other,” she said. “You must be working at the castle again.”

  “Livy’s new lady-in-waiting,” I explained. “My toy-making apprenticeship kind of went south and I had to find something else to do. Livy’s going through more ladies-in-waiting right now than usual.”

  “Not surprising. She’s not easy to get along with when she’s not pregnant. You know how they say some women glow when they’re pregnant? Livy just screams louder.”

  We both laughed at that. I’d known Esmeralda since my first summer here. She was tough about getting things done at the castle, but I’d always liked her.

  She nodded at the computer. “They want me to start using this thing to order what I need for the laundry. Like I know how to do that. We live and work in the 1500s here. What’s wrong with paper? Even paper is a modern-day device for that age. I don’t think we should progress further than that right now.”

  I agreed with her and sat in one of the other chairs facing a monitor and keyboard “I’m still trying to find out what happened to Queen Alice. I know if I keep looking, I’ll find out.”

  “You’re still stuck on that? Jessie, that was twenty years ago. I don’t think they even had a computer here then. What difference does it make now?”

  Maybe it was the wrong thing to do, but I decided to lie to her. I thought I might be able to get her to help me if my reasoning sounded inoffensive. Not everyone wants to help with a murder investigation.

  “I’m putting together a history project for the Village. I’m hoping they’ll hire me to keep up with it once they see it. There have to be some records from the beginning of the Village. I’d like to know what she looked like and what happened to her. The answers are here somewhere.”

  She smiled and stood up. She was wearing street clothes, jeans and a sweater, so I knew she was on her way out. “Well, I wish you luck. I can’t get this thing to make a list of supplies. Every time I try, I get an error message. I think I may have to give my usual paper list to Bart and he can do the rest.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  Esmeralda left me there, closing the door behind her as she went. I found the files I’d been looking through before pretty quickly and started searching through them again.

  But this time, Alice’s employee records were gone, erased. There was no mention of the first queen. Only Chris was listed as the first king of Renaissance Faire Village.

  I typed her name in the search box—nothing came back. It was as though she’d never worked here.

  I knew it. Not that it was hard to get in here and mess around with the computers—I’d just done it. If Alice was in the Village, she might’ve done the same thing.

  Bart was going to be furious.

  Twenty-three

  Maybe, if Alice was here, she was a new hire. At least I thought I would test that assumption. Chase had already confirmed that there was no Alice currently working at the Village. But she could be working under a different name.

  I wasn’t sure how I’d find her. My only option was to search through all of the new-hire records using certain parameters. She had to be at least forty. That narrowed the field. Chris and Christine were in their early fifties. Alice had to be somewhere between forty and fifty. How many women had been hired in that age group recently?

  I restarted my search. I was amazed at all the women over the age of forty who’d been hired recently. There were even two over the age of seventy. Seventeen women fit the age bracket I’d specified. Their assignments ranged from castle help to carriage driver and goat herder.

  That gave me seventeen women in the Village to check on using absolutely no criteria other than height and body build—were they shorter than me, with a thicker waist? It seemed pretty hopeless. What were the chances that any of them weren’t shorter than me?

  I went ahead and made a list of all the people in the Village who’d worked there since it first opened. That was twenty-five people, most of them men. I separated the men from women and ended up with six women.

  Rita Martinez and Esmeralda had both been here that long, as had Ginny Stewart at the Lady of the Lake Tavern. Bawdy Betty of Bawdy Betty’s Bagels and Mrs. Potts at the Honey and Herb Shoppe were on the list, too.

  I printed the list, wishing I had my flash drive with me instead. I had just taken the pages from the printer when King Harold joined me in the computer room.

  “Jessie.” He looked surprised and unhappy to see me there. He shifted his arm, still in the sling, as though it pained him. I thought he might turn around and leave, so I said, “I’m leaving, Your Majesty. You can stay.”

  “I, uh, wasn’t leaving. I have a few things to do. Adventure Land wants to computerize us, you know. I need a laptop in my chamber, but until then—” He looked embarrassed to have explained himself.

  “I’m sorry we had that argument.” I needed to mend some fences if I was going to be at the castle full-time until Christmas. “I hope we can be friends again.”

  To my surprise, he sat down in one of the chairs and put his head in his good hand. “I’m sorry, too. Everything is in a bad place right now. I know it shouldn’t be this way with the baby coming and all. This should be a joyous time for everyone in the Village.”

  He had spoken like a king for so long, occasionally that regal phrasing crept into his normal conversation. It happened to everyone who lived here—spontaneous bouts of old English, even forgetting what the modern terminology was for some items.

  I sat back down again and patted his good hand. “Having a baby is stressful. I think you’re holding up very well.”

  He looked up at me with hope in his eyes. “Really? Because I’m a basket case. I can’t really imagine Livy and me as some poor child’s parents. I never dreamed this would be possible so late in life. I was unprepared—still am.”

  “That’s the amazing thing about having a baby. It doesn’t matter if you’re prepared or not. The baby comes along and you figure things out. It works out somehow.”

  “I’ve been such a fool with Christine and the others. It’s not that I don’t care for them. Christine has been very special to me.”

  “I know. She told me you posted bail for her.”

  Harry cringed. “Please don’t tell anyone else. Finding out about Christine and then about me arranging for her bail sent Livy off the deep end. You know we swore fealty to each other just before we found out she was with child. Neither of us was ever supposed to…you know.”

  “Yes, I know. How did Queen Olivia find out?”

  “I don’t know. She has spies everywhere. Probably one of them bribed one of my gentlemen or my accountant. It doesn’t matter. It’s over between me and Christine. I just couldn’t let her stay in jail, not with eight children to look after and Chris dead.”

  “That was commendable, Your Majesty. But I’m sorry the queen stabbed you.”

  It was a shot in the dark, but I knew from his face that I was right.

  “How did you find out? Blasted spies! No matter. I’d appreciate it if you kept it quiet.”

  “I’d be glad to oblige you. At least it’s not part of some large conspiracy going on in the castle.” I smiled at him, and he seemed more at ease. Of course, I was holding a very large secret that could be easily shared. He might start sucking up to me. “Could you tell me what you remember about Alice Christmas?”

  “Alice. A delightful woman. She was quite funny and flirtatious. I found her fascinating for the short time we knew each other. Adventure Land brought Olivia and me in to replace her and Chris.”

 
; “Can you remember how tall she was? Was she thin or heavy?”

  “It was a long time ago, Jessie. But I think she was shorter than me. I’m sure she was thinner than Livy. Why do you ask?”

  “I think she came back to the Village to kill Chris.”

  “What ho!! You think she’d still be that angry? Most women seem to get over these things quickly. Women are very resilient, you know. It’s what allows them to be the baby carriers.”

  I ignored that remark.

  “Was Alice dark or fair? Do you recall any other marking that might give a clue as to who she is today? I think she’s still in the Village but under a different name.”

  He seemed to consider it, staring off into the recesses of the computer room. “Alice was fair. I can’t recall that she had any facial markings like scars or such. She had a relative who worked here, but I can’t remember who that was right now. I don’t know what the chances would be that the same person would still be here. People come and go all the time.”

  I knew he was right about that. It would’ve been helpful if Alice had some striking feature about her like a large mole on her face or some other unusual physical characteristic that could help identify her. All I knew at this point was that she was shorter than Harry, thinner than Livy, and fair. Not much to go on, but it was probably all I could expect after twenty years.

  I thanked the king for his help, and he reminded me not to tell anyone who had stabbed him. Now I knew why the wound hadn’t been more deadly. Livy had probably barely stabbed him, then fainted. Still, she was capable of more than I’d imagined.

  I left the computer room with my printouts tucked into the small purse that hung at my waist. I didn’t have my Village mug for free drinks, not necessary inside the castle where food and drink were free all the time. It was about the only perk of serving royalty.

  The idea that Alice had a relative working here was intriguing. Although, with all of her records gone, there was no way to know what her maiden name was. It seemed to be a dead end in a long line of dead ends.

  Even in the real world outside the Village, tracing someone back twenty years to figure out who they were today was a tall order. The police might be able to do it, or I might be able to find a private detective to do it. I’d have to check on that if there was no other way.

  Lady Barbara was coming down the hall toward me. She bowed her head slightly as we met. “The queen is awake now, Lady Jessie. She will see you.”

  “Thank you.” I followed her back to the queen’s chambers. Livy was still in bed, wearing a lacy robe over her gown. She was sitting up but looked very pale. I hoped, all jokes at her expense aside, that she would be all right.

  “Lady Barbara said you have come with news from the bailiff.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” I sat on one of the tiny chairs allotted to the ladies-in-waiting. It was barely big enough for a normal-sized butt to fit on. I assumed that she had seen Harry since he’d come back from the hospital. That didn’t seem like news to me anymore.

  Instead I told her about how the investigation into Chris’s death was going and that it might be possible to identify his killer.

  “It hardly seems consequential after everything we have been through,” she said. “I am glad Edgar is gone, for good this time. I wish I hadn’t been there when he died. It was horrible. But we are alive and our progeny is still kicking. We shall survive, shall we not, Lady Jessie.”

  “We shall, Your Majesty.” I nodded respectfully, then said, “The bailiff wanted me to ask you where you were when Chris Christmas was killed.”

  “What?” Her eyes were comically large, and her mouth formed an O shape. “I can’t believe the bailiff would be so crass as to accuse me of murder while I am pregnant. And you, Lady Jessie, would repeat the question to me.”

  “With all respect, if you tell me the answer and I tell the bailiff, then you don’t have to talk to the police. They think now that Chris wasn’t killed by his wife, but they believe it was a woman. And you had a possible motive for killing him. The bailiff and I are only trying to spare you that indignity, Your Majesty.”

  She started crying and reached for a box of chocolates. “Please tell the bailiff I was here resting when Chris was killed. Lady Jane was here with me. Perhaps that will satisfy everyone. As though I could kill anyone.”

  I looked at her with her tearstained face and swollen body and agreed. But I also knew she’d managed to put a small knife into her husband. I didn’t think Livy was guilty of killing Chris, but she was capable.

  I left her there in her bedroom, grateful that she was crying instead of throwing me out of the castle. I decided then that Chase would be doing any follow-up questioning, unless I found a job somewhere else.

  Both the ladies were in the sitting room, talking quietly when I came out. Lady Jane smiled and nodded at me. “I hope the queen is well.”

  “Unhappy,” I agreed. “But well.”

  “Does the bailiff believe the queen is in any danger?” Lady Barbara asked.

  “No. Why would he think that?”

  “I just thought, with the attack on the king, that Her Majesty might be in danger.”

  I could see how she might think that. It wasn’t my place to tell her what had actually happened. But I did assure her that Livy was safe.

  Livy called for Jane and Barbara by name. Both of the ladies fluttered into her bedroom in their best green silk brocade gowns. I’d noticed how often they dressed alike. My gown was very different from theirs—and the queen didn’t call for me. That probably didn’t bode well for my future at the castle.

  I had hoped to have a conversation with Livy about Alice Christmas. That probably wouldn’t happen now. Not that my efforts at the castle seemed to be helping anyway. So far everyone I’d talked to about her couldn’t seem to remember much. If I hadn’t known better, I’d think it was a conspiracy. But instead, I believed it was just a case of out of sight, out of mind.

  I decided to go to the kitchen and talk to Rita about Alice. She probably wouldn’t recall any more than the others, but I had time to kill. I might as well use it constructively.

  Rita was busy supervising dinner for that night. She told me there were several executives from the Adventure Land board of directors coming as well as the usual retinue of cast regulars. As I’d expected, she didn’t have much time to tell me what little she could remember about Alice.

  “She liked almonds,” she said as she took over whisking some eggs from a kitchen drudge who wasn’t performing the task to her standard. “I remember that. As far as what she looked like, she was normal looking. Not blond but light brown hair. I think she was tall and thin, maybe taller than you, Jessie.”

  I frowned. That didn’t match Nick’s description of the killer at all. Of course, maybe the years had not been kind to her and she’d grown shorter and fatter.

  “Thanks, Rita.”

  “Anytime. Hey, do you want to peel a hundred pounds of potatoes?”

  I told her that, as much as I’d like to help out, I had a commitment somewhere else. Then I got out of the kitchen as quickly as possible. I might end up working there before Christmas anyway, but not until I’d explored every other job opportunity in the Village. The only thing worse than the kitchen was the laundry.

  I was walking back toward the queen’s chambers, hoping she might have need of me, when I saw Merlin. At least I thought it was Merlin.

  The man was tall and thin with gray hair and a neatly trimmed mustache. His suit and shoes looked expensive. At first, I wasn’t even sure why I thought he was Merlin—no pointy hat, scraggly beard, or robe. Then I looked again. Of course it was him. Same pointy nose and chin, and one of his eyes was a slightly different color than the other.

  “Merlin?” I asked as I met him.

  He glanced around. “Please do not call me that again until the board of directors leaves after dinner tonight.”

  I laughed. “I knew it was you. Is this what you look like in the outside w
orld?”

  “Not any more than I can help.” He laughed, too. “Now you know why I live here. Who’d want to look like this all the time and live in some condo or apartment in New York when you can dress like a wizard and live with Horace the Moose here in the Village?”

  “I guess I never thought about you having an outside persona like everyone else.”

  “And I’d appreciate it if you’d keep it to yourself.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at me. “I thought you were working at the toy shop during the holidays, Jessie. What brings you to the castle? You aren’t pillaging the computer again are you? Bart gets really ugly when someone messes with his computer.”

  “But everyone uses it,” I said. “How can he tell if someone is messing with it?”

  “I don’t know. I try to stay away from that mundane stuff. He said something earlier about someone losing some information. I’m sure it was just an accident. Who knows how to use the thing that well besides him?”

  I thought about that. Obviously someone either had bad luck with the computer or knew exactly what they were doing.

  “I’m working for the queen right now,” I confessed. “With all the problems at the manor houses, there aren’t many toys being made. I’m sure if Adventure Land will let Christine stay on here during the rest of the investigation into Chris’s death, I’d be able to make toys with her.”

  He held up one narrow hand. “Spare me. I’ve already talked to Chase. I can’t say for sure until the board meets, but I’m all right with her staying on. It doesn’t sound to me like Myrtle Beach’s finest really know if she killed her husband or not. Do you have any ideas on that score?”

  I told him about Alice. “Nick says he saw a woman.”

  “Or at least someone who dresses like a woman.” He shrugged. “I know of several men here who prefer women’s attire. That doesn’t make them killers.”

  “You must’ve met Alice. Do you remember anything about her?”

  He frowned. “Not really. It was a long time ago. But I’m sure no one could hold a grudge that long. Even my ex-wives are more forgiving. If Nick says he saw a woman, doesn’t that put us right back with Christine as the suspect?”