by Dixon, Jeff
Juliette had gotten in touch with Tim for a tearful reunion over the phone. As she talked, Hawk and Kiran had moved into the foyer to allow her some privacy. Hawk then had the chance to talk to Tim, who promised he would take his pastor to any restaurant, anytime, for the rest of his life in appreciation for finding Juliette. Hawk admitted he really had found her by accident, but they all understood the preacher’s dogged determination had worked in their favor. Hawk also spoke with Al Gann, who would be entering the Disney tunnel system very soon, rounding up the man in the Big Bad Wolf head, also known as Jim. Gann had been in touch with Disney security, and the sheriff’s department was officially involved. Al was the lead person on the case, but Hawk was out of time. He was going to have to come in and answer some questions about the missing Imagineer Farren Rales. Hawk was not surprised by this but had been shocked when Al told him the rest of what he had to say. Gann promised the department that he personally would bring the preacher into the office for an interview. He had promised to have him there by 2:00 p.m. Al had managed to give Hawk a few more precious hours to solve the mystery. Juliette was safe, the person who had abducted her should be picked up momentarily; the Disney security force and the sheriff’s departments were now both involved, so everything was getting ready to change. Gann said the gift of a few hours and not giving a full disclosure to the Disney people quite yet were the best he could do for his friend. He urged Hawk to figure it out and wrap it up.
The strategy Hawk, Gann, Tim, Juliette, Jonathan, Shep, and Kiran had devised would have them hide out in the Cinderella Castle Suite until the Magic Kingdom opened in the morning. Once the park was open and the first wave of people had made it down Main Street USA, they would leave the castle. Juliette would exit the park and board a monorail to the Contemporary to be reunited with Tim and go home. Hawk and Kiran would follow as many leads as they could through the park, hoping they wouldn’t be stopped by Disney security. At 1:00 p.m. Hawk would head over to the Contemporary and rejoin Jonathan, Shep, and Al to let them know what he had found and what needed to happen next. From there Al Gann and Hawk would head to the interview at the sheriff’s office to unpack the entire story and hopefully find out what had happened to Farren Rales.
It was still shortly before daylight when everything had been decided. The Magic Kingdom was not scheduled to open until 9:00 a.m. There were snacks to eat for breakfast in the room and turns to be taken in the luxury bathing facilities, giving Juliette and Hawk time to talk privately. Standing up and walking near the bathroom door Juliette confirmed that Kiran was still bathing and she came back to join Hawk.
“So Kiran is good?” Juliette asked with a quizzical look on her face as she sat down.
“What do you mean good?” Hawk’s mind went uninvited to the shower, and his face flamed. Juliette laughed.
“I mean, she’s one of us—one of the good guys—and you trust her?”
“I didn’t have any choice. She rescued me when Cambridge was after me, she helped me solve clues, and she’s managed to get me out of more than a few jams over the past few hours.”
“And?”
“I probably wouldn’t have been able to survive the night in the park without her, and I wouldn’t have been able to find you.”
“So she’s good?”
“I guess . . .”
“And she’s gorgeous.”
“I hadn’t noticed.” Hawk replied, thinking Snow White’s stepmother would kill her in a heartbeat.
“You lie,” she teased.
“She is pretty,” Hawk yielded.
“And you trust her?” Juliette pressed the last question between them, instantly serious. Hawk hesitated and thought of Kiran dressing behind the bathroom door before looking back at Juliette. She asked again slowly, “And you trust her?”
“I want to . . .”
“But?”
“You heard the DVD when Farren told me to be careful about whom to trust. Like any classic Disney story, there will be heroes and villains.”
“From what you’ve told me she sounds fairly heroic.”
“She has been pretty terrific,” he admitted.
“Look, Hawk,” She leaned forward and lowered her voice to a whisper. “A lot has happened over the past twenty-four hours. It sounds like she’s risked a lot to help get you this far. The problem is, you’re starting to really like her. Be wise, trust her with as much as you can, but in the end remember this is your quest, your puzzle, your mystery to solve. The people who really love you understand that and want you to figure it out . . . because they love and trust you. Kiran sounds like she is one of those people. So figure this thing out—”
The bathroom door clicked open and Kiran walked out looking refreshed and radiant. At least those were the adjectives that crossed Hawk’s mind when he saw her. Stepping into the room she stopped and playfully stepped back as though sensing she may have interrupted a deep conversation between the two old friends.
“I’m sorry, I could come back later, but I don’t have anywhere to go.” She flashed a smile.
“Come over.” Juliette motioned for her to join them. “Hawk is trying to catch me up on his escapades. I’m sure he’s forgetting some of the details.”
Over the next hour they relived and retold the events of the previous night. Hawk would tell a portion of the story and Kiran would take over and fill in the gaps. Juliette laughed with them as they recounted the events that, although serious, seemed a little less intense in the safety of the castle. They ended up with the final clue Pal Mickey had offered at Sir Mickey’s.
I knew you could do it, pal! Let’s fly to where it is always past my bedtime. Gosh, even though it’s late and I should be asleep I’m sure Mr. Disney wouldn’t mind. Oh, ha-ha, I almost forgot . . . remember the pixie dust!
“So that’s your next clue?” Juliette tilted her head.
“There are a number of attractions in the Magic Kingdom you can fly on,” Kiran offered.
“The secret may be in the next part of the clue,” Hawk thought aloud. “‘Even though it’s late and I should be asleep I’m sure Mr. Disney wouldn’t mind.’ That seemed to make sense in the middle of the night. But in the light of day it’s tougher.”
“What do you mean?” Kiran asked.
“Well, we need to find a place where it’s past Mickey’s bedtime.”
“And don’t forget the pixie dust!” Juliette said.
“So we fly, it’s late, and we need pixie dust,” Kiran recapped.
“Of course! We head to Peter Pan’s Flight,” Hawk announced triumphantly.
“Are you sure?” Kiran slid forward in her seat.
“Positive, it makes sense,” Hawk reasoned. “Think about it, the ride takes place at night after the children are supposed to be asleep. They fly out the window after they get sprinkled with pixie dust, and they follow Peter Pan.”
“After all good kids should be in bed,” Juliette pulled the line of reasoning together.
“And after all good little mice should be in bed as well,” Kiran playfully added. “Mickey was always portrayed as Walt Disney’s creation, almost like a child; Walt was a good parent, Mickey would have an early bedtime.”
“It’s just around the corner.” Hawk began tapping his foot. “We can be there as soon as the park opens.”
“Not to be a party pooper, but I’m going to let you two go fly with Peter Pan.” Juliette yawned. “I am going home to my family, and my own bed. After all, I had a long day and didn’t get to play in the park all night.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
* * *
Day Seven
Morning
GRAYSON HAWKES STOOD LOOKING through the window of the Cinderella Suite and saw the first strands of sunlight push against the twinkle of nighttime illumination. Chasing the darkness, a new day burst into dawn over Walt Disney World. Juliette stepped next to him as the brilliant scene unfolded. This moment was a once-in-a-lifetime event and Hawk silently allowed the daylight to flutt
er across his eyes as the two friends watched the beginning of a new day.
“Wow,” Juliette said after a few silent minutes.
“Pretty spectacular.” Hawk felt almost sad that the moment had ended.
“Are you ready to finish this?”
“I hope so. I have to. I’m out of time.”
“How much more can there be to find, Hawk?”
“I’m not sure.” He resigned himself to the reality of how little he knew. “I’m not sure what any of the pieces I have found mean—if they mean anything.”
“I think”—she paused, measuring her words carefully—“I think when you find the last piece, everything will fall into place. I also think you have to be getting close to the end.”
“I want to believe you’re right.” Hawk shook his head. “All I know to do is keep looking.”
“You’ll figure it out.” She grabbed him by the arm and steered him toward the table. “Come get something to eat, this place is stocked with goodies.”
A short while later the gates to the Magic Kingdom opened and the crowds flooded Main Street USA. Guests ran down Main Street and funneled through the interior of the castle, filling up Fantasyland. Others strolled more leisurely, content to let the eager attraction seekers move ahead. It was now time for Hawk, Kiran, and Juliette to exit the castle. The three took a deep breath as they pushed open the door and reentered Fantasyland. Juliette wished them luck and was off through the castle headed toward the exit. Kiran and Hawk used the corner of the castle as cover as they surveyed any obstacles that would block their path toward Peter Pan’s Flight. Assured the coast was clear they briskly stepped out, mingling with a crowd of wide-eyed tourists.
Peter Pan’s Flight was created in the image of the original. In 1955 the attraction had been built by Walt in Disneyland. He had desired to give his guests a chance to experience firsthand scenes from the 1953 film Peter Pan. The ride was a mainstay of the Magic Kingdom, and the wait time could exceed an hour. Since Hawk and Kiran were early there would be almost no wait at all for them to board the ride. Walking casually toward the entrance they both kept a sharp watch for anyone that seemed unusually interested in them. At the corner of the entrance Hawk remembered a moment from the previous night.
“Kiran, when I was here hiding last night, Pal Mickey gave me a message.”
“Right here?” She frowned at him, and he regretted not telling her before.
“Yes, I was hiding before I made it over to Sir Mickey’s. The message was, ‘You’re here too early, pal, it’s not time yet.’”
“It probably would have made the clue easier to figure out if you had remembered that,” she jokingly scolded.
“I guess in all the excitement, I forgot.”
“I hope it’s time now.”
“Me too.” His time to figure this puzzle out was running out.
Weaving their way through the queue line were three other groups waiting to board. The attraction’s operator waved them through as Hawk and Kiran took a seat in their own private flying ship. The ride wound them through the bedroom of the Darling children. Peter Pan beckoned them, and every other rider, to come with him to Never Land. With a quick sprinkling of pixie dust the boat, suspended on a track above them, lifted them through the bedroom window, over the Darlings’ backyard as their dog Nana barked, and through the nighttime sky of London.
Hawk recalled the first time he had ever flown in this attraction as a child. Surprised to see all of the scenes from the movie below him, he’d been nervous and excited. He hadn’t realized he would be flying above the action. Kiran nudged his arm and pointed at Big Ben. The clock was in front of them as they flew.
“See what time it is?”
“It’s 9:06—way past the bedtime of little children,” he confirmed.
The shaking of the stuffed tour guide on his hip was expected.
“Ha-ha!”
Hawk momentarily thought of the disaster it would be if he accidentally dropped the mouse out of the boat into the streets of London below. The nervous thought caused him to hold it just a little bit more tightly and in doing so activated the voice mechanism inside. Kiran and he both leaned in closely to hear the message, their faces side by side. Unexpectedly Kiran kissed him on the lips.
“For luck!” She smiled.
Smiling back at her he hoped she wouldn’t notice his blushing in the darkness of the ride. His face was warm and his mind swirled before Pal Mickey interrupted the moment.
“Hiya, Hawk! You’re fantastic! Now it’s time, this is your last clue. You know Walt Disney’s story but you don’t know the last chapter. That’s what you’re gonna have to get to the bottom of now. Hey, pal, thanks for being my partner. The best thing about being partners is you always have someone that will point you in the right direction.”
The message played out as they flew over Never Land. The boat passed over an island of mountains, flowers, and a volcano. An epic battle was now being waged as Peter Pan and Hook were dueling for the freedom and safety of the prisoners.
“Now we have the last clue,” Kiran finally spoke. “That’s a good thing, right?”
“Oh, it’s good . . . we just have to figure out what it means.” Hawk was trying unsuccessfully to shift his thoughts from Kiran’s kiss back to the puzzle.
“Help me, Mr. Smee, help me!” Captain Hook called to Smee from below as the pirate straddled the ticking crocodile’s menacing jaws. This signaled the ride was coming to an end and the flying boat would be landing momentarily.
Stepping off the boat, they moved through the exit back into the streets of Fantasyland toward the carousel. Blending in with the motion of the park guests, they moved back toward the castle. Hawk checked often that they weren’t being watched, and led them on the pathway around the castle to the right. Deciding it would be less noticeable than moving directly through the castle they made their way around the waterline near Liberty Square. Pausing about halfway down the path he guided Kiran to a bench that offered some protection behind surrounding trees and shrubs. They took a seat, looking about to see if they’d remained undetected. Seeing no one except park guests, Hawk leaned in to speak quietly to Kiran.
“We’re getting ready to be very visible.”
“So you know where we’re going?” Her excitement spilled into her voice.
“We’re going out to the hub in front of the castle.”
“Why?”
“The Partners statue is there.”
“I know the Partners statue is there. Remember I showed it to you when you took my tour?” Kiran paused and then her eyes widened. “But Mickey called you his partner, that’s why we’re going there.”
“Partially,” Hawk informed her. “But there’s more.”
“Are you going to tell me or not?”
“It is something that Walt said,” he said reluctantly.
“Walt—you mean Walt Disney?”
“Of course.” Hawk smiled reassuringly.
“You’re going to have to help me here, Hawk, because I don’t have this piece figured out yet.”
“Not only did Mickey call me his partner”—he paused longer than he intended—“but Walt called me his partner.”
“Walt Disney called you his partner?”
“Yes, he did.” He realized how odd that sounded when he said it aloud.
“You’ve spoken to Walt Disney?” Kiran’s tone became wary.
“Not actually spoken to him,” he corrected. She said nothing and it became obvious she was waiting for him to continue. “He sent me a message and told me that his brother, Roy, was his partner—and that I was his partner.”
“He did?” Kiran’s forehead wrinkled in puzzlement. “Hawk, Walt Disney is dead.” Her words were carefully measured. “He died December 15, 1966, and you know this fact. So how did he send you a message?”
“It was on a DVD.” He quickly added, “Obviously DVD technology wasn’t around in 1966, but he filmed a message for me. He didn’t know it would
be me that would eventually see it. It was a message for whoever would end up with the key.”
He noticed her jaw had fallen, and he gently reached over to her face. Taking a finger and placing it tenderly below her chin, he applied enough pressure for her to close her mouth. The action caused her to snap back to the moment.
“Where did you get this DVD?”
“I found it in Tommy Kirk’s mailbox at the Studios. It was a bonus feature on Old Yeller.”
“Do you know how insane what you just said sounds?”
He laughed at the disbelief in her voice. “I hadn’t thought about it.”
“On a copy of Old Yeller that you picked up in Tommy Kirk’s mailbox, Walt Disney left a message for you because one day, years after his death, you would have a key and be trying to solve a mystery,” Kiran scoffed.
“That pretty much covers it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this message?”
“I was afraid you would think I was crazy!”
“You’re kidding.”
“You have to admit, it’s hard to believe.”
“I have no trouble admitting it, but you didn’t tell me because you didn’t trust me . . . correct?”
“We have already been down this road.” He searched her face. “I didn’t tell you then, but I’ve told you now, haven’t I?”
She nodded. “Yes, you have. And I guess it should make sense. Preacher, if God talks to you, then I shouldn’t be surprised that Walt Disney can talk to you as well.”
“I’ve only heard from Walt Disney once,” he corrected. “I hear from God on a regular basis. I pay more attention to Him.”
“Then let’s go see your partner.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
* * *
Day Seven
Mid-Morning
THE PLAZA IN FRONT of Cinderella Castle served as the connection point where all of the various lands of the Magic Kingdom converged. The centerpiece of the hub was the statue known as Partners. The rendition of Mickey Mouse holding hands with Walt Disney was a favored picture spot of most guests to the park. Kiran and Hawk arrived as people had formed an informal line waiting to take a picture. Trying not to be in the way, they positioned themselves strategically to the right side of the life-sized statue, looking up at it.