The Secrets of Ice Cream Success

by AD Hartley

  ‘He was going to talk to Herbert about something.’ Ben supplied, sitting on the bed. ‘But we saw Herbert at the factory too. If Carlo was with Herbert when the explosion happened he would be at the factory by now, but no one has seen him so we thought he’d be here.’

  Luigi shook his head.

  ‘Jump to him!’ Norton said, suddenly.

  ‘What?’ Ben asked.

  ‘Mr Leodoni can jump to him. We’ve seen it before. He can jump to Carlo when he gets too far away. He can go and find him, wherever he is, and tell him.’

  ‘I don’t think it works like that.’ Luigi answered, sadly. ‘I am connected to either the diary or Carlo, whichever is nearest to me but I can’t just choose which one unless they are both in the same room.’

  ‘So you are stuck wherever the book is?’ Norton asked.

  ‘I think so.’ Mr Leodoni replied.

  The room fell silent. Newton flicked through a book, while the others tried not to focus on the most dreadful assumption.

  Eventually Norton cracked. ‘What if…?’ he began, but Abi cut him off.

  ‘We know Norton, we know.’ she said, patting him on the shoulder.

  ‘What are we going to do?’ Norton asked, starting to look genuinely scared.

  ‘I don’t know.’ Abi said.

  ‘But he could be d…’

  ‘Yes.’

  The gang fell back into silence until Newton eventually cleared his throat as he put down the book he had been browsing. ‘Mr Leodoni? You have a strong emotional connection with both the diary and Carlo.’ he said, indicating the book he had been reading. Abi realised it was the diary. ‘So your presence here is dictated by your proximity to them, yes?’ he asked.

  Ben and Norton looked confused and even Mr Leodoni was momentarily stumped. ‘Err… yes. I think so.’

  ‘So what would happen if there was only one of them? Carlo, for example? You would automatically relocate to him?’

  ‘I have no idea. I may just disappear completely, or, as you say, relocate. Where are you going with this?’ Luigi finished, sounding a little frustrated.

  ‘I have an idea. Ben, grab the diary.’ Newton said, running out the door shouting. ‘Follow me!’

  The others looked at each other, but said nothing. Ben grabbed the diary of the desk and followed Newton.

  ‘Hey, that’s mine!’ Luigi shouted, floating through the floor after him as Abi and Norton headed down the stairs.

  ‘Carlo?’ Randy said weakly.

  Carlo jumped in surprise, wrenching his injured leg. ‘Ow!’ he shouted, reaching to rub his leg. He had lapsed into silence for a while listening to the crackling roar of the fire, the rumble of the unstable masonry and the sirens of the emergency services. He even thought he could here water hitting the fire.

  ‘Uncle Randy, I thought you…Can you move?’

  ‘I don’t think so.’ Randy said, in a weak voice. It was clear he was not just trapped, but also badly injured. Some light from the fire above them flickered through the open door of the study and the hole in the ceiling.

  Carlo reached forward and took Randy’s left hand in his own. ‘It’ll be alright. I can hear the firemen outside. They’ll be here soon. They’ll help us.’ Randy nodded, but didn’t say anything. Remembering the water dispenser in the study, Carlo stood gingerly and hopped back in, giving the hole in the roof a wide berth. He was glad to see the dispenser unscathed and the bottle intact. Carlo wrenched the bottle from the dispenser and made his way slowly back to Randy with two paper cups.

  Filling a cup from the bottle, Carlo tried to help Randy take some water, but the angle at which he was trapped meant only a little made it into his mouth, but it seemed enough to at least clear some dust.

  ‘Thank you.’ Randy croaked.

  Carlo nodded, filled himself a cup and took a long swig, swilling the water around his mouth and spitting it to the side to also rid the taste of dust and smoke before taking another sip to drink.

  ‘I’ll try and remove more of the rubble, Uncle Randy. But try not to move. I don’t think the stuff above us is stable.’

  Randy nodded, but was in no position to disagree or move anyway. Carlo got back up, hopped onto the step below Randy and started to carefully remove as much of the debris as he could, eventually freeing Randy’s right arm and torso, but as he tried to shift a larger piece of concrete across his back there was a noise above them and pieces of dust and stone began to fall down the stairwell.

  Carlo quickly stopped what he was doing and froze, fearing that the entire pile would collapse onto them both. It was obvious that the only way to release Randy would be to clear the rubble from the top down otherwise there was a good chance Carlo would kill them both. But there was no way he could possibly climb up the pile so they would have to wait for the emergency services to find them.

  Carlo hopped back down again, sitting by Randy’s outstretched arms. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t do it.’ he sighed. ‘It’s too dangerous.’

  ‘Carlo.’ Randy said, reaching out to grab Carlo’s arm, ‘It’s me who’s sorry. It’s all my fault.’ he whispered, barely audible.

  Carlo didn’t really want to talk about Herbert just now; it wasn’t really the best time. ‘It’s OK; we can talk about that when we get out of here. Once you’re better. I’m sure it’s all a mistake.’

  ‘No, you don’t understand. This is my fault. All of it is my fault.’ Randy persisted.

  Carlo sighed and leant back against the wall. Though he could sense a conversation coming that he really didn’t want to have right now, he thought it was better to keep Randy talking and alert rather than slipping into unconsciousness.

  ‘OK; how is this your fault?’ Carlo asked, indicating the pile of rubble blocking their exit. ‘It’s not like you caused the explosion.’

  ‘What… are… we… doing?’ Norton shouted between gasps as the four friends and one confused ghost pedalled furiously back to the remains of the factory. Not wanting to be continually tugged back to the diary as they pedalled, Luigi had managed to mentally latch himself to the book being carried by Ben and now looked like he was merely riding on the back of Ben’s bike, though if anyone had looked close enough they would notice they could see through the impromptu passenger.

  The gang piled around the corner, breaking hard to avoid the scrum of onlookers and media gathered by the police barrier. Newton looked around and spotted an alleyway nearby and indicated the others should follow him.

  ‘Right, give me the diary.’ he said once they were all gathered.

  ‘So what is this great plan of yours?’ a rather disgruntled Luigi asked.

  ‘You’re not going to like this, I’m afraid, but I don’t see any other option as we need to know if Carlo is in there.’ Newton said, pointing towards the flames.

  ‘What?’ Luigi asked.

  ‘We’re going to burn the book.’

  ‘What?’ Luigi shouted.

  Newton explained. ‘Having no other option, you should reappear wherever Carlo is. Hopefully he’s somewhere safe, but if not, you can tell us where he is and we can tell the firemen.’

  Luigi wasn’t the only one who looked dubious. Ben was noticeably anxious to go and find Carlo himself and was uncomfortable with a theoretical plan involving a ghost. He opened his mouth to say something, but Newton waved a warning finger to hush him.

  ‘What do you think?’ he asked Luigi.

  ‘I think its madness. There’s no way of knowing if I will jump to Carlo if you burn the book, or even if I will cease to exist at all. I could just as easily remain here or disappear forever if you destroy it.’

  ‘But you may also jump to your son and right now he needs you.’ Newton persisted.

  ‘But even if I do find Carlo, how can I tell you where he is? I’ve already told you I can’t choose to be with either Carlo or the book and even if I could you will have burnt the book, so there will be nothing to jump back to.’

  Seeing he was getting nowhere, Newton h
ad no choice but to broach a topic he had hoped not to. ‘Mr Leodoni, I read the book, or enough of it, anyway.’ Newton admitted.

  ‘Newton!’ Norton said, aghast. ‘If I wasn’t allowed, neither were you!’ Abi shushed him into indignant silence.

  Luigi sighed. ‘I had rather you hadn’t.’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Even I can’t remember all of the secrets I wrote in there. But I know I wanted the contents undisclosed.’

  ‘I understand why now.’ Newton acknowledged. ‘And you have my word that I will never divulge that information. However, I have a theory. I don’t think you are connected to this book specifically, but rather the secret it holds. I think you are protecting Carlo from these contents.’ he said, waving at the book, ‘You knew they would cause him pain, so your spirit remains to protect both the book and Carlo from each other.’

  Luigi looked astounded. ‘I don’t even remember what’s in there.’ he said, ‘I just know it’s important I don’t let Carlo read it.’

  ‘I believe when the diary is destroyed and those secrets along with it, you should jump to Carlo as the one connection you have remaining.’

  ‘It sounds plausible.’ Mr Leodoni admitted. ‘But…’

  ‘How will you get back? Easy; I’ll write down the secret again. If I’m right and your consciousness has remained here to protect Carlo from that very secret, then you are tangibly connected to any physical representation of it as well as Carlo, whom you love and want to protect from it. I also do believe you have a choice which you want to be near, though you may not realise it.

  ‘How do you know this stuff?’ Luigi asked, both impressed and slightly horrified at the level of Newton’s intellect.

  ‘He’s “advanced”.’ Ben supplied.

  ‘Pretty much finished school already.’ Abi added.

  ‘What on earth is going on?’ Norton moaned, entirely lost.

  Newton shrugged. ‘I just work things out. It may not be correct.’

  ‘But you think if you write down the secret again I will be able to concentrate on it and return here once I know if Carlo is safe or not?’

  ‘Indeed… possibly.’ Newton said. ‘I’m only fourteen.’ he added by way of a proviso.

  The gang followed Luigi’s gaze as he turned to look at the huge flames and billowing smoke engulfing his once proud factory, but they knew the pained expression had little to do with the bricks and mortar and more to do with the thought that his son may be trapped inside.

  ‘OK. Let’s do this then.’ Luigi said, turning back to Newton who looked around, found an old abandoned tin bucket with a number of rusty holes in the bottom and threw the diary into it.

  ‘Damn, how are we going to light it?’ he said, looking at the others.

  Norton and Abi shrugged, but Ben reached into his pocket and produced a cheap lighter.

  ‘I’m not even going to ask why you have those, Ben.’ Abi said reproachfully. Ben had the good grace to look slightly guilty as Newton snatched the lighter from him, applying it to the dry pages of the diary.

  After a few seconds the pages started to burn and soon much of the book was aflame. Newton stood back and they all watched as the small fire grew.

  . ‘Oi! What do you think you’re playing at?’ A voice shouted from behind them.

  The gang span to find an angry looking fireman bearing down on them waving a disapproving finger in their direction.

  ‘If it’s not bad enough we have one of the biggest fires in years over there, you lot are starting fires just yards away!’ he shouted at them.

  ‘No, you don’t understand!’ Newton protested, but the fireman wasn’t in the mood to listen to any defence.

  ‘Oh, I understand alright! I should tell your bloomin’ parents, going ‘round starting fires at a time like this!’ he said, kicking the bucket upside down with his boot to smother the flames. ‘Now get home, all of you and don’t let me catch you wasting our time again, especially when there are enough fires around the place all ready!’ he finished with a bellow, pointing at the large flames behind him, before marching away.

  As the fireman disappeared around the corner, Ben and Newton jumped back towards the bucket and pushed it upright with their feet. The book was charred and smoking and much of it still intact.

  ‘I’m not sure if this will still work, Mr Leodoni.’ Newton said mournfully.

  ‘Err… where is he?’ Abi asked, looking around.

  ‘He’s probably just invisible.’ Ben said. ‘Mr Leodoni, you can come out now.’

  ‘Mr Leodoni?’ they all called, searching the area. ‘Hello?’

  There was no answer.

  ‘Where is he then?’ Norton asked. ‘Did it work?’

  Newton ran back to the bucket and picked up the rapidly cooling book. Carefully turning the pages to prevent burning himself or damaging the now fragile contents, he found the page he was looking for; the page that contained the secret that kept Luigi Leodoni from moving on to the afterlife.

  ‘Well? Did it work?’ Abi asked, not daring to step any closer.

  Newton looked up from the book where half of the secret written down fourteen years before was still legible upon the charred page. ‘I don’t know.’ he replied. ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘Carlo, I did cause the explosion.’ Randy wheezed as a coughing fit shook his body causing worrying amounts of dust to fall from above, but Carlo was too shocked to care.

  ‘What? How?’ he asked, stunned. ‘Did you leave the gas on or something?’

  ‘No. Well… yes, but deliberately.’

  ‘I don’t understand. Why? Why would you do that? My God, we could have been killed, Randy!’

  ‘You weren’t supposed to be here, Carlo. I had no idea and would never have done something like this had I known someone was in the building. It was supposed to be empty and I could have made it out in time.’

  ‘But why?’ Carlo repeated. ‘Why would you destroy my factory?’

  ‘Because it was supposed to be mine, Carlo!’ Randy wheezed, earnestly.

  ‘I still don’t understand!’ Carlo shouted back, unable to fully comprehend what Randy was trying to say.

  ‘The factory was supposed to be mine. Your father promised it to me. He made a last testament that said that if anything should happen to him the factory would come to me, but he lied, Carlo. He changed the deed leaving it to you and that wasn’t right, not after what I agreed to.’ he finished with a whimper.

  Carlo had no idea what Randy meant by “agreed too”. Nothing was making any sense. ‘I don’t understand what you’re saying about, Dad.’ he said, emotion welling up inside of him. ‘This… this was my factory. Randy, I thought we were friends.’

  ‘Carlo, I love you like a son and you will never know the true meaning of that.’

  ‘Then why?’ Carlo shouted.

  ‘The factory was to be mine.’ Randy repeated quietly. ‘I have tried and tried to take it, always trying to find a way to be as easy on you as I could, but you would not give it up and that tore me inside, Carlo. I was so proud of you, yet I could hardly bear to see you grow into the man you are. I had no other choice. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I’m sorry.’

  ‘Sorry for what? Why did you blow up my factory?’ Carlo shouted, jumping up and hopping around, gesticulating. ‘Look what you did!’

  Randy wheezed again and then tried to rearrange his arms as best he could to make himself slightly more comfortable. ‘Why I destroyed the factory is a simple enough explanation. Why that act was necessary in the first place, I cannot tell you.’

  Carlo looked like he was going to protest, but Randy mastered his voice enough to say ‘Please sit down, Carlo.’ as loudly as he could.

  Carlo relented, though confusion more than anything else. His mind was racing.

  ‘Simply, though unforgivably,’ Randy began, tears forming in his dust covered eyes, ‘I made a deal with Mr Hill.’

  ‘You did what?’ Carlo shouted again on hearing the name of his insufferable rival.

>   ‘Carlo, please.’ Randy pleaded. ‘I’m not sure how long I can keep this up.’

  Carlo looked put out, but nodded his consent for Randy to continue.

  ‘As you know, Mr Hill has wanted either to own or destroy Leodoni’s for some time. He and your father never got on as competitors nor in their day-to day-life and Luigi’s death was an end to the resentment as far as Mr Hill was concerned, so you can imagine he was quite annoyed when the factory was left to you.’

  ‘I was pretty upset myself so Mr Hill supported my aims until, when I was finally out of options, he offered to pay me to end the factory forever. I was to take the money and leave. You don’t need me anymore and you would have had the insurance money to help you do whatever it is you wanted. Mr Hill would get his wish to see an end to his greatest rival and I, well, I would get the opportunity to start again, in peace.’ Randy coughed himself into silence and closed his eyes. ‘That is the heart of the matter.’ he finished. ‘I just wanted to move on.’

  ‘And it looks like you’re about to.’ a voice said from the door to the study.

  Carlo turned his head to see his father’s ghost stood at the doorway, though he looked different. Where his normal visible form looked almost solid, there were now parts of him missing, burnt away and seen only as hazy static like a TV screen without a signal.

  ‘Dad!’ Carlo gasped. ‘Are you alright?’

  ‘Now I was supposed to ask you that question.’ Luigi smiled. ‘I’m glad to see you are.’

  ‘Carlo! Carlo! I’m hallucinating, Carlo!’ Randy screamed, with surprising force for someone trapped under so much debris. ‘Your father, Carlo. I can see your father! This is the end, he’s come for me!’

  ‘Oh be quiet, you old fool.’ Luigi said, turning to Randy. ‘I’ve come for him, not you!’ he added, pointing at his son.

  ‘You’re a ghost?’ Randy wheezed.

  ‘Clearly.’ Luigi answered.

  ‘But I never told him, you can’t take me.’ Randy said, panic in his weak voice.

  ‘I’m not going to take you, Randy. But that might.’ Luigi added, nodding at the pile of rubble blocking the doorway. ‘I better go and tell everyone where you two are.’