The Riddle (Keepers of the Key Book 1)

by L. M. Abbott

Josh ran towards them, his chest heaving, his breathing similar to croaking noises, sweat plastering hair to his scalp.

  Steve laughed. “Fatso lets frogs live in his throat.”

  Cailean tossed the lumps of sugar to the ground in front of the ponies. “Let’s go,” she said. “We can come back later.”

  “Be my guest,” Steve said. “That is if you want to end up in big trouble for trespassing.”

  At the top of the rise, Cailean looked back and saw Steve hop up on the fence. He waved to her and even from this distance, she saw him smirk. I wish one of those ponies would knock you down, she thought, wanting to do it herself.

  Josh stopped to catch his breath. “Steve needs to get a hobby and leave us alone.”

  Cailean heard the steady beat of hooves then a wail and saw Steve fly into the air. The grey pony draped its head over the fence looking down at him.

  “What a loser,” Seamus said. “He can’t even sit on a fence properly.”

  Cailean’s gaze flickered from the pony to Steve. “I don’t believe it.”

  Josh fumbled in his bag for a Bullseye. “You saw Seamus with a book.” He chuckled and popped the candy in his mouth.

  “The grey pony read my mind.”

  “What!” Josh gasped and a piece of candy wedged in his throat. He gaged and wheezed, the frog croaking louder. Seamus pounded him on the back.

  Cailean looked at the grey pony. Their eyes met. If a pony could wink this one had done just that.

  “Cailean,” Josh cried between spurts of coughing, his face redder than his hair. “You’re joking, right?”

  Seamus continued to slap his friend’s back. “You can say that again.”

  “How come I never met Steve before?” Cailean asked to change the subject.

  Seamus pulled out a handful of grass. “The creep thinks he’s better than us because he’s rich and lives in the big city.” He put a blade between his lips and blew producing a piercing sound. “His father has a cabin in Loon Cove and they stayed there for a few weeks last summer.”

  Josh coughed again, a deep hacking noise. “You were lucky to be with you mom on her book signing tour. Besides,” he added. “Steve’s jealous of Seamus because he’s a stupendous athlete.”

  Cailean smiled when Seamus didn’t comment on the big word. “So Mr. Murphy owns the ponies?”

  Josh untied the gate. “No one knows for sure. The Horse Society is looking into it. Anyway, they first showed up six months ago.”

  “How can they survive on their own?”

  “Boy,” Seamus said. “With all the books you read, you sure don’t know much.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Well,” Josh said. “Newfoundland ponies are intelligent and can take care of themselves. They eat grass, hay and love sugar. There’s plenty of ponds around here for drinking water.”

  Seamus glanced up at a jet flying overhead. “Time to go. Dad’s flight gets in from Montreal in an hour. Mom’s making me go to the airport with her.”

  Josh tapped him on the shoulder. “Sure it’s not you who wants to go?”

  “So what if it is?”

  “Chances are he’ll have another book for you,” Cailean piped in to prevent another squabble.

  “What do you expect?” Josh said. He produced his all-knowing expression which consisted of both eyebrows raising one at a time. “Mr. O’Byrne is doing what he can to encourage reading.”

  Seamus flicked away the blades of grass. “Don’t know why Dad bothers. He knows I’ll give it to one of you without even cracking open the cover.”

  Cailean shrugged. “Maybe he believes someday you’ll give in and read one.”

  She parted from the boys on Garver Street with a promise to let them know as soon as her internet was hooked up. She noticed her father’s car wasn’t in the driveway when she got home. “Where’s Dad?” she asked sitting down to a snack of Mellie’s homemade brownies with milk.

  Her grandfather sucked chocolate frosting from his finger. “He went to Brook City to check out the new hardware store. He asked me to stay until he gets home.”

  “I met Steve Murphy. He wasn’t very nice to Seamus or Josh.”

  Gramps pursed his lips. “He is a bit like his father.”

  Cailean finished the snack and retired to her room to read up on the Newfoundland Pony. The two in Murphy’s field matched the general description: low set bushy tail, noted for their long hair and small stature. She was saddened they were an endangered species with only four hundred remaining. Reputed to be a docile breed of horse, Steve had been annoying enough to make even a gentle Newfoundland pony angry.

  chapter 3

  A breeze rustled the leaves of the oak tree outside Mellie’s craft store when Cailean came out chewing an orange soft gel. A sharp twinge of uneasiness drew her attention to the wooded hills in the distance. Even in the bright light of day they were dark, frowning. Were they bothered that she hadn’t returned to the cave to seek out the strange voice? Cailean walked down the street, greeting Mrs. Woodland, the librarian and her much shorter husband, the cinema owner along the way. A motorcycle roared by chased by a brown and white miniature dog barking its head off. Cailean slowed near Loon Cove Restaurant and looked once more at the hills. Were they calling to her? She plucked another gel from the bag. “Get a grip,” she said “Next thing you’ll see leprechauns.”

  “Hi,” Josh called, coming towards her. “I’m on my way to the craft store for my Bullseyes.”

  Cailean held up the store’s white paper bag displaying a picture of each of their candy. “Mellie has yours packed and ready to go.”

  “I can’t talk long. Dad’s waiting for me.” Cailean heard the excitement in Josh’s voice. “We’re going to the Railway Rocks. He’s enthralled with them.”

  “Enthralled,” Cailean repeated with a smile. “Have you tried that one on Seamus?”

  “Not yet. Did you know the Rocks don’t occur naturally in this area?”

  A white Jaguar pulled up driven by a man with wavy hair. He glanced briefly at Cailean on his way into the restaurant.

  Goose bumps formed on her arms even though the sun burned down. “He reminds me of someone.”

  Josh leaned into Cailean. “That’s Steve Murphy’s father.” He peered around. “Steve must be lurking somewhere close by.”

  Through the front window Cailean saw Mr. Murphy look around the small room filled to capacity with tourists and locals as if searching for someone. He went to a table in the far corner where a woman greeted him. Her face was obscured, but as Mr. Murphy sat down the woman came into view. “Oh no. He’s sitting with Aunt Luperca. What’s she still doing here?”

  Josh stared into the restaurant. “Maybe she forgot to buy something at the craft store and got hungry. Mellie has lots of customers from Brook City.”

  “No way. Aunt Luperca said she had to get home.”

  Josh pressed his nose into the glass. “She really does resemble a crow, especially dressed all in black like that.”

  Cailean remembered her father’s sudden trip to Brook City. “See you later, Josh.” She took off running and didn’t slow down, even jumping over Barlo stretched across the front porch.

  Her father put tea on the stove to steep when she hurried into the kitchen. “Dad, are you expecting Aunt Luperca today?”

  “Gramps told me she wants you to spent time with her in Brook City.”

  Cailean plopped down on a chair. “Do I have to?”

  “No. She’s not much more than a stranger and you’ve been through enough upheaval lately. Why did you ask if I expected her?”

  “She’s-” The doorbell buzzed along with a steady flow of barking.

  Her father sighed. “See who that is before Barlo frightens them away.”

  Cailean took her time, even straightening a picture of her parents in the hallway. With any luck the caller wouldn’t be the Vampire Crow, and if it was she might go away. Barlo quit barking when she opened the door.
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br />   “Hello young lady,” Mr. Murphy said. “Is your father home?”

  “Just a minute.” Cailean left him standing on the porch and returned to the kitchen. “Dad, Mr. Murphy wants to talk to you.”

  “Mr. Wadly,” a man said from the kitchen doorway. “I knew you wouldn’t mind if I came in. I’d like to have a little chat with your daughter if that’s all right with you. With her permission too of course.”

  Had Steve complained about their encounter in the field? So what if she trespassed on private property. So did every other kid in the community.

  Sam took down two mugs from the hooks over the sink. “I made a fresh batch of tea.”

  Mr. Murphy took a seat at the table. “Don’t mind if I do. I am rather thirsty.”

  Sam pulled out a chair across from the visitor. Cailean sat alongside her father and waited while the two men added sugar and milk to their mugs. Mr. Murphy took a sip and smacked his lips together. “Nothing tastes better than home brewed tea.”

  “I agree, Mr. Murphy,” Sam said. “Now what can we do for you?”

  Mr. Murphy smiled at Cailean. All she saw was Steve’s smirk. “I’ve decided to develop Murphy’s Field.”

  Disappointment showed on Sam’s face. “The youngsters will certainly miss it.”

  “They will at first. Once they see the new play area I’ll build they’ll be thrilled.” Mr. Murphy crooned in the tone Cailean heard mothers use on their toddlers to placate them. “My plans for Loon Cove are spectacular.” His eyes slithered to Cailean. “You, young lady will play a major role.”

  “What about the ponies?”

  “I’ve given them a lot of thought as there are so few left, and decided to incorporate a pasture where they will be well tended.”

  Bored, Cailean slouched down in the chair. “What does your field have to do with me?”

  “Your mother owned much of the land surrounding it. I want to buy a small portion.” Mr. Murphy’s smile was a permanent fixture. Cailean wondered if his cheeks hurt.

  “Really,” her father said. “Whatever for?”

  “To construct a hotel complex with an eighteen- hole golf course.”

  Pea soup bubbled over the top of the sauce pan on the stove and a faint odour of burning drifted towards the table. Sam jumped up and turned off the burner. “I doubt that’ll go over well with the community,” he said, stirring the pot. “Folks here like the area the way it is.”

  “Mr. Wadly, my wife’s mother lives here. This community means everything to me and that’s why I want to make every improvement possible.”

  “That’s funny,” Cailean said. “Steve calls it Loonie Bin Cove.”

  Mr. Murphy laughed. It grated like the scraping of a rusty barrel in Cailean’s ears. “My son is quite the joker. People tend to tease about the things which are the dearest to them. As a matter of fact, Steve couldn’t wait for our stay in Loon Cove this summer.”

  Cailean rolled her eyes and her father gently rapped her knee under the table.

  “The hotel complex would provide jobs for our young,” Mr. Murphy babbled on. “I for one am fed up with them leaving as you must be, Mr. Wadly. This complex will keep them at home where they belong.”

  “My mom told me she’d never sell. Not for any reason.”

  “A few acres are all that’s necessary.” The sing-song tone again.

  “Mom didn’t want the trees cut down.” Cailean’s voice cracked. “She was worried the animals would lose their natural habitat.”

  Her father squeezed her hand. “My daughter’s right. A golf course would require more than a few acres.”

  Mr. Murphy placed his elbows on the table, a gesture that made him appear at home. “That’s true. However, a conservationist will oversee the project. I’ve hired a geologist as well.”

  Sam nodded approval. “Tom Reilly’s the best geologist in these parts. He’ll ensure the land’s protected.”

  “I chose a geologist from Brook City who comes highly recommended.”

  Cailean felt her cheeks burn. “You can’t touch the Railway Rocks. Mom played on them.”

  Mr. Murphy addressed her father like she hadn’t spoken. “Think of the benefits. You as a carpenter will have at least a year’s steady work. Thousands of tourists will flock to the golf course. What a boom for the town’s economy.” He sat back into the chair and stretched out his legs. “With the money your daughter would receive for the land, her future would be secured.” His mouth creased into another Steve-like grimace. “She’d have a tidy sum to put away for her education.”

  Cailean bit her lip. “Dad, I don’t want to sell. You know how much Mom loved the forest.”

  “My son suggested we name the hotel after your mother,” Mr. Murphy continued. “Picture the sign over the entry way. THE LARENTIA. Isn’t that an exciting idea? Each golf hole would carry the name of a Loon Cove resident as well.” Mr. Murphy winked at Cailean. “You’d be the most popular child in the community.”

  Cailean’s brow crinkled. “Who cares?”

  “Mr. Murphy,” her father said. “You may not be from around these parts, but surely you’re aware of the big issue concerning the forest.”

  Mr. Murphy scoffed. “That nonsense about machinery not working in there. Equipment dating back eighty years can’t compare with today’s technology. Has anyone tested that old folklore recently?”

  Sam stood up. “I’ll talk your offer over with my daughter and get back to you.”

  “Please do that, Mr. Wadly, and whatever you decide is fine by me.” His eyes slithered once more to Cailean. “A pleasure to meet you my dear.”

  Sam escorted Mr. Murphy to the front door with Cailean trailing behind. “I don’t like that man,” she said, watching his car speed down the hill. “Neither does Barlo. He has scary eyes. Did you see how they moved?”

  “I understand why you resent him, but he made some valid points.”

  “He can’t force me to sell. No one can.”

  Her father went to the hall picture of himself and his wife. Cailean had the impression he’d forgotten her presence until he spoke, his eyes remaining on the picture. “Don’t fret. Sweetheart. Nothing will happen until we’ve had a good discussion about it.”

  She set the table and fed Barlo while her father prepared tofu hot dogs for her. “I’m going to Father Tim’s with Gramps later for a game of card,” he said, “I’ll be home at four.”

  Cailean picked up her hotdog. “Dad, there’s no way Mr. Murphy can take my land away from me, right?”

  He added a drop of cold water to his bowl of pea soup. “Absolutely not.”

  “Good.” She bit off a chunk of her wiener. Mustard squirted onto her chin.

  After lunch, her father collected his reading glasses from the living room coffee table and left for the church rectory. Cailean sat in the wicker chair in her bedroom finishing the fourth chapter of the Little Red Riding Wolf, where the boy wolf had just encountered a hunter who was determined to keep him from protecting three orphaned cubs. Seamus and Josh had gone to Brook City with Josh’s mother for school supplies. Her gaze wandered out the window towards the hill, the cave ever present in her thoughts. “Fergus, the voice must’ve been the wind.” Then how do you explain the crackling blue light? A voice in her head asked. She read a few more lines. Did you leave a child stranded all alone in a darkened cave? The voice again. She threw the book on the bed. “Okay, okay. It won’t hurt to go and make sure.”

  She fished out a flashlight from a tool box on an upper shelf in the workshop and set off with Barlo. The air was hot, humid, unusual for late August. Sweat dampened her clothes by the time she reached the cave. “Here goes,” she said, yet didn’t move. “Barlo, maybe I should wait for Seamus and Josh and come back tomorrow. Besides, there’s no mention about a missing child hereabouts.”

  The dog barked and ran into the cave’s blackness. “Alright, I’m coming.” Cailean turned on the flash light and slowly walked in, her respiration a little quicker. At t
he cavern, the beam from the flashlight fell across the dog staring into the pool. “Do you see something, Fella?” He could have been a stuffed toy for all the reaction he gave. Cailean directed the flashlight to the water. The surface rippled like a high wind blew across it. Grey shadows bobbed up and down, gliding in her direction. Her hand trembling, she turned off the flashlight and remained as still as a store mannequin. “Barlo,” she said in a hushed voice. “There are wolves in the pool.” The dog’s great white hulk evoked the vision of an over plump ghost.

  The water trickling down the wall tinkled like bells, recalling an image of her mother decorating their Christmas tree. Cailean let out her breath, unaware she’d been holding it. “I’m being silly. There aren’t any wolves on the island.” She ran her hand through the water. “The ripples are the shadows.” She huddled close to the dog. “This is just between me and you, okay?”

  Barlo thumped his tail.

  Cailean gave the water one last inspection and went out into the warm air. She trekked through the forest with the dog loping alongside her. A rabbit scooted out from a bush, pawed at its whiskers, then hurried on its way. “Barlo, this land’s been in Mom’s family for over two hundred years. I won’t let her or the animals down.”

  Her father was still out when she got home. She made hot chocolate sprinkled with marsh mellows and settled in the wicker chair. The curtains billowed, the gentle wind blowing over her face. Her lids were heavy, and with a long sigh, put the mug on the desk. “I’ll rest my eyes for a few minutes.”

  Cailean knelt by the pool in the cavern looking down at the reflection of two wolves in the water. Her heart beat so fast her chest hurt. How long had they been there, stalking her? She turned her head a fraction, waiting for one of the animals to pounce. Her head shifted a little more to the side. Her throat was dry. A final twist and she saw behind her. The cavern was empty.

  “Help.” The child-like cry came from the water.

  Two wolves swam around a small human-like creature. Globs of saliva foamed on the animals’ thick lips curled back to reveal yellow fangs. They panted in tune with each stroke of their paws, hungry for the attack. The creature raised its arms in a gesture of protection. Its hands tapered into three long fingers, brown eyebrows slanted towards brown hair.