The Chalice Thief

by K. J. Emrick

  “Rosie, where’s Josh?”

  It was Nala who answered. “He is on his way.”

  “I wasn’t asking you. I was asking Rosie.”

  “I am her midwife,” Nala said importantly, standing up straighter. “I know what Rosie needs. Now she needs to prepare for the birth. It will come soon. You must leave.”

  “What?” The nerve of this woman! “I’m her friend. I’ll stay if I want to.”

  Rosie shifted on the couch. “Dell.”

  “No, Rosie.” I’d had just about enough of Nala the midwife and mysteries that reared up at the worst possible moments and ghosts and ex-boyfriends and the whole flipping lot of it. “I know you asked this woman here but she will not order me around like a puppy dog!”

  “Dell, please.”

  “No, Rosie. I won’t listen to this woman talk to you like this any longer.”

  Nala turned on me, her fists on her hips. “You will listen to everything I have to say. How many children have you delivered, hmm? I have helped dozens of women bring new life into this world. You will not tell me how to do my business!”

  Rosie set her soup beside her on the couch. “Dell…”

  “I’ve got this, Rosie.”

  Carly stepped up beside me now. “Mom, I think…”

  “Honey, please, this is between me and Nala.”

  “Sure, Mom, I just think…”

  “Uh, Dell?” Rosie said, her voice rising in pitch.

  I felt bad for the ruckus I was stirring up but I’d really had it. “If you’re such a great midwife, Nala, then why do you keep sneaking off? Why aren’t you here all the time to watch over Rosie if she’s your patient? Tell me that. Where do you go when you’re not here? Maybe to the Thirsty Roo? Maybe to steal an important piece of our history so’s it can be given back to the indigenous people of Australia?”

  “How dare you!” Nala exploded. “I am an excellent midwife. I have never left Rosie’s side except when I—”

  “Dell!” both Rosie and Carly both called to me abruptly.

  “What?” My mouth was about to run away with me again when the front door to the house opened and there, finally, was Josh.

  He was a short sort of a man, shorter than Rosie even, and broad in every dimension. His shoulders, his chest, even his face. I always wanted to compare him to Ricky Gervais but he’s far more handsome. His dark hair was tucked under a ball cap as usual, and his jaw was speckled with stubble which wasn’t usual at all. He’s a hard-working man to be sure, but he always kept himself groomed for Rosie. His clothes even look like he’s slept in them, which I supposed made sense, since he surely hadn’t been sleeping here for the last two days.

  He smiled at me, but it was short lived.

  “And where the blazes have you been?” I unloaded on him. “Your wife is about to give birth and this woman is feeding her glue spiced with God knows what and you’re nowhere to be seen! Where have you been, Josh?”

  His bleary eyes widened in surprise, and he looked from me, to Carly, to Nala, to Rosie… and back to me. “Um. Sorry?”

  That was probably not the right thing to say to me right then. “Sorry? You’re sorry? How about telling your wife where you’ve been all this time instead?”

  I waved my hand over at Rosie dramatically… and that’s when I noticed how she was struggling to sit up, and how beads of perspiration were running down her forehead and cheeks, and how she was holding onto her belly for dear life.

  “Tried to tell ya,” she puffed. “I think the soup… did its job… ooh, that sort of hurts, that does. Yes. I’m definitely in labor now. Hi Josh. You’re… just in time.”

  In the next instant Josh was rushing to her side while I stood there feeling about as stupid as a woman can feel. Oh wow. This was really happening.

  Josh kissed Rosie on top of her head, taking one arm, while Nala took the other. “Oooh,” she groaned. “Help me to the pool, eh? Help me to… the pool… oh!”

  It was an experience to watch Rosie lowered into the warm water. I helped, once I remembered myself, and Carly picked up her clothes as they were stripped off and folded them to put on the couch. Rosie put on a plastic robe to keep her decent, and then Josh knelt at the side of the pool, and held her hand, and whispered words of love and comfort.

  In a way, odd as the moment had become, it was beautiful.

  Nala pulled me aside at that point, into the kitchen, where we could whisper to each other without being overheard. The smell of that soup was still heavy in here and I took the time to put the lid back on the pot for the sake of my poor nose. It also gave me time to put my thoughts in order. “Nala, I’m sorry. Seems I was accusing you of something for no reason.”

  “Stealing the Chalice?” she scoffed. “I make no secret of the fact I want to see the wrongs of our history set to rights. I suppose, looking at it that way, I can see why it might make someone… like yourself… think the wrong things. The Torres Strait people have owned their land for generations. In that, we are luckier than other aboriginals. I want to see the Palawa given back what’s rightfully theirs, but I’m no thief!”

  I got that now. I still didn’t much like this woman but I had no reason to doubt her. Except…

  “That doesn’t explain you leaving Rosie alone. I know it wasn’t just that one time.” I faced her, but I kept a watchful eye on Rosie in the living room, too. No way was I going to miss seeing her twins come into the world. “Where were you, Nala? This town is on the verge of being castigated for losing a national treasure. Now is not the time for more secrets. Where were you?”

  Her glare was icy as she gave me a curt nod. “Fine. I was with Josh. He has a surprise for his wife and their new ones. He needed my help to get it together. They love each other so much. It is a good sign for the family. The babies will be happy in this home.”

  “A surprise? You mean a gift?” He was doing something special for Rosie. That’s why he’d been gone so long? And Nala had been helping? “But… why didn’t he ask me to help? I would’ve been glad to help with that.”

  Now her steely gaze turned accusatory, and I knew what was coming before she said it. “You’re never around, Miss Powers. Seems the needs of the town outweigh the needs of your friends.”

  Then she turned away from me and marched across the living room to Rosie’s side, leaving me there to wonder if she was right.

  I picked up Ada’s book and went outside. I could feel the tears in my eyes. Much as I wanted to be there for Rosie to give birth I wasn’t sure if I was welcome inside.

  The sky was clear as the sun reached down for the tops of the trees on the horizon. The air smelled crisp and fresh out here and not just because I couldn’t smell that soup anymore. Nala’s words had hit me hard. Here I was, running back and forth all over town, splitting my time between this mystery of the stolen Chalice and my own problems at the Inn, and only giving Rosie a few minutes here and a few minutes there. What kind of friend was I? Shouldn’t I have been here, all day, getting Rosie whatever she needed? I mean, even her husband hadn’t been here. She should’ve had someone. It should’ve been me.

  “Dell,” Josh said from right behind me. His face was flushed, and his smile, I swear to you, was going to be permanent. “Come on back in. Things are getting… I’m gonna be a father, Dell! I’m gonna be a father!”

  His happiness was infectious, to be sure. When he reached his arms out to me I found myself hugging him, laughing and forgetting everything else except the fact that my friends were going to have their first child. That was all that mattered.

  “Josh, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here more.” I held his hand in mine, swinging the book apprehensively in the other. “I know I wasn’t much of a friend today.”

  Two full seconds passed before he burst out laughing. “You’re serious? Dell, you’re Rosie’s best friend. One of my best, too. I goofed going off to get Rosie her gift this close to the birth. Nearly missed the whole thing! I had to go up to Launceston, see, and then I got st
uck up there overnight and I sent Rosie a few texts but I couldn’t say what I was doing. Got a feeling I’m gonna be in the doghouse for the rest of me life.”

  “But I wasn’t here either.”

  “Now, that’s just not true. She told me how you’ve been dashing about to get her whatever she asked for. I mean, chicken salt? Brilliant! She’s been scared all day, and the one person who’s been there for her is you.” He tugged at my hand, back toward the door. “You’re one of a kind, Dell. Wouldn’t want to see what this town would be like without you in it.”

  Kind of humbling, to see how other people looked at me. I don’t try to be important. I don’t seek the limelight, that’s for sure. What I do for my fiends I do out of love for them. What I do for people who need help is what I’d like to think anyone would do for me in return. That’s all I want to be remembered for.

  Guess sometimes, you make the biggest impressions just by doing what’s right.

  From inside, we heard Rosie call for Josh. It wouldn’t be long now. “Come on,” he said to me, pulling on my hand again. “We can’t miss this.”

  “Wait, tell me what the surprise was. What took you all the way up to Launceston?”

  Obviously proud of himself, he pointed out to the street. There, parked at the curb, was a new minivan. Sitting behind the wheel, black button eyes the size of dinner plates staring through the windshield, was a huge stuffed teddy bear. It was quite possibly the sweetest thing I had ever seen.

  “Got a great deal on it up there in Launceston. I figured we were going to need it, ya know? What with the twins and all.” He shook his head. “I’m going to be a father. Can you believe it? Me, a father! Come on, let’s get inside. Oh, where’s the camera? Where’s the camera!”

  Angus was a healthy baby boy. Already had a head of hair and his father’s nose, Lord help him. Happy to be with his new mom and dad, even if he did do a lot of screaming when he was first introduced to this world.

  I knew how he felt. There were days when I wanted to do the same.

  And the second one, as it turned out, was a boy as well. Not a girl. So, bit of a surprise there. Baby Daniel. He’s a mix of Rosie and Josh. The best of both, and beautiful just like his brother.

  The birthing pool did its thing and helped the babies come out relatively clean and fresh and pink. I stayed around to hold them both for a bit before I left, because after everything that’d happened in the past two days I was not going to miss that. Nala was still glaring at me as I held them, and she even spared some of that look for Carly when she took her turn. Don’t think we’ll make her Christmas list.

  Although I might send her a card. Personality aside, she did right by my Rosie.

  The new mother was too tired to do more than thank me and Carly for being there with her when we left. Josh nearly crushed my ribs with a hug. I promised to bring them some food from the Inn later, and then we left. It was a moment in time that I would remember for the rest of my life.

  Now Carly and I were back at the Pine Lake Inn, just in time for the sun to set completely and darkness to steal over the town. Almost made me wish I’d kept the Inn white like everywhere else. Might make it easier to see in the dark.

  The exterior lights were on, which made it plenty bright to see by, although I noticed more than a few of the guest rooms were dark. Had a few more checkouts, it’d seem. Word was spreading fast. No matter. I was in a good mood for once, and nothing was going to change that.

  Famous last words.

  Carly and I walked in together. She and I hadn’t said a word the entire way back but this time, it was a comfortable silence. This was one of those times when talking would’ve ruined the whole thing. For a little while, it was just the two of us, each lost in our own thoughts. I guess seeing a newborn brought into the world, and into the arms of a loving mother, was just the thing to make you feel better about the world you lived in.

  It was when we were about to open the front doors that Carly turned to me and said, “Thank you.”

  “Hm?” My thoughts were still back with Rosie and I didn’t take her meaning. “What are you thanking me for? Running you all over town in a failed effort to help Drew?”

  Surprisingly, she nodded. “That, and… everything. I’m going to go up to my room now. I’m just so tired.”

  I knew how she felt. I’d love to sink into my bed right now too, but I’ve got a few things to take care of first. Like telling everyone still at the Inn that Rosie’s had her babies, for instance.

  There was just the five of the employees here at the moment. Half the staff, more or less. Janus at the front desk, and the servers from the dining room cleaning up the tables, and the girl who does late night housekeeping. I think she’d have been gone as well if she didn’t carry this major crush on one of the kitchen servers. Ikon was still here, too, and I needed to remember to ask him what we did about serving dinner. First, I wanted to tell everyone about Rosie.

  My face must’ve given my news away because the housekeeper, Nora, squealed with delight before I even got the news out, and then they were all asking me excited questions and giving me hugs as if I was the one to be congratulated. I promised to pass on all of their good wishes to Rosie, and reminded them to let her be for a day before they popped round to see the little nippers in the Rosie Ryan household.

  Ikon was the last to hug me, and I wasn’t sure he was going to let me go. Guess we’d gotten closer than I realized. It felt nice, actually, but I was still his boss.

  It was me who stepped back from him, much to his obvious chagrin. “I’m going up to my room for a bit,” I told everyone. “There’s still things I need to talk about, though. Did we do supper? What’s the plan for tomorrow?”

  With a little flourish of his hand, Ikon bowed. “Got it handled. Figured out a simple sort of menu for dinner and put it right together. Just a few locals and those news people that are crawling all over but they all seemed to approve. I’ll handle lunch and supper tomorrow but you might have to figure something for brekkie. Have to work my shift, or the boss gets cranky.”

  “Wow. Thanks Ikon, you’re amazing.”

  His eyes lit up with the compliment. “Glad you noticed, Boss. Er, can I talk to you about something for a minute?”

  “Can it wait?” I asked. I realized I said it a little hastily, but frankly I was tired and my night wasn’t over yet. Although I had no idea what my next step in this mystery would be, I had to think of something.

  I was surprised at how disappointed Ikon looked when I put him off. Whatever he wanted to talk about must be important. Reluctantly he nodded, and offered me a smile. “Sure, Boss. Tomorrow, then?”

  “Thanks, Ikon. And thanks again for keeping the kitchen open. It means a lot.”

  What a relief to have that worry off my back. Ikon was proving himself to be indispensable. I could have kissed him. In fact, there was a moment when I thought I might’ve, if there hadn’t been so many people around us. Or if, as I reminded myself, there wasn’t someone else in the Inn right now that was complicating matters of my heart.

  As if my thinking of him had drawn him to me, James was right there across the room. He strode toward me, and for a moment I felt my heart swell and I wondered if maybe, just maybe, he’d realized he belongs here in Lakeshore, with me…

  All of that evaporated away like mist under the hot sun as I saw the thin line of his lips, and the intense gleam in his eye that he always got when he was chasing a story. This wasn’t about a man wanting to spend time with a woman.

  This was business.

  “Dell, we need to talk.”

  That was all the greeting he had for me. Knowing him like I do, I knew I wouldn’t be able to just brush him off, much as I might prefer it. I’ve had enough business from the almighty James Callahan. Talking with him was going to be the quicker way out of this, however, unless I wanted to make a scene here that would be spread about by every one of my employees to every other person living in Lakeshore.

  N
o, thank you.

  “In the kitchen, then.” Things had wrapped up in there, and the servers were done their cleaning up, so we’d have some privacy when I told James I’m not going to give him any quotes about anything—

  “Why,” he said to me before the swinging doors to the kitchen had even stopped moving behind us, “are ya talking to other reporters about this Chalice theft?”

  “Excuse me?” Of all the things I might’ve expected him to say to me, that wasn’t even on the list. “I have not!”

  “Oh really? Then explain this to me.” Mobile in hand, he turned the screen to show me an online news site. Below the Australian Broadcasting Company’s logo were the lead stories for the day. Not surprisingly, Lakeshore and our stolen Chalice was at the very top.

  CHALICE THEFT A SCAM, the headline read. Underneath the big block letters was the name of the reporter, along with her photo. Gladys Austin.

  I snapped his phone out of his hand and expanded the image so I could read it better.

  Police in the tiny town of Lakeshore, Tasmania, have been keeping a tight lid on the theft of what was supposed to be one of Australia’s lost historical relics, the Van Diemen’s Land Chalice. This fabled Chalice has been lost to the tides of antiquity for decades. It was recently thought to have surfaced in Lakeshore, only to be stolen. The investigation was said to be ongoing.

  Instead, this reporter has learned that nothing of the sort has happened. In fact, this whole incident appears to be nothing more than a publicity stunt perpetrated by Alfonse Calico, one-time pop sensation and member of the ARIA award winning group, Commonwealth. Whether this was done to benefit him, or the town of Lakeshore, remains to be seen.

  “Where’d she get this?” James demanded. “If not from you, then who?”