Hidden

by Fern Michaels

  “I better give Sabrina a hand.” Luna swiftly made her way over to where two of the pages were being barraged with people. Having to fill out the ticket with a name and phone number slowed down the process. Luna gave Ellie a wave for her to come over to where they were hustling with tickets, pencils, and people using each other’s backs to write on the ticket.

  Ellie put her hands up to calm some of the people. They were almost in frenzy mode. “Everyone? Don’t panic.” She smiled. “You will all have an opportunity to finish writing down your names.” Ellie reorganized the mob scene. “Purchase your tickets from Sabrina and Yvonne.” She pointed to the two dazed pages. “Fill it out and then give half of it to Luna.” Luna waved and stepped several feet away from the crowd. Organized chaos. You would have thought they were giving the car away, not raffling it off. When they were down to the last hopeful, Luna took his ticket and put it in the big spinning barrel that looked like a giant hamster wheel.

  Ellie walked over to the cage of hopeful entries. “Is everybody ready?”

  A huge roar came from the crowd. “Yes!” “You bet!” “Let’s go!”

  Ellie grabbed the crank of the cage and gave it a huge spin. She pointed to a small girl holding two fuzzy-looking things in one hand and her mother’s hand with the other.

  “Hey, sweetie. Would you like to help me pick a winner?”

  The child looked up at her mother with a pleading expression. “Please, Mommy?”

  Luna recognized the little girl. She was Avery. The missing child from a couple of years ago. Luna approached the mother and child. The mother recognized Luna immediately. “Oh, Miss Luna! So nice to see you! I pray for you every night and thank God you were there to help find Avery.”

  Luna’s eyes began to mist. She squatted down to speak to the little girl. “Hi, Avery. Do you remember me?”

  The little girl nodded enthusiastically. She held up both bunnies by their ears. The one from Luna and the one from Gaines.

  Her mother smiled. “She is rarely without them at home, but I never let her take them anywhere. They could get lost, and that would be tragic. It’s all I can do to wrestle them from her so I can put them in the wash. It’s odd, but today she insisted on bringing them. She put up quite a fuss, too. She wanted them to see all the pretty things. I figured I could keep an eye on her and her bunnies.”

  Luna smiled. “I’m glad you still have your bunnies.” Avery nodded again, even more excited.

  Avery held up the bunny Luna gave her. “This is Miss Boo.”

  “Nice to meet you, Miss Boo.” Luna gave the now-tatty-looking bunny a pat on the head. “And who is this?” She pointed to the other bunny, the one Gaines had given Avery at the hospital.

  “This is Marshal,” Avery said with confidence.

  Luna let out a laugh. “I didn’t realize she knew he was a marshal.” Luna remembered Gaines’s telling Avery he was a policeman.

  “She saw the news coverage. She thinks Marshal is his first name. Marshal Gaines.” Both Avery’s mother and Luna got a kick out of that.

  “Wait till I tell him. I am sure he’ll be pleased.” Luna was jazzed she had an excuse to contact him. She was also taken aback by the coincidence. Or was it?

  Luna looked at Avery’s mother, Lori Tucker. “Shall we have her do the drawing?”

  “Avery, you want to help these nice ladies?” Mrs. Tucker looked at her excited daughter.

  “Yes, Mommy, please! Please! Please!” Avery was jumping up and down. Ellie gave the drum another turn.

  Luna lifted Avery onto the platform with the big spinning cage. Luna gave her instructions. “When the wheel stops, I am going to open the little door.” Avery was just tall enough to reach it. “You are going to pick just one of the cards. OK?” Avery nodded that she understood.

  “Ready?” Ellie asked. “One, two, three!”

  Avery jammed her little hand into the pile of cards, fished around a little, then pulled one out from the middle. She handed it to Luna, who handed it to Ellie.

  “And the winner is Tony Bandiera!” Everyone cheered. Tony was a local musician who was a favorite among the locals. He drove a classic 1950s Chevy Bel Air he had restored himself over the years, but getting his equipment into the trunk was problematic. Now he could get to his gigs in one trip. Luna looked through the crowd but didn’t see him. He was probably getting ready to do a few sets at the Proving Ground, where he normally played every Saturday.

  Avery was still excited about being a helper. She kept bouncing up and down, her mother trying to get her to stand still for a photo. It then dawned on Luna to take a photo of her and Avery and send it to Gaines. Luna bent over to Avery. “How would you like to take a picture with me, and we can send it to Marshal?”

  “Yippee!” Avery was bouncing even higher.

  Luna looked over at Avery’s mom. “Is it all right?”

  “Of course!” Mrs. Tucker angled the camera toward her daughter and Luna. She snapped a few photos. Luna gave Mrs. Tucker her phone number and the photos were instantaneously sent via text to Luna’s phone. Now all she had to do was forward them to Gaines with a note.

  Look who I found. Again!

  Seconds later, her phone beeped.

  Wow. Such a cutie. Are those bunnies?

  Luna had to admit that their condition could lead to that question.

  Luna tapped back.

  Yes. Meet Miss Boo and Marshal!

  And Marshal!

  Miss Boo?

  Adding a smiley face, Luna replied:

  And Marshal. Don’t know where Miss Boo came from but she thinks your first name is Marshal.

  Gaines replied with:

  LOL.

  Then Luna worried if she should write back, but before she could decide, another text arrived.

  Hope you’re having a good day.

  He also added a smiley face. Luna got goose bumps. Are we texting buddies now? She didn’t know where this was going and thought she should continue to play it safe.

  Yes, a great day. You too.

  After adding another smiley face, she put her phone back in her pocket. If he sent another text, she didn’t want to know. And if he didn’t send another text, she didn’t want to know that either. At least not at that moment.

  She squatted down to speak to Avery. “So nice to see you. I’m very happy you came today. You were a big help.” Luna stroked the bunnies, then gave Avery and Mrs. Tucker a hug. “You take good care of them, OK?”

  Avery nodded like a bobblehead and gave Luna the biggest hug she could muster. “Bye-bye!” She waved before she latched on to her mother’s hand.

  Ellie had calculated the profits from the raffle. Another $12,000 to add to the previous night’s proceedings. It was more than she could ever have hoped for. She was thankful that the center was a big hit with the local community. The generosity of spirit was incredible, and coupled with the generosity of their donations, Ellie was walking on air.

  As she checked with the vendors and artists, she discovered that the Blonde Shallot had sold all fifty of their boxed lunches and salads. The Flakey Tart had also sold every crumb. There were SOLD signs on several of the pieces of art on display. She could not be more pleased. It was like a dream, and she had to pinch herself.

  The large group began to disperse, and Luna noticed a line forming outside her café. She waved at Sabrina and motioned to ask if she wanted another round of being a barista. Sabrina nodded and gave her a thumbs-up.

  Ellie was thinking out loud. “I should probably contact the college and see if any other art students want to volunteer on the weekends. If things continue like this, we will be very busy. Especially during the holidays, which aren’t that far away.”

  Luna suddenly felt guilty. “Oh, Ellie, I didn’t mean to monopolize Sabrina today.”

  “Don’t be silly. It’s our first weekend. We didn’t know what to expect. And believe me, this is beyond my wildest expectations. Beyond my wildest dreams.” Ellie paused. “Well, to be
honest, it is what I had dreamed. Hoped.” She put her arm around Luna. “And you? You validated some particularly important matters for me.”

  “Really?” Luna had a rather good idea as to what Ellie was referring. The little quickie reading she had done earlier that day.

  Ellie linked her arm through Luna’s. “Oh, as if you don’t know what I’m talking about.” They picked up the pace, moving through the crowd with a lot of “excuse me” and “pardon me” coming from the two of them. Luna crept past the line and quickly moved to help Sabrina serve up lattes, cappuccinos, and tea, while Ellie did her best to pitch in. It took about a half hour to serve everyone, but no one seemed to mind. There were good vibes all around. “Now you know why I wanted to call this the Namaste Café, right?”

  Sabrina shrugged.

  “Not only is it a greeting, but it’s the spiritual connection of oneness with mind and heart,” Luna explained.

  “Wow. Cool,” Sabrina replied. “Is it like that psycho-thing you mentioned earlier?”

  “Psychometry. Psychometrics. Drawing on the energy from an object.” Luna repeated the information she had shared earlier.

  “Oh. Sorry.” Sabrina shrugged. “But is it? Similar?”

  “Being spiritual, yes.” Normally, Luna would leap at the opportunity to discuss theology, spirituality, psychology, and astrophysics, but not at the moment. It had been an extremely emotional two days. At that moment, all she wanted was to finish up, go to the Proving Ground, and have a relaxing dinner.

  Luna and Ellie decided to drive the prized Lincoln to the restaurant where Tony was playing and hand the keys over to him during one of his sets. The food happened to be good, and they could have a celebratory drink with him. Luna saw Chi-Chi in the crowd and flagged her over. “We’re going to deliver the car to Tony later and grab a bite there. Sound good to you?”

  “It is very fine with me.” Chi-Chi had a bright smile. Her English was impeccable, but the hint of her heritage was punctuated with her words. Perhaps it was the cadence or lilt to her voice. She could probably curse from here to Kalamazoo, and it would still sound lovely.

  They quickly cleaned up the café. Luna slid the big glass doors together and locked up. She and Ellie slowly moved through the dwindling crowd, taking it all in. It was truly what Ellie had in mind. A place for people to share their art and share their community. Even the dog park had been busy, with half a dozen dogs running about, some catching Frisbees while others playfully chased each other. Ziggy and Marley were waiting patiently next to Wiley and Cullen.

  “I can’t remember when I saw so many people in one spot. Not since the Christmas tree lighting last year.”

  “Oh, Cullen, you gave me a superb idea. Not that it hadn’t crossed my mind, but I was so busy with the opening I hadn’t put much else on the calendar. It will be a holiday art village. We shall have a Christmas tree, a menorah, and Kwanzaa candles! I’ll ask the artists to make an ornament for the tree with a sign indicating decorations can be purchased. Brilliant! Thank you, Cullen!”

  Cullen stood dumbfounded. It was a brilliant idea. Too bad he hadn’t really thought of it, but mentioning it? He’d take credit for that!

  Chapter Ten

  Boston, Massachusetts

  Millstone Manor

  Breakfast

  Arthur and Rowena were sitting in silence at the breakfast table, waiting for Amber. It was a little unnerving for Rowena. Arthur was usually bloviating about something. Work. Politics. Money. The club. But that morning, he was stewing. Time was running out for him to locate Colette Petrov and the missing will. Granted, the estate’s attorney was concerned about the alleged new will, but as long as he couldn’t locate it, Arthur would continue to have total access to the company’s finances. Unless Clive put a stop to it. But that, too, could take some time. At least until the next board meeting.

  The chime rang on the Howard Miller grandfather clock in the foyer. Family legend said that the established manufacturer of superb clocks was a distant relative of Arthur’s family. According to Arthur, his great-great-grandfather Malcolm added the word stone to their surname when he bought a local quarry. He thought it gave the name more distinction. When guests would arrive, Arthur would brag, “Oh yes. We like to keep it in the family.”

  His boasting made Rowena choke. Arthur had no proof there was any blood relationship between the Millers of Michigan and the Millstones of Massachusetts. Even the truth of the story about adding the word “stone” had never been established. At least not to Rowena’s knowledge. As far back as the family tree went, there was no mention of any Millers. And she couldn’t recall ever seeing a Christmas card from a Miller postmarked from Zeeland, Michigan.

  Arthur instinctively looked down at his watch. It read 8:00. Amber would be arriving any minute. Maybe they could call off this housekeeper goose chase if Amber could shed some light on where the furniture had gone. But there was still that loose end, Petrov. Did she know anything? Did she have anything?

  He thought about it. If the document was in her possession, why would she hold on to it? Blackmail? It had been two months since Randolph’s death. Surely, she would have asked for money by now if she intended blackmail. Or maybe she was waiting to blow through the $50,000 of severance pay they gave her. It was a year’s salary plus moving costs. She was planning to stay with her sister and brother-in-law until she got settled with her five-year-old son. For all intents and purposes, she should be doing all right.

  Arthur stood up and poured himself another cup of coffee from the silver coffee urn and went back to his chair, not bothering to ask Rowena if she wanted a refill.

  “Oh, no, don’t bother. I’ll get it myself,” she snarled.

  “Rowena, can you just zip it?” He picked up the newspaper and put up a paper shield between them while waiting for the doorbell to ring.

  Rowena took her coffee into the kitchen. She had to take the scones from the boxes that were delivered earlier and put them on a platter and pretend to be a doting wife. It made her skin crawl. At the moment, she couldn’t even stand to hear him breathe. The burner phone rang in the other room. Arthur had placed it on the buffet before they sat down for breakfast. “Yes? What is it?” he roared.

  Rowena had noticed that Arthur had two volumes lately. Loud or bellowing. Neither was incredibly attractive. He even began to yell at the staff over everything. Even the mashed potatoes. If that missing will wasn’t so important, she would book a flight to Paris. A one-way ticket. She pondered for a moment. Maybe that would be the best idea for her. Get out while she could. She couldn’t file for a divorce. Not yet. She would simply be taking an extended vacation. But then she thought about it again. If she took off now, Arthur would go nuclear and cut off her credit cards. That could be extremely embarrassing. No. She had to think of something else. Perhaps being an ally and helping Arthur would be the best move. Once they found and destroyed the new will, she and Arthur could go back to their superficial marriage and her extravagant spending. She heaved a big sigh and returned to the dining room, where Arthur was finishing up his conversation.

  “That’s excellent news. How soon do you think you can get on a plane to Buffalo? Of course, I’ll pay for the ticket. No, I don’t think those flights have first class. It’s only an hour, Jerry. I think you can handle it.” Arthur had a much happier look on his face than he had had a few minutes ago. He ended the call with “I’ll expect to hear from you in two days.”

  Rowena leaned against the doorjamb. “Good news, darling?” She feigned interest.

  “Yes, indeed.” Arthur pulled out one of his cigars.

  Rowena thought it was a bit gross to be smoking something like that at the breakfast table, especially with a guest arriving at any moment, but she was in no mood to argue. Besides, this was the first time she had seen Arthur in a decent mood. “Do tell.” She slithered over to the table.

  “Thompson seems to think he’s located our Miss Petrov. From what he gathered, she is working as a houseke
eper at the Curtiss. A luxury hotel in Buffalo.”

  “At least she’s not blowing the money we gave her.” Rowena pulled a cigarette from her case. “I mean, she has a job.”

  “Well, let’s hope this is the same Colette Petrov who worked here.” Arthur sat back down and folded the newspaper.

  “How many could there be in Buffalo?”

  He ignored her question. Rowena freshened her cup of coffee and returned to her seat at the table. “When will you know?”

  “Two, three days.”

  “Then what?” Rowena was genuinely intrigued. Did Arthur think Colette would easily hand anything over to him? If there was something she actually had in her possession?

  “Rowena, must you be so relentlessly curious?”

  “Well, darling, since we seem to be in this doodie pile together, yes. I am curious. What is your plan?” Rowena had had enough of being the doormat for the day.

  Arthur slammed his hand down on the table, causing Rowena to jump. “Can you please stop interrogating me? I don’t know what the plan is yet. First of all, Thompson has to confirm it’s her.”

  “And?” Rowena wasn’t about to stop.

  “And I will fly out there and talk to her myself if necessary. Face-to-face. If she has anything, I’ll be able to tell.”

  “So, what? Walk up to her, and say, ‘Hey, remember me? I’m the guy who fired you? Gotta will you want to share?’ ” Rowena was tiring of Arthur and his attitude toward her.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Arthur boomed.

  “I was being facetious. And I am not the problem here, Arthur. I was not the one who wanted the furniture sold to generate ready cash.”