The Riddles of Hillgate (Z&C Mysteries, #1)

by Zoey Kane

  “I’m trying,” Claire said, pushing harder, making Zo hunch. Finally, the contraption pushed over her head, revealing a stressed, red face.

  A crew member came over right away. “Ma’am…”

  “Yes.” Zo tried to keep her composure, fixing flyaway hairs.

  “The adult life jackets are on that side of the foyer. You have on a child’s.”

  “A what? A child’s? Are there any children on this ship?”

  Suddenly she heard a baby cry and then spotted a little girl with heart sunglasses, teasing her younger sibling from a couple of tables away.

  “Shouldn’t they be on a Disney cruise line?”

  “Mother!” Claire chastised.

  “Just kidding. Just kidding. Sir, can you help me take this off?” Zo asked the gentleman, kindly.

  Later at the sail away ceremony, Claire and Zo had the very front and center spot at the railing of the ship.

  “Oh, is that Joan Rivers?” Zo pointed to someone on the deck above them.

  “No, I don’t think so. I think it’s an impersonator—a look alike. I bet we’ll see many of them throughout the week.”

  “Ladies! Look this way!” A man with a camera flashed a bright light, causing them to blink. “This photo can be picked up later on The Nova Deck. You will find them fastened to a wall of pictures.”

  The night air was chilling, but the excitement of disembarking warmed everybody’s spirits. It was completely dark out now, and the stars twinkled as a haven above The Sunburst. Zo and Claire held on to the cold railing and looked ahead to the horizon.

  Suddenly music played loud enough for the thousands of guests to hear from a speaker. It was swing dance music. People had brought out glasses with wine to celebrate.

  “How come we didn’t think to bring a drink?” Claire asked.

  “It’s probably their hundredth time being on a cruise. They know all these things. We, on the other hand, have never been on a cruise. We know nothing.” Zo lowered her voice to a gruff whisper. “Which I think is abhorrently obvious to everyone!”

  To that Claire didn’t say anything, but smiled extra big. It was great just having the sea wind blow across their cheeks. When the song was over, they heard a man’s voice say over the system, “Are you ready to go to Kinikiwiki Island?”

  “Yeah!” the crowd yelled back.

  “I said, are you reeeeaaady?”

  “Yeah!” everyone hollered louder.

  To that they heard the long low moan of the ship horn; not once, twice or three times, but five times, and then they felt The Sunburst shift and move in the water. And another song played.

  Claire had signed them up for the 8 p.m. dinnertime. The two were seated and introduced to their “table mates”—a young couple on their honeymoon. She was dewy-eyed, having the porcelain skin that only a twenty-year-old can have. He looked like a graduated football star. Both were smiles, polite, and shy. They soon settled into eye gazing between each other and all else did not exist for them, which allowed private conversations between the Kanes. It also allowed for quiet time to be dazzled by all the happy people.

  “It’s hard to keep from staring,” said Zo, who was a people watcher anyway.

  “Do you think we will see Mr. Belmont, Mom? I would love to talk with him. Maybe I could get a position with his magazine. I could write my articles from home and e-mail them in.”

  “Do you know what he looks like?”

  “Not a clue.”

  An impeccably ironed and creased waiter took their order, and did not leave without first removing the napkin Zo had not as yet placed in her lap, shaking it open and placing it for her.

  Both had enjoyed their lobster which was buttery, lemoned and delicious. Dessert was on its way. Zo had settled on the banana cream pie and Claire savored the New York cheesecake. The honeymooning couple finished their dessert and excused themselves politely, smiling.

  “Why don’t we go to the magic show which is coming up soon in The Starlight Room?” suggested Claire with anticipation.

  They managed to get a table fairly close to the stage. While waiting for the magic show, the emcee asked if there would be anyone willing to tell a good joke. Meanwhile, the drinks were being ordered and served to the tables: Pina Colada; Itch Witch; Sailor’s Grog; Purple Whirlagig (double rum and crème soda with a purple pinwheel); all kinds of fruit daiquiris with the garnishes of cherries and limes next to umbrellas, fancy straws and glittering swizzle sticks.

  “There is Kathryn, Mom.”

  “Yes,” answered Zo, looking toward three booths of Red Hat Ladies. “You know, I have never liked purple and red together, but they have done such a wonderful job of making themselves so cute in it. And, they are all different from each other; not one is dressed the same.”

  “Here are some more coming in.”

  The group called across to the others, laughing, seeming to be friends to all.

  The volunteer joke-teller was giving the punch line—“…Hunchback, Hunchback!”

  “I think he’s talking about you and the life-jacket today, Mom.”

  “Never mind, dear.”

  The music struck up and the announcer yelled energetically, “Here he is, Larrrrrry Potter!”

  The magician leaped out onto the stage, twirling out his black cape as he spun to a bow. He removed his top hat and placed it onto a stool. “Yes, that is my name. Welcome. Tonight I am going to astound you by causing things and people—yes, people—to disappear from right before your very eyes, behind this curtained box here.

  “But first, a rabbit! Where did the rabbit go? Where is my rabbit? …See there? Gone! Not only did he disappear, but you didn’t even see him in the first place.”

  The band played, and he added a dramatic, “Ta daaaaa!”

  “We have with us tonight, right in this very room, a very notable man. I am sure you all have heard his name, or at least read his magazine, American Citizen. Previous to this show, he volunteered to disappear for us. Well, actually he volunteered Mrs. Belmont to disappear for us.”

  The crowd chuckled.

  “There he is—Mr. Belmont!”

  Belmont’s booth was laughing it up as the spotlight beamed on him and his smiling wife.

  “Did you see him, Claire?”

  “Well, not really. The light was too bright and washed out his features.”

  A rabbit ran up on stage and stopped in front of the magician. Larry Potter, seeing him, said, “Not now! It’s too late. You’re fired!”

  It looked like the rabbit threw a silver dollar as it popped up from the stage.

  “Oh, so that is what you’ve been doing.” He picked up the dollar, polished it and stuck it into his pocket. Then he picked up the rabbit and looked him in his eyes. “All is forgiven. Can you get more of these? …What do you mean you can, if I would stake you to fifty bucks?!”

  He set the rabbit down, and as it was running off stage to a woman waiting to take him, Potter called after him, “And lay off the bourbon, you know it causes your feet to swell!”

  The audience laughed and applauded.

  “Wait!” The magician trotted over to the lady who was about to leave the stage. He reached into his pocket and removed his wallet and took out some bills. Potter lowered his voice a little, but the audience could still hear him. “Give this fifty dollars to the rabbit.”

  She hesitated, to which he replied, “Trust me.”

  Having returned to the spotlight, the show continued: “Good evening, everyone. As I said, I am Larry Potter; no relation to Harry. And although I do wear glasses, you will see I have blond hair and I am in my thirties; by the way, very handsome and single… hint, hint.” His eyes seemed to meet Claire’s for a moment and she blushed.

  “He was looking at you.” Zo nudged her.

  “That is simply because mostly everyone in here needs the assistance of a walker.”

  “And,” he continued, “I would like to start tonight off with a trick—a classic card trick. Don�
��t worry, I will have the cameras zoom in on me, so you can see every suspenseful moment projected on the screens to the left and the right of me. Let’s see…”

  He started walking back and forth looking for his non-voluntary helper. “Who will I ask?”

  Quickly he ran back to Claire with a deck of cards in one hand, while welcoming her to shake his other hand. “Hi, what is your name?”

  “Claire.” She smiled, a bit embarrassed.

  “Claire,” he repeated into his little microphone attached onto his black vest. “L’Amour mi Claire.” He gazed longingly into her long lashed, large brown eyes which entertained the crowd some more. “Pick a card, any card.” He shuffled and fanned out the options.

  Claire went to grab the one third to the right.

  “Uh, not that one,” he whispered loud enough for the crowd to hear and laugh.

  She went to take another.

  “Not that one either…”

  Claire laughed and shook her head. Finally she was able to pick one he would let her have.

  “Now look at it and don’t tell me what it is.”

  Claire put it close to her face and then buried it against her black dress.

  “Was it the Queen of Hearts?” He raised his eyebrows flirtatiously.

  “Yes!” she exclaimed and showed it to the camera.

  The crowd clapped.

  “I knew it. Let me ask you, Claire, do you have any king in your life?”

  “No!” Zo called out, answering for her daughter.

  “Mother!” Her eyes widened.

  “Well then, thank you… And for being such a great volunteer, I have something for you.” Larry put a hand behind his back and it suddenly reappeared with a red rose.

  As Claire went to take her flower, Larry grabbed her hand and kissed it, but in doing so lost grip of his deck of cards and they fell to the floor of the stage, all face up. The camera zoomed in and the audience saw projected on the screens that every card was a Queen of Hearts.

  “Oops,” the magician said sheepishly as part of the act.

  Larry continued with a new unwrapped deck to perform many great classic magic tricks and it soon neared the end of his show, where he said he had saved the best for last.

  “Now, for the last magic trick, would the special couple please come front and center. Felix Belmont and his lovely wife, Sharon, are going to join me on stage.”

  Everyone cheered exuberantly in anticipation, especially Claire, who suddenly felt nervous for no apparent reason. The spotlight went to their celebrity faces again, which were now projected on the screens. The dashing publisher with black hair, perfect teeth and mustache stood, with his gorgeous wife appearing at least fifteen—if not twenty—years younger than him. She had chic, shoulder length blond hair and a pale blue dress. Mr. Belmont kindly helped pull his wife’s chair out and escorted her on the arm, walking between tables to the stage.

  Once they were on stage, the couple waved to the crowd. Larry interrupted the continuously clapping attendees by saying, “I have to my left a six-foot-five-inch tall box. I am going to ask Mrs. Belmont to join me inside the box and Mr. Belmont will lock it shut, so we can’t get out. When he hears me say the magnificent magic words, which I told him secretly beforehand, he will open the box again and Mrs. Belmont will have vanished away. Gone!” He turned to Mr. Belmont, saying, “I hope it won’t be forever,” and then tugged at his collar nervously.

  The box wasn’t very wide. First, Mrs. Belmont stepped inside. She pushed her body right up against the side wall of the box and then Larry entered. “Now close the door and lock it,” he told Mr. Belmont, who quickly obeyed, shutting it and turning the key. Several seconds went by where the audience heard banging and shifting around from inside.

  Mr. Belmont looked at his watch, making fun of how much time it was taking.

  “Okay,” everyone heard from Larry inside on his microphone, “shlama-lama-bing-bong!”

  Mr. Belmont put the key back into the lock and opened the door. To the audience’s surprise, Mrs. Belmont had indeed disappeared and for added entertainment, the cameras zoomed on Larry whose hair was now mussed up, his glasses were crooked on his nose and his white collar unbuttoned a few. Lipstick was also smeared across his mouth, neck and shirt.

  Seeing Mr. Belmont’s upset look on his face, Larry quickly said, “Nothing happened. It’s not how it looks!”

  Mr. Belmont punched a fist against a hand in warning and Larry took off running behind the curtains. In less than thirty seconds, Larry came back through the curtain pulling Mrs. Belmont by the hand. His hair was fixed and he now had a clean buttoned shirt on, everything looking back to normal. She, of course, was perfect as before.

  The crowd cheered, Zo whistled and Claire sat back clapping in approval.

  That was the end of the show. Larry thanked everyone for coming and the lights went dim on the stage, while the lights in the room brightened.

  Fifteen minutes later, music kicked up. A blond bombshell danced her alluring way onto the stage in a glittering, slinky dress. “Hello!” she breathed.

  “Well, if that isn’t Marilyn, I don’t know who is,” exclaimed Zo.

  “Mother, what do you say we get some dessert to relax over and get ready to retire? We have a big day at the island tomorrow.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  They managed to walk through the crowd and get on an elevator up to their suite.

  Once inside their room, the two kicked off their heels and sat on a luxurious black leather couch. Zo grabbed for the TV remote while Claire grabbed for the phone.

  “Yes, room service?” Claire said. “We would like a slice of tiramisu cake and a slice of key lime pie. Yes, and put a cherry on both,” she added, smiling. “Ten minutes? Thank you…”

  Zo switched the channels until it came to one dedicated to The Sunburst’s daily and nightly activities. “This is the life, huh, daughter.”

  “Oh yeah…” Claire couldn’t agree more.

  -3-

  You know that delightful little feeling, when everything is going right and you lay thinking on your bed about all the fun you are about to have coming up the next morning, if only you could get to sleep, so it would arrive faster? That was how Claire felt.

  But her thoughts were distracted, when she suddenly heard the Belmonts enter their suite. There was some loud bumping and thumping around. She shifted in bed, sitting up and placing an ear against the wall beside her, to try and hear better. Voices that came across as muffles through the wall were completely unclear; not one word was discernible. She could only make out the tone of the conversation. There were sharp, short sentences—quick and angry. Claire picked up her cell phone and read the time—1:17 a.m. Pretty soon it was quiet and Claire started drifting…

  In her dreams she was suddenly aware of something on her foot. It was a white dove, trying to hide its head under her big toe nail. It seemed perfectly reasonable. Then a loud pounding of drums started, disturbing the dove and it flew away, disappointing Claire.

  “Claire… Claire.” Her mom entered her dream, wearing a gold Cleopatra costume with the neckline dropping immodestly.

  “No, you don’t! You are not wearing that dress.”

  “What? Claire, wake up! Let’s get going. We’ve got fun and food ahead of us today, and I already want breakfast!”

  Reality came zooming in as her eyelids fluttered open. She stretched and said, “Hurray! Morning is here. Mom, you aren’t planning on any Cleopatra costume for Halloween or New Year’s, are you?”

  “Heavens, no! I would want to go in the knickers and long coat of a colonial patriot. I rather fancy that tri-corn hat. If I pull my hair back and band it, so it hangs down my back, I think that would be a very attractive look.”

  “Thaaat’s good.” Claire was off to shower and get ready for the day.

  Zo called after her, “And your mother doesn’t look good in a black wig!”

  “I know.” Claire giggled.

&nbs
p; The captain came back on the intercom. “Good morning, guests. This is your captain again, Vladimir. We made it to Kinikiwiki Island at approximately 6:30. The weather outside is a perfect seventy-two degrees with a light breeze. Have a lovely day of play on the island. We are staying the night tonight, so stay on the island as late this evening as you wish. Please enjoy your day. And thank you again for choosing The Sunburst for your cruise getaway.”

  Although the captain was speaking happy words, his voice came across as dull and uninterested.

  “It is probably his bedtime now,” Zo commented.

  Finally, they were ready, and were exiting their suite, when out from the suite to their left came Kathryn again.

  “Hey, Kathryn! We saw you having fun last night.” Zo smiled.

  “You bet. Did you get to talk to the Belmonts?”

  “No, not yet,” said Claire.

  “Well, I don’t think you could have had much of a conversation with them last night anyway. They were pretty well sloshed up in drinks, when I last saw them. I left the lounge before them, ya know. I know my limit.”

  Zo and Claire leaned forward, ready to hear more details.

  “Glad to see you girls again, but I’ve got to run. I’m late. See you around.” She hurried down the hallway.

  “Well, I thought I heard them clankin’ around last night,” Claire remembered. “They must have been really, really drunk, like Kathryn said.”

  “Well, on the ship is the best time for partying I guess. No drinking and driving.”

  “Hm…” Claire nodded in agreement.

  “But the Belmont’s seem like such a perfect couple. I can’t see them getting slap-silly drunk, unless they were alone I suppose.”

  “That’s what I was thinking. Anyway, Mother, do you think that I will be able to see Mr. Belmont today? I would really like to talk to him about my experience in journalism, if not just to meet the man face-to-face and get a handshake.”

  “I think you will at least get a handshake out of him during the trip.”

  “The odds are good. But maybe I should just wait outside his door until he gets out.”