The Disappearance of Emily: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic Series Book 2

by Elizabeth Pantley

  Sapphire was a delightful and surprising sister. She was kind and polite in an almost Southern-girl style, and she dressed the part in floral dresses and sun hats. Interestingly, she was a computer tech specialist, and she had a mind like a steel trap. Sadly, her last boyfriend had been a disaster, and I hoped she’d soon find someone who really appreciated her. She deserved that.

  As we chatted, Grandmother approached the group. I was momentarily speechless to see her perfectly-styled ensemble decorated by two flower-chain necklaces. So, apparently, the kiddos were safe picking flowers.

  I felt a rush of warmth toward her. Eleanor had always frightened me a bit, and it took her weeks to thaw. But now I was seeing the kind woman who hid behind the rigid exterior. And like many women, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren seemed to bring out her soft side. (Well, and her Persian cat, Chanel.) It was lovely to see the caring woman that she hid from the world.

  I heard a ruckus from the other side of the yard. I looked over to see Axel goofing around with our youngest sibling, Cobalt, a university student often home for weekend family events. They were laughing loudly about something. Our father, Leonard, and our grandfather, Phillip, were looking puzzled. Clearly, they didn’t get the joke. That seemed to make the guys laugh until they snorted. Typical for Cobalt, but unlike the often too-serious Axel. I learned that my brothers had a tight bond and a relaxed relationship. Cobalt brought out the youthfulness in Axel.

  Since everyone had arrived, Grandmother asked us to break up into teams for the game. Croquet is fun in theory, but in reality, it’s a super boring game. You use the mallet to tap the ball around the yard through wire arched wickets (or in this case playing cards) until you tap a stake at the end. I have no idea how you count points, but maybe the first person to the end stake wins. I’m just guessing.

  I was having a blast taking in the party décor, watching the family interact, and pretending to enjoy the croquet. Little did I know that the best was yet to come.

  Cleobella, my grandmother’s all-round assistant, came out of the house pushing a large cart of food. Two caterers were behind her, pushing their own carts.

  True to form, Cleobella was dressed for the occasion. In a party catalog, her attire would be labeled ‘sexy Queen of Hearts costume.’ Her short dress was black, white, and red. It had a laced-up bodice and a black tutu, which was covered with red, glittering hearts. Her legs were clad in over-the-knee black socks with bright red bows above the knees. Her shoes were shiny black platform pumps. Her hair was curled into a wild halo of ringlets, and she was wearing a jaunty black, sparkly top hat. As usual, I could see her super-long eyelashes from across the yard. She was an eccentric sight to behold. But, as usual, I seemed to be the only person who thought so.

  The two caterers coming up behind her looked uncomfortable, but dutiful, dressed as white rabbits. They were wearing large clock necklaces that would make Flavor Flav proud.

  The food continued the Alice in Wonderland theme. Bright pink and blue multi-tiered trays were filled with finger sandwiches. Platters held mini tarts and scones. There were beautifully arranged platters of fruits and vegetables. Whimsically decorated cupcakes finished up the offerings. Between the food carts and Cleobella, it was a feast for the eyes.

  Axel came up behind me and whispered, “I suppose you’re wondering why nobody seems to notice Cleobella’s, umm, interesting look?”

  “Interesting is the understatement of the year.”

  “Yeah. She’s always a fashion icon. We expect it. Every year she dresses up as the Queen of Hearts for the croquet event. Each time, it’s a bit different, but always fun to see. I think we’re all used to seeing her just as she is. This family is surprisingly more accepting of people’s unique traits than you might think.”

  “I’m coming to understand that,” I said.

  “Did you see Grandmother’s flower necklaces?”

  “I did!” The thought of it made me smile. “I’m sure the kids were delighted to see her wearing them. It warmed my heart.”

  Axel nodded. “Grandmother’s like a loaf of sourdough bread. Hard and crusty on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. But with a touch of tart flavoring to keep you on your toes.”

  “Don’t I know that,” I said.

  Since the food had arrived, we were (happily) done with the game part of the evening. I think I’d had enough croquet to last me for a good, long while.

  As we were walking toward the tables, I saw a bit of white and chocolate brown fur in the bushes. I slowly meandered over. As I got closer, I could make out two pairs of feline eyes scanning the yard. Sure enough, Latifa and Chanel had hidden behind a bush to spy on us.

  “Why are you outside, Latifa?” I asked. “You’re a house cat, not a wildcat.”

  “Cats are born wild, Cupcake,” she replied with a sniff. “It’s in their DNA. Taking a walk on the wild side is almost required.”

  “You girls just be careful,” I said.

  “Okay, Mom.” I could almost see her rolling her eyes. “And hey, nice job on the ball-chasing game. You’re almost good enough to be an honorary cat.”

  The two of them snickered, turned their backs on me, and crept off toward the open backdoor.

  6

  In preparation for my meeting with the captain, I was at the library to do some serious research about the ferry and our island location. I stood with my hand on the door to the library, hesitant to open it. I paused and took a deep breath. What would I find when I opened this door?

  The exterior of the building looked the same as always. Charming small-town library. A cheery yellow building with white pillars framing the front door. Neatly mowed lawn with an orderly circle of flowers around the base of the flagpole. Lace curtains framing white-gridded windows. On my previous visits, it had turned out to be an elaborate disguise.

  I hoped I wouldn’t be walking into a normal library. I opened the door just a few inches and peeked inside. My breath whooshed out in relief and I swung the door open and stepped inside.

  True to form for Destiny Falls’ enchanted library, wonders greeted me in the expansive foyer. Even though it was morning outside, it was nighttime here. The ceiling, very high above me, wasn’t a ceiling at all. It was a night sky. Wider, deeper, and more intense than any planetarium could hope to be. It looked real. (And it probably was.)

  The deep blue above me was awash with stars, like what you would see from a mountaintop. On one side I could pick out the Big Dipper and on the other, Orion’s belt. Off in the distance, the northern lights were flowing and dancing in brilliant shades of green, purple, and blue.

  The white-curtained windows that you saw from outside did not exist in here. Instead, clerestory windows surrounded the uppermost area, reaching almost to the, um, night sky. Through the windows, I could see the full moon in the distance.

  Signs placed around the lobby helped visitors locate various constellations and other celestial wonders in the night sky above us. A display table provided binoculars for patron use, and several telescopes were available for even closer viewing of the celestial bodies.

  A bookshelf lined the entire back wall with an array of books on astronomical topics, along with videos and audiobooks. There was a sectioned off area with reclining chairs for those who had tired of craning their necks. Two little kids were in the children’s corner, placing flannel stars, planets, comets, and satellites on a large flannel board. Talk about an immersive learning opportunity!

  I spent an awestruck hour soaking in this experience, then reluctantly left to get to the real reason I was here—a visit to the historical books room to see if I could learn anything about the ferry before my appointment tomorrow.

  I was also looking forward to spending some time with my favorite librarian and historian, Edna. She was a wonder! She could magically produce any book that a patron requested, plus more books that they didn’t even know they needed. The library appeared to work alongside Edna to meet the needs of the community. She s
aid that only once did it keep a secret from her, though I expect it either hid more secrets than she knew, or she hid secrets from me.

  “Hayden! Wonderful to see you,” Edna called out in her whispery librarian voice.

  The acoustics in the building were remarkable. No matter how many people were inside, and no matter how loudly you spoke, all you’d ever hear was the soft blend of quiet murmurs. The environment encompassed everything that was best in the world. The smell of old books and wood polish was intoxicating. The soft lighting gave everything a golden glow that was unique to a library filled with everything from romance paperbacks to ancient, leather-bound tomes. And books, glorious books, surrounded you, capturing nearly every inch of space.

  A gorgeous, wide staircase connected the three stories of books. Usually, when you looked up, you saw a massive chandelier at the top. Today, though, in keeping with the theme, it was an enormous model of the solar system. Each planet was lit from within, and all of them were very slowly making their way around the brilliant sun. I assumed that wires must connect them, but I couldn’t see any. Then again, here in this magical building, anything was possible.

  Edna approached silently on her high-top sneakered feet and gave me a quick hug. It seemed like everyone I’d met in Destiny Falls was warm, friendly, and prone to hugging. It was quite nice.

  “How are you, Edna?” I asked.

  “Happy, as always. How about you? Settling into the Destiny Falls lifestyle? It’s been about a month, hasn’t it?”

  “It has. It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster, but things are smoothing out.”

  “I’m glad! That bit about Gwendolyn was horrifying.” She shuddered. “How’s your knee?”

  “Pretty much back to normal,” I said. “I’m back to jogging and hiking, thankfully. I jogged into town with Axel yesterday. We visited Poppy’s new extravaganza and Vessie’s café. Both are wonderful! Have you been?”

  “Oh, Vessie’s is my normal coffee stop on my way to work. She makes the best muffins and lattes. I haven’t been to Poppy’s store, but I hear it’s amazing. It got me thinking I should get some hiking supplies and check out the park. It’s on my to-do list now.”

  I recalled that Poppy had said that the town’s plan was to get people hiking and camping. Seemed it was working.

  “Oh! You really should,” I told her. “Twin Falls Park is a gorgeous place, and so peaceful. I think you’d love it.”

  We talked a bit more about the park and trails. I enjoyed chatting with Edna. She was enthusiastic about everything, and when you talked, she really listened. She was one of those people who made everyone feel important by looking deep into their eyes, nodding, and um-hmming at exactly the right moments.

  “Would I be able to get into the historic book room? I’d like to do some research.”

  “Of course!” Edna pulled out her key ring, and I followed her up the stairs.

  The historic book room was at the end of a secluded hallway. A select few people could enter it. Edna, of course, as the librarian and historian. And apparently, me. It appeared being a Caldwell had its privileges.

  The small room had bookshelves on all four walls. The center was a reading and working space. The last few times I had been here, the area in the center had a set of leather furniture. The focal point was an amazing coffee table that was made up of a huge fish aquarium with a glass top suspended above it on brass legs. Today it was totally different.

  The center of the room continued the space theme from downstairs. The entire area had a dome above it that carried the night sky theme, but this one was painted, not a live night sky. Hanging from the very center was a light fixture made of thousands of tiny blue and white star-shaped bulbs. The tables were silver, the chairs were white leather, and the floor was white granite. The furniture was lit from beneath with a blue glow. It felt very sci-fi.

  On my last trip here, I had tried to find out more about the ferry. But I discovered little of interest. The books, just like the people here, seemed elusive and stingy with details. I scrolled through my pictures, looking for the pages I had saved on my phone. This seemed the most helpful, yet confusing section:

  . . . The Destiny Falls ferry does not have a regular schedule as its daily routes change depending on the passengers. The ferry travels only to a few select ports, and some passengers attempting to reach locations in The Outside often find themselves getting off exactly where they first got on . . .

  Searching for ferry information had led to a dead-end, so I thought a fresh approach might yield more information. I asked Edna where I could find books on the geography of the area, specifically, the islands surrounding us. She showed me the various options and left me to my research.

  On her way out, she turned back to me. “It’s great to see you, Hayden. Take your time in here. Ring the bell if you need any help. Always remember to lock up when you leave the room.”

  She said that every time she left me here. I wondered why a door lock was even necessary. If the library was enchanted, wouldn’t it have a way to protect all these historic and valuable books? Something far more powerful than a mere door lock?

  I scanned the shelves and pulled out a stack of choices. I carried them over and placed them on the table. As always, at some point during my book search, Edna (I assumed!) had come back in and left a tray of tea and cookies, along with a welcome note, on the table. It always made me feel like I belonged here. I poured a cup of tea, helped myself to the cookies, and settled in to sift through my pile of books.

  An hour later, I huffed in frustration. Once again, the information I found was limited. Maps showed Destiny Falls in detail, but the surrounding areas were blurred out or simply not shown at all. I stood up and stretched, looking around the room. I spotted an enormous globe that I hadn’t seen before. Or more accurately, that hadn’t been there before. It was lit from within, like the planets had been, and was sitting on a pedestal with a softly glowing blue base.

  I twirled the globe to find Destiny Falls. As of now, I had no idea where we were in the world, though hints pointed to the United States.

  Since the ferry was located on Caldwell Harbor and I could see mountains off in the distance, I scanned all the inlets, gulfs, and bays along the coasts. I ran my finger along the surface and traced the coastline. I came to an unusual notch in the western coastline. I peered closely. It was too small to see clearly, so I took a photo with my phone and enlarged it. The notch did not appear in my photo. That had to be the work of the DF Satellite, which filtered transmissions and only allowed approved texts, e-mails, and calls. Approved by whom I had no idea.

  A glimmer of reflected light caught my eye, and I found a magnifying glass on a shelf to my right. It appeared that the library was on my side this morning. I stepped away to grab the magnifying glass.

  The globe had rotated a bit when I moved away from it, so I searched again for the coastline with the notch. I found it. In an entirely different place than where it had been a minute ago. I shut my eyes and spun the globe. And found the inlet in the area facing me. Twice more. No matter how I twirled the globe, the inlet was facing me. Apparently, I was invited to explore the group of islands, but where we were located was still top secret.

  I used the magnifying glass to inspect the area. There had to be a cluster of more than a hundred islands in this inlet. Only the largest islands had names shown. I knew our town name was Destiny Falls, and the ferry docked at Caldwell Harbor, but I didn’t know the name of the island, as I’d never heard our location called anything other than Destiny Falls.

  Just then, Edna walked into the room to check on me. Her eyes popped open wide and her jaw dropped. “Oh, my!” she whispered. “You’ve been granted a view of the globe!”

  “And even a magnifying glass!” I held it up.

  “Hayden, you are one of the privileged few. The library rarely brings the globe out.”

  I looked up toward the ceiling. “I feel honored. Thank you, library,” I said.


  Edna giggled. “I know exactly how you feel.”

  I could feel the color creeping up my face. I felt silly, but the library did feel like a real being at times.

  “I’m trying to find Destiny Falls on here, but there are so many islands and the words are tiny. Do you know where we are on here? And is the actual island called Destiny Falls?”

  “Yes, Destiny Falls is the name of the island and the community.”

  Oh, my God! A straightforward answer for once! I was shocked, but tried not to show it. Perhaps since the globe had appeared to me, Edna felt permitted to share more information. She walked over to the globe, leaned down, and pointed. “Here we are,” she said.

  I brought up the magnifying glass and looked at the island. Sure enough, it was labeled Destiny Falls. I could see what appeared to be Caldwell Crest and the area where the ferry was located.

  The Destiny Falls island was shaped like a crescent. Just across from it was another island of similar size and shape, but in reverse. It looked like it fit the shoreline of Destiny Falls as precisely as a puzzle piece. It was labeled Gladstone. The word the ferry captain had uttered in the same sentence as danger.

  7

  I left the library and was analyzing the experience in my head. When I had found Gladstone on the globe and asked Edna about it, she had said she knew little about it and changed the subject. I found that extremely odd, considering that she was the town historian and appeared to know everything about the community. The mysteries around here sometimes gave me a headache. I had to poke, prod, and persist to gain any bit of information about the town and its people. That’s okay. I’m a journalist by trade and, according to some people, a bit of a busybody, so I would just continue my informal investigation. Beginning with my meeting with the captain tomorrow.

  I thought I would walk around town before heading home. I strolled over to the bench across from the ferry terminal and sat down. I thought I’d sit for a while, enjoy the view, and observe the ferry landing.