TODAY’S SCHEDULED SHOOT IS THE BIG SEA-CREATURE-VERSUS-MERMAID battle scene, the climax of the film. Delphine, as the Queen of the Mermaids, will lead the fierce mermaid warriors into the battlefield to save her home. She will come face-to-face with her sea-creature love interest, and she will have to decide right then and there—can love conquer their differences? There will be a ton of action sequences to shoot and an elaborate choreographed battle. I know this because Delphine told us all about it yesterday when she came over for dinner. All the extras will be at the beach, including Henri.
“Quick—Henri,” I say across the front desk. “He’s an extra in the movie. Did he get on the shuttle heading to the beach this morning?”
Cheryl checks her ledger. The extras who were meant to be on the beach shooting today would have taken the shuttle provided by the Crossed Palms. Mr. Davenport insisted on it. If Henri took that bus, then he is on the set.
“Yes, there he is. Henri. I checked him off this morning,” Cheryl says. “I remember him. He was here bright and early. Him and a woman with a French accent have been joined at the hip the entire time. Always huddled together.”
“A sea creature, right?”
Cheryl confirms. “You think he has something to do with the bejeweled swimming cap?”
It’s all making sense and the pieces are coming together. The more I think of it the quicker my theory takes form. The sea creature and Edna Blanchett must have formed some sort of alliance in order to nab the Bejeweled Aqua Chapeau. I’m guessing Edna sought out Henri. Maybe they have a bond since they speak the same language. He said he’s been working on every film with Delphine. He went from costarring in a film as her brother to barely being a sea creature. And I am sure the diamonds were enticing to Henri. A bit of priceless glimmer can make a person go mad.
“I’m not one hundred percent positive, but if they are at the beach, things cannot be good.”
“One more thing. He insisted on boarding the bus with a box. There was no room for it, so I suggested Rob deliver the package later. This man, Henri, he refused and ended up boarding with the box on his lap.”
A box? The chapeau?
“Could he have been carrying the diamond swimming cap in the box?”
“I don’t know. Could have been just about anything,” Cheryl says. “He was very protective of it. Very.”
I need to get to the beach as quickly as possible. Who knows what this sea creature wannabe is up to next? Scoops Malone’s voice enters my head. There will be more foul play. Oh boy.
“Goldie, wait! I remember one more thing. He had a tattoo on his left arm,” she yells.
“A tattoo?”
“Of a daisy!”
Hold on to your blooming buds! Henri has a daisy tattoo on his arm. Of course. A daisy tattoo and daisies for Delphine. Maybe Henri thought drowning Delphine with daisies would remind her of her past, enough for her to abandon the film. Ha! The flowers are really talking to me now.
“I need to jet,” I say.
“Yeah, the beach!” Cheryl says. “Baldwin Studios is mostly filming across the way, but they also set up a whole tent for wardrobe farther down. It’s a massive production.”
“I’ll hit the tent first. Thanks, Cheryl, you’re the best!”
Big Blue will not do for this dire situation. I need wheels. Hot wheels!
“Goldie, where are you off to?”
Dad tries his best to keep up with me. “I don’t have much time. I have to get to the movie set right now. Lives may depend on it!”
“Now, hold on, Goldie. Don’t be rushing off to conclusions.”
“Of course not, Dad. Walt has taught me well. Evidence first. And I’ve got evidence. Now I need confirmation.”
“Be careful!” Dad says as I run off to the valet station. I find Rob slumped at his desk, failing to stay awake.
“Quick, hand me keys to the fastest car here!”
Rob shakes his head. “No way. Mr. Maple said no joyrides.” He points to a tiny makeshift sign tacked behind the valet station. NO JOYRIDES with three exclamation points. I understand Rob’s hesitation, but this is serious business.
“Rob, keys. I don’t have time to explain the importance of this.” I pound on the desk. “C’mon! I have to get to the beach. My bike doesn’t have enough horsepower.”
“I can’t, Goldie,” he says. “Those security guards wanted to throw me in the lake for giving them such a runaround.”
“You were perfect. Absolutely top rate. But now is not the time to rehash the past,” I say. “The future depends on me securing a fast car.”
“A break in the case?” he asks, leaning in. I nod. “Hot diggity.” Rob smacks his head. “A break is a break,” he says while handing me keys. “The Metropolitan, in parking slot four. Need me for anything else?”
“Thanks, Rob, you’re the greatest!” I say. “And if anyone comes looking for me, you’ll know what to do.”
“I’m a pro!”
I run to the compact Nash Metropolitan with a cool red stripe. Dire situations call for dire actions. I shift gears. One light touch on the gas pedal, and zooooom. I’m off to the races.
BALDWIN STUDIOS IS FILMING AT THE BEACH RIGHT across from the Crossed Palms Resort. This strip of gorgeous, pristine shoreline allows guests to feel as if they have entered their own private oasis. The water is crystal blue. What also makes this location perfect for Baldwin Studios are the large rock formations that bookend the strip. The rock formations are massive and look both futuristic and ancient. An ideal setting for a sea-creature movie.
Wow. This Metropolitan purrs like a kitten. This car is small and fancy with a capital F. I push the pedal to the metal. Just like the engine, my mind races. I think about how I was trying to pin the drama on Scoops Malone. I should have been paying way more attention to the costume department. Sometimes the clues are there, and it’s just a matter of honing in, like setting the magnifying glass just right so you see what’s really going on.
When I become a world-famous detective, I’ll need a car like this one. And leather driving gloves. And a whole driving ensemble. Oh yes, a tiny red car to buzz through the streets of St. Pascal like a professional. Okay, I need to quit with the driving fantasies and concentrate. Once I arrive, I’ll need to find a way to sneak in. Mr. Davenport will have super-duper, extra-tight security at this location after everything that has happened. Infiltrating the set is first on my list.
Because the beach is closed off, I take side streets along the coast until I find the right spot to park the car. There is a concealed access point to the beach that few would know about, unless you live in St. Pascal. I make it my mission to be familiar with every access point there is. Time to go stealth mode.
Massive crowds are milling about. Sea creatures and mermaids alike. The tents are situated exactly how Cheryl described. The actors appear to be exiting the tents and making the trek over to where the cameras are, but it doesn’t look like they’ve begun to shoot yet. A string of security guards are stopping anyone from entering the beach. This is going to be a challenge. But I love challenges. They are like puzzles waiting to be solved. And the pieces all exist; you just need to put them together. It’s time to see if I’ve put all the pieces of this mystery in their correct slots.
Chapter Sixteen
THANK GOODNESS I’M SMALL. THIS GIVES ME THE ability to take light steps. And thank goodness I know St. Pascal inside and out. I crouch down as close to the ground as possible and inch my way toward the dunes.
Four security guards are mere steps away from me. They’re so close that I can hear one of them chewing gum and blowing bubbles. Not quite security-guard protocol in my book, but so be it. With each pop of his bubble gum, I am able to move closer to my destination.
“I’m starving,” the guard blowing bubbles says to the group. “I read somewhere chewing gum can help stave off hunger.”
“What are you talking about? That’s a bunch of baloney,” another guard responds.
Bop! He blows
another bubble and I move.
Only a few more yards. Lucky for me, there is a loud commotion happening just across the way. Movie mayhem is in full effect. I keep crawling, leaving the security guards behind and finding refuge in a wooden scaffold nook. I nestle in between boxes. With so many people rushing about trying to make sense of the chaos, I have a clear view. Undetected.
“Stay on your marks, people,” the director says into a megaphone. How do you corral hundreds of extras in one spot? The answer: by yelling, illustrated by Mr. Davenport, who just grabbed the megaphone from the director.
“This is costing us thousands of dollars. Do not waste a shot.”
Even on the beach, Mr. Davenport wears a suit. He pulls out his watch and shoves it back in his front pocket.
Now that I’ve made it this far, I don’t really have a plan of how I’m going to stop production of this movie, but I need to find Henri and the box he is carrying. I scan every extra walking around the set. It’s not an easy task when there are so many, but I take my time and really concentrate. Patience. Hawk eyes, don’t fail me now.
There he is. A sea creature holding a box. Way to not be obvious, Henri. I wouldn’t be surprised if Edna Blanchett is the brains behind this diamond cap theft. While everyone on the set is being told to stay in place, Henri slowly walks away from the crowd. I keep my eyes on him. He heads toward the large tent, totally against the grain. I have to follow him.
Hmmm. It dawns on me.
The pile of boxes concealing me right now contains a box that looks like others on set; I can use it to pretend I’m delivering something to the tent. I grab a box and hoist it upon my shoulders. I walk with purpose, flipping the box from shoulder to shoulder in order to avoid making eye contact with anyone.
“Hey, where you going with that?” a crew member yells at me. I just point and keep moving. Lucky for me, another person distracts him with a question. When I finally reach the tent, I wait by the entrance, using the flap to conceal myself while I listen.
I hesitate. The box is right there. What would Edna do if I just grabbed the box and ran? No, that won’t do. Henri said something about a plan being underway. Foul play? I have to follow Henri. The box will have to wait. I am swept away in a wave of sea creatures. I might be the shortest in this army, but no one seems to mind. I guess when it comes to this fantasy war, it’s every man, woman, and child to the forefront.
Delphine stands atop an elevated stage, looking like a true mermaid goddess. Her costume is various shades of greens, yellows, and blues. People from miles away could easily spot her. She is a majestic vision.
I wobble around until I locate Henri and stand beside him, but he starts to slowly inch his way to the back of the crowd. He’s about to do something. I can feel it in my bones.
“You there—stay in position,” Mr. Davenport yells into the megaphone, but he’s not talking to Henri. He’s talking to me. Sorry, Mr. Davenport. I just can’t listen to you. I need to follow Henri. I stand still, but as soon as Mr. Davenport turns to yell at someone else, I take at least two or three steps toward Henri.
“Baby sea creature, stop moving!” the leader of the sea-creature army, the costar of this film, says directly to me. It’s amazing how the makeup artist is still able to preserve his good looks and incorporate a sea-monster face. Now, that’s talent.
“But where’s my daddy?” I say, making sure my voice sounds a little bit deeper than usual. Can’t have them find out I’m a girl underneath all these scales. Apparently in this film, sea creatures are boys and mermaids are girls. So silly. “I need my daddy.”
I point to Henri, who is trying to act casual while also sneaking toward Delphine’s elevated platform. The assistant to the director runs over to Henri and leads him right back by me. Much to his chagrin, I take hold of his hand just in case he thinks he can get away. Whatever Henri had in mind is going to have to wait until we finish shooting this scene.
“Action!”
“I don’t want war. I don’t want to see our brothers from the sea fight with us,” Delphine declares. “We can get along. I know this because…”
All I hear is the crashing of the waves against the rocks and the thumping of my heart as I hold tight to Henri’s hand. He is definitely trying to let go. He’s going to stick by me if I have to put glue on this sea-creature hand to keep him from whatever diabolical plans he may have.
Delphine continues with her monologue. “I have known true love from across the ocean. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. It is possible for mermaids and sea creatures to live peacefully together.
“We have loved before, haven’t we?” she says, imploring the handsome leader of the sea creatures. “We’ve known love.”
“Yes, we have,” he says. “I love you.”
I can’t help rolling my eyes. Let’s get on with it. Even Henri is twitching next to me.
“And I love you.”
Gasps all around. Or at least that is what we were told to do as extras.
“And cut! Beautiful work, everyone. Let’s take a break. Stay close to your positions. Delphine, let’s go over the lines again.”
Henri pulls away from me. I take his hand anyway. He pulls again.
“We should stay in character,” I say with my deep voice. Henri tilts his head.
“No, thank you. I won’t be taking notes from un garçon.”
How rude! He walks away from me. I figured I couldn’t keep him nearby forever. I’ve got to stop him. Think, Goldie, think.
Walt! Walt is the perfect person to help me out. Lucky for me, he’s off to the side surveilling the crowd. I run to him.
“Walt! I’ve got no time to explain, but you need to follow that sea creature,” I say. “I think he’s trying to sabotage the elevated stage.”
“Who are you?” he says, squinting his eyes.
“Walt, it’s me, Goldie! Your assistant!”
“Goldie, you’re in there?”
“The guy walking away in the sea-creature costume. Him!” Henri walks with purpose. “Follow him. I’m going toward the dressing room and securing the Bejeweled Aqua Chapeau.”
Walt runs toward Henri. Back to the dressing room tent I go.
I stop at the entrance of the tent. Edna is still in there. I need her to leave or be distracted, so I can grab the box before Henri is found out.
“There’s a fashion emergency,” I say. “It looks like the tails on some of the sea creatures are falling off. They’re all loose. You better bring your equipment and check them out.”
I show her how loose my tail is. It isn’t, but I wag it back and forth like I’m about to break in two. Edna examines the tail.
“Sea creatures,” she says with disgust. She grabs a bunch of things and something that looks like a wardrobe designer tool kit and heads out of the tent. Phew.
Now to find the box. It’s no longer on the table. Where did she hide it? I look under the tables, behind boxes. There are so many pieces of fabric everywhere. I dive into some clothes hanging on a rack and come up with nothing. Then it dawns on me. There is only one place a wardrobe designer like Edna Blanchett would conceal a box.
At Jim’s Emporium, they have a section filled with fabrics. Spools upon spools of fabric are stacked against the wall. Those who work there can find customers the right material for whatever dress or Halloween costume their hearts desire. I suddenly remember how every single piece of fabric is usable in the eyes of a designer. No scrap is ever thrown away. The seamstresses would cut the amount of fabric needed and toss the remaining scraps into a large bin or box. A scrap bin would be the perfect place to hide a box. I’m almost one hundred percent sure that’s where Edna has buried the bejeweled cap.
“Hello!” I say. The bin is overflowing with scraps of sea creature and mermaid materials, vibrant greens and bright-red fabrics galore. I shove my hands in the bin and get to excavating. Soon enough, pieces of fabric go flying in the air. I’m making quite the mess but the box must be in here somewhere. I keep dig
ging until my whole body is practically in the bin.
Yes! I found it! I pull the box from the bin and place it back on the table. Now for the moment of truth. To see what’s inside.
“What are you doing here?” Delphine says just as I am about to open the box.
Chapter Seventeen
“DELPHINE, I CAN EXPLAIN EVERYTHING, BUT FIRST I need to figure out what’s inside this box.”
She shakes her head. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea, Goldie. Let go of that box. It’s property of Baldwin Studios. I think you’ve done enough.”
Does Delphine really believe I had something to do with this drama? She is breaking my heart. I thought she trusted me.
“Whatever is in this box will explain exactly what’s been going on.”
I open the box and what is inside is not what I expected. Not at all. Oh my goodness. This is a true movie tragedy. No cliffhanger here. No hope for Delphine and her army of mermaid warriors saving the day. The Bejeweled Aqua Chapeau is no longer the Bejeweled Aqua Chapeau. Someone has plucked every single diamond off the cap. The cap is completely bare.
“This is terrible,” Delphine repeats. “What did you do?”
Wait a second. She can’t possibly think I had anything to do with this?
“No, no, no. Not me. It was Edna Blanchett and her assistant Henri. I’m telling you, I’ve been unraveling this case and it was them. They stole the diamond swimming cap.”
Delphine shakes her head. She doesn’t believe me.
“Edna? No. It’s not possible. Why would she do such a thing?” she says. “She loves me. We’ve worked together for so many years. She wouldn’t do that to me or to the director. She wouldn’t want to sabotage the movie.”
“Think about it. Maybe she wouldn’t do it to you, but do you really think she doesn’t have any resentment toward Baldwin Studios? You told me yourself she didn’t want to leave Powerhouse and she did,” I say. “She doesn’t seem all that happy to be working on this movie. And neither does Henri. She wants to get you back with Powerhouse. How else to do that, but by sabotaging you and the movie?”
The Hotel Whodunit Page 13
