HIDDEN MICKEY ADVENTURES 3

by Nancy Temple Rodrigue

“She threw a knife at you? And you didn’t tell anyone!?”

  “Well, she did miss.”

  Wolf’s words were punctuated with the anger he felt inside. “That. Is. Not. The. Point. And. You. Know. It.”

  When he saw the look on Wolf’s face, Peter knew not to push it. Wolf looked like he was ready to punch something. “I’m sorry. I guess I should have. But….”

  “But what?” Hands on his hips, Wolf had stopped in front of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and turned to face the boy.

  “But I wanted to try and solve this mystery myself. Well, with Catie, too, of course. You know how exciting it is to have something like this to solve.”

  Wolf had to remind himself he was talking with a twelve-year-old and not the boy’s adult father. He put a hand on Peter’s head in an understanding gesture and his voice softened. “Yeah, I know.” The warm, fuzzy moment didn’t last long. “And I’m not even going to start on the fact that you shouldn’t have been inside the Mansion in the first place.” There was a moment of tense silence as he stared at Peter’s face. He could tell the boy vacillated between being worried about getting in trouble and relieved that he had someone to talk to. With a shake of his head, Wolf drew in a calming breath. “Now, tell me about that woman again. What did she look like?”

  “I don’t know!” Peter threw up his hands in an exasperated gesture. How do you describe someone? Thinking he hit on something, Peter pointed at Wolf. “She was old like you and Dad. I guess I should’ve brought the picture from Catie’s grandma. She kinda looked just the same.”

  “You’ll have to show me tomorrow. I want to see that mermaid, too.”

  Peter became a little confused as he studied the odd look on Wolf’s face. He didn’t see the firm determination Wolf usually had at times like this. A slow realization came over him. “You don’t know anything about this note or where it leads, do you?” Rats.That would have solved a lot of problems.

  Wolf again looked at the paper he still held. “No. Walt never told me about any mermaid. I…I don’t know why he didn’t.” A frown came to Wolf’s face as he thought about his much-loved and missed boss. Apparently there were still some secrets out there—and it bothered him a lot that he didn’t know anything about this particular secret. Why didn’t Walt tell me about this set of clues? And who is this woman who apparently does know about it? “I might not have been around when he set this into place. Maybe your grandfather knew. It might be in his notes in the War Room somewhere.”

  “I thought you were always around.”

  Peter earned a brief smile at that as Wolf motioned for them to get moving again. “I tried to be, but, as you know, it was necessary for me to be gone for a few years. We didn’t want people to realize that I didn’t age.”

  “Where’d you go?”

  “Hmmm?” Wolf had been deep in thought about the course of events that had led him to where he was at that time. “Oh, here and there. Spent a lot of time with my family.”

  “Bet the Shaman liked that.”

  Wolf just nodded as they turned the corner around the Mad Tea Party. The cast members were busy with the last of the blockades from the parade that had just gone by. Peter picked up one of the pale green streamers that had been shot out of a cannon on one of the floats. The remainder of the streamers and confetti were being sucked up by an overgrown-version of a vacuum cleaner. Always on duty, Wolf’s attention was drawn to two teenage boys running toward the Bobsled line. “Walk!” They angrily turned and apparently what they were about to shout back died on their lips when they saw it was a security guard telling them—loudly—to slow down. Once the boys got into line, Wolf gave a tilt of his head to Peter. “Let’s go down by Small World.”

  “Just as long as we don’t have to….”

  “Don’t have to what? Peter?” Wolf turned back as the boy had become uncharacteristically quiet. “What’s wrong?” He did a quick scan of the moving crowd but could see nothing amiss.

  Peter swiveled on his heels and took Wolf’s arm. “Just keep moving. Act natural.”

  “I’d be more natural if you let go of my hand. What’s wrong?”

  “I think I just saw her! Don’t look back! I saw her by Alice. She’s watching me.”

  “Peter. Calm down. Do you mean the woman from the Mansion?” At the boy’s nervous nod, Wolf’s instincts took over and he began to give commands. “Just walk by my side. I’ll handle it. I want you to drop something and look back. Is she still there? What’s she wearing?” Wolf kept his voice low and calm and tried to get Peter to settle. The boy looked ready to break and run.

  Peter’s head jerked side to side and he grabbed the first thing he saw.

  “Not my radio! Oh, shoot.”

  The two-way Security radio made a fizzling sound as it hit the pavement and bounced a couple of feet away. Peter made a show of throwing up his arms. “Oh, I dropped it! I’ll get it for you, Wolf.”

  “Smooth, Peter.” The words dripped with unheard sarcasm as Peter wasn’t listening to a word he said.

  “Yeah, she’s still there.” The radio was waved about as Peter excitedly turned back to Wolf. “She’s wearing a blue shirt and…and, oh, it has Mickey on it. And…and her hair is red, which I don’t remember…. Does that help?”

  “Give me that radio!” He fiddled with some of the buttons. “Great. You broke it. Just keep walking. I’m going to leave you to walk alone so I can circle back. Head toward Toontown but don’t go down the ramp. Wave good-bye to me as I walk off. Not now! Wait until I leave.”

  “Sorry. Too excited. Now? Okay.” Peter raised his voice and tried to look natural which made it appear even more awkward. “Good bye, Wolf! See you later! I’m going to Toontown.” He waved his arm and then made a big gesture to point in that direction.

  Wolf shook his head as he turned back near the entrance of the Storybook Land Canal Boats. “We really need to get that boy some acting lessons.” With his walk slow enough to appear casual, he went around the Tea Cups as he tried to get to the redhead. Just as he spotted her head in Peter’s direction, someone stopped him to ask about the nearest restrooms. With a smile plastered on his face, he pointed around to the right of Alice in Wonderland.

  When he turned back, he saw Peter had stopped to buy some popcorn from one of the vendor carts. The woman was almost at his location. A flash of light suddenly glinted in her hand. Could she have a knife?

  Not waiting to find out for sure, Wolf broke into a run and yelled for Peter. People scurried out of his way as Wolf charged down the pavement.

  Hearing the commotion behind her, the woman’s head jerked around. When she saw the security guard almost upon her, she didn’t even hesitate as she turned to the right and ran toward an abandoned dock. Situated under the Monorail track between the Matterhorn mountain and It’s a Small World, this was once home to the Motor Boat Cruise. The dock was about one hundred feet long with large Monorail support pillars placed about every twenty-five feet. It ended at a blocked-off area that was now used for storage.

  There was no other exit on that dock so Wolf knew he had her trapped. He stopped to make sure Peter was all right as the orange Monorail silently slipped by overhead on its way to the Tomorrowland Station. “You okay? Did she say anything?”

  “No, I didn’t even know she that close until you started hollering your head off.” Peter looked at the old dock. The placid water on both sides of the wide cement walkway was bordered by beautiful plants strategically lit to highlight the vibrant pinks and purples of the bougainvillea that grew wild on the banks. Home to countless ducks, the area still had a few park benches for guests who wanted a little peace and quiet in the shade of the Monorail track. The peaceful scene seemed a sharp contrast to Peter’s wildly beating heart. “You going in after her? You gonna call Dad for backup?”

  “Since you broke my radio, that isn’t an option, is it?”

  “Umm, sorry.”

  “I don’t think I’ll need your dad. You stay here.” He looked at the
expression on the boy’s face and decided to add, “And that’s an order.” It would be just like Peter to follow him quietly and assume the position of back-up.

  Peter gave a sigh. “Fine. I’ll stay here.”

  Wolf knew Peter wouldn’t go against his word, so his concentration turned to the woman who was probably now crouched at the far end of the dock. Still, there were the three Monorail pillars to watch. She could be hidden behind any one of them and try to escape by circling behind him. Wolf let go of his anger and let his senses take over. With his special abilities came exceptional hearing and an acute sense of smell. She wouldn’t get around behind him.

  With a steady, unhurried walk, Wolf advanced down the dock toward the storage area. There was a light blue railing along the length of the wide walkway that prevented anyone from falling into the water. It would also make it more difficult for the woman to escape to the far banks. Unless she had wings or decided to swim for it, he knew he had her cornered.

  As he blocked out the noise of the crowds around them and the screams from the nearby Matterhorn bobsled riders, Wolf could hear nothing else. There was no labored breathing of someone in hiding. There was no scent of fear from someone about to be caught. There was…nothing.

  With only one opening into the storage area, Wolf narrowed his eyes and took the last four steps to the entry. “You have no way out. Put your hands where I can see them and come out.” He kept his voice low and calm. He waited for a sound from within, some indication that she would comply without a struggle.

  There was nothing. No sound. No smell. “Last chance.”

  When he received no reply, Wolf took a deep breath and stepped into the entryway. His eyes instantly adjusted to the lower light level as he scanned the remnants of ride floats and food carts.

  It was empty.

  Not believing what he was, or, more specifically, what he was not seeing, he stepped inside. All the various boxes and banners were pushed aside—all the time knowing a person couldn’t possibly be hidden behind them.

  Confused, he retraced his steps to Peter and took the same care he had taken going in.

  When Wolf came back empty-handed, a surprised Peter rose from the bench where he had sat to eat his popcorn. Remnants of kernels fell in a shower from his lap. The birds and ducks would have fun. “What happened? Where is she?”

  Wolf’s eyes kept moving. “She didn’t come back this way? You didn’t see her? You sure you weren’t distracted?”

  Peter just shook his head, a kernel of popcorn stopped halfway to his mouth. “How could she get away? There’s no exit, is there? Is there something underground?”

  “No, nothing underground there. I don’t understand. Are you sure you were paying attention?” Wolf just couldn’t believe she had somehow gotten away.

  “Hey, I didn’t see her again! Are you sure she wasn’t hiding?” At Wolf’s exasperated look, he shrugged. “Just a suggestion. You want to go look again?” Not knowing what else to do, Peter held out the box of popcorn.

  “No, thanks. I need to think about this. I want to compare the face we just saw to your picture. Let’s get you back to your dad.”

  Peter was about to protest that he had another couple of hours before Lance was off duty, but he knew better than to say anything right then. “’Kay.”

  Wolf found another security guard and used his radio to get Lance’s location. Deep in thought and silent, he and Peter headed for Frontierland.

  Marceline, Missouri

  Catie was happy to get a text from Peter. After three days on the road she was happy for any diversion. They just had a few miles to go before they were at Walt Disney’s hometown. She was somewhat confused and worried by the message.

  Same woman followed me at DL. Wolf chased her. Lost her at old boat dock. Will let you know if anything new happens.

  Alex read the message over her shoulder. Usually she would tell him he had invaded her space and to back off. “What does Peter mean by old boat dock? What old dock? The Mark Twain or the Jungle Cruise? Aren’t they boat docks?”

  In the front seat, also glad of something new to talk about, their Mom and Dad overheard. “What was that, honey?” Beth turned to face her twins. With a momentary frown, she wondered why they looked so…guilty as their heads shot up in unison. When Catie turned red, Beth figured that was the weak link. “Did you say something about a boat dock? Is that from Peter?”

  The twins looked at each other and had a moment of silent discussion. Not always able to finish each other’s sentences, they still had a good idea what the other was thinking. With a slight nod, Alex gave his permission for her to talk. “Yeah, it’s from Peter. He said something about an old boat dock, but we aren’t sure what he means.”

  “Do you want some help in figuring it out?” Adam gave a smile. “Your mom and I know a thing or two about boat docks.” His smile widened when Beth gave him a playful punch on the arm. He had met Beth on a boat dock many years earlier. “There’s the old Keelboat dock, for one.”

  “Oh, and the Phantom Boats were there for a short time. How about the Motor Boat Cruise? Does Small World count as a boat dock?” Beth was warming up to the game.

  “And don’t forget Pirates. That would also count.” There was silence from the back seat. Adam checked his rear-view mirror and saw the two heads close together. “Kids?”

  “Yeah, thanks, Dad.” Alex looked at Catie’s phone again and whispered to his sister, “Why don’t you just text him back and ask.”

  “There’s our turn-off! The GPS says we only have about three miles to go!” Adam swung the Jeep off the I-35 and headed through the slightly rolling hills of farmland. “I’m excited to be back. It seems ages ago that Lance and I were here.” He slowed down about halfway to their destination. “Hey, kids, look. That’s the farm where Walt lived. We’ll come back after we check into the hotel. That’s the Dreaming Tree and the old barn is in the back.”

  Beth put a fond hand on his arm. She knew what Lance and Adam had gone through in their first Hidden Mickey quest. This had been the place that started it all. “I was glad we were able to get into the Uptown Theatre. Thought it would be filled with the animators and cartoonists.”

  Adam checked his side mirror as he swung to the right. Another smile broke out on his face as they rode down Kansas Avenue, or, as most people called it, Main Street U.S.A. All the memories of that first, wild trip played through his mind. He pulled up in front of the brick-fronted building. The green U-shaped neon sign between blue striped awnings read Uptown. “We’re here! Glad we were able to get a suite. Lance and I had this same room. There’s the hardware store where we got the shovel. And down there is the….”

  “Honey, you’re babbling.” Beth stretched as she got out of the Jeep. She was just as excited as Adam. She had never visited before and was ready to explore the park and the gazebo where Walt’s dad had played on Sundays. Then there was the Hometown Museum dedicated to Walt’s memory. It hadn’t been open when Adam and Lance had been searching for their next clue.

  “Okay, kids…. Why are they still in the car?” He pulled open the back door. “Everybody out. We’re here.”

  Two faces peered up from Catie’s phone screen. “Just a sec. Peter just wrote back.”

  “You can read that later. Come on and help your mom with the luggage. I need to check in with the Toonfest committee.”

  “Fine.”

  “You okay with checking in at the desk? I need to go down the street.”

  Beth could see he was impatient to begin his explorations—no matter what he called it. “Sure, honey. We’re fine. If you’re not back, we’ll be over at E. P. Ripley Park. Hey, kids, does that name sound familiar? I want to check out that huge train engine.”

  Adam happily turned on his heels and walked back to the Masonic Temple. Every third Saturday in September Marceline hosted Toonfest and highlighted prominent cartoonists and animators from all over the world. There would be drawing seminars, a huge display of artwo
rk, a parade with Princess, Pirates, and marching bands, plus the park would be filled with vendors and games for the whole family.

  While Adam wasn’t an animator, he was the head of a charity that gave underprivileged, promising children the chance for a full scholarship to a well-known art academy. He had begun this endeavor after the final clue in his Hidden Mickey quest revealed an unexpected treasure. As a way to give back, the scholarship had begun there in Marceline. Now it had grown to include children from Kansas City, Chicago, and Los Angeles—all places important to Walt Disney. More than twenty children from Marceline had received scholarships and the town wanted Adam to be part of the festivities. Not only would he be presented with a plaque of appreciation from the Marceline High School, he would also be one of the judges in the parade.

  Beth and the kids found him as he wandered through the art displays inside the Temple.

  “Checking in, huh?” Beth gave him a knowing grin. “We figured you got sidetracked when you didn’t come over to the park.”

  “Sorry. I was just about to head there.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Okay, I was just about to head over to the Walt Disney Elementary School.”

  “School?” Alex and Catie groaned at the same time. “We’re on vacation, Dad!”

  “Come on. It’s only a few blocks away. I want you to see the artwork throughout the school. Back in 1960 when this school was just built, Walt sent his animators out from California to decorate the building. Some of the murals are pretty cool. And, there’s a lot of Disney memorabilia, including Walt’s desk that has his initials engraved into it.”

  As Beth and the kids walked over to the gymnasium to see the artwork that encircled the room, Adam slowly wandered through the main hallway to look at all the pictures again. Lost in thought about the first quest that had brought him to this exact spot, he became aware that someone else was by his side. As he turned, the welcoming smile on his face faded. It wasn’t Beth.

  The tall young woman had her arms folded across her chest as she watched him. There was amusement in her soft brown eyes. About to say something, she took a moment to flip her bangs out of her eyes. When she saw a flicker of recognition at the gesture, she gave a light laugh. “So, it must be refreshing to just walk in here and not have to break in in the middle of the night. Did you learn how to drive yet?”