Whistling, the two fugitives slowly strolled through the crowd and headed for the entrance/exit of Toontown that went under the railroad tracks and up into Fantasyland. A feeling of paranoia swept over both of them as they imagined everyone who passed by was looking for them.
Still walking slowly, Peter whispered to Catie, “Take off your jacket. Since we were spotted, they know what we’re wearing. I’ll take mine off, too. Now stuff them in my backpack. Too bad we don’t have hats.”
“We’re almost at the toy shop. Mom and Dad should be there waiting for us.”
They froze when four security guards led by Wolf suddenly came charging down the walkway. Eyes wide, they held their breaths as the three men and one woman got closer and closer. In the front position, with a subtle arm movement, Wolf signaled for them to get out of there. They released their breath in a relieved Whoosh as the guards passed them and headed into Toontown, turning right at the top of the hill.
Peter let out a loud laugh tinged with shaky relief. “Ha! Wolf to the rescue!”
Catie pulled on his arm to get him moving again. “Let’s get to Mom and Dad. I don’t want to be standing here when they come back.”
Without a word, they broke into a run and quickly covered the remaining distance to where it all started—the front of It’s a Small World.
Yorba Linda
At the insistent ringing of the doorbell, Margaret left the kids at the pool. She gave a firm warning for the two older boys to watch over Andrew while she answered the door.
Irritated that the bell continued to ring over and over, she flung open the door. The frown on her face was changed to a look of confusion. The photographs from her days as a mermaid still fresh in her mind, she couldn’t grasp what she was seeing right in front of her. Her mouth opened and then closed again as she hung onto the doorframe with her free hand.
“Omah?” Her voice was barely a whisper. “Is that you?” Her brain warred with her eyes. So many years had passed, but this woman was young and beautiful. “It…it can’t be you.” Margaret shook her head as if the woman would somehow morph into the kind of face she saw in her mirror every morning. There must be another explanation. “No, you must be her daughter. Right?”
The woman in front of her gave her a slow head-to-toe scrutiny. A sarcastic half-smile came to her face—one that Margaret remembered all too well. It was a smile that showed Omah was feeling superior.
When her guest remained silent, Margaret pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. She suddenly felt dowdy, unkempt in the face of this unlined face. “It is you, isn’t it?” There was a sudden urge to go put on some makeup and fresh clothes.
“Hello, Margaret. It’s been a long time.” Once again the piercing blue eyes gave Margaret the once-over. “A long, long time, apparently.”
“I don’t understand. How can you still be so…so….”
“Young? Fresh?”
“Er, yes, if you will.”
Omah lifted one shoulder. “I had some work done.”
A lot of work, Margaret added to herself, resisting the urge to smooth her blouse that the boys had splashed from the pool. The boys…. Margaret was torn. She felt she had to invite Omah in, but really didn’t want to. The woman gave off a vibe that was unfriendly, somehow unsettling. With a vague point toward the back of the house, Margaret mentioned the boys were swimming in the pool.
She was saved the decision of closing the door or not when Omah invited herself in. “They must be your grandsons? How charming. Grandkids.” There was a slight shiver that showed Omah felt children were anything but charming. “I’d love to meet them. Haven’t seen John in ages, either.” Omah was looking around the entry hall as if she was appraising the furniture. Her head suddenly swung back to Margaret. “Is he here?”
John had left an hour ago for a round of golf and wouldn’t be home for a couple of hours. Margaret instantly felt she didn’t want to share that knowledge. She hated to lie, but something didn’t feel right with this woman. She managed to put a bright smile on her face as she led Omah out to the pool. “Oh, he’s running some errands. I’m sure he’ll be back before we know it.”
“Lovely.” Omah had been watching the house for about two hours. The golf clubs in the back of John’s pickup had told her a different story. “And you’re still together. I remember how hard you fell for him. You didn’t have eyes for anyone else after you met John.”
After seeing that the boys hadn’t drowned each other and were still content playing Marco Polo, she turned back to her guest. “So, tell me about yourself, Omah. Are you married? What have you been up to all these years?”
Omah waved off her question with a manicured hand. “Oh, here and there. I was sent to Florida after my mermaid stint ended.” She had to clear her throat. Even she could hear the resentment, the bitterness tingeing her words. “But, enough of me. So, are all these boys yours? Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
Margaret didn’t like the way Omah’s eyes darted from one boy to the next. Her protectiveness sprung into action. Taking the intruder by her arm, Margaret led her back into the living room and motioned for Omah to have a seat. “Oh, I don’t want to disturb the boys right now. They’re having so much fun. Who wants to talk to two old ladies?” She was surprised by the smug feeling she got at seeing Omah flinch at the word ‘old.’ “Now, tell me, Omah, what brings you here after all these years?” She tried to keep her voice light, but her smile was obviously forced.
Omah ignored the sofa and, instead, walked over to the bookcase lining the walls. Family pictures were interspersed with books and knickknacks. She picked up a recent photo of Catie and appeared to study it. “Now, who is this lovely young girl? She has your look, Margaret, especially around the eyes.”
Since Catie was safe at Disneyland with her parents, Margaret saw no harm in answering the question. “That’s Catie, my son Adam’s little girl.” She wanted to snatch the frame out of her hand, but stood with her body blocking the door to the backyard. A side glance at the clock had her wondering how soon Adam and Beth and the others would be back to pick up the boys. She hoped it was sooner than later.
Omah didn’t seem to notice as she stared at the girl in the photograph. “Catie.” Then, with a sudden, dismissive gesture, the frame was returned to its place on the shelf. “You must be proud.” The words were nice enough, but the tone implied the opposite meaning.
The forced smile was gone as Margaret folded her hands over her chest. All the nonsense Omah had subjected her to during their mermaid days was flooding back. “As…nice…as it is to see you again, Omah, perhaps you can tell me why you looked me up after all this time. You didn’t even come to my wedding, if I remember correctly.”
The repeated, muttered ‘wedding’ was almost too low to hear as Omah turned back to face her. Seeing the defensive stance Margaret had assumed brought the sarcastic half-smile back to her face. It quickly vanished when Omah realized she still hadn’t gotten the information she wanted. She needed Margaret on her side at this point. The rest would come later if need be. A smile that was almost sincere pulled at her lips. “Yes, your wedding. I was so sorry to miss it, but I was in Florida at the time.” Will I ever be able to say the word Florida without hatred spewing out? Probably not. “There is something I was hoping you could help me with, Margaret.” She sat on the edge of the recliner and leaned forward with what she hoped was a beseeching look on her face. “Do you remember back in our lovely days as mermaids when you found that silly gray capsule in the water?”
Margaret’s heart started to pound in her chest. It was instantaneous and alarming. Why, after all these years of it being put away—lost, if you will—in the attic, the kids drag it out and open it and now, suddenly, Omah comes asking about it? It was too much of a coincidence for Margaret to ignore.
Omah noticed Margaret’s eyes widen slightly, but she remained silent. “You do remember that capsule, don’t you? You’ve gone a little pale, dear. Do you need to sit?”
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Margaret forced her knees to lock. “Yes, I seem to remember that you were nosey about what was in it at the time.”
“Nosey?” She gave a light laugh. “I guess I probably was. We didn’t find too many interesting things in the bottom of the Lagoon. Do you remember what happened after that?”
Margaret figured out that Omah was leading up to something but, again, couldn’t see any reason to keep from the truth. “Of course I do. I found a silly poem inside that I thought led to one of the mermaids in the show building. As you well know, I asked you to cover for me when I swam in to check it out. And, as you also most likely remember, someone had stolen the mermaids and that meant the poem was worthless. You knew that.”
Omah’s eyes went back to Catie’s picture on the bookshelf. “Yes, I do remember that you came back empty-handed. But, did you ever think to check on the mermaid again? That it may have been returned to its rightful spot?”
Margaret didn’t like the fact that Omah stared at Catie again. Catie had found the capsule buried in the attic and the children had opened it to find another poem. She knew the two families were at Disneyland right now following up on yet another clue in what they jokingly called a treasure hunt. With a sinking feeling Margaret came to realize that somehow Omah knew all this. It felt like Oman was just baiting her. “What do you really want, Omah? It was just a silly poem buried in the Lagoon. Probably one of the submarine captains put it there. I always suspected Timothy. He was always doing silly stuff like that to us.”
“No, it wasn’t Timothy.” Omah turned back and folded her arms, mimicking Margaret’s defensive stance. “And I’m not interested in the clue and whatever was in that capsule. I just want the mermaid. That’s all.”
A look of confusion swept across Margaret’s face. “Mermaid? What mermaid? The one from the Lagoon? It was stolen!”
“Yes, the mermaid from the Lagoon,” she snapped, her hands balled into fists. All the chatty friendliness Omah had been pretending vanished in one nervous tic of the eye. She took a step closer to Margaret. “You have no idea what that mermaid means or how long I have searched for it. I will have it!”
Did she just stamp her foot? Margaret held herself back from glancing at the backyard and kept eye contact with the oddly-acting woman in front of her. She didn’t want to draw attention to the boys. By the sounds she could hear, she knew they were now playing on the swing set and were safe. Something was wrong with this woman from her past—more than just the annoying, superior attitude she had been subjected to almost fifty years ago. Margaret kept her voice low and reasonable. “Now, I don’t have that mermaid, Omah. You know it was stolen. You know I came back empty-handed. How could I possibly have the mermaid?”
“I know you don’t have it.” The words came out fast and bitter. “I’m not as stupid as everyone assumes.” She made an effort to calm herself, but it didn’t work. “You might not have it, but I think you know who does.” She spun back to the shelf and grabbed Catie’s picture to thrust it into Margaret’s hands. “Little Catie knows who has it, too. Do you want me to ask her? I’d be more than happy to oblige.”
Margaret clutched the picture protectively to her chest. “You leave Catie out of this. You’ll have to go through me to get to her.”
The sneering smile was back. “And, yet, here I am. Catie and Peter know exactly where my mermaid is.”
“Peter! How do you know Peter?” This was too much for Margaret. The knuckles that hung onto Catie’s photograph were white. “I want you out of my house. Don’t you ever come near Catie or Peter or me again. I don’t want you to even speak their names. Do you hear me?”
“Or what?”
“Do not come between a mother bear and her cubs.” Margaret firmly set the picture on the table next to her and pointed to the front of the house. “You’ll not be told again.”
A low chuckle came from Omah. “I’ll go, but this isn’t over. I’ll even be reasonable about it. I’ll give you three days to get my mermaid and have it here at this…lovely…house. Or you might just see how well a mother bear does against a wolf.”
“Out.”
Her next words chilled Margaret to the core. “So, do you think they’re done at Disneyland yet? Have a magical day. Three of them, to be exact.” With an eerie laugh she headed to the old car that was parked across the street. Dented and abused, it belched a cloud of black smoke as it pulled away from the curb.
Margaret watched until Omah turned the corner and was out of sight. The front door was slammed, locked and bolted. Breathing hard, Margaret leaned back against the secured door and closed her eyes. She had never before been around anyone who was insane and wasn’t sure if that appellation applied to Omah. “I’ve never seen that look in anyone’s eyes before and I sure don’t want to see it again. What happened to you, Omah?”
Hearing the boys calling her, Margaret realized she was shaking and muttering to herself. “They can’t see me this way. Mother Bear needs to relax.” With a shake of her head, she headed to the back of the house to attend to the needs of her cubs. That woman won’t lay a hand on them while I’m around.
Disneyland
Now that the mission had been deemed a success and the odd-shaped board was hidden away in Peter’s backpack, the two kids were able to relax. Their playfulness came back when they passed the Tomorrowland Terrace. The Jedi Training Academy was in full swing as young Jedi guests engaged in a mock battle with Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers.
Peter and Catie pulled imaginary lightsabers from their sides and started their own fight with all the requisite sound effects. Attempting a full spin, Peter tripped over an oncoming baby stroller and sprawled on the ground. Catie proclaimed herself the victor as Peter got to his feet.
Instead of conceding gracefully, his empty hand slowly passed in front of her face. He somehow managed to keep his face straight and his voice calm as he intently stared at her. “These are not the droids you are looking for.”
Playing along, Catie let her expression go slack. “These are not the droids I am looking for.”
“Move along.”
“I will move along.”
“Have a nice day.”
“Have a…. Don’t push it, Peter.”
“Dad, can we go on Star Tours?”
Lance gave a laugh as he turned to the other parents and lifted his left hand. “Okay, show of hands. Who saw that one coming?”
As the discussion turned to the necessity of FastPasses for the popular ride, Adam’s cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller I.D. “It’s my mom. Hope the boys haven’t worn her to a frazzle. Hey, Mom, how’s everything?”
Lance turned around when Adam suddenly hit him in the arm to get his attention. The sarcastic comment ready on his lips died when he saw the serious look on Adam’s face. “What’s up? Something wrong with the boys?”
Adam just shook his head and kept listening, a frown on his face. “Is Omah still there? Where’s Dad? Oh, that’s right…. What do you mean? How did she threaten you? What did she say exactly?”
While Adam kept his mother on the line, Lance pulled out his two-way radio and called for Wolf to join them. He knew the security guard would still be in Fantasyland to deal with the break-in on Small World. Wolf had to go through the standard procedures until enough time had passed and everyone felt everything had been done to code. Since the two children had gotten away and apparently nothing was damaged, the matter would soon drop.
“This is getting more serious, Lance.” Kimberly and Beth confronted Lance while the two kids were still busy at the FastPass machine. “How did that woman even know where Margaret lived? It was my impression that they hadn’t even spoken since their mermaid days. And now she is threatening Margaret? Why?”
Adam put away his phone and ran a nervous hand through his hair. “I don’t know. Mom said that Omah only wanted the mermaid the kids found in the Mansion. She gave Mom three days to have it at the house.”
“Or what?” Wolf had just jo
ined them, his face angry and determined.
Adam could only shrug. “According to Mom, Omah didn’t say what she would do. Just gave her the ultimatum.”
“We need to get to Yorba Linda, Adam. Now.”
Peter and Catie arrived just in time to hear that they were leaving Disneyland. “Awww! We just got FastPasses!”
Lance put an understanding hand on his son’s shoulder. “Sorry, buddy, but we have to go. That Omah woman was just at Grandma Margaret’s house. We need to make sure she’s okay.”
Catie’s eyes got wide as Peter clamped his mouth shut. Star Tours would have to wait for another day. Family was more important.
“I’ll meet you there. I have to check out of work first.” Wolf turned to go but was stopped by Peter’s next words.
“Can I ride with Uncle Wolf?” Always ready to jump on any silver lining in his clouds, Peter was quick on the draw.
Lance turned to Kimberly and silently asked her opinion. She raised one shoulder in a slight gesture. “I suppose it would be all right. There isn’t anyone I trust more with our children than Wolf.” Another thought crossed her mind. With three children of her own, she was quite aware of sibling rivalry—even when the children were not related—so she turned to Catie. “Would you like to ride with Wolf, too?”
Catie blushed when all the attention suddenly shifted to her. She looked wide-eyed from the Brentwoods to her parents. “I…I’d rather go with Mom and Dad.” She moved a step closer to Adam. Aware of her sensitivity, he put a reassuring arm around her shoulder. Wolf received a small smile as an apology.
Lance gave a nod to Wolf. “We’ll see you at the Michaels’ house in about half an hour.”
Peter held back from giving an exuberant “Yeah” as he walked off with Wolf. But everyone else noticed the bounce in his step.
HIDDEN MICKEY ADVENTURES 3 Page 13
