HIDDEN MICKEY ADVENTURES 3

by Nancy Temple Rodrigue

  “This reminds me of the hunt Lance and I were on together.” Kimberly tilted her head. “We ended up on the porch with the chairs up another block. There’s a secret stairway between the silhouette store and the cast member lockers.”

  “I remember you told us about that. How did you get inside the building, though? There are always people sitting there.”

  Kimberly gave a fond smile. It had been a special time for her. She and Lance had fallen in love during that quest. He had been a big support when she suddenly lost her dad. “We waited for the fireworks. One minute we were there, then, boom! The lights went out and we were gone!”

  “Smart.” Beth leaned back against the building that housed the Magic Shop. “It’s amazing what we come up when we have to. Adam had to slosh through the water flume of Pirate’s to get what we needed. My, that was a long time ago. Adam and I got reconnected during our treasure hunt.”

  Kimberly watched Peter and Catie as Peter pointed up to the number 107 on the Crystal Arcade across the street. She gave a secret smile. “Yeah, it looks like Walt’s little quests have that affect on a lot of people.”

  The kids ran north on Main Street and stopped in front of the Market House. Peter jotted the number down in his little notebook and they came tearing back. “Mom! That’s number 122, so it’s down too far. It has to be closer to here since the Arcade is 107.”

  There was a short staircase next to their location lit by an acorn-shaped light fixture. Only four steps tall, it ended at a brown door in the cream-colored inlet. People could be seen the in windows of the shops of either side, but this place had the air of abandonment. Peter stepped back to look up at the upper story. One tall rounded window was set between two rectangular ones. Lace curtains hid the interior as they looked out over the busy street.

  “I think this is the place.”

  “But, if the door did open, it looks like it would go into the back part of the Market House, Peter. And it doesn’t look like it’s ever been opened.”

  “I know, Catie, that’s why it’s perfect!”

  Peter ran up the short flight of stairs. When he examined the round brass doorknob, he immediately saw there was no keyhole. He put a hand on the knob and gave it a light twist. It didn’t move. “There’s no place to put the key.”

  “Maybe we need to go inside the Magic Shop.”

  With a light jump, he bypassed the steps and landed on the walkway. “But that address is 102 Main Street. No, I think this is it. Mom?”

  Kimberly held up her hand. “This is your quest. You two will figure it out.”

  Peter turned back to the small inlet. It was only about four feet wide. “Why would there be a mailbox if it wasn’t a real place? Why is it up so high?”

  “Let’s check it out.”

  The mailbox in question was six feet up from the landing. It turned out to be a lovely piece of old brass. There was elaborate leaf-like raised scrollwork that led down to a small air vent near the bottom. Number 5 Mail Box was embossed on the rounded, hinged cover. A small latch held the cover in place, but there was no lock on the loop that came out from the actual box.

  As Peter examined the antique box as best he could from his shorter height, he saw two hinges on the left side of the box, closest to the street. “Now, why would there be hinges? That means the whole thing has to swing open.”

  With a nervous glance over her shoulder, Catie leaned closer to Peter so he could hear her whisper. “Do you think we should open the cover and see what it does? Maybe there is a letter or another note inside.”

  “Oooh, good point!” On his toes, Peter lifted the heavy cover and was happy to see that the right side of the letterbox swung away from the wall. “It’s opening! Block the view, Catie. I want to open it all the way.”

  “I’m too short. I’d have to stand on the top step with you and there’s no room.”

  “Oh. Never mind.” Peter pulled the box open a little more and could then see inside. He didn’t find a letter or note. He found something a lot more exciting. “There’s a keyhole hidden in here! Tell Mom and Aunt Beth to get ready. You’re going to have to help me open it.”

  To help, Kimberly and Beth climbed the stairs one by one backwards until they were blocking what Peter was doing from any curious guests walking by. Trying to look casual, they put pleasant smiles on their faces at those who looked up and wondered why two women were standing halfway up a staircase that went nowhere. If they had looked further, they would have seen two more pairs of legs behind them.

  Peter got down on the landing on his hands and knees. Catie carefully climbed up on his back so she could reach the keyhole. One arm out to balance herself, she pulled the brass key out of her pocket.

  The women could hear the sound of the metal key being inserted into a metal lock. Peter mumbled something unintelligible and then there was a louder, unmistakable Click.

  “It opened!”

  “Shh!”

  The sound of Peter’s “Sorry” sounded farther away and higher as he and Catie entered the open door of 106 Main Street. With bright smiles, Kimberly and Beth backed the rest of the way up the remaining stairs and the rusty-brown door clicked shut once more.

  Disneyland

  “A ladder? We have to climb a ladder?”

  The two women found themselves squeezed into a dark, narrow, closet-sized space. Catie’s feet had already vanished above them and they could hear the kid’s muffled, excited voices.

  Beth grasped the first rung of the cold metal. “Just pretend we’re at the gym. Now we won’t have to work out for a while!”

  “I hate going to the gym.” Kimberly gave a sigh. She and Lance had scaled Tarzan’s Treehouse in their quest. One ladder shouldn’t stop her. Beth’s voice now mingled with the children’s as they explored what she could not see. “Fine. Don’t wait for me.”

  As if she had heard Kimberly’s mumbled comment, Beth’s face appeared at the top of the ladder. “Aren’t you coming? You’re not going to believe this!”

  Kimberly’s eyes grew wide as she pulled herself up the last rungs. If she hadn’t known better, she would have sworn she was in Walt’s apartment over the Fire Station across Main Street. “This is amazing.”

  Peter and Catie ran from one piece of furniture to the next as they pulled off the covering sheets. In their excitement, their moms guessed they probably didn’t even realize what they had uncovered.

  “Slow down, you two! What do you make of this?”

  “Mom, Walt left us an apartment just like his!” Peter happily threw himself onto the Victorian armchair set in the middle of a red, floral rug. His blonde hair was haloed by dust in the dusky light that filtered in through the lace curtains.

  Beth stifled a sneeze. “Hope Walt left a vacuum…. Let’s take these covers off a little more slowly, please. Who knows how long they’ve been in place. Catie, help me with this one. It’s pretty big.”

  The next piece that emerged from its shroud was a red velvet sofa flanked by two lovely antique tables. If the furniture did mirror what was in Walt’s apartment, it would probably be a sleeper sofa.

  Kimberly emerged from the back of the apartment. “There’s a tiny bathroom and shower back there. This really is an apartment!”

  “And it’s ours! We can stay overnight at Disneyland any time we want to!”

  “Mom, can we….”

  “No, it’s a school night.” Beth pulled open a set of white folding doors. “Here’s a small kitchenette. Look, there’s even a two-slice toaster. This is so…so cool!” She turned a full circle and compared what she was seeing to what she remembered about Walt’s apartment. “This is really close to what Walt’s place looks like. The furniture isn’t exactly the same, though. Close, but I can tell these are reproductions while Walt’s are true antiques.”

  “There aren’t any pictures on the wall or any thingys on the tables like at home.”

  Kimberly nodded at Peter’s observation as she looked around. “Probably because Wa
lt figured whoever found it would want to decorate it themselves.”

  Catie called them over. “Hey, look at this! It was in the closet. It’s heavy.”

  “What is it?”

  Beth looked over their shoulders as Catie set the item on the coffee table. “That looks like brass. Why would he leave a flower arrangement?”

  “Remember, Beth? There used to be a flower market just a few steps from here on East Center Street.”

  Beth wasn’t listening. Intent on the item and a piece of trivia in the back of her mind, she wanted to see the vase. “It’s so oddly shaped. Would you mind if I take out the flowers?” Since Peter and Catie were the new owners of the apartment, she directed the question to them.

  The two kids just shrugged. “I guess.”

  “Oh, my!” Beth’s hand went to her mouth as the vase was completely revealed. “I heard about this years ago. I never thought I’d get to see it.”

  “It’s a hat.”

  Beth had to smile at the unenthused tone of Peter’s voice. “Not just a hat. This was one of Walt’s fedoras! Come sit on to the sofa and I’ll tell you about it.” She saw the look exchanged by the two kids. “Hey, it won’t take that long. Come and sit.”

  “Well, I’m curious, even if they’re not. What’s the story, Beth?”

  Happy to dig into her vast knowledge of Disney history, Beth ignored Peter’s bored expression. “Walt and Lillian had a friendly, long-running argument over the hats Walt wore. He loved them all crumpled up and she didn’t like the ones he always chose to wear. When Lillian would ask him to please fix his hat, he would literally crush it onto his head and pull it at a sharp angle over his forehead. There was even an incident after a bull fight. Once it was over, Lillian didn’t say a word but tossed his hat into the ring as a tribute to the fighters. Since it was one of his favorites Walt ran down and rescued it before it could be trampled and lost forever.” Beth stopped and grinned. She loved these hat stories.

  “Once she even pulled his hat off his head and tossed it out of the convertible they were driving in. He had to stop the car to run back and get it. He crammed it back on his head and they went on their way.” Beth went back to the table and picked up the bronze hat. “Then, later, in 1941, Walt did something very special. He had the brim of that same hat—this one—shaped into a heart and had the whole thing bronzed. It was filled with violets and given to Lillian as a present. This is that present.”

  “Aww, that’s so sweet.”

  Beth smiled at her daughter. “I thought you’d like it, Catie.”

  “Gosh, one more story like that and I’ll cry.”

  Startled, their heads jerked toward the ladder opening. Omah pulled herself into the room and looked around the apartment, ignoring the startled faces around her. “So this is what he did.” Walt had never shown her the final prize. The muttering continued as she stalked over to the window and jerked it open. “So greedy to see what they got that they don’t even let some fresh air in.”

  “What are you doing here!? You promised to stay away. How did you find us?”

  The sharp blue eyes narrowed at Kimberly as Omah came to the center of the room. “So many questions. So few answers you deserve. If you don’t want people to know you’re going to Main Street, don’t announce that you’re going to Main Street.”

  “I don’t care how you found us. Get out! Keep away from us!”

  Her attention focused on Beth. “Do not tell me what to do.” She suddenly turned and pointed at Peter who took a step back. “And you! You ruined everything!”

  They could see a glint of silver from her hand. Not knowing if the angry woman was armed, Beth stood in front of the children. “Get out and get out now. Wolf will be here any moment.”

  “Wolf.” The word was almost spat out. “I’ve watched you ever since you got here. No sign of your precious Wolf.” Her attention went back to the startled boy. “You had to butt in and spoil it. He…he said nothing mattered since you figured out the clue anyway. It didn’t matter if I got the mermaid back or not! You ruined it!”

  “Who are you talking about?” Kimberly’s heart had started to pound in her chest. They all had assumed Wolf was watching from the shadows. She felt she needed to keep this woman talking so she couldn’t act on what she obviously came to do. “Who said it didn’t matter? Who are you talking about?”

  “Wal…It’s none of your business who I mean. I have a score to settle with the boy.”

  “You will not touch my son!”

  The silver dropped lower and the edge of a blade was clearly visible. “I will do what I want.”

  “Get away from the boy!” Wolf’s deep voice came from the opening in the floor.

  Omah spun around to face the angry security guard as he jumped into the room. “He ruined my life.”

  “He did nothing. This is your own doing, Omah. Drop the knife.”

  “That boy doesn’t deserve this prize. I want that key so he can never come back here again.”

  “You get nothing.” Wolf slowly walked toward the woman, his glare boring into her.

  Eyes wide, she backed away, knowing the small blade in her hand would not stop him. It took only one look around the room to reveal how she would get away. Wolf had the access to the ladder blocked. That left only one other exit.

  With a sudden, fluid movement, she flung herself out the open window. Knowing it was there—and her only way out—the awning over the stairs broke her fall. With a bounce and the agility of an acrobat, she grabbed the edge of the awning and swung down onto Main Street. A crowd of startled, gaping onlookers scrambled out of her way.

  Wolf flew down the ladder and quickly hit the hidden latch. As the door flew open, he ran out to the sidewalk. Looking both ways, unsure which way she had gone, several guests pointed north on Main Street. As he took off, he finally spotted her close to the buildings, pushing people out of her way as she ran.

  She knew she would be followed, but she also knew exactly where she was headed. Her breathing wasn’t even labored as she rounded the Matterhorn and ran past the Submarine Lagoon.

  Wolf started to gain ground as he pursued the woman. She wasn’t going to get away this time.

  At the far end of the Motor Boat Cruise dock, Omah stopped and turned to wait. It would be only moments before Wolf would reach her. With a sneering smile on her face, she knew exactly what she was going to do.

  Expecting the dock to be empty, Wolf came to a skidding halt when he saw Omah standing at the end. He could tell by her arrogant stance that she was waiting for him. There were a few people sitting on the benches under the Monorail track who eyed them curiously. It took only a word from the angry security guard to send them elsewhere.

  Once they were alone, Wolf slowly neared her position. “You aren’t going to get away this time, Omah. You won’t get past me again.”

  “Only a fool goes into a place with just one exit. And I am no fool. Don’t think for a moment that you have the upper hand, Wolf.”

  His blue eyes narrowed as he approached. It made him a little concerned that she was unafraid. People who think they have complete control can be the most dangerous. He knew to proceed with caution. “I am always in control, Omah.”

  She gave a low, uncaring chuckle. “You have no idea what I can do, Wolf. No idea.” She tilted her head to one side as she scrutinized him as if he was a bug under a glass. “You have this air about you. Tell me something, Wolf. What’s your real name?”

  That was not a question he expected. His pace slowed. She made no move to get away or showed any consternation that he was almost upon her. “That isn’t important. This must end, Omah. You will not be allowed to scare and threaten the children again.”

  Arms folded across her chest, she ignored his warning. “Tell me your name. Or shall I guess?”

  “It doesn’t matter what you do.”

  The words were hissed. “Sumanitu Taka? Is that right, wolf?”

  That stopped him in his tracks. No one
outside of his closest friends knew his Lakota name. “So you are clever and figured out my heritage. So what? That doesn’t change what will happen here.”

  “You have no authority over me, wolf.”

  Her superior attitude got the better of him. “You will not be allowed to just walk away.”

  “Aren’t you even a little curious about my name? Omah is just part of it. Would you like to hear the rest?”

  “I don’t care what your name is.” He was within a couple of feet of her. If they had both extended their hands they could have touched.

  “My, how angry you are. I can feel your hands around my throat, squeezing.”

  “I haven’t touched you!”

  “But you would like to. Are you that violent, wolf? Is that what you have planned?”

  She was trying to goad him into action. He could feel it but stood where he was, assessing his options.

  She smiled at his silence. “Since you asked so nicely, I shall tell you.” Sarcasm dripped from her words. “My name is Omahkapi’si.”

  It took a full minute for the word to register with him. His breath came more rapidly as he stared at her. “That’s a Blackfoot word. It means…wolf.”

  Her eyes glared at him and the knife dropped from her sleeve into her waiting hand. “Yes, it does. What are you going to do about it, wolf?”

  In a split second he saw the knife come straight at him. With the agility of his namesake, he jumped aside. When it was heard hitting the dock with a metallic clang, he gave a roar and leaped at the woman.

  Eyes flashing in anger, she snarled at him, “So, you want to play rough, do you? I’ll show you rough!”

  Arms around her slender frame, the two adversaries fell over the blue railing. Wolf closed his eyes and held his breath, expecting to hit the water at any moment.

  With the awareness that came from centuries of travel, Wolf could feel the change come over him. It was the frantic, unwanted realization of a moment and then, the transformation into a wolf was complete.