The Key To the Kingdom (29 page)

Crossing the dark wooden bridge into Liberty Square he subtly picked up his pace. On the other side of the bridge he slowed and moved toward Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe. Hawk again looked back across his right shoulder as he moved in front of the shopping area. His searching the crowd for Reginald was interrupted as a hand grabbed his arm above his elbow and pulled him into the store. The gentle tug carried him inside and he found himself in the grasp of Kiran. Hand clenched around his arm she smiled at him suspiciously.

“Hi, Hawk, what are you doing?”

He hadn’t expected to see her and he felt his eyes widen.

“Do you have another clue or am I supposed to believe you are just another tourist strolling through the park?”

Her dazzling smile disarmed him. She was dressed casually, just like any other guest in the park. She could have been just another guest in the park. He had told her he would call when he figured out what to do next. As the events of the day unfolded he had not considered it. Originally he had wanted to sit down and try to figure out the mysterious woman who had unexpectedly shown up in his life. It had been a long time since he had been attracted to someone. In Kiran he had seen glimpses of a person he wanted to spend time with and get to know better. Thinking about her had been crowded out by the twists and turns of the day. Now seeing her in person he was completely unprepared to deal with his feelings for her.

“Uh . . .”

“What is it?” Her smile faded as she studied his face.

“Someone is following me.”

“Right this minute?”

He nodded and looked back out the door at the people passing. Reginald would certainly have made it across the bridge and would be right outside the door by now. Never releasing his arm, Kiran began to pull him deeper into the shopping area. As she led him inside, Hawk remembered her describing this store on the tour. Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe featured three distinctively themed stores interconnected. Kiran had pulled him into the Music Teacher’s Shop adorned with period instruments that were being readied as Christmas gifts. The lights, smells, and look of the holiday shop were a detail that most people missed. One shop seamlessly opened into another as Kiran and Hawk weaved through the shoppers. They moved into the Woodcarver’s Shop. This area featured the tools of a wood worker in various stages of preparing Christmas gifts. This store would open into still another, which was designed like the home of a family. Warm and inviting for the holidays, the last store created the third unique theme for a single store. Just before they entered the family home section Kiran pulled Hawk off to the left and out an exit door in the back corner of the Woodcarver’s Shop, on the opposite side of where Hawk had entered.

Quickly they moved into an empty alcove behind the store. The glimmer of holiday lights radiating from the windows threw a dimly festive glow across the darkened walkways and foliage. They stealthily moved along paths that were lined with rock walls that surrounded natural landscaping. At the point farthest away from the Christmas Shoppes they stopped. Their new vantage point was isolated from the steady march of guests. No one could approach without being detected.

“Every time I run into you, something strange seems to happen.” Kiran twisted her head, checking to make sure they had not been followed. “Who is following you?”

“Not sure,” Hawk told her. “His name is Reginald.”

“Reginald?”

“Yes, crooked nose with bald head. My height and tough looking.”

“Reginald Cambridge,” she said decisively.

“You know him?”

“If we’re talking about the same guy.” Kiran again glanced back toward the store they had exited. “Why is he following you?”

“He saw me snooping around.”

“Hawk, he’s a trouble shooter in our security division.” Urgency crept into her tone. “Even though we’re all supposed to be on a first name basis as cast members, he’s always called Mr. Cambridge.”

“Security you say?”

“Yes, security I say. But he’s a rough customer. When he gets involved in a situation, it’s serious business. Hawk, what have you done now? What have you found?”

“I guess I was just in the wrong place at the right time.”

“And he just started following you?” Kiran’s voice revealed a twinge of exasperation.

“I guess.” Hawk smiled, trying to downplay her concern. Guilty as it made him feel, he didn’t want to tell her about the events of the day involving Reginald Cambridge.

“You are leaving something out,” Kiran said. “Mr. Cambridge doesn’t stalk people without a reason. What are you leaving out?”

She wouldn’t let it go. And he couldn’t keep lying to her. “I have another clue.”

“What?” Kiran’s eyes grew wider.

“But something else has happened. One of my staff is missing.”

“Because of your key?”

“Yes, Juliette is missing. Our entire staff was together this morning and I showed them the key. She left but never showed up at home.”

“First Farren and now Juliette.” She closed her eyes and lowered her head. “What is it that you’re looking for that is so important?”

The sincerity of her concern reaffirmed Hawk’s decision to tell her the truth. Kiran silently guided him back along the snaking, isolated path and then down a walkway that would take them toward the entrance of Adventureland. Looking over his shoulder, Hawk stole one last glance toward the Christmas Shoppes. Reginald was nowhere to be seen. He was certain Mr. Cambridge had spotted him and was probably still looking for him.

“Where are we going?” Hawk asked.

“Somewhere safe,” she whispered. Their pace was brisk but not so fast they would draw attention to themselves. They slipped back among the moving guests as they crossed the bridge into Adventureland. The sound of drums drove the soundtrack that compelled them to enter this area of the theme park. Once across the bridge Kiran turned her head to speak in Hawk’s ear as they walked.

“Do you have the name tag you found last night?”

“In my pocket.”

“Good, put it on please.” She nudged him to the right as she put on her own name tag.

Following her lead he stepped out of the fast lane of tourist traffic.

C
HAPTER
T
HIRTY
-O
NE

Day Six Evening

K
IRAN AND
H
AWK STEPPED
into an isolated backstage area of Adventureland, surveying the landscape for unexpected company. They saw no one, and she pointed for Hawk to walk in front of her toward a doorway a few feet away.

Once you step behind the scenes in the Disney theme parks, either the magic dissipates or you are even more intrigued by the way everything works. Grayson Hawkes appreciated both sides of the Disney show. On a different day, under different circumstances and with a different agenda, this would have been a moment he would have slowed down and tried to enjoy. This was not that day. Gripping his cell phone he dialed Shep, who picked up on the first ring.

“Did you get hold of Al Gann?” Hawk asked.

“I sure did.” Shep was typing on his laptop as he spoke. “I told him everything.”

“What does he want us to do?”

“He said he’ll get started on the search for Juliette and contact whoever he needed to. And he’ll call you as soon as he knows anything.”

“Thanks, Shep,” Hawk let his eyes cut directly to Kiran, who was listening to his half of the conversation with interest. “Did he have any advice?”

“He said for you to be very careful and stay out of trouble.”

“I didn’t need him to tell me that.”

“Seriously, he said you were obviously into something a lot more serious than you thought.” Shep paused. “He thinks we might all be in danger.”

“You be careful too, then.”

“Jonathan is coming back over here to meet me, and we’re going to go look for Juliette.”

“Do you have a plan?”

Kiran leaned in closer as if trying to overhear what Shep might be saying.

“We’re going to retrace the path we think she took back to her car. Al’s meeting us there.”

“I’ll come and help you.” Juliette could be in danger. That trumped the urgency of finding Farren’s clues.

“No, you need to get that puzzle of yours figured out,” Shep said. “Juliette could be anywhere. If it’s related, solving the mystery might help. Keep your phone on you, okay?”

“Sure thing.” Hawk ended the call.

“No word on Juliette?” Kiran asked, concerned.

“No.”

“I’m sorry.” She laid a hand on his arm for a moment. “What are you going to do now?”

“I’m going to try to find the next clue; maybe it will somehow help Juliette.”

“Let me help.” Kiran reached over and grabbed Hawk by the hand, gently rubbing her thumb across his fingers. “I want to help you, please.” She waited for some response or reaction. “You still need my help, right?” He couldn’t make himself give her the response she wanted. “What’s wrong?”

“Sure.” His answer sounded hollow and unconvincing.

“Sure what?”

“Um . . . sure I need your help.” Hawk tried to cover his hesitancy. He knew he was doing a poor job of it. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“You’re lying.” Releasing his hand and stepping back in stunned surprise, she whispered, “I don’t believe your nerve! All I have done since we met is rescue you. On any number of occasions I could have had you arrested, but I didn’t. I listened to your far-fetched story, and somehow you managed to convince me it was true and you act like you don’t trust me. That’s it, isn’t it? You don’t trust me? I have rescued you for the last time.”

“Kiran, I want to trust you,” he admitted apologetically. “These last few days have gotten pretty mixed up. Things are happening faster than I can figure them out.”

She stiffened and her body language became defensive. They stood facing each other, not speaking. Hawk felt his stomach sink, leaving him queasy. Confrontation didn’t usually bother him, but this time it did. He understood why. His attraction to Kiran threw him off balance, and he wasn’t thinking as clearly as he normally might. The situation had become more urgent, and if Al Gann was right, the danger was real. Farren had warned him on the DVD to trust no one. Common sense told him not to trust Kiran. A few days ago she had been no one to Hawk; he hadn’t even known she existed.

“I understand, Hawk,” she said softly. Tears welled up and rimmed the bottom of her eyes. “Good luck.”

He watched as she turned and left him standing there. She moved toward the door they had just walked through. Grasping the handle, she was about to push through, taking her back into Adventureland.

“Wait!” Hawk called. “I need your help.”

Kiran paused with her back toward him. The preacher waited for what seemed like an eternity as she slowly turned back to face him. As she raised her head, Hawk saw her jaw tighten.

She shook her head slowly shook from side to side. “No, I’m done.”

“Please.” Hawk surprised himself as he said it. A few moments ago he wasn’t sure he trusted her, but his options as he saw them were limited and the situation was desperate. Risk, although a quickly calculated one, dictated what he now heard his own voice saying. “Maybe if I can figure this out I can find Juliette and Farren. They’re my friends. Actually they’re my family. Please help me.”