“I would love to read his work. Though I don’t think I have your keen mind, Helena.”
“I will give you some of the newspapers his stories are in, they are purely amazing. Come sit down and tell me what kept you up all night,” Helena guided Minnie to the closest fainting couch.
After they sat, and Helena made sure they both had a proper coffee. Minnie took a sip before beginning her story, “I’m not sure if I should even worry about this, but I think Missy Whitaker has gone missing.”
“Maybe you should take a moment to collect your thoughts and start at the beginning. It might help if I had a little more of the story.”
Minnie thought for a moment took a sip of her coffee before adding some more sugar sipped again, and when satisfied it was the perfect sweetness began.
“Have you met Missy Whitaker?”
“The name sounds vaguely familiar, but I don’t think I’ve met her but maybe once.”
“She is a few years older than us, her family lives right down the street from mine on Nob Hill. She has always been very kind to me even when I was young and not a lady, like today. I have known for some time that Missy grew wild, uncontrollable. Her father seems to be an angry man. And I would hear the two of them arguing loud enough to be heard from the street. I saw Missy in front of her house a few days ago, and she had cut off all her hair. She looked like a man, she even dressed like a man. Missy told me she couldn’t speak then, she had an appointment downtown but asked if I would come to her home yesterday, and we might share lunch. I went to visit her at the appointed time, and her father took me into his study and asked me if I knew what she was up to. He seemed quite angry and overwrought. When I told him, I didn’t understand what he spoke of, he became sullen and silent. He then told me not to worry, that Missy had gone to Hawaii for a holiday and she would not be back for some time. Mr. Whittaker became very brusque with me and had his manservant show me to the door without further comment. It was the strangest thing, I felt the blackest of moods had settled in that building, like a mausoleum.”
Helena sat leaning back fingers bridged in a spire pressed to against her lips, listening to the story as she envisioned Sherlock Holmes would.
After thinking for a moment Helena began to softly speak, “Minnie, that is quite a story, but--” before she finished the sentence. Sigmund bust into the room like he had been listening at the keyhole.
“Young Miss, may I speak with you for a brief moment out in the hall? It is of the utmost importance.”
Helena sat in shock at Sigmund’s impertinence. She stood with a slight huff, “Excuse me one moment Minnie, while I find out what Sigmund requires.”
Once Helena left the room, Sigmund closed the door behind her, and she let into him, “How rude,” she hissed.
“I realize this Miss, and I apologize, but I wanted to stop you before you said something you might not be able to take back.”
“I know what I was supposed to say. I was about to tell her that ‘I was sorry for Missy’s disappearance but there was no way I could possibly get involved.’ The general would never approve.”
“I appreciate that, and I think this time if you want to, of course, it would be good for you to help your friend and discover if maybe we couldn’t find out what happened to Miss Whittaker.”
“But what will the general say? Surely he would never approve of something so adventurous.”
“Your stepfather is on his way to the Philippines. This matter should be taken care of swiftly, much quicker than it will take for your hair to grow back out. Besides didn’t you remind me this morning that you are no longer a child? Lane and I will be with you.”
“This is completely my decision?”
“All yours. I don’t mind spending the summer teaching you self-defense, but there comes a time when every bird must leave the nest, if even only for a couple of days.”
Helena had the distance from the hallway to the fainting couch where Minnie waited to think. Did she want to take the responsibility of finding another human being? What if she failed? Then she thought about her father’s eyes staring down at her from the portrait and pondered what wonders and adventures he had seen in his life. His eyes looked exactly like her eyes, she decided
She opened the door with a flourish, not even walking the few steps into the room and announced, “Minnie, I was about to tell you, I was much too busy to take on such a frivolous case. However, Sigmund just informed me that my calendar has opened. I would be happy to find your missing Missy.”
Snob Hill:
Once Minnie had been reassured and shown out the front door, Helena took charge.
“Lane get Bessie ready, we’re going to town looking for adventure, right after I change,” Helena felt happier than she had in a very long time. Still sad that her stepfather wasn’t coming home, but she anticipated a distraction that would occupy her for at least for an hour or two. Gertie picked one of her stylish pink dresses with a matching lace parasol and an excessively floppy hat she would tie to her head and not lose her wig and bonnet during the ride into town.
Bessie was ready long before Helena.
