I told Luna about the mysterious ferry, the odd parallel island of Gladstone, and the box that was mailed to me by the now-dead ferry captain. I told her about seeing my mother’s name on the page. I even told her the story of the weird encounter with the ballet dancer. Over two hours later, I finally took a breath.
“Hayden, you listen to me,” Luna started in the most serious voice I’d ever heard from her. “You may be in more danger than you think. You’re in a place that doesn’t follow normal human rules. This all sounds very scary. I think that the potential for danger could be much more than you can handle on your own.”
“I realize that,” I said. “But the warnings from the ferry captain before her death have me terrified to tell anyone about her words or the box she sent me.”
“I understand. But keeping it to yourself could be worse. It sounds like you have some good people around you. I think you have to decide to trust them.” Luna looked concerned. She looked down at the floor in deep thought and chewed her thumbnail. She was quiet for several minutes, which was not like her at all.
Finally, Luna looked up. “Hayden. Tell Sheriff Jaxson everything. Tell him about the box. He’s law enforcement. He’ll have the means to protect you. He’s a Destiny Falls native. He’ll know what to do.”
Fear twisted in my gut. What if she was wrong?
“Luna, what if my telling someone opens up terrible trouble?”
“This will not clear up all by itself. It won’t suddenly go away, and you’ll have the happily ever after you always want. Action needs to be taken. You need help from people who understand that place better than you do.”
I knew she was right.
“Okay. I will. When I find the right moment, I’ll talk to Jaxson about everything.”
“Do it soon. Promise?” Luna pressed.
“I promise.”
“Umm. Hayden. Is that Sassy and two other cats behind you?”
I turned around to see the three cats huddled up on the yoga mat behind me, all of them watching me talk to Luna in the mirror.
Meow. Meeeeow. “Did that sound sufficiently cat-like?” Latifa asked in that telepathic voice that only I could hear.
‘Yes, it is! It’s Sassy!” I answered.
“That’s your cue, Duckie. Tell her I’m now to be called Princess Latifa.”
Meeeeeow!
I knew if I didn’t say something, my cat would become obnoxious. “I’ve started calling her Latifa now,” I said.
“Why?” Luna asked.
“It’s a long story.” I quickly cut that conversation short by moving on to introductions to the other cats.
“This gorgeous, white Persian is my grandmother’s cat, Chanel. And the tiny, black fluff ball is our newest addition, Lola.”
“My goodness. She is adorable!” said Luna. “I’m happy to see you have some feline company.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” I mumbled under my breath.
31
I tossed and turned all night. My joy at talking to Luna kept being interrupted by the feeling of fear in my gut. Luna was right. The secrets I’d been keeping about the ferry captain and the box could be more dangerous to keep than to tell.
I finally gave up on sleep and got out of bed at six. I crept out of the quiet house and took a slow jog through town to Vessie’s café. I arrived before she opened and spotted a large black-and-white cat sitting outside the door.
“Hello, kitty. Are you waiting for Vessie to open, too?” I stroked her soft fur and noticed a tag on her collar. “So, you’re Vessie’s cat, Marshmallow. You are a pretty one.”
I walked over and sat on the bench that overlooked the harbor. Marshmallow followed me over and jumped up beside me. The two of us enjoyed the morning sunshine. It wasn’t long before I heard the bells jingle above the café door.
“Good morning, you two!” Vessie’s cheerful voice rang out. She walked over to the bench and gifted me with one of her warm hugs. “Shop’s open! Ready to come in now?”
Latifa had said Marshmallow calls the café the pink palace. And for good reason. This morning it was as pink as ever. While the basic structure of the café always remained the same, and the dominant color was always pink, the décor was often slightly different, sometimes radically different. Today, the theme was polka dots. The walls were dark pink and covered with huge, white dots, while the ceiling was white with small, pink dots. The floor was a sea of tiny, round tiles that were pink, white, and gold. There was a ribbon of ivy over the front door and around the perimeter of the room near the ceiling, speckled with dots of tiny white and pink flowers. The ever-present butterflies were flittering here and there on the ivy. The room was bright and cheery.
“Are you meeting Jaxson this morning?” she asked.
I jerked my head up from the menu and looked at her, “No. Why?” Did she know something? Why would she think I was meeting Jaxson?
“Um, because he’s just walking in the door?” She chuckled. “Hi, Jax! Coffee?”
“Yes, please. Morning, Hayden. Want some company?” he asked.
“Of course!”
Jaxson sat in the booth across from me. Vessie brought his coffee and a cup of tea for me. She took our orders, and then wandered back to the kitchen.
This was my chance. I could tell him about the box and the warning now. I took a deep breath.
“Interested in hearing some news about the ferry captain case?” he asked. “I expect you’ll want to write about this in the paper as soon as the case is closed. I’d ask that you hold off until then. But we seem to be getting closer.”
“Yes. And you’re right. It would be a great cover story for my first issue. I suspect murder is big news in a small
