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Previous chapters of the River Road story:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
How should the story continue? Voting is open on the current chapter!
Last time, the group concluded that Mr. DeLorca, Mrs. DeLorca and Eben would sneak into the museum while the others distracted Pete. Mr. DeLorca was initially put out that Shakuntala wasn’t going to be able to join them, but soon, he realized that for the pelican’s own safety, she’d be better off outside the museum. Just as the DeLorcas were preparing to sneak inside and the others were about to knock on the door to distract Pete, they were interrupted by a very weary looking Miss Whiteside. How did they explain what was going on? Here’s what you decided.
Chapter 33:
Eye’ll Be Seeing You
“Now,” Uriah Trotter said. “I’ll knock on the door, and, then…”
“WHAT is going on here?” An angry female voice cut through the air.
They all turned to see Miss Whiteside angrily storming up to them.
“I gave strict orders that the museum is to be closed today!” Miss Whiteside shouted. “What is the meaning of this?”
They all watched as Miss Whiteside joined them outside of the museum. She stumbled a bit as she walked. She looked very tired. Her eyes were ringed with black circles.
Nancy studied Miss Whiteside. She noticed that the museum curator’s hand had been bandaged. Nancy looked closely at Miss Whiteside’s eyes. Something wasn’t right about them. The black rings around them looked more like make-up or dirt than it did like the circles people get around their eyes from lack of sleep.
“I’m waiting for an answer!” Miss Whiteside continued. “And, you three hiding back there, you might as well come out!”
Eben, Mrs. DeLorca and Mr. DeLorca all joined the group.
“Now,” Miss Whiteside continued, “will someone tell me what’s going on here?”
“We wanted to get into the museum,” Mrs. DeLorca said honestly. “We were hoping to look for clues that might lead us to the identity of the ‘Woman in Gray.’”
“I see.” Miss Whiteside said stiffly. “And, just what did you think you’d find in my museum?”
“As we discussed last night,” Mrs. DeLorca continued, “We’d hoped to have a look at Theodosia Westwick’s journals and also to see if there was any evidence of the imposter ghost in the museum. After all, one of this person’s first targets was a display from this very museum and, of course, there’s the fact that you were attacked.”
“What do I have to do with it?” Miss Whiteside sniffed.
“That’s just what we were hoping to find out.” Eben smiled.
“What exactly do you mean by that? I was a victim of that ‘ghost’ or whatever or whoever it was.” Miss Whiteside said huffily.
“All the more reason that you would want us to find out who is masquerading as the Woman in Gray.” Mrs. DeLorca explained.
“Well, you’ll have to do your investigating elsewhere.” Miss Whiteside hurried past them. “The museum is closed today.”
“We see that. However, I would think you’d want us to look around, Bonnie.” Mrs. Conn spoke up. “Aren’t you eager to have this person caught? She did hit you over the head, after all.”
“No one wants this person caught more than I do.” Miss Whiteside chuckled. “However, I see no reason to investigate any further, especially since she’s standing right here with you.”
“I say, what are you talking about?” Mr. DeLorca muttered. “Just say what you mean. Nothing like a simple sentence, you know. Just get right to the point. There’s no need to ramble on and imply things. Just come right out with it. That’s a very important skill and all that. You know, learning to speak clearly and get right to the heart of the matter—I say, well—that’s a jolly good thing. It reminds me of the time that Shakuntala and I went on holiday to the beach near Londonderry. You know the one. It’s the one from the song. You know? Something about blue birds. Yes. But, Shakuntala isn’t blue. Still, she did enjoy the beach. Yes, yes, the dear little thing flew about, snatching fish in her beak. Or was that Eben? No? No, it was Shakuntala. Eben doesn’t fly. What was I saying? Oh yes, and then we all had pudding. What a day that was. That’s right. Have I made my point now?”
“Don’t you know?” Miss Whiteside frowned.
“Well, then, you can’t imagine me to remember anything after I say the word ‘pudding,’ can you? I’m sorry, but all thoughts have gone right to soft, creamy desserts.” Mr. DeLorca smiled.
“What?” Miss Whiteside squinted.
“What about me?” Mia Duomo stepped forward. “I am very upset,” she said.
“What’s upset you, Miss Duomo?” Nancy asked.
“First of all, I’m upset that I am beginning to follow Joel DeLorca’s thought processes. Secondly, I am very bothered that Miss Whiteside is still continuing to imply that I had something to do with attacking her. I am no ghost-imposter. I am the very model of a major model superstar. I have no time for whacking people on the head or spray-painting antiques. I only have time to spread joy through bringing beauty to an otherwise drab little world. I wouldn’t hurt a fly—even if that fly was tracking its little fly feet through my makeup. Even then! And, flies are often attracted to me. Bees, too. I’m sweeter than honey!” Miss Duomo suddenly frowned. “Not only do I understand Mr. DeLorca’s ramblings, I’m starting to do it, too.”
“Now, everyone calm down.” Mrs. Conn said. “Bonnie, is what Mia said true? Were you implying that Mia had something to do with what happened last night?”
“I’m not just implying it. I’ll say it outright. Yes. I think Mia Duomo is posing as the Woman in Gray. All the clues point to her.” Miss Whiteside smirked.
“That’s why we need to look for more clues.” Mrs. DeLorca argued. “We know Mia didn’t do it. We know she couldn’t possibly have done it. If you’ll just let us look in the museum…”
“Never.” Miss Whiteside shook her head. “Not only do I think Mia Duomo is a criminal. I think all of you are, too.”
“Us?” Uriah Trotter asked.
“Don’t look so surprised, Mr. Trotter.” Bonnie said snidely. “After all, weren’t you all just about to trick a museum volunteer so you could break into my museum?”
“Miss Whiteside, please.” Sarah began.
“That’s enough.” Miss Whiteside shouted. “I want you all out of here. Right now!” She turned to Mia Duomo. “Especially you!”
“I never!” Mia fumed. “Well, that’s fine. But, let me tell you something, your eye makeup is horrible!”
“Go away.” Bonnie Whiteside frowned. “All of you.”
“We were trying to help you,” Nancy said softly.
“You want to help? Go somewhere else.” Bonnie Whiteside laughed before letting herself into the museum and slamming the door shut behind her.
“What was that all about?” Eben shook his head. “We were all getting along last night.”
“She did catch us trying to get into her museum.” Mrs. DeLorca sighed.
“But, we explained why.” Sarah argued.
“Well, I guess she was just too upset to listen. I can see why she’d be angry. We shouldn’t have tried to sneak in.” Mrs. DeLorca continued.
They walked away from the museum and headed toward Cascades Park.
As they walked, Mia Duomo began to mutter to herself. “Seriously, did you SEE the eye shadow she was wearing? Now, that’s a crime.”
“You mean the dark areas around her eyes? Wasn’t that just from not sleeping?” Eben asked.
“No, that was most certainly makeup.” Mia Duomo shook her head. “Believe me. If there’s one thing I know—aside from being one of the most beautiful women in the world—it’s makeup.”
“So why would Miss Whiteside be wearing such heavy makeup?” Eben asked.
“I don’t know.” Mia shrugged. “It looked like she’d slept in it, it was all smudged.”
“Or like she washed her face and didn’t manage to get all of it off.” Mrs. DeLorca said thoughtfully. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “Is anyone else thinking what I’m thinking?”
“That sweet potatoes are a delicious and nutritious breakfast as well as a healthy alternative to traditional shoulder pads?” Mr. DeLorca asked.
“That spiders really do make excellent house pets?” Eugenia Victoria asked.
“That I appear much taller than I actually am?” Mia Duomo asked.
“No. No. And, no.” Mrs. DeLorca shook her head.
“I know what you’re thinking.” Nancy nodded. “And, I agree.”
What is Mrs. DeLorca thinking?
Go to next chapter!
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