Chapter 1
The lights clicked on.
Peppermint bent down and examined the face of the young woman who had allowed fear to cause her to faint. “She's breathing,” Peppermint announced and then shook his head. “This girl got herself worked up into a frenzy. I've never seen anything like it.”
Candy Baker rushed to Sandy. “Get me a wet washcloth, Peppermint.”
“Hey...uh, how about what she said...about seeing a pair of eyes in a painting,” Ralphie pointed out in a thick Brooklyn accent that sounded more...uncertain...than tough.
“You mean my eyes?” Marty appeared in an open doorway.
“Ayo...who are you?” Ralphie backed up against the kitchen table holding a plate of donuts and a few cups of coffee. His back struck the table and nearly knocked over the cups.
“That's Marty Belvins,” Peppermint answered. “He's going to be working on the island and living here.” Peppermint grinned some. “Enjoy scaring these kids?”
“I didn't mean to scare anyone, Peppermint.” Marty pushed his hands into the pockets of his gray sweater, and he appeared a bit annoyed. “I was in the library, and I located a hidden door. I went through the door...the door closed behind me. I had no choice but to walk through a series of hallways, and ended up upstairs. I looked through a painting...and well,” Marty nodded down at Sandy. “You know the rest of the story.”
“Ayo, the lights went out for a second—”
“The winds are high. Sometimes the power will flicker on and off,” Peppermint quickly spoke up. “The power never stays off, though.”
“Look, I found a doorway that led me out onto the second-floor hallway. This crazy castle is full of hidden doors.” Marty shook his head and then focused on Betty. Betty was his age. “Ms. Vance, I assume?”
“That's right.” Betty nodded.
“My name is—”
“Marty Belvins. Yes, I know. Peppermint told me all about you, but weren't you due to arrive at a later date?”
“I decided to leave sooner than expected,” Marty explained. He rubbed the back of his neck with a quick hand that made him look a bit uneasy. “I...don't believe in procrastination.”
“In other words,” Peppermint threw his right arm around Marty, “my old friend was bored out of his mind and anxious to see what all the fuss was about.”
“Chris, why didn't you tell me Mr. Belvins had arrived?” Betty asked Chris.
Chris smiled. “You didn't ask me,” he replied and then stood up. “I'll get you a cold washcloth for Sandy's head, Candy.”
Ralphie watched Chris find a washcloth. Chris wet the washcloth and then made his way over to Candy. She took the washcloth and, with loving hands that seemed alien to Ralphie, began tending to Sandy. The love and care consuming the kitchen air touched Ralphie's heart because he was used to being treated with rough mouths and hard hands. “Ayo...uh...is she gonna be okay?”
“Sandy will be fine. She had a shock.” Candy carefully lifted Sandy's head and put the girl's head down onto her lap. “Sandy, honey, can you hear me...Sandy?”
A low moan streamed out of Sandy's mouth. “She's alive.” Peppermint smiled and then found himself a donut. “So,” he said to Ralphie, “you're from Brooklyn, right?”
Ralphie nodded. It was time to put on his tough act again. “Ayo, I walk the streets and talk the talk.” Ralphie tugged at the collar attached to his leather jacket. “I'm theCalzone.”
“The what?” Marty asked as if he had swallowed a raw lemon.
“I'm Ralphie theCalzone,” Ralphie told Marty. “You got a problem with that old-timer?”
“Don't make me step on your head, boy,” Marty warned Ralphie. “I'm a retired principal. Before I became a principal, I taught high school brats like you until I nearly went insane. I know how to handle myself, and I still know how to step on the head of a smart-mouth punk!”
Peppermint raised his right hand into the air. “Marty, calm down...Ralphie, watch your lip. We're here to be a team.”
“Peppermint is right, guys,” Chris added. He reached out and squeezed Ralphie's shoulder. “No one in this kitchen is your enemy, okay. Now, have a donut.”
“That's right,” Betty agreed. She ordered Ralphie to sit down as Candy continued to wake Sandy up. Ralphie reluctantly sat down at the warm and welcoming kitchen table. He studied the plate of donuts and then decided having a sweet treat wouldn't hurt his image. “That's better. Mr. Belvins, you sit down and have a donut, too.”
Marty rolled his eyes and then took a seat beside Ralphie. He took a coffee and donut, glanced over at Ralphie, and rolled his eyes again. “What's for dinner tonight? A man my age can't live on donuts forever.”
