All she had to do was successfully help execute a major festival that would draw in hundreds of people, make sure Captain Hook didn’t ruin the event or kidnap any unsuspecting women, explain what was happening to her best friend, keep her brother from asking too many questions, and not fall in love with Jack Mathis, who would be gone from her life in a matter of days. Easy, right?
Chapter 17
Stella stopped by the hospital and put on a show of “everything’s fine at the library, including embracing the magic.” Arnie was suspect of her jovial attitude, saying he sensed an undercurrent of stress. She played it off as festival worries. He asked about Jack, but she quickly diverted that topic. What could she say? That she’d spent the night inhiscottage with Jack? Absolutely not.
Arnie briefed her about everything he could think of concerning the festival and assured her the committee would do most of the work. If she could keep the library organized and assist the inside vendors as needed, the rest of the festival would run smoothly.
The committee already knew about Arnie’s hospitalization, and some of the members had even stopped by to see him. Stella called the head of the committee while she was with Arnie so they could both talk to her. Afterward, Stella’s brain was so full that her temples throbbed. Could she handle this? She’d find out soon enough.
She arrived at the library half an hour before it was time toopen the doors. Melanie was back from her vacation and scheduled for the afternoon-into-evening shift, but with festival prep and Arnie being unable to work, Stella confirmed with Vicki and Dan that they could assist for the day. They agreed to come in late morning.
When she parked in her usual spot, she sat in the car for a minute, gathering her confidence and trying to assuage her fears. As though the words knew what was coming, a group of shimmering gold letters flowed out of an air conditioner vent.Hook. Keep it together. Release control.
“Release control?” Stella asked, shooing away the words. “That sounds completely unhelpful.” She got out of the car.
Jack was sitting behind the circulation desk with separate piles of papers organized on the counter. He’d changed into a light blue University of North Carolina T-shirt and a pair of shorts.
“Good morning again. How’s it going here?” she asked, dropping her purse on the desk.
A light on the top corner of the desk phone blinked red, indicating messages were waiting to be listened to.
“Phone’s been ringing since I got here,” he said. “How’s Arnie doing?”
“He’s good,” she said. “So much better. He thinks he’ll be home soon. He gave me a rundown of the festival, and I feel mildly less concerned.” She pointed to the papers on the desk. “What have you got there?”
Jack motioned her closer. “Let me show you.”
Stella leaned over his shoulder as he pointed out the different piles and what each represented. There was a master list of food vendors, merchandise vendors, musical guests, speakers, children’s activities, and the charity’s information. Jack had a list of which booths would be set up in the library and which ones would beoutdoors on the lawn or down the street in the park at the end of Main Street. He explained which groups would be there to set up this afternoon, both indoors and out, and which vendors wouldn’t be able to set up until first light Saturday morning.
The music stage and dance floor would be erected during lunchtime today, and the performers would sound check right afterward. Jack shoved aside the papers and displayed maps.
“Here’s a layout of where everyone will be in the library,” he said. “Here’s where they’ll be on the lawn, and this last map is of the park down the street. The numbers on each map coordinate with a group or vendor, so it’s easy to know where everyone will set up. There will be plenty of help, and here’s a list of the volunteers. The committee sent all of this information out to the vendors, performers, and volunteers a month ago. Their swell organization has made it nearly impossible for us not to succeed.”
Stella was grateful for the committee’s meticulous approach to the festival and for Arnie’s detailed paperwork. Blue Sky Valley, along with Arnie, had spent years perfecting every aspect of this summertime festival.
Stella glanced over the list of volunteers’ names. “Do you think the committee took into account what to do in the event of a pirate crashing the festival?”
Jack leaned back in the chair and folded his hands behind his head. “No one saw or heard from Hook all night or this morning. Darcy and Crusoe are on high alert, so for now, the best we can do is not focus on Hook. They plan to keep a lookout for him during the festival.”
“Where can he possibly be?” Stella asked, glancing around. “There aren’t that many places to hide in here.”
Jack sat up straighter. “You’d be surprised.”
“We checked all the closets, the bathrooms, the archives, and theattic. Unless he’s wedged himself into a steamer trunk, I don’t know how he’s stayed hidden for so long. I guess he could be slinking around just behind us and moving as we are.”
“Has Arnie ever told you about the tunnels?” Jack asked.
Stella’s mind couldn’t make the connection between the library and underground passages. “Tunnels?”
“Old tunnel systems run below Blue Sky Valley, and some of them lead off from the archives. Most are blocked off to keep people from going in, and we’ve all—the characters—been warned about them.”
Stella looked toward the archives door. “Are you kidding me right now? There are tunnels below the library?”
Jack nodded. “It doesn’t look like Hook has used any of them,buthe could be hiding out.”
Stella rubbed her temple. “Just when I think I have all the details. There are tunnels that Hook could have snuck out of, and it’s possible we’ve lost him from literature forever. I don’t like him, but I don’t want us to misplace him. Aren’t you the least bit concerned that he’s plotting your doom and might leap out when we aren’t expecting it?”
“Focus on keeping this operation running smoothly,” Jack said. “Arnie and the committee have done 90 percent of the work for us. All we have to do is direct people where to go. Let me worry about Hook.” He stood and stretched before slipping his arms around her waist. “I hope we can enjoy the festival some too. I read the bio on The Ink Blots, a group that plays my kind of music—1940s big band. I can spin you around a few times on the dance floor.”
