She loved the adventure and the mystery – and OK, yes – the movie-like drama of it all. She had a mystery to solve, and she was pretty sure she’d be able to understand the clues. She’d cracked the first one, after all. She almost owed it to herself to continue on. It was a test of knowledge of sorts.
And at the end of the day, what was wrong with having a little fun?
Beth smiled to herself as she made up her mind. She would continue on the treasure hunt for as long as she could. No harm, no foul.
Having made her decision, she settled back against her pillows, turned the light off, pulled her computer closer and started a new search.
Angelina. Sail away. Around the world. I promise you.
Tens of thousands of different results came back.
Beth was sure that the clue didn’t have anything to do with Angelina Jolie,TheAmazing RaceTV show, or purity rings for teenagers.
‘Weird what Google thinks you might be looking for,’ she said under her breath. But then she realised the folly of her words. She was being too obtuse, too vague. And Google didn’t have a human brain or the ability to know the context of the search.
‘I need to be more specific,’ she muttered, and racked her brains, wondering how she was supposed to narrow it down. Then in a flash, it came to her and Beth typed one more word into the search bar.
Movie.
SinceBreakfast at Tiffany’shad provided the context for the first clue, she guessed that this treasure hunt, if it had been created and devised by someone who knew her well, might centre around one of her favourite passions. The romance of the silver screen.
And based upon what Google was showing her now, Beth guessed that she just might be right in her assumption. Scanning over the latest results, she considered the chances.
The first movie listed was indeed a classic – she even owned it on DVD. It was a bit trickier to decipher than theBreakfast at Tiffany’sclue, though, because that movie had her intended destination right in the title of the film.
But at least she had a movie in mind. Now she just had to figure out what she was supposed to do with that information, or how the clue was connected to a local destination in the here and now.
She furrowed her brow, thinking hard. This movie, she thought, might be the one she was looking for. Well, it only had a few scenes set in New York, if she recalled correctly. So where was she supposed to go next? She needed to get her thinking cap on, that’s for sure. Once again she summoned up her grandmother’s spirit. Bridie would know immediately. Her grandmother’s movie knowledge had been almost encyclopaedic. Google had nothing on her.
But right now, Beth’s brain felt muddled, and it was true that she was tired. Maybe she should give in to the sandman – after all, she had made a bit of a stride in understanding this next clue. The rest could wait.
She set the computer aside, realizing her eyelids were growing heavy and that maybe – just maybe – sleeping on this puzzle might give her the clarity that she needed in the morning to solve it.
Chapter 12
‘RememberRomancing the Stone?’ Beth asked Jodi at work the following morning.
Her friend nodded. ‘Of course. Kathleen Turner before she gained pounds and years. And Michael Douglas before the surgery. Haven’t seen that movie in a while, though.’
‘Well, I think at the very least I’ve figured out that the treasure hunt clues are movie-themed,’ Beth told her excitedly. ‘I just can’t figure out what to do with this information. Am I supposed to go somewhere, like I did with the Tiffany’s one?’
Jodi thought for a moment. ‘Hmm, if it’s supposed to send you somewhere, I don’t remember much of that movie being in New York. Are you sure you aren’t supposed to jump a plane to a jungle in Colombia or something?’
Beth frowned. ‘I can’t imagine that being the case. Seems way over the top. I feel that since theBreakfast at Tiffany’sclue was New York-focused, then this one might be too.’
Jodi nodded and looked as if she was trying to order her thoughts. ‘OK, so the parts that were in New York – wasn’t Kathleen Turner an author or something in that flick?’ Beth nodded. ‘So, maybe one of the big publishing houses on Park Avenue? Or maybe you are supposed to go to a bookstore? I don’t know… I also think there is a connection to a treasure map in the movie but, as I recall, that takes Ms Turner somewhere else entirely.’
Beth shook her head. ‘I don’t know, I thought of the treasure map as the obvious choice, too. But that just doesn’t really feel right. So, think of the clues; they must do more than just point me towards the movie. The woman at Tiffany’s said to me, “What’s it gonna be, Angelina?” And then in the clue, the quote talked about “sailing away”.’
Jodi paused for a moment as she considered Beth’s words and then suddenly the shoe dropped. Quite literally, as she let go of the Valentino slingback she’d been holding. ‘Of course. The boat.’
Beth shook her head, confused. ‘What? What boat?’
‘The boat in the movie,’ Jodi explained. ‘Remember? At the end. Michael Douglas is on that boat right in the middle of the street – it’s being towed or something – and he sweeps Kathleen Turner off her feet, and they kiss and the “boat” sails off – right in the middle of Manhattan. Thathasto be it.’
Beth felt her heart race with excitement at finally making a New York connection to the movie. But there was one not so insignificant problem with that. ‘Where am I supposed to find a boat in the middle of Manhattan? That’s not exactly a regular occurrence,’ she said, realizing that the idea of a boat being towed down Fifth Avenue or any other street on the island was indeed a movie moment, but not at all likely to happen in real life.
But Jodi didn’t look at all deterred by this. In fact, she was smiling.
