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 in his cottage 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 to open 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 be outdoors 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 the attic. 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, but he 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.”
Stella’s heart leaped at the thought of dancing with Jack and having him hold her close again, but then she remembered why
she’d skipped every school dance.
“We’ve talked about this. I don’t dance. As in, I’ve never been to a dance before.”
Jack brushed his lips against her cheek. “Never? Would you be willing to go with me?”
“Jack,” she said, pulling away from him, “I don’t know the first thing about dancing. I’d embarrass you.”
“I can teach you.” He kissed the side of her neck.
“Are you planning on teaching me everything?” she asked, closing her eyes.
“Not everything,” he said against her neck. “In some areas you’re already killer diller.” Then he kissed her lips.
By lunchtime the library and grounds were full of activity. Dan and Vicki had arrived together, and Vicki sent Dan to the
break room to put away their belongings so she could ask about Hook and the police. As much as it tweaked her guilt, Stella
lied and said it had been taken care of. Vicki’s relief washed over her, and she jumped into festival prep with a renewed
sense of focus.
The local tent rental company sent workers just after the library opened, and they busied themselves setting up the ten-by-ten
tents for the outdoor vendors. Tables and chairs were placed inside the tents, and vendors arrived to decorate and organize
their spaces. Generators were hooked up, and extension cords were connected to allow for electricity. Stella watched the progress
with anticipation, wishing Arnie were there to witness his plans becoming reality.
Once the music stage was erected, performers sound checked, and Stella took a break to linger on the back steps of the library and listen to a few songs.
The day was beautiful, but the intense heat caused everyone to sweat straight through their summer clothes and gulp bottles of lukewarm water.
They walked around while fanning their faces, swirling the soupy hot air.
Cardinals chirped wearily from the shade of an oak tree, and no clouds marred the bright blue sky.
Stella lifted the sleeve of her T-shirt and swiped it across her face. At least the heat had dried up most of the sogginess
left over from yesterday’s rainstorm. The lawn still sank in places, and a few stubborn puddles remained in the parking lot,
but by late afternoon the whole place would be dry and thirsty.
Back inside the library, volunteers bustled, and Vicki hurried through the foyer with a clipboard in her hands. She pointed
toward the children’s section.
“Puppet show booth is that way. Number fifteen,” she said to a woman whose arms were full of limp cloth puppets. “There’s
an open area right beside your table for you to set up your backdrops and props.”
“Thank you,” the woman said as she hurried away.
“Everything under control?” Stella asked.
Vicki pressed the clipboard to her chest. Her round cheeks were flushed, and her fiery hair was exceptionally large because
of the humidity. “I’d say in the absence of our ringleader, we are keeping this circus organized.”
“Hungry?” Stella asked. “I thought I’d grab lunch for us.”
Vicki nodded. “Famished.”
“How about the deli? Then I’ll swing by Frost Bites for desserts. We deserve a cool treat. What would you like?”
Vicki gave Stella her order, and then Stella wandered through the first floor looking for Dan and Melanie. After taking their
orders, she searched for Jack and found him talking to a man setting out stacks of books on a table.