The House of Storms

By: Geron Kees
(© 2017 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

GKees@tickiestories.us

Chapter 9

 After dinner, Mr. Dane gathered the boys together for a discussion.
 
 "It occurs to me that no one has seen a thing regarding the incidents with the rides and thefts. I mean, they are always discovered after the fact, and not while the crime is in progress. That almost assures me that the damage is being done under the cover of darkness." He paced slowly back and forth while the boys watched him raptly. "The carnival has a night watchman, and since these troubles began, a second man has been added. But I've nosed about a bit and talked to a few people, and learned that both men together cannot watch the entire area all the time. I've suggested to the town council that two more men be added, and they are going to consider it."
 
 "That's all?" Frank asked, in disbelief. "Just consider it?"
 
 Mr. Dane paused and smiled at him. "They'll get around to doing it, I think. But when it comes to money, the wheels turn a bit more slowly than most people would think." He raised a hand. "Remember, I am not here in any kind of official capacity. This is a favor to John Lewis, who is aiding Sheriff Kingsley. But it's all unofficial just yet. I don't work for the town council, and my input is simply offered, and was not asked for. They believe they have things in hand."
 
 Frank shook his head, but said no more.
 
 Mr. Dane looked at his watch. "Anyway, I was thinking it might pay off for us to watch the carnival site for one night, at least, to see if we notice anything unusual."
 
 "The local police aren't watching it?" Joe asked.
 
 "The local police force is geared to cover the town and the surrounds. The carnival area is included in that, but there is no full-time watch. A prowl car goes by the site at least once every hour or so, but they do not have time to stay for long."
 
 "You'd think they could spare one deputy to watch the place at night," Frank said.
 
 "Well, the town has watchmen for that task," the detective pointed out. "Sheriff Kingsley says he'd have to hire another deputy in order to provide an all night watch. And, again, adding another deputy is a money matter. It's actually cheaper for them to add more watchmen." Mr. Dane smiled. "That's where we come in. We are going to be a free addition to the watch for one night."
 
 The boys looked at each other in excitement. "Dad!" Joe said, "That's a great idea. How are we going to do it?"
 
 "I've scouted around, and I found a hill that overlooks the carnival site. By daylight, at least, you can see everything that goes on within the carnival area. At night, the place is fairly well-lit by strings of lights, and you can still see most of the area plainly. The watchmen use flashlights on their rounds, so they will be easy to separate from any other movement in the area." The detective nodded. "I think we'll just camp put on that hill tonight and take turns keeping an eye on the place."
 
 It was dusk as they trekked up the hill to the site that Mr. Dane had selected as their watch post. Mr. Crandon, the hotel manager, had been happy to assist them by outfitting the group with heavy blankets to use as bedrolls. A small satchel of sandwiches and drinks had also been provided, as well as flashlights from the hotel stores.
 
 Mr. Dane had brought a pair of binoculars, to be used to  more easily examine anything they might spy down below. The hill was sufficiently higher than the carnival grounds to allow them a good view even down between the tents and stands. It was the perfect place to keep an eye on things.
 
 By waiting for dusk it was likely that no one had seen them as they had made their way up the flank of the hill, and as they spread out their blankets in the rough grass they were careful to use no lights to reveal their presence. There was just enough glow from below to see by, and soon their little camp was established.
 
 Mr. Dane took a look through his binoculars at the well-lit grounds below, and nodded. "Oh, this will do fine."
 
 There were still crowds below, as the carnival was open until ten p.m., although the numbers were noticeably diminished from the daytime highs. The rides still glowed with lights as they spun and twirled. Only the Ferris wheel lacked motion.
 
 They set themselves comfortably, and waited for the carnival to close.
 
 "We'll need to do this in shifts," Mr. Dane said. "Mr. Crandon said that the carnival workers take an hour to close up their attractions and leave, so the grounds will not be really vacant until about eleven. I propose that you boys take two, two-hour shifts, with two of you on each one, and then I'll take the last shift, from three a.m. on. The sun is up just after five, so we won't really need to go any longer than that."
 
 "Who wants the graveyard shift?" Joe said. "Tony and I can take it, if no one minds."
 
 Frank nodded. "Okay. Chip and I will take the first shift, then. Joe, we'll wake you and Tony at one a.m."
 
 Frank and Chip settled themselves in comfortable positions to watch below, while Mr. Dane and the two other boys curled up on their blankets and attempted to go to sleep. At first it was still noisy, as the crowds slowly made the march back to the hotel, and the carnival shut down. They could hear the sounds of voices calling back and forth, and people talking, for a while after that. But soon the human voices slowed, and then stopped altogether, and about half the strings of lights down below went dark.
 
 A thin crescent of moon helped to preserve the view below, and Frank and Chip took turns with the binoculars, letting their gaze rove the aisles between tents and stands, trying to sort out the shadows they could see below. The sound of the surf on the beach proved quite restful, and Mr. Dane and Joe and Tony were soon asleep. Frank and Chip whispered to each other as they watched, pleased to have a legitimate reason to lie shoulder-to-shoulder and put their heads together.
 
 The hours trickled by slowly, and uneventfully. Frank and Chip could see the flashlight beams of the watchmen as they made their rounds, weaving and bouncing along the aisles, painting stands and tents in a brief glow as the men passed. The men would start at one side of the carnival grounds, meet in the middle, separate again, and continue to the other side. It seemed a thankless job, but the two men seemed intent on performing it well.
 
 Finally, one o'clock arrived, and Frank left Chip with the binoculars and went to wake Joe and Tony.  Those boys sat up sleepily, nodded, and put their shoes on, while Frank went back to Chip.
 
 The other boy was peering through the binoculars, and looked up at Frank as he returned. "Something weird going on down there."
 
 Frank immediately sank down next to his boyfriend. "You see something?"
 
 "Yes. But I have no idea what it is. It looks like...it looks like a ghost!"
 
 Chip handed the binoculars to Frank and told him exactly where to look. "Whatever it is, it's dark, and it moves like a shadow. Watch the side of that tent, and tell me what you see."
 
 Frank nodded, straining his eyes through the binoculars. The tent in question was a garish red and green one, which Frank remembered as belonged to Sandro, the knife-thrower. A string of illuminated bulbs hung to one side of it, but the other side of the tent was steeped in shadows. It was there that Chip had said he had seen something.
 
 Frank watched, seeing nothing but darkness beside the tent. He heard Joe and Tony arrive and ask what was happening, but did not pull his eyes away from the scene below. Chip whispered, filling them in.
 
 Frank could see nothing suspicious. The idea that perhaps Chip was seeing things was just arising in his mind when the shadow next to the tent suddenly shifted...and then moved!
 
 One of the watchmen was coming up the aisle, his light slowly traveling back and forth. Frank watched as something dark and flowing moved over the ground to another tent, and melted into the shadows there. The watchman came along, pointed the light into the shadows where the dark shape had originally hidden itself, and then walked right by the spot where the shadow now hid!
 
 "Get dad," Frank whispered to Joe. He heard the other boy grunt, and then move away.
 
 Below, the shadow moved again, flowing out of its hiding place and right across the aisle lit by a chain of bulbs. Frank had the briefest of impression of a formless, ghost-like creature, that appeared to move without legs as it covered the ground, much as a child dressed in a sheet for Halloween might do. The eeriness of the sight caused him to take in a sharp breath.
 
 The intruder did not appear to be human!
 
 Mr. Dane came back with Joe then, and Frank passed the binoculars to his father and told him where to look.
 
 They boys were silent as the detective watched. Mr. Dane suddenly leaned forward, obviously intent on something within the field of the glasses. "I see it."
 
 "What is it?" Frank whispered.
 
 He could see his father smile behind the binoculars. "If I'm not mistaken, it's a man. A man in a very clever disguise."
 
 A man!
 
 Then he definitely was up to no good, slinking about in the darkness!
 
 "What can we do?" Joe asked softly.
 
 "He's moved to the house of mirrors, and...yes, he's going inside."
 
 Mr. Dane suddenly jumped to his feet. "Come on, boys, and be quiet!"
 
 They moved as quickly and as silently as they could down the face of the hill, and crossed to the edge of the carnival compound. The house of mirrors was now lost to their view, but Mr. Dane wove his way carefully and surely towards it, until they were hidden behind a tent just outside the entry to the attraction.
 
 "There is only one entrance and one exit," the detective whispered. "Frank, you and Chip move over there to that tent and point your flashlights at the exit. Joe, you and Tony cover the entrance with your lights. Under no circumstances are any of you to turn on your flashlights until you hear me call out. Okay?"
 
 The boys nodded and took their positions. Frank watched the exit door, his arm holding the light quivering slightly in excitement and anticipation.
 
 Five minutes or more went by, with no movement from either door, before there was a sudden shift in the darkness inside the exit door. Frank readied his thumb against the switch of his light and licked his lips. This was it!
 
 The shadows within the door seemed to flow, and then the ghostly figure emerged.
 
 "Now!" Mr. Dane yelled.
 
 All four lights came on, briefly pinning the figure in the wash of beams. Frank had the definite impression of a man now, dressed all in black, like a one-piece body suit. The man's face and head was entirely covered by the suit, with two small holes from which glittered the whites of eyes. A black cape dangled from the man's shoulders to his feet, and wrapped mostly around the front of his body.
 
 For a split second of time, the two sides stood still and looked at each other.
 
 "Don't move!" Mr. Dane yelled, and Frank could see now that his father has his pistol drawn.
 
 The black ghost bolted sideways off the steps of the house of mirrors and took off running. Frank heard his father give a soft curse, and then the five of them were off in pursuit. The figure had a small head start, but Frank and Chip cut around the other side of of the house of mirrors and caught sight of the fleeing man again, and gave immediate chase. Both boys had run track at Gulfport High, and were no slouches.
 
 They pelted among the tents and stands, and Frank was suddenly aware that he could see two flickering shapes ahead of them as the cloaked figure ran. He realized then that he was seeing the soles of the man's shoes at the limit of his flashlight beam, which were a much lighter shade than the suit. They might have a chance to catch the man, if they could continue to see him!
 
 They reached the edge of the carnival area and started across the beach. The man was fast! Frank had run some near-record times at the track, but the man ahead of them seemed their equal. Once on the soft sands, he seemed to pull slightly ahead, until only the flickering souls of his shoes were visible.  Frank poured on the speed, running flat out, until he started to pull slowly ahead of Chip.
 
 Ahead of them, there was a sudden intense flash in the dark. The sky above them illuminated, and Frank could see the dark outline of the man ahead of them, and the sudden bulk of the promontory down from the hotel. A brilliant beam of light cut across the sky towards the sea, briefly casting the entire beach area in a strange, milky radiance.
 
 "The lighthouse!" Chip gasped out, from behind Frank.
 
 For five seconds the beam of light cut through the sky. And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone.
 
 The sudden rush of darkness made Frank blink, unable to see. Even with the flashlight, he could no longer see the running man before them. He ran on until his feet clattered suddenly across stones; and then a great wall of rock was there before him. Frank ground to a halt, and Chip stopped right beside him. Both boys turned their lights about, searching, their chests heaving as they fought to catch their breaths.
 
 Lights came up behind them, and first Joe, and then Tony, and then Mr. Dane arrived.
 
 "We lost him, dad," Frank said angrily. "The lighthouse came on, and briefly blinded us. When it went dark again, I couldn't see."
 
 The detective simply put out a hand and dropped it on Frank's shoulder, giving him a fond squeeze. "It's okay. Lets look about and see if we can find his tracks."
 
 They soon found them, but they disappeared onto the rock shelf before them. The shelf ran another dozen yards ahead of them and then began to climb nearly straight up. Mr. Dane stepped back and pointed his light up the face of the promontory, and shook his head. "No way he could climb that."
 
 Frank pointed his own light at the rocky face, and had to agree. It wasn't quite vertical, but it might as well be, as far as climbing it.
 
 "He had to go somewhere!" Joe said. He pointed his light to the right, and they could see where the huge bluff descended into the sea. He brought the light back to their left, revealing a stone-strewn beach area that ran back for a distance, and then ended at a curve in the headland. They followed that along, looking for a place where the fleeing fugitive's tracks reemerged from the stony area, but could find nothing at to indicate that anyone had passed this way.
 
 "He just vanished!" Tony said, shaking his head.
 
 Mr. Dane nodded, pointing his light upwards. "Yes. A pretty good trick if I do say so myself." He frowned. "I believe we are beneath the house of Jack Dark, aren't we?"
 
 All the boys pointed their lights skyward. The magician!
 
 "You think he's involved?" Joe asked, excitement suddenly entering his voice.
 
 The detective laughed. "Whoa, whoa. Let's not jump to conclusions. I was just saying we are beneath the house, is all. And, the lighthouse."
 
 "How about Joseph and Sophie?" Frank offered. "They would have to know that the lighthouse was active."
 
 Mr. Dane frowned in the glow from his flashlight. "Boys, don't let your suspicions run away with you. Joseph and Sophie seemed to me like nice people." He waved a hand at them. "Just cool down, okay? Relax."
 
 The detective looked at the mass of the bluff before them, and nodded. "We'll need to come back here during the day and look more closely. It's just too dark to ensure that we didn't miss some tracks."
 
 They turned and headed back towards the lights of the carnival area, now quite distant.
 
 "I want to check that house of mirrors," Mr. Dane said. "Our friend back there went inside for a reason, I'd be willing to bet. When we get to the hotel, I'll call Sheriff Kingsley and get him out here. We'll need help to search the place."
 
 "We'll help!" Frank said.
 
 "No, you won't," the detective returned. "We have things to do tomorrow, and you boys have to get some sleep."
 
 All four boys made sounds of disappointment, but nodded.
 
 They reached the hotel and went inside. Mr. Dane used a lobby phone to call Sheriff Kingsley, while the boys stood and listened. Mr. Dane watched them, smiling, and finally hung up. "He's on his way."
 
 "Are you sure we can't help, dad?" Joe asked.
 
 "Actually, you can," the detective decided. "You can go back to the hill where we were watching, and bring in our gear. Then, you can go to bed."
 
 The boys groaned, but headed outside, and walked across to the hill where they had watched the carnival.
 
 "This is a bum rap," Joe said. "We should be in on this. I mean, we were there!"
 
 "Dad knows what he's doing," Frank returned, even though he was feeling a little bit excluded himself. Their father always had a plan, and if that plan meant that the boys needed to be refreshed enough the next day to operate, than sleep was indeed called for. This would not be the first time that the famous detective had seemed to put them out to pasture, only to bring them into an exciting conclusion to a case at the end.
 
 They reached the top of the hill and began gathering up the blankets, and the satchel of food. "Come on," Frank said then. "I am pretty tired, actually."
 
 As they reached the hotel, Sheriff Kingsley's cruiser was just pulling up to the door. Mr. Dane jumped inside, and the car roared off in the direction of the carnival.
 
 "Come on, fellas," Frank said, urging the others inside. "Dad will have something to tell us in the morning, I'm sure."
 
 They went to their rooms and undressed, and got into bed. Frank was so tired that he and Chip had barely exchanged a good night kiss before his eyelids closed, and he was asleep.

To be continued...

Posted: 03/22/19