CHAPTER 3: I want you to know...
I'm searching for memories of my mom, who was here 13 years ago. Matt's searching for his dad, who disappeared five years ago. We pulled his bag out from the lake and found some of his dad's stuff in it. But then Dan showed up and Matt had to run and hide. Matt, where did you go?
I'm off, not really sure of where I should go next, so many choices. I found an old cottage near the boathouse... I gotta check it out. Nobody's home... but there are recent footprints on the floor. That lead to a study/bedroom, there's a trapdoor in here... shoot, it's lock. I found a lever in the cupboard of the adjoining room. There was a sound like something opening... it was the trapdoor, now I can check it out!
Whoa! Matt's down here! I hate it when he startles me like that. I gave him the blue truck he left with me, I asked him why it was in his dad's bag and not with him; He said he told his dad that he didn't want it...
Matt says that it wasn't the one he wanted. He got mad and said he wanted a cooler one. He said that if it wasn't the exact one he asked for, than he wouldn't accept it... How cruel... His dad said that Matt had grown up a lot. It turns out that Matt got the truck he wanted but got bored with it quickly... and his dad held on to the one he didn't want.
The photographer who lived here disappeared, Matt doesn't have a clue as to why he disappeared, but he does know his name; Gilbert Moss, Matt read about him in a newspaper clipping.
Apparently, Matt doesn't want to go back home. I try telling him that we're the same, looking for our dad, and having a aunt or uncle taking care of us, but he says his uncle hates him. Could that be true? Whoa, Matt was sent to a boarding school... In London next month? Apparently his uncle said he wants Matt to be the best man he can be... but Matt will have to live in London till he graduates... so long...
I tell Matt to make me a promise; if he doesn't find anymore clues of his Dad's whereabouts by the end of the day he has to go back to his uncle. He promises and say that he will tell his uncle that he wants to stay and search for his dad. I hope his uncle will do the right thing.
Matt says that he has a treasure map that he made a year ago... but it's blank... the ink he used was light pink. Light Pink? No way! He used invisible ink to draw a map... cool. I use the hot plate on the counter to reveal the map... hope it doesn't catch fire...
Yes it worked... Okay, there is a picture of a rabbit, a sun, a tree, and a stump, there is a line drawn from the tree to the stump and a measuring line with arrows at either end; pointing at the stump and a dot, the distance is 16... 16 what? Steps, maybe? Then at the dot another line points up and the word "look" is written at the end. Huh, I think I can figure it out.
Whoa the power went out I can't see a thing... the breaker must has tripped, but why would it do that? Ow... I hit my head trying to find the switch... I used my camera flash to find the switch and flipped it. Let there be light!
Oh my gosh... there are old pictures next to the switch... Memories flash through my mind...
I remember now... I saw Mom in the place that picture was taken... She was looking at something and laughing... That statue in the photo... Mom was in front of it...
Matt says that there is a mermaid statue near the clock tower... that tower keeps popping up everywhere... Matt says that he's seen this person before, but there are two in the photo, surely he doesn't mean Mom. Oh okay, he saw Dad, that makes more since.
Matt says that Dad was testing the lake water... and with the water analysis kit in the bag... maybe the water's polluted?
Boys and their stupid secrets. Matt won't tell me what he buried. Oh well I'll figure it out anyway Photographic memory and such.
Whew finally I can get back to Dad, drop off his bag, get back my pendant. I invited Matt to come with me to Dad's cottage, and he accepted. Great! … I think...
As we're about to leave, Matt notices a book on the table, why didn't I notice it before? It's a photography book; Gilbert's Amazing Photos. Amazing? What's so amazing about it? The first page is a two in one. It's when you take two pictures then photo-shop them together to make one photo, weather it's a cute guy in one and yourself in another and then you put yourself in the other with him.
The next page is a landscape, at the top it says "Now it's your turn to guess." Guess? Guess what? Matt says "What will it become." Smart kid. There are two pictures; one is a lake with mountains in the distance, the other is a forest with an opening to look out, there is a girl in the forest doing just that. No way! Someone tore the last page out! But why? Wait! I can use the DTS to fix the photos. Alright let's do it!
When I did the photos, the reflection made a heart, it was kinda weird. I got another message from Dad. "Ashley, Where are you? I'm coming to meet you at the covered bridge so meet me there." The covered bridge? Where is that again? Oh right! Dan said it was right to the lake.
Whoa! Talk about road block, ran into Elizabeth, Yuck! I hope she doesn't give me any trouble. God! She is so nosy, she says she's waiting for someone. I bet it's Ryan. Oh, She says it's her cousin, and it's a girl. I wonder if she is as snotty as Elizabeth is?
The nerve! She called Matt a runt, That tears it, I'm really gonna punch her lights out! Calling me desperate are we? It's not a good idea to insult someone while standing so close. I figure giving her a piece of my mind will suffice.
Oops, told where her music player is. Oh well, she can go get it herself. Matt found it at the mines, What was Elizabeth doing there? Haha! Matt threw it around the room! So that's how it got back there. I knew I liked this kid.
How dare she! Calling Matt a thief, I could tear her limb from limb. Whoa, Dad's here, I guess he heard my shouting. Whoops.
Nope, he saw me standing here "talking" to Elizabeth and thought we were friends. AS IF! I can't believe he's taking her side! "What's gotten into her?" I'm not the one with the problem here!
I could kill her, if she says anything hurtful about Matt ever again I will brake her jaw.
Wow. I didn't know Dad could be so dumb. How could anyone 'manipulate' me?
How can he just put Matt on the spot like that? It's sickening! Matt has done nothing wrong and Dad is just making it completely worse!
I can't believe I yelled at my own father, and told him to shut up all in the same sentence.
Elizabeth left, without punishment and Matt, God bless him, tells me to let it go and not to fight with my father. How can he be so humble and kind? I could hug him till he stops breathing. No! Matt ran away, I feel so awful.
Dad and I sort of made up, when he asked me about the barbeque he was surprised when I told him that Ryan came in place of Gina...
I remember something, Ryan said she had something to look after... my bag? Then is Ryan in on it? But why? What could have been in there that was so important?
After I summarized all that had happened, from the barbeque to current time; Dad told me to find Matt and bring him back to the cottage so he could apologize to Matt. I hope he didn't get caught, but where do I start looking?
I passed the boathouse and saw a big tree standing by itself. Suddenly the treasure map came to mind. That has to be where he is!
No... he's crying... I hate it when boys cry, it hurts to watch, I want to make him feel better.
He ran because he didn't want us to see him burst into tears... oh Matt, I'm so sorry. It was Dad's voice that was the ticker, he sounded like Matt's dad.
Okay, apparently Matt doesn't like it when his father is angry with him, but he does like it when he is yelled at by him... strange kid.
Looks like we have another thing in common, "not standing Elizabeth", First Ryan, then me, now Matt. I guess she just has that effect on people. I bet she's never been yelled at before or had to apologize to anyone.
Matt says that the big tree is called the Lonely Oak. He also said that he played here when he was little. Hide-and-Seek, Bug Catching, the works.
His dad told him about this place, said it was his favorite place, where he would sit and watch the lake. His dad was always busy with work and sometimes he'd get really stressed and scary. But as soon as his dad came to the tree, he would be the old kind, smiling father Matt liked.
Matt came here with a girl named Kelly, she adored him and followed him around everywhere. How cute! And she would also carry around a doll she had since she was a baby. Matt thought she was cute, but apparently she was also a crybaby. Must be nice to grow up with someone to play with.
Matt's challenged me to find his treasure, using an old pirate accent. He's so funny. Okay I have my bearings, there is the tree and what looked like a stump is really a short poll... okay 16 steps to the left... Ha! I think I found it! Hey, the outline of the tree make the shape of a rabbit. Clever.
Matt's treasure, is the last letter his mother wrote to him.
"My dear Matthew... I'm sorry I can't be with you right now. Matthew listen to your uncle and be a good boy. If you are good, Daddy will come back for sure. Do you remember the promise you made to me? Never go to the clock tower by the lake. Love, Mom.
The clock tower again? Why not go there? Matt says that after his dad disappeared his mom worried about him none stop. The worrying made her sick. She got thinner and sicker, then Matt was sent to his uncle. His uncle kept him from his mother, then she died and he never got to see her again. Oh Matt, I'm so sorry.
I asked him why he buried the letter here, he said that when he was here last summer, every time he would read the letter he would start to cry, that hindered his mission to discover clues and find his dad; so he buried it here.
I feel so special. Matt said that he never told anyone this; I'm so glad I met him and became friends with him.
Hee, I suggest we get Elizabeth's music player to prove his innocence and make her apologize. And while we are at it I can finally step on it with my foot.
Matt told me that her music player and the I.D. Card were wrapped in a handkerchief at the mines. Hmm... Suddenly, I have an inkling to go there and check it out. Well we have reason to apparently the handkerchief looked a lot liked Elizabeth's bandana, we're going to get that first then go for the music player.
I got another message from Dad. "Ashley, have you seen the mermaid statue? It's part of the next chapter in that sad story about Lake Juliet and the Romeo Mountains. They say that a girl threw herself into Lake Juliet after her love died became a mermaid protecting the lake. There's a legend that on nights with a full moon, she thinks of her love and weeps. They say that if a couple sees those tears in the moonlight, they'll be able to keep their love forever. I've never seen a mermaid, but the moon over Lake Juliet is beautiful." The mermaid statue? Oh well, back to the mines.
After the run to the mines, Matt and I came across the big dog again. I saw a strange purple stone lying on the ground next to a wooden box, I took a picture of it just to see if my hunch was correct... Yep! It's a rainbow stone.
Matt found the handkerchief in the box. Yuck, if this is hers I wouldn't want to carry it around for too long; might bring bad luck. It's defiantly the same brand as hers... wait... maybe... could it be her father's? What was his name again? Rex Alfred; maybe this is his?
Pochi isn't a weird name; it's actually really common in Japan. Matt is so blunt. Oh! The dog is a girl? Whoa, didn't see that one coming. Her name is Princess... huh. I've always wanted a dog. The was a home near our apartment that had a big dog like Princess that I would go see. I tell Princess our plot to retrieve the music player. I don't know why but I wanted to give her a treat... strange.
Okay, team work time. I'm lifting the box while Matt goes and gets it. This box is heavy with a capital 'H'! Yeah! We got it! Now it's off to Dad's cottage, I hope nothing stops us this time. Why does this always happen? There is a strange man off the road. I recognize him. Mr. Sunglasses! He's headed toward the clock tower; I want to follow.
Since Matt promised his mom he would never go near the tower, I told him to wait in the little cabin near the path. Hopefully Dan won't look there and I won't get into trouble.
As I followed the man, I can see the Mermaid Statue... Oh no! My vision... blurring... spinning... I remember now... There was a man here, wearing a cap... A man in a cap... he was here... Oh no! The man in glasses saw me. Dang it!
How? How does he know my name? Have I met him before? Why don't I remember him? He says his name is John Smith and says he's a journalist researching what happened here five years ago. He won't tell me anything, only to stay away from the tower... AS IF! I want to know what happened! He thinks that I'm not apart of this case thing, but somehow I think I'm in it far deeper than I imagined.
As I approach the tower, the crest on the door; it's of a flower, a moon and a sword. That crest... I remember, I saw Mom in front of this door... So that was it... The place with the crest was the clock tower door.
I turned back around I had to check on Matt and make sure he's okay. Good, he's still there. The cabin was tiny, and piled high with dust old furniture; none that belonged with this space. Okay, finally, we can go to Dad's cottage. I still haven't seen it yet, oh and I need to get Mom's pendant back from Dad... Why do I have a bad feeling about this?
Dang it! The bridge door is closed, and judging by the red light, it's locked. Matt's I.D. card won't work... I could use the TTS... speak of the devil, it responded to the door; If I use the TTS I can open the gate... What should I do now? Matt can't know about it... but I can trust him... should I?
I'm taking a leap of faith with this. I hope Matt can forgive me for keeping this a secret. Okay, I trust him; now for that door... Yes! I did it! But why was it locked in the first place? Was it a test? Did I mention that I have a really bad feeling about this?
Wow... these are cottages? They're so... elaborate. I looks like one of those little neighborhoods from the 1900's. Dad's cottage is made of yellow bricks, the front looks nice with the potted pink flowers, he must have someone taking care of it. Whew, okay, here we go. I hope Dad won't screw this up. Compared to the exterior of the house, the inside is so... dull. Grey walls and grey furniture, pale wood floors; everything is so boring. The plant is the only mood lifter in the place. I finally gave Dad his bag. It's such a difference having that off my shoulders.
MATTHEW! Don't tell Dad you ran away! Make up a story, tell him you're visiting, anything but that! Well the cat's out of the bag, I hope Dad will help us, help Matt.
Great Dad... offering Cool Pop as a solution... Dad asks me if the reason I became friends with Matt was because he was searching for his father, I told him that was part of it, but the other reason was that he reminds me of... D. I'll introduce him to the next friend I make.
I start to tell Dad about my memories of Mom, he tells me not to force myself; but he has no idea how easy it can be. Dad's confirmed that Mom did come here to meet someone. Her name was on the visitor's list at JC Valley, Dad's company.
Something happened at JC Valley... maybe it ties in with all the weird stuff that went on at Lake Juliet; Matt's dad's disappearance, the company closing down after trying to buy the land of Lake Juliet, the clock tower that stopped working, the fire; all of that? Looks like I'll have to find out what happened on my own.
Oh my gosh! The phone rang and almost gave me a heart attack! It's probably work related and Dad will leave again. Gina's on the phone... my suspect. Security cameras? Oh great... my actions might have been recorded, and Matt might have been discovered. I knew it! Dad has to leave again...
Wow, Dad is really busy. I was hoping we could talk more what I remembered Mom doing here. I hope he comes back soon. Oh! Dang it, I forgot about Mom's pendant... I'll get it back from him later.
Matt wants to use Dad's computer to look up something about his dad. I hope we find something. Dad's computer is Trace hard wired, Please Insert DTS. Where? Oh, I see. There's a slot on the side of the computer. Okay... wow, that's a big slot. Now it should work.
There are four Icons, Notes, Water, Mail, & Internet. Interesting. Looked up Matt's Dad on the Internet, there is an article on Michael Crusoe. "Setting up a company wit his lottery win! Michael Crusoe, who won a staggering three million dollars in the 1999 lottery grand prize draw, has decided to use his money to show all of America the beauty of his home town, Lake Juliet. He set up a Crusoe Resort Development company to do just that. Let's hope he has the same good luck with this company as he did with the lottery!"
Wow... so Matt's dad was totally loaded. And he used the money from the winning the lottery to set up his company. Okay, the Crusoe Resort has it's own website. But what's this on the page? "NEWS: 8 March 2002, We are no longer able to accept any communication by e-mail. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our customers."
Whoa! The phone rang again... should I answer it? It's Jessica! It's amazing how oblivious and untruthful she is. "Push my on the bus"? I don't think I should tell her that someone pushed me off the bus as well.
Jessica said that Dad thought there was something more to Mom's death than he realized; she also said that he received an anonymous email. Rex Alfred started to call him after that. After our talk, Jessica told me that she sent my guitar to the contest, I'll have to practice after all of this is over.
Got another can, there is hope for that red gumball yet! Okay now to go through those things on the computer.
There are four folders under the notes, this is the first one.
"27 March 2007: Ashley really is the most precious thing in my life. But how does she really think about me now? How can I be what she needs from a father? When I left Blood Edward Island, I wanted nothing more than to make up for all the time we'd been apart. But now here I am, separated from her once again. Even if she knew everything about why I'm doing this would she forgive me?"
Dad... why didn't you just say something? It says "notes", but... This is like Dad's dairy. Okay... gotta hold it together. Now for the second one.
"13 May 2007: It's been a year since I received that strange, anonymous e-mail. At first I thought it was some kind of sick joke, but as the days go by I find myself thinking about it more and more. If what it says is true... Sayoko, what should I do? It hurts so much every time I think about you..."
An anonymous email? Is he referring to the one Jessica told me about? Third document...
"20 July 2007: I got hold of a water testing kit, and took samples from different places around the lake. What Dan feared has come true – the pollution that plagued Lake Juliet five years ago has returned. But why?"
So Dad was looking into the pollution at the lake as well... Okay, now for the last one...
"2 August 2007: Sayoko... Not a single night goes by when I don't think of you. And it's only when I think of you that I can forget that you're not with me any more. Sayoko, Ashley looks so much like you. Especially her eyes – whenever I see them, I remember the day we first met. And then I realize... your last act was to protect Ashley. What I have to do now is make sure she's happy."
Dad... Okay... pull yourself together Ash... Okay, now to find out what's under the 'Water' Icon. Alright, there are three documents, let's see what's under the first.
It's a photo of the Lake. It looks like near the mermaid statue. Okay now the second one.
Hey! That one was taken at the place where we found Mr. Crusoe's bag. I remember the yellow color of the outside walls. The third one...
That was taken at that bridge where I first actually met Matt. Did Dad actually take these?
Alright, now the 'Mail' Icon... the whole thing about reading other people's mail doesn't apply to father/daughter, right? Nah I won't look at that... though I am curious.
I wonder why my dad's put this stuff in folders... Oh! He's got mail! … I really want to read it... I remembered what Jessica said about the email Dad got that made him come here in the first place. I wonder who wrote it. I know I shouldn't... okay. Oh great, password protected... I'll find out what it is, then I'll come back.
As I'm idly rummaging through the drawers, I came across a piece of paper with creases... could this be it? Clever Dad... 1690 is the password. Yes, I'm in!
"Dr Robins, sorry to bother you on your day off. Do you remember the magazine that asked to do an article on us last week? They need an answer today. I have the director's permission for photography in the lab, so are you available for an interview? Please let me know. Mike"
What? Magazine interview? Who's Mike Tyler?
The next one is from Jessica.
"Richard, Please call me as soon as you get this! When are you coming home? Ashley's doing well, but she always seems a little bit lonely – probably because she hasn't seen you for so long. She's at an awkward age now. She spends so much time locked up in her room, and she doesn't talk to me as freely as she used to. I know you're busy with your, but come to see us soon. Ashley misses you. Jessica"
So Jessica was giving Dad a hard time... She never mentioned anything to me! "Not as I used to"? That's because you lied to me about my mother and you don't tell me the important things that could affect me. If I can't trust you how can I talk to you freely?
The one before that is from Elizabeth's father, Rex Alfred.
"Richard, I'm delighted you've accepted the position at JC Valley. I honestly didn't think we'd have a chance to work together again. If you're here with us, I'm sure we can successfully complete that last project of Judd's. We await your speedy arrival! Rex"
So Dad came to work here after being pestered to come here by this guy. Seems like Rex has the same way of getting what he wants as Elizabeth.
The last one is the anonymous e-mail... I'm kind of nervous, but I need to know what happened.
"To the blissfully ignorant fool. Did you know that someone orchestrated Sayoko's murder from behind the scenes? There are others responsible for her death."
I can't trust anyone here at Lake Juliet. Apart from Matt and Dad. Everyone else is a suspect. D, what am I gonna do?
That's strange. The DTS made a sound. It's not a message... What are these pictures? Wow... my DTS can contact the feed to the security cameras around the campsite! Now I'll know where everyone is.
Sorry, Dad... Sorry I used your computer and read all you e-mails without your permission... But I found out some important stuff. The anonymous e-mail you got... the fact that you were testing the water at Lake Juliet... And that I can use the DTS to look at security camera feeds...
Right. I have to go over everything that's happened I have to remember.
I went looking for Matt after he ran away from the boathouse. Then I reached an old cottage by the lake. It's empty now, but a photographer from the city used to live there. What was his name?
Gilbert Moss...
Yes... The man who lived there was a photographer called Gilbert Moss. He moved here from New York.
I went on to Dad's cottage with Matt... But on the way there I found myself at a place where I'd seen Mom in a flashback. She was in front of a door with a crest on it... Where was the door with the crest?
Clock Tower...
Yes... The door with the crest was the clock tower door. Mom was in front of that door.
When I came to Lake Juliet, I suddenly remembered my mom. I need to assemble the fragments of memory that keep appearing. I need to remember her here 13 years ago. When I went down to the basement of the old cottage, I saw an old photograph. I remembered her standing somewhere and smiling. Where was it?
In Front of the Mermaid Statue...
Yes... It was in front of the mermaid statue.
When I was at the mermaid statue, I remembered a man standing there. Who was at the mermaid statue?
A Man in a Cap...
Yes... I remembered seeing a man in a cap at the mermaid statue.
Mom... What were you doing by the mermaid statue? And who was there with you? Mom, ever since I came here I've been remembering you. But I still know so little.