Chapter Twelve: Kryptonite
"Alright, what else do you have for me on this CD?" I asked as we pulled out once again into the New York traffic. I hit track three and waited for it to start. I let out a gasp.
"What? What's so important?" Danny asked from the back. I made shushing noises at him and turned the volume up louder. I turned around and looked at Stella and Lindsay.
"Do you guys know what song this is?" I asked them.
"Hello! I was just going to ask that!" Danny exclaimed indigently from the back seat. Mac rolled his eyes at him, and Stella suppressed a laugh. I turned up the music even louder so that Danny could hear the song.
I set out on a narrow way, many years ago
Hoping I would find true love, along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign, pointed straight to you.
"Oh, I remember now!" Lindsay exclaimed with a little smile. "I really like this song!"
"I still don't know what song it is," Danny said with a frown.
Lindsay turned around and sung the chorus with the CD.
Every long lost dream, led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way, into your loving arms
This much I know is true,
That God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you.
Danny seemed to remember the song after the first line of the chorus. "Oh, yeah, I remember now," he said with a nod. Looking at Lindsay, who was singing the rest of the chorus, he replied: "Gee, Montana, I never knew ya felt that way about me." He winked. Lindsay turned back around in her seat, and Mac let out a little cough, which I swear sounded like "Flirt". Instead, I turned the song, and was pleased to find the next song was a more upbeat and non-sappy one.
All the girls in the bathroom talking, who they're gonna take to the Sadie Hawkins.
My ears are burning, but I kept on walking,
Smile on my face and air guitar rocking.
Sadie Hawkins dance, in my khaki pants, there's nothing better…
"Oh, oh, oh!" Elsie and I sung in unison, letting out laughs, as we recalled the night that we sat in my apartment, blasting Relient K after we had seen them at Madison Square Garden.
The girls ask the guys,
It's always a surprise,
There's nothing better,
Baby, do you like my sweater?
"How about somethin' less pop-ish," Danny said with reproach.
"You better not be dissing Relient K," I said with a glare. Danny just glared right back and I turned the CD to track five. Elsie beamed when she saw what I had turned to.
"Fine, Messer, you don't like pop, we have something better for you," Elsie said with a smug tone.
Danny heard the opening chords and groaned, while the rest of the car smiled. "You have got to be kidding me."
525,600 minutes,
525,000 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes, how do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee?
In inches, in miles, in laughter in strife?
In, 525,600 minutes, how do you measure a year in the life?
"How about love?" I belted with a smirk. Stella and Lindsay joined in with my Rent sing-along and we were soon making Danny Messer's life a living nightmare, and enjoying every second of it.
"Okay, what does track six contain?" I asked the CD player as it switched to the next song.
"Please, dear God, let it not be showtunes!" Danny pleaded with the ceiling of Elsie's SUV. Well, sadly, it wasn't a showtune. It was "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. Out of sheer spite, knowing that Danny would find this song appropriate, I switched over to track seven.
"Hey now!" Danny cried from the back.
"Down boy," I said with a smirk. He rolled his eyes at me. Mac gave me a smile. He was eating this up.
Well, I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind
I left my body lying somewhere in the sands of time
I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon.
I feel there's nothing I can do, yeah.
I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon,
After all, I knew it had to be something to do with you.
I really don't mind what happens now and then,
As long as you'll be my friend at the end.
If I go crazy then, will you still call me Superman?
If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand?
I'll keep you by my side, with my super-human might, kryptonite.
"Much better," Danny said with a satisfied smile, settling back into his seat as four girls in formal wear rocked out to 3 Doors Down.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
"And, we're here," Elsie said with a smile, as we pulled up to the Harmony Suites. Everyone's jaw dropped. To say that the hotel was grand would be an understatement. Towering over the surrounding buildings, the Suites glowed with lights from inside, while outside fountains flowed soothingly amidst brilliant gardens of vibrant flowers and exotic-looking plants. Elsie parked and grinned.
"And now I know what a celebrity feels like," Hawkes said with awe. Charlene took in a deep breath and grinned.
"I love this place," she said looking up at the building.
"Well, we're not gonna stare at it all night," Elsie replied with a roll of her eyes. "You'll all get frostbite. Come on, let's go into the lobby. I think Ellen is supposed to greet us," she added, nearly skipping to the front entrance.
"Well, this sure as heck beats my birthday," Stella remarked, walking beside me.
"Next time, I'll let Elsie plan one for you," I said with a little laugh. All of us walked into the lobby, and if we weren't in awe of the exterior, we were gawking at the interior. Brilliantly filled with lights, and decked out in plush maroon and gold carpeting, the lobby was spectacular. There were vases set out on gold-colored tables, filled with fresh roses, carnations, and other striking flowers. The group took a look around, before being ushered by Elsie into the ballroom.
Lit by only candlelight, the Crystal Ballroom was intimate and…perfectly suited for me. My jaw dropped as I looked around at the small tables which were draped in white silk tablecloths with a gold overlay. The centerpiece was an array of beautiful white lilies. Red, pink, and white rose petals were scattered across the tablecloths, and I felt on the verge of tears. Instead of crying, however, I reached over and gave Elsie the most genuine hug she would ever receive. "I take it that you like all of this?" she asked.
I pulled back and nodded. "I feel like I'm getting married," I said with a little laugh. Elsie pulled my hand and led me over to the table that I would be sitting at. Everyone settled at different tables, Flack seated on my right with Elsie on my left. Flack leaned over and whispered in my ear.
"You look beautiful, by the way."
I felt my cheeks redden, thankful that it was dim so he couldn't see them, and I smiled at him. Just then, Elsie rang a hand bell that she had sitting next to her plate.
"Alright, everyone, I would like to propose a toast," she began, holding up her glass of champagne. "To my best friend Anna: I am so thankful that I know you, and that you are a part of my everyday life. And I think that I speak for everyone in the room when I say that you are a beautiful person, inside and out. But more than being a colleague, or a neighbor, you are a friend, and a sister, a member of our great dysfunctional family. I hope that tonight you have a wonderful night with your friends. To Anna!"
"To Anna!" everyone echoed, clinking their glasses together. I beamed and clinked my glass with Flack and Elsie, and took a sip of my champagne.
Elsie continued. "Our dinner tonight is going to consist of multiple courses. Our first course is going to be sushi, and I see that look Messer. If you can eat bugs, you can eat sushi." The room filled with laughter. "Continuing our menu, there will be salad and rolls, and our main course for tonight is going to be steak and vegetable medley. Our dessert will be served after we play our murder mystery," Elsie finished.
Servers came out of the back room with plates of sushi for each of us. I looked around the room, curiously. Danny and Lindsay were seated at a table with Hawkes and Abbey. All of them seemed to be involved in a conversation, with Lindsay chiming in every few words. I had a feeling it was the explanation of Elsie's "eating bugs" comment.
At the table across from them, Mac was chatting animatedly with Hammerback. I was guessing that it was probably about a case, knowing those two. Stella and Charlene seemed to be having a good time, talking and exchanging compliments.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Flack asked, bringing me back to reality.
I smiled. "Just thinking about how lucky I am to have friends like this."
Flack nodded. "Well, we're lucky to know you," he replied genuinely. I beamed at him and heard Elsie cough beside me.
"And," I added, "I am so very lucky to have a best friend like this one," I said, placing my arm around Elsie, giving her shoulders a squeeze, before returning to my sushi.
Elsie rang the bell again, and the room quieted. "I regret to inform you all," she began, reading off of a piece of paper from an envelope at the center of the table, "that at approximately 8:00 tonight, Elsie Marie Scott was found dead in the lobby of the Harmony Suites…"
"And that's bad news, why?" Danny asked jokingly. If looks could kill, Danny would have been dead, resurrected, and then killed again by Elsie.
"We can easily make you the murder victim of the party, Danny," Elsie replied shortly. I could tell that she was joking, as her mouth twitched slightly. I don't think that he realized she was kidding though, so he shut up automatically.
"Like I was saying," Elsie continued. "at 8:00 this evening, Elsie Marie Scott was found dead in the lobby of the Harmony Suites. Before she died, Elsie left behind an elaborate set of clues to lead a team to her killer. Your job is to follow these cryptic codes in order to find her killer. Immediately following dinner, you all will proceed into the lobby where the hotel staff will hand you the starting clue. When you reach the destination that the clue describes, there will be another clue waiting for you. You will continue until you reach your last clue, which is marked with a star. Following the last clue will lead you to the killer."
Everyone around the room nodded as they ate their salad and bread.
"Thank you for playing this game. I hope that you are able to find out who killed Elsie," Elsie concluded.
After dinner, the tables emptied out into the lobby, Elsie following us. A woman and a man dressed in the hotel's uniforms acknowledged us as we entered the lobby for a second time that night.
"Would you all please separate into your pairs?" the woman asked kindly. We all rearranged ourselves. "Thank you. Now, you may not open these envelopes until I say so," the woman directed as she passed out different colored envelopes to each team. "You may not steal another team's clue, or share any clues with the other teams. You may not hide another team's envelope, and may not speak to any other team members other than your partner," she continued.
Flack and I had a periwinkle envelope, and I held it in my hands like a sacred treasure.
"On my count, you will open your envelope and proceed to your first destination. You are allowed to ask anyone in a hotel uniform for assistance on your clue, but be forewarned that they can not tell you directly where to go. Is everyone clear on the rules?"
We all nodded and waited for the count eagerly.
"On my count: ready, set…go."
The tearing of envelopes was heard throughout the lobby and I frantically opened my envelope, and pulled out our first clue.
MWHAHAHAHAHAHA. Cliff-hanger! I know, I am totally evil, right?
