Ben hammered on Riley's door the next morning.
"RILEY!" He yelled "WAKE UP NOW!"
A little old lady stuck her head out of the door and said
"SHHHSH!!"
Abigail came out of the room tucking her wallet into her purse.
"Why won't he get up?! You," Ben lowered his voice considerably. "you don't think he heard us last night…about…well you know the thing-"
"About what?"
Riley was walking down the hallway. He was wearing a nice jacket, black laptop shouldered bag and a coffee in his left hand. He had on his dark rectangular glasses.
"What are you-"
"I was out getting coffee!" Riley seemed in an unnatural good morning mood.
Riley was more of a night person, peering over his glasses all night at the bright white computer screen. Well, until he became a treasure hunter. Being a treasure hunter was definitely a day job. But he was definitely not a morning person.
So when Riley was up at nine in the morning (bearing in mind he had fell asleep at two in the morning) grinning as if he'd something, it was suspicious. Especially because he'd told Ben last night that there was a rule about waking the computer genius up before twelve. To which Ben had replied: good, and that he'd see Riley at eight.
But Riley had not answered his door at eight, nor at eight fifteen, thirty or forty five.
"For an hour?"
"I had to call Lucy!"
"That took an hour?"
"I said I was getting coffee!"
"Well come on we have a lot to do."
"Like what?" They were walking to the elevator now.
"Abigail wants to send a postcard to her brother in Phoenix. I need to get another tie because the one I packed is stained. The car needs gas. We need breakfast. Abigail wants to buy a book. We need to check the appointment time. And you need shoes."
Riley frowned as Ben pointed at his sneakers.
"I was walking a lot!"
"To the coffee shop?"
"Yes."
There was a small pause until Riley asked:.
"So Abigail, you've got a brother in Phoenix. What's he like?"
"Oh, he's been doing well. Has a wife and some kids."
"Good, good." Said Riley distracted by the elevator buttons.
"What's your family like?" They had entered the elevator and Riley had been taking a swig of his decaf hazelnut coffee. He choked and sputtered out.
"I don't have much family."
"Really?"
"A couple of cousins on my mom's side." Riley had swallowed.
"Okay." Abigail nodded. "Interesting…" For she could not really think of anything else to say.
The elevator dinged on the first floor. And while Abigail was in the gift shop buying a postcard that said:
I saved a load of Benjamin's buying you this postcard
Ben asked:
"So where'd you really go?"
"When?" Riley was looking at a novelty tee-shirt that said:
Boston MA
"This morning."
"To the coffee place! I told you that. It's a little far away."
"You do know there's a Starbucks in the lobby don't you?"
Riley completely ignored this comment and instead asked:
"I want to get Lucy something. What do you thing she'd want?"
"A copy of you book?"
"I already…" Riley never finished his comment because he had looked to where Ben was pointing and his mouth opened into a comical O.
"MY BOOKS!" He rushed over to the book section and gazed almost lovingly at a stand where The Templar Treasure and A City of Gold were sitting.
"THIS IS MY BOOK!" He almost yelled at a random person.
"Why is this so exciting to you?"
"I don't know…but it is. It's got it's own stand. And people are buying it! And…and…I really need a life."
"Yes, Riley. You really do."
.After the gift shop and Riley's unexplainable joy of having found out that people bought his book in other states they made their way to the hotel café.
They ordered and were sitting in the sun eating muffins, bagels, and bagels with lox, when Riley called the school they would be visiting.
"Hello, this is Riley Poole confirming an appointment for two o'clock."
"Hmm…What? Oh yesterday."
"Thank you."
"Goodbye."
"We're confirmed."
Ben looked up from his bagel and lox, with cream cheese and capers. "Good. Now," He lowered his voice considerably. "We have something to tell you."
"Hhut" Riley asked his mouth full of blueberry muffin. He gulped his decaf hazelnut coffee. "Okay, shoot."
"Well, you might have noticed that we've been acting a little strange lately."
:Kind of I mean you keep looking at me funny. And I don't think that Abigail has been only writing wedding details in that notebook."
"It's…I, I mean we…well, it's…"
"What?"
"Not like that at all!"
"It's not?"
"No…Uh…we're going with a chocolate cake!"
"Okaaay…and you felt the need to tell me this because…?"
"We thought you ought to know."
"'Kay. That's uh…wonderful?" Now Riley was sure that Ben and Abigail were very crazy.
After many more strange looks and another cup of coffee the trio headed towards the bookstore.
"What book do you want?" Asked Riley as they walked in.
"Well, a wedding panning book because when ever I ask you guys a question Ben says 'what do you want?' and you say "I don't care!' Then you yell it five more times. And we NEVER get anywhere. And a book about South African History, we've been sold some interesting letters and documents at the museum. You know-"
"Oh, well. I don't care."
"Riley!"
Soon they were checked out and Riley became very disappointed that a random hotel gift shop had sold his book but the Barnes and Nobles hadn't.
After a few more fruitless errands Riley, Ben, and Abigail changed at the hotel (Ben actually stole Riley's sneakers because he'd warned them that the school was fancy.)
--
It was one twenty nine . and Ben, Abigail, and Riley were standing outside a giant white building. It was as big as Ben and Abigail's house. There were thin white pillars around the place. The name of the school was written in fancy blue letters at the top. It was impressive, very impressive.
"Did you know," Said Riley as they walked up the steps. "That John Quincy Adams
was-"
"Born in Massachusetts ." answered Ben and Abigail in a sing- songy tone.
Riley stomped his feet and ended up with scuff marks on his nice shoes.
--
They walked up the steps to the school, and opened the heavy door.
Inside was a great hall, you could have fit more than seven of Riley's town houses in there. The ceilings were high and domed. The place was very empty.
Riley strode over to a desk, then gave a little cough so that the gray haired secretary looked up from a magazine. She was probably about three hundred years old.
"Yes?" She said in the highest, most obnoxious, gravely voice ever.
Riley smiled, trying to be friendly.
"Hello, I'm Riley Poole. I have an appointment for one thirty.
"Oh." Then she shrieked into a doorway. "Miriam! Poole's here!"
A middle aged pump, black haired lady appeared. Grasping Riley's hand she announced.
"Hello! How are you? Come with me with me…" Riley beckoned to Ben and Abigail (who were looking a little confused.) The four-some walked silently. Their footstep's echoed on the marble floors.
"Good to be back Mr. Poole?"
Riley coughed and mumbled something that sounded like "Shmessh."
"You went to school here Riley?" Abigail looked interested.
'One of our finest students. The best with the exception of his…oh here it is."
Miriam opened a door (never finishing her sentence and let them in. She closed the door behind them with a bang. There was a girl standing there with a long plait and goggles on. She jumped at the noise away from the lab equipment. But as she saw them her bright eyes flashed and her face contorted with fury.
"You!"