Part 3 (1/2)
A woman sat in a rocking chair in front of a stone fireplace, her face buried in her hands. No one else was about so Alex touched her shoulder. ”Please, can we help you, miss?”
The woman looked up, startled, and then quickly wiped her tears on her ap.r.o.n. She stood and faced them. ”I'm sorry. My son is missing since yesterday and half the town is out searching for him. I fear he has drowned in one of the hot springs.” She appeared about to burst into another round of tears but rallied. ”Have you come from the s.h.i.+p that just docked? Are you visitors? We are such a small village; we know everyone in town.”
”Yes, this is my . . . friend.” There was no use saying they were married if they were to have the ceremony here in Iceland. ”John Lemon and I am Alexandria. Is this an inn? We have need of a place to stay.”
”Yes indeed. We've rooms here. I'm Ana Magnusson. My husband is out searching for Tomas.”
Alex motioned toward the chair. ”Please, tell us what happened. Perhaps we can help with the search.”
The woman hesitated and then nodded, motioning for them both to sit down. ”Tomas is ten years old and always disappearing and giving me a fright, I can tell you, but this time he has been gone all night!” Her lower lip started to quiver. ”I'm so afraid he is lying hurt somewhere.”
”What does he look like?” Alex knew the feeling and tried to keep her talking.
”He has blond hair and blue eyes. He is tall for his age and has the most angelic smile. Always getting into mischief though.”
”What sort of mischief? You've searched all his favorite hiding places?”
”Oh yes. He is usually found at the beach or near the hot springs. He's a good swimmer but the current could have spirited him away. I'm afraid we'll never find him.”
John leaned forward. ”We've just come from a large s.h.i.+p with a lookout. They would have had a good chance of spotting him if he was lost at sea.”
”That's true, isn't it?” Ana's eyes lit up. ”I should have Hans alert the captain before they depart to be on the lookout.”
”What about favorite games he likes to play? What does he like to do?” Alex clasped her hands in concentration, thinking of places she had enjoyed escaping to as a child.
”He pretends he's a soldier sometimes, making pistols and swords out of sticks.” She shook her head as if unable to think of anything else. ”He's such a good boy. Oh, I don't know what I shall do if we don't find him.” The poor woman broke down again into tears.
”May I see his room?” Alex asked, thinking taking some action would at least help her get through the next few minutes. ”There might be a clue there.”
”Well, I don't know.” The woman hesitated. ”We've looked all over his room, of course.”
”It may sound a bit strange, but I have something of a knack when it comes to solving mysteries. A gift from my parents, I suppose. They are famous fortune hunters and travel all over the world solving important mysteries.”
The woman's eyes widened. ”Not the Featherstones? I thought you looked a bit familiar.”
”You know my parents? Were they here?”
”They were here months ago. They stayed with us for a time. They were searching for something important, though they wouldn't say what it was. The whole town speculated on it, but we never learned what it was. And then, one day, they just disappeared.”
Alex's heart pounded harder with each word. She looked over at John. ”As desperate as I am to find my parents and hear everything about their stay here, let us try and help you find Tomas. May I see his room?”
”Yes, of course.” Ana led them up a narrow staircase to the sloped ceiling of a small attic room. She lit a lantern and turned the wick until bright light flickered around the room.
Alex went through the drawers, the small box of toys, the clothes hanging on pegs, the pockets of each little pair of pants, and searched under the bed. Nothing unusual. She turned back the blanket and searched under the covers and then, with John's help, lifted the feather ticking and looked under the mattress. She'd always hidden her secret scribbling in a book under her mattress.
Finding nothing, she started to remake the bed. When she lifted the pillow she noticed a fluttering underneath and turned it over. ”That's strange.”
”What is it?”
”It looks as if Tomas has cut a nice rectangle from the back of this pillow casing. Has this been there long?”
”No. I just washed the bedding last week and a hole wasn't there then. What do suppose he's doing with a sc.r.a.p of cloth like that?”
Alex stared at the shape of it. ”It could be a tail for a kite or . . .”-she imagined the sticks he played with-”a flag or something at the end of a stick he's using for his make-believe games.”
A loud noise coming from the downstairs made them all turn. ”That would be my husband. Maybe they've found Tomas!”
They hurried back downstairs where a tall, blond man stood, his head almost touching the ceiling. ”We've guests?” he asked his wife in a voice gruff with worry.
Ana made the introductions.
”You haven't found him,” she said in defeat.
”Not yet, but we will.”
”Lady Featherstone found something in his room. He cut off the back of the pillow casing, and she thinks he may have made a flag or kite with it.”
”Another Featherstone, eh? Well, it won't hurt our cause to have you both helping. I've just come in for some rope before heading back out. It will be dark soon and almost impossible to search at night.”
”We're glad to help.”
”Rope! What do you need that for, Hans?” Ana paled whiter.
”Just in case we need it,” he said in a soothing voice. ”Could you fill the canteens while I fetch it?”
Ana nodded and filled two canteens from the bucket of water that sat on a long table against one wall. She found a third one and filled it for John and Alex. ”I'm coming with you.” She reached for a heavy cloak.
The wind had become a gale force as the four of them hurried down the street. Neighbors leaned out of their doors, some joining them and some inquiring the latest news with promises of prayers. Alex studied the buildings, looking for crevices and hiding places where a young boy might have burrowed in and gotten stuck. They called his name, but only the wailing wind answered them.
Alex s.h.i.+vered inside her cloak, thinking she must have some warm furs made up into a better coat for the winter. A road led out of town splitting north and southeast. ”Would he have followed the road?” Alex looked in both directions.
”I don't know,” Ana moaned.
”We've already searched both routes.” Hans shook his head. ”I thought perhaps he had gone fis.h.i.+ng.” There was a catch in his voice as he said it.
John leaned toward Alex. ”It's probably hopeless, poor fellow.”
”It's not hopeless. We have to pray.” Alex turned to the Magnussons. ”Might we pray together? G.o.d knows where Tomas is.”
”I have prayed nearly every minute since I discovered him missing, my lady, but I welcome your prayers.” Ana took a step closer and grasped Alex's hand. They all closed their eyes.
”Dear heavenly Father,” Alex began in a steady voice, ”we beseech You on behalf of little Tomas and ask for Your help. Please, G.o.d, lead and direct our steps. Open our minds to new possibilities and clues, light our way. Help us find little Tomas and please keep him safe and well until we get to him. Amen.”
John shuffled his feet, appearing uncomfortable.
”John, what's wrong?” Alex whispered as they walked a little ways down the road and peered into the brush surrounding them.