were just recently cut down to create this landing area.”
“Let's look inside,” I said. The door opened easily, and I peered into the cockpit. The fuel gauge read full. But the inside
of this airplane was as empty as the other one. At least that's what I thought until I noticed an object that must have rolled
to the back of the storage area.
I lifted the bottle carefully by its lip, not wanting to disturb any existing fingerprints.
“Can I have your handkerchief, G. Codd?”
I fished it out of my pocket with my other hand and gave it to her. She wrapped her right hand in the cloth and carefully
took the bottle from me, not wanting to smudge or destroy any evidence.
Judge held the bottle under her nose and winced. “It's Scotch,” she said.
“What?” I had heard her, but I found it hard to believe.
She nodded. “There was a kind of whiskey in this bottle. You can still smell it. If the bottle wasn't empty, It'd be illegal
to even be holding it. It would also be extremely valuable on the black market.”
“But it is empty…”
“Thank goodness. For a moment, I thought John might be mixed up in something,” Judge said. “But this isn't even his plane!
His plane is outside the Great Hall, so where did this one come from?”
“Is it from the fleet of your air courier business?” I asked. “Maybe it's here to make a delivery?”
Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the craft. “I don't recognize it. But I brought the business records and books with me
this weekend. I had planned to go over a few things with John's father. The books are in my room. Let's go check and see whether
this type of plane is listed there.”
With Judge carrying the bottle, the two of us started back toward the house. Just then a thought struck me, and I stopped.
“What is it?” Judge asked.
“Wait one second,” I told her, turning back to the second airplane. “I have to grab something.”
Back in the Great Hall
June 13, 1925
7:20 PM
The Great Hall was quiet. Several butlers scurried about the room, but there were no guests in sight. They must still have
been in their rooms.
Or vanished, I thought to myself.
Judge and I made our way up the grand staircase to the main part of the mansion. She insisted that we stop in the kitchen
for something to eat.
Minutes later, after we had wolfed down roast beef sandwiches, we were moving again. To get to Judge's room we had to make
our way through a twisting maze of hallways and staircases.
By the time we reached her room, we were both beat. “It will just take a second,” Judge was saying as she pushed open the
door. She froze. My mouth dropped open at what I saw inside.
As she had asked, the staff had brought the engagement presents up to Judge's room. At that time, they were all still wrapped.
That was no longer the case. Among other things, a silver goblet and a rather ugly teakettle had been liberated from their
packaging. Fancy gold paper and expensive ribbons lay in pieces everywhere.
Asyla was opening Judge's presents!
And who was the cause of all this chaos?
None other than Asyla Notabe. Perched on Judge's bed, Asyla was busy trying to open one of the boxes she had just unwrapped.
It was the large box I'd seen in the back parlor.
“Asyla!” Judge cried.
For a split second, Asyla had the grace to look embarrassed. Then that strange smile was back on her face. She said sarcastically,
“Oh, no, have I been caught in the act?”
“What are you doing?” I asked, astounded.
“I was bored.” Sweeping back her long hair, Asyla glared at Judge. “You invite us here for an entire weekend of events, and
then you cancel everything. Opening your presents seemed like a good way to kill time.”
Before Judge or I could reply, Asyla dumped the box on the bed, leaped up, and rushed from the room.
The packages on the bed jostled together as the mattress bounced from her speedy departure. The large box tumbled toward the
side of
“Let's look inside,” I said. The door opened easily, and I peered into the cockpit. The fuel gauge read full. But the inside
of this airplane was as empty as the other one. At least that's what I thought until I noticed an object that must have rolled
to the back of the storage area.
I lifted the bottle carefully by its lip, not wanting to disturb any existing fingerprints.
“Can I have your handkerchief, G. Codd?”
I fished it out of my pocket with my other hand and gave it to her. She wrapped her right hand in the cloth and carefully
took the bottle from me, not wanting to smudge or destroy any evidence.
Judge held the bottle under her nose and winced. “It's Scotch,” she said.
“What?” I had heard her, but I found it hard to believe.
She nodded. “There was a kind of whiskey in this bottle. You can still smell it. If the bottle wasn't empty, It'd be illegal
to even be holding it. It would also be extremely valuable on the black market.”
“But it is empty…”
“Thank goodness. For a moment, I thought John might be mixed up in something,” Judge said. “But this isn't even his plane!
His plane is outside the Great Hall, so where did this one come from?”
“Is it from the fleet of your air courier business?” I asked. “Maybe it's here to make a delivery?”
Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the craft. “I don't recognize it. But I brought the business records and books with me
this weekend. I had planned to go over a few things with John's father. The books are in my room. Let's go check and see whether
this type of plane is listed there.”
With Judge carrying the bottle, the two of us started back toward the house. Just then a thought struck me, and I stopped.
“What is it?” Judge asked.
“Wait one second,” I told her, turning back to the second airplane. “I have to grab something.”
Back in the Great Hall
June 13, 1925
7:20 PM
The Great Hall was quiet. Several butlers scurried about the room, but there were no guests in sight. They must still have
been in their rooms.
Or vanished, I thought to myself.
Judge and I made our way up the grand staircase to the main part of the mansion. She insisted that we stop in the kitchen
for something to eat.
Minutes later, after we had wolfed down roast beef sandwiches, we were moving again. To get to Judge's room we had to make
our way through a twisting maze of hallways and staircases.
By the time we reached her room, we were both beat. “It will just take a second,” Judge was saying as she pushed open the
door. She froze. My mouth dropped open at what I saw inside.
As she had asked, the staff had brought the engagement presents up to Judge's room. At that time, they were all still wrapped.
That was no longer the case. Among other things, a silver goblet and a rather ugly teakettle had been liberated from their
packaging. Fancy gold paper and expensive ribbons lay in pieces everywhere.
Asyla was opening Judge's presents!
And who was the cause of all this chaos?
None other than Asyla Notabe. Perched on Judge's bed, Asyla was busy trying to open one of the boxes she had just unwrapped.
It was the large box I'd seen in the back parlor.
“Asyla!” Judge cried.
For a split second, Asyla had the grace to look embarrassed. Then that strange smile was back on her face. She said sarcastically,
“Oh, no, have I been caught in the act?”
“What are you doing?” I asked, astounded.
“I was bored.” Sweeping back her long hair, Asyla glared at Judge. “You invite us here for an entire weekend of events, and
then you cancel everything. Opening your presents seemed like a good way to kill time.”
Before Judge or I could reply, Asyla dumped the box on the bed, leaped up, and rushed from the room.
The packages on the bed jostled together as the mattress bounced from her speedy departure. The large box tumbled toward the
side of
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