various rooms as they passed. "I don't know, and I don't want to know. But we do need to find a wall of fabric. Any idea where that might be?"
Betsy motioned for him to follow her to the right through double doors near the end of the hall. "This is the only thing I can think of," she said, pointing to a wall where several rows of clothing hung floor to ceiling and side to side. "Alex is pretty proud of this - he bought an automated wardrobe system and turned it into this monstrosity."
"Wow," Ian said, his eyes wide. "I didn't know he was into that sort of thing. You wouldn't think a guy who does hair and makeup would be good with engines."
"It's all art," a deep voice said from behind them. Betsy jumped at the sound, her fear quickly turning to glee as she turned to see the subject of their conversation standing there with a smirk on his face. Running over to give him a hug, she smiled when he finally released her.
"Alex! I'm so glad you're here. Now that you are, maybe you can help--"
Ian cleared his throat, cutting her off. She looked over her shoulder to see him shaking his head. "I don't think that's a good idea, Bets."
She stepped back as Alex's hands fell away, and placed her own on her hips. "Why not? He takes care of these clothes, and he knows what's where. Maybe--"
"No." Ian stepped forward. "Sorry Alex, but involving you in this could be very dangerous in a very short time. It would be better if you didn't know anything. No offense."
Betsy glanced back at Alex, who shrugged. "Something tells me that your presence here is a bad sign anyway, considering Harley told us you two were gone for awhile. So you might as well let me do what I can. There seems to be a lot of odd things going on around here the past few days."
"We're looking for a coin," Betsy said, not looking at Ian. "One a friend of mine told me to look for at the wall of fabric here. It was awhile ago, so I realize it might not still be here, but if you've seen anything like that..."
"A gold coin?"
Betsy nodded.
Alex grinned. "I found one awhile back, in the pocket of a pirate costume. I put it in my office safe when no one claimed it. I'll get it for you."
Betsy winked at Ian as they followed him, but he didn't smile. When they got to Alex's office, Ian made sure the door was locked behind them. Alex moved a file cabinet to the side, then bent down to work the dial on his safe.
"Do you remember if there was anything with the coin?" Ian asked as he watched the safe door swing out.
Alex took a small envelope out of the safe and locked it back up before he handed Betsy the package. "There's a note with it, I think. It was kind of cryptic, like a scavenger hunt clue."
Betsy ripped open the envelope and handed the coin to Ian. She unfolded the small piece of paper and read the clue aloud.
"Go north and west one hundred steps, then find the king. He sees what you seek."
* * *
Ian turned the coin over, examining it as Betsy read the next clue. It was exactly the same as the first, with a few nicks in the edge of the soft metal. He pocketed it as Betsy handed over the clue, and read it for himself. Handing it back to her, he looked at Alex.
"Do you have somewhere you can go? Somewhere to lay low for awhile? There's a guy coming after us, and I doubt he'll be as nice."
Alex shrugged. "I guess, but what about the others here? I can't just leave the staff & clients. Are you sure he's headed this way?"
Betsy shook her head. "We can't be sure of anything except he was in the Sultan's Palace last. But he'll probably check the buildings on both sides."
"If I lock up early, it will look suspicious." Alex thought for a minute, then smiled. "I have an idea though. There's a similar coin in our costume props, made to look and feel like the real thing. I'll hold him off as long as I can, then hand that over at the last minute. It will buy you some time, at least."
Ian nodded slowly. "That's dangerous, but it could work. Can you put a note with
Betsy motioned for him to follow her to the right through double doors near the end of the hall. "This is the only thing I can think of," she said, pointing to a wall where several rows of clothing hung floor to ceiling and side to side. "Alex is pretty proud of this - he bought an automated wardrobe system and turned it into this monstrosity."
"Wow," Ian said, his eyes wide. "I didn't know he was into that sort of thing. You wouldn't think a guy who does hair and makeup would be good with engines."
"It's all art," a deep voice said from behind them. Betsy jumped at the sound, her fear quickly turning to glee as she turned to see the subject of their conversation standing there with a smirk on his face. Running over to give him a hug, she smiled when he finally released her.
"Alex! I'm so glad you're here. Now that you are, maybe you can help--"
Ian cleared his throat, cutting her off. She looked over her shoulder to see him shaking his head. "I don't think that's a good idea, Bets."
She stepped back as Alex's hands fell away, and placed her own on her hips. "Why not? He takes care of these clothes, and he knows what's where. Maybe--"
"No." Ian stepped forward. "Sorry Alex, but involving you in this could be very dangerous in a very short time. It would be better if you didn't know anything. No offense."
Betsy glanced back at Alex, who shrugged. "Something tells me that your presence here is a bad sign anyway, considering Harley told us you two were gone for awhile. So you might as well let me do what I can. There seems to be a lot of odd things going on around here the past few days."
"We're looking for a coin," Betsy said, not looking at Ian. "One a friend of mine told me to look for at the wall of fabric here. It was awhile ago, so I realize it might not still be here, but if you've seen anything like that..."
"A gold coin?"
Betsy nodded.
Alex grinned. "I found one awhile back, in the pocket of a pirate costume. I put it in my office safe when no one claimed it. I'll get it for you."
Betsy winked at Ian as they followed him, but he didn't smile. When they got to Alex's office, Ian made sure the door was locked behind them. Alex moved a file cabinet to the side, then bent down to work the dial on his safe.
"Do you remember if there was anything with the coin?" Ian asked as he watched the safe door swing out.
Alex took a small envelope out of the safe and locked it back up before he handed Betsy the package. "There's a note with it, I think. It was kind of cryptic, like a scavenger hunt clue."
Betsy ripped open the envelope and handed the coin to Ian. She unfolded the small piece of paper and read the clue aloud.
"Go north and west one hundred steps, then find the king. He sees what you seek."
* * *
Ian turned the coin over, examining it as Betsy read the next clue. It was exactly the same as the first, with a few nicks in the edge of the soft metal. He pocketed it as Betsy handed over the clue, and read it for himself. Handing it back to her, he looked at Alex.
"Do you have somewhere you can go? Somewhere to lay low for awhile? There's a guy coming after us, and I doubt he'll be as nice."
Alex shrugged. "I guess, but what about the others here? I can't just leave the staff & clients. Are you sure he's headed this way?"
Betsy shook her head. "We can't be sure of anything except he was in the Sultan's Palace last. But he'll probably check the buildings on both sides."
"If I lock up early, it will look suspicious." Alex thought for a minute, then smiled. "I have an idea though. There's a similar coin in our costume props, made to look and feel like the real thing. I'll hold him off as long as I can, then hand that over at the last minute. It will buy you some time, at least."
Ian nodded slowly. "That's dangerous, but it could work. Can you put a note with
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