closer,â Wiliken said cheerily.
Beezel and Mimi looked at each other. Beezel didnât know what to say. The twins stood motionless next to each other and stared at Wiliken.
âHey â¦â Wiliken ran his hands through his hair. âI really enjoyed your show tonight. You guys are amazing.â
Beezel managed a thanks. Did Wiliken actually believe what he was telling them? He seemed to. She didnât get a chance to ask him, because Hector had returned.
âCoast is clear, Wiliken,â Hector said proudly. âI personally escorted each and every one of thoseguys out of the hotel. And the security guard is waiting for you in the hall. Heâs got a Merlin Hotel car parked by the kitchen door ready to take you back to your house.â
âThanks, Hector,â Wiliken said. âIâm sorry about all this.â
âNot a problem,â Hector said. âI donât like their type one bit. It felt good to toss them out.â He smiled and looked at the twins. âWhatâs the matter with you two?â
âNothing,â Mimi said. âWeâre just thinking.â
âWell,â Wiliken said, âI should get going. Hoogaboom and I still want to do a little treasure hunting before we turn in.â
As they stood and watched Wiliken leave to meet the security guard, Hector said to the girls, âCorrect me if Iâm wrong, bumblebees, but did Wiliken Riebeeck just say he was going on a treasure hunt?â
âYep.â Mimi nodded.
âHe sure did,â Beezel said.
âThen I guess my poor uncle isnât the only one unraveling a little bit, is he?â Hector shook his head and herded the girls back to their room.
Chapter Ten
âBeezel, Iâve lost her,â Mimi sobbed as she crawled across the floor the next morning. âOh, poor,
poor
Gumdrop!â
âStop crying, Mimi,â Beezel said as she looked under their bed again for the missing snake. âWeâll find her. Itâs not like itâs the first time youâve misplaced Gumdrop.â
Mimi sniffed and wiped her eyes. âYouâre absolutely right, Beez. I just have to be logical about it, like you.â She chewed on her lip. âLetâs see. First, I got Gumdrop from Enid and took her up to our room. Then I fed her some kibble. Then I ka-poofed her into her old self againâ¦.â She looked at Beezel. âBecause Gumdrop canât be a dog all dayâit makes her grumpy.â
âThen we sat on the bed and looked at the guidebook,â Beezel said. âAnd I took a shower.â
âAnd then I went into Hectorâs room to ask if we could see Rembrandtâs house this week â¦â Mimi froze.
The twins slowly stood up and stared across the bed to the door that separated their room from Hectorâs. It was wide open.
âMIMI!â The twins flinched as they heard Hector scream her name.
âGuess Iâd better go explain,â Mimi said in a small voice.
Beezel sighed. âIâll come with you.â
Hector didnât wait until the twins were actually
inside
his room to begin yelling at them.
âYouâve actually smuggled a boa constrictor into the Merlin Hotel! In
Amsterdam!â
he shouted. âOf all the idiotic animal muddles youâve cooked up, this one takes the cake!â He pointed to the big snake on the floor. âThere are times when I think
Gumdrop
has more common sense!â
Hector ranted for a few more minutes, but when he saw tears welling up in Mimiâs eyes, he caved. âOh, donât cry, duck,â he told her. âWeâll figure something out.â
âI already did, Hector.â Mimi blew her nose on the tissue Beezel handed her and proceeded to tellHector all about Operation GAAD. âAnd Enid, the prop manager, takes care of her. Sheâll even take her for a walk if we want her to. Iâll pay for everything with my
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