Chapter Twenty-One (Part Two)

Going back to the dorm, she met Edwin for lunch. The group's class schedules meant they seldom saw each other together, but when they did, it was often magical and memorable. She knew Edwin was taking a lot of her same classes, so they would have roughly the same schedule. At the tail end of a conversation about recent ghost sightings, she was surprised to see him in a bomber jacket. "I borrowed it from Chester," Edwin cracked. "Who knows what else he's got stashed away in that apartment of his?"

"Yeah, that's true. He doesn't want me to go in there and clean it up."

"You would go clean up his apartment."

"I sure would. I made up my parents' bed at home. Cleaning up Ches's apartment -- that's a cinch. Besides, he already gave me a key."

Edwin's eyes popped open. "He gave you a key to his apartment?"

"Sure."

"You two aren't doing anything I don't know about, right?"

"Don't be silly, Edwin, of course not. And hey, even I know about those love letters you write to that girl Delilah on your computer," teased Melody.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Edwin shouted.

But Melody was already gone. "Later, I've got to pick up some things from the library."

Before Melody went to the library, though, she went over to the offices of the Le Tour Ledger where she met up with Chester. "You said you needed something?" she asked him.

"Well, if you can write just a summary of the goings on with your website, that'll be good for this week's column," he told her.

Chester couldn't help himself. Melody was different from any other girl he'd ever encountered. She shared his interests in astronomy, alien conspiracies, robotics, and all things paranormal. He kept thinking to himself that she was a dream creature, sent to mock him.

Melody could not have fathomed that she'd be anywhere near a campus newspaper, let alone writing for one. She knew that back at Hanover Academy, she would not have dreamed of doing this.

"I can't reveal all my research!" Melody exclaimed, "that's top secret."

Chester shrugged. "Just give a brief summary. You don't have to reveal the names of the people who sent you emails, you can just say, well, on Tuesday, November 3, a flying saucer was located...and then give an approximation of the location."

Melody was returning from the library when she saw a light still on in Dr. Hyden's place. "Thank you, Dr. Hyden," a random female student said as she was leaving his office. Curious, she positioned herself right by the entrance door, and peered inside with her head. She saw him straightening out his tie, with a slight flush to his face. She thought it strange for him to be in his office with a student well after hours. Filing this away in her mind, and being especially careful not to let Dr. Hyden or his female student see her, Melody ran away from the scene in embarrassment, taking deep breaths in between her steps, and found her way back to the dorm.

"Oh my gosh, is that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?" Marla asked, seeing the seventh and final Harry Potter book sitting on the cafeteria table.

Melody shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

"Do you know how hard that one is to get? It's like super rare now, the stores have been out for ages. I've been trying to get it, but I keep missing it."
Melody shook her head. "I didn't know you liked Harry Potter."

"Oh my gosh, I love Harry Potter!" Marla exclaimed. "I've read all the books many times over. Except this last one." Thinking about what she'd said, Marla then asked, "Could I borrow this? I promise I'll give it right back to you."

Melody, looking up from her macaroni and cheese, waved Marla off. "Go ahead, knock yourself out."

"Oh, thanks so much! I promise I'll get this back to you right away!"
"It's no rush, really," Melody told her.

Later on Melody, her eyes hurting from staring at the screen, took a break from writing her freshman thesis, and looked behind her at Marla. Curled up in the nook of the sofa, cushions stuffed everywhere, Marla had her nose buried deep in the Harry Potter book Melody had given to her. Her lips moved soundlessly as her eyes swung rapidly from side to side. Melody couldn't help but thinking how alike she and Marla were in their love of reading. But that's where the similarities ended. While Melody took pleasure in theories and facts, Marla escaped into the realms of fantasy. They were separated by two and a half years, but they were worlds apart on that issue.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite niece." Dr. Hyden's serious countenance brightened at the sight of Delilah, who'd come to visit his office.
Delilah laughed. "I'm your only niece, Uncle Marcel."
"So. How are you today?"
"Uncle Marcel -- can I ask you something?"
"Sure, sweetheart. Fire away."
"The other day I met this girl, Melody Tinker. She was passing out flyers for the Astronomy Club."
Dr. Hyden scratched his chin and couldn't hide a chuckle. "Melody Tinker? Astronomy club?"
"She kind of looks like you, Uncle Marcel. Actually, she looks a lot like you."
"I've noticed."
"She kind of acts like you, too, Uncle Marcel. We talked for a long time."
"Good to hear, darling."
"Anyway, Uncle Marcel, I was kind of wondering --"
Dr. Hyden shook his head. "She came by the office today -- and said she might be my daughter." Delilah's mouth flew open. "Are you serious?"
"I told her it was impossible." Dr. Hyden buried his face in his hands.
"I can't believe this, Uncle Marcel. I mean, I don't remember you ever having any relationship, except maybe with your books." Delilah sighed. "But I'm definitely wondering, though. She sure does look a heck of a lot like you, that's for sure."
"She wants a DNA test."
"Well, you've got nothing to lose now. Might as well go for it. Hey, who knows? I might even have a cousin."
Delilah's offhand comment elicited a chuckle out of the very serious Dr. Hyden.
"I definitely can't have this getting out, not with the astronomy convention coming up."
"Did you have a relationship with her mother?" asked Delilah.
Dr. Hyden rose in thunder from his seat. "I don't even remember the woman! How could I have possibly had a relationship with her?" Her uncle's sudden burst of temper frightened Delilah, revealing a side of him she'd seldom seen.

Melody rang the doorbell at Chester's apartment. Chester came and answered the door, and immediately gave her a high-five. She didn't realize Edwin Sharpe was here, too. Chester's pet womrat, Sparky, ran around in his cage. While the boys were engaged in SSX3 on the console, she sneaked upstairs to Chester's computer and started chatting. Unbeknownst to her, the boys came upstairs with her and looked over her shoulder.
TINKERBELL: Where do you live?
CHATTERBOX: Bluewater Village.
TINKERBELL: Bluewater Village?
CHATTERBOX: It's a pretty place. Lots of trees and the ocean breezes too. We live just behind that toy shop. My daddy owns that big furniture store.
TINKERBELL: The furniture store?
CHATTERBOX: Ramirez's Fine Furniture.
TINKERBELL: Oh. I see.
CHATTERBOX: My daddy's away a lot, and every time he comes back he buys me something. Last time it was a computer. Then he set me up online so I could chat to people.
TINKERBELL: That's good.
CHATTERBOX: I hear my mom talking. That Tinker lady across the highway, she slept with some teacher! And she had his baby!
TINKERBELL: Really?
CHATTERBOX: Yeah, that's what everybody's saying.
TINKERBELL: I see.
CHATTERBOX: Well, I've got to go. Mommy's cooking dinner. See ya later. (signs off)
Melody turned off the computer. "Rumors going around Bluewater about my mom?" she asked herself. "The only thing she told me over the phone was that Malcolm Landgraab offered to buy the toy shop. She never mentioned anything about any rumors going around Bluewater about her."
"Malcolm Landgraab?" Chester asked. "THE Malcolm Landgraab?"
Melody winced. "You got it. I just knew he'd slime his way into the picture somehow."
Edwin shook his head. "I can't believe he'd do this. I mean, he walked up to your mother's front door and asked to buy your father's toy shop? I mean, that's pretty brazen of him."
"You're not from Bluewater, Ed. You don't know Malcolm Landgraab," Melody said. "He'd sell your mother if he thought he could make a profit."
"Dang," Edwin said to nobody in particular.
Melody instantly knew who "Chatterbox" was -- Tessa Ramirez, the little daughter of Checo and Lisa Ramirez who lived behind her mom. She had also gleaned -- from Tessa -- that Lisa, her mother's sworn confidante, was behind the nasty rumors going around Bluewater. But she needed more ammunition to fire at the woman. And she knew just how to get it.
"Chester --" He looked up from SSX3. He'd been heavily involved in an online tournament.
"You look worried, Mel, what's going on?"
"There's nasty rumors going around Bluewater about my mother. And I know who's behind them. I just need a little more info."
Chester leaned in with decided interest. "Who do you want me to dig up?"
"The Ramirezes."
"The furniture store people?"
"Yeah. Find out whatever you could. I'll deal with them when I get back there." Melody's tone was ominous.
Chester had never heard her like this, so he knew something was up. Getting out of his game, Chester went online, to the Sim City Bank website. He typed in a code he'd apparently typed in many times before, and accessed the personal accounts section. He then typed in Ramirez, which brought up a list of Ramirezes in Sim City. He picked out Checo Ramirez, which brought up a list of all his deposits and withdrawals.
Melody, leaning over, read, "He made a withdrawal last week in the amount of four thousand simoleans and placed the money in the account of a woman named Dina Caliente? Who the heck is she?"
"Something's going on there," Chester said to himself.
"Wait, Ches, there are more of these. Dina's name sure appears a lot in these records. There's another check, written November thirtieth, in the amount of six thousand four hundred and fifty-three simoleans, placed in her account."
Chester scratched his head. "Who is this Dina character?"
"Ches, who else could she be? She has to be his mistress."
Chester looked at Melody in disbelief. "Oh, my god."