Page 44 of Alchemy of Secrets
I’m not supposed to show you what’s in there,” Holland said.
“Then you probably shouldn’t let me open this,” said Adam.
But she didn’t stop him.
Adam had just confessed to being the devil once.
But he wasn’t the devil anymore. He was her sister’s partner; January trusted him.
Holland could trust him, too. And she really wanted to open the envelope from the Watch Man.
Holland had no idea how many clues her father had hidden, and she didn’t want to waste more time.
The posh hotel room they were currently in looked occupied, based on the open luggage and the toiletries strewn about the unmade bed and couch. She imagined the guests had probably gone to lunch but could be back at any moment.
“There’s a document envelope,” she said. “You should open that first and fast.”
Adam pulled it out. “What is this?”
“I don’t know. The Watch Man gave it to me while you were passed out.”
“I knew that bastard knocked me out.” Adam weighed the envelope in his hand, much the same way Holland had, and then he handed it over. “If it was given to you, you should open it.”
Holland didn’t need to be told twice. She quickly undid the clasp. There were pages inside the envelope. Fewer pages than there had been in the safety deposit box, but Holland recognized them immediately.
EXT. HOTEL PATIO. DAY.
Tropical birds peer down as Red and the Watch Man sit on a patio that feels like Palm Springs in the 1960s. There are white wrought-iron chairs, umbrellas covered in teal stripes, neat grass between squares of white concrete, and, of course, plastic flamingos.
The Watch Man and Red are playing Scrabble. The tiles are white and teal, matching the decor. Red only has four tiles left: OEMJ .
THE WATCH MAN
It’s your turn.
Red begrudgingly puts the O down, forming the words to and go.
THE WATCH MAN
I feel as if you’re not really trying, Mr. Westcott.
RED WESTCOTT
I didn’t come here to play games.
THE WATCH MAN
What is life but a game? Everyone you meet is an opponent or an ally or sometimes a clue.
The Watch Man places tiles on the board, forming the word REVERSE .
RED WESTCOTT
What are you?
THE WATCH MAN
I think that’s sixty-eight points with the double-letter score on the V .
RED WESTCOTT
You know that’s not what I was asking.
THE WATCH MAN
But perhaps I was still answering. Your turn again, Mr. Westcott. You have one chance left to win.
Be certain you’re going in the right direction before you dig in.
“I didn’t think these existed.” Adam continued to stare at the pages. His eyes were bright and wide, almost boyish in their excitement. He truly was a fan. “Do you know—” He looked up suddenly, as if he’d just remembered who he was talking to. “Wait—you don’t seem surprised.”
“This isn’t the first set of pages I’ve received.” Holland reached into the satchel and pulled out the rest of the screenplay.
Immediately, Adam was hypnotized again. When he reached the third page, he said, “This was why you wanted to see the Watch Man today? This was the reliable source you were talking about?”
“When I was little, my father was always creating treasure hunts. As soon as I saw these pages, I knew that he’d done it again.”
“He was a genius,” Adam said reverently. “You think these new pages will tell us where to look next?”
“I do.”
Adam took the next set of pages and set them out across the sofa, shoving to the floor the clothes that had been left there.
“I think that last line written in pencil is trying to tell us something about digging,” he said.
“Maybe we should go back to the bungalows and see if your father buried something there.”
“There are usually multiple pieces to my dad’s clues,” Holland said.
“If I’d been paying better attention to his first set of pages, I probably could have figured out on my own that I’d find the Watch Man at this hotel.
” Holland pointed to the screenplay, where the stage directions mentioned Frank Sinatra playing right after Red asked where to find the Watch Man.
“That seems like a little bit of a stretch?” Adam said.
“Not if I combine it with his first clue.” Holland pointed to the second page. “Alma’s bowling team is the Hollybells—that was my childhood nickname. The shirts it’s embroidered on are green and pink, which everyone knows are the Beverly Hills Hotel’s signature colors.”
“So what do you think these new pages are saying?” Adam asked.
“I think the next clue has to do with the game they’re playing.
Look at Red’s tiles.” Holland pointed once more to the page.
“This says he has four tiles at the start. He puts one down, forming the words to and go , leaving him with EMJ . Then, right after saying the word clue , the Watch Man puts down the word reverse .”
A puzzled look from Adam.
“If you reverse the letters EMJ , it turns to into JME . Go to JME.”
“Like the movie studio?” he asked.
“Not just any movie studio,” Holland said. “Jericho Monroe Entertainment is the studio my father worked with. I think that’s where we’re supposed to go next. If my father buried something, I bet it’s there.”
Jericho Monroe Entertainment was the perfect place to hide something. The studio was so large, it had its own zip code. It also had a fire department, medical offices, and an athletic center that included a full basketball court, tennis court, and pickleball court.
“My friend Cat is an assistant for the head of the Storytelling Department. Just yesterday she said to give her a call if I wanted a costume for tonight’s party.”
“What party?” Adam looked slightly offended he wasn’t invited.
“The Hollywood Roosevelt’s Haunted Halloween Ball. My friends and I go every year. If we tell Cat we want costumes, she’ll get us on the lot. I just don’t know where to look once—”
Holland broke off as the door to the hotel room started to open.