The next morning a package arrived, but that’s not unusual since most of our shopping is online. I picked up the box and brought it inside without even looking at the address assuming it was another of my wife’s weekly purchases.
“Hey Hon, there’s a package for you.”
Stacy yelled from upstairs, “I didn’t order anything. Are you sure it’s for me?”
I flipped the box over and read the label. It was addressed to me, Ben Castle. I scratched my head. It could be something I ordered and forgot about. I’ve done that before and it always turned out to be a pleasant surprise.
Stacy walked in the room. “Is it for me?”
“No, it’s addressed to me.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know.”
“So, open it.” She started to tear the tape off the box.
“Wait, it could be a bomb!”
“A bomb.” Stacy ripped the box open. “You idiot.”
“Well, it’s too late now, the timer would be already triggered.”
Stacy reached in and started pulling out the contents. As it turned out it wasn’t a bomb but a puzzle of sort, but not the typical kind with pieces that fit together revealing a picture. It contained a book, a Magic 8-Ball, Where’s Waldo picture and ticket to an upcoming concert. There was no message and no instructions on what to do, but I couldn’t stop thinking about each and every piece. “What do you think all this means?”
“This must be the surprise the email mentioned.” Stacy picked up the Where’s Waldo picture. “There he is.” Pointing to Waldo.
“Great, you did it. You solved the riddle.” I laughed. “I’ll sleep well tonight.”
She held her fist up. “You’re such a jerk.” Stacy smiled. “I always loved these Waldo puzzles.”
“Seriously, I need to figure this out.” I rubbed my chin. “It’ll drive me crazy.”
“That’s a short trip.”
“Ha! Are you going to help me, or do I have to do it all myself?” I picked up the book, titled The Head Game and examined it.
“Well for starters why don’t you read the book. There might be some valuable information in it.” Stacy picked up the Waldo picture. “I already solved Waldo.”
Stacy’s suggestion to read the book seemed like a smart idea, so that night I sat in a comfy chair and turned page after page until the end. I ended up going to bed very late, about 1:30 in the morning.
I slept until 8:30. Stacy was frying eggs, when I walked into the kitchen.
“What did you discover from the book?”
I poured myself a cup of joe. “It was very interesting, but I’m not sure of the relevance. It was a motivational book.”
“Oh! A self-help book.” Stacy flipped an egg. “Yeah, it’s not like you need any help.”
I sipped my coffee. “Really . . . I’ve only got that one little problem. You know, the paranoia thing.”
“Yes, dear. I’m aware.” Stacy sipped her coffee. “The little thing that rules your life.”
“I think I’ve made some progress.”
“Oh, sweetie! You need to reread a few chapters.”
“Okay. Okay. But I don’t see how it relates to this scenario.”
She opened the book and spotted the initials, TG written inside the book cover. “I wonder what that means.
“It’s a used book. Who knows what it means. I’m sure it’s not related to anything.”
Stacy held up the Magic 8-Ball. “Let’s try to figure how this fits into the puzzle.”
I took the ball shook it and asked. ”Am I in danger?” Then I turned it over. It read, Signs point to yes. “Well, that can’t be good.”
Stacy grabbed the ball then jiggled it, “Is my husband an idiot?” It read, It is decidedly so. “Well, it got that one right.”
“Ha! You’re so funny.”
“I don’t think the ball is going to give you the answers.” She set the ball down. “It’s just one of the puzzle pieces. You must figure out how they relate to each other.”
I picked it up and asked. “My wife seems to know all the answers. Is she ever going to listen to me?” The response - Outlook not so good.
Stacy smiled and leaned in. “Let’s think about this logically. A stranger wouldn’t go through all this trouble. There has to be somebody who knows something about you.”
“Hmm! That makes sense, but who would do this? A practical joker?”
“Let’s look at each of the clues closely and see if they lead us anywhere. Start here.” Stacy picked up, Where’s Waldo? and handed it to me.
“Okay, we’ll brainstorm.” I grabbed a pencil and paper. “What are some things we know about Waldo.”
She said, “He wears a red and white striped shirt and a bobble hat.”
“Black glasses, big ears and goofy smile.” I shrugged. “So how does this help us. Everyone knows what Waldo looks like.”
“Then why is he so hard to find?”
“He hides in crowds. You have to channel your inner detective to find him.”
Stacy waved a hand. “Okay enough of Waldo, for now. Let’s look at another clue . . . the book.”
I shrugged. “As I said, the book was interesting but what clue does it provide?”
“Seems to me that it’s directly connected to you.”
The doorbell rang. Stacy looked at me. “Are you expecting anyone?”
“No, do you have another Amazon delivery?”
“No, maybe it’s another clue from your new BFF.” Stacy walked toward the door. “I’ll get it.” She opened the door and greeted Rocco and Twitch. “Please come in.”
I looked up as Twitch ran toward me. “Perfect timing.” I waved Rocco over. “You might be able to help with the puzzle we’re working on.”
The four items were already laid out on the floor. I held up the book. “This is the one we’re working on now, but I’ll accept your help on any of them.”
“I just stopped by to bring you some cilantro from my garden.” Rocco held a bunch in his hand. “But I’ll be happy to look at your puzzle.” He stared closely at each item.
I anxiously waited to hear what he had to say. “What do you think?”
“Well, these three,” he pointed to Waldo, the 8-Ball and Head Games. “Two are actual books and the third is written about in many books.”
“What about the concert tickets to an event called, Finding Yourself?
“I don’t know if there’s a book about finding yourself, but it relates to the book, Head Games, which is about motivation. In a way, it also relates to Waldo, because it’s as hard to find yourself as it is Waldo.”
“Whoa! That’s deep.” Stacy handed Rocco a cup of coffee. “We should have called you earlier.”
“Writers have a different way of looking at things. You look for the obvious, we look for the unexpected.” Rocco sipped the coffee. “What is this game we’re playing?”
“This is all the stuff Ben received from his stalkers?”
“I received an ominous email telling me that I was in danger. I guess this box of stuff is supposed to give me a clue on what the danger is.” I leaned back in my chair. “But, we can’t figure it out.”
Stacy added. “Yet. We can’t figure it out yet.”
“You need someone who has a special mental ability.” Rocco scratched Twitch’s head.
Stacy smiled. “Oh! You mean like a psychic? I know someone that could help us in that department.”
“Well, I agree . . . Claudia certainly is mental.”
“Come on. Stop it. Rocco has helped with the puzzle, but maybe Claudia could take us further.” She picked up her phone. “I’ll call her.”
“Really, is that necessary?”
Rocco stirred his coffee. “In all fairness Ben, you never know what someone with a different outlook can do for you.”
“I know, but__”
“Okay, Claudia will be over in ten minutes.” Stacy hung up the phone. “Can you stick around for awhile?”
Rocco lifted his cup for a refill. “I’ve got nothing going on all day.”
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