THE HALLOWEEN COSTUME CAPER, by Hal Charles
700 Words
THE HALLOWEEN COSTUME CAPER,
by Hal CharlesWhen Lilly Barton stepped backstage at the Municipal Auditorium, she was greeted by her best friend, Mildred, who was obviously upset.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” said the diminutive woman, straightening the rhinestone tiara that had slipped down over one eye.
“What’s wrong?” said Lilly. “I was just settling in out front when I got your call.”
“In about 10 minutes the judges will be calling us to the stage, and I can’t go on like this.”
Studying her friend’s satin gown, complete with lacy frills at the neck and sleeves, Lilly said with a smile, “You look lovely. I just know you’ll win again this year.”
“You don’t understand. What’s a fairy godmother without her wand?” Mildred’s shoulders slumped. “You know I live for the town’s Halloween charity costume competition. I work for weeks on my costume.”
“I think one of the reasons you always win is that you make your costumes instead of buying or renting them. The judges like that.”
“And this year I worked especially hard,” said Mildred, wiping a tear from her eye. “My wand was the pièce de résistance.”
“What happened to it?”
“Well,” said Mildred, regaining some of her composure, “the four finalists gathered in this room earlier tonight. Then we went to a buffet at the rear of the auditorium. I left my wand here so that I’d have two free hands. When we got back, the wand was missing from its case.”
“Could someone have entered the room and taken it?”
“The security officer said he locked the room after we all left and didn’t open it till we returned.”
“Sounds like one of your competitors must be responsible.” Suddenly, Lilly felt like she should be dressed in tweed to mimic Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple since she definitely had a locked room mystery on her hands.
“Is something wrong, dear?” came a voice from their left.
Lilly immediately recognized the figure in the form-fitting, black Lycra tights as Jessica Fleming, the contest’s runner-up the last two years.
“I don’t guess you’ve seen Mildred’s wand,” Lilly said, detecting a satisfied smile on Catwoman’s carefully whiskered face.
“Oh, no,” said Jessica. “I’ve been too busy rehearsing my award speech.” And with that she pranced off.
“I wish they’d get this show on the road so this Elvis could leave the building,” came a throaty male voice.
Lilly recognized another contest regular. From his pomaded pompadour to his lavishly sequined jumpsuit, Harry Grimes was obviously channeling the Vegas King rather than the Memphis version.
Stepping around a guitar case at his feet, Harry said, “I spent a fortune on this outfit, and poor Selma spent all last week running around town to put her Dorothy costume together. She had to order those ruby slippers online.”
Ignoring Harry, Lilly looked across the room to see a pigtailed Selma nervously clicking her slippers together, perhaps wishing she was in Kansas again.
“I might as well not even go on stage,” said Mildred.
“Now wait just a minute,” said Lilly. “Why did you call the wand your pièce de résistance?”
“I fitted the wand with an LED star on the tip that sparkled in changing colors. All I had to do was touch this button on my sleeve to turn it on.”
Lilly smiled. “I suggest you push the button. When the star lights up, we’ll find the wand.”
“Why didn’t I think of that?” said a suddenly energized Mildred, pushing the pearl button on her sleeve.
The two friends scanned the room. Nothing!
“Do you maybe have a Plan B?” said Mildred, once again deflated.
“Where was the wand when you left the room?”
“Over there,” said Mildred, pointing toward a card table to their right.
Lilly walked quickly to the table. Reaching down, she opened the slender carrying case then smiled as she rubbed her oily fingers together. “I believe I know the hound dog who took your wand.”
Solution
As soon as Lilly touched the case’s greasy latch, she knew Harry was the culprit. The pomaded Elvis had probably fingered his pompadour before grabbing the wand and secreting it in the empty guitar case so that the colorful lights couldn’t give away its location. He claimed he did it so that someone new could win the contest.
After completing her three-peat as champion, a gracious Mildred retired from the competition.
- Writer
