Like two robbers casing the perimeter of a bank, Kimberly and Lance moved down Main Street with purpose in their step. Unlike the thousands of guests excitedly moving toward various destinations within the Park, taking in all that Disneyland offered, these two were focused only on the few addresses that were written above some of the shop doors.

“I still can’t figure out why a street with so many buildings has so few addresses.”

Kimberly gave the arm she was holding a squeeze. “My, someone is anxious.”

“Yes, I am.” A big, contagious grin spread over his face. “You can’t fool me, either, Missy. I know you’re just as excited as I.… Hey, didn’t we go past this number already?”

“The Blue Ribbon Bakery is number 201—and, no, we don’t have time to get something to eat. We just had lunch a couple of hours ago….”

“I wasn’t going to….”

“Yes, you were.”

“Fine.” Lance gave a dramatic sigh as they turned to retrace their steps to the other address they had just seen. “Let me starve to death. You’ll miss me, you know.” He grinned to himself when she unconsciously gripped his arm tighter. “Here, look. The Crystal Arcade is number 107.”

“Well, we now know the building we’re looking for is between these two. Since the Bakery’s number starts with a two, our building has to be in the same block as the Arcade. There aren’t that many storefronts. Want to look for the sign in the window instead?”

Looking up at the windows that lined the second stories of the different buildings, Lance let out a ‘hmmph.’ “Didn’t think of that. I guess that’s why you make the big bucks.”

“Just keep reading, Brentwood.”

Many windows on Main Street had what looked like an advertisement painted on them. They were actually honors for the person or persons named—a thank you for years of service or dedication to Disneyland or to Walt Disney himself. The windows were presented to the honoree with much ceremony.

“And there we are. Look.” One of the brick buildings had four identical upper windows and Lance pointed out one of them only moments later. “Wow, you were actually right about why Walt had the word ‘WINDOW’ written in caps—it literally referred to a window. It all makes sense.” Hands on his hips, he nodded his head at the window he had found. “The window, the phrase, the coded address, like all of his clues, had a connected meaning.”

As Kimberly had anticipated, that part of Walt’s clue, ‘Caring and Giving Come from the Heart’ was printed in bold black letters, made more prominent by the lace curtain that backed the window. Beige and white striped awnings shaded not only the small upper windows, but also the large glass that allowed passers-by to look inside the brick building.

“That has to be the right shop, but I don’t see any address.” They were in front of the New Century Timepieces store, about halfway down Main Street and just past the Crystal Arcade.

“Well,” Lance told her in a low voice as they stood on the busy sidewalk, “If Walt is destined to see the results of his labor someday, it’s apropos that he would hide a clue in a watch shop.”

“But what about the other phrase, ‘Two WEDs are better than one’?” The first part of the clue, she felt, had been figured out, but this last part of the clue Walt had written baffled her.

“It looks like a play on words to me. Part of Walt’s original instructions was ‘Two heads are better than one’.” Lance used the diversion of their discussion to take Kimberly’s hand. “Since nearly every clue we’ve found had the letters WED pointing to the hidden location, we have to assume that there must be two sets of WED here somewhere. Well, hopefully here,” he indicated the shop with a tilt of his chin.

Kimberly thought about that for a moment and could only agree with Lance’s reasoning. “Then let’s see if we can find a pair of WEDs. Want to start out here?”

Lance and Kimberly went up the storefront’s window to carefully examine the edges of the frame, and even the pillars that held up the awnings shading the front door. The store sat on the corner of the small side street halfway down Main Street with two windows that faced Main Street and two that faced the small cul-de-sac. The Carnation Cafe with its outdoor tables shaded in the trademark red and white striped umbrellas was right next to them in the side street. Lance thought about the delicious croissant sandwiches they served and his stomach began to growl. Knowing Kimberly would veto that idea again now that they had just found their destination, he ignored the persistent rumblings.

Not knowing what they were looking for, the couple made sure they didn’t miss anything. Concentrated on finding the telltale WEDs, they ran their fingers along the window sills and ran their hands up and down the shop’s heavily painted outside walls. Curious, several guests stopped to watch them. It looked like they were either inspectors or two people who had somehow lost a contact lens they somehow expected to find attached to the wall or windows.

“Whatcha doing, mister?”

Lance’s head jerked in the direction of the question and looked down at a ten-year old boy. For the first time he had to consider what their actions probably looked like to the child—or anyone else walking by. “Uh, why, we’re Magic Kingdom Inspectors, young man.” Lance turned on his Official Security Guard voice. “We make sure that every inch of the Kingdom is magical for kids.”

The boy tilted his head with a look that said, ‘Do I look stupid?’ “Yeah, right.” The boy rolled his eyes before moving on with his older sister and parents.

“Well, Inspector, the kid really bought that line.” Kimberly was trying hard not to laugh.

“Hey, what can I say? I panicked.” Lance held his hands out to the side. “You know, I think that was the same kid who ratted on us in Marceline.” When he and Adam had followed the first clue, they ended up in Marceline, the town in which Walt grew up. He and Adam became paranoid when a similar young boy made it his business to see why the two men were digging around Walt’s Dreaming Tree. Lance turned back to the building. “Besides, imagine what it must look like we are doing.”

She glanced around at the few people who were still watching the ‘show’ they presented. “Very true,” she replied, turning red.

“Did you find anything yet?” Lance ignored the ones who were getting bored by the inaction of the ‘performers.’ Waiting them out, he knew they’d move on soon.

In reality, neither Lance nor Kimberly expected to find anything out in the open. Anything on the street eventually would have been seen by some of the tens of thousands of guests that passed by each day. Yet, both felt it was important to look over every inch of the store. They knew they had the right place…and they certainly didn’t want to miss Walt’s reference point.

“I haven’t found anything. I’d bet whatever Walt left behind would be inside and somewhere that’s not easy to find.” Kimberly voiced the same assumption Lance had made.

“I tend to agree with you.” Lance looked at the interior of the store through the open door. With one last glance at the nearby Carnation Café, he had to try. “Hey, before we go in, how about a snack first?”

“If we find the clue, I’ll take you to dinner afterward.” Kimberly took his arm and led him through the door.

“And if we don’t?”

“Then I guess you’re going to be a lot thinner.”

“Up until 1970, this building was the Upjohn drug store.” The cast member looked to be in his late fifties and wore a watch-maker’s apron. He stood behind a beautiful glass counter displaying watches of various makes. After a casual glance around the shop, Lance and Kimberly had approached him to see what they could learn about the shop.

“So, this watch store wasn’t here while Walt was alive?”

The man took off took off a pair of magnifying glasses he had perched on his balding head. A nametag identified him as Jeffery. Kimberly didn’t think he looked like a Jeffery.

“Oh, the building was here, but, no, it wasn’t a watch shop. As a matter of fact, my dad worked for Upjohn Pharmacy when Walt signed the company on to be the store’s sponsor.” Jeffery had a warm smile at the memory it evoked. “I was only about, oh, seven or so when my dad came to work at Disneyland. I thought that was the coolest thing in the whole world.”

“So you were here while Walt was alive?” Lance shot a side glance at Kimberly.

“Yep. In fact, I met him several times back then…although, to be honest, I don’t remember much about him.” Before he continued, Jeffery looked around the store to see if he was needed. A co-worker was arranging a display near the front entrance. There weren’t many customers browsing; it was early in the day and most guests were busy heading to various rides. The majority of shopping came later in the day or right before they left the Park.

Satisfied that he had some time, Jeffery continued. “I do have a lot of fond memories hanging out with my pop here, though. I used to sit on a big stool they had for the pharmacist who worked behind the counter over there,” pointing to the opposite wall where two glass counters now ran the length of the room from wall to wall. There was a three-foot gap between the counters so cast members could get through to open the display and withdraw items for guests.

“I’ll bet that was a kick.” Lance would have bet that a lot of kids who lived in the area dreamed about working at Disneyland.

“You guys from around here?” Jeffery asked.

“Actually, we both work here.” Kimberly pointed to herself. “I’m in Entertainment as a Character. Lance here is in Security.”

“Hey, that’s why you both look a little familiar.”

“Probably. Though, I’m usually in a brown wig as Belle.”

“And, even though it’s been a while, I’ve been on Fox Patrol on Main Street a number of times.”

Jeffery snapped his fingers. “That’s where I remember you. In fact, wasn’t it you about six months ago who caught a pick-pocket working Main Street? Wasn’t it the same guy who stole one of our expensive pocket watches right from this counter?”

“Yes. In fact, that was how we knew he was a pick-pocket. He had a dozen wallets on him when we searched him after I saw him lift the watch when you guys had your backs turned.”

Lance loved working Fox Patrol because he got to dress casually like a tourist. It was a nice change-of-pace from the usual security uniform, hat and hard shoes he normally wore for a regular shift.

“Hey, want to see some pictures of me with Walt?” Jeffery suddenly changed the subject, his voice light and excited, revealing how much it would mean to him.

“Wow, you actually have a picture of you with Walt?”

“A couple, actually. Dad would make a big deal whenever Walt walked into the store.”

“Those have to be treasured pictures.”

Lance had a sudden thought about what the man had just said. “Did Walt come in very often?”

“Actually, yes, he did.” Jeffery nodded as he thought back. “I remember my dad saying that Walt must have really liked the store because he dropped in so often…more than the other shops, I think.”

“Really?” Lance let that information sink in. “You have that picture here? Of you and Walt?”

“Sure, I’ve got a copy here and the original at home. I work here full time. Been here for almost twenty-five years,” Jeffery told them proudly before he turned to his co-worker. “Hey, Grant, I’m going in the back for a second.”

Grant, younger than Jeffery, but with even less hair, nodded. “I got it covered. Kinda slow right now.”

“Thanks.” He signaled for Lance and Kimberly to follow him through a door in the back of the room.

“Here’s one of them.” Jeffery proudly pulled a thin-framed eight-by-ten black-and-white picture from the wall above a cluttered desk. “That’s my dad.” The man, a spitting-image of Jeffrey, stood on one side of a tall stool on which a young Jeffery was sitting. Walt was on the other side with his arm around the young boy. Hunched over so his head was about the same height as Jeffery’s, Walt flashed his trademark smile.

Mounted on the wall above and behind the boy was an old-time telephone with its crank on one side and the receiver connected by a black cord on the other. Lance remembered seeing phones just like it over in the General Store across Main Street.

“Wasn’t there a phone or two like that over in the General Store?” Lance pointed at the wooden, rectangular box in the background of the picture.

Jeffery gave a little chuckle. “You remember those, too? Yeah, there are a couple of them still there. There used to be a couple others, this one here….” He stopped and paused. “Oh yeah, there was another one in the Magic Shop.”

Lance smiled at the joint memory. Kimberly had no idea what either man was talking about.

“What? Were they actual phones to call out on?”

“No, no. Not at all. The phones had a recording of an old-fashioned party-line where an operator would come on and interrupt a conversation. The others on the line would talk over each other, you know, like arguing about the price of eggs or which girl was seeing which boy,” Lance explained, turning to Kimberly. “It was part of the atmosphere of the buildings they were in.”

“Probably just like in the twenties in Marceline, where Walt grew up.”

Kimberly nodded, having heard about party-lines from her grandmother who grew up in rural Iowa as a little girl.

“Walt used to love to walk over and pretend he was talking on the phone,” the cast member smiled. “He even carved his initials in that phone saying, ‘This is my special phone when I need to get information’.” Jeffery chuckled. “Only the Boss could get away with carving up anything!”

Suddenly, Lance and Kimberly felt the hair on their arms stand straight up.

“His initials…as in W. E. D.?” Lance slowly spelled out the letters.

“Yeah. On the side of the box.” Jeffery pointed to the phone. “They were carved, I think, right under a keyhole, if I remember right, which I think I do,” he winked at Kimberly.

Lance looked over at Kimberly. Together they lipped the words, ‘The key.’

“And….where might that phone be today?” Lance tried to keep the excitement out of his voice, choosing his words carefully.

“Funny you should ask. My dad was told that phone was never to be removed.” Jeffery turned to put the picture back on the wall. “However, because the theme of the building changed when it went from a drug store to a watch shop…,” Jeffery waved an arm around, indicating what the store was now, “the phone was removed.”

“What?!” Kimberly almost shouted, sounding much more dismayed than she should over a seemingly normal, routine occurrence at the Park. Jeffery gave her a funny look.

“What Kimberly means,” Lance countered smoothly, “is that we’re looking for historical changes that have been made since Walt…um, died.”

“Ah! So, you guys are working on something historical pertaining to Walt?” Jeffery perked up once he got the sense of their interest.

Lance nodded, glad the man had skipped over her inappropriate response. “Yes. Actually, we are co-authoring a book on Disney,” he came up with at that moment. “More specifically, on everything that’s changed since Walt passed away.” Kimberly looked relieved when Lance covered for her and just let him keep talking. “So, naturally, we’re upset the phone was taken away.”

“Oh, I didn’t say it was taken away,” Jeffery corrected Lance. “I just said it was removed. Removed from inside the guest area.… I guess I should have mentioned that.”

A renewed sense of hope was mirrored in Lance’s and Kimberly’s eyes.

“Sounds like you both would really enjoy seeing that old phone.” They nodded in unison. “Well, right this way then.” Jeffery led the two deeper into the narrow office. “By the way, what’d you say your names were?” He took out a small ring of keys out of his apron pocket.

“Oh, sorry. We didn’t introduce ourselves. I’m Lance, and this is my friend, Kimberly.”

“Good to meet you, good to meet you both. I’ve always been interested in all things Walt.” Jeffery suddenly added, “Hey, maybe you can mention me in your book.”

“Absolutely!” Lance replied immediately.

“All right, then.” Pleased with his perceived inclusion, Jeffery smiled as he opened a door near the back of the office.

“This is just a storage area for the displays.” Jeffery sounded apologetic as he opened the door into the cluttered, unadorned room. Above the door was a chain that clicked on the overhead light, illuminating a tiny six-by-six closet. “We don’t keep anything of value in here.” A few boxes labeled with various manufacturers sat stacked along the back and right side walls. On the left side, attached to the wall, was the old crank phone they had seen in the picture with young Jeffery.

“Of course, I guess you could say that the phone is valuable,” Jeffery amended, a little nostalgic in his voice.

Lance and Kimberly looked at the phone with a different kind of awe. “You say that this is the same phone that was in the picture?” Lance wanted to make sure.

“Sure is. And look here.” Jeffery pointed to the bottom edge of the phone. In deeply-cut letters, Kimberly and Lance found what they had been looking for: three very meaningful letters.

W E D

“Do you know when Walt might have engraved those letters?” Kimberly ran her fingers across the quarter-inch deep letters. The carving was somewhat worn because of time and oxidation of the wood. And, because of their location, the letters were nearly invisible to anyone not knowing or caring to look for them.

“I remember Dad mentioned something about the letters not too long before Walt passed away.”

Lance couldn’t believe the phone was still there. “I’m surprised the phone had never been taken by some cast member over the years.” He knew some of the seasoned employees would take little things from the rides they worked when they quit…little souvenirs of the Park. Some would become treasured mementos within their family; others would instantly be listed on some online auction to be sold to the highest bidder. He thought about the two canoe paddles Wolf had smuggled out for him and smiled. He had them mounted on the wall over his television just like a fishing trophy.

“I know what you mean, but look back here.” Jeffery stepped into the small closet with Lance and Kimberly right behind him. On the sides and top of the telephone were heavy brass brackets, presumably screwed into the wall studs with long screws. However, the top of each screw had been filed flat, leaving no means for removal. “As you can see, someone made sure the phone couldn’t be removed.”

Lance looked at Kimberly who mouthed a single word: ‘Dad.’

She moved back as far as she could to allow Lance more space to examine the phone. He picked up the earpiece connected to a black, braided cord leading to the side of the phone. He held it to his ear, half expecting to hear Walt Disney’s voice come booming through the black speaker telling him something like, “Congratulations! You found my phone and your next clue!” However, only silence greeted his ear.

“Yeah, it never got plugged back in, I guess.” Jeffrey thought Lance must have wanted to hear the old party-line conversations that they had just discussed.

Lance smiled and let him think what he wanted.

As Lance was replacing the earpiece, a voice called out. “Hey, Jeff, can you give me a hand out here?” Grant sounded stressed.

“Sure, be right there.”

Lance had to think quickly. “Is it all right if we stay for a moment and take a couple pictures of the phone? They’d make a great addition to our book.”

“Sure. No problem.” Jeffery slowly squeezed past Kimberly. It seemed to take him a long time to get by her. “I’ll be out in front. Just come on out when you’re done and I’ll lock up.”

“Okay, thanks.” Kimberly forced a sweet smile onto her face, telling herself not to make a scene. “We’d like to get a picture of you in front of the store, too, if that’s okay?”

“Sure. I’d love to do that.”

Jeffery headed back out in front. Before he was even gone, Lance was holding the key that Walt had left. When he had first spotted the keyhole on the side of the box and felt the size of the key in his pocket, it looked just right to him. But, it wasn’t until they were finally alone that he could try it out. He was about to fit it into the keyhole when Kimberly interrupted him.

“Wait. Let me have your camera first.” Kimberly held out her hand to Lance.

The hand holding the key dropped a few inches. “What camera?”

“The one you were going use to take pictures.”

Lance looked momentarily confused. “I didn’t bring a camera. Why would I bring a camera?”

“But you just told….”

Lance gave her a broad grin and turned back to the old-fashioned telephone.

“Next time fill me in on the details ahead of time, okay?” Her attention reverted to what Lance was doing, her heart rate speeding up. “Think this is it?”

“Gotta be,” Lance muttered, trying to push the key into the slot. At first it didn’t go in at all. “Ah, come on, Walt. Quit teasing us.” Then he turned the key upside down and it slid easily into the keyhole. Once turned, there was an audible click from inside the phone. A hinged door suddenly fell open along the bottom. This little door became the flat, imperceptible bottom of the phone box when it was closed. Attached to the flap was a leather pouch neatly nailed to the inside of the door.

Smiling at the discovery, Lance looked up at Kimberly for a moment.

“Hurry, Lance!” Kimberly whispered, gesturing with her hands. “We’re only supposed to be taking pictures.”

He nodded and reached into the pouch. Inside was a small, folded envelope. Not taking time to open it, he stashed it inside his pants pocket and then bent down to look further inside the opening. “Nope, nothing else. Wait a minute.” Reaching up inside the phone, Lance pulled out a strand of loose wires. “Look at this.” The wires had been cut. They had probably run some recording device that played the party-line conversations. He felt around again and found nothing out of the ordinary. No cels, no capsules, no plastic boxes.

Pushing the wires back in place, he shut the door and turned the key. The locking mechanism shut with a deep clicking sound. Lance momentarily marveled at the seamless joint where the door met the edges of the phone box. In the next moment, Jeffery walked back in.

Standing up, Lance acted like he had been inspecting the detail of the phone. Luckily the keyhole was on the side away from where Jeffery was standing.

“Get the shots you needed?”

“Shots? Oh, uhm, yeah, thanks. Oh, wow, this is so cool!” Lance started to gush to pull the attention away from his non-existent camera as he ran his hand along the edge of the phone. Kimberly watched out of the corner of her eye as his fingers grasped the key still in the keyhole and pulled it out in one deft move. At the same time, Lance used a little diversion. “You know, you’re just the man to ask. What’s this keyhole for?”

As he moved to the side, Jeffery turned to the phone. Lance took that moment to drop the key into his pocket.

“Oh that. No one knows. We assumed it must be to work on the insides of the phone…some sort of release for the front panel, I suppose.” Jeffery scratched his head after running his finger over the brass. “The box feels so dang solid, though. I know a few of us tried to pick the lock a long time ago,” he admitted with a self-conscious chuckle. “Now don’t go adding that to your book! But, anyway, since the old phone isn’t even plugged in any more, I doubt it’s even worth the effort to try and figure out where the key might be…if it even exists anymore.”

Lance gave a knowing grin to Kimberly before patting Jeffery on the shoulder. “Hey, what’s your last name…you know, for the book?” He let Kimberly lead the way out of the room. He knew Jeffery would most likely be admiring her charming figure from the back as they walked out of the office.

“Oh, its Winchester…you know, like the rifle.”

“No relationship, huh?”

“Ha.… No, Dad was into pills not bullets, I’m afraid.”

On a sudden impulse, Kimberly took Lance’s arm. “Oh, no, Lance. We’re late to meet with the guy from the Disney Archives.”

“Oh gosh, you’re right, Kimberly.” Lance pretended to look at his watch. “Sorry, but we gotta run, Jeffery. Thanks for showing us the picture of you and Walt. That’s a keeper. We need to run over to Administration and meet that guy, uh…Smythe, right, Kimberly?”

“Yeah, that was his name. Nice meeting you.” She shook Jeffery’s hand as they backed toward the door.

“You, too.” Totally smitten by Kimberly and hating to see her leave, he gave a silent sigh. If I were just twenty years younger.... He then looked at Lance again. I still wouldn’t have a chance.

Lance tugged at her hand as he went out the door. Through the window, Jeffery watched as they gave him a wave and then dashed up Main Street toward the cast members’ entrance in Tomorrowland.

Going back behind the counter, Jeffery took out a soft cloth from his apron and started wiping the clean counters. Suddenly he remembered something:

“Dang, those guys forgot to take my picture.”

“What does it say?!” Kimberly begged as they sat down on a shaded bench around the corner from Star Tours. Further back in this area were restrooms and a first aid station. When they first left the Timepieces shop, Lance had planned on heading to the Central Plaza at the north end of Main Street. This hub was home to beautifully manicured trees, flower gardens and shrubs, and bronze sculptures of various Disney characters sitting on identical beige pillars. In the middle, appropriately staged on a large, four-foot-high pedestal was a nearly life-size bronze sculpture of Walt Disney holding hands with his most famous character, Mickey Mouse. Benches lined the inside planters facing this statue, but, as Lance knew, this section was extremely popular for guests to sit and relax or to take pictures of Walt with the elegant Sleeping Beauty Castle as the backdrop. It was too popular an area for what Lance and Kimberly needed to do. In choosing their current location, Lance thought it was symbolic that they reveal the next clue at least nearby Walt’s bronze gaze.

Seeing her eagerness, he gave a hidden smile as he ever so slowly pulled the old envelope from his pocket. “Curious, huh?” His tease was rewarded with a playful slap on the shoulder.

“Okay, okay.” Turning the envelope over, there was nothing written on either side. He could feel something besides just paper inside. “Feels like another key,” Lance told her as he worked loose the seal on the back of the envelope. Since the glue was so old, it parted easily. He stopped and held the envelope out to his partner. “I’d like you to do the honors.”

“Me?” It took Kimberly all of two seconds before she grabbed the opened envelope from Lance. “Oh my gosh. I can’t believe how fast my heart is pounding.”

He could understand what she was feeling. Even though he had been through it so many times, he marveled at his own relative calm.

With careful delicacy, she slid out a folded piece of paper. Reaching back in, she found a bright brass key, somewhat larger than the key Lance had just used and obviously made for a more sophisticated lock. Handing Lance the key, Kimberly opened the note as she leaned in closer to Lance, and, in a low, soft voice, began to read out loud:

“If you have found this final clue and key, then I know you have done several things to make you worthy of what you will discover next.

“First off, you must have chosen your friends wisely. I could never have been as successful as I was without my brother Roy, or all the individuals who contributed to my dreams and visions. It is highly unlikely you were able to have successfully followed all my clues without a partner or two of your own.

“Second, I know that you have been persistent. I always said, ‘Keep moving forward’; even during all my setbacks I knew that the end would not only justify the means, but it would validate my beliefs. I’m sure many of the quests I sent you on tested your resolve as well as your ability to think on your feet.

“Finally, I know that you have a deep interest in my life’s work…as well as my life in general, or else you wouldn’t have made all the effort to have gotten this far. The reason I threw in a few distant places was to test your desire, your will, to follow through come what may. Only someone who truly wanted to discover my legacy would have the will to follow all the clues I placed along your journey. Congratulations to you! I hope you will not be disappointed in what I have bestowed upon you and what it entails.

“I’m dying; at least that’s what my doctor says. But, since you have found my ‘other’ treasure, then you know what I put into place before death took away my final breath.

“This last clue is important—well, they all were! Ha ha. However, the final place I want you to go is very important to me, as you will soon find out. And, if you are where I think you should be after finding this here envelope and key, then I can tell you that you are very, very close. Pull up a chair and use this key to open the door that was only open for six months on Main Street. In fact, you don’t have to be a Wizard to know which door this might be. It isn’t hidden. In fact, like almost everything else was, it is in plain sight.

“Find the door. Use the key. See your future in the heart. I saw mine!”

While Kimberly had been reading, Lance had followed along over her shoulder. Once she finished, he settled back on the bench, staring intently at the sculpture of Walt and Mickey over in the Hub. Turning the key over and over in his fingers, he had a conscious realization that the last fingers to have touched this key were probably Walt’s.

“So, it sounds like we are close?” Lance’s gaze shifted back to Kimberly.

Excited and, at the same time, intrigued by the fact that they must be close to whatever final treasure Walt had alluded to, Kimberly’s gaze was unfocused as the Omnibus pulled up nearby, allowing a dozen passengers to disembark. “I guess so.” She sounded distracted as her voice trailed off in thought. “What do you think he meant, ‘See your future in the heart’?”

“I don’t know. Could be anything. Maybe he’s got some sort of crystal ball hidden away, one in the shape of a heart.”

“We found a lot of hearts in this search. Or maybe it’s a figurative statement, like ‘trust your heart’ or ‘follow your heart’,” Kimberly reasoned.

“Well, that makes a lot more sense than my crystal ball theory.” Lance grinned at the serious look on her face. “I guess we won’t know until we find out where this key fits,” Lance said as he held the key up between his fingertips.

A smile transformed her face. “Let’s go find Walt’s door.”

“I think the best place to start is at the beginning of Main Street…and then work our way up to the Hub.” They stood up from the bench after the envelope and key were carefully placed deep in his pocket.

It was already well past midday and a large number of guests were still entering the Park, dispersing from Main Street like a colorful mass of ants leaving the small opening of an ant hill.

“Let’s avoid the crowd on Main Street by going backstage, Lance.”

“Great idea.” They both knew how hard it was to move against the flow of so many people. “We can come out next to the Main Street Bank and work our way back up to here.”

Hand in hand, the couple moved toward the cast members’ entrance next to the First Aid station. Beyond their door was the Inn Between Restaurant where they had eaten before spending the night in the Treehouse. As they walked past the restaurant, Lance squeezed her hand. “Seems like a lifetime ago since we met and then slept with Tarzan….” Lance trailed off, thinking about all that they had experienced together in the last four weeks.

Lost in her own thoughts, Kimberly remained silent and gave his hand a light squeeze.

Veering to the right after they passed the restaurant, they came to a large parking area with most of the spaces reserved for those who worked in the Administration offices to their left. Following a walkway that paralleled Main Street, the backs of the various Main Street shops were to their right.

“I wonder what we’re going to find.” Kimberly’s statement was actually more rhetorical than actually expecting Lance to answer.

“I wonder what effect all this will have on our future, if any.” Lance answered with his own rhetoric.

“Well, I do know that my life has already been changed drastically over the past few weeks.” They reached a canopied break area where several costumed cast members were eating lunch and talking with fellow employees.

Looking at his companion, Lance thought she probably meant her losing her dad, dealing with firing Daniel, and all. But he hoped, in there somewhere, she was relating to their relationship, too.

As if reading his mind, she tugged on his hand and pulled him to a stop. “I’m talking about us, Lance.”

Looking deeply into her eyes, he had a serious, sincere look on his face. “I hoped I figured in your life, somehow.”

She smiled. “I know it’s only been a month…and certainly we were brought together under some very extreme conditions.” Kimberly shrugged her shoulders. “But, you know? I honestly feel like I’ve known you a long time.”

“You do? Me, too. But, there’s still a great deal we don’t know about each other,” Lance added, touched by her words.

“Yes.” She slowly drew out the ‘s’ on the word as she tried to put her feelings into words. “You know that feeling you get when you’re looking forward to something? I remember looking forward to that first cruise with my dad.” Kimberly broke off and smiled at the memory. “I had no idea what to expect or what I would be doing or what I would be seeing. But, mostly I was excited because I was going somewhere with my dad and I knew that the trip with him would be an adventure. And it was, in more ways than one.”

Lance smiled as he recalled his trips with Adam and Beth.

But she wasn’t finished. Shyly reaching out, she took both his hands in hers. “Well, I feel like that now—with you.”

Looking down at their entwined fingers, he felt an electricity that seemed to pass between them every time they touched. “I want that adventure, too.” Lance pulled her into his arms and felt a desire build as they kissed.

Across the way, seated under the break area canopy, a couple of security guards watched them and whistled.

With a groan, the couple reluctantly ended their kiss. Turning red, Kimberly buried her face in Lance’s chest.

“You guys are just jealous.” Lance took Kimberly’s hand and gave a tug. He led her to the long, narrow passage that went to the cast members’ entryway near the Main Gate. The two security guards, obviously friends of Lance, again whistled at him as they vanished from sight. Both men were indeed quite jealous.

“Okay, so right or left?” Lance and Kimberly hadn’t exited the Park, but emerged onto Main Street’s Town Square. Before they could decide, Lance halted her. “Hold on a sec. Let’s go over here for a minute.” He led her over to the brass, engraved plate at the base of the tall, silver flagpole. Paying his respects, he looked at the words that were etched there for all time: The Opening Day speech that Walt Disney had given when he opened the Park on July 17th, 1955.

“I always get goose bumps when I read those words,” Kimberly admitted, looking down at the plaque that was surrounded by beautifully manicured flower beds.

“You should have seen Adam and me when we first found Walt’s diary.” Lance grinned at the memory. “Walt had written out that part of the speech on the first page.”

Kimberly was lost in her own thoughts. “Doesn’t this all seem a little surreal?” Looking up from the plaque, she gazed down Main Street to the Castle and then back to Lance. “Honestly, don’t you ever step back and wonder if this is all some kind of a dream?”

Lance took her hand. “If it is a dream, I honestly don’t ever want to wake up.”

Blushing at his words and the look he was giving her, she whispered, “Me neither.”

They decided to cover the right side of Main Street first, walking slowly along the sidewalk that fronted the shops. First was the beautiful white and gold Opera House where the Disney Story played daily. There was no locked door to be found, in plain sight or otherwise. Almost all of the doors on Main Street were entrances to the various shops.

“I can’t imagine a door leading to some…chamber, or whatever, existing here on Main Street without someone knowing about it.” Lance paused as they passed the Magic Shoppe. Five steps led up to a closed door next to the Shoppe, but they could see books and souvenirs through the windows. The huge, brightly colored marquee of the Main Street Cinema was next, now showing Steamboat Willie, the first animated cartoon with sound. Two more quaint shops followed as they continued down the street. To passersby, it looked as though they were doing some serious window shopping, which, under different circumstances, they would have been doing.

Their steps paused as they walked under the blue awning of the Disneyana shop. There was a flight of stairs between the Disneyana shop and the store whose banner proclaimed ‘Canned Goods’ and ‘Spices.’ “Lance,” Kimberly whispered, “There’s a door up there! Go try the key.”

Positioning her in front of the stairs, Lance stood behind her on the first step. Not seeing any attention thrown their way, he took another tentative step up. Kimberly turned to look into the window, moving any attention away from the stairs. Now out of sight, Lance hurried up the stairs. Whether it was turned up or down, the key didn’t fit the locked door he found at the top. In fact, the door and the lock both looked as if they were used with some regularity. The lock was clean and had signs of lubrication; the hinges didn’t have the look of forty years of disuse. A little disappointed, Lance moved down the stairs and returned to street level.

“Nope,” was his brief answer to her inquisitive, eager eyes.

While Kimberly displayed a subtle look of disappointment, something had already told her this was not the door. After putting her arm in Lance’s, she led the way back up Main Street. “Then, let’s continue.”

A few more shops brought them to the first corner and the large Market House that had proudly occupied that spot since Opening Day. It was in here that the working party-line telephones still entertained the guests. Next to a beautiful, intricately-detailed potbellied stove was an old-fashioned checkerboard on top of a cracker barrel, two wooden chairs patiently waiting for the next two players.

Crossing the small side street that led to the daily-use lockers, the large, curved entrance to the Disney Clothiers, Ltd. greeted them. A popular place for the singing group The Dapper Dans to stand and entertain the guests, the wide doors now framed customers who went in and out. What looked like another storefront turned out to be another entrance into the popular clothing store.

The next building used to be the home of a greeting card store, but had no outstanding features to make them pause.

The sparkling window display of the Crystal Arts shop dazzled their eyes as they hesitated to admire the goods. Hand-blown glass figurines, faceted crystal, and imported glass from different countries all vied for attention. “See anything you like?” Lance noticed Kimberly had come to a full stop.

“I’m sorry. I got distracted.” Misunderstanding, she thought he was intent on continuing their search.

“No, it’s all right. They have some beautiful things in here. Did you see that huge blue Chech vase up in the corner?” he pointed. Eighteen inches tall, rimmed in gold, the vase was adorned with handcrafted porcelain flowers and leaves, and twisting veins of twenty-four karat gold wound around the flowers. It was stunning.

“Wow, that is beautiful. It looks like they have a lot of matching pieces, too. Didn’t they used to have a glassblower in here?”

Lance nodded. “I never saw him, but I heard that it was pretty fascinating to watch him create a castle out of melted threads of glass.”

Next was the narrow, three-story-tall Silhouette Studio. Small black examples of their work sat in oval frames in the one window of the shop. Inside, the artist was hard at work.

Lance was about to ask her if she wanted her likeness made for posterity, when her clasp on his arm tightened. “Lance?” She sounded distracted, far away.

“What?” He was still watching the makings of a child’s face appear on a screen inside the little studio.

“What did the clue say about chairs?”

Concerned by her abstract voice, he turned from the shop. “What?”

“The clue…what did it say about chairs? I can’t remember.”

Lance recited from memory: “It said ’Pull up a chair and use this key to open the door that was only open for six months on Main Street. In fact, you don’t have to be a Wizard to know which door this might be. It isn’t hidden. In fact, like almost everything else was, it is in plain sight.’ Why do you ask? You want to look at it again?” He was getting concerned as she had gone pale.

She pointed at the next storefront. “Chairs.”

Next, up a short flight of three steps, was an inviting railed porch that had three wooden chairs bolted to the deck. Shaded by a filigreed balcony overhead, it was a pleasant, restful place to take a break and watch the crowds as they walked up and down Main Street. In fact, two guests were doing just that as Kimberly and Lance stood staring at the porch. There was no sign over the door, no address. Two windows and the pane of glass in the door were all backed by a white lacy panel that effectively blocked whatever was inside the little building.

“Do you think this is where he meant?”

Lance looked up the street. There were only a couple more shops before the end building which was the large Photo Supply Company. They would have to start down the west side of Main Street, but, from their efforts to locate the Timepieces shop, he knew there were no chairs on that side of the street. His heart started to beat a little faster. “I think you’re right.”

“What do you think we should do? There’re people here,” she whispered with a tilt of her head.

Lance grinned. “Yeah, they’re everywhere. I wonder why?”

That broke her out of her serious, whispering mode. “Ok, ok, I get it. What do you want to do?”

“I don’t suppose you could pull off a dead faint, have me carry you up the steps and ask them to run and fetch help?”

She just looked at him. “I do hope you’re joking.”

“Yeah, you do look really heavy.” He said it kiddingly, but should have known better. “No, no, don’t hurt me!” His hands went up in mock surrender. “There was another part of the clue, the part about the Wizard. Do you think we should first find out what that means?”

Kimberly looked across the street and down a block to where the New Century Timepieces shop was. “We could go ask Jeffery. I’d bet he’d know.”

“Yeah, but, he’s probably still waiting for us to take his picture.”

She made a face. “True, that won’t work. I know. How about if we pick a fight and make it so uncomfortable the people on the porch will leave?”

Lance gave a laugh. “I don’t think I could make an argument with you look convincing. I’d rather kiss you than argue with you.”

“Well, maybe if we did that long enough they would get uncomfortable enough to leave.”

He raised one eyebrow. “Is that an offer, Ms. Waldron?”

She cleared her throat to cover her embarrassment. She should’ve known he would jump on that idea. Funny, she found herself thinking she wouldn’t mind it too much, either. Instead, Kimberly had another suggestion. “Why don’t you take me to eat and we’ll talk about our various options.”

“If you insist. Dinner does sound great right now.” Lance took her arm in his and started walking toward Adventureland. Lance thought the Blue Bayou would be an ideal restaurant to take Kimberly.

“Where are you taking me? Club 33?”

Lance whistled. “I wish. I’m not a member. I was heading for the Blue Bayou. Their jambalaya is really good.”

Smiling to herself, Kimberly let Lance lead the way into New Orleans Square. When they approached the busy entrance of the popular restaurant, she motioned for him to give her a moment. Thinking she needed to use the Ladies Room, he stepped back across the street next to the artists who were drawing caricatures. Instead, she went to the small door right next to the Blue Bayou’s entrance. Surprised, he watched as she pushed an intercom button located under a brass cover plate. Opposite the brass plate was an oval mirror framed in bronze. The mirror had the number 33 beautifully etched in frosted emerald green and white. There was a small speaker above the button with a card slot that looked like the kind that opened a hotel room.

“You sly devil.” Lance grinned as he walked up to Kimberly. It had just dawned on him that of course she and her father would have access to the most exclusive dinner club in the west. “I should have known.” A voice coming through the speaker cut him off.

“Waldron, Kimberly. Number 9865,” Kimberly spoke into the intercom.

After a brief moment, the voice in the speaker came back. “Welcome back, Miss Waldron. Please come through.” A buzz was followed by an audible ‘click’ as the pale green door opened automatically in front of them.

Kimberly smiled at Lance. It was one of the rare times in their short relationship that she was able to one-up Lance.

Behind them, Disneyland guests craned their necks to try and see inside that mysterious door as Lance and Kimberly walked inside. While many people had never heard of the famous Club 33, there were those who did know and stood there gawking at who they imagined where probably celebrities or possibly wealthy executives entering the restaurant.

“This is so cool,” Lance told her as the door shut behind him. “I haven’t been here in years.” They were now in a small foyer with polished cherry wood walls and large, inlayed mirrors on one side and expensive crushed velvet wallpaper in a deep burgundy that nearly matched the woodwork on the other wall. The centerpiece of the lobby was an elegant antique English elevator that sat with its door open just ahead of them; its matching cherry wood walls were accented with black wire mesh so people could see in or out as they rose to the next floor. The reception desk was to their immediate right as they stood in the center of the black and white marble tile floor. A carpeted stairway wrapped around the elevator shaft and featured gold-framed pictures depicting the early Jazz era that grew out of New Orleans.

“Good afternoon, Miss Waldron.” The hostess who greeted them wore a conservative, black French-maid costume.

“Hello,” Kimberly smiled. “I know I don’t have a reservation, but I wondered if there would be an opening for two of us for dinner.”

“Absolutely.” The hostess didn’t even look at her reservation book. Lance felt a sense of certainty that if Kimberly—or her father before her—wanted to eat at the Club, they would not be refused.

The tuxedoed maître d’ hurried down the stairs. “Robert, could you show Miss Waldron and her guest to the Disney Room, please?”

“Of course, Cynthia.” Robert turned to the couple and asked, “Would you prefer the lift or the stairs?”

Kimberly looked at Lance, already knowing what his choice would be.

“Oh, by all means, let’s ride.” Lance had a delighted grin on his face—one that would stay through the course of their meal.

Once Lance had raided the elaborate dessert table for the third time, it appeared he was finally full and content. Kimberly watched as the last bite of the crème Brule disappeared into his smiling mouth.

“Where do you put all that?” she marveled. “If I ate that much I’d be as big as a horse.”

Sitting back in his seat, he gave a contented sigh as he patted his flat stomach. “I don’t know. I’ve always had a healthy appetite. Thanks for a great dinner, by the way. This was a wonderful surprise.”

Their server, Russell, discreetly placed a leather-bound check on the edge of the table between them. Kimberly shook her head as Lance reached for it. Signing her name, she handed it back to the server. Expecting a credit card, Russell was going to say something, but glanced at the name on the bill. Not having served her before he hadn’t recognized the face, but he certainly recognized the name. A knowing smile crossed his face. “A pleasure having you here, Ms. Waldron. Come back any time.”

“Thank you, Russell. The Lobster Bisque was wonderful. Would you please give our compliments to the chef?”

“I’d be happy to. Anything else I can get for you? After-dinner aperitif? Another cocktail?”

“No, no, that’s fine.” Kimberly was going to let him go, but had him wait a moment. “Russell, how long have you been working here?”

Wondering if he did something wrong, the server hesitated, quickly thinking back on the dinner he had just served. “Umm, five, six years.”

Not seeing his discomfort, Kimberly continued. “We were wondering if you knew much about the history of the Park. I know you’re well-versed in the history of Club 33,” as Russell nodded, “but what about Main Street, for instance. Was there a store that used a wizard as a decoration, or in the name?”

Once he realized he wasn’t in trouble, Russell relaxed, leaning against the chair at the empty table next to theirs. “A wizard, you say? No, I can’t think of anything except the Magic Shoppe, but I don’t think they had a wizard in there…. You know who might know?” he said with a snap of his fingers, “Robert, the maître d’. I think he and God went to school together. He’s been here forever. Want me to ask?”

“Would you, please?” Kimberly turned on her brightest smile. She hadn’t been hanging around Lance so long and not learned anything. “Is Robert still here?”

“Yeah, yeah, you stay here and enjoy the view. I’ll go ask. He’s back in the lobby.” Russell reached into his pocket. “Here, have a pen!” As he rushed off, Russell dropped one of the popular souvenirs from the exclusive restaurant on the table. It was a black pen with the famous gold crest and 33 on it.

With a grin, Lance pocketed the pen. “Good thinking,” he remarked. “I was going to ask him, too, but he seemed too young.”

Before Kimberly could reply, the server was back. “The Wonderful Wizard of Bras,” he declared with a wide smile.

“Excuse me?”

With a quick laugh, Russell explained what he meant. “Yeah, that’s what I said at first, too. But Robert said there used to be a store on Main Street called The Wonderful Wizard of Bras. It was only open for about five or six months. It actually was an intimate apparel store that featured, of all things, bras; hence the name.” With a self-conscious grin, he didn’t look at Kimberly at the mention of bras. “Once that store closed, it was never used for anything else. He says that if you want to see the storefront, look for the porch and chairs. That’s where it was.”

Russell assumed the silence meant the couple was mulling over the information. In actuality, they were both stunned when they realized they had indeed solved Walt’s clue.

Lance recovered first. “Nothing is there anymore?”

“Nope. In fact, the area behind the window now is a small break area with lockers for the cast members.”

This information was a disappointment for Lance and Kimberly. If a break area had been built behind the façade of that storefront, then there was a chance whatever may have been hidden there had been long since removed.

Russell sensed some bit of dissatisfaction with his answer. “Is anything wrong, Miss Waldron?” He was confused by their sudden change in expressions.

“Oh, no, Russell.” Kimberly became aware that she and Lance must appear ungrateful for the information he had so helpfully provided.

The server was more than a little pleased when the lovely blond got up from her chair to give him a hug. “Thank you so much for a lovely dinner and the interesting information about the store”

“Uh, you’re welcome.” Russell was a little unsure whether he should hug her back…especially with her date sitting right there. He did the next best thing and gave Kimberly a one-arm hug, then added with a big grin, “Anything else I can do? Really?”

She smiled sweetly back, noting the slight pink color in his face. “No, thank you so much. We really need to get going, though.”

Lance now stood to shake Russell’s hand. “You’ve been a big help. Thanks.” Offering his arm to Kimberly, they walked through the elegant restaurant and headed for the elevator to take them to the ground level.

Russell stood in the same place, watching her retreating steps, the grin still on his face.

“Lance, I think I have an idea.” They exited the private door and emerged onto the busy Royal Street in New Orleans Square. “But, it might take some time to wait out. Would you be able to sit in one place for a long time?”

Obviously, she didn’t know everything there was to know about her partner. Lance gave her a little grin. “I think I can sit for a while. What’s your plan?”

As they continued walking together back to Main Street, they crossed over the pedestrian bridge that spanned the entryway to the Pirate ride and dropped down next to the Treehouse.

“Hey, do you want to ride Indy first?” Lance was hopeful as they walked past the popular ride.

He was answered with a groan. “On a full stomach? Oh, please, no! Maybe later?”

“Ok, what’s your plan?”

“Well, we can’t just walk up to the door and use our key. There are way too many people going by. Especially in broad daylight. I was thinking that we needed the cover of darkness.”

“So far, so good.”

They could hear two shots from the gun of a Jungle Cruise skipper as they walked around the popular line. “What if,” she continued, “we wait it out on the porch? It gets really dark for the fireworks show. They turn off all the lights on Main Street.”

“But the fireworks themselves are pretty bright.”

“True, but they aren’t constant. There are lulls in the blasts. You know, for the music and the narrator.”

Lance gave her arm a squeeze. “Like I said, that’s why you make the big bucks!”

Their porch now occupied by a different couple. Settled in, they seemed to be people-watchers who gave Lance and Kimberly a friendly nod as they approached.

“Well, we can’t sit and wait like I thought. Do you think it would be all right if we just went up and looked in through the windows to see if we can see anything?” The door was off-center on the porch with windows in the upper half of it, and two windows behind the chairs where the couple was sitting and relaxing.

“Sure. People do it all the time. I remember on the Haunted Mansion, while waiting in the queue area that went around the house, everyone would try to look into the windows through any opening in the shades to see what might be behind there. I think its natural curiosity to want to know what secrets are hidden behind various walls, doors and windows here.”

Lance walked up to the porch and greeted the couple with a friendly, “Hello. Say, can you see anything behind these windows?”

“Nah,” the man replied. “We tried that, too,” he added as Lance peered along the edges of the glass. The windows were blocked with see-through lace curtains. The only problem was that all the windows also had a dark green window covering that was pulled down behind the lace and completely blocked the view.

However, along the right hand edge of the window nearest the door, he could just make out a bank of lockers along the wall on the right, just like Russell had said. But then it dawned on Lance: the wall the lockers were up against ended on the left side of the door frame. From the small opening Lance was peeking in through, he could tell that the wall didn’t leave room for the door. There had to be something on the other side of the wall that was behind the door.

Giving a friendly nod to the people sitting on the porch, Lance walked down the steps to rejoin Kimberly.

“There’s a wall on this side of the door with lockers on it, like we were told.” He pointed at the door. “What I’m interested in is the depth of the wall on the other side from the Silhouette Studio.” Eyeballing a line between himself and the left hand side of the door, he stepped off a few paces along the sidewalk parallel to the front of the two shops. Stopping when he was even with the left edge of the window of the Studio next door, he mumbled to himself, “Six steps, eighteen feet, give or take a foot.”

Turning back to the puzzled Kimberly, he motioned for her. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.” Lance jogged to the entrance of the Silhouette Studio. Watching through the store window, Kimberly could see Lance walk to the edge of the window then repeat the same pacing he had done on the sidewalk until he moved out of her view.

When he jogged back to her side, he had a wide grin. “The plot thickens.”

“What? Tell me what you were doing.”

“Well, from where I estimated the locker wall was, there should be approximately eighteen feet from the window edge to the interior wall inside the Studio.”

“And?”

“And, unless my hanging around Adam the General Contractor for years was completely wasted, there was only thirteen feet from the window to the inside wall of the Silhouette place.”

“Which means,” Kimberly said as Lance’s revelation sunk in, “there are about five feet unaccounted for between the two walls.”

He nodded. “Assuming there are four to six inches of insulation, studs and plaster or drywall on each wall, there should be a corridor of three to four feet between the two walls…and,” Lance turned back toward the porch and pointed at the innocuous door, “those three or four feet must lie directly behind that door.”

Biding their time, Lance and Kimberly had to wait over an hour before the couple on the porch finally moved on to continue their day at the Park. Darkness was settling in and Main Street became a dazzling sight of white lights that illuminated the storefronts and twinkled in all the trees. As they glanced toward Sleeping Beauty Castle, it now glowed in spotlights of pink and white. It was a lovely, magical time of the night.

With a look of triumph, Kimberly settled into one of the wooden chairs. “Now we can put our plan into action.” She glanced over at Lance took another chair. “Do you think you can sit it out and wait for the firework show in a couple of hours?”

Kimberly needn’t have worried about Lance’s ability to remain still. He settled into his chair, stretched out his long legs, rested his chin on his chest, and immediately fell asleep.

Looking at him, she made a disgusted little sound. “Now what am I supposed to do for the next few hours all by myself?”

Perhaps she should have come up with a more mutually beneficial plan….

After watching Lance sleep for forty-five minutes, Kimberly awakened him with a kick to his foot. “I’m bored! Tell me what you were like growing up”

Stretching, he came out of the nap in his usual good humor. “I was very handsome,” he told her without the trace of a smile.

“And modest, I can tell.”

“Oh, extremely. I was proud of my humility.”

She gave a light laugh. “Don’t make me sorry I woke you up. Tell me a story. What did you like to do with your friends?”

“When I was a teenager in Boston, Kip Baker and I used to hang out at the Atrium Mall.” Lance crossed his ankles, settling his hands on his stomach. Looking out across Main Street, he watched the constant flow of people. “We would watch people walk by, just like this.”

“Girls, you mean!” she smiled, enjoying the sound of his voice.

“Not just girls,” was his honest reply. “We had a game we played…while we waited for girls to come by.” A light grin played over his face. “We’d pick out a person or a couple, and make up their life-story. The more unbelievable the story, the more points we gave each other.” He chuckled as he thought back. “There was one guy who walked by and Kip made up his story saying he had murdered his family with an ax in Missouri. As the guy got past us, we looked at the back of his tee shirt and it said something like, ‘Fastest Ax in the Ozarks.’ We just about freaked out.”

Kimberly grinned, picturing the two teenagers coming up with wild stories about people. She looked out over the sea of guests and immediately could see how easy it could be. Turning to Lance, she asked, “What would you say about me?”

“What, you mean if we had seen you walking across the Mall?”

“Yes. What story would you have made up if you had seen me walking by?”

Lance thought about it. “Well, get up and walk down the sidewalk.”

Good sport that she was, Kimberly got right up. “Okay. Save my chair.” She moved down the steps and walked toward Tomorrowland. Turning, she started walking slowly back down the sidewalk. As she got in front of Lance, she tossed her hair in a flirty way, adding a little extra bounce in her step.

Lance leaned forward and whistled low as she passed.

A few people around Kimberly heard the whistle and gave Lance an offended frown.

She continued past the porch, and then bounded back up the steps. “Well?” she asked, leaning over the arm of his chair, batting her eyelashes.

“Easy: Librarian, working six nights a week. Never been on a date. Still reads Nancy Drew mysteries. Likes the Partridge Family and secretly wishes she was Marsha Brady from the Brady Bunch.”

“Oh, you are so bad!” She moved back over to her chair. Lance tried to take her hand, but she pretended to be disgusted.

“You see, that would have been what Kip would have said,” Lance smoothly amended his story. “I guess you don’t want to hear what my evaluation would have been?”

Kimberly eyed him with a look of mock contempt. “Sure. Try to bail yourself out.”

“I would have said that you were a secret spy working as a double agent for the KGB and the CIA. You can pick any lock faster than Houdini and are fluent in seven languages… including the language of love.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Wow. That’s spooky! It’s just like you know me.”

“Yeah, I’m that good.”

Kimberly leaned toward Lance and gave him a light kiss. She slowly pulled away and whispered, “Yes you are. And modest, too!”

Main Street was packed from the train station all the way to the front of the Castle. The nightly fireworks show was extremely popular. Even more people poured in once the Fantasmic! show on the Frontierland River ended at 9:25.

Still secure in their chairs on the porch, the couple found out why the seats had been empty so close to show time—they wouldn’t be able to see the fireworks because of the overhanging balcony above their heads.

The lights all along Main Street dimmed as an announcer told everyone the Fireworks Spectacular would begin in just five minutes. An excited buzz traveled down the length of the street as people tried to move into a more promising position. Elbow-to-elbow, the guests finally discovered it was easier to stand where they were and look up. It was fireworks, after all.

Once the show started, an appreciative murmur of “Ooh” and “Aah” began. The brilliant colors flashed overhead and a deep BOOM! could be felt deep in their chests. Lasers cut through the smoke of the fireworks, turning it green and blue and red. A skull was seen projected on the Matterhorn.

Standing next to their target door, Lance whispered into Kimberly’s ear. “You ready?”

After trying to lean out to see the next cascading waterfall of sparkles, she gave a short, “Oh, yeah,” and turned her attention to their task at hand. “Sorry. They’re just so beautiful.”

“Get ready.”

The lasers crossed high over their heads and pinwheels of sparklers began to turn on the spires of the Castle which was now a brilliant yellow. The music came to a crescendo as thirty geysers of sparkling fire erupted behind the Castle. When the geysers died down, the music slowed and the lasers went out. It was suddenly pitch black.

When the next overlapping rockets lit the sky, there were so many of them that it was as bright as if it were midday. The colors all blended into one another as the sparkles descended toward the now blue Castle.

Had anyone thought to look, they would have seen that the porch was empty.