Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53862 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
“Don’t I get spanked for those?”
“No. Not this time.”
“Because I had an accident?”
“No, Little girl. Sometimes, there are reasons to get upset. I’ll tell you what I could really use before lunch.”
“What?”
“A hug.”
She rushed to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, squeezing her Daddy tightly. Lyra loved how his arms held her tightly in response. Pressing her cheek against his chest, she whispered, “I don’t know what’s happening. It’s like my whole world flipped upside down.”
“There’s always going to be one stable thing in your life from here on out. That’s me. You can rely on your Daddy’s support and care,” he assured her.
“Boyd didn’t take very good care of me,” she reminded him.
“Boyd is very definitely not a good guy.”
“He’s no Daddy.”
“So, chalk him up to an accident, clean up the problem, and get ready to move on with your life,” Phoenix told her.
“Like we just did?” Lyra said, peeking up at him.
“Exactly.”
“I’m sorry I thought bad things of you.”
“Thank you, Little girl. Next time…” Phoenix warned and lifted one hand from around her body to swat at the air.
“My butt’s in a world of hurt?” she asked.
“Let’s just not go there,” he suggested. “Ready for lunch?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
Chapter Eighteen
After lunch, Lyra cooperated with her Daddy’s decree that she needed to take a nap. Stretched out in the comfy bed, she pretended to take a nap, planning to get up as soon as her Daddy left their apartment. Unfortunately, she fell asleep within seconds of closing her eyes.
When she woke up, the late afternoon sun slanted into the big windows. Hurrying out of bed, she ran to the bathroom and then returned to her waiting cello.
“Sorry, I got distracted,” she apologized to the instrument as she sat in her chair. The blue fuzz on the music stand caught her eye, and she decided to check out the lining before getting started.
Sitting next to the open case on the floor close to her chair, she ran her fingers over the upper sections and found a few places that felt worn. At the bottom, she discovered a small tear in the velvet where the end pin fit. The carbon fiber had a rubber tip covering it, but over time, the support would work its way through, or the rubber would become brittle and crack.
Spinning around to face the instrument, she checked that spot, expecting to discover she needed to replace the tip. To her surprise, Lyra looked at a totally unblemished, working piece. What would have caused the tear? Maybe just the repetitive usage of the case or being banged around in travel?
She turned back to the case and shifted it to focus the sunlight on the damaged spot. Something glittered. Dipping her fingers back into the narrow slot, she felt around, checking for something metallic. Lyra located the tear and discovered a small cylindrical object.
It took some time to maneuver it through the tear and pull it out. As she lifted it from the case, small beads fell from what she now recognized as a vial. She picked up one and held it up to the light to look at it. A rainbow of reflections danced on the wall of her playroom. These weren’t beads.
“What is going on?” As soon as that question drifted from her lips into the empty room, Lyra knew she needed someone else to help her think. Dropping the object into the case, she rose to her feet and ran out of the apartment. “Is anyone here?” she called, looking toward all the doors.
No one answered.
Running back into Phoenix’s apartment, she searched for her phone and found it on the charger. There were a bunch of messages from Boyd. She ignored those and found her Daddy’s number.
“Lyra? Are you okay?” Phoenix asked.
“Could you come back to the apartment? I found something. Well, some things. I don’t know what they are, but I think it may be why Boyd is so determined to see me.”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes. I’m on the other side of the resort, fixing a broken step. I’ll have to wait until I can get someone to finish this to avoid a guest injuring him or herself. Magnus is on his way up to help.”
“Okay. Hurry, okay?”
“I’ll be there as fast as possible.”
Lyra disconnected the call as she walked to the apartment door and left it open for Magnus. She returned to her playroom and stood looking at the case. Those had to be gems. They sparkled in the light.
“Lyra?” Magnus called.
“I’m in the playroom.”
“What did you find?” the computer guy asked.
“Those,” she said, pointing toward the crystals. “They were in some kind of vial hidden under the lining of my cello case. I found some blue fluff when I pulled my cello out today and investigated to see if the case was breaking down. It was there at the bottom where the support fits in.”