Old Auntie Special

Posted on 10 May 2024 @ 12:01pm by Lieutenant JG Kai Nokamura

732 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: M-18 The Past is Future
Location: The Work Room, Holodeck 1, USS Phoenix
Timeline: First Bit of Time Off on Board the Phoenix

"Computer, lock the door," Kai said as he entered his work room and immediately removed his slide-on sandals. "Load Old Auntie 12."

"Aloha Ahiahi," the computer responded. "Dock is 'locked. Loading Old Auntie 12."

The work room was entirely white, with a small, raised platform at the center of the room; pretty much every surface could be written upon; the computer knew to save everything he wrote to his personal files. Locking the door just meant that, should someone from the ship try to enter, everything would be saved and removed immediately. Kai might be as easy going as they came but Constantine Rook, his alter ego, well, he was secretive and just plain paranoid.

He walked to the center of the room, stepped up onto the platform and settled on a blue-green cushion where a freshly made pot of tea was waiting for him. He poured himself a cup, blowing gently over the surface as he studied the walls, now covered in a variety of notes and mathematical equations. Old Auntie, and her group of geriatric friends, enjoyed murder mysteries and had, in fact, formed a club with the sole intention of solving whatever mystery the great and mysterious Constantine Rook threw their way.

There were a few rules though. Had to be historical and low tech. Needed a slow pace and facilities because the Aunties enjoyed 'living' in the mystery which meant a place to eat and rest and discuss their theories. They were a canny bunch who loved subtlety and complexity, were not afraid to send Mr. Rook their compliments and more often, complaints, and always presented a challenge.

Old Auntie was one of his favorites though it was anyone's guess whether she was actually related or not. What Kai knew was that she'd been around all his life and he adored her. That was enough. This time, they were on a 30s steamer returning to Hawaii when a flirtatious gentleman they'd met at dinner was found dead in his cabin with a scrap of red silk in his hand.

And at the moment, he was hunting for unusual clues.

"Floral pattern for the borders on the place settings. First night, day lilies and evening primrose. Second night, geraniums, yellow hyacinths, and one white chrysanthemum. Wait. Make the plate slightly cracked where the chrysanthemum is. After that, dark crimson roses mixed with snapdragons."

Kai stood up, bringing his cup with him, and said, "show me the murder scene."

The workroom disappeared, replaced by the victim's bedroom. As steamers went, this one spoke of someone with expensive tastes. He set the cup down on the nightstand and walked over to the closet. "Details," he murmured as he pulled open the doors to the armoire. Period-appropriate clothes, fashioned for him by a nurse on the his last ship, filled the closet. Perfect and that was the problem. "Make the collars and cuffs on the shirts slightly threadbare. Thin the material very slightly on the knees of the pants and the elbows of the jacket. Wear down the leather on the shoes." He lifted one of the really uncomfortable looking ones and added, "put a slight hole in the sole of this one."

With that done, he moved on to the dresser and made similar adjustments. Everything was fashionable, costly in its time, but used. A man who might once have had money but didn't any longer. "Now," he said, hands on his hips, "where to hide the letters."

When you have siblings, hiding places become something of an art form. Underwear drawer. No for guys but yes for girl, at least that's what a friend of his back at school said. Underneath the mattress. Definitely not. First place any of his brothers would look. He thought back to his own childhood and the places he'd used but abandoned those in favor of what the aunties would be willing to manage.

"Oh, I know," he said. "Inside one of his boots underneath a pair of used, slightly smelly socks. Definitely." It took the better part of an hour to get the first letter the way he wanted it. Feminine. Whiff of good perfume. Slightly desperate.

He was about to start on the second one when the twins showed up. While one picked up the teacup, which looked tiny in his huge hands, the other walked over to him. "Time, brah."

"Five minutes," Kai said.

 

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