Chapter 10

I attempted to hide the pain from the unexpected blow to my dignity as Veronica reluctantly reached down to help me stand upright. I then turned my attention to the two men standing defensively in front of me, particularly the taller one with the amusing mustache and a fashion sense that would be more fitting for a circus performer. He had been overly friendly with Veronica on the dance floor, and I didn't like it one bit.

"Who is Veronica?" he asked me just after I'd blurted out her name, then he continued to scrutinize me as if I were an artifact in one of Stone Town's many curious shops.

"It's one of my many aliases," Veronica quipped with a forced smile before I could answer. "I'm also known as Stephanie, Maggie, and Mrs. Peabody."

She must have had a reason for telling him that, and I guessed I would find out soon enough, but something weird was going on here.

"August, Caleb, meet Scum and Turd," Veronica added, gesturing to the two men, her bottom lip quivering.

Okay, it just got weirder.

Was it really their names?

The taller one froze momentarily, then cleared his throat. "We don't go by that anymore, I told you. I'm Kenny and this is my close confidant, Denny. And who might this gentleman be?" He eyed me again, but this time with his nose raised high in the air. "Is he bothering you, Frannie?"

"Frannie?" I said, glancing at Veronica. "Seriously? Don't tell me, another alias?"

She nodded proudly. "You guessed it, Auggie."

Scum chuckled. "Auggie? What kind of name is that?"

I glared at him. "I don't know, Scum."

His nose twitched, then he said, "It's Kenny. And you still didn't answer my question; who are you?"

I grasped Veronica's hand with more assurance than I felt, but hoping she would go along with my ruse. "I'm her fiancé."

Veronica stiffened, but she didn't object.

Scum's gaze shot down to her other hand I wasn't holding. "I don't see a ring on that finger. How do you explain that?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I sent it back to the jeweler," I improvised. "The diamond was absurdly large, and her hand kept dragging on the ground from the weight."

Veronica laughed, which was a good sign.

Scum's eyebrows raised as he crossed his arms. "Think you're funny, huh?"

"I know I am," I shot back, my patience quickly thinning.

Turd turned to Daphne, then tilted his head toward Caleb, attempting to include her in this awkward tag-team interrogation. "And what about you two? Am I supposed to believe you're also a couple?"

Stepping forward, Caleb copied the actions I'd had with Veronica and grasped Daphne's hand. "That's right. She's with me. Not engaged, though. Not yet." She squeezed his hand hard, causing him to wince before he chuckled. "That's my girl. She knows I like it rough."

Scum shifted his weight from the left leg to the right leg, analyzing the four of us. "Why don't we let the ladies speak for themselves? Are you really with these men or not? You look uncomfortable."

Veronica let go of my hand and then ran her fingers slowly along my lower back, sending tingles shooting through my body, then she gripped my side and pulled me closer. "You heard him. We're engaged to be married."

I was happy she was playing along, but I wanted more than anything for it to be real.

"And you?" Turd pressed Daphne.

She shrugged. "As he said, I'm not engaged to him. We're not even a couple." A mischievous glint suddenly appeared in her eyes. "But I might have a little crush on him."

Caleb lit up, but his smile quickly morphed into a constipated grimace when she vice-gripped his hand again.

Convinced, or perhaps disinterested in pursuing it further, Scum shrugged and blew out a frustrated breath. "Okay, you're all paired up. Nothing we can do about that. Come on, Denny. Let's get out of here."

Turd nodded. "I'm going to use the restroom. What about you?"

"Yeah—I think I'll join you," Scum said, then mentioned something about letting his mustache grow out as they disappeared around the corner.

Veronica immediately released my hand like it was on fire. "How did you find me?"

"It really doesn't matter," I said, hoping to steer us past our usual dance of accusations and defenses. "We need to call a truce, Veronica. Seriously. Enough running. If you don't want to give us another chance, there's nothing I can do about that, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends."

I was bluffing, because the last thing I wanted was to be her friend, but for the moment, at least it would keep her close by.

"Friends," she echoed, then laughed as skepticism lacing her tone. "You and me? Yeah, I don't see that happening."

"Yes. We've known each other forever, but people keep growing and changing. I want to know the new you and would love for you to get to see the new me. If you don't have feelings for me anymore, there would be no reason for you to run. Prove it. Let's go for a walk, as friends."

She hesitated, then finally nodded her agreement. "Fine, I'll prove it to you. Let's go for a walk. All of us. Together. You know, as friends."

The addition of Caleb and Daphne was not what I had in mind when I wanted to be with her and show her the new me, but I enthusiastically assented, hoping to keep her agreeable mood alive.

We strolled out into the balmy night of Stone Town, passing vibrant shop fronts and quaint cafés. Without a word being said, we just took in the surrounding scene. Everybody seemed to feel as comfortable as I did at that moment. It was a pleasant change of pace, considering all the rushing around we'd been doing lately.

As we continued the walk, our steps led us to an interesting surprise in the alley, prompting us to stop and stare.

"This certainly is an odd place for a Freddie Mercury Museum, don't you think?" Caleb remarked, his curiosity piqued. "Why would they have one in such a tiny town in Africa? I would think they would have chosen a place like the UK."

Daphne offered an explanation. "Freddie Mercury was born here in Tanzania, in this house. It was later converted into a museum in his honor."

"He grew up in Stone Town, then was sent to a private school in India, before his family moved to England," Veronica added.

"I'm impressed." I looked at her, genuinely surprised. "Since when did you become such a big fan of the man?"

"I've always liked Queen, but I learned those facts about Freddie Mercury four hours ago when we visited the museum before dinner," she smirked. "If you want a bigger surprise, check out the piano in the back of the museum. It's the exact piano Freddie played as a child."

"Really?" I said, stepping forward with Caleb, both of us peeking through the window since the museum was closed. "I wonder if his parents knew at that age he was such a special talent that would rise to such heights. The man was a musical genius."

Caleb suddenly tugged at my sleeve. "August …"

"Yes," I answered, trying to read one of the framed newspaper clippings on the wall of the museum.

"The girls are gone," he said.

I whipped around so fast I almost lost my balance. "No! She said she would not run! Where did they go?" I glanced toward the tree-filled oceanside park to my left, frantically searching for them.

"Over there!" Caleb said, pointing to the opposite side of the street just as Veronica and Daphne hopped into a tiny three-wheeled tuk-tuk taxi. "They're getting away!" He quickly flagged down another tuk-tuk, and we piled into the back.

"Follow that tuk-tuk!" I yelled, then urged the driver to step on it.

Our tiny vehicle lurched forward, sputtering, then weaving through the narrow streets of Stone Town. The chase felt straight out of a spy movie—only far less sleek and a great deal bumpier. We passed vibrant bazaars and spice shops with the scent of cinnamon, clove, and saffron hanging heavily in the air, then zipped by groups of tourists who turned to watch the spectacle with amused expressions.

"I feel like James Bond in No Time to Die, " Caleb yelled over the clickety-clack of the tiny engine and the blasting local music from a nearby club. "Remember the chase scene in that movie?"

I couldn't help but laugh, the absurdity of our situation sinking in. "Except Bond had Italy as his backdrop and was driving an Aston Martin. On a good day, I think we could probably run faster than this tuk-tuk. Big difference."

The tuk-tuk was about the size of a golf cart, but the driver certainly managed to demonstrate James-Bond-like skills the way he weaved in and out of the impossibly narrow streets.

After we rounded a corner, I saw we were closing in on the girls. I leaned out to yell at Veronica to stop, but the clatter of our engine swallowed my words.

"Faster, please!" I urged, leaning forward as our driver nodded with determination and coaxed an unexpected burst of speed from the tuk-tuk.

Up ahead, Veronica and Daphne's ride screeched to a halt at the colorful entrance of the outdoor Zanzibar Cultural Festival—a sprawling celebration of music, dance, and local art that lit up the night. Caleb and I tossed some bills to our driver and hit the ground running.

An upbeat blend of traditional African music throbbed through the air, mingling with the laughter and chatter of the crowd. Locals and tourists swayed in colorful, flowing garments while they ate street food and examined handmade crafts for sale. Caleb and I weaved through the throng, our eyes scanning for any sign of Veronica and Daphne.

Our pursuit took an unexpected turn when a group of local dancers ensnared us in their rhythmic circle. The female dancers, adorned in vibrant khanga dresses that were as bright and beautiful as their smiles, spun us around in a dizzying sequence, encouraging us to dance with them.

"Not now, folks!" Caleb chuckled, breaking away from the festive intrusion with a playful twirl. "We're on a mission!"

"Thank you!" I said, giving them an appreciative smile, then also escaping without losing much time.

Unfortunately, our progress was abruptly halted again a few seconds later when Caleb's elbow knocked into a stand filled with exquisite bongo drums. The drums tumbled like dominos, each strike a loud clash against the next. Mortified, Caleb quickly smoothed the situation with a flurry of apologies and a wad of bills he handed to the stall owner. Her disappointed face relaxed into a grateful nod as she accepted the compensation.

During that time, I spotted Veronica and Daphne entering a booth that sold traditional African dresses. Each of them quickly selected one and slipped it over their clothes. Veronica, aware of the broad distance separating us, shot a mischievous glance my way before she and Daphne melded seamlessly into the immense crowd near the main stage.

Was she actually enjoying the chase? And how was I going to find her? I was pretty sure the only thing I could do at that point was focus on finding them from their faces or hair, since they were now dressed like at least half the attendees.

Caleb and I plunged into the mass of festival-goers, but despite our best efforts to find Veronica and Daphne, the sea of bodies seemed to swallow any trace of them. Minutes ticked by, each one stretching longer than the last, as our search proved fruitless. Just when I was about to give up, I spotted them in the area to the left of the stage.

"There they are! Over there!" I called out.

"Let's go!" Caleb said, just as eager as I was to catch them.

We hurried forward, zig-zagging through the revelers until we snuck up behind them. I reached out, tapping Veronica on the shoulder, looking forward to seeing the look on her face when she turned around. But as they turned, a stream of rapid Portuguese unfurled between them—a language I recognized, but didn't understand. Their faces, unfamiliar and amused under the masks, confirmed they were not who I hoped.

My cheeks burned with the mistake as I held my hands up in defense and muttered an apology, hoping they understood a little English. Stepping away from the two women, exhausted and out of breath, the realization sunk in that we'd lost them. Again.

"They're gone," I admitted to Caleb, the adrenaline fizzling out, replaced by a mix of frustration and admiration for their cunning escape.

He patted my back, his chuckle ringing out amidst the festival noise as he tried to catch his breath. "We lost them, but what a rush that was. I don't remember the last time I had so much fun."

I couldn't help but agree, a reluctant smile tugging at my lips. "It would've been better if we'd caught them, though." I glanced around again, but it was no use. They were nowhere to be found.

"What's our next move?" Caleb asked, wiping sweat from his brow.

I thought for a moment, then straightened and gestured behind us with my thumb. "Let's head back to the hotel so we can get there before they do. They'll have to get their things from their room and check out if they're thinking of leaving the island to escape again. We'll just have to wait it out in the lobby, no matter how long it takes, then we need to talk some sense into them."

Caleb shook his head, an amused grin on his face. "You may know my sister well, but I know Daphne and she doesn't look like she's in a hurry to leave soon. She wants to have some fun, and I'm pretty sure Veronica does, too. I saw her laughing, and honestly, I haven't seen that in a long time."

"You may very well be right," I conceded, "but Veronica is always one step ahead of us. Today proved she can outmaneuver us at every turn."

Caleb chuckled. "She's got that knack, doesn't she? Always keeping us guessing. It's very annoying."

"And impressive," I said with a grin. "The bottom line is, I refuse to let it happen again." I gave his shoulder a firm pat as we turned to go find atuk-tuk to take back to the hotel. "This time, we'll be one step ahead of her."