Secrets of the Space Necklace: Part Seven

     “How long are you going to interrupt me?” C.K. asked Tina. She then sighed as Tina crowded behind Vincent.

     “Maybe she is your sister?” Clara suggested. “Maybe you two have been separated for so long that you forgot what your sister looked like.”

     C.K. shook her head. “No, but nice try,” she said as she sighed. “I know my sister, and I DO know my sister is not, in any way, a Bruce!”

     Chloe was shocked at what C.K. said. She then remembered the room that she found in the mansion. The room wasn’t really special, but something in the room was. The room had a framed picture of three Grundos on it. One of the Grundos was Gorix. The other two were posing with him. Chloe remembered one of the Grundos was purple. Could it have been C.K.?

     “Say, C.K.,” Chloe said in a soft voice, “was your sister, by any chance, a green Grundo?”

     C.K. stared at Chloe before she responded. “How did you know that?” C.K. asked.

     “I saw a picture of you and your sister posing with Gorix in a picture,” Chloe explained. “It was in this bedroom in the mansion.”

     “Bedroom,” C.K. wondered. She then shook her head at Chloe.

     “Nothing adds up at all,” she groaned. Chloe nodded in agreement.

     But as the moonlight started to reflect off C.K., the foursome knew they had to return back home. Chloe then grabbed C.K.’s arm, and began to tell her everything. She told C.K. about how Miss Van Sparkleton admired her pink dress, and how the dress was stolen during the burglary. C.K. nodded as Chloe explained about the note they found in the necklace and how they tried to translate it.

     “That is a pickle you guys got there,” C.K. said as she rubbed her chin. “I can honestly say that I didn’t take your dress. I think I saw it on a sofa in the parlour.”

     “That’s where I placed it when Chloe went upstairs,” Tina whispered.

     “I see,” C.K. said. She was still rubbing her chin. “Well, I think there’s only one thing left we should do,” C.K. said as the tired foursome tried to stay awake. “I think we should march up to Miss Van Sparkle-thing and demand an explanation! I know she knows where my sister, and the real owner of the mansion, is. But before I go, do you guys have any last minute questions for me?”

     “Will we ever see you again?” Tina asked.

     “You will,” C.K. assured her. “Just meet me at the mansion tomorrow afternoon. Wait, scratch that! Instead, I’ll come to your house instead.”

     “Where were you and your sister before you two came here?” Chloe asked.

     “We were both actually in Space,” C.K. explained. “I and my sister were stationed at a sector in the Space Station a couple years ago. Your mother was there too, you know. But sadly, my sister and your mother both fled. Your mother wanted to leave so she could start a family. My sister left for unknown causes. It was up to me to thwart Dr. Sloth and defeat his minions. It was our mission.”

     “You fought Dr. Sloth?” Vincent asked.

     C.K. nodded. “It was a tough battle, but we managed to beat that thing and his minions with the help from other brave Neopians! I was told my sister fled to Neopia Central, so that was my next destination. When I managed to get here, I found the mansion. But instead of my sister, I found some prissy Bruce there instead. She stared at me and shooed me away. But I had a feeling she knew where my sister was.”

     The foursome stared at C.K. with awe. They couldn’t believe C.K. helped save Neopia from Dr. Sloth! They were also shocked about their mother’s involvement as well.

     “And that necklace, was that a reward from the Space Faerie?” Chloe asked.

     “No, that was just a little plastic necklace my sister bought from a gift shop there. She thought it was nifty that it looked like the Space Faerie’s token. It was also useful when it came to passing notes.” She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. C.K. then passed the paper to Chloe, who quickly read it out loud to her siblings.

     Help! Danger in Sector f5b! I repeat: Danger in f5b! Send for help! Elle will be waiting for you there. You must help C.K. before it’s too late!

     “This is the note we tried to decode,” Chloe said. “Did you really translate it yourself?”

     C.K. nodded. “My sister wrote that. We both, and your mother, knew how to write and read this secret coding language. Very few Neopians can read it, you know.” She then shivered as she bid the foursome goodbye.

     The foursome waved back. They were pleased about finally knowing what the note said. They were all surprised about how the necklace was used for spying. But they were still confused about Miss Van Sparkleton and whatever happened to C.K.’s sister.

     That picture was in that room for a reason, Chloe thought as the siblings walked back home. As she tucked herself in bed, Chloe tried hard to make sense of the whole story. So far, she knew all about C.K.’s mission in Space and how she helped to save Neopia. She also learned about their mother’s secret past.

     But some things didn’t make any sense to all of this. She couldn’t understand why anyone would want to steal her dress, which was made only for Draiks. She also couldn’t understand why C.K.’s sister would leave the mission and then just vanish out of thin air. There was also the mystery surrounding Miss Van Sparkleton. The wealthy Bruce also disappeared as well, but she disappeared when C.K. broke into the mansion, which was thought to be owned by C.K.’s sister. As she tried hard to fall asleep, Chloe then realized a visit to the mansion was their only hope to solve this mystery.

***

     The next day, C.K. knocked on the front door while the siblings were eating their lunch. They heard their mother squeal loudly from the kitchen. Chloe wished she answered the door instead, but then thought it would be a good time for their mom and C.K. to talk. After they talked, C.K. came into the kitchen to bring the siblings to the mansion. Their mother, who they knew was also known as ‘Elle’, insisted that she should come too. She then raced upstairs to her closet, and brought down the hat box that held the two music boxes. C.K. nodded as the group made their way to the mansion.

     “So, this is where the impostor lives,” Elle sighed as she stared at the white house.

     C.K. nodded. The group then walked towards the front door. C.K. knocked on the door and waited for someone to come.

     They were all surprised when Miss Van Sparkleton came and answered the door!

     “Oh my,” Miss Van Sparkleton said in a nervous voice. “What do we have here?”

     “Cut the small talk and let us in,” C.K. demanded as she pushed her way in. Miss Van Sparkleton was startled at C.K.’s rude behaviour. Chloe studied Miss Van Sparkleton. She was wearing an elegant gold gown. Her hair was still in its same hairstyle, and she still had that gold necklace around her neck.

     “Come on, Clotee; let’s start investigating,” C.K. said as she looked around the parlour.

     “Chloe,” Chloe corrected.

     “Close enough,” C.K said as she faced the worried pink Bruce. “Do you, by any chance, know what happened to the real owner of this mansion?” she asked.

     Miss Van Sparkleton looked surprised. “What are you talking about,” she demanded. “I own this mansion!”

     “Sure,” C.K. scoffed. “And I bet you know my sister, don’t you?”

     Miss Van Sparkleton shook her head, but Chloe could see she was very nervous. She looked uncomfortable with all of the questions C.K was asking her.

     She then took a deep dress and asked her, “Where is my pink dress?”

     “I don’t know,” Miss Van Sparkleton squeaked. “I don’t know anything!”

     “Do you know where you went when C.K. broke in?” Tina asked. “Do you?”

     Still, Miss Van Sparkleton shook her head. Everyone sighed deeply. C.K. then pulled out the necklace that was in her pocket and gave it to Miss Van Sparkleton, who was wide-eyed at the plastic piece of jewellery.

     Everyone watched as Miss Van Sparkleton examined the necklace very closely. Chloe watched really carefully. She then gasped at she squinted harder at Miss Van Sparkleton.

     “Oh my goodness,” Chloe gasped. She then grabbed the hat box from her mother and handed it to Miss Van Sparkleton, who opened it and brought out the red music box in it.

     “I knew it,” Chloe said as everyone stared at her. She then turned to C.K. and told her, “I may not know what happened to my dress, but I think I do know where your sister is.” She then pointed to Miss Van Sparkleton and said, “She’s right there.”

To be continued...