An Evening's Work

 Wandering around an antique mall today.  All the Barbie stuff was priced for collectors (out of my range for play use).  Then we found this: 

Yes, I know it's a bad picture.  I took it in the back seat of The Boy's car while pulling off all the frippery glued on by a previous owner.  This is the 1971 Barbie Country Camper.  For 20 dollars.

Here's a better picture, swiped from the Internet.  

The Country Camper is the second best Barbie camper EVER.  Mainly because, unlike today's Barbie campers, it does not unfold into a mansion with a pool.  It's only second best because the Star Traveler exists.

 This is one area where the Star Traveler is beat - can't easily pop apart a Star Traveler.  The chassis and roof are hard plastic.  The walls are vinyl over a core that's either harder vinyl or tin.  It sure ain't cardboard.  

It still had one of the camp stools and a sleeping bag.  That other stuff is the frippery.  The dark fabric was meant to be seat covers and the other served as curtains on the rear window.  The pompoms were either armrests or pillows on the wheel-well benches.

After a good scrub.  Sticker removal means only the stovetop and sink remain of the kitchen, and the bumper lights are gone.  Neither of those things is a priority for me.

Interior walls before cleaning.

Exterior walls before cleaning.

After cleaning.  The license plate was a sticker.  I'll replace that when I do the bumper lights.

Stickers and residue gone from the inside, as well.  That entertainment center is nicer than the one in my real life apartment.

The cab walls, before cleaning.

The cab walls after cleaning.  At least the headlights and dash console weren't stickers!

The pop-out tent was beyond my help, so I trimmed it off and cleaned up the fold-down wall/floor.  Some of the Country Campers had cute floral designs for the tent and sleeping bags.  This tent was bright orange!  (You can see a bit of it on the edge.)

An overhead of the chassis, including a good angle on the kitchen.

Walls in place.  Funny thing is, all these cabinets and wall art are on the inside of the sliding door! I was already giggling at the false windows on the exterior.

The whole side of the van slides back!  (Excuse me, I'm easily amused.)

Given the hippie aesthetic, Albus seems appropriate to serve as my model in comparison photos.  Here we see the entry ramp that used to be a tent floor.  All those cabinets can stay put now. 

Another vintage photo showing a way prettier tent.  Note the matching sleeping bags.

Albus can fold down the rear table and sit on the camp stool. 

He wishes the pretty girl in the vintage photo was cooking for him.

Time to hit the road, we fold up the table.

Cram our driver through the windshield.

The dash lifts easily so we can get him behind the wheel.

Close the ramp.  Hit the road, Jack.  I mean Albus.

Mine was missing a stool, a sleeping bag, and a windshield.  You can see the notches for the windshield hinges, at the top.  I guess that was for ease of cramming the driver in.

Parked behind the Star Traveler.  It's ready to play.  Unless you're worried about those turn signals. 

Questions Asked

 The Private Investigator meets with Albus and Pern in her apartment.  He's trying to gather information on Cash Nedakh, the long absent father of Pocahontas, Nakoma, and Anakin Smith. 

Albus:  Sad to say, I was the one who introduced him to Kida. I tried to warn her that he was no good, but she wouldn't believe me until it was too late.  I saw him play his game in towns all across the country when we were working as carnies.  

PI: Kida had bought out the carnival, correct?  This was the start of the amusement park that stands today?

Albus: Yes, and she offered us both jobs.  Cash realized she was not only wealthy, but Indian.. sorry, Native American.  He zeroed in on her like I did enemy camps back in the war.   He had a real thing for "squaws" - his word, not mine.  

Pern:  My story's pretty much the same as Kida's.  He never married me, though.  I guess you needed a bankroll to get the ring. When I first met the girls, I was shocked that he'd not only married their mother, but stuck around for ten years.  He skipped out on me five minutes after I told him I was pregnant. 

PI:  You have not seen or heard from him since?  Neither of you? 

Albus: I'm a pacifist, but if I saw him again, I'd probably be in prison right now.  He broke Kida's heart and deserted two children. Weird thing is, he didn't empty the bank accounts on his way out of town.  

****

Across town, Federal agent Carol pays a call to the police chief.   

Carol: There's a detective sniffing around for Cash Nedakh.  

Lynch: I heard a rumor to that effect.  He could have been hired by another scorned mother.  Anakin already came out of the wood work and I really wouldn't be surprised if there are more out there. 

Carol: Or he could be working for the people he went into Witness Protection to avoid.  We allowed him to come here only because he refused to help in the case unless we did, and it's a major investigation.  

Lynch:  I suppose the people on your end are trying to find out who his client is? 

Carol: We are.  But I need you to keep and eye on this detective.  He's already spoken to the Smith sisters and he's got interviews set up all over town. 

*****

At Helena House, renovation work has paused while the County Oversight Committee investigates.

Lex:  Let me get this straight.  You, Dionne, are the mayor's niece.  What are your qualifications for this position?

Dionne: I'll be happy to give you a detailed resume.  Most women with my background would laugh at the idea of doing this for the agreed wages, but this has been a pet project of mine and Rose-Grace's since I was in high school.  

Maisie:  I was in and out of foster homes all my life.  Dionne talked to her aunt about the problems I was having, hoping to help me since at the time Rose-Grace was working with Children's Services. They bonded over a desire to reshape the foster care system. 

Lex:  You're a law student, correct? 

Maisie: I'll give you a copy of my resume, as well.  I'm here more as advisor than anything else.  

Zenobia: And everything is above-board with my donation of the house.  I made certain of that because I don't want to give my father a leg to stand on when he comes after me for squandering his money.  I asked Mrs. Pike if the town could use the manor for something and she accepted my offer.

*****

Later that evening, Mace sits down with the investigator.

Mace: Rosie was a teenager when she worked for Kida Nedakh.  She joined the military after graduating, to get the college fund, so she wasn't here in town when Cash vanished.  Took leave as soon as she could, though.

PI: Kida considered Rose-Grace her best friend, even though there was a sizable age difference.  

Mace:  Rosie felt the same way.  Kida was matron of honor at both Rosie's weddings, but she died before the little twins were born.  

PI: Did either you or your daughter know him well? 

Mace: No.  We traveled in different circles, as they say, and he gave Rosie the creeps. She avoided him unless Kida was in the same... 

Suddenly the entire house shakes.  They can hear glass breaking and the cries of frightened children.

******

Breaking news: The small town of Barbieville, on the south shore of Muneca Lake, was hit by an earthquake.  The upstream dam gave way and flooded the low-lying areas of town.  Rescue efforts are underway.  

(Flood photos from the Internet.) 

Now what?

Pocahontas's office at Witch's Cove

Pocahontas:  Now that Nakoma has joined us, we can talk.  Nakoma, this gentleman is a private investigator.  He's looking for information about our father.  

Nakoma: Last we knew, he was in Virginia.  About ten years ago.  

P.I.:  Anakin is the younger brother and Pernilla Dancer is his mother.  I understand both of them live here in Barbieville now and that she's signed over custody to you and your husband.  I'd like to speak to them, and to Albus Dumbledore.  

    

Pocahontas: I can give Pern and Albus your card, but it's going to be their choice if they want to talk to you.  Neither one of them is president of Cash's fan club.

P.I.: I understand.  The trail's gone cold.  I'm hoping to get some insight into his thinking by speaking to those who knew him.  I've already determined that he's definitely got a thing for women of Native descent.  He's claimed membership in several tribes across the country.

Nakoma (after he's gone):  That is one sexy dude.  

Pocahontas:  I'm more interested in his client.  Why's someone tracking Cash down?  

****  

Speaking of Albus, he's at lunch with the pretty young thing Pocahontas recently hired to coordinate shows at Witch's Cove.  

Tierra:  What do you think?  Could we pull off a show of this caliber in the current venue?

Albus: We'd have to scale it back some, but I think we could make it work.  You know your stuff, that's for sure.  The costumed characters have so much positive feedback, it's ridiculous.  

Tierra:  Since it's Witch's Cove, we call them familiars.  I never heard of a witch with a panda familiar, but buying assorted mascot costumes at that price, we took what we could get.   

***** 

The Sulu family enjoys a rare lunch together across the restaurant. 

Vivica:  How come Mattie went away?  We just now dopted her! 

Lynch: Her musical talent was going to waste here.  Remember what Finnick Pike told us about her, like two days after her arrival?

Bobby (imitating Finnick):  She should be giving me guitar lessons, not the other way around.  You should see about a music scholarship at Julie's Yard.  (To Vivica)  Some day Mattie will be rich and famous.  Wait and see. 

Vivica:  But I miss her so bad!

Rafe:  Geeze, Viv, we just put her on the bus five minutes ago. 

Sulu:  We're all going to miss Mattie.  And I'm sure she'll miss us. 

Rafe: Yeah, she still misses her foster sisters from before you adopted her.  I don't miss my foster anybodies.  Mine all sucked.  

Lynch:  Rayford Sulu!  I'm sure hey did their best.

*****

At the mayor's office, some personal drama goes down.  

 

Rose-Grace:  Brent proposed? Why do you look less than happy?

Kyra: They've inherited their parents' ranch and the whole lot of them are moving to Montana.  Bertie and Daisy have both put in their notice at work.  

Rose-Grace:  That's nuts.  Bertie just got the anchor position at WDLC!  

Kyra: Bertie can't wait to move her lesbian Hispanic self into their house.  She says she can find news work out there, and Daisy really misses Montana.  

Rose-Grace: So if you accept his proposal, you'll be leaving? 

Lex:  Sorry to interrupt.  I hope this isn't a bad time. 

Rose-Grace:  Aren't you from the county oversight committee? 

Lex:  I am.  We've received report of irregularities in the establishment of Helena House. 

Kyra:  I assure you, everything about Helena House is above-board.  

    

Lex:  Mayor Pike acquired the property from a family friend and hired a relative to run the children's home.  And who are you, anyway? 

Kyra:  I'm her executive assistant. 

Lex:  That brings you under suspicion as well. 

Memories and a Mask

Jeremiah and Nova work on Doll County Paranormal's report for their Witch's Cove project. 

Nova: I think we can edit out the bit where Frodo and Peeta are talking about Peeta being a fairy.  We all know that's playful banter, but if this is going into a video for Pocahontas to sell in the park, that could cause problems.

Jeremiah: Not sure how you can do that without editing out the problem with the sensors falling over.  

Nova (listens to the audio): Wait, Peeta calls himself a fairy.  I think we can safely leave it.  

Lottie:  Daddy, I want to be in the video.  Maybe I can get famous.  

Jeremiah: I don't know about that.  Our medium being a little kid, that might open a whole can of worms.  Not to mention the way you'd get teased at school. 

Lottie: I already get teased at school.  And you can put one of them misclaimers Nova was just talking about. Tell watchers that I got all them eighty million tests and stuff. 

Nova: She has a point.  You really can't use a medium without showing her, not with any credibility. 

Jeremiah: Nova, you're not helping! 

Lottie:  Oh, how about a special features called meet the medium! That'd be a big misclaimer! 

*****

Later, they record some footage for the video with Diana and Pocahontas.

Jeremiah: You don't need to introduce yourself, we'll put your name and credentials across the bottom of the screen. 

Diana:  Okay, then, I'll dive right in.  Barbieville was founded as part of the early 1800s Utopian Movement.  The land that eventually became Witch's Cove Amusement Park was divided into farm plots by the founders. 

Diana:  Only the hills directly bordering the stream were known then as Witch's Cove. The roads leading into the property from the north still bear the names of Hadley, Carson, and Handler.  The Carson and Handler families intermarried and it was their joined land that became the original park.  I'll let park owner Pocahontas Smith take it from here. 

Pocahontas: The land had been farmed poorly and the crops were failing.  My grandparents, in danger of losing the property, agreed to host a traveling carnival.  Their daughter Kida, my mother, fell in love with the owner of the carnival and with the idea of owning a permanent park.  Despite being left to raise two daughters on her own, Kida succeeded. 

Pocahontas: The area in the northwest corner was recently added to the property and we're currently rebranding.  We changed the name to Witch's Cove, a traditional name for the area, and the spinning barrels are now cauldrons.  We bought more land and installed the Windigo, with plans for more rides to come.

Pocahontas: The stars on the 1812 map indicate areas of note to the medium, Lottie Russo, who has consented to help me point them out on a modern map.  Lottie? 

Lottie climbs onto a chair to reach.  

Lottie: The grove in front the Overlook.  People see children in old-fashioned clothes playing here, but when they look closer, the kids vanish.  I felt like this was a happy place. 

Pocahontas: The only other location in the park Lottie sensed spirits was here, near this curve on the Raging Rapids ride.  Lottie, is this also a happy place?

Lottie: No, it felt sad.  But no place in the park felt mean, and that's very good.  We're going to find out who your spirits were when they were people and maybe help them go wherever they're supposed to go.

****

Albus gives an account of his own experiences in the park.

Albus: I've been here since the start.  Came with the carnival and never left.  My official title is Head of Ride Maintenance, but I do a little bit of everything.  The girls couldn't run the place without me.  It'd all just fall apart.  (laughs) Anyway, about the ghosts.  I have seen children in the off-limits areas, but when I go to run them out, no kids are there.   I never noticed how they were dressed, though.

Albus:  I was out by the log ride earlier and found this mask.  Just in case it comes up in any of the pictures.