“Bella, Madhuri has come to meet you.”Ariel, Bella’s housekeeper said.
“Hey Madhuri you have come so early? Everything is okay right?” Bella asked looking quite shocked.
“Didi I finally got a job as a writer in this local newspaper.”
“Congratulations Madhuri” Bella said happily as she was also a writer in the newspaper.
“Thanks di. I am really excited about my job.”
“I would lose an assistant like you.”
“If I still could be of any help please inform me. Now have to go I don’t want to be late the first day to office.”
“Yes all the best.”
Just after a few moments another girl entered. She was pretty and her blond hair covered her eyes and looked a bit younger than Bella.
“Hi my name is Jessamine Flake, You must be Bella right?” That girl said.
Bella nodded
“I am your cousin sister Bella, I am afraid we were too small when we met each other”
Bella remembered her father telling about Jessamine.
“Oh Jessamine you are welcome”
“My friends call me Jess.
“Jess my friend Dorothy Moreau is getting married with Edward Finn. Will you come with me to the wedding?”
“Yes.”
Next day they started for Edward’s house in ‘The Olive Garden’ area. It was named so as it was famous for olives. All the way Jess told Bella her reason to come “I am here to do my graduation. I wanted to come here for my schooling too but mom refused as she thought I was too young and now when I am 18 I am free to follow my dream. I have heard a lot about this place. I want to become a physicist and I have seen this place in Movies and liked it so much that I had to come here.”
They finally arrived at mansion no 58 olive gardens. Dorothy was standing at the gate to receive Bella.
“Doty where is Ed?”
“Gone to make some preparations. I want the finest wedding.”
Bella made the necessary introductions.
“This is Alex, Ed’s friend. This is Susan my sister.” Doty said.
“Susan, show Bella her room.” Doty said
The cousins went to their room. Outside the window Bella saw a girl singing the nursery rhyme twinkle twinkle little star.
Bella asked “what is your name?”
Before the girl could answer Susan came to take them for lunch.
At the table Doty introduced them to Edward. They both looked tensed. The cousins didn’t fail to catch it.
Jessamine said “Dorothy is everything ok?”
“No Jess I tried my best not to show” Doty said but stopped when Edward gave her a push. After a pause of few seconds Doty turned to Ed and said “Let me tell it, I am really fed up of this. Bella someone is giving us threatening calls and telling us to stop the wedding or else he/she would leave no stones unturned to destroy our life and future.”
“Who was the girl near my room?” Bella asked.
Before Ed could say anything Alex came to take Bella for swimming. He said, “I don’t know even abcd of swimming you would teach me won’t you.”
Bella readily agreed but asked Alex to wait for her near the river. After Alex left Bella asked the same question to Ed again.
“She is Kara my step sister. She is mentally challenged. She keeps singing that nursery rhyme. Bella this is a book that Doty wants you to read. After reading give it back to her. Bye now.” Edward said.
She went to the river side to train Alex. Alex noticed that she is holding something and tried to snatch it. In this attempt Bella’s bracelet fell into the water.
“Alex that was my lucky bracelet.”
“Stop your over reacting. You could get such a stupid bracelet from any market in less than a dollar.”
“It was a gift from dad. He gave it after I successfully solved my maiden case”
“Anyway I can’t help. I am so sorry.”
Alex left. After that Bella jumped in the chilled water of the river to reclaim her precious bracelet.
Next morning Alex gifted Bella a new bracelet. Bella initially refused but later accepted it. Next day Edward took Kara to her aunt’s house so that she does not intervene in this wedding. A new girl was given shelter by Doty as she wanted to work there.
Bella asked about the girl. Doty replied that she was called Lily and she wanted a work. Lily was quite shy and quiet, she rarely talked.
Next day Doty called Bella and Jess to show her wedding dress and necklace. Edward noticed Bella’s bracelet and said, “Your bracelet is very beautiful. I would make such a bracelet for Doty as well.”
Doty came screaming, “My room has caught fire. All the decorations have caught fire. Tomorrow is the wedding and everything has been destroyed.”
Meanwhile the servants had extinguished the fire. Doty discovered that her wedding dress and decorations were half burnt and her jewelleries were stolen.
“Doty we still have a day and half for the preparations and we would be successful.” Bella said.
“I hope so.” She replied. Aunt Mary even offered her old wedding dress and jewelleries. That day again Bella went to teach Alex how to swim. Alex said that he would help Bella if she needed.
Just few hours before the wedding the room again caught fire and destroyed everything. Bella and Jess thought of doing some investigation. She found Doty’s necklace and cell phone near the keLilyne bottle and the ruins of the wedding hall. On checking Doty’s phone they found that the threatening calls were made from Doty’s mobile.
Bella informed about all these to Alex and told him not to tell it to Ed or Doty, but Alex told it to Ed. Ed said “Dorothy if you were not interested for marriage you could have simply told it. Anyway I don’t want to force you. You did this for the money right?”
Before Doty could explain anything more Ed left.
Later Ed said to Bella and Jess “I will arrange for a car to drop you.”
Jess said “Bella, I do not want to leave this case. Please do something. I still can’t answer many of the questions going on my mind.”
“Yes I too have many questions. Is Kara really mad? Is this all Doty’s fault? What is the mystery about that nursery rhyme? Why is Lily so silent, is it her nature? Why does Lily always stay near the scene where the mystery takes place? The person who used to threaten Ed and the person who destroyed the marriage are they same.” Bella said.
“Let us go near the river.” Jess suggested
They saw Lily carrying a suitcase. Bella tried to snatch the suitcase and open it. She was successful and found Doty’s stolen jewellery.
A man came and put a napkin wet with chloroform on the noses of Bella and Jess. They could not recall anything else. When they woke up they found themselves tied in the storeroom of a house which was beside Ed’s house.
“You wanted to know everything right. I am Kara.” Lily said removing her wig and makeup. “I am not mad. I am Ed’s step sister. Of course I wanted my father’s money and property. According to a will Edward’s wife will get a hefty amount of money and that would have reduced my share. I made every possible effort to stop their marriage. All the efforts were made by me. I stole the jewellery and put the fire. I used to sing twinkle twinkle little star to signal my gang members. I came back as Lily to continue this effort and so that Kara won’t be blamed and I was planning to leave today as Lily and return tomorrow as Kara. I had to keep quiet so that no one can recognise me by my voice. I tried to put the blame on Doty. But now what would you both do after knowing it? I am going to release carbon monoxide. It would soon lead to death.” Lily left along with few gardeners who was in the gang.
Meanwhile Edward was looking for Bella and Jess. He found Bella’s bracelet’s beads on the path. He followed it and at last found Bella. They were unconscious, Edward opened the windows and then after they regained her consciousness took them back to the house.
After sometime Bella told everything to Ed.
Bella asked Lily “ Who else was there in our gang?”
“Some gardeners and a few servants and a person whose name you won’t be able to guess.”
“Who?”
“Alex. Yes he tried to be friendly with you to gain your trust.”
“What? I really can’t believe.”
“The servants and gardener did this for money and Alex did this to ruin Edward. Alex had always been jealous of his so called friend Edward and he got a chance.” Lily said.
Edward brought Doty back.
After a week Dorothy Moreau finally married Edward Finn. Alex and Lily or Kara were arrested.
Bella and Jess had a wonderful time with everyone in the olive garden.
