“OH, SUGAR, REDHEADS should never try and wear red.”

Alice’s eyes narrowed on the Red Knight who was gazing down on Dame Mary Ann with derision.

“At least, not that pinky color, it does nothing for you, Darling. Why don’t you try a nice blue or green to match your eyes?”

Dame Mary Ann looked from the opulent dandy over to where I was standing. Her thoughts were clear. She didn’t see this elaborate idiot being the mastermind behind any plots to kidnap the White Pawn.

“I don’t give a flying rat’s ass what my associate wears,” I ground out. “You are suspected of kidnapping a member of the Royal House of White’s family. What have you to say about that?”

The dandy blinked, “I didn’t do it.”

Jay took a menacing step forward, and the small man visibly flinched.

“You are going to need to dig deeper,” Jay wasn’t forceful, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes.

There was rustling sound from somewhere inside the Red Knight’s home.

“Who was that?” I demanded. Maybe he had the White Pawn after all?

The Red Knight waved his hand, “No one of any consequence, I assure you.”

“Oi’,” came an offended tone from the darkness of the hallway and before our eyes, two men who were identical in appearance joined us. It was obvious that they had just come from the bedroom.

It seemed that Harry had been right about the Red Knight having an affair with the Tweddle brothers.

One of the brothers spoke, Alice could never tell them apart.

“Not of any consequence, you say? That’s not what you were crying out ten minutes ago.”

The Red Knight didn’t even blush, “Quiet now, Dee! There is espionage afoot!”

Alice had to close her eyes, so she didn’t roll them and to offend their suspect.

Dame Mary Ann eyed him closely, “Do you even know what that means?”

The Red Knight pulled up his thin chest, “Of course, I do!”

The other Tweddle brother snorted, “I highly doubt it.”

And to this, the Red knight flushed angrily, “Don, or should I say Dumb? Espionage is when, well you see. It often happens during, erm, that is to say...”

Don raised a brow mockingly at his lover, “Espionage is the usage of spies to gain political or military information.”

“Precisely what I was getting at Tweddle ‘Dumb!’ And I would have said so if you hadn’t of interrupted me.”

The two men began to argue with each other, but the other twin Dee seemed to be thinking about something.

“Do you have any idea of who might want to pin this on the Red Knight?” Alice huffed. “Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated.”

Dee shrugged, he was handsome in a boyish way but didn’t seem to care one way or another about our visit.

“The Red Knight has many enemies,” Dee began.

The dandified idiot immediately stopped arguing to refute Dee, “That is ridiculous! Everyone loves me!”

Dee went on as if the other man hadn’t interrupted him.

“There is the caterpillar, for one.”

Alice had a sinking feeling in her stomach, “Carlos?”

Dee nodded his head, “Red Knight owes him money.”

The dandy gasped, “That was told in confidence.”

Dee continued, “He owns a seedy second of the Flower Garden, could be one of the prostitutes out to frame him.”

The Red Knight launched into another explanation of the inaccuracy of Dee’s suggestions, but everyone had decided to ignore him.

“The only other thing I can think of is the White knight. Everyone knows that there is no love lost between the two.”

The dandy didn’t say anything. It was true that he hated the White Knight and everything good and clean that the bastard stood for.

“Why would the White Knight kidnap the White Pawn?” Alice interjected.

The Red knight snorted, “It couldn’t be that do-gooder. He wouldn’t dare color outside of the lines let alone kidnap a princess.”

Alice and Jay thanked Dee and turned with Mary Ann in tow to leave. As they were walking away from home the, door slammed open and Don, the other twin raced out after them.

“It might be nothing, but there was talk around town that the Hatter was acting mighty strange.”

Jay scoffed, “The ‘mad’ Hatter? Is that kind of what he does?”

Mary Ann’s lips twitched as Don’s mouth flattened into a straight line.

“Look, I don’t have to help any of you. And quite frankly could care less if the brat is recovered.”

“Then why come out here?” Alice asked.

Don blew out an exasperated breath, “The Red Knight might be a right fool, but I love him. He didn’t kidnap the princess. He isn’t any more capable of it than the White Knight. He is to too lazy and self-absorbed to get involved in such politics.”

Jay and Alice looked at each other. They could see the reason in what Don was saying about the Red Knight.

“Back to the Hatter,” Mary Ann cocked her head to the side, “You say he was acting more strange than usual?”

Don nodded, “I wasn’t the only one who noticed it. And that little animatronic mouse that he carries about like a good luck charm? He didn’t have it with him the last time I saw him. I thought it strange at the time. You know how he constantly plays with it? Anyhow, it might be nothing, but I thought I should say something.”

“Before you go back inside,” Alice placed a hand on his arm, “When and where did you see Hatter last?”

Don blushed, “It was in the Flower Garden, a couple of weeks ago.”

Alice could see that Mary Ann wanted to question the man as to why he would be hanging out with female prostitutes, but she held her tongue.

“Thank you, Don,” Jay reached out and shook the smaller man’s hand.

He must have done it a trifle too hard because Don winced and immediately pulled it back. He didn’t say anything else, just raced back up the walkway and slammed the door with a resounding thud.

Alice, Jay, and Mary Ann stared at one another.

“So, where do we go now?” Mary Ann asked.

“The Flower Garden’s” Jay and Alice spoke at the same time, bringing a surprised look to Mary Ann’s face.

“Why there? Why don’t we try the Hatter’s place or check out this Carlos fellow?”

Alice took Mary Ann’s arm, and they began to walk back to the dirigible.

“Because both the Red Knight, Don Tweddle and the Hatter have been recently seen there. Surely, someone knows something? And for the right price, those flowers are always willing to...”

“Spread their nectar?” Jay interjected with a naughty grin.

Alice huffed at him, “No!”

“Drop their petals?” he suggested, and Mary Ann laughed.

Alice let out a long-suffering breath, “No, get your head out of the gutter. I only meant for the right price they might be willing to sing, spill the beans, rat someone out. Hopefully, it will be out kidnapper.”

Mary Ann was still grinning, she had decided to be friends with Jay and was happy with her choice. It seemed that Alice, to whom she had sworn her loyalty, liked the rugged Jabberwocky. Mary Ann wasn’t immune to his raw masculinity and good looks. But she knew that there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell for her by the way that Jay gazed at Alice.

Someday, she hoped to find someone that would feel the same way about her, even if she wore the wrong colors according to the Red Knight. Mary Ann had a strong hunch that Jay wouldn’t care what color Alice wore or if it washed her out or not.

She let out a wistful sigh, maybe someday.