MYSTERY OF THE GREAT PEARL..

 

MYSTERY OF THE GREAT PEARL.

 

                  “This is no place for children. What is a little child like you doing here!” I gasped and looked back to see the manager looking angrily at me. I told him that I was living in room no. 420 with my parents. “I was just exploring the cruise”, I said. There was silence for a moment and then he said with calm expressions, “it is okay now go back to your room and never come back into my cabin.”

                 I paced back to my room and started reading a book. I started feeling hungry so I decided to call the hotel staff to order some snack. I dialed the number on the intercom and then on the other end of the phone I heard a man shouting. The man was saying, “you can’t handle a thing, that silly boy could have seen the pearl today. Now go and hide it in…..” and then the line went dead. I called again but this time it was received by my friend and a member of the hotel staff. Actually, Ravi became my friend as he was very lonely on the cruise but he came several times in my room for cleaning, delivering food, etc. he is a little older than, probably he is 18. He had to work on the cruise due to the poor condition of his family. In a few minutes, Ravi entered my room with a cheese pizza and chilled juice. I asked him if he knew anything about the incident that happened with me and the manager, the man shouting on the hotel staff phone.

                  Ravi was surprised to hear this. He said that the manager has been very worried recently and he doesn’t allow any member to enter his cabin. I talked with Ravi for some minutes and then he left. I ate the snack and went to sleep. I woke up after an hour as I heard a lot of noises in the corridor. I opened the door and saw many people whispering in a group. A similar group of men were standing near me. A man from the group said, “did you hear that the Great Pearl that was being carried to London is stolen.” He continued “the police on board are now investigating for the thief.” Suddenly Ravi came running towards me, he was looking worried. He said “I think I know who is the pearl thief, it is the manager.” I was shocked to hear this but somewhere I had a feeling that this might be true. I told Ravi to meet me on the deck the next day.  

                   Next morning, I met Ravi on the deck and he began, “The manager was in his cabin the whole day yesterday. When I went to meet him he looked white and pale.” Ravi continued “He scolded me to enter his cabin but he seemed angrier and frustrated than usual.” We went to the manager’s cabin and luckily the manager wasn’t there. We started investigating but no sooner we heard footsteps coming towards us so we hid behind a cupboard. The manager entered and started talking to himself in fear. He was saying, “I can’t keep the pearl in the cabin anymore. I will move it tonight when everyone is asleep.” We were overjoyed to hear this as it is affirmative that the manager is the pearl thief. We couldn’t investigate the cabin as the manager could catch us so we left as soon as we got a chance. Ravi observed that the corridor in front of the manager’s cabin was a long passage with no turns. If we call the police from the other end of the corridor the manager would slam into the police and get caught. At night Ravi had cut the electricity on the manager’s floor so that it is easy for us to hide. At half-past eleven there was a sound of the opening of the door. It was the manager probably with the great pearl. Ravi quickly called the police as decided. It was a long corridor and the manager was walking slowly so it gave time for the police to arrive. As the manager came near us Ravi tripped him and the manager fell straight in his face. By that time the police had arrived and the torches were on. The constables caught hold of the manager and the officer checked him but the manager didn’t have the pearl. We were shocked and the manager was very angry, with a heavy heart I returned back to my room.

            The next morning a meeting was held and all the passengers on the cruise were invited. In the meeting, the police officer called me and Ravi on stage. The officer said “I was too shocked to find that the manager didn’t have the pearl as I too suspected him. When I rechecked him last night the pearl was found in a secret pocket in the inner side of the manager’s shirt.” I was shocked but happy at the same time. Everyone in the meeting cheered for us and we were awarded by the police for our bravery. It was the happiest day of my life but the best part was that Ravi was made the new manager.

Pic courtesy-Google images