As Nick’s green and white cab pulled up at his grand-father’s estate, he found himself smiling from behind his sunglasses. Palmer Bell’s Palm Beach home was a coral pink beachfront palace, complete with elaborate plasterwork, multiple fountains, marble elephants guarding the gates, and columns held up by carved monkeys. It had been built by a film star in the 1930s and was known as a local landmark. Nick’s parents had always derided the house as gaudy, but Nick liked it. It was so different from any of the other houses in the Bell family, which were more austere. The Palm Beach house was fun, like a momentary glimpse into fantasyland.
The front door was opened by Horatio, his grandfather’s majordomo, a large, thick man with olive skin, dark hair, and eyes that were a little too close together. Horatio managed the household, rather like a butler, and, in Palmer’s old age, attended to many of his medical needs as well. He made sure that the kitchen was stocked, that the pool was clean, that every inch of the house was dusted and polished by the housekeeping staff. He was of indeterminate age himself, somewhere between forty and sixty, and attributed his agelessness to the dried goji berries that he ate with every meal. The Bells were grateful to Horatio, as he had taken care of Palmer after Elizabeth, Nick’s grandmother, had died. Palmer had refused to move back to New York City, and so it was lucky that the family had someone to look after the eldest member of the Bell clan.
The other cab pulled up behind Nick’s, and the six of them were led to the east wing of the house, where the guest bedrooms were located. The girls immediately changed into swimsuits-Lauren did indeed have a teal one that met Lia’s approval for her to borrow-and they went out to the pool, where Horatio served them iced tea and lemonade. After changing into trunks, Nick reconvened in the living room with Thad and Patch, where the three of them stood in bare feet on the sisal rug. Nick’s grandmother had decorated the room in classic Palm Beach yellow, and the room was punctuated by large linen couches and banana leaf trees in wicker baskets. Patch and Thad wore board shorts and T-shirts, which looked strange, as their arms were pale from the New York winter.
Nick and Phoebe had told the others about Palmer’s challenge after everyone was checked in for the flight. They all had the same questions that Nick and Phoebe had mulled over, but ultimately, everyone agreed that pursuing Parker’s enigmatic riddle was the best course of action. Nick mentioned the missing Pollock painting and the clue of the family photos that had led them down to Palm Beach.
“I don’t know how much Horatio knows about all this,” Nick said to the two other boys. “He might just think we’re here to spend a weekend, so we can’t be too obvious about snooping around. It’s good that the girls are outside keeping him busy.”
“And you still don’t know what we’re looking for?” Thad asked.
“Basically.”
“I think that at least one of us should be at the pool at all times so it’s not obvious that we’re in the house,” Patch said.
There was a voice from behind them, and Nick jumped. “Master Bell.”
It was Horatio, holding a gold box engraved with images of Egyptian hieroglyphics.
“Your grandfather asked that I give this to you. A little ‘welcome to the house’ gift for you and your friends. You may play it while you are here.”
“Play it?” Nick asked.
Thad took the box from Horatio and handed it to Nick, who placed it on the white travertine coffee table. Nick opened the lid as Horatio excused himself from the room.
“Wow,” Thad said.
“What?” Nick asked.
“I’ve only seen this kind of thing in museums. That is so cool.”
“It would help if you told us what it was,” Patch said, giving Thad a playful punch on the arm.
“It’s senet,” Thad said.
“Senate? Like in government?” Nick asked.
“No, S-E-N-E-T. It’s the oldest board game in recorded history. Dates back to something like 3500 B.C.E. A senet board would be placed in a tomb with the ancient Egyptians-it supposedly gave you protection from the major gods. It was seen as a game of chance and fate.”
“Um, okay, Encyclopedia Brown, how do you know all this?” Patch ribbed him.
Thad blushed. “I was really into Egyptian history in, like, the sixth grade.”
Thad opened the board game and pulled out the pieces from a little drawer on the side. There were nine pieces and four sticks that each had a flat side and round side. “There’s a piece missing,” Thad said.
“Another thing that’s missing,” Patch said.
“What do you mean?” Nick said.
“So far, two things are missing: what you found at the beach was a missing painting. Now you’ve got a missing piece on a board game.”
Nick sat down. “So he’s leaving these little clues for us. What does it mean?”
“You’ve got four things so far,” Thad said. “A missing painting, family photos, the beach, though you don’t know which beach. And an Egyptian board game with a missing piece.”
“And where does that leave us?” Nick asked.
“This is just off the top of my head, but I think you’re looking for something Egyptian,” Thad said. “Maybe a family heirloom or something? Did your grandfather collect Egyptian art at all?”
“I think he might have. I never paid much attention.”
“Okay, and if he had something that was special to him, where would he keep it?”
“In his study,” Nick said. “Always in his study. It was the only place he wouldn’t let my grandmother touch. That place is like a time capsule.”
“So you should go to his study. I think I should go outside and teach the girls to play senet. You know, just so that Horatio doesn’t get any ideas. Besides, we might come up with another clue.”
Nick looked up to see that Phoebe was standing at the entryway to the room. He didn’t know how long she had been there.
“What about this?” she said. “A missing piece is keeping you from playing the game. I think that like so many things in the Society, the game itself is incidental. We can learn to play senet, but I think what Palmer’s trying to tell you is that first you need to find what’s missing, and then you can play the game.”
“The game being?” Thad asked.
“The game isn’t senet,” Phoebe said. “The game is getting out of the Society.”