Thomas Darcy turned eighteen the day after his father's second wedding. His father, Beaumont Darcy, married his new mother Clarissa on a glistening Saturday afternoon; and then spent the Sunday celebrating Tommy's birthday in the company of his new bride and her son, nineteen-year-old Dashiel, who, by his mother's request, happily took on the new family name of Darcy.

Together the four of them drank champagne cocktails--Tommy's first ever--on the lawn of the family's lake house in California and as the sun set over the placid forests on the other side of the lake, Beaumont and Clarissa packed their bags and left for a three-month honeymoon around the world, leaving their sons to get better acquainted. It was the start of summer vacation and little did they know that the two boys were about to become the very best of friends.

"Well it was nice to meet you," Dash announced the instant their newly-wed parents sped off to the airport. "But I'll be leaving you now. You can have the place to yourself for the entire summer vacation."

"Jeepers! What on earth are you talking about?" With his champagne cocktail still in hand, Tommy chased after Dash as he headed for his bedroom.

"I'm going back to Yalebridge."

"Dash, you're being goofy," Tommy pursued him. "You don't have to go back for another three months."

Dash stopped in his stride and turned. He pressed his palm flat against Tommy's broad chest to stop him. Tommy's champagne cocktail sloshed so he stopped it from spilling completely by gulping down half of its fizzy, delicious contents.

"I know that," Dash replied, "I'm going back for another reason."

As the two boys stood facing each other, it was immediately evident how similar they were. Both were the same height and had the same build--muscular and strong for their age--Dash from all those years playing kick-the-can on the mean streets of New York where they breed them tough; and Tommy from summers spent swimming and canoeing across the lake, that's to say when he wasn't reading mystery novels. Tommy always had the latest whodunit within easy reach.

Indeed at first glance, the boys were completely identical.

Except for the fact that Dash had green eyes and Tommy's were as blue as the ocean.

And the fact that Dash had short shaved black hair and Tommy's was wild and blond.

And the fact that Dash was African American, his black skin flawless, beautiful and shimmering; while Tommy was white, although with all the time spent at the lake Tommy's skin was in fact more bronze than any other color and the only thing truly white about him was his perfect gleaming smile.

"But it's summertime." Tommy flashed his pearly whites. "What could be better than summer on the lake?"

"A mystery!" Dash replied enticingly.

Tommy's jaw dropped. "Is there a butler involved?"

On Our Way

Tommy's sea-blue eyes widened. "Jeepers! Are you kidding? A real live mystery?"

"No, I'm not kidding. Yes, I'm talking about a real live mystery. And I haven't delved deep enough to see if there are any butlers involved yet, but I'll soon find out!"

Tommy beamed with excitement. "I can't believe it!"

But Dash was already shaking his head, "Don't get any crazy ideas, Tommy. This is a mystery so secret I can't possibly tell you all about it."

"Then tell me just a little about it," Tommy begged.

Dash hesitated for a fleeting moment, and then eyed Tommy with the dreamiest, most mesmerizing green eyes Tommy had ever seen. "Well, I suppose you are my brother now."

"Well, not technically speaking." Tommy was still breathless at the thought of the mystery at hand and caught in the spell of Dash's dreamy green eyes. "But we can be the best of friends."

"I suppose we can," Dash agreed. "And if you can't trust your best friend, who can you trust?"

"That's right!" Tommy nodded.

"All right then. Come with me." Dash led Tommy into his bedroom and pulled a suitcase out from under the bed that, by the look of the weight of it, was already packed in preparation of his impending investigation. He unzipped it. Sitting on top of all the neatly folded clothes was a black envelope. Dash opened it and handed Tommy the letter inside.

Tommy read it aloud: "The Society of the Secret Skulls requests the pleasure of your company at the Annual TOP SECRET Secret Skulls Ball. Show this letter to nobody."

Tommy stared at Dash. "Wow, sounds super swishy!"

Dash took the letter back. "It sounds more fishy than swishy to me!"

"What do you mean?"

"I've heard of the Secret Skulls before and if you ask me there's something about their secret society that's not quite right. The whole reason I chose to study law in the first place was to fight for justice and protect the innocent. My real father was a New York cop. When he got shot in the line of duty, I swore to follow in his footsteps and uphold the law. And I've got a hunch that when it comes to the law, the Secret Skulls think they're above it."

"You think they're up to no good?" Tommy grabbed Dash by the shoulder and squeezed him hard. "Golly! You have to take me with you!"

Dash couldn't resist the chance to run his hand through Tommy's messy blond hair. "No." His reply was stern, yet caring. "It's too dangerous. Besides, you're just a kid."

Tommy promptly and assertively placed his hands on his hips. "I'm eighteen now! That makes me a man!"

It crossed Dash's mind that with Tommy's broad shoulders, strong chest and youthful masculine features that indeed he was a man. The thought of conducting a more thorough investigation, right here and now, to ascertain just how much of a man Tommy was crossed Dash's mind also.