Jason looked at the elderly woman sitting across from them and knew it was age-bias but doubted that she would be able to remember anything. At ninety-years-old, she peered at the men from behind her glasses, her grey eyes slightly cloudy. Her hands, resting on the table, were thin, and papery skin covered her rheumatic joints. Waiting on Mitch to begin, he was surprised when she spoke first.
“I understand you gentlemen are looking for information about Ellen Williams’ shop. I began working there as soon as I graduated from high school in 1947. The shop had only been open for two years, but already Ellen was making it a success. She was sharp. Some of the men in town didn’t think her shop would last, but we showed them.” With a little chuckle, she added, “Yes, siree. We showed them.”
Jason, Mitch, and Gareth shared a smile between them before Mitch said, “I understand that you worked there for a long time.”
“I stayed with Ellen until the shop closed in nineteen-ninety-five. She had been open for fifty years, forty-eight of those with me.”
“That’s quite impressive,” Gareth complimented.
“Hmph,” she grunted. “Lots of people thought we stayed at it so long because we couldn’t get a man. It might surprise you young men to know that not all women want to be tied down in a relationship. I was perfectly content being a single, working woman, and I think Ellen loved being a woman of business.”
“With you working with her almost from the beginning, you had the opportunity to be around the other employees. We’re specifically looking for someone who may have left suddenly. Our timeframe is any time from the late 1970s until the shop closed.”
“This is about the body that was found there, isn’t it?” she asked, her voice sharp and clear.
Jason blinked in surprise, but as he glanced toward Mitch, was impressed that his friend never seemed to lose his composure.
“Yes, ma’am, it is.”
“Then what makes you think it was during Ellen’s ownership of the business? That building stayed rented by various people for the next twenty years. Ellen’s sister never wanted to do anything with it, so she just rented it to others. And when she passed, it went to her son, Corwin Banks. I heard it sat empty until the newest owner bought it recently.”
Unable to hide his chuckle, Gareth said, “You stay very well informed, Ms. Barry.”
She smiled as though preening and said, “I’ve been fortunate that age has not diminished my mental abilities so far. I assure you, gentlemen, that I don’t care for bingo and prefer spending my time reading the newspaper and keeping up with the Baytown activities on Facebook. Quite a few people have been chatting about the goings-on recently.”
Jason smiled widely, warming to her, thinking that he wanted Rose to meet Martha the next time they came to visit Rose’s mom.
Ms. Barry’s gaze settled on Jason, and she said, “My eyesight is not as good as it used to be, but I knew I’d seen you somewhere before. That long hair of yours is hard to forget. I’ve seen you in here.”
“Yes, ma’am. My girlfriend’s mother, Peggy Parker, is rehabilitating here.”
“Ahh. Her daughter is Rose. The new owner of Ellen’s old building.” Jason blinked, and she laughed. “I told you that I stay well informed.” Turning back to Mitch, she asked, “So, in answer to my question about your timeline?”
“I’ll just say, Ms. Barry, that based on the evidence from the remains, that’s the timeframe that we’re looking at.”
She seemed to ponder this information for a moment, then nodded before grimacing. “It galls me to admit that while my memory is quite good, sometimes the past runs together a bit. I remember the women that worked for Ellen. A number of them worked, like me, for many years. Ellen was an interesting businesswoman, and she often employed women that might not have been given a chance somewhere else. By this, I mean she might employ someone who was from the wrong side of the tracks, but with her lessons in deportment and elocution, these women had the opportunity to rise in society even if they were working in a shop.”
“Corwin alluded to that the other night,” Jason thought aloud.
Her head swung back to him, and she cackled. “Corwin? Mayor Corwin Banks. Ellen doted on that boy, but I always thought he was overstuffed with self-importance.”
If Jason thought he liked Ms. Barry before that, he definitely liked her opinion of Corwin.
“His father had him destined to become Mayor by the time that boy was thirteen years old. I actually think his father wanted him to run for higher office, like senator. But Corwin knew that he would be better as a big fish in a small pond, and the long-running Mayor of Baytown suits him fine.” Shaking her head, she said, “He certainly came around a lot. His aunt thought that it was to visit her, but I knew it was because of Charlotte. He definitely had his eye on the pretty Charlotte.”
Before the men could ask another question, she visibly jolted in her wheelchair as though an electric shock had moved through her. She gasped, and Mitch immediately jumped up and leaned over, asking, “Ms. Barry, are you all right?”
“Should I get Belle?” Gareth asked, already standing.
Her hands shot out, motioning for the men to sit as she said, “No. No. I’m fine. Well, actually I’m irritated at myself. I suddenly had a memory, and I can’t believe I didn’t think about it earlier, but it didn’t hit me until we were talking about Corwin. It was Charlotte. She left town suddenly.”
“What can you tell us?” Mitch asked, and Jason leaned forward, his arms resting on the table as he eagerly awaited to see what she would say.
“Charlotte. Charlotte Robinson was the young lady. She grew up in the county, and her mother had worked as a housekeeper for some of the wealthier families. Her father had been killed in Vietnam and had no family to speak of. So, it was just Charlotte and her mother for a while, and then her mother passed away.”
A slight smile curved her lips as she remembered. “The first day she came into the shop…she was so nervous. I could tell she had dressed in her finest, but her clothes were ill-fitted hand-me-downs. But she was a beauty. Soft-spoken, sweet disposition, and Ellen took to her immediately. And in the way that only Ellen could, she immediately hired Charlotte, helping her to know how to dress, wear her hair, and even though her mother had taught her to act like a lady, Ellen could give her that something extra.”
“And you say she left town suddenly?” Gareth prompted when her voice trailed off.
Shifting her gaze back to Gareth, she said, “Young man, just because I have grown quiet, does not mean that I am doddy. I am simply allowing myself to have pleasant memories. Something an old lady can enjoy.”
“I beg your pardon,” Gareth said, blushing slightly.
She continued, “Charlotte was about the same age as Corwin…maybe a little older. It wasn’t long before he started coming around to the shop, supposedly to see his Aunt Ellen, but I noticed it was always on the days that Charlotte was working. I sometimes wondered if a little romance was not blossoming but knew that would come to no good. After all, she was still a shop girl, and Corwin’s dad would not have allowed him to ever settle with her.” Clasping her hands in front of her on the top of the table, she shook her head and said softly, “Personally, I think she would’ve been very good for Corwin, although the woman he married is lovely, too. I suppose it was for the best. Phyllis keeps Corwin in line, whereas I think Charlotte would’ve always been trying to please him. Corwin definitely needed a woman that could crack the whip over him.”
Jason covered his chuckle with a cough and noticed Mitch and Gareth doing the same. Mitch commented, “I think, Ms. Barry, you have not only an excellent memory, but are an excellent judge of character.”
She laughed, and then after a moment her smile slid from her face, and it appeared more memories were returning. “One day, Charlotte didn’t come down for work, and Ellen was quite upset when it appeared that Charlotte had left. You see, the apartment above the shop was not used by Ellen. She allowed some of
the young women who worked in the shop to live there if needed. Almost like a shopkeepers’ dormitory. She charged them very little rent, and it helped them to save money. At the time, Charlotte was the only one there. I went upstairs to see if she was ill, and her place was completely cleaned out. Clothes, toiletries, personal items. It’s as though she packed up in the middle of the night and simply left.”
“There doesn’t appear to be a record of anyone filing a missing-person report,” Mitch mentioned.
Shaking her head, she said, “Ellen was convinced that Charlotte had run off with some young man and was too embarrassed to talk to her about it. There was no evidence that she had not done anything other than just pack up and leave.”
“Why do you think she would’ve been too embarrassed?”
Her lips pinched in a tight line before she said, “I had noticed that Charlotte seemed to be getting a little bit heavier. Not much, mind you, but a bit. After she left, Ellen mentioned to me that she wondered if Charlotte was not in the family way. When she left the way she did, Ellen felt sure that she must have gone off with whoever the father was.” She held her gaze for a moment, then added, “It might have been the early 80’s, but in a small town like Baytown and with an employer like Ellen, a young, unmarried, pregnant girl would have felt a great deal of pressure. Of course, if you think that she might be the remains that were found in the cellar, that would indicate that perhaps she found a way to take her own life in private.” Sighing heavily, Ms. Barry slumped back in her wheelchair, her head shaking slowly from side to side.
The small gathering sat in silence for a moment, and Jason could not help but think of the comparison between Charlotte and Rose, and his heart ached.
Belle returned to the sunroom, and they took their leave of Ms. Barry. She perked up slightly as she shook their hands, and said, “While the subject has been somewhat sad, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to travel back in time. If I think of anything else, I’ll have Miss Belle give you a call.”
Jason, Mitch, and Gareth stood outside in the parking lot of the nursing home. “Do you think it could have been suicide?” Jason asked. “If she were pregnant, alone, and frightened?”
“I don’t know,” Gareth replied. “It would’ve needed to be very planned. She got rid of all of her possessions first.”
“The shelving unit was over the cellar door. She couldn’t have done that,” Mitch said.
“You’re right,” Jason said. “It seems more likely that someone would have killed her, hid her body in the cellar, and made sure the heavy shelves were over the door.”
“If they knew her possessions were upstairs, they could have taken everything and got rid of them, making it look like she simply left in the middle the night,” Mitch agreed.
“What about dental records?” Gareth asked.
Looking down at his phone, Mitch said, “I’ve got to get back to the station. There’s only one dentist in town that would have records back that far. I’ll give their office a call as I’m driving back and let them know that you’re going to stop by. If you can, pick up the dental records for Charlotte Robinson, drop them off at the office, and I’ll send them to the state lab.”
As Mitch and Gareth climbed into their vehicles and pulled out of the parking lot, Jason walked back into Careway Nursing Home. He found Peggy in the library again, a book in her lap. She looked up as he entered the room and grinned widely.
She lifted her one good arm, and as he leaned in to hug her, she patted his back. “Jason. So nice to see you.”
“I had some business out here,” he said, “and didn’t want to leave without saying hello.”
“Sit. Sit. Tell me about my Rose. She called me earlier to let me know about the opening.”
He lifted his eyebrow in question, and she continued, “Yes. She told me everything.”
“The opening went really well, Ms. Parker. You would’ve been proud. Everybody had a good time, and Rose’s ice cream is phenomenal. She said she used all of the recipes from you and your husband.”
Smiling as she nodded, she said, “My husband was always searching for new combinations of flavors. Always homemade. Always fresh.” She held his gaze for a moment, and then said, “How is she doing?”
“I think she’s doing really well, Ms. Parker. She knows that whatever happened in the cellar of the building happened many years ago. She’s sad about it and wants the identity discovered. But she also wants her business to be a success, and to do that, she’s thrown herself into making sure everything is perfect.”
Peggy nodded and said, “That’s my Rose. Very practical, and yet very romantic.”
He felt a bit like a bug under the glass as her brown eyes, so much like Rose’s, held his gaze, and he wondered what she was thinking.
She finally broke the silence, by saying, “I’m so glad Rose has you.”
Warming under her acceptance, he said, “I’m glad, too. I know that Rose is a strong woman, but I just want you to know that I want to do whatever I can to take care of her.”
“Just make her happy.”
Standing, he bent to kiss her cheek as he said goodbye. Driving back to town, he wondered how happy he was going to be able to make her when he reported what they had learned this morning about Charlotte. She had made him promise to tell her whatever they discovered, and he was not going to break that promise. Now, he just had to figure out how to keep his promise to Peggy at the same time.
25
Sweet Rose was open for business, and it seemed like everyone in town had come by. Their first two batches of ice cream flavors had sold out by mid-afternoon on opening day, and Rose was busy making third batches. Deciding to open on a Wednesday gave her several days before the weekend to work out any kinks. Jade was still teaching during the week, and the teenagers had not yet arrived after school. She had hired a young high school graduate, Marie, who was taking classes at the community college at night and was eager to work during the day. She also had hired an older man, Richie, who was looking for part-time work since retiring. Both were excellent employees, and she knew she had worked them hard today.
Glancing at the clock, she called out, “I expect we’ll have another wave of customers when school gets out.” Richie was wiping down the tables, and Marie was busy taking the ice cream Rose made and filling up the freezer tubs in the display case.
Taking a moment to stop, Rose leaned her hip against the counter and cast her gaze about the shop. Already hanging on the wall was the frame that Ben had given her, filled with her first dollar earned from Jason who bought the first scoop before work that morning.
The tables that had been pushed to the side for her soft opening were now scattered about the eating area. Richie was making sure they were free of sticky blobs of ice cream, singing to the song that she had playing on the radio.
She assumed that a few people came through the shop that morning hoping for a bit of gossip, but she made sure to keep the conversations light and focused on her shop, not the woman discovered in the cellar. She refused to discuss her in terms of a skeleton…she had been a person, and that was how she thought of her. Customers looking for information may have left her shop disappointed with their lack of gossip, but she knew they were not disappointed in their ice cream.
As she continued to gaze about the room, she could not help but admire the design that she and Sophie had worked on. There was artwork on the walls, but each painted scene depicted roses in all colors. She had not wanted anything too beachy, knowing that those scenes were hanging on the walls of most of the stores and restaurants in town. Sophie had designed her logo, the script of Sweet Rose Ice Shop surrounded by green vines and pink roses, and carried that theme inside the store.
She grinned as Tori and Katelyn entered the shop, both pushing strollers. Richie was delighted with the babies and entertained them while she offered hugs to her two friends. Marie brought their orders of ice cream to the table, and she took a rare break to sit with them.
Tori nodded, licking the ice cream off her spoon, and said, “Mitch is a little overwhelmed with Ginny being out. At least we’re not into the heavy summer season where the BPD has to constantly monitor vacationers who are parking in the wrong place, having glass bottles and dogs out on the beach, and occasionally cranking their music up so loud that it disturbs the neighbors. Not to mention the visiting teens who sometimes shoplift!”
Shaking her head, Katelyn said, “You don’t have to thank us. Gareth and I are just as interested in solving the mystery of the woman as you are. I’m sure Jason has already told you that we did get dental records for Charlotte Robinson from the dental office here in town. They had the old records stored somewhere else, but they found them, and we handed them over to Mitch.”
“Mitch sent them off to his friend at the Forensic Lab,” Tori added.
Rose mused, “I wonder how long it takes for them to get results.”
“I don’t know, but I know it’s not like on TV.” Tori took another bite of ice cream and said, “I have to tell you that this Rose Petal ice cream is to die for. I’d never had this flavor, but I tried it at your soft opening. It’s amazing.”
“I’m glad you like it,” she replied. “It was my dad’s specialty.”
“Have you given any more thought about selling tubs of your ice cream to some of the local restaurants and businesses so that they can offer it? If so, I’d like to keep some on hand at the Sea Glass Inn to offer it to my guests.”
Nodding with enthusiasm, she said, “Yes. I’ve been working up a price list, and I’ll email it to you. I thought about printing something up and handing it out to some of the other restaurants in town. Then, anyone who wants to buy it can put in orders.”
Sweet Rose: Baytown Boys Page 20