The ImPAWssible Mission

by Patricia Fry

  “How can she get away with that?” Holly asked. “Wasn’t there a will?”

  “Yes, but I guess it doesn’t matter. A dishonest relative can swindle you out of what’s rightfully yours and there’s not much you can do about it. She had all sorts of excuses about taxes on the property, money being held up because of this or that. It wasn’t much of an estate, but still half of it was mine. She cheated me out of it and the worst part is that she flaunts it. That’s what that photo was all about. She’s off living the good life someplace and I’m still working my butt off and getting nowhere.” Her face contorted into an angry scowl. “It just makes me so damn…”

  When she looked across the table at Savannah and Holly, she stopped and said in a pleasant voice, “Oh, I’m sorry. No one wants to hear about another person’s dirty laundry.” She stood. “Gotta go. Thank you for the chat. I enjoyed it. See you soon,” she said as she walked swiftly away.

  “Wow!” Savannah said, her eyes wide.

  “Yeah, wow!” Holly repeated. “That was some rant.”

  “That it was,” Savannah agreed.

  “Darn,” Holly complained. “We didn’t get her name.”

  “Yes, we did,” Savannah said, smiling. “It’s Sharon.”

  Holly smirked playfully at her sister-in-law and Savannah leaned in, sharing what she’d learned. She spoke slowly. “Sharon L. Slattery.”

  “So do you know who she is now?”

  Savannah shook her head. “No. But we have a name. We can do some research.” She stood. “Let’s go home and see if we can find her on the Internet.”

  ****

  “So, what did you girls do today?” Michael asked that evening over dinner.

  “Research, mostly,” Savannah said.

  He looked at her, then Holly. “And what did you learn?”

  Savannah shook her head. “Not much, actually.”

  “What were you hoping to learn?” Gladys asked.

  “Who took that jewelry,” she spouted. “But I think we have a lot of hurdles to jump before we get to that point.” She faced Holly. “Isn’t that the idea you get?”

  “Yes. But at least we have a pretty good idea of who didn’t take the jewelry.” When the others looked at her, she said, “The detective, you, me, and maybe Sharon Slattery.”

  “Slattery?” Gladys questioned. When the others looked at her, she squinted in thought. “Sounds familiar.”

  Savannah faced her mother. “That’s what I thought. There’s this little something niggling at me every time I think about that name. What is it, Mom?”

  “Well, isn’t that one of the names on those genealogy papers you girls found? I sort of remember that name because I knew some Slatterys once.”

  “Oh my gosh!” Savannah shouted. “That’s it.”

  “What genealogy papers?” Michael asked.

  “Remember those papers in the pot at the Veranos’ Airbnb where we put the jewelry that we…I mean that Rags found? Holly and I confiscated some of those papers before the house exploded that night, and Mom’s right. Dino senior’s wife’s maiden name was Slattery. She must have had a brother.”

  “Yeah,” Holly said, “…who must have had sons.” She put her hands up to her face. “Wow. So Sharon might be related to the Verano family!”

  “Which means her cousin probably is too. And it’s her cousin who has the earring pendant that we believe came from the jewelry stash.” Savannah put her hands against the sides of her head. “Holy cow, Holly, have we cracked the case?” She stood up. “I’ve got to call Craig.”

  Chapter 7

  “Whoa,” Craig said later that evening as Savannah and Holly excitedly told him about their discoveries. “One at a time, and don’t talk so fast.” After listening to them, he sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. “Slattery, huh? Female cousins in a fight for the loot.” He chuckled. “Isn’t that the stuff fiction’s made of?”

  “Truth is stranger than fiction, Craig,” Savannah said.

  He studied her for a moment, then asked, “Did you get the cousin’s name?”

  “Harriet.”

  “Slattery?” he asked. “Or is she married?”

  Savannah and Holly looked at each other and shrugged. Savannah said, “I guess what we need is a fingerprint.” She put her hand up to her mouth, then stood and left the room. She returned with the photograph pieces dangling from a pair of tweezers.

  Craig laughed. “Well, it’s worth a try, I guess. There could be prints left by someone other than you two girls, me, Sharon Slattery, and whoever else she showed that photo to.” He took an envelope from his pocket and held it open while Savannah dropped the torn pieces of the photograph into it. He sat quietly for a moment, then said, “We need to find out where this cousin is now.”

  “San Francisco,” Savannah said. When Craig looked at her, she said, “The postmark on the envelope I saw lying next to the photo was from San Francisco.”

  Craig smiled. “Good job.” But his smile didn’t last long. “Did you see a return address? That’s an awfully big city, full of a whole lot of people.”

  Savannah shook her head.

  Craig leaned forward. “How would you ladies like an assignment?”

  Holly and Savannah looked at one another and giggled.

  Michael rolled his eyes.

  “What kind of assignment?” Savannah asked. She grinned slyly. “In the Bahamas?”

  “Yeah, right,” Craig snarked. “No, here in Hammond.”

  “Oh,” Savannah complained. “What?” she asked.

  “We need more information from your friend, Sharon. Do you think you can get her to talk about her cousin? We need to know where she is exactly. Maybe she’ll put you in touch with someone who knows more about this gal’s day-to-day activities. Even if you have to tell Sharon that you’re on to her, do it.”

  Michael spoke up. “But Craig…”

  “I don’t think that would put them in any jeopardy, Michael. And I do believe it will put us closer to our ultimate goal, which is to recover the jewels.” He sat up straighter. “It could even mean a reward for your friend, if she can lead us to them.” When the others appeared to be surprised, he said, “Yeah, the descendants of Mr. Harmonson, the jeweler, have offered a reward for the return of the jewelry. It’s worth a lot of money, of course, but there’s also the sentimental value, because their grandfather designed and handcrafted the pieces. As I understand it, the descendants—the jeweler’s grandchildren—are in their fifties now.”

  “A reward,” Savannah said, smiling. “Yeah, we could dangle that bait in front of Sharon and it should work. She seems a tad greedy and maybe needy.”

  “How much is the reward?” Holly asked.

  “I think it’s up around $10,000.”

  Michael whistled.

  Savannah nodded. “Yeah, I can see her taking the bait.” She turned to Holly. “Let’s go talk to her tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” Holly said. “But what about the horseback ride?”

  “Oh yes, we were going to play with the horse tomorrow, weren’t we? Why don’t we do that after naptime. Let’s try to meet with Sharon right after lunch.”

  ****

  “So glad you could meet with us,” Savannah said as Sharon ushered her and Holly into the kitchen of her small house.

  “Want something to drink?” Sharon asked.

  Both women declined the offer and Savannah said, “We just have a few minutes—we promised the kids a horseback ride.”

  Sharon stared at Savannah before saying, “I always wanted a horse. Harriet had a horse…in fact more than one. She was privileged.” She looked at Savannah. “I guess like you are. I clean houses for the privileged and Harriet lives the privileged life. I never thought that was fair. We came from the same family, only my dad just wasn’t as motivated by money as her dad was. They were brothers, you know.”

  “But Sharon,” Savannah said, “you had a good job in a m
ajor corporation didn’t you? You told me that.”

  “Yes, I worked for several different companies. In between those jobs, I did some freelancing and worked at a newspaper. That’s what I enjoyed, but I loved money more, so I’d land another corporate position. And what do I have to show for it? Not much,” she complained.

  Savannah glanced at Holly, then said, “Sharon, that could change.”

  “Huh? What do you mean? I’m fifty-six years old and still freelancing; what could possibly change? Are you going to put me in your will or hand me a bundle of cash?” She stood up and walked across the room, then turned and apologized. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. You’ve been so kind.” She returned to the table and sat down. “What is it you’re suggesting?”

  “Well,” Savannah said, “I think you’re actually going to love this.”

  “What?” she asked, looking from Savannah to Holly.

  “Well,” Savannah said, “here’s the deal. I know that you’re related to the Verano family.”

  Sharon suddenly looked pale. Her eyes darted around the room as if she were seeking an escape route. Before she could speak, Savannah continued, “I assume you learned about the jewelry heist from a family member.”

  Sharon sat silent, fidgeting with her hands.

  Savannah spoke gently. “We smelled your scent in the house just before it blew up. But now we’re pretty sure you didn’t set the charge or take the jewelry. We think it was your cousin.”

  “What?” Sharon shrieked.

  “In that picture you showed us, she’s wearing a pendant made from an earring stolen in that heist. Just before the house blew up we found the mate to that earring, in the hole where the jewelry was hidden. We think your cousin is the one who absconded with it.”

  Holly spoke up. “Or another family member gave Harriet the earring, and she had the pendant made.”

  Sharon stood up again. She shook her head while considering how to respond. Slowly, she faced the others. “I…I don’t know what to say.” She tilted her head. “You think Harriet found it? How?”

  “We don’t know that,” Savannah said.

  Sharon sat down again and leaned toward the other women. “Why are you telling me this? To rub salt in the wound?” She began to cry. “This just puts the dagger deeper into my heart.” She wailed, “She wins again. I hate her! I hate her!”

  “Well,” Savannah said quietly, “I know a way that you can win. You can be the winner.”

  “What are you suggesting?” Sharon asked suspiciously.

  “There’s a reward for information leading to the return of the jewelry.”

  “Return?” Sharon said, laughing. “It’s a little late, isn’t it? That jeweler is long gone by now.”

  “Yes, but his descendants are eager to have the jewelry returned and they’ve offered a reward of $10,000. Are you interested?”

  “Um...” Sharon squinted at Savannah. “What do I have to do?”

  “Just tell us where Harriet is so authorities can, perhaps, finally find the jewelry and get it back to the rightful owners.”

  Sharon stared at Savannah, then Holly. She looked down at her hands and said quietly, “Or I can find Harriet myself and…”

  “And what?” Holly insisted. “Take the jewelry and have to hide out for the rest of your life? What kind of life would that be?”

  “Better than the one I’m living,” Sharon was quick to say.

  “Don’t be too sure,” Savannah said. She added, “You’re hiding out now and doing a little scheming and you don’t seem all that content.”

  Sharon let out a long breath. “You’re right.” She stood up and left the room, returning with a handful of envelopes. “She does this to torture me, you know.” She handed them to Savannah and laughed. “But if they wind up nailing her, then it was all worth it.”

  Savannah looked through the envelopes and noticed that one had a post office box address in a community near San Francisco. “Perfect,” Savannah said. “Is there anything else you can tell us about your cousin?” Savannah turned the envelope over a couple of times. “What name is she going by?”

  “Oh, she married young and kept his name. I think she hyphenates, so it should be Harriet Slattery-Bell. She likes to live the high-society life and attends operas, openings, that sort of thing.” She stared at Savannah. “Now you will tell authorities that I turned her in, won’t you?”

  “Absolutely,” Savannah said. “No worries. Someone will be in touch with you. It might be our friend, Detective Craig Sledge.” Savannah stood and started to leave, then said, “Thank you, Sharon. I think this is going to be a turning point for you.”

  Sharon smiled weakly. “I could use a turning point. Thank you.” As an afterthought, she said, “Savannah, can I hug you?”

  “Sure.” Savannah felt the woman trembling in the embrace.

  ****

  “You’re celebrating, huh?” Craig asked later that day when Savannah called him.

  “Yes,” she said. “Holly and I are celebrating our victory.”

  “Well, don’t count your successes until they start paying off. That’s a cardinal rule of police work.”

  “I know. We’re not commemorating the end of the case, just a big breakthrough. Don’t you think that getting Harriet’s name and address was a breakthrough?”

  “Sure, but there’s more work to do. We still don’t know where the stuff is, and we haven’t actually found this Harriet Slattery-Bell gal.” He cleared his throat. “Uh, Savannah, I was wondering…”

  “What?”

  “Want to go to Frisco?” When she hesitated, he said, “You know how I like you to be with me when I’m interrogating…um…or scheming against a woman.”

  “Can’t you get a lady cop?” she whined.

  “Maybe, but I’m used to working with you.”

  “Craig, I don’t think Michael would…”

  “Well, you talk it over with him and let me know. I think it would help us to solve a seventy-year-old case and it might be rather interesting.” He said more enticingly, “You could add the story to your cat’s memoirs.”

  “But I’m writing about Rags. That wouldn’t fit into my book.”

  “It would if…” Craig started.

  “Oh no. You want to take Rags?”

  “It’s a small town outside San Francisco where she’s living, Savannah, and people know everyone. If I went alone and tried to do surveillance, I’d be noticed. A man with a woman and a cat…”

  “Wouldn’t be noticed?” Savannah asked, laughing.

  “Not in a way that would blow our cover.”

  “I don’t know, Craig.”

  “Well, think about it and visualize us blowing into town, maybe getting a flat tire in the neighborhood where she lives, and…or we could be looking for the owner of a cat we happened to find running loose…or… ”

  “Hmmm. It does sound interesting. Let me talk to Michael. What are you thinking, two days?”

  “Three at most.”

  “When?” she asked. “You know, Holly and the kids aren’t leaving until day after tomorrow.” She smiled and added, “They’re coming to our Sunday family-and-friends gathering.”

  “Cool. I think we’re safe to wait until Monday night or Tuesday to leave that is, unless…”

  “Unless what?”

  “Well, unless your friend, Sharon, decides to take things into her own hands and look up her cousin before we get there.”

  “Hmmm. That wouldn’t be good. Hey, how about if I invite Sharon to join our Sunday gathering? That will keep her in town.”

  “Good idea. We’re coming to your house Sunday, right?”

  “Yes. See you then, Craig.”

  When Savannah returned to the living room everyone was laughing heartily. “What’s so funny?” she asked. “What did I miss?”

  “Oh, Michael was doing his impersonation of one of your neighbors,” Holly said.

&n
bsp; Savannah frowned at him. “Michael, don’t be cruel. It’s not nice to make fun of people.”

  “I wasn’t making fun. I was just…”

  “Never mind. Where’s the wine?” she asked. “I could use a refill.”

  “So you girls put a dent in the ancient case, did you?” he asked.

  “I guess you might say that,” Savannah said, chuckling. “But there’s still more work to do. We still don’t know where the jewelry is. It could be up at that crooked detective’s mine, for all we know. Harriet may not have it at all.”

  Holly slumped in her chair. “That would be disappointing.” She looked at Savannah. “Was that Craig you were talking to? What did he say about what we learned today? Was he impressed?”

  “Well, he brought me down a little. He says…”

  “It ain’t over until it’s over,” Michael teased.

  “Something like that.” She addressed him. “He wants me to go with him to question the new suspect.” When Michael opened his mouth to respond, she added, “He says he thinks I can actually help trick her into talking to us or maybe get her to show us where the jewelry is. He says I’m an asset when he interrogates a woman.”

  Michael peered out of the corner of his eye at Savannah. “Uh-huh,” he murmured. “Where does he want you to go this time?”

  “Just outside the city. We have a post office box number in that town, and we need to stake out the post office to see if we can find her that way, or maybe someone knows her. Anyway, He thinks we’ll get a chance to talk to her, and he seems to be certain that Rags and I can help.”

  “Rags?” Michael chuckled. “Hasn’t Craig learned his lesson about taking Rags?”

  Savannah grinned. “I guess not. We’ll leave Tuesday morning and probably be back by Thursday or Friday.”

  Michael was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Did they get a search warrant for the mining camp where Craig thought the jewels might be hidden?”