Sylvia and Delilah were already eating when I entered, the two Great Danes also enjoying their morning meal. Snickerdoodle and Macaroon ran over, sniffing me happily. Sylvia greeted me with a hearty,
“Good morning, Kari! Please have a seat.”
The dogs followed me as I sat down, continuing to rub their noses on my legs as they got to know me better. There was so much food in front of me, I wasn’t completely sure where to start.
I thought it best to say a quick “Good morning,” to Sylvia and Delilah before putting anything on my plate.
I decided on something simple: a piece of toast and a glass of orange juice, so I wasn’t too preoccupied with eating. I still had a lot to do this morning, like call a towing company and figuring out how to get to my new place. I couldn’t get too caught up here or else I wouldn’t make it in time for my new job.
“How did you sleep last night?” Sylvia was sipping her cup of tea while she waited for my answer.
“Really well. Thank you so much for letting me spend the night. Your house is magnificent.”
She proudly smiled and thanked me,
“We don’t get many visitors, so it’s always nice to have a guest here. Especially an interesting young lady like yourself.”
I wasn’t sure how much of my appeal came from the fact that Sylvia wanted to use my lawyerly services, but I smiled and took the compliment.
Picking up my toast, I bit into the warm, crunchy bread. I had put a thin layer of jam on top and letting the food go down my throat, I realized how hungry I was.
I hadn’t eaten much since lunchtime yesterday. I had been a little preoccupied with pretty much my entire situation. And all I had for dinner was some tea and a few biscuits. I was getting something into my belly, but first I needed to jump into my main concern.
So, I piped in, “I was wondering when the local tow truck company opens?”
Hopefully soon. I was already anxious that all my stuff spent the night on the road. I’d rather they not have to be out there too much longer. I knew it was highly unlikely that it was all gone, but I still had all of my city-borne anxieties.
“They open at eight a.m., sweetie,” Delilah answered, which surprised me a little. She didn’t really talk much and it was kind of funny that one of the few things she chose to say was about when the towing company opened their doors.
“Thank you.”
She smiled at me and continued to cut her eggs. So, I had an hour to kill. There was nothing I could do until eight o’clock— sitting on the side of the road would be immensely less favorable than remaining at Red Rivers. Plus, I thought it might be fun to get to know this eccentric cast of characters.
And I could fill up on a delicious breakfast. While going for the plate of delightfully crispy looking bacon, I brought back up the conversation we were having last night.
“Mrs. Winters––”
“Please call me Sylvia, honey. It makes me feel young.”
She swiped some of the hair that had fallen from her bun out of her face.
“Okay, Sylvia.” I loved her request. It made me feel happy and somehow safer. “Did you still want help with that legal trouble of yours?”
I knew I couldn’t personally do much more than advise, but maybe I could help get things moving for her. Going to a lawyer could be a good idea, but I wasn’t really suited for this particular job. And maybe just talking about it would make her feel a little better.
“Oh yes, I do! If you help me, I will give you five thousand dollars for your time.”
Five thousand dollars? That’s quite a chunk of change. Lawyers did charge heavily for their services, but I was only a junior associate at a job I hadn’t started yet and what she was asking for wasn’t that involved.
She must really want that family Bible back, which was understandable. Something like that would have a lot of sentimental value. But still, five thousand dollars was a lot to offer initially.
I didn’t want to dwell on the money, so I asked some questions to get a bit of clarification on the context surrounding the case.
“Last night, you told me that you suspect that the plantation owner next door stole it. Why do you think it was them?”
Sylvia threw up her hands and said, “Where do I even begin?”
That’s when I knew I was in for a very long tale. I used the tongs to move a couple more pieces of bacon to my plate. I got comfortable and waited for an explanation on what appeared to be an old rivalry.
“Virginia Olsen, she’s the silver-tongued viper who owns White Oaks next door. She has been my greatest rival for as long as I can remember. Whether it was who had the prettiest dresses to who could play the piano better, everything was a competition between us.”
Sounds tiring.
“Back when we were young, every girl in town was smitten with Bruce Winters. Not only was he the richest man in town––he was the handsomest. He had a smile that could soften the hardest hearts. Virginia fancied herself the prettiest girl in town, so she thought that she was destined to marry Bruce. But she didn’t count on me putting up such a fight. We competed for his affections and, obviously, I won.”
I tried imagining how Sylvia would go about wooing someone. I wondered if she had been the same type of strange and charming person most of her life. In her prime, I could see this lady being rather irresistible to a potential husband.
“Virginia ended up settling for Johnny Olsen. He had money, but he wasn’t nearly as cute and rather rotund.”
I wanted to laugh, but I knew it wouldn’t be appropriate. It was just that Sylvia was a very amusing storyteller. I wondered how she thought of herself.
“Virginia never forgave me. She thought I had done some witchcraft or something to make Bruce fall for me, but he just liked me more. I had a personality. Anyway, out of spite, she stole the Winters’ family Bible so she could cross out my and Bruce’s marriage. A horrible, nasty thing to do. Because of her actions, I was never able to have any children.”
It took me a second to fully process what Sylvia was saying. She didn’t have any children because Virginia crossed out her marriage to Bruce? The logic behind that was already spotty, but if this goes back that far…
“Um, when did all of this happen?”
Sylvia got a faraway look on her face as she told me, “In 1951, when I was twenty-two years old.”
This happened almost seventy years ago! Why did she want to sue now? There was certainly no criminal case, the statute of limitations had long since passed. And if there was no criminal case than there was probably no civil one, though I’d only just begun studying the nuances of North Carolina law.
And did she report this back in 1951 or more recently? Because if it was the latter, no wonder the police did nothing. It was because there was nothing they could do.
I put down the strawberry tart I had my hands on to let Sylvia know, “I’m sorry, but there isn’t––”
Before I could break the news that there was honestly nothing I could do, Henry interrupted, “Miss Jacobs?”
He had been standing off in the corner and I’d almost forgotten he was there, he had been so quiet, but apparently he had taken a few steps forward to address me. I turned around to see what he wanted.
“Yes?”
“Please allow me to take you to the library where the Bible was stored.”
I furrowed my brow not sure what was going on. I had a suspicion that Henry interrupted me on purpose, but why?
Maybe he didn’t want Sylvia to have to deal with the bad news, but she would have to eventually. It was rare for stolen property to make its way back to original owner and the longer a case dragged on, the less likely it was to be solved.
Sylvia’s missing Bible debacle had all the makings of a cold case. If this went on for any longer, the disappointment might end up being greater.
I was going to try and reiterate my doubts about all of it, but Sylvia clapped her hands and proclaimed, “What a capital idea, Henry! Yes. Ka
ri can get started right away. You were done with your breakfast, weren’t you darlin’?”
There was still some food left on my plate, but I’d have kept eating until they carted it all away, so I figured that it was a good thing she’d assumed I was done.
I nodded and told Sylvia, “Yes. I’d be happy to take a look.”
I got out of my chair and looked over at Henry.
We were walking towards the double doors that led out of the room when Sylvia called out, “Make sure to give Kari all the access she needs, Henry. I expect great results from this young woman!”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I smiled and said nothing. I knew this would all be a waste of time, but I could see that point wouldn’t be getting across any time soon.
Chapter Five
Henry and I left the dining room, Macaroon and Snickerdoodle trailing behind. We passed right by the living room I was in the night before. The doors to the library were just off there.
Once again, it seemed all I could do was stare at the set of beautifully carved double doors. The house was massive. And I knew this from having seen the outside of it last night, but it was still a shock to see just how much room there was inside. I wondered if there would ever be a shortage of space to be surprised by.
Henry pushed the doors open, revealing the largest, most enviable library I had ever seen in a private house. Bookshelves lined the walls, bursting with books. There was a large desk made from a dark wood along with a few chairs and couches sprawled about. I guessed that sitting in the library must have been a wholly relaxing experience, the room giving off a serenity.
I stepped inside, the two dogs still following. Henry closed the doors and I found the air inside to be still, but not stifling. I looked around, not sure where I was supposed to begin.
Henry’s voice floated over from behind me, explaining, “Mrs. Winters sometimes get a little confused and misrepresents the facts. The Winters’ family Bible was only stolen a few years ago.”
That made a little more sense in terms of exploring the case. It was still a little cold for my liking, a few years being on the cusp of viability. Still, it would be hard to gather information pertaining to the theft.
Henry continued. “I don’t like to correct Miss Sylvia, because I’m afraid it would upset her. She is a strong woman, but it is sometimes hard for her.”
I nodded, seeing how much Henry cared for Sylvia. No wonder she spoke so highly of him. He just wanted to make her life easier.
Henry suddenly cleared his throat and I suspected he was shaking himself out a momentary break in propriety.
I didn’t make a comment as he walked around me and said, “Let me show you where the Bible was once stored.”
We walked over to one of the library’s couches and Henry had us move behind it, to where a large wooden stand was placed. I could see how old and worn it was – certainly older than any of the house’s current occupants.
Despite that, the stand still looked sturdy enough. It held a few other items, but the main attraction, the part built to hold the centerpiece, was empty. That must have been where the Bible was kept.
“Can I take a closer look?” I asked, pointing at the large wooden stand.
Henry nodded and I stepped closer. Bending over slightly, I scanned the surface, trying to see if anything stood out. I ran my fingers over the surface where I noticed some hints of gold scored into the wood.
“Did the Bible have gold lettering?”
“It had gold front and back plates.”
He sounded surprised that I would guess something like that. I wasn’t a sleuth, but lawyers did need to have good observational skills in order to give their clients their best chance. I was known for being good at fitting the overlooked pieces of particularly tricky cases together back in law school. It looked like my skills were still handy.
“What can you tell me about the Bible?” I stood up, done with my perusal of the stand.
“It was commissioned by Mr. Winter’s great-great-grandfather. He was an early tobacco farmer from humble beginnings. When he made his fortune, he wanted to celebrate. The Winters Family Bible was meant to be very fine and display the family’s great wealth. Along with the gold plates, the Bible also had a jeweled book mark and exceptional calligraphy.”
Wow. It sounded so intricate and beautiful. I kind of wished I could have seen it.
“The family must have treasured it,” I said.
“They did. It was a travesty when it went missing. Mrs. Winters spent weeks trying to locate it, but to no avail.”
I wanted to get Henry’s side, so I asked, “Do you think Virginia Olsen stole the Bible?”
He stood up a little straighter and a look of distaste passed over his face.
“I do. She was always jealous of Mrs. Winters. Even when she had her own children and Mrs. Winters did not. She was possessed.”
No one in this house must have liked this Virginia character and it seemed a bit strange that she was so fixated on Sylvia. If the Bible was stolen only a few years ago, whatever grudge Virginia was holding was extremely long-held. Could it all really be about Bruce Winters? Fifty years was an awful long time to be mad over some man.
“Around the time the Bible went missing, I would often catch a glimpse of Mrs. Olsen sneaking around the grounds.”
Now, that was interesting. I didn’t take Henry for a liar. I felt he would find it much too improper. So, then, what was Virginia Olsen doing at Red Rivers?
“Once I caught her in the kitchen trying to steal one of Miss Delilah’s homemade Fresh Peach Pies.”
Stealing a pie? That went from interesting to odd. Why would she be stealing one of Delilah’s pies? I mean, pies were delicious. I could certainly understand the urge to just want to eat one that was right in front of you. But for Virginia to be on the property of her nemesis was already suspect, so there was no way she had a plausible reason for being there.
“What did she say when you confronted her?”
Henry scoffed and I almost chuckled at such a display of emotion.
“She acted dumb and confused and she swore that she was in her own house and she had just made the pie.”
Okay. That was even stranger. The fact that she was stealing a pie was already pretty high up on the bizarro scale, but feigning disorientation, that was another whole level. Maybe she wasn’t faking?
Before I could ask Henry any more questions, the big grandfather clock chimed eight and both of us looked over at it. It was quite loud, but the chiming meant that the towing company should be open.
I switched gears and asked, “Do you think I could use the phone now? And would you happen to have the number for the tow shop?”
Henry snapped back into butler mode and told me, “I will take you to the phone. It’s just by the kitchen.”
He guided me to a small closet right by the door to the kitchen.
“The phone is right in there and there should be a phone book as well. If you need anything, just call out.”
He left me to it and I stepped inside the little closet. I’m not sure how else to describe it––a tiny little phone closet.
I closed the door behind and flipped through the small phone book sitting on a little shelf. I found the listing for the nearest tow company and put the number into the landline. After a few rings, I heard a man’s voice on the other line.
“Hello, this is Budrow from Budrow’s Garage. How can I help y’all today?”
His accent had more of the twang that I’d yet come to expect from people in the South. I could barely understand him.
I explained my situation. “Hello. My name is Kari Jacobs and my car broke down close to the Red Rivers plantation. That’s where I’m calling from. My car’s been outside all night and I was hoping to get it taken off the side of the road sometime today?”
I heard him moving around a little before answering, “Well, don’t that beat all? I’m sorry, Miss Kari, but the wait will be about a day. Would yo
u believe? My tow truck is broke down and I’m puttin’ a new fuel pump in.”
That was just my luck. The closet tow truck wasn’t even functional. I wasn’t going to give up yet, though.
“Would you be able to give me the name of another repair shop?”
I knew I sounded anxious, but that was exactly how I was feeling. I’d travelled several days across the country, only to be halted one hour away from my destination. I didn’t want to wait to much longer, but it was beginning to sound like I didn’t have much of a choice.
Budrow laughed, another bad sign, and said, “I don’t mean to laugh at you, sweetheart. It’s just a funny question to hear because everyone ‘round these parts knows I’m the only tow truck in the whole county.”
Ugh! I guess that was just the way it worked in a small town, but that didn’t mean anything good for me. My car was going to be out in middle of nowhere for at least another day. I didn’t want to sound too upset, but it couldn’t help peeking through.
“Okay…”
I was a victim of my circumstances. What more was there, really?
Budrow let out a low chuckle and tried to console me. “You’re in good hands with Miss Sylvia. You just let her take care of you and tomorrow morning I’ll come right out. You said your vehicle’s on the road to Red Rivers?”
Nodding to myself, I confirmed, “Yeah. That’s actually where I’m staying right now.”
“Okay. I’m sorry about the delay, Miss Kari.”
He did sound like he genuinely felt bad about it, but it wasn’t really his fault. Sometimes things just needed a little more time to work out.
“It’s fine, Mr. Budrow. Thank you. I’ll call tomorrow.”
We said goodbye and hung up.
I took a moment for myself inside the little phone closet. I wasn’t about to cry, but I was honestly getting a little drained. Sleeping in such a plush bed had done something to refresh me, but that didn’t change the fact that I had been driving for days and just when I was about to reach my destination, disaster struck.
Luckily for me, I had planned and so there was a bit of a buffer between my first day of work and when I was hoping to move in. Even with this delay, I should still get to Appleton with a good amount of time to get myself settled.
Miss Sylvia's Stolen Bible Page 3