The Case of the Missing Pearls

by Martha Rogers

  “What took so long? I’ve been waiting half an hour.”

  “Keep your shirt on. I stay with her as long as I need to. Besides, I thought we were going to meet at my place before dinner. What are you doing here?”

  Ben showed me the paper. “I came over to get this. It’s one of the brochures with all the plans we wanted.”

  He led me over to a table in the sitting area. “Anyone with half a brain knows this has to be an inside job. Without a passkey, the only way in is through the main lobby.”

  “Well, that means all we have to do is figure out if the thief is a resident or an employee.”

  Ben nodded and turned toward the hallway, and I followed him. “Ben Martin, where are you going?”

  “To that linen closet. It’d be a great hiding place.” He pointed down the hallway and headed that way. He stopped at the door and gave the knob a twist. The door opened just as it had when investigated Pete’s murder.

  The same type of tape as before covered the lock to keep it from being secured. “Oh, no, Maria must have forgotten or lost her keys again. Noreen isn’t going to like this one bit.”

  Ben stepped into the closet and pulled me after him. His hand reached out for the light switch just as I heard a faint click of the door.

  “What was that?” Ben flipped on the light.

  I reached for the doorknob, but the door didn’t open. “Oh no, it’s locked.” I turned to glare at Ben. “And just how are we going to explain being in here?”

  Ben sputtered. “But . . . but . . . how could it? The tape?”

  I reached over to pull something from his jacket, the piece of tape. “You must have caught an edge and pulled it off as you came in.”

  Ben groaned and slapped his forehead then grinned. “Well, as long as we’re here, let’s see what we can see.”

  “Okay, but I don’t understand why the door locks from the inside. How do the attendants get out when they come in to get linens?”

  “I don’t know, but there must be an explanation.”

  “Do you have a plan to get us out and an explanation as to what we’re doing here?”

  “Not at the moment, but I’ll think of something.” He pressed his face against the glass in the door and peered down the hall in both directions. “Hmm, not much to see either way except the stairwell door and the doors opposite Miss Ellie’s room.”

  I did not like small spaces and paced the short aisle between shelves of towels and sheets.

  Ben leaned against the door and raked his fingers through his thick, gray hair. “This is a perfect hiding place which points to an employee.”

  “Not if Maria forgot her keys again, then anyone could get in here.” It still didn’t make sense to me why anyone would need to hide here in the first place.

  Ben reached over to flip on the light switch, but pulled his hand back before he hit it. “I don’t want anyone to know we’re here just yet.”

  “But we can’t see anything. Just get me out of here.”

  He flipped the light on. “I’m sorry, Abby. I was afraid someone would see us.”

  “And how will we get out of here if no one sees us and doesn’t know we’re here?”

  “Umm, good question, but if someone hid in here, he or she could watch and know when people leave their rooms. No one locks their doors behind them, so it gives the perfect opportunity to sneak in and take whatever the thief wanted.”

  I hadn’t thought of that. “Maybe you’re right, but that means we still have too many people who could do that.”

  “I think we can eliminate the ones in assisted living like Ellie who need help wherever they’re going, and the few with dementia.” He peered through the window into the hall. “Someone’s coming.”

  I glanced through the window. “Oh, that’s Olivia Wentworth.”

  “She looks like she’s lost.”

  “Olivia is always wandering around. We need to get out so we can help her back to her room.” Olivia may have lost some of her memory, but she had been sharp enough in one of her lucid moments to help us with Pete’s murder.

  Maria came into view and spoke to Olivia. A moment later and they moved down the hall.

  A few minutes later, the top of someone’s head appeared in the window. The person turned the doorknob and muttered something about the key.

  Before Ben could signal her, she hurried away. He shrugged. “Maybe she’s going to get the keys and will be back in a minute.”

  “And what is our excuse for being here?”

  “Uh . . . um, we came to get a blanket for Miss Ellie?”

  “I don’t think so.” She raised an eyebrow and glared.

  “Oh, I’ll just tell the truth. Nothing wrong with that.” A sound of a key in the lock offered the opportunity for explanation.

  A startled Lindsey held the door open. “Mr. Martin and Mrs. Billings, what are you doing here?

  Ben grinned and straightened to his full height. “We were investigating why the lock on the door had tape. I wanted to see if anyone was in here, but caught the tape on my arm and it closed and locked before I knew what was happening.”

  Maria’s face flushed red. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to disturb Lindsey each time for the keys.” She bowed her head and hugged a set of towels to her chest.

  Lindsey frowned. “And how did you get in the first time?”

  “Earl opened it for me.” The maid’s face turned ashen.

  “Maria, you must be more careful. Remember what happened the last time you forgot your keys.” Lindsey turned back to Ben and Abby. “I’m sorry about this.” Then she grinned and giggled. “You know, when the light comes on, you can exit the room. That way it’s locked from the outside but you can come back out.” She stepped back to let us exit.

  “Oh for mercy sakes, I wondered why it locked from the inside.” I punched Ben on the arm. “Why didn’t you try it when you turned on the light?

  “Why would I have done that?”

  I glared back. “I guess no harm was done.” Just wait until I had a few words with him later.

  I turned my attention to Lindsey. “We saw Mrs. Wentworth in this wing a few minutes ago. She looked lost.”

  Lindsey sighed. “She’ll be okay. She frequently comes over to this unit from her place.”

  “I took her back, Lindsey. I think she’s lonely and looking for someone to talk to.”

  While they talked, Ben escorted me to the lobby. “Hope Maria’s not in too much trouble. At least it solves the mystery of the taped lock.”

  “Don’t you ever do something like that again when I’m with you, and it still doesn’t get us any closer to what happened to Ellie’s pearls. I’m going to my cottage.” I marched out the doors and across the gardens.

  Ben hurried after me. “Wait up, Abby. Don’t be angry.”

  I increased my pace and waved backwards at him. I had nothing left to say for the moment.

  He must have stopped because I didn’t hear footsteps behind me. I guess he figured there was no sense in wearing himself out. Just as well. I had a bag of chocolate candy to soothe my nerves, and I didn’t need company for that.

  Chapter 3

  The next afternoon I returned to Ellie’s room for our reading. Waist high railings ran along each side of the hallway to aid those living in this section with walking. More evidence of the concern Spring Hills Terrace held for the safety of its residents. The majority of people on this wing either used canes, walkers or wheelchairs. If I needed a cane, the handrail would be a welcome blessing.

  When I entered Ellie’s room, her eyes lit up and a broad smile crossed her face. “There you are. I’ve been waiting.”

  “I’m here so we can finish that novel from yesterday.” I picked up the book from the table by the window. “I’ll move you over here so you can see out to the gardens. It’s such a lovely day.” I pushed Ellie’s wheelchair to the window and sat down next to her.

  “Before you begin, I’ve been thinking about something I wan
t to do.”

  “Oh, and what is that?”

  “I want to give a party. The people here are so nice to me. Bertie comes in the mornings to help me get cleaned up and dressed for breakfast. Maria comes and changes my linens and makes sure the room is spruced up and takes me where I need to go. Then there’s Steve. He’s always available to wheel me down to the activity room and to worship services on Sunday. And the others are all like that, too.”

  “That’s a wonderful idea.” And it would give me a legitimate reason for a list of staff members.

  “At least ten different people come during the week and three or four different ones on the weekend.”

  That was a lot of people to have access to her room. Anyone of them could have slipped back in and taken the pearls while Ellie was out.

  “I thought of inviting all the staff. Can you help me with it?”

  I gulped. That was a lot of people. “Of course, but what do you want me to do?”

  “Get it on the calendar with Miss Jenson for a Saturday afternoon in the activity room. Punch, cookies, or maybe a cake saying ‘Thank You’ would do for refreshments. Since I can’t get out and do anything myself, I thought you could help me.”

  “I’ll check with her right away. We’ll probably only get the day staff, but we can make sure to have enough refreshments so the late people can have something as well. What about your grandson and his wife?”

  “Oh, pooh, he’d just complain about everything. Remember I haven’t told him about the missing pearls yet because he’d have a hissy-fit.”

  I had to stifle a giggle because I’ve seen the grandson in action when Ellie’s meals hadn’t been exactly to his liking. He’d have Ellie out of Spring Hills quicker than a hound after a coon if he thought somebody would steal Ellie’s things.

  Of course, having someone care that much about you could be a good thing. My son and daughter lived too far away to be concerned about what happened up here, not that I really need them, but it would be nice to see them more often.

  I grabbed a pen and scratch pad from Ellie’s bedside table. “Then let’s get our heads together and come up with a plan. I’m sure everyone will be happy someone appreciates what they do. Now tell me some of your ideas.”

  When her friend finally stopped, she sat back in her wheelchair. “Do you think we can really do this, Abigail?”

  “I don’t see why not. We have birthday parties all the time. I’ll see Miss Jensen and get her permission. It shouldn’t be a problem.” Indeed the director of the complex enjoyed letting the residents have socials.

  I stood to leave. “I’ll go and speak with her now. I’ll need a list of the employees so we can write out the invitations. Do you want to nap now?”

  “No, I’d rather sit here by the window for a while. Go get some pretty invitations. I’ll help you with them.”

  I patted Ellie’s hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll make up some on the computer, print them out then bring them for you to see.”

  A few minutes later, I left Ellie jotting down more ideas for the party. I stopped in the lobby, thinking about the activity center where the party would be. The Wentworth Corporation had spared no expense in creating an elegant welcome center for visitors. Here in the lobby, a mosaic patterned tile covered the floor for ease of handling walkers and wheel chairs, and all the furniture was comfortable and accessible.

  The activity room should hold the number of people to be involved. Round tables and chairs filled the center of the space with leather sofas and chairs along two walls. One end held a piano and shelves filled with all types of games. Today, several people occupied a table with a game of dominoes, and four others played bridge at another table. A large screen television graced the other end of the wall where recliners and side chairs were arranged for viewing. Several residents watched a game show blaring from the screen.

  The group at the bridge table waved at me, and I returned the gesture. I didn’t join them because I had to find Noreen Jensen, the director.

  When I knocked on the director’s open door, she glanced up, and a smile welcomed me to come in.

  “Good afternoon, Abigail. What can I do for you?” She motioned for me to have a seat across from her.

  I sat and explained my mission. When I finished my spiel, I said, “So, what I need is a date we can do this.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. Let’s see.” She clicked the mouse on her computer and the activity schedule for the center came into view. “You said she wanted a Saturday afternoon. Two weeks from this Saturday is available. The activity we had scheduled was canceled this morning. Our guest entertainer had to back out. Think that will do?”

  I preferred one a little sooner, but I’d have to be satisfied with the date available.

  “Yes, that will work fine. I’ll tell Ellie. I know she’ll be excited.”

  “Anything I can help you with?”

  “Yes. I need a list of daytime employees, so I can make invitations for them.”

  “Ellie wants to do this up right I see.” She turned back to the computer. “Just a minute and I’ll have the list printed out for you.”

  I took a deep breath. The next request may not be as easy. “Could I also have a passkey for the back door? It’s closer to my cottage, and I wouldn’t have to walk as far to get to Ellie’s room. I’m sure I’ll be making lots of visits between now and the party.”

  Miss Jenson hesitated before answering. “I suppose it would be easier for you. I can give you one, but with only a limited time on it.” She reached into a drawer and picked up a plastic card. “I’ll get this coded for you.”

  That had been easy, maybe too easy. The printer stopped, and I retrieved the paper from the tray. As I read over it, I found it was even better than I hoped. The list included the names of every employee on the premises.

  Noreen returned with the passkey. “It’ll be good until the day of the party, after that the computer will block this code.” She reached for the paper I held. “Let me mark the ones who work in Ellie’s wing.”

  After checking the names, she handed it back. “There, that should do it. Be sure to check with Taryn when she returns for what you need, and I’ll let her know I’ve put it on the calendar. If there’s anything else, I can order supplies for whatever you plan. Just give me a few days before the party to get it all.”

  I thanked her for her trouble and headed back to my cottage. At least I now had a good starting point for listing suspects. I’d have to ask Ben about checking into all these employees. Maybe he and Harry could come up with some information about them that would give us a lead. Things were falling into place too smoothly. If my intuition meant anything, then the remaining pieces of this puzzle wouldn’t be as easily acquired.

  When I drew close to my cottage, I spotted Ben waiting for me.

  He waved. “I thought you’d be finished with Ellie about now. I have some theories, so let’s talk.”

  I put Ellie’s plans aside for the moment. I wanted to get this mystery solved before then. “Let me go in and take Mitzi out of her kennel, and I’ll be right back.”

  Mitzi jumped for joy when I released her and gave her a doggie treat. After settling her with some toys, I returned to the porch and sat across from Ben.

  He jumped right in with information. “Okay, this is what we know so far. All three of the thefts have happened on the same floor in close proximity to each other. All of the women involved are either invalid or semi-invalid, and none of the items taken had any true value except maybe for Ellie’s heirloom real pearls.”

  “That’s right, and it could mean the thief started out with small things in order to work up to something more valuable.”

  “That makes sense, but I hope we can find the thief before anything else is taken.”

  Someone called out our names, and I looked up to see Harry striding our way.

  “Hey, Ben and Abby, I’ve been looking for you.” He joined us on the porch. “I wanted to talk with you about a
few things.”

  Ben offered the retired detective a chair. “What’s on your mind?”

  “I’ve been thinking about the three thefts we’ve had the past few weeks. Seems a little strange to me that they all occurred on the same wing and the same floor.”

  Ben laughed. “I wondered how long it would take for you to get involved. Abby and I were just discussing that. It’d be nice to have a list of employees who worked on that hallway, so we could investigate and see who had the easiest access.”

  I stifled a giggle because that list lay folded in my pocket.

  Harry stroked his square jaw. “Yeah, that might help. I’m sure it’s an inside job. It’s much too hard for an outsider to get access to those rooms.”

  I pulled out the list. “Well, I have such a list right here.”

  Ben’s head jerked back, and Harry’s mouth dropped open.

  Ben sputtered and reached for the paper. “Why didn’t you say something, and how did you get that?”

  I yanked it back. “Ellie wants to give a thank you party for the staff, so I asked Noreen for a list to make up the invitations.”

  “That’s a ton of people.” Ben reached for the list again.

  “I know, but now we can get started on finding us a likely suspect.” No matter how Ellie’s party came together, I wouldn’t rest easy until we found her missing pearls.

  Chapter 4

  I spent a restless night with names of staff members rolling through my mind like tumbleweeds across the prairie. I almost decided to skip breakfast and sleep in since my refrigerator had the makings for a breakfast later, and the bed felt so warm and comfy.

  Mitzi jumped up on the bed with me. I’d forgotten my poor baby. With a sigh, I pushed back the covers. Mitzi barked and jumped down to dance around my feet. “Okay, I’ll get your breakfast and take you outside.” I couldn’t find Ellie’s pearls if I slept all morning.

  As soon as I took care of Mitzi, I grabbed my Bible. Time with the Lord each morning helped clear my mind and prepare me for the day.

  After reading the Scripture for the day, First Corinthians on love, I thought of how much I’d learned about love since these words were spoken at my own wedding over fifty years ago. God’s love never forsakes or leaves us alone. He is always with us. I prayed the Lord would help us find those pearls for Ellie and the other missing items.