The Case of the Missing Pearls

by Martha Rogers

  “Me, too.” He peered over my shoulder. “That looks like Olivia Wentworth over there. Now there’s another one who was once the belle of society.”

  Olivia now sat next to Ellie, and both wore fashionable dresses. Their snow white, perfectly coiffed hair and facial wrinkles revealed their age but didn’t detract from the beauty beneath. A group of other residents and a few staff members surrounded the duo.

  Taryn entered through the side door. “The food is all here. Oh, my. Ellie looks positively radiant.”

  “She’s enjoying this for sure. I do wish Ellie’s grandson could be here to see this. Maybe then he wouldn’t be so concerned. She told me he’s out of town, and she also told me she’ll have another great-grandbaby the end of the summer.”

  “How wonderful, but I do hope having more family doesn’t keep him from coming to see her. Even if he is sometimes a pain in the neck, I don’t want to see Ellie abandoned.”

  “I don’t think that will happen. Excuse me, but I promised to make time for Ellie to say a few words.”

  I clapped my hands to gain the attention of the guests and walked toward Ellie. “We’re so glad all of you were able to make it to Ellie’s party today. She has something to say to all of you.”

  Ellie’s eyes sparkled with excitement and her cheeks turned pink. “I want to welcome all of you here. This party is to let our wonderful staff know how much you are appreciated for all you do for us. We wouldn’t get around as easily, or have such good times without you. So, have yourselves a good time. Forget about your diets for a couple of hours and drink punch and coffee and eat a lot of cake.”

  The guests applauded and then headed for the refreshment table. Harry joined me as the others gathered around the food laid out by the kitchen staff. The babble of voices in conversation filled the room. This party would be a great success.

  “I think Olivia’s accustomed to being in the limelight at social affairs since her husband was a prominent lawyer and involved in politics. She’s positively glowing with all the attention.”

  Olivia waved at me and beckoned for me to come to her. “Excuse me, but it looks like she wants to talk to me.”

  When I reached her chair, she grabbed my hand. “I’m so glad you could make it to the party. My staff always does a grand job with my parties. Isn’t it fun?”

  “Yes, it is, Mrs. Wentworth.” Bless her heart. She must think she’s giving one of the parties for which she was so well known. No need to spoil her fun.

  She patted my arm and walked away to greet another of the guests. She still had her good moments as well as the lapses like today. She didn’t appear any worse than the time Ben and I visited with her after Pete’s murder. She’d be much better off in the memory care unit when they finished it this summer.

  With a sigh, I went in search of Ben in the linen closet. He stepped into the hallway at the same time I arrived.

  “Oh, Abby, I was on my way to find you. I don’t think we’re going to see anything today, and I sure would like some of those refreshments.”

  “Well, the party isn’t over yet. Stay here and I’ll bring you a plate.”

  “Okay, but I’m beginning to think this is a waste of time.”

  “You won’t have to stay much longer, but when the party’s I’ll need your help with the clean-up.”

  He frowned and stepped back into the linen closet. “I’ll be waiting for you and that plate of goodies.”

  I grinned and waved at him, but I hurried back to fulfill my task. Men and women gathered in small groups still talking and eating. I couldn’t believe that any one of them had anything to do with the recent thefts, but then many of the evening staff and other residents were not present today. No one but those already questioned or with no opportunity could be ruled out.

  I picked up a plate with a piece of cake, added some fruit, cheese, and crackers, then poured a cup of punch. I headed back to the linen closet. Ben had used the tape trick to keep the door unlocked, but he spotted me, and seeing my hands full, he opened door.

  We sat together a few minutes while he ate. The profiles of a few guests appeared through the window as more guests returned to their rooms.

  Ben handed me his empty plate. “This was really good, but then the food here always is. No one has been in this hall all afternoon except those leaving and returning to their rooms and none even stopped by Ellie’s room.”

  “I guess our little plan didn’t quite work out. I’m going back to check on Ellie.”

  A few guests still lingered, and Agnes rolled Ellie through the door.

  I met them in the foyer. Ellie looked tired, but gave me a satisfied grin. “It’s been a wonderful party, and I can’t thank you enough for all you help.”

  “It was my pleasure, Ellie. Have a good nap, and I’ll be in to see you later.”

  “Agnes asked me about the jewelry I left out. She said she put it away so it wouldn’t get lost.”

  I glanced up at Agnes. She smiled and patted Ellie’s shoulder. “I noticed it when I went to get her and mentioned it, but she said to leave because she was in a hurry to get to the party. I went back after I had her settled here and put it away. It’s back in her jewelry box.”

  What could I say? She’d spoiled our plan. Ellie frowned and shook her head.

  “That’s all right, Ellie. As least we know it’s safe. Thank you, Agnes.” However, we still had no clue as to the thief.

  I grabbed a garbage bag and picked up empty plates and cups left about. As much as I liked to use fine China and crystal, parties like this made me thankful for paper products. I had pulled down the last banner when Jim Tate stomped into the room.

  His voice echoed across the room. “Where’s Mrs. Jensen? That sneaky thief is at it again.”

  Noreen hurried to calm Ed. “Here, have a seat Mr. Tate and tell me what’s wrong.”

  He pulled himself up straight, a grim look in his eyes. “I don’t need to sit down. I want to know who was in my room while I was at the party. Is this somebody’s idea of a joke?”

  I gasped and Ben hurried to my side. “Did I just hear what I thought I did?”

  I nodded, and Noreen asked Jim to explain.

  He leaned toward her, anger burning in his eyes. “I went back to my place just now, and somebody’s been in there. I had a bag of candy, a can of nuts, and a new crossword puzzle book my daughter brought to me this morning. Now they’re gone. My good pen with my name on it is gone from my desk too.”

  Noreen grimaced. “I’m so sorry Jim. I don’t know what to say. We’ll look into it right away.”

  Cliff, one of the attendants hurried over. “Mr. Tate, it’s my fault. After you came down for the party, I straightened your room. The candy and nuts are on the shelf of your side table and the crossword puzzle book is in the drawer with your other word game books. However the pen should still be on the desk.”

  Noreen shook her head. “Well that explains everything except the pen. We’ll look into it Mr. Tate. Cliff, go ahead and accompany him back to his room.”

  As they left, another voice bellowed down the hallway, and I recognized Tillie’s angry words. She strode into the activity room waving her hands in the air. “While you’re at it, you can look for my things. My silver letter opener and the silver box I keep my note cards and stamps in are missing. I had them out to write some notes this afternoon after I returned from the party.”

  Noreen peered at her. “Tillie, are you sure?”

  Tillie squared her shoulders and frowned. “Of course I’m sure. I may be old, but I’m not blind, and I don’t have a memory problem.”

  I could vouch for that. Tillie knew more about what was going on around here than anyone else. I don’t why I hadn’t talked to her before since she’d been a help with Pete’s murder.

  While Noreen calmed Tillie, Ben pulled me aside. “This is getting weird. Why anyone would take things like a pen, letter opener or stationery box just doesn’t make sense. To top iit off, it didn’t even happen i
n Ellie’s hallway?”

  “I agree. We don’t even know if all the disappearances are connected or random. Our main suspect from before isn’t even here, and it could have been any of the guests returning to their rooms by Tillie’s.”

  Noreen joined us. “I’m going with Tillie. These may be minor items, but we have to get to the bottom of these thefts. I don’t want to involve the police or Mr. Wentworth for things like this, but if we don’t get this resolved in a week, I’ll have to let him know.”

  “I understand, Noreen. Ben and I will do our best to help find out what’s going on.

  Ben agreed and carried the garbage sack he’d been carrying over to the trash can.

  I sat down and blew out my breath. This whole thing frustrated me no end. What had started out as loss of a pearl necklace and a few other items had turned into a series of petty thefts. How long would this continue? I’d give Tillie time to calm down before going to talk with her. With the new items taken, it appeared we may well indeed have a resident who was a serial thief.

  Ben returned with Harry behind him. Ben rubbed his neck. “None of it makes any sense, but at least we have the guest list, so we’ll know who was here.”

  Harry shook his head. “Don’t think it’ll help. We had too many people coming and going. All we can do right now is see who was on duty. Was everyone on the staff at the party?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know for sure, but I think they all were able to come for a few minutes.”

  Noreen returned. “May I speak with the three of you for you a moment? I’ve decided to make the locking doors rule when they leave the room mandatory rather than an option.”

  Ben glanced over at me and raised his eyebrows. “It’s a good idea, but our friends are so accustomed to coming and going without worrying about locking up that they might be a little rebellious at first. How do you plan to handle those who forget?”

  “I thought I’d post the new regulation on Monday. The first two or three times they forget will bring only a reprimand, but after that, they’ll have to pay a fine.”

  “That sounds reasonable to me. I guess that rule will apply to those of us out in the cottages too.”

  I thought so as well. “I usually lock my door when I leave anyway because of Mitzi, so it won’t be a problem for me. The doors don’t lock automatically, so it’s not like they can forget their keys and lock themselves out.”

  “And I have a master on my key ring in case of any emergencies, and when I’m not here, the night clerk has one.”

  Locking doors had to be done, but what a shame. “We’ve had so much freedom I guess we’ve become spoiled. But I think everyone will get accustomed to the idea, and it won’t be long before locking the door when we leave will become automatic.”

  “I hope so. And this is something I don’t have to run by Mr. Wentworth and the board. Simple rules and such are at the discretion of the staff. Of course, if the rule is too harsh, he always has the last say.”

  Jacob Wentworth wanted what would be best for the tenants since his mother lived here, so he probably wouldn’t object. Noreen left to return to her office. I walked with Ben and Harry back to our houses. “I’m glad she decided to be here today for Ellie’s party. Much better for her to know firsthand what happened then some embellished account later on.”

  Ben nodded. “You’re right. There’s no telling what story would be going around the next few hours. Tomorrow at breakfast we’ll probably hear several different versions of this just as we had after Maria’s arrest.”

  “I think I’ll check with Taryn and see if we can’t come up with something special to get their minds on something else. She usually has some good ideas for keeping us busy.”

  Ben yawned. “You do that, but right now I’m ready for some rest. That lookout detail was very boring. I’ll see y’all at dinner.”

  Ben headed toward his own house with Harry following. I glanced up at the late afternoon sky. Clouds had rolled in and covered the sun. The way I felt right now, they mirrored my doubts as to whether we’d ever find out who took Ellie’s pearls.

  Chapter 11

  On Sunday morning, I entered the dining hall, and the hubbub of conversation with animated faces and gestures meant the residents had heard about the possibility of new rule changes. The grapevine around here beat a small town on any day of the year.

  Something new or different always brought out the complainers and grumblers. They didn’t like change, especially one like this. I could understand their feelings, but they must also know the rules were for their own good, especially in the light of the recent thefts. I also heard a few comments about the new thefts.

  I wove my way among the tables to ours where I found them upset as well. Clara set her mouth in a firm line, her eyes smoldered with anger. “Is it true about this new rule Noreen is going to post? It’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard. I’ve never locked my door except to go into town, or I have to be gone longer than an hour. It’s too inconvenient to keep up with the key all the time. No one can get back to our houses without going through the main building or through the gate to our driveways with a coded number.”

  Bessie’s gray curls bounced as she shook her head in protest. “But Clara, with all these thefts going on, don’t you want to be safe?”

  “Humph, I don’t care what Mrs. Jensen says. Locking our doors all the time is not going to keep people out of our places if they really want to get in.” Clara stabbed a piece of bacon with her fork.

  I shook my head and placed my napkin in my lap. “You’re right, Clara, locks won’t keep determined thieves out, but it will give us more security.”

  Bessie pursed her lips. “I’m going to have new double locks put on my door, and I’m getting a new key ring I can wear around my neck, so I won’t lose my key.”

  Clara glared at Bessie. “It won’t matter how many locks you have or how many keys, you’ll lose them and find yourself locked out as sure as I’m sitting here.”

  “I will not. Why I’ve been locking up for the past week anyway, and I’ve done just fine, thank you.”

  Ben placed a hand on Bessie’s arm. “And I’m sure you’ll continue to do so. We’ve all been somewhat lax in making sure our belongings are safe, and the thefts have been a wake-up call for us to be more careful.”

  Bessie beamed. “Thank you. I say we can never be too careful or do too much to make sure we’re all safe. And in the light of everything that’s happened the past two weeks, I say Mrs. Jensen is none too late with the new rules. Although it’s almost like closing the stable door after the cows get out.”

  I almost choked on my sip of coffee. Dear, sweet Bessie and her way of wording things. Locking doors would be an inconvenience for them as many of them liked to visit across or up and down the halls. Still, the new rules would give more security if they remembered to follow them. When a person reached our age, remembering did become a little more difficult.

  Suddenly I became aware of Clara, Doris, and Bessie all talking at once. “Ladies, please. Let’s stop arguing.” I glanced across at Ben. “Have we had the blessing for our food yet?”

  That silenced the women, and their faces glowed as red as the strawberry jam on the table. Our server bit back a grin and set hot biscuits in the center of the table. He must think we were a bunch of crazy old people.

  “Ladies, Harry, let us say grace.” Ben bowed his head. After he finished the prayer, he shook out his napkin. “Ladies, it looks like a beautiful day is ahead. What do you say to all of us going in to town and having lunch at that place we visited last fall? Harry and I will treat.”

  Harry sputtered in his coffee. “What?” He glanced at Ben who frowned at him. “Er, I mean, yes, that sounds like a fine idea. You ladies pick the spot.”

  Bessie’s cheeks glowed pinker. “Oh, Ben, that will be lovely. Does that mean you’re going to church with us this morning?”

  I sat my coffee down before I spilled it. Ben going to church? That would b
e a rare event.

  Ben’s face reflected his hesitation with the pink bloom on cheeks. “Yes, I suppose it does. I’ll even take my car.”

  We agreed to meet within ten minutes of leaving here after breakfast. Ben would have his car waiting in the driveway behind the houses on my house. While they continued with their conversation around the table, I thought about our thefts. I had become convinced that the thefts had come at the hand of one of the people living in this building. At least the new rules should help in curbing whoever the culprit may be.

  I finished my meal and made my way through the tables. A few others stopped me and asked if Ben and I had figured out who the thief was yet. Since we’d already solved two other crimes here, the residents looked to us as spokespersons for everything going on at Spring Hills. Not that I minded, but some things I couldn’t control no matter how much I wanted to.

  I left the building and hurried back to my house in bright sunlight and warm spring weather. The names on the list of residents kept running through my mind.

  First the nursing section residents could be ruled out entirely. Only a few in assisted living would have the mobility to get into other rooms and none with a motive or reason for taking things that didn’t belong to them. Although a few were younger, most of the residents in that area were in their eighties or nineties.

  Those thoughts gave me even more reason to be blessed. I still had mobility and independence. Since I hadn’t talked with Tillie, I decided to do that after we returned from church. Actually, I was a bit surprised Tillie hadn’t already sought me out.

  After letting Mitzi out for a moment, I picked up my Bible and a light wrap for church and went to meet the others.

  During the service, I observed Ben, and he never really looked comfortable. We hadn’t talked much about it since our conversation after finding Pete’s killer, so maybe it was time for another chat.

  We went to the same tearoom we’d gone to last fall, and Ben and I managed to keep the conversation light and away from the topic of new rules and new thefts.

  Back home, Ben dropped off everyone near their house, and then came back to mine.