The Case of the Missing Pearls

by Martha Rogers

  Ben shrugged, and I took that as my cue. “Ladies, if you don’t mind, I need to take these gentlemen away from a delightful activity to discuss some business.”

  Nell drew her shoulders up and lifted her nose. “I hope you’re planning how you’re going to catch our thief. I’d like to get my necklace back sooner than later.”

  “We’re working on it, and that’s why I need these two. I have a theory I want to run by them.”

  Bessie fluttered her hands in Ben’s direction. “Then by all means go. We can play again later. It’s time this thief is caught.”

  I couldn’t have agreed more. Ben and Harry followed me to my cottage, but the more we talked, the more we realized we had no more to go on now than we had weeks ago. At least Mr. Wentworth still hadn’t involved the police.

  After an hour the men left. I cleaned up a bit around the place and went to bed. The next morning after breakfast, I donned jeans and t-shirt to give Mitzi a bath. All the while I cleaned her and brushed her, I ran everything we knew through my head.

  Some clue sat right in front of our noses, but we couldn’t sniff it out. After drying Mitzi and brushing her coat until it was soft as silk, I changed into slacks and knit top and headed over to the main building to take Mitzi for a visit with Olivia. Ben met up with me half-way there.

  “Where are you headed now? I thought we could talk some more about the thefts.”

  “I’m on my way for a visit with Olivia Wentworth. Last time I took her to see Tillie, I planned to take her by Olivia’s, but that’s when Mitzi found the earring, so we never made it to see Olivia.”

  He fell into step beside me. “Do you mind if I tag along with you?”

  “No, that’s fine.” Maybe if I told him my real motive for going to see Olivia, he’d help me carry out the plan I had.

  “Ben, I’ve been thinking more about what’s going on, and some things don’t add up. I thought I’d see what Olivia knows, after all she did help us catch Pete’s killer.”

  A few minutes later, we knocked on Mrs. Wentworth’s door. When the petite woman opened the door, her eyes appeared confused for a moment. She peered over my shoulder at Ben and frowned.

  Ben stepped forward. “Good morning, Mrs. Wentworth. I’m Ben Martin and this is Abby Billings. We just came by to say hello.”

  Recognition replaced confusion and a broad smile lit up the elderly lady’s face. “Oh, do come in. I remember you now. You solved that murder mystery.” She stepped back to let us enter. “I don’t have many visitors, so this is a pleasure, and you’ve brought that adorable little dog with you.”

  She reached out and ruffled Mitzi’s hair between her ears. Mitzi all but hummed her pleasure. We stepped into her living area with elegant antique furnishings. The rich dark woods gleamed in the light from crystal lamps capped with silk shades.

  Ben settled in one of the Victorian era chairs. “I certainly admire all the beautiful furniture you have, Mrs. Wentworth.”

  “Oh, please call me Olivia.” Her hand swept through the air. “These are some of my most favorite pieces. Mr. Wentworth bought them for me.”

  At this moment Olivia seemed to be perfectly lucid and completely in control. I had difficulty equating her with the woman we found wandering in the halls so often. “All right, Olivia, we’re working on the thefts that have been occurring the past few weeks, and wondered if you’d lost anything or heard about the others.”

  Her right hand patted her chest just below her neck. “Oh my, yes, I have. I’ve almost lost a few things myself, but I’ve always found them. I keep leaving my belongings all over the place, but I find them and put them away. It’s a shame how people leave things out where others can see what they have.”

  I had to digest that statement for a few seconds, and even Ben raised his eyebrows. I had an idea and stood. “Olivia, may I use your bathroom?”

  “Of course dear, it’s right next to my bedroom.” She pointed in that direction with her hand before returning her attention to Ben.

  I entered her bedroom and closed the door behind me. The heavy drapes pulled over the windows let in very little light and gave the room a gloomy atmosphere. Everything in the room sat in perfect order even to how the pillows were lined up on the bed. The only items on any surface were for a purpose such as a lamp, and a clock by her bed, and an array of beauty products sat in perfect alignment on the dressing table. Somebody did an excellent job of housekeeping without a speck of dust in sight.

  I itched to explore dresser drawers, but squelched that urge and went on to the bathroom. After all, I had no right to go through another person’s belongings. I’d sure resent it if someone did that to me.

  I stepped into a bathroom so neat that I wouldn’t use it even if I had to. I did flush as I didn’t want to arouse suspicion.

  When I rejoined Olivia and Ben, Mitzi sat quietly in Olivia’s lap with complete contentment as Olivia stroked her fur.

  “When Jacob, my husband, bought me this place, we didn’t have any children. Now they’re all gone. We still go to visit our sons and grandchildren, but they don’t come here very often. Jacob promised to take me to see them later this evening.”

  Jacob was her son’s name, but he was a junior, so I couldn’t be sure exactly what she was talking about or what year she could be in. I couldn’t imagine this gracious woman doing anything out of the ordinary much less going into someone else’s room. Still, I had to explore every possibility. This would have to go down as simply a nice visit with a sweet lady.

  Olivia’s gaze darted about the room, and she jumped up, holding Mitzi with one arm and pointing to the kitchen with the other. “May I get you tea or a snack of some kind?”

  Ben shook his head. “Oh, no Olivia, don’t go to that trouble. We’re fine.”

  Mitzi wiggled in Olivia’s arms. I recognized the signs that she wanted down to run around. I stood and reached for her. “I do believe Mitzi is getting tired. We’ll leave you now, so I can take her home. Thank you for the visit in your lovely home.”

  Before I could move away with Mitzi, Olivia clutched my arms.

  “You have to get me out of here. I’m being held prisoner.”

  Abby gasped. “You are? What can I do to help?” I raised my eyebrows at Ben, but he shrugged and shook his head. I decided it might be better to play along and see where this headed rather than confuse the issue any further.

  “I don’t know. I have to escape before they come and take me somewhere else.” Olivia’s eyes filled with fear and her gazed darted about the room

  “Who are they?” My own confusion deepened. This was completely different than any other time I’d been here.

  “I don’t know. A man came in a white suit and tried to take me from this room, but I wouldn’t go with him. I didn’t know him.” Olivia’s lips trembled.

  I remembered Noreen saying she had asked one of the male attendants to escort Olivia to meals, so she wouldn’t get lost. One had probably come to take Olivia to lunch. She could very easily have thought the person had come to kidnap her or take her someplace she didn’t want to go. I wanted to wrap my arms around Olivia, but feared confusing her more. “Olivia, I’m sure they don’t want to hurt you, but I can help you.” Maybe if she walked into the hallway, she would feel safer.

  “Would you like to take a little walk with me now? We could drop in on one of your friends.

  Her eyes brightened. “Oh, I would like that, but not today. I’m not dressed for visiting.”

  She looked fine to me, but I didn’t want to argue.

  She walked with us to the door. “Please bring your sweet dog for another visit. You and your friend come anytime, and I’ll prepare a delightful tea party for you.”

  I smiled and nodded. “That would be nice. Say good-bye to Olivia, Mitzi.” She responded with a short bark and wagging her tail.

  The door closed behind us, and Ben shook his head. “That was an interesting visit. While you were gone, she talked about things like her husband
would be home at any minute, and what she planned for their dinner, but the last bit was really weird.”

  “I know, and it bothers me. Olivia has all the signs of dementia, but the fear and thinking she’s a prisoner don’t seem to fit.” Maybe I needed to talk with Noreen again.

  Ben furrowed his brow as though deep in thought. “I don’t know anything about Alzheimer’s or dementia, but she definitely has a memory problem.”

  We said nothing more until we left the main building. Ben cleared his throat. When I glanced at him, he tilted his head and bunched his eyebrows. “What took you so long to use the ladies room?”

  “I was nosing around a bit. Everything in there is neat as a pin. Not one item is out of place. Makes me wonder why her windows seemed so smudged and dirty the other day, but then they were bright and shiny like they’d been cleaned. I wanted to check them, but didn’t think I should take more time.”

  “Those windows face the courtyard across from our cottages, don’t they?”

  “Yes, and that’s why I could see her windows were dirty and smudged.”

  “Hmm, maybe Harry and I will check those out.”

  We strolled across the courtyard to my cottage. “It’s getting close to lunch time. I have some errands to run, so I’m going to grab a quick bite before going out.”

  “Okay. Harry and I will probably play some rummy or dominoes after lunch. Unless you think of something new, we’ll see you at dinner.”

  He left, and I went about my business. All while I picked up a few items I needed, I thought about our problem with finding the thief among us.

  When I returned home, I decided to take a nap and put all thoughts of the thefts out of my mind for a while. According to experts, sometimes stepping away from a problem or dilemma for a while would give a fresh perspective when it was picked up again.

  I told Ben and Harry my decision at dinner, and they agreed. Ben and Harry joined several other men in the activity room to play a domino game that had six instead of four people at the table.

  Since I hadn’t played golf for several days, I decided to take Mitzi for a long walk. We walked for almost an hour, and both of us were exhausted when we returned to the cottage. Now would be a good time to pick up that new novel I bought earlier and get started on it.

  I hadn’t been reading long when Ben’s voice accompanied his knock on the door. “Abby, it’s Ben.”

  When I opened the door, he grinned. “Harry and I have been thinking about what you said at supper. So, since we’ve let things go for tonight, why don’t he and I bring breakfast here in the morning? Then we can go over things with a fresh mind. Not being at breakfast might also avoid all the questions about why we haven’t cracked this case yet.”

  “That sounds like a good idea. I’ll see the two of you at breakfast here then.”

  Ben waited until I closed and locked the door before his footsteps retreated from my porch and down the walk. I carried Mitzi to the bedroom before setting her on the floor. She stared up at me for a moment before trotting over to her bed and settling down.

  “I think you have the right idea, sweetie.” I followed my nightly routine preparing for bed. My thoughts returned to Olivia Wentworth. Things were definitely off-kilter with her, and my concern had grown after our visit. Maybe I should discuss it with Noreen tomorrow. With that settled, I turned out my light. Just before I pulled the covers up, something a friend had told me several years ago about a woman where her mother lived. Bits and pieces of the story came together, and I realized exactly what I had to do in the morning.

  Chapter 18

  After a night of bits and pieces of sleeping, my heart weighed heavy as I closed my Bible and rested my head in the palm of my hands. All through the night, thoughts of what I needed to do today raced through my mind. I sought the help of the only One who knew the truth and could guide me through what I must do. Lord, please let me know if I’m on the right track and this is the right thing to do. Show me how to find the truth and help a dear lady as well.

  In brief encounters I’d had with Olivia Wentworth, I realized her condition necessitated more help than the Spring Hills staff could give in her present location. My own experience with was limited, but visiting with Olivia gave me a better perspective than some of the others may have.

  With the memory care unit not scheduled to be finished for another few months, Olivia must be given extra attention. The hard part would be convincing Jacob Wentworth that his mother needed it. His wife must be aware of Olivia’s downward spiral and would help him see. Surely something could be worked out to help her until the time for the move came.

  My wall clock chimed and reminded me of the time. Ben and Harry would be here in a few minutes and I needed to dress, but first I needed to let Mitzi out for a few minutes and feed her.

  After our outing and filling Mitzi’s bowl, I changed clothes. The frustration with the situation mounted and filled me with sadness. The clues were all there and they all pointed in one direction. I wanted to be wrong, but until I checked, I couldn’t know for sure.

  A knock on the door announced Ben and Harry’s arrival. When I opened the door, he marched in carrying bags emitting a wonderful smell of something delicious. Harry followed him with cartons of orange juice. Ben set out breakfast tacos, packets of sauce, three gooey cinnamon rolls, and hash brown potatoes.

  I brought in paper plates and napkins from the kitchen. “Umm, I’m suddenly very hungry.”

  Harry grinned. “None of that health food this morning. Cinnamon rolls, tacos, orange juice, hash browns. Yep, the works. Eat what you want and leave the rest for me.”

  No need to tell me twice. I’d never been able to resist cinnamon rolls in any form, and these were the best.

  Ben reached into a cabinet, retrieved three mugs, and poured them full of steaming coffee. “And there’s nothing like your coffee to make it all taste better.”

  After a brief blessing, we dug into the spread. I picked up one of the cinnamon rolls first. After all, I might not live to the end of the meal, so eat the sweets before the rest. The first bite lived up to my expectations. Rich and gooey icing covered warm, tender, cinnamon laden dough. I sighed with pure delight. “I haven’t had one of these in longer than I care to remember.”

  Ben only nodded as did Harry. Both of them were too intent on eating their tacos. Neither man had much to say as they ate.

  I spent the few moments forming words to tell them my theory and how we could prove it to be either true or entirely off the charts. Finally Ben wadded up his paper napkin and dropped it onto the empty plate. “Okay, now it’s time to get down to business.”

  Harry drained the last of the coffee from his mug then set it on the table. “Right. After all, that’s why we didn’t go in for breakfast.”

  Ben said, “Let’s go over what we do know.” Then he peered at me. “Okay, I could tell something’s been bugging you ever since we got here. What’s wrong?”

  “Well, I went over things again last night after you all left.” I stood and reached over to the counter where I’d left my notes. “I remembered something a friend told me about a woman who lived in the same assisted living unit as her mother. It reminded me of Olivia and her situation.”

  “What does that have to do with our investigation?” Harry walked over to the counter and refilled his cup.

  “I’m not sure, but I need to follow through on my theory.

  The two men stared at me with doubt and skepticism written across their faces. Ben sat back with his arms crossed. “Then how can we help?”

  “You can go back with me this morning to talk with Olivia. I think she knows more than she wants us to tell us. Anyway, I need you to talk with her, while I listen and maybe check her room again.”

  “All I can is I hope we don’t disturb her like we did yesterday. She was really frightened.”

  I understood Ben’s feelings, because I didn’t want to hurt her either, but if my theory proved correct, it may agitate her ev
en more. “We need to go to her apartment again. I can ask questions about her jewelry and possibly get her to show me some. Then I can perhaps tell if she has things that don’t belong to her.”

  Ben’s mouth dropped open. He shook his head and said. “That’s crazy. Where would she hide everything? I don’t want to believe that a sweet little woman like that could be capable of such a thing.”

  I leaned forward. “Ben, we have to consider her dementia. One minute she’s with you, then the next she’s in another world in another time, and she’s always talking about misplacing her jewelry.”

  Harry puckered up his forehead. “Now wait, Ben. Abby may be on to something. I don’t know her well, but we have to look at what we do know and then look for the rest.”

  “One thing we have to consider is the fact that Olivia’ Wentworth’s apartment is near where Ellie’s earrings were found. Second is the fact that she has free access to the hallways and any rooms that may be open.”

  Ben gathered up the trash from the table. “I don’t like it, but I’ll help you, and I hope you’re wrong.

  Harry joined Ben in disposing of the trash, and he picked up the cups and utensils from the table and set them on the kitchen counter. Ben began rinsing them and placing them in the dishwasher.

  I sat back, smiled, and enjoyed letting them work. I all but laughed at the intense expression on Ben’s face as he dampened a dishcloth and wiped down the counters and then the table. He took this cleanup seriously. He reminded me of Jack and the times he had taken over KP duties in our kitchen years ago. He always did a more thorough job of getting the kitchen in shape than I had.

  Ben wiped his hands on a dishtowel. “Off in the clouds, Abby? The wheels of your brain seem to be in motion.”

  I cleared my throat and shook my head. “No, I was thinking about something else.”

  Harry dried his hands. “Looks like we have all the information, so now it’s time to put it all together and come up with the solution.” He leaned forward. “Tell me why you wanted to see where those windows were?”