by Marja McGraw
“Bea, why don’t you and your nieces come eat with us?” I liked them too much to have them eat in the kitchen.
“You’re guests. That wouldn’t be right.”
“You ate with us the first night we were here. Do it again. We’re not your ordinary, everyday run-of-the-mill guests.”
She grinned. “Okay. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
She and the women returned with their soup and salad and joined us, bringing along some thick, delicious roast beef sandwiches.
We ate, we talked, and we ate some more.
Kimberly swallowed a bite of sandwich before speaking up. “I’ve been doing more research, and I think the old-time lawmen may have been right about the bank robbers being from here.”
Oddly, I found myself waiting with anticipation. “What did you find?”
“Two men disappeared from here around the same time as the bank robbery. One came back after about a month, and the other never returned. They were best buds, but the one who came back kept insisting he didn’t know what happened to his friend.”
“Where did you find this information?” Pete asked.
She smiled. “At the library. There’s a book that a woman wrote about sixty years ago. She’d interviewed locals to find out firsthand about local history. She’d led a sheltered life and didn’t know enough until she talked to people. She was handicapped and didn’t get out a lot until she figured out how to deal with her problem.”
“Handicapped in what way?” Felicity asked.
“She was blinded in an accident when she was young.”
“Who were the two men?” Stanley got right to the point.
“Charlie Rogers is the one who came back. He said he’d taken a trip to see relatives in California. Clyde Farmer is the one who never came back.”
I glanced at Pete. “Charlie? That’s the name of the guy who kept watching Bonnie’s house.”
“Yes, but it couldn’t be the same Charlie because of his age.”
“I know, but maybe the Charlie who watched the house was named after a relative.”
I turned to Kimberly.
“Do you know if Charlie was married?”
“He was. I’ll be back in a second.” She hurried outside.
Glancing out the window, I could see her rummaging through her car. She returned with a notebook in hand and set it on the table, flipping through some pages.
“Okay, Charlie Rogers married Janet Moore. They had three children. The author interviewed one of the children, but he was very close-mouthed about his father. From what I read, they were a private family and didn’t socialize much.”
I thought for a moment. “Rogers. That name sounds familiar.”
“Bob Rogers is my handyman,” Bea said, “but Rogers is a pretty common name.”
“True, but I may want to talk to him. Just in case he’s a relative.” Okay, this started me thinking. Could there be a connection? Maybe there was and he could fill in some of the family history, although he struck me as a relatively private person, too.
I glanced at Pete and he was watching me. He’d had the same thought, I was sure.
The phone rang, interrupting my thoughts.
Bea excused herself to answer the incessant ringing. She talked to someone for a few minutes before returning to her seat.
“Sandi, it’s for you.”
“Oh. Maybe Brad remembered something.” I stood, ready to take the call.
Bea shook her head indicating it wasn’t Brad, and she had a sly grin on her face.
“Well, who else would call me here? Someone from the library?”
She shook her head no again.
Pete started to laugh. “Just go answer it, Sandi. Something tells me it’s your mother.”
I glanced at Bea, but she refused to look me in the eye.
I sighed.
“I’ll be back soon,” I said. “No, make that late this afternoon. My mother will want all the details.”
I dragged myself out to the kitchen and picked up the receiver. “Hi, Mom.”
“Well, Sandra, it took you long enough to get to the phone.”
Uh oh. She only called me by my given name when she was annoyed with me.
I tried being perkier. “Mom, I’m glad you called. There’s so much to tell you.”
“I know. I’ve spoken to Beatrice a few times while you’ve been there. So how’s the honeymoon going?” My ploy of joyfulness was working.
“Just great! We couldn’t be happier. We’ve gone for walks, driven down to the lake, visited the stores in town, and we’ve gotten to know a few of the locals. There’s a coffee house that you’d love, too. If you ever come up here, I’ll take you there. Oh, and Pete and I bought a cute farmhouse down the road from the bed and breakfast.”
“You what?”
I thought maybe I could sneak that little fact in without her catching it, but obviously that hadn’t worked.
Divert her attention, I thought.
“So, did Bea tell you we found a skeleton? Two murders for the price of one. heh heh.” My chuckle didn’t help.
“Why did you buy a house up there? You could have bought one right here in Arizona.”
We talked and I told her about the town and how much we loved it. I also told her how much I loved the scenery and that it was so much different than the desert. I went on to explain that we’d only be in Washington during the summer, and pointed out that there was a small house behind the farmhouse if she and Frank, my stepfather, wanted to visit.
“I’ve heard about Washington,” she said. “How do you feel about rain?”
“It’s rained quite a bit since we’ve been here and I’m fine with it. It’s better than one hundred twenty degree weather.”
Oops! I should have kept my mouth closed and I waited for her to come back at me with some other weather comment. My mother and I are close, very close, but we tend to fuss with each other – as well as laugh together.
“Well, you may not like the heat, but let’s change the subject. Tell me about the two murders you’re working on. By the way, I loved the postcard you sent me. I wish I was there, too.”
My mother wanted to be a part of my life as a private investigator, and on occasion she’d been involved more than I liked.
This time I was in Washington and she was in Arizona.
Life is good.
Chapter Thirty-five
I filled my mother in on everything that had been going on, including the crying. She said she wished she was with me. No surprise there.
“Mom, I’ve got to hang up. Bea and Felicity are waiting for me to go to town, to the antique stores.”
“You’ll keep me up on what’s happening.” It wasn’t quite an order, but it wasn’t quite not an order, either.
“Of course.”
We professed our mother/daughter love for each other and hung up.
I finally had time to finish my sandwich, while Felicity and Bea waited impatiently.
“Um, I was talking to my mother. Give me a break, will ya?”
Felicity laughed and settled down to wait patiently.
Bea cleared the dishes from the table while Sasha and Kimberly washed them, and then we all decided to go into town. The nieces didn’t want to be left out and, frankly, I liked them.
We talked about our research on the way, but it was a short five minute conversation due to the fact that it was a short five minute trip.
I had plans on my mind. “Kimberly, you and Stan seemed to work well together. I can’t get the name Rogers off my mind. Do you think you and he could find census records or something to trace Bob Rogers’ family back to, say, 1898?”
She looked surprised. “Bob? You think he could be involved somehow? But he’s only in his early fifties. He couldn’t have anything to do with Bonnie’s death, or Sally’s.”
“I know, but what about his father or grandfather? Or maybe his great-grandfather? I simply want to know if there were any Charlies in his lineage.�
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“Okay, but don’t hold your breath. Like Auntie Bea said, Rogers is a common name.”
“I know. Humor me.”
We arrived at Binky’s antique store and found that she’d left on vacation.
Bea took over, talking to the saleswoman. “I brought her some vintage clothing and jewelry. Do you know where it might be?”
“I have no idea what you brought here. All I can suggest is that you look around the store. Maybe you’ll recognize some of the items.”
“Thanks, Doris. We’ll look around.”
So we walked up one aisle and down the next. Binky had a couple of racks of vintage clothing in the rear of the store, although most of it was from the 1940s and 1950s.
Bea stopped when she found two dresses that were obviously from the time period we were interested in. “I think this brown dress is one that I brought her. I remember it because of the color and the piping that had been added, not to mention that it’s so small.” She patted her stomach. “We’re a bigger bunch now than they were at the turn of the century.”
She took the dress off the rack and I checked it for pockets. There was one, but it was empty. Of course, Binky had probably had the piece cleaned.
Bea stopped and turned in a circle, looking at the walls. Some vintage clothing had been used for display. “Ah. I think that blue dress with the apron might be one I brought in, too. Binky said she’d use it for display only because it was too fragile to sell.”
Doris brought out a ladder and climbed up, gently lifting the dress and apron from their display.
I checked the dress thoroughly, but this one had no pockets. The pockets of the apron were empty.
We walked back to the front of the store where Sasha and Kimberly were pointing out some jewelry to Felicity.
“Now I could do a lot with that necklace.” My friend was pointing at something in the display case. “I do some modeling, and that piece would add something special to the ads I pose for.”
Doris quoted her a price.
“I’ll take it. That would look great with an off-white suit I wear.”
I took a look. The necklace was made out of a copper-colored metal with three golden-brown gemstones. I could easily picture it worn with the suit Felicity had referred to.
Bea recognized two of the pieces, a brooch and a pair of old-fashioned earrings, but they certainly wouldn’t offer any clues, so we left for the other antique store where she introduced me to Carol, the proprietor.
“It’s good to see you, Bea,” she said. “Are you looking for anything in particular?”
“Actually, I wondered if you still have any of the vintage clothing I brought in.”
“I sold one piece to a museum, but there are still two dresses in the back.”
“Can we look at them?”
Carol smiled. “Of course. I won’t be able to sell the other two since they’re so fragile, but I didn’t have the heart to get rid of them.”
Carol took us in the back where she’d put the two dresses on mannequins.
One was very delicate and I could see why it hadn’t held up. It was a wedding dress that had been stored away for many years. A veil accompanied it, but it was in tatters.
Carol turned the mannequin around. “I might have been able to save this one, but if you look closely, you’ll see there are stains on it, like it’s been handled a lot.”
I glanced at Bea. “I’ll bet it was Tim, grieving for his missing wife.”
“I’d be inclined to agree with you,” she replied.
I turned to Carol. “Would you mind if I check the other dress for pockets?”
“Be my guest, but please be gentle.”
I nodded and ran my hands along the seamlines. There was a pocket on each side, but once again, they were empty.
“What about the jewelry I brought in? I seem to remember one of the pieces was a locket.” Bea had one eye half closed, thinking about what she’d donated.
Carol nodded. “Yes, there’s a locket in the case. Come with me and I’ll get it out for you.”
We followed her back into the store, stopping in front of a cabinet situated at the side.
She walked behind the case and slid a door open, gently taking out the locket. “This is the one you want to see, isn’t it?”
Bea smiled and took it from Carol. “Yes, this is the one.”
She tried to open it, but it was stuck.
Carol reached for the locket. “Here. I can open that for you.” She brought out a small tool from under the counter and worked on the locket, finally getting it to pop open. “It was bent.”
There were pictures of a man and woman inside.
It saddened me a little. “I’ll bet that’s Sally and Tim.”
Carol held up her hand. “Wait here for a minute.” She returned to the storage room and soon came back carrying a smallish jewelry box.
“This is what the jewelry was kept in. Remember, Bea? When I took out the items I found a photo in the bottom, and I have a feeling it’s the same people you see in the locket.”
I studied the photo and the pictures in the locket, and I knew she was right. I don’t know why, but I’d learned a long time ago that it helped when you could put faces with the names, or in this case, the skeleton. My sadness deepened. It felt like Sally was calling out to someone. Not me, but maybe her husband. They looked like a happy couple, and yet, I couldn’t forget the end she’d come to.
“Any chance I could have the locket back?” Bea asked. “I feel like it belongs in the house. Things have changed since I gave you and Binky things for your stores.”
“So I’ve heard. No one could believe it when they found Sally’s skeleton out at your place.” Carol wrapped the locket in paper and placed it in a small bag. “I always said you shouldn’t have just given us everything.”
“Thank you.” Bea placed the bag in her purse and we left the store.
Felicity had bought a pair of earrings from the 1930s era. “You watch. One day the styles from the 1930s and early 40s are coming back, and I’ll be the first in line to wear them.”
“I’m sure you will.” I smiled at my friend. I’d seen her dress down in faded jeans and raggedy shirts, but I’d also seen her dress so stylishly that she put me to shame.
Kimberly, who sat in the back, leaned forward and tapped my shoulder. “I’ve been thinking. Why don’t you just ask Bob who his relatives were? It might be easier than researching it.”
“Well, so far I’ve been left a threatening note, I’ve been shoved down when someone was lurking around the house, and the B&B has been broken into. I think we really need to be careful from here on out.”
“That makes sense. I’ll talk to Stan as soon as we get home.”
“Do you really think Bob could be involved?” Bea asked from the backseat.
“I don’t know, but it’s certainly a possibility.” I glanced at Bea in the rearview mirror.
“He’s such a quiet man,” she said. “I might know more about his family, but they were always so close-mouthed. I remember that his father was named Jim, but beyond that I don’t know who his kin were. I never thought about it.”
“Having met him, I have trouble imagining him leaving notes and turning violent. But, like I said, you just never know. There’s money involved here and gold can make people act in strange ways.”
I pulled in at the B&B and saw Pete and Stanley sitting on the front porch.
I couldn’t read the look on Pete’s face, but he wasn’t smiling.
A very long time ago Stanley thought there was a ghost in my house in Los Angeles. I came home one night and found him on my front porch with the same look on his face that I saw now.
Something had scared him.
Chapter Thirty-six
Pete looked up and smiled when we pulled in. I was halfway expecting bad news after looking at Stanley, but maybe – hopefully – I was wrong.
Greg’s truck was parked off to the side and I noticed he’d fini
shed spreading the gravel. He was pruning some bushes, but he kept turning and looking at Stanley, shaking his head.
Stanley stood and walked, or hobbled, down the steps to meet Felicity. Yes, he was limping. As he got closer I noticed a large red spot on his arm, too.
He patted Felicity’s back. “Now don’t be alarmed, sweetiekins, but I had a little accident while you were gone.”
“What happened?” Contrary to his warning, she looked alarmed.
“Well, Pete and I were contemplating where the crying sound was coming from when, uh… Pete went downstairs after we heard a noise. I was halfway down the stairs when I heard a sound behind me. Before I could turn around, someone shoved me. Whoever it was, or whatever it was, was gone by the time I got my bearings. I’m not sure because I was kind of fuzzy-headed, but I think whoever it was ran past me while I was on the floor.”
“Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“No, I’ll be fine now that you’re home. My knee is sore, as is my arm, but it’s nothing to worry about.”
Felicity lightly touched the red spot on his arm. “You’re going to have a big bruise. I can see it changing colors already.”
“Pete thinks I tripped, as I often do, but in this case I was shoved. There’s no doubt in my mind because I felt the hands on my back. Everything happened so fast, but I know I heard footsteps running back up the stairs while I was falling.”
“Pete?” I glanced at my husband.
He shrugged. “Okay, this time I have to agree with Stan. I checked his back and there’s a mark. Of course, he could have bruised his back when he fell, but he says he kind of fell on his side and slid down the stairs sideways.”
“Did you check upstairs for an intruder?”
“Of course I did. Why would you even ask?”
I didn’t respond, but turned my gaze on Stanley. “Where are you hurt? Is it just your knee and arm?”
“My hip is sore. And I believe my pride is injured, too.”
Felicity sucked in her breath. “You don’t think it’s broken, do you?”
I stifled a grin. What was broken? His pride?