by Olivia Swift
“Could have come with the rubble they used to fill the hole,” Magda said, “but I’ll show it to Merle and see if she gets anything from it. In fact, if we can borrow the photos, she sometimes can get a feeling from a picture like that.”
Simon gave up on the metal detector. They emptied the bags and forked the new soil into the old rubble. Rula gave them both a free drink and a gin and tonic truffle.
“Give me your cell phone number,” Magda said to Elsie, “and I will call if Merle has anything to tell you.”
She put it in her own cell and then flicked to see what the cats were doing.
“Katie,” she said and handed over the screen, “is that darn cat standing over a jacket with buttons?” Katie laughed and handed it to Rula.
“She’s on the ball again.”
“Or the button, in this case,” Rula said.
1 One who uses a portable metal detector as a hobby.
6
After the café closed, Magda decided to go straight to the ranch and see what Merle thought about the photos and the button. She called Sam and he said he would meet her there.
The pristine, white ranch gates were open as usual. The new diner was almost ready to open at the entrance and Merle was waiting on the steps of the main building. They went into the large sitting room behind the offices and gift shop. Magda gave her the photos and button.
“The man with the metal detector found the button in what Sam dug out of the steps.”
Merle folded the button in her hand and closed her eyes.
“Picture of a young man with a uniform in my head. Somebody going off to war maybe or just going on duty. Maybe he was saying goodbye to a girlfriend at the back door.” She opened her eyes. “It belongs with the house though even if it was to a servant. I can feel that.”
“Now look at the photo of her great grandfather.” Merle took the black and white picture and put her finger on the figure of the man.
“Are you getting anything?” Branston asked as he came inside and then saw the look on his wife’s face. He sat beside her and took her hand.
“The man is a liar. He tells lies. I can feel that so strongly. I think he lies to everyone.”
“Mr. Hoffstander was not a nice man,” Magda observed as Sam came and joined them. They brought him up to date and he looked at the photos.
“Typical family pictures of the time,” he said. “Do you get anything from the wife and daughter?” Merle moved her finger.
“The daughter, no. The wife is frightened.”
“We are going to have to fit in another séance before we go away,” Magda said, and the others agreed.
“In the meantime, can we order steak and potatoes at your restaurant. I am starving,” Sam asked.
“We haven’t eaten either,” Branston said. “I’ll have it sent in here.” He went out to the restaurant to get their meal orders placed.
“Mr. Hoffstander must have been a bit of a con man,” Merle suggested. “I wonder if he wasn’t really liked by folks at the time.”
“Bart might be able to do a search for anything relating to the family. It might turn up something about how people felt about him,” Sam said.
“Poor Rosie, she is finding out that her great grandad was not all he appeared to be. Maybe that was why the family never talked about him,” Magda added. “I still would like my hands on his building though.”
“Where is this button?” Sam asked and they handed it to him.
“I kind of fancy a bit of that metal detector stuff,” Magda said, and Sam groaned.
“Oh, no. Isn’t the model railway enough for you?”
The steak and potatoes appeared with pretty a garnish and a delicious sauce. Tasty salads were placed in front of each guest.
“We should eat here more often,” Sam said between mouthfuls. “This is different.”
“New chef,” Branston said.
“And it’s a woman.” Merle smiled.
“Tell her she’s excellent,” Magda said.
“She says she knows you, Magda.” Magda stopped eating and looked at Merle. “Her brother is the distillery owner who makes your brandy syrup.”
“Laura?” Magda asked and Merle nodded. “I’ll go and thank her in person.”
Merle went out and brought back some fancy ice cream and meringue confection. Laura came along with her.
“Hi Laura,” Magda said and stood up to give the woman a hug. “Your food is wonderful and these look like a work of art.”
“Talking of art, did I hear you might turn the bank into an art gallery?”
“Oh, Lordy,” Magda laughed. “This town has its own network. Nothing gets by.”
“We would like to,” Sam answered, “but lots of things could go wrong.” Laura took out her cell phone and showed them some food related paintings.
“Still life but available if you need space filled up.”
“Wow,” Magda said. “I like these. Can I give the link to Katie? She’s going to look after things if we actually get the place.”
“Her own pictures are just fantastic,” Laura said. “Back to work, Boss,” she said to Merle and went back to her kitchen.
Magda showed Sam the website.
“Makes you hungry,” he said.
“What about another séance?” Branston said as he munched his way through the enormous dessert.
“Be a lot of people if Elsie and Rosie are there as well,” Magda said.
“But we might as well do it and then we can concentrate on getting ready to go to Ireland,” Sam said. “Declan and I are well on target to finish the extension this week.”
“Tomorrow?” Merle asked and they nodded as the creamy layers of meringue and ice cream were still being consumed.
“I guess we need questions that might throw light on where he went but with yes and no answers,” Magda added. She stood up. “The cats will think that their dinner is late. Crystal will not be pleased.” She flicked on the camera and found the cat, still on the jacket with the buttons but staring at the camera with a very fierce expression.
“Oh dear,” Merle said. “That cat is angry.”
“And showing us buttons,” Magda said.
“Let me hold that again before you go,” Merle asked and took the brass button in her hand.
“Not army, more like police.”
“Tomorrow might turn up something and Bart is still looking through archives,” Branston said as he and Merle waved them off in separate vehicles.
Magda stopped and bought rotisserie chicken on her way home and went in with a peace offering for Crystal. It proved popular and the cats went into their feeding routine. Magda picked up her jacket and shook it.
“Oh, I can’t do anything else after that meal.” She sank onto a sofa and Sam brought two bottles of beer.
“I wonder what he lied about. Merle is usually right when she gets those feelings about photographs.”
“You don’t suppose it was all about money and he lied when he knew he had nothing left?” Magda asked. Sam slipped an arm around her shoulders and suggested that maybe that was the case and the man had run away.
They talked about the trip to Ireland and Magda put through a call to Branna to just catch up. The Irish girl was wildly excited.
“I cannot wait to show you what we have done so far, and it seems to be working. We have so many inquiries and suggestions we need from you all.”
Magda told her about the bank building and the séance. Branna squealed.
“Oh, I wish I was there! Did you say the man came to Ireland? I wonder where he stayed. Let me know what happens tomorrow.” They chatted for a bit more then said good night.
“She’s not showing us any photos of what they have done. Why?”
“Wants to surprise us?” Sam said.
“Do you think we will hear from the real estate agent before we go?”
“Possibly, but if we are away, Rula will pass on anything that happens.” The cats went out into their closed-i
n terrace before settling for the night. Declan had made a beautiful wired area of his own terrace for his cats and then had come and made one for Magda as a wedding present. The cats were able to go outside but not wander away.
Crystal was first on the bed and Sam slid in before the others could grab the rest of the space. Magda pushed them off again until she could climb in as well and then the household settled for the night with a lot of contented purring.
When Magda woke the next morning, she found that the cat had pulled the jacket with the buttons back beside the bed.
“Crystal, you are a minx,” she said and went to start breakfast. But she thinks buttons are important, Magda thought to herself as she made fresh coffee.
She opened the café. Rula and Katie arrived as well as Rita, the woman who worked in the café but who had been away on holiday.
“Totally rested, had a great time and brought you girls a gift each from Disneyland.” The gifts were t-shirts with funny slogans on them and Magda’s was the same bright plum color as her hair.
She slipped into the restroom and put on the new tee.
“Perfect match, Rita, thank you.” She danced around the kitchen as she started to work. Then remembered the artwork with a culinary flair from Laura. Katie looked at the website and said it was great.
“Makes Sam hungry,” Magda told her.
“Sam’s always hungry,” Rula said. “They do look appetizing though.”
Calls to everyone about the get together that evening had enthusiastic replies. Bart came for his regular coffee and slid his tablet onto the counter. Magda raised an eyebrow.
“Know how the man made his money?” They waited. “Buttons.”
“Buttons?” Magda echoed. She pulled out the one that the detectorist had found and passed it over.
“Might be one of his.”
“Probably is. He supplied buttons far and wide and he had sold the factory. There should have been money in the bank.”
“So, he took the money and left his family with nothing to live on. What an awful thing to do,” Katie exclaimed.
“I have some questions for this man tonight,” Magda said. “Sad he might be, but that is no excuse.”
Sam, Declan and Mikey were brought up to date over the lunch break and Elsie called to say they were looking forward to coming at seven.
They met up at the café at the agreed upon time. Magda pulled over a couple of chairs for the two older ladies. They could see into the stairwell. Declan positioned himself with a view of the whole area and Katie stood beside him. The rest made a sort of circle as best as they could and then Merle went through her protection routine. The ones who could hold hands did so. Rosie and Elsie were included and held hands themselves as well as with Magda on one side and Rula on the other.
Merle called out. She tried again. Magda tried and still nothing.
“Mr. Hoffstander,” Magda shouted out rather angrily. “Your great granddaughter is here. Try and make up for your lies and bad behavior and come to see how she is.”
“Say that again, Magda,” Merle said. “I can feel he is listening.”
Magda spoke again and added that she was holding the hand of his relation. Declan said that a figure was starting to materialize.
“I can see him now, dressed the same.”
“I can see a ball of light beside the doorway. Is he to the right of the door?” Bart asked and Declan confirmed that he was. The pressure on Magda’s hand from Rosie was so strong that she called out and looked at the woman.
“I can see him,” Rosie whispered. “I can see my great grandfather.”
Merle turned her head and asked if Rosie could speak to him.
“What shall I say?”
“Say hello and tell him who you are.” Rosie held tightly onto both her friend on one side and Magda on the other. She took a deep breath.
“Hello, great grandfather. I am Rosie. My grandmother was your daughter who married Jonah Makerstone. I have photographs of you. I know it’s you. Can you speak to me?” The woman was trembling fiercely, and Magda put an arm around her shoulders.
“Can you hear her?” Magda asked. “One noise for yes and two for no.” There was an immediate bang beneath their feet. Rosie and Elsie both gasped.
“You lied to the family, didn’t you?” Merle asked and after a pause there was another bang.
“The family never talked about it. I think they were ashamed,” Rosie said.
“Did you take all of the money?” Sam asked. There was no response until Merle asked as well and then a faint noise to admit that he had done that.
“Did you go to Ireland?” Declan suddenly asked from his vantage point. The man in the stairwell turned his head sharply and Declan almost recoiled from the look. Katie held tightly onto Declan’s hand. She could feel the tension.
“You don’t like that question,” Magda put in. “You told lies to everyone. You walked out on your family. You took the money and now you are annoyed and have come back here. I don’t like you, Mr. Hoffstander, even if you are Rosie’s great grandfather.” Hoffstander turned his face to Magda and she felt the look even though she could not see him.
“Did you have a girlfriend, great grandfather?” Rosie asked. “We always wondered if that was what your wife knew but never said. Did you go to Ireland with another woman?” There was a long pause when the spirit of the man looked around the circle of them. Declan told them that he was looking at all of them.
“Are you ashamed of what you did? Is that why you have come back?” Merle asked and there was a noise from the stairwell.
“You are sorry for leaving them to manage without you?” Rosie asked. The noise came again and Rosie said that it made her feel better. “My grandmother sold this house to make a new start. I never knew it was our family home until this week. My grandfather worked hard, and they made a good life, but I don’t think my grandmother ever recovered.”
“If you really are sorry, please make a noise. It will make us all feel better,” Merle said. The noise came again and was exceptionally loud.
“He’s fading,” Declan said.
“He’s gone,” Rosie added and started to cry. Elsie and Magda both held her tightly. Merle brought them all back to reality and they filed back inside the café where it was warm, bright and cheerful.
Over hot drinks they wondered if he had really had a girlfriend and Merle asked Declan why he had asked that question.
“Don’t know. It just popped into my mind and I said it,” he answered.
“Did your mom ever wonder about what had happened?” Magda asked Rosie who shook her head.
“He was just sort of written out of the family, if you know what I mean.”
“He does seem to be sorry for what he did. Maybe that will just be enough,” Merle added.
“And your family managed fine without him,” Rula remarked. “Maybe it was better that he went away.”
“Never thought of that,” Magda looked at her friend. “Perhaps the wife had an idea all along that he was seeing someone else. Maybe she was better off without him.”
“What did you think, ladies?” Sam asked the two visitors.
“I’m glad I saw him, and he did seem to be sorry,” Rosie said.
“In between times, I will look up boat passages and any other things I can think of,” Bart told them and made a move to go. The others followed suit and Magda said that she would really start to prepare for the Ireland trip.
The cats were all asleep when they arrived home. Magda and Sam sat together and went over the events of the séance.
“Not like Declan to come up with something like that and it really annoyed the man,” Sam remarked.
“You can chat to him about it at work,” Magda said. “Those séances are tiring. Come on cats. Treat time.”
The morning started with the usual hustle and bustle and Magda and Katie were really trying to build up a good number of truffles for when Sam and Magda were away. As they worked, Magda asked Kati
e about the fact that Declan spoke out.
“I know you like him a lot, and he seems to like you, but he is such a dope at doing anything about it.”
Katie smiled. “It’s appealing in a funny sort of way,” she answered. “I had let go of his hand and then took it again. That was when he came out with the question.”
Magda looked at her.
“Connections,” she said. “Something sparked the question, but I think there must have been some truth in it. He must have found a weak spot or something that the man wanted to forget.”
“Maybe if we get the building, we can have a session inside and see if we find out more.” Then she remembered that she had some ideas for the art gallery and pulled out her sketches and notes. She and Magda took a break and looked them over.
“Art on the walls and space for sculptural pieces, a counter for someone on duty and space for prints for sale. What about the other room?” Magda asked and Rula came to look as well.
“A big exhibition could use both rooms if we had platforms for runways and a stage that folded up and could be stored. If the men made a large archway through the wall, it could have folding doors if needed for an open space. The restroom is upstairs and could be extended to a few more cubicles and to start with the bedrooms could be storage, but eventually meeting rooms.”
“I like your sketches,” Rula said. “It lets you see what it would be like.”
“There is a suggestion of the doorway through to the courtyard. I am leaving that until Sam and Declan decide the best way to do it. Visitors would be gently nudged to the café for drinks and eats.”
“You made it a bit like a mood board with the touches of suggested color,” Magda said. “We should copy it and send to everyone.”
Katie said she would do that and approving responses came back from everyone. It put a spring in Katie’s step, and she was smiling at the chocolate vat when Sam and Declan came for something to eat. Bart did not appear, so they assumed a story had broken somewhere.