“Is there anything I can do to help her?” Sarah asked. “Maybe help out at the shop?”
“I think Katie will be working with her, but ask when you call. The more people she has around her, the better.”
As Sarah hung up, the front door swung open, and Barney came leaping across the floor toward her. All efforts to remind him about jumping up on people failed and Sarah finally sat down and let him climb onto her lap and smother her with kisses. “You’re too big to be up here, fellow,” she said laughing as she scratched both of his ears at once. “I missed you, too.”
“Andy said Caitlyn is going to be lost without Barney. He’s been sleeping stretched out across the bottom of her bed. Andy’s beginning to wonder whether it might be time to make a trip to the shelter.”
“A dog for Caitlyn? Oh, Charles! That would be wonderful. She’s so good with Barney and Emma. I hope they do it.”
“Did you get the meeting set up for tonight?”
“I’m getting ready to call Anna now. I spoke with Geoff, and he said Katie is on her way.”
Charles and Barney went into the kitchen and left Sarah to make her calls. Anna agreed that a meeting was exactly what everyone needed. “They have so many questions that I can’t answer,” she had said. Anna offered to get the phone tree going so that everyone would get a personal call about the meeting.
After she hung up, she got her cell phone out and moved into the bedroom so she could rest while she talked to Sophie. She and Sophie had been talking over the past two days from Chicago and even during the drive home that morning, but Sarah wanted to tell her about the meeting personally.
“Aren’t you too tired to go out?” Sophie asked.
“I’m tired, but it’s easier than making all those phone calls. Anyway, I think her friends need to get together for support.”
“You’re right. I know I sure need it. I’ll pick you up around seven,” Sophie offered, knowing her friend would be exhausted by evening. Sarah hung up and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
She awoke suddenly over an hour later when she felt a tiny warm and scratchy tongue on her hand. “Boots! Hello there. Did you miss me too?” Boots began purring and rubbing against Sarah. “Is this love or hunger?” Sarah asked as she reached for her slippers.
“Do you feel better?” Charles asked when she walked into the kitchen. There was a pot simmering on the stove.
“What have you made?” she asked, surprised to find him cooking.
“I made a hearty soup for our dinner,” he responded, pushing his chest out with pride. “I think you’ll like it.”
Sarah looked into the pot and saw meat and vegetables swimming in a thick bubbling broth. “This smells wonderful.” It wasn’t until later that she chuckled when she spotted two large cans in the recycle bin labeled hearty beef vegetable soup.
At precisely seven, Sarah heard Sophie pull into the driveway. She was putting on her jacket when there was a knock at the door. Sarah opened it, and Caitlyn burst in full of excitement and talking without taking a breath. “Daddy told you about my dog, right? Isn’t it wonderful? I can hardly wait. Will you go with us when we go to look? I think I want a big dog or maybe a small one. I don’t know. I’ll just have to look. What do you think, Sarah? Should I get a very young dog so I can train him from the beginning? I wonder how Barney will feel about this…”
“Whew,” Charles said laughing. “Take a breath, young lady.”
Caitlyn looked at Sarah and saw the sadness in her eyes and her excitement quickly faded. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be so excited when your friend is missing. I’m sorry, Sarah.”
Sarah smiled and put her arm around the young girl’s shoulder. “You don’t have anything to be sorry about, Caitlyn. Of course you’re excited about getting a dog, and I would be too, and even Ruth would understand. And yes, I’d love to go with you when you go.”
“How did you decide on Barney? Were there lots of dogs there when you went to the shelter?”
“There were. And I had no idea how I would decide, but as it turned out there was no problem at all. The moment I looked into Barney’s eyes, we both knew. And if that doesn’t happen for you, then we just go home, and we go back another day. I promise that your dog is out there, and you’ll know it when you meet him or her. Just wait.” Caitlyn saw some of Sarah’s sparkle return to her eyes as she talked about the dog.
Sophie leaned on her horn reminding them that she was ready to go, and they both knew she was not fond of waiting. Sarah kissed Charles on the cheek, and the two hurried out to the car.
When they arrived at the shop, Anna was watching for them and unlocked the door. Anna’s eyes were red and swollen, and the room was silent despite there being seven or eight members already there. As Sarah looked around, she was surprised to see several members who hadn’t been to the meetings for months.
“Myrtle,” she said softly. “I’m so glad to see you.” Myrtle was in her eighties and hadn’t been to a meeting for over a year, although she occasionally came into the store and was very fond of Ruth.
Sarah looked around and smiled when she saw Frank, who had been their only male member. She went over and spoke with him as well. She then nodded at Allison, who was whispering with Delores. Christina and Kimberly sat together and looked very somber.
“We’re glad you’re here, Sarah,” Anna said. “Come sit up here in the front so everyone can see you while you’re speaking.” Sarah hadn’t realized she would be leading the meeting, but as she quickly contemplated this, she realized it made sense. She was the only one who knew what had happened and could answer some of their questions. Unfortunately, she knew there was much she couldn’t help them with. No one knew what had happened to Ruth.
“Okay,” she responded as she moved to the chair Anna had placed in front of the group. “I read the articles in the paper, and I’d like to straighten out some of the misconceptions presented there. First and foremost, I want everyone to know that Nathan is not a suspect. He has remained in Chicago to be available to the police if he’s needed. I think it’s very likely that my husband will be joining him as well. You all know Charles is a retired detective himself. I guess another thing I’d like everyone to know is that the detective investigating this case seems to be a very kind and sensitive man, and I think he’ll find out what happened to our friend. He seems determined to do just that.”
She looked around the room at Ruth’s friends and saw the pain and sadness on their faces. She didn’t know what she could say to help. She felt just like they did. “Tell me what questions you have that I might be able to answer,” she asked.
“Can you tell us how she disappeared? Did anyone see her leave?” Delores asked.
Sarah started from the beginning, as she did with Detective Krakowski, and told them briefly about the two days before and then went into detail about the morning she disappeared. She talked about the detective and his questions and about Nathan’s arrival. She was hesitant to mention the fact that they found her purse, but she decided to give them all the information she had. They loved Ruth too.
“Well, if her purse was tossed aside, maybe it was a robbery, but then they probably wouldn’t have taken her…”
“It was not a robbery,” Sarah said sadly. “Nothing was missing from the purse.”
“Then why…” and the speaker stopped and gasped. “You mean they wanted her specifically?”
“But why?”
“What did the detective say about the purse?”
“Was she kidnapped?” Allison asked incredulously?
“The detective said that is a possibility,” Sarah responded unable to keep up with the questions being fired her way.
“But why?” someone repeated.
“No one knows,” she responded.
“Are there any clues?” Frank asked. Frank was mentally challenged but high functioning. He had a job and loved detective stories. He originally stopped by the shop to ask about lessons so he could make a quilt for his grandmother. Sara
h smiled at his question and stood up to answer him.
“I’m sure there are, Frank. But you know how the police are with their clues. They keep them to themselves while they investigate.”
They asked a few more questions, expressed some opinions, and then began talking about their own feelings, including what Ruth had meant to them. Sarah realized it was beginning to sound like a memorial service, and she immediately turned it around, not wanting to think she was gone forever.
“There’s something else I wanted to tell you about the show in Chicago. Ruth and I took dozens of pictures of the quilts, and we plan to use my husband’s projector and bring the Chicago show to our meeting just as soon as Ruth returns. Everyone stopped talking and stared at her for a few seconds.
Sarah continued, “Ruth is very excited about sharing the show with her friends and particularly the Alzheimer’s Exhibit so we’ll all be looking forward to that.” She stood up again and added, “Now let’s dig into those refreshments and start making plans for our next few meetings.”
As people stood and moved toward the refreshment table, Sarah noticed a slight change in their demeanor. She heard Kimberly laugh at something her sister said, and Frank was asking Myrtle about the quilt she had in her tote bag. Myrtle pieced by hand and took her projects wherever she went. She proudly spread it out on a nearby table for Frank to see and Caitlyn joined them.
Sophie, realizing what Sarah had done, winked at her and mouthed, “Well done.”
The meeting broke up early so Anna could get home to her niece, Ruth’s daughter Katie, who had arrived that afternoon. Katie had been working at the quilt museum in Paducah since her graduation from art school the previous year. Anna told Sarah privately that Katie wanted to drive up to Chicago to be with her father, but Nathan had discouraged it and asked her to stay and help Anna in the shop. “This is no place for my daughter,” Nathan had said to Anna, “and I don’t want her to see me like this.”
“I wish he’d just come home. I’m sure there’s nothing he can do there,” Anna said.
“Charles is thinking about going up and offering his help. Maybe he can convince Nathan to allow him to take his place. He should be here for Katie.”
“Good idea, Sarah. Let me know if he decides to do that. We all need Nathan back here.”
Sophie drove Caitlyn home first and slowed down in front of her own house. “It’s still early. Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?”
“It’s been a long trying day, Sophie, physically and emotionally. I just want to go home and sleep. How about you come to my house in the morning, and we’ll have brunch. Also, I have something I want to show you.”
“Okay, that’s a better plan. I want to talk to you about my applique project, and we’ll be more relaxed in the morning. I made a batch of oatmeal cookies this morning, and I’ll bring what’s left.”
Sophie dropped Sarah off at her door and said, “See you about ten?”
“Perfect!” Sarah replied, already thinking about spending many hours in her own bed.
Chapter 8
The next morning, Sophie arrived right on time. Sarah was taking the breakfast casserole out of the oven, coffee was brewing, and the table was set for two. “What about Charles?” Sophie asked.
“He got up long before I did, ate breakfast, and retired to his den to pay bills, file some insurance claims, and play around on his computer. He said he was going to leave us alone so we could have ‘girl time,’ as he called it.
“We need it,” Sophie responding pouring herself a cup of coffee and loading it up with cream and sugar. “What’s in this casserole?”
“Many wonderful things: cheese, ham, eggs, mushrooms, onions, peppers…”
“Yum!” Sophie respond, grabbing the serving spoon and filling her plate. Sarah pulled a pan of biscuits out of the oven and slid them into the bread basket.
“Orange juice?”
“Love some, and maybe some butter and jelly?”
“It’s on the way.”
Moments later, Sarah joined her friend at the table, and they spent the next hour eating, laughing, and catching up on all the happenings while Sarah was away. But neither woman mentioned Ruth. They seemed to realize that Sarah needed a brief break from the worry.”
After they finished eating and straightened up the kitchen, they moved into the living room. “I’d like to talk to you about my quilt project,” Sophie said as she sat down and placed her tote bag on the couch.” Barney came over and sniffed the bag, but seemed to have decided it wasn’t promising. He sighed and laid across Sophie’s feet.
“And there’s something I wanted to show you,” Sarah responded as she sat down next to Sophie.
Sophie started to reach into her bag, but hesitated and said, “I think I’d like for you to go first.” She noticed that Sarah also had a tote bag, and her curiosity was getting the better of her.
“Okay.” She then told Sophie about the fidget quilts and how they were used with people suffering from dementia. She reached into her tote bag and pulled out the one Ruth had purchased at the show.
“This is incredible,” Sophie exclaimed as she ran her hand over the various textures. She squeezed the small, stuffed animal and was delighted to hear it squeak. “My husband would have loved this,” she added, as a cloud of grief passed briefly across her face. Her husband had died in the nursing home several years before. He had suffered the ravages of Alzheimer’s, and Sophie had suffered the loss of her husband, bit by bit. During the last six months of his life, he didn’t even recognize her. She was rarely able to talk about it.
Brightening up, she added, “You know, we could make these for those folks at the nursing home.”
“Exactly. I thought about mentioning it at the meeting last night, but I decided to wait until Ruth is back. She was very excited about the idea.”
“Good decision,” Sophie responded. “Let’s wait a few weeks. Now, let’s get to my question.” Sophie reached into her tote and pulled out the appliqued blocks she had completed. “Aren’t these pretty?” she stated, as she gently placed three blocks on the coffee table,
“They’re beautiful, Sophie. I knew you’d be good at this. Your embroidery work was always flawless, and I was sure you’d be good at applique.”
“You’re embarrassing me,” Sophie responded, brushing Sarah’s words away with the wave of her hand. “But let’s talk about putting them together in a quilt.”
“We can’t do that until you get them all appliqued…” Sarah began, but Sophie immediately interrupted her.
“I know, I know, but I’m just trying to understand what we’ll be doing. I don’t get how this will become a quilt.”
“Okay, let’s look at the picture on the front of the kit.” Sophie pulled it out along with the fabric included.
“See, these pale green strips will go between your appliqued blocks like this.” Sarah pointed to the sashing in the picture. “And that same fabric will go all the way around the finished blocks making an inner border.” She pulled out the small pieces of assorted pastels. “These will be used to make the stars in the sashing – those are called cornerstones.”
“And you’ll do all those?”
“Absolutely. In fact, I’ve been thinking about starting on the cornerstones, so they’ll be ready when you are.”
“Then this must be the border?” Sophie said, holding up a piece of fabric in several shades of green.
“Yes, that will be the final border and binding.”
“What about the back?”
“Most kits come without backs, and we’ll go shopping for that once we’re finished. You can pick out whatever you like.”
“How will I know what to like?” Sophie asked with a worried look.
Sarah laughed. “You’ll know, and if you don’t, Ruth and I will help. It’s going to be beautiful.”
“You did it again.”
“Did what?” Sarah responded.
“You referred to Ruth as if you
think she’ll be back with us one day.”
“I absolutely believe that, Sophie.”
“You really do?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Okay, then so do I.”
“Good. Now let’s have another cup of coffee and talk about what we’re going to do this afternoon. I need an outing.”
“Okay, but let me put my blocks away first. I’m so afraid I’ll spill something on them.”
“It’s good to be careful, but remember that you’re using cotton – it’s washable.”
“Oh no,” Sophie exclaimed, pulling her blocks close to her heart protectively.
“I remember being like that with my first quilt,” Sarah chuckled. “Now I stuff them in the washing machine and push the button.”
“Oh my,” Sophie frowned. “I don’t think…” but her words trailed off as she saw Charles coming into the living room looking apprehensive.
“What is it?” Sarah asked, standing as she registered the look on her husband’s face.
“I just got off the phone with Jake,” he replied. “They’ve officially classified the case as a kidnapping.”
“Oh no,” Sarah responded, slipping back onto the chair. “I was hoping…”
“Why would anyone kidnap a middle-aged quilt shop owner?” Sophie demanded impatiently. “How did they come up with this idea anyway?”
“A witness came forward,” Charles responded. “The man lives in the condo across from the convention center, and he reported seeing a woman who appeared to be struggling with someone Sunday morning in the parking lot. He thought the whole thing looked suspicious, but when they drove away, he disregarded it.”
“Why is this man just now telling someone about this?” Sarah asked. Her voice was raised with mounting anger, causing Barney to jump up and move over by her feet. She reached down and scratched his ear reassuringly, but turned back to Charles. “So, what took him so long?”
Charles walked over and laid his hand on her shoulder gently. “He’s been out of town. According to Jake, the guy was heading for the airport that morning. He came out of his building and was getting into the cab when he noticed them. He told Jake he was concerned at first, but then they drove away, and he figured it was just a domestic dispute.”
Missing Memories Page 6