The Mysterious Package (A Hannah and Tamar Mystery Book 1)

by Christa Nardi

  Grands shook her head. “No, dear. She only knew the name. Maybe Matt or Dylan could help if she’s your age.”

  Hannah shrugged. Excusing herself with a comment about homework calling, she helped herself to a glass of milk and went into the large family room. Her thoughts jumped from possibilities with Matt, colleges, the package, and her homework. A compulsive planner, she set two goals for the evening. First, she would try again to find Gwen, if only to satisfy her curiosity. Second, she wanted to finish the history readings and tackle Shakespeare.

  The skating rink wasn’t too crowded when Dylan and Tamar arrived. Skates rented, Dylan helped Tamar onto the ice. She was a little rusty and self-conscious about her less than stellar skating skills. Especially considering her date skated year-round and played forward on the ice hockey team.

  The second time around the rink, Tamar felt more confident. Dylan pulled her in and guided her to move in time to the music. Not quite ice dancing, the movement was more relaxed and he was a good lead.

  Mid-squeal as Dylan twirled her on the ice and released her, Tamar felt someone or something crash into her. Arms flailing, she was unable to keep her balance and landed on the ice. When she looked up, she saw the man from the train with his piercing blue eyes. His boots and heavy jacket were out of place on the skating rink.

  Hovering over her, he growled, “Where is it? It’s mine.”

  Dylan intervened. “What’s your problem?” He reached down and helped Tamar to her feet. “Do you know this guy?”

  “He was on the train.” Tamar moved closer to Dylan.

  “The package. I want it.”

  Dylan and the man glared at each other, eyes flashing and nostrils flaring. The man made a move toward Dylan. When Dylan countered, the man lost his balance and down he went.

  “I think you need to move on. Come on, Tamar.” Dylan pushed off and, with hands on Tamar’s waist, propelled her to the other side of the rink. With a backward glance to see where the man was, Dylan lifted Tamar over the ledge and into the hut.

  The hut had seats and tables. Dylan got Tamar to a table and then went for hot cocoa. He sat with his back to the wall so he would see if the man followed them into the hut.

  “What was he talking about?”

  “Like I said, he was on the train. He was hassling this girl, so Hannah and I went over to help her and he backed off.”

  “You challenged him?” Dylan’s eyebrows shot up and he leaned forward. Tamar’s impulsiveness sometimes rubbed him the wrong way.

  “No, not really. We interrupted the exchange by asking where the restrooms were. But it made him back off. That’s all we wanted. Later though, we saw them together laughing. Like maybe they were boyfriend-girlfriend and had an argument earlier.”

  “The package?”

  “That was after. At the train station. Gwen walked over, handed me a package and ran off. Guess that’s what he’s talking about.”

  “What’s in the package?”

  “We don’t know.”

  Dylan’s mouth dropped open.

  “Gramps took the package to the station. They ruled out drugs and explosives. He said it contained objects, maybe plastic, most likely wrapped in paper or cloth.”

  Dylan relaxed and sat back in his chair. “Glad he’s involved. Any idea what it could be?”

  “No. Gramps’ description didn’t mean much to me. It’s a small package, like if you stacked a couple of cell phones. What could be that small and plastic and wrapped up?” Tamar shrugged.

  Dylan’s mouth twitched and he hesitated. “Uh, not that you would know this first hand, but maybe from a commercial or something… Do you know what a home pregnancy test meter looks like?”

  Tamar felt her cheeks flush. Embarrassed, she looked away for a moment. “Not really. I think it says either plus or minus. Hmm. Maybe that’s why she was crying.”

  “If that’s what it is, maybe he was trying to convince her not to have the baby.”

  “That makes sense, Dylan! But how do you know what those test meters look like?” She teased, only half in jest.

  He chuckled. “I have two sisters remember. Tracy and Jim are expecting. She’s due in January.” All seriousness again, he asked, “Tamar, do you know that guy’s name? The girl’s name? He must have followed you from the train station and then here tonight.”

  “His, no. Her name is Gwen Singleton. Mean anything to you?”

  “Singleton. Name sounds familiar. Is she our age? Younger? Older?”

  “Gramps thinks she might be in college, but we don’t know that for sure.”

  “Hmm. I’ll check with my sisters. Maybe one of them will recognize her name. They don’t hang out with a rough crowd though and he looked rough.”

  “Gwen isn’t like that at all. She seemed exactly the opposite – pretty, sophisticated, and wealthy. And a snob.”

  It was still early when Dylan pulled into the drive. The lights were on in the kitchen and the images on the television flickered through the semi-sheer, family room curtains. Gramps and Grands were still up and about.

  “I think I should tell Gramps what happened.”

  “Definitely.” He nodded.

  “You know, Grands makes a mean cup of hot chocolate. Can I bribe you into helping me keep him from freaking out? And maybe you could share your idea about the package?”

  “Okay.” He removed an imaginary hat with a flourish. “At your service.”

  She laughed and added, “Oh, and Gramps doesn’t want Grands to know anything about it, and Grands doesn’t want Gramps to make a big deal of it. It’s kind of cute.”

  Dylan smiled. “Could be interesting.”

  They walked into the family room where everyone was gathered.

  “How was skating?” Hannah asked.

  Before either of them had a chance to respond, Grands jumped up. “You just sit down now and warm up. I’ll get hot chocolate and cake for everyone.” Without waiting for a response, Grands hustled to the kitchen.

  Gramps shook his head. “You didn’t answer. How was skating? Crowded?”

  “Not really, and mostly it was fun.” Tamar looked at Dylan and he fidgeted. She went on to describe, with Dylan’s help, the incident with Gwen’s friend. Gramps flexed his hands and sat up, agitated with this news.

  “He must have followed you here and then to the skating rink. The dogs and I will take a look around later on and make sure he’s not lurking around outside.”

  “The upside is that Dylan has an idea what might be in the package.”

  Although it was intended to have a calming effect, with the mention of a pregnancy test, Gramps’ eyes narrowed and he glared at Dylan. Dylan did his best to look innocent, but he wasn’t given any chance to explain himself.

  “See, this is what it might look like.” Hannah turned her screen to Gramps with images of the pregnancy test kits displayed. She pointed to the one with the plus sign. At that precise moment, Grands walked back in, a tray with cake in her hands, and spotted the screen.

  “Oh, my. Hannah? Tamar? Oh, my. Not what you planned I’m certain. A great-grandchild…” Grands sputtered as she struggled to find the best way to handle this. Her expression morphed from eyes wide and mouth trembling to eyes sparkling and a forced smile. Everyone else started laughing.

  “Tamar, I wondered about your appetite and the tummy…”

  Tamar’s laughter died. Her eyes reflected her horror as she sat up straight and sucked in her gut. Hannah laughed harder.

  “And Dylan, of course, you are welcome to the family. I’ve always…”

  On his feet, his jaw moved and arms flailed. Dylan managed to stammer out, “NO! I never… I mean… You’ve got it all wrong, Mrs. Bertolet.” His alarm triggered yet another outburst of laughter.

  “Oh, my stomach hurts from laughing so much.” Tears streamed down Hannah’s cheeks.

  “Grands, you need to sit down. Nobody here is pregnant.” Gramps scrutinized the girls’ faces. “Right?”

&nb
sp; Both girls nodded. Grands dropped into a nearby chair. “So what is this all about?” She looked hard at the young man. “Dylan?”

  Sitting back down, Dylan answered, “Not me, I’m not pregnant — my sister Tracy is. She was really excited, so she brought one of those things over to show us.” Gramps seemed to relax a little on hearing that explanation.

  “But that’s not what we were talking about either. We were talking about the girl on the train.” Tamar said.

  “She’s pregnant?”

  “We don’t know that and we certainly don’t want to spread rumors. Still it might be the reason she was acting strange.” Gramps eyes implored Hannah to support his statement.

  “Just throwing around ideas. After all, she was crying and mad at her boyfriend one minute, then happy the next. Then she didn’t want to talk to us.”

  Dylan watched the exchange with interest and smiled.

  “Hannah, were you able to find her?” Grands asked.

  “Not really. Georgetown requires an ID to access the student directory, so that was a dead end.”

  “Wouldn’t all colleges require some identification for student information?” Gramps’ eyebrows knitted together as he considered the possibilities.

  “I don’t know, Gramps, maybe. I tried anyway. I’ll keep looking at the sorority angle, too. She was mentioned in an article about some sorority function. I haven’t found a number for the sorority though. She’s on Tumblr as LGSingleton so I messaged her. Unfortunately, her last post was a week ago, so she may not check that account often. Just have to wait and see.”

  Conversation shifted to school rivalry and the upcoming football game. Gramps and Dylan had a lively discussion on the accomplishments of the local hockey team. As Dylan was leaving, Gramps made a big deal about how the dogs needed fresh air and exercise, and followed him out.

  CHAPTER 5 Game Time

  The next morning, Grands put the girls to work. First they made multiple pumpkin breads. Some went into the freezer and some were set aside for Grands to share with her friends at the library. Even though the bread recipe was simple, the mix, bake and cool process was time-consuming. In between, the girls handled the cleanup.

  Tamar shook her head as she watched Hannah line the breads up on the counter in a perfectly straight row.

  “Great job, girls. Now it’s time to make the pumpkin pies.”

  Hannah continued to clean up and organize the ingredients as they worked. Grands left the girls to fill the pies. Tamar reached for the spatula but Hannah’d already put it in the sink.

  “Everything has to be neat, huh?” Tamar’s eyes twinkled mischievously as she used a spoon to launch pumpkin filling at Hannah. A large orange glob landed on the front of her apron.

  “You… You’re in trouble now.” Already at the sink, Hannah flicked soap suds at Tamar.

  Tamar scooped up soapy water in a yet to be washed measuring cup and was about to splash Hannah when Grands returned to the kitchen.

  “Girls, what is going on in here?”

  “Nothing Grands.” Hannah answered as she finished cleaning the pumpkin off her apron. Tamar gently placed the measuring cup in the sink, without washing it. She knew Hannah wouldn’t be able to leave anything in the sink.

  Working together with Grands, they made extra crusts and put them aside for the other pies. By the end of the day, the house smelled of ginger, cinnamon and pumpkin spice, and all three were exhausted. Gramps took Minxy and Maxy for walks, checking for any cars or a man around the farmhouse or lane.

  Hannah checked her Tumblr account several times. There were no messages from Gwen and no signs she had been online. Grands called a few more of her library friends but no one knew which Singleton family had a college student named Gwen or Lindsey.

  The girls settled down at the dining room table to finish their school work, then joined Grands in the family room to watch television. Mid-way through a Hallmark holiday special, the ringer on Tamar’s cellphone startled Grands.

  “Any news on the girl or the package?”

  Tamar carried the phone into the kitchen before answering Dylan’s question.

  “No, not really. Gramps didn’t detect any signs the man was here last night. What about you?”

  “Neither of my sisters recognized the name, sorry.”

  Tamar and Dylan were still chatting when Matt called Hannah.

  “What’s going on? Dylan told me about the package and that creep at the skating rink.”

  “Nothing new. We’re still trying to find Gwen and get the package back to her. Until then, we’re stuck. Gramps is on it.”

  “Sorry, I’ve never heard of her. Anyway, I hope this won’t keep you from coming to the game tomorrow?”

  “Not at all. We’ll be there.” Hannah didn’t see any reason to change their plans.

  “After the game, how about we get some dinner?”

  “That sounds great. I think Dylan is driving us to the game…”

  Matt chuckled. “Then it will be the four of us, I guess.”

  Hannah sighed. She wondered if they’d ever have a chance to spend time alone.

  Tuesday arrived quickly. Tamar and Hannah helped with the final pre-Thanksgiving details. After the deep dish apple pie and pecan pie were made, they double-checked that everything needed for the dinner was on hand, from the cranberry sauce to the turkey.

  Neither of the girls was surprised to hear Grands and Gramps debating the merits of having a sweet potato casserole or mashed potatoes. Grands recalled, “When your father was young, he and his sisters would argue about the potato dish for days leading up to Thanksgiving.”

  Tamar and Hannah looked at each other and smiled. They heard this story every year and knew it ended with both kinds of potatoes so no one felt slighted.

  After lunch, Gramps reminded them they needed to be ready when Dylan came by to get them. The girls donned thermals under their jeans in anticipation of a long afternoon in the cold and warm, turtleneck sweaters.

  Hannah twisted to look at her butt in the mirror and frowned. “Just what I needed, an extra layer of fabric under my jeans – now I look fat.”

  “You do not look fat! And considering how cold it is outside, you’ll be glad to have them.”

  Tamar watched as Hannah continued to study her reflection from every possible angle. “You look fine. And that burgundy sweater is always a flattering choice.” For a turtleneck that is. She kept that last thought to herself.

  Dylan steered his car into one of the last available spots in the high school parking lot. They could hear the band playing and the sound of excited voices as they approached the field. Dylan was helping with the football team and wouldn’t be sitting with the girls. He directed them to their seats in the bleachers and then made his way down to the field.

  Their seats were to the right of the band. Dylan looked up and smiled in their direction. He pointed to the football team. Number 18, Matt, turned and followed Dylan’s gaze and waved. The crowd sizzled and cheered as the teams were announced and came onto the field. The excitement was contagious.

  Everyone stood as two students from each school sang the national anthem. The game unfolded and the Mavericks took the lead early on. Hoping to avoid the halftime crush, Hannah and Tamar went in search of the restrooms near the end of the second quarter. Lots of other spectators had the same idea. They joined the long line outside the restrooms.

  “Tammy! Tammy!”

  Hannah nudged Tamar and both girls turned to Gwen.

  “I need that package back. Where is it?”

  “Hi Gwen. We wanted to return it to you, but you aren’t exactly easy to find.” Tamar’s clipped tone communicated her frustration.

  “Whatever. Give it to me now.”

  “We don’t have it here. How were we supposed to know you’d be here?” Tamar added.

  “Well then where is it?” She stamped a well-heeled foot. Gwen’s tone and behavior had started to draw the attention of passersby.

  �
��Calm down, Gwen.” Hannah said. “It’s in Mill Creek, at the police station.”

  Gwen paled, her eyes wide. “The police station? Are you crazy? Why would you do that? I need to get it back. Dirk … You just don’t understand.”

  Hannah took Gwen’s elbow and guided her away from the foot traffic. “Gwen, we’d like to help. Is Dirk your boyfriend?”

  “What? No! No way.” Her face screwed up as if she’d been sucking on a lemon.

  Hannah and Tamar exchanged looks. “My grandfather could help you, Gwen. If this Dirk person is running some kind of scam, he’ll know what to do. How’d you get the package? Did he give it to you?” Hannah asked.

  “He followed me on the train and insisted on speaking to me. He rambled on about pictures and papers, something to do with my family. I tricked him and took the package. No way is he getting anything from me!”

  Hannah interrupted. “Excuse me a minute. Definitely restroom time.” With a glance from Gwen to Tamar, she added, “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back and we’ll figure out how to get you the package.”

  In the restroom, Hannah called Gramps and explained the situation.

  “Stay with her if you can or at least find out where she was sitting. I’ll get there as soon as possible.”

  Hannah took a deep breath and returned to where she’d left Tamar and Gwen.

  The two girls were talking, Gwen more animated than Tamar. As Hannah joined them, she heard Gwen’s rant. “Our family is well respected. He must think he’s got pictures of something that would hurt my family. No way. That’s crazy. You saw him. He’s just after our money.”

  The more Gwen talked, the more her words slurred. Tamar suspected she had been drinking.

  “Like I told you, our grandfather can help you if this Dirk person is trying to blackmail you.” Hannah said.

  “He’s awesome. He used to be a policeman so he can get the package from the police station, too.” Tamar assured her.

  “You think so? Dirk scares me. And I don’t want anyone to find out about this. It would be a scandal. My life would be ruined. My parents would be devastated.” Her slurred speech became more pronounced the more she spoke.