“At dinner last night we made plans to have lunch, but I guess we need to get Grands’ car home.”
“No problem with the car. Believe me, once Grands gets cooking, she’s not going anywhere. You two go on to lunch. Make sure you’re back – with the car – before your parents get here. And watch out for the brakes. They’re a bit touchy.”
Tamar grimaced. “You can say that again. I’ll have whiplash by the time we get home.” Hannah punched her in the arm and they all laughed.
Lunch wasn’t as good as the grinders at Gill’s, but Josie’s Café was local fare. As they walked in, the waitress greeted Matt and Dylan. Even after they were seated, the occasional customer would stop by and congratulate Matt on the game and his MVP.
“Do girls always swoon over him, Dylan, like Gwen’s friends?” Tamar asked.
“All the time. He’s a regular chick magnet.” Dylan’s comment got him a punch in the arm.
“Usually only right after the football game and then I’m old news.”
Another interruption by a fan and the conversation shifted to plans for Killington, skiing, and fun on Friday. Too soon, they parted ways and the girls made their way home. It occurred to Hannah, she might never get a chance to see Matt alone this trip.
CHAPTER 8 Arrivals
Back at the house, Grands was hard at work in the kitchen. Hannah and Tamar immediately jumped in and took over washing and drying the dishes and pans. Cooking with Grands was definitely messy.
In between fixing and mixing, Grands asked, “The car didn’t give you any trouble did it? It’s an old clunker but it gets me where I’m going.”
“Hannah had some trouble with the brakes…”
“Oh no. The brakes are very good. I barely have to touch them to stop. What was the problem?”
“No problem, Grands. I’m just not used to brakes that sensitive. Tamar’s giving me a hard time. Again.”
Grands shook her head. “While I finish up this casserole, can you please get the table linens from the dryer and set the table?”
“Of course.”
The girls spotted the turkey thawing in the laundry room sink as they collected the tablecloth and napkins. In the dining room, they went to work. After spreading out the elegant embroidered tablecloth, they arranged the napkins and place settings. Counting Aunt Ilene, Uncle Jerry and the cousins, there would be ten for dinner. Hannah found the other Thanksgiving decorations for the table in the cabinets. The girls stood back and were admiring their work when Gramps walked in.
“Captain Jameson called. He was able to locate Dirk Pritchard. We have an appointment with him at the station tomorrow at 9 o’clock. We should be back before your Aunt Ilene arrives.”
Gramps glanced over at the table. “Excellent job, girls. I’ll go get two more chairs. Any word from your parents?”
Tamar’s mouth dropped and she looked to Hannah. “We left our phones upstairs. I’ll run up and see if we missed any calls or messages while they were charging.”
With that Tamar went off to fetch the phones. Hannah and Gramps headed for the kitchen. Grands assured them she had the cooking under control. She opened the refrigerator door, casserole in hand, and groaned.
Gramps peered over her shoulder. “Let me take that. It will have to go in the other fridge and I’ll get those chairs at the same time.”
The girls had missed a text message. Their parents were expected in less than an hour. In anticipation, everyone hustled and bustled. By the time the SUV pulled into the driveway, the kitchen was clean and Grands had changed her clothes. Gramps and Grands herded Ron and Maria Bertolet into the house while the girls unloaded the car.
In the kitchen with Gramps and Grands, Minxy and Maxy clamored for attention from the girls’ parents, especially their father, Ron. As the girls brought in the last of the luggage, they heard their father tease Gramps about retirement.
“So how are you keeping yourself busy, Dad? Is he making you crazy, Mom?” Ron asked.
Grands responded, “Is he ever? It seems like every little thing becomes a big deal. Even that girl Hannah and Tamar met on the train.”
Hannah and Tamar exchanged looks as their father’s expression shifted from jovial to alert. Gramps put his arms around Grands and jumped into the conversation.
“She’s exaggerating of course. I have my shop all set up and I keep myself busy. And Minxy and Maxy and I are getting more walks these days.”
Grands shook her head at him. “Do you think I don’t know what you’re up to? You and the girls have been trying to find that girl ever since they got here.”
Gramps slumped a little but tried again to skirt the issue. “Nothing to worry about, dear.” He looked at his son. “No big deal.” He waved his hand in the direction of the kitchen table. “Why don’t we sit down?”
Ron Bertolet shared his father’s impressive, athletic build. Although he had considered police work like his father, he hadn’t pursued it. He was an attorney in a small law firm in Baltimore handling mostly estate and probate issues. Maria Bertolet, the girls’ mother, was of average height, dwarfed by her husband’s six foot frame. She worked as a paralegal in the county court system with one of the Assistant District Attorneys. Neither of them was likely to let Gramps or the girls avoid the topic for long.
Sensing the tension, Maria tried to shift the conversation. “What’s happening with Matt and Dylan? Have you seen them much this week?”
“Dylan and I went skating the other night. And we went to Matt’s football game and dinner last night and lunch today.”
“The four of us plan to go skiing on Friday – is that okay with you?” Hannah looked to her parents for approval.
“That’s fine, girls. What are Matt’s plans for next year?”
“He doesn’t really know yet. He won’t know about playing college football until after the season ends.”
Conversation then bounced back and forth between the boys and sports. Then Ron asked about neighbors and Grands and Gramps filled them all in about the changes in Mill Creek where Ron, Ilene, and Monique grew up. Ron was excited at the prospect of seeing Ilene for the first time in more than six months.
Dinner of hamburgers and hotdogs was quick. As everyone settled in the living room, Ron asked, “Now girls, is all your school work done? That was the deal with missing two days of school, as you girls both know.”
“All done. I finished up last night,” Hannah answered, always on top of things.
“Almost done. I have one more history assignment. I’ll finish it up tonight, I guess, or in the car on the ride home.” Tamar shrugged her shoulders and her mother smiled. Tamar tended to be less serious about her studies than Hannah. Still she always came through in the end.
“It’s unfortunate Monique couldn’t be here this year. She spends so much time at the hospital. Has she at least talked about taking a vacation?”
Gramps shook his head. Grands sighed and answered, “Not really. No. I think she works so hard because she’s alone. She needs to get out and find someone new. Ever since Tom died, she’s thrown herself into her work.”
“Ron, have you tried to talk to your sister at all? Maybe get her to come visit you? Move closer to family?”
“We’ve talked to her. She likes where she works and where she lives.” He looked at Maria and added, “We’ll try again.”
After a few more comments on Monique, there was silence. That is until Ron couldn’t hold off on asking his question any longer.
“Now why don’t you tell us about this girl on the train.”
The smiles disappeared and the girls looked to Gramps. He simply leaned forward.
No one said anything until Grands spoke up.
“The girls met someone named Gwen Singleton on the train, but they didn’t get a phone number. They’ve been trying to find her on the computer. They think she had a fight with her boyfriend and might be pregnant.”
“What? How does that…? Why do you want to find her? I think there
’s something missing here.” Ron stared at the girls, then turned his attention to Gramps. “And how exactly are you involved?”
Seeing how their father glared at Gramps, the girls remained silent and waited for his response. He huffed and then answered.
“Like I said before, it’s no big deal. The girls met this Gwen person on the train. They have something that might be hers and I’ve been helping them find her to get it back to her or the proper owner.”
What followed was a disjointed telling of the story of the package, finding Gwen, but then not being sure to whom the package belonged. As the details unfolded, the girls’ parents went from concerned to more relaxed.
“So the girls aren’t in any danger, right?”
Gramps hesitated a little too long before he responded. “Of course not. Captain Jameson is involved and there’s no indication this girl is dangerous. She comes from a good family. Everything will be resolved soon enough. We have a meeting at the Police Station early tomorrow morning – don’t worry Grands, we won’t be long.”
Grands didn’t seem concerned. Ron opened his mouth, his eyebrows knitted. Marie shook her head slightly in his direction and he let it go. The family’s attention shifted to the TV sitcom until the girls headed up to bed.
When Gramps took Minxy and Maxy for a walk, Ron joined him and got the rest of the story.
“So what’s really going on, Dad? I’m not comfortable with the girls playing detective.”
“Now hold on there, Ron, Tamar may be a bit impetuous at times, but Hannah has a good head on her shoulders. And both of them are smart.”
“I know, I know. But they’re teenagers and not trained.”
“Son, you may have to get used to the idea that your little girls are growing up.” He stopped and turned to look in his son’s eyes. “I know that’s going to be hard. Believe me, we went through the same thing with you and your sisters. Hannah has natural curiosity and likes to solve puzzles. Criminology might be a good fit for her.”
“She needs to do something safe.”
“No, she needs to do what will make her happy, and be safe doing it. There’s a difference, you know. Hannah is level-headed and cautious. She needs to figure this out and your job is to support her while she does that.”
Ron nodded, still unable to muster a smile.
“Same thing applies to Tamar. She’s just as curious and bright and still trying to figure out what she wants to do. A little more social and impulsive than Hannah, but she’s got the brains to land on her feet. You can be proud of your girls.”
Upstairs, as the girls got ready for bed, Tamar needled Hannah. “With all the girls falling all over him, Matt must think you’re something special to be spending time with you.”
“I’m not sure it means much really.”
“Do you want it to mean anything?”
“Yeah. No. I don’t know. I know I’d like to get to know him better.” She sighed. “I mean, yeah, we’ve known him and Dylan for years, but we almost never see them. And when we do, it’s always short visits.”
“Well, how does he compare to the guys in your classes at Rosewood Glen High? By the way, when did you learn so much about football? You really blew me away and I think Matt was impressed, too!”
Hannah laughed. “I studied up on football – and ice hockey by the way – so I’d be able to talk to Matt and Dylan. Or at least understand when someone else said something. You might try it! As for the guys in my classes? Probably same as in yours. Not particularly social or athletic.”
“Yup. And the few who aren’t drooling over the cheerleaders in their skimpy outfits don’t seem worth the effort.” Tamar shook her head. “But what about Seth? You went to homecoming with him.”
“Seth’s okay as a friend. He talked software and gaming most of the night though. But at least I had a date. I don’t know what’s going to happen with senior prom.” She sighed. “Matt is different. Matt has a lot more personality and for all his popularity, he cares about people other than himself. Of course, so far, we haven’t had any time alone.” Hannah glared at Tamar.
“Hey, I’m sorry. You know, I caught mom and dad nodding every time it came up that we were doing stuff as a foursome. Glad nobody brought up the night Dylan and I went skating.”
“So did anything happen with Dylan?”
“Nothing a chaperone would have complained about. He was protective and polite. But he is a good kisser.” She smiled at the memory.
“Oh yeah? Maybe that’s a Vermont thing.”
CHAPTER 9 Dirk’s Story
Dirk Pritchard sat in the police station. He wore jeans and a sweatshirt, his parka on the chair beside him. He looked around and did a double take when he spotted Hannah and Tamar. The girls walked toward him, ahead of Gramps.
“Hannah. Tamar. Wait for me, girls.”
With his long strides, Gramps reached them quickly. He put one arm around each of them and guided them to Dirk. As they approached, Dirk stood and wiped his hands on his jeans. His clothes weren’t fancy, but they were clean and neat. His blue eyes were still his most notable feature.
“Mr. Pritchard?” Dirk nodded and Gramps continued, “I believe you’ve met my granddaughters.”
“No, sir, not exactly. I saw them on the train and Gwen gave her something that belongs to me.” He glanced in Tamar’s direction.
“That’s what we need to discuss. We’ll use the Captain’s office so we have some privacy if that’s alright with you.”
“Yes, sir.”
Tamar and Hannah exchanged glances as they followed Gramps and Dirk into the only office in the small police station. Captain Jameson stood up to meet Dirk and then sat back in his chair.
Gramps perched on the edge of the Captain’s desk and pointed to the chairs. Dirk exhaled and his jaw relaxed when he sighted the mysterious package on the desk. Even once he was seated, his eyes remained riveted on the package.
“Let’s get the rest of the introductions out of the way here. I’m Jerome Bertolet. These are my granddaughters, Tamar and Hannah Bertolet.” He paused before continuing.
“Mr. Pritchard, I can tell from your face that you recognize that package. Please tell us about the contents and the how and why Miss Singleton gave this package to Tamar for safekeeping.”
Dirk clenched and unclenched his jaw, and exhaled. “She took it. I tried to explain about the package. First, she got all upset and cried.” He fidgeted in his seat. “Then she was all friendly and I thought she was gonna let me explain. Next thing I know the package is gone and I see her handing it to your granddaughter – Tamar, right?”
Gramps didn’t wait for her to respond. “So what is in this package, Mr. Pritchard?”
“Nothing illegal, sir. And I don’t really know what’s in it.”
Captain Jameson sat forward. At Gramps’ furrowed brows and slight headshake, Dirk continued, “I never opened it. My mom found it with other stuff of my grandma’s when she was cleaning out her house. It was with a piece of paper that had the name Jackson Singleton and a notation of Rutland. It looked like a family tree.”
“The ink was smeared and it was hard to read, but Singleton showed up on there more than once. As best as my mom and I could tell, the Singleton name went back to the 1870s. One line moved south to Maryland with several new names including Pritchard. Two other lines weren’t filled in except for one more generation of Singleton in Vermont and New York.”
Dirk stopped, sighed, and when no one else spoke, he continued with his story. “We had the package and no idea what was in it. My mom and I got the idea that it would be best to not open the package until we found someone else to share it with.”
“I went to the library and used their computers research these Singletons. There are lots of genealogy groups and they helped us. I was able to trace the Vermont line and found a Singleton in my grandma’s generation named Gwen. That same week Gwen Singleton’s picture was in the paper with her sorority sisters.”
Even
Gramps was riveted to the story Dirk spun. Dirk became increasingly animated as he told his story.
“The paper included her dorm in the background. I called her at her dorm and asked to meet with her about a family matter. She blew me off, but mentioned she was coming up here for Thanksgiving. My mom and I didn’t want to miss the chance to find out if this was the Singleton family we were related to. So I took the train and tried to talk to her. Instead of listening, she got all upset, insulted me, and stole the package.” He shook his head and sagged against the chair.
“And then you followed Tamar to my home and to the skating rink?”
“No sir. Not exactly. Lots of people greeted you or waved in the train station. I asked someone who you were and they told me your name and that you retired from the police department here. I looked up your address. I couldn’t think of any other way to find Tamar so I took an Uber to the address. Tamar and some guy were getting in a car and mentioned skating. I called Uber again and headed over to the skating rink.”
He looked at Tamar before he finished. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to knock you down. I don’t know how to skate. I just wanted my package back.”
Tamar smiled. Gramps looked at the girls and they both shrugged. “Mr. Pritchard, the problem is we have no way of knowing whose package this really is. Miss Singleton, related to you or not, gave it to Tamar. Do you have any of that family history with you?”
Dirk slumped even more. “No, sir, I don’t.”
Gramps averted his gaze.
“Maybe he could call his mother and she could send it to you or the Captain.”
“Good idea, Tamar. One of us should speak to Mrs. Pritchard any way.” His gaze included the Captain.
“What about your father, Dirk? Is he involved in this?” asked Captain Jameson.
“No, sir. He was killed in the line of duty. A police officer like yourself.” Dirk sat up straighter. “Grandma was the last of the family we know about and she passed two months ago.”
The Mysterious Package (A Hannah and Tamar Mystery Book 1) Page 5