Finders Keepers

by Catherine Palmer

  “Maybe he’s planning to move the mansion,” Elizabeth offered.

  “The cost would be prohibitive,” Zachary said. “I’ve already looked into it.”

  “You have?” She cocked her head in surprise. “I didn’t know you’d thought of anything but tearing it down.”

  “I’ve considered it from every angle.” He picked up both the photocopy of the charter and the letter from Grace’s Bible. “Look, John, see what you can find out for us about these documents. I want that property, and I’m willing to fight to keep it.”

  “Are you sure? It could cost you a pretty penny in legal fees—and then you’d still have the expense of tearing the thing down and building your new office complex. Maybe you ought to negotiate with Phil.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Offer him a trade. Tell him you’ll give the town the Chalmers property in exchange for a nice piece of acreage at the edge of town. Then he can take a wrecking ball to the old place and pave his parking lot, and you can build your office.”

  As Zachary pondered this, Elizabeth twisted her fingers together. No, she prayed silently. Don’t let him give up, Lord. Grace wanted Zachary to have the house and the land. She cared about him, and she knew he needed roots. In the best way she knew how, his aunt loved him. Give him his birthright, Father, please.

  “No,” he said, standing. “I’m not backing down that easily, John. I never understood the value of a legacy before I met Elizabeth. I thought family Bibles were just old books. And I thought a ramshackle mansion deserved to make way for progress. But that was before I knew that my aunt had always kept a vase of fresh flowers in the hallway—flowers that fascinated a little boy and charmed an old man. It was before I realized that a moth-eaten red coat could bring back the memory of the tender love of a stranger. It was before I recognized that houses and land aren’t just the focus of architectural design. They’re places where people build their visions and leave their hopes. That land is Chalmers land, John. It’s my land. And Phil Fox isn’t going to take it away from me.”

  Elizabeth felt like cheering. Sawyer-the-lawyer grinned from ear to ear. “You ever thought of running for mayor?” he asked. “I’d vote for you.”

  Zachary laughed. “I think that’s Phil Fox’s goal, and I’d rather not do battle with him on too many fronts.”

  “Aw, he’s mostly just a big talker. Big schemes, big dreams.” He rolled his big chair back and stood. “Head over to Dandy Donuts some morning and listen to him expound. Fancies himself quite the orator, Phil does. One morning he’s all hot and bothered to take out a corner of the square for a brand-new parking lot. The next morning, he’s up in arms because Jacob Jungemeyer’s sick and the Corner Market’s been shut down. ‘Gotta bring us in a Safeway,’ he shouts. ‘Gotta keep Ruby McCann in fresh milk.’”

  Elizabeth laughed. “I guess Phil’s not exactly a fearsome force.”

  “Well, he’s talked quite a few people into thinking he’s somebody pretty important. And he has managed to accomplish a few good things during his tenure on the council. The city council rezoned some lots downtown, got some sewer lines put in over on the west edge of the city, fixed up the sidewalks over by Ambleside Chapel. Yeah, Phil has his good points. Like I said, though, you’ll have to watch your step with him.”

  As Zachary thanked the attorney, Elizabeth moved to the window and watched the last cars pulling away from the chapel. Ellie was gone, but Montgomery needed to go on living. Boompah still needed someone to listen to his Gypsy stories. And Ruby McCann still needed her fresh milk each morning. Life had to go on.

  “How about dinner?” Zachary asked when they had stepped out onto the sidewalk. “Your place?”

  “Inviting yourself over, Mr. Chalmers?”

  “It’s closer to the action than my apartment.”

  “What action?”

  “Well, I think I’d better eat a quick bite and then start looking for Luke.”

  “Where do you suppose he could be?” As they walked, she focused on the distant row of shops across the square. Not far from Finders Keepers stood the empty home of Ellie Easton. Empty of her warmth, her tenderness, her love.

  “I don’t know where Luke is,” Zachary said. “But I know if I’d lost someone I loved as much as he loved Ellie, I’d be in bad shape.”

  He slipped his arm around Elizabeth and drew her close.

  “There were bad guys over at Grace’s house, Mommy,” Nick said, grabbing Elizabeth’s hand as she stepped into her living room. “They were walking all around, and they scared me to deaf.”

  “Bad guys?” She looked at Boompah.

  The old man shook his head. “I didn’t see anyone, but the children tell me it’s a true story. I’m sorry, Elizabeth, but my back doesn’t let me walk around very much these days. I watch Nikolai and his friend, but I cannot quickly go all the way to Grace’s house.”

  “Did you talk to the bad guys, Nick?” Elizabeth asked, kneeling to face her son.

  His green eyes widened, guilt stricken. “I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.”

  “I know that, but I think maybe you and Montgomery did talk to them, didn’t you?”

  Pale faced and clutching the ends of her red braids, Montgomery nodded. “We did, Miss Hayes. We talked to them, but they talked to us first. It wasn’t our fault, I promise.”

  Zachary sat down on the couch and took the little girl on his lap. “Hey, Montgomery,” he said. “Were you scared, too?”

  “I was brave. I told Nick that I saw somebody walking around over at Grace’s house, and we’d better go find out who it was. So we went across the grass to the porch, and that’s when the man came out.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He said, ‘You kids get outta here.’ And I said, ‘My mommy died, and you aren’t being nice to me, and I don’t like you.’ And he said, ‘We’re busy here.’ Then he shut the door. So Nick went right up to the door and knocked.”

  “Oh, Nick, you didn’t.” Her heart faltering, Elizabeth studied her son. How many times had she prayed for God’s protection over this vulnerable little boy? He was so trusting, so innocent. Though she had warned him about strangers, she didn’t doubt he would willingly walk into someone’s trap.

  “Yes, I did,” he said, his small chest swelling. “I’m not going to let any bad guys talk mean to Magunnery. She’s my friend, and she’s sad about her mommy.”

  “I know she’s sad, sweetheart. But those men were strangers.”

  “Not after I talked to them. They’re named Bob and Don, and they live in Jefferson City. Do you know what they do for a job, Mom? They walk around in old buildings to see if they’re falling down. And you know what they said about Grace’s house? They said it’s falling down.”

  “Inspectors?” Zachary said from the couch. “Phil must have called them in, because I haven’t given anyone permission to enter the house.”

  “What gave Phil the right to let those men walk around in there?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Property inspection is city business.” He thought for a moment. “And I think I finally know what he’s up to. Once I gave the city control of the property, he would have the house condemned.”

  “Condemned?” Elizabeth tried to process the significance of such a ruling. If the property were condemned, that might supersede the wishes of Zachary Chalmers in the old town charter.

  “Is Phil Fox bad?” Nick asked.

  “He’s difficult,” Elizabeth said, standing. “And that’s an understatement. I’m going to make some sandwiches for supper.”

  “What kind?” Nick followed her into the kitchen, his concerns about food immediately taking precedence over anything else. “Not peanut butter. Maybe ham? Or we could have hot dogs, Mom. We had sandwiches last night. Maybe we could have burritos tonight. I like burritos because you can get all the food groups in them, and then you’ll be healthy.”

  “We’re having roast beef sandwiches, Nick,” Elizabeth said.

 
“With mayonnaise? I hope not mayonnaise. I could get some mustard out of the refrigerator. We could have ketchup, too. We could put on cheese but not lettuce. Lettuce is leaves, and I don’t like to eat leaves. They’re revolting and disgusting.”

  Elizabeth worked on the sandwiches as her shadow trailed her around the kitchen, offering suggestions and trying to change the menu to fit his tastes. She was so accustomed to their nightly routine that she hardly took notice. Her thoughts dwelled on Luke Easton and where he might have gone. Normally, he was such a good father. Though Elizabeth gladly would keep Montgomery at her house for a while longer, Luke was going to have to accept his responsibilities as a single parent. But, oh, the thought of that house without Ellie …

  “You know, you two are pretty cute,” Zachary said, one shoulder propped against the door frame.

  Elizabeth stopped and met Zachary’s eyes. Nick was standing at her elbow, his chin propped on the counter as he observed the sandwich preparations. She shook her head and lowered the knife coated in mayonnaise. “I’m so upset,” she said softly.

  Zachary crossed the room and slipped an arm around her. “You know, I could go over to the Tastee Hut and pick up some burgers.”

  “Not burgers!” Nick said, his small head appearing between them. “I think we could have roast beef sandwiches. I think Mommy has already cut the bread.”

  “Nick.” Zachary cupped the boy’s face in his palms. “Go see what Boompah and Montgomery want to drink.”

  “But what about the burgers?”

  “Go.”

  Nick scuttled out of the room, and Zachary let out a breath. “He’s a handful. Persistent little guy.”

  “Just when I think I can’t be patient with him any longer, I remember that his dogged determination is what will get him through life. It’s Montgomery who really worries me. Where do you suppose Luke went?”

  “Probably someplace quiet.”

  “Zachary, I’m sure I smelled alcohol on him a few times. That’s so unlike him.”

  “He’s grieving.”

  “You’re quick to excuse his behavior.”

  “I’m quick to remember that he’s human.” He picked up the knife and began spreading mayonnaise on a slice of bread. “You know, that’s the trouble with churchy people. They’re human themselves—but they can’t let anybody else have a few faults.”

  “Churchy people?”

  “The minute you act like a human, all the churchy people react with horror. OK, so Luke Easton’s falling apart a little bit. What are we supposed to do? Reject him? Condemn him? Label him a sinner?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “All this judging is what keeps people out of church, you know? I figure Luke is about at his wit’s end. A few months ago, he had a strong marriage and a sweet kid, and his life looked pretty good. Now he has no wife. He probably doesn’t know what to do with his daughter. I’m sure he doesn’t want to go to work. And his future looks like a big black hole. So he’s not acting like he usually does. Who would?”

  Elizabeth crossed her arms and regarded Zachary. “I’m not condemning Luke. I’m worried about him.”

  “Then let’s go find him and bring him here.”

  “But what if he’s been drinking? Montgomery can’t see her own father—”

  “She can’t be sheltered from reality, Elizabeth. Her mom’s gone. Her dad’s having a rough time. Instead of hiding her and judging him, we need to hold them both. We need to love them.”

  The defensiveness and anger that had arisen inside Elizabeth began to dissipate. “Is this the Zachary Chalmers I saw that day at the auction? The man who didn’t care how anybody felt?”

  “I think that guy surrendered over at Phil Fox’s house.”

  Elizabeth finished assembling the sandwiches. “You surrendered, yes. But you’re still hurt. I suspect you must have known a few churchy people in your time.”

  “Too many to count.”

  “Then let’s not be like them.” She picked up the sandwiches and dropped them into a paper bag. “Let’s be Christly people, and let’s all go together to find Montgomery’s daddy.”

  “This is like Star Wars,” Nick announced as the group of four walked through Chalmers Memorial Park, eating roast beef sandwiches and drinking sodas. “Remember when they were all looking for that old man in the desert? I am Luke Skywalker, and Magunnery is the princess.”

  “I don’t want to be the princess,” Montgomery said as she finished her sandwich. “I want to be Han Solo.”

  “You can’t be him. You’re a girl. You have braids like the princess.”

  “But I want to fly the Millennium Falcon.”

  “No, I will fly the Lemony Falcon,” Nick countered. “You will be the princess, Zachary will be Ham Solo, Boompah will be Yoda, and Mom will be the Wookie.”

  “Isn’t the Wookie that great big hairy creature who growls all the time?” Elizabeth asked over Zachary’s guffaws. “Now, wait just a minute here, kiddo.”

  “And Phil Fox will be Dark Vader,” Nick finished.

  “He’s a bad, bad man,” Montgomery announced. “He wants to tear down all the houses in Ambleside. I hate him.”

  “Now, Montgomery, Mr. Fox is not so bad,” Elizabeth said gently. “He cares about Ambleside. He just has his own ideas about what to do with Grace’s house.”

  “If he tries to tear down anything,” Nick said, “I will pick up a hammer-jack and drill a hole right through him.”

  “Nick!”

  “My daddy uses one of those sometimes,” Montgomery said. “But he doesn’t tear down houses. He builds them. He’s a carpenter. He built my crib and my high chair and Mommy’s rocking chair. Mommy says he can build anything. She thinks my daddy is strong and handsome. I do, too, and my mommy is the prettiest lady I ever saw in my whole life.”

  Elizabeth shone the flashlight on the trail as the four walked along it. Grief clutched at her throat. She remembered so clearly the hours and days after the car accident that had killed her parents. Every time she had turned around, she expected to see her mother hovering nearby or hear her father discussing his day’s work. She had spoken of them as though they were alive, thought of them as alive, expected them to come walking through the door at any moment. It took a long, long time before she had realized what death really meant. Death had been so final. So hollow.

  But then her grandmother had taken her in, and the two of them had walked to church together every Sunday morning. That’s where Elizabeth learned that death was not the end. Death was just a door, and on the other side stretched heaven in all its glory.

  “I am Han Solo,” Montgomery announced, “and I will defeat the evil empire of Darth Vader.”

  “I am Luke Skywalker!” Nick cried loudly. “Dark Vader will never defeat us!”

  “Hey, Miz Hayes, Mr. Chalmers. Whatchall doing out here in the park?” Ben, the young policeman who patrolled Ambleside’s sleepy streets, approached the group, his flashlight swinging from side to side across the path. “The dispatcher got a call from somebody thinking some kids were out here causing trouble again. You know those kids spray-painted their names on the fountain the other night. Pretty dumb, huh? We caught ’em right off.”

  “We’re looking for Luke Easton,” Zachary said. “His wife’s funeral was this afternoon, and we haven’t seen him since.”

  “Yeah, I know the family. I went over to their house a couple of times when she was having some trouble and they called 911. Nice folks. Too bad about her dying and all. So, you say he’s disappeared?”

  “My daddy hasn’t disappeared!” Montgomery insisted loudly. “My daddy’s here. He’s here!”

  “It’s OK, Montgomery,” Elizabeth said, slipping her arm around the little girl. “Of course your daddy’s around here somewhere. Maybe Ben can help us find him.”

  “This their little girl?” the young policeman asked, peering at the child in the dim light. “Aw, poor kid. Listen up, honey, we’ll find your daddy, sure as shootin
’. Anybody been by their house lately?”

  “We called about a half hour ago,” Zachary said. “No one answered.”

  “Well, I’ll check over there right now. Any other place he might have gone tonight?”

  “He likes to go to church,” Montgomery said. “He’s a deacon.”

  “Then I’ll take a look at church, too.”

  Elizabeth thought of telling Ben not to bother. Luke had made his feelings of betrayal pretty clear. He felt that God had failed him by letting Ellie die. Elizabeth could understand that, even though she knew God had never promised to keep his flock from the ravages of pain and death. After all, to get to the lap of the Father, they first had to walk through that door of death.

  “I’ll radio Mick, too,” Ben said of the other policeman in town. “He led the funeral procession out to the cemetery today. Maybe he saw where Mr. Easton went.”

  “Thanks, Ben.” Zachary bent down and scooped Montgomery into his arms. “Come here, Han Solo. I’ll be the Millennium Falcon for a while.”

  “I want to ride, too!” Nick said.

  Elizabeth reached for her son’s hand and spotted a shadowy lump on his back. “Nick, what is this?”

  “It’s my backpack. I brung all the things we need.” He swung it over his shoulder and unzipped the pouch. “Here’s a tower—”

  “Towel,” she corrected.

  “And my toothbrush. And some underpants.”

  At this Montgomery began to giggle.

  “I am just trying to help,” Nick said firmly. “You shouldn’t laugh, Magunnery. It’s not nice. And here is the Bible.”

  He pulled Grace’s old book out of his pack and extended it to his mother. With a gasp of dismay, Elizabeth took the Bible and drew it close to her chest.

  “Nikolai Hayes, what on earth did you bring this out here for? This is Grace’s Bible. It’s very fragile. I put it in my shop, right on the counter, and I told you not to touch it. The whole thing could fall apart. See how loose the pages are?”

  Nick studied the worn black binding. “Mommy,” he said solemnly, “you always told me that the Bible says, ‘Seek and you shall find.’ How are we going to find Magunnery’s daddy if we don’t have that Bible?”