“Thank you, ma’am.” The officer closed his notepad. “We’ve searched down there and nothing seems amiss. We’ll issue a full report in the morning.”
“How’d they get in?”
“The person had put a piece of foil between the magnetic strip and the door for easy entrance.” He gave me a half smile. “I’ll see myself out.”
We watched him leave.
“Let’s go home.”
Finally we left for home, and I spent the night with Aaron. I hated the idea of sleeping alone after a night like that.
The gray morning skies fit my mood, and I groaned as I rolled over and pulled the blanket up over my shoulders. Aaron woke me with a tray of bacon and eggs and a glass of orange juice. I knew I had to get busy. I expected a phone call from Grandma at any time, and I wasn’t sure how to explain that Dorrie wouldn’t be able to join us to clean up the store.
“Just say she had errands,” Aaron mentioned. It was like he read my mind.
“How did you know I was thinking about that?” I sat up and worked on cleaning my plate. He sat beside me, and watched.
“Because you haven’t called Marie, that is, Grandma. Normally you’ve touched base with her by now.”
“Has she called?”
“Voice mail.”
I finished my meal before removing Aaron’s tray. I jumped into the shower and slipped on some old work clothes that I’d left behind, and then gave my hair a good brushing. When finished, I met him downstairs.
“I heard from Tim.” Aaron told me.
“Yes?” I sat opposite him on a kitchen chair.
“He broke off with Peggy. I believe he will be attending the wedding alone. He asked me to give you his apologies. He will probably give them in person at a later date.” Aaron frowned. “You’re fine with that, aren’t you? It was Peggy who was the rude one, not Tim.”
“Sure, fine.” I wanted to put the dinner out of my mind.
“You’re beautiful.”
“Thank you.” I blushed from head to toe. “I was just going to call Grandma so that we can get started in the store cleaning it up to have it ready soon for business.” I reached for the phone and dialed. “Hey, there. Did Aaron tell you about last night?” I didn’t mention Dorrie’s name or say anything about the earring, nor did she. We hung up deciding that we’d drive to the store separately, in case I wanted to stay late. I also wanted Mikal to do another handwriting analysis. It always soothed my mind.
After kissing Aaron goodbye, I headed out the door. As I walked the shoveled path to my car, I found Grandma standing by the garage door, waiting for me.
“Livvie, I can’t move with your car sitting in front of mine.”
“Yes, Grandma.” I gave her a smooch before unlocking my car and jumping inside.
I hadn’t noticed the sanding dust in the showroom last night, but now I thought about it, and wondered how bad it was, as I turned onto Cedar Avenue, heading toward downtown. Cedar angled up toward Washington Avenue. I passed under where there’d once been a railroad viaduct used by the Burlington-Northern and the Hiawatha lines. Before long, I turned onto Main Street. As I parked behind the building, Grandma parked right beside me. We got out of our cars at the same time.
“Should we get a ‘cuppa joe’ before going inside?” Grandma motioned toward the café where I usually picked up a cup.
“Good idea. It’ll help us to think better.” I winked.
As we returned to the store, I realized how nice it would be to reopen. The store looked like it was brand new. I opened the back door and followed Grandma inside.
Grandma coughed.
“We have a lot of dusting to do,” I said as I locked the door behind us, and after dropping our belongings in the workroom, we walked straight ahead to the showroom. We stood in the center and stared upward. “We need a couple of dust mops.”
“You’re right about that.” I glanced at the walls. “The walls need dusting, but the floor is in good shape.”
While Grandma dusted the shelves, I went into the workroom to begin removing the picture coverings and wiping them. Grandpa arrived with dust mops a little while later.
“Everything going okay?” He asked with his hands on his hips. “Where’s Grandma?”
“Out there.” I nodded toward the showroom.
“Oh, sure.” He headed out the door. I smiled when I heard, “It’s about time you got here,” from Grandma.
The day slipped by. I plugged in an old Bing Crosby CD for Grandma. I didn’t want her leaving early because of the ‘noise’ coming from the radio. I started humming the words from ‘Swinging on a Star’. I looked at Grandma and said, “I wish I could read the words on a screen.”
“Just like Mitch Miller’s bouncing ball.” She grinned.
I chewed on what she’d said as we labored side by side. I thought of the DVD Mikal gave me with several of Mitch Miller’s programs and decided to watch another as soon as possible. However, I wish I could’ve figured out what it was that tickled my brain. I gave up and thought about the night before.
My mind replayed the events. I wondered what was happening with Dorrie. I wondered what would come out of the questioning. I couldn’t picture her as a killer, but how well do you really know a person? I thought of Jackie and how she didn’t deserve to have her head smashed by a hammer, either. I shuddered while the image of her looped through my mind. As my thoughts went deeper, I recalled once again Jackie’s question about a family secret. Why would she ask that?
My phone buzzed, yanking me from my thoughts. There was a voicemail from Dorrie saying that she was on her way to the store.
“Grandma? Dorrie will be here any minute. Care to stay and hear what she has to say?” Resting against the counter near the computer, I speed-dialed Aaron, and glanced at Grandma.
“I’m beat,” she said. “I’m also leaving because we have an appointment with an attorney about that box from my cousin who passed away. I’m to get it, since she had no children and I’m listed as the next of kin. I guess she must not have known what to do with it.”
“I guess it doesn’t really matter. What’s in the box? Do you know?” I asked.
“Not really. Mom wasn’t much for old things, and my grandma passed away when I was young. My cousin lived out of state so we saw little of each other. I bet it’s been thirty years, at least.” Grandma took a few deep breaths. “I need a rest.”
“Take a nap, Grandma. Thank you for helping me. See you at supper.” I held the phone tight against my ear as I waited for Aaron to answer, and ended up leaving a voice message. I told him that Dorrie was arriving soon, gave the time, and asked him to come to the store. I placed the phone inside my pocket and listened to Grandma closing the back door.
At last alone, I felt the lingering creeps from the night before slither up my spine. I pulled two clean dustsheets from the box in the workroom and went out to the showroom. It didn’t take long for the floor to shine. I was admiring the walls, ceiling, and floor, when I heard the back door open.
“In here!” I called, thinking it was Dorrie. I turned and saw that it was Max. “Where have you been?” I asked him.
“I had errands to run. Sorry.” He cocked his head. “What’s up?”
“A few things have been happening around here, lately.” I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes. “It’s like this—someone broke into the doorway outside that leads to a rather large room under these three adjoining buildings. Have you seen anyone else lurking?”
“No, from what I can tell, there’s been no one around besides a few of Mikal’s customers. They leave and don’t return.” He gave me a serious look. “I’ve already been peppered by the police. I showed it to Dorrie because she asked about it. Then we came right back up. Didn’t see any harm in it, because there’s nothing down there.”
“My goodness.” I didn’t know what to think anymore. “The cops don’t waste time, do they?” I spun around, heading for the workroom. “I’m back here when Dorrie co
mes.”
“Okay.”
The back door opened and I heard Dorrie say something, and then saw her standing in the doorway.
“I quit.” Her eyes were bloodshot, her complexion was clammy, and her voice weak. “I didn’t kill anyone. Why did you call the police? Why not just ask me about the earring?” She burst into tears.
“Everyone’s a suspect nowadays. The police are just doing their job.” I stared at her. “I didn’t know there’d be one of your earrings down there, Dorrie. This whole mess is driving me crazy. What did they ask?”
“The usual.” She crossed her arms.
“There’s been an awful lot going on around here.” I stared at her. “It’s time for true confessions. Why you didn’t tell me that you’d married? We’ve been friends forever. Why keep it hidden? And now the earring down below. I’m not sure if I can trust you anymore.”
“Brad said that if you ever found out who he was, you’d probably fire me.”
“Really? Who is he?” I pointed my finger at her. “The truth. NOW!”
“It was his grandparents who killed your parents.” She burst into tears. “Are you happy now that you know? I’m fired, aren’t I?”
“His grandparents! You knew about it and didn’t tell me?” I sank into the nearest chair. “I guess I don’t really know you, do I?”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“How did you know about the door?”
“I’ve always known it was there.”
“How did you know that?” I studied her. Her story didn’t seem to add up.
“My dad always talked about the speakeasies during Prohibition and Max mentioned this building was at one time.”
“Now I know why you were interested.”
Just then Aaron entered.
“Dorrie?” Aaron walked over to me, placing his arm on my shoulder. “I suspect that you’re talking about the hidden door and secret passage.”
“I’m sorry.” Dorrie briskly walked from the room going straight out the back door.
“You know what I want to do?” I stood, snatched my phone, keys, and bag.
“Go for a walk.” He stepped aside, motioning for me to pass. “I bet I know where too.” He reached for the flashlight, which had been left from the night before. “We’re ready.”
“Let’s go.”
Aaron followed me over to the outside hidden door. After opening it, we climbed down the stairs in the shadowy daylight. At the base, he flicked on the flashlight. Straight ahead, the passage led us to the far end, opposite my building. To the side was one huge room. We saw a light bulb screwed into the ceiling in the center of the room with a pull string. Together we walked toward it. When Aaron pulled the string, the entire room lit up.
“It’s almost like a dance floor.” I slowly turned, gazing across the empty room to the far walls.
“It’s like down here really doesn’t exist. What a great hideaway.”
“This building was built back in the late 1800s.” I faced the far wall. “Let’s walk the passage.”
As we did, Aaron shined the light on each brick and cement crack. A couple places deserved further scrutiny, so he tried breaking or pulling away some bricks, but none of them moved. Candle sconces hung in three places, an odd brick pattern beside them.
“I wonder if the police noticed the pattern of these bricks change? Look at this.” Aaron drew his finger down over the crack. “See that?”
“Wouldn’t that have sprung open if it was a door?”
The overhead heating and cooling ducts hummed.
“Let’s get out of here. I’m getting the creeps.”
Chapter Fourteen
I called the precinct to speak with the investigators and got Detective Erlandsen.
“This is Liv Anderson, and I’m calling about last night. Do you have the report?”
“It hasn’t arrived yet. Wait a sec. My partner just handed it to me. I see someone entered but it was Mikal. The officers walked the length of that friggin’ big room, but didn’t find anything amiss.”
“I think it needs further scrutiny.”
“We’d already planned another friggin’ walk through. We’ll stop during our rounds.”
When Erlandsen and Mergens arrived, they immediately went down the back stairs. Both asked me a million questions about the door and how it came to be opened. I told them about this morning along with Aaron and Mikal’s discovery last night. After they left, I went to see Mikal before leaving for home.
Mikal was with a client, so I waited until he was free. When the woman stood and dug into her pockets for money, I got up and walked to the door. After she left, I went inside and sat down.
“Just a sec, Livvie.” He looked at me over the rim of his glasses before reaching for his billfold to slip the cash inside. “I saw that the police are back. What happened now?”
“More twists and turns,” I said. “You’ll never guess what’s happening now.” I started to feel as if a weight was lifted from my shoulders. I took it for a good sign. “I think it is the beginning of the end.”
“I knew it. Want a cola? It’s on me.” Mikal went to the vending machine, removed a bottle, then glanced at me. I nodded. It’s really a joke, since the little vending machine is actually a refrigerator where he stores the food he brings from home. He handed me the can and sat. “Spill the beans.”
“It’s hard to believe that the door opened like that.”
“It happened as I said.” He took a drink. “Coincidences happen for a reason.”
I took a drink and decided to Google search Mikal later. “Now for the big news,” I said. “The police took a closer look at the duct work which eventually led them to exit at the restaurant.”
“Oh my. This adds a whole new dimension. It means that the employees of the restaurant could’ve sneaked into the store, if they knew about it.” Mikal’s eyes grew wider, and he shook his head. “What do the police say?”
“They’re pretty tight-lipped.” I glanced at the clock. “Oops! Aaron’s probably wondering about me.” I stood up and said, “Catchya later.” I walked right into Ronnie.
“What do you want?”
“The police were here last night and this morning. Why?” Ronnie asked.
“None of your business.” I tried to brush past him, but he stepped in front of me.
“Play nice,” Ronnie urged. “Remember that we’re old friends.”
I plunked my hands on my hips and glared at him. “Not on your life.” Two squad cars parked. The detectives waved me over.
“We’re taking a closer look at the basement,” one said. “We’re going to do a thorough search of the premises. You can operate your store. Do what you need to but stay out of the basement.”
“Okay.” I walked away, and went over to where Max stood.
“Have you told the police about being down there?” I cocked my head as I stared at him. “At least now I know the truth. I trust you, Max.”
“I mentioned it during one of the many questioning sessions. It’s recorded. What Dorrie said, I don’t know. I wouldn’t be privy to that.”
“I’m glad that you told me.”
“I’m sure it won’t be much longer before they leave.” Max put his arm over me. “Tell me what’s happened. Why are there so many more cops? Just two would be all that’s needed to walk through down there. Something else must’ve happened?”
“There’s that duct system. The other opening goes up a set of stairs in the restaurant. There are weird cracks in the wall near the sconces.”
“I wonder where this will lead?”
“We found an earring of Dorrie’s.” My eyebrows twitched. I wondered if I was onto something. “Have you told her anything?”
“Nope.” Max scratched his chin. “I wouldn’t ever say anything about our conversations.”
“Hmm. I feel as if I’m getting closer.” A trickle of fear raced up my spine as I pondered what he’d just told me. “Dorrie knows that Jackie
was a descendant of Dolley, right?”
“Why do you ask?” He gave me a serious look. “Most of what we know stems back to Dolley, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.” That much I was certain about, and it was comforting to know that he agreed. Max was a good friend, and I wanted him on my side. “I have a theory but haven’t come to any conclusions.”
“Let’s hear it, I’m all ears, as they say.” His eyes twinkled. “I’m up for a good mystery.” He picked up a tool, looked at it, then set it back down. “There’s an awful lot of underlining bits that don’t connect.”
“You don’t even know the half of it.”
“Tell me. It helps to tell someone else sometimes.”
“Did you know there’s a sampler hanging in the Alexander Hamilton house almost identical to Grandma’s sampler? It’s chilling, really.” I paused, giving him time to digest the news. “I think Dolley hid something, and that’s why Jackie asked me about a family secret. I think whoever killed her was privy to the information she knew, and they didn’t want her to get what she was searching for. It’s the usual motive, greed.”
“Greed, money, propels most criminals, they say.” He thought a moment before saying, “Okay. I didn’t know that about Hamilton.” He scratched his whiskers. “Continue. Not sure where this is going.”
“Right. But. It’s convoluted,” I told him. “Before I continue, did you know that Dorrie and Brad the chauffeur, are married?”
“No.”
“And, his grandparents hit my parents, and killed them. That’s why she didn’t tell anyone. Her excuse. I hope that’s the end to her lies. It’s been so many years since my parents passed away, that it seems odd to really speak of it.”
“I’m sorry about that Liv, truly I am, but now tell me what else you were starting to. I’m tuned in.”
“The killer either knew what the ‘secret’ was, or else he or she realized that there’s something hidden and figured it would be worth a bundle. Brad picked them up at the airport, so he could’ve overheard their conversations right from the start. He had to have known about the cufflinks.” I waited a moment to see if he’d say anything, but Max remained silent. “If it’s not someone from Jackie’s entourage, then it’s someone close to me.”
The Blood Spangled Banner: A First Ladies Mystery Page 13