Well, here goes. Phoebe blew out a breath. “It’s about a cameo brooch. The one you sold to the gallery in town. It used to belong to my mother.”
Gracie looked down. She moved her foot about as if she was trying to remove an invisible scuff mark from the ground. Then, returning her gaze to Phoebe she asked, “What about it?”
Phoebe saw Gracie’s question as a good sign. She didn’t deny selling the cameo. If she had, Phoebe would have had to bring the two salesmen into the conversation. She counted Gracie’s response as a successful jump over at least one of the many hurdles before her. “We have a few questions about it.”
After a moment of silence, Gracie moved to the side and motioned for the girls to enter her home. She led them into the living room where they sat beside each other on a red leather sofa.
“What do you want to know about the cameo?” Gracie asked as she took a seat in a chair and faced the girls.
Phoebe leaned forward. “The cameo—the one you sold the gallery—it was stolen from my parent’s house thirteen years ago.”
“I didn’t steal that cameo. It was given to me as a gift.” Gracie sounded defensive. Her tone; and the sincerity in her eyes, further convinced Phoebe that the woman was telling the truth.
“I believe you,” Phoebe said.
“You do?” Gracie smiled. “Thank you. I mean, I’m not sure I would believe me if I were you. Not with all the strikes against me.”
Phoebe nodded. She knew Gracie was referring to her criminal history but she decided there was no point in bringing it up. Gracie wasn’t her mother’s killer and she wasn’t the person who broke into her parent’s home. So, there was no point in discussing the mistakes Gracie had made in her life. Besides, Phoebe got a good feeling about Gracie—something about the woman told Phoebe that she had learned from her mistakes. Phoebe smiled and tried to form her next sentence before saying it. “The thing is, Gracie, the cameo . . . whoever broke into my parent’s house and took it . . .” Phoebe’s voice cracked; she glanced at Jenna. The words were too hard to say.
“Phoebe’s mother was killed by the intruder.” Jenna said the words Phoebe could not get out. Then, she put her arm around her friend.
Gracie’s eyes widened and she raised a hand to her mouth. “Oh, Phoebe, I am so sorry. That’s just awful.” Gracie wiped a tear from her eye. “So, the person who . . . I mean, the cameo was stolen by the person who killed your mother?”
“We’re not sure about that.” Jenna kept her arm wrapped around Phoebe. “But someone killed her and the cameo is the clue that will lead us to that person.”
“So, you want me to tell you who gave it to me?” Gracie stood up, walked to the window and pulled back the curtain. “Is he with you?” She pointed toward Billy’s truck.
“Yes. He’s our friend.” Jenna walked over to where Gracie was standing and waved at Billy through the window. “He drove us here.”
Gracie stared out the window for a minute before returning to her seat.
“Will you tell us where you got the cameo?” Phoebe asked.
Gracie thought for a long moment. “Excuse me for a second.” She stood up, left the room and returned a minute later with a large envelope.
“Ted . . . Mr. Anderson gave it to me,” she said, handing the envelope to Phoebe.
Phoebe’s eyes widened. “Mr. Anderson gave you the cameo?” Phoebe’s jaw dropped. “You mean the same Mr. Anderson that fired you from your job at the Inn?”
Gracie nodded her head. “He gave it to me for my birthday. He said the silhouette carved into the opal reminded him of me. At the time, it seemed terribly romantic.”
“At the time?” Phoebe raised her eyebrows.
Gracie nodded. “He’s married. I didn’t know that until recently. We dated for months—if you call what we did dating. He lives in California. After we met, he started spending almost every weekend in Iron Springs. Hall Properties owns the Iron Springs Inn as well as hundreds of other resorts around the world. When things started getting serious, I went online and researched his name.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “As you know, you can find out a lot about a person just by doing a simple search. That’s how I found out about his wife. I confronted him and he basically said it didn’t matter and that nothing had to change.”
“What a jerk!” Jenna was on the edge of her seat by the time Gracie finished her story. “What did you say?”
“I told him to go to . . . I said no. Then he basically gave me an ultimatum—shut my mouth and keep up the status quo or get fired. I told him I wouldn’t date a married man, and he fired me a few days later.
“Did you tell his wife?” Jenna asked.
Gracie shook her head. “I thought about it. But, to be honest, I saw a side of Ted I didn’t know existed, and it was ugly. I don’t want to tangle with him. I really just want to put the whole thing behind me. Especially now that I know that he might be a murderer.”
Phoebe and Gracie nodded as they listened. “What’s this?” Phoebe held up the envelope.
“Stuff I collected. I knew he was going fire me so, when I had the chance, I snooped through his office and took whatever looked incriminating. I figured I could use it to get my job back.”
“Then why are you giving it to us?” Jenna asked.
“I had planned to fight him. But I’m not going to.” Gracie’s voice cracked. She swallowed hard and wiped a tear from her eye. “I mean, he’s a monster. And maybe a murderer. The further I can stay from him, the better.”
Phoebe stood up and walked over to Gracie. “Thank you.” She leaned over and put her arms around Gracie. “You have no idea how much it means to me that you are willing to help. Especially after all you’ve been through.”
Gracie shook her head. “I’m fine. That was a bad situation anyway. It’s better that I’m away from him.”
Phoebe promised to let Gracie know how things turned out. And Gracie said she’d call if she heard any more from Ted.
***
“What’s that?” Billy pointed to the envelope and Phoebe and Jenna gave him a quick overview of their visit with Gracie as they drove back to Anna’s house.
After dinner, Billy and Jenna followed Phoebe to her bedroom while Anna and the others headed to the front porch. Phoebe closed the door before pouring the contents of the envelope out on the floor.
“What is all this stuff?” Billy scanned the pile.
“Gracie said she took it from Mr. Anderson’s office. My guess is that since he lives in California, he probably kept all of this in his office here.” Jenna motioned her hand toward the pile.
“That way his wife would never see it,” Phoebe added. “Gracie said she knew he was going to fire her so she snooped through his stuff.”
“Why would she take it if she didn’t want it? I mean, why give it to you?”
“She had planned to fight Ted and use the stuff against him, but when he fired her she got scared and decided to just put the whole thing behind her. I think she’s really afraid of this guy.”
“And now that she knows he might be a murderer, she’s even more determined to keep her distance from him.” Phoebe said, pointing to a particularly scandalous photograph of Ted and a half-naked woman in a limousine.
“Why would he give her the cameo? I mean, isn’t that a pretty expensive gift?” Billy paused for a moment before continuing. “Why would he give something like that to someone he considered to be just a fling?”
Phoebe shook her head. “I don’t think either of them saw it as a fling. The guy spent every weekend here for months. And he spent most of that time with Gracie. I think she thought the relationship was going somewhere, and it seems like Mr. Anderson wanted to keep her thinking that way.”
“What a dirt bag.” Billy picked up an envelope and opened it. He pulled out a letter and started to read it but stopped when the content became indecent. “I think he got this from a prostitute.” He dropped the note back in the pile. “I don’t think we need
to look at the rest of this stuff. We get the general idea—trash.”
“I bet his wife would like to see these,” Jenna said. “Apparently she thinks he’s been traveling on business . . . alone.”
“So, what’s next?” Phoebe asked.
“I say we pay a visit to Ted Anderson,” Billy suggested.
“And?” Phoebe questioned. Meeting Gracie was one thing. Going up against Ted was something completely different. Gracie was terrified of the guy and that was reason enough for Phoebe to keep her distance.
“And we tell him that we have proof of his illicit behavior, and we threaten to take it public if he doesn’t tell us what we need to know.”
“What if he’s the one who killed Phoebe’s mother?” Jenna asked, a look of fear on her face.
“If he can tell us where he got the cameo—assuming he isn’t the one that broke into Phoebe’s parent’s house—we insist he tell us where he got it. To be honest, this guy doesn’t strike me as a cat burglar, and as I read the police report, I got the sense the person who broke into the house was after whatever he could grab and sell.”
“So you don’t think Ted’s the one who stole the cameo?” Phoebe asked as she pulled her hair into a pony tail.
“I honestly don’t think a guy who oversees hundreds of luxury resorts is going to break into a house and steal a few pieces of jewelry. I mean, it just doesn’t make sense to me. But, there’s only one way to know for sure. We go ask him.”
“But Billy, he might be a murderer. You don’t know for sure that he isn’t. We can’t just go confront someone who is that dangerous.”
Billy nodded. “You’re right. But, we don’t have a choice. He’s got the information we need.” Billy thought for a moment. “What if we meet with him at the inn? Then we’re in public and he can’t do anything. If we have any problems with him or if we suspect he’s the one who killed Bessie, we go straight to the police. Deal?”
Phoebe didn’t like the idea but Billy was right—Ted was the only person in the world they could go to in order to get the information they needed. “Deal,” Phoebe said, reluctantly.
“And while we’re there, we’ll tell him to give Gracie her job back,” Jenna said. “With a raise!” she added enthusiastically.
“Let’s go tomorrow,” Billy said. “I need to take the day off. I’ll talk to Norm.”
“I’m free tomorrow during the day,” Jenna said. “In the evening Dave and I are going to see a play. They’re doing a production of The Nude Emperors Clothes. It’s sort of a spoof on the original. It’s supposed to be hilarious. You two should come!”
“That sounds fun.” Phoebe looked at Billy.
“Are you sure Dave won’t mind if we worm in on your date?” Billy asked.
“I’m positive.” She gave her signature smile, and that was that. “It’s settled then. We’ll go to the play together.”
“And I’ll pick you both up in the morning, and then we’ll go pay a visit to Ted Anderson.”
After they dropped Jenna off at her house, Billy took Phoebe to the Village Candy Shoppe where they shared a banana split. After they finished their ice cream, they walked along Park Street. It was a perfect evening—not hot or cold. Lamp posts shined along the historic street. Benches that lined the street were occupied by couples enjoying the summer night air. Restaurants and shops were bustling and country music played from speakers that were attached to the lamp posts.
“Let’s sit here for a minute.” Billy took Phoebe’s hand and led her to a bench outside the Purple Unicorn, a shop that sold witchcraft supplies. Phoebe had intentionally avoided the place. Even from the outside it was bizarre. It advertised everything from cloaks to crystal balls. But Park Street was crowded and this was the only open bench. Besides, Phoebe didn’t care where she was—as long as she was with Billy.
“It’s like a different world on Park Street.” Billy directed his eyes toward a group of teenagers wearing gothic garb. “You never know what you’ll see. Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe the contrast between this . . .” He held both arms out before him as he glanced in one direction and then the other. “. . . and the town just over there.”
A Lamborghini sped up the street and was followed by a gang of leather clad bikers. “See what I mean.” He laughed at the sight.
Phoebe let her head rest on Billy’s shoulder as she glanced into the night sky. “Did you see that?”
Billy nodded. “A shooting star; you saw it first, so you get the wish.”
Phoebe smiled—they had spotted the star at the exact same time, but she closed her eyes anyway and wished for the one thing she wanted more than anything else in the world.
When she opened her eyes, Billy was staring at her. “What did you wish for?”
“I can’t tell you, or it won’t come true.”
“No, that’s not true. You have to tell someone in order for it to come true—but the catch is that the person you tell has to be someone you love.”
“You’re making that up.”
Billy held up his right hand. “I swear. It’s true. I bet we could look it up if you wanna go in there.” He pointed to the Purple Unicorn.
“No thanks. I’ll take your word for it.”
They sat in silence for a long while before Phoebe spoke. “I wished I would never have to say goodbye to you.”
Seventeen
“It doesn’t look familiar to me Feebs.” Billy glanced at the painting of the wooden bench. “Have you asked Anna or Norm? They might know where it is.”
“No, I haven’t asked anyone. I was hoping you’d know where it is.” She examined the painting again. “Unless they’ve been there, I think it would be impossible for anyone to know this spot. It could be just about anywhere in these mountains.”
“Well, we’ll never know if we don’t ask.” Billy took Phoebe by the hand and led her out the front door and onto the porch where Anna was playing cards with John and Stephen. Gina and Norm were in the porch swing. Bandit followed behind them and Phoebe noted how much slower he was getting. She stopped at the door and held the screen door open for him. She watched him as he limped onto the porch and her heart hurt at the thought that he was in pain. He followed her to her seat and curled up at her feet.
“Do any of you recognize this place?” Billy held up the painting. Norm reached out and took the painting. He shook his head. He handed the painting to John. “What about you, big guy? Does it look familiar to you?”
John took a long look at the painting and shook his head. “That could be Skeleton Lake but I can’t be sure.” He passed the painting to Anna. “What about you, Anna. Does it look familiar to you?”
Anna’s face broke into a wide smile as she examined the painting. “No, it doesn’t.” Phoebe gave her aunt a surprised look. Judging from the smile on Anna’s face, Phoebe was sure she recognized the place. But, if she did, why would she say she didn’t? “Have you asked your dad?” She handed the painting to Phoebe.
“Not yet,” Phoebe said.
“Well let’s ask him.” Billy pulled the door open and led Phoebe into Anna’s office. He pointed to the phone. “Call and ask him.”
“I know exactly where it’s at. I’ve been there many times.” Peter said after Phoebe asked him about the painting.
“You have? Will you tell me how to get there?” Phoebe grabbed a pen and a piece of paper, and wrote down the directions as her father told them to her. “Do you know why she painted that bench?” Phoebe asked.
“Yes, of course I do. She painted it because that is the spot where I proposed to her. I knelt right by that bench and asked her to marry me.”
“You did?” Phoebe said, a lump forming in her throat. “Dad, that’s so romantic. I bet she was so excited.”
Peter was silent for a moment. “She was. And, thankfully she accepted my proposal. After that, we hiked there together many times.”
Phoebe glanced at the painting—she could hardly wait to see it in person. “Thanks, Dad,” s
he said. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Phoebe . . .” Peter said before she could hang up.
“Yeah?”
“That’s quite a hike. Please don’t try it alone.”
Phoebe smiled. “I won’t. Billy will come with me.”
“Well then you’ll be in good hands. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
***
Billy parked in the covered parking of the Iron Springs Inn. He, Phoebe, and Jenna went inside and waited in line at the information desk. They had considered wandering around to see if they could find Mr. Anderson’s office on their own, but after Phoebe and Jenna’s last experience at the inn, they decided to take their chances and just ask to see him.
They approached the counter where a short, overweight lady asked, “Do you have an appointment?” As she talked, she didn’t take her eyes off the computer screen.
“Not exactly,” Billy said. “But this is urgent, and we’re certain that he would agree to see us if he was aware of the nature of our visit.”
“Urgent?” The lady raised her painted on eyebrows. “Suppose you tell me—just what is this urgent visit about?
“Well, it’s personal,” Billy stammered. “I mean, it’s private and . . .”
“Reeeaaally?” She dragged the word out as long as possible. “Well suppose you tell me what this private matter is about. Then if I feel that it is important enough to warrant a visit, I will personally go get Mr. Anderson for you.”
“We’re not able to give you that information.” Jenna interrupted. She took a quick glance at the name tag that hung around the lady’s plump neck before continuing. “So Darlene, since this a private matter between us and Mr. Anderson and since he is expecting us and since we would hate to have to inform Ted that you kept us from delivering this most important information . . .” Jenna held up the manila envelope and waved it about as though it contained the secrets of the universe.
“. . . It would really be best if you would call and let him know that we’re here to see him. I’m sure you will find that he is prepared to see us.” Jenna tilted her head, smiled, and waited for Darlene to comply with her request.
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