by Hanson
“I’ll give it a try, but hitting every house in the neighborhood is going to take more time than I have.”
“Do your best,” she said. “Now about my fee. I’m only charging you for two hours plus mileage for the trip from Peoria because I have another client to see just outside of Deerford.”
She handed him a bill that made him blink with surprise, but he was willing to do whatever it took if Fern could get her companion back. Sapphire had picked an inopportune time to disappear, though. Until their old house was sold, money was tight.
“We take cash, check, or credit card,” Mimi said, obviously expecting immediate payment.
James took out his billfold, not at all sure the advice he’d received was worth the price. He handed over his credit card with misgivings, but he supposed her advice was sound. The Scouts hadn't knocked on doors or poked their noses into people's houses. He couldn't imagine doing it himself, but if there was a chance of finding Sapphire, he supposed it was worth a try.
“Now Mr. Bell, call me if you don't get any results in the next week or so. The trail is already cold, but we may have a few more tricks up our sleeves.” She lowered her voice to a whisper again. “In Peoria we busted a ring of pet shop owners shipping so-called lost pets down to Texas. I tell you, it wasn't pretty.”
She left him without saying more, walking away in high-heeled boots and stiff navy jeans that made her legs look like tree trunks. Mimi Zonn was an imposing figure, but was she for real? Would her plan be any help at all in finding Sapphire?
James left for home, deciding not to say anything to Fern about the pet detective right now. His hopes weren't high, and he didn't want her to suffer another disappointment if the house-to-house grid plan didn't bring results.
When he got home, Fern met him at the door with a broad smile on her face. His first thought was that Sapphire had returned home and he’d paid the pet detective for nothing.
“Guess what?” she said.
“I’m fresh out of guesses. Maybe you can just tell me.”
“The Realtor called. We’ve had an offer on our house, a good one. And the buyer is almost a shoo-in to get approved for a mortgage. Isn't it wonderful?” She looked happier than he’d seen her since her pet disappeared. He decided not to burst her bubble of happiness by telling her about the expensive advice from the pet detective.
The pleasure he should have been feeling over the sale of the house was tempered by his reluctance to follow Mimi Zonn's advice. How could he traipse all over town asking people if they’d stolen his cat?
Chapter Thirteen
ELENA'S HOUSE WAS QUIET EXCEPT FOR THE SOFT purring of her sewing machine. Thankfully, everyone in the family slept soundly, especially Cesar. She loved working on the luxurious fabric of the quinceañera dress, and she felt privileged to be able to finish it. Satisfied that there was nothing more she could do on the machine, she carefully gathered up the gown and worked it onto the dress dummy she’d borrowed and adjusted to fit the young girl's form.
“Perfect,” she said to herself.
Now all she had to do was hem it. She’d considered using an iron-on seam tape, but she opted instead for fine, hand-sewn stitching. It would take longer, but a dress this beautiful and important deserved the best finishing details.
She glanced at her wristwatch and was surprised to see how late it was. When she was involved in a sewing project, time flew. Cesar might be cross with her for staying up so late, but it was a labor of love.
Intending to do just a little more, she hemmed until her eyelids were drooping shut. When she finally gave up, there was only a few hours of work left. It could easily be completed the next day.
Her alarm rang far too soon Friday morning, but she was still excited by how nicely the dress was turning out. She left for work a bit reluctantly because it really would have been nice to finish the hem.
“James, I have a new word for you,” Elena said as she caught up with him in the parking lot on her way into the hospital.
“Oh I’d love to chat, Elena, but I just don't have much time. Later?” he said, walking toward the entrance at such a fast pace that she nearly had to run to catch up.
“Later is fine,” she said, surprised that he didn't want to play their favorite game. “I’m pretty sure I have a word that will stump you.”
“I’m stumped by more than words,” he said in a glum voice that was totally unlike his usual good-natured banter.
“Did Fern have a setback?” she asked.
“No, nothing like that. Fern is doing well. The boys are fine.”
“Well, I understand that you have a lot on your mind with the task force and the preparedness drill,” she said sympathetically. “You have so much responsibility.”
“Elena, if you want to know why I’m a bear this morning, just ask.”
She was stunned. James was the most even-tempered person she knew, so he must be particularly irritated to snap at her like that.
“You do seem out of sorts,” she said as mildly as possible. “Is there something I can do to help?”
“Not unless you want to knock on doors and peep into houses.”
“Something to do with Sapphire?” she asked cautiously.
“Everything to do with her. I hired a pet detective, but it turns out that she only gives advice. She thinks I should check every house in town to see if someone has Sapphire. She even divided Deerford into grids.”
“Every house in town! Even in a small town like ours, that could take forever.”
“That's if people stay home to answer doors. I covered two blocks last night, and thirteen owners weren't home. Those who answered either thought I was loony, or they were insulted that I thought they had our cat. My boys tried another block and didn't have any better luck. Worse, I had to tell Fern what we were doing. I didn't want to get her hopes up, but what excuse could I give for the three of us being out late?”
“It doesn't sound like the pet detective was much help.”
“If I uncover a ring of stolen pets, she’ll spring into action and bring them down,” he said. “Meanwhile, I don't know whether to give up and buy Fern a new cat or keep knocking.”
“Maybe Cesar and I could help—”
“Thank you for offering, but I wouldn't think of dragging either of you into it.”
He held the door for her but didn't go to the elevator. Whatever he had to do on the main floor, he wasn't in the mood to talk to her anymore. She watched him walk away, sorry that the missing cat was causing so much distress. She couldn't remember ever seeing James so cross.
In the staff lounge she found Anabelle combing her hair before beginning work for the day.
“Good morning,” Elena said, expecting a cheerful reply.
“Not so far,” Anabelle said in an unhappy voice.
“Oh dear, not you too. Today was the first time I’ve seen James truly out of sorts, all because of a lost cat.”
“I thought he was going to hire a pet detective.”
“He did. That's the problem. It seems pet detectives don't actually find pets. They just tell the client how to proceed. James is supposed to canvass every house in town to see if anyone took in Sapphire.”
“That's not possible, not for someone as busy as James.”
“His sons are helping, but it's still terribly frustrating.”
“I know how he feels. I seem to have lost my husband.”
“What?” Elena asked with alarm.
“I’m exaggerating,” Anabelle quickly explained. “But he certainly hasn't been himself since his high blood pressure was diagnosed. One good thing, though. He signed up for an exercise class at the YMCA. He's going for the first time this morning, but not with a very good attitude. You’d think he was going off to marine boot camp the way he complained.”
“I thought he was pretty fit.”
“He is, and the class is geared to retired men. He’ll probably enjoy it once he gets started. He just doesn't like the idea of changin
g his lifestyle, especially what he eats.”
“Well, good luck on that. I’m off to work,” Elena said.
In midmorning, Dr. Hamilton visited the ICU to check on the coma patient. Elena always welcomed his visits because he was unfailingly courteous and good-natured, unlike a few doctors who barked orders and expected the nurses to do their bidding instantly.
“We have a dilemma,” Dr. Hamilton said after spending some time with the patient. “I can't believe no one has reported her missing. There are decisions to be made. We need to move her to a long-term care facility, but without knowing her insurance status, our hands are tied. I hesitate to have her declared a ward of the state if she has relatives.”
“There's something vaguely familiar about her,” Elena mused. “I wish I knew what.”
“Speculation is no help,” the doctor snapped. “We need to know who this woman is.”
“Yes sir,” Elena meekly agreed, wondering what had gotten into the men of Deerford on this sunny March day.
First James had been unusually cross and then Cameron was unhappy about an exercise class. Now her favorite doctor was cranky. If the men in her family had the crabby-bug too, she’d be better off working a double shift.
The morning went by slowly, filled with lots of routine and not much patient progress. At least they weren't in crisis mode, and the waiting room wasn't full of anxious relatives who needed reassurance. By the time her lunch break came, Elena was hungry and weary.
She was grateful the cafeteria line was thankfully short, and she loaded her tray with salad, macaroni and cheese, and bread pudding, adding a cloverleaf roll for good measure. It was double the lunch she usually ate, but she felt in need of fuel to get through the rest of her shift. She didn't see any of her close friends, so she took a small table by the far wall.
She wasn't usually a food critic, but the macaroni seemed a little tough, and the roll had to be day-old. At least the salad greens were fresh and crisp. She was about to taste test the bread pudding when Sarah came up to her table wearing a large chef's apron that made her look even more frail and a hairnet over her pale hair, standard dress for the kitchen workers.
“Do you mind if I join you for a minute?” she asked.
“Love to have you,” Elena said, motioning for Izzy's mother to sit.
“I saw you go through the line. The head cook said I could take a short break.”
“How is your job going?” Elena asked conversationally.
“Oh, I like the kitchen workers. They work hard, but they’re almost always cheerful. Is there something wrong with the macaroni? I could take it back for you and get something else.”
“No, I just overestimated my appetite,” Elena said, not wanting to make a fuss about it.
“There's something I wanted to ask you.”
Elena took a deep breath, hoping her question had nothing to do with Rafael or Izzy. As far as she knew, they’d come to an arrangement that both parents could live with. Izzy was happy to have her mother in her life, but it didn't in any way diminish her love for her father or grandparents. Nor did it affect her granddaughter's living with them. Rafael still had full custody, but he was wisely letting Izzy get to know her mother.
“All right,” Elena said cautiously.
“Have you noticed that a new cookware store has opened up downtown where the bookstore used to be?”
“I may have read something about it in the newspaper, but I haven't actually seen it.”
“It's quite nice. I never imagined how many different things are available for the kitchen. The owner is starting some cooking classes. The back of the store is set up as a kitchen. I picked up this list of the classes.”
She handed a sheet of yellow paper to Elena and gave her a minute to read it.
“My, she's offering quite a variety. I have a friend who may be interested in the healthy cooking class. Do you mind if I keep this?”
“Please do. I pretty much have it memorized.”
“What did you want to ask me?”
“I like working in the kitchen, but I haven't decided whether to make a career in food preparation. Meanwhile, I wonder whether I should take a beginning cooking class. It might help me move into an assistant cook's job here and give me a better idea of whether it's right for me. Of course, it might be a waste of time and money if I decide to do something else.”
“It's never a waste of time to learn something new,” Elena said. “The important thing is whether it's something you would enjoy and find worthwhile. Only you can decide that.”
“I can always rely on you to say something sensible,” Sarah said with a small smile. “Maybe I’ll put it off for now and give it some more thought. How was Isabel this morning?”
“I left for work too early to see her. But I did lay out her clothes for the day. She's wearing navy-blue leggings with a sunny yellow hoodie jacket over a white long-sleeved T-shirt. The yellow is a nice contrast to her dark hair. No doubt she’ll look darling. But then, she always does.”
“Thank you,” Sarah said. “It makes the work go faster if I have an image of Isabel in my mind. Well, I’d better get back to the kitchen.”
“I’m glad you came out to join me,” Elena said. “And I’m really happy to learn about the cooking classes. I may know someone who will be interested.”
Elena didn't have a chance to speak to Anabelle until their shift was over for the day, but she managed to catch up with her in the parking lot.
“I have an idea for you,” she called over to her friend.
Anabelle turned and waited for her, a puzzled expression on her patrician features.
“Actually, Izzy's mother gave me the idea. There's a new cookware shop downtown, where Francie's Books and Things used to be. I haven't been there, but Sarah said they have quite a stock of kitchen utensils and such.”
“I think I heard something about it, but our kitchen is pretty well stocked already.”
“Oh, I’m not suggesting you buy new pots or anything, but the owner is giving cooking lessons. The back of the store is a big kitchen, and some of her classes sound interesting. I especially noticed one on healthy cooking. If Cameron is taking an interest in the culinary arts, this might be something to check out.”
“You might be right,” Anabelle said thoughtfully. “I don't know whether he would try cooking lessons, but he does have free time to occupy. Maybe I’ll sound him out and see what he says. Thanks for telling me.”
“My pleasure,” Elena said, glad that she’d passed on the information Sarah had given her. “Here, you can take this class list home with you.”
Her happy mood lasted until she got home and spotted trouble. Rafael's van was in the middle of the driveway with the hood up, a pair of jean-clad legs sticking out. She didn't need to see her son's face to know that he was working on the motor.
She parked her car on the street and walked over to him.
“What's wrong?”
“Mama, if I knew what was wrong, I wouldn't be standing on my head trying to figure it out.”
“Did you pick up Izzy?”
“No, I had to call Daddy to pick her up. The motor died so many times I barely made it home from the restaurant.” He straightened with a sour expression on his face. “Not only that, I have a class tonight, and the band has an important gig this Saturday. How will we transport our instruments if this old heap won't run?”
“Tonight is no problem. You can use my car. And Izzy is probably having the time of her life at the police station. I wonder if they really give ice cream cones to stray kids.”
“Sounds like something that happens in comic strips,” her son said sounding unusually peeved. “I don't know whether to have this wreck towed to a garage or a junkyard.”
“Maybe it's not as serious as you think. Wait until your father gets home. He’ll know what to do.”
“Mama, you know as much about cars as I know about nursing.”
It was true, but she didn't like the way he
said it. “Don't be sassy to your mother.”
“Sorry, but this is a really bad time for the van to break down.” He slammed the hood down and went to the house to call a friend who knew more about motors than he did.
Elena followed, wondering whether Rafael was upset about more than the van. He had a lot on his plate, including the big decision he’d made to be a policeman. It could be a long, slow process to get hired. He couldn't be admitted to the police academy until he actually had a job lined up, and patience wasn't his strongest characteristic. Maybe he was overreacting to vehicle trouble because he was frustrated by the length of time it would take to actually become a cop.
Anyway, she’d had enough of crabby men. She still couldn't believe that James, Cameron, and Dr. Hamilton were out of sorts on the same day, not to mention Rafael. If Cesar wasn't in a better mood than his son, it would end up as a perfectly awful day. Rafael's friend came, and he went back to the van. When she glanced out, they both had their heads buried in the inner workings of the vehicle.
After changing clothes and starting dinner, Elena sat down in her bedroom to complete a few last-minute touches to the quinceañera dress. She’d just finished it and returned to the kitchen as Cesar came through the carport door with Izzy riding on his shoulders.
“Look what I found!” he teased, prancing around as she laughed uproariously.
“I’m too big for pony rides,” Izzy sputtered, her happy giggles making Elena smile.
Cesar lowered her to the floor, and she immediately began telling Elena about the police station.
“I’m going to be a policeman and put bad people in jail when I grow up,” she announced.
“Oh, mi bonita,” Cesar said, affectionately calling her “my pretty one” in Spanish, “you can't do that.”
Izzy's face fell, but her grandfather quickly brought her smile back.
“You will have to be a policewoman. That's an even better thing to be.”
“Now go change your clothes and wash up for dinner,” Elena told her.
“Something smells good,” Cesar said, giving his wife a big hug when their granddaughter left the room. “I think maybe it's you.”