“I saw Trent under the stage with the box at intermission, and then I noticed the box leaning by the elevator afterward. It just seemed wrong, so Alice and I returned to check it out, and when we heard the elevator, we came down the stairwell.”
The professor laughed bitterly. “Your penchant for noticing details seems to have done me in. It was a gamble to tell Mr. Bodkin to retrieve the box from under the stage, but I really couldn’t be seen doing that myself. He was supposed to do it during the second act, not at intermission.”
“Did you know the first time you saw the tapestry at Grey Gables that it was so valuable?” asked Annie.
The professor laughed. “I knew it the moment Mrs. MacFarlane described the signature panel to me. I had seen the Lily Cornette tapestry that hangs in the Emerson Room of Wilson Hall dozens of times, and I knew what her tapestries had been selling for on the market. All I had to do was get Cyril to send me the photos he took with his cellphone, and relay them to Mr. … Smith, let’s call him, and let him start getting bids from his many clients.”
“Does Cyril know how valuable it is?” asked Annie.
“Cyril? Ha!” said the professor. “Cyril is like you—an amateur—he has friends in the art community, but not connections like I have, if you see what I mean. But I couldn’t have him investigating the tapestry. I simply told him I knew of a specialist in the area of fine arts tapestries and convinced him I would get the information for you and pass it along so that he could concentrate on the play.
“That’s why he never said anything about it again,” said Annie. “He probably thought that you had.”
“He thinks he’s very clever,” said the professor, “but I could always think circles around him.” The professor paused. “Except when it came to Dolores, that is. I have to admit, it was a blow when she chose him instead of me.”
Annie thought back to the interactions she had seen between the professor and the Fortescues; she had been right in thinking they had known each other a long time. Then Annie thought about her injury. Surely that couldn’t have been the professor. She didn’t want to believe he could do anything like that.
“And the counterweight—was it you that severed the cable?” asked Annie.
The professor looked a little regretful. “I really didn’t intend to injure you, Mrs. Dawson. It was meant to be a warning. I didn’t want you going to Longfellow and finding out about the other tapestry.”
“You could have killed me—or someone else,” said Annie.
“The odds favored that it would fall when no one was beneath it,” said the professor. “I was willing to take the chance.”
Annie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She was about to reply when she heard a noise at the door of the workshop that was connected to the museum. The door opened, and Chief Edwards burst through first with his pistol drawn, followed by Ian, Wally, and Alice. Ian’s glance took in the professor, the box on the table, and the box cutter that Annie still held tightly in her hand.
“Are you all right, Annie?” he asked.
Annie put the box cutter down next to the table saw. “Yes, Ian, I’m all right now.”
Chief Edwards had taken out his handcuffs and approached the professor.
“Is that really necessary?” asked the professor. “I’ll come quietly.”
“Afraid it is necessary,” said the Chief grimly. He stood behind the professor, grabbing his hands and clamping the cuffs over his wrists. “You have the right …” he began.
While Chief Edwards was reciting to Professor Howell his rights, Annie said, “Alice, did you tell them about the other man. He left just a minute ago.”
Ian answered. “Cal Peters was keeping an eye on the parking lot tonight, just for security’s sake. The Chief called him as soon as Alice told us what was going on. The other guy should already be in custody.”
****
Chief Edwards took Professor Howell out through the back door of the workshop to where Officer Peters’s patrol car was located in the back parking lot, and Wally locked the outer door behind them.
“What shall we do with the tapestry, Annie?” asked Ian.
“Oh my,” she said. “I don’t know. Should I take it back to Grey Gables?”
“I’d rather you didn’t,” said Ian. He paused and thought a moment before continuing. “Only the four of us and the police know that we’ve retrieved the tapestry. How would you feel if we keep that information just between us until tomorrow? We can lock up the tapestry on the fourth floor—just for tonight. Besides, there’s no reason to spoil this night for the cast and crew. If anyone asks, we can just say that the professor became ill, or that we don’t know where he is exactly—which will be true.”
Annie was unsure. Things didn’t turn out so well the last time she had left the tapestry in the Cultural Center.
“It should be fine here,” said Wally. “Only Stella, Trent Bodkin, Bill Witherell, and I have keys.”
“Trent Bodkin?” said Annie. “Can he be trusted? He was the one who carried the box from under the stage.”
“Trent Bodkin may be a lot of things,” said Wally, “but he’s not a thief. If the professor asked him to move the box, he’d do it, but he wouldn’t steal for anybody.”
Ian agreed. “I know he seems surly most of the time, especially right now, but there’s a reason for that. He’s an honest man—I can guarantee that.”
“What do you mean, ‘especially right now’?” asked Annie.
“He’s been going through a tough time,” said Ian. “I don’t want to say too much, but just to help you understand, Trent’s wife, Cindy, left him, right after Christmas, and took their two little girls with her. He’s just been beside himself. I know about it because Trent’s dad and I are good friends. Anyway, they’re trying to work things out and have been going to a marriage councilor. I know the tattoos can be a little off-putting for some people, but I can tell you, he’s really a good man.”
“Wait,” said Alice. “If only the four of you have keys, how did the professor open the back door?”
“I’ll bet he borrowed Stella’s key,” said Wally. “I know he’s done that several times. I thought it was for rehearsals when I’d see him here at odd times, but now we know it was for more than that.”
“I’ll call the Chief and tell him that the professor has the key to the Cultural Center so we can make sure he doesn’t have one anymore,” said Ian. “Besides, I don’t think Professor Howell is going to be going anywhere this evening besides the county jail. So, are there any other objections to leaving the tapestry up on the fourth floor?”
“I guess not,” said Annie. “It should be safe.”
“One thing,” said Wally, “I know we can’t tell Peggy tonight—she’d never be able to keep something like that to herself. But tomorrow, when she finds out what happened tonight, I’m gonna need all of you to tell her you made me swear to keep it a secret from her. Otherwise, I’m never going to hear the end of it.”
They all laughed and assured Wally that Peggy would never know that he voluntarily withheld his knowledge of the evening’s events from his wife.
Epilogue
Professor Howell’s arrest and the events that led up to it were discussed at length at the Tuesday morning meeting of the Hook and Needle Club. In the end, they all agreed that they were glad they had participated in the production of the play, despite the fact that Professor Howell had turned out to be a thief. They had to admit that, as a director and teacher, he was top drawer. But as a human being, he left a lot to be desired.
That meeting was also the occasion when Mary Beth relayed the results of her most current tests—a mammogram and a CAT scan—after the conclusion of her radiation therapy. There was no indication of any new development of cancer, and the doctor had told her that her cancer appeared to be in full remission. She would have to have regular check-ups and continue her hormone therapy, but Mary Beth said that was a small thing after all she had been through. She than
ked her friends for helping her through a difficult time.
In spite of all the drama that had unfolded after the Saturday night dress rehearsal, everyone involved with the play agreed there was no reason to delay the opening night for King Lemuel’s Treasure. Thanks to the determination of the cast and crew to pull together, the show went on. The performance was given before a packed house and received a prolonged standing ovation as it had on the evenings of the dress rehearsals. It looked promising that the remaining performances would be sold out, and that a substantial amount of money would be donated to cancer research.
A reception had been arranged in the museum on the main floor for the cast and crew and their families following the opening-night performance after the audience had cleared the building. Grand Avenue Catering had been engaged to provide finger foods and drinks for the milling crowd. Low music played in the background as people talked and laughed, including all the members of the Hook and Needle Club.
Annie was pleased to have the opportunity to meet Stacy Lewis’s parents at the reception. They were a pleasant couple and obviously very proud of their son. Annie hated to think it, let alone say it, but Stacy was right—his mother was a dead ringer for Alice. Annie saw Alice studying Stacy’s mother as if she had seen her somewhere before, but just couldn’t place her. Annie didn’t say a word.
At one point in the evening, while Annie was chatting with Ian, she saw Trent Bodkin across the room talking to a pretty, petite redhead. Ian told Annie that the redhead was Trent’s wife, and she and the children had moved back home earlier that week. Surprisingly to Annie, as she watched Trent, he actually laughed. She saw that he was not always so menacing as she had thought. She smiled as she imagined what Gram would have said: “Just goes to show you, you can’t judge a book by its cover.” Annie had learned that lesson in spades this last week.
Annie saw Felix talking animatedly to Vera Hartley, one of the girls from the college who had helped Kate with the costumes. Must be love to turn Felix into a chatterbox, thought Annie with a smile.
Jacob Martin came by with his daughter, Isabelle, to introduce her to Ian and Annie.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Isabelle,” said Annie. “I’ve heard a lot about you from your father and your grandparents.”
“It’s very nice to meet you too, Mrs. Dawson and Mayor Butler,” said Isabelle with a maturity that impressed Annie. “Did Dad tell you that I’m going to be spending most of my summer vacation in Maine? First Dad and I will be spending a couple of weeks with Grandpa Martin, and then when Dad has to go back to California, I’m going to stay with Grammy and Granddad Fortescue.”
Annie looked at Jacob, and he smiled in a way that said to her that a breakthrough had been made in his relationship with his in-laws. That was confirmed when Dolores and Cyril joined them.
Dolores wrapped her arm around her granddaughter’s shoulders. “Did Isabelle tell you that she’s coming to stay with us a few weeks this summer?”
“Yes,” said Annie. “That’s wonderful. And I hope you will all come and visit me at Grey Gables. The beach is wonderful in the summer, and I’m sure that Vanessa, Kate’s teenage daughter, will be glad to show you around and introduce you to some new friends.”
“That sounds great,” said Isabelle with enthusiasm. Then looking at her grandparents, she said, “If that’s OK with you guys, that is.”
“I think that would be lovely,” said Dolores.
“Perfect,” said Annie. “I’ll be looking forward to it.” Annie looked at Cyril and said, “I wanted to thank you again, Cyril, for contacting your friend at the art brokerage in New York. The tapestry is going to be put up for sale next week.”
“I was happy to help,” said Cyril. “When all is said and done, you’ll be a rich woman, Annie.”
Annie laughed. “No, I won’t be,” she said. “Lily Cornette’s letter to my grandmother said she wanted Gram to do some good with it, and it’s my intention that that request is fulfilled. I went to see Gordon Proctor—he was my grandmother’s attorney—and we’re going to use the money to set up The Lily Cornette Foundation. The entity will provide grants to charitable organizations and causes. One of our first donations will be to the Breast Cancer Foundation.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Annie saw Stella step up on a small platform and begin clinking a spoon against the side of her glass to get everyone’s attention. In spite of her disappointment with Professor Howell, Stella had maintained her new look with another stylish new dress, her softer hairstyle, and just a touch of makeup. “Ladies and gentlemen! If I can have your attention for one moment please, I have a word or two to say. There’s been a great deal of thanks and praise said among us and about us during these past weeks and months that we’ve been together to put on King Lemuel’s Treasure. There’s nothing wrong with that. But now, I’d like to propose a toast to Ophelia Fortescue-Martin. We’d rather have her with us today, but I don’t doubt for a moment that she’s been our companion in spirit all along. Let’s raise our glasses in remembrance and drink a toast to the inspiration she provided to her husband and—through his words—to the rest of us.” Stella raised her glass and said, “To Ophelia!”
The rest of the people in the room did the same, and in unison said, “To Ophelia!”
Annie looked across the room at Ophelia’s husband, daughter, and parents, standing together at last, glasses raised and eyes brimming with tears.
She thought of Lily and the Proverbs 31 Woman tapestry. And naturally, her own eyes began to fill with tears as well as her thoughts turned to Gram, who had stored and saved the wealth of the tapestry in the attic for all of those years, faithful to a good friend and mentor. Each of these three amazing women—Ophelia, Lily, and Betsy—epitomized the scriptural icon in her own way. Their paths had crossed in death, but their lives had brought so much beauty and grace and love and virtue into the world.
So Annie raised her glass too, in honor of three virtuous women, and thanked God that, personally or vicariously, she had come to know and love each of them.
The Tapestry in the Attic Page 18