Page 10

Chapter Ten

Just after nine o’clock when we arrived home, Alan retrieved the carton of ice cream from the freezer while I closed the blinds in the living room. After placing two bowls and spoons on the island, I sat to watch him scoop. “Do you think Liz wrote those notes?” I prompted.

“We won’t know until I dust them for fingerprints, so there’s no use speculating about it now.”

I couldn’t help mulling aloud. “Even if you find other prints on the sticky notes, you won’t know with certainty if they belong to Liz.”

“Right,” Alan agreed, pushing a bowl with two scoops of ice cream toward me. “I do wonder if Liz planned to be away when her sister arrived. That house was spotless when we went through it this morning.”

“Then why is her car in the garage?” I queried.

He returned the carton to the freezer, then savored his first spoonful of “rocky road.” Resuming our conversation, he said, “I have no idea, but let’s decide how we’ll start our investigation. ”

Thinking I’d better take notes, I moved Clare’s file from the counter to our office and brought back a legal pad and pen. I first jotted that Alan would take his fingerprint kit to Liz’s house in the morning while I went to the grocery store. “How long do you think that’ll take you?” I asked.

“I’ll plan on an hour, then I’ll work with Mark to gather any pertinent information about the Sterling family. I’ll probably have lunch with him, if you don’t mind.”

“No problem,” I said, adding it to my notes. “I’ll work in the garden shop after lunch unless you’ll need me.”

“That sounds fine, honey. Do you want to watch TV?” He’d no sooner uttered those words when my phone rang.

Checking the caller ID, I said, “It’s Evelyn, so I’ll take it in the sunroom.” I picked up the call with a cheery hello, swallowed my last spoonful of ice cream, and placed my bowl in the sink.

“Perfect timing,” I told her. “I planned to call you, but the day got away from me.”

“I figured as much,” she said. “Now, tell me about Japan.”

I gave a fairly descriptive rendition of our week, not unlike the ones I’d given Jessica and Lydia. Of course, Evelyn wanted to know about the wedding and its cultural significance, so we spent a lot of time discussing that.

“Did Suki’s parents speak English?” she pressed.

“Fluently,” I said, “and they took us to many interesting sites and restaurants. Alan and I had a wonderful time.”

“I’m glad you did, and I envy you. I told Marty we should do something exciting, but he’s so stuck in his ways.”

I laughed. “He wouldn’t have enjoyed the long flight. That was brutal.”

“I hope you got out of your seats and walked around. They say you can get blood clots from sitting too long in one position.”

“Right,” I agreed. “We couldn’t do too much of that on the plane, but we had time on each layover to walk around the terminal. I’m also happy we agreed to meet up with Alexa and her husband in Denver. Besides the opportunity to stretch our legs, she and I passed the time gabbing.”

“Nice,” Evelyn sighed. “Didn’t you still have another stop?”

“Yes, we flew to Chicago and had a flight delay there. Alan and I didn’t like that part since we just wanted to get home, yet it brought a new case for the SAJ Detective Agency.”

“How exciting!” she exclaimed. “Did you witness a crime?”

“No,” I chuckled. “We befriended a poor nun who needed a ride to Aspen Notch. Have you ever met a woman with the name Elizabeth Sterling?”

“I’ve never met any nuns.”

“The nun’s name is Clare Dolan. She’s a missionary from Africa who came to visit Liz Sterling, her sister.”

“That’s interesting,” Evelyn said. “You can introduce us if you see her again. Oh, goodness! Look at the time. You probably wanted to make it an early night, but I’ve bent your ear. Will you be at the shop tomorrow?”

“Yes, in the afternoon.”

“Good. I’ll see you then.”

After she disconnected, I realized I’d almost divulged the details of our case, and that would have been a disservice to Clare, even if I didn’t quite believe her story. I pictured her scribbling cryptic notes on her yellow sticky pad as she ate her hoagie, then hurrying to empty the kitchen cabinets before our arrival .

I considered her ploy of finding money ingenious because I couldn’t imagine someone hiding large amounts in a sugar bowl. Of course, I used to keep our income from Butterflies and Blooms in our freezer until we bought a safe, but that didn’t immediately come to mind. I did, however, remind myself to stop thinking the worst of someone before I knew the facts.

^^^

Later, after I’d rinsed our ice cream bowls and put them in the dishwasher, I nudged Alan, asleep in the recliner. “I’m going to bed. Do you want me to lock up?”

He mumbled something indiscernible, so I let Sophie out the back door, waited for her return, then closed and locked it. By that time, Alan had turned off the TV and put the deadbolt on the front door.

Our ensuite bathroom had only one sink, so we usually took turns brushing our teeth or one of us used the hall bathroom. This time, Alan did that and I found him asleep in bed by the time I’d finished my nightly cleansing rituals.

Even after I turned out the light, I heard Sophie trying to get comfortable in her bed on the floor by my corner of the room. I tossed and turned, too, unable to drift into dreamland.

I hated to disturb Alan’s sleep, so I gently pushed off the covers on my side and padded to the living room. Sophie followed me and took the spot next to me on the sofa. “You don’t have to worry,” I whispered. “We’re home now.”

Her tail thumped on the cushion .

For some reason, I wondered if she’d kept Clare company the night before. The fact that Sophie hadn’t barked when the nun walked back into the house meant she felt safe. “Did you cuddle with Clare last night?” I asked her.

Her tail thumped again.

I had no idea if Sophie truly understood, but her responses made me wonder. She was a friendly pup, yet she typically let us know if or when she didn’t trust a human.

“Okay,” I said softly, “let’s say Liz Sterling expected her sister to arrive but needed to hide, for some reason. Why?”

Sophie rested her head on my leg. Apparently, she didn’t have the answer, but I may have been on the right track.

“If Liz wrote the sticky notes,” I murmured, “Why? Had she witnessed a murder? Did she think her husband was murdered? Had someone threatened her?” I mentally itemized the words on each of the notes.

Besides For You and Use My Money , she highlighted River Mill , the golf course where Edward Sterling died. I thought Alan and I should go there to ask for details about his death. I knew the location because I’d once stopped by to check their availability for Jessica’s wedding reception venue. We selected Ridgeton Manor instead.

While at River Mill, we could also ask about someone with the initials J.W.; perhaps the person worked there. Regardless, Liz warned Clare to Be Careful . I assumed that meant J.W. posed a danger.

With those thoughts fresh in my tired brain, I decided to jot them on my notepad in the kitchen so I wouldn’t forget. Sophie reluctantly followed me and waited patiently by my side.

I scribbled my notes before making a pit stop and heading to bed. “We’re going to sleep now, baby doll,” I whispered, hoping she wouldn’t want to go out one more time. She didn’t.

Alan stirred when I crawled back in bed, though he quickly returned to slumber. Sophie, too, found her comfortable spot. For me, it took a while longer.

An hour later, Alan’s phone buzzed in silent mode and I nudged him.

He groggily picked up the call.

“Okay,” he muttered. “I’ll be right there.”