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Chapter Sixteen

Our conversation at breakfast the next morning centered on our missing-person case. Alan felt we needed more input from Clare about other family members Liz could have decided to visit before her sister’s arrival, while I wanted to question neighbors who may know where she went. Certainly, someone had information.

Alan agreed. “Years ago,” he remarked, “everyone knew the people who lived next door. I guess it’s no longer a priority, but I don’t know why. Of course, we’ve lived here for more than three years, yet haven’t made any effort to meet the folks on our street, other than Kareen and Gerome when they moved in last year.”

“In our defense, nobody welcomed us to the neighborhood, which used to be a common courtesy. Now, everyone keeps their blinds closed and doors locked. I don’t understand it either.”

“We’ll get the ball rolling,” Alan said. “What could we offer everyone we visit?”

With the Harvest Gala on my mind, I suggested tickets to the Butterflies and Blooms game booths. “They’re not worth very much, but might provide a conversation starter.”

“Good idea. Do you have any tickets on hand?”

“We have rolls of them in the loft. I’d like Clare to come with us, if only to share her concern about her missing sister.”

Alan nodded and reached for his phone. While I rinsed our dishes for the dishwasher, he made arrangements with Clare.

“Okay,” he told me when the call ended, “we’ll meet her in twenty minutes. Do you need help getting the tickets?”

I grinned coyly. “Yes, please. While you’re in the loft, I also need my wreath supplies.” We’d replaced the original ladder with steps, but they were narrow, steep, and had no railing. Lydia didn’t have trouble using them but, as much as I tried, I worried about falling, especially when carrying a carton.

We walked to the garden shop together and he headed up the steps to the loft. After handing me a roll of game tickets and a carton marked “wreaths,” Alan questioned why I hadn’t wanted a railing when we renovated. “This is a fall waiting to happen,” he muttered.

“I was going to use the steps as a display since I didn’t want customers climbing up to the storage area.”

“Right, but someone could still wander up there. We also need some type of banister across the front of the loft. The plant display won’t prevent a mishap or lessen our liability.”

I understood Alan’s point, and agreed that my shortsighted plan needed to be adjusted. To my delight, he offered to measure the area and install a railing in his spare time .

I reached to give him a kiss. “Do you know why I married you?”

“Because I can fix stuff?” he quipped.

I laughed. “That counts; but, really, it’s because you’re so sweet. I love you, honey.”

After returning my kiss, he gallantly took my arm. “I love you, too. Now, let’s go see what we can do to help Clare Dolan.”

^^^

Although Clare greeted us pleasantly, she seemed tense when she invited us inside. We followed her to the living room where she said, “I found Liz’s purse in the entry closet.”

“Could it be an extra?” I asked. “I have several for different occasions.”

“I realize some women have more than one pocketbook,” she replied. “This one contained Liz’s wallet and current driver’s license, so I considered it important to mention.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “Obviously, wherever Liz went, she didn’t need her handbag.”

“Where could she have gone without her purse?” she asked.

“The park is on the next street,” Alan suggested, “and the library is two blocks down on Main. Also, someone could have picked her up to go for a ride where she wouldn’t have needed her wallet. We don’t know now, but we’ll retrace her steps by piecing together the facts as we learn them. ”

Clare sat staring at her clenched hands, then looked at Alan and me. “Where do we begin?”

“We started with two known facts,” Alan said. “Liz and her husband were members of the River Mill Country Club, so they had to have friends there.”

Clare nodded. “That’s where Ed died.”

Alan agreed. “Yes, and Ed’s brother lives in the county, not far from town. Sue and I paid him a visit yesterday.”

“Does he know where Lizzie is?”

“No, though we’ll probably have another conversation with him, as well as the folks at River Mill. Someone has to know of places familiar to Liz. Did you read Ed’s obituary?”

She shook her head. “Why?”

“Just wondered.” Alan gave a slight shrug. “It didn’t give us much information, other than the son they’d lost. Do you know what caused Michael’s death?”

“Cancer,” she said with furrowed brows. “Neuroblastoma, to be exact.” She exhaled with pursed lips. “When Michael was three years old, Liz mentioned her concern of his distended belly to the pediatrician. A CT scan confirmed a large tumor which turned out to be malignant. That poor baby went through surgery and rounds of chemo, which seemed to help for awhile until the cancer went to his bones. He died just before his ninth birthday.”

“How awful,” I sighed, thinking how devastated we’d be if we lost young Sean. “Did you come home to be with Liz?”

She paused with the distant memory. “No.” After a moment she added, “I couldn’t get away at the time and, for that, I’m very sorry.”

“Did that upset your sister?” I asked.

“Probably,” she said .

Seeing Clare’s distress, Alan moved on. “According to the obituary, Edward was an accountant and had his own business. Is that correct?”

“Yes, and Liz was his bookkeeper, at least until she needed to spend her days with Michael.” She gave Alan a questioning gaze. “Why is that important? Ed’s dead and my sister’s missing.”

“Other than a comment made by someone at River Mill, it’s not critical, as far as we know. Did your sister have an accounting background?”

“No, but they couldn’t afford hiring someone until… until they had to.”

“After Michael’s death, did Liz return as his bookkeeper?”

“I don’t know,” Clare replied forlornly. “I was in Africa at the time.”

“I thought you spoke to your sister on the phone.”

Clare frowned. “We didn’t talk about accounting.”

“Sorry,” Alan said. “I’m just trying to understand if Liz had any further involvement in Ed’s business.”

“I don’t know because she never mentioned it.”

“Okay,” Alan replied, bringing an end to the topic. “Let’s focus on Liz’s friends and family.”

“I’m her only family, and I wouldn’t know her friends.”

“She has a brother-in-law,” Alan noted. “We met Damien Sterling, although he wasn’t very helpful. Any aunts or uncles on either side?”

“I didn’t know Edward’s family at all. My mother’s sister had several kids, so we have cousins. If you think it’s necessary, I’ll try to come up with a list for you, but I have no contact info.”

“Your sister might have had an address book,” I suggested. “See if you can locate that. ”

“Good idea,” Alan stated. “Keep searching in the house for clues, Clare, no matter how unimportant they seem. Do you have any questions for us before we pay a visit to the neighbors?”

“No, just ask if they know where Lizzie went.”

Alan smiled empathetically. “You can do that since you’ll be with Sue and me.”

She nodded. “Thank you for letting me work with you. That means a lot to me.”