Page 21

Chapter Twenty-One

I stared at the effigy while Alan washed his hands at the kitchen sink. It looked like a child’s cheap floppy toy, but large pins with black plastic balls on top had been thrust into various body parts. The gruesome sign on its belly was particularly disturbing.

“Whoever left this on the porch,” I said, “knew about Clare staying in Liz’s house.”

“Apparently,” Alan agreed. He took several photos of the ugly thing, then put it in a plastic bag. “I’ll take this to the county police station for processing tomorrow.”

“Did Clare see the message?” I asked.

“I don’t think so, but she’s smart enough to figure out that someone wants her to leave. That’s the second warning in four days.”

“Third, if you count the sticky notes,” I suggested.

Alan raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think Liz wrote those? I speculate that the person who wants Clare to leave tossed the rock and voodoo doll. ”

“It could still be Liz. Maybe she wants to come home, but can’t with Clare there.”

Alan groaned while I went to let Sophie in. “This is another crazy case,” he said.

“I’m just playing devil’s advocate,” I teased. “You’re the one with the police credentials. Didn’t you tell me that every case has a motive, opportunity, and means?”

“Yes, but this one’s different because we don’t know why Liz is missing.”

I raised a shoulder in a half shrug. “I gave you a motive for Liz to hide out. Did you check with the motel and B&B?”

“Yes, and she’s not at either of those places. Did you ask Irene on the off-chance that Liz is staying at Ridgeton Manor?”

“I didn’t discuss our case at the garden club meeting. By the way, the girls loved their souvenirs from Japan.”

Alan gave a quirky smile before heading to the freezer for the carton of ice cream. “That’s nice, but don’t change the subject. Irene’s B&B would make a great hideout.”

I thought he had a good point, and agreed to call my friend in the morning. Even if Liz had booked a reservation at Ridgeton Manor, the county police would easily identify her car with the vanity license plate.

As those thoughts crossed my mind, I began to doubt my theory. After all, if I told my sister of my intention to visit her, would she leave me stranded? I couldn’t imagine that, despite the number of years we hadn’t seen each other.

I voiced my musings to Alan as we savored our ice cream. “I don’t think Liz is avoiding Clare of her own volition.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You have a new hypothesis? ”

“No, but she wouldn’t leave her high and dry.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Sisters have a special bond,” I said, “even if they don’t see each other very often. I mean, I wouldn’t avoid Laura if she came for a visit.”

He nodded, letting me express myself.

“Nor would she do that to me,” I continued. “Mind you, she might leave me on my own if something came up suddenly, but she’d let me know when to expect her.”

“Unfortunately,” Alan said, “Liz didn’t do that.”

“That’s so strange, don’t you think? She cleaned the house and left notes that only Clare would understand, yet didn’t say when she’d return.”

Alan cautiously agreed. “As far as we know.”

The ringtone on his phone startled both of us. He picked up saying, “Jaworski here.”

I rinsed our bowls while he took the call in our sunroom. When he returned, his expression looked bleak, and he gave a slow shake of his head.

“Mark located Liz’s car near lovers’ lane.”

“And Liz?”

“Still missing.”

I gave an audible sigh of relief.

^^^

I wanted to blame Alan’s snores for my inability to fall asleep, but I knew the insomnia came from my sense of deja vu . Not very long ago, I inadvertently solved the mystery of why the fiancé of my friend, Ruth Jeffers, had gone missing before their wedding .

Most people, including the police, assumed Adam became nervous about his upcoming marriage, yet Ruth didn’t believe so. She waited more than forty years for his return, and never gave up hope that he’d find his way back to her.

The day when Jessica and I hiked the trail near the creek, I noticed that the landscape looked identical to the artwork I’d found at Trinkets and Treasures. Later, I learned that Ruth’s fiancé had painted the canvases, and they became the clue for solving the mystery of what happened to Adam Jenkins.

We located his bones in the coal mine that ran next to and under the creek. Locals called the area lovers’ lane because it was secluded, yet offered clearings to park a car.

As police chief at the time, Alan closed off mine entrances that could entice thrill-seekers to explore. Unfortunately, the old mines began disintegrating, so land subsidence became another concern.

I couldn’t imagine why Liz would have abandoned her car in that area since the police routinely conducted safety checks. On the other hand, she may have merely gone there to walk the scenic paths, as Jessica and I had done, yet became lost or disoriented.

Before he fell asleep, Alan told me that Mark would have the car towed in the morning. County police would scan for prints and possible blood residue inside the vehicle, then search the area for Liz. He asked that we notify Clare, which I thought should wait until she had a good night’s sleep.

I would not mention Adam Jenkins or his bones.

I didn’t know what time I finally fell asleep, but a volley of thunder woke both of us. Despite the closed blinds, lightning lit up our room like strobe lights, and booms followed. Frightened, Sophie jumped to the bed, wiggling her way between us.

Alan reached across her to take my hand. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but I’m glad you’re here. I think Sophie is, too.”

He chuckled softly. “Remember the time the two of you hid in our closet?”

“In my defense,” I whispered, “it sounded like a tornado.”

“It did,” he admitted. “This storm is nothing to worry about, so go back to sleep.”

“I feel sorry for Clare. Maybe we should invite her to stay with us until… well, until her sister returns.”

He squeezed my hand. “It’s fine with me, honey, but give it some thought. I get the sense that she’s used to dealing with tough things, so she might prefer to be on her own.”

“True,” I agreed.

In no time at all, Alan drifted off to sleep, and I was left with my thoughts and a dog that took up more than a third of the bed. As the storm dissipated, I wondered what led Clare to forsake love and spend her life as a missionary in Africa.

She had to be a very courageous woman, although I had a feeling she experienced fear like everyone else. I wanted to ask her about that.