Page 30

Chapter Thirty

The next morning, Alan and I met Evelyn and Marty for Sunday brunch at Dottie’s Café. We had a table for four by the front window and could watch patrons come and go. The self-serve box of newspapers on the corner had a steady stream of customers, and it seemed that everyone in town now knew that Liz Sterling was missing. The flyer taped to the door reinforced the message.

After taking our order to the kitchen, Dottie returned to pour cups of coffee for each of us. “She and her husband had come for breakfast occasionally, so I recognized her picture on the flyer. Her poor sister traveled all the way from Africa to see Liz, but she wasn’t at her house. Where could she have gone?”

“Sue and Alan are working on the case,” Evelyn replied in a low tone.

I refrained from kicking her under the table since Alan reminded her that we couldn’t discuss an open investigation. It probably didn’t matter because Ryan had provided those details in his article .

Marty reached for his folded newspaper on the floor. “It says here that Mark Matthews found her car on lovers’ lane. What would she have been doing there?”

“I think someone kidnapped her,” Evelyn said with a firm shake of her head. “You watch. There’ll be a ransom note sent any day now.”

Dottie nodded. “They had money; that’s for sure. I have to admit, they didn’t flaunt it, but they always gave me a substantial tip.”

“As well they should,” Evelyn remarked. “Still, they could have bought one of those pretentious houses out by the golf club they belonged to. I wonder why they didn’t. I mean, those homes on Church Street are old and dated, as Sue and Alan are aware.”

She referred to the mess of a house we bought in Aspen Notch. Luckily, she knew a painter who knew a project manager, and our renovations were well worth the money.

My assistant, Lydia, would remind me that everything in life is connected because that painter we hired had dated Dottie awhile back, and I brought them together again. They had since married, to everyone’s delight.

She left us to greet newcomers and pick up our orders, but that didn’t stop the speculations about Liz Sterling’s whereabouts. Once everything arrived, we tackled our food instead of grousing about having to fear the bad intentions of robbers and kidnappers.

Eventually, Marty asked about our trip to Japan, so we told them about the traditional Japanese wedding and our impressions of Suki’s parents who had shown us the sights in Tokyo. “I’ll never forget their kindness and generosity,” I added.

“Maybe you could invite them to Aspen Notch someday,” Evelyn said. She immediately giggled, saying, “I guess that would be culture shock for them.”

“We’ve already suggested that,” Alan replied. “Once Suki and Michael get settled in California, I think we’ll see them all at some point. It is, however, a very long flight to and from Japan.”

“Better you than me,” Marty chuckled. “How’d you meet the missing lady’s sister?”

“She sat next to Sue on the plane from Chicago to Scranton. They got talking, and next thing you know, we’re giving her a ride to Aspen Notch.”

Marty and Evelyn laughed at Alan’s expression, but my mind wrestled with the thought that Clare didn’t expect Liz to pick her up at the airport. She had intended to rent a car until I told her of our destination. I tucked that twinge away until Alan and I could discuss it.

Alan continued to say, “You’d never know she’s a nun.”

Marty raised his eyebrows. “A nun from Africa?”

“She’s a missionary, but let me tell you. She knows how to handle a cue stick. She walloped Sue and me last night when we played pool at the Black Horse Pub.”

Marty’s guffaws resounded through the café. “A nun beat you at pool? I think I’d like to meet that lady.”

I caught Evelyn’s eyes, and we could only shake our heads at the ridiculous conversation between two grown men. I thought Alan had recovered from the stab to his ego when he’d groused about it as he got into bed the night before, but obviously not.

^^ ^

Alan dropped me off at Butterflies and Blooms in time to open the shop at noon. He then drove across the street to talk to Jane about being the last person to speak with Liz. He hoped Clare had returned from church so they could take a look at Ed’s business files together, then he’d let Sophie play in the yard while he raked leaves.

Evelyn would have helped me in the garden shop again, but Carol Steinway had called a Harvest Gala steering-committee meeting for one o’clock. Marty couldn’t complain too much because he, as chair of traffic management, was also required to attend.

I thought about asking Kareen for her assistance, yet hated to beg after all of the times she helped Lydia while I was away. I’d have to manage myself—and hope everyone in town didn’t need to buy fall flowers or garden equipment.

When I unlocked the cabin’s front door, I stared at Liz’s picture on the missing-person flyer. “Where are you?” I muttered aloud. “Why didn’t you return your sister’s calls? You recorded the date of her arrival on your calendar, yet left her stranded.”

I ended my rant to the photo when two cars pulled into the parking lot. After welcoming my customers, I spent the rest of my busy afternoon trying to manage everything while remaining calm.

At the register, I heard several people discuss the reports of a missing person in Aspen Notch. None appeared heart-broken, just surprised. When one of the chatty ladies in line brought her purchases to check out, I asked how well she knew Liz Sterling.

“I didn’t know her at all,” she replied, carefully placing her wares on the glass counter. “Her husband was our accountant, and he recently died suddenly, so I felt sorry for her. I’m hoping she just needed time away. ”

“I hope so, too. Apparently, the Sterlings live right across Church Street, but I’d never met them.”

“From what I’ve heard, they traveled extensively,” she said.

I nodded as I rang up the merchandise. “I heard that, too. I wondered if she had to close out accounts for his business.” I went out on a limb with such a brazen statement and waited for her to tell me it was inappropriate. She didn’t.

“Maybe corporate accounts had more money invested with the agency, but we just had Ed do our taxes each year. Actually, lots of people in Aspen Notch used him as their accountant, not a broker. He was a nice guy.”

“I wish I’d known him,” I said, bringing an end to our chat.

She scooted off after I processed her credit card, then I had a similar conversation with the next lady in line. One-by-one, no one could imagine where Liz had gone, and each customer hoped foul play wasn’t involved, as did I.

As the afternoon wore on, I heard Sophie’s exuberant bark in the backyard, and assumed Alan had let her out to play with Sean. I hadn’t touched base with Jessica since Friday night, but I liked our proximity as neighbors which enabled the munchkin to walk next door by himself.

Apparently, Jess had come with him because she surprised me by entering the side door. “Would you like some company?” she called with a playful grin. All heads turned her way.

“More than that,” I said, taking a moment to pull the chair from my workstation to the cash register, “I could use your help.”

She processed credit cards while I rang up the items and bagged them. Before long, the line cleared, permitting me to assist those who wanted flats of plants in the greenhouse.

“You’re wonderful,” I said, locking the front door just after five o’clock. “How’d you know I needed you?”

She smiled her understanding. “Just a guess. Now, I’d better collect my son and get supper on the table.”

“Do you want to eat with us?” I had no idea what to whip up, though I’d remembered to defrost a package of chicken.

“Thanks, Mimi, but I have a casserole ready to take out of the oven whenever Ryan finishes cutting the grass.”

I envied my granddaughter’s ability to multitask. “Okay, and thank you for helping this afternoon. Tell Ryan his article has caused a big stir, given all of the conversations I heard today.”

She nodded her agreement. “I heard some of the talk, too, and I hope we soon find Liz.”

As we walked across the lawn together, I thought the same thing. I also wondered if I was cut out to be a sleuth, because I had absolutely no idea where Clare’s sister could have gone.