Out of the Picture

by Tracy Gardner

  The color drained from Caroline’s cheeks. She listed a handful of additional people she’d already given her new lock code to: Bill and Maggie Lyle, her other handyman Marty Dawsley, Jack Carson, Lauren’s sisters Lucy and Rebecca, Felix and his assistant Ryan, and even Amber.

  Lauren looked shocked at that. “Grandmother. I cancelled deliveries from Happy Family. You knew that!”

  “And I reinstated them, my dear. I understand your concern, but Amber has delivered my groceries for the last two years. I trust her. I do still make my own decisions.”

  Lauren sighed. “Okay. I know you do.”

  After the detective and Officer Zapelli left, the mood was somber. Thomas and Lauren chatted and agreed to do another walk-through to see if there were any additional missing items. Savanna and Skylar offered to help, but Lauren stopped them. She pulled them into the hallway, away from Caroline.

  “If you two could help Grandmother to the parlor, and maybe get her a cup of lavender tea, that would be even better,” she said quietly. “I don’t think she’s even had lunch yet, and it’s almost dinner time. She’s probably starving. We were out getting her hair done when all this happened…in broad daylight. I can’t stand this, and I feel helpless. Who would torment her this way?”

  “I don’t know what to think,” Savanna said. She wondered how Caroline’s blood pressure was, with all of this. “Dr. Gallager mentioned he might stop by…has he yet?”

  Lauren shook her head. “He came late yesterday to take off her heart monitor; the test period was up. Are you thinking I should call him? Maybe he should check her out.”

  Savanna shrugged. She was disappointed she’d missed Aidan. After that phone call with Rob yesterday, she’d just been too out of sorts to do much else other than wash the disgusting smell off Fonzie and head home for dinner with Sydney. She’d hoped they’d cross paths today. “I was just thinking of her blood pressure. I know he mentioned something about it before, so maybe he should know about what happened today.”

  “You’re right. I’ll run upstairs and grab her electric blood pressure cuff. We can check it first, and I’ll call and update him either way.”

  “Good idea.” She hated to admit it, but part of her had hoped Lauren would just call Aidan. She knew it probably wasn’t necessary, and checking Caroline’s readings themselves made more sense. No need to make her doctor come out here unless they had to.

  Helping Caroline navigate to the parlor with her bulky plastic boot, now Savanna and Skylar saw the result of the break-in. While the kitchen was relatively untouched, aside from a few drawers standing open, the roll-top desk at the entrance to the parlor was smashed. The thin wooden slats of the cover were strewn all over the floor, and the compartments had been rifled through.

  While Lauren put the blood pressure cuff on Caroline’s arm and waited for the machine to do its thing, Savanna threw together a sandwich and hot lavender tea, carrying them on a tray into the parlor.

  Lauren straightened up, wrapping the electric cuff up and storing it back in the case. “Grandmother’s blood pressure is fine, probably better than mine—122/70.”

  Caroline said, “You see? I’m fine. I still have my wits about me, and my heart is good. I’m not a helpless old lady quite yet.”

  Lauren leaned down and hugged her. “I know, Grandmother. I know. I only want you to be safe. That’s what we all want.”

  Savanna left Skylar sitting with Caroline and followed Lauren down the hallway to the front entry way and staircase. “What was taken?” Savanna asked. She could see beyond Lauren into the living room, noting the broken glass on the windowsill and floor by the piano. The piano bench was turned over, its contents of sheet music spilled out.

  “The television in the living room is gone…and Grandmother’s Victrola, which she’s really upset about. I guess she’s had that since she was young. Upstairs, they went through her dresser drawers and took some jewelry she kept there. I’m not sure yet what else.”

  “Wow,” Savanna breathed. “This is just crazy. I mean, I know I’d mentioned my worry about Amber, but this seems beyond anything she’d be capable of.”

  “I agree. And I can’t fight Grandmother on the household decisions she makes. It was probably a waste of time, your dad coming over and changing all her locks.”

  Savanna’s thoughts were spinning. “Has Bill Lyle been back over here at all since her accident?”

  Lauren shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. Not while I’ve been here. Why?”

  “I’m not sure if it’s even worth mentioning. I guess there had been some kind of property dispute in the past between the Lyles and your grandparents.”

  “Oh yeah, that. I think that’s long over. Maggie checks in on Grandmother all the time. She calls me any time she doesn’t see the shades go up in the morning.” Then understanding overtook Lauren’s features. “You aren’t thinking the railing was anything other than an accident.” She made it a statement rather than a question.

  Savanna put her hands up, “I don’t know any more. I wondered, when I heard about the easement issue. But then, I know they’ve been neighbors forever. It was probably just an accident.”

  Lauren was frowning. “I think so. And as for the other handyman who was taking care of the leak in the basement, we found him in the church newspaper. I can’t imagine he’d have anything to do with this.”

  “What about her art dealer?” Savanna was mentally clicking through everyone who had the lock code.

  “Mr. Thiebold? He’s been here dozens of times—even more when Grandfather was alive. He’s their friend. I know, I’m doing it too, going through everyone who has access. But that also includes family. Me, my dad, my sisters, Jack…and you and your sisters too. Do you really think someone who knows Grandmother could do this?” Lauren made a sweeping motion to accentuate her point.

  Savanna shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “I’ve got to help my dad clean up,” Lauren said, heading toward the stairs. “One of us will be staying here with her for a day or two, to make sure she’s safe.”

  Savanna headed back toward the parlor, but then made an impulsive left at the kitchen. She just had to check on the Minkovs; she couldn’t help it. Lauren hadn’t listed any of Caroline’s artwork among the items stolen, but perhaps she wouldn’t have missed them yet. Savanna went through the butler’s pantry to the dining room, recalling using the semi-concealed passage way as a kid to her advantage in hide and seek. Emerging through the other swinging door into the dining room, she was immediately relieved to spot the Minkov hanging in its usual spot above the buffet.

  She moved through the dining room, taking care to stay quiet, and poked her head around the corner into the library. The large Minkov was also present and accounted for. She couldn’t very well march into Caroline’s office to take inventory of the Rothmans there, but if the Minkovs were untouched, then the rest of the collection must be too.

  Savanna slinked back to the parlor. Today would, unfortunately, not be the day she and Skylar dove into the provenances with Caroline. The poor woman had already been through enough. But she had to get a handle on whether she was right about the small Minkov being a forgery, and soon, before anything else happened in this house.

  She saw that Skylar had found a way to take Caroline’s mind off the events of the day; she’d set up a folding table between them and had rummaged the old chess set from somewhere. The opposing troops faced off against each other on the board. Skylar glanced up, catching Savanna watching them. Caroline was deliberating her next move.

  Savanna stood in the doorway, deliberating hers.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Savanna paused outside the teacher’s lounge Thursday morning. It was still early, and the hallway was empty. She looked down at her empty coffee mug. “I could come back after the bell,” she murmured to herself. The excited speculation was awful after a
ny kind of town drama, and the town matriarch’s house being broken into and ransacked was definitely drama.

  She pushed through the door into the teacher’s lounge. The principal, Mr. Clay, sat alone at one of the tables, and two of the fifth-grade teachers chatted on the bench by the window. Savanna said her hellos and moved to the coffee maker. When she’d gotten her refill, Mr. Clay motioned her over to his table.

  “I was hoping to catch you or Jack. I wanted to ask you about something.” The older man leaned forward, speaking quietly. She guessed him to be in his sixties. Today he was dressed in a blue argyle sweater vest and white shirt, his navy blazer draped over the back of his chair. Savanna joined him, setting her coffee cup down.

  “Tell me if I’m overstepping, please,” he said. “You’ve been painting a mural for Caroline Carson, haven’t you?”

  “Yes, I have.”

  “My nephew Marty mentioned it. He’s handling her basement issues, sealants, new plumbing, and the like. Mrs. Carson’s son Thomas is a friend of my nephew. They attend the same church.”

  “Right, I did know there was some work being done in the basement…she’s renovating a few things for—uh—just things in need of repair.” Savanna had no idea who was on the party guest list. Lauren and her sisters were handling all of that.

  “My nephew told me there were police cars in the driveway the other day. Marty went over to finish the last of the pipework, but he didn’t go inside after seeing that. Is Mrs. Carson all right?”

  Savanna kept her voice quiet like Mr. Clay’s. “She’s okay. Someone broke in while she was out. She isn’t hurt, and her family is still figuring out what was taken.”

  Mr. Clay shook his head. “That poor woman.” He sat back, sipping his coffee.

  “I know,” Savanna agreed. “Are you close to her?”

  “No, not really. Though we will be at the party, my wife and I. She’s quite admirable, isn’t she? Mrs. Carson deserves to celebrate her ninetieth. I’m sure she hasn’t had an easy time of it, after losing Everett.”

  “She’s been through a lot. But she’s pretty resilient.”

  “Well.” Mr. Clay stood, taking his coffee cup and pushing his chair in. “Let her know we’re thinking of her, would you? We’re looking forward to the party. A lot of the town is. Carson is what it is because of Caroline Carson and her family. I hope she knows that.” He smiled.

  “I’ll tell her you said so,” Savanna said. “I think she needs to hear it right now, with all she’s been through. Thank you, Mr. Clay.”

  “You’re quite welcome, Ms. Shepherd. Oh, and I’m hearing delightful things about your classroom, by the way.”

  Glowing with Mr. Clay’s praise, Savanna sat at the table and waited a little longer in the teacher’s lounge. The first bell would ring in twelve minutes. She had some prep work to do, but her first set of students, Mrs. Condor’s third grade class, wouldn’t arrive until nine. She’d hoped to run into Jack Carson this morning, to ask him if he’d heard anything else yesterday about the break-in. By the time she and Skylar had left Tuesday night, Lauren and her father had been joined by her sister Rebecca and Jack, all acting as clean-up crew, and Jack hadn’t been at work yesterday. He was probably still pitching in at the house.

  Three minutes before the bell, with the teacher’s lounge emptied out, Savanna refilled her coffee and went to start her day. Maybe she’d catch him later.

  She stood outside the library, waiting, at the end of her first hour. Mrs. Condor’s third grade class went straight from Art to Computers on Wednesdays. Jack was always here, standing in the doorway to greet them when Savanna ushered them over. Today, the library was dark and locked.

  “Ms. Shepherd, should we go back to our class?”

  Savanna smiled at Calvin. “No, not quite yet. Let me see if I can track down Mr. Carson.” She pulled her phone out and scrolled through, looking for his number to send him a text. He’d given it to her after Caroline had been in the hospital, in case she had any need to reach a family member in the future. She didn’t love the idea of going to the office to let them know Jack wasn’t where he was supposed to be.

  I have your 3rd graders ready for you. Is everything okay?

  She hit send and watched her phone, waiting. What if something had happened to Caroline? Was that why he was absent yesterday? And late today?

  “I can go get Mr. Clay,” another student spoke up.

  Savanna spotted her next class on their way down the hall. The teacher, Tricia Williams, headed up the line of first graders. Mollie’s class.

  Savanna’s phone buzzed in her hand:

  Walking in now, so sorry.

  She addressed the class, the kids milling around and getting antsy now. “Children.” Savanna put a hand up. “Volume, please. Mr. Carson will be just a moment.” Tricia passed her, giving her a questioning look. “I’ll be right there, Mrs. Williams, thank you.” Tricia could wait with the first graders an extra minute, she was sure.

  At the end of Tricia’s students’ line, Mollie gave Savanna a little wave, and Savanna waved back. She spotted Jack coming down the hallway behind the girl. Thank goodness.

  “Hello, hello.” Jack approached and unlocked the library door. “Everyone in, let’s go.” He met Savanna’s eyes as the third graders filed through the door between them.

  “Ms. Shepherd?” Tricia stood in Savanna’s classroom doorway, staring at both Savanna and Jack. “Shall I get them started?” The teacher’s voice dripped with irritation.

  “No, thank you,” Savanna said sweetly. “I’ve got it.” As she stepped into her own classroom, she saw Jack make a hasty exit into the library before he had to deal with Tricia’s scathing look any longer.

  Jack found Savanna later while she ate lunch at her desk. She’d brought a sandwich with her today and was fine-tuning details on the computer for two upcoming projects her classes would be working on. She looked up, mouth full of slightly soggy B.L.T., to find Jack hovering in the doorway.

  She motioned him in, chewing and swallowing quickly. “Sit, how are you? Can I offer you half a substandard B.L.T.?”

  Jack pulled up a chair and sat across from her at her desk. “I owe you an apology. I had a meeting this morning and I underestimated how long it would be…and how long the drive back to town would take.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Savanna said. “I was just concerned that something else had happened with your grandmother.”

  “Not that I know of. She seemed fine yesterday. We got most of the house put back together.”

  “Did you have far to drive from your meeting this morning?” Savanna was thinking of Skylar’s early morning commute every Thursday. Her sister always complained about the traffic in Lansing.

  Jack looked surprised.

  “Oh! Well, that was rude, wasn’t it? I guess that was a little personal, I’m sorry,” Savanna said. “I just meant, it sounds like you had a very busy morning before you even got to work.”

  “I did, yes.”

  Savanna waited, thinking he’d say something more about it, but he didn’t. He was dressed differently, she noticed. His daily khakis and button-down were now replaced with a nice suit and tie. His hair was even different: no flyaways or sticking-up pieces. “Well,” she said to fill the awkward silence, “I appreciate your apology, but it’s not necessary. I’m glad to hear Caroline is all right. What an awful scene to come home to. It’s lucky that she was out getting her hair done when it happened. Your grandmother is one tough lady.”

  Jack stood. “That’s for sure. She mentioned you’ll be back this afternoon to paint? Are you going right after school?”

  “Yes, actually, I brought a change of clothes with me,” Savanna said. And my Firefly, she thought. She’d packed a bag with her USB microscope, laptop, and painter’s clothes…she was prepared. Even if her art background was making her overly suspicious
about something funny going on with the Minkov in Caroline’s dining room, it wouldn’t hurt to check it out. She was still kicking herself for not looking into that odd spot in the corner of the Laurant before Thiebold’s assistant had packed it up and taken it. She wasn’t going to miss her chance a second time.

  Normally Savanna would have run home to grab Fonzie, but Sydney had offered to drop him off. She was meeting Brad on the beach beyond Caroline’s house for a picnic dinner and marshmallow roast later tonight.

  “Great, that’s great,” Jack said. A little bell jingled; a notification on his phone. He pulled it from his pocket, checking it. The phone rang while he held it and he instantly silenced it, looking from the screen back to Savanna. “I’ll let you get back to your lunch.” He got up and walked away, the picture of distraction as he typed something into his phone.

  Savanna stared at the doorway after he’d left. Every time she thought she had a handle on who Jack Carson was, he turned that notion on its head. She sighed, taking a bite of the remaining half of her sandwich and turning back toward her computer. Her fifth graders would be here in ten minutes. She needed to wolf down the rest of her lunch and run to the copy room.

  Jack reappeared just after the last bell. “Savanna.”

  She gave a start. Her back was to the doorway, and she was hanging still-damp projects from the last class on a long clothesline strung a few inches out from the wall. “Hi again.” She smiled at Jack.

  “I wonder if I could convince you to take my after-school pick up duty today?” He looked desperate as he held the orange-and-yellow apron out to her.

  Savanna groaned inwardly. She’d wanted to get the rest of the projects hung and skedaddle out of there. She still had so much work to finish up at Caroline’s. “Sure.” She crossed the room and took the apron from him.

  “Thank you! I owe you one. Just ask, anytime. I’ll return the favor, I promise.” He turned to leave.