by Holly Quinn
“Didn’t your aunt have a Will? I imagine, with The Yarn Barn, there’s money in her bank account … If only from her shop? I know firsthand the knitting group sure loved to spend their money over there.”
“I haven’t found a will yet. But right now, that’s not important. The family would probably contest it anyway; they’re always fighting over money. Why would they stop now? But they have no interest in her personal belongings. My extended family is only interested in the money. The funeral home is being lenient, they know there’s money in her estate and the bills will eventually get paid. I was hoping you would know who in the community might need some clothes? She has a closet filled to the brim with designer clothing. Even though she was an older woman, she sure had nice taste. I’d like you to donate her clothes, purses, shoes, and any other personal items. You know what? Any of her crafty stuff can go too. Also, if you know anyone who would need furniture? If you can handle those items, I’ll figure out what’s going to happen with her house and her retail store after my operation. The sale of her house should cover the funeral home bills too. Although, I have no idea how much she had in equity. Until I find the will, I might have to petition the court to sell it. For now, one thing at a time.”
“I’m so sorry you’re going through all of this in your condition. How are you feeling?” Sammy wasn’t sure how deep she could dig into the investigation without hurting his feelings. She would have to tread lightly.
“I’m not excited about Doc wanting to put a pin in my leg,” he chuckled. “I’m not looking forward to that at all.” The coach grimaced.
“I can’t even imagine.” Sammy’s face mirrored his expression. Just as she was going to prod deeper, he lifted himself from the lawn chair.
“I’m due for a pain pill. Thanks again, Samantha. For everything.” He leaned forward on the crutches and dug a key out of his khaki pants pocket and handed it to her. “This is my only key to my aunt’s house, don’t lose it, okay? Otherwise, we’re screwed.”
“No problem. I’ll keep it safe.”
“I was going to stop in there today to try and work on organizing some of her things, but I’m just not feeling up to it. Her place is over on Old Lannon Road; number thirty-five. Carter knows where it is if you want to bring him too. He can show you.” He waved a hand toward the teen. “Whatever you can do is a tremendous help to me. Thanks again.”
“Sure, Coach. Can I ask you one last thing before you go?”
“What’s that?” His face twisted in pain as he put his full weight on the crutches.
Sammy took a breath and went for it. “Any idea who hit you?”
“Nope. I have to believe it was an accident. For me to think otherwise sends my mind to places I refuse to go.” His eyes moved from hers to his injured leg.
Sammy nodded. She silently wondered if the coach thought Assistant Dave could be capable of such an act. “Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll take care of as much of Ingrid’s personal belongings as I can. And thank you for your willingness to help someone else in our community who may be in need, with her clothing and other items. That’s very kind and generous of you.” She pushed the key deep into her jeans pocket.
The coach laid his hand on Sammy’s shoulder and gave it a light pat before moving closer to the grill. “Can one of you guys give me a ride home? I can pick up my car later.”
The basketball team’s back-up point guard, Danny, rushed to the coach’s aid. “No problem, Coach. I’m parked the closest. My car is over on First Street. Think you can you make it?”
The coach nodded, and Sammy watched as the two slowly made their way through the crowd of people who now filled the empty parade route. She dug her fingers on the outside of her jeans pocket, feeling the key. Her heart beat fast in her chest. Wait until the S.H.E. girls found out what she had in her pocket. They were about to embark on an investigation of mass proportions. Sammy could hardly wait to tell them. She just might be holding the key to everything.
Chapter Twenty-One
The temperature Sunday afternoon remained unseasonably warm and humid. The spring day had started out scorching, feeling as if they had skipped a season, and headed directly into late summer. Typical Wisconsin. The dense wet air caused a trickle of sweat to drip from the side of Sammy’s face. She wiped it with her bare forearm and looked up to the sky. No doubt a severe thunderstorm warning would come later. With the weather instability and a cold front that was approaching from the northwest, Heartsford would be getting its first tornado warnings of the season too. The conditions were certainly ripe for it. Sammy just hoped they would have enough time to make a dent in the clean out process before the severe storms hit.
After loading flattened boxes from Community Craft into the back of her car, and making sure Deborah had everything she needed to man the store, Sammy closed the trunk and headed to the home of Ingrid Wilson. The three S.H.E.s had decided to meet at the deceased woman’s former home. With three cars, they might have enough space to pack up, box up, and remove the personal items in one visit.
Sammy drove out of the back parking lot behind the store and made a left turn on Sumner Street. She noted people walking their pets along the river walk, kids playing frisbee in the park, and the swing sets at full capacity. As Sammy’s car passed the tennis courts, she observed they too were also occupied. The community was out in full force, attempting to log a few hours outdoors before the harsh weather would prevent it. She was glad they had lucked out this year and had perfect weather for Spring Fling. The day had turned out to be another success for the books. Community Craft had made many sales, even bringing them out of the red and back into the black; eliciting a huge sigh of relief from Sammy. Deborah seemed to be working out too. Hopefully, Sammy would be able to hire her on a permanent basis. Especially when Carter headed off to college next year.
The only nagging feeling that hung in the humid air was when she reflected on the physical attack and verbal warning. Who had done that? The disturbing costume was now seared in her memory. The questions had kept her up most of the night. She replayed over and over the features of the attacker in her mind, and yet, she continued to come up empty. Only because it had happened so fast and taken her completely off guard. Sammy yawned in response to her lack of sleep. A quick look in the rearview mirror revealed what she already knew she would see—dark circles. This time, she didn’t need the detective to point them out. A honk from the car behind her warned her the light had turned green. She flicked on her blinker and headed right onto Old Lannon Road. The winding road snaked through thick pines, yellow forsythia, and blooming lilac. The residential homes were set back far into the impenetrable woods, making it difficult to view the properties from the road. Sammy searched the house markers at the end of each driveway to find number thirty-five. It was then Sammy noticed Heidi’s car ahead and followed her onto a blacktop driveway deep into the woods. The smell of fresh pine permeated the car as she rolled the car window to rid the buzz of a trapped fly, and then a quiet calm ensued. As the two exited their cars, they both admired the Lannon stone Tudor in front of them. A dark-pink explosion of crabapple in full bloom flanked each side of the stately home.
“Lovely place,” Heidi said.
“It’s very peaceful in here. I love the trees.” Sammy popped her trunk and heard a car pull in behind them. Ellie gave a honk, disturbing the quiet aura of the property. Sammy hauled a few collapsed boxes along with a roll of packing tape out of the trunk and handed a couple to Heidi who tucked them under one arm.
As Ellie stepped from the car, she looked up at the grand Tudor and nodded her approval. “Nice. Who knew Ingrid had such good taste?”
“That’s what we said.” Sammy agreed.
Ellie gazed the front yard of the property and added, “I wonder what year this was constructed? The house looks like it’s built of pure Lannon stone. Did you guys know that rock comes from underneath the Great Lakes? It’s where Milwaukee gets the name ‘Cream City.’ Most think it’s f
rom dairy farms, but it’s actually named after this here brick.” She pointed to the stone stacked on the face of the house. “Back in the day, settlers lifted this right off the ground and built thick stone walls with it. Today, it’s just built with veneer, but this certainly looks original.”
“Listen to you, little miss history buff.” Heidi chuckled as she moved toward her cousin and gave her a quick half hug with one arm. She then handed Ellie a few of the boxes.
“No, I give all the credit to my sweet Randy. He learns neat stuff working at the mortgage company. Plus, he’s part of the Heartsford Historical Society. Occasionally, these little tidbits leak out of him.”
Sammy yawned, catching her sister’s attention.
“Am I boring you?”
“No, I’m exhausted. Didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Ellie moved closer to Sammy and then noticed the red and bluish ring around her arm. “What happened to you?”
Heidi pipped up. “She was warned yesterday at the store. Remember when you came in scolding us for missing the parade?” She gestured to Sammy’s arm. “That’s why. See exhibit A.”
“Warned? By whom?” Ellie’s attention bounced between the two and finally landed on Sammy.
“Don’t freak out. It’s actually why you’re here.”
“I thought I was here to help with Ingrid’s things?” Ellie’s tone was that of irritated confusion.
“You are,” Heidi encouraged. “But we need to do a bit of investigating too.”
“Wait a minute. Let me get this straight. Sammy’s now got you into this too?” Ellie pointed a finger toward her cousin. “I thought you were encouraging her to back off the S.H.E.? What changed your mind?” Ellie crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive stance.
Heidi reached over and lifted Sammy’s wrist for show. “That changed my mind. This is getting out of hand, and we need to get to the bottom of it. Hopefully, with our three intelligent heads together, we can figure this thing out! The police are understaffed and overworked. At least that’s what Tim always complains about. We’ve got three smart female brains here. Time to put them to good use.”
Sammy dug deep into her pocket and revealed the key to the house. “Okay, girls, no time like the present.”
They walked up the wide stacked brick path to the arched front door. Sammy set the key in the lock and gave a push on the inside wooden door. The stale smell of unoccupied living space greeted them.
“It smells like Grandma’s attic.” Heidi fanned her hand in front of her face.
“It’s definitely stuffy,” Ellie agreed. “Maybe we should leave the front screen door open and see if we can get some air in here.”
The two dropped the flat compressed boxes to the floor to deal with later.
“Not much air outside I’m afraid, as humid as it is. But you can certainly try.” Sammy removed her multi-colored Sketchers before stepping on the thin planks of the off-set hardwood floor. The arched windows inside the living room and dark crown molding gave the room a feeling of rich sophistication.
“This is a really cute house,” Heidi said. “I wonder how much it’ll sell for?” She flicked on a crystal light that sent an interesting pattern across the ceiling. “Hey guys, check this out.”
The three stood looking at the design of light across the ceiling.
“Can we check out the rest of the house first before we start packing up her stuff?” Heidi’s eyes left the ceiling, and her head craned to examine every nook and cranny of the space.
“Doesn’t it kind of creep you guys out, being in a dead woman’s house?” Ellie’s eyes darted back to the entryway as if she was looking for the ghost of Ingrid Wilson, who might slap her hand if she touched anything.
Sammy crept behind Ellie and yelled “Boo!” Making her sister jump two feet off the ground. And causing Heidi to double over in laughter.
“Not funny,” Ellie slapped her sister on the arm with the back of her hand. “Sooo not funny,” she warned with a pointed finger.
The three stepped through the rounded arched door leading into the formal living room. Hand-knit afghans in varying hues of gray lay across the living room sofa. The formal mauve sofa looked as if it had never been touched. As if it was there merely to display the hand-knit blankets and not to provide a seat.
“This is eerie,” Ellie said as she regarded a half finished knitting project, the blue aluminum needles still attached to the yarn, waiting to be picked up at a moment’s notice.
“I think this house is really charming.” Heidi disregarded Ellie’s comment as she moved to find the kitchen, which in her eyes was equally impressive.
The two sisters heard her gasp, “Ohhh … I love it!”
The kitchen was a timeless remodel with updated stainless steel appliances. The cream-colored cabinets were adorned with simple round black knobs, and an oversized, light quartz-topped island with an added sink took center stage as shiny copper pots hung above it, waiting to prepare the perfect meal.
“I’m going to put in an offer on this place. I think I’ve found my dream house.” Heidi tapped her index finger to her lips. “Can’t you see me cooking up some fine cuisine in here? Yes indeedy. I can almost smell the shrimp scampi.”
“Seriously? You would consider purchasing a dead woman’s house?” Ellie said flabbergasted.
“She didn’t die in here,” Heidi said. “In my line of work, I guess I’m used to disease and death. This place is like a peaceful sanctuary.” She leaned over the copper farm sink to peer out the kitchen window, revealing a wooded backyard that blocked neighbors on all sides. “It’s perfect. Just look at the privacy.”
“Alright, you two. Let’s get on with the tour. We have too much work to do and not a lot of time to do it.” Sammy encouraged them to retreat to the bottom of the stately oak staircase that led to the second floor. The three made their way up the steps, like a train of cars. Up to the oriental runner at the top of the staircase, down the elongated hallway, to where Sammy assumed the master bedroom would be located. She stepped inside a deep room with a stone fireplace that held a dark, ornate canopy bed. The bed was antique, from the French Renaissance period, covered with creamy white linens and perfectly made as if it were ready to hold the queen. The wallpaper behind it was an off-white muted floral design. An attached en suite bathroom held a clawfoot tub.
“Wow. That woman certainly lived large. Look at the size of that bed!” Ellie said. “Did she sleep in it alone? Holy cow, the thing is huge! My whole family could sleep in it, and there would still be room.”
“Yeah, I don’t think Coach has any idea what her stuff is worth. I don’t know if he really wants to donate this furniture or sell it? It’s got to be worth a fortune. I think we’ll just stick to her personal items for now. I’m going to have to talk to him about possibly hosting an estate sale for the big furniture.” Sammy walked over to the large window and flipped the white center shade flanked by lavish creamy drapes which allowed overcast natural light to fill the room. Sammy then moved over to the closet door and shoved it open. “He was right about one thing. Her closet is absolutely stuffed to capacity. My word, she has a lot of stuff. We might be here a while, girls.”
“What about her will? I find it hard to believe she didn’t have one prepared with all these expensive items.” Heidi leaned into the closet and pulled out a posh designer handbag. “Isn’t this a Gucci? I don’t think it’s a knock-off.”
“According to Coach, he has yet to find her will. Apparently, she wasn’t very close to her relatives, there were some contentions over the family money. Maybe she just decided not to care about where her personal belongings went after leaving the planet? I’m hoping we find one though. Maybe, it’ll give us a clue as to why she was murdered.” Sammy began to remove padded silk hangers draped with dresses from the closet and place them on the expansive bed. “Can one of you guys go grab a few of those boxes from downstairs?”
“I’m on it.” Heidi tossed the empty han
dbag onto the bed and then rushed out the bedroom door.
“You don’t find this creepy at all? Going through Ingrid’s things?” Ellie’s face twisted as she fingered the clothing on the bed. “It’s so morbid.”
“Hey, I guess it’s a reminder, we can’t take it with us. We come into the world naked and leave everything behind when we die.”
“Gee, that’s a lovely thought.” Ellie dropped the clothing from her fingers and made an unpleasant face.
“Besides, we’re here to find clues. Stop thinking morbid and start thinking why. Why was Ingrid Wilson murdered? That’s what we’ve been given the opportunity to hopefully discover while we’re here. Yes, we’re here to help Coach, we’re also here to snoop. Please. Feel free to go snoop. You should have brought your S.H.E. hat!”
Ellie rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’m going to check out the other bedrooms to see what big secrets the old woman could have been hiding,” she said as she stepped out of the master bedroom.
“That’s the spirit!” Sammy grinned as she watched her sister take a right turn down the hall.
As Sammy placed clothing atop the expansive bed, a book of matches fell from a jacket pocket. She opened it, revealing it was almost full. Only two matches were missing from the matchbook. After closing the cover, she turned the matchbook over to read Knucklehead Bar and Eatery, a known biker bar that was located a few towns over from Heartsford. To Sammy’s knowledge, Ingrid didn’t smoke or ride a motorcycle. Sammy decided to think on that some more. She tucked the matchbook in the back pocket of her jeans. The idea of the older woman at a biker bar only brought more perplexing questions to her mind.
Heidi entered the room and immediately began taping up the bottom of a box. As soon as she had a box ready for clothing, she turned to Sammy.
