The Westport Mysteries Boxed Set

by Beth Prentice

  “Oh, for Goodness sake,” said Andrew walking over and picking up Harper, who was yelping quite loudly by now. Handing him to Molly he put his hand on Harper’s man business and started to rub. Up and down, up and down. Is that how you get it back in, I wondered.

  “I think it needs some lubrication,” said Danny.

  “Put some spit on it,” suggested Grandma. We all stopped and looked at her.

  “Maybe some Vaseline would be better,” suggested Andrew.

  Mum ran to the bathroom and came back with the Vaseline. Opening the bottle, Andrew put some on his fingers and worked his magic on Harper. It did the trick. Harper stopped yelping and Molly instantly started crying. Andrew just walked to the bathroom to wash his hands.

  “It looks like he’s had some practice at that,” said Grandma.

  We all looked at Danny, who was now bright red.

  * * * *

  Monday morning arrived before I knew it. My holidays were officially over. The weather seemed to feel the same way as I did—overcast and dull. Today was my official first day back at work and I decided I should dress for the occasion. If I was working in the city, I would have had to wear a business suit to work every day, which consisted of straight fitting knee length skirt, business blouse and short, fitted jacket—all very professional-like. I had put a lot of thought into what I was going to be wearing now I was working from home. The right outfit might make me feel more motivated to actually do some work. With this in mind, I decided my very best sweat pants and sparkly pink T-shirt were the right garments for the occasion. Start as you mean to proceed is my motto.

  Sitting at my new desk, I looked around the room and gave a deep, contented sigh. Even though I had to work in here, this office was my favorite room in the house. Not just because it’s finished, but I loved the little dormer window that looked out over the yard and down the street, and I loved the slanted ceiling. It had a really safe, cozy feel. It was so lovely sitting here in my comfy chair, with the breeze blowing in through the window, Cat—sorry Mister—curled up asleep on the window seat and my beautiful lavender candle burning. It was all very relaxing. I could almost have a nap.

  After about an hour of thinking about everything but work—and maybe a five minute cat nap—I decided that working from home might not be a good idea. Maybe I should pop downstairs and grab a cup of coffee. That would get me going.

  Walking down the first flight of stairs, I saw Riley in the bathroom. He’d started pulling the old toilet and vanity out. Looks like I’d be doing the midnight dash upstairs for a while.

  “Do you want a cup of coffee?” I asked. He looked up from what he was doing and smiled.

  “Sounds great. I’ll be down in a minute.”

  Pouring two cups of coffee, I sat at the kitchen table and waited for Riley to join me.

  “I’ve been thinking maybe we should pay a visit to the cemetery and put some flowers on Avis’s grave,” I said when he walked in. He sat opposite me and picked his cup.

  “Okay, sounds like a good idea. Do you want to go today or are you too busy working?” He grinned. He knew not much had been happening up there.

  “Smart Ass.” I smiled. “Whenever you’re free. I assume you want to come as well.”

  “I just want to fit off all the plumbing and then I can take a break. How about after lunch?”

  * * * *

  After lunch we made the fifteen-minute drive to the only cemetery in town. It was very old and was divided into two sections—the old gravesites and the new. The old graves had lots of big stone headstones and monuments, a lot of which were crumbling with age. Some of the richer people even had crypts, which even though I respect each to their own, I found a bit creepy. Actually I found them a lot creepy. Riley was close and it was broad daylight, so I figured I would be safe from any ghosts today.

  The new section of the cemetery was more like a garden, with lots of grass. Many of the gravesites had small stones, about the size of a house brick, stating who they belonged to, and all were numbered. We’d been given the site number from administration, so we walked over to where Avis lay, being very careful where we walked. She had no headstone, no flowers, nothing to mark she was there. Just a number.

  It was so quiet. Even though a major road ran right past, it was almost as if the entrance gates protected everyone in here from the noise of the outside world. A few people walked around, heads bowed in respect. One family stood together with their arms around each other for support. An elderly lady and a woman I assumed was her daughter placed flowers on another grave. I noticed a lone man walking closer, his head tucked low under his hat, the collar on his jacket lifted up against the wind. I was overwhelmed by sadness. Bending down, I placed the flowers we had brought on the grass.

  “Hi Avis. I know you don’t know me, but I bought your house.” I looked at Riley. He probably thought I was crazy talking to the ground, but then he thinks I’m crazy anyway. “Riley and I found some old letters of yours and a ring. We’ve been trying to find out who the ring belonged to before you. We thought it was important someone who cared about you should have it.” I stood up. The lone man had stopped at a grave two down from us and knelt down, seemingly praying. I looked at Riley.

  “Maybe we should say a prayer for Avis,” I suggested. He shrugged, but stepped up beside me.

  “Dear Lord, please look after Avis in Heaven and make sure she has a lovely place to sit. I hope one day she’ll be with Will. I don’t know if he’s there yet, we’re trying to find out, but if he is then I hope they are together. Amen.” I could see Riley smile next to me.

  “Oh, and Avis,” I said, trying my hardest to sniff discreetly, “Mister has moved in with me. Well I suppose technically, I moved in with him, but either way, he seems happy.”

  Wiping the tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand, I felt Riley put his arm around my waist and pull me closer. This place was so sad. I couldn’t help it. Turning, I put my face to his chest and allowed the tears to flow freely. I don’t know who I was crying for. Maybe some tears were for Avis, dying alone, without the one person who truly loved her, and maybe some were for me. I was lucky to have a wonderful family, but I still felt a loneliness that could only be filled by true love.

  If anything, our journey to find Will had made me realize what I was missing in my life. Riley held me tight against him, both arms around me and I felt so protected, I never wanted to move. In fact, I would melt into his skin if I could. But nevertheless, it was time to pull myself together and grow up. Be grateful for what you have, Lizzie, I kept telling myself.

  Pulling myself away, I looked in my handbag and found some tissues.

  “I’m sorry I lost it there,” I sniffed.

  “That’s okay. I understand. Have you lost someone you loved?” he asked.

  “Only my Grandpa, but he died 30 years ago.” I saw the amusement in Riley’s eyes.

  “Do you mind if we make another stop before we leave? I want to visit my Grandpop,” Riley asked, all amusement disappearing.

  “Really? Why didn’t you say earlier? I would have bought some more flowers.”

  Following Riley, I walked to the opposite side of the grassed area. The weather seemed to be getting worse, with the wind picking up even more and the clouds looking like they were about to burst. Riley didn’t need to look for numbers here. He knew exactly where he was going. Stopping in front of a grave with many flowers on it and a small granite headstone, I read:

  George Joseph Thomas

  5th January 1925 – 13th April 2010

  Loved and missed by everyone

  “Heart attack.” Riley looked at me. “I miss him every day, but it’s been especially hard on Gran. She was devastated. They were married for sixty-four years,” Riley said quietly. I saw the cloud darken his eyes. He obviously loved his grandfather as much as he did his gran. I reached over and squeezed his hand.

  “What was he like, your grandfather?” I asked. “I never knew either of mine.”
Riley’s grip on my hand tightened as he smiled at the memories.

  “He was amazing. Totally devoted to Gran. I remember, when I was about fifteen, I had this big fight with Mum and Dad and I ran away to live with Gran and Pop. I only stayed there a week and then Gran talked me into realizing I had a pretty good Mum and that I should go home,” he said fondly. “But I remember my Pop used to leave Gran these messages. Every day, he would leave them somewhere for her to find. They were always little love notes. As a fifteen year old, I thought this was a bit gross. I mean they were really old, you know?” He laughed that wonderful throaty laugh I’d heard a lot of since knowing Riley. “He left them in the strangest places. Sometimes in steam on the bathroom mirror, sometimes in the ashes of the fire. This particular day he had written it in the butter. It just said I Love You. Gran looked so happy when she found it. She told me how lucky she was she had someone in her life who loved her that much, and how much it meant to her that—even after years of marriage—he still took the time to find new ways to tell her.” Riley smiled. “I decided there and then that was the kind of love I wanted in my life one day. When I find it, I will never let it go,” he said so quietly it was almost a whisper. He looked down to me through those beautiful lashes. I could see the vulnerability in his eyes and felt my heart squeeze. The stillness surrounded us and it felt like we were the only people left in the world. He still held my hand and squeezing it tighter, he looked straight into my eyes. I’m sure he could see right into my soul.

  After what felt like an eternity, he whispered, “Do you love him, Lizzie?”

  I felt my heart miss a beat. I didn’t know what to say. Of course I didn’t love Scott. I thought I did, but the last few weeks had proved me wrong. What I wanted to say was No, I think I’m falling in love with you, but I knew I would never have the courage to say that. Before the right words could form in my brain, the Heavens opened and rain poured down. Now I don’t mean just a shower, I mean large, pelting drops that soaked us in a matter of seconds. Squealing, I started to run back towards the car, Riley close behind me. It was then I noticed the lone man, his face still hidden under his hat, standing in the rain near Riley’s truck, watching us run towards him. As we got closer, he turned his back and disappeared into a black sedan.

  * * * *

  On the drive home, neither Riley nor I spoke. I thought if he asked again about Scott, I would tell him the truth. At least, the part about me not loving Scott. But maybe he meant nothing personal by it. It was probably just a simple question about love, not the mammoth event I’d made it out to be. There weren’t any signs of anything special happening between us. In fact, he was just being his normal self. Maybe it was my imagination back there, listening to him tell the story of his Gran and Grandpop and how they loved each other. With the way I’d been feeling at Avis’s grave, it was likely I’d projected the feelings onto Riley I wanted to hear.

  “Did you notice the man standing alone at the Cemetery?” I asked to break the silence. “The one wearing the long black coat?”

  “Do you mean the one who was praying when we were at Avis’s grave?”

  “Yes. He was watching us when we were over at your Pop’s site.”

  Riley stopped at a red light and looked over at me.

  “Did you happen to see where he went?”

  “Yes, I saw him get into a black sedan. No idea what type of car it was though, but it looked similar to one my neighbor has. You know, the one who always parks in really inappropriate places?”

  “Would that be anything like the black sedan that’s been following us since we left the cemetery?” Riley asked.

  “What? Are you kidding?” I looked at him surprised, but as I went to turn to look over my shoulder, Riley reached out and touched my arm.

  “Don’t look back, I don’t want him to know we know he’s there.”

  “Why would anyone be following us?”

  “I don’t know, maybe it’s just a coincidence, but I think I’ll head into town for a while and see if he follows us there.” Driving through town, Riley pulled in at the local Kmart.

  “Let’s go in and see what happens,” Riley suggested, finding a parking spot. “Apart from that it’s afternoon tea time and I’m hungry, so we can get something to eat.”

  How could he be hungry at a time like this? Someone was following us.

  As we parked the car, I had a discreet look to see where the black sedan went. It had followed us into the shopping center car park, but I tried to calm my nerves by telling myself that could just be coincidental. I noticed Riley was a lot more relaxed about this than I was. I’d never been followed before and didn’t know the correct protocol or anything.

  “What should I do?” I asked, feeling a bit panicky.

  “Just act normal.” Riley looked at me and smiled.

  Okay…normal. I could do that.

  “I need to pee,” I said, looking at Riley. Alright, normal wasn’t going to be as easy as I at first thought it would be. Working our way through the shops, I found the toilets but hesitated before I went in.

  “What?” asked Riley.

  “Will you be okay out here on your own?”

  “Yes, I’ll be fine.” I could see him struggling to cover his smile.

  “But what if he sneaks up behind you and hits you with something?” I asked, my eyes darting around everywhere. Personally, I’d had lost sight of the man in the car park. Shows how good I was at this.

  “I’ll be alright. I think we may have lost him in the crowd.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief and walked into the loo.

  Chapter Fourteen

  We decided to grab some lunch and take the ring to the jeweler for a valuation. The jeweler we chose had been around for a long time and was well respected in the community. Mum and Dad had used him for years. I have memories of being here as a child, looking at all the sparkly diamonds, totally awe struck. Not much had changed apparently. I was still mesmerized by the diamonds.

  As we walked in I saw an older man, who I remembered to be the jeweler, Brian Hogan, behind the counter serving a young couple, obviously looking for an engagement ring. Sighing, I took the time to have a good look around. Riley wandered over to the watches, talking to someone on his phone, but I found myself drawn to the rings. Within seconds I was hypnotized.

  “Can I help you?” asked a lady who appeared from a back room. She looked about my mum’s age and was dressed fairly formally with a black skirt and a white blouse buttoned all the way to the neck.

  “Oh, I was just admiring these,” I said with a smile.

  “They are lovely, aren’t they?” She pulled out a tray of rings from the cabinet and placed them in front of me. “Which one appeals to you the most?”

  That was easy. “That one,” I said pointing to the floating two-carat diamond in a solitaire setting.

  Taking it out of its case, she lifted my hand and placed it on my finger.

  Wow. The diamond was huge and the way it sparkled in the light was breathtaking. Something about the lighting in a jeweler shop made diamonds even more alluring. I know I should have said no to her and never tried it on, but hey some things are too hard to resist.

  Riley, of course, picked this moment to walk over to me. “Expensive taste, I see.” He smiled.

  “I’m sure she’s worth it.” The lady smiled at Riley.

  Oh…she thought we were together. Better set her straight. Taking the ring off, I placed it back on the counter as Riley put his arm around my shoulder and smiled at me.

  “Yes, she is.” Turning to face him, I raised my eyebrows and saw the playful glint in his eyes.

  “What we’re really here for,” I said, turning back to the lady and elbowing Riley in the ribs, “is to get a valuation on a ring we have.” Digging into my bag, I pulled out the ring and handed it to her.

  “Oh my, that is beautiful, isn’t it,” she said, picking up her little eyeglass and looking at it through the magnifying lens. “It has our markin
gs on it,” she muttered. Removing the eyeglass she looked at me. “It was made by us. All the jewelry we make, we mark,” she said showing us some tiny markings on the inside of the band. “This is quite old. I personally have never seen it before.” The jeweler behind the counter had finished serving the lovebirds, so she called him over to us. “Brian, these lovely young people would like to get a valuation on this ring.”

  “Yes. Hello, Elizabeth,” he greeted. I was quite surprised he remembered my name. It had been many years since I’d been in this shop. “How is your mum? It’s been quite a long time since I’ve seen her.”

  “Oh, she’s good, thank you, Mr. Hogan. I’m actually quite shocked you remember me.”

  “Well, your mother and grandmother are quite memorable, if you don’t mind me saying,” he chuckled.

  “Not at all. That’s actually a very polite way of saying it.” I grinned back.

  “Now, what do you have here?” He took the ring and looked at it through the jeweler’s glass.

  “It was more than likely made by my father, but then again it could have been my grandfather. It does look quite old. If you give me about an hour I can give it a good clean and have a valuation certificate made up for you,” he said, placing the ring back on the bench.

  “Do you think your father would remember who it was made for?” I asked excitedly.

  “I could ask him, but I’m not sure if he will remember as he has made so many pieces over the years. He’s quite elderly now and his memory isn’t what it used to be. But I have to photograph it for the valuation certificate, so if you like, I can show him the photo and see if he recalls anything,” he offered with a smile.

  “If it’s not too much trouble, that would be fantastic.” I smiled back at him. He reminded me a lot of my dad with his kind eyes and gentle smile. “But don’t worry about a valuation certificate, we only needed an idea of the value. There’s a bit of a story attached to the ring and we’re trying to track down the original owner.” I quickly filled him in on the story so far, hoping that when he spoke to his father someone may recall something useful.