MYSTERY: BRITISH MYSTERY: Missing Hearts (Amateur Sleuth Suspense Thriller) (Cozy Crime Detective Short Stories)

by S. Y. Robins

  They sat for a while drinking the tea then set to work clearing the van Tom had borrowed to move the furniture, then taking all of Clara’s shopping upstairs to the room. Several hours later the furniture was assembled, the items from the bags either put away or set to go into the washing machine, and the room that she’d had no immediate plans for was suddenly a nursery.

  “Wow. I can’t believe it. It actually looks like a nursery,” Clara exclaimed.

  “It’s a right lovely room for such a special girl.” Tom said with a satisfied smile as he looked around the room.

  “It is. And I’ll be sure to get the furniture back to you as soon as it’s no longer needed.” Clara’s smile faltered the thought of the little girl no longer being here making her sad. “What will happen to the mother if she’s found? Isn’t it a crime to abandon a baby?”

  “Usually yes, it depends on the circumstances. She can face imprisonment and other punishments. I just won’t know for sure until we find her.” Tom said.

  “I see. Well, thank you for all of your help, Tom. You’ve been extraordinary.” Clara said, feeling awkward in the moment.

  “Not a problem. Now, if you’ll excuse me I’ll let you rest up and prepare for what’s coming tomorrow. I’ll get home and see if Greg has anything prepared for dinner.”

  “Oh, I never even thought about food, I am sorry. Who’s Greg?” She asked curiously.

  “Greg’s my life-partner. He had nothing to do with my marriage ending but, yes, that’s the reason I’m no longer married to my daughter’s mother.” Tom blurted out, as if to ward off questions he’d answered a thousand times.

  “It sounds like you had some difficult decisions to make, but you sound as though Greg makes you happy. That’s wonderful.” Clara said, almost relieved that she could put her momentary infatuation behind her now. Tom was unavailable. She could certainly use a friend though.

  “Why don’t you and Greg stop by one day next week? I’ll make dinner and you can meet baby Selena properly then?” She asked.

  “That sounds great; I’ll ask Greg about it. He’s very interested in what happens with her and eager to meet you. Well, good night, Clara. I wish you the best of luck tomorrow with the home inspection and bringing baby Selena home. If you need anything just give me a ring, alright?”

  “Thank you, Tom, for everything. Have a wonderful evening.” Clara responded, giving Tom a hug before he left.

  Clara walked back up to the nursery after setting a load of clothes to wash, and looked around the room again. Her mother was not going to believe any of this. Picking up her phone from the changing table Tom brought over she went to her room to finally make the last call of her day. Her mother was going to have a million questions and she’d put off the long conversation long enough.

  * * *

  The next morning Ms. Rogers, the social worker came with a surprise, baby Selena was brought to the home inspection! Clara held her new foster daughter as she escorted Ms. Rogers through the house and allowed the woman to roam as she pleased. Ms. Rogers looked at the nursery, surprised at how well-equipped it was on such short notice, and turned to Clara with a smile.

  “Everything seems to be in order, I just have one final question, who is going to care for the child when you’re at work or need time away from her?” The social worker asked Clara.

  “My mother is coming down this evening on the train. She’s taking the other spare bedroom. She insisted on coming to help. Most of the time Selena will be with me, however. I have the room at the shop to accommodate what she’ll need there and I’d rather have her with me where I can keep an eye on her.” Clara replied.

  “That’s suitable. I just need you to fill out a few more forms and Selena will be placed with you as her foster mother.”

  The social worker had given the forms to Clara who filled them out quickly, and then the woman left with good wishes and assurances that the numbers on her card all worked. Clara was given everything she needed to legally care for Selena and assured that she would be given help, training, and anything else she needed to care for Selena. Baby Selena had a home now and Clara stared down at her new foster daughter with amazement.

  “I don’t know how long you’re going to be with me, little one, but while you are you are going to be so very loved! Very, very loved!” Clara promised the baby nursing from a bottle.

  Clara gazed down at the baby’s wrist noting the bracelet there once more. Clara felt that the bracelet might be another clue but wasn’t sure what that clue was. Taking some snaps of it she thought she’d post the pictures to her social media, see if that brought any information to her. She didn’t want to get rid of baby Selena but she did want to know who the girl’s biological mother was.

  * * *

  “So has loverman been in since Selena came to stay?” Bianca asked Clara a week later. She and Christine had come in after closing time, the practice quickly becoming a part of their routine after Selena’s arrival.

  “No, I haven’t and stop calling him that. And you can forget about hooking me up with Constable Goins as well, he’s not that way persuaded.” Clara said with a smile.

  “Really?” Christine asked. “I’d never have guessed it.”

  “Really. And the man that comes in to buy the women’s shoes buys them in a variety of sizes so you can stop wondering if he’s a crossdresser or anything like that. I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. He is so handsome!” Clara exclaimed. She’d had an interest in Constable Goins but the man that came in several times a month to buy shoes had held her interest for a long time.

  Tall with black hair speckled with grey, a very tanned complexion, and incredibly vivid grey eyes the man was old-fashioned handsome and Clara thought of him in old-fashioned terms. Debonair, sophisticated, and charming, the man had a deep voice that made Clara shiver. But no men, she reminded herself, no romantic assignations for the moment. Not until something was settled with Selena anyway.

  Looking over at the baby girl happily resting on Christine’s shoulder Clara couldn’t believe how much her world had changed since Selena came. No more shopping sprees, unless it was for something Selena might need, and no more dating. But she had sweet cuddles with the baby, long nights of sleeping only to wake to make sure Selena was still breathing in the bassinet by her bed, days of watching the tiny human miracle sleep and start to gurgle as she learned she had hands and feet. For now Selena spent a lot of time asleep and so far she’d been no trouble at all. Of course, Clara had a lot of support and help but Selena was just always so calm and placid that she was no trouble.

  Clara’s mother came in the back door of the shop, calling out for her daughter.

  “We’re in here, Mum.” Clara called back to Agnes Morgan.

  “I do declare, Clara, what is it with the steam next door. Someone should do something about that nuisance!” Her mother came into the shop brushing at her clothes as though she’d been sprayed with a water cannon and not walked through a little steam.

  “I don’t know why, Mother. Do you want Selena?” Clara asked.

  “Of course I want that precious baby! How are you today, young lady, are you Nanny’s little precious one, are you? Yes you are!” Agnes cooed and Selena waved a tiny fist, responding to the loving voice.

  “I nearly forgot,” Bianca chimed up. “Do you remember that girl that kept coming in but never bought anything? She’d sit in the café next door with the same cup of coffee for a while, then come over and sift through the shop, never making a purchase? I remember you talking about her. She always had a huge coat on and you were worried she was after nicking something. Do you think she could have been Selena’s mother?”

  “I don’t know, she was very young. But yes, that coat was odd for that time of year, far too heavy for the weather. I’ll have to look at some of the footage, see if there’s a clear image of her.” Clara said, pulling up the security footage from her laptop. “I think that was around July, beginning of August, wasn’t i
t?”

  “Yes, I believe so. It was just after I broke up with Shane, so it had to be around that time.” Bianca replied.

  Pulling up the files from that period Clara started to sift through the footage. “You know this could take hours, ladies. Mum why don’t you take Selena home and I’ll meet you there in an hour or so?” Clara said as she watched her screen, scrolling through each day in a matter of seconds with the program controls.

  Christine chimed in as she walked to the door “I’ll head home and see how my little monkey is doing with my mum. If you need me, buzz me.”

  Agnes gathered up Selena’s things and left Bianca and Clara staring at the screen of Clara’s laptop. They were at the end of August before they spotted the girl.

  “That’s her!” Bianca said excitedly.

  “Yes, it is. Let’s see if we can zoom in.” Clara adjusted the settings and hit print when the camera captured the girls face.

  “We still don’t know if she’s the mother but it’s a start, I suppose.” Clara said, looking down at the page the printer spit out under the counter.

  “I think you should fax that over to Constable Goins and let him know why you’ve sent it. He can do more with it than we can.”

  “I suppose you’re right. I just feel so useless right now. Selena needs me but she needs her mother as well. I know the letter said the girl was in some kind of danger but this simply doesn’t make any sense, any of it. And if this girl is Selena’s mother then how could she afford that bracelet for the baby? Something just isn’t right here.” Clara said, wondering if she’d got herself into a dangerous situation. She wouldn’t give Selena up for the world but she needed to know if she should prepare for something dangerous. She used an online fax provider and typed up a cover sheet before faxing the picture over to Tom, then looked over at her friend.

  “Good thinking, my dear. I might never have remembered the girl if you hadn’t said anything. Thank you.”

  “No problem, duckie. Now, if you don’t need me I have a date later I want to prepare for. Buzz me if you need me.” Bianca said with a quick hug and a kiss. Always rushing around that one, Clara thought.

  3

  Nothing came of the picture over the next month and Clara grew more attached to baby Selena. The little girl was staying awake longer now, growing quickly, and had already gone up a nappy size. Selena’s doctor was happy with her growth and the care Clara was giving to her. November was nearly at an end and Clara was wondering if Selena was still going to be with her for Christmas. Clara had begun the process with social services to adopt little Selena but it was a slow process and she wanted some assurances before she went through the process of ‘baby’s first Christmas’.

  Clara knew from her research that the parents of the child usually disappeared, never to be heard from again. If the girl in the picture was Selena’s mother Clara suspected the young girl simply didn’t want to raise a child yet. Bianca and Christine had warned her she might be jumping the gun by starting the adoption proceedings but Clara had come to think of Selena as her gift, as her responsibility. Besides, the mother had written in her note that she wanted Clara to take Selena in. Clara knew Selena’s mother wasn’t going to come back, not after this long. She might one day, though, and Clara did try to keep that in mind but that warred with her instinct to protect Selena from an uncertain future with her mother. What happened if she grew scared and dumped her again? Not if Clara could help it, she thought to herself.

  Determined to try one more time to find something that would reveal the identity of the young girl that Clara thought was Selena’s mother Clara opened up her laptop while the shop was quiet and started scrolling through the video security footage one more time. This time she started with the date after the girl came into the store. She was certain the girl had come in once more after that visit.

  After 45 minutes of scrolling Clara found her. She let the video play normally and watched as the girl roamed the shop, touching leather boots and silk covered stilettos almost reverently. No, the girl hadn’t come in to steal; she was just daydreaming about the things she wanted. Clara watched as the girl roamed around the store and came to a shelf where Clara put promotional materials and contest boxes. Clara’s eyes widened as the girl looked over her shoulder then took one of the cards and started to fill it out, dropping it in the box before quickly walking out. Clara knew she’d had a contest that month, the winner getting their choice of footwear from Clara’s stock. And she’d kept the cards for promotional materials she was planning to send out!

  Running quickly to her office Clara dug out the cards from a box where she’d filed them and started tossing the cards out on her counter when she went back into the shop. Quickly flipping through a stack of cards she found the one she thought was a possibility. Digging through the rest she saw that all of the other applicants were women well over 30 years old. Clara had specifically asked for an age requirement not only to ensure the contest was legal but to find out demographics on her customers. In this instance it was the clue that told her which of the contestants was the girl that had filled out the card.

  Clara wasn’t a snob, she didn’t look down on people but she did cater to a certain income level. Her footwear was not cheap, the lowest price of any item she had in the store was still more than a week’s wages at minimum wage. This tended to keep out the young ones from middle class or poverty stricken families and tended to bring an older clientele to her doors. It was only logical then that the only 17 year old girl to enter the contest was the same girl that Clara had been looking for.

  Looking at the card Clara saw that the girl’s name was Champagne, which made her groan out loud in derision. Poor girl what a ridiculous name to stick her with! Her address was in one of the poorer parts of the city, one that Clara wasn’t sure she should go to alone, but looking over at little Selena, she knew she had to find out for sure.

  Picking up her keys she was on her way to shutting her front door when “Loverman” as Bianca and Christine called him, walked through the door, setting the bell at the top to chiming. Stepping back behind the counter she smiled pleasantly at the customer thinking she was going to be able to get her mother that new transmission with what the man was about to spend, if his spending habit remained the same as usual. Money wasn’t tight but her bank balance had taken a dramatic hit with Selena in the picture. Not that she would complain, it was just nice to know she’d be able to repair her mother’s car and still be able to give Selena and her mother a nice Christmas. If Selena was still with her, that is.

  Just then Selena started to cry, her dummy having fallen out of her mouth as she snoozed.

  “Oh, what’s this?” The man asked, bringing several pair of boots and heels to the counter. Not the cheapest ones she had either. Clara hid her shock at how much money she’d just made and put Selena’s dummy back in her mouth.

  “This is Selena, my daughter.” Clara said, still getting used to the term. She looked over at the man with a smile and saw his confusion, though he was too polite to ask.

  “My foster daughter, she’s just over a month old now. Her name is Selena.” Clara provided.

  “Ah, and how very good of you. She’s quite the little charmer, even asleep, isn’t she?” The man asked. Clara knew his name was Charles from his bank card but never used it, thinking it was impolite to do that to customers.

  “Yes, yes she is. She’s charmed her little way right into my heart. Will this be all for you?” Clara asked, stacking the boxes into a bag as she scanned them.

  “Yes, that’s all for this week, anyway. I may be in again next week. It’s a busy time for me though. We’ll see. That is a lovely bracelet she has on, by the way, where is it from? My niece would love one of those for her daughter.”

  “I’m not sure actually, her mother left it with her. That’s a long story. You reminded me I meant to search for that information. Thank you, I’d forgotten about that.”

  “Not a problem and hopefully you’l
l find out soon. I’d really love to get one myself.” The man smiled pleasantly at Clara and bid her goodnight. Clara locked the door behind him, lowered the lights, and sat down to look up one more thing before taking Selena home for the evening.

  Unclasping the bracelet she put it on the counter, took out a magnifying glass, and looked at the only part big enough to hold any writing. A heart charm connected to the bracelet that was still tiny and looped around the claw-like clasp. The heart had the initials TMJ ‘95’ on it and the clasp had the tiny inscription ‘Dorset’ written on it. Typing the meaningless numbers and word into the search bar Clara looked through the results. One result was a news item from several months back. The story of a robbery.

  Clicking on the result and scrolling through, Clara saw the bracelet baby Selena was now wearing and read the story of a house robbery that had occurred at the beginning of the year. A very well-off family wanted their daughter’s baby bracelet and their jewellery returned and was willing to pay a very hefty reward for the items’ return.

  Looking down at baby Selena in her playpen Clara’s earlier feeling of danger and foreboding increased. Definitely time to give Tom a call, she thought.

  * * *

  “Normally Clara I wouldn’t ask this of anyone but I’m trying to keep this young woman out of prison so I’m going to ask for your help.” Tom asked later after everyone had their dinner. Tom and Greg had started coming by once a week, spending time with Clara, Agnes, and Selena. They enjoyed Clara’s quirky take on recipes and loved spending time with the ladies so the visits had become a standing event now.

  Clara and Tom were in the back garden, Tom using his once a day cigarette habit as an excuse to speak with Clara alone. “What do you need, Tom?”

  “I’d like you to go to the girl’s home and see what you can find out from her. I’d suggest taking Selena but that may be dangerous. I really don’t want to see her arrested, I’d like to see her put on the right path so we need to get in contact with her first then let me step in. She’ll likely respond to you better than she would to me as well.” Tom said, gazing out at the setting sun beyond the hills behind Clara’s home.