Home for the Holidays

by Hope Callaghan

  She busied herself with the final chores around the house to get ready for her houseguests. She put clean sheets on the bed in guest bedroom downstairs and then made her way upstairs to the other two bedrooms.

  She rarely used the upstairs bedrooms. In fact, the last time she remembered anyone staying upstairs was a couple years back when her sons had last visited. If she were honest with herself, Gloria had to admit it was too much house for one person, but the thought of parting with it was depressing.

  Her grandsons were still too young to inherit the farm but the years were flying by and soon enough they would finish college. She wondered if they would want the farm then. What if they married and their wives had no interest in living in the small Town of Belhaven?

  Gloria frowned at the thought. God had the perfect family for the farm. She needed to be patient.

  Where would she, and hopefully Paul, live after the farms passed to the next generation? She remembered how her sister, Liz, had enjoyed living in a retirement community. They had oodles of activities like golf, tennis and even bridge. None of those interested Gloria in the least.

  If she moved away, she would be leaving behind her friends. There was always the chance she wouldn’t have to worry about it and she would be long gone before the farm was ready to pass to the next generation.

  Gloria had threatened to move to Florida. Maybe it was time to give it some serious consideration. It would be nice to escape the cold, snowy months. Perhaps Paul and she could split their time between Michigan and a warmer clime.

  Gloria finished making the beds, tidying the rooms and then headed back downstairs. She hadn’t talked to her sister, Liz, in weeks and decided now would be the perfect time to give her a call.

  She left Liz a message on her voice mail and started making lunch. She thawed a container of leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, pulled two slices of wheat bread from the bread bag, smeared a thick layer of mayonnaise on the bread and placed the sandwich on a paper plate.

  Gloria grabbed a bag of chips from the pantry and settled in at the table. Mally and Puddles eyed her sandwich hungrily. Gloria reached inside the sandwich and pulled out a piece of turkey. She fed a smaller piece to Puddles and a larger piece to Mally.

  Gloria bowed her head. “Dear Lord, thank You for this food. Thank You for my family who will be here soon. I pray they arrive safely and the weather holds. I also ask that You help me figure out what is going on with Paul so he can come home. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”

  Gloria lifted her head and stared out the kitchen window. Mitzi’s party was only a couple days away. She was only a couple days away from coming face-to-face, or at least being in the same room with the person, or persons, who had turned her life upside down.

  She reached inside her purse and pulled out the list of guests Mitzi had given her. Gloria slipped her reading glasses on and studied the names. Beside each of the names, Mitzi, or someone, had meticulously jotted down a brief description – hair and eye color and whom they were.

  The list included the Grand Rapids’ city mayor, Green Springs’ mayor and several city commissioners, including Cal Evergreen.

  Also on the list were local news anchors and the names of some attorneys, whose commercials she remembered watching on TV.

  At the bottom of the main guest list were two smaller lists. One appeared to be Mitzi’s own security detail and the other, a list of police officers who would be on hand.

  Gloria didn’t recognize any of the names on Mitzi’s list, other than Chad Stetson, the young man Andrea and she had met the other day.

  She pulled the sheet closer and peered at the officer’s names. Stan Woszinski and Jason Endres. She didn’t recognize the other names. At the bottom of the list was Diane Stone!

  Gloria’s lip twitched. Diane Stone, the female officer who had been after Paul. This would be her chance to come face-to-face with the woman who had been after her man!

  Gloria saw this list as an advantage. She would get to keep an eye on them and all the while, they would have no idea who she was. Other than possibly Stan Woszinski whom she had met when she had attended Captain Davies’ backyard barbeque last summer.

  Gloria’s home phone rang and pulled her from her deep thoughts. She scrambled out of the chair and darted over to the phone. It was her sister, Liz.

  “Happy Holidays,” Liz exclaimed breezily. “Let me guess. You’re already sick of the nasty cold snow and are planning a visit.”

  Gloria walked over to the kitchen window and stared out at the snow. “Not yet but maybe after the holidays.”

  “How are the wedding plans going?” Liz asked.

  Gloria frowned. She hadn’t told Liz or even her children the wedding might be…delayed.

  “Fine,” she said vaguely and then quickly changed the subject. “The boys and families will be here in a couple days. I hope the weather holds until they at least make it here.”

  “Eric and Casey will be here tomorrow,” Liz explained. “They are staying through New Year’s.” Eric was Gloria’s nephew and Liz’s only child. Casey was his soon-to-be-wife.

  “How is Frances?” Gloria asked. Frances, Liz’s best friend, had also moved to Florida.

  “She’s fine.” Liz sighed dramatically. “She has a new boyfriend. Teddy something.”

  Gloria hoped Frances wasn’t as obsessed with this “Teddy” as she had been with Milt. “Is she as crazy about Teddy as she was poor Milt?”

  Liz snorted. “Heavens, no! In fact, it’s the other way around. Teddy follows Frances around like a puppy.”

  Gloria found it hard to believe. Of course, anything was possible. “Well, I wanted to tell you Merry Christmas if I don’t talk to you before then.”

  “Merry Christmas, to you,” Liz replied. “And don’t forget to email pictures of the wedding.”

  Liz had offered to fly to Michigan for the wedding, but with her son coming for a visit and not wanting to leave Frances alone, she decided it was best to stay put.

  Gloria had promised her sister that Paul and she would visit as soon as the holidays were over and the dust settled.

  The girls had planned a cruise for February. The cruise was a trip the girls had been planning for over a year now. They would be cruising with Gloria’s cousin, Millie, who worked on a luxury liner. Gloria was excited to see her cousin and to take her first ever voyage on the high seas!

  Gloria and her sister chatted for a few more minutes and then Liz told her she had to go. Gloria thought she heard a male voice in the background but didn’t get a chance to ask Liz who the voice belonged to.

  After she hung up, Gloria tossed her empty paper plate in the trash along with the napkin and headed back to the computer to finish her research on Mitzi Verona. She added Captain Davies to the list.

  Her radar had gone up earlier during their visit. Gloria was convinced there was something Captain Davies wasn’t telling her.

  Chapter 15

  Gloria placed the list of attendees face down on her small scanner / copy machine and then emailed a copy of the list to each of the girls.

  Lucy was the first to call. “Wow! This is a list of the “Who’s Who” in West Michigan, huh?”

  “Yeah. There are some pretty powerful and public people on this list.”

  “People perfect for bribing,” Lucy pointed out.

  Gloria had the exact same thought. What if whoever was behind the extortion planned to expand their list of poor unsuspecting victims? The party would be the perfect opportunity.

  “I’m nervous,” Lucy admitted.

  “I’m not.” Gloria was on a mission…a mission to figure out who was responsible for ruining her wedding plans. Not only that, but there was a black cloud over the much-anticipated visit from her children and a damper had been placed on Christmas. It wasn’t fair!

  The sooner they could figure out who was blackmailing Mitzi and the commissioner, the sooner Gloria could put the pieces of her life back together.

  ***


  Gloria shifted to the left and studied her reflection in the mirror. The party dress fit her to a “T.” It would be the perfect dress to wear on the upcoming cruise with her friends. Maybe – someday – she would have a chance to show it to Paul.

  Gloria pushed the thought aside. Paul was safe. He still loved her. The more she thought about it, the more she believed he was working undercover. He wasn’t a suspect at all. At least that’s what she had convinced herself…it was the only thing that made sense.

  Gloria slipped her arms into the black bolero jacket and tugged on the bottom to smooth it out.

  She glanced down at her scalloped edge, crystal encrusted pumps – her wedding shoes. She had fallen in love with them at first sight. They matched her wedding dress perfectly. They also matched the party dress.

  She pointed her toe and tipped her foot. The heel was higher than what she normally wore, but they – along with the dress – made her feel like a princess.

  Gloria reached for her brand-new sparkly clutch purse with the small, gold strap and strolled over to the kitchen door.

  The girls had agreed to meet at 4:00 p.m. at Andrea’s place to go over the details for the party. Gloria planned to place each of them throughout Mitzi’s country manor. They had each thoroughly studied the list of guests and had even spent time online pulling up photographs and information on not only the suspects, but also the high profile guests who might be targets.

  Ruth had been very mysterious and evasive about her spy equipment strategy, but Gloria wasn’t worried. So far, Ruth had been 100% spot on with her spy equipment. Gloria was certain tonight would be no different.

  Mitzi had been wonderful, giving Gloria and her friends’ full access to the party planning, the list, the schedule of events, even the food.

  Gloria pulled in Andrea’s drive and parked off to the side. She was the last to arrive. Dot, Margaret, Lucy and Ruth were already there.

  She stepped out of the car, reached across the seat, grabbed the canister that contained the poster board she had been working on and gingerly made her way to the front door. She lifted her hand to knock and the door swung open.

  “Oh, Miss Gloria!” It was Alice, Andrea’s former housekeeper. She clapped her hands. “You look beyoo-tiful!” she exclaimed.

  Gloria hugged Alice. “Thank you, Alice,” she said.

  “You smell nice, too,” she added before changing the subject. “The girls. They are in the kitchen.”

  Gloria followed Alice across the foyer, through the dining room, past the butler’s pantry and into the kitchen.

  The girls were dressed to the nines and admiring each other’s sparkling dresses and gowns. Gloria joined the fray.

  “Let me take a picture,” Alice exclaimed. “In the living room in front of the fireplace.” She motioned the girls across the hall, through the library and into the living room.

  The girls shuffled into position with the taller girls, Andrea, Dot and Gloria in the back and Lucy, Margaret and Ruth in the front.

  Alice angled the girls in different directions. When she determined she had the perfect pose, she snapped several pictures with Andrea’s phone. The rest of the girls insisted on pictures as well, and Alice made sure she had all the pictures taken before letting them move.

  They wandered back into the kitchen where Gloria plucked the poster from the canister and spread it out on the counter. In the center of the large white sheet was a diagram - the layout of the main level of Mitzi’s country estate.

  Gloria had also sketched in the horse barns, the drive, and the pool area and had drawn a large black “X” where the mailbox was located.

  She had spent the entire night before, wide-awake in bed, shuffling the girls around Sunshine Estates like a chess player.

  She stationed Ruth near the front of the home, close to the front yard in case she needed to keep an eye on her surveillance equipment.

  Dot would hang out in the kitchen, an area she was most familiar with.

  Lucy, the weapons expert, would keep an eye on the security while Andrea would stick close to the guests Gloria deemed most likely to be a targets of the extortionist, such as the mayor, wealthy business owners, etc.

  Margaret would monitor Mitzi and Gloria would make her rounds.

  The plan was perfect and Gloria hoped it would go off without a hitch.

  Chapter 16

  Ruth pulled her van off the main road and slowly made her way down the winding drive and up to the main house.

  Several catering vans crowded the drive, their doors flung wide open. A beehive of workers darted back and forth from the vans to the house.

  Parked next to the catering vans was another van. This one belonged to a local flower shop. The girls watched as workers carried enormous bouquets of fresh flowers indoors.

  The girls followed Gloria single file into the house. Gloria heard Mitzi before she saw her. “Lordy! You can’t leave it there. It has to go here! Ugh! If you want something done right, you have got to do it yourself.”

  Gloria rounded the corner and caught a glimpse of Mitzi tugging on a large, ornate floral arrangement. It was almost as tall as she was.

  The deliveryman refused to let go and shook his head. “No. Miss Mitzi. Remember last time we placed the pièce de résistance on this table and a pint-size ruffian plowed it over?” The man tsk-tsked. “Such a mess.”

  Mitzi tugged back, unwilling to lose the battle. “The little monster, uh…angel, won’t be here tonight, Pierre! I think we are safe.”

  She went on. “I will pay you double for the arrangement if you let me put it where I want,” she bargained.

  Pierre happy with the proposition, released his hold on the round, red drum trimmed in gold. Bursting out of the drum was a plethora of red roses, pale blue lilies and white cushion pompoms. Framing the outer edge were bright red carnations. Frilly striped ribbon bows and delicate glass glittering bulbs completed the magnificent arrangement.

  Mitzi carefully carried it to the large round marble table in the center of the massive gathering room and slid it to the middle. She stood back to admire the arrangement she had designed.

  Gloria made her way over to the table. “It’s extraordinary.”

  Mitzi turned, as if surprised to see Gloria. “Thanks, Gloria. I designed it myself.” She shifted sideways to look at Gloria and her eyes widened. “Well lookie here. You clean up nicely.” She smiled wickedly, tilted her head to the side and kissed the air next to Gloria’s face.

  Now that Mitzi wasn’t hidden by the enormous arrangement, Gloria got a good look at her. She was stunning in a hip-hugging, form-fitting shimmery black cocktail dress. A thick, gold braided necklace complimented the dress and Gloria would almost guarantee the necklace was the real deal.

  “Ahem.”

  Gloria had almost forgotten about the rest of the girls, who circled ‘round. Gloria quickly introduced them one-by-one, except for Andrea, whom Mitzi had met previously.

  Mitzi shook each of their hands. “Wonderful,” she gushed. “Thank you so much for helping me.” She looked at Gloria. “Us - out.”

  “Thank you for inviting us.” Ruth, never one to mince words blurted out. “You got quite the crib here.”

  Mitzi laughed. “Crib?” She looked around, as if seeing it for the first time. “Yes. I guess I do.” She glanced at each of the women. “Do any of you ride horses? You should come by sometime and we can ride.”

  Lucy clasped her hands to her chest. “I would love to!” she gushed.

  Gloria took a step back. No way was she getting on a horse. It seemed the others were taking a pass, too. Lucy, as usual, was ecstatic about the prospect.

  One of the caterers approached Mitzi. “We have a small…uh, problem.”

  “I’ll be back.” Mitzi followed the caterer and the two of them disappeared inside the kitchen.

  Gloria glanced at her watch. The countdown had begun. They had less than half an hour before the first guests started arriving. It was time to get a la
y of the land and Mitzi had told them they had free reign to look around.

  Since they were in the foyer, the girls headed up the grand staircase to the second floor where there was a hall to the left, a hall to the right and a hall straight ahead.

  Gloria veered to the right and the girls went from room to room inspecting each one. It was an entire wing of bedrooms. Some had adjoining baths while others had Jack and Jill baths.

  When they finished the right wing, they headed to the left. There were three more bedrooms, all with their own private bath. At the end of the hall was a double set of doors. Gloria reached for the handle and stopped. What if this was Mitzi’s private suite?

  Mitzi had given Gloria the green light to tour the entire house. Gloria twisted the knob and pushed the door wide open.

  She gasped at her first glimpse of the room. The room was huge! It wasn’t Mitzi’s private quarters. It was a movie theater. A large center aisle led to the front. Covering the front wall was an enormous projection screen. On both sides of the aisle were several rows of plush, padded theater seats. There was easily room for close to a hundred guests.

  Near the back and in the corner was a concession stand, complete with an enormous popcorn machine, soda fountain and snack bar.

  Margaret made a beeline for the snack bar. She ran her hand along the smooth, granite top. “Wow! Check this out!”

  The palatial theater made Margaret’s movie room look like a lemonade stand on a street corner.

  “I still like yours better,” Gloria said. This one was bigger and fancier, but it didn’t make it better. Without friends, it was just another room.

  The others agreed. It was nice, but perhaps a tad over the top…

  They stepped back into the hall and wandered to the landing. The only wing they hadn’t explored was the one straight ahead.

  Gloria took the lead and the girls followed behind. She had a hunch this was Mitzi’s private quarters. There were two small doors…one on the right and one on the left.

  Andrea opened the door on the right. It was a linen closet. The one on the left was the same.