The Package

by Sharon Dunn

  Frieda waggled the skein of yarn in the air. “I’m going to be adventurous and try my luck with knitting.”

  “Frieda does beautiful needlepoint,” Viola added.

  “Oh really? I always wanted to learn needlepoint.” Erin chatted animatedly with the two women.

  Annie rose to her feet. Mackenzie and Joan were sorting through fabric samples.

  Annie held up a dainty blue floral print. “Have you ladies come to some kind of decision?”

  “We’re going to do a baby quilt and have squares with my cross-stitch on it,” said Mackenzie.

  The evening lasted for another two hours. Erin conversed with each of the Seaside crafters, moving around the room with ease. She wasn’t staring at the floor at all, and she smiled more. She looked more comfortable than any of the other girls.

  Annie shook her head. “You just never know.”

  As the event drew to a close, the Hook and Needle Club group said goodbye and drifted away until only Annie, Alice, and Taylor remained. The Seaside residents cleared away the remainder of the refreshments.

  After answering a phone call, Katrina excused herself to deal with some minor emergency, promising to return.

  Alice helped Annie put the supplies back in the boxes.

  “Taylor, do you have a ride home?” Alice set her purse on a table.

  “I’m supposed to call my mom. We were so busy. Guess I just forgot.”

  “I can give you a ride.” Alice straightened and massaged the small of her back. “If that would be OK.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “You seem kind of quiet tonight. Did everything go OK with the project planning?”

  “Yes, I am going to work with Estelle.” Taylor held up a picture in one of the pattern books. “We’re going to crochet a hat, booties, blanket, and jacket.”

  “I’m glad to hear you connected with someone,” Alice said.

  “I think all the ladies wanted to work with Erin.” Taylor shoved her hands in her pockets and kicked at the floor. “She really hit it off with all of them.”

  Alice picked up a box and headed toward the open door. “She did seem to be having a good time.”

  Taylor also grabbed a box and followed Alice through the door.

  Annie loaded both boxes in the back of her car. When she stood up, Taylor was staring at the ground. “Is everything all right?”

  “You really didn’t seem like yourself tonight,” Alice added.

  Taylor shrugged.

  “Is it something that happened here?” Annie cupped a hand on Taylor’s shoulder. It was almost as if Erin and Taylor had traded personalities.

  Taylor crossed her arms and stared at the night sky. “No, I had a good time.”

  Annie studied the teen’s face. “We’re just used to seeing you be more lively. What happened, Taylor? What is going on?”

  Taylor let out a breath. “At school today, I found out that I am eligible to go on this trip to D.C. Because of an essay I wrote, I am a finalist in a contest.”

  “Taylor, that is wonderful,” Alice gushed.

  “The trip helps you make connections at a college down there. They pay for your expenses while you are there, but you have to come up with airfare. I don’t even want to ask my mom. I know we don’t have the money to send me, and there isn’t enough time to do fundraising.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Alice’s voice broke. “If I had a million dollars, I would give it to you.”

  Taylor waved her hand in the air. “I’ll get over not being able to go. It’s just that I get good grades. I want to go to college, but I don’t know how I would pay for it. Mom and Dad barely have money for food.”

  “I am learning that these things have a way of working themselves out, Taylor,” Annie said as they walked back toward the dining room.

  Alice offered the teen a hug. “Come on, kiddo, I’ll take you home. Maybe we can stop for ice cream on the way. I parked out front. See you, Annie.”

  Annie picked up the final box to take out to the car, listening to the echo of the two women’s footsteps on the linoleum floor.

  Katrina came back into the dining room. “I can finish up the last little bit of cleanup. You have done enough already.”

  After giving Katrina a goodbye hug, Annie made her way across the parking lot and set one more box in the back seat. Annie turned, studying the dark, empty lot.

  She clicked open her door and sat behind the steering wheel. Tomorrow she would talk to the owner of the Maplehurst Inn. Maybe she would get some answers that would bring this whole thing to a close. She sighed. When she had decided to do the right thing and get the stock back to its owner, she had no idea what she was signing up for.

  13

  Wally and Douglas showed up the next morning while Annie was getting ready for her brunch at the inn.

  The two men stood on her porch, backlit by the early morning sun.

  “Sorry to show up unannounced, Annie” Wally ran his hands through his hair. “But we have a couple of hours before we have to be back at that job across town.”

  “I thought I would test the electrical current in the library before we finish the plastering,” Douglas added.

  “I can fit some of those shelves,” Wally said. “Got the scrollwork all drawn on the oak board. Just have to get it cut out. We’ll set up on your patio, if that’s all right?”

  “Sure, that would work.” Annie wrapped her hands around the mug of coffee she’d prepared. “I won’t be here for long. I have another commitment.”

  “That’s all right. Like I said, we just have a couple of hours before I need to get across town. We’ll lock up when we leave.”

  As unobtrusive as Wally had been, she was so looking forward to the day this construction job would be done.

  After telling the men to help themselves to coffee, she straightened the upstairs and then wiped down the counters in the kitchen. She stared out the window at the flagstone patio. Wally had created a worktable out of sawhorses and plywood so Douglas could use a jigsaw to cut out the scroll work that would be placed on the front of the bookshelves.

  The sight of the tulips pushing their way through the earth cheered Annie. The azaleas would be blooming soon too. Gram had planted so many perennials. Yet another legacy Betsy had left behind. Summer would be here soon enough. That made the notion of returning to Texas less appealing. True, she was weary of all that had happened because of the stock certificates, but she couldn’t picture herself anywhere but in Stony Point for the summer. She rinsed a dish in the sink, enjoying the feel of the warm water.

  When she looked out the window, she saw Douglas pushing buttons and shaking the jigsaw. Then he ran his hands over the wood on the worktable and scratched his head.

  Wally poked his head in the kitchen. “Doug says all the electrical is shipshape in the library, and the shelves are a perfect fit.”

  “That’s good to hear.” Annie looked back out at Douglas, now struggling to put sandpaper on a sander. “How much carpentry experience does Douglas have? He looks a little lost.”

  Wally came to the window. “Douglas is a great electrician. He came to me looking for work at just the right time. I kept him on because I think the guy could use the money. He’s pretty teachable.”

  Annie nodded. “As long as you feel he is being a help.”

  “Oh, he is. The job across town involved a huge amount of rewiring, way more than your library and beyond my expertise. Douglas was a great help.”

  “I have to get going. Please make sure everything is locked up when you leave.”

  “You got it, Annie”

  Once she was in her car, Annie dug through her purse to find the napkin Ian had written the inn owner’s name on. Today she was meeting Linda Hunter. She studied Ian’s precise lettering. He’d written the information with such care. Without knowing why, she folded the napkin carefully and placed it in the zippered pocket of her purse for safekeeping.

  Annie arrived at Maplehurst Inn with
Friday brunch in full swing. The walls of the room had maple wainscoting and framed black-and-white historical photographs of various buildings around Stony Point. Huge west-side windows looked out on a stand of trees with rocks and benches strategically placed. Most of the tables were already occupied. Stella, Gwen, and Alice ushered her over to the table in the center of the room.

  “The buffet is to die for,” said Alice as she pulled a chair out for Annie.

  Annie spotted Ian across the room, though he seemed engrossed in a conversation with two men in suits. She glanced around, trying to guess at who Linda Hunter was.

  “Do you guys know what the owner looks like?”

  Alice and Gwen shook their heads.

  “She has dark hair.” Stella craned her neck around. “I don’t see her.”

  Alice said, “Well, let’s eat. The crowd should thin out soon enough. We might as well enjoy the good food.” Annie chose from a selection of quiches, hash browns, sweet rolls, breakfast meats, and fresh fruit.

  The women chatted about Thursday night and the plan to have the older women come to the Wednesday afternoon teen class.

  Annie noticed a woman in a black satin jacket approach Ian’s table. The woman’s dark brown hair was twisted up into a bun secured with chopsticks.

  Ian spoke to the woman and then pointed in Annie’s direction.

  “That must be her,” said Annie, tilting her head in the direction of Ian’s table.

  “Yes, that’s Linda.” Stella dabbed a napkin on either side of her mouth.

  The woman made her way toward them, stopping at several tables to chat.

  Annie’s heart fluttered a little as she glanced around the room.

  The woman arrived at their table. “As if you haven’t guessed by now, I’m Linda Hunter.”

  Annie gestured toward an empty chair beside her. “Do you have time to talk?”

  Linda took the seat. “Ian tells me you are trying to track down a woman who stayed here years ago. I’ve only recently become the owner, but I managed the place for years.”

  “Yes, what can you tell us about Joan Whitlock?”

  Linda glanced at the other women at the table.

  “It’s OK; these ladies are my friends.” Annie introduced them.

  Linda picked up a fork and twirled it mindlessly. “Like I said to Ian, I racked my brain trying to remember some details about Joan Whitlock. I’ve been here for a long time, and the guests start to run together in my head.”

  “I can understand that.” Annie leaned a little closer to Linda, pushing down the fear that she wouldn’t garner any meaningful information.

  Linda placed the fork on the table and raised her index finger. “However, Joan stayed for such a long time, it’s a little easier to remember some things. She was such a nice woman.”

  “Did she see anyone while she was here?” Alice stabbed a strawberry with a fork.

  Linda shook her head. “Her daughter came and stayed with her for part of the time.”

  “Her daughter?” Annie tried to process what Linda had just told her.

  “I’m sorry I don’t remember the daughter’s name. It was mostly Joan that I visited with. The daughter was very pretty like her mom, and she was pregnant.”

  Annie’s breath caught in her throat. “Pregnant?”

  “That is something,” said Alice, resting her elbows on the table and leaning forward.

  Annie swallowed. This was indeed a surprise. “Her pregnant daughter was with her?” She shook her head.

  “Just for part of the time. First Joan came, and then the daughter showed up about a week later.”

  “How far along was she?” Gwen asked.

  “The daughter was a petite little thing. It’s hard to tell with women like that. I would guess the third trimester,” Linda said.

  “Did Joan say why she was in town? Had she come to visit Betsy Holden?”

  Linda shook her head. “She mentioned going to visit Betsy, but I never got the impression that was why she was here.”

  At least that confirmed one of Annie’s theories.

  “How old was the daughter?” Gwen placed her fork on the table. “Was she a teenager?”

  “No, older. I’d say she was at least in her early twenties.” Linda patted her hair at the temple. “Why is this so important?”

  Annie explained about finding the stock certificates in the attic, her search for the owner, and her belief that Joan Whitlock was the woman she was looking for.

  Linda looked up toward the kitchen entrance. “Oops. My chef is signaling me.” She rose to her feet. “She never said anything about buying stock certificates. I really didn’t talk to her that much, and when we did talk, it was about shopping and needlecraft. I wish I could help you more.”

  “Actually, you have helped quite a bit already.” A pregnant woman traveling that close to the time she was going to give birth seemed odd. Both Joan and her daughter must have had a compelling reason to come to Stony Point.

  Linda pushed her chair back under the table. “One more thing I could do is look through some old photographs. It will take a while to dig them out, but I used to take pictures of the dining hall from time to time when it was full. Joan might have been in one of the pictures. I would know her when I saw her.”

  Alice sat her fork down on the table. “A picture would be really helpful.”

  Linda made her way across the crowded dining room toward a panicked-looking man in a white apron standing by a swinging door.

  “I would say that was a step in the right direction. We know a little more about Joan than we did before.” Gwen adjusted her half-glasses so she could read the check the waitress had just set on the table.

  Annie mulled over the new information. “I just wish I could figure out why they were staying in Stony Point. That might be the key to everything.”

  “Maybe she came here to have her baby,” Stella mused. “And maybe she was going to give her baby up—” Stella folded her napkin and laid it precisely on the table.

  Gwen shook her head. “People go to Portland to do that sort of thing.”

  “That’s true,” said Stella, fingering the brooch on her jacket.

  “If it was a problem pregnancy, Stony Point Hospital doesn’t have any special facilities,” said Alice. “They would have gone to Portland for that too.”

  Annie nodded. “So the reason they were in town was not connected with the baby the daughter was going to have. It’s risky to travel that late in a pregnancy anyway.”

  “I bet her daughter was the Therese Marie Gilkerson that the stock certificates were intended for.” Alice pushed the last bite of a pancake around on her plate to soak it in maple syrup. “Can we safely assume that?”

  Annie’s thoughts jumbled together. The more she talked, the more uncertain she became. “But she was here with her daughter. Why hide the stock certificates? Why not just give them to her? That editor I talked to in New Hampshire said Joan acted like she was trying to wipe out her identity.”

  “You mean like she was trying to run away?” Gwen suggested.

  “Or trying not to be found, afraid of something or someone.” Even as she spoke, Annie could feel her frustration rising.

  “Or,” Alice raised a finger, “she did something illegal and was trying to hide.”

  “We have no way of knowing the answers to any of these questions until we find her,” Annie said.

  Gwen gasped and put her fingers to her mouth. “What if this Joan person lives right here in Stony Point, but she has changed her name and is afraid to come forward?” Her voice took on a conspiratorial tone.

  “There might be a Joan among us.” Alice slammed her palms on the table, leaned forward and narrowed her eyes at Stella. “Stella, are you or have you ever been a Joan?”

  “Oh, stop.” Stella fluttered her hand in front of her face and laughed.

  Annie appreciated Alice’s effort to lighten the mood, but this new information was perplexing. Had she passed Joan i
n the street and not even known it? If Joan had a reason to disappear, that would explain why she hadn’t come back for the certificates.

  “Ladies, it is a beautiful day out there,” Alice piped up. “I don’t want to waste it by staying inside.”

  Gwen tossed her napkin on the table. “I agree. After all this rain, a day of sunshine should be enjoyed. Let’s go for a walk down to the shore.”

  “That sounds like fun,” said Annie.

  “I’m afraid I will have to bow out. Jason is picking me up in a few minutes.” Stella pushed her chair back. “I’ve got some preparations to do for the quartet. Lily is going to be my special guest for the performance.”

  “You two have really hit it off.” Alice dug in her purse and pulled out two dollars, which she set on the table for a tip. The other women did the same.

  “She’s a sweet girl.” Stella nodded as she gathered up her clutch purse and placed her tortoiseshell sunglasses on her face. The older woman walked regally out of the dining hall, head slightly tilted toward the ceiling.

  Gwen, Alice, and Annie left the inn and strolled down Maple Street, turning on Grand Avenue. The beach and Butler’s Lighthouse came into view. Though it wasn’t yet warm enough to put their feet in the water, they took off their shoes so they could feel the sand between their toes. A boy flying a kite shaped like a bird was running along the shore. A man jogging with a dog at his heels passed them by. The women settled down to watch the boats on the water. Several sailboats stayed in the harbor, while the larger fishing boats headed out to sea. The boats moved languidly across the smooth water.

  Annie pushed her toes deep into the sand. She enjoyed the feel of the breeze tousling her hair and caressing her face, but any sense of calm was elusive. The more she learned about Joan and the stock certificates, the more anxious she became. When she had found the stocks, she’d pictured a happy ending reuniting the valuable stock with its grateful owner. But now she couldn’t help but think that she was about to uncover some long-buried secret that she didn’t want to discover.

  14

  By Wednesday morning, Annie felt a renewed sense of anticipation. Today the Seaside women would be coming to the teen meeting. But this time her excitement didn’t come with any butterflies. Everything was going smoothly. While the projects were being completed, she could shift her focus to pulling together the presentation ceremony at the Stony Point Hospital. Alice had already started to set things up with her client who worked at the hospital.