“That’s what I want to hear,” I said, encouraging her.
At this point, Mrs. Cooper needed nothing more from me. She talked for the next half hour on Paige’s kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity. All these attributes were illustrated with anecdotes, some of which dated back to Paige’s childhood. None were relevant to what I wanted. Twice I tried to redirect Mrs. Cooper’s rambling, but she wouldn’t be stopped. I finally gave up and simply nodded at the appropriate spots.
“Usually Paige listened to me,” said Mrs. Cooper, “but on the subject of this party, she was adamant that she would attend.” Mrs. Cooper pointed to the photo of Paige dressed in the cream-colored dress. “I took that picture before she left. I had a bad feeling about that evening from the beginning. She wasn’t the partying type, but she’d made Virgil’s acquaintance at that convenience store where she’d worked. We scraped up the money for a new dress. She fussed over her makeup and hair for hours.”
Mrs. Cooper rubbed her hands and flinched. “I realize that young men these days don’t come to the door for their dates, but to sit out front and honk the horn? He upset me to no end. Paige gave me a kiss and rushed out. I tried to wait up for her, but I fell asleep. I’m not sure what time she got home, but it was well after three in the morning. She slept in the next day. When she finally came out of her room, I knew something was terribly wrong, but she wouldn’t talk.”
Tears came to Mrs. Cooper’s eyes. “When I kept asking her questions, Paige finally admitted there was a problem, but as an adult she would handle it.”
Mrs. Cooper took a piece of the plaid blanket in her gnarled hands. “I left her alone. As the days went on she seemed to be doing better, but I wasn’t. I had a reaction to some new medicine and had to go into the hospital for a couple of weeks. The doctor wanted my progress closely monitored. Paige came to see me, but we didn’t have any private time. I got out of the hospital and our life was almost the same as it had been before she went to that party. Then one day she told me she was changing jobs and going to work at a greenhouse. She worked there for two weeks, then said she was being transferred up north.”
“She used that term, ‘transferred’?”
“Yes. I understand now that wasn’t the case, but that’s what she told me. I didn’t like the idea of her going off, but she was excited. She said that when she got back, she’d have saved money, and we’d move out of this old house into one that was better equipped to handle my disability.”
“So money was the incentive?”
Reluctantly, Mrs. Cooper said, “I suppose, but I keep thinking about that party. She changed after that night.”
“How much time passed between the party and her story about being transferred?”
She thought for a moment. “About two months.”
“Did she give you a date as to when she would return from this other job?”
“No, not before she left, but in her last letter, she said she would be home soon.”
“Would you let me read her letters?”
Mrs. Cooper didn’t hesitate. “Yes. I think they’re important. They’ll give you an insight into Paige’s personality. You’ll be able to see for yourself that she is a thoughtful, loving daughter. She would never go away and not contact me. Never!”
I assumed she’d have to wheel herself into another room to get the letters, but Mrs. Cooper simply reached out a hand and moved aside the newspapers from the tabletop. She picked up a bundle tied with a frayed pink ribbon.
Caressing the top envelope, she said, “I imagine you’d like to take them with you.” She licked her lips and took a shaky breath. “And that will be fine, if you swear I’ll get them back.”
I agreed, took the parcel, and placed it on my lap. “Where does Marnie fit into all of this?” I asked.
Mrs. Cooper’s face crumpled. She bowed her head and cried softly. I started out of my chair to offer her comfort, but she waved me to stay seated. She took a couple of breaths and finally said, “I’m sorry, but I feel responsible. I was desperate for help.” She stopped to swallow a sob. “I called Marnie because she was Paige’s friend.”
“Was Marnie at this party?”
Mrs. Cooper shook her head. “No. She wasn’t acquainted with any of those young people. After Paige disappeared, Marnie tried to talk to this Virgil, but he scared her. He came on to her. Marnie wouldn’t tell me what he said, but I think he was very crude to her.” She mopped the tears from her cheeks. “I just don’t understand why Paige was attracted to him.”
I didn’t say it, but I figured he was the first and only man who’d shown Paige any attention. “What did you hope Marnie could do, taking a job at the greenhouse?”
A spark of anger suddenly shone in Mrs. Cooper’s eyes. She thumped her thighs and said, “I’m so useless. I can’t do anything without help. I try not to ask. I try to be self-sufficient, but I thought Marnie could be my legs and eyes.”
“What was the plan?”
“I’d tried numerous phone calls to the greenhouse, but no one could or would answer my questions. So I knew a direct approach would be senseless. Ordinarily, I don’t resort to subterfuge, but in this case I didn’t hesitate. Marnie was to snoop. She was a smart young woman. I left the details up to her. The last time I saw her was two days before she was killed. She was feeling pressed for time. She would be leaving for college in a few weeks, and she hadn’t discovered anything. Everyone at the greenhouse was friendly and nice. She didn’t feel any hostile ‘vibes,’ as she called them. She especially liked and trusted Dan Parker. Before she left that last time, we decided she should take him into her confidence. Tell him she was looking for information about Paige.”
“She did that. She asked to see the personnel files for the last three years.”
Mrs. Cooper frowned. “Personnel files? Why would she want to see them? She knew everything there was to know about Paige.”
“I think she discovered some facts that made her want to review the other employees’ records.”
Mrs. Cooper stared at the floor and murmured, “I wonder what it was.” She sat quietly for a moment, then turned a direct gaze on me. “You said you’re a friend of Dan Parker, so I’m assuming you trust him. If we discount him as a suspect, then who else knew Marnie asked for those files?”
My smile was grim. “Mrs. Cooper, never think that you are useless. That’s an excellent question, and I intend to find the answer.”
Chapter Thirteen
The facts were piling up. At the core of the case were three women who’d worked at Parker Greenhouse, but had left after two weeks. Money was involved. Was it from a payoff? And for what?
All this thinking and traveling had made me hungry. I pulled into a fast-food restaurant. I knew I’d made a bad choice, but I hadn’t eaten all day. I ordered a roast beef sandwich with horseradish sauce, but I skipped the French fries. No sense going completely off my diet. I wolfed down the sandwich as I drove across town. I wanted to buzz on out to the greenhouse, but I couldn’t in good conscience do that until I’d dropped by the flower shop. I knew I was in trouble when Lew greeted me with a glare.
“Well, look who’s here,” he said sarcastically. “It’s our phantom employer. Have you dropped in to design and depart like you did earlier?”
I ignored him. “The windows look wonderful. Thanks for putting in a temporary display, Lois. The fall colors were a good choice. We’ll skip another back-to-school theme.”
She didn’t say a word, but kept poking yellow and white daisies into the bouquet she was designing.
Hoping to elicit a response, I directed a question to her. “Is everything okay?”
Lois lifted a shoulder. Her answer was delivered in a cool tone. “It’s been a day of complaints. Mrs. Gamble called. She wants to know what she can do to keep her neighbor’s dog from peeing on her tropical hibiscus.”
“Mothballs,” I said.
“That’s what I suggested. About an hour ago, Irene Putney called. Her dozen r
oses didn’t last but a day.”
“A day? That’s strange. A flower doesn’t die that quickly. I wonder what happened.”
“I asked and found out the old gal put about fifteen aspirins in the water. It seems a garden club member told her that aspirins would make the roses last longer.”
Annoyed, I said, “Maybe one, but never fifteen. What did you tell her?”
“That roses rarely get migraines.”
I chuckled. “Cute.”
Lois didn’t crack a smile. “Irene didn’t think so. I had Lew take her another bouquet as part of your good-business policy, but I told her she’d have to do a program for her gardening club on drug abuse among flowers.”
“And?”
Lois made a face. “She agreed if I’d help her come up with more fallacies. At the moment nothing comes to mind.”
I offered, “I’ll help you do some research.”
Lois gave me a hard look. “Are you sure you have the time?”
I dropped my gaze to the bouquet of daisies. It was lopsided, which told me more than her tone. Lois’s bouquets were always symmetrical. I was in deep do-do, and it was time to make amends. There was only one alternative. I had to involve my employees in the investigation.
Dragging out a stepstool, I sat down and leaned my elbows on the worktable. “I need help,” I said. “You’ve both been my sounding boards in the past. I want you to listen to what I’ve discovered and help me make sense of it.”
Lew snorted his disgust.
Lois rolled her eyes heavenward, as if to say, Here we go again.
I ignored them and gave an exaggerated sigh of relief. “Thanks, guys,” I said. “I knew I could count on the two of you.”
Resigned, Lois said, “Whether I listen to you or not, the pay is still the same. Besides, whatever you have to say will surely be more interesting than hearing about Lew’s corns.”
“I don’t have corns,” said Lew. “These new shoes have rubbed the skin raw on my big toe.”
Lois grimaced. “The subject of blisters and corns is very titillating.” She nodded to me. “Go ahead, Bretta, see if you can top that. I’m listening.”
Lew eased his foot out of his shoe. “Me, too,” he grumbled. “Maybe if I concentrate on something else, I’ll forget the pain.”
My audience could hardly be described as receptive, but at least they’d stopped giving me the cold shoulder about my extended absence from the shop.
To grab their attention, I began, “Once upon a time there were four women who worked for Parker Greenhouse. Their names were Shannon, Dixie, Paige, and Marnie.”
“Once upon a time?” said Lew.
“You mentioned those names earlier,” said Lois.
I pointed to her. “Very good. You are listening.”
Lew said, “What about me? The ‘once upon a time’ line threw me, but I’m up to speed now.”
That was debatable, but I pushed on. “Three years ago, Shannon worked at Parker Greenhouse for two weeks, told people she’d been transferred up north, went away for a while, then came back driving a new car and sporting a healthy bank account.
“Two years ago, Dixie worked at Parker Greenhouse for two weeks, went away up north for a while, and came back with ‘a bunch of cash.’ She discovered that her father had passed away and her mother was about to remarry. She was depressed and tried to take her life. She now resides at Coventry Acres in the psychiatric ward.
“One year ago, Paige worked at Parker Greenhouse for two weeks, said she’d been transferred up north. Before Paige went away she told her mother that when she returned she’d have money, but Paige never came back.
“Two months ago, Marnie went to work for Parker Greenhouse, hoping to discover what had happened to her friend Paige. Marnie was murdered.”
Lew’s mouth hung open.
Lois leaned weakly against the table. “Good heavens above! What kind of mess have you uncovered?”
Having caught their interest I went on to describe my meetings with Shannon, Dixie, and Mrs. Cooper. I ended by saying, “Each person has touched me in a different way. Dixie’s singing voice was sensational, but watching her croon to that faceless rag doll was heartbreaking.”
I stopped and thought about the rag dolls sitting on Dixie’s bed. I murmured, “Why doesn’t she want those dolls to have features?” Giving myself a shake, I spoke up. “Mrs. Cooper seems able to cope with being in a wheelchair, but her daughter’s disappearance has compounded her pain.”
Lois said, “What’s going on out at the greenhouse?”
“I haven’t any idea. You know how I feel about Natalie and Dan. I’d trust them with my life.”
Lew said, “Which you very well may be doing since you’re staying out there.”
“Dan isn’t at the lodge—he’s still in Oregon. Regardless of that fact, I don’t think the danger comes from him, and especially not Natalie.” I shook my head. “Help me out, guys. Toss out some possibilities. Stimulate my brain. I’ve been running around gathering information. Now I need to put it into theory, but I don’t know where to start.”
Lois said, “Give me a minute.” She stared at her arrangement, as if seeing it for the first time. Making a face, she adjusted some of the daisies until the bouquet was perfect. She tied a yellow bow to the handle, priced the arrangement and took it to the front cooler for sale.
When she came back to the worktable, she gave me a fierce glare. “Don’t think I don’t know why you’ve told Lew and me this tale,” she said. Her lips tipped up in a smile. “Congratulations. It worked. I can see why you’ve been neglecting the shop. If I were honest, I’d admit you haven’t been missed. Lew and I can handle the work, so keep on digging. You’ll get to the bottom of this mystery sooner or later.”
I ran my hands through my hair. “But I don’t want sooner or later. I want now. Don’t either of you have any thoughts?”
Lew said, “You kept saying ‘up north.’ Where up north? Northern Missouri? Michigan? Canada? Where?”
“Frankfurt, Minnesota,” I said. I pulled the packet of letters from my purse. “Mrs. Cooper gave me Paige’s letters.” I untied the pink ribbon and fanned the envelopes on my worktable. “Why don’t you guys help me out by reading some of these? Three pairs of eyes are better than one. You might see something that I might miss.”
Eagerly, they picked a couple of letters and started to read. After a moment, Lew said, “Paige is extremely homesick. Listen to this: ‘I’m saving my money, Mom, so I don’t go out often. I miss you more than I ever thought possible. I wish for many things, but most of all, I wish I could see you again.”’ Lew sighed. “That’s sad.”
Lois looked up. “Paige was working. I wonder why she didn’t make a few friends?”
I said, “Too shy is my guess. I don’t think she made friends readily.”
Lois said, “Listen to this: ‘At least I don’t have to brave the icy roads. The weather is mild without any snow.”’ She frowned. “This was written on December the eighteenth. I can’t imagine Minnesota without snow at that time of year.”
Lew said, “We had a mild winter last year. Maybe Frankfurt did, too.”
Lois’s eyes sparkled. “I know how we can find out.” She hopped down from her stool and went to the florist directory we kept by the phone. “I’ll just call up a Frankfurt florist and ask about last year’s weather. The eighteenth is close enough to Christmas, I’m sure she’ll remember.” She flipped the pages. “Frankfurt has three flower shops. I’m calling this one,” she said. “I like the name, Always in Bloom.” She made a note of the number and dialed.
Interested in the outcome of this conversation, I put down my letter.
“Good afternoon,” said Lois. “I work in a Missouri flower shop, and I was wondering if you could recall the kind of weather you had last December. I’m thinking around the eighteenth.” Lois listened a moment. “No. No. Not at all. This isn’t a complaint about an order.” She nodded. “Really? There was that much snow? A
nd the wind chill made it necessary to cover all the poinsettias that were delivered.”
Lois chitchatted a few more minutes with the Minnesota florist before she hung up. “Well,” she said, facing us with her hands on her hips. “What do you guys make of that?”
Lew shrugged. “I’m not going to say Paige lied. Perhaps she knew her mother would worry if she thought Paige was driving on icy roads.”
“That’s a possibility,” I said, but I didn’t believe it. I went back to reading my letters. I didn’t find anything that suggested any new thoughts. But in a letter Paige had written in January, she again mentioned the warm winter.
Once we’d finished reading, I asked, “Did these letters stimulate any new ideas?”
Lois said, “I don’t think Paige was in Minnesota.”
Lew said, “I think Paige is a considerate daughter who didn’t want to worry her mother.”
Lois snorted. “You and I couldn’t agree on nothing.”
“We can’t agree on anything,” said Lew in a weary voice.
Lois narrowed her eyes at Lew before turning to me. “You mentioned something earlier that caught my attention. I got the feeling that you were upset by the fact that Dixie’s rag doll was faceless. Why does that bother you?”
“I don’t know.”
She pointed to a glass case where we kept stuffed animals that were for sale. “In that last shipment we got four dolls that you’d ordered. None of them have faces. They’re dressed in Amish clothing. You thought they were cute.”
Slowly, I walked over to the case and stared at the dolls. All wore little white caps over hair made of black yarn. White aprons covered dark blue dresses. The faces were smooth, unadorned fabric.
I slid the case door open and reached inside. Taking out one of the dolls, I hugged her tight against my chest. My lips felt wooden as I said, “Did I mention that Evan Miller’s son, Jacob, is working out at Parker Greenhouse?”
Lois spoke from behind me. “Evan Miller, the Amish man?”
I nodded. “Did I mention that Dixie’s father was a veterinarian? That he specialized in large animals?” I didn’t wait for an answer. “Did I mention that he often took Dixie with him when he went on medical calls?”
Reap a Wicked Harvest Page 13
