“But who would want to hurt Mrs. Tate? Did you get a look at the driver?”
“No. The windows of the car were tinted. But do you know anyone who drives a blue BMW?”
“Hmm. No, I don’t think so. Anyway, who would break into a house if they drove a BMW? That doesn’t make sense.” Dan dipped another fry into the ketchup and gave a little shrug. “It might have been just coincidence that the car was parked at Elizabeth’s. Someone might have been leaving the park and happened to be a bad driver.”
“Do you think so?” Garnet said, suddenly feeling as though she had overreacted. “But what about the vase?”
“Could’ve been knocked over when Elizabeth had the heart attack. And she might’ve got the bump when she fell.”
“But why was the front door open?”
“Maybe she was about to go outside.”
“I suppose,” Garnet softly agreed. She cautiously pulled the tab off the Coke can and took a sip. “There is one other thing that’s kind of weird.”
“What?”
“Well, I decided I would look after Ginger while Elizabeth’s in the hospital —”
“Yeah. Good idea. Who knows how long she’ll be there,” Dan interjected.
“Anyway, my mother and I decided to leave Ginger at the house for now, and I needed a key,” Garnet said. “I knew Elizabeth had one in her purse. The thing is, when I took out the key, there was fifty thousand dollars lying underneath.” She took a bite of her pizza and watched Dan choke on his Coke.
“Fifty thousand dollars in cash?” he sputtered.
Garnet nodded.
Dan searched her face and let out a deep breath. “See, I told you she might not be thinking clearly anymore.”
“That might not be it.”
Dan’s eyes grew wary. “What do you mean?”
“Well, last Sunday after you left, someone phoned. I heard her talking. There was something about fifty thousand dollars. I don’t know what the call was about or who she was talking to, but she was upset after. And the day I met her — you know, when she fell in front of my house? She had a bundle of cash that day, too, but it didn’t look like as much as what I found yesterday.”
Dan tilted his head. “Do you think someone’s extorting money from her?”
Garnet shrugged again. “I don’t know. She didn’t talk about the call and I didn’t want to ask.”
“Why not?”
“Well, it’s not exactly any of my business, and to be honest, she was so upset I was afraid to. I had to get her one of those pills,” Garnet replied defensively.
Dan sighed. “So where’s the money now? Still in her purse?”
“No, my mother took it. She’s putting it back into Elizabeth’s account. She works at the trust company where Elizabeth banks.”
“That’s good,” Dan said. He poured the last bits of fries from the cardboard container into his mouth and licked his fingers. “Are you going to visit her at the hospital?”
“If they let me.”
“Do you want to go together? I’ve got track after school but if you want, I could pick you up after supper.”
“Okay,” Garnet said, feeling a slight flutter.
“I’ll be over at seven.”
Jeans or green capris to go with her pale yellow shirt? It was an oddly difficult wardrobe decision for a visit to an old lady in the hospital. Jeans, Garnet decided. She pulled them on, then dabbed a little of her favourite floral scent onto her wrists. The doorbell rang. Garnet peeked through the blinds and saw the black sports car parked at the curb. She checked her watch. Either Dan was a few minutes early or her watch was behind again. Smoothing a hand over her tied-back red curls and lamenting her freckled nose, she took one last look in the mirror before heading down the stairs.
“Come on in, Dan,” she heard her mother say. “So nice to see you again. Garnet should be down soon.”
Garnet slowed herself down, trying to appear casual and relaxed as she entered the front hall. “Hi, Dan!”
“Hi! Ready?”
“Yeah,” Garnet replied, swinging a small purse over her shoulder. “Bye, Mom. See you later.”
They walked out to the car and got in. Dan started the engine and turned the stereo on. He turned the volume up and, to her amusement, sang along to parts of a song as they headed to the hospital.
A different nurse was working at the station today and she let both Dan and Garnet enter Elizabeth’s room without any hassle, though she did ask that they keep the visit short. When they opened the door, they found Elizabeth asleep so they were careful not to wake her. A monitor above her head measured her physical patterns in a rainbow of colours and two IVs pumped all the necessary fluids into her veins.
“She looks a little better today,” Garnet whispered, though the bruise on Elizabeth’s forehead was now a dark purple. “She’s made the first twenty-four hours. The nurse said yesterday that if she makes it through forty-eight hours, her chances increase.”
They sat down on the chairs on either side of the bed, but Garnet soon became aware of an awkward silence. At least in the car, the stereo had been on and Dan had been singing. Now she was conscious of him across from her and she tried to avoid his eyes by looking around the room. Elizabeth’s chest moved slowly up and down as the machines pulsed next to her. The hospital’s ventilation system hummed behind her. People were talking outside in the hallway. It reminded Garnet a little of her last visits with Nana. This was an unsettling thought.
“My mother brought the money back to the bank today,” Garnet said, breaking the silence. “She asked Susan, a lady she works with, what she knew about it.”
“And?”
“Elizabeth told Susan she was helping a friend. They tried to tell her a cheque would be better than carrying around so much cash, but Elizabeth insisted on it. Susan also mentioned that Elizabeth looked kind of sick and that she rested in a chair with her eyes closed while they got the money from the vault. Susan was so worried about her that she asked if she could call anyone to drive her home, but Elizabeth just told her to call a taxi.”
There was silence again, except for the sound of Elizabeth’s even breathing and a beep from one of the monitors. Garnet was aware that anything out of the ordinary would have caused alarms to sound.
“I’m going to start looking for those jewels,” she said. “I think I might have a clue.”
“A clue? What kind of clue?” Dan said, shaking his head as though he were removing cobwebs.
“The angel on the mantel at Elizabeth’s house has some writing engraved on each of its wings,” Garnet explained. “Elizabeth said they’re Bible verses. I think they might possibly lead to something.”
Dan let out a long breath. “Look, Garnet. Remember what I told you about ...” He stopped and swung his chin in Elizabeth’s direction.
Garnet waved a hand. “I know, I know. But I’ve been thinking a lot about this and I think it’s worth at least a try. The thing is, I kind of believe her, you know? I don’t know why, but I don’t think she’s making it up. After you left last Sunday and I found those engravings, Elizabeth helped me look them up in the Bible. One of them’s about a king’s daughter and the other one’s about looking for Christ.”
“Well, that’s convincing,” Dan said, rolling his eyes. “I don’t get the connection.”
“I was getting to that. Elizabeth said that when Reginald died, he said something about the angel and pointed to it. He said the angel would guide her.”
“Elizabeth also said he was eccentric.”
“I know, but why are the wings engraved? Why would anyone do that? And why did Reginald point to the angel?” Garnet asked.
“Angels serve as guardians but are also often messengers in the Bible,” Dan explained, shifting in the chair. “Garnet, remember what I told you. There may be nothing to the story. She may have gotten things a little mixed up.”
“I know that, considering it’s been years since all this began. But I really do belie
ve there’s something to it and I’d like to get to the bottom of it. If there’s a chance those jewels exist somewhere, I want to find them. And if someone’s hidden them and they left a clue, then I want to follow it. If you’d only see that angel, you might change your mind. Look, I should probably check in on the cat later. Can we stop at Elizabeth’s on the way home so I can show you?”
Dan stared at her for a moment. “You’re not going to give up, are you?” He threw his hands up in mock surrender. “All right. Show me the angel. Whatever. Then will you leave me alone about it?”
Garnet laughed. “We’ll see.”
A nurse appeared at the door and a moment later, with the help of an orderly, another patient was wheeled to the opposite side of the room. The woman was fast asleep with the covers pulled up to under her arms, and had a monitor and IVs connected to her.
Elizabeth stirred, ever so slightly. The monitor gave a short beep, but she did not wake up. Dan and Garnet decided it was time to leave. When they entered the hallway, Gerdie was walking toward them with a man who looked somewhat familiar to Garnet. He had a large build and appeared to be in his mid-fifties. Garnet tried to think where she had seen him before, then remembered his face was on a business card next to the phone in Elizabeth’s kitchen.
“Hello, Miss Pitt. Stan. How are you?” Dan said.
“Fine,” Gerdie replied curtly in her quiet voice.
“We’re doing great, just great,” Stan added in a deep, confident tone, flashing a smile. “How’s Elizabeth?” he asked, motioning his head toward the room.
“She’s sleeping, but I guess so far she’s doing okay,” Dan replied.
“Glad to hear it. She’s a dear lady and I just hope she pulls through. Your grandfather called Gerdie to tell her the news and we’ve come to see her.” Stan’s grey eyes shifted to Garnet. “I see you brought a friend.”
“Yeah. This is Garnet Walcott. She was the one who found Elizabeth yesterday. Garnet, this is Stan Hunt, Gerdie’s fiancé.”
Stan held out a hand and Garnet shook it awkwardly. “Pleased to meet you. It’s good to know that Elizabeth has friends who check in on her. If it weren’t for you,” Stan hesitated, “she might not be here.”
Garnet blushed. “Anyone would have done the same for her.”
Stan smiled again. “I’m sure you’re right,” he replied.
“Anyway, we were just heading out,” said Dan. “See you.”
Stan nodded. “Goodbye, then.”
Garnet pushed the key into the lock and opened the front door. It felt odd to go inside without Elizabeth there. Ginger sauntered into the front hall with her tail straight up in the air.
“Hello, Ginger,” Garnet said, reaching out a hand to her. The cat rose on her hind legs, arching her shoulders and neck toward her.
“Looks like you’ve made a friend,” Dan said.
Garnet picked Ginger up and stroked her soft fur, then carried her like a baby to the kitchen to check the feeding dishes. She regarded the nearly full bowl of cat food. “Why aren’t you eating?”
As though she had just been insulted, Ginger struggled out of Garnet’s arms and scampered off.
“She doesn’t take criticism well, does she?” Dan remarked behind her.
“I guess not. Do you think there’s something wrong with her? I mean, I’ve never had a cat. I used to look after a neighbour’s sometimes, but that one ate. Don’t you think she should’ve eaten something?”
Dan shrugged. “I’ve never had a cat either but she’s probably okay,” he reassured her. “I’ve heard that’s the beauty of cats. They can look after themselves, sometimes for days if they have to. Anyway, it doesn’t look like Ginger’s starving.”
“You’re right about that,” Garnet agreed, thinking of the cat’s weight when she picked her up. She took the water bowl and replaced it with fresh water before setting it back down on the floor. “Okay. That’s done. It’s showtime.”
They went to the living room, where Garnet picked the angel off the mantel and pushed the knob on the back of it. “See this?” she said, pointing to the tiny engraved letters on one of the wings. “This is one of the Bible verses.” Garnet reached for the magnifying glass that lay on top of the Bible and held it over the engraving.
Dan moved his head closer. “Matthew 28:5.” He reached for Elizabeth’s Bible and quickly found the verse. “’And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.’” He shrugged. “So?”
“I know,” Garnet said. “But look at the next one. Psalm 45:13.”
Dan flipped through the pages in the front portion of the Bible and read. “’The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.’” He looked up. “At least now it might be discussing jewellery.”
Garnet chuckled. “That’s what I said.”
He moved his finger down the page and scanned the entire psalm. “I don’t know. This verse is about a wedding or something. The subtitle before the psalm says, ’A Song of loves.’” He shrugged. “I don’t get it. I don’t see a connection to jewels.”
“Let me show you something else,” Garnet said, not willing to give up just yet. “It’s in the library.”
“What is it?” Dan asked as he followed her out of the room.
“A portrait of Sofia Tate. She’s wearing the jewels.”
“I think I’ve seen it. A long time ago. Look, the thing is, if Elizabeth’s lived in this house for sixty years and she’s been looking for these jewels all this time, as she says, don’t you think if they actually existed, she would’ve found them by now? And if someone was going to hide any jewels, why wouldn’t they just’ve stuck them in a safe or something?”
“Just look at it,” Garnet said. She flicked on the light, though it didn’t help much, then walked up to the portrait. Dan followed. Garnet glanced over at him and saw that his face had changed. He seemed almost mesmerized as he regarded the portrait in silence. Garnet returned her gaze to the portrait and felt goosebumps prickle her arms. She rubbed them, but couldn’t shake the feeling that Sofia was staring back at her.
When Dan finally spoke, his voice was quiet, almost as if his throat were a little tight. “You know, I remember coming in here once when I was a kid. I went off exploring one day when my parents were talking to Elizabeth. Back then I thought the picture looked a little spooky because of her eyes, that she looked kind of real. But do you know what’s kind of spooky about her now?” Garnet shook her head and Dan turned toward her. “She kind of looks like you.”
Garnet stifled the alarm that rose up in her. “She does not!” she retorted, and quickly turned to glance in the mirror behind her. But Sofia’s eyes reflected back at her again before she caught a glimpse of her own slightly bewildered eyes. “It’s the hair,” she said firmly, as though she were trying to convince herself. “It’s red like mine.”
Dan’s eyes narrowed. “No, it’s more than the hair. The eyes, the shape of her face. She really does look like you.”
“Well, if she does look like me, it’s a weird coincidence, don’t you think?” Garnet’s voice was a little sharper than she had intended, but Dan was starting to freak her out. He gave her a strange look and she tried to soften her tone as she changed the subject. “So. How about those jewels?”
Dan rolled his eyes. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“No. Because I really want to find them. Do you think we should start in here?”
Dan laughed out loud. “You’re unbelievable!”
“I knew you’d see it my way sooner or later,” she said with a smile.
“Okay, so where do we look?”
Garnet surveyed the room. Reginald Tate’s room. His haven with the portrait of his wife watching over him. What had he been like? How did he think? Elizabeth had called Reginald Tate “eccentric.” How does an eccentric person think?
An entire wall was lined with books from floor to ceiling.
“Nana
once told me that you can’t always judge a book by its cover, but sometimes you can discover something about a person by what they read. Why don’t we check out these books?”
They soon found that Reginald had owned a large collection of encyclopedias and travel books, law books, and religious books and novels by classic authors. A leather-bound set by Charles Dickens filled an entire section of one shelf and, oddly, there was a duplicate set on another shelf. Reginald must have been a collector, Garnet thought.
Garnet reached up and tugged at a copy of David Copperfield but for some reason, it was stuck in place. She tugged again, harder this time, but it wouldn’t budge. Perhaps, after all these years, it had become stuck to the cover beside it. Garnet tried the next book, Bleak House. Again, it didn’t move. Frowning, she pulled at Great Expectations, yanking it several times until, without warning, something clicked. The book tilted slightly forward and the entire Charles Dickens section of the bookshelf moved outward.
“Hey!” Garnet exclaimed.
Dan, who had been studying the book titles on the other side, hurried over. “It’s a safe,” he said, pulling open the unlocked metal door and peering inside. “An empty safe. Too bad, or the mystery would be solved and we could all go home.”
“Very funny,” Garnet said, as she dragged over a chair to peek inside. “It must be the safe Elizabeth told us about. Remember? She said she had a locksmith crack it open but there were only papers inside. Who’d have ever guessed it would be here behind some fake books?” She examined it more carefully but soon closed the door and set the shelf back into place. “I guess we’ll have to keep on looking, ’cause you’re right. There’s nothing here.” She jumped off the chair and pushed it back, then checked the duplicate copies of the Dickens novels on the other shelf. These were the actual books.
Dan walked over to the desk and began to pull open the drawers. “Let’s see what we’ve got here. A dried-up bottle of ink, fountain pen, silver lighter, matching cigarette case.”
Garnet turned. Sometimes such items were valuable at antique shops. “Let me see,” she said. Dan handed her the lighter and cigarette case. Though both were slightly tarnished, they were in good condition and Garnet saw that they had Reginald’s initials engraved on them.
The Jewels of Sofia Tate Page 8
