Lochlan Museum: The Case of the Collectible Killer

by Melissa R. L. Simonin

  “That doesn’t make much sense, does it,” Alec replied, and he and Claire smiled. “Unless, someone had a chance to conceal something inside one of those items before the museum received it.”

  That gave the Colemans pause for thought, but they shook their heads.

  “No, not unless someone snuck in the house and just so happened to root through the boxes that were taped up in our basement ever since we moved in,” Joel replied, and he and Rita laughed again. Alec and Claire laughed along.

  “That doesn’t make sense, although tearing up a second-hand store doesn’t either, so who knows!” Claire said, and the Colemans laughed more.

  They walked inside the church to the lobby, and Alec nodded toward a doorway.

  “Our class is this way. It was good seeing you both.”

  The Colemans continued to the auditorium, and Claire followed Alec into a hallway lined on both sides by open doorways.

  “Our class is right down here,” he said.

  “I think I know on which table the Colemans’ donated items are piled,” she replied quietly. “We ought to look them over, even though they aren’t collectible, ceramic, small electronic, or office supply.”

  “It would be a shame to skip over the CDs and DVDs, in spite of how unlikely it is that someone snuck in and replaced one of them with something worth trashing a thrift store over,” Alec agreed.

  “I hope they’re worth listening to! And watching,” Claire said, making a face. “Any idea what the Colemans’ taste in music was, back in the day when CDs were the norm?”

  “No idea,” he smiled. “We won’t have to listen to much, to know if a disk is mislabeled.”

  “Still, there are a lot of disks in that box. Have any plans for Friday?” she joked.

  “Nothing I can’t cancel,” he promptly replied. “What do you have in mind? It wouldn’t involve a box full of old movies and CDs, would it?”

  “That, and popcorn,” she said, a little surprised. “As long as you know how to use an old-fashioned popper, which I inherited along with a huge jar of popcorn kernels.”

  “I do,” Alec replied confidently.

  “Okay, then… great,” Claire smiled.

  Alec smiled back, and led the way into the classroom labeled Study of Romans.

  Chapter 8

  “What do you think?” Alec asked after class, as Claire gathered her bible and purse, and they both stood.

  “I’m sold,” she said sincerely. “The teacher was great, and I loved the discussion. I feel like I learned a lot.”

  “Good, that’s how I hoped you’d feel,” he smiled.

  Several class members greeted Claire on their way out, halting further conversation momentarily. Rather than go right, as the others did, Alec guided Claire to the left.

  “Follow me, and I’ll take you to the class your grandmother probably went to. Mrs. Abernathy may also be there, if she comes on Wednesdays.”

  “Sounds great,” Claire replied.

  At the end of the hall, Alec turned to the right. The sound of talk and laughter drifted out into the hallway from several open doorways. He stopped in front of the third one on the right, and ushered Claire inside.

  A number of older women sat or stood in small groups, engaged in lively conversation. A few of them noticed Claire and Alec enter, and paused expectantly.

  “Well hello, Alec,” said one of the women.

  “Hi, Mrs. Frederick,” Alec smiled.

  “What can we do for you?” Mrs. Frederick wondered.

  “I’d like to introduce you to Mrs. Davis’ youngest granddaughter.”

  “Hi, I’m Claire Davis,” she smiled, as the ladies’ eyes locked on her with interest. They smiled, and nodded in welcome.

  “Claire moved here last Friday,” Alec added. “Her grandmother left her the house, so she and I are neighbors.”

  “How wonderful,” Mrs. Frederick responded. “It’s lovely to meet you, Claire. Your grandmother and I were good friends.”

  “That’s great,” Claire said, her eyes lighting. “I’d love to talk to you sometime. I know so little about her, and I have so many questions.”

  “I imagine I can come up with some answers for you,” Mrs. Frederick replied.

  “That’s wonderful,” Claire said with relief. She hesitated to ask, but she wanted to know so badly… “Did she ever mention me?”

  The ladies all looked to Mrs. Frederick. Claire wondered what they were thinking, there was a definite undercurrent.

  “She did, some,” Mrs. Frederick answered slowly. There was compassion in her eyes, and… what else? The rest of the women had the same expression on their faces.

  “Okay… I just wondered,” Claire said, to fill the silence that was beginning to grow uncomfortable. For her, anyway. “Alec was surprised when he found out who I am. He didn’t know my grandmother had another granddaughter.”

  The women chuckled a little at that.

  “I imagine any one of us would be more likely to confide in our girl friends, than in the young man next door, no matter how nice he is,” one of the ladies smiled.

  “I guess so,” Claire laughed a little.

  “And that is exactly why we’re here,” Alec smiled.

  Mrs. Frederick looked thoughtful now.

  “You likely have more questions than can be answered between now and the time the custodian locks the doors. Let’s plan to get together sometime, and we’ll talk then.”

  “I’d love that,” Claire replied eagerly. “The sooner, the better.”

  “Alright then… how about dinner, on Friday?” Mrs. Frederick asked.

  Some of the women looked at Alec uncertainly, but Claire was quick to answer.

  “Friday is great. Where, and what time?”

  “Six o’ clock,” Mrs. Frederick answered, as she wrote an address and phone number on a page in the small notebook she carried.

  “Thank you, this is wonderful,” Claire smiled, tucking it safely in her purse. “I can hardly wait. Can I bring anything?”

  “Just yourself,” Mrs. Frederick replied. She patted Claire’s arm on her way out the door. “I’ll look forward to seeing you.”

  “Thanks, me too,” Claire said, her eyes shining with anticipation. She glanced at Alec, and winced. “Ug! I completely forgot. Can we watch movies another night?”

  “Sure,” he smiled, although he looked a little disappointed. “It can wait. This is more important.”

  “How about we watch movies tomorrow?” she offered.

  “That’ll be great,” he agreed.

  “I am sorry, but now you don’t have to cancel your other plans,” she said, suddenly wondering what those plans were.

  “It’s fine, Claire. Don’t worry about it,” he assured her.

  She suddenly realized how quiet the rest of the room was. She looked around, and the other women briskly gathered their bibles and purses, resumed their chatter, and headed for the door. They did take the time to briefly introduce themselves on their way out.

  “I’m Mrs. Abernathy,” said one of the older women. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

  “You too,” Claire replied, her ears perking. “You’re not the Mrs. Abernathy whose home was broken into, are you?”

  “I am,” Mrs. Abernathy said, her blue eyes sharpening as she frowned. The remaining women nodded in sympathy toward their friend, as they followed the rest into the hall.

  “How terrible,” Claire sympathized.

  “Yes, it was dreadful,” the woman said, then a gleam of… comeuppance… filled her eyes. “Let’s just see this fellow come back. He’ll wish he didn’t.”

  “What have you done, Mrs. Abernathy?” Alec couldn’t help smiling.

  “I did what I should’ve done in the first place,” she said grimly. “I went to the animal shelter, and found the biggest, meanest-looking dog they had, and I brought him home.”

  “Are you serious?” Alec asked in surprise.

  “Is that—safe?” Claire asked with c
oncern.

  “Not for that fellow, if he comes back. Hildebrand is the sweetest thing really, but he looks simply dreadful. And when he barks! I nearly had a heart attack today, when the UPS man came to the door. So did he. I’m afraid he may drop and run, after this,” she said ruefully.

  “I guess you’ve got nothing to worry about, then,” Alec concluded.

  “Not a thing. Other than what that thief made away with,” she scowled. “But… they were just things, after all. It’s not anything I could take with me. Although I did hope to leave them behind.”

  “It’s the strangest thing,” Claire said. “This, and Juniper Creek Thrift being broken into.”

  “Yes, the police wonder if they’re connected somehow,” Mrs. Abernathy said, her scowl evaporating at the memory.

  “Why is that?” Alec asked.

  “Everyone who made a recent purchase has been visited by this robber.”

  “Everyone?” Claire asked.

  “Why yes, that’s my understanding,” Mrs. Abernathy said. “The police questioned whether I visited Juniper Creek Thrift or not. So they must think there’s a relation.”

  “Hm. Interesting,” Alec replied. “Did you? And if you did, did you purchase anything while you were there?”

  “Yes, I bought a new book to read. Why that would result in being robbed, I have no idea.”

  “What was this guy after?” Claire asked.

  “Did he steal the book?” Alec asked.

  “No, he left that. He took my collection of ceramic roosters though, and made a mess of the office. Pencil shavings everywhere, and he didn’t take the sharpener after all. He did take the pens.”

  “Pens?” Alec asked.

  “Yes, the writing pens. They were on the desk. I can’t imagine what else happened to them, he must have.”

  “How strange,” Claire said. “Is anything else missing?”

  “Not that I know of, but other than the mess in the office, empty shelves in the kitchen, and the absence of my alarm clock, I had no reason to think anyone was ever there. I do have a security system, you know. It was on.”

  “And he got in anyway, and undetected,” Claire stated.

  “He did indeed,” Mrs. Abernathy replied irritably. Then she looked slightly vindictive. “I’d like to see anyone try and get in, now.”

  “Try is about all they’d do,” Alec said, and Mrs. Abernathy nodded and looked pleased. Alec glanced at the clock on the wall. “It was nice talking to you, Mrs. Abernathy. Claire and I better be getting along, now.”

  “Oh, and where are you getting to?” Mrs. Abernathy asked curiously.

  “We’re meeting up with the singles group at the coffee shop,” Alec replied.

  “How wonderful,” Mrs. Abernathy smiled. “I couldn’t possibly have coffee right before bed and sleep a wink. I suppose it’s different for you young people.”

  “No, we’ll be up all night,” Claire shrugged, and Mrs. Abernathy laughed.

  “Well, it isn’t like it’ll take the toll on you, that it would me. Have a lovely time,” that lady smiled, then she left them.

  Alec led Claire to an exit, and out to the parking lot.

  “Is it penholders this guy is after, or the pens themselves?” he wondered quietly.

  “Pens for sure, since he took hers,” Claire replied. “He obviously thinks something may be hidden inside an electric pencil sharpener. And ceramic roosters. Although it’s probably safe to conclude he considered those to be collectibles.”

  “Probably,” he laughed a little, and shook his head. “The whole thing is bizarre. What in the world is he looking for? It can’t be very big, if it can be contained inside a pen.”

  He unlocked the truck and opened the door for Claire, then joined her on the driver’s side.

  “Are you really in the mood for coffee?” Claire asked.

  “Kind of,” he replied, stopping in the midst of backing out, to give her a puzzled look. “Aren’t you?”

  “I really wonder what’s in those banker’s boxes. And, if they’re still in the sorting room, at all.”

  “I wonder too, but… we can hang out at the coffee shop for a while, then search. I thought you wanted to meet everyone.”

  Claire made a face, and sighed.

  “Fine. You’re right, I should do that. The boxes will wait. If they’re still there, that is.”

  Alec frowned a little as he looked at her. Then he backed out, and pulled onto the road.

  “If they aren’t there, then what’s the point of looking for them, at all?”

  “Maybe they are there.”

  “And if they are, they’ll still be there later.”

  “You must really love coffee, she sighed in resignation.

  “No, I kind of like hanging out.”

  She glanced at him sideways.

  “We can hang out while we search for banker’s boxes.”

  “Yes. Amongst other people’s trash. How conducive is that to conversation? Although I can imagine saying ‘yuck, what is this?’ a lot.”

  “When you put it that way,” she laughed. “But it’s not that bad, and you know it. Still… if you want coffee enough to grossly exaggerate, then fine. Coffee first, then we hunt banker’s boxes. Happy?”

  “Very,” he smiled.

  “There’s the museum,” she pointed out, as they passed by.

  “Yes, I see it,” he replied. “It’s not far from the coffee shop. And… here we are.”

  Alec turned the corner, and parked beside a quaint, two story house. The sign in the front yard, which bore the name Coffee Cottage, was a strong indicator that it was now a quaint, two story coffee shop.

  The window panes glowed warmly in the light of the setting sun, complementing the sky-blue clapboard siding. White trim edged the dark-gray shingled roof, the windows, and doorway. A broad, uncovered white porch, was centered in front of the wine-colored door. Flower pots in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, were arranged attractively on each side of the door. Flowers as rich in color and variety as the pots themselves, grew there in abundance.

  The trees in the front and back of the house were tightly wrapped in clear lights. Their glow was faint at the moment, but before many more passed by, they would fill the night with beauty.

  “What do you think?” Alec asked, as he opened Claire’s door for her. She was still staring at the adorable place.

  “I love it,” she said, her eyes glowing with appreciation.

  “I thought you might,” he smiled. “Everyone else does. Maybe you’ll want to come again, next week.”

  “It might be worth pinching pennies for,” she replied.

  “Help me use up my reward points before you resort to that cruelty,” he said.

  “Okay… if you’re serious,” she said, glancing at him sideways.

  “I am. Come on, we’ll go find our group. It’s a nice evening, they’re probably in back.”

  Claire slid out of the truck, and Alec locked it. She took everything in curiously as they approached the coffee shop, and as he opened the door and held it for her.

  The delicious aroma of coffee met her as she stepped inside, and she breathed deeply. There was cinnamon, too, and donuts… the rest she didn’t recognize, but whatever it was, now she was starving.

  Alec smiled and greeted the woman at the hostess station.

  “Is everyone else out back?” he asked.

  “Yes they are,” she smiled, and looked curiously at Claire.

  “This is my friend, Claire,” he introduced them. “And this, is Maggie. She and her husband own the Coffee Cottage.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Claire said.

  “You too,” Maggie replied.

  “This is an adorable place,” Claire commented, with another look around.

  On each side of the bench-lined entryway, an arched doorway gave access to separate eating areas. Small round tables, many of them occupied, were arranged throughout each of the rooms. She caught a glimpse of a l
arge fireplace in one. She imagined sitting there on a cold winter day, drinking coffee and eating whatever delectable dessert was starving her to death with its sugary, doughy scent.

  She admired the gold and wine striped wallpaper, the dark wood wainscoting and chair rail, the chandelier, and the arched windows. Paintings of decorative cups, filled with steaming coffee drinks, were arranged along the back wall. The room on the opposite side of the entry was similar, although the wallpaper was striped deep blue and gold. A curving staircase rose at the end of the entryway to the second floor. A large chandelier hung from the vaulted ceiling, lighting the narrow space gently. A raised scrollwork design covered the dark green wallpaper, and a large, gold framed mirror occupied the wall behind the mahogany hostess station.

  “I love it,” Claire said, looking back at Maggie.

  “Thank you,” that lady replied. “If you need anything, you let me know.”

  “We will, thanks Maggie,” Alec replied. He directed Claire through the arched doorway on the left, and continued to the exit at the other end of the room.

  “That was the shortest coffee break ever,” she joked.

  “Wasn’t it?” he played along. He guided her through an arched hedge, to the backyard.

  Multi-colored tiles in shades of purple, pink, blue, and gray, paved a large portion of the area behind the house. Water bubbled and tumbled from the multi-tiered fountain in the center, where birds stopped for one last drink before nightfall. The lights on the trees seemed brighter, now that the sun was low on the horizon. The shrubs were also lit, along with the umbrella poles at each table, and the umbrellas themselves.

  Alec led Claire to an empty table near the fountain, and pulled out a chair for her. She had a seat and took the menu he offered her, as she looked curiously at the people seated all around them.

  “Hi, Claire!” she heard Gina say. She stood just in time for her friend from work to hug her. “I’m so glad to see you here! And you too, Alec!”

  “It’s great to see you,” Claire smiled, and so did he.

  “Were you in class?” Gina asked, her eyebrows knitting.

  “I was, in the class on Romans,” Claire replied.