Lost and Found

by Margaret Lake

  “But then the oil will drip …,” Michael started to protest, but closed his eyes in embarrassment. Good thing he wasn’t prone to blushing. “Anna Tomaselli is your grandmother and Nick Tomaselli is your grandfather. I just never think of the place as anything other than Nonna’s.”

  “That’s okay,” Anna laughed. He looked just like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “And I’ll bet you also don’t know that Mark Tomaselli, my cousin, works at the dojang with your sister. That’s how we met. He’s helping her set up her own dojang.”

  Michael sat down heavily at the small, two-seater island. “I should turn in my reporter’s badge. I’m no longer fit to inform the public when I can’t even inform myself.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up too much,” Anna laughed, handing him a bunch of napkins. “You’ve had Jane and the John Does on your mind. Now eat up and tell me everything you’ve found out.”

  “What I’ve found out won’t last through the first slice,” he told her. Not if he left out the findings of the ME and he’d promised Chief. He could at least still lay claim to some discretion.

  “All negative, I’m guessing?”

  “Got it in one,” Michael said, absently watching Anna deftly open the wine and pour it. He couldn’t help but notice how beautiful her hands were, the nails done nicely in a French manicure. Having a sister, he knew these things, although Mia kept her nails short and rounded with a nearly clear pink polish.

  “How far did you get in your research?” she asked, reaching for a slice.

  “Called all the local vets first. No dog named Merton and no owners named Merton of any dog.”

  “Disappointing.”

  “Well, it was just the first step. Remember, we had doubts that the dog existed in the first place.”

  “Or he may have been a childhood pet,” Anna suggested.

  “That’s a thought. And impossible to track after all these years. Anyway, I did a general search for Merton. Lots of those. But then I narrowed it down to Henry and there are about a dozen in the state.”

  “That sounds promising,” Anna interrupted eagerly.

  “Yes, I thought so, too, but it wasn’t. None of them were the right age. And remember, we’re looking for someone who has no living relatives who might come looking for them.”

  “So, none of them could be a child or even a grandchild,” Anna realized.

  “Right. And Merton might not even be Henry’s name. It might be Jane Doe’s maiden name.”

  “Or maybe the dog’s name might be Henry.”

  “Or a brother or an old high school sweetheart,” Michael added gloomily.

  “Michael,” Anna said thoughtfully, “you know we’re awfully close to the state line here.”

  “Yes. So, what are you thinking?”

  “That these people might not want to soil their own back yard. It’s no more than an hour’s ride to the next state. They could have given Jane Doe a Valium or something.”

  “To knock her out,” Michael interrupted.

  “Right. Then driving late at night …”

  “Along the back roads …”

  “Where they were unlikely to be seen …”

  “And probably in a closed van so the unconscious passenger wouldn’t be seen … Annie, I think maybe you’ve got it!” Michael jumped up, forgetting he had a slice in his hand. He didn’t even notice the cheese sliding off onto the floor.

  “I’ve got to call Chief. I’ve got to get to my laptop. Doc said you were sharp, but he was wrong. You’re a genius!”

  Without thinking, Michael leaned down and kissed Anna heartily on the mouth.

  “Gotta run. Thanks for the pizza and the wine. Next time, I’ll buy,” he shouted over his shoulder, forgetting that he’d brought the food himself.

  Anna sat with her eyes wide, staring at the closed door through which Michael had exited with greyhound-like speed. I guess it was the right time and the right place for our first kiss after all, she thought, touching her fingers to her lips. But since he really didn’t notice he’d kissed me I don’t think it can count as a first. Next time, he’ll notice. He’ll damned well notice.

  Chapter Eight

  Michael could barely wait for Bluetooth to connect to his phone before he called Chief. It was only about a mile from his house to Anna’s, but he couldn’t wait until he got home to relate what they had discovered. No, not discovered. Too early for that. But it might be a glimmer of a lead or at least a new place to look.

  “Chief.”

  “Mikey, my boy. To what do I owe the honor of this call so late at night you woke up your mother?”

  “Had to get the dig in, didn’t you,” Michael grinned. “Tell Mom I love her and I miss her and I’ll be there for Sunday dinner.” Might as well cover all bases.

  “Well done, kid,” Chief chuckled. “Tell me. What momentous news do you have to impart? And don’t tell me you’re on the phone and driving.”

  “Bluetooth, Chief. Bluetooth. You should try it sometime.”

  “You should teach me sometime,” Chief shot back.

  He’d never win, Michael thought with a mental groan, and quickly changed the subject.

  “What if the wandering seniors came from the next state in a van, drugged to the eyeballs, and dropped off here?”

  “Hmm. Not bad, Mikey. But why a van?”

  “A closed van so no one glancing casually in the back would see the sleeping passenger. Probably covered with a blanket, too, but that’s not important.”

  “What is important, then?”

  “They came late at night, using the back roads.”

  “And some farmer, making a last check of his animals, might have seen something,” Chief added. “Good one, Mikey. But that means our people will have to get in touch with Graceville’s people and rely on them to question the farmers along those back roads.”

  “They’ll want to, won’t they? And the state people, too? If the seniors were being held in their state, then the original crime took place there.”

  “Right. Jurisdiction. Probably the murder, too. We’ll have to work closely together. I’ll get with the D.A. first thing in the morning.”

  “Great! Fingers crossed, Chief. I hope we’re on to something.”

  “Could be, Mikey, could be.” As always, Chief just hung up without a goodbye but at least this time he didn’t remind Michael about his obligations to his mother.

  * * *

  It wasn’t until he woke the next morning that Michael realized he’d acted just like Chief. Ended the conversation with what he’d wanted to say and dashed out the door without giving Anna a chance to say anything.

  Not another sorry, Michael groaned, turning over to bury his face in the pillow. How many sorries can Annie take before she gives me up as a bad job?

  “Geez, Sammy,” he groaned. “Give a guy a chance to wake up.” But the little guy kept butting his head under Michael’s hand, wanting attention. What had happened to little Mister Lazybones?

  With the smell of coffee wafting up the stairs and Sammy’s insistent demands, Michael figured he’d better get up to face the day. It didn’t matter to Sammy one single bit that he’d been up until two doing research. When he’d done all he could with the seniors case, trying to find some link to Jane Doe, he’d switched to planning and zoning. That was still a viable story and one he really wanted to follow up on.

  “Sammy, Sammy, Sammy,” Michael laughed, ruffling the dog’s silky hair. “What time is it?”

  Just then, the alarm went off and Michael knew it was seven in the morning and time to start his day. Apparently, Sammy knew it too because he leapt off the bed, standing by the door, his tail wagging.

  “Maybe I should put on some pants,” Michael told him. He stuffed himself into yesterday’s jeans and barefoot and shirtless, went downstairs to let Sammy out and search for caffeine.

  “Good morning, Mikey,” Mia beamed. “And good morning to you, too, Sammy,” she gushed, leaning down to
let the dog lick her fingers.

  “Come on, Sammy. Out you go.” Michael opened the back door, keeping one eye on his sister. She hadn’t called him Mikey for the last twenty-four hours and he wanted to know what had put her into such a good mood.

  “Good morning to you, too, Mims. Glad to see you in a good mood.”

  “I got a text last night which I would have shared with you if you hadn’t had your nose glued to your laptop screen.”

  “Research. Still looking for an identity for the Jane Doe they found yesterday. Damn, you don’t know,” he blurted, smacking his forehead.

  “Don’t know what?”

  “Good news first. You go ahead,” Michael yawned, pouring his first cup of coffee for the day. The way he felt, there would be many more cups to follow.

  Mia looked at her brother, suspicion wrinkling her forehead. But he’d almost made a commitment to telling her what he’d found out, so she might as well trust him.

  “Anna says the owner of the house …”

  “Mrs. Findlayson. Carla Findlayson,” Michael added, grabbing his tablet to input a reminder to interview the woman.

  “Yes, her,” Mia nodded, not at all happy that Michael had interrupted the good news.

  “She’s agreed to the repairs and authorized the rental agent to hire a contractor!” Anything to do with the Victorian and her plans trumped a distracted and annoying brother any time.

  “Fantastic! Everything? No delaying little negotiations? No fooling around? Just yes, go ahead?”

  “All of that,” Mia laughed, delighted at Michael’s enthusiasm. “We’ll be signing the lease today.”

  “Whoa, slow down, Nellie Belle,” Michael told her, holding up his hand. “Have the three of you seen a lawyer about a partnership agreement?”

  “Not yet,” Mia admitted, “but we’re only signing the lease and that will make all three of us responsible for the rent. Anna says that we won’t need an agreement until we decide to take up the option.”

  Michael quickly backed off. It wouldn’t do to question their real estate agent’s expertise since he was currently trying to figure out how to get back into said realtor’s good graces.

  “Sounds like Annie has everything covered,” Michael nodded. “Now would you like to hear what we’ve found out?”

  “Absolutely,” Mia agreed. She was relieved that Michael wasn’t going to give her a hard time and spoil her good mood.

  “After we talked to Charlie Gordon. Officer Guard Dog, as you call him.”

  “Well, isn’t that what he is?”

  “He’s a highly trained officer of the law doing his duty and, incidentally, was a heckuva running back.”

  “If you say so,” Mia sniffed, still resenting that Officer Guard Dog had kept them out of their house.

  “I say so,” Michael grinned. Seems like the good officer had gotten under Mia’s skin and they hadn’t even met yet. Could be nothing but could be something and Michael decided that he would find a way to throw them together just to see what would happen.

  “And what else do you have to say?”

  “Only that Annie and I … and by the way, why do you call her Anna and not Annie? Seems like you’ve already become good friends.”

  “Because she introduced herself as Anna Tomaselli. She’s very professional. Now get on with it.”

  Something there, too, or maybe it was just impatience to hear the rest of his story.

  Mia listened intently while he described Anna’s meeting with Jane Doe and the information she had elicited. It all sounded good until he burst her bubble.

  “I spent several hours yesterday searching for any hint of a Merton, human or canine, and found nothing. I’ll have to broaden my search to vets outside the county and hope I come up with something.”

  “Have you tried feline?” Mia asked, tapping her front teeth with her fingernail.

  “Cats? No. Why didn’t we think of cats?” Michael all but shouted, running to the back door to let Sammy in.

  “Because obviously, you’re a dog person,” Mia muttered, “who’s very much under the thumb of one mini-poo-chi.”

  * * *

  Chief’s first priority in the morning was organizing the search for anyone who had seen or heard any cars or vans traveling down the back roads the night before last. He didn’t have a lot of resources, Joseph being a small town and fairly crime free. There were three deputies, one of whom was on night duty and another clearing a traffic accident. That left Charlie Gordon, and as soon as he came on duty, Chief called him in.

  It was always a pleasure to see Charlie first thing in the morning. He had a lean face, sandy blond hair that insisted on falling over his forehead, honest brown eyes, and a smile that said he was happy to be here.

  “Morning, Chief.” Charlie greeted his boss cheerfully, setting a couple of steaming cups from Coffee and More on the desk. “Anything on that lead I called in yesterday?”

  “Haven’t been able to follow up. We’ve had a break in the marsh victim case.”

  “The ME finally got around to him?”

  “Yes. There’s a copy of the report in the case book.” Chief believed that the more his small force knew, the better. Anyone might come up with something at any time just like Charlie did yesterday. The case book was a three-ring binder with a copy of every scrap of paper relating to the case, and all of the deputies were expected to keep it up to date, including himself.

  “In the meantime, our reporter friend and the real estate agent you spoke to yesterday …”

  “Right, Michael Broderick and Anna Tomaselli.”

  “Yes. Michael and Anna,” Chief repeated. The thought briefly flashed through his mind that their names sounded good together. But as quickly as the thought came, it went. He had much more serious business to be getting on with.

  “They realized that we’re really close to the state line and that all of the seniors might have been transported by van through the back roads to Joseph. I wrote up a full report and it’s in the case book. Read it for all the details, although there isn’t much, and then I want you to follow any routes they may have taken through Graceville to get to us. I’ve alerted Chief Patterson that you’ll be invading his territory and he’s giving us one of his deputies to go with you. That’ll help when talking to the locals.”

  “Perfect. I’ll stop to see Patterson first,” Charlie nodded. “Anything else I should know?”

  “It’s all in the book. Bring yourself up to speed before you leave.”

  “Thanks, Chief. I guess I’ll see you when I see you.”

  “It’s a lot of territory to cover, Charlie. Touch base every couple of hours if you can.”

  Charlie nodded, turning smartly to leave the room; a leftover from his military days. He hadn’t gone to college but signed up as soon as he graduated high school, much to his parents’ dismay. Two years in the Marines, then on to the police academy. He’d been lucky to find a job here in Banks County where his family lived. Family meant a lot to Charlie and he was happy to be protecting them, first in the marines and now on-the-job.

  There wasn’t a whole lot to be protected from in Banks County and the four towns that comprised it, but there was a way of life here and it was his responsibility to maintain that way of life.

  Chapter Nine

  Mia left for her summer class at the college, a forty-five-minute drive away. There was no traffic on the highway this time of day, and she’d make it to her class easily. Mia had taken summer classes every year, and the way things were going, she’d be doing her teaching internship when school started in September. Everything, it seemed, was going according to plan.

  Until, that is, she braked fast for the cat that darted into the road in front of her and slid into the fresh-off-the-showroom-floor SUV parked in front of the Victorian.

  “Damn,” Mia muttered, looking up at the house brooding in the bright sunlight. “Is this house bad luck?”

  A tap on her window startled her and she turned to lo
ok into the deep, brown eyes of Officer Guard Dog. Pressing the down button, Mia tried not to snarl, but she couldn’t help it. First, she’d be late to class and it was the last one before exams. And now she had to deal with … what was his name, anyway? He had one, she was sure, and Michael had mentioned it, but she’d be damned if she remembered it.

  “What!” Mia growled.

  “You seem to have bumped into another vehicle, Ms. Broderick. Didn’t look bad, but you could still have sprained something. Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” C. Gordon … that was the name on his tag … was just pretending to be concerned, she was sure. Probably a lead-in to giving her a ticket for careless driving and causing an accident and blocking traffic and whatever else he could think of. Wasn’t it the end of the month and didn’t they have a quota to meet? Every cop would deny it, of course, but every person who ever got a ticket knew it was true.

  Charlie walked around the back of the green and white Mini to inspect the damage. The mood Mia Broderick was in, he wasn’t taking any chances that she wouldn’t hit the gas and run him over. Hopefully, she was just upset by the accident and it was nothing personal.

  “No real damage to the other vehicle but looks like the fender is bent back and rubbing against your tire.”

  “So, what does that mean?” Mia asked, her voice straining for calm. Car repairs could be outrageously expensive. She had insurance, but there was the deductible and her rates might even go up. At least she’d be twenty-one soon and the lower rates for reaching that magic age might offset any increase due to the accident.

  “It means I’ll be calling the tow truck and I need to find the owner of the SUV. He shouldn’t be upset since there’s hardly a scratch on his vehicle, but you never know. He’ll have to be notified and you’ll have to exchange your personal information and insurance.”

  Good grief, the man is so formal and uptight. Probably comes from being a guard dog, Mia snickered to herself.

  “I’ve called the paramedics, too. I’ll wait with you until they get here before I go into the bakery to see if the owner’s in there.”