Diary and Death Read online

  “He said it was a tall, dark haired man.”

  Sylvia tried to picture everyone she had seen the day of the estate sale. “Officer, that sounds like Donald. The man whose mother said he is missing.”

  Officer McClan assured Sylvia they would look a little harder for Donald.

  Sylvia finally settled in for the night, running different scenarios through her mind. The image of Donald killing Hubert didn’t ring true either.

  “And may I have a box of lemon poppy seed muffins?” Sylvia asked Penny the next morning. “Laura Lee just loves them.”

  “Of course. How is she doing, by the way?”

  Sylvia’s smile disappeared. “Slipping.”

  Penny’s hand covered her mouth, “I’m so sorry.”

  “She’s old. In fact, she and I are both old.”

  “You’ll never be old, Sylvia.” Kyle, Penny’s husband joked as he stepped into the Cup N Cake shop.

  “I don’t know, I’m feeling every bit of my age, especially since Hubert was killed in my garage.” She rolled her neck to relieve the tenseness.

  Kyle nodded. “Have you heard anything more about Doc Holiday?”

  Sylvia sat at a table, Kyle brought her a cup of coffee and sat beside her.

  “I don’t think Doc did it. Officer McClan said he didn’t have the strength to hit Hubert over the head, and someone did hit him over the head.”

  Kyle whistled. “I thought he was shot.”

  “Yes, but first he was hit over the head.”

  Penny stepped up with the box of muffins. “Here you go, Sylvia. I hope Laura Lee enjoys them:

  “Have you spoken to Jennifer?” Sylvia asked.

  Their faces took on a look of sympathy. “I stayed with her last night,” Penny explained.

  “Does she have any idea what she is going to do now?”

  “I think she and Gathe are going to combine businesses.”

  “Hmm,” Sylvia murmured.

  “People might think he killed Hubert, just to get Hubert’s business.” Kyle’s voice dropped. “It won’t be very nice around here until the real killer is caught.”

  “Miss Sylvia, do you want this pile of books in a box or on the shelf?” Jason’s enthusiastic voice called out.

  Sylvia poked her head out of the back room. “Box them up and put them in the pile of items we’re taking to the Mile-Long Yard Sale.

  Jason grabbed the books and whistled as he worked.

  “You sound happy,” Sylvia noted.

  “I am.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Jennifer has agreed to be my girlfriend.” A wide grin split his face.

  “Now, isn’t that nice?”

  Jason stopped for a moment with a frown. “It’s great, except people might think I killed Hubert to get Jennifer to start dating me. But I can’t worry about that. She needs me now more than ever.”

  Sylvia gave a small nod and returned to the back room, but Jason peeked into the back and asked, “Why aren’t you working on the blog today?”

  “I left the diary at home by mistake. I was reading in bed last night.”

  “Have you found any hint in it about the lost jewels?”

  “Nothing. Last night I read about the first-time Alice Pendecot came to visit her grandmother. She was seven years old.” Sylvia smirked. “She must have been a real handful. Mrs. Pendecot wrote about how the girl was always getting into her jewelry box, taking the shiny things out and trying them on. However, the child never wanted to return them.”

  Jason laughed. “Girls sure do like jewelry. As a matter of fact, I’m thinking of buying a piece of jewelry for Jennifer. What do you think?”

  Sylvia placed her hands on her hips. “I don’t think you should do that so soon. Jennifer likes you. When it gets closer to her birthday or Christmas, then think about jewelry.”

  “Okay, Miss S. I’ll do what you say. Now, I’m going over to meet Jennifer for lunch, if that’s okay with you.”

  “Sure, sure. Go along. I’ll just eat my sandwich in the back room today.

  Jason tramped across the room, swung open the front door and slammed it behind him.

  Goodness, it will take me a while to get used to having young people around again.

  Ugh, Sylvia set down the tuna sandwich and pushed it away. I just can’t get the recipe right. Only Laura Lee knew how to make a good tuna sandwich.

  Sylvia sighed and bent over to push some crumbs off the desk into the garbage. As she straightened, she thought she heard a creaking sound come from behind.

  She started to stand and turn, all at the same time; but suddenly an excruciating pain shot through her head, and the room went black.

  Sylvia tried to open her eyes, but her head was pounding. A slow moan came from her lips.

  Someone grabbed her hand. “Miss Sylvia, I’m here.”

  She turned her head slowly and focused on Bill’s face. “What??? What happened?”

  “Someone hit you over the head.”

  Sylvia tried to push herself up to a sitting position, but her head swam. She slipped back down.

  “Where am I?” She scanned the room slowly. “The hospital?”

  “Yes. When Jason came back from lunch, he found you in the back room. He called an ambulance then got hold of me.”

  Sylvia tried to remember anything from earlier. The image of tuna fish filled her mind.

  “Why did someone hit me? Were they trying to kill me?” Sylvia turned worried eyes to Bill.

  “No, believe it or not. Someone stole your purse.”

  The women’s eyes opened wide. “My purse. Oh, Bill, it has to be the diary. There wasn’t anything else in my purse.”

  “So, you think the diary is gone? Good. Now maybe all this craziness will stop.” Bill slapped his leg.

  Sylvia tilted her head. “Sorry, Bill, but I still have the diary. I left it at home today.”

  A moan poured from Bill’s lips.

  Chapter 10

  Sylvia was sitting up in the hospital bed. A somber Jennifer pushed Laura Lee’s wheelchair into the room.

  “Hello, Laura Lee.” Sylvia called out, the other woman’s eyes riveted on her sister.

  “Oh, I’ve been so worried, Sylvia. When I heard you were hurt, I didn’t know what to do. I’m so thankful this young woman came and got me.”

  Jennifer flopped into a chair. “It’s the least I could do since you’ve been so kind to Jason, Miss Sylvia.”

  “How is Jason?”

  The girl waved a hand airily. “He’s great. He loves the job at your antique shop, and he and Gathe have been talking about estate sales. I think Jason might have finally found his niche. It’s just too bad he didn’t find it before my father died. They could have at least had one thing in common.”

  “Jennifer, they had you in common, and their love for you.”

  The girl flushed slightly, but Sylvia could tell the comment made her a little happier. Jennifer stood and moved to the door.

  “I’ll just let you ladies talk. I’ll be back in a half hour.”

  Sylvia watched as the girl disappeared down the hallway. Then she turned to her sister.

  “How are you, Laura Lee?”

  “I’m fine. But what about you.”

  “I’m better. I’ll go home tomorrow. I can tell you, though, it’s not nice being hit over the head.”

  Laura Lee squinted at her sister. “Who do you think did it? Doc Holiday?”

  “No, he was still being held at the police station. Officer McClan thinks this might mean Doc wasn’t the one who killed Hubert.”

  Laura Lee’s eyes drifted across the room for a moment. “Did you tell the officer about Donald? He’s still missing.”

  “Yes, and Officer McClan is worried about his disappearance. It’s too much of a coincidence, him missing at the same time Hubert was killed and then I was hit over the head.”

  “Oh, I hope it wasn’t Donald who did those things. His mother has no one else to rely on. It would b
e awful for her if he was put in jail.”

  Sylvia nodded slowly. The movement still hurt. “Unfortunately, Jason informed the police he saw a tall, dark haired man near my shop around the time I was hit. It might’ve been Donald.”

  A week later, Sylvia was finally able to work a half day at her shop. She still had a slight headache, but other than that, she felt fine.

  “Jason, you did a great job while I was away.” Sylvia patted him on the back.

  “I’m really enjoying it, Miss S. I’ve been talking to Gathe Denver, and he wants me to work some of the estate sales with him as well.”

  “I’m glad, Jason. Antiques aren’t for everyone, especially not many young people; but if you enjoy them, it’s very satisfying.”

  The young man nodded. “I’ve never been interested in anything before. Jennifer thinks I’ve finally found my niche.”

  As they spoke, the front door opened, and a man stepped into the store. He had a baseball cap pulled down in front of his eyes. Sylvia was about to stroll over and speak to him but suddenly gasped.

  She quickly turned and rushed into the back room, picked up her phone and dialed Officer McClan’s number. After a whispered conversation, she ended the conversation and moved back to the front.

  Jason was talking to the man. Sylvia stood to the side, listening.

  The man leaned against the counter. “So, I was wondering if this shop purchased anything from the Pendecot estate sale?”

  Jason’s eyebrow rose. “Uhm, nothing for the shop. But I think Hubert had promised to send some things over here. Right now, they’re all boxed up in the back of Hubert’s garage.”

  The man nodded and turned as if to leave the store. Sylvia stepped closer to him.

  “Excuse me. I couldn’t help but over hear your conversation with Jason. You’re interested in things from the Pendecot estate?”

  “Yep, wondered if there were any pieces of furniture, you know, end tables and things like that?”

  Sylvia was trying to keep the man from leaving her shop. “No, I didn’t get anything like that, but I have other end tables that are nice over in this corner. May I show them to you?”

  The man looked at her impatiently. “No. I’m only interested in items from the Pendecot estate.”

  Sylvia dropped her shoulders. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything from it, except a desk. I did buy a desk. It’s not here; it’s at my house. Are you interested in a desk?”

  The man shifted from one foot to another. “No, I alr… no, I’m not interested in a desk.”

  Sylvia leaned over and spoke in what could only be called a conspirator’s voice. “Did you hear about the Pendecot coins? It seems they were hidden inside the desk I bought. But someone stole them.” She turned innocent eyes towards the man.

  “And, whoever stole them, killed Hubert,” Jason’s voice interrupted. The man stiffened.

  “The police arrested Doc Holiday because he has the coins, but none of us believe he did it.”

  “Well, if you don’t have anything from the estate...” the man turned and moved toward the door.

  Sylvia chewed her bottom lip.

  As the man reached out for the knob, the door was pushed open from the outside, and Officer McClan stepped through the door.

  The dark-haired man stopped in shock, turned as if to bolt out the back way, but Officer McClan’s hand fell heavily on his shoulder.

  “Not so fast, Donald. We’ve been looking for you.”

  “Me?” the man squeaked, trying to pull away.

  “Yes, you. You are a person of interest in the death of one of our town’s favorite men, Hubert.”

  Donald’s eyes grew large. “No way; you can’t pin murder on me.”

  McClan stepped closer until he was almost face to face with the man.

  “Alright, if not murder, what then?”

  “I stole the coins from the desk. I sold them to Doc Holiday.”

  Sylvia sat down behind the counter. Her legs felt like Jell-O. She stared at the two men.

  McClan cleared his throat. “Basically, that’s an admission of guilt. If you stole the coins from the desk, then you must have been the one to hit Hubert over the head and then shoot him.

  “No, no, no. You don’t understand.” The man sputtered. “I… I heard the old ladies talking about the coins so I looked up that article and saw the desk. I did some research on old desks and where things might be hidden. I knew when the desk was going to be delivered so I was there waiting.”

  Jason pressed forward, anger on his face. “You scum, you killed my girlfriend’s father.”

  “No, I didn’t. I snuck up behind him and knocked him on the head with a pipe I brought. He was fine, even moaning a bit. I looked over the desk and found a small cranny that could be pried open. The coins were there.”

  Officer McClan looked skeptical. “So, you want us to believe someone else came along and shot him?”

  The man’s hands were shaking as he reached up, took the baseball cap off then resettled it on his head. “That’s exactly what I’m trying to say. Right after I found the coins, the man started to push himself up so I grabbed the loot and took off. I cut through the back yard. I didn’t go back out front to the van so I didn’t see anyone else, but I heard a shot. Needless to say, I was terrified. After I sold the coins to Doc, I went into hiding.”

  Sylvia sat up straight. “Why come here today then?”

  “I remembered hearing about some jewels being missing or lost. I figured if the coins were hidden in the desk, the jewels were probably hidden in a piece of furniture like an end table or a bureau. I already asked at Blue Willow Antiques, but she told me that anything left from the sale was going to be given to the owner of this store.” The man’s whole demeanor slumped. “I swear, I’m not a murderer.”

  Office McClan pulled his handcuffs out. “If you come along peacefully, I won’t cuff you. But for now, you will be held on theft and maybe suspicion of murder.”

  Donald’s wild eyes sought Sylvia. “Will you keep an eye on my mother? She’s going to be so worried. They take good care of her there, but...”

  Sylvia walked over and patted his hand. “Yes, Donald. I’ll check on her every time I go see Laura Lee.”

  The man nodded gratefully and followed Officer McClan out the front door.

  When they were gone, Jason turned to Sylvia. “Wow, that was exciting. Is selling antiques always this interesting?” he barked out with laughter.

  Sylvia frowned, “Jason, that’s not nice. This is serious. That man might have murdered Hubert.”

  Jason plopped onto a stool and spun himself around in a circle. “I don’t think so. He reminds me of an old friend. He’s the type to steal, bully and boss, but not hurt anyone for real. Especially since he seems to actually care about his mother.”

  “I better call Bill to come pick me up. He is not going to be happy about this. He made me promise I would stay calm.”

  As she stood to move to the back room, the sound of the front door opening again halted her. Sylvia reluctantly turned her head.

  “Sylvia, what was the police doing here?” Hatty’s inquisitive voice made Sylvia cringe.

  “They were here to arrest a man they think may have something to do with stealing the Pendecot coins from my desk.”

  Hatty’s mouth gaped open. “I thought they already had Doc Holiday?” A sudden thought seemed to occur to Hatty. “But the man who the police had with them; he was in my shop earlier asking if I had any furniture from the Pendecot estate.”

  “Yes, he admits he stole the coins from my desk and was trying to locate the lost jewels. He thought they might be in another piece of furniture.”

  Hatty picked up a Dresden China figurine, looked at the price, then set it down again. “No, I don’t think those jewels were hidden in furniture. I think they were hidden somewhere in the house.”

  Jason leaned over. “Why do you think that, Miss Hatty?”

  Hatty stared at him but said to Sy
lvia. “When I was a young girl, I went to a Christmas party at the Pendecot mansion. I remember my father talking to Mary Pendecot. He said something about how nice her jewels were but how dangerous it was to keep them in the house. I remember she laughed and told him she kept them hidden in a special place in the house, where no one would ever find them.”

  Sylvia stood silently listening. She didn’t want to stop Hatty’s words.

  “I remember Mary Pendecot smiled at him. Before she walked away, she said, ‘Endless reflections, endless reflections.’ Then she drifted away from my father.”

  “What do you think she meant by that?” Jason asked.

  Hatty shrugged. “Sylvia, do you think that man killed Hubert? Oh, my! It’s terrible to think he was in my shop today, and I was alone with him. That’s it. I am going to hire an assistant for sure.” Hatty turned and rushed out of the store.

  Sylvia took a deep breath and moved to the back room. She called for Bill then sat waiting. She could hardly wait to get home and get in bed.

  Chapter 11

  Sylvia placed the red and purple hat on her head. She was looking forward to the monthly Red Hat Society meeting. Especially tonight, because it was being held at a small, local Italian restaurant. Most visitors to the area chose to eat seafood, but from time to time Italian was just what the doctor ordered.

  Of course, it’s all ridiculous, dressing in purple and wearing a red hat, but I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to spend the evening with an amusing group of ladies.

  Bill was at her door promptly at six, ready to drive her to the restaurant. As they drove along the gulf, Sylvia wondered what she would do without Bill.

  “Bill, why don’t you stay at the restaurant and eat, my treat.”

  “That sounds wonderful, Miss Sylvia. It’s one of my favorite places. But, all those women in red hats, I’m not sure.”

  “Oh, Bill. You can find a nice quiet corner.”

  Bill glanced up in the rearview mirror. The lines around his eyes crinkled as he smiled.

  When they reached the restaurant, Bill parked and escorted Sylvia inside. She drifted into the room filled with women wearing red hats, and Bill waited for a table.