Mystery, Snow, and Mistletoe Page 4

  Brenda held the necklace and looked up at her father with shining eyes. “I hadn’t thought about jewelry yet and this solves it. I love it and will cherish it forever. It’s beautiful. It will be like having her right there with me on my wedding day.” She got up and gave her father a hug. “Thank you, Dad. It is so thoughtful. I love you.”

  Both father’s and daughter’s eyes misted. Brenda fingered the delicate necklace as memories flooded over her.

  Tim stood up and said he was going for a refill. “What do you have in all these boxes?”

  “They are decorations and other stuff William thought I might like to have here. I’m getting ready to delve in and see what treasures are inside. I still have plenty of trunks and boxes to go through in the attic that belonged to Uncle Randolph. You might like to do that with me soon.”

  Tim came back into the room and handed his daughter a fresh cup of hot tea. “The last time I saw Randolph was a little over five years ago, right here at Sheffield Bed and Breakfast. Staying here has made me realize how much I miss my brother. I regret the estrangement I caused between us. I seem to be good at creating division at times.” He smiled regretfully at Brenda. “He was very different from me, but even I admitted how much talent he had. He was very creative not only in the theatre but right here as well. He understood the significance of his investment and recognized the value this Queen Anne mansion held as a bed and breakfast.”

  They briefly discussed their memories of Randolph and then Brenda moved on to another subject she wondered if her father had any input on.

  “Phyllis asked me to see if I could find out what happened to her long-lost brother. Patrick Lindsey disappeared without a trace five years ago. It may have been around the time you visited Uncle Randolph here. Do you have any memory of this incident with Patrick’s disappearance?”

  Tim thought back. “I was only here in Sweetfern Harbor a very short time. I had a run nearby and decided to drop in to see my brother for a few days before heading home. My vacation came up that July and I wanted to spend it all with you and your mother, so I didn’t stick around here very long.” He leaned back in his chair. “I do recall Patrick Lindsey. I met him briefly. I remember Randolph telling me Patrick had some kind of a bet going on with Pete Graham. It had to do with an apartment downtown.”

  Brenda sat forward. “Do you mean the apartment that Patrick lived in?”

  “The thing I remember most is that when I met Patrick we chatted about general things. Mostly about the climate here, things like that. Then Pete Graham came up and was very rude.”

  “What do you mean?” Brenda couldn’t recall the town’s affable mailman ever showing signs of rudeness.

  “He interrupted us and looked directly at me. He told me not to poke my nose in their business. I was stunned, to say the least. But worse yet, I never got a chance to ask anyone about it, because a day later Randolph confronted me and told me to leave and we got into a huge argument. That was the day I made the decision to never come back here. I don’t know why Randolph willed the place to you, Brenda, but I see how happy you are. Your happiness helps me let go of the bad things that happened between Randolph and me.”

  “I’m horrified at what you are telling me,” Brenda said, her mind racing. “I had no idea why you didn’t like it here, but it all makes sense to me now. Did you and Randolph ever speak again?”

  “When I got home I felt badly about the way we parted. I wrote him several letters apologizing about our arguments before I left. He never answered any of my letters. I tried calling him once but he didn’t answer. It is still very strange to me, and I guess I’ll never know exactly what happened. As for Patrick, I had no idea he went missing. Now I wonder if that happened at the same time all of the uproar was going on between Randolph and me.” Tim shook his head. “I still have no idea why he told me to leave.”

  “I’m wondering about Pete Graham,” Brenda said. “I’ve never known him to lose his temper or show bad behavior like you describe. Do you think he and Randolph had anything to do with Patrick suddenly leaving Sweetfern Harbor?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine. It was all very strange at the time and now that we talk about it, it still makes no sense to me.”

  Brenda wondered who she could talk to that might know more about these events, but meanwhile she had another unexplained mystery nagging at her. She explained to her father her interest in finding out what the boxes contained. “I think William knows more than decorations are in them. Do you want to help me solve the mystery?”

  Tim agreed to help out. Brenda told him her hunch was that Lady Pendleton may have somehow been involved in Patrick’s disappearance. She told him how Phyllis’ brother had won in court over the wealthy and controlling woman. This only piqued Tim’s interest in the case at hand. Together, they pulled out the bubble wrap that covered the contents. Several Hallmark ornaments still in unopened boxes were set aside. After several more layers or ornaments, Brenda’s eyes lit up. She held up a large, unlabeled manila envelope for her father to see.

  “Is this your eureka moment?” Tim asked.

  “It could be.”

  The large manila envelope was sealed. Brenda opened it and pulled out three letters, still with their opened envelopes. She hesitated for a moment when she read the addresses on each of them. All were addressed to Lady Pendleton. Tim and Brenda remained silent. Her hands shook as she opened the earliest dated letter. She read it aloud.

  “I am reminding you of the promised money. All things are on hold until you pay up. Pete Graham.”

  Brenda looked at her father wonderingly. He shook his head as if he didn’t know what to make it of either. She opened the second one and read: “You promised the money and you will be held to it. Do you want to do it Saturday? Pete.”

  Blank glances were exchanged again. “Let’s see what this last one has to say,” Brenda said. “Maybe it will make more sense.”

  She opened it and read it. “Everything has been taken care of. My father Edward will be giving the keys back to you. Pete Graham.”

  “Do you know what keys he is referring to?” Tim asked.

  “I don’t know for sure. But I do know that Patrick worked in Edward Graham’s office. He was Lady Pendleton’s lawyer, when she was alive. Patrick had another lawyer representing him in the case. Patrick did live in an apartment downtown. I don’t know for sure, but it must have been one owned by Lady Pendleton, since he was suing her over a rent increase. I was told when I first arrived here that she owned most of the property around town, if not all of it.”

  “Did she own this bed and breakfast?”

  “No, that was one piece of property she never got her hands on.”

  “There is one obvious thing,” Tim said. “Lady Pendleton, Pete Graham and Edward Graham were all involved with something mysterious. They have that in common.”

  “There’s a lot to think about, Dad. Why don’t we go take a walk and breathe in some of that soothing salt air?” Brenda needed time to think things out. She folded the letters back up and put them in the envelopes. Then she put the manila envelope that held them into her bureau drawer. “Once I go through the other two boxes I may know more. But for now, I think you are right and I need time to mull it all over. I don’t want to make any mistakes.”

  “You go ahead and take your walk, Brenda. Think things out. I’ll join your chef and see what goodies she has for me to sample.”

  Brenda hugged her winter coat close to her and smiled. She recalled how often in her childhood she and her father made up mysteries to be solved. It was a game between them and they could go quite deeply into the pretend crimes. This time they were looking into something very real.

  Chapter Five

  The Search

  Brenda had not talked to Mac recently about the mystery of the missing Patrick Lindsey. But now she felt she had enough to give him from her own detective work and it was time to give him a call.

  “I have the afternoon off since
I’m working tonight,” Mac said. “I’ll come over and you can show me what you have. I’d like to see this case resolved. Five years is much too long with no leads.”

  Brenda left word with Phyllis and Allie to tell the Detective to come up to her apartment when he arrived. She heard his footsteps coming down the plank floorboards of the hallway and waited at the door. She opened it to the greeting of a lingering kiss. She pushed back and laughed.

  “We have work to do, Detective.” She pulled the envelope from the drawer and handed it to him. While he opened the first one she explained how she got them. “I think William knew about these letters. He was going through Lady Pendleton’s things and said he was making room for Phyllis. He had to have seen them.”

  They sat in silence while Mac read each letter. “This all looks very suspicious. I think we should begin with the lawyer. I’ll give him a call and tell him I want to stop by. We’ll have to have a talk with Pete some time, too.”

  They went downstairs and out into the frigid December air, the envelope in Mac’s hand. Mac opened the car door for Brenda. They chatted about possibilities on their way to Edward Graham’s office. After exhausting the subject they realized neither of them had anything concrete yet to go on. At Edward’s building, they went inside the plush office. Large plants fanned across the expansive window in the front lobby. The clerk buzzed Edward and then told them to go on in.

  Edward was moving papers around on his desk and turned to put something inside a file drawer. He greeted Mac over his shoulder and his eyes opened wide with surprise when he turned around and saw Brenda.

  “How nice to see you both. I’m in a bit of a hurry,” Edward said by way of apology. “I’ve had reservations for a Christmas getaway since last January.”

  Mac was unruffled. “This won’t take long.”

  Edward gestured for them to sit down. He sat across from them. His mahogany desk looked like something that someone much higher in status would have. Brenda was sure it was courtesy of Lady Pendleton.

  “I’m interested in details of the court case Lady Pendleton had against Patrick Lindsey,” Brenda said. “I understand it concerned a dispute about high rent on the apartment he rented from her. Also, I understand he won the case against her. Can you tell us anything else about it?”

  Edward fingered a pen and put it back down. He picked it up again, deep in thought, and then shrugged his shoulders.

  “There’s not much to tell that the public records don’t already show. He won the case, which meant the rent increase could not be enforced, end of story. That apartment is just upstairs from this office, actually. But then he suddenly disappeared and no one could find him. I understand that after so long a time, the case went cold. Patrick was prone to being an unsettled man. Most people decided he had taken off someplace to be alone. I don’t think anyone thought much of his actions.”

  It bothered her that he seemed to focus more on Patrick’s reputation than on how Lady Pendleton might have been involved. “I know one person who is still grief-stricken over his departure. His sister Phyllis. He left without a word to her of explanation. Phyllis still misses him as if it were yesterday,” Brenda said.

  “Of course,” Edward said. “It is only normal she would still be upset at the way he just up and left. You would think he’d at least have told his sister good-bye. But that’s the way he was, always restless.”

  “I recall it was Lady Pendleton’s habit to raise rents at a whim,” Mac said. “I admired Patrick for taking a stand on behalf of everyone who had to bow to her demands. He did what others wanted to do.”

  “She often raised rents, yes. I was her lawyer, as you know, but I’m glad she’s gone. She was the biggest client headache I ever had. I was always shuffling papers for her. I just finished cleaning out the last of my papers that pertained to Lady Pendleton. I have to say it’s a huge relief.”

  “I’d like to see the apartment Patrick rented,” Brenda said.

  “I’ll have to let Pete know you are going into it first. He lives there now. My office is the only business in this building, which I purchased when it finally came available on the market after Lady Pendleton’s death. The rest of the building is made up of housing units, but I can’t just let anyone walk into someone’s apartment.”

  Mac made a mental note to get a search warrant if necessary. “Why don’t you get his permission then?” Mac said. “Give me a call when you have it.”

  On their way back to Sheffield Bed and Breakfast, Brenda acknowledged the one thing they learned, and that was that Pete Graham now lived in Patrick’s old apartment. “I wonder if Patrick’s disappearance had anything to do with Pete wanting that apartment.”

  “I don’t know the answer to that. I do know I have more to go on now than I did yesterday. I’d like to see this case come to an end. I hope Patrick is alive and well, most of all.” He parked the car. “I’d like to see more of what you have in those boxes if you can spare a little time.”

  They went upstairs to Brenda’s apartment. Phyllis offered to bring refreshments up to them. She felt the two were on to something. If anyone could find her brother, it was Brenda Sheffield. Mac and Brenda began digging into the second box when Phyllis knocked on the door. Brenda thanked her and set the tray on the coffee table in from of her loveseat. Phyllis didn’t comment on anything but saw they were hard at work and left them with a lighter heart.

  “Here are some legal-looking papers,” Brenda said. She handed them to Mac.

  His breath came out as a whistle. “According to this, that apartment building is worth a million dollars. Lady Pendleton was the owner.”

  Brenda pictured the building downtown in her mind. It had to be one of the first buildings of that size constructed in Sweetfern Harbor. The building itself appeared nondescript, brick and stonework. The architecture was the same Victorian style as the other buildings on the street.

  “Is the place really worth that much?” she asked. “I have a few payments left on this place but the original price wasn’t anywhere near that amount.”

  “It might be worth that much today, or even more, but back then the price would have been much lower. I have a feeling Lady Pendleton forced Edward to appraise it at this higher price. She probably had him fake more appraisals like that around town.” Mac glanced at his watch. “I’d better be going, Brenda. It’s almost time for me to check in for my night duty at the office.” He offered to help pick up the contents of the box but Brenda told him she was going to stay with it a while longer. He kissed her and left. Brenda spent a little while longer reading through the appraisal documents, but it was getting late, and she soon headed to bed.

  The next morning, Brenda went downstairs and met Phyllis on the landing. Her housekeeper smiled at her. Brenda wondered how Phyllis could be so cheerful so early in the morning.

  “I want to ask you a lot of questions, Brenda, but I’ll hold off. It won’t be easy, but I’ll wait to get details from you when you have them. Just give me a hint…are you getting closer?”

  “We have found a few things that may pertain to Patrick’s vanishing but we’re not sure anything is connected yet. I’ll let you know as soon as I have anything concrete. I will tell you that Mac’s interest has been given a boost. He’s hopeful. But no promises.”

  Brenda didn’t want to give her friend hope only to have it dashed again. She had to be careful. She gave Phyllis a reassuring hug.

  “I’m going to have breakfast and then check in with Allie. After that, if anyone is looking for me, I’ll be at the library.”

  Brenda knew the librarian had a wealth of knowledge about Sweetfern Harbor and its residents, past and present. She called Mrs. Perch and asked if she could spare a few moments for her. The older lady answered with enthusiasm. “Brenda, I am always available to you. Come on down, first chance you get.”

  After breakfast, Brenda headed straight for the library. The petite grey-haired lady pushed her glasses down on her nose and waved at Brenda when
she came in. Mrs. Perch’s chin rose only a little above the counter when she stood. “How can I help you, my dear?”

  “I’m interested in finding out more about Patrick Lindsey. As I’m sure you know, he is the brother of my housekeeper Phyllis Lindsey.”

  Brenda heard the slight sympathetic clicking of tongue from the woman. She shook her head and furrowed her brow.

  “It’s a mystery what happened to him. As I understand it from many, he wasn’t someone to just up and leave without telling anyone. He liked to boast and if he thought something better waited for him away from here, he would have told anyone willing to listen to him.” She tutted in sympathy again. “He worked here for me for a while. He was an avid reader in history especially.”

  “I have heard he was likeable,” Brenda said. “Was he nice to work with?”

  “Oh, yes, he was a nice person. He even came by here to visit with me several times after he left to work for Edward Graham. He wanted to tell me all about an apartment building he wanted to move into. It’s down near Main Street, over the lawyer’s office where he was working. At the time, Lady Pendleton owned that building. I would have cautioned him renting from her but the truth is that she owned the vast majority of rental properties here. He would have had a hard time finding a place not in her name.”

  “I know you also recall the lawsuit Patrick leveled against Lady Pendleton. It seems she wanted to raise his rent as she had numerous times before.”

  Mrs. Perch nodded. “She often did that until anyone who rented her properties was left almost destitute. She liked her money but I think she liked harassing others more. I suppose I shouldn’t speak like that of the dead, but she was a hard woman to get along with.”