It had been four days since Phoebe had died when LeAnn received a surprise call from Virginia Thomas, Phoebe’s nurse.
“Miss Klein, I need to see you. I’m in Cable. Will you meet me at the resort?”
LeAnn was caught off guard and stuttered surprised, “Oh, okay, yes of course. I can meet you in the dining room if you’d like.”
“That’s fine. I’ll see you in about twenty-five minutes. Good-bye.” She hung up abruptly.
LeAnn was puzzled as to why Virginia Thomas would want to see her. She definitely hadn’t been very cordial when they had last seen each other. In fact, LeAnn was positive Virginia Thomas totally disliked her. LeAnn shrugged and waited until it was time to go meet her. When it was time, LeAnn got her coat and went down to the lobby. She saw Matt’s mother and gave her a hug. “How are you, Mrs. Weston?”
“I’m good, and you?” Margaret asked, raising her eyebrow.
“Well, I was fine until about fifteen minutes ago. Virginia Thomas, Phoebe Armstrong’s nurse, called me and is meeting me here in about ten minutes.”
“Phoebe Armstrong’s nurse?” Margaret Weston responded in a shocked voice. “What does she want?”
“I don’t know, but she should be here soon. I’m meeting her in the dining room.”
“I’m here if you need me.” Margaret hugged LeAnn.
“Thank you.” LeAnn hugged Mrs. Weston back and headed for the dining room to wait for Virginia Thomas.
Hannah was working and came over to greet her friend. “Hi! What’s up?”
“I need a quiet corner table. I’m meeting someone.”
Hannah laughed and said, “Take your pick.” The dining room was empty.
LeAnn laughed with her. “I think I’ll take the one in the corner, and may I have a cup of coffee?”
“Coming right up.”
LeAnn went to the table in the corner by the window. Just as she sat down, she saw Virginia Thomas in the doorway. LeAnn waved at her.
Virginia saw LeAnn and walked over carrying an envelope. Dressed all in black, LeAnn noticed her eyes were red and swollen from crying.
“Thank you, Miss Klein, for meeting with me.” Virginia said as she sat down.
Hannah came over with LeAnn’s coffee, and she looked at Mrs. Thomas. “Can I get you anything?” she asked her.
“Coffee is fine, thank you.”
Hannah walked away, looking over her shoulder at the woman in black
Virginia began to speak. “Miss Klein—”
LeAnn interrupted her. “Please, call me LeAnn.”
Virginia gave her a small smile, “Yes, LeAnn. I know that things didn’t go well with Mrs. Armstrong, and please know that I am truly sorry for how I treated you. She had dementia and mood swings. It’s just that I cared for her so deeply that I over reacted.”
“I have to be honest,” LeAnn said, “when I heard she had passed away the same day I saw her, I really thought she had died because I upset her.”
“Oh no, LeAnn! She was ninety-three years old! She was in ill health. It had nothing to do with you. You let her talk about the best time in her life—when she was young and with her parents, her father especially. They were very close. He would have done anything for her.”
Including killing her cheating husband? LeAnn wondered.
“Anyway, the reason I’m here,” Virginia continued, “Mrs. Armstrong wanted me to give this to you after she had been buried.” She handed LeAnn the envelope.
“What? Why? What is this?” LeAnn looked at her, bewildered, and took the large envelope.
“Just open it.”
Hannah came with Virginia’s coffee and eyed the two of them.
“Thank you,” Virginia said.
Hannah walked away.
LeAnn opened the large envelop and saw two letter-size envelopes. One was addressed to LeAnn Klein and the other to Amelia Tabor.
LeAnn looked up at Virginia, “I don’t get it.”
“I’ve done what I was supposed to do. Phoebe wanted me to give this to you after she was buried, and I’ve done just that. I don’t think we will be seeing each other again, LeAnn. I truly wish you well.” Virginia Thomas stood up, looked at LeAnn then walked out of the dining room.
A very speechless LeAnn just stared at the empty doorway. Then she looked at the two envelopes. She hurriedly opened the one addressed to her.
“Miss Klein,
I’m having Virginia write this for me since my hands aren’t what they used to be, so Virginia does know what is in these letters.
I want to thank you for visiting with me today. I so enjoyed it. You are a very charming and beautiful young woman. It is always a pleasure for me to think about the wonderful times in my life and to talk about them with someone.
I would like to impose on you to do me a favor. You will find a letter addressed to Amelia Tabor in this envelope with your letter. Would you please deliver it to her? I know this might be a great imposition, but I do hope you will do this for me.
I wish you well in life, Miss Klein, and I thank you greatly for doing this for me.”
Sincerely,
Phoebe Armstrong
LeAnn was speechless. She held the envelope addressed to Amelia Tabor. What could this dead woman possibly have said in this letter to Amelia?
Hannah interrupted her thoughts.
“You okay?”
LeAnn looked up at Hannah as if just coming out of a trance. “What? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Hannah, can you sit with me for a minute?”
Hannah laughed. “LeAnn, you’re my only customer. What do you think?”
“This is serious!”
“I’m sorry,” Hannah said, feeling bad for her sarcasm.
“Look at this.” She handed Hannah the letter addressed to her.
After reading it, Hannah said, “Are you serious? She wrote a letter to her husband’s mistress?”
“Yes.” LeAnn held up the envelope addressed to Amelia.
“LeAnn, what are you going to do?”
LeAnn didn’t speak for a moment looking at the letter, “I’m going to deliver it, I guess.”
“When?”
“Well, I’m going to have to call Amelia and see when I can go see her to give it to her. I probably should do it right away. I really don’t want to hold on to this letter any longer than I have to. But, Hannah, I’m sure Amelia’s not going to be happy to hear that I have a letter for her from her lover’s now-dead wife!”
“Yeah, it’s kind of creepy having a letter that was written by a woman who’s now dead, ya know?”
“Yes, I do know! How do you think I feel having to deliver it?” LeAnn stood up, gave her friend a hug, and walked out of the dining room to go call Amelia Tabor.
Once in the condo, she looked for her cell phone. She found it in the bathroom. She dialed Amelia’s number and heard the pleasant voice say hello on the other line.
“Miss Tabor, it’s LeAnn Klein.”
“Yes, LeAnn how are you?” sounding overly polite.
“I’m well, and you?”
“Fine. What can I do for you, LeAnn?” LeAnn knew she wasn’t fine. She could hear it in her voice. She was very upset.
“Well, I don’t know how to say this, but I have something that I have been instructed to deliver to you.” LeAnn felt so uncomfortable. Damn you, Phoebe for putting me in this position!
“What in the world is it? Who instructed you?” Amelia had had enough things from LeAnn Klein.
“Please, don’t make me tell you on the phone. May I please come over and just deliver it?” LeAnn was begging.
There was a very long pause, and then Amelia took a deep breath. “I guess it’s all right. When will you be here?”
“I’ll leave right now and just drop it off. I don’t even have to come into your house.”
“Fine. I’ll see you shortly.”
“Thank you, Miss Tabor.”
They said good bye and LeAnn left immediately.
When she reached Amelia’s house, she quickly got out of her car, holding the envelope in her hand. She knocked on the door.
Amelia looked at LeAnn with untrusting swollen eyes. She didn’t invite LeAnn in right away.
“Amelia, Virginia Thomas came to see me today.” LeAnn said.
“Phoebe’s nurse? She came to see you?” Amelia asked, dumbfounded. “Come in. I don’t need the neighbors knowing my business.” Amelia stepped back, allowing LeAnn to come in.
Once in the house, LeAnn continued, “Virginia called me and said she had to see me. She met me at Ridgewood’s and handed me a large envelope with two smaller envelopes inside. One was addressed to me, and the other was addressed to you.”
“Me?” Amelia asked wide-eyed.
LeAnn held out the envelope.
Amelia looked down in distaste at the envelope with her name on it. “I don’t want it! There is nothing that woman can say that I want to read. Take it back with you!”
“Amelia, you know that I can’t. In my letter, a dying woman asked me to deliver this to you, and that is exactly what I am doing. I don’t give a damn if you read it or not. But you will take it even if I have to leave it on your door step!” LeAnn was fed up and angry. She forced the letter into the woman’s hands, turned and ran out of Amelia’s house. She got in her car and sped away.
“DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!” LeAnn yelled, driving off. She started to cool off as she got farther away from Amelia Tabor’s house.
When she returned to the resort parking lot, she saw Hannah getting ready to get in her car.
Hannah saw LeAnn pull up and waited, curious to know how it went with Amelia Tabor.
“Hey, LeAnn, how did it go?”
“Awful. Why am I in this position? I’m dealing with rude old women. Okay, one’s dead, and I can’t go home because I have a life threatening, angry entity living living on my island!
Hannah was afraid to say anything. “So, it didn’t go well?”
“Damn, it Hannah! I don’t know.”
Hannah wasn’t sure what to say next, so she tried to distract LeAnn. “Want to go shopping in Hayward with me?”
LeAnn was taken aback, and then she burst out laughing. Jumping at the opportunity to get her mind on something else, she said, “Yes! But I need to go get my cell phone. I left it in the condo. I’ll be right back.”
A few minutes later LeAnn came running out. “Let’s do this!” Hannah was driving, so LeAnn got in on the passenger side of the SUV. “Wow, I haven’t been shopping since I moved here. Thanks Hannah.”
“Well, you’ve been a little crabby, and I know that the cure is to spend money.”
“Thanks a lot!” LeAnn tried to sound angry, but knew Hannah was right.
They both laughed.
Shopping was great. The day was cool and crisp. There were no tourists in Hayward this time of year, so the girls were able to shop without fighting the summer crowds. They found a few good bargains and then stopped for lunch. Over a shared platter of nachos, Hannah asked LeAnn, “So, what do you think was in the letter?”
“I don’t know. What would a wife write to a mistress? Maybe a few choice dirty names?”
“Maybe after all these years she decided to tell the mistress off.”
LeAnn shrugged. “So, let’s look at the whole scenario. Jonathan and Phoebe were sort of dating before Jonathan saw Amelia and fell head over heels. Phoebe announced to Jonathan that she is pregnant. It’s the 1940s, so he did the right thing and he married her. She had a miscarriage, and so Jonathan didn’t see why he should stay married to Phoebe anymore. Only she is madly in love with him and won’t let him go.” LeAnn paused for a minute to collect her thoughts, then continued. “So, Daddy is very rich and Jonathan’s boss and also, as we just discovered, Amelia’s dad’s partner.”
Hannah interrupted. “You guys found out about the partnership in the ledgers you found, right?”
“Right. Do you believe these two fathers? Money was more important,” LeAnn said in disgust. “Okay, where was I? Oh, yeah, Phoebe is heartbroken, Daddy tells Amelia’s dad he better control his daughter or no more contracts for him. Phoebe and Jonathan go to one of the Tabor’s balls. Jonathan starts drinking a lot, and they have a big fight. They have a horrible car accident that left Phoebe, not only paralyzed, but she can never have children. Now Jonathan is guilt ridden since he was driving the car, and had been very drunk. He realizes he can never leave Phoebe but he can’t stop thinking about Amelia, so they see each other on the sly. Ephraim, Amelia’s father, comes back early from a business trip and catches his precious Amelia with Jonathan at Jonathan’s hotel. He tells Jonathan to leave his daughter alone and threatens him if he doesn’t. Jonathan goes to the ball alone the night he is murdered. Ephraim Tabor catches his daughter with Jonathan again and figures his money will be in jeopardy if Phoebe’s dad hears about them being together. He takes his daughter by the arm and tells Jonathan to go home to his wife. Later Jonathan is shot to death and there are no witnesses to the shooting. Amelia’s father is accused at first because of all the threats and warnings he had given Jonathan, but all of his guests at the ball said they saw him watching the fireworks with Amelia at his side.”
“Whoa, Wow! What a soap opera,” Hannah said in awe, “Let me catch my breath.”
“I know. I got all of that from the journal and reading the old newspapers I found in the attic. Personally, I think it was Phoebe’s dad who killed Jonathan. He had so much money I think he hired someone to do it. I think he hated Jonathan for what he did to his daughter. Not just the accident but the affair.”
“LeAnn, you should have been a detective. You’re good.” Hannah looked over at her friend. “I would never have guessed Phoebe’s dad. I would have thought Amelia’s dad would have hired someone because Jonathan was a threat to all of the money Ephraim was going to make with Phoebe’s father. Plus, don’t forget, you said that Mr. Tabor did threaten to kill Jonathan in front of witnesses.”
“Hmm,” LeAnn said, thinking. “I forgot. That’s good too. Look out Nancy Drew!” Both girls laughed about being junior detectives.
Just then LeAnn’s phone rang. She answered and Hannah saw her face change from happy to anxious. “Why, of course, certainly,” LeAnn said. She looked at Hannah, her eyes wide as she listened to the caller. Then she said, “I’ll have to watch the weather. I understand it’s going to snow again tonight and tomorrow. If the weather is good tomorrow or the next day, I would be happy to take you.” She paused again, “Okay, talk to you soon. Good-bye.”
LeAnn slowly closed her cell phone. She looked at Hannah, “That was Amelia Tabor. She just finished Jonathan’s letters and read Phoebe’s letter. She wants to go to the boathouse.”
“She what? Why would she want to go to the boathouse?”
“I don’t have any idea, but there must have been something in Phoebe’s letter.”
“How did she sound?” Hannah asked.
“Awful! She was crying while she was talking to me.” LeAnn looked at her phone and then at Hannah, “Hannah, what if what happened to you and me happens again when I take her to the ballroom?”
Neither one said anything.
They decided they didn’t want to shop anymore. They paid their bill and left the restaurant. They drove back to Ridgewood’s in silence. It started to snow, and LeAnn was relieved. The more it snowed, the more time it bought her, delaying her having to take Amelia to the boathouse.
Hannah dropped LeAnn off in front of Matt’s condo building.
“Do you want to come in?” LeAnn asked.
“Really? You feel like company?” Hannah was surprised by the invite.
“Yes, especially if Matt isn’t home. I really don’t want to be alone.”
Hannah nodded, “Sure, okay. I’ll go park and be right up.”
LeAnn got out and went ahead to the condo. Matt had given her his spare key. She unlocked the door and went in. It was just as she thought: Matt was still working. She realized she hadn’t talked to her brother for a while and tried his number. There was no answer, so she left him a message to call her. Just as she finished the message, Hannah knocked on the door.
“Come on in Hannah,” she yelled out.
Hannah came in covered with snow. “Whoa, it really has started up!”
LeAnn laughed and went to get her a towel. When she returned, she glanced outside and saw it was a complete whiteout.
Hannah dried her hair with the towel. Then they both went to sit on the couch and watch the snow. It was so beautiful. They still couldn’t see the lake but the snowfall was incredible. The big feathery flakes reminded LeAnn what her mother used to say when she was a little girl. “The angels are spring cleaning heaven and shaking out their pillows.” LeAnn smiled to herself.
“How about a hot cup of tea?” LeAnn asked.
“That would be great,” Hannah answered, curling her legs up on the couch.
LeAnn got them both a cup of orange spice tea and then went over and switched on the gas fireplace. She went and sat next to Hannah. There was a faux fur comforter on the back of the couch, and LeAnn pulled it down over both of their legs.
“So, LeAnn, what exactly did Amelia say?” Hannah asked, sipping her hot tea.
LeAnn took a sip of her tea. “She was crying, like I said. She said she had spent the whole day reading Jonathan’s letters and then decided to read Phoebe’s letter. After she had read it, she knew she had to go to the boathouse. Then she asked if I would her.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“I wonder what was in that letter,” Hannah said, staring at the fire.
“I don’t know, but I know one thing. I would love to read it.”
“Yeah, me too.” Hannah agreed.
Hannah’s phone rang. She looked at who was calling, then looked at LeAnn with a smile, “It’s Nick.” Quickly answering her phone, “Hey, baby, what’s up?” She listened, “Okay, that’s fine. I’m with LeAnn in the condo. Yeah, I’ll tell her. Okay. Love you too.” She looked over at LeAnn. “A couple of the maintenance guys called in sick, so Nick’s helping Matt plow. They have to keep the snow shoveled so no one falls and then Ridgewood’s gets sued.”
The girls looked at each other then outside. They giggled, thankful they were inside and warm.
Hannah pulled the throw under her neck and said, “I think they’re going to be outside for awhile.
“I think you might be here awhile.” LeAnn said, “Do you want to put on a pair of my sweats? I really want to change and get comfortable.”
“Thanks. I’m freezing.”
The girls went into the bedroom and changed. “Oh, this is so much better!” LeAnn said. “Do those fit okay?” she asked Hannah.
“Perfect. Very soft, I love them! Thank you.” Hannah ran her hands over the velvet sweats.
LeAnn got them both another mug of tea and then asked, “Hannah, why would Amelia want to go to the ballroom? I mean, that’s where her biggest heartache was. Another thing, she left the island over twenty years ago. Now she wants to go back?”
“LeAnn, it has to do with the letter. Phoebe had to have said something in the letter to make Amelia want to go back.”
“Yeah, but what?” LeAnn asked, bewildered.