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We locked up the store after the detectives left, but not before I brought the ladies up to speed on the recent happenings. Aaron dropped me off at the university. I dashed into the science building and headed up the stairs to the faculty offices. I wanted to personally thank Dr. Williams. It didn’t take long before the office door with his name on it came into view. I knocked. The squeaky door opened exposing his office, still overflowing with papers. The floor was strewn with folders, papers, and textbooks. It looked as if someone had broken in and searched for something.
“Doctor Williams?” I whispered. “Doctor Williams?”
On tiptoe, I stepped farther inside the office, which was when I saw his arm on the floor, sticking out from behind the desk. Did he slip from his chair? I peered around his desk.
His lifeless body was sprawled on the floor. When I crouched down to check for signs of life, it was apparent he was dead.
I screamed.
I recalled backing out into the hallway but remembered little else after that. Campus Security surrounded the area, not allowing anyone to come or go from the floor. Somehow, I managed to grab my cell phone and fumble out a message to Aaron. He came right away and was able to get through security with his police badge. He had also contacted the other detectives, who arrived shortly after he did. “You again?” Erlandsen shook his head at me as he advanced down the corridor.
Mergens looked perplexed. His eyebrows looked permanently arched.
“Is he really dead?” I asked. I couldn’t believe this had happened. Dr. Williams was a nice man, he didn’t deserve to die.
Aaron had been sitting beside me with his arm over my shoulder. “This has been an awful ordeal for Liv.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I feel like this is somehow all my fault.” “Now, why would you think that?” Erlandsen asked, leaning
over and studying me.
“He called to let me know the testing was complete.” “You were here to pick up the results?” Erlandsen asked.
“Yes, to fetch the necklace also. Then, all of this happened. The secretary may have the necklace and the results, though.” I stood, but my legs felt weak. “We need to know the results. They could provide a clue for solving the murder.”
“We’ll check with her,” Erlandsen said. He shrugged. “Go on home. We’ll be in touch.”
With Aaron by my side, we walked to the car. Once inside, we buckled up before driving from the parking space.
“I’ve called Marie and August. They’re on their way to meet us at home,” Aaron said.
“Good. I hope Grandma brings some more chicken soup. It’ll make me feel better.”
The drive home only took a few minutes.
That evening we sat quietly watching the television and enjoying the wished for soup Grandma had brought. Grandma and Grandpa kept their eyes mostly on me. When we finished our meal, Grandma carried the empty bowls into the kitchen.
The doorbell rang. Aaron got up and opened the door to let the detectives in.
“Mr. and Mrs. Ott,” Mergens said as he shook their hands.
“Mr. and Mrs. Ott,” Erlandsen repeated and did the same. “Liv?” He held out a large envelope. “Got something for you. The secretary at the U still had it. You can open it. Since it wasn’t in the professor’s office, it wasn’t considered part of the crime scene.”
“But, it could provide the motive,” Mergens said flatly.
My fingers were shaky as I reached for the item to open it. Aaron affirmed my actions with a nod. The nut and loose chain spilled easily from the opened envelope, and I had pulled out the test results. I read them out loud, “The acorn’s genetic makeup is from the Appalachian region of the United States. And guess what? It’s dated from the mid-eighteen hundreds.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“Kentucky...Tennessee, you know? It fits, doesn’t it?”
“It really does in a roundabout sort of way, if we truly believe Mary Lincoln was the person who had this silvered.”
My fingers felt the remnants of the silver on the table. “This is just too surreal.”
“This case is not unlike the other one, now is it? When you were searching for the Star Spangled Banner manuscript?” Aaron said.
“All convoluted.” I smiled up at him.
“It’s just one thing after another. I might have to retire after this case,” Mergens mused. “Talk about confusion?”
“Tell you what—we’ll talk to the lieutenant. He’s up to speed and understands how mixed up this case is. Either he, or one of us, will keep the Mary Todd Lincoln House up to date. If you do find the speech, it’ll be up to the authorities to decide what to do with it. Go ahead and keep the necklace pieces where you had it.”
“Right back inside our hidden safe box for now, ” Aaron said.
“Good.”
Just then I heard the slamming of two car doors outside the window. We looked out. Ronnie emerged from one car, and another person climbed out of a van. I recognized him as a local television reporter.
“Ahh, jeez. The reporters are here,” Grandpa moaned. Mergens drew the drapes closed.
“I’ll get rid of them,” Mergens said, walking to the door. He stepped outside, and before long the reporters returned to their vehicles and left.
“That was quick service,” I said. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” Mergens said. “I used to work the traffic division. I simply told those reporters they could stay if they wanted, but I was going to look their vehicles over, and if I found even the slightest problem, well, let’s just say the ticket would cost them plenty.”
“Let’s go.” Erlandsen went to the door. “If there’s anything ... anything at all that you remember about anything that happened, no matter how minimal it seems, be sure to call. You have our numbers.”
I blew out a long breath after they left. “I wish this was finished. I feel terrible about Dr. Williams. He was such a good man and so generous to do this testing for us.” I shook my head. “Why was he murdered? What was the motive?”
“That’s the main point. No one knows,” Aaron replied, pouring sodas. He toasted. “To getting this solved.”
“To discovering the motive.” “We’ll drink to Liv,” Grandma said.
“No. Let’s drink to Doctor Williams. He deserves it.”
We clinked our glasses and sipped our drinks. I thought about how lucky I was to have such wonderful grandparents and husband. “We have to figure out the symbols,” I said, shaking myself
out of my daydream. “We haven’t really found the true meaning of the ‘G’ or the staircase.”
“How do you know it’s not just doodling?” Grandma asked. “I’ve been doing some thinking about what I’ve read, plus all
the library research.”
“Yes. We also tried to peek inside the Masonic Lodge on Lowry Avenue the other day. We didn’t get in, but we saw all the symbols on the walls outside.” Aaron shook his head. “But, Mister Lincoln wasn’t even a Mason.”
“The staircase was drawn with fifteen steps. That might mean something.”
“The square and compass are geometric and make up the pentacle, whatever that means.
“Let’s look up the ‘G.’” I reached for my iPad. “It can’t just stand for God, can it? It seems as if it should have another meaning.”
No one spoke as I typed G Mason symbol into the Google search engine. Immediately several link sites popped onto the screen. After skimming through the first two links, I found my answer.
“It means origin.” I smiled at them. “It says ‘The letter G in Freemasonry stands for both the Great Architect of the Universe and Geometry... or, to be more technically correct, it stands for Geometry under the Great Architect of the Universe.’”
“I suppose that could be a clue to where he hid the Lost Speech,” Aaron replied. “That could be what Mary had in mind.” “Somehow, it doesn’t seem right,” Grandpa said. “It’s too easy.” “With her, it’s hard to say.” Grandma glanced out of the corner
of the drapes. “Ronnie’s back.”
“I’ll handle it.” Aaron went outside. In a few minutes, he reentered the house. “He wanted to know if the murder was part of the ongoing investigation concerning Blanche. I told him to speak to the detective.”
“We really don’t know if they’re connected or not. Presumably, they are.”
Soon after, my grandparents left and Aaron went to shower.
That gave me time alone to think about Mary Todd Lincoln.
Mary Lincoln embroidered. She came from well-to-do-parents. She owned slaves earlier in her life. A free slave, Elizabeth Keckley worked as a seamstress for her in the White House. Images of a desperate Mrs. Lincoln with Tad clutching her skirt came to mind. Tad in his little uniform, clutching the stuffed bear. The favored doll I had as a child was still tucked away inside of my grandma’s trunk for safekeeping. For all intents and purposes, Mrs. Lincoln would have kept the bear for Tad. He would inherit it upon her death, most likely. Knowing that it was treasured, she embroidered the tree with the tiny nut inside the rear flap for a reason. For Tad’s eyes only to find.
The diary. Concentric puzzles. Robert, the eldest of the two remaining children, would be less likely interested in them. Tad was devoted to his mother, but he passed away before she did, leaving her alone. Did she hibernate in her sister’s house during her final years because of not being able to face the world? Or were people questioning her about the Lost Speech and she became frightened?