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A few things tickled my mind, causing me to lose a decent night’s sleep. I chalked it up to all the commotion over the previous two days. To the best of my ability, I tried to make sense of Gina’s death, but couldn’t. By the time the morning sun streamed into the window, I was ready to get up. I glanced at Aaron who peeked open his right eye—then the left. “Mornin’.” I kissed him.
“I have a few things to tell you, which I should’ve mentioned last night.”
“I hope it isn’t what I think it is, but go ahead,” Aaron said. “Well, I didn’t enter Gina’s house, I peeked in as many windows as I could.”
“Good girl, no breaking and entering. Only invasion of privacy, they’d probably let you off on good behavior. Proceed.”
“Gina’s aunt, Ida Gray, wanted me to look for something suspicious,” I said. I reached over to the bedside dresser for the envelope. “That set me on edge. I glanced down between the screen and front door and saw this envelope. It looked important.” I handed it over. “I didn’t tell Ida about it. Also, the key is under a flowerpot outside the door. Should I get it or not?”
“I’ll contact the detectives, but they’ll probably want to speak to you. If it turns into a murder investigation, then we’re talking conflicting jurisdictions. My guess is that Minneapolis will take over since the home is located on this side of the river and any future evidence found in the home would fall into their jurisdiction.”
“The authorities will work it out,” I said. Aaron set the envelope his patrol bag.
“I have a point of interest to tell you.” He sat up with a grin. “Betcha can’t guess.”
“Hmm...,” I pursed my lips, “tell me.”
“Ed Parsons, the John Muir impersonator is from North Dakota.”
“Really?” I questioned. “I would’ve thought he was from California because that’s where John Muir lived when alive.” I got up and reached for my outfit. Slipping into a short, flowered sundress I asked, “Want bacon and eggs, or a bowl of cereal?”
“I’m back at the precinct today. I’ll pick up something.”
“Okay. I’ll do the same.”
It didn’t take long before my hair was brushed and red lipstick applied. I grabbed my things and headed for the door, kissing Aaron as I zipped by.
My favorite drive-thru was open, and I picked up a cup of coffee. By the time I’d made it to the Xcel Convention Center, the coffee was gone and I was hungry. Rather than go inside immediately, and risk eating a burger and fries for breakfast, I decided to go to the nearest diner and snag a muffin. People began pouring inside by the time I entered. I certainly hoped today would bring a peaceful and satisfying conclusion to Gina’s death. I wasn’t sure whether or not Maggie would join me. She may have made previous arrangements with her parents and Tim. I suspected he probably had to work today since Aaron did, and they were partners.
I stopped by the First Ladies booth and found them setting up. “Hey you guys! Busy around here, isn’t it?” I said.
“I thought we’d have more chances to get up and walk around,” Alice stated, “but there’s no time at all to do anything.”
“I know. It’s tough.” I noted that all three still dressed similar, today in red and white flowered dress with a blue neck scarf.
“What about those impersonators? Aren’t they terrific?” Belle asked. “I think Buffalo Bill looks like a whole lot of fun.”
“And, in more ways than one.” Ruby said.
“You got me on that one,” I chuckled. “He is good looking.” I smiled. “I must get to my booth. Have a great day.” I waved and walked away.
I bought a small orange juice to drink with my muffin, and went to sit in my booth. Watching the crowds go by and eating my breakfast, my thoughts went to the furnishings in Gina’s house. I tried to think of what Aaron always said to look for when entering a room. Something out of character, like two glasses when one person sat by the table. That was a clear indication that someone else may have been there. It also made me wonder about the envelope. I soon had myself convinced that I needed to return and take a closer look at Gina’s house.
I looked up just as Ed Parsons approached. I grinned. “Hello, Mr. Muir. Glad that you could make it.” I held out my hand, which he willingly shook.
“Thank you. Mighty fine to be invited.” Ed crossed his arms and eyed me. “Tell me about your dollhouses.”
“How boring do you want me to get?” I said.
He smiled. “Tell me the differences between the TR and the presidents before him. What innovations did he make to the White House?”
I proceeded to explain to him about the various first family changes and their need for privacy. The conversation continued for some time until at last I chanced asking him about the purchased land outside of the park. “Have you heard of a land deed purchased by Theodore Roosevelt next to the land that became the TR National Park?”
“Let me think.” Ed scratched his head. “A separate parcel?”
“Yes.”
“It’s possible. He spoke of purchasing a parcel for his daughter.”
“Yes, that could be it.” My eyes opened wide.
“I guess so. But that’s all I know, I’m afraid.” Before he left, Ed asked, “Got anything that belonged to Alice Roosevelt?”
“I have one of her purses.” I shrugged, wondering at his interest. “It’s at my store.”
“I’d like to see it. Bring it in tomorrow.”
“I’ll try to remember.”
He gave me a nod then disappeared, leaving me wondering why he really stopped to visit. At that moment my cell phone chirped, and I responded. It was Aaron.
“Everything going good, baby girl?”
“Yep. Ed just left. He asked about the TR house and then mentioned something about seeing what I have from Alice Roosevelt. I’m not sure why he stopped by.”
“He probably was just wondering about the White House and its preservation, that’s all.”
“Never thought of that.” We both said ‘goodbye’, and disconnected. I knew he wouldn’t be home until late again. I let out a long breath, and hoped the day would go by fast.
My thoughts went to Ida, and I wondered why she didn’t go to the house and search it herself ? Why ask me to do it? It didn’t seem right. Who stood to inherit that ranch? How large was it? I didn’t think Gina had a sibling or close relative besides her aunt and cousins. I ran my fingers through my hair and started to consider the notion that her death wasn’t an accident. I needed more time to research. I looked out across the vast room that was wall-to-wall people.
A woman caught my eye, and we smiled. It didn’t take long before she and I spoke.
“I love dollhouses,” she gushed. Her perfume and sparkly eyelashes brought a smile to my lips. “Had a special one when I was a kid and Mother made me get rid of it when I got older. Never forgave her.”
“Here.” I handed her a card. “Come on over and take a look at them. A gal is never too big or too old to have a dollhouse. That’s my motto.”
“Thanks.” She took the card.“Say, ‘Bully’, and you’ll get a discount.”“Will do!”I watched as she disappeared, and wondered which First Lady would be of interest to her?I sat for another hour before Maggie joined me, carrying a bag from a fast-food place. As she ate her lunch, I told her about going to Gina’s house. “I wonder if I should go back?” I glanced at the crowd. “I also would like to know if anything else has been learned about her and if they’ve questioned her aunt. I told Aaron that I peeked in the windows and gave him the envelope I found. It certainly seemed official- looking.”“I don’t suppose you steamed it open?” She raised a brow, and I shook my head. “Shame on you.” She picked up her phone to send a message to Tim. “Let’s see if he knows anything else that we don’t know.”
“Thanks.” I thought for a moment. “Don’t we have a former classmate who is an attorney? I scratched my head. “Let’s see— Brian Swain? Is that right?”
“Sounds right. Graduated with top honors and went to Harvard. Why?”
“He’d probably cost a bundle.” I frowned. “I’m going to look up the courthouse for Medora and see if we can find out what property is owned by Gina.” I began a search for the courthouse number just as Maggie’s phone chirped.
“Hmm....” She looked at me. “It seems that the coroner decided to have a complete test of the blood samples from Gina.”
“And?” I held my breath.“Now it’s officially being called ‘a homicide’.” “Her death had to have been planned.” I rubbed my chin. “Now what?” “Not a clue.”
At that moment, Aaron called and I answered.
“Baby girl?” I could hear him taking a deep breath before continuing, “It’s been declared a homicide. They’re investigating further.”
“Why?”“Don’t know all the facts.”“Thanks.” We disconnected, and I looked at Maggie. “Now the stakes are higher.” I turned to watch an approaching spectacle. Over the top of people’s heads, I saw a man wearing a buffalo headpiece striding in front of us. Beside him were two young women dressed as Native American maidens. I loved their braids, their bright red painted cheeks and lone feather headdresses. I couldn’t keep my eyes from watching as they passed by. I glanced at Maggie, her eyes were as wide as mine.
“Beautiful.”
“We’ll have to see the show,” I said. “They’re gorgeous.” Several Native American men dressed in costume led a procession of impersonators. TR, barely able to slow his pace, walked with Annie Oakley as if they were old friends, along with John Muir, Thomas Jefferson, and Buffalo Bill.
“I wonder who these people really are?” I studied them as they passed. The Jefferson impersonator I remembered from Colonial Williamsburg when Aaron and I were searching for the Star Spangled Banner manuscript. He didn’t concern me for that reason. “I’m going to find out.”
“Security should know, but why are you interested?” I noticed that Maggie’s gaze still followed the procession. “They weren’t around when Gina was poisoned.”
“How do we know? Makeup can change someone’s looks in a heartbeat.” I began with running a search for John Muir impersonators in the region, and five names appeared on the screen. “Huh!” I pressed on the first link, which led me to a man who was retired. I did bookmark the site in case further scrutiny was needed. The next three images didn’t match the looks of the man in question. Either the ears were too big, or the eyes were wrong, or else it was the height. I pressed on the site for the fifth man and knew I’d found the right person. The height, weight, and the bushy eyebrows fit the guy in question. I bookmarked the page and deleted the other. Maggie nudged me as I began reading his bio.
“I’m going for a walk-about while you do that.” She stood and moved around me. “I won’t be gone too long.”
“Take your time and eavesdrop as much as possible.”
“Will do.”I had the man’s bio up and ready to begin reading it when a woman stepped up to my booth. I placed my phone inside my pocket after bookmarking the page.
“I love dollhouses. I love the First Ladies. What a neat idea.” Her blond hair sparkled from the above lights and the blue bow in her hair reminded me of the flag because she wore a red heart on each cheek.
“Who’s your favorite? Mine’s Dolley Madison.”
“She’s the one that saved George Washington’s picture isn’t she? And bunches of other things, too. Right?”
“One and the same.” I smiled. “Here’s my card.” I handed her one. “Come by the store anytime and take a look around. Say, ‘Bully’, and you’ll get a discount.”
“Okay!” Her smile brightened the room. “I loved Jackie because of her elegance, and Barbara Bush reminded me of my grandma.” I saw a bit of wistfulness in her smile. “I will. Thanks.”
“Anytime.” I watched her walk away. My phone chirped, so I took a quick look and I’d received a message from Maggie. It read: brownies or cupcake? Want cheese or onion on your burger? I responded: brownie. Fried onions and cheese. Cola. Thanks.
I continued reading through the bio of the man known as John Muir, with the given name of Ed Parsons. He lived in a town between Medora, where he’s a retired history teacher, and Minneapolis, Minnesota. That stood to reason. This explains why he wanted to see Alice Roosevelt’s purse. I tapped from the site and slipped the phone back inside my pocket, deep in thought. The impersonators would have to know as much as possible about their character. John
Muir’s impersonator would be well-versed in the major historical characters of Muir’s time. I made a note of his name and profession in the notepad app on my phone.
I went ahead and did a quick search for Annie Oakley and ten sites appeared. I glanced quickly through them, and picked out two. They caught my eye because of the height and weight. They were near the same size, but I paid attention to the hairline to see if there was a growth of colored hair. One was a natural brown, the other was blond. I made a notation in my app about it. The impersonator must have hair growth, however, I figured that she’d probably just had it colored for the exposition. Fortunately, she was short so that made the find easier.
I was just about to look into the sites for TR when Maggie arrived with our burgers. I tucked my phone away and reached for my food. As we ate, I told her about John Muir, aka Ed Parsons. “Did you notice if Annie had root growth?”
“Nope. Want me to look? Between us, we should be able to figure that out easily.”
“True. That’s my next quest after TR now that John’s figured out.” I took a bite. After a minute, I said, “There’s got to be tons of TR’s. It could take a while.”
The rest of the day and into the evening slipped by, with a few prospective clients dropping by and asking questions. It felt good to know that the dollhouses were well received. After closing the booth for the evening, we walked out to the parking lot together, said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Aaron was working his regular shift, and I would be alone for the rest of the evening. I started the car, and made my way down the exit ramp and out onto the street, following the signs to University Avenue. Once on the road toward Main Street and home, I let my thoughts roam. I thought of Gina and glanced at the clock. It was just after nine.
It was my guess that no one from her family had arrived to clean out her house since she had few relatives.
I was unsatisfied with the reason behind Ida’s request for me to search her house. Why didn’t she do it herself ? Could it be that she worried about leaving fingerprints and getting caught? As I drove to my development entrance, I glanced toward Gina’s house and saw a flicker of light from the back bedroom. There wasn’t a car in the driveway. Curious, I wondered if I shouldn’t walk over and take a look or call the police. I pressed the button to raise the garage door and drove inside. I shut the car off after parking and climbed from the car. Before entering the house, I walked out onto the driveway and stared at the house. Did I really see the light? I glanced up and down the street and noticed that most driveways were bare of cars and the lights were on in the houses, but the lights shouldn’t be on at Gina’s.
I walked over to her house, and went around to the back where I’d noticed the unexplained light. I found the room dark, and wondered if I’d made it up in my mind. I decided to go ahead and enter. I circled back to the front and found the key, where it should be,
under the planter. I unlocked the door and immediately replaced the key. Armed with only my phone and keys in my pockets, I went inside and closed the door behind me. There was still enough light from the street lamps that I maneuvered easily. I stopped by the mail and picked up two envelopes lying there and stuffed them into my pocket. I went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator and found nothing of consequence, but took several pictures. Something drew me back to the bathroom, where I stood with my hands on my hips and stared inside of the room. The bedroom floor creaked. Goose pimples raced up and down my spine.
Then someone threw a heavy shoe at me!