Chapter 12

River Bend Chocolate Factory started manufacturing and selling chocolates in River Bend, Indiana, in the early ’90s. The company had now expanded to several locations in Michigan, including downtown South Harbor and a small satellite on MISU’s campus. The South Harbor store was on a corner lot on the main street downtown. Unlike downtown North Harbor, which was attempting to rebuild itself by catering to an eclectic group of artists, small business owners, and restaurateurs, downtown South Harbor was already well established and bustling. Poised atop a bluff overlooking Silver Beach and the Lake Michigan shoreline, South Harbor’s downtown was flourishing. Cobblestoned streets running parallel to the shoreline were lined with brick storefronts that sold fudge, custom made candles, gourmet jams and jellies, and lighthouse-inspired trinkets for tourists. Tourists described downtown South Harbor with words like “quaint,” “picturesque,” and “charming.” Those same tourists used words like “economically depressed” and “derelict” to describe South Harbor’s twin city of North Harbor. If the two cities were indeed twins, then fraternal twins were the best they could claim. However, dedicated residents hoped to rebuild North Harbor, not into a reflection of South Harbor, but into its own thriving image.

I pulled in front of the store and allowed Irma, Dorothy, and Ruby Mae to get out so they could secure a good seat while I found a parking spot. Thankfully, I spotted someone heading to their car and I followed them and then waited with my turn signal on while they got into their vehicle, loaded children into car seats, and then backed out of their parking space. I pulled into the recently vacated parking space, which was only a few doors away from the chocolate factory.

I took a look at myself in the mirror before getting out of the car and realized I was scowling. I took a few deep breaths and forced my body and my mind to relax. The resentment between North Harbor and South Harbor existed long before the chocolate factory and most of the other shops opened here. Most of these businesses were new and consisted of small business owners, just like myself, who were trying to live their dreams and earn a living. I shook off the black cloud that always descended on my mood whenever I came to downtown South Harbor and hurried inside the store.

Inside, I took a deep breath and inhaled the warm, wonderful aroma of coffee and chocolate. I allowed the sweet smells to envelope my body and settle my mind. I spotted the girls and hurried over to sit down. The shop was busy, but there were several tables pulled together with coats, jackets, and a small reserved sign.

“What do you want?”

I hadn’t even noticed Nana Jo in the corner until she spoke.

She had her cell phone out and was texting.

“How about a hot cup of Earl Grey tea and a chocolate croissant.”

Nana Jo typed my order.

“She’ll need some help bringing everything.” I rose to go help.

“No need.” She pointed toward a thirty-something-year-old man behind an espresso machine. “That’s one of Ruby Mae’s grandchildren. He said he’d bring whatever we needed.”

I followed Nana Jo’s finger and saw a man with smooth dark skin and a large smile heading our way with a large tray of pastries, brownies, and other delightful-smelling baked goods.

“Wow. That can’t all be for us?” I leaned forward and took a deep breath. The sweet aroma of chocolate and sugary goodness entered my nostrils and spread throughout my body.

“Hello, ladies.” He set the tray on the table and then leaned over and kissed Ruby Mae’s cheek.

She smiled. “This is my grandson, Jason. He’s Joyce’s boy. He owns this store.” The pride was obvious in Ruby Mae’s voice and in her eyes as she looked at her grandson.

Jason smiled. “These are on the house. I hope you enjoy.” He waved and another young man brought over plates and silverware. Jason made sure we had everything we needed and then returned to work.

“I’m impressed.” I looked across at Ruby Mae. “He looks young to have his own business.”

“Jason has always been a hard worker. He graduated from JAMU with the guy who started the chocolate factory and worked with him in the original store. He got Joyce to invest when they were just starting. Thankfully, the business took off and now”—she waved her hand—“he’s able to reap the benefits of that hard work with his own store.”

The young man who brought the silverware carried Dorothy’s tray to the table, which contained all of our beverages. Freddie and Judge Miller arrived soon after.

We spent a few minutes socializing and munching on the delicious goodies Jason generously provided, but then we got down to business.

Nana Jo took her iPad out of her purse. “Now, who wants to go first?”

Freddie said his report would be short. His son, Mark, found out Maria had lived at the NARC before moving to Shady Acres.

Nana Jo whistled.

Based on the looks on the faces of the girls, I knew NARC couldn’t be good. Only the judge and I looked puzzled.

“What’s the NARC?” he asked.

“North Harbor Apartments for Senior Citizens,” Freddie explained. “That place is a real dump.”

“I’ve heard it called the Roach Motel,” Ruby Mae said. “I don’t blame her for leaving.”

“The question is, how could she afford to leave?” Dorothy asked.

No one knew the answer.

Freddie shrugged. “I guess I have some more work to do.”

“Who’s next?” Nana Jo asked.

I raised my hand. “I have some information I’d like to share.” I told everyone of my proposition to Detective Pitt and the timeline I got from his notes. They had a few questions but mostly just listened. Just as I finished, I looked up and in walked Detective Pitt.

“Well, I’ll be . . .” Nana Jo muttered.

He walked over to our table. “Good evening. Fancy meeting you all here.”

He stood awkwardly at the edge of the table. The atmosphere from those seated was frosty.

“Why don’t you join us,” I said.

“I’d like to, but I’m supposed to be meeting someone.” He craned his neck and looked around.

Initially, I was so shocked to see him I hadn’t noticed the large red carnation pinned to his coat. His hair was slicked down to his head and arranged so it almost hid his bald spot. He wore short polyester pants, white shoes, and a white belt. The lapels on his shirt and jacket were indicative of the seventies and he wore so much cologne, he overpowered the chocolate.

“There aren’t very many seats here.” He scanned the room again, noticing all of the tables were filled.

Nana Jo and the girls took sips of their coffee. None of them made eye contact.

I stared at my grandmother with a pleading look.

Eventually, she rolled her eyes, plastered on a half smile, and waved her hand. “Why don’t you sit with us until your guest arrives?”

Detective Pitt looked relieved. “Well, maybe I will for a few minutes.”

The detective’s arrival was awkward. Apparently, no one was sure whether he could be trusted with the information we collected or not. Something needed to be done if we didn’t want to be here all night.

“So, does anyone else have anything they’d like to share?” I took a sip of my tea, which was now lukewarm.

Everyone shuffled in their seats.

Eventually, Nana Jo picked up her iPad. “Well, I met with a research librarian friend of mine today.” She pulled a sheet of paper from her purse. “So, Maria Romanov or Mary Rose Platt was an only child. She was born in Goshen, Indiana. It looks like her family was Mennonite.”

“Mennonite? Never heard of them,” Detective Pitt said.

“Mennonites are a conservative Christian sect. They believe in adult baptism, nonviolence, and pacifism,” Nana Jo read.

“Well, I’m Baptist and we believe in adult baptism too,” Ruby Mae said.

“Aren’t they like the Amish?” Dorothy asked.

“I believe the two groups have similarities from their origins. Initially, both groups were agriculture based, but that’s not unique.” She surfed her iPad. “Amish shun technology and I haven’t found anything indicating Mennonites do.” She scrolled further. “There are several different types of Mennonites. Some are like other conservative religious groups. Others more closely align with the Amish.”

Irma coughed. “I used to work with a woman who was a Mennonite. She didn’t cut her hair and wore it pulled back in a bun with a doily on top.” She coughed. “She talked funny too.”

“Like Josephine said, some Mennonites adhere to the old ways. They homeschool their children and speak Pennsylvania Dutch,” Judge Miller added.

“What’s Pennsylvania Dutch?” Detective Pitt asked.

“It’s very similar to German,” Judge Miller said. “I believe it’s a dialect that stemmed from the German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania.”

Nana Jo returned to her iPad. “Looks like Maria Romanov’s family were the ultra-conservative Mennonites. She married a man named, Abraham Rosenberg when she was fifteen. He died from a plow accident about six months after they were married.”

“That’s hard. She was married and widowed before she was sixteen.” Ruby Mae pulled some fluffy wool from her knitting bag.

“Not much else is known about her after that.” Nana Jo looked up. “However, my friend is going to keep digging.”

I noticed she was careful never to indicate the sex of her friend.

“Who’s next?” Nana Jo looked down her nose. “Ruby Mae?”

“I talked to Denise Bennett, the facilities manager. She claimed Maria’s name had been on the wait list for years.”

“Bulls—”

“Irma!”

She put her hand over her mouth and then burst into a fit of coughing.

I couldn’t help wondering if some of her coughing spells weren’t related to having to choke down obscenities. Maybe we should just let her swear and see if her coughing decreased.

“How is that possible when she had only been at Shady Acres a few months?” I asked.

“Exactly. Enquiring minds want to know.” Ruby Mae pursed her lips. “I asked the same thing.” She finished what appeared to be a complicated stitch involving a cable hook and a lot of muttering under her breath, before continuing. “She said Maria called and had her name placed on the wait list for a large unit before she moved in.” She knitted in silence.

“Well, I hope you told her she better prove it,” Dorothy said.

“Nope, I had my son, Donald, call her. He’s a lawyer in Chicago.”

Detective Pitt rolled his eyes. “Yes, I know.”

Ruby Mae looked down her nose at Detective Pitt. “Did you say something?”

Detective Pitt tugged at his collar. “No, ma’am.”

“I didn’t think so.” Ruby Mae sniffed. She hadn’t been a school teacher, but she definitely had the schoolmarm look down pat. I guess it came from single-handedly raising nine children and running her own cleaning business. “As I was saying, I had Donald call her and low and behold, I’m going to be moving into Maria’s apartment by the end of the week.” She looked over at Detective Pitt. “As soon as the police release it.”

“It’s a crime scene,” he said apologetically.

“Is that everything?” Nana Jo looked at her friend.

It was obvious Ruby Mae was holding something back. Whether it was due to our police presence or something else was unclear.

“There’s something funny about that woman. I can’t put my finger on it, but she’s sneaky. I don’t believe for one minute Maria had her name on the wait list years earlier.”

Dorothy shook her head. “Maria never mentioned it.”

“And she would have mentioned that. She talked about everything else.” Irma coughed.

“Donald said Denise Bennett was very evasive when he talked to her. He also said he couldn’t find any information on her.”

Judge Miller sat up and leaned forward. “Now, that is interesting.”

“Why? Maybe she’s a good law-abiding citizen with no prior criminal record,” Detective Pitt added.

Judge Miller shook his head. “Lawyers have access to a lot of systems that track more than just illegal activity.”

“What kind of information?” Nana Jo asked.

“Anything public. This is a technological age and a lot of information is in public databases. If you went to public school, got a driver’s license, bought a house, or paid taxes. All of that is public and lawyers can access it.”

“Well, that’s scary,” Dorothy said.

Judge Miller chuckled. “The data is there. As a society, we use technology without question. The issue is, who has access to the data and when. If he went into one of those systems and couldn’t find anything on this Denise Bennett, that is very suggestive.”

“Suggestive of what?” I asked.

“The absence of data is just as important as the data itself.”

“You mean her data could have been erased?” Nana Jo asked.

“Maybe,” Judge Miller hedged. “It could have been erased, or she could be one of those people who fear technology and big brother and stay off the grid.”

“How do we find out which one it is?” Freddie asked.

“Maybe I can dig into that?” Judge Miller looked around. “If that’s okay?”

We nodded.

“I haven’t had a chance to talk to Gaston yet, but I’ll get to him first thing tomorrow.” Ruby Mae finished her row of knitting and updated the small plastic row counter attached to one of her needles.

A woman walked into the café. She was short and plump. She had on a bright green dress that was a couple sizes too small and had a large red carnation pinned to her breast. She stood at the front of the store and looked around.

Detective Pitt stared as a stream of red spread from his neck up into his face. He got up. “Well, I have to go. It was nice meeting with you.” He hurried over to the woman, slicking down his hair as he walked. When he reached her, he held out his hand and they shook.

“Blind date?” Nana Jo mumbled. “Poor woman.”

We stared at the couple for several minutes as they found a table on the opposite side of the café.

“Let’s get back to work,” I said.

Irma had a date with Horace Evans tomorrow night and said she’d have something to report Wednesday.

“I haven’t found out much today,” Dorothy said. “I had some appointments, but I’ll do better tomorrow.”

“You’re not alone,” Judge Miller said. “I had to teach at the law school today and had a faculty meeting that went a lot longer than it needed to. However, I did learn the coroner’s report isn’t completed yet, although my sources tell me the cause of death was a bullet to the forehead.”

No one made direct eye contact with Nana Jo, but there were a lot of side looks. Now we understood what made her such a good suspect. We sat in silence for several seconds. This time when Irma swore, no one stopped her.

The only response came from Nana Jo. “You can say that again.”

So, Irma did.

* * *

I wrote earlier, so I didn’t plan on writing when I returned from our meeting, but I needed to think. A lot of things were running through my head, and I was afraid my emotions would prevent me from thinking logically, and I definitely needed logic right now. Just as I sat down and prepared to write, my cell phone rang. My sister’s picture popped up and I contemplated letting it go to voice mail. Guilt and curiosity won out and I answered.

“You don’t get drunk.”

I stared at the phone. “What?”

“You get sick, but you’ve only been drunk one day in your life. So, what’s wrong and don’t say nothing.”

She was right. I had only been drunk once in my life. In college, I certainly tried real hard. In fact, whenever people heard I hadn’t been drunk, they tended to take it as a challenge to try and get me drunk.

I took a deep breath and told my sister everything about Nana Jo and also about Mom’s impending nuptials. It took about ten minutes to say everything, but I felt better after I got everything out. Jenna was silent the entire time I talked. When I finished talking, I waited. There was probably thirty seconds of silence. I knew she was still there because I could still see her picture on my phone, but I asked anyway, “You still there?”

“Yes.”

“You were so quiet I wasn’t sure if we lost the connection or if you were on mute.”

“I’m still here.” More silence. “Do we need to come back?”

“No. There’s nothing you can do here. She hasn’t been arrested and hopefully she won’t be. With any luck, we’ll have this whole thing solved by the time you and Tony get back.”

“Judge Miller is a good man, but he’s retired and can’t represent Nana Jo. All he can do is advise, but I deeply respect him and know he’ll do what he can to help, but I need you to take down this name.”

She gave me the name and telephone number of a criminal defense attorney she said was very good. If things took a turn for the worse, I was to call him, and he’d take care of things until she got back.

“Okay. Got it. Try to enjoy yourself and don’t worry about Nana Jo. She’ll be fine.”

Jenna grunted. “I’m sure she will. It’s Mom I’m worried about. Who in the heck is Harold?”

I had no idea. We talked for a couple of minutes and she hung up with a few complaints about roaming charges. I made a mental note to ask my mother what Harold’s last name was and got down to writing.

The drawing room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. In fact, it seemed as though everything had stopped, frozen in time. For an instant, no one reacted, then the dam was released. Lady Alistair looked outraged.

Daphne stared wide-eyed but then belched. “Terribly sorry.”

Jessica’s lips twitched as she suppressed a smile. Yet her eyes flashed triumphant and bright. “Oh my goodness, Lady Alistair.”

Daphne snickered. “I’m terribly sorry.” She stood and was a bit wobbly. She stumbled to the French doors and opened it. She leaned with her back against the doorframe and moved the door back and forth.

A red flush rose up Lady Alistair’s neck and into her face. She looked apoplectic as though she would explode. “You . . . you . . . oh.” She stood up and turned to stare at Daphne. “You’re impossible and completely unsuitable. You may have bewitched James, but I can see you were raised in a barn.”

Jessica snickered.

Daphne stuck out her tongue, kicked off her shoes, and stumbled outside.

Lady Elizabeth sat quietly for several seconds and then turned to James. “Would you please check on Daphne? Obviously, she’s unwell.”

James was already halfway to the door when she spoke. He paused only long enough to nod to Lady Elizabeth before he followed Daphne outside.

Lady Elizabeth rose and stared at Lady Alistair. A flame lit inside Lady Alistair and was evident in her eyes.

“That’s quite enough, Helen.” Lady Elizabeth’s voice was soft, but her tone was as cold as steel. “I won’t stand by while you or anyone else insults my niece in that manner.”

Lady Alistair stared at Lady Elizabeth. In one instant, the look in Lady Elizabeth’s eyes must have quenched the flame in Lady Alistair’s.

“Anyone with eyes could see something is wrong with her,” Lady Elizabeth said with an edge to her voice that left everyone in the room chilled.

James led a dripping wet Daphne back into the room. He had removed his jacket and she was soaked from head to foot.

Lady Elizabeth walked to her niece. “Are you okay, dear?”

Daphne nodded. Her teeth chattered and she shivered.

“Please help her upstairs,” Lady Elizabeth directed.

Daphne took a few steps and then turned to Lady Alistair. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight.” Her voice tapered off into a whisper and her eyes filled with tears.

Between Lady Elizabeth’s wrath, which was barely contained, James’s scowl, and Daphne’s tears, a chink seemed to have penetrated Lady Alistair’s veneer.

“Well, I’m very sorry, Elizabeth. I didn’t mean to insult you in any way.” After another glance at Lady Elizabeth’s stormy face, she quickly turned to Daphne. “Or to you, Lady Daphne. I hope you are better soon and, of course, no offense was taken.”

James helped Daphne out of the room and Lady Elizabeth rang the bell by the fireplace to summon Thompkins.

The butler arrived promptly.

“Thompkins, Lady Daphne is unwell. Can you please have the maid prepare several hot water bottles and a pot of strong tea.”

“Yes, m’lady.” He bowed and retreated.

Lady Elizabeth sat down. “I don’t think any damage has been done to your outfit, but we will, of course, have our butler take a look. Thompkins is a wizard at removing stains.”

Lady Alistair breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m sure you’re right, Elizabeth. No harm done.” She stood awkwardly for several seconds. “But I think I will go and lay down now. It’s been a long day with the travel and . . . everything.” She fluttered her hands. “I think my nerves are a bit on edge. Will you please excuse me?”

“Of course.” Lady Elizabeth spoke politely although there was a stiffness in her spine and a frost in her manners.

Lady Alistair stiffly left the room.

James returned to the room a few minutes later.

The party sat very quietly for several minutes.

Jessica moved next to the duke and sat closer than was necessary. She leaned close to him and put her hand on his leg. “Alistair was just telling us about how hard it is to keep things running on a vast estate like yours. I didn’t realize you were a real duke.”

James looked uncomfortable and puzzled at the same time.

Jessica didn’t seem to notice and leaned closer. “I think Alistair is just splendid.”

James stared at Jessica. “I don’t know what you’re talking about? What does my father have to do with any of this?”

“Your father?” Jessica laughed. “Why, silly, I was talking about your mother, Alistair or Lady Alistair.”

“I’m going up to check on Daphne.” Lady Elizabeth rose. Just as she reached the door, it opened and Mrs. Churchill entered. She turned to her friend. “Daphne isn’t well. I’m going to check on her.”

Mrs. Churchill looked concerned. “Of course, dear.” She sat in the seat Lady Elizabeth vacated.

Before Lady Elizabeth went through the doorway, she heard Mrs. Churchill ask, “What did I miss?”

Randolph howled in laughter.