Garnet pushed open the door of the hospital room, then nearly turned around. But it was too late. Elizabeth had already seen her.
“Look who’s here: our Super Sleuth,” Elizabeth said. She was sitting up in bed and all the medical equipment that had surrounded her a week ago had now been removed. Dan and Gerdie were seated on either side of her.
Why hadn’t Garnet realized before that Dan might be here today? He had tried to speak with her yesterday, outside, after the police had gone, but she’d just hopped on her bike and ridden away.
And now here he was. Dan got up and gestured for her to take the chair.
Garnet shook her head. “It’s okay, I’ll stand.” She’d do her best to ignore him, then cut her visit short. She gave Elizabeth a faint smile. “Sorry the lost treasure wasn’t exactly what you hoped it would be. I don’t even know why the cross is worth anything, but Stan sure thought it was important.”
Gerdie flinched at the mention of his name. “Quite honestly, I don’t think he knows why it’s worth anything, either. He was just going by what the letter said. If I’ve learned anything from this, it’s that for all of Stan’s manipulations, he’s not exactly the brightest bulb. But I suppose all that doesn’t really matter now.”
She sighed. “He had me convinced that we had to find that so-called treasure for you, Elizabeth, before someone stole it from you. He warned me to be careful of Garnet, that we couldn’t trust her.” Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Garnet. “It was his idea to leave you that note to scare you away.” Gerdie wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Garnet reassured her.
Gerdie shook her head. “No, it’s not. Stan was right about one thing: I was gullible and a fool in so many ways. I almost let him get away with theft. He took your silver angel, Elizabeth. And your jewellery. He took the entire box from your dresser. And the box with your financial information. He told me it was for safekeeping while you were in the hospital.”
“Can she get it back?” Dan asked.
Gerdie nodded. “I told the police. They’ll get it back. They’re also going to have the bank go over all the accounts. And there’s a chance he may have tried to draw up a forged will.”
“A forged will?” Elizabeth made a clucking sound. “He would never have succeeded. My will is safe with my lawyer.”
“I did manage to get this.” Gerdie reached down for her purse and pulled out a yellowed envelope and handed it to Elizabeth.
“What is it?” Elizabeth asked.
“The letter we’ve been talking about. Stan found it in Clara’s attic. It might explain a few things.” Gerdie gave a devious smile. “I pinched it from him last week after we’d had an argument. You see, I was starting to suspect that he wasn’t the man he pretended to be.”
Elizabeth’s eyebrows knitted together. “Oh? What made you think that?”
“Things just weren’t adding up. A few weeks ago he told me that you’d given him this letter and asked him to help you, but he didn’t know where to begin. He thought that maybe I would know some places to look. I wasn’t to tell a soul, though, not even you since, he said, you had sworn him to secrecy and he didn’t want to let you down. I believed him at first.”
Gerdie reached for a tissue and blew her nose.
“But a few days ago, I overheard him on the phone when I was watching TV at his apartment. I knew he was having money problems. He had gambled and lost, and had gone on a spending spree days earlier, buying that BMW and who knows what else, the swindler.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I heard him say that soon he would be inheriting some money and that he would have more than enough to pay his debts. When he got off the phone, I asked him who had died.” Gerdie pursed her lips at the memory. “He got angry and called me a snoop. He blasted me for eavesdropping and told me to mind my own business. And so I did. I took the letter from his desk on my way to the bathroom. I didn’t trust him anymore and meant to talk to you about it once you recovered. Of course, I didn’t let on that I didn’t believe him.”
Elizabeth sighed and patted her friend’s hand. “I’m afraid I also fed his bad habits.” All eyes now turned to her. “You see, I trusted him, too, especially at first. I had no reason not to. So when he told me he was having some financial difficulties and asked me for money, well, I gave him some to help him out. It was only small amounts at first — a thousand dollars here, two thousand there. He always promised to pay it back soon and at first he did. Not all of it, but most. But it never seemed to be enough. He kept wanting more and the amounts kept increasing.
“Then the last time ...” Elizabeth paused. “The last time he asked for fifty thousand dollars in cash. He said it was for a friend who was sick and needed special treatments at a clinic in Mexico. It was a lot of money but I was a silly old fool and agreed to help. I took the money out of the bank and Stan came for it, and ... ” Her hand went up to her forehead and touched the faint yellow bruise. “Now I remember. I asked him who the friend was. Stan gave me a name but I was beginning to wonder if he was lying. When I asked him more questions, he became defensive and asked me if I didn’t trust him. I told him no, it wasn’t that. I was just curious about who the money was for. Well, he became angry, accusing me of reneging on my promise. He called me ’cheap’ and said that if I couldn’t find it in my heart to give money for a dying friend, then I was just a selfish old woman who hoarded all her money. I don’t remember anything else after that.”
“He never got the money, Elizabeth,” Garnet said. “I found it in your purse when I was looking for a key. My mother brought it back to the bank.”
“Well, thank goodness for that.”
Elizabeth held up the yellowed envelope and gazed at her name on the front of it. Carefully, she pulled out the letter, unfolded it, then, lightly with her fingertips, touched the words that Albert had written with his own hand so many years ago. She sighed, then began to read out loud:
My dearest Elizabeth,
If you are reading this letter, then the worst has happened. I shall never see you again on earth but in God’s heavenly kingdom. I am entrusting this letter to Charlie in the hope that at least one of us will return. Only God knows if that is to happen.
Since my father has passed on and so have I, there is something you must know. My father prepared a place for the treasure I once spoke of that belonged to my mother and her mother before her. That is what he was speaking of before his death.
Behold the angel. The princess watches over. Have faith, Elizabeth, more precious than gold refined by fire. In time you will discover the key that leads to the cross. Believe like Thomas. In doing so, you will discover the priceless heirloom, worth more than you could ever imagine. I cannot say more lest this letter should fall into the wrong hands (by this I mean the enemy who killed my grandfather).
Remember, my sweet, darling Elizabeth, that I shall always love you. Though our time was short, you will be forever in my heart. Be happy and may God grant you a long and wonderful life.
Until we meet again, with all my love, Your Albert
Elizabeth closed her eyes and tears began to roll down her cheeks. She set the letter on the tray and pulled off her glasses to wipe her tears away. Garnet felt her throat tighten and Dan looked down at the floor.
Gerdie began to cry. “I’m so sorry,” she said softly.
Elizabeth said nothing at first, lost in her thoughts, but after a few moments she put on her glasses and cleared her throat. “Albert told me his father’s pet name for his mother was ’Princess.’ It’s engraved in my locket. What he wrote here was his way of trying to provide additional clues, most of which I think you two have already uncovered. “But this part here ...” She pointed to a line in the letter.
“Where?” Garnet asked, leaning in to see.
“These words: ’Believe like Thomas.’ Reginald mentioned something about Thomas, too, but I don’t understand. If he meant Thomas in the Bible, he was a doubter until Jesus proved to him that he was alive.” Elizabeth looked around at everyone as though she expected an answer, but no one had any to offer. “Just what does this cross look like?” she asked.
“I should have brought it with me,” Garnet said. “It’s made of wood and has a silver Jesus nailed to it. It’s nice, but I don’t know why it’s so important. I didn’t see any markings on it or anything.”
“Where is it now?” Elizabeth asked.
“After the police were done, I locked it back into the iron box in the mantel and took the key,” Garnet said, patting the front pocket of her jeans. “I can get it for you, if you want.”
“Maybe we should look up the story of Thomas and see if we can figure anything out,” Dan suggested, looking over at Garnet.
“Sure,” Garnet mumbled. She gave a quick shrug and glanced away.
Elizabeth observed the exchange between the two. “Not to worry. There’s really no rush. The doctor told me this morning that I’ll likely be going home in a couple of days. We can see to it then.”
“A couple of days? That’s great!” Garnet exclaimed.
“The sooner, the better,” said a voice from across the room. Elizabeth’s roommate had just hobbled back in. She was fully dressed and her overnight bag lay packed and ready to go on her bed. “I’m going in a few minutes and though I’m sad to abandon my new friend, I’m very happy to leave here.” Anna poured herself some water from the plastic pitcher and raised the cup in their direction. “Cheers. To our health and to going home.”
“Cheers,” Elizabeth replied, raising a cup of apple juice.
The women smiled at each other, then Elizabeth turned her attention back to Garnet. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, dear, did your mother ever have any luck finding her father?”
“Sort of. She found out he’s dead,” Garnet replied. She decided not to add the part about him being a criminal.
“Oh, I’m sorry. That’s too bad,” Elizabeth said. “What did you say his name was?”
“I don’t know if I ever did, but it was Serge St. Jean.”
“Serge St. Jean,” Elizabeth repeated and frowned. “Hmm. That name sounds oddly familiar. Was he from around here?”
But before Garnet could answer, Anna began to cough and sputter as she choked on her water.
“Are you all right?” Elizabeth asked with concern.
Anna nodded. Her face was red but she managed to get her cough under control. “I’m fine,” she said weakly and cleared her throat. “It’s just ... that name. I haven’t heard it in a very long time.”
“That name?” Elizabeth said.
Anna nodded.
“You mean Serge St. Jean? You knew him?” Garnet felt as though the floor was about to open beneath her.
“Yes, I knew him,” Anna said, her French accent suddenly more pronounced. “Serge was trouble. Only trouble.”