Authors: Fern Michaels
Charming Lily (25 page)
Sadie buttoned up her jacket and headed down the street. It wasn't that far to the Laroux house. A fifteen-minute brisk walk at best. She slipped the framed photograph into her purse and set off.
She was wrong about the fifteen-minute walk. It took her thirty minutes. When she rang the bell on the front porch she hoped the housekeeper would invite her in and possibly offer her a cup of hot tea. She rang the bell three more times with no response. Well, she'd come all this way so she might as well try the back door. Perhaps the old lady was hard of hearing or maybe she was outside.
Sadie found her sitting on the steps, smoking a corncob pipe, a wizened little woman with steel gray hair tied into a topknot. She was skinnier than a string of dry spaghetti, with faded blue eyes that watered constantly. She removed the corncob pipe and offered up a toothless smile for Sadie's benefit. Sadie loved her on sight.
“What can I do for you, young woman?” the woman asked, tapping the pipe on the corner of the step.
“I'm looking for the boys,” Sadie said boldly. “We're supposed to go on a trip together. Do you know where they are?”
“They left without you, honey,” the housekeeper said, filling the pipe with fresh tobacco from the pocket of her baggy house dress. Eighty pounds at best. Maybe seventy-five. She also looked to be 105. Sadie blurted out the age question.
“Ninety-five my last birthday. I'm hopin' to make it to one hundred so that Willard Scott will put me on the television with them there jelly jars. That's only five more years to go. I'll be gettin' my hair fixed that day. The president of the United States sends you a personal birthday card when you turn one hundred. Did you know that?”
“You'll be pretty as a picture, and no, I didn't know that,” Sadie said. “Are you going to get a new dress?”
“I might. One with a lace collar. The kind you can use on other dresses. I don't know if they still make them anymore. Things keep changing,” she said fretfully. “So what are you going to do now that the boys up and left you, young woman?”
“I don't know. Do you know where they went?”
“Far away they said. Might be gone a whole year. They paid me up for the whole year and told me to take care of the house. I moved back in here and let my place go. They closed up the store. Said one of their cousins would come in the summertime and take it over. Can't remember which one. Didn't know there were any cousins left. You don't remember so good when you get old. Closed up the store real tight, in-surance paid up, too. That's why they done it that way. You can't do nothin' these days without in-surance.”
She needed their names. She couldn't ask, now that she had said they were friends. “Miss Figgins, did you have nicknames for the boys?”
“I didn't, but their pa did. The oldest one was named after his pa and everyone called him Junior. The middle boy now was named after his mama's father's side of the family. His name was Hawthorne. The boys called him Thorny, and so did his friends. The young'un was named Bristol after his mama's mama's side of the family. Every one pretty much called him Tolly.”
“Are you sure you don't know where they went, Miss Figgins? It's really important. I can't believe they left me stranded here like this. Didn't they say anything at all to give you a clue as to where they were going?”
“The three of them were like magpies, one would say something and then the other would say something different and then Tolly would add his two cents. It made me no never mind. Someplace warm with sand and no humidity, Junior said. They didn't pack much. It don't make no sense to me. They up and buy a new car, one of those fancy ones with the tiger on the front, and then they leave without you. What's gotten into these young'uns lately.”
Sadie sucked in her breath. “How many cars do they have?”
“Four or five. They're all in the garage. Mr. Cal had to add on to the garage once they were old enough to drive. They be right over there. Take a look-see yourself.”
Sadie trotted over to the garage and opened the door. The housekeeper was right, there were four cars parked side by side. The car on the end caught her eye. A silver-blue Jaguar. Matt's car. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. She wasn't dreaming. It was Matt's car, complete with New York license plates. She closed the door carefully.
“I guess I should be going, Miss Figgins. Thanks for all your help. If those boys call, you be sure to tell them how upset I am that they left me behind.”
“They won't call. They never do. But I will certainly do that if they should call. What name should I be giving them if they do call?”
A devil perched itself on Sadie's shoulder. “Tiffany Diamond.”
“Now that's a sparkly kind of name,” the housekeeper cackled.
“I'm a sparkly kind of gal,” Sadie grinned. “Bye, Miss Figgins.”
The housekeeper sucked on the pipe and blew out a stinky-smelling puff of smoke. She waved airily in Sadie's direction.
Sadie ran all the way to North Union Street. She was breathless when she burst through the front door. “Lily, I have news! I found Matt's car! Honest to God! There it was, right in the garage! That old housekeeper didn't have a bit of trouble telling me the boys had a new car, and she even told me to go look at it. Do you believe that, Lily? We have to tell Matt right away! Our first real big break. We should call the police, or do you have to check with Matt first? I bet there are millions of fingerprints all over it. Am I a detective or what? I'm going back to Wyoming on Sunday night!” Sadie blurted. “Say something, Lily!”
“Damn, you're good. You really found the car! Right there on their property! Unbelievable. God, I love you. Matt is going to go over the moon. I just called, and I guess he's sleeping because he didn't answer. I don't think we should rush over there and wake him up. The car isn't going to go anywhere. Let's give him another half hour, then surprise him.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Sadie looked around, noticing the room for the first time. “Ohhhh, Lily, this is gorgeous! I can't believe it's the same house! You did a fantastic job.” She flopped down on a wheat-colored sofa with bright plum-colored cushions. “And it's comfortable. You could get lost in this sofa. Matt is going to love it! Lily, it's beautiful. I hope you and Matt will be very happy here. You should have been a decorator. What an eye for color. I'm glad you decided not to carpet the floors. Look how great they came out. Such character. The exposed beams are stunning. What are you going to do to dress up the windows?”
“I don't know. Maybe just swags. I want to live here a while before I decide. I don't want to make a mistake. Do you think Matt will like it?” Lily asked.
“Lily, he's going to love it. This is a Matt and Lily house. I feel it in here,” Sadie said, thumping her chest.
“It all just blended. The easy chairs, the ottomans, the little tables, and, of course, the big coffee table. Matt loves to pile junk on tables, and he also likes to put his feet up. He's going to flip over the big-screen TV. I can't wait for him to see it. What time is it?”
“A little after three.”
“Let me give you the rest of the tour before we head over to the apartment. Everything is in place. I even washed the sheets and put them on the beds, and I washed those big fluffy towels I bought for Matt. They're so big they're like sheets. The dishes and silverware went through the dishwasher, and while they were washing I ran to the Natchez Market on Seargent S. Prentiss and bought dinner. I've got a roast going in my new oven. Get this, I bought a bread machine, and bread is baking! Don't you love the smell? I can't believe you found Matt's car!”
Sadie wrinkled her nose. “Yeah and it looked clean, too. Shoot, maybe they had it washed and there are no fingerprints on it. Damn, I didn't think of that.”
“There's bound to be one they forgot. We'll hope for the best,” Lily said as she escorted Sadie from room to room.
“Sadie, tell me that was a joke about you going back to Ozzie's.”
“I have to get on with my life. There's nothing for me here. You have Matt, and I'd just be a third wheel. I'm not living off you, and that's final.”
“What about Dennis? I thought . . .”
Damn, the lump was back in her throat again. She tried to clear it. “If it's meant to be, it will be. If it isn't, nothing will happen. I refuse to sit around here waiting for him to maybe call or maybe say he's coming for a visit. We just met for heaven's sake. I'll do one last year with Ozzie and decide what I'm going to do when the year is up. I need it to wean myself away from you, Lily. You're embarking on a whole new life, and I don't belong in that life except as a friend that you can call on night or day. I'll visit if Ozzie gives me some time off. Remember, you're going to be traveling with Matt.”
“But . . .”
“Shhh,” Sadie said, putting her finger near Lily's lips. “It has to be this way. Now, how did the cottage come out?”
“Wait till you see it. For sure you won't want to leave. Wait right here. I have something for you.” Lily ran to the kitchen for her purse. She rummaged in the depths of it for a crackly blue envelope. “It's the deed to the cottage. It's your home away from home forever and ever. It's my way of saying thank you for all our years of friendship. Don't think for one minute that I don't know you could have gotten $150,000 for this piece of property and yet you sold it to me for $80,000 because it was all I could afford with the renovations. Say something, Sadie.”
“Thank you. It doesn't seem like enough. Two words.” She hugged Lily, whose eyes were as wet as her own.”
“I wish you wouldn't leave. I always thought we'd be together forever and ever. Matt loves you like a sister. He won't care.”
“I care, Lily. I can't live in your shadow. We'll always be friends. I'll be your kids' godmother, and, if I ever get married, you'll be my kids' godmother. For sure that will bind us together forever and ever. We certainly were lucky when we found one another. Come on, I'm dying to see what you did with the cottage.”
Sadie burst into tears the minute she stepped over the threshold. “It's just like you said, right down to the strawberry-pattern wallpaper in the kitchen. What a difference those gleaming white appliances make.”
“Quick, look at the bathroom!” Lily gurgled.
“A garden tub! Where did you get wallpaper with ferns and frogs on it? My two most favorite things.”
“Mr. Sonner found it for me. Isn't it gorgeous? This place was done in four days. All the pipes were here, so it was a simple matter to swap out the appliances. Ditto for the bathroom stuff. Sanding the floors and installing the new wiring were the biggest jobs. These floors came out as good as the ones in the main house. Like you said, old stuff has such character. I bet if these floorboards could talk, our ears would ring with the stories. The fireplace was cleaned out, and Mr. Sonner even laid a fire for you. It's ready to move into, Sadie. All you need is your toothbrush and jammies. Your own little place, Sadie, given to you from my heart. This will always be your home. When I had it subdivided, I paid the taxes for the next thirty years. What do you think of that? Don't get carried away; the taxes were minuscule.”
“I think you're nuts is what I think,” Sadie said, hugging her friend again. “I'll think about this place every day when I'm in Wyoming.”
“I hope so. I'm going to miss you, Sadie. I understand, though. I'd do exactly the same thing if the situation was reversed.”
“I love these oversize chairs. You can sleep in them. Everybody in the world should have a red plaid chair. Or two red plaid chairs. God, this is just so wonderful. Thank you again, Lily.”
“Enough already. We need to get back to the apartment so you can tell Matt what you found out. He's going to flip out! Wow! Sadie the sleuth! Is there anything you
can't
do? Listen, if he's still asleep, we let him sleep till he wakes up on his own, okay?”
can't
do? Listen, if he's still asleep, we let him sleep till he wakes up on his own, okay?”
“A thing or two,” Sadie said, linking her arm with Lily's. “I agree that we shouldn't wake him up. Good sound sleep is important to him right now. Do you think Matt will go to the police now that we found his car? If he can I.D. the picture, that's all the proof they'll need. Finding the car is a bonus and more proof. If they didn't get rid of his clothes in the closet, that's even more proof. I know we broke in, but that doesn't matter. But even without the clothes, we still have the car and Matt's positive I.D. if he recognizes the guys in the picture. The housekeeper is the one who told me to look in the garage.”
“I don't know, Sadie. Matt has this thing about the company and the stock. He doesn't want to see it nose-dive. He worries about his investors. He said he dreams all the time about armies of investors storming Digitech's headquarters when something goes awry. They haven't unveiled the new software, and then there is that really big announcement. I wish I knew more about his business. I can't even carry on an intelligent conversation where computers are concerned. Little kids know more than I do. Maybe I'll take some classes so I at least learn the basics. I still can't believe you found his car. The chances of Matt and Dennis finding those guys has to be one in a
kazillion.
Even if they do find them, how can they get them back here? I'm assuming
far away
like the housekeeper said, means another country. There are places that don't extradite. I know he isn't going to listen to me, Sadie, if I try to push him into going to the police. If it was me, I'd be singing like a bird.”
kazillion.
Even if they do find them, how can they get them back here? I'm assuming
far away
like the housekeeper said, means another country. There are places that don't extradite. I know he isn't going to listen to me, Sadie, if I try to push him into going to the police. If it was me, I'd be singing like a bird.”
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