Chapter 5 - Happy Birthday
Saturday afternoon Gracey announced she was headed to town to shop for a few sundries. Elmer Johnson was in the parlor on his cell phone. He quickly ended the call with a perfunctory, “Yes sir.”
“Would you like a ride?” Elmer asked. “I need to pick up a few things myself.”
Gracey was stunned. Elmer had never offered Gracey a ride into town; never in six years. Elmer had moved into the boarding house a month before Gracey. He was the one who had told his cousin Molly about the second room for rent when Molly mentioned her little girl needed a new home.
Elmer was ex-Army and in his mid to late thirties. He was not a strikingly handsome man. He was plain. But Elmer stayed fit by jogging and going to the local gym. Normally he stayed to himself, and Gracey knew little about him. Elmer worked as a security guard at Rudolph, Inc. and often Gracey, and Ms. Maple joked he was like having their personal live-in protection detail. Lone Hill had a remarkably low crime rate but having Elmer there made the ladies feel safe regardless.
Gracey thanked Elmer for the ride as she infrequently used her car. It was an older car, not fuel efficient, and expensive to use considering the current price of gasoline. It had been her father’s car. Gracey needed a new car, one more economical, but she could not afford the monthly payments. So, while Elmer jogged to stay in shape, Gracey walked. During extreme weather, Gracey took the shuttle to work.
Elmer and Gracey headed out after asking Ms. Maple if she needed anything. They rode in silence. Elmer rarely talked. “Is Perkins okay?” Elmer asked.
“That would be perfect,” Gracey replied.
Perkins was a small family owned store, not a chain store, and they carried the items Gracey needed. Mrs. Perkins kept a box of coupons behind the counter and always seemed to have one for the items Gracey was purchasing. Mrs. Perkins had known Gracey’s parents. She did not express pity or concern about Gracey’s situation, but if she could help out with a few coupons, so be it.
Gracey and Elmer entered the store, and they both picked up a hand basket. Gracey headed to the aisles for the items she needed. Her list was short: toothpaste and floss, a new tube of lip gloss and a few hair products. Elmer stayed by her side. “I will meet you up front,” she advised, noticing Elmer following her.
“It’s okay; I don’t mind,” Elmer countered. Gracey was truly puzzled as Elmer followed her through the store no more than a few feet away.
Gracey announced she had everything she needed and started towards the checkout counter. Elmer followed. “Do you have everything you need?” Gracey asked him knowing he had never strayed more than a few feet from her the entire time.
“Sure do,” Elmer replied.
Mrs. Perkins was at her usual post and smiled as Gracey approached. “I heard you went to Africa!” Mrs. Perkins called out. “That must have been exciting! You have to tell me all about it.”
“I wish I had the time right now,” Gracey replied while glancing over her shoulder. “Mr. Johnson drove me today, so it will have to be another time.” Gracey placed her items on the counter, and Mrs. Perkins pulled out the coupon box. She quickly located ones for the toothpaste and floss. Mrs. Perkins then announced she had a buy one get one sale on the hair products so the mousse would be free. And since the lip gloss would be on sale the next day she would give her the discount today, and Mrs. Perkins quickly bagged the purchases.
Elmer laid his items on the counter. Gracey looked at them and noticed a strange assortment of items. Some of them did not fit his personality. I guess I really do not know him; Gracey thought to herself and shrugged.
Later, after dinner, Gracey retreated to her room and found the book she had started reading in Africa. While she found the story intriguing, after a few chapters, Gracey fell asleep.
After church on Sunday, Gracey helped Ms. Maple in the vegetable garden planted in the back yard. Ms. Maple’s mother had grown up during the Great Depression era of the 20th century, and Ms. Maple was well-versed in growing and preserving her own vegetables and jams. The picket fence encased the entire yard, but Ms. Maple continued the tradition of planting marigolds, lavender and other herbs amongst the vegetables to ward off deer and rabbits which would find a way into the yard for a snack.
Closer to the house Ms. Maple had a few rose bushes with lavender planted in front of them, as well. They were antique style roses she had rooted from bushes originally owned by her mother and grandmother; mostly varieties no long cultivated and each with a unique scent. It had been a while since Gracey had taken a close look at the rose garden. Today the scent intrigued her. They seemed more fragrant than she had remembered. As Gracey moved closer to scrutinize each scent, she spotted a rose bush she had not previously seen. It was a hybrid variety of rose. It looked out of place next to the others. As she got closer, Gracey saw a few of the buds just starting to open. She gasped as she saw the lavender roses.
“They remind me of you; just a hint of spice,” Ms. Maple grinned.
Things are getting strange, Gracey thought and quickly dismissed it as coincidence.
Monday was Memorial Day. Gracey tried to relax. She helped Ms. Maple around the house while Elmer watched a baseball game in the parlor. Gracey was not a sports fan and went back to her room and read more of the paranormal romance book.
Tuesday morning, Gracey dressed semi-casual in her best brown slacks and a lightweight peach blouse. Late May in Tennessee was hot and humid, already nearing 100 degrees on some days. Gracey would need to dress lightly. She made herself a cup of coffee and a piece of toast that she liberally slathered with Ms. Maple’s homemade peach butter. It was her favorite. Then Gracey went to the parlor to wait for Stone.
Promptly at nine, Stone knocked on the front door. As Gracey opened the door, she was amazed at his casual appearance. She had never seen Stone in jeans and a golf shirt. Even on casual Fridays at work, Stone wore dressier clothes. The blue shirt highlighted his pale blue eyes, and she was intrigued on how the jeans accentuated his toned physique.
“Good Morning,” Stone said with a wink and entered the foyer. “I thought today we would start at the library and look at newspaper articles. They keep the place a bit on the cold side so you might want to grab a sweater.”
Gracey agreed and went to her room. After returning with a sweater, they left. At the end of the sidewalk was Stone’s car. Parked on the side of the road was a silvery blue Italian sports car; a Ferrari 458 Spider. If Gracey did not know better, she would have thought it had been painted to match the color of his eyes. The color matched perfectly.
It was a short drive to the county library. Leaving Gracey to her thoughts, in the hope of making the morning as stress-free as possible, Stone stayed silent while placing his hand on hers as a gesture of comfort.
Mrs. Grady met them at the front desk. An elderly woman, far beyond retirement age, Mrs. Grady had worked at the library for nearly sixty years. She had lived in Lone Hill all her life. If something had happened in Lone Hill, she would be the one to talk to. Having received Stone's call earlier, Mrs. Grady had already set up a private room for Stone complete with an old-fashioned microfiche viewer for older newspaper articles and a computer which had the most recent ones. Mrs. Grady escorted Stone and Gracey to the viewing room and departed.
“Let’s start with the worse part first and get it over with,” Stone decided, trying to hide his fear and impending gloom. “Let’s start with the night of your mother’s death.”
Gracey slumped in a chair and buried her face in her hands. “This is harder than I thought it would be,” Gracey mumbled with trepidation.
Stone pulled a chair next to Gracey and sat down. Placing his arm around her shoulder, he told her, “I can do this if you want me to. I will take you home and then return.”
Gracey sat up in horror and affronted. She glared at Stone yelling, “How dare you! This is my fight, not yours! It was my mother who was kil
led, my mother!”
Angry, Gracey nearly shoved Stone out of the way and turned on the computer. She entered her mother’s name into the search bar, Mayra McKenzie Newsome, and waited for the search results. They started with the first article about the night of the murder. “Woman killed in home invasion.” The article gave basic facts, time, date, and next of kin. They found a follow-up article giving a few more details, such as the cause of death; massive loss of blood and an investigation was continuing with no suspects. Other than the obituary, there was nothing more on Mayra’s murder.
Feeling discouraged, Stone suggested they would need to get access to the police reports and the forensic details. He knew the Police Chief, and maybe they could set up an appointment for the later in the week.
But why was Mrs. Newsome targeted or the Newsome home broken into? There were other women home alone that night. What was the motive? Stone thought silently. “Was anything taken?” Stone asked Gracey perplexed. "Maybe it was a home robbery gone awry."
“Nothing was taken. I remember Officer Williams asking my daddy the same thing.”
“Officer Williams? You mean Police Chief Williams?”
“Yes.”
“I am not sure if it will make it harder or easier,” Stone replied. “But we will worry about it when the time comes. Do you have any of your mother’s belongings?” Stone inquired.
“I have a few pieces of her jewelry which I did not sell, her wedding rings, and Grandma’s pearls,” Gracey replied.
“What about papers or documents? Do you have any photos?” Stone asked.
“My mother hated being photographed. But I think Molly may have some she took when I was a baby. She took a small box of mementos with her when I sold the house,” Gracey advised.
“It’s time to pay Molly a visit then.”
Molly lived in Lone Hill on the same road as Emerald Knoll. She had worked for the Newsomes for a little over eighteen years. She had been hired by John Newsome when Mayra Newsome had become ill before Gracey was born. Molly had been a godsend for the family. Mayra had become extremely depressed and withdrawn during her pregnancy, and John needed help with both his wife and the house and later with Gracey. Molly offered her services for a salary that was well below the normal asking wage for her duties. At the time, Molly was still young, in her early twenties and her husband had died suddenly. The joy of taking care of a family was ‘reward enough’ she always told the Newsomes. Plus she had her late husband’s life insurance money to get by on. Molly had been Gracey’s caregiver until the day Gracey sold the house.
Stone and Gracey stopped at a popular diner for lunch before driving to Molly’s home, giving Gracey the opportunity to call and announce she would be stopping by. Gracey did not reveal the reason for the visit leading Molly to believe it was just a social call. Gracey could not show her hand yet. It was time to practice her poker face.
Stone and Gracey pulled up to the modest farmhouse of Molly McNicol. Gracey was excited and nervous. She loved Molly, but the visits over the years had been few. Molly heard the car coming down the gravel drive and walked out onto the porch drying her hands on her apron. When Molly saw Stone’s Ferrari, she was instantly unnerved. What is he doing here?
But when Gracey jumped out of the car, there were hugs and kisses and tears. Then more hugs and kisses. Molly, of course, had known about the trip to Africa and had dropped off a couple of books at Ms. Maple’s home for Gracey to read. It had been nearly six months since they had actually seen each other. Molly looked at Stone “Good afternoon, Mr. Rudolph,” she said formally, smoothing out her apron.
“Come in, come in,” Molly told Gracey and Stone as she ushered them into the living room. “Sit, sit.” Molly tried to disguise her uneasiness glancing time and time again at Stone. “Mr. Rudolph, how are your parents?” Molly asked to be polite.
“They are fine,” Stone replied succinctly.
“Sorry to give such short notice before stopping by Molly, but I was searching for a picture of my mother and me when I was a baby for a project I am working on. And I cannot seem to find one. Do you have one?” Gracey asked innocently.
“Of course, baby girl. Let me get my box,” Molly replied.
Molly walked away, and Stone smiled. “Good job,” Stone told Gracey patting her on her leg.
Molly returned promptly with a small cardboard box. She opened the box and started to thumb through the papers. Noticing newspaper clippings and what appeared to look like official documents, Stone knew he and Gracey needed a few minutes alone to go through the box.
“Mrs. McNicol,” Stone started formally and then asked weakly as he rubbed his forehead as if in pain, “Do you have anything for a headache. My spring allergies are acting up, and it is a few days before Dr. Robertson stops by the house for my monthly allergy shot. Some aspirin and a cold glass of water would be a godsend.”
Molly moved into caregiver mode. “Of course,” she replied and excused herself. Stone and Gracey immediately started going through the box. Several newspapers clippings caught Stone’s attention, and he looked at those first. “Two Local Women Attacked, One Dead.” The date was August 1987. He saw the name Newsome and put it aside. “Man Killed in Bar Fight” June 2006. “Newsome Convicted of Murder” November 2006.
There were a few other articles which appeared to be related. Afraid he would forget the dates; Stone folded them and slid them into his pocket. He placed the Newsome articles back into the box. Gracey and Stone both looked up simultaneously. Molly was coming back down the hall. They put the box back on the table and acted as if they were talking about the meal they had just had. Stone palmed the aspirin Molly had handed him and drank the water. He glanced at his watch and announced they would have to leave in a few minutes and started acting impatient.
Molly swiftly scanned through the box and found a photo of a young Mayra and Gracey as a baby and handed it to Gracey. Gracey thanked Molly and kissed her on the cheek. Gracey and Stone quickly departed.
They tried not to run to the car, giggling the entire way. They jumped in, and Stone sped to the end of the driveway. When they reached the road, Stone stopped the car, and they both laughed hysterically. “Who says I don’t have a poker face?” Gracey proudly announced.
The afternoon was coming to an end. Stone and Gracey decided they would go back to the library the next day and get more information before calling Chief Williams.
“I need to make one stop before I drop you off, and since you’re officially on the clock, you cannot say no.” Stone was having fun. “We may have a few special assignments this week,” Stone continued. “And we need to pick up a few things. Now that I have taught you the art of bluffing, we may have to dress for a few of the roles. We are going to need a few uniforms for the job. I hope you like to shop.”
Suddenly they were parked in front of the nicest clothing shop in the area. “We are shopping here?” Gracey asked with suspicion.
“This is where I normally shop. Come on, let’s have some fun,” Stone insisted.
Gracey had not considered shopping fun in six years. Shopping at discount stores for clothes appropriate for work was always difficult. Nice clothes did not come with cheap price tags. Clearance sales were Gracey's best friend.
Stone and Gracey entered Merriman’s Boutique. Gracey had not been in Merriman’s since December 2005. Gracey and Molly had found the emerald dress Gracey had worn at the last Christmas Gala she attended at Merriman’s; Alfred Merriman sold only the best.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Rudolph,” Alfred Merriman called out welcomingly. A tailor by trade, as was his father and his grandfather, Alfred could take one look at a person and find the perfect outfit whether a suit or a pair of jeans.
“Good afternoon, Alfred," Stone replied with a warm smile, and then addressed Gracey. “Just look around for a moment Gracey while I talk with Mr. Merriman. I should only be a minute.” Stone and Al
fred whispered together for a few minutes, and with a few nods of agreement, Stone called Gracey over.
“Gracey, we are going to need a few outfits while we complete our assignment. Now I know you will want to say no. And since your birthday is tomorrow, consider this a birthday present.”
How did he know tomorrow is my birthday? Omigod! Gracey thought.
“I made a call to HR,” Stone confessed and winked seeing the puzzled look on Gracey’s face.
Every time Stone winked at her with those pale blue eyes Gracey became putty in his hands, and she was convinced he had already figured it out. Oh why, not? He said the journey was not over, Gracey mused silently. Gracey sighed to show her reluctance before yielding, “Okay.”
“Let’s start with a suit for the lady; nothing too expensive, certainly not silk. Something well cut to show off her beautiful figure,” Alfred said winking. “I have the perfect suit to compliment her emerald green eyes.”
“Mr. Rudolph? Where have I seen eyes that color before?” Alfred commented to Stone and laughed as if it was an inside joke.
“Into the dressing room on the right, young lady,” Alfred told Gracey. “My assistant will be there in a moment to help you.”
Gracey walked into the dressing room. It was nothing like the department store dressing rooms. It was large and roomy, perfectly lit with mirrors all around so the shopper could get a 360-degree view. There was a second dressing room to the left. This one was undoubtedly the ladies' dressing room decorated in pale pinks and mauves. Gracey secretly wondered if the men’s dressing room was painted blue.
A middle age woman soon appeared. “Good afternoon, Ms. Newsome. My name is Amelia, and I will be assisting you today.” Amelia held out a summer weight dark gray suit and an emerald green top. “This should match your eyes,” Amelia commented.
Gracey stripped down to her undergarments and donned the suit. It was almost a perfect fit. However, having a small waist, jackets were normally a bit loose at the waist for Gracey. But as quickly as she walked out into the mirrored area, Amelia was there with pins and tailor’s chalk making marks and tucks. “Let me make a few more quick alterations and let’s see how it looks.”
Gracey looked at herself in the mirror; the skirt was perfect, the proper length. If only she had some pumps to see how her well-toned legs would look. Amelia returned with the jacket and a pair of black pumps in her size.
“Well?” Gracey heard Stone call out. “Let me see.” Gracey bashfully exited the dressing room. Alfred nodded in approval, and Stone smiled in admiration.
“We will have the jacket ready tomorrow,” Alfred advised.
“Next, we will need two dresses; one casual and one for the evening.” Stone had already selected a few dresses with Alfred’s help, and Amelia was at the ready to carry them back.
“Let’s start with the casual dresses first,” Amelia suggested.
Gracey looked at the two casual dresses. She picked up the pale peach one. Peach was always a good color for her showing just how fair her complexion was. It was cut higher, accentuating her ample figure and would not need alteration. It flared just enough to be flirty and fun. It draped perfectly over her hips and fell a few inches above her knees. With a pair of strappy sandals, the outfit was complete.
Now it was time for the evening dress. Why will I need this? Gracey wondered.
There were two dresses; one shiny midnight blue dress and one emerald green dress. Gracey ignored the emerald green selection even though she knew it would be Stone’s favorite color on her. The blue gown was cut perfectly for her body and curves. It was cut low enough in the front to show a hint of cleavage and cut low in the back. Slipping into a pair of four-inch heels she looked at herself again. Amelia gasped.
“Let me try something,” Amelia suggested. She reached into a drawer and pulled out a couple of bobby pins. Amelia quickly pulled Gracey hair into a loose French twist. “There you go! Now look.”
Stone was becoming impatient. “Amelia, is everything okay?” Alfred whispered from the other side of the curtain.
“We’ll be out in a moment,” Amelia replied. Gracey looked down towards her cleavage, and Amelia instinctively knew Gracey's uneasiness. Reaching back into the drawer, Amelia pulled out a few pieces of two sided adhesive and showed Gracey how to use them to keep the dress in place and prevent any wardrobe malfunctions.
“Ready?” Amelia asked. “You look beautiful!”
Gracey took a deep breath and exited the dressing room, walking the way her mother had taught her. Gracey saw Alfred first, who smiled with approval. Then she saw Stone. Stone was overwhelmed. He knew Gracey was beautiful, but in this dress, he was speechless. He was in awe of her elegance. They stood looking at each other.
“Shall I wrap it?” Alfred asked after catching his breath. Stone could only nod. He was still wordless.
Gracey turned and rushed back into the dressing room. She was embarrassed by the reaction from the men. Gracey changed back into her clothes and exited the dressing room for the last time. She saw Stone paying for the clothing and shoes. Stone gave Alfred the address for the boarding house and escorted Gracey out of the boutique.
“Let’s have some fun tomorrow since it is your birthday. What do you want to do?” Stone asked.
Gracey pondered the question. Despite the three-day holiday weekend, she was already worn out. I need a down day, she thought.
Stone was quickly becoming attuned to Gracey’s needs. "How about a day at the spa and then we will celebrate your birthday with a night on the town," Stone suggested.
Gracey thought about a day at the spa being rubbed, scrubbed, polished, and buffed and decided it would not be relaxing. "The spa scares me."
“Well, let’s start with tomorrow night and work backward,” Stone suggested. “What do you want to do? Anything; lady’s choice. Is there anything you want to do you have not done before?”
“Not done before?” Gracey guffawed. “Other than going to Africa, I haven’t done anything. I had never left the state. I have never gone out. I have never had friends. I have spent my entire life taking care of my mother and then my father. Where do you want me to start?”
“Let’s start with your birthday celebration. Let’s go to dinner and then out dancing.”
“Dancing? I have never gone dancing.”
“I know a great club we can go to. We do not have to dance, well maybe a slow dance or two,” Stone said with a wink. “It sure would be a shame to waste the chance to wear the gown we just bought,” Stone continued with a smirk from ear to ear.
Gracey blushed. She was still embarrassed with Stone buying her clothing. And the look on his face seeing her in the gown was still fresh in her memory. However, a night out on the town would be a change in her humdrum life. “Okay.”
“Now, how about a day at the spa?” Stone suggested again.
“A whole day is a bit much,” Gracey told him. “Maybe just a mani-pedi? I would like a little downtime. Time to just do nothing at all.”
After a few minutes of deliberation, Stone replied, “How about the spa after lunch and then I will come back to pick you up. I think I know the perfect spot for some down time.”
Stone pulled up to the front of Ms. Maple’s and noticed Elmer pulling into the driveway in his bronze colored Ford F-150 truck. “I will pick you up at 12:30 and drop you off at the spa,” Stone told Gracey.