“Will asked me if I saw anything. I wish I had. Then, I could be more help. This is awful.” The tears in her eyes made him want to take her in his arms and shield her.
“I wish you hadn’t been the one to find him,” he said.
“What was his name?”
“We don’t know yet.” He put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “There was no I.D. on him, so, I’ll have to run his fingerprints and hope we come up with something.”
“What killed him?”
Sam hesitated. “Are you sure you want me to tell you?”
Will looked at him like he thought he’d lost his mind. Sam ignored him and focused on Violet.
“Sam, I write about murders all the time in my books. Yes, I want to know what killed him.” Violet didn’t sound annoyed only very determined.
Both blinked, impressed.
Sam answered, “He was stabbed. Just once. It looks like it punctured a lung, and that’s what killed him. I’ll have to examine him better in the lab to be sure. Other than the stab wound, there doesn’t appear to be any other bruising.”
“The good thing about being the M.E. here,” quipped Will, “is that he doesn’t have to go through all the trash looking for an I.D. or the murder weapon. That’s my job or…” He looked around and smiled as he spotted a uniformed officer. “Or I can assign it to someone else who needs the practice.”
Violet couldn’t help laughing, and the tension finally lifted.
“Are you going to be okay by yourself tonight?” asked Ivy. “I could come and stay with you.”
“That is so nice of you, but I’ll be fine. I’m sure whoever did this is long gone by now,” Violet replied. “He or she probably just dumped the body and ran. I hope Will and the other police will be able to find the killer.”
“Will is the best. I’m sure he’ll get his guy,” replied Ivy confidently.
Violet nodded at her unwavering confidence. Will looked a little embarrassed. Sam just kept looking at Violet.
Some of the men called out to Sam. “I have to go,” he said with obvious reluctance. “Ivy, can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Sure,” she said as she allowed Sam to pull her aside. “What’s up?”
“I would like it if you stayed with Violet tonight. She’s trying to be strong, but Mom came out earlier and told me she had passed out. I would just feel better if someone were with her in case she had any nightmares. She really doesn’t need to be alone tonight.”
“You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”
Sam looked at her, annoyed. “Please.”
“Of course. She’s my friend too.”
“Hey, Violet,” she said as Sam walked away, “I haven’t really had a chance to see your uncle’s house. I’ve been dying to watch this Jane Austen movie, but it’s not as fun all by myself. Mom falls asleep. Could I invite myself to your place and have a girls’ movie night?”
“I see what you’re up to,” said Violet, “but I do have a weakness for Jane Austen movies. Which one is it?”
“It’s called ‘Mansfield Park’ and looks wonderful. I love the British accents and all the period costumes.”
Will shook his head at the two ladies. At least Violet wouldn’t be alone tonight. Privately, he agreed with Sam. Sometimes, death hit people at odd times. She didn’t appear to be in shock, but this had to be a tough experience for her.
Will followed Sam’s example and headed back to the police department to sift through all the evidence gathered so far. A ‘John Doe’ like this never solved easily. They needed to catch a break. He hoped those prints would pop up somewhere in the system.
Chapter 13
Violet and Ivy had a wonderful evening viewing ‘Mansfield Park’ and drinking hot cocoa. They stayed up far too late, and Ivy nearly ran late for work.
Despite the tumultuous events of the previous days, the rest of the week went by without any excitement. Violet met with the real estate agent and explained the conditions of the will. She frowned but didn’t complain telling Violet to go ahead and put the house on the market. Selling it during this season and under those conditions might be a challenge, however.
Instead of having a mid-week service, the church in Rolling Hills had Home Fellowship Group meetings in various homes on Thursday evenings. It had an interesting mix of Bible study, fellowship, food, prayer, worship, and even encouragement. Violet thoroughly enjoyed it.
As the days passed, they started to fall into a predictable pattern. She worked most days at the Coffee House and spent most of her off time either story planning, plotting, researching, marketing, or catching up on e-mails, her blog, or her Author FaceBook page.
The month of November flew. Sue and her husband George joined her for the Thanksgiving weekend. Violet’s uncle’s house had plenty of room, so they all enjoyed themselves. Sue and George both loved Violet’s new friends. Before they left to go back to St. Louis, Sue made the announcement that they were having a baby. Violet gladly rejoiced with her.
After that holiday, things settled down once again and Violet’s only real excitement existed in her imagination. She finally figured out a motive for the killer in her book. He (or she!) worked in a local jewelry store and embezzled precious stones. Violet got the idea when she found several nice broaches and a pearl necklace in amongst some of her uncle’s things. A jewelry store stood on the other side of the Coffee House and Violet decided to ‘investigate.’ She would get the jewelry appraised and do a little research for her book at the same time.
As she went in, she nearly ran into Will. He was on the point of entering himself, but he grabbed Violet and pulled her aside when he saw her.
“What are you doing here?”
Surprised by his tone, she stood there a moment. “Will, I wanted to get some stuff appraised. What’s going on?”
“Sorry.” Will fidgeted from side to side.
“Will, does this have something to do with the murder?”
He sighed, but finally made eye contact. “Maybe not, but the man you found killed was part owner here. We found some evidence that makes us suspect one of the other owners. I’m here to bring him in.”
“Oh.” Violet really wanted to watch, but decided to stay out of the way. She might happen to linger outside for a bit, though.
The next few minutes proved less exciting than she expected. Will went in and a few seconds later came out with another man. Violet noticed that Will opened the back door of his police car for the man. From her research she knew that the back doors were controlled by the officer sitting in the front. Once shut, the man in the back seat was effectively locked in.
The other man appeared to be of average height and build, probably late forties, early fifties. It was hard to be certain because he stooped over quite a bit, weighed down by some invisible force. His eyes struck her the most. They held such despair. She expected him to appear more… guilty. Poor man. She hoped Will and his team would be sensitive when they interrogated him. She shook herself and dismissed that thought. Of course, Will knew what he was doing. If the man killed the other owner, they would find out. If not, he would be released. Still, she wished she might watch them work.
Violet came back to earth and watched as they drove off. She stood for several moments trying to decide whether to go on in and do a little ‘investigating’ of her own. Her curiosity soon won out. She had learned from experience that the best way to get people to talk involved genuinely wanting to listen to them. At least, it would be great research for her book.
When she went in, she saw a couple in their twenties standing off to one side. A young man was crying and wringing his hands and his girlfriend (?) tried to comfort him. “He didn’t do it,” the man said. “No way, not Uncle Cal.”
“It’s going to be all right.” The girl barely moved her mouth. “Come on, be strong, we’ve got a customer.”
Violet noticed that the young man appeared rather tall but somewh
at shy. He’d cut his brown hair short and his face was blotchy. He had that awkward, I’m-not-sure-what-to-do-with-my-life air about him. The girl, on the other hand, struck her as not only confident but knowing exactly what she wanted. Her clothing was extremely tight, and she wore a lot of jewelry and make-up. She wasn’t as tall, but her demeanor was commanding for someone so young, probably not much over twenty. Violet wasn’t intimidated by her, but she was a bit wary. “Hello, I’m Violet.” She had decided to pretend she hadn’t seen the man being led out by the police. “I wanted to have some stuff appraised. Is everything all right?”
“Everything is fine,” said the girl elbowing the young man. “I’m Opal. I’m afraid our appraiser isn’t available right now, but if you would like to leave the items here, I can give them to him when he gets back.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. When will he return?” Violet asked. She suspected the man who was led out was the appraiser, but she decided to play dumb.
“We’re not sure,” said the young man, mournfully.
“He’ll be back by tomorrow,” Opal said, rather severely.
“I’ll come back then.” Violet paused. Another way to win trust was to compliment people. She tried that with Opal. “I wanted to say that is a lovely hair stick you’re wearing. Where did you get it?”
“Oh, this?” She patted it and smiled. “Manny here gave it to me.”
“Manny has good taste.”
“Of course, he chose me, didn’t he?”
Violet had no idea what to say to that. So, she simply smiled and nodded. Manny merely stood there still miserable.
“Well, I guess I’ll come back sometime tomorrow. Thank-you so much, Opal.” Violet reached out a hand to shake. She made it a point to shake Manny’s hand as well. “Thank-you, Manny.” She tried to pour as much compassion as possible into her gentle smile. She was gratified when he returned her smile with a watery one of his own.
Violet walked back home contemplating the several deep issues she’d sensed going on over there. She determined to watch for a chance to get Manny by himself. For his sake, she hoped Opal was right and that his uncle would return the following day.
Later that evening, Violet was more happy than she was willing to admit at seeing Sam come into the Coffee House. Sam had been snowed under with work recently, so she hadn’t seen him except at church or for a quick dash of coffee to keep going.
As she got him a cappuccino with an extra dollop of froth she asked, “Are you getting any rest at all?”
He smiled supporting his head with his hand. “Not much. I’ve been putting in double shifts recently.”
“I heard that the man I found was one of the owners of the jewelry store next door.”
“Yeah. The reason we weren’t acquainted with him is because he was an investor, part owner, but he didn’t really have much to do with the actual running of the business. Apparently, he owned several and lived in another state.”
“I went in there today,” Violet confessed. Sam sat up straight and she hurried on. “I found some jewelry in my uncle’s house and wanted it appraised. I saw Will arrest someone from the store, and the idea of going in and getting that for research, how could I resist?”
“Violet, please don’t go back there. Hopefully, Will got the murderer, but nothing is sure yet. I don’t want you in any danger.”
She smiled at him. He made her feel so protected, so wanted. “Don’t worry. If it really bothers you, I’ll go somewhere else to have the jewelry appraised.”
Sam sighed in relief. “Thank-you.” He leaned against the counter. “I was wondering...”
“Yes?” All kinds of emotions arose in her at what she thought might be coming next.
“Violet! How are you?” Ivy breezed in between them and gave her a quick hug. “I’ve had such a long day. Is it time for your break?”
She tried to hide her disappointment and figure out what her feelings really were. “Yes, I was about to take a break.”
“Do you mind if we sit only the two of us? I could really use some girl time.”
Violet hesitated, torn. “I have to get back to work anyway,” he said. “I’ll see you two later.”
“I really appreciate this,” said Ivy as they sat down. “It’s been a beast of a day. I had a girl who kept changing her mind about the robber’s appearance. Poor thing, she was nearly in tears at one point. Finally, I took her into one of the conference rooms and told her to close her eyes and tell me what she saw. It was grueling for both of us, but I think we finally got a good picture when it was all said and done.”
“Was that how you spent your afternoon?”
“Pretty much. All I want now is a good cup of coffee and a friend to talk to.”
“Well, here I am,” said Violet. “Why do I get the feeling something else happened today that doesn’t have anything to do with your witness?”
Ivy grimaced. “Oh, it’s so frustrating. There was this new officer, a female officer, fresh out of the academy, flirting with Will. I wanted to rip out her hair. It’s crazy. I’m not like that, but seeing her gazing up at him with her big, blue eyes and hanging onto his every word and laughing and joking with him made me want to cry. Why am I so invisible?”
“Oh Ivy. You’re not invisible. It’s not God’s perfect timing yet. It’s hard being patient, but when the time is right, the Lord will either open Will’s eyes or send you someone else.”
“I don’t want anybody else,” she wailed.
“You know what you have to do to have peace about this, don’t you?” Violet asked. She hated to do this to her friend. She knew her next words would risk their friendship, but she wouldn’t be a true friend if she didn’t say them.
“What?” asked Ivy.
“You have to give up Will.”
Ivy opened her mouth to protest. Then, she studied the table before her.
“It’s kind of silly,” she said finally. “How can I give up someone that I don’t even have? And really, one person can’t ‘possess’ another person. He will never truly be mine at all.”
Violet let out a sigh of relief. “When you let go of your feelings for him and what you want, you will be free to seek what the Lord wants for you, which is always much better than your own ideas.”
Ivy smiled. “You are absolutely right. I am tired of wishing. That’s it. I give this to the Lord. If He wants Will to fall in love with me, He has to work things out. I quit.” She sat up straighter in her chair. “That feels really good.”
“I don’t have a lot of experience with men, but one thing my mother always used to say was that men like to do the chasing. Then she would quote the Scripture that says, ‘Do not awaken love before its time.’ I figure it’s easier to let the Lord handle stuff like that.”
“You’re right.” Suddenly, Ivy had a new confidence. “I bought into the lie that I need to get married in order to be ‘complete.’ The truth is the Lord makes me complete. If I trust Him, everything else will work out.”
Violet grinned. “Yeah.” She sat there thoughtfully for a moment then said, “I might never get married, and that’s okay with me.”
“How can you say that?” Ivy was shocked. “My brother might have other ideas.”
“What? You mean Jesse?” Violet asked innocently.
“Of course not,” said Ivy, slapping at her friend playfully.
“Really, I think Sam and I are going to remain good friends. I’m not planning to stay after the three months are up, and I can’t imagine him wanting to relocate to Butterfield.”
“If you guys got married, you’d be welcome to stay here.”
Violet’s cheeks warmed to a bright cherry color. “We’ve only known each other for a couple of weeks. He hasn’t even asked me out on a real date, and if he did, I’m not sure I would say ‘yes.’”
“Why not?! You said you thought Sam was terrific.” Ivy suddenly reminded her of a cat, hair up and claws out.
“Ca
lm down. I would say ‘no’ for his sake, not because there’s anything wrong with him. I’m not planning on staying here, and it would be unfair to him to start anything.”
“I see your point, but you’re wrong not to give it a chance. Perhaps love is being woken up. You can’t tell me you don’t have feelings for him.”
Violet squirmed in her seat. Now Ivy saw too much. “He’s a terrific person.”
Ivy narrowed her eyes, obviously skeptical.
“Okay, I like him, but there is still the distance problem.”
“Technology can overcome a great many things. I once knew a couple who wrote letters to each other for several years before getting married.”
Violet sighed. “I’ll think about it. Besides, he still hasn’t asked.”
Ivy grinned. “I’m really glad we had this talk. I finally let go of my fairy tale ideas of Will and me, and I can enjoy the idea of other people’s romance.” At Violet’s horrified face, she added, “Don’t worry, I won’t play matchmaker. It’s too much fun to sit back and watch.”
Violet grimaced, not at all comforted by that promise.
“Besides, the one I really can’t wait to see is the girl Jesse ends up with. He’ll be adorable.”
Both girls laughed at that.
“Poor Jesse, he seems so serious and a bit prickly. Why is he like that?”
“I have two words for you, physics major.”
Violet’s eyes widened. “What’s wrong with majoring in physics?”
“Oh nothing,” Ivy replied. “Jesse has this older brother, over protective complex combined with being a math and computer geek. The poor guy doesn’t hardly stand a chance. When the Lord sends the right girl, it’s going to be hilarious.”
“I wonder what she’ll be like?” asked Violet.
“I don’t know, but wouldn’t it be fun if she had a British accent?”
Violet shook her head.
Chapter 14
In the days that followed, Violet saw the man Will had arrested back at the jewelry store. He still stooped over a little, perhaps from the bite of the cold or simply weary with life. On impulse, Violet decided to bring him one of Mrs. Givens’ muffins and invite him to church. When she walked into the jewelry store, she sighed relief at Manny’s presence and Opal’s absence.