Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
He stopped for a few deep breaths, and I breathed along with him, trying to radiate calming vibes. “First things first. Are you okay? Safe?”
“Yeah. Not injured. Just…antsy.” Antsy was probably as close as Cal would come to admitting he was shaken up. “Can you…? I know it’s a big ask, but could you come over? I can help you come in the house through the back way. The door by the kitchen only has a step or two. I’ll help you in. But I need to show someone what I found.”
“I’m on my way.” I’d hit Send on an out-of-office email before Cal finished making his request. I usually avoided inaccessible situations where I’d need help with my chair, but if Cal called, I’d deal with any amount of inconvenience. “Don’t touch anything else until I’m there.”
“I’ll be here. Thank you.” Cal sounded decidedly calmer. I liked being able to provide that for him. I wanted to be someone he could count on and not simply for kink or conversation.
When I arrived at the Stapleton house, Cal met me by the rear door. I had my crutches with me, so with Cal’s assistance, I tackled the steps and let him carry my chair in.
“Thanks,” I said gruffly as I settled back in my chair in the kitchen. Several cabinets were missing fronts, the sink was chipped, and loose tiles marred the floor and backsplash. The space was a far cry from back in high school when it had been a sparkling kitchen filled with baking smells and peaceful vibes.
“No, thank you for coming.” Cal laid a hand on my shoulder. “I didn’t know what else to do, but I wanted your take first.”
“I’m always happy to help.” I didn’t want to sound too grateful for being his first call, but I loved how he seemed to think of us as a team and valued my input. I’d grabbed some latex gloves from the first aid kit in my car, and I handed Cal a pair. “Here, put on gloves, and show me what you found. Take me through the discovery.”
I followed him into the dining room, where he stopped in front of the large, built-in hutch. It had likely been natural wood colored at one point but was now painted a grimy, faded white under several layers of dust.
“This cabinet kept bugging me. Something about it…” He pursed his lips. “Anyway, I went and tested the drawers. When I freed the bottom drawer, this happened.”
Crouching, he yanked at the bottom drawer, which revealed a space behind the drawer that opened to reveal a stack of papers.
“A hidden compartment.” I whistled low as I pulled on a pair of gloves myself. “Worth’s parents always were particular about having cash on hand and stashed in odd places. His dad called it mattress money, but he had hiding spots other than under the mattress.”
“This stuff is more likely the mom’s. And it’s more letters than cash, but there is some of that.” Carefully, Cal removed the stack, revealing an envelope of cash, pamphlets and papers with the cheerful Kitchen Kingdom logo, and many notes in scrawled handwriting on lined notecards.
“This is good potential evidence.” I nodded slowly, trying to force the investigative part of my brain to stay in control, not give in to the rising emotions at these tangible reminders of Mrs. Stapleton. Although the house remained heavy with signs of neglect and the scents of paint and cleaner hung in the air, I swore I could smell oatmeal-raisin cookies and hear the strains of the oldies Mrs. Stapleton always had going. “The Kitchen Kingdom pamphlets, order forms, and cash envelope are significant for showing a link beyond secondhand hearsay reports she was involved in the cooking equipment parties.”
“But it’s these notes…” Cal showed me the first card, which was on heavy stock with a line drawing of a bird on the front. I was immediately drawn to the first line. A quote from a classic Katharine Hepburn movie.
“Movie quotes.” I sucked in a breath. The main suspect in this case was known for speaking in riddles and using quotes from movies to answer questions. And sure enough, a brief riffle through the notes revealed countless quotes, all of which seemed picked to flatter Mrs. Stapleton and conveyed a significant depth of romantic emotion. “He had a crush. Obsession maybe. But she saved the notes.”
“Exactly. She saved them. Hid them even. If she hadn’t wanted the attention, wouldn’t she have trashed them?” Eyes narrowed, Cal worried the edge of his lips with his tongue. “And there’s more.”
He revealed several handwritten notebook pages in a different, more feminine writing with lists of pros and cons and drafts of letters with words scribbled out and sentences in the margins.
“Oh.” All the air left the room. “It wasn’t one-sided. She was thinking of leaving or at least trying to work out how she felt in return. It’s like she was…”