Bells & The Bandit

Willow Crossing Mystery Series

Book 1

Leona Fox

Copyright © 2015 Leona Fox

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher

Chapter 1

Whitney and Michael Fisher’s wedding was beautiful, and nearly the entire town of Willow Crossing was in attendance. The bride and groom were admired by all, and Whitney’s sweet, kind and sensitive demeanor made her even more of a vision in white. Michael came from a well-liked, large family, and his strength of character was a perfect match for his new bride.

As the wedding party went with the photographer to take the traditional post-ceremony pictures, Ru and her husband Esteban rushed around the reception hall along with their three helpers -- Griffin, Julie and Lorena -- preparing to serve dinner. Ruby “Ru” Delgado is not only a high school biology teacher, but she also owns Del Mejor, the local catering company, with her husband. Her Italian-American heritage suits Esteban’s Mexican-American heritage well. Together, along with their small staff, they make an excellent team.

Ru is meticulous in her work, ensuring her customers are always more than happy with the catering she and Esteban provide. They provide a unique blend of Mexican-Italian food that makes their company a one-of-a-kind in the small town. Because of her strong attention to detail, it came as no surprise that she was constantly scanning the room, finding places for improvement.

It was during one of these room-scannings that she realized one table setting was missing and asked, “Griffin, will you please run into the back room and get one more place setting from the containers? Table #8 only has seven place settings.”

“You got it, Mrs. Delgado,” Griffin said and hurried off to do as asked.

Griffin Carlin is one of Ru’s students, and she recently hired him to help cater the wedding. Always thinking about the welfare of her “kids”, Ru felt sorry for him. His family didn’t have much money, and all he wanted was to be able to purchase a new cell phone. With his history of stealing, Ruby wanted to teach him about responsibility, so she hired him to help cater special events. She hoped that by working hard and earning money to buy the things that he wanted, he would turn his life around.

After a few minutes, Ru looked around and realized Griffin hadn’t returned from the back room with the place setting.

She gave it another couple of minutes, and when she couldn’t wait any longer she said, “Lorena, could you please go see what is taking Griffin so long? We are running out of time. People are already starting to sit down.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Lorena said and hurried off to see what was keeping Griffin.

When she rounded the corner and entered the food staging area she squealed loudly. There in front of her was Griffin, bent over the body of an older woman.

The other caterers heard Lorena’s cries and ran into the back room. When Ru realized the woman lying on the floor was Hannah Levitt, the groom’s great-aunt, she quickly ran to her side. Ru grabbed one of the small bottles of water and sprinkled some onto Hannah’s face. Slowly, the 73-year-old lady awoke.

“Are you okay, Ms. Levitt?” Ru asked.

“I think so,” Hannah whispered and looked around. “What happened?”

“We’re not sure. You were on the floor. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Oh, my goodness. Look at all this fuss over a silly old lady! I’m sure I’m just fine.”

Hanna looked into Ruby’s eyes and asked softly, “Would you be a dear and help me up?”

“Of course, but move slowly,” Ru answered and offered Hannah her arm.

Esteban grabbed a chair, and once seated, Hannah touched a spot on the back of her head and said, “That’s some bump I have there. I knew I should have just taken my seat!”

She looked around again and said, “You know how old ladies are, dear, nosey to a fault; I just had to see how the food looked before you served it.”

“I think we should call an ambulance,” Esteban said, concerned about the fact Hannah had lost consciousness.

“There will be none of that, young man. I am okay. A couple of glasses of wine, and I will be right back to normal. If one of you could please just bring me to my table, we can get started with this reception.”

“Are you sure, Ms. Levitt?” Esteban asked. “You were really knocked for a loop.”

“Please, Hannah is my name, and I am quite sure. I’m fine, and it’s not worth the fuss. We must hurry, I’m sure my nephew and his bride will be making their grand entrance at any moment.”

“As long as you are sure you are okay.”

Esteban didn’t feel right just bringing her to her table. She was an elderly woman who took a big knock to the head. He really felt he should call for help.

“Absolutely; I’m more embarrassed than hurt anyway.”

Esteban and Griffin helped Hannah to her table. They tried to be discreet, because the room already had filled with wedding-goers ready to begin the party. Just as they ducked into the back room, the DJ stepped up to the microphone and began introducing the wedding party. It was a long parade of flashing lights, pink chiffon, and black tuxedos, but once the bride and groom were introduced, all of the guests took their seats.

As Ru and her assistants went around filling all of the water glasses, the first dance between Whitney and Michael began. The song was soft and sweet, and Whitney looked like an angel as Michael led her around the dance floor. Halfway through the song, a shriek could be heard over the music, echoing across the room. It was a sound of desperation and fury.

“Hannah,” the guest next to her said worriedly. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

In a loud and angry voice Hannah responded, “Someone stole my bracelet!”

Chapter 2

Whitney stood in the middle of the dance floor, clinging to her new husband’s hand, with a look of shock and despair. The guests were all muttering under their breath, and whispering about what was going on.

Hannah stood and shouted, “Someone call the police; I’ve been robbed!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she sank back into her chair, almost fainting. Esteban wondered if her weakness was from the distress over her bracelet going missing, or if it was because of her injury. He called the police to report the incident, asking they also send an ambulance.

Within minutes, Chief Chester Putnam arrived along with a few other officers and the paramedics. Chief Putnam was somewhat the Grandfather of Willow Crossing. At the age of 70, he looked more like he was 50, mostly due to being so fit. He retired from the Marines, but isn’t the stereotypical straight-laced and rigid person some might assume a Marine to be. He is friendly and outgoing, having fun just talking to anyone who will listen.

In true Chief Putnam fashion, he grabbed the microphone and spoke to the room, “Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. If I could please have all eyes up here,” he started, scanning the room to make sure all could hear him.

“It seems that Hannah Levitt’s bracelet has gone missing. I would appreciate it if everyone would remain seated. While my officers look around the room, it would be very helpful if each of you could slide your chairs back a bit and look around your table. The sooner we find the bracelet, the sooner you all can get back to enjoying this beautiful celebration.”

He didn’t mention the assault because he didn’t want to start a panic.

Whitney walked over to the wedding party’s table, head hanging low. Michael stroked her hair as she began to softly cry over the events that were taking over and ruining her reception.

“Don’t cry, Whit,” Michael said softly.

“Our wedding…it’s ruined.”

“Don’t be silly. The wedding was perfect. This is just a party…everything will be fine.”

Whitney tried to smile, but it was obvious she was horribly upset, “Still, why did this happen?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sure it will all be over soon. The bracelet probably just fell off. I’m sure it will be found.”

Michael hugged Whitney and then they both went over to Hannah and tried to keep her calm while the rest of the party-goers looked for the jewelry.

The room was abuzz as people looked around their chairs and under their tables. Ru and Esteban, along with their small crew, walked the room looking for the bracelet. As she walked, Ru could hear people speculate about what could have happened to the prized piece of jewelry.

It was no secret Hanna Levitt loved jewelry. In fact, the gaudier the jewelry, the more she liked it. The only thing she loved more than jewelry was a good wedding, and that may be why she had four of them herself. She never had any children of her own, so she had looked forward to her favorite nephew Michael’s wedding for years; even before he was old enough to date.

“I don’t know what that woman expects. I mean, really, wearing something so expensive!” One guest was saying as Ru walked by.

The woman’s friend replied, “How can she even afford such jewelry?”

“Well, from what I understand, each of her divorces netted her a great deal of money. She’s the richest person in town!” the woman explained.

Then she stopped talking when she realized Ruby could hear her. Normally Ru wasn’t one for being so blatant in her eavesdropping, but she was hoping she would hear someone who may know where the bracelet was. She also couldn’t believe how easy it was for people to talk so badly about others.

While the guests continued looking for the missing jewelry, the paramedics checked out Hannah.

“Ma’am, I think it would be a good idea if you let us bring you to the hospital. You took a really good knock to the head.”

“My dear boy, I am fine. I have been through worse and came through just fine.”

“If you have a concussion or a skull fracture, you could wind up very sick. You need to have a doctor make sure you are really okay.”

“You aren’t going to let it go, are you?” Hannah said, looking at the young paramedic.

“No, Ma’am, I’m not.”

“You know you can’t force me to go.”

“I know, Ma’am, but I can sure try to convince you it’s the right thing to do.”

Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, Hannah replied, “Fine, do what you must.”

In the meantime, Chief Putnam interviewed a number of guests, including Griffin.

“Son, can you tell me what happened?”

Griffin looked around nervously, and then in a small voice answered, “I don’t know what happened. I went in back to get something, and on my way back out here I saw Ms. Levitt on the floor.”

“Did you call someone for help?”

“I was about to, but I remembered what I learned in health class, so I was checking her pulse. That’s when Lorena came back there and screamed. Then everything else happened so fast.”

“Did you notice her bracelet when you were checking her pulse?”

“No, but I only checked one wrist.”

“And you didn’t see a bracelet?”

“No. I wasn’t looking for one though; I was just looking for a pulse.” Griffin was starting to get aggravated.

“Okay, okay,” Chief Putnam said. “No need to get upset.”

“No need to get upset? I thought the lady was dead, and you’re grilling me about a stupid bracelet?”

“Son, calm down. I’m just trying to get all the facts.” Then, in a calmer voice, the chief asked, “Is that all you can remember?”

Griffin thought for a moment and then said, “Mr. Enders had just come out of the back room as I was heading in that direction. The room stunk like cigarettes, too. But like I said, I didn’t even know Ms. Levitt was back there, so maybe he just went back there to smoke.”

“Probably. I’ll talk to him next. Thanks, Griffin.”

Before he walked away, Chief Putnam said, “If you think of anything else, please let me know.”

Griffin felt like everyone was looking at him. He had been in trouble before, and he wasn’t surprised the police wanted to talk to him. He just hoped the bracelet going missing wouldn’t be pinned on him. If he got in trouble again, he knew he would be sent away, and this time it would be for a long time.

Chief Putnam went to the table closest to the back room, and found Kirk Enders sitting there, looking annoyed at what was going on.

“Mr. Enders, can I have a minute of your time?”

“Sure, why not. It’s not like I’m going anywhere. Your men won’t even let me have a cigarette.”

“Well, first of all, smoking in here is against the law,” Chief Putnam said.

Kirk rolled his eyes and said, “Well, I think you have bigger problems around here than someone sneaking a smoke. When do you think you’ll be wrapping up here?”

“We shouldn’t be much longer. I need to ask you some questions.”

“Of course you do.”

The chief didn’t appreciate Mr. Enders’ attitude and got right to it, “It was brought to my attention that you were in the back room shortly before Hannah was found knocked out on the floor.”

“I went back there to smoke, but there wasn’t anyone back there.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Of course I’m sure. Listen, I have better things to do with my time than steal some ratty piece of jewelry from an old lady.”

Even though he was trying to sound cool, Chief Putnam noticed a slight nervousness to Kirk.

“Well, you were seen coming from the back room just before Hannah was attacked. Would you be willing to go with my officer so he can search you?”

“Not without a lawyer.”

“Very well,” the chief said, knowing his hands were tied.

“Don’t leave town, we will want to talk to you again very soon.”

“You’re looking at the wrong guy.”

“What do you mean by that? Do you know something you haven’t told me yet?”

“Well, that kid over there,” he started, pointing at Griffin, “is a trouble maker. He went in the back right after I smoked. He could have done it. His father is a lazy S.O.B., and that kid is always up to no good.”

“Did you see him take the bracelet, Mr. Enders?”

“No, just like nobody saw me take it. This is just a wild goose chase. The old lady probably just thought she put it on. It’s probably back at her house, sitting in some old jewelry box.”

“I’m not liking your tone, Mr. Enders. As I already said, don’t leave town.”

The chief stood up and walked away. Kirk Enders had a tendency to get under everyone’s skin, and he knew if he talked to him any longer, he’d wind up doing something he regretted.

Chief Putnam made one last sweep of the room, making sure he looked around for himself, and then walked over to one of his officers and said, “I’m going to head over to the hospital and see if I can get a statement from Hannah. Let Roberts know to hang around to see to it that nothing else happens tonight to completely destroy the happy couple’s night.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The chief took the microphone from its stand one last time and said, “Excuse me folks. If I could have your attention again, please. We are going to get out of your way now. Like I told each of you, if you find the bracelet or have anything you remember that may help us to find out what happened here, please let me know.”

He then turned to look at Whitney and Michael and said, “Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, the party is all yours. Congratulations, and enjoy the rest of your evening.”

The entire time the Chief spoke, Ru kept looking over at Griffin, suspecting that he had something to do with the bracelet going missing. He had a history of stealing things from the middle school and the high school, and she knew from past experiences that his father was really to blame. Mr. Carlin taught him it was okay to steal whatever he could so the items could be sold and he could live off the money. Ruby had hoped the job she gave him would have stopped him from stealing, but after this, she just wasn’t convinced.

On his way out, Chief Putnam scanned the faces in the room and saw Ru near the door to the back area where Hannah was found. He realized he hadn’t spoken to her yet, so he made a quick detour.

“I didn’t get a chance to talk to you. I’m on my way to see Hannah, so this will be fast,” he said.

“No problem. I hope she’s okay.”

With half a chuckle, he responded, “Oh, I’m sure she will be fine. Hannah is one tough cookie.”

“I can’t believe this happened.”

“Well, we will get to the bottom of it. What did you see?”

“Nothing. I noticed one of the tables was missing a place setting; so I sent Griffin back to get the dishes and silverware, and after a little bit he hadn’t returned. That’s when I sent Lorena back to see what was taking him so long. When we heard her scream, we all ran back there.”

“Did you see anyone else in the back?”

“No.”

“Anyone hovering around who looked out of place?”

“No, but I was so busy making sure that dinner went well. I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Did Griffin have anything against Hannah?”

“I don’t know why he would. I don’t even know if he ever really knew her.”

“Everybody knows Hannah, Ru.”

“Well, everyone knows OF her, but I don’t know that Griffin ever even talked to her. I don’t know what kind of problems he would have with her.”

“His father still isn’t working, right?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Did you see him around here tonight?”

“No, I haven’t seen him in, well, I don’t know when I saw him last…months.”

“Did Griffin tell you what happened?”

“I haven’t even had a chance to talk to him yet.”

“Okay, Ru. Thanks. I’m gonna get going. I’m sure Hannah is giving the hospital staff a good run for their money. I’d like to get over there and talk to her before she drives them all crazy.”

“Give her my best,” Ru said.

“I will. If you think of anything that might help, please let me know.”

“I will, Chief.”

Chapter 3

Shortly after the police left the reception hall, the party got back into full swing. Even though it was a couple of hours late, Ru, Esteban, Griffin, Julie and Lorena served the dinner without a hitch, and reveled in the success as they watched the guests smile with delight while eating their food. When dinner was over and dancing ensued, Ru couldn’t help but notice the look on Whitney’s face. It was a look she had seen before. It bothered her, but she didn’t know quite why. The catering crew began cleaning up the back room. Even with the rough start, the evening turned out to be beautiful.

Throughout the reception, guests slowly began saying their goodbyes. After most of the guests had gone, Whitney and Michael left for their honeymoon. Ru was happy to see the bride leave with a smile on her face after such a difficult start to the night. Ru then turned her attention to the next task…cleaning up the tables.

As she and Esteban cleared dishes off the 24 tables, Ru said, “I really hate thinking like this, but do you think Griffin had anything to do with what happened tonight?”

Esteban answered, “I really hope not. I know how much you wanted him to fly straight. Would you like for me to talk to him? I could try to get a feel for what really happened.”

“Would you, please? I would talk to him myself, but I don’t know if I could handle it if he admits to doing such a horrible thing.”

“Of course, my love.”

Esteban smiled lovingly at his wife and walked across the room to the table that Griffin was clearing. Esteban knew how hard Ru worked to make sure her students not only did well in class, but that they succeeded in life as well. He really hoped that for her sake, Griffin was innocent.

“Hey, Griff, how’s it going’?” Esteban asked the young man.

“It’s going okay,” Griffin answered, trying to sound casual.

“Well, that was quite an evening, huh?”

“Yeah,” he answered, continuing to pick up silverware.

“Now that it’s quiet and the guests are gone, why don’t you tell me what happened.”

Griffin’s eyes grew wide and he said, “What do you mean, sir?”

“When Lorena found you and Ms. Levitt; what happened?”

Stuttering, Griffin answered, “Well, s-sir, I went in back to get the place setting, just like Mrs. Delgado asked me to.” He stopped and just stared at Esteban.

“Was Hannah back there when you went to get the silverware?”

“I didn’t see her, but I guess she could have been. I was just in a hurry to get what Mrs. Delgado needed me to get.”

“Then what happened?”

“I don’t know. I had my back turned, reaching in the containers for the plates and silverware and I heard a thud, like something fell to the floor,” Griffin said, and then paused, gulping in air.

“I turned around and didn’t see anything, so I finished getting what I needed. When I walked into the small room that leads to this room, there she was, lying on the floor. I rushed over to her, and just as I was …” He abruptly stopped what he was saying.

“Just as you were what?” Esteban urged.

“I thought she was dead, sir. All I did was grab her wrist to check her pulse, and that’s when Lorena came back and saw.”

Griffin dropped the silverware he had picked up off the table. The sound startled Ru and she hurried over. She could tell Griffin was really upset, and figured it would be better to talk to him after he calmed down a bit.

“It’s getting late, Griffin. Why don’t you go home? You only have 20 minutes until curfew and I don’t want to get you in trouble for being out so late. It’s been a long day; go get some rest.”

Ru tried to sound pleasant and caring, but deep inside she worried; she saw how out of sorts the boy was.

He picked up the silverware that had fallen on the floor, brought it to the back room, and then left for the night. Ru looked around and saw Lorena placing the last of the desserts into containers. She went over and sat Lorena down.

“Lorena, sweetheart, what happened tonight?”

“I honestly don’t know. I went in back to look for Griff, and there he was, hovering over Ms. Levitt. When I screamed, he dropped her hand and stood straight up, as if he were caught doing something he shouldn’t be doing. It was weird.” Lorena started to shake and cry, and Ru held her hand.

“She looked dead, Mrs. Delgado. It was so scary.”

“It’s okay, now. Ms. Levitt is fine, and I’m sure they will find her bracelet. It probably fell off in the limo or in the parking lot.”

Ru’s words sounded convincing, although secretly she doubted what she was saying.

“You and Julie can go home now. Mr. Delgado and I can finish the cleaning.” Ru smiled and Lorena wiped away the tears.

When they were alone, Ru and Esteban finished up the last of the cleaning, loaded their van, and drove home. Since it was late and they both were exhausted, they decided to unload their equipment in the morning and instead went and sat in the backyard. At night they had a perfect view of the stars above, and it helped them to relax.

The night air was pleasant and slightly cool. It reminded Ru of the nights they would spend camping on the banks of the river when they would go on their kayaking trips. With the house behind her, and the yard filled with trees, looking up to the sky she almost felt like she was out in the wilderness. Just as she was imagining the sound of the river rushing by, her husband spoke, breaking the silence.

“Did you see Kirk Enders tonight, looking as smug as ever?” Esteban asked quietly, hoping to get Ru’s mind off of Griffin.

“Really, Esteban, can’t you let this thing between the two of you go?”

Instantly Ru was brought back to the time when Kirk Enders started the whole riff between the two men. Kirk was one of just a few antique dealers in town. He was always in search of the latest treasure. When Esteban brought an heirloom figurine to Kirk’s shop so it could be restored, he never imagined Kirk would scam him out of so much money. He charged Esteban a pretty penny for the restoration…money that had to be paid up-front…and then while the figurine was in his possession, he sold it.

“No, Ru, I really can’t. Besides, did you notice how many times that man went into the back room to smoke his cigarettes? He easily could have stolen Hannah’s bracelet.”

“I didn’t see him there when Hannah was robbed, did you?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t…it just means we didn’t see him.”

“As much as I’d like to think your opinion of him is clouding your judgment, I have to admit that it would make sense. That bracelet was probably worth a small fortune, and we both know how much Kirk loves money.”

They sat in silence for another minute or two and then she spoke again, “I just really hope that it wasn’t Griffin who took the bracelet. Not only because it means he is stealing again, but because it means he also assaulted her. I would be so sad.”

“You don’t really think he would knock out a defenseless old lady, do you?”

“I sure hope not. It doesn’t seem like something he would do, but who knows what his dad has convinced him is okay.”

“Now that is a man who really gets my goat.”

“Yeah, there’s nothing pleasant about Mr. Carlin,” Ru pauses and then totally switches gears, “Oh, did you notice how strange Whitney was acting?”

“What do you mean, Mama?” Esteban asked.

“Well, during the whole reception she was just weepy and seemed to be on edge.”

“You mean to tell me you don’t remember how nervous and emotional you were on our wedding day?”

Ru thought for a moment and then said, “I guess you’re right, but I can’t shake the feeling that something more was going on with her. Every time we made eye contact, this look came over her face. I feel like I’ve seen that look before.”

“I’m sure it was just nerves.”

“Probably,” Ru replied. They went inside, tired from the celebration and all of the night’s craziness.

Chapter 4

At the hospital, Chief Putnam grew impatient. He had been waiting there for hours, hoping to get a chance to talk to Hannah. She had been assigned a room, but had yet to be brought in; so he sat, watching the door for her to be brought in. He stood so he could stretch his legs and then went out into the hallway and flagged down a nurse.

“Excuse me, do you know how much longer it will be until Hannah Levitt is brought to her room?”

“It shouldn’t be much longer. Before you see her, though, the doctor would like to talk to you.”

“That’s fine. I wanted to talk to him anyway.”

“He should be here in a minute.”

She pointed to a chair against the wall just to the right of Hannah’s room and said, “Go ahead and have a seat and I’ll let the doctor know you are waiting.”

“Thank you,” Chief Putnam said, trying to sound pleasant.

Waiting around doing nothing was never his strong suit, and he didn’t know how much more waiting he could tolerate.

“Chief Putnam?” The doctor asked.

County hospital sits just outside of Willow Crossing, in the center of the county. Unlike in his small town, people around there didn’t know who everyone was, and for a brief second it struck the chief as odd that the doctor didn’t know who he was.

“Yes, that’s me. How is Hannah?” He asked as he stood up to shake the doctor’s hand.

“Ms. Levitt will be just fine. She took a pretty good hit to the skull, and she has a concussion, but other than that, she is tough and will be fine.”

“Do you know what happened?”

“At first we just assumed she fell and when she hit the floor, she hit her head and knocked herself out.”

“Now you don’t think that?”

“It looks like she was hit in the head with something.”

“Can you tell what she was hit with?”

“Not specifically. It was something small. The bruise isn’t what you would see if she simply had hit her head on the floor. Something hit her.”

The chief made a mental note of that and then asked, “How long will she be staying with you here?”

“Oh, she will just have to stay overnight. We need to make sure she doesn’t develop any swelling in the brain. She should be good to go sometime tomorrow afternoon.”

“That’s great to hear. Will I be able to see her soon? I need to ask her about what happened tonight.”

The doctor checked his watch and then replied, “She should be up shortly.”

Just as he finished his statement the doctor looked down the hall and pointed the chief’s attention toward the elevator.

“There she is now.”

“Great, Doc. Thanks for everything.”

“It was my pleasure, Chief Putnam. That lady is one heck of a woman!”

The chief knew that the doctor meant that she gave him what-for, and that made him laugh, “Yes, that she is.”

Once Hannah was in her room and comfortably in her bed, the nurse said, “Hannah, you have a visitor.”

“A visitor? I just got here.”

“You must be popular!”

“Hardly, dear…just old.”

“Oh, Hannah,” Chief Putnam said, “You’re not old!”

“Chester!”

“How’s my favorite lady?” He asked with a smile.

Hannah was the only one who called the chief by his first name, and he liked it that way.

“Can you believe they are making me stay here all night?”

“They just want to make sure you are okay, Hannah.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine. You have a concussion and you’re…” he paused, not wanting to state the obvious considering he just scolded her for saying the word.

“…old,” Hannah said, a sly grin on her face.

“You got me,” the chief said and chuckled.

“I didn’t come here just to visit, Hannah. I need to get your statement. Do you think you’re up to it? If you’d like to get some sleep I can come back in the morning.”

“Sleep? You’re kidding, right? Between my bracelet being stolen and the eight million times they will come in here tonight to check my blood pressure and temperature, who’s going to sleep?”

The nurse made some final adjustments and then said, “Hannah, I’m going to let you two be alone to talk. If you need me, just push the button on the bed next to you.”

“Yes, dear, thank you.”

When they were alone, Chief Putnam asked, “So, pretty lady, what happened this evening?”

“Oh, it was stupid, really.” She was embarrassed to tell him what she was doing when she got knocked out.

“However stupid you think it is, I need to know.”

“When I walked into the reception hall, I could smell the glorious dinner the Delgados had made and I was curious. I wanted to see everything before everyone else did.”

“You were being nosy?” Chief Putnam teased.

“I guess you could say that.”

“So, what happened?”

“Well, I went into the back room. I knew that’s where they were preparing the meal for serving. I saw they were all out in the hall getting everything set up, so I figured it was my chance to sneak back there.”

“Then what happened?”

He knew if he didn’t urge her to continue, the story would take well into the morning hours.

“I don’t know. When I went through the door I didn’t see any food. I looked around the small room, and just as I was about to go into the next room, everything went dark.”

Hannah paused and then said, “I must have fainted or something. All I know is when I woke up I had a huge headache and a bump on the back of my head. I must have hit the floor pretty hard.”

“Hannah,” Chief Putnam started, “It looks like someone hit you over the head with something.”

“That’s silly. Who would do a thing like that?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out. How long after you came to did you notice your bracelet was missing?”

“Oh, it was about half an hour or so. The Delgados took such good care of me and then Esteban and that Griffin boy helped me to my seat. When Whitney and Michael were dancing, that’s when I noticed it was gone.”

“Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt you?”

“No,” she answered. Then she asked, “Who found me?”

“Griffin Carlin.”

“Isn’t that the boy who lives in the camper with his father?”

“Yes, it is.” He didn’t know where she was going with her thoughts.

“Maybe he did it.”

“Why would he want to hurt you?”

“Well, I know for a fact his father is a lazy bum. He hasn’t worked for years.”

“But what would Griffin have to gain by assaulting you?”

“Oh, about $15,000. That’s how much my bracelet was worth. It was in my family for generations, and now it’s gone.”

“And you said you didn’t see anyone in the room where you were assaulted?”

“No, it was empty except for a few chairs stacked in a corner.”

“And you said the Delgados and their helpers were all in the banquet hall?”

“That’s right.”

Hannah knew what he was getting at and said, “But that doesn’t mean he didn’t do it. He could have gone back there, hit me over the head, taken my bracelet and then pretended to find me. Easy-peasy.”

“I want you to think real hard, Hannah. Did you see anyone else near the door when you went back there?”

“Which door?”

Thinking that maybe her head injury was affecting her memory, he said, “The door you went through to go to the back room.”

“Oh, no. But there were three doors in that room. One that led to the banquet hall, one that led to the room where I think they were preparing the food, and then another one.”

“The third door leads to the hallway.”

“Okay. It’s a really small room, so I can tell you with certainty there was nobody in there with me.”

“Okay, Hannah. I think we can stop for now. You need to get some rest and I need to get to the station and get all of the reports together.” He moved closer to the bed and held her hand.

“If you remember anything, will you please let me know?”

“Of course, Chester. Thank you so much for coming to check on me.”

Smiling softly, he said, “Get some sleep and I’ll see you soon.”

He walked out of the room and said goodnight to the nurse on his way to the elevator.

Chapter 5

The morning after the wedding, with not much sleep, Ru dressed Opal and readied her for their morning walk. Opal is loved by everyone in town and, quite frankly, it’s understandable. The stocky English Bulldog is very well behaved and lovable. Often dressed in lace and bows, she attends most of the family’s catering events, sitting on a pillow looking pretty for the guests. Ru’s students all love Opal, and when she is out and about with Ru, they always flock to her to pet her. Even though Opal is very bright and easy to train, she also tends to be quite lazy…or maybe she’s just spoiled…and Ru and Esteban usually pull her around in a cute little pink wagon.

On this particular morning, Ru pulls Opal’s wagon down to the police station. Chief Putnam instantly goes to Opal when he sees her enter his office, his hand full of treats. He feeds her the tasty doggy delights with one hand and pets her with the other.

“Chief, you’re spoiling her,” Ru says with a chuckle.

“Of course I am! This is my princess,” he responded, looking at the dog wearing a cute little sundress.

He then briefly turned his gaze to Ru and asked, “What can I do for you, Ru?”

“Have you heard anything about Hannah?”

“When I saw her last night to take her statement, the doctor told me she had a concussion. He thinks she was hit in the head with something.”

“Really? I thought the bump on her head was from falling.”

“That’s what she thought, too, but the bruise left on her scalp was perfectly shaped, so the doctor made the determination that someone hit her with a small, blunt object.”

“That’s horrible,” Ru said, shocked that someone in this sleepy little town would do something so terrible to a little old lady. “I bet she was devastated to find that out!”

“She’s more devastated that her bracelet is missing. It supposedly was handed down through her family for generations.”

Ru thought for a couple of minutes while the aging chief played with Opal. When the man turned his attention back to Ru, she said, “It really is a shame about Hannah’s antique bracelet.”

Slyly she then said, “You know, Kirk Enders was at the wedding, and Esteban said he went to the back room multiple times to smoke. I don’t want to point fingers or accuse anyone of something they didn’t do, but he did seem quite comfortable with that back area. You may want to talk to him; maybe he saw something nobody else did.”

“He didn’t seem to know anything when I talked to him last night, but I’ll keep that in mind. That man really is a jerk, you know?”

“Oh, I know!” Ru could tell Chief Putnam had something on his mind, so she asked, “Is there something else, Chief?”

“Well, I know you love your students, and you do what you can to help them, but do you think it’s possible Griffin had anything to do with it? Lorena did find him back there with Hannah.”

“Oh, Chief, I don’t want to believe he could do something this bad, but I guess anything is possible.”

“When I talked to him last night, I couldn’t tell if he was just upset, or if he was hiding something.”

He paused for a second, and then said, “I know he is more comfortable talking to you…”

Ru knew where the Chief was going with his thought and asked, “Would you like me to talk to him?”

Normally, in a big city, the police would do the questioning, but in this small, tight-knit community, Ru is a very trusted woman.

So Chief Putnam says, “That would be great. I still will need to talk to him again at some point, but maybe it’s better if you try first. I know those kids just love you to death.”

Blushing, Ru replies, “I’ll talk to him tomorrow at school.”

“Thank you.”

“With everything he’s gone through with his father, I have a feeling he has a hard time talking to men, so hopefully he will open up to me a bit.”

“That Carlin is one tough nut to crack. I really don’t know how he supports himself let alone a son. I just hope Griffin doesn’t follow in his footsteps for too long, or it will be too hard for him to change later on down the line.”

“You’re preaching to the choir, Chief. I have been working on turning Griffin around for three years. He has made such progress and has been such a big help to Esteban and I.”

Knowing she had things to do, Ru then says, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to find a new dress…Esteban is taking me out for a romantic dinner tonight.”

“Wow, what’s the occasion?”

“No occasion, Chief, he just loves me.”

“Well, then, I’d say that’s occasion enough! Would you like to leave Opal here while you shop?” He asked, hoping to spend more time with the loveable pooch.

“Actually, as much as I know she would love that, I have to drop her off at the groomer in a few minutes.”

“Awww,” Chief Putnam whined, sounding like a child. “Okay.”

“We’ll see you soon,” Ru said, and watched as the man snuggled and kissed Opal. She loved seeing the soft side of men, and Opal sure did bring that out in anyone she came in contact with.

Ru left the police station and went to Barkley’s to drop off Opal. As much as she loved her dog, she looked forward to a few hours of shopping by herself…a treat that doesn’t happen very often. After finding the perfect dress for her date with her husband, she realized she still had plenty of time before she had to pick up Opal at the groomer, so she went for a manicure and pedicure. There she had a blissful 1 1/2 hours of silent time. As hard as she tried not to think about the night before, she couldn’t help it. There was nothing Ru loved more than a good mystery to solve.

~~~

“Dinner was beautiful, my love, thank you so much for a wonderful evening,” Ru said lovingly to her husband as they drove slowly toward their home.

“No, dinner was great, YOU were beautiful,” Esteban replied as he pulled the car into the driveway.

“I WAS beautiful? You mean I’m not anymore?” Ru joked.

Distracted by the sight of someone on their porch, Esteban asked, “Who is that?”

“Who is who?” Ru asked, confused with his question. She hadn’t been paying attention, so she didn’t see anyone.

“There is someone on our front porch,” he answered and pulled up to the garage.

At that point, since the garage is at the back of their property and detached from the house, Ru was unable to see who was at their house.

They got out of the car and slowly walked to the front of the house, curious about who came to visit. When they stepped in front of the stairs leading to the old, beautiful wooden porch, they saw Hannah Levitt, sitting patiently on the top step.

She stood quickly and said, “I’m sorry if I startled you. I am just at my wit’s end.” She looked very frazzled.

“What’s the matter Hannah? What happened?” Esteban asked.

“And why aren’t you at home resting?”

He couldn’t believe she just got out of the hospital and was already out and about, and on a mission.

“What happened? I’ll tell you what happened! The police aren’t doing a darned thing to find my bracelet! I guess they think it will just magically appear. What do you two know about what happened? Do you know who took it?”

Ru answered, almost feeling attacked by the tiny lady, “No, Hannah, we don’t. I talked to Chief Putnam today and let him know I will do whatever I can to help find the person who did this to you.”

“Thank you, dear, I appreciate that. Chester is a good man, but I swear he is getting too old for police work. They should be out there scouring the town to find the culprit! He doesn’t have that kind of energy anymore.”

“Oh, Hannah, you don’t give him enough credit! He is active and fit and he cares about the people of this town. You will get your bracelet back, and you will get justice.”

“I hope so!” Hannah replies.

“Chester should retire. He still can care about the community, but we need young people policing this town.”

Then, as if a light bulb went on in her head, she quickly said, “I need Griffin and Lorena’s addresses. And that other girl, what’s her name? The tall one who works for you.”

“Her name is Julie.”

“Yes, Julie. I need their addresses. I need to go talk to them and see what they know.”

“I’m sorry, Hannah, I can’t give you their addresses.”

“Why in the world not?” She looked shocked that Ru wouldn’t give her the information she was asking for.

“Well, as an employer, I cannot give out their information to anyone except the police.”

“That is absolutely ridiculous! How can I go talk to them if I can’t find them?” Hannah obviously was upset.

Esteban jumped in and said, “Tell you what, Hannah, Ru and I will do our very best to find out what happened to your bracelet. Would you like for me to talk to the girls?”

“Well, if you aren’t going to tell me their addresses, then of course I want you to talk to them for me.”

“Okay. We will do whatever we can to figure out who did this,” he said, hoping it would be enough to calm her down.

“That’s right, Hannah. We will do everything we can,” Ru added, smiling.

“Come on, let me drive you home,” Esteban offered.

“Don’t be silly. I walked here, I can walk home.”

Realizing just how stubborn she was, Esteban then said, “Well, at least let me walk with you. You shouldn’t be out alone at such a late hour.”

“It’s not late,” she said looking at her watch. “It’s only 9:30.”

“Still, I’d feel more comfortable if you didn’t walk alone.”

“Whatever makes you feel better,” she said, almost sounding annoyed with his kindness.

As Ru watched Esteban and Hannah walk away, she couldn’t help but giggle at the woman’s tenacity. She knew what she wanted, when she wanted it and in exactly what manner she expected to get it, and she was one tough cookie. When they were out of sight, Ru went inside and started getting her things ready for work the next morning.

Chapter 6

“Good morning Mrs. Delgado,” a few female students chimed in singsong fashion as Ru walked to her classroom.

She loved coming to work and loved the students. It made her smile when they would say hello to her, and with her day brightened, she continued the trek to her room. As she was unlocking the door she saw Griffin out of the corner of her eye.

“Griffin, I’m glad I caught you before school started. When classes are done for the day, would you please come to my room so we can talk?”

Knowing she wanted to talk to him about what happened at the wedding, he quickly made up an excuse not to show up, “I can’t today, Mrs. Delgado.”

“Why not?”

“I’m playing soccer after school. Maybe later this week we could talk.” He was quick with his words.

“It will only take a few minutes.”

“If I’m late, then I get put on the crappy team.”

She knew Griffin wasn’t into sports; in fact, she knew without a doubt he hated sports with a passion. He always was complaining about the “jocks” and their stupid competitive attitudes.

But, not wanting to show her disappointment or the fact she knew he was lying, she casually said, “Okay. Just let me know what day is good for you. Hurry up now, the bell is about to ring.”

He hurried away and Ru called after him, “And don’t forget to bring your homework to class today!” Griffin waved his hand in acknowledgement and hurried down the hall.

When Ru got to her desk, she opened her laptop and logged onto the school email account. She decided to send the principal an email. She was actually quite proud of herself for coming up with such a fast excuse to get some information:

Mr. Ambrose,

I am thinking about starting a new club, geared toward students who aren’t fond of sports, but aren’t into the academic club scene. Griffin Carlin is one student I would love to ask, and I will do so in class later today. If you could touch base with a few of his friends and let them know I would like to meet with them during lunch hour today, I gladly will bring food in for them. I’m hoping a club for those who tend to be a little bit more at risk will help those students feel more involved and better about themselves.

Thank you,

Ruby Delgado

Within minutes, Ruby received a reply letting her know the principal definitely would get in touch with those students during first period. She looked forward to talking with the boys to see what she could find out. Throughout the morning classes, Ruby found herself wondering what questions to ask Griffin’s friends when they came to see her, and she was surprised when five boys showed up for the meeting.

“Thank you all for coming. My student teacher will bring lunch for you guys at the end of the meeting.” She knew if food was promised, the teens would be more prone to pay attention.

Ru explained she was considering starting a club and asked them some questions about their interests.

“What kind of club would you like to see here at the school?”

“A video game club,” one of the students said quickly, followed by a chorus of yeses from the other boys.

“I should have known you would say that. What other types of things are you guys interested in?”

“Well, we love movies,” the same student answered.

Another of the boys said, “Yeah. What if, instead of a book club, we have a movie club? You know, where we watch a movie and then talk about it.”

“Now that isn’t a bad idea,” Ru said.

“Do you think Griffin Carlin would be interested in joining a club with you guys?”

One of the boys answered, “I don’t know, Mrs. Delgado. He isn’t really the club type.” The rest of the boys nodded their heads.

“That’s a shame.”

“Yeah, but that’s just who he is. He’s cool, though.”

“How is he? Is he getting along okay with his father?”

“Sure, Mrs. Delgado. Why wouldn’t he be?”

“I was just asking. He’s been quiet lately.”

“That’s just Griff. You know how he is. But I know he is stoked about the job you gave him!”

“I’m happy to hear that.”

Ru realized she wasn’t going to get the information she was looking for out of the boys, so she let them eat their lunch before sending them to their next class. She couldn’t shake the feeling that it was possible Griffin was involved. That made her sad, so she forced herself to look at the situation from another angle…her husband’s angle. She knew what she had to do next.

~~~

After work, Ruby decided she would stop at the antique mall; Kirk Enders had a booth there and she thought she would have a look around. When she reached his booth, she saw some old necklaces and brooches, but there were no bracelets.

She went to the cashier and asked, “Do you know when Mr. Enders will be restocking his booth?”

“No, Ma’am, I’m sorry. The dealers just pay us rent; they don’t tell us when they are scheduled to bring in more items.”

Disappointed, Ru says, “Do you know when it was that he added to his display last?”

“No, Ma’am, I’m sorry.”

“Okay, thanks. Have a great night.”

“You, too, Ma’am.”

Before she made it to the door, she had one last idea. She turned back and approached the cashier one last time.

“I’m sorry to bother you. I just had one more question.”

“What can I do for you?”

“Well, I was wondering if anyone was selling any bracelets here.”

“You know what, I don’t know. I haven’t seen any come through the checkout, but I only work part-time. If you come back tomorrow, April will be working. Maybe she will know. Otherwise, all I can suggest is checking out the booths. Someone might be.”

“Thanks anyway, you’ve been really helpful.”

Ru headed home, frustrated that the day didn’t bring her any usable information. She really wanted to be able to solve the mystery for Hannah. She parked her car in the garage and went in the back door of the house. As she stepped inside, she could smell the dinner that Esteban had prepared for her. She smiled as she thought about how lucky she was to have such a loving husband…and one that could cook!

“Mama, you’re home! I was starting to worry about you. Didn’t you get my messages?”

“You worry too much, Papi. I just ran to the antique mall for a few minutes. I must have left my phone in the car.”

“The antique mall? You never go there.”

“I had to check out something,” Ru said, knowing full well her husband would probe further about what she wanted to check out.

“Spill it, Mama,” Esteban said.

“It smells heavenly in here…whatcha makin’?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

“Don’t try to change the subject. Besides, you know what you are smelling. You were at the antique mall checking up on Kirk, weren’t you?”

Knowing she couldn’t fool her husband, she said, “Yes. Just had to see if Hannah’s bracelet was there.”

“Well? Was it?”

“No.”

“You should have called me. I could have met you there. I don’t like you digging around alone.”

“But, if you had met me there, you wouldn’t have made this glorious meal,” Ru replied, hoping her cute demeanor and her compliments would stop her husband from being upset with her.

Besides, the dinner did smell glorious! Even though Esteban is Mexican-American, his specialty is stuffed shells and Italian sausage.

“I don’t know how you managed to make Italian food your specialty, but it smells amazing!”

“Well, you owe me…I will take payment in the form of your amazing tamales!”

“Deal. Now, can we forget about Kirk Enders and the bracelet and eat? I’m starving, and there’s nothing really to tell. The bracelet hasn’t been at his booth.”

“Okay, Mama. Let’s eat. Want to get the wine while I plate the food?”

Ru answered, “Do you want to eat outside?”

“That sounds perfect,” Esteban answered.

He loved dining al fresco. The sun was just about to set, so it made for perfect lighting.

“Bring candles.”

Usually when they ate outside and Esteban lit candles, it meant he had made dessert and their dining experience would last into the evening hours.

“Oh, Papi, what did you make for dessert?”

“Do you have to ask?” He questioned.

“Of course not. Tiramisu will go perfectly. I love you Papi.”

“Right back at you, mi amor.”

Together, the two enjoyed an amazing dinner, followed by light conversation and a delectable dessert. There was no mention of Hannah, her bracelet, Kirk Enders or Griffin.

Chapter 7

During the next few days, Griffin continued avoiding Ru. Even in class he went out of his way not to make eye contact with her. After school he would rush out and hurry home. It was frustrating, because all Ru wanted to do was talk to him and try to help prove he didn’t hurt Hannah or steal her bracelet.

On a different note, Ruby did find out Kirk Enders sold antiques online. So between classes, she would go to his website and check to see if he added the bracelet. She even checked all of the online auction sites, which took a lot of her time; she had no clue there were so many! Each time she looked, she found herself crossing her fingers that she would find the bracelet, which would get Griffin off the hook.

At home she would sit on the couch in the evening with her laptop at her side, watching the site for the bracelet while her husband watched sports on TV. Normally she would make a fuss about not getting to watch anything, but with her being so preoccupied with the bracelet, Esteban was given the glorious chance to watch as much of whatever games were on, and that didn’t bother him one bit. Besides, he knew how much fun she had when she was trying to figure out something, so he just let her do her thing.

One night there was a very strong, very violent thunderstorm, and it frustrated Ru when the cable went out because it meant she didn’t have internet. Not being able to search for the bracelet online wasn’t okay with her, so she turned to her phone. Thankful she recently had bought a new one with a larger screen, Ruby began her search again. It wasn’t as fun for her, and she realized her eyesight wasn’t what it used to be, but she couldn’t stop looking.

On Friday, Ru finally managed to corner Griffin in the hallway at school. She had been so worried about him and the possibility that he was back to stealing. With Hannah pushing her and Esteban to figure out who the criminal was, Ru was feeling more pressure, and was ready to just put it all out there with Griffin.

“I have been trying to talk to you all week, Griff. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, jeez, Mrs. Delgado, everything is fine.”

“You seem upset, what’s going on with you?”

“Nothing,” he started, “Why are you asking my friends about me?”

Ru thought hard about how she could reply, but before she could decide exactly what to say, the words just jumped out of her mouth, “I’m just worried about you. I need to ask you something.”

Griffin rolled his eyes, knowing exactly where the conversation was going. “What?” he asked, sounding even more annoyed.

“I hate even thinking about it, but did you take Ms. Levitt’s bracelet?”

“What the heck, Mrs. Delgado? I already told you I didn’t. I swear!”

His anger was multiplying by the second, “I knew you would assume it was me. The second she screamed that it was missing, I knew you would pin it on me.”

“I’m not pinning it on you. I’m just trying to help her figure out what happened.”

“And you naturally assumed it was me. Why? Because I used to steal? I told you I’m done with that. I promised I would make you proud if you hired me. I don’t understand why you don’t trust me.”

“I’m sorry, Griffin, it’s just…” before she could finish her sentence, he stormed off.

Ru felt bad and now had to find a way to make things right with him and for him. She knew she wasn’t the only one who considered the fact that he could have been the one to harm Hannah and steal her jewelry.

~~~

Along with owning the catering business, Esteban also manages the local grocery store. Ru stopped in to see her husband while he worked, and also picked up some food for dinner. While she was there she ran into Whitney.

“Whitney! It’s so nice to see you. How was the honeymoon?” Ru asked, smiling.

“It was beautiful. It’s so nice to see someplace other than Willow Crossing!”

“Was this your first time out of the country?” Esteban asked.

“Heck, this was my first time out of the state!”

Esteban smiled, a slight look of shock on his face, “Then it must have been great for you!”

“We wanted to go to Europe, but only having five days, we decided Hawaii was easier. It was amazing.”

“Hey, Hawaii is beautiful,” Ru added.

“It was truly breathtaking. We went scuba diving, and parasailing. We even did one of those zip-line adventures!”

“Wow, you sure did pack a lot of stuff into a short trip!” Esteban said, picturing himself hovering over the island on a zip-line.

“We did. There really was not much down time.”

Ru asked, “Did you attend one of those fun looking luaus?”

“We did!”

After a few minutes of chatting about the honeymoon, Ru then said, “I’m glad we ran into you.”

Whitney looked worried after Ru’s statement. She could tell by the look on the woman’s face that the subject was turning to a more serious subject.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hannah was waiting for us outside of our house on Sunday. She is still really upset about her bracelet.”

The color seemed to drain from Whitney’s face, “Really? She was at your house?” She sounded nervous and Ruby picked up on that.

“Yeah. It’s no big deal, really. I just thought you’d like to know. She was asking for the addresses of the kids that work for us. She really wants to talk to them, especially Griffin.”

“I’ll have Michael talk to her. I’m sorry she was bothering you.” Her tone was very flat, and it seemed like she was a million miles away in her mind.

“She wasn’t bothering us; I just wanted you to know how upset she was.”

“We’ll take care of it. I have to run. Thanks.”

Whitney left her cart right there in the aisle and hurried toward the front of the store to leave.

Esteban looked at Ru and said, “Did we say something wrong?”

“I don’t know. That was weird. Was it just me or was she acting like a nervous wreck?”

“It wasn’t just you. I wonder what’s up.”

Once at home, Ru put the groceries away and then sat at the kitchen table to go through the day’s mail. She knew she was just doing anything to take her mind off of the bracelet, but Whitney’s behavior had her mind going in a million different directions. She wondered why the new bride’s attitude changed as if someone flipped a switch the second Hannah was mentioned.

Deciding she had to get back to her own life, Ruby began preparing dinner so it would be ready for her husband when he returned home from work. She made lasagna and put it in the oven, then went to change out of her work clothes and into something more comfortable. After checking the oven, she went out to the front porch and sat on the top step with a book, trying to clear her mind.

When Esteban pulled into the driveway, he looked at his wife and smiled. In her shorts, with her long legs crossed at the ankles and stretched down the stairs, he realized she still looked like she did when he met her in college. Her long black hair pulled neatly into a ponytail, just like the first time he saw her, and a face that needed no extravagant makeup to look youthful…it all brought Esteban back in time.

After parking the car, he hurried to the front of the house, took Ru’s hand to help her up from the steps, and kissed her deeply.

“I’m home Mama.”

She giggled and said, “Yes, you are!”

“Anything interesting happen today?” he asked his wife.

“Well, aside from making Griffin hate me, nothing except that odd encounter with Whitney.”

“What do you mean you made Griffin hate you?”

“I asked him outright if he stole the bracelet. He got so upset. The look on his face broke my heart.”

“I’m sorry, Mama,” he said and hugged her tightly.

“You know how your students are; by Monday he won’t even remember he was upset.”

“I don’t know, babe, he was really hurt.”

“He’ll be fine.”

Not wanting to talk about it anymore, she changed the subject, “Come on, I made you lasagna. Let’s eat!”

Esteban knew that was his cue to not talk about Griffin or the bracelet anymore, and he held her hand as they went inside for dinner. Turning his attention back to how beautiful his wife was, he watched her every move as she filled his plate with delicious food. They spent the rest of the night watching movies, but Esteban knew his wife secretly was trying to solve the mystery of who stole the bracelet.

Chapter 8

The next morning was beautiful. The sun was shining, but the temperature was a little cooler than it had been the previous couple of weeks. Wrapped in a robe, Ru went out onto the front porch to get the morning paper. Then she stood at the porch railing and breathed in the cool early summer air. Esteban snuck up behind her and wrapped his arm around his waist, revealing a hot cup of coffee.

“Papi, you startled me.”

“I’m sorry, mi amor. Come on, let’s sit and enjoy the breeze.”

This was Esteban’s favorite time of the year. He would sit on the porch swing for hours and hours if Ruby would let him. The sight of everything blooming made his heart happy. Willow Crossing was known for its large green canopies covering each of the residential streets, and the flowers were in full bloom, creating a comforting aroma that drew people in.

“What would you like to do today?” He asked his wife.

“I don’t know, but it is supposed to be cool and beautiful all day long. We shouldn’t waste the day by staying inside. Let’s do something fun.”

Esteban knew when his wife wanted to have fun, it really meant she wanted to either go kayaking, or hiking. He really wasn’t up for anything so active, and it was already later in the morning, so he said, “It’s too late to go to the river, we have nothing prepared.”

“You’re right,” Ru said and then sat quietly in thought.

After she finished her cup of coffee, Ru went inside and made eggs, bacon, hash browns and English muffins for Esteban and cut a grapefruit in half for her. During breakfast, Ru and Esteban decided they would spend some time in the fresh air and bring Opal to the park. It was the first weekend in a while that Esteban didn’t have to work at the grocery store. They had no catering events to attend to, so they were eager to enjoy their free time.

At the far end of the park, there is an area reserved for campers and small trailers. Griffin and his father live in one of the largest campers there, and as Ru and Esteban pulled Opal around in her wagon, Ru said, “That’s weird.”

Esteban could see the confusion in her expression and asked, “What’s weird, love?”

“Kirk Enders is at the Carlin’s camper. Look.”

Esteban turned his gaze toward the campground and saw the two men standing behind the weathered camper.

“Hmm. I wonder what Kirk is doing there.”

“I don’t know, but it looks like they’re arguing. Let’s get a little closer…I can’t quite make out what they are saying.”

“Ruby Maria Delgado, that’s eavesdropping.”

“I know, but how else are we going to know what Kirk is doing there?”

They found a tree a little closer to the camp area and sat in the shade, pretending to play with Opal.

“I don’t know what your boy has done, but now I have the police breathing down my neck,” Ru heard Kirk say.

“My boy didn’t do a thing. Maybe they are breathing down your neck because you’re a no-good snake,” Mr. Carlin replied.

Ru whispered to Esteban, “Did you hear that? They’re arguing about Griffin.”

“Yes, I heard it. Maybe this is a bad idea.”

“No, it’s not. Now, hush…I want to hear what they’re saying.” Esteban didn’t take her hushing him personally. In fact, he found it kind of funny, so he did as she demanded.

“Listen, Carlin, I don’t want any trouble with the law. If your boy took that bracelet, you’d better turn him in. If you don’t, then I may just have to drag him in myself.”

“You won’t lay a hand on my boy. If you so much as look at him funny, I’ll put a hole in you.”

“I’m just warning you now. If he did this and I go down for it, you will pay.”

Kirk Enders turned to leave, and Ru got an idea. “I think I’m gonna head over there and ask him about Griffin. Maybe I can feel him out about Hannah and catch him in a lie.”

“I don’t know if you should do that,” Esteban said worriedly.

“He doesn’t seem to be in the frame of mind for some idle chitchat.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll take Opal; she can protect me.”

Esteban looked down at the dog. She was wearing a pink, frilly dress, a bow on her head and white ruffle socks on her feet.

“Yeah, she is so intimidating!”

They both laughed and then Ru walked away, pulling Opal behind her. She hoped he wouldn’t go inside, and she quickened her pace. In two minutes she managed to cover the span of grass between the tree and the camp area, and shouted, “Mr. Carlin! Hello!”

Startled, the man turned to see who was calling to him. “Oh, Ms. Delgado, hello.” He wondered why she would be coming to the camper.

“Hi. How are you?”

“I’m okay, I guess. You?”

He had an annoyed look on his face. Ruby always wondered if that was just how he looked, or if he was truly annoyed…all of the time.

“I’m doing well. I haven’t seen you at the school yet this year. I hope all is well.”

“We’re getting by,” he said.

He could tell by the look on her face that she was wanting more than a three word response, so he continued, “It’s not easy when you’re unemployed. I’ve been trying to find work, but with this recession, it’s nearly impossible.”

Knowing Mr. Carlin was using the recession as an excuse to not work, Ru decided to change the subject.

“How is Griffin doing?”

“I don’t know, you see him more than me,” he answered, his voice gruff and his attitude short and snippy.

“Well, he is a teenager. They rarely want to stick around home and spend time with their parents.” She paused for a moment, hoping he would have something to say.

When he remained silent, she continued, “There’s a charity event coming up, I’m hoping Griffin will want to work it for us.”

“You mean you still want him to work for you?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t we?” Ru hoped this conversation was about to take a turn in the direction of information.

“Well, it seems the whole town thinks he’s guilty of stealing from that Hannah lady.”

“I never said he did it. Do you think he’ll want to work for us at the next event? It pays more than the others.”

The prospect of his son making even more money turned his attitude around for a minute, and he smiled.

“I think he’d love to work it for you.”

“Good, I really hope he does.”

Feeling like that moment was the only chance to bring up the bracelet, she went on, “By the way, I’m letting people know that Hannah Levitt is offering a reward for anyone who leads her to her missing bracelet. It was a family heirloom.”

“Well, it seems you sure are trying to get that reward,” he said, his attitude changing yet again.

Not knowing why he would say something like that, Ru asked, “What do you mean?”

“My boy told me you were asking his friends about him. And then you came right out and asked him if he took it. You must think he’s guilty.”

“I don’t think that, Mr. Carlin. I just asked him because of all the trouble he’s had in the past. You know I trust him. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have him work for me.”

Knowing that if he upset the woman she may fire his boy, he went on, “You’re right. I just hate seeing him so upset.”

Ruby knew the man had done plenty to upset the teenager, but rather than point that out to him, she simply said, “Well, I just wanted to let you know about the reward. Maybe if Griffin saw something that he was afraid to mention before, he could let Chief Putnam know. The reward is $5,000.”

“That’s great to know! Have a great day, Mrs. Delgado!” He smiled, nodded and hurried into the camper.

Ru found it weird how quickly his attitude changed and how fast he turned and went inside. As she made her way back to Esteban, she wondered what was going on with people lately. First Whitney was acting strange, then they see Kirk with Mr. Carlin, and then Mr. Carlin acts shifty.

When Ru sat back down in the grass by Esteban, he said, “That looked like a pretty tense conversation.”

“Oh, you know Mr. Carlin. To him, the only mood is crabby.”

“Did he have anything interesting to say?” Esteban asked.

“No. But he did seem interested in the $5,000 reward, and he was even more excited to hear that we wanted Griffin to work our next event.”

“Do you really think it’s a good idea to have Griffin work it?”

“Yes, Papi, I do. If he didn’t steal the bracelet, and we didn’t let him work the next event, he will hate us forever. Do you really want that?”

“Of course not, Mama, but what if he did steal the bracelet?”

“Then we will just have to keep a real close eye on him, won’t we?”

Knowing it would be fighting a losing battle, Esteban conceded, “Okay, okay. You win. He can work the event. But, if anything happens, that will be his last event, yes?”

“Yes,” Ru started, “if something else happens, we won’t have him work for the catering company again.”

“No, Ru, if something happens he won’t work for us period…not the catering company, not the grocery store and not even odd jobs around our own house.”

She knew he was right, so she said, “Yes, I understand.”

Chapter 9

That night, while Ru and Esteban were getting ready for bed, they heard a knock at their door. They both found it odd and unsettling because nobody ever came to the house at such a late hour. Hesitant, they both went downstairs and Esteban looked through the peephole.

“Who is it?” Ru whispered.

“There’s nobody there.”

Not knowing why they were so afraid to answer the door, Ru said, “Open it…it’s probably just kids playing ding-dong-ditch.”

“But they knocked,” Esteban said.

Ru thought about that for a second and said with a smile, “Just open the door.”

When Esteban cracked the door open, he didn’t see anything. He opened the door all the way and said, “You’re probably right. There’s nobody here.”

Ruby stepped over to the door and looked outside. It wasn’t uncommon in that area for kids to act up late at night, so she wasn’t all that surprised that they were the latest victim of the knock and dash game. As she was turning away she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

“Look,” she said, pointing at the porch in front of the door.

There was a small box, sitting on the doormat like a baby in a basket; only there was no note attached…and no baby. Curious, Ru opened the screen door and picked up the small package, looking around as she did so. They hurried inside and locked the door. Over on the couch, Ru got ready to open the box.

“I wonder what’s inside,” Esteban said.

“Well, we’re about to find out!”

When Ru opened the box, they both gasped softly. Inside was a beautiful old bracelet.

“Is this…” Ru started.

“…Hannah’s bracelet?” Esteban finished.

“Get me the phone,” Ru said quickly.

“Who are you going to call, Love? It’s after midnight.”

“I’m calling Hannah. She has been so stressed out about this bracelet, I doubt she’ll care what time it is.” The second Esteban handed her the phone she began dialing.

“Hello?” The frail voice asked, answering on the second ring.

“Hannah, it’s Ruby Delgado. I’m sorry to call at this late hour, but I have some news for you.”

“Ruby, hello. What is it?”

“I think we have your bracelet.”

“I’ll be right there,” Hannah said and hung up the phone.

“What did she say?” Esteban asked when his wife put the phone down.

“Not much. She’s on her way over.”

“This late? I’d better walk down and meet her. She shouldn’t be out this late; not when she’s walking.”

“I’ll put some water on for tea.”

~~~

Esteban walked down the block to meet Hannah. When finally met up with her, she instantly asked about her bracelet, “Well, where is it?”

“It’s back at the house, Hannah.”

“Well, let’s hurry then!”

Esteban smiled at the woman’s bluntness, and also at the pace with which she walked. Even with a cane, her fast steps started to make Esteban winded, and he was happy to see their house come into view.

They walked into the house and the woman instantly asked, “Where’s my bracelet?”

“Hello, Hannah,” Ru started. “I put water on for tea. Would you like a cup?”

“Oh, no thank you, dear. I just want my bracelet.”

Ru handed her the box and said, “I’m not positive it’s your bracelet, but I’m assuming it is. Here.”

Hannah opened the box and grinned from ear to ear, “There’s my baby! How did you get it? Did Griffin give it to you?”

“No, Hannah, Griffin didn’t give it to me.” Ru tried not to sound as aggravated as she was feeling.

“Someone knocked on our door and when we came down, nobody was there, but the box was sitting on our doormat.”

“I tell you, teenagers nowadays just have no respect for their elders.”

“We don’t know who left the bracelet on our doorstep, Hannah.”

“Oh, I just know it was that Carlin boy. His father is no good, so I can just imagine how bad that kid is becoming.”

“Griffin is a good boy, Hannah. We wouldn’t have him working for us if we thought he could do something as bad as assaulting a woman and stealing her jewelry,” Esteban said, trying to diffuse her impression of the boy.

“Well, I don’t know. I see how kids are. They are disrespectful. They only care about what they can get.”

When she looked at Ruby and Esteban, she could see the looks on their faces and quickly changed her tone, “I’m sorry, but I just have a hard time trusting the young people of today. I sure hope you are right about him. I’d hate for him to jeopardize your business.”

Esteban responded with words that he knew Hannah would appreciate, “Well, Hannah, if we see that the boy is up to no good, we definitely will fire him.”

As if satisfied, Hannah reached into her pocket and then held her hand out to Esteban and Ru, “This reward belongs to you, then.”

Shocked that the elderly woman would walk around town with that much cash in her pocket, and knowing that they really didn’t do anything to deserve the $5,000, Ru looked at Esteban and he nodded. Ru knew she couldn’t take the money.

“No, Hannah, really…we only answered our door. We didn’t do anything to find it for you.”

“I insist. You got my bracelet back to me, so you deserve it.”

“Save it, Hannah. We’re just happy you got your bracelet back.”

“Really, dear, I don’t need the money. Please take it.”

“Tell you what, if you are really determined to give that money away, why don’t you donate it at the charity event we’re catering next month?”

“I’d like for you to have it, but I guess I could donate it. I will do it in your name,” she said looking at Ru and Esteban.

“That would be lovely. Thank you.” Esteban said.

“Well, it’s awfully late; I think I’ll be going now.”

“I’ll walk you home,” Esteban said.

“Nonsense; I can get home on my own.”

“I’d feel much better if you’d let me walk you.”

“Young man, I’ve been walking these streets since I was a young child. I think I can find my way home.”

Esteban found it almost amusing how the woman could go from being a sweet old lady to a stubborn woman.

He held his ground, “I understand that, but I was raised to help people, so you are just going to have to deal with me walking you home.”

“Well, you obviously weren’t raised to listen to your elders, but if you insist, fine…you can walk me home.”

“Mama, I’ll be back in a little bit,” Esteban said, smiling.

“Okay, dear,” Ru replied and then looked at Hannah, “I’m so happy you have your bracelet back. You sleep well.”

“Oh, I will, dear, I will. Thank you so much!” Hannah was back to sounding sweet again.

When Esteban returned after bringing Hannah home, he said, “That woman talked about that bracelet the whole way home! She is so happy to have it back!”

“I’m glad. Now, if only we knew who took it.”

Then Ru said, “Maybe we should have called Chief Putnam first. I didn’t think of it then, but maybe he could have gotten prints off the box.”

“Well, I made mention to Hannah that they still had to figure out who took it and who hit her and knocked her out, but she didn’t seem too concerned about it.”

“Maybe I’ll go see the Chief tomorrow…just to let him know what happened,” Ru said.

“That sounds like a good idea. Bring Opal…you know how much he loves her.”

Chapter 10

Instead of pulling Opal’s wagon into Chief Putnam’s office, she put the dog on the floor and let her walk in alone.

“Opal! I’m so happy to see you! Did you come here alone?” As if the dog could understand his joke, Opal snorted, and then walked over to his desk, where she knew he kept her treats.

Ru walked in and said, “You’ve trained her well, Chief!”

“Hello, Ruby. What brings you by?”

“Well, I wanted to talk to you about Hannah and her bracelet.”

Without any pause or hesitation, the man replied, “I’ve already closed the case.”

Confused, Ru answered, “Why? You don’t even know what happened that night or who stole it and assaulted her.”

“Hannah came by first thing this morning, box in hand, and told me everything.”

“And you don’t think it’s important to find out who did this to her?”

“She doesn’t want to press charges. She just wants to move on. I can’t force her, Ru.”

Ru was frustrated. One thing that really bugs her is when things don’t get finished. Loose ends always need to be tied up in her world. “That doesn’t bother you?”

“Of course it does, but like I said, I can’t force her to pursue it.”

Ru stayed for a while so Opal could get her fill of snacks. After about half an hour, she headed out, frustrated at the morning’s events. As she walked down the street, Opal following behind in her wagon, she thought about everything. She knew Griffin would have loved to be the one to get the reward money, and even more so, his father would have been thrilled. She knew if it had been Griffin who stole the bracelet, he and his father easily could have pretended they found it and brought it to the chief.

Then she thought about Kirk and how he loved to swindle people out of their money. Even if he sold the bracelet at his booth or online, he wouldn’t have received more than the reward money Hannah was offering. If he was out for the money, he would have claimed the reward. Ru couldn’t figure it out.

She went back over everything she could remember, and the only other person acting strangely was Whitney. It didn’t seem realistic that the wife of the woman’s great-nephew would be the one to assault and rob the woman, but nothing else seemed to fit. As she thought about the expression on Whitney’s face, trying to figure out where she had seen it before, she instantly remembered.

When she was a kid, Ru and her sister were playing in their mother’s closet, trying on her clothes and shoes. Her sister, Anna, decided to put on some of their mother’s jewelry, and accidentally broke the clasp on their mom’s favorite necklace. Instead of admitting what had happened, Anna took the necklace and hid it. The look on her face every time she would make eye contact with her mother was the same look that Whitney had on her face at the reception. Ruby knew exactly what she would have to do. She called her husband and told him she would be a little longer.

“What’s going on, Mama?”

“Oh, nothing, dear. I just want to stop by Michael and Whitney’s house. I won’t be long.”

Esteban knew his wife was on to something, but didn’t want to keep her. He was aware that when Ru was determined to figure out something, there was no stopping her, so he said, “Okay. I’ll see you in a little while. Be nice!”

~~~

With an orchid in hand, Ru walked up to Michael and Whitney’s door. They had just moved into their new house a week before the wedding, and she thought this would be a great time to bring them a housewarming present. She rang the bell and waited.

“Ruby! Hi!” Michael said enthusiastically.

“Hi, Michael.”

“Come on in,” he said and stepped aside.

“Oh, I have Opal with me. I just came by to bring you a little housewarming gift,” she said, holding out the orchid.

“Don’t be silly! Opal is always welcome! Come inside.” He went out onto the porch and picked up the dog and carried her inside.

“Whitney, come here, we have visitors.”

Whitney came out from the kitchen and the moment she saw Ru, the color drained from her face. She tried to cover up her sudden concern by saying, “Hi, Ruby. What brings you by?”

“I picked up an orchid for you. I just love them, and thought maybe you would have a spot for it in your new home.”

“It’s beautiful. Thank you so much.” Wanting to be polite, Whitney then asked, “Would you like to stay for some iced tea?”

“Thank you. That would be nice.” Ru looked around and saw they had made quick work of unpacking.

“I see you are done emptying boxes! I’m impressed.”

“Oh,” Michael starts, “we still have a bit more work to do. I was just about to run to the store real quick. It was nice seeing you, Ru. I shouldn’t be long.” He made his exit and the two women were alone.

Before she even could get that glass of iced tea, Whitney said, “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m still trying to get some of the gifts put away and figure out how to organize the kitchen. Maybe we could visit again soon?”

Ru could tell Whitney was trying to get rid of her, but she had a purpose for this encounter and she wasn’t going to leave without saying what needed to be said.

“I would love to help you! Besides, Opal has been out in the heat for a while now. It would be nice to let her cool off a bit before heading out.”

Knowing she wasn’t going to get rid of Ru, Whitney led her to the kitchen. Ru could see by the boxes everywhere that while Whitney was a sweet and loving girl, she definitely was not comfortable in the kitchen.

“I love my kitchen, but yours is incredible,” Ru said.

“Thanks. I’m not much of a chef, so I just really don’t know where to go with everything in here.”

Ruby focused on helping to ease Whitney’s nerves by explaining where everything should go to make a nice, flowing workspace. She even offered to help her learn some recipes guaranteed to make Michael fall even deeper in love with her. After a while, Whitney seemed to relax, and it was then that Ru decided to drop the bomb.

“Can I ask you something, Whitney?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Why did you steal Hannah’s bracelet?”

With a shocked look on her face, Whitney answered, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Come on, Whitney, you know exactly what I’m talking about. What I don’t understand is why you would do that to one of your new family members.”

Whitney stared at Ru for what seemed like an eternity and then broke down in tears.

~~~

When Michael returned from the store, he walked toward the swinging door of the kitchen. He heard what sounded like crying, but before he could push through the door, he heard his wife’s voice, “It’s all my fault!” He stood there, not wanting to spy, but not wanting to barge in either.

“What happened?” Ru asked, sounding very concerned.

“I’m so embarrassed.”

“Just talk to me, Whitney. Whatever it is, it’s obviously weighing heavily on your heart. You need to get it out of your system.”

“It was me,” Whitney blurted out.

“What was you?” Ru asked. Michael stood on the other side of the door, listening, wondering what his new wife was talking about.

“I was so excited about the wedding. I was getting impatient waiting for the wedding party to be announced at the reception, so I went for a little walk. I was giddy with happiness, and I was being silly, dancing around like a little girl. I came to a door in the hallway and pushed it open.”

“What happened next?” Ru asked.

“I felt it stop really fast and then I heard something hit the ground. I stuck my head into the room and saw Aunt Hannah lying on the floor. I was mortified.”

“Go on,” Ru urged.

Michael couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but kept listening.

“I didn’t know anyone was standing on the other side of the door, and when I saw her on the floor I panicked. I was so embarrassed and didn’t know what to do. I saw the antique bracelet and thought that if I took it, people would think someone knocked her out to get it.”

She paused for a minute to catch her breath and then continued, “I know it was stupid, but I don’t think Michael’s family likes me, and if they knew that I knocked her out, they would hate me even more!”

“But the doctor said she was hit with something small…not a door.”

“I think the lock on the door hit her in the head. I feel just horrible!”

“So it was you that brought the bracelet to our house?”

“Yes. I figured you were my safest bet. I told Michael I needed to run and get some milk and eggs for the next morning’s breakfast, and I stopped at your house to drop off the box.”

Michael had heard enough and walked into the kitchen. He went to Whitney and said, “My family doesn’t hate you, Whit, they love you.”

Whitney looked startled by her husband’s appearance. “I’m so sorry!” She suddenly became hysterical.

“Sweetie, it was just an accident. You never should feel like you can’t tell me something. You always should feel comfortable telling me the truth. I love you, Whit.”

Ru felt it was time to make her exit, so in a soothing voice she said, “I’m going to leave you two alone to talk. I never will tell Hannah what happened…I’ll let you decide if you want to tell her. To be honest, I think she is enjoying telling her story to people, so you may just want to let it be.”

“Thank you, Ruby,” Whitney said through her tears. “I’m so sorry for everything.”

“No need to apologize. I’m just happy everything worked out.”

As Ru walked home, she felt a sense of relief come over her. At least she now knew Griffin was telling the truth. She wished she could tell him everything that happened, but instead she would just have to figure out a way to convince him that she believes in him and his innocence. She hurried home to tell Esteban the whole story.

Chapter 11

“You mean to tell me Whitney is the one who stole the bracelet? I can’t believe it!”

“I know!”

Ru sounded just as shocked telling Esteban the story as she felt when she first was told about what happened.

“I knew she was acting a little too weird at the reception!”

“I guess your instincts were right, Mama.”

“Aren’t they usually?”

Laughing, Esteban said, “They always are.”

“Now I have to figure out how to convince Griffin that we know he didn’t do it. I can’t exactly tell him what really happened.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure out a way.”

“Yeah. Well, maybe I should just go over and talk to him.”

“Well, just be careful. Hopefully Carlin won’t be there.”

Ruby drove over to the camp area and knocked on the door to the camper. When Griffin opened the door he rolled his eyes and Ru could tell he wasn’t happy to see her.

“What?” He asked, his voice low and annoyed.

“I just wanted to let you know they found Hannah’s bracelet.”

“Who took it?”

“It seems she just misplaced it.”

“Good. I gotta get back to my homework.”

“Griffin, we both know you’re not doing your homework.”

Just then, Mr. Carlin walked up behind Ru and said, “What are you doing here now? I told you he didn’t do it.”

“I know that, Mr. Carlin. I was just stopping by to let him know that they found the bracelet.”

“Good. Now maybe this town can get off our backs. You can leave now.”

“Dad, stop it.” Griffin stepped out of the camper and pushed past his father. “Come on, Mrs. Delgado. I’ll walk you to your car.”

Together, they walked to the car and when he was sure he was out of earshot of his father, Griffin said, “I’m sorry about him.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. I’m the one who owes you an apology. I should have known you wouldn’t harm a lady and steal from her.”

“It’s okay. I know why you doubted me.”

He looked down at the ground and it was obvious to Ru that he had something more pressing on his mind.

“What’s wrong, Griffin?”

“Summer vacation starts next week.”

“I know, I thought you’d be happy about it.”

“That means I’ll be with him all day, every day.”

“With who, your father?”

“Yeah. I’ll go crazy, Mrs. Delgado.”

“I’m sure it won’t be too bad.”

“Yes it will be.” He paused for a minute and then looked at Ruby with the most desperate look on his face.

“Can you help me?”

“I’ll do whatever I can, Griffin, you know that. What do you need?” He was hesitant; he didn’t like asking for help, and Ru knew that.

“It’s alright, Griffin. You can ask me anything.”

“Do you think Mr. Delgado could give my father a job at the grocery store?”

He paused and then said, “If he’s at work all day, then maybe he won’t be so angry all the time…and maybe then he’ll stop asking me to steal. I don’t like taking things from people.”

Ruby’s heart broke for the boy, and she knew it was really hard for him to ask.

“I will talk to him as soon as I get home. But do you think your dad will take the job?”

“I hope so. I gotta get back inside before he comes looking for me.”

“Okay. Just keep your nose clean and we will figure out something.”

“Thanks.”

He turned to go back to the camper and then turned back toward Ruby, “Oh, he told me you had another event you needed me to work. I will be there, just let me know when and where.”

“I’ll talk to you in school tomorrow.”

Ruby got in her car and headed home. She knew that Esteban would be leery about hiring Mr. Carlin, but she also knew that he would be willing to do just about anything that she asked…if she had a good reason.

“Papi, I’m home! Where are you?” Ru shouted as she walked through the door.

Esteban popped his head out of the kitchen and said, “In here. How’d it go?”

“It went pretty well. He understood why I asked him if he stole the bracelet. He’s not mad at me anymore.”

“Was Carlin there?”

“Yes, and he was his typical cheery self.”

Esteban could see the expression change on his wife’s face and knew she was about to ask him for something.

“Uh-oh. There’s the look. What do you want, Mama?”

“I need you to do me a favor. Well, actually, it’s more a favor for Griffin.”

“Okay, what do you need?” he asked, preparing himself for whatever it was she was about to ask of him.

“Can you offer his father a job at the store?”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.”

“Come on, for me? Griffin doesn’t want to spend the whole summer under his father’s thumb, being forced to steal from people so they can buy food.”

When she put it that way, he couldn’t help but feel compassion for the boy. “I suppose I could hire him on a trial basis. That’s even if he’ll take the job.”

Ruby hugged her husband tight and said, “Thank you, Papi. Thank you!”

“Don’t get too excited. If he takes the job, it is only a trial. He will have to prove himself. If he thinks he’s going to be lazy and not work, or if I catch him stealing, he’s out…and I will have him arrested.”

“Of course, babe. I will let Griffin know tomorrow. He’s gonna be so happy!”

~~~

After a lot of convincing from both Griffin and Esteban, Mr. Carlin finally agreed to try his hand at working an actual job. It wasn’t anything glamorous; mostly cleaning up the store and some stocking, but it gave him a paycheck and got him out of the house. It was a rough start, and there were days where Esteban practically had to drag the man out of bed to get him to work; but after a few weeks, Mr. Carlin began coming in on time and even staying late to do extra work. After a few months, Esteban felt better about hiring him, even allowing him to train in other areas of the store as backup to the cashiers. He also found Mr. Carlin actually did quite well in the produce department.

Griffin thrived, the extra time away from his father helping him to be more responsible. He did a lot of odd jobs for Ru and Esteban, and also worked hard for the catering business. Ruby was so happy to see the young man doing so well, and continued giving Esteban credit for hiring Mr. Carlin, even when he didn’t really want to.

Whitney and Michael continued to be happy, and they never did tell Hannah what happened. They are expecting their first child and, because of how kind Ru was to Whitney when the truth came out, they decided if the baby is a girl, her middle name will be Ruby. Of course, that tickled Ru pink.

Hannah went on as usual, telling her harrowing story of the time she got hit over the head and had her bracelet stolen. The incident didn’t stop her from wearing her expensive jewelry. Chief Putnam and Hannah began a cute relationship and they could be seen walking hand in hand at the park and around town. While she swears she never will marry again, everyone knows her love of weddings and figures that one day soon she will be planning her fifth ceremony. Ru secretly hopes they will ask Opal to be their flower girl and has already started training her to carry the basket!

Since the great bracelet caper, Ru and Esteban have enjoyed watching their catering business grow. They have taken part in not only weddings and anniversary parties, but have catered some of the county’s most important fundraising events. Because of their growing business, Esteban has cut back his hours at work, and Ru has stopped teaching summer school. She isn’t ready to quit teaching all together because she just couldn’t see herself away from her students.

They look forward to their next catering event, the local Crackerjack Canine evening dinner. Since they are avid dog lovers, Opal being evidence of their dedication to dogs, they look forward to catering a dinner devoted to raising funds for shelters and rescue organizations around the county and the state.

As they plan for the dinner, Ru and Esteban hope the good luck they’ve been having will continue and nothing bad will happen. Even though one of the major figures who will be present at the event is someone who is not liked by many, the cause is still worthy of their best work ever.

~~~

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