LOST & FOUND – PART X
Chapter 86
In Plain Sight
The front hall of the cream-colored house rang with the sound of voices and hurrying feet as people rushed in and out, gathering everything Adam and Thea would need for their quarterly trip to San Francisco. They would be inspecting the orphanage as well as meeting with business associates and visiting friends.
Adam was in his office checking his document cases one more time when a knock sounded on the outside door. Quickly looking up, he was surprised to see the sheriff standing on the porch - he got to his feet and hurried to let the man in.
"Good morning," Roy said in greeting when the door opened and Adam reached out to shake his hand and pull him in. "I know you folks are leaving," he continued, "but I figured you would want to hear this before you go."
Adam led the way across the room and half-sat on the front edge of his desk as he gestured for his guest to be seated in the chair opposite.
"Please," he said solemnly, "go on..."
"Well," Roy reached into his vest pocket to pull out a small, dog-eared, leather-bound book then held it out to Adam who took it, but didn't take his eyes off the sheriff's face.
"Abner Mueller was found dead this morning lying face-down on his mother's grave." He paused to let that sink in. "That diary is the only thing we found on him, and that was lucky for us since there wasn't enough of his face left to identify him."
Adam blinked in surprise. "What happened? I mean, what was the cause of death?"
Roy shifted in his chair and raised one hand to smooth down his neatly clipped mustache.
"Looks like he shot himself in the head, but Matt says he actually died from exposure."
"Does Matt have any opinion as to when?"
"He figures about three or four days ago."
"I see," Adam responded quietly then shook his head.
"The last I had heard, he was living in his father's old cabin up on Gobbler's Knob."
"Yes sir, just him, his traps, and his granddaddy's still."
A quick knock sounded on the office door to the hall and both men turned to see it open and Thea step in. "We're ready to go," she said before noticing the sheriff when both men stood.
"I'm sorry," she smiled politely at the older man. "I didn't know anyone else was in here."
"Actually Ma'am, I'm the one interrupting," Roy said hastily, his face flushing slightly red as he moved toward the outside door. Adam hurried to open it for him and the two men shook hands.
"Thank you for letting me know."
"You're welcome," Roy slanted a sideways look at Thea's coolly polite expression. "Just thought you might want to tell Gretchen Mueller when you see her at the orphanage."
Nodding, Adam clapped the older man on the back.
"I'll take care of that," he said low and the two men exchanged a knowing look before Roy hurried out the door.
Adam slowly pushed the door closed then let out a short chuff of laughter at his wife's narrow-eyed, stiff expression as she watched the sheriff cross the street.
"You're never going to forgive him for arresting me, are you?"
"I doubt it," she answered tightly, still staring out the window until he sighed deeply and she turned her hard gaze on him.
"What was so important that he couldn't wait to tell you?"
"Abner Mueller is dead."
"Really? How?"
"Ultimately, by exposure."
"What happened?"
"He shot himself in the head and was found this morning on his mother's grave."
Thea's eyes opened wide and sparked with anger. "After everything he put her through that piece of human offal couldn't even leave her alone in death." She made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat. "And then with his last cowardly act he just HAD to defile that good woman's grave!"
Adam had to suppress a smile at her highly indignant expression, "Theadora, calm down..."
"Why should I?" she almost snapped. "Sadie deserved better than that from both of her sons."
"Yes dear, I agree with you, but I don't want the children seeing that expression on your face right before we leave for a week."
His words clearly startled her and cut through her rage; her expression immediately cleared.
"Oh, you're right and I'm sorry for yelling, but every time I think about those two and the hell they put their mother through my blood just starts to boil!"
"I'm familiar with that feeling," he said and was about to go on when the door to the hall swung partway open and Hoss poked his head in.
"Are you two finished fightin?" his cheerful voice boomed, "I hope so, 'cause if you don't get a move on you're gonna miss that train." His bright blue eyes shone with good humor and Thea laughed as she hurried over to hug him.
"We weren't fighting Hoss, I was just getting hopping mad again."
"Then I'm sorry I missed it...accordin' to Adam that's really somethin' to see!" Hoss teased her and she laughed again as they went out.
Adam smiled even while shaking his head at their antics and was about to drop Abner's diary on his desk, but changed his mind and slipped it into his suit pocket, vaguely thinking Ted might like to read it. Then he dismissed that subject and turned his thoughts toward the uneasy relationship between Thea and Roy as he quickly gathered his documents cases and left the room, closing the door firmly behind him.
Thea paused at the main entrance to the hospital to straighten her skirts and catch her breath after madly dashing across the street from the Eden House hotel. She was trying to make it to her appointment with Dr. David Charles on time, but their visit to the orphanage that morning had taken longer than they had anticipated.
Just as she took hold of the handle, the door was yanked open and she came face-to-face with a tall, smooth-faced young man. His almost colorless blue eyes met hers, sending an odd, unpleasant thrill up her spine as they both stood there frozen in surprise.
"Theadora!"
A deep and loud female voice made them both start and he quickly turned around toward a large-boned, deep-bosomed woman who was dressed completely in white and bearing down on them like a ship in full sail.
Thea did her best to gather most of her scattered wits together. "Hester, how are you?" she quickly stepped around the young man and hurried to take the other woman's hand.
"Fine, fine..." Hester's warm brown eyes smiled down at the smaller woman and Thea tried not to wince at having her hand gripped almost hard enough to bruise.
"We have to get together before you leave so I can hear all about your wee ones," Hester continued, her short, curly brown hair ruffling in the breeze being let in by the open door. Then her brows furrowed in annoyance and she turned her attention to the young man who was still holding the door open and staring at Thea with disturbingly deep intensity.
"Durrant, you can go out or stay in, but either way shut that blessed door!" To Thea's surprise Hester's voice was unusually sharp, and she slanted a sideways look in his direction, but the pale-eyed young man was gone.
"One of our medical students," Hester said by way of explanation and shook her head. "I can't put my finger on it, but there's just something wrong with that boy."
"He does seem a tad odd," Thea agreed and glanced down at the watch pinned to her bodice. "Dear Lord, I'd like to stay and talk, but I'm almost late for my appointment, so why don't you come over to the hotel for lunch tomorrow?"
"Grand idea!" Hester enthused and wrapped her friend in a quick, yet overwhelming hug. "See you at noon!" she called over one broad shoulder as she bustled away.
Even though Thea WAS in danger of being late, she couldn't help but stand there for a while, grinning and watching, highly amused at the way everyone in the stalwart woman's path scrambled to get out of her way as she marched down the hall. Chuckling, she turned and hurried toward the administrative offices in the back of the building, keeping her head down to avoid making eye contact and to prevent being stopped again.
When she reached the door to the hospital administrator's outer office she sighed with relief and stripped her gloves off before going in.
"Maggie my love!" she caroled as she moved toward the reception desk and the sprite seated there had just enough time to swivel her chair around before Thea reached her.
Maggie's shy eyes sparkled behind her gold-framed glasses, but she grinned as Thea bent over to hug her and kiss her cheek.
"You better go in, he's been anticipating your visit all day," she reluctantly informed the other woman and Thea laughed softly.
"Being a bit of a tartar today?"
Maggie nodded and started to stand, but Thea waved her back.
"There's no need to announce me, I'll just barge right in," she said with a wicked grin and Maggie put a hand up to muffle her laughter as Thea opened his office door and loudly announced herself by shouting his name.
"DAVID!" she bellowed, and Maggie caught a quick glimpse of her employer leaning back in his office chair sideways, then only his feet waving in the air as he went over backwards. She was still giggling helplessly when the office door closed. Then she sighed deeply as she turned back to her desk and surveyed the many piles of paperwork with tired eyes for a moment before straightening her shoulders and diving in.
When Thea finally emerged from the inner office almost an hour later Maggie was not at her desk, so she stopped to write her a quick note, inviting her to lunch the next day too. Then when checking the time again she realized she was already a few minutes late in getting back to the hotel, so she dropped the note on her friend's chair so it wouldn't be overlooked and hurried out into the main hall only to narrowly miss bumping into a tall young woman coming around the nearest corner.
Cool greenish-grey eyes looked down at Thea and the woman's wide, full-lipped mouth curved with amusement.
Grinning back, Thea murmured a quick, "Pardon me." The taller woman gave her an almost queenly nod and smiled a strangely familiar smile before stepping to the side and striding briskly away.
Thea turned to see her disappear into Maggie's office and her eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out where she had seen the striking young woman before. Thick chestnut hair with deep red tones, a strong chin, straight nose, and a healthily flushed complexion passed through her mind's eye before coalescing into a face that suddenly clicked into place in Thea's memory.
"Oh dear God in heaven," she breathed and stood there rooted in shock until a light touch on her shoulder made her jump.
"Thea..." Maggie tipped her head to the side, her pixyish face solemn with concern. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Thea answered absently, still staring down the hall. Then she startled her friend slightly when she quickly turned her intense gaze in her direction.
"Did you see the woman who just went into your office?"
Maggie blinked rapidly, trying to shift mental gears to answer the unexpected question.
"Um...no, you're the only person I've seen out here."
"Does David have another appointment scheduled right now?"
"Not that I know of, but I've been expecting his niece to come by to surprise him today."
"Surprise him?"
Laughing, Maggie nodded. "She's been away at school for months now and finally managed to find the time to come home for a visit."
"What does she look like?"
"Well...she's tall with brown hair and grey eyes..." her words trailed off and she could only stare as Thea rushed away.
"Now for goodness sake, what was THAT all about?" she said softly to herself and shook her head as she started down the hall to her office, completely mystified by the other woman's strange behavior.