The Blood Spangled Banner: A First Ladies Mystery Read online

  “Dolley, of course.”

  The woman beside Jackie cleared her throat.

  “My secretary, Wanda Brown. She’s invaluable. Don’t know what I’d do without her.” Jackie gave a winning smile.

  Calm my pumping heart. Yes! Maybe a dozen or more houses purchased by her highness.

  Wanda held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.” Her eyes shifted around the room. “Nice store you have.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jackie’s eyes lingered on the heritage-style White House.

  “I see you have Dolley Madison as the First Lady in this house.” Jackie tucked her small pouch under her arm before reaching into the house. “May I?” She picked up the doll and began examining it. “Tell me about the gown. It’s gorgeous. I see it’s layered with crinolines and even has pantaloons.”

  “I sew the clothing with as much authenticity as possible.” I smiled. “The dress Mrs. Madison is wearing is representative of what she wore for the Inaugural Ball. It’s made of buff-colored velvet with ropes of pearls and a fashionable turban with Bird of Paradise flowers. She was the first to have an Inaugural Ball. Leave it to Dolley.”

  I spoke with confidence. I had studied the First Ladies in college, read the history books as well as the gossipy ones. I could have entertained Jackie all day with my grasp on White House minutiae, but I wasn’t sure if she was an enthusiast like me.

  “Very informative.” Jackie’s eyes lit up as she gave the doll a closer inspection. “I hear you’re a descendant of Dolley Madison.”

  “Yes, I am, as a matter of fact.” I glanced outside. Max was passing by with a cup in one hand and a bag in the other. “Are you?”

  “I am as well. She’s amazing.”

  “Who’s your favorite?”

  Wanda was also watching Max pass by, and a smile crossed her lips. Go figure.

  “Dolley too.” Jackie grinned. “It’s beautiful.” She carefully placed the piece back in its original position. “Ever hear of the family secret?” She removed a magnifying glass from her purse and knelt down to peer closely at the interior walls.

  “A family secret? No. Never heard of it.” I furrowed my brows.

  “Are you certain?” Jackie eyed me suspiciously.

  “Yes.” I nodded. What is she talking about?

  “Most interesting.” She looked me square in the eye.

  Is she trying to figure out if I’m telling the truth?

  “How long have you known you’re a descendant?” I returned her stare.

  “Last year. I’ve done plenty of research into it. There’s definitely a family secret,” she said. “Back to business.” Ms. Newell straightened up. “Are the wall decorations identical to how Dolley decorated?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, raising a brow. “Of course they are! The wall hanging is quite similar to my grandma’s.”

  “Gorgeous.” Wanda leaned closer to Jackie. She held up china from the Madison house.

  The bell jingled. The bodyguard entered and stood in front of the door. He crossed his arms. “Problem solved.”

  Wanda nodded.

  What is he talking about? Problem solved?

  These people from New York seemed to talk in riddles, or else I was losing it. This conversation is giving me the jitters. I glanced across the street to the park. When Wanda cleared her throat, it jerked me back to attention.

  “She’s concerned about historical accuracy.” Wanda looked me in the eye. “She’s interested in all things Dolley, including Mr. Madison.”

  “No family rumor or ‘secret’ heard of, eh?” Jackie stood and dropped the magnifier into her little purse. She glanced at me once again. “Sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “Is every adornment on the clothing accurately portrayed on both Mr. and Mrs. Madison?” Jackie asked.

  “She wants to know if this is exactly what was worn during the inaugural ball,” Wanda clarified.

  “Yes. Dolley’s dress. Everything on it is accurate as well as his, but his is purchased. Men’s clothing is very tough to sew.” What is with the tag team between the two?

  “I’m interested in a ‘secret’, but if you don’t know of one—,” Jackie said.

  “I don’t.” I shook my head. What is with her? What secret? I had to change the subject to get back in control. “All the dollhouses are made by hand. I have two employees, one who carves the dolls’ heads and my showroom assistant who helps arrange the interior settings.” Isn’t she going to purchase a few houses?

  Jackie held up President Madison and scrutinized his cufflinks. I blinked.

  “Mr. Madison’s cufflinks have been missing from the duPont museum for years. You know? Montpelier? The Madison home? It’s part of the ‘secret,’ my dear.” She cocked her brow and stared right through me. “They need finding.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, running my fingers through my hair. “I know the duPont’s purchased the estate some years after it was sold by Dolley.”

  “Excuse me,” Wanda interrupted. “You have thirty minutes until you’re scheduled to meet with Mr. Carlson.” Wanda looked at me. There was something in her eyes, but I wasn’t sure what. Curiosity? “We’re booked at the Twin City Hotel. It makes getting around easy. Only a couple blocks from here.”

  “May I take Mr. and Mrs. Madison with me today for further scrutiny? I’ll place my order on Wednesday and then return them. Day after tomorrow.” Jackie opened her little pouch and dropped the dolls inside before I could say, “Boo.”

  “Wait a second, here. I need a credit card number.” I was beginning to think she was a magician, the way she made those dolls disappear.

  “Here.” Wanda handed me the card.

  “I’ll make out the sale, but hold the charge until they’re returned.” I took care of the paper work before they left, leaving me confused. “How many houses do you think you’ll purchase? I’d like to know so that they’ll be ready.”

  “Maybe two heritage houses, but I’m not sure.”

  At the window, I watched them leave, Jackie with her purse tucked tight under her arm like a million dollar bank vault. First Jackie, then Wanda climbed into the car. The bodyguard held the door open, shutting it behind.

  What family secret?

  Chapter Two

  Persuading my grandparents over a short phone call that I wasn’t injured except my pride proved harder than I’d hoped. Aaron, who lived next door, had already told them about the assault. They tried to convince me to close the store for the day, but I wanted alone time to peruse the out of jail or suspended sentence prisoner lineup page for Hennepin County. After a short while, I found it. Ten men appeared tall and meaty, just like the gorilla, but how would I know for sure? I wrote the suspect names down on a sheet of paper with the intention of later a later information search. I glanced at the clock, only to realize that too much time had slipped by. I had work to do. I popped a CD into the player, and the day sped by. As I worked, I wondered if there had been a meeting at the Foshay Tower between Ms. Newell and Mr. Carlson?

  “Mrs. Roosevelt, keep your eye on Teddy. He’s looking peeked from his travels,” I said. I stood near the modern house. It appeared as if Michelle Obama winked so I returned one. “Mrs. Eisenhower, you look simply smashing today in pink.” I glanced around at the ladies. “Good night, all!”

  I surveyed the workroom. Several boxes still needed sorting. The fabric for making the gowns was destroyed, and I made a mental note to order more. Dorrie could continue the sorting.

  I called my best friend Maggie before leaving. I told her about the dolls and the question of the family secret.

  “If I were you, I’d be extra careful. Nothing sounds right,” Maggie said.

  “I know.”

  “I’m still raising the question that I’ve asked for years, why doesn’t your grandma know the reason behind the flag in the corner of the sampler?”

  “The sampler embroidered by Dolley has always been a puz
zle,” I said. “I sifted through Hennepin county files and recorded ten names.”

  “Your likely suspects? Liv, leave to the professionals. You’re almost married to a cop, let Aaron look into it.” Maggie waited a beat. “I’d be more interested in the family secret. What in the world would that be?”

  “I’d like to know the answer, also. I’ll talk to you later.”

  I disconnected while growing ever more curious as I headed out to the car and the drive home.

  One summer vacation, my parents took me to Washington, D.C. Dad had a hard time peeling Mom and me away from the First Lady exhibit. As a young girl, I loved dolls and selling dollhouses and First Ladies seemed a natural step. It helped me keep Mom’s memory alive.

  I planned to shower and grab a bite to eat. My phone dinged with a text from Aaron.

  I’ll help tonight at the store. Don’t worry. We’ll assemble houses and you won’t be alone.

  I felt better.

  Good, I replied. We’ll get everything ready for the next go round with Jackie.

  Jackie’s question about a “secret” still gnawed at me. What did she mean? Is the answer in front of me? Why take the dolls? What’s all this about the cufflinks?

  In the living room, I studied Grandma’s sampler wall hanging. The embroidered motifs were so even and neat, stitched in the Quaker style. The flag on the upper right corner always perplexed me, as it did Maggie, because each of the other three corners had a marigold. Four unaligned strawberries along both sampler sides were stitched, but the thirteen strawberries at the bottom and top were unaligned. Each of the strawberries had thirteen gold seeds made of tiny French knots. The sampler center was sparse, except for four gold French knots, which appeared to divide the sampler into quarters.

  The sampler struck me as odd. I always thought there was some kind of secret message hidden in it when I looked at it. Secret? Are there more unknown samplers?

  Are the samplers some sort of roadmap to the unknown secret? It has to be my imagination.

  I turned away and glanced at the First Lady dolls in the cabinet, which stood on the back wall. I stared at the Dolley doll. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

  “Here you are.” Aaron came beside me and draped his arm over my shoulders. “Why do the strawberries jump up and down, I wonder?”

  “No clue. I’ve always wondered why the corner flag, with the other three corners as marigolds? Dolley must’ve had a reason at the time.” I looked up at him, and we kissed.

  “Ready?”

  “Ready as I can be. We have our work cut out for us. Thanks for taking the shift off to help assemble the houses and for putting in new door locks. There’s so much to be done. Max is busy carving the doll heads, and I’ve already assembled the body parts. Thank heavens Jackie didn’t take any more than the two dolls. I did get a credit card, and she said that she’d return them. It’s all very confusing. Just like the day was. It’s plain weird like. Bodyguard? I don’t get it.” Quit babbling.

  “Huh? Dolls? Tell me later,” he said, running his fingers through my hair. “What’s this about? Bodyguard? You’re confusing me.”

  “See? I’m confused. Everything about her is strange.” I frowned. “Max is almost finished carving Mr. Madison’s head. I hope to spend tomorrow finishing whatever we don’t get done tonight.” I leaned into him. “All we can do is hope for the best.”

  “I agree, curly top. Grab your bag and let’s go.” Aaron steered me away from Grandma’s doll cabinet. “She ordered two houses, you say? Good thing all of the wood pieces weren’t broken.”

  “Yeah, not to mention the china dishes, lamps, and some other stuff. The intruder hadn’t reached the boxes of newer inventory.”

  Grandma and Grandpa waved us over as we passed the door to the recently added sunroom, which was complete with the indoor whirlpool I had talked them into purchasing. I knew we’d find them in there, drinking their favorite sodas and playing cards.

  “Who’s winning?” I asked, entering.

  “I am, of course,” Grandma said. She gazed up at me through thick glasses and smiled.

  I always thought Grandma was cute. She’d shrunk to a mere five-feet-one, and her sea-green eyes always had a glint in them. Her upturned mouth appeared as if she wore a perpetual smile. She had small hands and feet. Her hair came to her neck, and she’d wear it either tied back in a ponytail or wound up in a bun. For some reason she never wore it straight. Her hair color had faded from black to silver-gray.

  “You’re going to stay with her, aren’t you?” Grandpa set his glass of Sprite down. “Wouldn’t want another intruder breaking in. The next time, she might not be as lucky.” He narrowed his brow and stared at Aaron. “You’re a cop. Protect her.”

  “Yes, August. I’ll do my best.” Aaron pulled me closer. “I’ll stay right by her side.”

  “Will you be back tonight?” Grandma sipped her root beer.

  “We’ve got plenty to do. I’ll probably stay at Aaron’s if we do come back.” I leaned over and gave them each a peck on the cheek. “I’ll call later.”

  “Good night.” Aaron took my hand and pulled me along to his car. “I love your grandparents. August keeps me on my toes.” Aaron grinned as he waited for me to climb inside.

  “They’ve been married for so many years and are still in love. I hope we can be the same way.” I climbed inside the van and buckled up. “My parents would have been married fifty years if they were still alive.”

  “Yeah, mine too. I still believe that Dad died from a broken heart when Mom passed away. Damn ovarian cancer. No siblings because of it, neither of us.” Before starting the car, he leaned over and gave me a smooch and turned on the radio.

  “I glanced through the former prisoner page for Hennepin County and came up with ten names.”

  “Give it to me, and I’ll do what I can, but you have to promise to keep your nose from police business,” Aaron said. “Promise?”

  “Promise.”

  After driving past Howe Elementary School, we headed toward downtown, making our way across the Hennepin Avenue Bridge.

  Aaron parked behind the store, right beside Max’s old pickup.

  I wasn’t looking forward to the long evening, but time was running short. “Here we go, and it’s already six o’clock,” I said.

  We entered through the back door.

  “How’s it going?” I found Max bent over the workbench, carving a head. Piles of wood shavings spread across the newspapers covering the workbench. “Dolley?”

  “Yep. She’s harder to do because of the twinkle in her eyes.”

  “I can believe it.” I swept and filled empty boxes with the items that had been strewn across the floor. The waning evening sunlight cast shadows across my sewing machine and table in the corner by a window. Thankfully, my pincushion, scissors, and thimble sat undisturbed.

  “Phone’s been ringing off the hook.” Max glanced from me to Aaron and then back again. “Sure hope we can get a lot done.”

  “Who’s called?”

  “Reporters. Maybe a customer or two asking about hours.” Max looked at me. “You okay?”

  “Yep. There’s a lot riding on this, such as your paycheck and my month’s rent.” I stared at him. “Jackie Newell is eager to get those houses, remember? We’ll manage.” I put on some of my favorite tunes.

  “I need concentration. Facial lines are hard to get right. I’m turning down the tunes,” Max said.

  “This way, honey,” I said to Aaron.

  “Let’s see,” Aaron said, picking up a marked box. “It’s house pieces.”

  “Follow me. We can do the gluing on the computer counter.” We walked together into the showroom. “Hi, ladies. We’re back to work so don’t disturb us with all of your chattering.”

  “You’re funny, Liv.” Aaron grinned. “Do you think he’ll be able to get all those heads carved?” Aaron set the box down on the countertop. “How are we going to do this?” He looked around at all the do
llhouses. “There’s no empty space.” He scratched his chin as he walked over to the early 1800 vintage houses and looked inside. “Jackie Newell took the Madison dolls? That’s crazy. Did she say why?”

  “Not really. It’s all a puzzle.” I looked at him. “She slipped them into her purse. I caught her at it, and asked for the credit card number. I did make a transaction and promised to hold the charge until they’re returned. It was all weird.”

  “You’re right. It is weird. You’re a professional. So are they.” Aaron began taking care of the pieces. “Some people,” Aaron shook his head, “there’s no figuring.”

  I busied myself by arranging pieces in order for gluing, such as the corners and stacking of the walls. We’d glued houses together before, so we had a workable order to follow. Exterior renovations over the years added more features and factors to consider when gluing, but for now we only had to worry about the historical White House of the 1800s.

  It seemed like we stood for hours arranging and gluing pieces. The time slipped by as we discussed Jackie Newell.

  “Hey, guys,” Max called. “I’m leaving. Takin’ the stuff with me upstairs.” Each head took anywhere from three to four hours to carve, depending on the intricacies of the facial lines, and he still had a ways to go. “I’m having trouble concentrating. Best if I leave.”

  “We may end up flopping in your living room. Okay?”

  “Sure. Just text me a warning first.”

  “Right.” The sudden silence and the closing of the back door caught our attention. “Let’s go back to the workroom. Now that he’s gone, the shavings and dust shouldn’t be a problem with the glue,” I said. Aaron followed me to the back.

  “I think he’s worried about getting them right. The accuracy of facial lines,” I said, entering the workroom. “When Max is done with those heads, I have to paint them and they have to dry. I’m already worn out.”

  “So am I.” Aaron shoved aside miscellaneous items and set the box of dollhouse components down on the workbench.

  We set to work, sorting and dividing pieces into two platforms. By three a.m., both of us were exhausted, but we’d glued the basic structures together. I was ready to attach the inner walls with my glue gun. We’d use furniture from the unopened shipment that had arrived the day before, and I planned to set Dorrie to the task of furnishing the rooms. I’d dress the dolls after sewing the gowns. I was certain we had plenty of undergarments, even though the fabric for the gowns had been ruined.