The Jewels of Sofia Tate by Doris Etienne

“What jewels are you talking about, Mrs. Tate?”
    â€œI’m sorry, Danny. Of course, you don’t know. I’ve carried this secret with me for so many years and didn’t tell a soul. Until I saw Garnet.” Elizabeth’s eyes rested on her before she continued. “She reminded meso much of the portrait of Albert’s mother, I ... well, I just couldn’t help myself. The story just started to spill out. Albert’s family had some valuable jewels. I don’t know where they are or whatever happened to them, but I’ve been searching for them for years. Now after all this time, I’m finally going to admit that I’m going to need some help to find them if I am ever to have a hope of seeing them.”
    â€œOh, and I will try to help you, Elizabeth,” Garnet reassured her.
    â€œI would be so pleased if you did,” Elizabeth replied.
    Dan said nothing and drank the rest of his milk.
    After lunch, Dan and Garnet insisted that Elizabeth sit down while they cleaned up. She looked a little tired and didn’t protest. She sat in the chair and watched them, until her eyelids became heavy and she dozed off. As Garnet dried the dishes, she noticed the many medicine bottles on the countertop and a tray that was set up for pills, labelled for each day of the week and for various times of the day. And next to the phone, Garnet saw a small basket tray where Elizabeth kept an address book and phone numbers. Some were on business cards while others were on pieces of paper, including the receipt on which she had written her own name and phone number for Elizabeth. On top of the pile lay a business card that read, “Stanley Hunt. Broker. Rainbow Realty.” It had apicture of a man who appeared to be in his mid-fifties on it.
That must be Gerdie’s fiancé,
Garnet thought.
    When the dishes were done, Dan left for the game and Elizabeth offered to show Garnet the upper levels of the home. She led Garnet up the stairs, her progress slow as she clutched the railing with one hand and used her cane to steady herself with the other.
    â€œThe house was modern when it was built, but over the years there have been a few updates,” Elizabeth panted, trying to catch her breath on the landing. “You may have noticed the kitchen was remodelled some time ago. I had the electric wiring and the plumbing upgraded at the same time.”
    â€œCool tub,” Garnet remarked when Elizabeth pushed open the bathroom door. A white claw-foot bathtub stood against the far wall.
    â€œYes, I was always fond of that myself. I had it refinished a few years ago when I replaced the toilet and sink.”
    The house had five fully furnished bedrooms, two of them at the back of the house. The master suite, which had been Reginald’s, was painted blue and had its own bathroom. The green room had been the nursery and had a connecting door that led to a self-contained suite, once the nanny’s quarters. These quarters could also be accessed by another door further down the hall.
    â€œAll the bedrooms have remained the same all these years, except for mine,” Elizabeth said, as they passed by the door to her room at the front of the house. “I’ve had it redecorated several times.” Garnet peeked in and saw that it was wallpapered in a pink and green floral pattern.
    As they crossed the hall to the last room, Garnet became acutely aware of a persistent mewing sound coming from behind the closed door. When Elizabeth turned the knob, Ginger immediately scampered out past them and bounded down the stairs.
    â€œNow, how did she lock herself in there?” Elizabeth asked, shaking her head.
    They entered the yellow room, which had two other doors, one of them opening out onto the balcony. Elizabeth pointed to the other door, on the inside wall. “That leads to the attic. Nothing but junk up there. I guess you could say I’m a bit of a packrat. You may find some