THE NEXT DAY, at breakfast, Emma walked into the morning room and asked, “Has anyone seen Ann?”
“No, she isn’t here yet,” Faye replied.
“I’ve looked everywhere for her and I can’t find her,” Emma said concerned.
“Faye, call Dougal and Jamie and see if they’ve seen her. She may have gone into town, early this morning, on an errand I’m having her do,” Nessa said, remembering the document she had signed last night.
Faye phoned the gatehouse, “Good morning, Dougal, have you seen Ann this morning? No? Yes, I know you don’t always see someone leaving the estate. Yes, please.” She turned to the room saying, “He’s asking Jamie,” returning to the phone she responded, “Thank you Dougal.”
Faye shrugged her shoulders, “They haven’t seen her since yesterday.”
“I’m going to the study to call her cell,” Emma stated.
“Use the phone in the kitchen, Emma, its closer,” Faye offered.
Emma left the room and retuned a short time later with worry on her face. “She doesn’t answer. She normally answers her cell.”
“Sit down and have some breakfast. She’ll turn up soon,” Faye suggested.
“Where’s Carla, by the way?” asked Nessa. “She’s usually here by now.”
Faye shook her head, annoyed with Miss Sikes, while pouring Nessa another cup of coffee.
As breakfast progressed, Nessa continued watching for her nurse. “Faye, would you mind looking for Carla? I hope nothing’s happened to her,” she said with apprehension.
As Faye left the room, Nessa said to no one in particular, “What a strange morning.”
Faye returned with a look of shock on her face, “Mrs. D… I think she’s gone. Her things are missing from her room.”
“What! That does it! Faye, call Dougal and Jamie. I want a room to room search of this place. I want you to look for Ann, and any sign of Carla. I’m going to call my attorney, he was supposed to meet with Ann sometime today, and she may have gone there. I want the garage checked to see what cars are there. Find out what you can and report back to me,” she commanded.
As the day wore on, the worry about Ann and Carla escalated. Ann’s car was gone, along with her purse, but where did she go? Shelly hadn’t heard from her and she didn’t go to the lawyer’s office, either. Mr. Tillman told them he hadn’t seen or heard from her, but he’d call if he did. No word ever came.
“Jamila’s car is gone too. She must have left on time this morning for camp,” Jamie informed Nessa.
“That’s a relief, at least,” Nessa said.
During the room to room search, Emma found Ann’s cell phone in the study, on the printer, near her desk.
No wonder she isn’t answering. But, why did she leave it behind? She always makes sure she has it.
Faye said, “We need to get another nurse in here Mrs. D, even if it’s just for a day or so. I don’t want you collapsing on me,” she said, more worried than she appeared to be. She knew something had happened to Ann, but what? And how was Mrs. D going to take it?
“I guess you’re right Faye, call Dr. Chesterfield and request another nurse,” Mrs. Drummond said, “and Faye… didn’t you say all of Carla’s things were gone?”
“Yes, it’s like she packed up, and just walked out,” said Faye.
“Then Carla must have quit last night, but why? Did she say anything to anyone? Did she leave a note? Did anyone find a note?”
Everyone shook their heads no.
“She’s the most thoughtless, unfeeling, selfish person I’ve ever met,” Nessa said, expressing her exasperation.
The strangeness of the day wore on. No word of Ann or Carla materialized, creating an unnerving void in the family.
Later in the day, Faye found Mrs. Drummond in the study, sitting at the desk and told her, “Dr. Chesterfield’s office just called, they’re sending out another nurse who’s willing to stay with us until we can find a replacement. Her name is Karen Adams. She should be here in about an hour.”
“That’s fine,” Nessa responded, and then she said. “Faye, would you go to my jewelry box and get me the spare key to this desk. You know where it is, don’t you?”
Faye nodded.
“I want to look for the document we signed last night, and make sure the estate funds are here,” she said troubled.
Emma walked into the study, with worry all over her face, as Faye left. When the house phone rang, Emma answered it.
“Hello? Oh, hello Dougal. Mr. Tillman and a Mr. Turner to see Mrs. Drummond? Important? Just a minute please, I’ll ask her,” Emma turned to relay the message to Mrs. Drummond.
“I understand Emma. If it’s my attorney, I’d like to see him, please,” Nessa told her.
Emma turned back to the phone, “Please send them through, Dougal. I’ll meet them at the front door,” she offered.
Faye came back with the key, as Emma went to wait at the front door. Opening the drawer, Nessa searched through its contents thoroughly. They weren’t there. Then she started searching the rest of the desk.
Emma and the men entered the room.
“Come on in David. I’m just checking for the document and the money we left in here last night,” she told him.
The document and checks were missing.
“Maybe she took the document with her and something’s happened to her, on her way to your office,” she suggested. “But the checks should still be here. David, I don’t know what’s going on, and I’m so worried.”
“Nessa, it’s going to be fine,” he said, walking up to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. “I need you to try and relax, and let us take care of this.”
“This is Mr. Sidney Turner from the FBI, Nessa,” he continued. “Ann met him at my office, yesterday. We’ve come here to determine what’s happened to her and Carla Sikes, if we can. Do you have a nurse coming? I’d like to have one here, so we don’t tax you too much,” he said worriedly.
“Yes. She’ll be here anytime now,” Nessa answered, trying to remain calm. But, this day was taking its toll.
“Good. Then let’s wait for her. That’s okay, isn’t it Sidney?” he inquired of the agent.
“A little more time shouldn’t matter, but we could be jeopardizing the outcome, if we’re not careful,” he warned.
At that moment, the house phone rang again. This time Faye answered. “Send her through Dougal, we’re waiting for her,” Faye told him.
“It’s the nurse, she’s here,” she told the room.
“Good!” David Tillman said in relief.
Soon the nurse was in the room, and introduced to her employer, the lawyer, an FBI agent, the cook, and an Emma Wesley.
She was instructed to watch Mrs. Drummond for signs of stress or fatigue.
“Please be prepared to stop these proceedings, and have her medication on hand, just in case.”
Boy! What have I walked into?
She checked Mrs. Drummond’s vitals, asked a few questions and made sure she had the medications she would need on hand.
“We’re ready,” she stated.
Mr. Tillman sat down, and the nurse took a chair near Mrs. Drummond, while the rest found seats nearby.
“Now, Mrs. Drummond, would you tell us all you know about the disappearance of Ann Henderson, and your nurse, Carla Sikes,” started Mr. Turner.
Karen’s eyes grew large, upon hearing that two people were missing, including the former nurse.
Maybe I should stop the proceedings, because my heart rate’s going through the roof! she thought in jest.
Nessa decided to start with Carla. “Well, I think we know what happened to Carla, in a way. Her belongings are gone. It’s as if she packed up and left last night. I don’t know why, she didn’t tell anyone or leave a note,” she told the room.
“But, its Ann I’m worried about, Mr. Turner. She just seems to have vanished. Her car is gone, along with her purse, and now I’ve found the document and checks missing, as well. She has t
he only key to this desk, beside the spare one I keep in my room.” Nessa shared - her heart beginning to sink. “It’s not like her, Mr. Turner. She wouldn’t leave her family and her things behind, would she?”
Emma interrupted, “Please, my daughter has been a hard worker all her life, conscientious, and has never done a dishonest thing that I know of. She’d never just up and leave like this. Something’s happened to her!”
“When was the last time anyone saw her,” Mr. Turner asked the room.
“I brought her coffee last night, she was working late,” Faye said. “But, the funny thing is, when I came in this morning, to clear the things away, the coffee things weren’t here. I found everything cleaned up and put away. Why would she or anyone do that?”
Mr. Turner continued taking notes, as Emma offered her input. “I don’t think she came to bed last night. I don’t think her bed wasn’t slept in, and all her things are still here. This really isn’t like her.”
“All right. I think this has gone far enough,” the FBI agent stated, putting down his notebook, temporarily. “Mrs. Drummond, there’s enough evidence here of a crime, and I believe time is of the essence. I’d like a crew from the lab in here, as soon as possible, to see what we can find. We don’t know if she has left with the estate funds, or if something’s happened to her. I’m going to put out an All-Points Bulletin, for Carla Sikes, and Ann Henderson. I want to locate both of them and bring them in for questioning, as soon as possible.”
That very hour the FBI started checking the bus lines, airports, and trains… all forms of transportation looking for the missing women.
“Why would she steal the cashier checks, when she just inherited several million dollars of her own?” Emma asked in dismay. “It doesn’t make sense! I’ll bet her jewelry and all the beautiful things she just bought are still upstairs, in her room.”
“And why would she take the document to freeze my assets?” Nessa asked. “That doesn’t make sense either.”
“We’ll try and get some answers soon,” Mr. Turner offered.
Nessa turn pale, and asked in a shocked voice, “You don’t think Peter Lawrence had anything to do with this?” she said as a chill ran down her spine. “He’d want that document and would probably take the checks, as well, if he could. What if he wanted to get Ann out of the way, delaying the events that document would cause?”
“What a frightening thought, Nessa,” David Tillman said gravely.
“Where is Peter Lawrence, Mr. Turner? Is he being watched?” Nessa asked, as Emma started to weep quietly for her child.
“Surveillance hasn’t been requested yet. We’ll be seizing his company records soon, to determine if a crime has even occurred. We have to move carefully, so an innocent person isn’t violated. What if we’re wrong and he can explain the discrepancies in his accounts?”
“It seems to me Sidney, someone forged the bond document and stole Mrs. Drummond’s money. We have to find Ann, and quickly. I fear something has happened to her,” David Tillman said, with real concern.
Sidney Turner phoned his office and the estate was thoroughly searched. Nothing new was discovered, except that Emma was right. Ann did leave all her valuables behind.
That night, dinner was subdued. Faye and Emma ate in the kitchen hardly speaking, while Nessa ate sparingly in her rooms with Karen by her side.
The end of day one, for the missing women, was coming to a close.
* * * *