ear to ear, showing perfect, white teeth. Her brown hair was clean and shiny in a pageboy cut. Her hazel eyes were twinkling with the joy of life. Cosmetics were artfully applied to give her a beautiful, smooth skin. About five-four she wore comfortable tan loafers, light brown slacks and a yellow blouse with a tight cuff and blousy sleeves. A wool topcoat was draped over one arm.
“Hello. I’m sorry I didn’t hear you come in. May I help you?”
“Well, no. I’m here to help you.”
It dawned on Liisa. “You’re Martha. I’m sure glad to meet you, and yes, you can help me.” She lowered her voice. “How well do you know Arnold?”
“Oh, I’ve known him for years. Didn’t he tell you that I was working for him until I got pregnant?”
“Yes, he did. I’m so glad you know him. I’m worried about his health. He’s complained of chest pains, but the doctor can’t find anything wrong. I have a feeling that he won’t tell us if he does feel badly. Please keep an eye on him. I hate to leave him, but –”
“Don’t say another word. I’m well aware that Arnold is so independent that he’ll probably be making suggestions and organizing when he gets to heaven. You bet I’ll take care of him. He’s a pretty special person.”
“Good. You’ve met.” They jumped guiltily when Arnold spoke near them. “Hello, Martha. I sure am glad you were able to come in and work this week. You already know the shop, and I feel relieved to leave it in your hands while Liisa is gone. Liisa will show you around and tell you what is and what’s not for sale.”
Arnold walked out and went down the street. The two young women looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Liisa then took Martha over the shop and explained what business they’d been doing. She explained about the painting in the hall. Martha was full of questions and suggestions about how to find answers, but Liisa didn’t want to discuss it. They worked well together and at the end of the day Liisa went home feeling easy about leaving the shop in Martha’s care.
She called the Johnsons and said so long until she returned. They all had suggestions about clothing she should take, to be careful around strangers, not to carry much money on her person and stay in groups of people and not alone somewhere. She smiled through the conversations knowing that they loved her and wanted the best for her.
Tuesday morning was cold and gray looking. By the time she got a tank full of gas and looked over the map again, a few snow flakes were lazily drifting down. Liisa took a deep breath of the clean, crisp air and got in her car.
She drove west on Center Street, then north on Fifth Street to I-84. She drove west on 84 with care because the snow was heavier and the wind was increasing. Going across the river bridge around Sandy Hook, she was extra careful because patches of ice were forming under the snow.
With a sigh of relief, in the late afternoon, she drove in front of the Holiday Inn where she had made reservations. She was pleased with the clean, well-supplied room and the excellent restaurant next door. The snow and cold air were not conducive to sightseeing. Too, the sky was overcast and the light was not good. She told herself she could not see much, so, she’d wait until morning. She read a mystery and relaxed.
Early Wednesday morning, after a good nourishing breakfast, Liisa took a local map and set out to roam the countryside. She was delighted that the snow had not only stopped, but it seemed to be warming up enough to melt that which had fallen the day before.
The DiGrazia Estate was about four miles outside of city limits. Liisa found a Mom-Pop type store on the way and stopped to ask if they knew of anyone else selling anything. They told Liisa that the former Police chief had retired and had taken his wife to Miami, Florida. Their three children were selling furniture and possibly artwork.
Winding around country roads, Liisa enjoyed seeing the countryside and appreciating the beautiful homes. She finally found the chief’s home and waded through friendly barking dogs to the front door. A gorgeous, statuesque young woman answered the door. Her honey blond hair was cut short and curly around a heart-shaped face. Green eyes were friendly but wise. She was wearing a mint green jump suit and white mules.
“Hello. My name is Liisa Lofoten. I’m an art dealer in Waterbury. I’m here for the DiGrazia Estate auction, but a lady at the country store told me you had some items for sale.”
“Yes, please come in. My name is Rawanda Cipproni. Dad and mom are in Florida, but I’ve agreed to sell a few things for them. My husband and my brother are attorneys in Danbury and are too busy to deal with the sales. My sister is expecting her first child and can’t be here, so, it’s left up to me,” she laughed. “Did you have something in mind you might be interested in?”
“Naturally my first interest is in paintings and statuary, but some furniture might be of interest. Thank you for allowing me in to look around.”
“My pleasure. My brother and sister and I have claimed some items and our parents wanted some items kept for them to use in a smaller home. I’ll show you what we have.”
Liisa followed the young woman through the lovely old house admiring the home and the furnishings. She held her breath with excitement when a set of Noritake Shenandoah china was offered. The service for twelve was complete with all extra pieces. Liisa knew that one dinner plate was worth well over thirty dollars and here was a full service for twelve.
Quickly working on a pad with her pen, she decided how much she could offer and still sell for a profit for Arnold.
There was one Monet painting and several beautiful, but less well known, pieces. When they walked in one bedroom and saw an original sleigh bed, Liisa excused herself to call Arnold on her cell phone and discuss the items with him. He didn’t give her any help with pricing telling her to use her best judgment. Her heart dropped because she wanted to do her best for Arnold and still be fair with the young woman.
After looking over the house, the two young women sat down with Peppermint tea and Calypso cookies to discuss a sale. Rawanda was not familiar with the prices but was intelligent enough to know what sounded good. Liisa reminded her that she would have to pay for special shipping in addition to the sale prices which added to her expenses.
“Rawanda, may I return on Friday to oversee the packing of the items that I buy? I need to know that they’re being packaged well.”
“Please do. I will feel better knowing that you’re satisfied with the shipping. Now what are you offering me?”
I’m offering one thousand dollars for the china, eight hundred for the small Monet and fifty dollars each for the smaller paintings. One hundred dollars each for the three statues and twelve hundred for the sleigh bed. I see some other items I’d like to buy but I need to attend the auction and might need to fork over some money there,” she smiled. “This isn’t my money and I need to be careful.”
“I understand. Do you have time for me to call my brother and tell him what we’ve discussed?”
“Certainly. I would do the same in your situation.”
Rawanda took the pad with Liisa’s notes and called her brother. He put his partner, Rawanda’s husband, on the speakerphone and they discussed it. They finally agreed to accept the deal as long as Liisa paid for shipping and would see to the packaging. He said by the time she came on Friday, he would have a contract drawn up for both of them to sign.
Liisa was happy to accept their demands. She wrote a check for three thousand, four hundred and fifty dollars for the purchases. She thanked Rawanda for the tea and for her hospitality and left. She drove on locating the DiGrazia Estate so that she wouldn’t waste time on Thursday finding it.
It was lunch time when she returned to the motel. She ate lunch and went to her room. More sightseeing didn’t interest her even though the air was a little warmer. She called a couple of firms to find the best price for shipping and what kind of packaging they would do. Satisfied with one of them, she told them there might be more than she was telling them about now.
The manager