MYSTERY: BRITISH MYSTERY: Missing Hearts (Amateur Sleuth Suspense Thriller) (Cozy Crime Detective Short Stories) (17 page)

C
lara
, Bianca, and Christine walked out of the mall exhilarated, exhausted and still laughing at how each had responded to the items they’d bought. They’d spent a fortune but they didn’t care as the thought of a new life to welcome eased the pain their lowered bank account balances might cause.

“I love that you bought the same Babygro I did Clara,” Bianca said, still chortling about that.

“It’s exquisite! And that dress Christine got for her definitely deserves pictures.” Clara said with a vivid image of the pictures already in her mind. Then a thought occurred to her and her smile faded.

“What if they change their minds? What if I can only keep her for a week and then they take her away? Or her mum comes for her? What then?” She asked as the questions with no answers rapidly occurred to her.

“If her mum comes back for her we’ll have provided everything she needs to care for Selena. From the sounds of that letter she won’t have anything for her and she’ll need it. If she goes into foster care the items will go with her. We’ll just get the furniture you’ll need from that stunning constable you spent so long flirting with today and he can have it back when you’re done with it. For now, you’re well prepared to care for this little girl and I’ll be around to help. Your mum is coming to stay for a week once Selena comes home too, isn’t she?” Christine asked.

“Yes,” Clara said as they packed bags and boxes into the boots of two different cars. They’d practically cleared out two baby stores in the giant mall, Clara thought, looking at everything.

“Then you’ll be fine. And if Selena goes you’ll have given her the best care she could have had. You’re going to get attached, that goes without saying, but you can do this Clara, you can. We’ll all be there to help. After all it takes a village, right?” Christine said reassuringly.

Clara hugged her tall blonde friend and thanked her for the encouragement. Christine was the tallest of the three at two inches under six foot tall and Clara had to look up at her to look into her dark brown eyes. She loved this lady. She loved both of her friends and knew she was blessed to have them in her life.

“Thank you, Christine, thank you both. Now let’s get back to my place and figure out what to do with all of this stuff. By the way, what was that oddly shaped ball with the nozzle on the end of it, Christine?” Clara asked as she and Christine settled into her car while Bianca got into hers.

Christine smirked and looked out of the window on her side of the car. “I call it the booger snatcher. It’s for clearing out their little noses when they have a cold. You’re going to get to know it well if Selena is like most babies.”

Clara looked over at her friend in shock, wondering exactly what she’d got herself into.

W
hen Clara drove
into her driveway that evening after a late meal with her friends and then dropping Christine off at her shop, she saw that an unfamiliar van was parked in front of her home and a man was sitting on the bench she’d put out for visitors. As she pulled into her driveway she realized it was Constable Goins and tried to supress a smile. She didn’t need a man in her life right now, not if she had a child to think about.

Stepping out of the car she let Poncho slide out of the seat and out the door. Poor little fella was exhausted from playing with Christine’s dog all day and could barely stay awake enough to get out of the car. She laughed as he waddled over the grass, not even looking up as Constable Goins stood up from his seat to greet her.

“Hello again, how are you this evening?” Clara asked as she walked up to him.

“I’m alright. I thought I’d bring some of that furniture over I was telling you about. Who’s this little guy?” He asked as Poncho suddenly perked up and started wagging his tail and jumping up the constable’s leg.

“Poncho, stop that! I’m sorry; he usually doesn’t behave this way. He must like you.” Clara said, looking down at Poncho sternly. “No jumping Poncho!”

“Oh he’s fine, don’t worry over it. Poncho is an unusual name.” He asked with a question in his voice.

“It’s the one the shelter gave him. I left it because he responded to the name. And I like it, it’s different.” She said walking to her door. “Would you like to come in? Let me get him settled and we’ll have a look at this furniture. Please excuse the mess, I was out earlier with some friends and we may have gone overboard with the baby shopping. We came back earlier and just dumped it in here before we went out to eat.”

Constable Goins looked around the sitting room, amazed at how every surface was covered with baby items and bags of baby items.

“Do you still need the furniture?” He asked

“Oh yes, and thank you. This is just clothes, nappies, and everything else Christine could think of or that caught my eye. I have an empty bedroom upstairs; we’re going to turn that into her room. I don’t know how long Selena will be here but I hope I have everything we might need for at least a month. Do you want tea, Constable Goins?” Clara asked ushering him into the kitchen.

“Please, call me Tom. Yes, I will. There’s been no news really on the case, by the way. Selena is a fine, healthy, two day old baby. We had a look at the CCTV and it revealed a whole lot of nothing. The mother, we assume, came with a hoody on, placed the baby on your stoop, and hid behind a large bin until you came in. She left once you took Selena inside. We couldn’t make any of her features out on the footage between all of that steam and her hooded sweatshirt. Have you heard anything from the welfare people?” He said taking the offered seat at her breakfast table.

“Yes, they’re coming in the morning to do a home check, and I should be able to pick her up tomorrow evening. They aren’t going to keep her in the hospital because there’s no reason to. I have a lot of work to do this evening getting all of this upstairs, unpacked, and put away.” Clara said as she prepared two cups and set the kettle to boil. “Do you take milk or sugar?

“Both please. I’ll give you a hand if you like. I have nothing to do this evening.” Tom replied, taking the cup of tea she offered him.

“That would be wonderful! I can’t believe this is all happening! I certainly didn’t see this coming when I went in to work this morning. And I still have to check that shipment that came in as well this afternoon. I can do that tomorrow. What kind of furniture have you brought?”

They sat for a while drinking the tea then set to work clearing the van Tom had borrowed to move the furniture, then taking all of Clara’s shopping upstairs to the room. Several hours later the furniture was assembled, the items from the bags either put away or set to go into the washing machine, and the room that she’d had no immediate plans for was suddenly a nursery.

“Wow. I can’t believe it. It actually looks like a nursery,” Clara exclaimed.

“It’s a right lovely room for such a special girl.” Tom said with a satisfied smile as he looked around the room.

“It is. And I’ll be sure to get the furniture back to you as soon as it’s no longer needed.” Clara’s smile faltered the thought of the little girl no longer being here making her sad. “What will happen to the mother if she’s found? Isn’t it a crime to abandon a baby?”

“Usually yes, it depends on the circumstances. She can face imprisonment and other punishments. I just won’t know for sure until we find her.” Tom said.

“I see. Well, thank you for all of your help, Tom. You’ve been extraordinary.” Clara said, feeling awkward in the moment.

“Not a problem. Now, if you’ll excuse me I’ll let you rest up and prepare for what’s coming tomorrow. I’ll get home and see if Greg has anything prepared for dinner.”

“Oh, I never even thought about food, I am sorry. Who’s Greg?” She asked curiously.

“Greg’s my life-partner. He had nothing to do with my marriage ending but, yes, that’s the reason I’m no longer married to my daughter’s mother.” Tom blurted out, as if to ward off questions he’d answered a thousand times.

“It sounds like you had some difficult decisions to make, but you sound as though Greg makes you happy. That’s wonderful.” Clara said, almost relieved that she could put her momentary infatuation behind her now. Tom was unavailable. She could certainly use a friend though.

“Why don’t you and Greg stop by one day next week? I’ll make dinner and you can meet baby Selena properly then?” She asked.

“That sounds great; I’ll ask Greg about it. He’s very interested in what happens with her and eager to meet you. Well, good night, Clara. I wish you the best of luck tomorrow with the home inspection and bringing baby Selena home. If you need anything just give me a ring, alright?”

“Thank you, Tom, for everything. Have a wonderful evening.” Clara responded, giving Tom a hug before he left.

Clara walked back up to the nursery after setting a load of clothes to wash, and looked around the room again. Her mother was not going to believe any of this. Picking up her phone from the changing table Tom brought over she went to her room to finally make the last call of her day. Her mother was going to have a million questions and she’d put off the long conversation long enough.

T
he next morning Ms. Rogers
, the social worker came with a surprise, baby Selena was brought to the home inspection! Clara held her new foster daughter as she escorted Ms. Rogers through the house and allowed the woman to roam as she pleased. Ms. Rogers looked at the nursery, surprised at how well-equipped it was on such short notice, and turned to Clara with a smile.

“Everything seems to be in order, I just have one final question, who is going to care for the child when you’re at work or need time away from her?” The social worker asked Clara.

“My mother is coming down this evening on the train. She’s taking the other spare bedroom. She insisted on coming to help. Most of the time Selena will be with me, however. I have the room at the shop to accommodate what she’ll need there and I’d rather have her with me where I can keep an eye on her.” Clara replied.

“That’s suitable. I just need you to fill out a few more forms and Selena will be placed with you as her foster mother.”

The social worker had given the forms to Clara who filled them out quickly, and then the woman left with good wishes and assurances that the numbers on her card all worked. Clara was given everything she needed to legally care for Selena and assured that she would be given help, training, and anything else she needed to care for Selena. Baby Selena had a home now and Clara stared down at her new foster daughter with amazement.

“I don’t know how long you’re going to be with me, little one, but while you are you are going to be so very loved! Very, very loved!” Clara promised the baby nursing from a bottle.

Clara gazed down at the baby’s wrist noting the bracelet there once more. Clara felt that the bracelet might be another clue but wasn’t sure what that clue was. Taking some snaps of it she thought she’d post the pictures to her social media, see if that brought any information to her. She didn’t want to get rid of baby Selena but she did want to know who the girl’s biological mother was.

“
S
o has
loverman been in since Selena came to stay?” Bianca asked Clara a week later. She and Christine had come in after closing time, the practice quickly becoming a part of their routine after Selena’s arrival.

“No, I haven’t and stop calling him that. And you can forget about hooking me up with Constable Goins as well, he’s not that way persuaded.” Clara said with a smile.

“Really?” Christine asked. “I’d never have guessed it.”

“Really. And the man that comes in to buy the women’s shoes buys them in a variety of sizes so you can stop wondering if he’s a crossdresser or anything like that. I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation. He is so handsome!” Clara exclaimed. She’d had an interest in Constable Goins but the man that came in several times a month to buy shoes had held her interest for a long time.

Tall with black hair speckled with grey, a very tanned complexion, and incredibly vivid grey eyes the man was old-fashioned handsome and Clara thought of him in old-fashioned terms. Debonair, sophisticated, and charming, the man had a deep voice that made Clara shiver. But no men, she reminded herself, no romantic assignations for the moment. Not until something was settled with Selena anyway.

Looking over at the baby girl happily resting on Christine’s shoulder Clara couldn’t believe how much her world had changed since Selena came. No more shopping sprees, unless it was for something Selena might need, and no more dating. But she had sweet cuddles with the baby, long nights of sleeping only to wake to make sure Selena was still breathing in the bassinet by her bed, days of watching the tiny human miracle sleep and start to gurgle as she learned she had hands and feet. For now Selena spent a lot of time asleep and so far she’d been no trouble at all. Of course, Clara had a lot of support and help but Selena was just always so calm and placid that she was no trouble.

Clara’s mother came in the back door of the shop, calling out for her daughter.

“We’re in here, Mum.” Clara called back to Agnes Morgan.

“I do declare, Clara, what is it with the steam next door. Someone should do something about that nuisance!” Her mother came into the shop brushing at her clothes as though she’d been sprayed with a water cannon and not walked through a little steam.

“I don’t know why, Mother. Do you want Selena?” Clara asked.

“Of course I want that precious baby! How are you today, young lady, are you Nanny’s little precious one, are you? Yes you are!” Agnes cooed and Selena waved a tiny fist, responding to the loving voice.

“I nearly forgot,” Bianca chimed up. “Do you remember that girl that kept coming in but never bought anything? She’d sit in the café next door with the same cup of coffee for a while, then come over and sift through the shop, never making a purchase? I remember you talking about her. She always had a huge coat on and you were worried she was after nicking something. Do you think she could have been Selena’s mother?”