The Mysterious Package (A Hannah and Tamar Mystery Book 1)

  THE MYSTERIOUS PACKAGE

  A Hannah & Tamar Mystery

  CHRISTA NARDI

  and

  CASSIDY SALEM

  Copyright © 2016 Christa Nardi

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-10: 0-9910547-8-4

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9910547-8-7

  This is a work of fiction. Although some of the locations may be real, others are fictitious. None of these events actually occurred. All characters are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real people is entirely coincidental.

  The reverse engineering, uploading and/or distributing of this ebook via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1 Train Ride to Vermont

  CHAPTER 2 Secrets

  CHAPTER 3 Shopping

  CHAPTER 4 Gramps Comes Through

  CHAPTER 5 Game Time

  CHAPTER 6 Post-game Celebration

  CHAPTER 7 Meeting with Gwen

  CHAPTER 8 Arrivals

  CHAPTER 9 Dirk’s Story

  CHAPTER 10 Giving Thanks

  CHAPTER 11 Family Meeting

  CHAPTER 12 Skiing and Goodbyes

  Authors’ Note

  CHAPTER 1 Train Ride to Vermont

  The scenery flew by as Hannah and Tamar rode the first leg on Amtrak from Baltimore, Maryland to Rutland, Vermont. It was the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and the girls were on the way to their grandparents’ house to help prepare for Thanksgiving Day. The rest of the family would arrive Wednesday or Thursday.

  It hadn’t been easy to get the high school to excuse the students from two days’ classes the following week. But both were honor students and they had promised to keep up with their school work. With over eight hours of train ride, Wi-Fi, and available plug-ins, the girls would have plenty of time to get their pesky homework out of the way.

  Even though Tamar and Hannah had travelled this route many times, the scenery distracted them. They enjoyed the view of the cities, small towns, and landscape. As the train edged north, vestiges of the last snowstorms were evident. Dirtied piles of snow, not big enough to even call drifts, dotted the landscape.

  “Leave me alone!” A woman’s high-pitched plea shattered the constant drone of conversation and the hum of the train as it moved along the tracks.

  Both girls turned toward the source of the scream. A girl, about their age, was pushing a young man away. She had medium brown, straight hair to her waist that swung from side to side as she tried to pull away from the man. Conversation stopped as passengers watched the two, but nobody moved. Hannah and Tamar exchanged glances and as one they walked up to the pair.

  “Hi! Do you know where the restrooms are?” Tamar asked the man. As she spoke, she and Hannah positioned themselves on either side of the girl. While her polite words and sweet tone were innocent enough, the sisters stood firm and stared him down.

  Up close, the young man appeared to be a few years older than the girl. He had dark hair, piercing blue eyes and the shadow of a beard. His wrinkled shirt, dirty jeans, and more than hint of body odor contrasted sharply with the girl’s coral V-neck cashmere sweater and black designer pants. She clutched her Kate Spade bag and tears trickled down her cheeks.

  He glared at Tamar without speaking. When Tamar held his gaze, he released the girl’s arm and slithered away.

  “I’m Hannah, and this is my sister Tamar. Are you okay?”

  “I… I think so. I’m Gwen Singleton. Thank you. Can you believe that jerk followed me from the Café Car.” She considered the two girls in their casual jeans and sweaters. “I think I’ll go back to my seat now. Business class.” With a forced smile, Gwen sashayed down the aisle and into the next car.

  “I wonder what that was all about.”

  Tamar shrugged. “No idea, but the Café Car sounds good. Let’s pack up our stuff and grab some hot cocoa.”

  “Suits me. I could use a break from ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ anyway.”

  Conversation in the car started up again once the excitement was over. As the girls walked down the aisle, a grey-haired woman took hold of Tamar’s arm.

  “That was good what you did. Got that man to back off.” She scrutinized their faces. “Say, are you twins?”

  The sisters laughed at the frequent question. Both girls had similar features, matching hazel green eyes, and dark brown hair that fell to their shoulders.

  “No, ma’am. We’re sisters, not twins. I’m a year older than Tamar.” Given that Tamar was a few inches taller, Hannah felt compelled to assert her seniority.

  The woman nodded and smiled. The girls made their way to the Café Car and got their cocoa. They didn’t see the man or the girl and soon returned to their seats, their homework, and the scenery.

  As the train approached New York City, they gathered up their belongings and exited the train. Familiar with the transfer, they made their way toward the Ethan Allen Express. That was their train for the second leg of the trip.

  “Is that Gwen over there?” Tamar gestured toward a blond figure in a coral sweater boarding the train ahead of them.

  “Either that or that’s a very popular color this year.” Hannah shivered. “It’s a lot colder here than back home. I hope she brought a coat.”

  “If she didn’t, I bet she can afford to buy one up here. Do you see that guy who was bothering her?”

  Both girls scanned the crowd on the platform as they approached their train.

  “Nope. I don’t see him.” Hannah shook her head.

  They boarded the train and found their seats. As the passengers settled in, Tamar and Hannah looked around at their fellow travellers. It was easy to imagine many of them were on their way to Killington, a popular ski resort near their grandparents’ home.

  Along the route to Rutland, Hannah and Tamar enjoyed the ride, neglecting their books for the time being. Farther north, substantial amounts of snow and higher mountains became visible.

  “Are you ready to talk about college? You know Grands and Gramps are going to ask where you’re applying.”

  “I know. I’m not sure I want to go to college in Vermont, and we both know that’s what they want. Most of my friends are applying to colleges in Maryland or DC. Virginia wouldn’t be bad either. I can tell mom and dad want me to stay in Maryland or at least nearby. It’s so hard to decide where I want to go when everyone is telling me where I should want to go. I don’t want to disappoint Grands and Gramps, or mom and dad.” She sighed.

  “I get it. You know, you can’t please everyone.” Tamar reached over and patted her sister’s arm. “I’m hoping you’ll smooth the way for me next year.” Tamar’s eyes sparkled and she smiled as she teased her sister. “Still you better be prepared to talk about colleges this weekend. You know, we just passed Rensselear and Castleton State is coming up ahead.”

  “Rensselear? It’s in New York. Besides, engineering is not in my future. Castleton State at least has sociology and criminology but it’s not that great. UVM, the state university, is good. Middlebury is the only other one I’d consider in Vermont. There are so many more possibilities closer to home and with in-state tuition.”

  Tamar poked around in her backpack. “I’m all out of snacks. Let’s head to the Café Car and I’ll treat you to something sweet.”

  While munching on a caramel and chocolate candy bar, Tamar tapped her sister’s arm and tilted her head, shifting her gaze. Hannah followed her gaze.

  “Well, that’s interesting. Gwen is smiling an
d joking with that man now. Do you think it was just a quarrel? Maybe that’s her boyfriend?”

  Tamar shrugged her shoulders. “I doubt it. She looks a bit out of his league. I mean, look at him and look at her. She has really nice clothes. Designer obviously. And those boots. My guess is Prada.”

  “If I tried to walk on those heels, I’d land on my butt – no doubt about it. But yeah, her clothes, sitting in business class? Her family’s got money. Did you catch the way she looked down her nose at us?”

  “For sure. What a snob. I hope we get to see Dylan and Matt this week. Grands and Gramps are great, but we’ll need a break from them. Besides we always have a good time with the guys.”

  Dylan was a junior in high school, like Tamar. Matt was a senior, like Hannah. The girls had met them on one of their visits a few years ago. Since then, the foursome hung out whenever the girls were in Vermont. With social media, they maintained contact year round.

  “Matt has a football game on Tuesday. They’re playing their traditional rival. He said he’s got tickets in case we want to go.” Hannah perked up a bit.

  “Dylan mentioned the game. It should be fun. He also said something about getting together tomorrow. Maybe go skiing or skating.”

  “Matt will likely be tied up with practice. I don’t think he can make anything tomorrow or until after the game. You could go with Dylan though. That’ll give me plenty of time to finish homework. Then we can help Grands during the day and on Monday while the guys are at school.”

  Tamar smiled. “Hopefully, my ski pants and boots still fit or we may need to get some shopping in.”

  “You should be fine. I’m the one with the hips here.” Hannah took another bite of her granola bar. “You eat and I gain weight. I’m glad I opted to get the looser pants last year.”

  “Oh, well. What can I say?”

  The train pulled into the Rutland train station and the girls got off. Cold gusts blew Hannah’s loose hair every which way. Tamar laughed, and pulled up the hood on her coat.

  They’d checked one bag and needed to collect it. As passengers milled around the waiting area, Hannah spotted Gwen.

  Gwen’s eyes darted every which way, her lips set in a grim line. She had donned a charcoal grey leather coat, an exact match to her boots. The man from the train lurked nearby behind a pole. Hannah nudged Tamar as Gwen wove her way over to them.

  “Hi again! I guess we all came to the same place.” Breathless, Gwen’s smile was forced, her teeth clenched. She pulled a small wrapped package out of her purse and pushed it into Tamar’s hand. “Tammy, right? Take this.” With a quick glance behind her, she bolted out the door.

  “Girls, it’s so good to see you again!” Grands pulled both girls into her embrace before Tamar had a chance to react. “You made a friend on the train?”

  Grands was quickly approaching 64, but she’d aged well. Both girls shared her dark brown hair and hazel eyes. There was barely a hint of gray to Grands’ hair. Always active and fit, she described herself as curvy. The laugh lines around her eyes reflected her generous and light-hearted nature.

  Before the girls could respond, Gramps showed up and enveloped each girl in a hug. Gramps had retired last year from the Mill Creek Police Department when he turned 65. A football player in his youth, then in the military, and finally law enforcement, he was tall, husky, and muscular. Grands teased him about his graying hair and he blamed it on her.

  Tamar still had the package in her hand. When she looked to Hannah, her sister motioned for Tamar to put the package in her jacket pocket. They piled into the SUV and were off.

  CHAPTER 2 Secrets

  Grands and Gramps lived in Mill Creek, not far from Rutland. It was a short distance from the train station and Grands talked most of way, excited to see her granddaughters.

  “So, girls, what are your parents’ plans?”

  “If the weather holds up, they’ll arrive on Wednesday,” Hannah replied.

  Tamar was quick to add, “They wanted to come sooner, but they both had work they couldn’t get out of.”

  “Well, Aunt Ilene and Uncle Jerry will drive in Thursday morning. We’re not certain they will stay over. Your cousins might stay for the weekend. They were here a few weeks ago, so it will probably depend on Robin’s gymnastics schedule.”

  In the back seat of the SUV, hidden from their grandparents’ view, Tamar rolled her eyes and Hannah grimaced at the mention of their cousins. With the cousins around, they’d compete for the use of the car, whether to go to the mall or skiing.

  “What about Aunt Monique?”

  “She has to work this holiday. The nurses take turns working the holidays and she agreed to work this one.”

  “That’s too bad.”

  “So girls, will we be seeing Matt and Dylan while you’re here ? They’re such nice boys.” Grands eyes sparkled as she spoke.

  “We hope so. Matt has a football game on Tuesday, and we were kind of hoping we could go. If it’s not a problem, I mean.”

  “That should be a great game. The Mavericks are good this year. Your friend Matt won most valuable player several games this year. He’s probably being recruited for football scholarships. Did he tell you about that?” Gramps was a big football fan.

  “No. He didn’t mention it.”

  “He’s such a nice boy and so friendly when we run into him at the store or community center. The center of attention, he’s always surrounded by his friends.” Grands nodded as she spoke.

  Hannah slumped a little in her seat. She liked Matt but she didn’t want Grands matchmaking, especially until she had a chance to sort out her own feelings. Then again, if he was hoping for a football scholarship, she wondered where he might go for college. Perhaps it would be closer to Maryland. She’d like to get to know him better.

  “Now Tamar, your friend Dylan is nice too. We saw him at the parade and he’s always friendly. He doesn’t seem as rough as some ice hockey boys.” Dylan was co-captain of the hockey team.

  It was Tamar’s turn to roll her eyes. Both girls breathed a sigh of relief as the large family home came into view. With four bedrooms and as many bathrooms, Grands and Gramps always looked forward to having the house full again at the holidays.

  Last year, the girls had helped move their grandparents’ bedroom to the first floor. Gramps wanted to make that move in anticipation of the time when one or both of them wouldn’t be able to do the stairs. At least that was the explanation he gave. It meant everyone else, and most of the noise, was now on the second floor or in the loft. The teens had claimed the loft as their space so the first floor would be the quietest.

  When they entered the house, the two Irish setters, Minxy and Maxy, greeted them in the main hallway. The girls dropped everything to play with the energetic and excited dogs. As they headed upstairs to get settled into their room, Grands reminded them that dinner would be ready soon. Minxy and Maxy galloped up behind them.

  Alone in the loft, Hannah plopped onto one of two twin beds, covered with matching patchwork quilts in cheery shades of blue and yellow. She loved Grands’s homemade quilts and the cozy décor in the loft.

  Tamar started to unpack her backpack when she remembered the package. She pulled the small package out of her pocket. The dingy brown wrapping paper was held in place by a piece of string. “Hannah, what do you make of this?”

  “She looked scared. Like she didn’t want to get caught with it – whatever ‘it’ is.”

  Tamar shook the package, but nothing rattled. She turned it over and examined it more closely. Her nose scrunched up. “It smells musty. Yuck!” When she held it out to Hannah, Hannah waved her away.

  “No, Minxy. This isn’t for you.” Tamar admonished the dog, who was eying the package as if were a new toy just for her. Minxy sneezed and Maxy followed suit.

  “Should we open it and see what’s in it?”

  Hannah shook her head. “No. I don’t think so. We know her name. Let’s see if we can get it back to her, exactly the w
ay she gave it to us.” Hannah was as cautious as she was curious.

  “Later let’s search for her on social media sites. Maybe we’ll find her on Tumblr or Instagram, or some other site. Then we could message her and ask her what we should do with it.”

  “Good idea. Too bad there’s no Wi-fi reception up here or in the loft. In the meantime, better put that away some place Minxy and Maxy can’t get at it. Minxy hasn’t taken her eyes off it even though it made her sneeze.”

  Tamar stashed the package in the oak dresser between the two twin beds, then grabbed her cellphone. “And we need to text mom and dad and let them know we arrived safely. Then, let’s change and go help Grands with dinner. I can smell the roast and I’m hungry.”

  “You’re always hungry.”

  Grands’ cooking was every bit as good as the girls remembered. As dinner wound down, Grands asked, “So who was that nice girl you were talking to at the station? Is she here to visit family too?”

  Tamar shrugged. “No idea.”

  Hannah jumped in. “We only talked to her a few minutes on the train and in the station. She said her seat was in business class.”

  “Not sure the extra room is worth the extra money for most. I appreciate it though.” Gramps inclined his head as he spoke. With his size and girth, he needed all the space he could get.

  “Well, you may run into her again. Did you get her number or email?”

  “Afraid not, Grands.” Tamar shrugged and looked at her sister.

  Hannah did her best to redirect the conversation. “Grands, Gramps, what’s the plan? What can we do to help?”

  “Well, girls, we don’t need to work on the food quite yet. First thing, I suggest you see if your skiing gear all fits or if we need to do some quick shopping. Either way, if you’re up for it, tomorrow would be a good day for the mall before Friday’s madness. Most of the stores already have their decorations up and sales going on.”