A Ghost to Die For (17 page)

“Wow. You did strike research gold.” I studied the coroner’s report. “Okay, I see how a medical examiner’s report of respiratory failure due to paralysis of muscles would fit perfectly into a description of Andalyn having been scared to death. In other words, she was so frightened that she did not breath, could not breath, she was paralyzed from fear,” I said.

“Yeah, well according to the Internet archives of the American Medical Association, those symptoms could have been caused from many different causes, including poisons. If Andalyn was poisoned from tainted punch, wine or another beverage at her party, what if some of the poison spilled onto her costume?” Alex asked.

“And that is why Ruby wanted the costume, so as not to get caught?” I said. “So, what if that is the case, we have no way of knowing. I’m not digging up Andalyn, and after all this time, over a hundred years, who would be interested in performing the necessary tests? That would be too expensive, even for your pocketbook, Alex,” I said.

Alex laughed. “We do not need to. I know where that costume is.”

He was baiting me. Sitting there, just an arm’s reach across the kitchen table. So smug.

“Okay, I’ll bite. Where is the costume?”

“It’s in the curator’s office at the Museum of Mystery,” answered Alex.

“No way. Why would it be there and how can you be sure it is the very same costume?”

Alex leaned over the table and in a loud whisper said, “Because, originally when the Marie Laveau automaton was found, she was wearing it, she was dressed as Marie Antoinette. When the museum’s staff of researchers discovered old photos of the fortune teller machine, photos taken inside Ruby’s house, the automaton was wearing the Marie Laveau getup, so they sought to reproduce what they believed to be the original style of the fortune teller, that of the voodoo queen. But those photos predate Andalyn’s death and Ruby’s subsequent purchase of the Marie Antoinette costume that Andalyn was found dead in.”

“I’m confused, if this is the case, how can the museum say, without a doubt, that the fortune teller machine they purchased was, in fact, the same one Ruby owned?” I queried.

“Remember the mythology of this particular machine and how the first three guests of Ruby’s who received a fortune card, and how their fortune came true and they ended up dead shortly after that? Well, the last of the three victims had a family in California, and his parents, William and Nina Holden purchased Ruby’s house when she moved out of San Diego, and they purchased the house as is, with all its furniture and belongings in place, including the fortune teller machine. The Holdens then sold the house to the Van Wyck family, though not right away. They sold most of the furnishings, except for the fortune teller machine, they moved it to a storage facility in Los Angeles and kept it in storage, down in a dank basement. When the museum began acquiring objects, Greg remembered having read about this unusual circumstance and he tracked down the present-day descendants. They were more than happy to get rid of the fortune teller. Of course the museum paid a pretty penny for it. I found out about the house, today, at the lawyer’s office. Imagine my surprise to discover that the people the museum bought the fortune teller machine from are the descendants of the buyers of Ruby’s house.

“And you know this because?”

Alex answered, “Because I’m on the museum’s board of administration and we had to vote on the expenditure. We hired three different appraisers to validate the authenticity of the machine, and its history. And like I said, just today I discovered the Holdens had purchased Ruby’s house.”

“Very interesting. Do you think the Holdens, Nina and William, had anything to do with this mystery?”

“No. I’m sure their interest was to get the fortune teller machine out of circulation and the house was a good investment. They sold it at a fair profit.”

“Alex, is there any chance I can examine that costume?”

“Certainly, but not without me. I’ll call Greg this evening and let him know what we want to do. My best guess is that we can go over to the museum after closing, about eight. Maybe you should rest, you’ve not had much sleep.”

Just as I was going to launch an argument to oppose his suggestion that I take a nap, my phone rang. It was Geraldine. She wanted to know if I could come by early. I said I’d be there within the hour.

“Geraldine has news of the test results. She wants me there within the hour. Tonight at eight is good with me. In fact, whatever you can arrange is good with me. Just call and let me know, okay?”

Alex smiled. “Okay. But I’m going with you to Geraldine’s. I have some questions of my own about that painting. And Shannon, if don’t mind, I’d like to be the one who brings up the fact that Otis and Harriet have a twin painting. That way, it won’t make you look bad. Deal?”

“Deal.”

In a little under thirty minuets we were inside Geraldine’s office.

Chapter 31

Geraldine had the painting up on the same display easel from this morning. We stood in a half circle facing it. Geraldine explained, “The most fascinating aspect of this painting is that the women’s hair color was switched. The brunette was the redhead and the redhead was the brunette. This paint-over showed up on the testing. The cover up was done a little while after the original painting. We know this as a fact, because the original paint for the hair colors had dried, and then the artist changed the colors, by painting over the original. And, Shannon, the signature indicates it is John Glapion, without a doubt. I hope you do not mind, but we took the frame off in order to verify the artist.”

I ducked behind the easel to check the backing on the painting. “I can’t tell that you did that. The way the back has been restored, it looks as if it was never taken off.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your comments. Uh, there are a few more discoveries, perhaps you and Alex would care to have a seat.”

My eyes widened and I looked to Alex. He quietly pulled out a chair for me. We sat facing Geraldine at her desk.

She opened up a desk drawer to her right and pulled out a sheet of typed notes. She handed the paper to me. “You’ll see we have done a complete analysis and appraisal for you. That document is something you should file away. However, I will have a copy here on file, should you need it for tax purposes or insurance claims. Note that the appraised value is between five and eight thousand dollars, of course at auction, with an advantageous and commercial presentation, it could garner a far higher price.”

“Wow, I had no idea it could be this valuable. Geraldine, were there other paintings by John Glapion?”

Again, Geraldine reached into her drawer and pulled out several sheets of a paper. She split the sheets in half and gave half to me. “These are your copies of my unofficial notes and findings. Let’s go over them.”

Alex leaned forward so we could share the papers Geraldine had given to me.

Geraldine read from her notes, “John Glapion, an artist in the post-Impressionist style, studied painting while in France, in college for medical studies. He became a medical doctor. Art was a passion of his. Glapion’s paintings were not widely circulated until the 1920s. This was after his death. He died in New Orleans in 1919, after contracting the Spanish Influenza. No doubt his illness was the result of his extensive treatment and care of patients with the Spanish Flu. 1918 was the height of the epidemic. Reportedly, in art circles, Glapion painted two paintings like this one. One was for a friend of his family, the young woman named Andalyn Dixon, the other painting was to be an impostor painting, meant to fool an art thief. Only Miss Dixon and Glapion knew of the original and its secret location. It is rumored that Glapion paid a visit to Miss Dixon, just a few days before she died. Then after her death, a painting like this one, but not this one, was auctioned off as part of her estate. The notorious Ruby Red purchased that painting. It is believed in art circles, that the painting Ruby purchased was the impostor.” Geraldine looked up to see if I had any questions, I nodded my head for her to continue.

“However, after Ruby Red purchased the painting, it disappeared from the art scene. Then after Glapion’s death in 1922, his family put a few items of his estate up for sale, including this painting, your painting, Shannon. The purchaser was an art collector in Dallas, Texas. Okay, now we jump to 1980, which is when the Texan died. However, it was not until after Hurricane Katrina slashed through New Orleans in 2005 that the original painting resurfaced. In December of that year, the Texan’s family donated the painting to an art auction for proceeds to help victims of Katrina, and that is when Audrey Sinclair purchased it. Quite a storied life this painting has, isn’t?” Geraldine smiled, and I had the sneaky thought she was hiding information.

“Yes, it is,” I replied. “I’m wondering, is there anything else you know, or just suspect about the painting?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.” Geraldine reached into her drawer and pulled out a small bubble-lined mailing envelope that was closed with a large paper clip. She handed it to me. “See for yourself.”

I slipped off the paper clip and opened the envelope, and then I let the contents slip out onto the desk. A small piece of paper fluttered out and then the soft clink-clank sound of a metal key hit the desktop. I picked up the key and held it in my open palm. Alex snatched it.

“I know what this is,” he announced.

“Uh, a key?” I asked and giggled.

“Funny girl, that is not what I mean. Look at the letters in the stem and the numeral on it.” Alex held the small key up to the light. I could see the capital letters of SDSB and the numeral 17.

“What does it mean Alex?” I asked.

“I’d bet my money it stands for San Diego Savings Bank, safe deposit box number 17.”

Then Geraldine said, “I believe that is was it means, but Shannon, let’s not forget that small note.”

I opened the folded piece of paper and read it silently to myself. Alex nudged me. “This is amazing, it says: Tell solicitor I did not know about key until R. tried to buy painting and I refused to sell. It was she who framed the painting (and me). Thank you. Andalyn.”

“Shannon, I checked with a local historian and found out that Ruby Red had a vested interest in several small shops of her era. I know she was a financial partner in a dress shop, a tobacconist dealer and a picture and mirror frame shop. Do you suppose Ruby offered to have Andalyn’s painting framed and that was when she hid the key inside the frame?” Geraldine asked.

I thought about Geraldine’s theory and was about to reply, but Alex jumped in with his thoughts on the matter.

“What a perfect way to avoid suspicion of being involved in the bank heist, the one that according to popular opinion, held Andalyn guilty of assisting with Dare and Collins. Geraldine, I am referring to the bank heist of October of 1891, the crooks were J.W. Collins and D. D. Dare. They got clean away with thousands of dollars of customers’ holdings. Supposedly, Andalyn Dixon was associated with one of the men. I bet in reality, it was Ruby Red and she passed herself off as Andalyn to avoid suspicion.”

“Then Alex, why would that be a key to a safe deposit box at a competitors’ bank. If your knowledge of the initials on this key is correct, it was not the same bank that was ripped off, was it?” Geraldine asked.

“No, of course not. The crooks took the money and went to a rival bank, where they safely hid their ill-gotten gains in plain sight, so to speak. It was a brilliant idea. Hide the stolen money at another bank, one that is so well-established and successful, no person would ever suspect where the money is hidden.”

“But Collins or Dare could not very well just waltz in and deposit that much money in another bank, tongues would wag, people would notice, wouldn’t they?” I asked.

Alex answered, “Yes, they would. But I doubt Collins or Dare held the safe deposit box in either of their names. My guess is that it was Ruby Red. She was their accomplice. Thus, it was highly unlikely that anyone, bank employee or citizen, would question where Ruby got the money.”

I was perplexed, and while I listened to Alex and Geraldine swapped theories about the heist and Ruby’s involvement, it occurred to me, that if this was the key, and it was the only key, then no person ever claimed the money. Uh-oh, what happened to all that money? “Hey, wait a minute. Alex how is it you knew what the initials stood for?” I asked.

“Oh, long story short. That bank was in business right up until a few years ago. The bank building is still there, downtown San Diego and it is now a high-rise hotel. I had holdings in it until the bank sold out and then I moved my account to another bank,” explained Alex.

“What happened to all the safe deposit boxes, especially the boxes from long ago?” Geraldine asked.

Alex stood up and said, “Ladies, I’m on it.” He looked at his watch. “I have forty minutes before my bank closes. Let me get there and pick a few brains.” He looked at Geraldine and said, “If you would be so kind to give Shannon a ride home, I’d appreciate it.”

“Oh, no problem whatsoever,” Geraldine replied. “That will give us extra time to explore theories.” Geraldine was hooked. She smiled wide and then said, “Shannon, whenever you are ready, I will close up.”

Before I could answer, Alex had left. And before Alex could bail me out of the tricky situation of informing Geraldine about the painting owned by Otis and Harriet, I had to think of a way to bring it up. I decided honesty was the best ploy.