Info from Helga

Chapter Forty-two

The next morning as Janelle opened the mail, Helga walked into the outer office. Her green blouse, topping tight black pants, gaped open between the buttons.

         “Yanelle, did I get a mail from Birmingham Company account?”

         “I didn’t see anything from Birmingham, but I have a lot of letters to go through.” She nodded at the stack by her elbow.

         “Ja.” Helga opened the door to her office. “Bring it in here if you find it.”

         Janelle shifted through the envelopes and located the letter. She entered Helga’s office. “Here you go.”

         “Good.” Helga took the letter. “They said it was in mail, but I did not believe them. Ha!”

         “People will lie with a straight face…”

“I guess they were telling the truth.” Janelle glanced at the row of bra-covered busts lining the wall. “Helga, answer a question for me.” She was beginning to sound like Dad.

         “Ja, if fast. I have work to do.” Helga slit open the envelope and pulled out the contents.

         “I, uh, heard you were a model for the company at one time.”

         Helga looked up. “That was long time ago, Yanelle.”

         “Were these some of the bras you modeled?”

         Helga glanced at the busts and a faint smile curved her lips. “Ja. I was in America only one week when I was hired to work here.” She looked at Janelle. “And the rest is the history.”

         “Who hired you?”

         Helga’s pleasant look disappeared. “I have much work to do. We vill talk later.” She turned to her computer and pressed a few keys.

         Janelle wasn’t ready to be dismissed. “Was it Jed? Was he the one who hired you?”

         “Yanelle.” Helga’s voice dropped to a whisper. “No talking here. There are yosts in walls. They might hear us.”

         “Yosts? What’s that?”

         “You know—yosts, apparitions.”

         “Oh! Ghosts!”

         “Shhh.” Helga looked around the room. “Ja, that is what I said. Yosts.”

         Janelle lowered her voice. “But why would ghosts be in the walls?”

         “I do not know. But I hear them sometimes, at night.” She glanced at the wall behind her, as if she expected a ghost to float out from the paneling. “I used to stay in evenings, many times on Friday night, to catch up on week. But I have heard footsteps—on other side of wall.” Shaking her head, she glanced down at the letter. “I do not work now at night.”

         “Footsteps?” Janelle frowned. “Is that why you were here on that Saturday morning, the day after Jed was murdered?”

         “Ja, I never hear yosts in morning. Only at night.” She pointed to the eighth bust. “And one morning I come in, and last bra is missing.”

         “Someone stole it?”

         Helga shrugged. “The yost, I think.”

         “That’s strange.” Must be a ghost with a key. But footsteps on the other side of the wall?

         “Now, Yanelle.” Helga waved her hand, as if she was pushing away a pesky fly. “You go.” A smile shadowed her face. “I vill take you out to lunch today. We talk then.”

* * *

           

            We’ll have to see what Helga tells Janelle on Monday. Until then, God bless your weekend!