Eli's Reminisces [Part 1]

One day Jessie ran all the way, 11 blocks to be exact, from school to reach Grandma Eli’s house. Jessie was a tall girl of 4’8’’ with green eyes and blond hair that was kind of shortish. Her skin was a light tan in color. Grandma Eli was her great grandmother of 82 years of age. A smart old lady with white hair, brown eyes, and a tan skin color. Her house (Grandma Eli’s that is) was not really a house but a mansion (Elliphant Mansion to be exact). She took care of it with the help of her four hired hands. There was Bob the gardener, Felicia the cleaning lady, Jamie the cook, and Edward the repair man. Her husband had died several years ago and her children had moved away long ago. All her grandkids lived far away except Jessie’s parents John and Sylvia Kachome. Even through all this she was still well loved by all the townsfolk. Just about everyone in town called her Grandma Eli and her mansion wasn’t a mansion at all it was a home. Everyone agreed about that. Today was Jessie’s story time. She was going to hear about one of Grandma Eli’s best cases The Case Of The Missing Alligator Rubies. When she got to Grandma Eli’s Jamie was just setting down a cup of steaming hot tea on a platter with biscuits on the table.
“How are you today young lady. Did you get an A on that spelling test of yours my dear?” asked Grandma Eli.
“Oh yes miss! I did! Thank you Jamie” answered Jessie.
“Good, then when you Jamie and Felicia are ready I will begin.”
So when Felicia came in and was seated she began.
“One day about 70 years ago.”
“Ooh! What did you look like then?”
“I was about two inches taller than you my dear with brown eyes, and dishwater blond hair along with tan skin. I lived at Faverington Place with my two younger sisters Susie and Shella my parents Fred and Callie Elliphant and my Uncle Ken Elliphant. It was hose 309 on Ridington St. I was Vice co president for the Jr. detective club. My best friend Sally Mouse lived next door at house 311. She was my age at the time, and came from New York. She had bright green eyes and long wavy brown hair. Her skin seemed to be the perfect amount of a slight tan. She was about an inch shorter than me. Sally was the other vice co president. Now shall we get back to the story or not. Good! Okay were was I now. Oh yes at the beginning. One day about 70 years ago. I was playing a board game with my little sister Susie and my Uncle Ken when the telephone started to ring.”
“Were there really telephones back then?” interrupted Jessie.
“Yes of sorts, they weren’t like the shenanigans of today but they were telephones. Now back to the story. So the telephone is ringing right. Well can you imagine my surprise when the first word I hear is ‘Help’”
“Wow is that all you heard is ‘help’”
“No dear now please be quite and listen.”
“Okay grandma”
“Okay now were was I. Oh yes, When I answered the phone the first word I heard was ‘Help, I need your help. My nephews have disappeared. My rubies have also disappeared. Oh, please hurry. I need your help. Hurry to Sunflower Estate which is house #1 on Richman Dr. Hurry.” As it goes I called Sally and together all the Jr. detective club went to Sunflower Estate. At the time the Jr. detective club was a full four members, my Uncle Ken, my sister Susie, my friend Sally, and me. The police were already there when we arrived and my Uncle was briefed. After he was briefed he briefed us. The Alligator Rubies had been stolen and the two boys Adam and John Velander had gone missing.
My Uncle managed to get us in to speak with Terry Velander who at the time was the Duke of London. He was hysterical. ”I don’t know what to do”, he said” they just disappeared.”
I managed to squeeze in” It would be best if you would explain to us what happened, and what the boys look like.”
“ Oh yes of course. John is a green eyed blond with a sort of buzz cut of hair style. He’s about 5 feet tall, and Adam is brown eyed with short shaggy black hair. He’s a little taller than John. Now what else did you want to know?” He was a little calmer now.
“What has happened since they have arrived? Do you have any theories as to what might have happened?” I answered.
“They arrived yesterday. I gave them a tour of the house. They seemed really excited to see the Alligator Rubies so I showed them the safe where they were kept. They are my only heirs you see ,but I only got to see them about once a year. They were living with an aunt from their mothers side until she passed away early last year. I’m their grandfather’s brother you see so I wasn’t as close to them as their aunt was. But now I’m their only living relative and they mine. Well anyway enough of my going on like this I said Good night. That night I lay awake thinking of a way to tell them of the inheritance they were to be left. I heard some soft foot steps, but I thought it was one of the servants coming to light a fire in one of the rooms to keep it warm because it was rather chilly. The next morning I went down to the safe to get my will as I had planned during the night. The first thing I had noticed was that the Rubies were missing. As I was standing there staring one of the servants came in and told me the boys were missing. That’s when I called the police.”
“Thank You for explaining that”, I said.
“ My theory is that the boys went down to get some water and interrupted a burglary. It’s the only thing that would make sense. Am I right?” asked the Duke.
I wasn’t so sure, but I didn’t want to upset the old man any more than he already was.
It was at about that time that a young boy rode his bike up the long drive and knocked at the door. He had a message for the Duke. It read:
“Send $20 to the old barn down the lane. No Police. And don’t try any funny business or your nephews are history.”
To Be Continued…