“Oh, don’t worry.” Laura adopted a snotty tone. “I’m already there.”
“Good!” Tillie bobbed her head knowingly. “You’re now at the top of the list. You should start running now.”
Eleven
“Are you ready?”
The only thing I was ready for after the longest – and freaking loudest – dinner I’d ever sat through was a good night’s sleep. That’s why Millie’s appearance at my door, seconds before I was ready to slip into my pajamas and call it a day, threw me for a loop.
“Ready for what? Are you here to romance me?” The snarky response slipped out before I had a chance to think better about uttering it to a woman in Millie’s age bracket.
“You’re funny,” Millie said, clearly enjoying my answer. “That’s not what I was talking about, though.” She cast a furtive look up and down the hallway.
I followed her gaze, curious. “What are you talking about?”
“We’re going on a little adventure.” Millie’s smile was mischievous so I couldn’t help but feel my interest pique.
“We are? Did you see the Winchesters doing something? Are they hiding bodies on the property or something?”
Millie made a face right out of a sitcom. “Why would they be hiding bodies?”
“Because I’m pretty sure they’re hiding something big.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re right, but I don’t think it has anything to do with bodies,” Millie said, shoving me out of the way so she could stroll into the bedroom and grab my hoodie. “Put this on. You’ll need it.”
“But … where are we going?”
“We’re going back to the resort,” Millie replied, making a “well, duh” face as I slipped into the hoodie.
“We are?” I rolled the idea through my head. It didn’t make sense. “Why? Do you think one of Penny’s boyfriends is going to kill again?”
“You’re full of drama, girl,” Millie said, clicking her tongue against her teeth as she shook her head. “You’re gung-ho – I’ll give you that – and I think you’ll be fun once we pull that stick out of your you-know-what.”
I knit my eyebrows. “I don’t have a stick in my you-know-what.”
“You need a stick in your you-know-what,” Millie countered. “Unfortunately you seem to have one up your behind instead, because you’re trying to be employee of the month or something. Here’s a hint: The foundation doesn’t give out awards for being happy and helpful on the job.”
I balked. “I am not trying to be happy and helpful. Wait … that came out wrong.”
Millie snorted. “You’re a bundle of nerves. I get it. You’re twenty-five and this is your first real job. It happens to all of us. You’ll outgrow it.”
“I’m twenty-four.”
Millie’s mouth dropped open. “You’re twenty-four? Why are you working if you’re twenty-four? You’ should be out partying and having sex with any guy who looks at you sideways. That’s what I did when I was twenty-four … and twenty-five … and forty-eight, for that matter.”
Millie boasts one of those faces that make you wonder if she was ever twenty-four. “I have bills to pay.”
“Bummer. You should be fornicating until you can’t fornicate a second longer. You know your body is never going to get better than this, right?” She gestured toward my lean frame. “You’re a little light on top, but your butt and thighs are nice. You should exploit them.”
My cheeks colored under her serious gaze. “I cannot believe we’re having this discussion.”
“Well, believe it,” Millie said, holding up a set of keys. “I stole Chris’ keys when he wasn’t looking, so we should have no problem getting back to the resort.”
“And why are we going back to the resort?” I grabbed my room key from the dresser before shutting my bedroom door. “Do you think we’ll catch the killer?”
“Well, I don’t think we’re going to find Bigfoot, if that’s what you’re asking,” Millie shot back. “As for finding the killer, I’m fairly certain he won’t be where we’re going.”
“But … where are we going?”
Millie shot me a sympathetic look. “We’re going to take care of your stick problem.”
I tilted my head to the side, confused. “Which stick problem? You said I had two.”
“If we’re lucky we’ll handle both of them,” Millie said, grabbing my arm. “Come on. I guarantee you won’t want to miss this.”
“THIS IS a terrible idea.”
That’s how I felt the minute I realized Millie probably shouldn’t be driving – especially because she technically stole Chris’ rental vehicle. She weaved all over the road, got distracted by signs and was convinced every flash she saw on the side of the road was a deer about to race out in the road in front of her. Once she punched in the ambulance code to get behind the gate she had shown us earlier and made me hike through the woods in the dark, my feeling intensified.
“Oh, suck it up,” Millie intoned. I couldn’t see her eyes in the darkness, but I was sure she was rolling them. “You’re twenty-four. You should be excited about an illicit rendezvous in the woods.”
“I’m with you! How illicit can it be?”
“Would you be okay if you were with a man?” Millie slowed her pace and swiveled to face me. The muted moonlight allowed me to make out some – but not all – of her features. “How about if you were with Chris?”
Thankfully the darkness hid the flush of my cheeks. “Chris? Why would I want to be out here with him?”
“Because you think he’s cute.”
“He’s my boss.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s not cute.”
She had a point. Still … . “I do not have a crush on Chris.”
Millie remained silent for a beat and then relaxed her shoulders. “That’s probably good. The boy is head-over-heels for Hannah, even though she doesn’t realize it. I think they’ll find each other eventually, but it’s like watching stone statues trying to mate.”
I bit my cheek to keep from laughing at the visual. I didn’t want to encourage Millie, but she was definitely funny. “I noticed that myself.”
“What about the FBI agent?” Millie challenged. “I’ve seen you looking at him.”
“I have not!” My voice carried over the night air, causing me to cringe. “Besides, in case you haven’t noticed, he’s got a girlfriend.”
“One he loves,” Millie said sagely. “Anyone who looks at that boy can see he’s gone … and he’s never coming back.”
“I don’t know why you’re telling me this.” I shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. “I don’t have a crush on Landon.”
“You do, but it’s okay,” Millie countered. “He’s an attractive man, and it’s not as if you actually think you’ll get him. Laura’s infatuation with him is much more annoying. She actually thinks she might have a shot, even though that blonde could knock her on her fat butt without breaking a sweat.”
“Bay? She doesn’t strike me as the type to get down and dirty.”
“No?” Millie cocked a confrontational eyebrow. “Look at her again. That woman clearly knows what she’s doing when it comes to a fight. She learned from her great-aunt.”
“Tillie?” I rolled the idea through my mind. “I bet that she fought a lot in her younger days. She seems the type.”
“Age is a state of mind, and that woman’s state of the mind is all over the place. She still fights. Heck, I think she fights daily.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter.” I’m obstinate when I want to be. “I don’t have a crush on Landon. I’m merely interested in the Winchesters. They’re clearly hiding something.”
“I agree,” Millie said, causing my heart to hop. “I just don’t think they’re hiding what you think they’re hiding.”
“Oh, whatever!” I turned back to the worn trail that cut through the woods. “Where are we going?”
“To the eighteenth green,” Millie replied. “They’re having a party tonight. Those boys I me
t earlier invited me.”
“They invited you to a party?” I couldn’t hide my surprise. “That’s … impressive.”
“I have a way with men. Why do you think I still work for the foundation despite divorcing Myron decades ago?”
That was a pretty good question. “Are you uncomfortable working for him?”
Millie shook her head. “He was always funny to mess with.” She fell into step with me, picking a slower pace to navigate the dark slope. “What about Jack? How do you feel about him?”
“Oh, good grief!” I felt as if I were in high school all over again. “He seems nice enough, but he has even bigger problems with sticks than I do.”
Millie snorted, amused. “You’ve got that right, honey. That’s kind of why I think you might make a good match.”
“I’m not here to find a match,” I argued. “I’m here to find … something else.”
“Bigfoot?”
“Isn’t that why you’re here?” I challenged.
“I’m here because I’m genuinely fond of Chris, I like to travel and I have nothing better to do with my time,” Millie corrected. “As for finding Bigfoot? Meh. I don’t get nearly as excited as the rest of you do when we find a weird footprint in the dirt. That doesn’t mean I don’t want Chris to eventually find what he wants.”
“I’m sorry. I just … you’re kind of a busybody.”
Millie chuckled loudly. “That’s rich coming from you, who spent the entire day trying to find information on the Winchesters instead of working the case you’re being paid to pursue. Since when do the Winchesters have anything to do with this case?”
“I … um … you don’t know that they don’t have anything to do with this investigation.” As far as justifications go, it was lame. It was all I could come up with.
Millie made a tsking sound and shook her head. “You need to learn to be a better liar. Now, come on. The party is this way. I can smell beer from here. Sure, it’s probably cheap beer, but in an hour I won’t care in the slightest.”
MILLIE WAS right. An hour later she was drunk enough to hand me the keys to Chris’ rental so she wouldn’t lose them and euphoric enough to dance with several of the younger resort workers as they performed an ornate line dance I didn’t recognize.
Despite myself – and the chill in the air – I found the scene entertaining.
“Do you want a drink?”
I vaguely recognized the guy who moved up to my right side – although I wasn’t sure from where – and shook my head when I saw the proffered plastic red cup. “I think one of us needs to stay sober for the drive back.”
The guy laughed, the expression lighting up his handsome face. “Yeah. Millie’s a trip. She asked if she could touch my muscles earlier. I have no idea why, but I let her.”
Recognition dawned as I gave the man another look. “Oh, you were one of the guys unloading the truck. I didn’t recognize you with your shirt on.”
“Trevor Harris.” He extended his hand and I gladly shook it. “You’re Charlie, right?”
I nodded. “I see Millie has been talking about me.”
“Yes, she said you had a problem with a broken stick and she wanted me to fix it,” Trevor said. “I figured she was talking about something dirty, so I pretended I didn’t understand what she was saying. Is she your grandmother?”
I smiled at the question. “She’s my co-worker. Actually, I just met her a few days ago. I’m new on the job.”
“And what do you do for a living?”
I couldn’t decide if Trevor was honestly interested or merely passing time. There had to be at least fifty people partying on the eighteenth green, but he paid all of them zero attention and focused on me.
“I work for the Legacy Foundation.”
“I don’t know what that is.”
“We investigate unknown phenomenon.”
“Like UFOs?” Trevor leaned forward, intrigued. “Are you here looking for aliens?”
“We’re here because Penny Schilling died in the woods and she may or may not have been attacked by an animal of unknown origin.”
It took Trevor a moment to grasp what I was saying. “Oh, like the Dog Man?”
I nodded. “That was the rumor, although given Penny’s extracurricular activities that’s looking less and less likely.”
“Yeah, she was a busy little bee.” Trevor sipped the beer, grimacing. I was fairly certain that whatever was in the keg couldn’t be considered quality brew, which made me doubly glad I was the designated driver for the evening. “She had quite the reputation around the resort.”
I cast him a sidelong look, curious. “Did you ever … ?”
“Me? No. I didn’t make enough money to turn her head.”
“I heard that didn’t matter sometimes,” I supplied. “There’s a rumor that she wanted a relationship with the high earners but wasn’t opposed to spending time with just about anyone if she had an opening in her schedule.”
“I think that’s definitely true,” Trevor confirmed. “I tried to keep my distance from her because I heard a lot of things – including that she had a disease.”
I stilled. “What kind of disease?”
“You know; the kind people claim they get from a toilet seat but you really know they got because they’ll bone anything that moves.”
That was a lovely way to put it. “I heard one of the guys was married,” I said. “Did she know that?”
“Bob Grimes.” Trevor screwed his face into an unfortunate grimace as he shook his head. “Bob doesn’t have a very good reputation himself. His wife works in the hospitality department. She works behind the front desk and helps guests at the concierge desk most days.”
“Did they meet at the resort?”
Trevor shrugged. “I know they’ve been married a long time and that Bob likes to spend more time with his boat and hunting buddies than his wife. She pretends there’s nothing wrong with their relationship while he nails anything that moves and drinks more than he should.”
For a young guy, Trevor had a way with words. Of course, if I had to guess, he was probably my age. I considered myself good with words, too. “So Bob and his wife are married, but it’s all for show, and he got involved with Penny.”
“He probably didn’t get involved with Penny,” Trevor clarified. “It’s more like he got drunk and fell on Penny a few times and she told him they were going to get involved. Bob is a nice guy who never thinks before he acts. Penny was a manipulative woman who knew exactly how to get what she wanted.”
“Which was?”
Trevor shrugged. “If I knew the answer to that I would’ve told Penny a long time ago. She seemed to be searching for something. She never found it. Now I guess she never will.”
“No, you’re probably right.” I turned my attention back to a drunk Millie. “Did you really invite her to this party?”
Trevor brightened. “Are you kidding? Look at her. She’s hilarious.”
“She’s definitely the life of the party.”
“That’s exactly how I want to be when I’m that age,” Trevor said. “I want to know who I am and not care what anyone else thinks.”
Oddly enough, I felt the same way. I wasn’t quite there yet. “How long do you think I should give her before I force her back to the inn?”
“Oh, she’s probably got twenty minutes before she starts puking.”
“What?” My smile slipped. “Do you really think she’ll puke?”
“She’s well on her way. In fact … yup. There she goes. She didn’t last nearly as long as I thought she word. Darn. I thought she would be good for another dance or two. There goes the night’s entertainment.”
Twelve
I wanted to get Millie back to the rental vehicle on my own – mostly because I wasn’t keen on letting a guy I hardly knew walk through the woods with me when I was distracted and vulnerable – but ultimately I didn’t have a choice. Millie looked small and light in stature, but she was far too heavy fo
r me to navigate on my own.
Trevor seemed amused when he slung one of Millie’s arms over his neck, taking the bulk of her dead weight on his broad shoulders. He kept up a light conversation – nothing serious or worrisome – as we headed toward the spot where we had parked.
I’d pretty much managed to lull myself into a feeling of relaxation and security even though I had no idea how I was going to get Millie back inside the inn without anyone noticing. My brain was already skipping forward to various scenarios when a pair of hands shot out of the trees to my right and grabbed my shoulders.
I lashed out without thinking, slapping as hard as I could and making contact with skin. I heard a grunt as I lifted my knee, instinctively going after the one place I knew would equalize the strength factor when fighting against a guy. Jack quickly shifted his hips, keeping me from hitting my target, and shoving me back, a wild look in his eyes.
“Are you trying to kill me?”
I stilled, surprised. He was the last person I expected to find hiding in the woods. “Are you trying to kill me?” I fired back, my temper flaring. “You don’t grab someone while they’re hiking to their car in the middle of the night! It’s not gentlemanly.”
“Is something wrong?” Trevor asked, grappling with Millie’s weight as another figure moved out of the trees and closed on him. I recognized Bernard right away.
“Don’t even think about touching him,” I warned. “He’s helping, not hurting.”
“What happened to her?” Bernard asked, giving Millie a long look. “She isn’t dead, is she?”
I snorted, amused. “She’s dead drunk. She drank a little too much, and I couldn’t carry her back on my own.”
“Par for the course.” Bernard mustered a smile as he helped Trevor with his burden. “Here. We’ll put her in this vehicle.”
Trevor shot me a look, as if to ask if I was okay with the shift in riding arrangements. All I could do was nod and offer a wan smile before locking gazes with Jack. He looked furious.
“Don’t you even think about yelling at me,” I warned, surprising myself with the tone of my voice. “You’re not the boss of me.”
Witchy Dreams Page 58