House at Road's End

by Peggy Staggs

  Great. They’re related. The rest of my questions about her remained unasked. I’d have to discover her on my own. She’d always been around, but I found I didn’t know much about her.

  “Know those cats, the ones hanging around the B&B?”

  “I wondered about them. Dad wasn’t much of a cat person.”

  “Neither is Jane. Or she wasn’t. She feeds them and takes care to make sure they’re safe.”

  I had noticed. “I figured they were hers.”

  “You’d think so. No, some idiot dropped them off a month ago.” He shook his head. “People think you can turn cats loose and they’ll be fine. You know how many half-dead cats I’ve had to put down from people’s stupidity?”

  “How nice of her.” A warm feeling spread through me. I liked Jane. Or maybe it was my third glass of wine working its mystic powers on me. So much for my limit. I needed to work on my self-control.

  “She’s the ‘Breakfast’ behind the ‘Bed’,” he was saying. “And I’d bet she did a share of that, too. The General relied on her for a lot and she held up her end.” He had an easy manner about him. Like he was comfortable in his own skin. I liked talking to him. Or was it the wine? No. I liked him.

  “Jane said she called you about the two broken windows.” I took the file from beside me, on the outside, I jotted ‘get windows repaired’.

  “She did.”

  “Did you find out who broke them?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve been busy with more important things.”

  “You ask a lot of questions.” He tilted his head as he smiled.

  I was doing it again. One of the things that had driven Don crazy were my questions.

  We talked about Jane, her baking, and the cats while we ate. As we ate desert. I pondered my nearly empty glass of Chardonnay. I knew better. I took the last sip anyway.

  After three glasses of wine, dessert and conversation, we circled back to my father. “I can tell you what’s in the file, but I’d rather you read it for yourself. Then, we can exchange ideas. Right now, if we’re going to make the town meeting, we should leave.”

  A disappointed Lacey glared at me as we left. Could have been my imagination. Little did she know, he was all hers’. I told myself I wasn’t interested in him or any man. I couldn’t trust my judgement when it came to the opposite sex. Then there were his dealings with that snake, Don March. Jack was gorgeous, but I’d be gone as soon as I found the killers, and I could sell the B&B. Maybe I’d try Stanford. They were the big problem solvers. I like problem solving.

  Outside, the uneven sidewalk and the wine had me regretting my shoe choice. I struggled to keep my balance on the irregular slabs of concrete.

  Jack said, “You’re going to have to get some uh, shorter shoes.” He took my arm as I teetered on a particularly rough patch.

  The brisk, fall air tickled along my skin, leaving behind tiny goose bumps. In an effort to clear my head, I took in a breath of high desert air. I’d be buying lotion by the gallon. “You shouldn’t let the trees grow up between the cracks in the sidewalk.”

  With a smile in his voice. “I’m not in charge of tree roots.” We came to the corner. “Which is it? The B&B or City Council Meeting? Warning, if you don’t show up, you’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “Okay, only if I don’t have to stay long. I’m worn out.”

  “I hope it’s short. It could get interesting.”

  Chapter Eight

  Downtown, we passed shops straight off the set of a John Wayne movie. I know John Wayne. Dad was a big fan. I know somewhere in the B&B was a collection of every one of John’s movies. Twice. One VHS set and one DVD. The only difference here was the sidewalks were concrete instead of wood, the streets paved instead of dirt, and there were streetlights. “There are even hitching posts.” I ran my hand over an iron horse head with a ring in its nose. “Do people use them or are they decorative?”

  He laughed. “I’m guessing you’ve got a two drink limit.”

  Busted. I mustered all the dignity I could and said, “Right now, I’m more tired than tipsy.” Actually, it was a toss-up.

  He reached out, saving me from a nasty fall. “Those are great-looking shoes, but— you’ve got to get some boots before you break an ankle.”

  “Thank you, I’ll take it under advisement.” I didn’t relish the thought of trading a single pair of Christian Louboutin’s for cowboy boots. I probably should, this wasn’t the world of Saks Fifth Avenue. It was Eddie Bauer country.

  Town Hall sat alone on the far side of a quaint square. The brick part of the building was in good repair, but the white bell tower over the entrance was crying out for a coat of paint.

  As we walked, I took in the businesses. It was a cross between artsy shops catering to tourists and country stores targeting the locals. Most of them were closed. Permanently.

  “There’s no shoe store,” I said.

  “Sure, there is. The farm store at the edge of town has lots of boots.”

  “Farm store? Don’t you buy animal food there? I bet they do a lot of online shopping in this town.”

  He laughed. “Boise is only a couple of hours away.”

  “I like to look nice.” I smoothed my Ann Taylor dress. I loved the sweeping effect of the black, white and khaki strips as they twisted their way from hem and shoulder to my waist. Could I compromise? “Boots would be appropriate.” I could get an inexpensive pair, since I wouldn’t need them for long. I’d be moving on in the spring. Maybe UC Irvine. And if that didn’t work, I’d branch out.

  “Sounds very practical. You can save those for the barn dances.” A grin teetered at the corner of his mouth.

  “Do you always make fun of helpless newcomers?”

  His smile lit up his face. “I doubt you’ve ever been helpless.”

  I felt like it right now.

  The marquee in front of our destination indicated the building was used by everyone in town. The Sisters of Quilting on Tuesdays, The Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, The Cattleman’s Association, and the list went on.

  The sound of people chatting and laughing flowed from the doors filling the chilly fall evening. The Sheriff let go of my arm a second before we entered the light. “I think you can make it on your own from here. There aren’t any tree roots in there.” As we stepped into the light, his manner turned all cop.

  The inside was a large box of a room. The wall were plane. No frills. Just a large meeting room with a stage of sorts at one end.

  By the stage stood the mayor and another man stood talking. The mayor had a frown on his deeply-flushed face. I hoped none of the vessels in his brain exploded before his blood pressure returned to normal.

  Jack’s attention focused on the two men. “What does Max Jessen want now? He’s always trying to figure out a way around something.” He watched the two men for a minute, then said, “I better get up there. I don’t know why the mayor always wants me on the dais. Guess he thinks if things get out of hand, I’ll shoot someone.”

  I wasn’t sure if the Sheriff had a sort of John Wayne swagger or if it was my imagination. I blamed in on the wine.

  Max Jessen said something and walked away, leaving Mayor Harris with a confused expression on his face.

  From the front of the room, the mayor walked down the aisle of chairs lined up for the meeting. As he passed the Sheriff he nodded, said something, and kept walking my way. With each step his expression transitioned back to normal.

  “Ensley.” He took my hand giving it a firm shake. “I’m glad you made it. We’ve got some important issues to discuss tonight. Can I count on you as the new owner of the B&B?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Fine.” His gaze shifted to a man on the other side of the room. “I see Nate Baker I need to talk to him.”

  “Nate Baker, as in Canyon Savings and loan?”

  “Precisely. If you’ll excuse me.”

  I watched him make his way toward a man in a blue plaid shirt. Nate was
short with a receding hairline and thick glasses that road low on his nose.

  I had to work to keep myself from storming him with a flurry of questions about his unsolicited phone and how he got my cell phone number.

  The mayor tapped Nate on the shoulder. I couldn’t see the mayor’s face, but I could see Nate’s. He frowned as he shook his head.

  I decided to redirect my attention to the others in the room. The faces were a mix of happy, annoyed, bored and angry. Jack was right. This could get interesting.

  Five minutes later the mayor gaveled the meeting to order.

  I found a folding chair next to a man who appeared as old as the town. “You must be the General’s daughter,” was all he said as he patted my knee with a frail hand. Then, he turned his full attention to the front of the room.

  The mayor went over some issues obviously left over from the last meeting. Finally he paused, then said, “And that brings us to the main reason we’re here tonight.” He glanced at the Sheriff. “As you all know, the legislature put a program in place for this fall. It gives smaller communities money to attract visitors. It’ll help us boost advertising funds for our annual haunted house. We’ve got to come up with some local money to fix up the town. Everyone has to dig deep and help. We’ve got to put on our best face. Dr. Ensley Markus, Ralph’s daughter, has assured me she’ll have the B&B open for business by Halloween.” He indicated me. “Stand up, Doctor.”

  I smiled and got to my feet. Around me, I could hear the whispers. Is she going to be the new town doctor? What’s Doc Grant going to say about her taking his place? I’m not going to a woman.

  Should I say something? “Hello, everyone. We already have a guest and are expecting more next week.” I sat back down and hoped my irritation didn’t show. I do not like being blindsided. And in our short conversations there’d been no mention of Halloween.

  “You did fine,” the old guy next to me said and patted my knee again.

  “Thanks.”

  The mayor went on. “We’re glad to have you in our community. Now then, the rest of us have to do our part, too. All we need is to clean up and paint where it’s needed for now. If we’re going to make this work, we’ve got to pull together.”

  Voices around the room raised.

  “Business has been in the crapper since the resort pulled out. Where do you think the extra cash is going to come from, Howard? Cattle prices are in the crapper, too. Half my grazing land was plowed under for a subdivision I had to take back. And I didn’t get a dime for it. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to keep my herd,” Max Jessen shouted. “I’m barely getting by. I don’t have any money to dig into.”

  “Now, Max, we’re all in the same boat. If we can get the town spruced up and draw in more people for Halloween, we’ve got a chance to make enough to pay for our repairs with some leftover for a spring event.”

  “Howard, us ranchers don’t have an extra cent this year.” Max glanced around for support.

  “Max Jessen, you sit down.” Howard pointed at him.

  Another man stood. “The mayor’s right. This is something we’ve all got to do. Maybe Nate at the S&L can make us some loans.”

  Everyone’s attention turned to the man in the front row. He stood, tugged at his open collar, pushed his glasses up and faced the group. “I can’t go making all kinds of loans. I’ve got to answer to a board of directors. And we lost a lot when the resort pulled out, too.”

  Everyone began talking at once. The happy noise I’d heard when I arrived took a dire turn.

  Nate from the savings and loan eyed the door. He appeared to be gauging his ability to make his escape before the lynch mob got to him.

  “Nate’s shady,” the man sitting next to me explained.

  “Good to know. Thanks.” I’d gotten that impression talking to him on the phone. It was nice to get my impression validated. I wouldn’t be having dinner with him.

  He nodded and turned back to enjoy the fracas. I bet this guy knew where all the bodies were buried. And who buried them.

  Howard hammered his gavel. “Max, sit down. Ben, you can’t demand the bank loan you money. This is something the whole community has to pull together to do. If all you can afford are supplies, we’ll find people to help with the labor. Now, everyone sit down so we can talk this out.”

  One man didn’t sit down. The big man had more to say. “This isn’t going to work. Nobody has any money. I –”

  “Dave, if you don’t sit down, I’m going to have the Sergeant-at-Arms remove you.”

  A young man large enough to take any three men in the room, stepped forward.

  “Lyle, you put one hand on me and your mama is going to smack you.” Dave pointed a parental finger at him.

  “Dad.” The Sergeant-at-Arms suddenly looked ten years old.

  Everyone laughed. For a moment, the mood lightened.

  The gavel sounded a warning and the mayor brought the gathering back to silence. “There are tables set up in the back. Stop and sign up. Let us know what you need to get done, and how you can help out others.”

  Why was it so important I be here? I got the point about opening the B&B, but that didn’t seem as important as he’d made it out to be. Introducing me was awkward. I’d have appreciated a little warning.

  With Halloween a little more than two weeks away, I had no idea if Jane could get the B&B ready in time by herself. I had my priority. First and only on my list of to-do’s was finding the killers. The Sheriff left the mayor and went to talk to the Sergeant-at-Arms.

  Tension hung over the room like a dark cloud threatening rain on a flooded city. You didn’t know if it would be a down-pour or a sprinkle. The feeling didn’t stop with the men in the front. No, a thread of anxiety wove its way into every interaction. There were no more smiling faces or bored ones. They were all anxious or angry. These were proud people, used to depending on themselves.

  The Sergeant-at-Arms joined his father. The Sheriff’s attention now refocused across the room from me.

  I followed his line of sight as three men slipped out the door. The new cowboy from the bar, Max Jessen, and a heavyset man in a suit.

  From the intensity on the Sheriff’s face, something was wrong. Very wrong.

  He headed for the door. I followed. Before I reached the door, Nate Baker tapped me on the shoulder. “Hello, Ensley Markus?”

  “Yes.” I smiled. “You’re Nate Baker, we talked on the phone.” I offered him my hand.

  Nate’s smile faded. “My sympathies over your father. He was a good man.”

  “Thank you.” I knew what he was going to ask me.

  “I’d like to take you to dinner and talk about the investment he was interested in.”

  “There’s nothing I can do until probate is completed.”

  “Yes, yes of course. I just thought you might be interested yourself.”

  Wow, really? My dad was murdered less than twenty-four hours ago and he was hitting me up for an investment. The old man’s words returned to me. ‘Nate’s shady.’ Logic swam its way through my wine influenced brain cells. He may know something about the murder. Instead of no, I said, “I have arrangements to make. Maybe after the funeral.”

  “Yes, yes, of course. After the funeral then?” I didn’t like him, but I would get what information I could out of him.

  “Yes.” I felt for the file folder under my arm. “After the funeral.”

  Here was my chance. “How did you get my cell number?”

  “Oh, yes, well it was on the application Ralph filled out for a loan.” He shifted from one foot to the other. “I’ll wait to hear from you then.” He gave me a kind of snake-oil-salesman smile. “Good evening.” I almost expected him to tip a stovepipe hat and twirl his Snidely Whiplash mustache.

  “That was a little odd,” I said as Nate vanish into the crowd.

  After the Snidely Whiplash thing, I decided I needed some sleep. Outside, a voice startled me.

  “You ducking out early?”
>
  “Mayor?” I said. “Yes, I’m tired from, from everything.”

  Howard glanced back into the light flooding from the room. “My deepest sympathies about Ralph. I called the B&B earlier to tell you how badly I feel, we all feel over what happened to him. Good man.”

  “Thanks.” I paused. Impulse prodded me. Impulse always wins when wine is on board. “Why did you want me at the meeting tonight?”

  “Dave and Max.” He nodded toward the ranchers. “Are pretty typical of people around here. Between the resort leaving and the new road bypassing us, business is bad. A lot of people are depending on me for answers.” He kicked a rock to the side. “I was hoping that telling them you’d be able to get the B&B open and running before Halloween would help. It will attract visitors. The place had a backlog of reservations when Ralph closed it down. I thought maybe you could call some of them and get some business going. What do you think?”

  The Sheriff and the three men he’d followed outside were gone. “I don’t know about the rest. I’ve never run anything like this before.”

  He patted my shoulder. “There shouldn’t be much to do, Ralph and Jane, took great care of the place. All you need is a couple of panes of glass, a few pumpkins and the grass should be turning brown this time of year. You ladies can have it set up in no time.” He paused and glanced around. “We’ve got to do something or the town will go bankrupt. The ski resort left everyone either broke, or discouraged, or both.” For the first time, he didn’t act like the consummate political animal. He was a townsman concerned for his community. I liked him more at that moment.

  I felt I had a true indication of the man behind the office. “Don’t worry, Mayor, we’ll have everything ready.” I said it just like I knew what I was talking about. Since I had his attention, I should ask him a few questions. “Dad told me about the ski resort leaving, he didn’t said why. Do you know?”

  The mayor stepped closer. “The fact is, no one knows for sure. One day everything was great, the next nothing. A couple of years ago, a money guy showed up and bought up the north side of the hill for nothing. Too steep to do much of anything with.” He pointed south of town. “When they started construction, everyone got excited and borrowed money to spruce up their businesses.”