by Cindy Bell
***
Once Vicky had changed she headed back to the lobby hoping to catch up with Aunt Ida to ask her about Rex. Instead she came across Sarah and Barry standing by the door of the inn talking in tense voices.
“Something happened here,” he was saying sharply. “It doesn't matter what you claim, what it comes down to is that there must have been peanuts on Sandy Holstead's food, prepared and served at this inn, after she informed you of her allergy.”
“As I said, we took every precaution to prevent any peanuts getting into her food…” Sarah began to argue in return.
“Obviously not,” Barry snapped back as Vicky walked over to the two.
“Have you considered the possibility that Gerald was the one to add peanuts to his wife's food?” Vicky asked in an attempt to take the pressure off her sister for a moment. “Just because the peanuts might be found on Mrs. Holstead's food that doesn't mean that it wasn't added after the meals were delivered to the room.”
Barry spun around so fast to face Vicky that she gasped in reaction to the movement. “Are you accusing a grieving widower of poisoning his wife?” he demanded and took a step towards Vicky.
“No, of course not,” Sarah said quickly and stepped between them. “What Vicky is trying to say is that there are many possibilities. We don't know exactly what happened just yet. A thorough investigation should and will be conducted.”
“Yes,” Barry replied in a seething tone as he looked at Vicky. “It will.”
He pushed past both of them and stepped out the door of the inn.
“Doesn't sound like that went too well,” Vicky said grimly as she watched Barry stalk off to his car.
“He certainly is determined,” Sarah said with a sigh as she walked around behind the desk.
“Well, I'm not going to leave your side anymore,” Vicky said as she shook her head. She would have to postpone her meeting with Melissa, the waitress who was having her bridal shower at the inn on the weekend. “I don't like the way that he was talking to you.”
Sarah offered a fond smile but shook her head as she spoke. “Listen Vicky, the best way to keep our reputation intact is to continue to operate as normal. If you don't show up for the meeting with Melissa, then everyone in town will think that we're circling the wagons and trying to avoid taking responsibility for Sandy's death,” she pointed out and shuffled the papers on her desk. “Barry Baker means business, and if we're not very careful he's going to make sure this inn is shut down,” Sarah warned.
“But how can I plan a bridal shower with all of this happening?” Vicky asked as she leaned against the desk and studied her sister. “Do you really think I can pick out colors and suggest cakes?”
“Of course you can,” Sarah said with a smile of confidence. “You can do anything you put your mind to.”
“If you think it's what's best,” Vicky said quietly as she recalled the receipt she had found on the floor in the Holsteads’ room. It was for the diner where Melissa was a waitress. Maybe she could find out some information about who had eaten there.
“I think it's what we need to do for now,” Sarah pursed her lips as she looked over the list of new guests that would be arriving the next day. “We need the inn to run as smoothly as possible. If we have any more incidents while Barry is here, we're just going to look more and more incapable of providing a safe environment.”
“All right,” Vicky reluctantly agreed. She hesitated for a moment before adding in a whisper. “Just to let you know there's a burly biker wandering around here looking for Aunt Ida.”
“You're kidding me!” Sarah burst out laughing and covered her mouth quickly. Vicky smiled at the light that filled her sister's eyes. It was good to hear her laugh, even if it did draw a few looks from some of the staff members within earshot.
“He wants to ask her out to dinner,” Vicky added with a gleam in her eye. “I think Aunt Ida has him wrapped around her little finger.”
“You think?” Sarah laughed quietly. “I'm certain of it!”
Vicky was still smiling as she walked out of the inn to her car.
Chapter Five
The diner was not too far from the inn. It was located along one of the highways that connected Highland with some of the larger nearby cities. Even though it was nothing special, it was a popular place for those who commuted. When Vicky pulled into the parking lot there weren't a lot of other cars. It was a little early for dinner and far too late for lunch. That was why Melissa had chosen that time to meet with Vicky, as she felt it would be slow enough for them to go over some details.
Vicky didn't know Melissa too well other than to say hello if she passed her on the street, but she was impressed by how much she managed to juggle. As she prepared for her wedding to a man who worked as a mechanic in Highland, she also worked long hours and tended to her grandparents. Vicky was happy when Melissa had been the one chosen for the free bridal shower, and the best part was that she and Sarah had decided to take it a step further and offer Melissa the inn as the venue for her wedding. Melissa didn't know that yet, they were going to surprise her at her bridal shower.
As Vicky walked into the diner, she felt a sinking sensation in her stomach. If things continued to go as they were, Melissa might never get that surprise. The thought reminded her of the receipt in her pocket. She pulled it out of her pocket and smoothed it down. Vicky studied the receipt. She looked at the different prices listed on it, and the name that was signed at the bottom of the credit card receipt attached. It had taken some time to figure out who had signed the receipt, because it was wet and the signature consisted of an initial and the name Holstead. But it was fairly clear to Vicky now, that it had been the initial G for Gerald. When she stepped further inside the diner she discovered that Melissa was standing behind the counter pouring some drinks for customers.
“Hi, Melissa,” Vicky said as cheerfully as she could. She wanted to keep up appearances as Sarah had requested.
“Oh, hi, Vicky, I wasn't sure if you'd be coming,” she said in a rush. “Just give me a moment, okay?”
“Sure, take as long as you need,” Vicky assured her and took a seat at the counter. There were ten bar stools lined up at the counter, and on a few of them there were locals perched. Two gave Vicky sidelong looks. Vicky could tell that rumors must have already been flying through town about what had happened at the inn earlier that day. Vicky did her best to ignore the stares, but the more she ignored them, the more obvious they became. Vicky knew that if the inn was held responsible for Sandy's death, they were going to lose a lot of customers, and potentially a lot of friends in town.
“Can I get you something to drink, Vicky?” Melissa asked when she returned to the counter.
“Just a water with lemon would be good,” Vicky requested with a smile. As Melissa returned with her water, Vicky leaned in close to her.
“Have you noticed anyone from out of town in the diner lately?” Vicky asked her hesitantly. She didn't want to be completely open about questioning Melissa about Gerald, as she felt it would once more stir up the gossip mill.
“Well, we do get some truckers that pass through,” Melissa pointed out and then lowered her voice as she leaned a little closer to Vicky. “Why is there some kind of celebrity lurking around incognito?” she asked with a sparkle in her eyes.
“No, not exactly,” Vicky replied with a frown. “Any chance you know who might have been the waitress who served this customer?” Vicky asked as she slid the receipt towards Melissa.
Melissa picked up the receipt and glanced over it swiftly. “Sure, each server has their own code that they enter when they ring a customer up on the register, and that code gets printed on the receipt,” Melissa explained and pointed out a two digit code on the bottom of the receipt. “Let me just check that,” she walked over to the register and ran her finger down a list of codes that was taped to the front of the register. When she walked back, her eyelids had drooped and she sucked her bottom lip underneath her top row of
teeth. She looked fairly concerned as she sat the receipt back down on the counter.
“This is Carolyn's code,” she said in a murmur.
“Carolyn?” Vicky repeated as she didn't recognize the name. She knew just about everyone who worked at the diner.
“She's fairly new to town and to the diner,” Melissa explained with clear annoyance in her tone. “And honestly I hope she won't last too long. She's obviously never had any serving experience.”
“That's got to be tough,” Vicky said sympathetically. “Are you training her?”
“I'm trying,” Melissa said through gritted teeth. She tilted her head towards a young woman in the corner of the diner. “She spends more time on her cell phone than she does doing anything else.”
“Hmm,” Vicky nodded as she watched the woman tapping away at the screen of her cell phone. “I can see why you would be frustrated.”
“I've tried talking to her, but she's not the friendly type,” Melissa shrugged.
“Okay, well, why don't we get started on the plans for your bridal shower?” Vicky suggested with a smile, though she kept an eye on Carolyn. She found it interesting that Carolyn was so new and yet not the least bit interested in making an impression or following the policies of the diner.
“Sure, there's a table over there by the kitchen that will give us some privacy,” Melissa said happily. Vicky nodded and picked up her glass of water. She carried it along with her. Once they were seated, Vicky tried to focus on the details of the bridal shower, but she was feeling very uneasy. She knew that Henry was beside himself and was still locked up in his room, but she wondered how long it would be before his guilty conscience got the better of him. If he admitted to having the bottle of oil and someone found it stowed in Vicky's apartment, she would be in a lot of trouble.
“Vicky?” Melissa asked hesitantly. “Are you listening?” she asked.
“I'm sorry,” Vicky shook her head to clear her mind. “What were you saying?” she asked.
“I'd like my bridesmaids to be included in some of the activities, if that's okay,” Melissa said with a small smile. “We're all so close, and I don't want them to be left out.”
“Oh, of course,” Vicky nodded and pointed to a list of activities she had made that involved the bride and her bridesmaids. “How do these sound to you?” she asked. As Melissa was looking over the list, Vicky's eyes wandered over the restaurant. It was an average diner with a few historical pictures of Highland hanging on the walls. There wasn't too much that stood out. But Vicky noticed Carolyn standing behind the counter. She was glowering in their direction.
“Is she one of your bridesmaids?” Vicky asked without thinking about it first.
“Who?” Melissa glanced up in the direction that Vicky was looking. “Oh, Carolyn?” she frowned and lowered her voice as she looked back at Vicky. “I asked her to be, you know out of courtesy because I had asked all of the other waitresses, but we're not very close. She threw a fit when I asked her, told me I was being insensitive,” she rolled her eyes dismissively. “I like all of these activities,” she added as she looked back down at the list.
“Good,” Vicky smiled and made a note on her clipboard. As casually as she could she brought up Carolyn again. “What did she mean about you being insensitive?” Vicky asked, still a little unsettled by the heat of the woman's gaze that seemed to be fixated in their direction.
“Oh, she's in this dead end relationship,” Melissa confessed in a murmur. “She's dating a married man, and keeps thinking he's going to leave his wife for her. Of course we all know that routine. We've tried to talk to her about it, but if anyone even suggests that maybe the guy isn't as interested as she thinks, she loses it. Personally, I think she's a little off balance. But, since she can't get married, I guess she thinks anyone who can is rubbing it in her face,” Melissa sighed and glanced over at Carolyn then looked back at Vicky. “I really wasn't. I was just trying to be nice.”
“Of course, you were,” Vicky nodded. “Trust me you're better off not having included her. You want to surround yourself with people who have your best interests at heart on your special day.”
“I agree with that,” Melissa smiled and added in a warmer voice. “I can't thank you enough for doing this, Vicky. All of these fancy things, I never expected any of this.”
“Well, you deserve it, Melissa,” Vicky said sternly. “So, just enjoy it.”
“Thanks, Vicky,” she smiled again and then stood up from the table. “The dinner rush is about to start, but if you need me for anything just let me know.”
“I will,” Vicky promised as she began to gather her things together. Once she was ready to leave she noticed that Carolyn was still staring at her. Vicky felt uncomfortable as she walked out of the diner. As she was walking to her car, Aunt Ida's motorcycle roared up beside her. Vicky paused and smiled with admiration as her aunt easily hopped off the motorcycle and pulled off her helmet.
“Vicky, how is everything going at the inn?” she asked quickly.
“I don't know. I'm about to go find out,” Vicky explained. “Did Rex find you?” Vicky asked and wiggled her eyebrows.
“Oh,” Ida blushed and Vicky tried not to grin. “Yes, I'm meeting him for dinner,” she admitted.
“Good for you,” Vicky gave her a gentle hug. “Just be careful, okay?” she met her aunt's eyes.
“Vicky,” Aunt Ida planted her hands on her hips and stared directly into her niece's eyes. “I have been taking care of myself for longer than you have been alive. I will be just fine.”
“I know, I know,” Vicky sighed and shook her head as she swept her gaze over the motorcycle Aunt Ida was standing next to. “But I don't want to see you get hurt.”
“The only way I'm going to get hurt is if I don't get something to eat, and fast,” Aunt Ida laughed. “I've been running around so much today I forgot to have much of anything to eat.”
“Well, you're in the right place then,” Vicky assured her, winked, and then climbed into her car. As she drove back towards the inn she couldn't help but think of the romantic dinner her aunt was about to share with Rex and it made her even more irritated at Sheriff McDonald.
Chapter Six
Aunt Ida ordered her favorite chocolate malt and sat back in her favorite booth. She spent a lot of time at the diner as she loved to people watch. But today she was looking forward to her first date with Rex, a biker she had met on the road. He was a bit younger than her, with a full beard and wild brown eyes. She had never dated a biker before, and was looking forward to sharing a nice meal with him. As she waited, the two waitresses behind the counter seemed to be having a bit of an argument.
“All I'm saying is I wouldn't want to have my bridal shower at a place where someone just died,” the dark haired waitress was saying. She had an attitude to the way she stood, the way she talked, even the way she tilted her head to the side.
“It's certainly nothing to be worried about,” the other waitress, who Ida recognized as Melissa replied. “It was an allergic reaction, an accident after all.”
“A pretty serious one!” the first waitress stated. “I mean, how good can the place really be if the chef fed a guest something that killed her?”
“Cut it out, Carolyn,” Melissa warned with annoyance growing in her voice. “Sarah and Vicky have been nothing but nice to me. You're just jealous because you're never going to get to have a bridal shower!”
Carolyn's eyes narrowed and she gripped a fork that was on the counter as if she might use it as a weapon.
“We'll just see about that,” Carolyn growled. “It won't be long before you're eating your words, Melissa, while you have your little rinky dink wedding, I'll be marrying in Paris with royalty in attendance. Just wait.”
“You really are crazy, aren't you?” Melissa spat back with obvious frustration.
“She's not crazy,” a voice said sharply from the entrance of the diner. Ida ducked down when she noticed that it was the new sous chef from the i
nn. He walked up to Carolyn and paused beside her. “Don't talk to my sister like that,” he warned Melissa with roughness in his voice. Ida braced herself, prepared to intervene if she needed to.
“You need to wise up, Peter,” Melissa warned him and shook her head. “The only reason she even still has a job here is because the owner is friends with you. You know that,” she added with a growl.
“Keep your nose out of things that don't have anything to do with you, Melissa,” Peter snapped back and Ida abruptly decided that she didn't like this man at all. She made a note to speak to Sarah about him when she returned to the inn. As she continued to listen in, she heard him speak in a quieter tone to his sister.
“Carolyn,” he murmured as he pulled her aside.
“How did it go?” Carolyn asked eagerly. “Did you do everything as I asked?”
“Shh,” Peter hissed and tugged Carolyn further away from the others in the diner.
They ended up standing right on the other side of Ida's booth which looked empty while she was ducked down.
“It's done,” he said in a whisper to Carolyn as she stood close to him.
“Yes!” Carolyn said gleefully. “I'm so excited,” Carolyn squealed and clapped her hands. “It's only a matter of time now. I can't wait to see him! Did you see him?” she asked, her voice shrill as she spoke.
“I didn't, but there's a bit of a problem,” Peter said in an even lower voice. “There's going to be an investigation.”
“Of course there will be,” Carolyn cleared her throat. “That snooty woman will be a thorn in my side, even after she's dead!”
“Just be careful, Carolyn,” Peter warned sharply. “I put a lot on the line to make this happen for you.”
“I will be,” Carolyn replied happily. “Don't worry so much, once everything settles we'll never see this town again.” As she and Peter walked away their voices faded.
***