by Kathi Daley
“Sounds like he might be heading down the wrong path. Maybe you can mentor him or something.”
Colt paused as if to consider the idea. “Yeah. That might be an idea worth looking into. I’m not sure the kid would be open to the idea, but I can at least approach him.”
“It sounds like he might be lacking a male role model. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s more receptive than you think.” I glanced at Ramos, who was standing by the door. “I need to take the dogs out. Do you want to come with me or wait here?”
He stood. “I’ll come. I’ve been doing paperwork for most of the day. I could use a chance to stretch my legs.”
After we left the cottage, we decided to stroll amongst the paths that meandered to and fro throughout the garden. Of course, the garden hadn’t sprung to life yet, but the snow had melted, and the paths were clear. Colt wound his fingers through mine as we strolled. He didn’t say anything, and I didn’t either, but the warmth of his palm against mine was not at all unpleasant.
“The sky is pretty tonight,” Colt said as we strolled aimlessly from one path to the next.
I paused and looked at it. “It really is breathtaking. All those little fireballs banning together to present an artful display against the largest canvas in the universe.”
Colt laughed. “I think there might be more to it than that, but very poetically said. By the way, I meant to mention that I went out for a beer last night with a friend, and he mentioned that his wife is on the Clam Bake committee this year.”
I remembered that the Clam Bake was a weeklong event held by the merchants in Holiday Bay to promote tourism.
“She’s looking for additional lodging properties to act as hosts,” Colt continued. “You may already be booked for the weekend, but if you’re interested in learning more about it, I have the contact information for the woman you’d need to speak to.”
“It might be worth looking into.”
“I know that there are some rules that host properties must adhere to, but it would be good publicity, and you’d be helping out the merchants association as a whole.”
“If I don’t have rooms available this summer, maybe I can block out rooms now for the following summer. Georgia and I have often discussed how important it is to us personally to really be a part of this community.”
“It seems like you’ve done a good job integrating yourselves so far. I’ve heard a lot of folks commenting on the events you hold out here at the inn. The events bring visitors to the area, which helps merchants and restaurants. In my opinion, you and Georgia both have made yourselves a real part of this community in a relatively short amount of time. And everyone loves Georgia’s new cooking show. She has a real presence.”
“Have you seen it?”
He nodded. “Velma watches it every week, and it’s been on when I’ve stopped by her place a time or two.”
The conversation stalled as we continued to stroll along the path closest to the ocean. After some time had passed, I called Ramos, who’d wandered further ahead than I liked. It wasn’t so bad during the day, but at night, his black coat seemed to blend into the darkness, and he became almost invisible. He didn’t come back right away, which was odd.
“Ramos,” I called again. “We’re heading back.”
He barked once. I called him a third time, and this time he came jogging up.
“I wonder what that was all about.”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. He might have seen or heard something, but chances are he just cornered a rabbit. It’s getting cold. Let’s head back.”
Chapter 5
When I arrived at the inn the following morning, Georgia and Jeremy were in the kitchen, but the rest of the place was quiet.
“Where is everyone?” I asked.
“I already took Annabelle to school,” Jeremy replied. “She’s spending the weekend with Hannah, so we won’t see her until Sunday afternoon.”
Hannah was Annabelle’s best friend, and the two had sleepovers at least one weekend a month.
“And the others?” I asked.
“No one has come out of their suites yet,” Georgia informed me. “Fiona requested coffee, juice, fruit, and bagels be made available between nine and eleven, but didn’t request a more substantial breakfast. I guess the group is going into town today, and then they have the big dinner this evening, so she didn’t want a large meal this morning. I have everything she requested set out on the sideboard if anyone ever decides to emerge from their suites.”
“Based on the number of empty alcohol bottles I hauled out to the dumpster this morning, I’d be willing to bet there isn’t a single guest without a major hangover,” Jeremy chuckled.
“So they jumped right in with the weekend’s party till you drop theme,” I smiled.
“They really did. When I did my final walkthrough before turning in, everyone was in the common area. Half the guests were passed out on the sofa or splayed across easy chairs, while others were sitting around the dining table, playing a drinking game. The group may have planned a day in town today, but I won’t be surprised if we don’t see a single soul until mid-afternoon.”
“Drinking until I passed out would be the last thing I’d want to do if I was paying to stay in a nice place like this,” Georgia said.
“I’m sure for people like Fiona Arlington, our inn is little more than a Motel 6. Keep in mind the main reason she gave you for booking with us was because we were quaint and common,” I reminded her.
“I guess that’s true.” Georgia shrugged. “I don’t suppose I care how the guests spend their time as long as they don’t destroy the place, which, based on my walkthrough this morning, appears to be intact.” She looked toward the door leading from the kitchen to the dining area. “I guess until someone comes down and tells me differently, I’ll just plan to leave the fruit and bagels out until eleven or until the group heads into town, whichever comes first.”
I paused to listen. “Actually, it sounds as if someone is coming down now.” I walked to the door and pushed it open. “Good morning,” I said to the bride and groom-to-be.
“Good morning,” Fiona mumbled in return as she sauntered over to the coffee, poured herself a cup, and added milk. “I’m sorry things got out of control last night. I hope there was no damage.”
“Everything seemed fine this morning,” I answered.
Fiona and Carson sat down at the dining table. “I had no intention of throwing a drunk fest for our opening night activities,” Fiona said. “I really don’t know what happened.”
Carson laid his hand over Fiona’s. “I think it was the drinking game Lisa suggested that did us in.”
“Actually, I think Mike was mixing the drinks a bit too generously,” Fiona smiled. “I know he’s your best friend, and I love him dearly, but the guy drinks like a fish.”
“He can handle it,” Carson pointed out.
“He can,” Fiona agreed, “but the rest of us really never had a chance once he took over behind the bar.”
Georgia came out from the kitchen to join us. “Good morning, everyone. Do either of you want something other than what I set out this morning?”
Fiona confirmed they were fine with coffee.
“So, are you still planning a day in town?” I asked.
Fiona looked at Carson, who shrugged. “I guess if we can get the troops up and out the door. I made lunch reservations in Bar Harbor.”
“I suppose we can knock on doors if no one gets up in the next hour or so,” Carson suggested.
Mike and Ambrosia came down, looking downright refreshed. I guess Mike could hold his liquor, and based on her wide smile and cheery mood, Ambrosia could as well.
“Coffee, coffee, coffee,” Ambrosia said, pouring a cup full and then adding a generous dollop of cream. “I’m starving.” She picked up a bagel and popped it into the toaster.
“You don’t seem too hungover this morning,” Carson voiced the thoughts I’d been having.
She shrugged.
“I know what a heavy hand Mike has when he mixes drinks, so I was careful.”
Fiona propped her head in her hands. “I wish I’d been.”
“Can I get you some aspirin?” Carson asked.
“What you need is a Bloody Mary,” Mike countered. “I’ll make you one.”
“I’m not sure more alcohol is the way to go,” Fiona said.
Mike headed to the bar. “Trust me. It will be just the thing to take care of your aching head.”
I glanced at Georgia and smiled. With Mike in the mix, it seemed as if the group was going to be plastered for most of the weekend.
Over the next hour, the others began to trickle down. Like the bride and groom-to-be, the other guests all seemed to be suffering from hangovers. And as he had with Fiona, Mike offered everyone one of his “medicinal” Bloody Marys, which I noticed, everyone other than Jennifer, who seemed to be doing a lot better than most of the group, accepted.
The last one to come down was Lisa. She poured herself a cup of coffee, accepted a Bloody Mary from Mike, and sat down with the others. “Where’s Alvin?” she asked.
“I haven’t seen him,” Fiona said. “I assumed he was with you.”
She took a sip of her coffee and shook her head. “I went up before him last night, and he was gone when I woke, so I assumed he was down here with the rest of you.”
“I’ll take a look around,” I offered. “He may be in the parlor. Or perhaps the library. And we do have a sitting area on the third floor as well.”
A thorough search of the inn revealed that Alvin was not on the premises.
“I’ll go and take a look outside,” Jeremy offered. “He may have gone for a walk.”
Fiona looked at Lisa. “Would he have left for any reason?”
“Left how? We all came in the limo, so he doesn’t have a car, and this quaint little inn you selected is out here in the middle of nowhere.”
I supposed I couldn’t disagree with Lisa’s assessment that the inn wasn’t close to town, but I didn’t like the way she said quaint little inn with so much disdain.
“I’m sure he’ll turn up,” Carson said. “Let’s all get cleaned up and continue with our plans. If Alvin is off sulking somewhere and he misses the limo into town, then that’s on him. I’m starving, and I hear the restaurant where we reserved a table has excellent lobster.”
Everyone grumbled their agreement to Carson’s plan.
Fiona looked at Georgia. “If he shows up before we head into town, remind him that the limo will be here at noon. If he doesn’t show up before we leave but shows up later, he can call an Uber if he wants to join us.”
“If I see him, I’ll pass along the message,” Georgia promised.
If one of my friends was missing, at the very least, I would be slightly concerned, but it didn’t look as if anyone was, so perhaps Alvin did this sort of thing quite often.
By the time the group left, Alvin still hadn’t shown up. Georgia, Jeremy, and our part-time employee, Nikki, planned to clean the rooms while the group was away, and I planned to go into town. I needed to speak to Vanessa Blackstone, the owner of Firehouse Books, about scheduling a book signing for my second thriller, which would launch over the summer.
Since Georgia was busy cleaning, I took the dogs for a quick walk before heading into town. It was another beautiful day. Blue sky, blue sea, white seagulls flying overhead. Ramos and Molly seemed to be having a wonderful time chasing the birds that swooped in to check us out as we made our way along the bluff. Once the dogs had done what they needed to do, I settled them into the cottage and made my way out to my SUV. The ride into town was almost as beautiful as the walk along the bluff. I really loved days such as this.
“Abby,” Vanessa greeted after I arrived at the bookstore. “How nice to see you. It’s been a while.”
“It has,” I acknowledged. “I’ve been on deadline, which has been occupying most of my waking hours, but I finally got my manuscript submitted, and now I’m working on setting things up for my book tour this summer.”
“Oh, please say one of your stops is here with us.”
I nodded. “Actually, I’d like to have the launch party here, if that’s okay with you.”
She grinned. “It’s more than okay. I’d be honored to host your launch party. Let’s have a cup of coffee and discuss the specifics.”
Vanessa and I spent the next hour discussing the launch party, book signings in general, and basically just catching up. By the time I left the bookstore, I was ready for lunch, so I decided to stop by Velma’s Diner. Velma was one of the first people I met after arriving in Holiday Bay. She is the one who introduced me to Georgia, and she’s also the one who convinced me that perhaps I did need the cat I was certain I hadn’t wanted in the beginning. She always has a warm shoulder to cry on, strong arms willing to provide a hug, and good advice when requested. Along with Georgia and Lacy, she was one of my very best friends.
“So how’s the big pre-wedding party going?” she asked after I sat down, and she poured me a cup of coffee.
I filled her in on the activities of the group to date, as well as my assessment of each individual based on what I had observed to this point. “Of course, today most everyone is hungover. I can’t believe how much alcohol they went through last night.”
“Sort of surprising from a group of professionals in their thirties,” she said. “A bunch of college-aged kids sure, but generally speaking, once most folks get to a certain age, they take a step back from the heavy drinking.”
“I didn’t have the impression that anyone meant to get drunk. I think they were just having fun, and it snuck up on them. One of the guests, the best man, made Bloody Marys for breakfast, which actually seemed to help.”
Velma chuckled. “Sure. The best cure for a hangover is more alcohol. It’s a vicious circle to get into, though. Drink to cure the hangover, and then end up with another hangover which requires more alcohol.”
“Hopefully, they won’t do that. Georgia has a gourmet dinner planned. It’d be a shame if everyone was too drunk to appreciate it.”
Velma took my order and then went to the kitchen to make my sandwich. It was almost two o’clock, which was closing time for Velma, so we were the only two in the place. Once she returned with my meal, she sat down across from me.
“So other than the hangovers, how is everything else going?”
I took a bite of the triple-decker sandwich before answering. “It’s going okay. One of the guests seems to be missing.”
“Missing?”
I nodded as I took a second bite of my sandwich. I really shouldn’t eat such a big meal ahead of Georgia’s big dinner, but I was starving, and it was delicious. “He was with the group last night, but when his girlfriend came down this morning, she said he wasn’t in the room. We searched the inn and the surrounding area, but there was no trace of him.”
“Could he have left for some reason?” she asked.
“The group arrived in a limo, so he didn’t have the means to drive away, but I suppose he might have called for a taxi or an Uber. No one seemed overly concerned, so I didn’t ask a whole lot of questions. I suppose if he hasn’t shown up and no one has heard from him by the time the group returns, we might want to do more to determine what happened.”
“If none of his friends are worried, I’d be willing to bet he’s done the disappearing thing before,” Velma said.
“That’s what I was thinking.”
By the time I arrived back at the inn, Georgia, Jeremy, and Nikki had the place spotless, and Georgia and Jeremy were in the kitchen taking care of the prep work for the evening meal.
“Did Alvin ever show up?” I asked.
“He did not,” Jeremy answered. “I’d suspect he decided that this event wasn’t to his liking and took off, but all his stuff is still in the suite he’s sharing with Lisa. Well, not all his stuff. I did a bit of snooping and noticed that his phone, watch, and wallet are missing, but his laptop is still set up o
n the desk, and his clothes are in the closet.”
“It sounds like he might have gone somewhere last night, intending to return, but he never made it back,” Georgia said.
“Yeah, but where?” I asked.
“Into town,” Georgia speculated. “Not that we have any nightlife to speak of, so if it was late, there wouldn’t have been a reason to go into town. Besides, how would he have gotten there?”
“I was going to call Colt and ask him to check to see if a cab or Uber was called out to the inn last night. I’ll do it now.”
My call took longer than I expected it would because Colt wasn’t aware that we had a missing guest. I explained that given the fact that his friends weren’t really all that concerned, I hadn’t been either, but that it did seem odd to Georgia, Jeremy, and me that the guy had simply taken off and left his stuff behind. Colt promised to check on the taxi and Uber angle and get back to me.
“Have you heard from the group?” I asked Georgia after I hung up with Colt.
“No. They want dinner to be served at eight and plan to have cocktails beginning at six. There are additional guests who are coming from town for a total of eighteen unless Alvin never shows, and then I guess we’ll have seventeen. Jeremy is going to man the bar before dinner, so hopefully, no one will get drunk before they can enjoy the meal I’ve been working on all day.”
“It does seem like it might be a good idea to keep Mike in front of the bar rather than behind it. Do you need help?”
Georgia shook her head. “Jeremy and I have it. It would be nice if you popped in around six to meet the new guests and to chat with those you met last evening.”