“You’re probably right, sweetheart.”
Seth couldn’t help thinking how lucky Alex was to meet Heather a year-and-a-half ago. Unlike me, Alex had a wonderful marriage to Anna and was devastated when she died of cancer. I can’t help but be a little jealous that he is just as happy this second time around.
“Hello, folks,” Neil Parker said as he walked up. “Got enough room at this table for Mavis and me?”
“Sure have, my friend. Have a seat.” Seth moved a little to the right.
Neil held the chair for his wife and they sat down. “Boy, this weather is something, isn’t it?”
“It sure is. Heather wondered if we were going to make it. My SUV spun around a couple of times.” Alex laughed.
“I told him I knew I was getting old, but I wasn’t ready to pack it in yet.” Heather laughed.
“I don’t think any of us are ready for that.” Mavis put her purse on the floor and said, “Kay called and asked if I thought they should postpone the party, but I told her I knew Gilbert had been cooking all day and I figured most of us could make it this far. Looks like most people did.”
“There is a nice turnout. Most of us mountain folk know how to navigate in this weather.” Seth smiled at her.
“When you can keep them from turning their cars in all directions,” Heather teased.
Alex winked at her.
“Neil did okay. He told me to quit complaining about his driving or he was going to chauffeur me here on the tractor so I shut up.”
Everyone laughed.
“I can’t believe Jude and the senator have been married a year.” Neil looked at the couple. “They seem as happy now as they were the night we gathered here for their surprise wedding.”
“I’m sure having her son back from service has added to their happiness.” Mavis grinned at Seth. “I heard through the grapevine that Jimmy Littleton is getting to be good friends with your daughter, and I see she’s sitting with the Winslow family tonight. Anything happening there?”
Seth shook his head. “Jessica’s gone out with Jimmy a few times. They seem to like each other, but beyond that, who knows?”
Heather spoke up. “Kay told me the other day that there’s nobody she’d rather see Jimmy fall for than Jessica.”
“That was a nice thing for her to say.”
“She’s a sweet girl, Seth, and I’m sure Ashley is just as nice as Jessica. I just know Jessica better since she teaches school where my son works.”
“Thanks Heather. I’m proud of both of them and Jessica likes your son, too. Says he’s a good principal.”
“How did Jimmy and Jessica first meet?” Mavis asked.
“Hunter and one of the reporters, Brooke Martin, were interviewing Jimmy for the paper at a restaurant in town and Jessica came in. Of course, they introduced them. It wasn’t long until Jimmy called and asked her out.”
“I see Brooke’s name in the paper every now and again, but most of the time she writes that women stuff, doesn’t she?” Neil asked.
“So, weddings and such are just women stuff, old man.” Mavis pinched his arm.
“It sure is. Once she gets her man tied down she wants to spread the news everywhere. How better to do it than writing about it in the newspaper.” He took a drink of coffee. “Now what we need to do is get this man here fixed up with a nice lady so they can write about him. I see you’re here without a woman again tonight.” Neil poked Seth’s arm. “You’ve held back long enough, and I wish you’d forget about that all fired limp of yours. It wouldn’t matter a dip to the right woman.”
“I was in love once, Neil. I don’t expect to ever be again.” Seth planned to change the subject after that statement, but didn’t get a chance.
Alex said, “Yes, but Eve turned out to have problems, and I know that hurt you.”
Before he could keep it from rolling out of his mouth, Seth said, “I wasn’t talking about Eve.”
The group stared at him. Finally, Mavis said, “Who was it, then?”
“You didn’t know her,” he mumbled and picked up his fork.
“Come on, Seth. You’re already said too much to clam up now. You know the six of us guys have been friends since we were kids. Though there are only three of us at the table tonight, we’re here for you. I know I would’ve never made it without you guys when I lost Anna, and you know it, too.”
Seth was silent a minute then said, “I tell you what. I don’t want to talk about a lost love tonight. Kay and Jude’s party is too festive for that. We’ll get together one night over a beer and I’ll tell you all about her.”
“He’s right, guys,” Mavis said. “There’s too much going on tonight. Why don’t you talk later?”
The food arrived, and everyone handed out praise as they began to taste Gilbert’s handiwork. Jude and Kay’s housekeeper was delighted with the response and went to each table to ask if anyone needed anything else.
Everything was planned so well, no one took him up on the offer.
As Seth ate, he wondered if he’d really tell his friends about Julia. Maybe he needed to let someone know what had happened to change his life those many years ago. Maybe he could talk about it at last. It had been a long time since the affair, but that didn’t mean he didn’t think of her. If fact, there was seldom a day when she didn’t cross his mind, or a day he didn’t wonder where she was and what she was doing. And no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t helped asking himself, what would have happened if he’d made a different decision – no matter how Julia felt about the matter.
Carolyn Foley came up to their table and interrupted their meal. “Mr. Hargrove, I’m sorry to bother you, but I think there’s a problem.”
He turned and smiled at her. Alex had hired Carolyn as the desk clerk’s assistant only a few months after her release from the hospital. He not only liked the girl, but he wanted to help relieve the agony of his friends Meg and Ethan Foley when their only daughter had suffered brain damage in a car crash. She was home from college, had gone to a party with friends where they had too many beers and ended up with their car upside down in a ravine. At first the doctors didn’t hold a lot of hope for her survival, but she pulled through.
Ever since, Ethan and Meg’s marriage had been on the verge of collapse. She blamed him for letting Carolyn go with a boy they hardly knew, and worse, he blamed himself. Carolyn seemed to take to the job, and when she wanted to move out of her mother’s house, Alex had arranged for her to have an apartment off the back of the inn. In the three years she’d worked at Bed, Breakfast and More, she’d proven to be a good employee, and Jude had kept her on the job when he purchased the inn the previous year.
“What’s wrong, Carolyn?” Alex asked.
“I don’t want to say anything to Mr. Winslow because he’s so busy tonight, and since it’s his party and all, but I thought someone should know and I know you used to be my boss before Mr. Winslow bought the Bed, Breakfast and More and I don’t want to bother him so I thought I’d come and tell you.”
“Then tell me what it is, and I’ll see if you should say something to Mr. Winslow, Carolyn.”
“Okay. We have these two women staying here. I think they’re friends, but I don’t know and anyway, they checked in last night and got separate rooms but one of them left and was gone today and the other one came to me and ask if I’d seen her and I told her no and when I went to put towels in her room the other one came back and wanted the one here to come out and help her get something out of the car so she got her coat and went out, but they didn’t come back in, but I saw them argue over something and the one who had been gone shoved the other one in the car and then they drove off and they haven’t been back and I don’t know what to do about the rooms and their clothes are still here.” She took a deep breath.
“Do you have any other guests, Carolyn?”
“No, sir.”
“Then why don’t you wait and see if they come back tonight? If they do, all is fine. The clothes they left won�
��t be a problem. I doubt you’ll have another guest in this weather, but if you do, you have plenty of rooms to rent.”
Carolyn was nodding. “So, I should just do nothing?”
“I think that’s the best thing. I wouldn’t say anything to Mr. Winslow tonight. If the women don’t come back or call by tomorrow, then tell him what happened.”
“Whew. That sure makes me feel better, Mr. Hargrove. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew you’d know what to tell me to do.” She grinned at him.
“I’m glad I could ease your mind, Carolyn.”
When she walked off, Neil said, “Are you sure you understood what she was asking, Alex?”
He nodded. “I’ve worked with Carolyn long enough to get used to the way she runs her sentences together. I know she has some trouble when she has to think of more than one thing at a time, and her thoughts tend to run together, but she’s conscientious about her job and she tries to please everyone.”
“I remember when she was in that wreck and was in a coma for a several months. Had a terrible head injury. It was a blessing she came out of it at all,” Mavis said. “It was good of you to give her a job and then a place to live, Alex. I know Ethan and Meg appreciate it.”
“Like I said, she does a good job and I wanted to give her a chance. Ethan would’ve done it for me, if it had been my kid. Hiring her has paid off, too. In weather like this, she never fails to come to work. Jude likes the work she does and has even increased her responsibility around here. She’s as devoted to him now as she was to me.”
“He’s always been a good-hearted soul.” Mavis said. “Look how he gave Doby Martin a job when nobody else would. Now, Doby practically runs the place.”
Before anyone could say anything else, there was the dinging of a metal utensil against a glass and Jude stood to ask for everyone’s attention. He then toasted his friends, his family and then his wife. Music began to play and after the anniversary couple finished the first dance, several men headed to the floor with their wives. Seth sat there nursing his coffee and watching the couples on the floor, but his mind wasn’t on them. It was on the last time he held Julia in his arms and they danced their last dance together, though neither of them knew at the time it would be the last one. Now, there would never be another dance.
CHAPTER 6
It was a little after 6:30 the next morning when Norma called the Armstrong house because she knew he’d be up and coming into the kitchen for breakfast. “Mr. Armstrong, do you need me today?”
“I can make do without you, Norma. It’s Saturday so there isn’t any school today and Jessica’s here. Why don’t you stay home and we’ll take care of today?”
“Ward’s done out and gone. Took one of those snowmobile things and left before daylight. Said he was going to check the horses before you took a notion to get out in this mess.”
“I appreciate that. I guess we did get more snow than we expected last night.”
“Almost six inches on top of what we already had the weather man said. You’re not going out, are you?”
“Not unless I have to. I’ll call the barns and be sure someone is there and if they are, I may just sit by the fire today.”
“For once, you’re being sensible. You’ve got the soup I made yesterday and there are some things in the freezer you can heat up if you get hungry. I made a meat loaf and a couple of chicken pot-pies. I know you like them.”
“Sounds good, Norma. If I need anything else, Jessica can help out. We’ll be fine.”
“If you all need me, give me a call. When Ward gets back, I’ll get him to bring me on that mobile thing if you want me to. I know they’re dangerous, but I might take a chance for you.”
“You’re a good woman, but like I said, I’ll be fine.”
“You better be. I’m too old to go looking for another job and I doubt I could find another one where I could tell my boss man what to do.”
“See how good you have it here, Norma?”
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far. Now, call if you need me.”
“I will.”
“You do that.” Norma breathed a sigh of relief and a pain pierced her side. Thank goodness, she was able to get out of work today. Ward was going to have to quit drinking so much and using her as a punching bag. Mr. Armstrong was going to catch on if she kept showing up with injuries. What in the world would they do if he fired them both? If she could just hang on a little longer, she wouldn’t care if he fired Ward, but she needed to keep this job.
•♥ •
Seth drank a cup of coffee then refilled the cup and picked up a muffin from the big glass jar on the counter. He decided to wait and have breakfast when Jessica got up. He knew she and Jimmy had been late coming in after the party and he was going to let her sleep as long as she wanted to.
The sudden sound of sirens cut into the quite peaceful morning. He put the muffin down on the counter and went to the doors leading to the terrace. The slate floor was covered in a heavy layer of snow. Instead of going out, he went back into the room, picked up the portable phone and dialed Theo Beeler’s cell phone.
“What the hell’s going on down there, Theo?”
“Mr. Armstrong, I’m on the way up to your house to get you. You’re not going to believe what’s happened.”
“Tell me.”
“I’m pulling up to the garage now. Can you come out here and go to the barn with me? The police will probably want to talk to you anyway.” Again, he said, “You’re not going to believe it.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Seth hung up the phone, went into the entry to the garage and donned his lined boots, a heavy coat and gloves. He grabbed his Stetson from the shelf, wrapped a wool scarf around his neck and headed into the garage, hitting the automatic opener with the head of his cane when he stepped through the door.
“It’s slick. Be careful, Mr. Armstrong,” Theo said as he leaned over and opened the passenger side door of his truck.
Seth nodded, closed the garage door with the opener he’d taken from the shelf then put it in his pocket. He climbed inside the truck. “You better have a damn good reason for dragging me out like this, Theo.”
“I got to the main barn this morning about the same time as Ward did. He took one of the snowmobiles home with him last night because of the snow. He said he wanted to check the horses so you wouldn’t have to come out. Anyway, we went inside, and I heard Powder acting up, which is unusual. He’s usually a calm horse. Ward said he’d check him and I started checking the others. Then Ward yelled for me to come look.”
Seth’s heart beat a little faster. “Is Powder okay?”
“He will be, but it might take him a while to calm down. Somebody had tied a naked dead woman on his back.”
“What?” Theo was right. Seth couldn’t believe what he’d heard.
Theo repeated his statement.
“How the hell did somebody get into the barn to do that? Was the alarm on like it was supposed to be?”
“It sure was. I called the alarm company to see why it didn’t go off. They’re sending somebody to check it today.”
“Are you sure the woman was dead?”
“Sure am, boss.”
Seth nodded. “Do you know who she is?”
“I don’t know if I do or not. Her face was beat to a bloody pulp and nobody would be able to recognize her even if they knew her.”
“This is unbelievable. Why in hell would somebody do something like that?”
“Who knows?” He pulled the truck to a stop at the entrance to the barn. “Ward wanted to cut her down, but I knew better than to mess with the body. I called the police and they were coming in the drive when I came to get you.”
“I heard the sirens.” Seth got out of the truck and Theo followed him. “Is the woman still on Powder?”
“Unless the police took her off, she’s still there.”
Though he knew what had happened, Seth was still shocked to see the naked woman strapped across P
owder’s back. Her head was pointed in their direction. He knew she was older because of the salt and pepper hair. Her skin seemed to be that of an older woman, though he was sure the frigid air had helped turn it to the bluish-gray color. “Damn, this is weird,” he muttered.
“Hello, Mr. Armstrong.” A uniformed police officer walked up to him. “Thanks for coming down. Do you happen to know this woman?”
Seth shook his head. “I don’t see how anyone could know her. Her face is almost obliterated.”
“I know.”
“Can’t you cut her down? It seems inappropriate to have her up there like that for everyone to gawk at.”
“I know what you mean, but we can’t move her until they get through assessing the scene and the coroner gets here.” He noticed Seth’s cane. “Would you like to go sit somewhere to talk?”
“I’m fine right here.” Seth knew his voice was a little sharp, but he still resented the fact that people thought him incapable of doing the things a man with two good legs could do. Of course, most of the time they were right.
The young officer nodded. “Do you have any idea why this has happened, Mr. Armstrong?”
“I wish to hell I did know. Something like this shouldn’t happen anywhere and of course I don’t like the fact that it happened in one of my barns.”
The sound of other sirens came up the road to the barn. Seth glanced toward the entrance as two more officers, two paramedics and the coroner came through the door. Hunter followed them.
“What’s going on, Dad?”
Before he could answer, Richard Staples, the police chief, said, “Damn, Seth. Can’t you ever have a simple robbery or something in that category of crime happen here?”
“Doesn’t look like it, does it?”
“Let me check the scene a minute and I’ll be right back.” He turned to the young officer beside Seth. “I’ll question Mr. Armstrong. You go ahead and look around for clues.”
“Lord, Dad, what an awful sight.” Hunter looked at the woman. “Who in the world would do such a thing?” “God only knows.” He noticed the camera in Hunter’s hand. “You’re not going to put a picture of this in the paper are you?”
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