by Hazel Holmes
Though William was having more trouble controlling his anger lately, he had never been physically violent. He never laid a hand on her or Billy. She had no warning of what happened next.
As Maggie left her son’s room, Billy’s hand in hers, she came face to face with William’s rifle. Billy screamed as his mother fell from his grasp. He looked up at his father in horror as William turned the gun on himself.
30
Ezra wasn’t looking forward to working with Nathaniel that day. Everything Sam told him was weighing on his mind, as was keeping the truth from Clara. It was too much stress. He kind of wished he never hired Nathaniel in the first place so he wouldn’t have to deal with this mess. It’d be easier to just fire him and move on.
Regardless, Ezra still wasn’t willing to fire Nathaniel over rumors, so he knew he’d have to face it. He’d have to figure out a way to tuck what he heard aside and see Nathaniel as he truly was, the good and the bad, for himself. He put on some classical music as he got the kitchen prepared, an effort to get himself in the right headspace. He wanted to have a solid outline at least of a menu completed for a taste tasting tomorrow, when he and Nathaniel would put together sample sizes of the foods to see how they looked plated, if they fit well together, and examine any changes that might need to be made.
Ezra and Clara were planning on having a big opening night, when they would invite everyone in the region over to see the changes they made and hopefully spread the word to any future visitors. He intended to have his menu done by then, so he could serve up small portions of each dish and leave an impact on people’s minds. It was their chance to prove they were offering up something different, and he couldn’t wait to show off his skills.
They had never opened a business before, and they knew it was going to be difficult. They wanted to stack the odds as much in their favor as possible, so this had to be perfect. Ezra was determined to make sure it was.
By the time Nathaniel arrived, Ezra’s mind was in a much better place than he started the day in. He was ready to focus on what really mattered, making good food. There was something about being in the kitchen that made everything else go away. This was his domain, his place to shine. He was going to make the most of this. He was going to make sure they were a success.
Nathaniel interrupted Ezra’s flow by placing a small cooler packed with ice on the table Ezra had just cleared off for their use. Ezra’s eyebrows rose as Nathaniel opened the cooler, irritated at first, then curious.
“I was hungry last night,” Nathaniel explained. “I wasn’t sure what to make, but I was craving a bit of comfort I guess, and I was reminded of when my father used to work here. He made this sweet treat I think his mother taught him how to make. I loved it. Olivia and Kyle, Richard and Lyla’s children, loved it too. We were always asking him to make it. It’s a unique dessert that appeals to kids, but I’ve never seen served in restaurants before, so I think it’d interest adults as well.”
“Is that so?” Ezra asked as Nathaniel lifted out two containers and two spoons. There weren’t many desserts he could think of that drew children in and weren’t served in at least one restaurant he’d been to. He didn’t think Nathaniel could surprise him with anything, but he’d be grateful if he did. They could use a dish or two that surprised diners and added that extra originality factor.
“Yeah.” Nathaniel lifted the covers and handed a container to Ezra, kept one for himself. “Just taste it.”
It looked like regular vanilla ice cream with some sort of crumbs mixed in with it. Ezra was skeptical that it was going to be anything new, and he suspected Nathaniel only thought the dessert was unique because he hadn’t been to enough restaurants. But he was a huge fan of ice cream and he wasn’t ever going to turn it down. He also didn’t want to dismiss Nathaniel’s ideas without giving him at least a fair shot. So, he plunged the spoon in and tasted it slowly, careful to pay attention to the flavor profile as his tastebuds took it all in.
It was something he had never tasted before. The base was vanilla ice cream, and it was exceptional; smooth, creamy, and rich. It was the kind of satisfaction you only get from homemade ice cream, and he hadn’t had any of that in far too long. But there was something more to it. There was something that elevated it above the vanilla ice cream he was used to. It wasn’t the typical vanilla ice cream base. It was a bit thicker, a bit creamier.
The crumbs as well were distinctly different. They were soft, yet with a caramelized flavor. It gave the ice cream a wonderful texture and added flavor that made it the perfect dessert. Still, it felt homey. Ezra could see why Nathaniel chose it as his comfort food.
“Brown bread ice cream,” Nathaniel said proudly. “My father’s old recipe. I looked into it after I made it, since I haven’t seen it in other restaurants. It’s from the Victorian era, what the upper-class people used to eat. It made me think it’d be a great addition, and it led me into a little research project on other Victorian dishes I want to try.
“Obviously I’m not the owner. I’m not trying to step on any toes or anything. But since you’re going for a Victorian theme for the bed and breakfast, I thought it could be a cool touch to add some Victorian dishes to the menu.
“They don’t have to be anything elaborate, and of course it makes sense to stick to some of the basics people would expect to find at a bed and breakfast, along with the fancier dishes you’ve chosen. But I thought it might be cool for guests to be able to try something new from the era. It might be just another thing to make the menu stand out.”
Ezra didn’t have to consider it for long. His mind was already grasping onto all the possibilities and running with them. Just a few choice dishes would be a great way to elevate the menu. Unique dishes from the era would be the perfect way to tie into the Victorian theme, and he suspected Clara would love the idea as well.
He knew he kept Nathaniel around for a reason. His passion helped Ezra see things in a different way, and having that extra input was going to make their little café even better. One of the things Ezra loved most about working in a kitchen was collaborating with a team, and he was glad he hadn’t let rumors ruin that.
“I love that,” Ezra admitted. He took another bite of ice cream, admiring the delicious simplicity. “Honestly, that is a great idea, and I appreciate you taking such an interest in forming this menu.”
Then, Sam’s suspicions came back to remind Ezra of why it might be odd Nathaniel was taking such an interest in helping Ezra. He was heavily involved in all this. Ezra didn’t sense any bitterness, but wasn’t it strange?
“I have to ask you something though,” Ezra said, never one to keep things in. “You’ve been great, you really have been. But… isn’t it difficult for you to put so much of yourself into this when…”
Nathaniel looked confused for a second. Then, that haze slowly faded.
“When I wanted to buy this place,” Nathaniel offered.
Ezra nodded. “I guess I didn’t think about how it might be difficult for you to work here when I offered you the job,” Ezra admitted. “Opening up a business like this is intense. Since you’re currently our only employee, you’re quite involved in the process. I didn’t think of how that might be difficult for you, considering this is the business you wanted. I kind of feel bad for not taking that into consideration.”
“Well, lucky for you, I considered it,” Nathaniel replied. “No need to feel bad. I was excited when I first got the job offer, none of the other stuff crossed my mind. But I did think about the potential downsides on the way home. I realized it could be a challenge to work here and not feel bitter that I wasn’t able to purchase the property myself, especially as things start coming up together.
“I’ll admit, there are moments that are difficult. Sometimes I’ll look at designs you guys are trying out and imagine how the house might look if my wife and I were the ones doing the renovating. I look at the menu as it’s shaping up, and sometimes I wish I had free rein over it. Every now and then the po
ssibilities pop in for a sad moment.
“Yet I also realize even if I had been able to buy the property, I wouldn’t have had enough money to build it up to its full potential. I couldn’t have made those dreams a reality; I would’ve constantly been looking for ways to cut corners. That would’ve caused a lot of stress, and piling on debt I can’t afford would be a huge risk. One mishap and I could lose the place, which would be far worse than never having owned it at all.
“So, I’m happy you guys were able to buy it, and I’m thankful to be part of the process. It is comforting being able to come back to a place I spent so much of my childhood in. It’s nice to see you both care about it so much, and I feel like I’m learning a lot from you. You do let me have input on the dishes which is great, plus I’ve been able to see a bit of the process of what it’s like to open a business like this.
“I still intend to get a bed and breakfast of my own someday, or maybe I’ll even just open up a restaurant or café. Either way, getting this experience and saving up money will help me so when I do own my own business, I’ll have a great chance of success. I appreciate the opportunity. I’m genuinely glad to be here.”
That was the justification Ezra had formed in his mind, so it was nice to hear Nathaniel say it out loud. It made sense to Ezra, and he liked being a kind of mentor towards someone whose passions matched his own.
He was reassured once again that hiring Nathaniel was a good choice. Despite other people’s misgivings, Nathaniel was a good kid. Sure, this was a little strange, but it wasn’t unfathomable. Other people simply didn’t understand like Ezra did.
“Well, I appreciate having you here,” Ezra said. “You’ve been a great asset so far, and I know you’ll get to where you want to be in life. I see a lot of potential in you.”
“That means a lot coming from you,” Nathaniel replied, with that goofy smile of his.
Ezra smiled back. “Now finish up your ice cream,” he replied. “It’s time to get to work.”
31
Arsenic. That was the silent weapon used to kill Olivia and Kyle. Clara was expecting something quicker, more impulsive. When she heard Richard and Lyla had killed their children, she thought it had to be a fit of rage. Especially since Brittany thought ghosts had moved them to do it.
But poison… That’s something that took thought, careful planning. Clara had never heard of ghosts poisoning people. Poison was a distinctly human way of killing. She didn’t understand how the two cases were connected at all. Why did Brittany think William or Maggie’s ghosts would want to influence Richard and Lyla to poison their children?
She didn’t think it fit, but she could understand why people might find the need to explain this tragic occurrence, even if that meant straying away from the evidence presented. She empathized with why Brittany would search for any possible reason Richard and Lyla weren’t truly behind this. Even though Clara didn’t know them, she was even caught off guard by it. She imagined the shock would be magnified within someone who was close to the family. Though killers often don’t appear to be killers until they’re caught, this couple was especially surprising.
From all accounts, they were loving parents who didn’t fight much amongst themselves and were well loved by the community. Of course, if Richard and Lyla had been victims themselves, Clara would’ve expected this kind of recollection of those who knew them. People were usually fonder of others once they’re dead. All the bad things were forgotten.
However, these good sentiments remained even after most people believed Richard and Lyla killed their children. Everyone was shocked it happened and no one really had anything bad to say about them, even when pressed for this information.
Since it was so odd, Clara decided to dig a little deeper into what evidence the police had that Richard and Lyla had poisoned their children, aside from the fact that both the adults were now missing as well.
The autopsy that had been conducted suggested the children were poisoned over a short period of time. They weren’t given the full dose all at once, they hadn’t dropped dead dramatically after a single meal. Rather, they were given large enough doses over an estimated week or so, that led to the children getting sick.
This fell in line with what the other people in the family’s life told the officers when they were questioned. It was known that Kyle and Olivia were sick for a short period of time before their deaths, though everyone assumed it was the flu. Both sets of grandparents stated that their children told them Kyle and Olivia were sicker than they’d ever been, but that it was just a particularly bad case of the flu. Though they were worried, it wasn’t urgent enough to take them to the emergency room. They said they’d bring them to the doctor if the symptoms didn’t let up soon.
The interesting thing about that was neither Lyla nor Richard ever mentioned being sick at all. They worried they were going to get sick, as often parents did when their children were ill, but they never showed any symptoms, nor did they say they were experiencing any. The illness stayed contained to Kyle and Olivia, which was just another factor pointing to their guilt.
The officers searched the house of course and found a hidden stash of arsenic in the back of one of the cupboards. After a thorough investigation, they confirmed that the only people who had cooked for the children that week were Lyla, Richard, and Billy, as Kyle and Olivia had been kept home from school as soon as they started feeling ill.
They questioned Billy, but since Lyla and Richard were missing, the arsenic was found in their house, and they didn’t get sick like their children did, the blame fell to them. The police were still looking for them, and there had been a hearty search following the murders. But so far, nothing had turned up. They didn’t have a lot of leads to go by anyway and their department wasn’t very big or well-funded, as they weren’t used to dealing with such crimes.
The prospects of finding Lyla and Richard seemed slim. The town had thoroughly turned against them, but it appeared they’d likely get away with it. And now Billy was dead, the property had been sold, and people were trying to move on while whispering about the ghosts that must’ve caused something so traumatic to happen.
Clara sat back and looked out the window as a few snowflakes started to drift past her. She felt a little empty. Her search had left her with a hollow feeling she couldn’t quite shake. Something just seemed off about everything, and none of the answers gave her real insight into how to change the reputation of the house or explain the odd things that happened there. She wasn’t feeling any more settled, and she still couldn’t figure out why the music started randomly, why the dress had been laid out. She wasn’t sure what exactly she was looking for, but she hadn’t found it.
Plus, there was something else there. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. An uneasy feeling had fallen over her. She had all the pieces, yet as she put them together, she formed something a little different than what other people had gathered.
She gathered those loose thoughts up and carried them with her as she left the library. She took them out again as she drove, contemplating everything she’d read and trying to make sense of it. By the time she got home, she had a different theory than the police had fallen on. This one was a bit scarier than the fears of ghosts haunting the house. This fear was a bit too human to easily shrug off.
32
Seeing Nathaniel’s truck in the driveway was unsettling to Clara. She wished Ezra had never hired him, and she wished she could fire him. But of course, she didn’t have solid ground to. She didn’t have a logical reason to want him gone, or at least not one that couldn’t be argued with, and she was aware that Ezra liked the boy for whatever reason.
She tried to put her bias to the side as she went inside. She couldn’t blame Nathaniel for what his grandfather did, or even what she suspected his father did. But it was difficult not to. Her new suspicions made her worry, and she simply didn’t think he was worth the risk.
It was odd enough when Nathaniel wanted to help them with
the business he wanted to buy, at the place his father invested so much of his passion into. Learning that the bed and breakfast was built by his grandparents though, made it even more suspicious. His grandparents lost the bed and breakfast to the bank, essentially. It contributed to their deaths. Then his father lost the bed and breakfast to Lyla and Richard. Now Nathaniel had lost it to Clara and Ezra, and he still wanted to be there?
Clara didn’t think she could handle it if she were in that position. She wouldn’t want to help the people who bought a business she wanted so much. So, what if it was all a little too much for Nathaniel? What if he was willing to do whatever it took to ensure the bed and breakfast would belong to his family once again? Could that explain why he was working for them? Was he hoping they’d be the next owners to die tragic deaths?
She didn’t have proof of any malicious intentions on Nathaniel’s part. Yet she couldn’t shake the fear that he did have those ill intentions. She wasn’t sure it’d be safe to even try to look past that possibility.
She couldn’t confront him about that yet though. So, Clara avoided the kitchen and got to work on one of the rooms upstairs. She was painting over one of the suites in hues of purple, to give the room a royal air to it, while keeping with the Victorian theme of course. She focused on her work and was able to shrug off some of her worries for a little while. She wouldn’t release them for good though. She needed them to keep her safe. She would not allow her family to be the next owners of the bed and breakfast to be tragically murdered.
She considered cooking dinner that night, but she didn’t want to run into Nathaniel, so she stayed upstairs until Ezra told her dinner was done. As she got cleaned up, she considered what to tell her husband.