They’d started out pumped, even played car games for a while until even that got tedious, only to get to their destination weary and hungry and ready to get out of the car.
The scenery along the way had been beautiful, though. After leaving the Cascades, the flatlands rolled out ahead of them and stayed that way throughout the central part of the state. Around Ritzville, they sped past lush grasslands, the wheat fields just beginning to take off, gardens beginning to sprout. Outside rural towns, farmhouses remained a staple, popping up among the rolling hills, nestled in thickets of evergreens alongside coastal rhododendrons thriving in the wild showing off their pinkish purple spring flowers.
A nice trip overall, but it would be good to get settled into their bungalows, grab a hot meal, and fall into a comfy bed.
Which is the reason everyone riding in the van applauded when Josh pulled into the parking lot a little after six. They piled out eager to get their first look at Coldwater Lodge, their summer home until the case got solved.
Located thirty minutes outside Coeur d’Alene, the Lodge was centrally located to the Reservation. It was surrounded by a carpet of lush green velvet lawns and gently sloping hills, making the place seem more like a larger version of a quaint bed and breakfast. The general accommodations offered a dozen rooms inside the main building where the restaurant and bar were located.
They had opted for the more private row-style cottages found sprinkled around the property. The most expensive of the lot offered two bedrooms and a suite-like living room with a view of the mountains. The mid-price range bungalows came with two bedrooms but only had a picture window overlooking the river. The cheapest was the rustic cabins, two-room style studio apartments with bunk beds, and a small patio off the back porch.
Skye led the way into the lobby and walked up to the front desk. “Hi. You have a reservation for Ander-All Games, party of seven.”
The desk clerk responded by tapping his computer keyboard and tilting his head to study the screen. “You wanted cottages, right?”
“Right. Somehow along the way, we’ve had to make a few last-minute bunk changes, but we’ll take care of those ourselves, nothing you need to worry about. We’re just super glad you’re a pet-friendly facility.”
The clerk nodded and tapped more keys on his computer. “Well, I have four cottages reserved. Will that be enough? We aren’t full up yet, so there are more available if members of your party require their own privacy. In other words, there’s no need for them to bunk together unless they want to.”
Skye did a quick calculation in her head. “One for us, one for Zoe and Emmadine, one for Harry and Leo, and one for Judy and Reggie. So, yeah, four. And if possible, we’d like them clustered around each other.”
“I think we can do that,” the clerk vowed.
“I thought Judy and Reggie were staying in the motorhome,” Josh whispered.
“Last minute decision. Judy texted me when they crossed into Idaho and said she wanted anything available at the lodge. Anything. Maybe her claustrophobia kicked in again, or something else happened. The point is, she wants out of that RV. I don’t know but I got the impression she decided not to spend the summer inside a tin bucket.”
“I wondered about that. Reggie seems to have fallen in love with that stupid thing.”
“I’m just glad I kept the reservation at four cottages and didn’t cancel the last one. I think she was trying to be brave for Reggie.”
“Reggie will adjust. He won’t mind sleeping in a regular bed.”
Skye spotted Judy entering through the automatic doors with the dogs. “We can ask her ourselves what’s up. She just walked in.”
“I need a credit card, and you guys will be all set,” the clerk told Josh.
Josh handed over his American Express. “Did a whole bunch of boxes arrive for Ander-All Games?”
“Yes sir, FedEx delivered them this morning along with two huge whiteboards.”
“Great. Does your restaurant do room service?”
“Until midnight. Breakfast starts at six-thirty. Lunch service begins at eleven, and you can order from the dinner menu, starting at four. If you miss any of that, the nearest place to eat is a bar you passed to get here. Rockaways opens at ten-thirty in the morning, stays open until one. Serves the best omelets all day and the spiciest buffalo wings for happy hour. To buy food to stock your own kitchen, you can get supplies at the General Store four miles east of here. They’re also open until one and reopen every day at seven a.m.”
Judy rushed up to the desk. “Please tell me they didn’t give away our cabin. Because I’ll gladly take a room in here as long as I don’t have to spend another minute inside that motorhome.”
“No worries. You’re in luck,” Skye said with a grin. “What happened?”
“I got that same eerie feeling from before. You know the one. It crawled up my neck like needles and pins the minute we crossed into Idaho. I told Reggie that sleeping in the RV for me just wasn’t an option. I wouldn’t feel safe. I need a real door to lock.”
A memory flashed in Skye’s brain of a younger version of herself, tied up and terrified. “You don’t have to explain it to me. I understand completely. And Reggie?”
“He’s okay with it.”
Josh angled away from the front desk and handed Judy two key cards, one for her and one for Reggie. “You’re next to us.” He handed keys to Harry and Leo and then to Emmadine and Zoe. “If you guys don’t want to share quarters, the guy behind the counter says there are other cabins available.”
“I’m good,” Zoe said to Emmadine. “We’ve got two bedrooms and that’s fine by me.”
“Same here,” Emmadine echoed. “In fact, if it’s all the same to you, I’d just as soon not be by myself.”
“Harry?” Josh asked.
“I’m good with sharing a suite. No sense in paying for me to have my own cabin.”
“I’m fine with it,” Leo stated. “I’ll go unload the laptops and get everything set up.”
“Don’t you want to eat first?” Zoe said, sniffing the air. “I’m starving. And I smell fries.”
“Eat and then unpack,” Emmadine suggested. But then she realized she was on the clock. “Want me to get Sierra settled first?”
Skye laughed at the abrupt change. “No need. Josh and I’ll do that. We’d rather get her stuff unpacked first, get her all set up before bedtime, then we’ll meet you guys in the restaurant.”
Josh scooped up Sierra and toted her back to the van as Skye called to the dogs. “Let’s go check out the cottage.”
“I don’t like it here,” Sierra blurted out. “Kiya and I want to go home.”
“Did Kiya say that?” Josh asked his daughter.
Sierra shook her head. “But she wants to go home, back to Saddle.”
“Back to Seattle,” Skye interpreted. After getting the dogs in the car, she put her hand on Sierra’s head. “It’s okay, sweetie. No need to be afraid. You have lots of people around you who won’t let anything bad happen.”
“Bad things already did.”
“At the lodge?”
The girl bobbed her head up and down. “Everywhere.”
“Daddy and I are here to stop things like that from happening again. You know that, right?”
“And Daddy’s not gonna let anyone hurt you, Sierra. That’s a promise,” Josh vowed as he hugged her tighter.
“You and Mama love me,” Sierra murmured, resting her head on Josh’s shoulder.
Skye traded glances with Josh. “More than anything, baby.”
Sierra stuck out her chin. “I’m not scared.”
“Good girl. Let’s get unpacked and get some food in you,” Skye suggested. “You’ll feel better. Come on, guys. We’re in Bungalow 10.”
Their cottage was the size of a two-bedroom house. At eight hundred square feet, it had hardwood floors, an open space for a living room that included a full-size kitchen with full-size appliances. Stocked with dishes and pots and pans
and dish towels, they were set to cook their own meals anytime they felt like it. But first, they’d have to make a grocery store run.
Each bedroom was sparsely furnished with the bare essentials, a queen-size bed and dresser, and a nightstand. A connecting walk-through bathroom was a funky, odd-shaped space that had a stackable washer and dryer in one corner and a tub in the other.
The dogs sniffed their way around each room and finally plopped down on a rug in front of the fireplace.
“All in all, it’s not that bad,” Skye decided as she went through the cabinets and drawers. “I’ve seen worse. The dishes and the silverware seem clean. Although, we’ll have to check out the dishwasher and the other appliances to see if they work.”
Josh checked the closet space and pointed out that the dining room could double as a meeting area. “There’s plenty of room to stack the files and equipment in that nook over there next to the window, leaving enough space to walk around to cook and eat. With Atka and Bella, we’ll be a tad cramped, but it should work until we’ve nailed this guy. I’ll go get Reggie to drive the RV over and help me unload the rest of the stuff.”
“Good idea. Meanwhile, we’ll get acquainted with our rooms.” Skye led Sierra into her bedroom. “This is it, sweetie. We brought all your stuffed animals and your favorite toys. You can set them out on the bed or the dresser. Your choice. You can make this space whatever you like.”
“A playhouse?”
“Sure, why not?” Skye said, flitting back and forth from the suitcases and tidying the dresser drawers. She piled Sierra’s favorite outfits on top for easy access. “No digging for that special top you want to wear.”
“Will Emmie and Zoe come to play with me?”
“They will. And you can go to their cabin to visit them. Now, what do you say, let’s go get some chow.”
“Okay! Food.”
“Let me guess. Macaroni and cheese.”
Sierra shook her head. “I want mushy cheese squares.”
Skye frowned. “What are mushy cheese squares exactly?”
“The puffy things with cheese inside.”
“You mean ravioli?”
Sierra bobbed her head. “With red sauce.”
Skye ran her fingers through Sierra’s thick, black hair. “You’re a puzzle. You know that? I thought you didn’t like ravioli.”
“That was another time. I changed my mind.”
“Women,” Josh lamented from the doorway. “Always changing their minds as often as the wind changes direction.”
“Like Daddy doesn’t ever change his mind,” Skye teased back.
“Daddy, girls change our minds all the time. And boys do, too.”
Amused, Josh leaned against the door frame, crossed his arms over his chest. “If you haven’t changed your mind about food, then we should go before they run out of ravioli. My stomach’s doing cartwheels inside.”
Sierra jumped up. “Lemme see. I wanna see the cartwheels.”
Josh reached down and picked her up, then turned her upside down to blow a raspberry on her belly.
Sierra wriggled and squirmed and giggled.
“Okay, guys, I’m heading to get food. Who’s coming with me?”
“I am, I am,” Sierra hollered, scrambling out of her dad’s arms, running past the dogs. “Do Atka and Bella get to come?”
“Nope. They’re chowing down here. And then we’ll take them out to potty.”
Josh glanced around the house. “Three people, two dogs, a ton of equipment and gear, along with luggage, sharing this small space for three months is gonna get crazy real fast.”
“That’s why I took the time to put everything in its place. Neat and organized works well in cramped quarters.”
“Yeah? That’ll last until we come in late and tired.”
The trio dashed out into the shadows of what remained of the waning sunshine and followed the winding path around to the main lodge.
They found the gang sitting around a large maple wood dining table.
“What took you guys so long?” Zoe asked. “We’re all starving here.”
“Sorry. But we did say we wanted to unpack,” Skye explained. “You didn’t have to wait. What’s good here?”
Emmadine had her nose buried behind a menu. “This place has awesome food. If it’s half as good as it looks, this will be an interesting summer. Look at that chicken fried chicken, Leo. I haven’t seen good country cooking on the menu like this since I left Louisiana. I’ll probably gain ten pounds.”
Leo looked up at Josh and grinned. “It would be useless to suggest she resist.”
Josh pulled out a chair for Skye and Sierra and sat down next to Leo. “Why bother resisting? We need fuel. I might just take Emmadine’s lead and go with that.”
“Yeah? Well, they also have ribs,” Reggie pointed out. “That’s what I’m having.”
Zoe shook her head. “I can’t gain ten pounds. I’m sticking with a salad and grilled salmon.”
The waitress came over, a strawberry blonde with a huge smile on her face and a dozen freckles. She sat down a basket of huge dinner rolls with big tubs of whipped butter. “Hi, I’m Molly, and I’ll be your waitress tonight. Are you guys ready to order yet? No rush if you aren’t.”
Skye had been perusing the wine list. “Is this Gnarly Head Zin a smooth red, or is it bitter?”
Molly got down to business, scribbled on her notepad. “It’s not bitter because customers order it all the time. Trust me. You’ll love it.”
“Okay, we’ll take a bottle of that, and for the munchkin, she’ll have apple juice. By any chance, do you have ravioli?”
“We have it with ricotta cheese stuffed inside and served with meat sauce slathered on top. Look under pasta on the menu, and you’ll see all the different ways you can change it up.”
“That’s fine. She’ll take the simple cheese version and red sauce no meat, and I’ll have the tenderloin with mushrooms.”
“Ribs for me,” Josh declared
“Same here,” Reggie added. “Fries on the side. And I’ll try a Blood Orange IPA.”
Judy hesitated before ordering the chicken Caesar salad and a Coke. Emmadine thought long and hard about being good, but in the end, she gave in and ordered the fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. Leo was the last one to chime in. “I’ll try the English style Grog with a basket of wings and fries.”
“You got it,” Molly said, walking off to turn in the order.
“We’re a diverse bunch food-wise,” Zoe cracked. “Maybe we should talk about the plan to hit the ground running.”
Skye’s eyes flashed around the dining room. While the restaurant wasn’t crowded, there were still far too many ears with their radar up to discuss plans. “I don’t think this is the best place to talk about the case.” To prove her point, she raised her voice. “Corporate retreats are good opportunities for us all to bond.”
Judy picked up the ruse. “I’m so glad you invited us along for the ride. Is there any way we could tour the Reservation while we’re here.”
Zoe leaned over the table. “I don’t think you guys are fooling anyone. They all know why we’re here. Judy got a text from Barb Smith earlier, and I saw the clerk looking over her shoulder to try to read the message.”
Skye chuckled out loud. “You’re probably right. It’s too late for an undercover operation.”
“Does that mean we can just be ourselves?” Leo asked. “Because I don’t think any of us are pulling off the corporate retreat thing.”
“I tried acting in high school,” Emmadine tossed out to no one in particular. “It didn’t go well. My drama teacher suggested I go try the choir.”
Molly came back, balancing a tray full of beverages. After she divvied up the drinks, she poured two glasses of red for Skye and Josh and then sat down the wine bottle. “Your food should be up soon. And tomorrow if you guys aren’t too busy cracking the missing girls’ cases, you should really plan to check out the hiking trails; see some of
Idaho while you’re here.”
Josh looked amused. “We might do that. Who told you we were here for the missing girls?”
Molly gave him a slight grin. “My aunt is best friends with Barbara Smith. And Wren Grayhawk was my teacher before she retired. There’s not much that goes on here that we all don’t know about when it happens.”
“That’s interesting,” Skye said, sipping her wine. “I like how it’s a tightknit community. But how do you explain the girls going missing the way they have, and no one seems to know what happened to them? For such a hands-on community, that’s a big mystery.”
Molly looked stumped. “That’s a very good question. I knew Sara and used to play with her all the time when we were kids. We used to ride bikes together and hang out at the park. I always thought old man Ellerbee did something to her. But after he died, the others were taken, so I eventually had to come to terms that it wasn’t him.”
“Why did you suspect old man Ellerbee?”
“Well, Murphy Ellerbee used to own the donut shop in town where all of us hung out as kids, especially in the summer. He was always kind of touchy-feely if you get my drift. But at the time Sara was abducted old man Ellerbee must’ve been in his sixties, climbing toward seventy actually. He sold his shop shortly after Sara went missing and retired.”
“But would Sara have gotten into his car on a whim?”
“I doubt it. Sara also thought the guy was a little too huggy-kissy for his own good. But Ellerbee was really just a friendly, old grandpa type. You know the kind, right? He always liked to ask you how school was going and stuff like that, make sure you were keeping up your grades. Look, I gotta get back to the kitchen. Your food should be ready by now.”
Skye watched Molly disappear through the swinging doors. “That pretty much takes the ruse off the table. If Molly knows, then by morning, everyone within fifty miles of here will get wind of why we’re here. They’ll know we’re looking into these cases.”
“It was too much to ask for anyway,” Josh said. “Even during tourist seasons, small towns are notoriously cliquish. Outsiders stick out from the locals, locals stick together. We were never gonna fly under their radar for long.”
Forgotten Bones Page 9