She’d done a lot of thinking about how to deal with the mayor’s reaction to her opening the Inn, and slowly realized that there had been things done in secret, and maybe what was needed was some out-in-the-open public conversation. Today was the biweekly city council meeting and she had decided to attend, whether they wanted her there or not. It definitely wasn’t in her comfort zone, but the town and the Inn had both grown on her, even if they hadn’t been exactly easy and friendly at first. This was her home, and she was going to fight for it.
Trying to control her jitters, she tucked her notepad and a new pen into her purse so she’d be able to organize her thoughts a bit better. In her last job she’d given more than her share of presentations to the management so she was used to building a case to persuade others. Over and over she had to show the executives just how effective her little team of fraud detectives was against the people who wanted to file fake claims just to get insurance payouts. Hopefully, that experience would help her present a clear reason for reopening the Ravenwood Inn.
You think I’d be calm about this, she thought but she knew this time was different. This was for something much bigger than a bit of pride or to show off a team. This town council meeting could make or break her new business, and could change the way her whole life would go.
The old wooden grange hall was open, the front door propped in place with a wedge doorstop, and a few people filtering in under the big barn lights. The large room was full of folding metal chairs, most of them empty with just a handful of townspeople finding a place to sit and chatting together in little groups.
Amanda spotted several people she knew, including Lisa Wilkins, who was talking to her barista friend, Meg. Amanda threaded her way through the rows of chairs to the front of the room to take a seat by her.
“I really enjoyed meeting your grandmother, Meg. She’s a kick!”
Meg laughed in agreement. “Yeah, she’s something alright. She said she liked you, too. Said you had gumption, whatever that means.”
“I’m kind of scared to ask what it means.”
“Don’t be. She’s as good a judge of character as anyone you’ll ever meet. If she said something like that about you, it only means you’re a good person who interests her. That’s all.”
Amanda looked around the room, at the scrubbed wooden walls with photos of long-dead townspeople, and at the simply-dressed crowd slowly filing in. She felt about a million miles away from her former life in LA, where she hardly ever talked to people who weren’t in her age group or her circle of friends and coworkers. Back there, the whole tone of her day could be set by whether she got her favorite coffee specialty drink before she dragged herself into work.
They waited quietly until the three council members, including Mrs. Sandford, solemnly filed in from a side door and sat behind the long table on the stage. As soon as they’d been seated, the crowd became absolutely silent, as if the presence of the officials alone had somehow snuffed the joy out of the room.
Watching the small council conduct business, it became instantly apparent that they weren’t impressed with the proposals before them, and that every request was quickly voted down. A proposal for a new greenhouse to be built at the side of Petrie’s hardware store was immediately quashed, with the admonition that Petrie’s was a historic building that shouldn’t have any changes made to it. The middle-school principal stood up to present her case for the purchase of a newer bus to collect children from the nearby town of Likely, and the vote was once again a unanimous no, citing lack of funding. There was a bit of grumbling from the townspeople as they shifted uncomfortably in their seats, but no one offered any objections.
“The man on the council is actually a renter of Mrs. Sandford’s, and he’s deathly afraid of her,” Meg whispered to Amanda. “In all the time he’s been on the council, I’ve never seen him vote differently than Mrs. Sandford on anything.”
“What about the lady?” Amanda asked, pointing toward the plump matron dressed in gray, who was carefully studying her nails.
“Betty Monroe. Some sort of cousin of Mrs. Sandford’s dead husband. Rumor has it that she’s been borrowing money from Sandford for years. God only knows how much she actually owes her.”
So much for an impartial hearing.
Amanda leaned over and whispered, “I’ve never heard of a town named Likely. Is it close to Ravenwood Cove?”
Meg scoffed. “It’s about seven miles east of here, up in the hills with only one main road in and out. You definitely don’t want to go visit. Lots of trailer homes with tarps over the roofs, and the cops know just about every family there by name. It can be kinda rough sometimes.”
Lisa added, “We always said that if something bad was going to happen, it was likely going to happen at Likely.”
After working through their agenda, Mrs. Sandford set her black purse on the table, pulled on her gloves and asked if anyone had new business to discuss. Can’t wait to get out of here, Amanda thought, and raised her hand.
“Yes, actually, I do,” she said, and saw a flash of disappointment flicker across the Mayor’s face. Mrs. Sandford sighed and sat down, her gloves still in place, as she gestured for the younger woman to speak.
She’d been practicing the words in her head all morning, and they still came out in a tumble. Amanda laid out who she was, how she’d inherited the Inn, and the steps she was taking to bring it back to its former glory. She told them her plans and how she was willing to go through the proper steps to be sure that the building would be an asset to the town and the neighborhood, all while preserving its history and character. Her last statement was an impassioned plea for the city council to change the zoning back to its original designation so she could open for business and accept guests again.
By the time she came up for breath, she could hear murmurs of agreement from the townspeople, and see the look of open disapproval on the mayor’s face.
“I think we’ve certainly heard enough about the Inn lately, Miss Graham.” She drew Amanda’s name out with the same tone that she would’ve used on a disruptive child. “One only has to read the papers to see what is truly happening at the Inn. With such sordid goings-on, I am certain the town doesn’t need the type of excitement that your business would entail.”
Amanda was trying to keep her temper, but Meg could definitely tell it was a struggle and she put a gentle hand on her friend’s arm as the mayor kept speaking.
“With the nature of the town becoming more mature and peaceful, it is the council’s decision that reopening the Ravenwood Inn to anyone who wants to visit would not fit with the local climate of tranquility. It also does not adhere to the current regulations regarding short-term rentals. Thus, your proposal to reopen and rezone is vetoed.”
“Don’t you even want to pretend that the other council members have a say?” someone asked. The mayor quickly conferred with the other people at her table, and they both popped their hands up in support of the mayor’s position.
Amanda could feel her future slipping away. “Look, I’m not asking for special treatment. I’m not here to upset the town or do anything that hasn’t already been done before. The Ravenwood Inn has decades of elegant and honorable history in this town, and has been a haven for visitors and travelers. I’m not trying to make it into a Motel 6. I want it to be what it was before, elegant and beautiful.” Her voice was almost wistful.
“I’m sorry, but that simply won’t be possible.” The mayor voice was calm, and if Amanda hadn’t known better she’d almost say it was soothing.
That was it. The gloves came off.
“Mayor Sandford, can you tell me why you were the one to request that the Ravenwood Inn be made into a residence?”
The mayor had the grace to look confused. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, Miss Graham.”
Amanda did her best to keep her voice calm and strong. “I saw the assessor’s records, Mayor. They show that the Inn has been rezoned for residential use only. It also sh
ows that you were the one to request the change, the very day we first met.”
Mrs. Sandford’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Well, I’m sure I don’t know what you’re babbling about, Miss Graham, but it sounds like the assessor has seen the wisdom of having consistent zoning for that area, which is individual houses. I applaud his decision.”
Amanda pulled herself to her feet, ignoring Meg’s softly hissed warning to keep calm. “Well, if I can’t open to guests, how about I just host murder-mystery nights?” Her voice was raising and getting louder and she didn’t care at all. “I could do those wine-tasting parties where people can follow clues and try to figure whodunit and why. Maybe give them tours of my garden and the six-foot long hole in it and sell postcards of my scarecrow. How about them apples?”
There was no mistaking the look of rage on the mayor’s face, or the wide open mouths of the other two council members. “This meeting is adjourned!” she spat out as she banged her gavel loudly on the table and stalked quickly from the room.
It was hard not to cry, either from frustration or disappointment, and Amanda knew she’d also ruined any chance she’d have for future relations with the council by goading them with the idea of holding murder mystery parties at the Inn. Truthfully, she’d only said it in anger, but the horrified looks on their faces almost made her want to do it to spite them.
Meg kept her voice low. “Well, I think that’s the sort of thing my Gramma meant when she said you had gumption.”
Meg and Lisa didn’t say much else as they patted Amanda on the back and picked up their jackets to walk out with her. Head down, Amanda barely caught a glimpse of a familiar dark jacket out of the corner of her eye, moving to intersect them.
“Detective Landon. You always show up at city council meetings?”
His grin was broad and infectious. “Only if there promises to be fireworks. Did you come here just to make Mayor Sandford clutch her pearls in horror? If so, you did a good job of it.”
Meg stifled a laugh as Amanda rolled her eyes. “Sometimes things just come out, okay? She made me mad and now she’s going to make me bankrupt. She deserved any pearl clutching she got.”
The tall detective leaned a bit closer, his eyes locked with hers. “Remind me to stay on your good side, lady.”
Amanda caught a faint whiff of something masculine and clean, like good leather or fresh pine. Aftershave. Or maybe it was just the testosterone. Whatever it was, it was definitely affecting her concentration level.
Amanda missed the silent message Lisa and Meg were telegraphing to each other behind her, but Meg understood it perfectly. “Well, Lisa and I have got to be going. We’ll catch up to you later. Bye!” and before Amanda could protest her two friends were scuttling out the side door. Standing alone with the detective in the hall, she watched the last stragglers filing out of the room.
“I may have some information that could help. How about a cup of coffee?” His face was serious, but his eyes were sparkling with mischief, as if he was keeping fun secrets.
“Actually, I really need food.” Amanda could tell the adrenaline from her confrontation was beginning to fade, and her knees felt a bit shaky. “Know a good place to get a sandwich?”
Chapter 12
It was less than a five-minute walk to Ivy’s Café, a cheerful little restaurant tucked onto Main Street behind a dark green awning, kitty-corner from Petrie’s Hardware and directly across from Kazoodles toy store. James smiled and nodded at several customers as they walked in, obviously in his element. The sign said “Seat Yourself”, so Amanda settled into a booth by the windows gratefully and looked over the menu the smiling waitress handed her.
“You don’t need that.”
She pulled her menu down a bit, to see James’ serious expression. She’d almost believe it, except that his short-cropped dark hair was sticking up in all directions and it gave him the appearance of a puckish boy. It was both careless and masculine, but it still made her suppress a chuckle.
“They make the best bacon cheeseburgers in the world, and the most amazing clam chowder you’ll ever eat. Ivy’s is known all over for those two things. Trust me, they’re fantastic.”
“What if I’m a vegan?”
He snorted in disgust. “Then you’re gonna starve in this town, lady.”
Amanda couldn’t help but laugh. “A bacon cheeseburger sounds great.”
Two orders for cheeseburgers, and the waitress hurried away, humming happily. Amanda looked out the window at the little shops and people walking by on the wide sidewalks. If she didn’t know better, it looked deceptively calm and old-fashioned. Too bad she’d seen such a bad side of Ravenwood Cove since she’d arrived because, truthfully, she’d rather have never known that such a side existed.
“Sounds like you know a lot about the people in this town, Detective. Come here often?”
He chuckled; a deep, rich sound. “It hasn’t changed much since I was a boy. The people who live here have stayed because they like that continuity.” He followed her gaze across the street. “I can remember taking every dime of my allowance down to Kazoodles on Saturday morning, just to see what I could get.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Still get toys and gifts for my nieces there.”
Amanda sighed. “Looks like a normal little town, doesn’t it? Too bad a crazy lady runs it.”
“She’s not crazy, but she does have her way of thinking about things, and I think people just got tired of fighting her. She can be an immovable object sometimes. “
“Well, maybe that means I have to be the irresistible force, I guess.”
He grinned. “No comment, but you’re definitely kinda stubborn.”
“You said you had some information for me?” Amanda studiously ignored his jab.
They paused and leaned back while the waitress slid two huge platters of food in front of them, smiling warmly at the detective while she pulled a ketchup bottle out of her apron pocket and plunked it onto the table.
“Will there be anything else?”
“No, thanks, Ruby.”
Amanda watched the trim waitress walk away, and couldn’t help but ask.
“Um, friend of yours?”
James took an enormous bite of his burger and nodded.
“Thought so,” Amanda said, and tried the burger, too. It was amazing.
“I’ve known her family for years, and we went to high school together. When you grow up in a small town you get to know just about everybody.”
Amanda had a brief mental flash of what her companion must’ve looked like in high school, but suppressed it. Football player? Prom king? She could certainly picture him with cheerleaders hanging off his muscular arm.
“What did you want to talk about?”
His face was deadly serious as he leaned forward.
“Look, what we talk about here today needs to stay here, okay? This info doesn’t get talked around town or show up in the paper or get discussed with girlfriends.”
Amanda bristled. “I’d never do that.”
“Pinky swear?”
She laughed and took the proffered pinky, linking it with hers, making a pact with him. “Pinky swear. I’ll be good.”
“Just a couple things you should know. First, it was definitely Emmett Johnson buried in your garden. Dental records confirm it, so at least that gives us something to go on.”
Amanda’s breath caught in her throat. Her mystery now had a real name, and a real face. “How did he die?”
James paused and set down his burger. “I hate to admit it, but we’re really not sure. There was no sign of trauma to the body or bullets, and no bones that looked like they’d been broken before death. We’ll keep working on finding an answer to that, but right now we got nothin’.”
She shivered, her thoughts instantly going to her uncle and the argument he’d had with Emmett.
“Anything else?”
James nodded. “Forensics found a folded piece of paper in his wallet, but it was unreadable. They a
lso found a chalky substance all over the remains and inside the lungs, but it hasn’t been identified yet. Oh, and the tape used to tape the plastic shut is the packing tape that Petrie’s hardware has custom-made, with their logo on it. They use it to help wrap bulky purchases or seal mail order boxes.”
“Petrie’s?” She thought of Brian, the helpful man who’d kept his store open late just to be sure she’d had lanterns and bug spray. He seemed so nice. “Does that make the owner a suspect?”
“Until we narrow it down I can’t officially say, but I can tell you that Emmett probably had lots of people who wanted to kill him. He wasn’t exactly an upstanding sort of guy.”
“Will your investigation results be in the paper?”
James shook his head, swallowing a bite of his lunch. “Not usually. Well, maybe some of them. A lot of times we don’t release all our info to the press because it could tip our hand, or because the details are too gruesome to print for the public.”
She shuddered. Too gruesome. Maybe sometimes it was better not to know the details of murders and mayhem.
Amanda’s mind whirled with the possibilities and the clues. It was almost too much to take, so she switched to a safer subject.
“You wanted to talk about the mayor?”
“Not necessarily the mayor, but what the plans are for the town. Did you know that the Crescent Crown Company is looking at buying the forested acreage about a half block north of you? The one on the bluff with the panoramic view of the cove?”
She knew that land; a huge crescent of bluff with patches of tall trees. “Yes, I think I know it.”
The detective continued. “Well, you’re sure not going to like this. Guess who owns that particular piece of gorgeous and valuable real estate.”
Amanda could feel her stomach twist with sudden dread. “You mean the mayor?”
BED, BREAKFAST, and BONES: A Ravenwood Cove Cozy Mystery Page 6