Cranberry Bluff

by Deborah Garner

  “I imagine you have a few, too,” Sadie smiled.

  “Just a few,” Bryce said. “Some are good; some I don’t care to recall.”

  “I think we all have a few of those,” Sadie said.

  “Yes, I imagine you’re right about that,” Bryce replied.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Susie ran the silk scarf through her fingers, enjoying its soft, cool surface. Its deep blue and green ran together like a forest stream. It was one of several great finds in the last boutique that she’d wandered into while shopping with Sadie. Maybe the town wasn’t as boring as she thought. The people were so trusting. It was easy to have an entertaining shoplifting spree.

  Patting the side of her shoulder bag, she mentally counted up the day’s take so far. The silver bracelet had been so easy it was almost embarrassing. Trying it on and rolling it under her cuff was a tried and true technique. Earrings were always simple to pocket and, with the shop clerk gabbing on her cell phone all the time, Susie had managed to stash four pair in one of her front pockets. The scarf would be a wonderful match to the cashmere sweater she had on under the baggy one she’d worn in. But she knew better than to push her luck. She went to the counter and paid for the scarf. No sense getting caught at something as minor as a hobby. She had yet to accomplish her intended goal, the reason she’d come to Cranberry Cove.

  Susie alternated between conversation with Sadie and wandering along clothing racks and jewelry displays. Money wasn’t a problem. She had a good amount of savings and could drop a few hundred dollars on any given shopping spree. But where was the fun in that? Anyone could walk up to a counter and buy things. It took talent to shop without spending money. And risk and danger and challenge – all varieties of her favorite drug: adrenalin.

  This brought her back to her main purpose. She needed to find the money that Molly had hidden. There was no question in her mind that Molly had it. How the police had managed to miss it when they let her go was a puzzle. She obviously wasn’t a pro, but just someone who was in the right place to take advantage of an opportunity. Quiet office girl, indeed. That hadn’t fooled her, even following the news broadcasts with the security camera footage. Just as the reserved bed and breakfast owner image didn’t fool her now. Looks could be deceiving.

  Making excuses that she wasn’t feeling well – that raspberry French toast had been SO rich – she left Sadie to shop on her own and returned to the inn. Molly would be out running errands, if she kept to her apparent afternoon routine. Bryce might be at the inn, unless he was out tracking Molly – whether to prove her guilty, prove her innocent or just to flirt with her.

  The last thought steamed her. She’d never wanted a permanent relationship. It would only get in the way of her career. But she also didn’t like men walking away, especially after they wined and dined her on Russian caviar and champagne. That was just insulting to someone who liked to call the shots herself. Wasn’t it fate that they’d ended up on the same assignment again? It should have been a chance to take up where they left off, even for just a few days – or nights. Instead she had a mousy innkeeper standing in her way.

  That restaurant called Ocean, where she’d made Dan take her the night before, would be a perfect place for a romantic night out with Bryce. Certainly better than the blasé evening she’d suffered through with Dan. She had to admit the crab cake appetizer with truffle oil was scrumptious. But having to tolerate Dan’s chatter and fawning over her for an entire meal was a high price to pay for fine cuisine, no matter how delicious. She reminded herself, not for the first time, to turn down jobs from him in the future. This trip was an exception, one she’d only agreed to because it brought her to Molly on his dime. It was a perfect cover for her real motives, giving her an excuse to be in Cranberry Cove, searching the inn.

  But that was enough of her meandering thoughts. She needed to focus. As she walked up the side pathway to the barn suite, she pulled her thoughts back on track.

  Dan wasn’t in the suite, much to her relief. A note on the coffee table from him was even more reassuring. He’d gone up to the nearest big town and wouldn’t be back for a couple hours. Susie smiled to herself. Dan was rarely focused. His habit of heading off on tangents could be annoying, but this time it worked to her advantage. Everyone except Bryce was away from the inn, as far as she knew. With the exception of the second floor, where Bryce’s room was located, she could search for the money. The creaky stairs would warn her if he started down to the entryway. Besides, what was it he was doing? Pretending to be a novelist? He would probably hole up in his room for hours.

  The barn suite was a dead end, she already knew. She’d searched every inch of it, rummaging through each room when Dan was out of the way. The inn itself was the place to look. And now was the perfect opportunity.

  Susie slipped around the back of the main building, entering through the kitchen. Bryce’s room was at the front of the inn, looking out at the ocean. If he was there, he would have been able to see her walk up to the front porch. The door to the kitchen allowed her to enter unseen.

  Nice to flaunt his money like that, she thought. He picked the deluxe, oversized, ocean-view accommodation. That was one thing that attracted her to him, the fact that money was no object. He could just as easily have taken a smaller room. After all, he was traveling alone. But he did like the finer things in life. Exactly the kind of man she admired.

  The kitchen was dark. One window over the sink let light in, but it was small. A side window was even smaller. A four-paned window in the door let in a bit more light, but not much.

  Susie searched the kitchen quickly, not knowing how long Molly would be gone. Of all the rooms, it was probably the hardest one to justify being in. Just in case, she had an excuse prepared. Not that saying she needed a vase for flowers would do much good if Molly caught her in a utensil drawer, which is where she started.

  Drawer by drawer, she inspected the insides quickly. There were no envelopes or hidden panels. Canisters were her next target, those on the counter, as well as those in cupboards. They all proved to contain cooking supplies – flour, sugar, pasta, coffee and tea bags, but no money. The freezer and refrigerator compartments – a standard but still likely place to hide things – were just as unrewarding. Not to mention that it was tough to keep from breaking a nail while digging through stacks of frozen goods.

  After checking walls and cabinets for secret panels, Susie moved on. Molly’s room revealed nothing, though she limited her time in there to floorboards and the closet. She’d have no excuse at all if she were caught in there. She could come back if she didn’t find the money somewhere else. The dining room was also a bust. Susie wasn’t surprised at this. Hiding something in the most frequented room in the building sounded great for a movie plot, but not smart in reality.

  Susie moved to the front hallway and looked around, determining her next step. There were two vacant guest rooms on that floor, plus a small library. Molly’s office was only a small alcove off the dining area, so it was easy to check. The library would be time-consuming, but easy to go through at a later hour, since it was intended for guests, anyway. She wouldn’t need an excuse to be browsing in there.

  She skipped the library and searched the two guest rooms, since their doors were propped open to show the accommodations off to visitors. Both were quaintly decorated and neat, without a lot of frills. She made quick work of checking old-fashioned hatboxes, drawers, floorboards and table bottoms. Nothing turned up.

  Wandering back through the hallway, she paused to push against the sides of the main stairway’s steps. Though carpeted above, the small, side panels were wood. But they all felt secure as she pushed on them. The same applied to doors and doorjambs, molding and support columns. Nothing indicated any alterations had been made.

  A creak upstairs told Susie that Bryce was in the house, as she had suspected. She waited for sounds of a door opening and footsteps on the stairs, but none came. She was half disappointed and half relieved
. Of all the people to catch her snooping, he was the least problematic. He knew why she was in Cranberry. It would only be a problem if he caught her with money in her hands. He’d consider the case solved and turn in the money. He’d go for the glory of honesty and offer to split the reward with her to placate her.

  It would have been much easier if he hadn’t been there at all. That was the biggest problem. Sneaking around Dan was easy, clueless as he was. With Bryce it was challenging. There was no way to check the upstairs floor now, with him in the building, so Susie slipped out the rear door and returned to the suite.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Sadie took her usual seat at Eleanor’s, stuffing overflowing bags of purchases into the chair on the opposite side of the table. She’d worked up an appetite while shopping and, as always, Eleanor’s felt like home. If she could pack it up in her suitcase and take the café back to San Francisco, she would.

  She ordered the day’s lunch special, a variation of a Reuben sandwich on fresh-baked multi-grain bread, served with a Greek salad. She added a glass of iced tea to the order and sat back, watching other customers and letting her thoughts wander.

  Although Susie seemed sweet, something about her didn’t ring true to Sadie, whose instincts were keen, which had helped her solve many cases. Not only was she not imagining the familiar looks between the girl and Bryce, but Sadie was also certain she’d seen Susie pocket items while shopping. She’d thought she imagined it the first time they went shopping together, but not this time. And that didn’t fit in with the young, sweet bride image. Yes, something was very off.

  In fact, there were a few things that seemed strange about the inn’s occupants and their interactions, as far as Sadie was concerned. Susie didn’t fit the newlywed image, but neither did Dan. He was too reserved around Susie, as if he wanted to be close to her, but knew better than to push too far. There was some sort of unspoken barrier between them. Most people wouldn’t pick up on it, that’s how subtle it was. But Sadie wasn’t fooled.

  Molly had all the qualities an innkeeper should have. She was welcoming, courteous, a great cook, attentive to detail and hospitable without being pushy. She didn’t have any qualities that hinted at her being a criminal. Either she was remarkable at hiding her true personality – an Oscar-caliber actress, at that – or she was not the person Binky was looking for. If Sadie were placing bets, she would still be betting on Molly’s innocence.

  As for the other guests, there wasn’t much to surmise regarding Mr. Miller, since he kept to himself. If it was possible for a person to have no personality at all, he fit the bill. But Bryce was another story. He made a point of being present at all available social situations – breakfast and the wine and cheese hour, for example. He read on the front porch and had coffee in the library. He kept himself available to people. Especially to Molly, though that seemed only natural. Molly was attractive and Bryce was traveling alone. It was only logical that he’d create opportunities to talk to her.

  But, no, she was sure Bryce was more than a charming lady’s man novelist. He was staying close to Molly so that he could observe her. She was as certain of this as she was that several of Binky’s detectives had converged on the inn. This certainty made her lose her appetite with the great need to do something to bring things to an end.

  When the server returned with her sandwich and salad, she asked to have the meal boxed up to go, finished the iced tea and headed back to the inn.

  As if she had predicted it, Bryce was in the inn’s library when Sadie bustled through the front door, arms laden with shopping bags and the box of food from Eleanor’s in one hand. She greeted him by waving with her free hand before going to the kitchen door and knocking. Not getting an answer, she hesitated briefly and then took the liberty of storing her boxed food in the kitchen’s refrigerator, something Molly had offered during check-in.

  Still hours before the wine and cheese would be set out, pots of coffee and hot water for tea sat on the buffet table. Sadie helped herself to a cup of coffee and returned to the library, sitting down beside Bryce. In his usual, charming manner, Bryce smiled.

  “Why, Sadie,” he said. “How nice to see you.” He lowered his gaze to take in the tissue-stuffed bags that she’d set on the floor beside her. “I take it you’ve been out shopping again.”

  “Guilty as charged,” Sadie laughed. “What’s a getaway weekend without a little retail therapy?”

  “Absolutely,” Bryce said.

  “Is Susie back?” Sadie asked. She set her coffee down and began to rummage through her bags, reminding herself what she’d purchased. One of her guilty pleasures after shopping was taking inventory of everything she bought. It was almost like getting the items as gifts since so many of the items she bought left the sales counters wrapped in tissue paper and tucked into colorful, logo-imprinted bags with handles, just like gift bags.

  “Weren’t you shopping together?” Bryce said.

  “Yes, at first, but she wasn’t feeling well and came back here, I thought. I stopped for lunch at Eleanor’s.” Sadie said. “I just love that restaurant. Wish I could tie it to the back of my car and take it home with me.”

  Bryce laughed. “I haven’t been there, but I keep hearing great things about it. I’ll have to try it while I’m here. In any case, I’ve been upstairs working, so I can’t say if Susie’s here or not.”

  “Make sure you try the Reuben sandwich.” Sadie pushed the shopping bags to the side and picked up her coffee.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Bryce said.

  “Working on that novel of yours today, I take it.” Sadie offered.

  “Trying,” Bryce said.

  Sadie sat back and blew across the top of her coffee before taking a sip. She determined it wasn’t too hot, took a bigger sip and let the cup rest in her lap, hands around the sides. Confronting Bryce with her theory was risky, but the result could be helpful to both of them, if her hunch was right. It was a question of tricking him into revealing his real motives for being in Cranberry Cove. She’d always been good about reading facial expressions. A light discussion that she could back away from was the key. Debating several different conversation starters, she decided on an approach and spoke.

  “I don’t remember where you’re from, Bryce,” Sadie said. As she expected, the question caught him off-guard. He set his coffee down and leaned back, crossed his legs casually and let his arms rest on the chair.

  “It never came up, if I recall,” he said. “I’m from a little bit of everywhere. I don’t like to be stuck in one place for too long.” The relaxed smile returned as he waited for her response.

  Sadie considered saying something about how he and Susie seemed familiar to each other, but thought better of it. Sure though she was, she may have misread the signals between them. He was attractive enough to throw a young woman off guard. Besides, what she was about to hit him with was enough.

  “Well, you seem like a man of the world. Let me guess. You’re from New York…no, maybe Los Angeles... Or, hey! How about Tallahassee?”

  Sadie could have sworn Bryce’s tan faded three shades at her question, though he recovered his color within seconds. A true pro, she thought to herself. But her knack for observation outdid his recovery skills.

  “Tallahassee?” he replied casually. “Don’t know that I’ve ever been there.”

  “Neither have I,” Sadie said. “I’m not much for humidity and giant bugs, and I hear Florida is overrun with both. Why people choose to retire there is beyond me, but ‘to each his own,’ as they say. I do know people there.”

  “You don’t say.” Bryce leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. His smile remained, but he seemed cautious, focused.

  Sadie was tempted to leave him hanging for a minute, just for the thrill of having the upper hand. But Bryce seemed like a nice guy. It wouldn’t be fair. And she didn’t care that much about having the upper hand.

  “I have a sense that you’re growing rather fond of our
little innkeeper,” Sadie said. “I don’t blame you. She seems sweet. She also seems, if I may use a legal term, innocent.”

  Bryce’s smile faltered and he raised his eyebrows, but he said nothing, just listened, cool as could be.

  “Oh, don’t worry. I know why you’re here, but I’m not going to cause any trouble. And I don’t care about the reward money,” Sadie said. “I just came up here because it was a chance to get away for the weekend, and my old friend Binky asked me to help him solve a … problem.” Sadie took a sip of coffee, enjoying the confused look that was plastered across Bryce’s face.

  “Binky?” Bryce repeated. “Did you say ‘Binky’?”

  Sadie laughed, realizing how silly the nickname sounded. She never thought twice about it. A forty-year-old habit was hard to break.

  “Oh, my,” she said, “that must sound ridiculous! I’ve called him that for so many years I forget he has any other name. You probably know him as Al. But he’ll always be Binky, my ex-husband, to me.”

  “I thought your husband’s name was Morris,” Bryce said, confused.

  “It was,” Sadie said. “Morris was my third husband. Seymour was my second. Binky was my first.”

  Bryce leaned back in his chair, watching Sadie with a perplexed look. He remained quiet as he put the pieces together and then burst out laughing.

  “Sadie…” he said, “You’re that Sadie? The love of Al’s life? The mysterious Sadie that we’ve heard about for years?”

  “The one and only,” Sadie said, grinning. “Well, maybe not the only – who ever really knows – but definitely the one.”

  “No,” Bryce assured her. “You’re the only Sadie as far as he’s concerned. But…I don’t understand how this ties together.”

  “It’s actually not that complicated,” Sadie said. “We were childhood sweethearts, grew up in Brooklyn together. We married right out of high school – against both our parents’ wishes, I might add. What can I say, we were young and in love.”