She hurried right behind him. If there was trouble to be found, Shaun was an expert at discovering it. When her son popped his head through the opening in the ceiling, his body language gave her an answer to what was in the attic, and it wasn’t a treasure.
He looked down at her, his shoulders sagging, his mouth set in a pout. “Nothing. Not even one box.” Instead of starting to back down, Shaun hauled himself into the attic and his face reappeared in the opening. “But it’s a cool place to play. I could make a fort up here. Or I could—”
“Stop right there. In summer, it will be very hot and in the winter very cold.” She hoisted herself up through the hole and sat at the edge of the opening with her feet dangling into the closet. All her childhood memories with her sister playing up here flooded her mind. Good recollections. And the weather had never discouraged them. “On second thought, no hotter or colder than outside, especially if we can get a breeze in here.”
“And me and my friends wouldn’t be bothering any guests.” He pointed toward doors at one end that faced the back of the property. “We could open those.”
“Yeah, that could help air to circulate.”
Shaun rushed toward the east end.
“Wait for me. Don’t do anything.”
He halted a couple of feet away from his destination.
“In the past, booms had been used to swing the hay to the hole where it was moved inside. When we lived here there was still a rope attached to the boom. We had a tire swing on the end of it.” Lacey lifted the plank of wood across the double doors that prevented them from being opened. She swung one toward her and latched it to the wall. “As you can see, the boom and tire swing are gone.” But not far from them was a large white oak with branches close by. She could see her son gauging the short gap between the building and the nearest sturdy limb and knew what was going through his mind. “And don’t get any ideas about climbing down using the tree. Aunt Laura and I used to climb up it and use the rope to slide down to the tire when the boom was extended. The tree branches weren’t this close to the carriage house back then. You can‘t use it to get in and out of the attic. There will be rules you’ll have to follow, or the attic will be off limits.”
“Why can’t I? The limbs are close now.”
“Because going up to a rope only halfway up is different from jumping to a branch and coming all the way down. Understand?”
Shaun nodded then turned away from the double doors to walk the length of the room.
The only light into the attic was one bulb in the middle and a high, small window at the west end, which gave Lacey an idea. Maybe the doors could be replaced with a large window. Then any temptation Shaun and his friends had to jump to the oak would be taken away. Once everything at the B and B settled down, she would talk to Harriet to see if there was any money left to do that additional renovation.
As they returned to the bottom floor, Lacey began to regret telling Shaun about her childhood adventures in the carriage house. If only he hadn’t seen the trap door. Until he’d asked about it, she’d forgotten all about it. Thank goodness there wasn’t a “treasure” up there. That would have fed his vivid imagination.
Tom showed up when Lacey and Shaun returned to the living area in the carriage house. The contractor explained what was left to do, and they picked out the paint colors for each room. The painter would start tomorrow. Then all that was left of the renovations would be the laying of the carpet and tile. This time next week, she and Shaun would be in their first very own home. Excitement bubbled through her and from the grin on her son’s face, him, too.
Lacey left the carriage house a few minutes after Shaun, who went to their Garden Suite to get Sadie. She found Shaun and Sadie with Ryan and Mick talking.
Shaun said an enthusiastic yes as she approached them. “What have you agreed to?”
“We’re gonna go for a walk with our dogs.”
“Come with us. The temperature is a balmy sixty-eight degrees.”
She couldn’t turn down Ryan’s enticing invitation. “It’ll be good to get out. I’ve been sitting behind my desk most of the day.”
As they strolled south on the street, Shaun took both leashes and walked several yards ahead of them.
“How’s the murder investigation coming along?” Lacey asked.
“The DNA profile of our victim should be back next week. Then if he’s in the database, we’ll have a match. That’s a long shot, but it might help prove he was a member of the burglary ring. The ones we have in custody all have a record.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“Keep combing the missing persons’ lists for a possible match to what the forensic artist thinks the guy might look like. We may never be able to solve the crime.” Ryan frowned. “That doesn’t sit well with me.”
“So you’re still thinking the murder is connected to the guys you have in jail.”
“I would expect them to deny knowing anything about John Doe. Murder charges are a lot more serious than the ones they face right now. My job would be easier if one of them had killed the guy, but…”
“But what?”
“I don’t think they did it, but I need to rule it out.” Ryan clasped her hand.
The tactile connection reinforced her growing feelings for him. He was great with Shaun and nothing like Jason. But was that the main reason she was drawn to him in the first place?
“Are you going to have dinner with us tonight?” she finally asked as Shaun detoured into a pasture to let the dogs sniff around.
“Yes, but this weekend, I’m inviting you, Shaun, Harriet, and Richard to dinner at my house. That is, if you’ll help me prepare it.”
“I’d love to try out some of the cooking skills I’ve been learning from Richard.”
“Good. We’ll go shopping together on Saturday.”
“Shopping for what?” Shaun asked as he rejoined them.
“Dinner Saturday night at Ryan’s place.”
“Oh, I almost forgot to ask you if I could spend the night at Ben’s that day.”
“Sure, but you’ll miss our dinner.”
Shaun cocked his head. “Ben’s having two other friends over for a sleepover. I don’t wanna miss the fun.” He started back toward the house with the two dogs.
“I’ve been ditched for Ben,” she said with a laugh. “I love it. This will be Shaun’s first sleepover. Next he’ll tell me he has a girlfriend. I don’t want him to grow up too fast.”
“I think you have a few years until that happens.”
“I remember how you had all the girls following you around when you were in middle school and ninth grade.” Her family had left after that, but she doubted that changed.
Ryan chuckled. “He’s eight. Don’t panic yet.”
“Panic. Should I?”
Ryan stopped and turned toward her, grasping her upper arms and bringing her closer. “No. Shaun may be a bit impulsive, but he’s a good kid. Besides, I’ll be here to help.”
His implication he would be around in the future made her heart soar.
Ryan glanced around then sneaked a quick kiss before continuing their walk while Lacey felt as though she’d stepped onto a cloud and was floating all the way back to the bed and breakfast.
Chapter Nine
As Lacey set down her last items from the Garden Suite, the scent of freshly painted walls of silver gray and trim of navy blue suffused the carriage house. It had taken all morning with part of the staff’s help to move everything she’d need into the place. She slowly rotated, taking in the gray herringbone chenille couch with navy blue throw pillows and two arm chairs and ottomans. She’d never been able to pick out colors for where she’d lived. Taking in what she had created made her wonder if this was what an artist felt like when they’d completed a picture.
Harriet stood in the entrance to the living room that flowed into the dining area and kitchen, converted from one of the two suites in the carriage house. “Do you need any more help
?”
“No. I have all the important boxes unloaded. The others will be emptied when time permits. I’ll be at the staff meeting in the dining room in a few minutes.”
“See you then.”
Lacey made one brief walk through to make sure all the furniture was in the right place. Shaun and she could move some of the smaller pieces but not all of the bigger ones. The second suite had been converted into two bedrooms and bathrooms. She checked out her son’s room first, and everything was where it should be, but in hers, the oak bed was on the wrong wall. Maybe this evening Ryan could assist her. The piece weighed nine hundred pounds, and it wouldn’t slide on a carpeted floor.
She left the carriage house and crossed the patio to the kitchen entrance. Hot and sweaty from moving, she probably wasn’t the most professional-looking owner, but when the time of the staff meeting had been decided a few days ago, they hadn’t figured on Trey Dawson being late for work yesterday. He’d had to come back this morning to finish the trim in the carriage house kitchen. But life was full of unexpected events and changes. She was trying not to worry about the past or future. Just live in the moment. It certainly kept her stress level down when she could manage to do it.
Lacey fortified herself with a calming breath then entered the dining room where her two maids, four kitchen and restaurant employees, and a handyman sat, listening to Harriet discuss the changes. When she finished, she turned to Lacey. “As most of you know this is Lacey St. John, the new owner.”
Five of the staff had already met her over the course of the past few weeks, but the handyman and one of the maids had been on vacation while the bed and breakfast had been closed for renovations. They were married to each other and had worked here for years.
“We’re opening tomorrow to a full house. In fact, for the next four months, we have full occupancy. This is due to the staff and the B and B’s stellar reputation. If there’s a problem, let me know. Remember you’re the backbone at this bed and breakfast. My office door is always open to you all. I’ll be handling the staff and guests. Mrs. Bell will be doing all the paperwork and ordering. Welcome to the new employees and welcome back to the others.”
After the meeting, the different staff members returned to their tasks in preparation for tomorrow. Every inch of the place would be cleaned for the grand reopening. Lacey walked to her office to finalize a few special requests from guests. She wanted people leaving the bed and breakfast satisfied and recommending Calvert Cove to others.
* * *
Deputy Simmons stepped into Ryan’s office. “We finally have a match on our John Doe.”
“Who is he?” Ryan put down his pen.
“Trey Dawson. He’s a painter who lives in the D.C. area.”
“Maybe he was down here for a job. The only out-of-towner in this area was at Calvert Cove B and B, but the work has been completed.” Who was their painter? Maybe the guy knew where this Trey Dawson was going to work, or Ryan could call Tom Avant. Tom had been a contractor for over fifteen years, and his reputation was sterling. “I’ll contact some people and see if anyone recognizes the photo we received of Dawson. Was it a DNA match?”
“No. A photo and tattoo ID. I’m checking to see if the dental work matches.”
“Also, get all the information you can on this guy. Then we’ll need to interview the people closest to him. See if someone had a grudge against him.” Ryan rose and snatched up his SUV keys. “I’ll be at Calvert Cove. If I can catch the painter, he may know something about this Dawson guy.”
As he drove toward the bed and breakfast, his spirits lifted with each mile he drew closer. He might have answers to Trey Dawson’s murder soon, but best of all, he would see Lacey. The more he was around her the more he wanted to be. He’d spent years traveling for his job, avoiding any commitments because of the nature of his work. Now he’d found someone he could see settling down with. Being with her son made him want to be a father even more.
* * *
Lacey glanced at her watch. Shaun would be home soon. She’d decided to meet him at his bus stop and accompany him to see the carriage house fully furnished for the first time. Plans for his “playroom” in the attic were progressing. Tom had to finish another job then he could make a few changes she could afford right now—mostly replacing the double doors with windows at the east end.
Shaun exited the bus with a group of friends, said something to them, then headed for her. “Is it done? Can we sleep in our new home tonight?”
“Yes. We’re going to stay tonight in the carriage house.”
“I can’t wait until my buddies see it, especially the attic.”
“You’ll need to wait until the changes have been made to the attic before you and your friends go up there. It’s just you and me today, buddy.” She put her arm around his shoulder. “I told Harriet and Richard I’m going to cook our dinner at our new home to celebrate.”
“Ryan isn’t going to have dinner with us? He should be part of our celebration.”
The fact that her son had latched onto the dinner part, not the attic part, surprised her. But then why should it? In just weeks, Ryan had become important to Shaun. “If you want to invite him, I’ll let you call when we get to the house. I have enough for the three of us to eat dinner.” Or she would after she made her spaghetti and meatballs—one of Shaun’s favorite dishes. Richard had given her tips to make it even better.
“Can I call him now? I’ve got to tell him what I did in gym today.”
“Sure.” She paused on the patio and withdrew her cell then speed-dialed Ryan’s number.
“Hi, Lacey. I was going to call you about your painter. I needed to talk to him. John Doe has been identified. He was a painter in Washington D. C. area. I thought yours might know of him.”
“Trey finished a few hours ago, packed up his tools, and left.”
“Trey?”
“What’s his last name?” Urgency rang through his words.
“Trey Dawson.”
“Exactly how long ago did he leave, and do you know where he was going?”
“Before lunch. I’d say eleven-thirty, but I don’t know where he was going. He was friendly, but I don’t know a lot about him. What’s wrong?”
“That’s the name of the dead man found in the woods three weeks ago.”
Chills streaked down Lacey's body.
“Mom, let me ask him.” Shaun held out his hand.
“Just a sec, Ryan.” She cupped the phone. She didn’t want her son to hear her conversation with Ryan. “Honey, I’ll ask him. You go on and see how your room looks.”
He hurried the short distance to the door of the carriage house. Lacey waited until he was inside. “Ryan, he’s been here all that time. Are you sure the dead man is Trey Dawson?”
“Yes, I just received the final piece of info confirming his identity. He visited a dentist a year ago, and our John Doe’s teeth match Trey Dawson’s dental records.”
“So you think the painter who’s been around here killed the real Trey Dawson and took his identity. Why? He was a great worker. He did what he was supposed to, and when he finished, the job looked good.”
“I don’t know why he impersonated the man, but I need to track down Tom and get an address where the fake Trey Dawson was staying.”
She thought of the man she’d been working with to get all the colors exactly right. He was professional and nice—not a murderer. “Could there be two of them?”
“That are painters? Not likely. Either way, I need to talk with the one at the bed and breakfast.”
“Will you be able to come for dinner?”
“Sure, unless I have to track down a lead Tom gives me that takes longer than I expect. I’ll call you if that happens.”
“We’ll talk more, after Shaun goes to bed. I’m glad you could ID the John Doe. At least his family will have closure about his disappearance.”
After disconnecting, Lacey strolled toward the carriage house while stuffing her cell phone int
o her pants pocket. When she entered her new home, she paused, again assailed with the smell of paint, which only reminded her of the painter who had done the work. A shiver snaked down her spine. She’d worked with him in the same room only this morning. She was so relieved he was gone now.
She’d thought Shaun would be waiting to make sure Ryan was coming to dinner or at the very least Sadie would have greeted her now. The first thing her son would have done before even going to see his room would be to open the door on the dog’s crate. From the time he was home from school until bedtime, Sadie was with him.
She moved into the living area and saw Sadie still in her cage. The dog barked several times and pawed the door. She reached down to open it when Sadie growled and barked again.
“Don’t touch that crate.” The sound of a voice she’d become familiar with the past few weeks slithered down her spine.
* * *
Glad to see Tom Avant’s truck parked in front of the small building, Ryan approached the contractor’s office. He’d tried a couple of times to call Tom, but he hadn’t answered his cell phone. When Ryan tried the door, it was locked. Maybe the man wasn’t here.
Ryan circled the structure to see if there was another way inside that was unlocked. He looked into a window on the south side. Empty but that was Tom’s meeting room. The back door was locked, too. Not having a good feeling about this, Ryan continued his search. On the north side, he peered into another window and spied a pair of legs lying on the floor in front of Tom’s desk.
As Ryan rushed to the front, he placed a call to the station, requesting backup and paramedics. Then he went to his glove compartment and retrieved his tools for picking the lock, only used in a case of an emergency—this was one.
Whoever was on the floor could be alive and in need of medical help—or dead.
When he entered the three-room building, he drew his gun. He kept his attention on the closed door to the meeting room as he made his way to Tom’s office. The nearer he got, the faster his heart beat. He hadn’t seen anyone else inside, but that didn’t rule out another person being in there.
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