Return to Hollow Inn

by Tara Ellis

“These carts are practically brand-new.” Tori interrupts her. “It should have never happened. I’m sorry, Ally. I’ll look them both over tonight and figure out what went wrong.”

  “That sounded like you had some gears grinding in there,” Mr. Miley says to Bill as the two men approach. “I don’t know if allowing young teens to drive your carts is the best business decision.”

  Ally’s flush deepens, but she responds to the guest before Sam can make a smart retort. “We got going a little fast and I panicked,” she says quietly, looking down at her hands.

  “Well, at least you girls are okay!” Mr. Miley smiles pleasantly at them and then races away when his wife calls for him.

  Sam looks curiously at Ally. “Why did you say that?”

  “The Mileys are planning to come back later this summer,” Ally whispers as Tori and Bill begin talking. “If they think the carts are dangerous, they might change their minds. Word of mouth is important for this kind of vacation spot.”

  Sam is impressed with her friend’s quick thinking, but the comment makes her wonder. “What if it wasn’t an accident?”

  “What do you mean by that?” Bill demands.

  Sam carefully steps from the cart, shaking apple pie from her feet. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud. Looking at her uncle, she shrugs noncommittedly.

  “Now Sam, while these carts are new, they’ve already gotten a lot of use on some pretty rough terrain.” Bill’s eyes narrow as he sees the expression on his niece’s face. “Out with it.”

  Shuffling from foot to foot, Sam is thankful when Ally steps up next to her, bolstering her confidence. “It’s just that last night Mr. Appleton was down here.”

  Bill’s face hardens. “And?”

  Avoiding his stern gaze, Sam wrings her hands together anxiously. “He was down here creeping around in the dark. Near where the carts were parked.”

  Bill is silent for so long that Sam doesn’t think he’s going to respond, but when she looks up, she wishes she hadn’t mentioned Mr. Appleton. Her uncle’s face is red, and she can tell he’s doing his best not to react loud enough for the Mileys to hear.

  “That’s a very serious accusation,” Bill says evenly. “Even for you, Sam.”

  Sam shrinks back under the scrutiny. She knows he’s right. “I’m sorry, Uncle Bill. I guess I’m just a little rattled.”

  Bill’s features soften, and he places a protective hand on Sam’s shoulder. “That’s understandable,” he says, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I’m just relieved you and Ally are okay. But Sam, I can’t afford having you going around accusing guests of crimes. Let’s not try to make a mystery out of everything. Okay?” He adds a wink.

  Nodding, Sam loops her arm through Ally’s as her uncle walks away, leaving them with Tori. Any remaining question as to whether she should bring up her suspicions to Uncle Bill regarding the caretaker evaporates. He obviously isn’t going to be open to that type of conversation, especially not now after her comment about Mr. Appleton.

  Sighing, Sam resigns herself to the inevitable conclusion that they’re on their own with this mystery, and it might have higher stakes than they’d thought.

  15. MOUNTING CLUES

  Tuesday morning offers some relief from the heat with the promise of a good Montana downpour. Sam stands on the shore of Florence Lake, watching the tumultuous clouds building up behind the peaks of the Rockies.

  “A storm is brewing.”

  Sam turns to face Ally, watching as the warm breeze blowing in off the lake stirs her best friend’s hair. She hadn’t heard her walk up. “It looks like it! I love big storms. Maybe we’ll get some lightning.”

  Shaking her head, Ally picks out a flat rock from along the shore. They’re a ways past the dock and the trucked-in sand. “You can enjoy the lightning while I hide under the covers then.” Tossing the rock, it skips expertly across the water. The lake’s surface is still fairly smooth, but will likely soon be churning with growing waves.

  Sam throws another rock right after Ally, but it only skips once before taking a nosedive. Laughing, she takes Ally by the shoulders and turns her back toward the cabins. “Come on. If we hurry, there’s still time to go fishing before the storm hits.”

  Ally isn’t convinced. “Are you sure? Maybe now would be a good time to look through the board games Tori mentioned.”

  They’d opted to have a light breakfast in the central cabin instead of going up to the inn that morning. This would let them get an early start fishing. While neither of them really cares for eating fish, they enjoy the experience of catch and release. The Mileys left the night before as planned, but two more families are scheduled to arrive later in the day. It would be best to stay out of the way for the afternoon.

  “We should ask Kevin if he wants to go,” Ally suggests. She nods toward the cabin as they approach. “I saw him go inside as I was walking down to the lake.”

  “Sure!” Sam surprises herself at how quickly she agrees. They hadn’t seen much of him since the day before, and she’s eager to make plans for seeking out the hot springs. A part of her wonders if Kevin is still looking without them. “At least that way we can keep an eye on him,” she adds.

  Huffing in response, Ally pulls the door open, and the girls step inside. “Maybe we can all search together now before the storm instead of fishing.”

  “That’s a great idea, but I’m afraid it’s going to have to wait until after lunch.” Kevin is leaning against the open display case, holding what looks like Shawn Hollow’s will.

  Sam’s brows furrow, and she points an accusatory finger at her cousin. “I thought we agreed to search for clues together.”

  “What, this?” Kevin retorts, waving the paper. “Come on, cuz. We’ve both read it already. I’m just double-checking to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Don’t be so sensitive.”

  “What do you have to do this morning?” Ally interjects, trying to redirect the conversation.

  “I have to help Uncle Bill with something. But we’ll be done by lunch. Storm probably won’t hit until later though, so we can go when I’m done. There’s a spot down at the end of the lake I haven’t checked yet.”

  “We can help,” Sam offers, sitting down on the couch across from where Kevin is standing. “Then you’ll get done faster and we’ll have more time.”

  “No!” Kevin snaps. Looking somewhat embarrassed, he quickly explains. “There’s some dead trees up behind the inn. Uncle Bill asked me to help him cut them down and… well, I thought it might help me make up for not doing some other chores.”

  Once again, Sam is reminded of her older brother and how he can react to certain things. He gets extra sensitive about his time with their dad, and Sam’s feelings have been hurt on more than one occasion when they went off to do something without her. But she’s come to understand that it isn’t about her, and she realizes now how important it is to Kevin to have this opportunity to work with their uncle and prove himself. “That’s okay,” she replies in a light tone. “We’d probably just get in the way.”

  Ally looks suspiciously at Sam before sitting down next to her on the couch. It isn’t like Sam to let something go that easily.

  “Did you hear what Tori found?” Sam asks, changing the topic.

  Kevin seems relieved. “Uh, no. Found what?”

  “The brake line on the golf cart was disconnected,” Ally says. “As in, not broken or worn out or anything but completely disconnected.”

  “That’s weird.” Kevin frowns as he thinks this over.

  Sam waits for the information to sink in. It doesn’t take long.

  “It wasn’t an accident.”

  “Tori didn’t come right out and say it when she told us this morning,” Sam says. “But she didn’t have to. What other explanation could there be?”

  Kevin pushes away from the case and walks closer to the couch, his expression serious. “You know, if that incident had happened with guests during the tour, it could have caused all sorts
of problems. Including a possible lawsuit if someone were hurt. It would be an excuse for the city council to turn down those pending permits.”

  “Right again,” Sam replies, impressed. “The question is, who did it?”

  “Do you think it was Tori?” Ally suggests. “She would have known how to do it, and she’s possibly connected to someone over at the Stepson property.”

  Sam and Kevin look at each silently as they both mull over the question.

  Sam is the first to answer. “I don’t think so,” she says emphatically. “You saw her face, Ally. She was just as shocked as we were.”

  “I agree.”

  Sam looks up at Kevin, surprised. “Really?”

  “Yeah.” Still holding the will, he sits on the edge of the coffee table in front of Sam and Ally. Pushing at his mop of black hair, he lets out a pent-up breath. “Look, I admit Tori is bossy and way too strict, but I don’t think she’s a bad person. Maybe she isn’t being truthful about why she’s here, but I’m betting it’s for a good reason.”

  “Then who do you think tampered with the brakes?” Ally presses.

  “I know we saw Mr. Appleton down near the carts last night,” Sam replies. “But I think it’s more likely that someone from Anthony Stepson’s place snuck over here. They could have come through the woods or across the lake, and no one would see them.”

  “You better hope your aunt or uncle don’t think the same thing.” Ally draws her knees up and rests her chin on them. “Or else we’re going to end up either in a room in the mansion or going home!”

  Sam’s spirits fall. Ally is right. Looking across at Kevin, she can’t see his face because he’s holding the will up to the light to read it. From her angle, she notices some faint, unusual lines on her side of the paper. Forgetting all her other concerns for a moment, she reaches out to trace one of the markings.

  Peeking out from behind the paper, Kevin eye’s Sam suspiciously. “Yes?”

  “It’s a map!” she blurts out.

  “What?” Both Ally and Kevin reply at the same time.

  Snatching the will from Kevin, Sam flips it over and sets it on the table next to him. She can hardly see the markings without the backlighting. Jumping up, she runs to a nearby cabinet and returns with a flashlight. “Look,” she directs, holding the paper over the light so the lines are once again visible.

  “You’re right!” Standing, Kevin pulls the missing journal page from his back pocket. Unfolding it, he turns it around next to the will until the torn edges line up.

  “The other missing page,” Ally gasps.

  Laughing, Sam leans in to get a better look. “That has to be Hollow Inn,” she says, pointing at a roughly drawn square toward the top of the page.

  “That would make this Florence Lake,” Ally adds, indicating a large circle at the bottom of the map.

  “And that’s Anthony Stepson’s house.” Kevin points at another square on the far-right side of the paper.

  “Then what’s this?” Ally asks, tracing a long line leading away from the far end of the lake, with smaller radiating lines on either side. At the end of it is a half-circle with squiggles coming out of it.

  “The ravine!” Sam’s breath catches. “The same one Kat found Bailey in.”

  “She said she was at the far end of it when she heard Bailey,” Ally says. “And according to this map, it must not be that far south of Anthony’s house.”

  “Dragons!” Sam shouts.

  Kevin and Ally both look at her as if she’s gone mad.

  “Bailey told his parents he saw where the dragons lived,” Sam explains, smiling now. “Dragons,” she says again with more emphasis, this time pointing at the half circle. “Hot springs?”

  “Steam!” Kevin shouts, catching on. “The kid could have seen steam from the hot springs coming out of a cave.”

  “Where dragon’s live,” Ally murmurs. Shaking her head, she smiles back at Sam. “I don’t know how you do that.”

  16. NOT WHAT IT SEEMS

  “I hope Kevin is back,” Ally says as the boat bumps against the dock. The storm has continued to build throughout the morning, and the water is now choppy.

  Sam squints up at the still bright-blue sky over them, but the churning clouds aren’t far off. Grabbing the fishing poles, she hands the tackle box to Ally before climbing onto the dock. They didn’t get a single bite, probably because of the unsettled water, and decided to call it quits a little early. “Let’s get this stuff put away and then we’ll make sandwiches to take with us on the hike. That’ll save us some time.”

  Ally silently leads the way to the storage shed where they stow the gear before heading for the central cabin. Pausing, Sam breathes in the warm, piney breeze and catches the faint scent of what she describes as energy, the sort of electrical smell that comes with standing too close to a lightning strike.

  “We need to hurry,” Ally mumbles while pulling open the cabin door.

  As the two girls enter, they both stop short of the threshold when they see Tori sitting on the couch, several items spread out on the table in front of her. She’s so absorbed in what she’s doing that she doesn’t realize they’re there until the door slams shut behind them. Whirling around, her eyes widen and her mouth forms a small O.

  Sam notices something flutter to the floor as she takes another step forward. Skirting the couch, she sees it’s another photo of the woman Kat. This time she’s alone in the image and several years younger. She’s sitting in the grass with a large orange cat in her lap.

  Tori follows Sam’s gaze, and her expression changes from shock to irritation. Bending over, she snatches the picture up and stuffs it under a piece of stationery she’s been writing on. “What are you doing back so soon?” she demands, but her words are hollow, without any force behind them.

  “The fish weren’t biting,” Sam offers, her voice soft. “There’s a storm coming.” She shifts her focus to the paper on the table. The word “Kat” stands out, scrawled across the top. Under that, the letter begins with I wish you would contact me. I’ve been worried sick about you! Sam quickly looks away, resisting the temptation to read more.

  Tori slowly reaches out and places a hand over top of the writing. Her shoulders slumping, she takes a deep breath before looking up at Sam. “I guess I owe you some sort of explanation.”

  Ally moves forward and squeezes into the narrow space between the table and couch, next to Sam. “You don’t owe us anything,” she says politely. “But it’s obvious you know the girl that was in the woods the other day.”

  “Which means you must also know Anthony Stepson,” Sam adds with more vigor. “So I doubt it’s a coincidence you ended up working here for the summer. Why are you really here?”

  Tori doesn’t answer right away, instead gathering the letter, picture, and another painted rock into a paper bag at her feet. She picks the bag up and cradles it in her lap, then pats the cushion next to her, inviting Sam and Ally to sit down.

  Sam hesitates, but when she sees how emotional Tori is, she reaches out for Ally’s hand and pulls her down onto the couch next to her. She hopes Tori isn’t involved in some nefarious plot, but she can’t think of any other reason the older woman would be lying.

  “Kat is my sister,” Tori begins, confirming Sam’s suspicions. Shifting so that she’s facing the girls, Tori grits her teeth together before continuing. “I love my sister. I’m sure you can understand that. She’s several years younger than me, so I’ve always taken on a bit of a motherly role with her.” A brief smile crosses her face before clouding again with concern. “She’s quite brilliant, smarter than me. She has three degrees, but the one she’s made a career out of is as a mineralogist with the federal government. She was married to her work, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out she’d left it behind without even giving notice, to run off with some new lab technician she’d just met.”

  Sam does her best to process the information, but she’s confused. What does any of that have to do with
Hollow Inn?

  “Ironically, since retiring from the Air Force two years ago, my sister and I drifted apart,” Tori continues. “When my husband passed away recently, I finally realized how important my remaining family was. So I went to see Kat when she didn’t return my calls. That’s when I discovered she’d bailed on her lease and quit her job.” Standing, Tori holds the bag to her chest while starting to pace. “I hired a private investigator and tracked her here to Anthony Stepson’s commune. I tried going to the house, but they have a locked gate. I waited outside the gate for six hours and confronted the first person to leave, who happened to be Anthony. He refused to let me in, saying Kat didn’t want to see me and to leave her alone.” Choking back a sob at the memory, Tori takes a deep breath to steady herself. “I went to the local police. The sheriff also attempted contact but had the same results. He claimed to have spoken to Kat personally and that she said the same thing to him. When I pressed the issue, he told me since Kat is an adult and there of her own free will, there wasn’t anything more I can do about it. Anthony threated me with a restraining order if I didn’t leave them alone. Me!”

  Sam is shocked. Of all the various scenarios she’d thought of, this was way off the radar of possibilities. “You applied for the job here so you could try to contact Kat? Do you think she’s being held against her will?”

  Tori shakes her head in frustration. “Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on. Only that my sister would never willingly cut me out of her life. I just had to stay close to her, to try to find a way to reach her. She’s the only family I have left.”

  Ally clears her throat nervously. “Tori,” she says cautiously, “do Mr. and Mrs. Clark know about this? Don’t you think that with Anthony challenging the permits and now the brakes on the cart… that they should know you’re Kat’s sister?”

  Tori stops pacing, closes her eyes briefly, and then faces them. “You’re absolutely right, Ally. I never meant to mislead them. I really did need a job for the summer, and when I heard about the opening here, it was the perfect opportunity to stay near Kat. I didn’t have any other ulterior motive. But I should be having this conversation with your aunt and uncle, Sam, not you. I’m sorry for putting you in this position. It’s completely inappropriate. I’ll go speak with them right now.”