Deadly Inheritance

by Jeulia Hesse

  It was curious to recall that Ada had been diabetic her whole life. She had dealt with the condition gracefully, smoothly integrating her blood sugar checks and insulin injections into her busy life. She had been meticulous. That was why it was curious that her diabetes caused her death. Christina stepped behind the desk with Jim as he pulled on the lowest drawer that was not budging despite his efforts to open it. She pulled on it also, but it did not move. “That is tight,” she said, “not even a shimmy when you pull on it. Was it opening before? Did Maude need something in it?”

  Jim looked at her and laughed. “Darn if I know if it worked before. I can’t remember. It’s been so long since we’ve been runnin’ around and usin’ this desk.

  “Before I forget agin.’ These are for you, came this mornin’.” Jim said gesturing to the flowers in the vase on the desk.

  She took the card from the bouquet. They were sent from Jeremy. She noticed an uncharacteristic feeling of annoyance rise in her gut as she read his note. He had been very persistent in contacting her daily to discuss the inn, bringing forth new details in each conversation. The last few calls had included discussions that were heading into a more personal nature. Sending flowers indicated something more than a relationship between an attorney and client, and Christina didn’t like it.

  She took one last tug on the drawer in her irritation. “Let’s forget about it for now,” she said. “Let’s go see what smells so good in the kitchen.”

  The older man eagerly agreed. They started walking toward the back of the building, until they stopped in their tracks upon hearing raised voices coming from the direction they were heading. “Uh no,” Christina muttered to herself.

  She had completely forgotten what Maude could be like in the kitchen. It was purely her domain, and most people were unwelcome visitors, unless you came to eat. Ada and Maude used to get into some tangles in the kitchen. Now, it sounded like Gina, as a professional chef, had found her way to the kitchen and territories were being crossed.

  Christina pushed open the swinging door, finding Gina and Maude glaring at each other over a plate of cookies. Noting they were her favorite, snickerdoodles, Christina swept in and placed herself purposely between the two women. She snagged a cookie on her way.

  “Mm mm, so good,” she muttered through a full mouth. “Maude, so nice to see you again.”

  The older woman was a giant compared to the two women in the room with her. Standing well over six feet, she was a formidable figure, even at her advanced age. And her scowl made her terrifying. She broke her frown when she recognized Christina, and her face lit up. “Well, well, still stealing cookies before your dinner, I see,” she said smiling. Her voice was deep and gruff, but her smile lit up her features.

  “I see you’ve met my friend, Gina.” Christina started, waving her cookie filled hands toward the smaller woman, who continued to frown at the older woman. “How have you been?” Christina pulled up a stool to the counter in front of the plate of cookies and took in the bright kitchen.

  Maude moved to pour a glass of milk, placing it in front of Christina. “You want some?” she asked Gina gruffly.

  Gina tentatively sat next to Christina, accepting the milk and taking a cookie from the plate.

  “Ada told me about the renovations here in the kitchen. It looks great in here. How do you like it?” Christina asked Maude, her mouth full of a second cookie.

  Maude looked around the kitchen and shrugged, going back to the butcher block where she had been working. She picked up a meat cleaver. She had apparently been chopping up meat when Gina interrupted her. “It’s nice,” she replied curtly. “It was done about five years ago, I think.” She turned and scowled meaningfully at the two women before turning back to her work.

  Christina realized her meaning. Maude was saying that she could have visited during that timeframe, but she hadn’t. Maude had always been blunt – a no holds barred kind of person.

  “Ada had some big plans back then,” Maude continued. “She wanted to expand the dining room and the menu.”

  “I remember,” Christina replied.

  Maude turned back to her work, chopping on a carcass of meat. The hacks from her knife banged ominously on the wood block.

  “It’s dead already.” Gina whispered, giggling to her friend as she watched the viciousness with which Maude was attacking the meat.

  Maude turned abruptly back to the women, knife in hand. “You say something?” she asked. Both women silently shook their heads, repressing their smiles at the comedy of the situation.

  “What’s for dinner?” Gina asked, planting an innocent look on her face.

  “Pork chops,” the older woman answered. “Oh, and Jeremy is coming to dinner. Said you and he talked.”

  Christina could not recall that conversation, but there had been many over the past few weeks. It was kind of convenient that he was visiting tonight, because they could get started on the details of the inn operation and review the options for the property.

  “Ok,” replied Christina. “What time is dinner?”

  “Six o’clock sharp,” Maude replied.

  Both women nodded. “I’m going to go to show Gina around a bit,” Christina said, getting up from the kitchen stool gesturing for her friend to follow her.

  “Let me know if you need any help,” Gina offered as they stepped out of the room.

  Christina pulled her friend’s arm and ushered her from the kitchen quickly, as Maude muttered under her breath. “So sorry about that,” Christina offered to her puzzled friend.

  “What is up with her?!” Gina said with her hand on her hip, “I was just being nice and friendly, and she growls at me.”

  Christina smiled. “Yeah, she is pretty territorial in the kitchen. No one can do anything for her in there. She feels like she must do all the work, unless she specifically directs you to do something. She insists on it.

  “She and my aunt used to get into some fights over who was doing what in the kitchen. They ended up setting up a specific schedule for the two of them. Ada would stay out of the kitchen entirely when Maude was working.”

  “Weird way to treat an employer,” Gina replied. “Anyway, forget it. It’ll be nice to have a break from work. We’ll work it out if I feel the need to cook.”

  Christina agreed. “All right. I am sure we can figure it out. I can’t see her wanting to wait on us hand and foot the entire time. Anyway,” she said taking her friends hand, “come and let me show you a secret staircase.”

  The two women explored the old inn and the secrets that she recalled from her childhood. Through the tour of the house, Christina explained the history of the inn from what she remembered. “The inn was actually built in the early 1800’s as a summer home for the Stone family, which was Ada’s husband’s family. They had made their fortune in the lumber business and had intended to entertain guests here. That’s why they ended up having so many bedrooms. The building is considered historic due to its age.” Christina continued, “Well that, and also because Daniel Webster and other historical figures have spent the night here as a guest of the family. Webster gave political speech a bit further down the road to 15,000 people who came from all over the area.”

  “Fifteen thousand people?!” Gina exclaimed. “But aren’t we in the middle of nowhere? Where did all of those people come from?”

  Christina laughed. “I know. I used to think it was just an old tale, but I looked it up a few years ago, and it’s true. There is, or was, a plaque on a rock in a clearing near here. Some kids stole it a few years ago. Actually, that sheriff we met earlier was one of those kids.”

  Gina laughed. “It’s always the criminals that turn into cops.”

  Chapter 6

  They concluded their walk through the house in the dining area. It was a small sunny room that Ada had planned to expand outward by adding a three-season large sunroom off the current dining area.

  Christina described the plans to Gina who was interested, given her p
rofessional experience. “I like the idea. It looks like if you added on here, you would bring the dining area into those gardens. Show me around out there. It looks like it would be really great.”

  Christina opened one of the back doors leading out to the gardens. “Don’t get too excited about this. I may not be keeping the place. If there are no guests, there is no way we could afford to put on an addition.”

  The two women walked out into the gardens. The flowers and bushes were gorgeous and obviously well cared for. The landscaping included terraced gardens with intricate stone walls. “Wow these are really well cared for,” Gina remarked, “stone walls can be expensive and a real pain to maintain. My grandparents had them around their home in Italy. They were always fixing them, it seemed.”

  “These were rebuilt a while ago, actually. Jim had a construction company from town fix them up,” Christina replied. “Actually, I can remember when it was being done. It was the summer that my cousin went missing.”

  “They are in good shape,” Gina replied.

  Christina recalled a memory from that summer. She’d been so upset with the equipment and the noise they made. Annie hated it more than she did. It’d wake them up early during their summer vacation, and it made her physically ill to be woken up that early. Of course, the wine coolers the night before probably had something to do with that as well. But they both blamed it on the construction crew.

  Christina checked her watch. There were still a few hours until dinner. “Want to take a stroll down the old stagecoach road?” she asked Gina.

  “Stagecoach road?”

  “Yup,” she replied. “It’s the old road that used to go past the house and over the mountain. It used to be the main road in town, a long time ago. Now, it’s a great trail for walking, biking, and cross-country skiing.”

  “Intrigued.” Gina replied. “Lead the way!”

  The two women headed across the lawns to a trail that led across the mountain ridge, almost like an extension of the driveway. It was a beautiful afternoon, and they were enjoying the sun and the scenery as they leisurely strolled down the gravel path. The sun was shining, and the birds were singing. A gentle breeze moved branches of the trees and the grass in the field. “I could get used to this,” Gina told her friend. “This is well worth the long drive and the kitchen lieutenant.”

  Christina smiled. “Yeah its nice and peaceful. I...” Her next words were interrupted by a dog’s bark. Surprised, the women looked around for another person nearby. A large black dog burst from the bushes and ran toward them.

  Startled, Gina grabbed Christina’s arm. “What is that thing?”

  Immediately concerned that it was a wild animal, Christina’s heart bounded in her chest. She urgently tried to recall what to do when approached by a wild animal. Should she run or stay put?

  The dog bounded up to them and sat down in front of them, tongue lagging out the side of its mouth. Its expression was eager and happy to see them. Taken aback, the women stood, looking at the dog and searching for its owner.

  “Is that thing smiling at us?” Gina asked.

  Indeed, the expression on the dog’s face made him look like he was grinning at them. Its long tongue hung from its mouth as it waited expectantly in front of them.

  “I think it wants us to do something,” Christina said. “Where’d you come from, boy?”

  The dog barked once in reply.

  The women both laughed. “Seems friendly,” Christina said. “Are you lost?”

  The dog barked once in reply, making both women laugh again. “I think he can talk!” Gina exclaimed.

  Christina approached the dog, who happily put his head under her hand. She patted his head, and the dog pushed his head on her hand, appearing to thoroughly enjoy the contact. “Oh, you are a good boy,” she said, continuing to pat the dog. At the same time, she inspected his neck for a collar or a tag of some sort. “No tag or collar. Poor guy must be lost.”

  “Are you lost, boy?” Gina asked tentatively, reaching out to pat the dog as well. At that the dog rolled onto its back and exposed his belly. Both women reached out to give him a rub and a scratch. The dog’s tongue hung out further and its apparent smile gaped more widely.

  They petted the dog for a few more minutes. “All right now, boy,” Christina said. “We need to go, and you need to go home too.”

  The dog made no move. She shooed him away, “Go on. Go home.”

  The dog stood his ground. The women started to walk back from where they had come. “Poor thing. If he is lost, he must be hungry and thirsty,” Gina worried aloud.

  “There is a spring-fed pond close by, so he has access to water,” Christina said. “But you know, he does seem a little thin. I’m fairly sure I could feel his ribs when we were petting him.”

  They continued to walk down the trail. The dog started to follow them, falling into step behind Christina. They stopped and shooed him away several times.

  “Maybe we should call animal control later – maybe someone is looking for him?” Christina said. “If he follows us back, I’ll see if Jim has an idea about what to do. He may know the dog from the area.

  They returned to the back door of the inn with the dog closely following them. He found shade under the tree outside the kitchen and appeared to make himself at home. They retrieved a dish from the kitchen and gave the dog water.

  Christina located Jim to ask his advice, and he came out back to inspect the dog. “Nope, not a dog I have seen before,” he said, scratching the dog’s ear. “Looks like a nice fella. Collie Shepard mix, by the look of him. I can call the Sheriff to see what is up.”

  “The Sheriff?” Gina asked. “Not animal rescue or something?”

  “Around here that’s who takes care of all that. He’ll know if someone lost a dog and is looking for ‘em. I’ll give Shawn a ring.”

  Jim went back in the house to make the call, while the women stayed sitting in the shade with the dog. He seemed at ease and stretched out between them on the grass to have a nap.

  The sun had heated up the midafternoon, making the shade from the tree the women sat under sweetly refreshing. Christina lay on the soft grass near the panting dog, refreshed with the water they had provided. She was laying her head back in the grass, as the shadows of the leaves above danced on her eyelids – it was so peaceful, she reflected lazily. The sounds of Jim and Gina talking about the gardens, the flowers and their upkeep faded as the pair moved away from her spot in the grass. Her breath lengthened as she drifted off to an afternoon doze with her new companion by her side.

  “Looks like he’s made himself comfortable.” A male voice spoke over her prone form on the grass, casting a shadow over her face.

  She startled from her snoozing, covering her eyes with an upraised hand. A weight on her chest shifted as the dog removed its head from her torso. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

  She knew it was him before their eyes met.

  She had known it would be a possibility to cross paths with him on this visit, so this moment could have been avoided. The inn was a destination, so no one coming this way would be simply passing through.

  THEIR EYES MET AND they held each other’s gaze for a heartbeat before he turned his regard to the dog. Her pulse picked up. She took the opportunity to appraise him. He had matured over the years. His body had filled out with lean muscle. “Sure, looks comfortable,” he said, bending down to rub the dog’s ears as he checked for tags under the thick fur. “Sure he’s stray?”

  He was tanned, even this early in the season. He knelt on the ground, close enough to her so she could feel the warmth of his body in contrast to the cool grass. His dark eyes were shaded by his thick black hair covering his eyes. A grin was on his lips as he took in her figure laying on the lawn. “No tags,” he said, hands running over the dog’s torso, half petting half inspecting. “He’s skinny, but no injuries.”

  “He followed us back from the stagecoach road,” she said, finding her throat dry
as she spoke, so her voice came out croaky. “We didn’t see anyone around. Why are you here? I didn’t know lost dogs were your thing.”

  He nodded, standing up and patting the dog’s head, “Shawn asked me to stop by.”

  “Oh. Are you working for the Sheriff these days?”

  He laughed, reaching down to offer her a hand getting up from the grass. She took his offer and he supported her as she rose from the lawn, attempting to do it as gracefully as possible. Once on her feet, he held her hand longer than she intended, looking down at her face as she stood in the sunshine. “You look good, Crissy,” he said briefly, squeezing and then releasing her hand just as quickly.

  Her stomach jolted and her heart rate accelerated as she reacted to his touch and his words. The back door from the kitchen banged open and a man wearing a three-piece suit emerged. “Supper in ten minutes,” bellowed Maude from within the kitchen, “Kevin, you’re staying. I’ve set a place.”

  Jeremy approached the pair under the tree, smoothing the sleeves of his jacket. His eyes were intently fixed on the couple. “Kevin,” he said with disdain while he greeted the other man.

  He reached out to greet Christina with a kiss on her cheek. Just as his hand touched her arm, the dog uttered a low, menacing growl. “What the hell is that?” he exclaimed, stepping back and gesturing to the dog.

  Christina reached down to pet the dog, reassuring the animal. “It’s all right boy. Jeremy’s a friend.”

  Jeremy stepped back and looked disapprovingly at the dog with thinly veiled disgust on his face. “I didn’t realize you had a dog.”

  Kevin knelt by the dog, patting his head. “She’s watching out for this one.” He rubbed the dog’s ears, telling him that he was a good boy. “We’re trying to see if we can find out anything about him.”

  Jeremy’s gaze turned to Kevin, the look of derision not leaving his face. “I didn’t see your car out front.”