Marisol looked overwhelmed at the front desk, though the guests who were lined up waiting for room assignments were patient and polite. Conversations bubbled between fellow travelers, and Marisol often had to attract the attention of the next person in line, once the previous one walked away with keys.
“I can’t wait to get into that mineral water and soak, Martha!” A tall woman with a bouffant hairdo and large, bright orange, clunky earrings spoke to a woman of barely five feet and comparable age – Paige guessed mid-seventies – who mirrored the same excitement.
“You and me both, Sylvia,” the second woman said. “Thank heavens I picked up that swimsuit back in Albuquerque. I had no idea I’d be using it, but it was such a good sale. I couldn’t pass it up! Here we are, with a perfect excuse to use it.”
The woman called Sylvia laughed and rolled her eyes. “Martha, I never head out on a trip without a swimsuit in my suitcase. There’s always a chance a hotel might have a hot tub, not to mention one or two handsome widowers sitting around the edge. Never hurts to be prepared.”
“You have a point there,” Martha agreed with a mischievous smile. She stepped up to the front counter as Marisol called her name, looking back at her friend. “Check out the lobby while I get our keys. Maybe they have some good souvenirs here that I can add to the stash of goodies I’m bringing back to the grandkids.”
Paige watched Sylvia wander around the lobby while Martha checked in. Sylvia spent just as much time sizing up her fellow travelers as she did exploring.
“Wonderful place you have here, dear,” Sylvia said. It took Paige a moment to realize the woman was speaking to her. And that she’d been mistaken for a staff member.
“Oh, I’m just a guest here,” Paige said quickly, “though I agree with you; it’s a fabulous place.”
“Well you look like you belong here. Have you tried the mineral pools yet? I hear they’re great for aching joints.” Sylvia massaged her right elbow.
“Yes, I have,” Paige said. “And I recommend them highly. Ten minutes in that water just about turned my muscles into butter. I haven’t felt that relaxed in a long time.”
“That’s just what I was hoping to hear.” Sylvia smiled.
Martha appeared, two keys dangling from one hand. “Here we go, Sylvia, dear, let the good times roll!” Both women moved to pick up suitcases, but Miguel stepped up and stopped them.
“I will help you with those. Beautiful ladies should not have to carry their own bags,” he said as he smiled and looked directly into their eyes. The women giggled with delight at the attention. Silently, Paige gave Miguel a few points for timing and tact.
Miguel looked at one of the keys in Martha’s hand and, without saying the casita number out loud, picked up the bags for both women. “Follow me, senoritas.” The women giggled again.
In groups of twos and fours, the members of the tour group left the office and headed for their cottages. Miguel returned several times to shuttle additional luggage for other guests.
“That’s quite a group for us,” Marisol said, looking over the registration sheet. “Twenty-four people spread out over fourteen rooms. We’ll have our work cut out for us when they check out.”
Paige watched Marisol arrange the signed registration cards, placing each in a bucket, a casita number by each file holder.
“It’s great they’re out traveling,” Marisol added. “I wish my mother would go on a trip sometime, but she works every day, and too hard, at that. We all try to help her, but she is proud and always wants to do things herself. At least she allows Lena to open the store for her now.”
“Luz mentioned Lena this morning.” Paige said.
“Yes, Lena is new to our town, but she’s already been a great help and addition to the resort. She moved here a little while ago and began working at the store two hours each morning so my mother can be here to serve breakfast. She’s also trained in massage therapy and comes in now and then to take appointments. Anyway, I know my mother is interested in traveling on tours. This is her home – the resort, the guests and her store. She likes her way of life.”
“Your mom grew up here, I take it,” Paige said.
“Yes, we all did,” Marisol replied. “Most of the townspeople have histories that go back many generations. Some people leave, maybe go off to college, meet someone, or take a job somewhere else. But many stay here. Our roots are here.”
The front office door slammed and Miguel wandered in, finished with delivering luggage.
“I am heading into town.” Miguel dropped a spare key on the counter. “C14 only wanted one key.”
Marisol replaced the key in the drawer. “Did you close up the llama barn?”
Miguel shrugged his shoulders. “I will do it when I get back.” Without waiting for a response, he flashed a smile at Paige and left.
“Watch out for him, Paige,” Marisol said, shaking her head. “I can tell he’s taken a liking to you.”
“Don’t worry,” Paige laughed. “Miguel can flirt with me all he wants, but it’s not going to get him anywhere. I’m seeing someone.” At least I think so.
Marisol smiled. “Someone in New York?”
“No,” Paige said. “Someone in Wyoming, which makes it…confusing. It’s hard to see each other. I have my job traveling and he has a ranch to take care of.”
“I’m sure you’ll find a way if you like each other,” Marisol said.
“Maybe,” Paige said, not feeling as sure as she would have liked. Yes, maybe.
CHAPTER TEN
Fresh salsa, melted cheese and chopped cilantro covered the fried eggs that rested on a bed of black beans and corn tortillas on the plate that Luz set before Paige.
“This looks delicious!” Paige said. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. What’s it called?”
“It is one of our specialties, huevos rancheros.” Luz smiled as she cleared dishes from vacated tables. “There’s extra salsa on the table.”
“Thank you!” Paige lifted the small pottery jug and poured a generous amount of red sauce on top of her eggs before tasting them. Travel had taught her to be open to new experiences, including trying new foods. She wasn’t about to make her visit to Agua Encantada an exception to that rule.
As Miguel passed by Paige’s table, he laughed and eyed the salsa she’d added to her breakfast. “Ah, Luz’s homemade salsa and her famous huevos rancheros. You’ll be a local in no time at this rate, Sonrisa.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Paige said, watching Miguel disappear into the kitchen. She filled her fork with a combination of all the ingredients, including a generous portion of salsa. She took a bite and closed her eyes, savoring the mix of flavors. Just as quickly, her eyes popped open wide as her mouth caught on fire. Grateful to see Miguel had returned with a tall glass of water, she ignored the smirk on his face and gulped down the cool beverage.
Miguel took a seat across the table from Paige and waited for her to catch her breath. “I can bring out some sliced jalapeños for you to add, too, if you would like.” He sat back in the chair, stretched both arms over his head and then dropped them behind his neck. His grin remained.
“Very funny,” Paige said. After several gulps of water, she could breathe again. Miguel reached for a glass pitcher at the end of the table and refilled her glass when she set it down. She shot him a look of surrender and chugged the second glass.
“Now that you can speak again, what do you think?” Miguel asked.
“Powerful but delicious. Are you having breakfast?” Paige scraped some of the salsa to the side and took a much more cautious bite.
“No, I ate earlier,” Miguel said. “I have errands to run and resort chores – repairing a fence behind the back row of casitas and then, later, attending to the llamas – your sweetheart, Rico, included.”
“Again, very funny,” Paige took another sip of water, this one less desperate.
Miguel drummed his hands against the table and then stood up, refilling Paige’s wat
er glass one more time. With a grin, he pushed the cold water closer to her place setting and left.
Shortly after Miguel left, Sylvia and Martha entered the breakfast room. They greeted other tour group guests as they passed tables, finally sitting across from Paige. Each wore a jogging suit, Martha’s teal, Sylvia’s navy blue. Paige noticed Sylvia wore a pin that looked like Ana’s design of the three silver doves. It made her plain sweatshirt almost elegant. Luz brought two more breakfast plates to the table and returned to the kitchen.
“Good morning, dear,” Sylvia said to Paige. Martha nodded a wordless greeting.
“Good morning to you, as well, ladies,” Paige said. She then lowered her voice and whispered across the table. “A word of warning…that salsa in the small pitcher is almost deadly. Delicious, but deadly.”
“It’s just a matter of moderation,” Sylvia said, pouring just a few drops of salsa on her meal. Martha nodded, taking the pitcher from her traveling partner and applying the same amount. Then Sylvia added a few more drops, then Martha did. They repeated the sequence one more time. Are they trying to one-up each other? Paige wondered. She watched the ladies take bites, sigh in momentary appreciation and then reach rapidly for the water. Paige was ready to refill their glasses when they put them down.
“I take it the salsa was a bit much for you, too,” Sylvia said, laughing when she could breathe again.
“Yes, I learned the same way and someone rescued me by supplying the water.” Paige pointed her fork at the last few bites of eggs. “Don’t miss out on the meal, though. With just a touch of that salsa, it’s delicious.”
“Was it the handsome young man who carried our bags for us yesterday? He seems like the type to rescue a lady, doesn’t he, Martha?” Martha nodded. “I saw him leaving as we came in. He’s a looker, that one,” Sylvia continued.
“I suppose,” Paige said. It hadn’t escaped her that Miguel was easy on the eyes, but with her heart two states away, she saw him more as a source for her article on the resort than anything else.
“Fresh melon slices?” Luz’s voice broke Paige’s train of thought.
“Yes!” all three women answered simultaneously. “Thank you, Luz,” Paige said. She cut a bit piece of honeydew melon and found the fruit immediately soothing to her palate after the spicy salsa.
“Sylvia,” Paige said, setting her plate aside and leaning back in her chair. “I see you’re wearing a piece of jewelry from the gift shop here. Did you do some shopping last night after settling in?”
Sylvia glanced down at the silver pin and looked back up, perplexed. She tilted her head to the side and looked at Paige.
“No, I haven’t had a chance to look in the gift shop, though I want to.” Martha nodded in agreement. “I picked this up somewhere along the interstate. Pretty, don’t you think?”
“Yes,” Paige agreed. “It’s beautiful.” She bent forward to get a better look, almost certain the design was Ana’s. The image of three doves matched others she had seen in Luz’s shop. “Did your tour bus stop in Tres Palomas on the way here? Maybe you bought it at Luz’s store in town. She sells all sorts of original and authentic artwork, including some jewelry that looks a lot like your pin.”
“We came straight here,” Martha said.
“Yes,” Sylvia said. “Our bus drove in from Albuquerque. Before that we were in Flagstaff. But we stopped along the way a lot, you know, at travel plazas or other places for restroom breaks and to stretch our legs.”
“Do you know the name of the shop where you bought it?” Paige asked. “It’s such a unique piece.”
“Oh, I have no idea,” Sylvia said. “That whole stretch of highway had trading post style shops, practically one at every exit once we entered New Mexico.” Sylvia took another sip of water and then paused. “And it may look like a unique design, but there were dozens of them at that shop.”
“Dozens of similar designs?”
Sylvia shook her head. “No, I mean dozens of that exact design. I didn’t care. I doubt anyone at my garden club in Indiana is going to show up wearing the same piece. I just liked it, so I bought it. Gotta have souvenirs, you know. Plus it wasn’t expensive, was it, Martha?”
Martha shook her head. “No, it wasn’t expensive.”
“I think I paid eighteen dollars for it, something like that,” Sylvia said. “Isn’t that right, Martha? Yes, I think so.” Sylvia turned back toward Paige before Martha had a chance to answer. “Pretty reasonable, don’t you think, dear?”
“Yes, very reasonable.” Paige said. Too reasonable.
“I like to buy something on each tour, some sort of authentic souvenir of the area,” Sylvia continued. “I have quite a collection at home, including a sweetgrass basket from Charleston and a voodoo doll from New Orleans.”
“You didn’t buy that alligator head in Florida, though,” Martha piped up.
“Of course not,” Sylvia sputtered. “That would have given me nightmares. “But I picked up a poker chip in Las Vegas. And don’t forget that kitchen tile from the pottery factory in Pennsylvania.”
“It sounds like quite a collection,” Paige commented. “Helps you remember those trips, I bet.”
“Indeed it does!” Sylvia exclaimed.
“What about you, Martha?” Paige turned her attention to the other senior.
“Well, now,” Martha paused a moment, mulling over the thoughts. “I did buy some Ghirardelli chocolate in San Francisco.”
“I’m not sure that counts as a collection, unless you kept it,” Paige pointed out, smiling. “And I suspect you didn’t.”
“Didn’t even make it onto the bus,” Sylvia laughed. “Though I admit to helping myself to a few pieces when she wasn’t looking, so Martha’s not responsible for those – dark chocolate with raspberry, I believe.”
“So that’s where they went!” Martha tried to frown, but failed. It was clear the women were longtime friends.
Paige smiled. She stood, set the cloth napkin down and pushed her chair in. “I think it’s a good day for another soak in those mineral pools.”
“We might see you there,” Sylvia said. “Don’t you think so, Martha?”
Martha nodded, and the three of them left the breakfast room, scattering to their respective casitas to prepare for the day.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Paige slipped on her swimsuit, followed by shorts, a T-shirt and sandals. Closing the door to her casita, she stepped into the courtyard and looked up at the sky. The white clouds against a deep blue background were a welcome sight after the dark gray ones that had plagued the area the last few days. The howling wind of the first night was a distant memory now, replaced with a soft morning breeze.
Breakfast had given Paige the energy to reorganize her notes. And her conversation with Sylvia and Martha had kicked her curiosity into high gear. Sylvia’s story about buying her pin along the interstate didn’t sit right since the piece so closely resembled Ana’s designs. Intent on combining a little relaxation with research, Paige headed for the spa building.
Halfway to the pools, she paused to pull her ringing cell phone out of her bag.
“How’s everything going in New Mexico? Are you managing to stay out of trouble?”
The sound of Jake’s voice made Paige smile, as did his teasing question.
“Everything’s fine,” Paige laughed. “I’m heading to the pools to soak up some of those healthy minerals in the water here. I had breakfast with Sylvia and Martha earlier and just finished going over some notes.”
“Sylvia and Martha?”
“They’re with a tour group that came in yesterday. Nice women, a couple of characters, must be in their seventies, at least.”
“Well, that should keep you safe, hanging out with them,” Jake said. “I doubt they’ll be dragging you off into any unexpected adventures.”
“Actually, there was something unusual I noticed during the meal, something puzzling. Sylvia was wearing a pin that looks exactly like one of Ana’s designs.
”
“And who is Ana?”
“The girl who manages the spa, Miguel’s sister.”
“And Miguel? Who is Miguel?”
“He’s the property manager who gave me the tour that first day, remember? I told you I was about to take a tour. Anyway, his sister, who works in the spa, also makes jewelry, exquisite, one-of-a-kind pieces. I bought some at a store in Tres Palomas.” Paige said.
“OK, what’s so puzzling about this?” Jake asked. “They probably have a gift store, most resorts do. The guest might have bought it there.”
“Well, that’s what I thought, but she said she bought it along the Interstate at some trading post. I’d gotten the impression that Ana only sells her jewelry at the resort or at a store in Tres Palomas.”
“Maybe this Sylvia is confused,” Jake suggested. “About where she bought the pin.”
“Maybe,” Paige admitted, continuing her walk across the courtyard. “But I still want to ask Ana where she sells her jewelry. I’m planning on relaxing at the spa today, anyway. What about you, how’s your day going?”
“Just getting ready to work on one of the smaller cabins, replacing some floorboard,” Jake said. “And I’ve got a broken window on the back side of the barn.”
“Your place is going to be in tip-top shape when you get done with all these repairs.” Paige paused, hit by a yearning to see the Jackson Hole ranch again, as well as its owner.
Jake either read her unspoken thoughts or mirrored them. “Well, you just might have to come back soon to see the results.”
Paige smiled to herself, but didn’t respond to the “almost” invitation. After a few casual words of good-bye, she ended the call, slipped the cell phone back in her bag, and stepped into the spa.
Ana looked up as Paige entered. A fresh arrangement of goldenrod and Indian paintbrush filled a glass vase on the end of the counter. The familiar scent of eucalyptus filled the spa’s entry hall. The sense of being safe and separated from the outside world returned.
“A quiet day today?” Paige asked.
“It is our Whisper Zone,” Ana pointed out. “So, yes, it is quiet. But still busy.”
Paige MacKenzie Mysteries Box Set Page 46