Sheriff Dudley's face turned bright red, and he glared at Matilda so hard she took a step backward. Abruptly, Sheriff Dudley turned and rushed upstairs.
"For a moment there I feared for his life, Trixie. I was sure he was going to bust a vein," Matilda said. "What do you say we leave? We can go to the sheriff's office after a cup of coffee. It depresses me to see someone in handcuffs."
"Really?"
"I'm not the stone-cold witch you make me out to be, Trixie," Matilda said turning away so that her niece couldn't see her smile.
Chapter Twenty-Four
"Miss Matilda, I can't believe we’re going to watch Trudy and Sheriff Dudley get married," Trixie whispered as she leaned toward her aunt.
"And I can't believe you dyed your hair green. I once saw a woman with green hair the color of yours after she swam in an over-chlorinated swimming pool. Hmm, maybe that's what they will think happened to your hair."
"Oh, you are impossible. You’re just a prude," Trixie said shaking her head.
"Well, here comes the bride. It's great how a flowing dress hides the extra pounds on Trudy," Matilda whispered as her former cook walked arm and arm with her father.
"He's eighty and doesn't even have to use a walking stick," Trixie said.
"Well, I wouldn't have to use one either if I took baby steps like he does. He'll be eighty-one before they reach the altar," Matilda said. "And he probably doesn't even know who he's walking with."
"Here comes your heartthrob, Sheriff Dudley!" Trixie said.
"My, what a disgusting thought, but I guess he is a heartthrob to Trudy."
"Have you visited their bakery?" Trixie asked.
"Yes, and I hate myself for it. I bought a pecan pie."
"What you didn’t offer me any?"
"That's because I ate the whole thing. You know pecan pie is my favorite."
"I hope it gave you a stomachache," Trixie said.
"Sorry but it didn't."
A woman who Matilda didn't know that sat in front of them turned and put her finger to her lips.
Matilda tapped her walking stick against the floor. The woman turned around again and gave her a hard look.
"She has to be one of Sheriff Dudley's lowlander friends," Matilda whispered.
"Yep, if she were from around here, she certainly wouldn't have tried to hush you up," Trixie said.
They listened as the preacher started the ceremony, near the end Matilda leaned over and said. "I keep hoping she will say no and leave our good sheriff stranded at the altar as his penance for running down Buggy."
"Oops, she just said I do. Hmm, maybe living with Trudy is his penance, she was very bossy in the kitchen," Trixie said and smiled.
"Okay, to use a phrase our in-house hippy uses, 'Let's slip out the back Jack.’ That is, unless you’re going to try to catch the bridal bouquet, Trixie."
"I already have a boyfriend?"
"Oh, is it someone I know?"
"Yes," Trixie said.
"So, give me his name!"
"John Paul," Trixie said as they hurried out of the church just as Sheriff Dudley leaned forward to kiss Trudy.
"Hmm for a moment you had me going there. I should have known you were joking," Matilda said as they got into Trixie's SUV.
"What, you think that I'm not girlfriend material?"
"I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that it may incriminate me. Oh, did I tell you that Jack McGurin agreed to run for sheriff?"
"Really. I never thought he would give up the ski school," Trixie said.
"He's getting a bit long in the tooth to head the school. Anyway, there are as many snowboarders on the hill these days as there are skiers. And Jack McGurin doesn't do snowboards! I don't blame him. I don't see how any decent skier would want to ride a snowboard when at the end of a run you have to fall," Matilda said.
"I think, Miss Matilda, if you’re going to be a ski instructor, you’ll soon have to be able to teach snowboarding, as well."
"Don't think, Trixie, it not good for you. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, that Nichole isn't going to hide out in Boston to have Buggy's baby."
"Why the sudden change? I thought Jack was ashamed of her having a child out of wedlock," Trixie said.
"That was before the attorney started asking if Buggy was married or if he had any children. It seems that the will states that in the case of Buggy's death Charley's estate goes to Buggy's wife or children. Upon hearing that Jack had a DNA test run on Nicole's baby, and it turned out Buggy was the father."
"You mean Carl will not inherit the inn?" Trixie asked.
"Yes. All of Ann’s efforts to make sure that Carl inherited the Horse and Hound were for nothing," Matilda said shaking her head as Trixie pulled into the parking lot of the inn.
"Miss Matilda!" Trixie shouted.
"What, what's the matter?"
"The sign! It’s new. You changed the name of the inn!"
"Yes. I thought the Sugar Cookie Inn was an appropriate name. We can't have everyone associating the name of our inn with a murder."
"I suggested the name Sugar Cookie Inn, and you laughed at it. You told me it was a silly name," Trixie said as she stared at the big white wooden sign with Sugar Cookie Inn in gold letters.
"Oh, I don't remember that. I do hope the green dye doesn't affect your memory like the purple dye did," Matilda said as she climbed out of the SUV.
"Thanks for taking my suggestion," Trixie said ignoring Matilda's remarks.
"Welcome to the Sugar Cookie Inn," Smiley said beaming at them.
"Hello! Sugar Cookie, Sugar Cookie!" Tara screamed.
"Check-in time. Check-in time!" John Paul said as he stalked back and forth on his perch. "Don't feed the birds. Don't feed the birds," he squawked.
"Smiley, where did he pick that up?" Matilda asked.
"A couple checked in a little while ago, and they were going to give John Paul some candy. And I said. 'Please don't feed the birds.' Of course, John Paul left off the please."
"God, I almost forgot. I have to start the prime rib cooking," Trixie said as she turned and hurried away.
"How is Trixie doing since she took over the kitchen, Miss Matilda?"
"Smiley, she is a genius in the kitchen. I never believed anyone could improve Trudy's recipes, but Trixie did. I think she has finally found her true calling. And to be honest, I expect the AAA man to award the restaurant five stars on his next visit."
"Really?"
"Have you tasted her crispy duck with a mint sauce?"
"No, but I did try her salmon with a caper and mustard sauce. It was the best!"
"Now if I can find a competent head chambermaid?"
"Speaking of chambermaids, have you heard any news about Ann Bixby?"
"Poor girl, they still have her in a maximum security psychiatric facility down in Dartmouth," Matilda said.
"Do you think she's crazy?"
"I think she’s smart enough to act crazy. Being confined to a hospital is better than a prison cell and she knows that," Matilda said shaking her head.
"I guess Sheriff Dudley is ending his career with a feather in his cap with the arrest of Ann for the double murders," Smiley said looking hard at Matilda.
"Okay, so I agreed to let him finish out his term if he would support Jack McGurin for sheriff," Matilda admitted.
"And you’re doing that because Nicole is carrying Buggy's child," Smiley said.
"Yes, child and heir to the Horse and Hound."
"What about Carl?"
"For all, I care he can crawl back to Boston to whatever rat hole he came from. He never gave a hoot about Charley. He only came up when he realized how sick Charley was. He was just hoping to inherit the Horse and Hound Inn. But Charley must have recognized him for a gold digger."
"Poetic justice, I guess," Smiley said.
"Have you seen Bozo?"
"Yeah, he came through heading for the laundry to get a towel. I think one of the chambermaids made him put the
one he had in his laundry basket because it was filthy."
"I promised to take him to the ice cream shop in Littleton for doing the monthly report. I guess I better go and round up the caped crusader," Matilda said as she walked away.
Matilda found Bozo as he tied a red towel around his neck.
"Ready for that ice cream cone I promised you, Bozo?"
"Yummy, yummy. Yes, Miss Matilda."
"Okay, come along."
"Miss Matilda?"
"Yes, what is it Bozo?"
"When is Trixie going to come back upstairs to work?"
"She's not, Bozo. She's our chef now."
The hunchback shook his head. "That's bad. That's bad."
"Why do you say her working in the kitchen is bad?" Matilda asked.
"I not supposed to tell. They will get mad if I tell."
"Tell what, Bozo? Come on. I can keep a secret."
"The caped crusader finds hairs on the toilets and rubbish on the floor now that Trixie isn't upstairs. You know he has x-ray vision. There were no hairs on the toilet when Trixie was working."
"Does the caped crusader like to inspect rooms with his x-ray vision?" Matilda asked.
"Yes, he always searches the rooms when they are clean to make sure there are no villains," Bozo said.
"How would the caped crusader like a master key so that he can inspect all the room for villains and dirt after the chambermaids finish cleaning them?" Matilda asked.
"A master key?"
"Ah, a skeleton key that will open all the rooms upstairs?" Matilda.
"Will it open my room too?"
"No, only the guests’ rooms. I don't want you wandering the halls at night."
"Okay, inspecting room sounds like a job for the caped crusader!" Bozo said as he ran ahead with is arms in front of himself as though he was flying.
"Yes, it sounds like the perfect job for you Bozo," Matilda said and chuckled.
The End
Murder on Sugar Hill Page 16