by Tegan Maher
He struggled to compose his features, looking back and forth between us as if gauging if I was telling him the truth or not. “I suppose as long as it’s just a little ghost, I’m okay with that,” he finally said. “At least I don’t have to worry about it funking up my bedding or eating my lunchmeat, so I reckon I’ve had worse roommates.”
No, on both counts, he was correct. Maisie was probably even more worried about clean comforters than he was, and though she definitely struck me as a ham kinda gal, her current metaphysical status didn’t allow for that.
I sighed, a little overwhelmed by it all. “I’ll tell you what, Jason. I’ll either have a room at the lodge ready, or we’ll work something else out.”
A wide grin split his face. “Thank you, ladies. You don’t know what a relief this is to me!”
We exchanged information, and I told him I’d keep him posted. When he left, Dee turned to me and gave a little squeal and hop.
“You’re doing it! You’re gonna turn it into the best B&B in three counties!”
I held up my hand. “Now just wait a minute. I haven’t agreed to that yet. All I said was that I’d do my best. And he’s only one person, so don’t go building us a website just yet.”
Her eyes sparkled. “I think you’re gonna love having one paying person so much, we’ll have the whole place opened up before too long.”
“Don’t put the horse before the cart, or do any of those other silly things people use to convey jumping the gun,” I said. “We don’t even know if we’ll be able to get the permits and whatnot in time.”
She gave me a self-satisfied smirk. “We’ll have them. It just so happens, I know somebody on the town council.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t go putting too much faith in them right now. Remember, they sort of want to put you in prison.”
Waving me off, she said, “Nah, we’ll figure that out. Naomi’s the president of the town council and she likes me. More importantly, opening the lodge would be good for the town. I doubt the permits will be an issue.”
I shook my head in surrender. “I guess it won’t hurt to try.”
Dee paused. “I’m sorry if I overstepped, but you should have seen him. He looked so exhausted and so desperate for a place to stay that wasn’t a fleabag motel ... I just couldn’t say no.”
I smiled. Dee had a really good heart. “No. It’s fine. I guess, with the financial toll this place is going to take on my pocketbook, his arrival is a stroke of luck. I just hope he doesn’t turn out to be a serial killer or something.”
Dee chuckled. “I think living in a big city has warped your mind. That’s about the third time I’ve heard you mention serial killers. You must have seen a ton of bad people there, but out here, we just don’t see a lot of the bad ones. After you’ve been here a while, you’ll relax a little and maybe lose some of that city cynicism. Besides,” she said, grinning, “we have a ghost and a ferocious dog to protect us.”
I snorted at just the idea of Bear’s ferocity. Though since she mentioned it, I’m sure Maisie could be a force to be reckoned with if she set her mind to it.
“And wouldn’t it be nice to not have to go to work? To be able to focus more on your writing while I help you run the lodge? I mean, what’s the point of having this place if you aren’t going to take advantage of its full potential?”
She had a point. But it just seemed like a lot more work and headache than I was up for. Although, with her help, it might be possible to get it done in time. Unless, of course, she ended up going to prison for Fiona’s murder, which was a total possibility if I kept giving the sheriff ammunition to use against her. I shook the thought off. I helped get her into this jam, and I would figure out a way to get her out of it.
Chapter 25
I DIDN’T GO FOR MY normal jog the next morning. Instead, I went up to the lodge and got to work. The great room had a long way to go before it was ready for guests, and I could get to work on the second bedroom, too.
I’d only been there fifteen minutes or so when Maisie popped in.
“This was a guest room,” she said. “What are you gonna do with it now?”
“I think we have our first guest booked,” I said after my heart slowed down. “And we’re gonna have to work on a way for you to give us some advance warning. This whole popping in beside me stuff doesn’t work for me.”
She raised a brow. “Well gee, Miss Priss. Just let me ring the doorbell or knock.”
I scowled at her. “Don’t be obnoxious. And that reminds me—how much can you do on the physical plane?”
“Not much,” she said, shaking her head. “It took me all night to get that can to tip, and even then, I could barely do it. And the writing took another couple hours. It drains me. It was all I could do to even show myself the first time. The little tantrum you threw put out enough energy for me to show when you got all huffy, but barely. I couldn’t manifest at all the next day.”
“And it ended up being a wasted effort anyway,” I said.
“Yes, it did,” she replied. “Though truth be told, I’m kind of glad. It gets lonely here.”
“Can’t you go anywhere else?” I asked.
She rubbed her chin. “I don’t rightly know,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever tried. I’m a homebody.”
“Well there’s a difference between being a homebody and a shut-in,” I said. I was a little loathe to suggest it, but I felt bad for her. “Why don’t you try going to the cabin. You know what it looks like, right?”
“Sure I do,” she said. “We built that for Bartholomew, the man who helped us on the ranch once the boys left.” Her eyes sparkled. “Boy, do I have stories to tell about that man. He was a scout before he settled down. We’d sit and drink coffee in the evenings, and he’d tell us about all the wonderful adventures he’d gone on.”
One more question about the history of the place. I was starting to see the benefit of having the woman who’d been there since day one living with us.
The front door squeaked open, and footsteps sounded on the stairs. “Toni?” Dee called.
“Up here,” I answered.
“You’re here early,” she said once she was in the room. “Hey, Maisie.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I figured I’d get an early start. I don’t have to work at the bar, but I do need to work on an editing project I have, and I’d like to get a chapter or two written in my book.”
“How’s that coming?” she asked.
I groaned as I peeled off a strip of wallpaper. “Slow. I can’t seem to get started. Everything I write feels forced and fake when I read back through it.”
She nodded. “I can’t say I can relate a hundred percent, but when I first started making icing flowers, I couldn’t get them quite right.”
“So what did you do?” I asked, climbing down and moving the latter over a few feet so I could start on a new section.
She gave me a small grin. “The only thing I could—I faked it until I got it right. Claimed it was my own artistic touch to make the leaves flare a little more than they should have.”
“Ha! I don’t know if I can apply that to writing or not.”
“Sure you can,” Maisie said. “That’s how most people get things done in the beginning—it’s a matter of building confidence, and that don’t come without a bunch of flubs. It was the same with me and quilting. I made a few before I finally made one that wasn’t just a blanket of luck. I was just as proud of the first one as I was of the last one. It wasn’t nearly as purdy, but it was functional, and it reminded me when I’d get discouraged that I could do anything I put my mind to.”
When she put it like that, it was hard to argue.
“So what’s on your agenda for the day?” I asked Dee. “If you have time, I’d like to go talk to Harold again, and Marjorie too, though I have no idea what I’m going to ask her.”
“Why those two?” she asked, and I relayed what Harold had told me the day before.
Confusion etched her
features. “But Marjorie said she heard him.”
“I know,” I said. “So one of them is lying.”
She puckered her lips and pushed them to the side. “I honestly can’t see Harold doing it. But then that means Marjorie isn’t telling the truth.” She puffed out a breath through her cheeks.
“My money’s on the woman,” Maisie said. “Especially considering how she died. A rolling pin to the head is definitely a girl thing.”
I rolled my eyes. “So a guy isn’t going to clock somebody?”
She shrugged a shimmery shoulder. “It makes more sense he’d have choked her or something. Maybe pushed her, and she’d have hit her head on the table.”
“Except Marjorie is a lot shorter than Fiona was,” Dee said.
Maisie thought for a minute. “Maybe your aunt was bent over or somethin’.”
That was plausible, I supposed. “Still, I want to talk to them both.”
“Okay,” Dee said, “But first, I talked to Naomi, and she’s coming over to talk about the stuff for the auxiliary, and then she wants to talk to you about the lodge. I think she’ll help smooth the way for the permits because she mentioned how nice it would be to host functions there. Like Christmas parties, and the Fourth of July party.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about such long-term plans, but I supposed it wouldn’t hurt to at least hear her out. After all, I had a current electric inspection, which was a huge step in the right direction. “When’s she coming?” I asked.
“She said she’d be here in an hour or so. I still have to shower, so I’ll meet you at the cabin?”
“Sounds good,” I said. “I’ll find a good stopping point here and be up.”
Chapter 26
AN HOUR LATER, I WAS sitting on the back porch with Naomi and Dee, drinking some iced tea and enjoying the bird song as Bear slept at my feet. The closer I looked at the back yard, the more I liked it. The cabin was homey, and I was tempted to live there even after I had the lodge back in shape. It was something to think about.
“So is Toni your full name, or is it short for something?” Naomi asked, leaning her head back in her chair.
“It’s short for Antonia.” I took a sip of tea.
She turned her head toward me. “Antonia is a beautiful name! Why don’t you use it?”
I shrugged. “I just like Toni better, I guess. It suits me more than Antonia.”
She hummed and nodded. “But maybe your writing career would fare better if you used your given name. It sounds so mysterious.”
I took a sip of tea to buy myself some time before I responded. I’d been considering the exact same thing and honestly didn’t know which I’d end up going with. She wasn’t the first person to tell me that, though.
“Audrey tells me you’re thinking of opening the lodge as a B&B,” she said.
“I am. I hate to see all that space go to waste. We had a guy stop in yesterday asking about it, and I’m warming to the idea.”
“And the kitchen is gorgeous,” Dee said. “All new appliances, begging to be put to use.”
“It sounds like you two have the beginnings of a great plan,” Naomi said. “And I’m not going to lie—I’m excited about it. The community center is the only place around here that’s big enough to hold town functions, but no matter how much you decorate it, it never feels like anything other than a big, white room. I can picture gorgeous Halloween and Christmas parties at the lodge.”
In truth, I could too. The warm wood of the pine walls and bare rafters, the stone fireplace—all of them would look amazing with lights and tinsel and garland. It made me want to get started.
I stood up, my glass empty. “I’m going to get more tea. Do you guys want any?”
Dee shook her head and held up her glass, which was over half full. “I still have a bit.”
Naomi handed me hers. “I’ll take some more.”
I took it and went into the house, Bear on my heels. He’d followed Naomi all over the place while we’d given her a tour of the lodge, but once we got back to the cabin, he’d stopped. Goofy dog.
I walked into the kitchen and poured the tea, and had just picked them both up when I heard small thump against the wall in the entryway. I walked out to see Bear standing on his hind legs, his front paws bracing him up on the credenza we had sitting by the door. He was sniffing at Naomi’s purse.
“Get down,” I hissed, glancing toward the patio as I swatted him away.
He shoved off and sent Naomi’s purse tumbling to the ground, its contents spilling everywhere. I knelt down next to the purse and began shoving the contents back in when I noticed a piece of black velvet ribbon with a broken clasp at the end sticking out of a partially zipped inside pocket.
I glanced toward the porch; Naomi was laughing at something Dee said. I worked the zipper open with a pen that had fallen out, glancing once more at the patio door.
A black velvet necklace with a teardrop pearl pendant with a red smear on it was nestled in the little pocket. A little gold heart-shaped disc hung with the pearl, and I squinted to read what it said. All it had was a letter F in script. I gasped.
Dee had said Fiona never took her necklace off, and the sheriff thought whoever had it was probably the murderer if she had actually been wearing it. My heart began to race as I zipped the purse back up, careful to put it back on the credenza exactly as I’d found it. I strode back to the kitchen and had just picked up the two tea glasses when Naomi walked in.
She smiled. “You were taking so long that I thought you might need some help.”
I shook my head and offered her a glass. “Nope, just trying to maneuver around Bear.” I smiled, hoping my face wasn’t betraying the nervous energy that was pinging through me.
“He’s a lot of dog. I’m more of a cat person myself, but it’s good you have him, being this far out,” she said as she glanced around the kitchen before her gaze settled on my hand as she took the tea. “Your hand is shaking.”
I pulled it away. “I guess I forgot to eat today. All this caffeine and no food ...”
She looked at my face, studying it for a moment. “Maybe you should grab something to eat before you have any more then. Is that normal for you?”
I nodded, grasping the excuse she’d just given me. I needed to call Gabe. “Yeah, sometimes. Maybe you’re right, and I should eat something. You go on back out, and I’ll make a quick sandwich. Can I make you one?”
“No,” she said. “I ate right before I came. Go ahead and eat, then we’ll talk about what permits you’ll need. If you’re willing, I’d like to host the Independence Day picnic here.”
“That would be great,” I said, smiling. With as much adrenaline as I had pumping through my veins right then, I deserved an Academy Award.
She walked out the kitchen door, pausing as she glanced over her shoulder. Her gaze bounced back and forth between me and her purse before she turned and pushed through the door to the patio.
Once the door slapped shut behind her, I set down my drink and crept to the stairway, glancing around the wall to make sure she wasn’t coming back in. She was sitting there, nodding her head as Dee spoke. I raced out the back door to the courtyard, one of the places that could get a decent cell signal, and called the sheriff’s direct line.
I’d almost given up when he picked up on the fifth ring.
“Sheriff, this is Toni Owens. I found Fiona’s missing necklace,” I said in a hushed voice.
He paused. “Where?”
I debated telling him, but decided not to mention Naomi or her purse. I didn’t know if that would bring him out here or cause him to ignore my call since she was the mayor’s wife. So instead I said, “I found it here at the cottage. And ... bring the warrant, or get another one, or whatever you have to do to search this place top to bottom.”
“What?” he asked. “Why?”
“Just please,” I hissed. “Trust me.”
Another pause. “Okay. I’m on my way.” And the line clicked dead.
I crept back into the kitchen, retrieving my tea before taking two deep breaths and walking back to the patio.
Naomi glanced up at me. “Did you get something to eat?”
I nodded. “Peanut butter and jelly—the cure-all.”
She smiled. “Good. A woman can’t live on caffeine alone, though lord knows I’ve tried.” She motioned toward the chair I’d been seated in. “Have a seat and let’s do some party planning!” My stomach tightened as I glanced at my watch. It had only been two minutes since I’d made the call, and it would take him a solid fifteen to get there.
Naomi walked me through what all I’d need to get the place legal—certain kitchen requirements such as a backsplash behind the sink, and then gave me a list of permits and licenses I’d need.
“I’ve already spoken to a couple council members about this, and they’re as excited as I am,” she said. Her enthusiasm was so contagious that I almost got caught up in it myself. Except, you know, I was sitting having tea with a murderer.
Dee was saying something about maple-bacon cupcakes when there was a knock at the door. I hadn’t dared chance another glance at my watch, but it felt like it had been three days since I called the sheriff; surely the fifteen minutes were up.
“I got it,” I said as I jumped out of my seat and tried to keep my pace steady.
Dee furrowed her brow and craned her neck to look inside. “Are we expecting somebody?” she asked.
“Not that I know of,” I replied as I pulled open the screen door. “It’s probably Scout. I hope he brought more of those muffins!”
Relief flooded through me when I opened the door and saw the sheriff and Howie standing on the step. I placed my finger against my lips and stepped outside, shutting the door behind me.
“So you found Fiona’s missing necklace?” Gabe asked.
I nodded.
He glanced toward the patio, then trained his gaze on me. “Well where is it?”
“It’s in Naomi Clark’s purse,” I whispered.