“Yeah, yeah.” Landon waved off his admonition. “She’s still eight with pigtails to you.”
“And overalls … and a stuffed dog … and ice cream on her face.”
Landon smirked. “She had ice cream on her face last night.”
“And a stuffed dog,” the chief said, wagging a finger. “I saw how much you ate and drank. You were stuffed.”
“Why are we even having this argument?” Landon complained, moving toward the door. “They’re clearly up to something. I’ll put a stop to it.”
Chief Davenport rolled his eyes and shifted on his chair so he could watch. Whether he forgot we were present or simply didn’t care, he talked to himself as he watched the scene play out. “Oh, he’ll put a stop to it. Those women will ride roughshod over him. They always do.”
I watched the chief’s eyes light up when Bay and Thistle appeared in front of the window again. They clearly didn’t see Landon closing on them, because they remained focused on Tillie, each grabbing an arm and dragging her along the sidewalk as they tried to cajole her into making the trek easier.
Bay, her mouth open, made an odd face when she smacked into Landon. She jerked her head around, smiling when she saw the new player. She said something to Landon, who responded with a headshake.
“It’s like the best television show ever,” Laura said. “That guy is so hot.”
Chief Davenport darted a dark look in her direction. “He’s also taken.”
Laura didn’t appear annoyed by the words, or the tone he employed. “For now.”
“Forever,” he corrected. “I don’t know why I’m even worrying about you. You’re no threat to Bay.”
Laura snorted. “Honey, I’m a threat to everyone.”
“And that’s why you’re a threat to no one,” the chief corrected, shaking his head. I couldn’t help but enjoy the way he dressed down Laura. I barely knew the woman and could barely tolerate her. Apparently I wasn’t alone in my assessment of her personality. “You think so much of yourself you can’t see the truth.”
Laura rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Let me watch the hot FBI guy in peace.”
I tore my gaze from Laura’s determined stare and cracked a smile when Landon finally gave in to whatever Bay asked him to do. He grabbed Tillie around the waist, hoisted her over his shoulder and turned to walk down the sidewalk. Thistle and Bay scampered after him, their mouths moving rapidly.
“Where is he taking her?” Jack asked.
“Hypnotic. That’s the store Clove and Thistle own,” the chief replied. “They’re probably trying to get her off the street.”
“Oh, the cute magic store?” I asked, my interest piqued. “I saw it when we hit town. I want to stop there before we leave.”
“It’s a nice place,” Chief Davenport said, shifting in the chair and smiling as the waitress delivered his lunch. “You might want to add a bowl of chili and a grilled cheese on cracked wheat, if you have time. Landon is rounding up Bay for lunch.”
“You don’t know that,” Laura challenged. “He didn’t say he was bringing her back.”
Landon picked that moment to reappear in the doorway, Bay’s hand wrapped in his. He looked serious as he spoke to her. Tillie and Thistle were nowhere in sight.
“I think he’s right, though,” I pointed out, smiling as Laura’s scowl became more pronounced.
“Of course I’m right,” the chief grumbled. “I could set my watch by Landon’s moods where Bay is concerned. You have no chance, honey.” He emphasized the last word in a derogatory manner before lowering his voice. “You try to hurt her, and we’ll have words.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing at the murderous look on Laura’s face, and shifted my eyes to the door as Landon and Bay entered. It appeared they weren’t quite done arguing.
“I’m only saying that it’s not my fault,” Bay whined.
“I didn’t say it was your fault,” Landon countered. “But you’re coming with us to the resort this afternoon to make sure nothing else happens that can be misconstrued as your fault.”
“You can’t make me go with you,” Bay argued.
Landon rolled his neck. “Bay … .”
“I will gladly offer my services to the FBI if you ask nicely, though,” Bay teased, grinning at Chief Davenport as she passed.
“You’ll be the death of me,” Landon muttered, reclaiming his chair. “Order some lunch. You haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
“I ordered a grilled cheese and chili for her,” the chief supplied.
“Oh, such a good provider.” Bay beamed. “You have to ask me nicely, Landon. You’re not the boss of me.”
“Fine,” Landon growled. “Will you please come to the resort with me?”
Bay grinned and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Yes.”
Landon looked as if he wanted to remain stoic and angry, but his grimace flipped upside down as he handed Bay the pickle from his plate. “You’re a lot of work.”
“I know.”
The small interaction made my heart flip when I saw how comfortable they were with each other. I didn’t realize I wanted that … wanted the peace of someone understanding everything about me … until I saw the real thing in action. I didn’t get a chance to ponder the realization for long before Jack leaned in.
“I think we should schedule our own visit to that resort,” he whispered. “Are you game?”
I nodded, sobering. “I think that’s a good idea. We have to start somewhere.”
Eight
Because he was much more interested in the possibility of seeing Bigfoot – or Sasquatch, whatever – Chris took Hannah, Bernard and Laura back to the site. That left Jack, Millie and me to head to the resort. Jack plugged the resort’s coordinates into the GPS and headed in that direction.
The resort was beautiful. I couldn’t tear my gaze from the quaint shopping village on one side and the majestic hills on the other. A full landscaping team was working on the smaller hills we drove past, but it was too soon to tell what they would look like when finished.
“What’s the deal with the big hill?” Millie asked, leaning forward in the passenger seat.
“Landon said this was a ski resort in the winter,” I replied. “That looks like a tow rope to the right and a chair lift down that way on the left. I’ll bet those hills are ski slopes in the winter.”
“What are they now?”
“Empty,” Jack answered, pulling into a parking spot.
Everyone hopped out of the Tahoe and studied the resort. It wasn’t busy because it was between seasons, but it was obvious where the main door was thanks to a big sign over the glass entryway. What I didn’t understand were the two buildings across the parking lot. They were both large and well-kept, but they stood alone compared to the rest of the resort.
“What do you think those are?”
“That’s where the golf course is,” Jack replied. “That building there is the cart shed. The other is the pro shop and what looks to be a small restaurant.”
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“Because I golf.” Jack’s answer was succinct. He turned from the empty buildings and focused on the bigger one. “This is the main hotel. I think the dining room is that way.”
“So we should go that way?” Millie asked.
“That’s the direction I believe Landon, Terry and Bay headed,” Jack replied. “I think we should try going in a different door.”
“You don’t want them to know we’re here?” I couldn’t contain my surprise. “Why not? We’re not doing anything wrong.”
“It’s not that I don’t want them to know we’re here,” Jack clarified. “I simply prefer they didn’t know we were stepping on their toes.”
“How is that different?”
Jack shrugged. “It makes me feel better. Come on. Let’s go in through the loading dock.”
Loading dock? I was confused until I followed Jack around a corner, through a set of wide delivery doors that opened and cl
osed for large trucks, and realized he wasn’t referring to anything that could be mistaken for a port. He was referring to the place where the resort’s delivery trucks pulled in for unloading.
“How did you know this was here?” I asked, flipping my eyes to the large wooden doors that cut off the area to guests when the dock wasn’t in use. Thankfully for us it appeared that a food delivery was on tap for the afternoon so they weren’t locked.
“I worked at a resort weekends when I was in high school,” Jack replied. “I was a bellhop.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at the unintended visual. “Did you wear a uniform?”
Jack nodded, unembarrassed. “It was good money. If you think you’re going to tease me, you can’t. I have fond memories of that place. That’s where I learned the necessity of a good work ethic.”
“I wasn’t going to tease you.”
Jack cocked a dubious brow.
“Much,” I clarified. “I wasn’t going to tease you much. I just can’t picture you in a uniform. You seem like you’ve always been a jeans and T-shirt kind of a guy.”
“I have, but I have no problem with a uniform if it involves making money.” Jack held open the door that led inside the building, opting to eschew the area where several men toiled unpacking the truck.
Once inside it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dim room. “What’s with the office over there?” I asked, pointing toward a small corner room that featured multiple glass windows looking out on the dock.”
“My guess is that’s the purchasing agent’s office,” Jack replied, running a restless hand through his hair as he got his bearings. “He has to sign for every delivery and check to make sure everything arrived, so he has to be close.”
I stared into the office, focusing on the man behind the glass. He didn’t glance in our direction, seemingly busy with whatever paperwork he studied. “Why isn’t he trying to chase us out of here?”
“Because he probably doesn’t care,” Jack answered, pressing his hand to the small of my back and prodding me forward. “He’s not who we’re looking for. We need younger workers who are too stupid to realize that talking about co-workers out of school is a bad idea.”
“So … under thirty?”
“Under twenty-five if possible. I … .”
“I found something I want to check out,” Millie announced, staring down a hallway that led to what looked to be storage rooms. I could see two shirtless men unloading boxes, and Millie appeared focused on them. “I’ll catch up with you in a little bit.”
Jack looked annoyed by the announcement. “Millie, they’re not who we’re looking for.”
“They’re exactly who I’m looking for,” Millie shot back. “Don’t leave without me.”
“Like I would do that,” Jack muttered, shaking his head as he walked toward a set of doors that led to a different hallway. “Women give me a headache.”
I pursed my lips as I followed him. “Just women? That’s kind of sexist.”
“Maybe I’m a sexist individual. Have you ever considered that?”
I nodded without hesitation. “Since the moment I met you. You’re not overtly sexist, though. It’s more that your machismo won’t allow you to do anything that would endanger women. You feel you need to protect everyone, but especially women.”
Jack’s mouth dropped open as he walked through the door with me. “I don’t know what to say to that.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I like observing people, and you’re easy to read. It wasn’t meant as an insult.”
“Uh-huh.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck as he locked gazes with me. “I like observing people, too. You know how you’re convinced the Winchesters are hiding something from us?”
I nodded. I remained convinced of that. It became more obvious with each conversation.
“Well, you’re hiding something, too,” Jack announced, causing my heart to stutter. “I don’t know what it is. I don’t know if it’s something big, but it’s big to you. That could be because of your age or enthusiasm … but you’re definitely hiding something. Now, I don’t care about it as long as it doesn’t put my team in danger. But I know you’re hiding something, and I want you to know that you’re not fooling me.”
My instinct was to balk, so that’s what I did. “What do you think I’m hiding?”
“I don’t know,” Jack admitted, his dark eyes searching my face. “You’re not a normal girl, though. I know that.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” I swooped past him, adding a little swing to my step as my mind worked overtime. He couldn’t possibly know the big secret. He wasn’t prone to believing paranormal tales. He worked for a group of people who sought out paranormal answers, yet he didn’t believe in any of it. Whatever he thought I was hiding was of the mundane human variety. That was good for me … probably. I would have to be more careful. “Where do you want to start?”
Jack’s face was impassive as he waited for me to turn and stare at him. Something unsaid passed between us – although what it was I couldn’t say – and then he inclined his chin in the direction of two women standing beside the women’s bathroom. They were dressed in maid uniforms. “Maids love to gossip.”
“I think that was code for ‘women love to gossip,’” I corrected. “You’re probably not wrong about this duo, though. They look like chatters.”
“Let me do the talking,” Jack instructed, swaggering in their direction.
“Why? Because you’re a man?”
“No, because they’ve been watching me since they caught sight of us,” Jack replied, keeping his voice low. “Much like Laura, they fancy themselves man-eaters. They’re not hard to read.”
Jack plastered a bright smile on his face as he approached the women. I was mildly curious about what tack he would take with them. I was utterly surprised when he opted for the truth.
“My name is Jack Hanson,” he announced. “I’m conducting an investigation into a woman who died in the woods near Hemlock Cove. Her name was Penny Schilling and she worked here. Did either of you know her?”
The two women exchanged a quick look and then the bolder of the two – a bottle-blonde who wore way too much makeup – stepped forward. “We both know her. Or, well, knew her. We heard the rumor about her dying when we got here this morning. Is it true?”
Jack nodded. “It’s true. She was found in the woods.”
“Is it true an animal ate her?”
Jack shifted a bit, as he debated how to answer. “My understanding is that the police are still trying to ascertain that,” he hedged.
“Aren’t you the police?”
Jack shook his head. “I’m with a private investigation group. We’re looking for answers, and I’m hoping you can help us.”
I had to hand it to him. He knew how to question people. He flashed a flirty smile to charm the women and didn’t outright lie. He didn’t mention we were with the Legacy Foundation – which might’ve caused them to think we were quacks – but he didn’t open himself up to future issues by telling outright falsehoods either. His method was almost flawless.
“Who is she?” the second woman asked, nodding in my direction.
“She’s my assistant,” Jack replied without hesitation. “Her name is Charlie Rhodes. She’s learning on the job. What can I call you?”
The first woman heaved a sigh and glanced at her friend, both of them nodding in unison. “I’m Christy Sayre and this is Kelly Nichols. What do you want to know?”
THE WOMEN were a fountain of information – just as Jack suspected and I initially doubted. While I expected them to know a little gossip, and a lot of unsubstantiated rumors, they appeared to know everything about everyone who worked at the resort.
“It’s pretty simple,” Christy supplied, popping the top of a can of Coke as she sat in a small resting area in front of a fire. “Penny was a nice woman who did a good job in the main dining room, but she was a total slut.”
> My mouth dropped open at the woman’s bluntness. “How do you know that?”
“It was common knowledge,” Kelly replied. She was much chattier now that everyone had been introduced, although her keen eyes never left Jack’s face. She wasn’t even mildly interested in me. “She slept with everyone.”
“Define everyone,” Jack prodded.
“Well, for starters, she slept with the head of purchasing,” Christy volunteered. “His name is Shane Norman. He’s the guy who works in the glass office on the dock.”
The guy I saw through the window, I realized. “The one with the bald spot?”
Kelly nodded. “He’s not much to look at, but he’s one of the better paid administration people around these parts. He’s fairly popular because he keeps to himself and doesn’t bug anyone.”
“How old is he, though?” I asked. I knew the question sounded judgmental, but I couldn’t help myself. Penny Schilling was twenty-four and in the prime of her life. The guy I saw through the window had to be in his fifties.
“I think he’s forty or something,” Christy answered.
“Forty?” That couldn’t be right.
“He doesn’t get a lot of exercise and he eats terrible food,” Kelly explained. “He looks older than he is. I thought he was close to dying, too. Maybe he’s like forty-five or something. Who can really tell when people get that old?”
“Oh, well, I didn’t think he was close to dying,” I clarified. “I just thought he was older than forty.”
“How do you know that Penny and Shane were involved?” Jack asked, directing the conversation back to something he was comfortable talking about.
“People saw them having sex through that big window,” Kelly said. “It has blinds, but apparently Penny was all pressed up against it. She left sweat stains on the blinds. The gossip spread like wildfire.”
“Okay.” Jack dragged out the word as he considered the scene. “That’s only one man, though. What you told me makes her adventurous. What makes her a slut?”
“Shane wasn’t her only boyfriend,” Christy answered without hesitation. “She was also sleeping with the head bartender. His name is Bob Grimes and he’s married. But it’s not as big of a scandal as you think. His wife works here, too. Bob sleeps with everyone who looks in his direction. He’s a male slut, so they kind of meshed well together.”
Witchy Dreams Page 55
