by Tegan Maher
"Wow," I said, a little surprised at how simple and fun that idea sounded.
Annie turned and smiled. "Sometimes simple is the best. I wouldn’t put any alcohol here, though, because one good drinker would put you out of business.” She chuckled as she looked around the room again, taking everything in. “And I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who would overindulge at your expense.”
I nodded. I’d seen what folks could do with an open bar. I followed her gaze as it skimmed over the walls, the fireplace, and the furniture.
She gestured to the walls. “You could definitely use some artwork or something on the walls. They’re too bare and make the room feel cold and devoid of any personality. You might even consider hanging some simple tapestries or old farm equipment or something.” She cocked her head like she was considering what to do with the wall directly across from the fireplace. “I once went to a craft show where this guy was selling barbed wire that he had made into wreaths, filling them with flowers or different odds and ends for holidays and themed events. Something like that might work.” Annie’s gaze traveled to mine, her face as full of wonder as a kid on Christmas morning. “It’s so exciting because there are so many possibilities here.” She looked around the room again and nodded her head. “This place is going to be amazing.” She turned to face me, her eyes expectant. “Where to next?"
I looked around. “I guess this pretty much sums up the first floor, and the basement is just for doing laundry and storing cleaning supplies and stuff, so I don’t think it needs any decorating help. I guess about all that's left is the upstairs. Follow me."
"Lead the way," she said as she hurried towards me.
“Don’t forget the gardens,” Maisey said, her eyes gleaming with pride at Annie’s obvious delight. “My husband used to order me in a different exotic rose variety for my birthday, and Toni’s done a great job of puttin’ the garden back to rights. It’s not finished yet, but she’s made good progress.”
“I love a good garden,” Annie said. “My aunt had one on her farm, shaded by oaks, and I spent hours there, playing as a kid, then reading when I was old enough.”
“You’re gonna love this one, then,” I said, thinking of the benches and fountain.
We climbed the stairs, and I automatically stepped around a squeaky board. I smiled because I was getting to know the place so well. I was to the point where I took nearly as much pride in it as Maisey did. "Scout is helping us replace some of the damaged hardwood flooring up here, so watch your step." I pointed at some planks that had been pulled up.
"That's kind of what I figured when I saw all those broken-down pallets out there."
I led her to the first bedroom on the right. The door sat ajar since it was Bear’s room of choice, and true to form, there he was, stretched out across the old wood framed bed. I stood back and let her peer in.
"Ooohhh," she said as she stepped inside. "If you painted the walls white and put up some mirrors, it would brighten this room up and make it look bigger."
I raised my eyebrows. I hadn’t thought past replacing the hardwood paneling, but she was just brimming with ideas. And in my mind, I could see how it would make the room look brighter and bigger.
She walked to the window and touched the curtain, rubbing it between her fingers. “These are awful. It looks like the moths have spent a lot of time in these.” She dropped the curtain and turned to face me, her eyes full of excitement. “You know, some white lace curtains would look great. You could get some mini-blinds; they wouldn’t necessarily have to be white. That way people could close them if they wanted to totally block out the light and have complete privacy, or open them and just close the curtains if they wanted just a little light, or maybe they just wanted to see outside but still have some semblance of privacy. I’m pretty handy with the sewing machine. I could make you some lace curtains if you wanted. I’m sure we could find some lace remnant on sale at the fabric store or even the donation center. It’d be way cheaper than buying curtains from a store.”
I was all about saving money since I didn’t make a whole lot as a small-town bartender. And I certainly couldn’t make them myself since I’d barely managed a D in sewing during high school. “That would be great. Thank you, Annie. I just wouldn’t be able to pay you very much for your time and trouble.”
She patted Bear on the head as she walked by. “Don’t worry about it. I love to make things and I’d be happy to do it for a friend. All I’d need you to do is buy the material for me or just reimburse me for it.”
I smiled. “That I can do.”
“Also, I’d lose the old pine bed.” She pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “That thing has seen better days and those better days were about fifty years ago. I think a nice white metal with brass knobs would be fantastic.” She stopped next to me and crossed her arms over her chest, tilting her head from side to side like an artist surveying a masterpiece. “Or even black metal with brass knobs. That would make a nice contrast against those white walls I suggested. Don’t you think?”
“There’s a ton of furniture in the attic,” Maisey said. “Pretty much anything we replaced got shoved up there because I couldn’t stand to throw any of it out. We gave some to the poor, but a lot of it just went in the attic.”
Annie turned her gaze toward me. “You mean you haven’t explored the attic yet?”
I laughed. “No, other than to just glance in it when I first bought the place. I know there’s stuff up there, but it’s all covered with three inches of dust.”
“We’ll remedy that as soon as we get a chance, then.”
Maisey nodded her approval. “I like you. You have vision.”
I raised my eyebrows in agreement. “Maybe you should start a business as an interior designer.”
Annie laughed. “I don’t actually have any training in interior design, so I doubt anybody would actually hire me. Besides, who in Mercy Lake needs an interior designer?”
We walked to the next room. Annie wrinkled her nose as she peered inside. "That awful ‘I used to be white but now I’m yellow with age’ wallpaper and its horribly faded pink flowers has got to go away. This room looks like it's set up for my nana because no one younger than her would want to stay in this room." She looked at me as her lips twitched up at the corners. “Unless you plan on reopening as a nursing home, then I’d say keep the room as it is.”
I chuckled. "I didn't even think about any of that until you mentioned it."
Maisey frowned but gave a resigned sigh. “I loved that wallpaper when my granddaughter ordered it, but you’re right—it’s about a century past its expiration date.”
Annie winked at me as she walked to the next bedroom. "Sometimes having a fresh perspective is helpful."
“Or maybe just someone with an eye for those sorts of details,” I said.
Annie visited each room in turn, and in each room, she made some very valuable suggestions. Things that neither Dee nor I had thought of. To be honest, Dee and I didn't seem to have an eye for decorating the way that Annie did. All in all, every room needed new furniture, new wallpaper, new paint, and new curtains. Her final suggestion was art or something, anything, to give the rooms some personality.
We finished up the tour and walked downstairs together, me a step or two behind her. "So maybe you could write down some notes with all your suggestions for the bedrooms so I don't forget any."
Annie's ponytail bobbed as she nodded. "Sure. I really had a lot of fun."
"You know," I said as we reached the bottom of the stairs, "maybe, instead of the notes, you could just come over sometimes, you know, when you're free. Goodness knows we could use some decorating help."
Annie turned and beamed at me. "I would really love that." She frowned as she thought for a moment. "Would it be alright if I brought my kids with me sometimes? They would really love it here, and I would have much more availability that way."
"I don't have a problem with that. But if you’re going to be doing this, you’re not
going to do it for free. I can’t pay a lot, but I can pay some.”
“Okay," she said as she turned and headed back to the kitchen, “but you really don’t have to. I just love doing it.”
“I insist,” I said. “An interior designer would cost me a fortune, and as you can tell, I don’t exactly have an eye for it.”
“I’m sure we can work something out,” she said.
I sure hoped so, because she’d given me a lot to think on, but I didn’t think I’d be able to make it come alive like that on my own.
Chapter Nineteen
"NIKKI'S COMING BY WITH drinks after work," Dee announced as we entered.
I glanced at my watch; we had about two hours before then, so I excused myself to go help Scout. We finished most of the boards and decided to meet up the next morning to finish the last two rooms just as Nikki pulled in and climbed out of her car, a bag holding four bottles of wine in one hand and takeout in the other.
I watched, shaking my head as she turned around and headed back to her car. I held the door open as I waited for her to come back. She hoisted the case up, shut the trunk with her elbow, and walked back in my direction. I held the door open wide as I pressed my body against it, flattening out as much as I could so she could get by. The box contained a full case of wine and Scout jumped to take it from her.
“Thanks, but I got it,” she said as she wobbled through the doorway with it.
Also, as she passed me I noticed her hair wasn’t in its normal hairspray helmet. It actually moved, and her make-up was muted and more natural looking, which was a nice change from the dark, thick style she usually wore. This new look made her look younger and less severe. "Is it a special occasion or something?"
Her brows knit up a little bit. "Not that I can think of. Why do you ask?"
I couldn't stop the chuckle that bubbled up my throat. "Because you look like you're stocking a bar." I nodded toward the case she was carrying and lifted the bottles I’d taken from her hands. “And you look like you’re sporting a new look.”
She looked over her shoulder at me, her eyes lit up as she laughed. “The wine guy came today and left an extra case of wine, and Don said to bring it to you as a thank you for giving him the chance to spend time with his buddies while they were in town.” Scout reached out and helped her heft the box onto the island. “As for the new look, another stylist at the salon wanted to try giving me a full make-over for practice, so I let her.”
I raised my eyebrows, surprised she’d let somebody work on her. She seemed to be set in her ways, and those ways were wedged firmly in the eighties. "Well, I think the new look suits you. You look amazing.”
Nikki blushed, which was very un-Nikki like. Of course, maybe I never noticed her blush before because I couldn’t see it under her make-up. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
I glanced down at the case of wine on the island. “As for alcohol, I think we'll be good to go for the next year or so."
Nikki looked at me and rolled her eyes. "It’s only a case of wine. With all of us here enjoying it, plus your guests, once they get here, I give it less than a month."
She popped the top on a bottle, walked to the cabinet and grabbed four glasses, then filled them.
“See?” she said, smiling and waggling the bottle at me. “One down, and I haven’t been here five minutes.”
Dee walked into the kitchen, scrubbing at a stain on her shirt. Nikki handed her a glass before handing me mine. “Where’s Annie?”
Dee took the wine without really looking up. “Her son forgot his jacket when their dad picked them up last night, so she had to run it over there for him.”
Nikki snorted as she went back to the cabinet and grabbed a highball glass, filling it with a generous amount of Jack Daniels. “I’d make that man come get it himself. He’s a dad. He should make sure his kids are prepared to go before they actually go. Plus he has nerve, asking her to waste gas making an extra trip there when he hasn’t paid his child support.”
Dee was staring at her, mouth open to say something, but apparently, she’d forgotten what. “Wow,” she finally managed. “You look so beautiful.” I had to agree—the layers of makeup had been hiding a really pretty woman and I hoped she kept the new look.
Nikki blushed again, mumbling, “Thank you,” as she walked past us out to the main room, where she flopped down on the couch. She cleared her throat as she looked around. "I hope Annie gets here soon because I have news to share."
Dee and I wandered out to the main room, where Scout had built a fire, and I handed him his glass of wine. “If you’d rather have beer, I’m sure one of us will take care of that.”
He shook his head. “I’m good with wine.” He tilted his glass toward Nikki in thanks and she just smiled.
I took a seat on the floor, since we only had the loveseat in there at the moment, groaning as my sore muscles protested the movement. Of course, I had to share the space with Bear, but he didn't seem to mind. I scratched him behind the ear as I settled in, and he groaned appreciatively.
Dee took a seat next to Nikki on the couch, blowing out a deep sigh as she did so. "Please tell me it has nothing to do with Jeremy. I do not want to hear about any more circumstantial evidence the sheriff has and is using to shore up his case."
Nikki shook her head as she took another drink. "Nope, but someone else certainly looks more guilty."
Just then there was a knock at the door. "Come in," we called out in unison.
Annie let herself in, vigorously wiping her feet on the entryway rug. "Sorry I had to sneak out. I really thought I'd have the whole afternoon, then he texted to tell me he’d forgotten Mikey’s jacket.” She rolled her eyes as she set her purse on the entryway table and joined us in the great room.
Nikki huffed. “You let that man get away with too much, sweetie. You need to start putting your foot down and say enough is enough.”
Annie acted like she hadn’t even heard Nikki. "And I can't tell you how much I appreciate you letting me rent out the room above the cafe, Dee." She sat down on the couch between Nikki and Dee. "It makes it so much easier to work when I don't have a sitter or their father is running late. All I have to do is take a quick hop upstairs to check on them. I don't think I could have made this work any other way."
"One of the reasons Fiona fired Annie was because of her sitter issues," Dee explained to me.
That honestly didn't surprise me. Fiona wasn't known for her empathy. "So what were you so anxious to tell us?" I turned my attention back to Nikki.
Nikki twisted herself in her seat so she was sitting at an angle, and pulled her knee up in front of her, set her elbow on the back of the couch and rested her head on her hand. "Well, it seems Helen has left town. Apparently, the sheriff went to question her after the robbery and she’s gone."
That didn't look exactly good, but it didn't scream guilty either. "Maybe she's on vacation or had a family emergency or something."
Nikki shook her head. "I think the sheriff spooked her and she ran off. I think she did it, she’s the one who murdered Frank and robbed the store, then split. Maybe he tried to break it off with her and she didn’t want to lose the cash cow. Or maybe he’d made her a promise then backed out on her."
“I say the evidence is strongest against Helen, then Scott, then Jeremy.” Nikki glanced at Dee, who stiffened noticeably. “But only because of the fight Frank and Jeremy had, and the gun and stuff. I mean, come on, the evidence is kind of there, but I think Helen or Scott look better for it.”
My gaze fixed on Dee, I said, "I think Scott is our most likely suspect."
Dee shot me a grateful look as her body relaxed noticeably.
Warmth bubbled up inside of me. It's not like I actually thought Jeremy did it when Scout and I had discussed it, but if he should be guilty, I just wanted Dee to be prepared. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how to do that without alienating her.
Nikki looked at the lock of hair she had been curling round and round her finger. I kind
of wondered if she just enjoyed how soft if felt minus the bottle of hairspray. "Truth be told, nothing anybody here says is going to convince me it was anybody other than Helen or her husband."
"Annie, who do you think’s guilty?" Dee shifted her gaze to Annie, who had remained incredibly quiet so far.
Annie took a drink as she thought for a moment. "Mmmm ... I think I like Beatrice for it. Isn't it usually the jilted lover that's guilty? The police always say that the ones closest to you are the ones likely to do the most harm. I know she was out of town, but maybe she hired somebody. After all, a shot between the eyes is pretty cold—maybe the killer was a pro. Or at least didn’t care."
"Well, I guess that means Scott's as good a guess as any too," Dee added. "They say most crimes are committed by a family member or close friend."
I raised my glass at Dee and saluted. "Yes. Plus, Jeremy may be a lot of things, but he doesn’t strike me as stupid. And he would have to be to kill Frank right after he got in a fist fight with him."
I turned to Scout, who’d taken a seat beside me. “Do you think Helen leaving town makes her look guilty?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, if he’d been found at the feed store or somewhere, if the body hadn’t been moved, then I’d say absolutely.” He shook his head. “But I don’t think Helen dragged him out of a boat and across a hundred yards of land by herself. So I need more facts before I cast my vote.”
I sighed. We’d just gone in another circle and didn’t get so much as an inch closer to solving the murder. Though in the back of my mind, I had to admit—it sure didn’t look good that Helen had jumped ship right as it was starting to take water.
Chapter Twenty
I WALKED INTO THE LODGE the next morning to find Dee taking off her apron. "Do you have to work today?" She sounded a little harried as she shoved her apron underneath the counter, slid a covered pie off the counter and put it in the fridge.
I poured myself a cup of coffee before turning to face Dee, leaning my hip against the counter as I grasped the warm cup in my hands. After a night drinking with the ladies, I needed some go juice. "No. Why? What's going on? I saw Annie’s car outside." I watched as she covered a bowl of batter with some plastic wrap.
