by Lynn Cahoon
Cat leaned in to the hug, then remembered the bakery incident. “Hey, you and Nate got me in trouble last night with Uncle Pete.”
“How did we do that?” Seth tilted his head down to watch her closer.
“You sent her to the bakery, and when a dead guy was found there, Pete had to look at Cat as a suspect.” Shauna carefully folded the omelet in half. “You don’t have time for the story and to get your stuff put away, so which one will it be?”
“Who was killed?” Seth held up a hand. “Wait, I’m not sure I want to know. Let me run this upstairs real quick and you can tell me about it over breakfast.”
“If you’re not down soon, Cat gets the first plate,” Shauna warned as Seth sprinted to the hallway door.
Cat went to the fridge and took out the orange juice and poured three glasses. “I still don’t understand why Greyson was hanging out in Aspen Hills. You would think he’d be too busy with running a restaurant for a day trip.”
“Don’t tell me you’re going to start investigating.” Shauna plated up the omelet and put hash browns next to it. Setting it aside, she started the next omelet. “Your uncle isn’t going to like it.”
“I didn’t say I was investigating. I’m just wondering, that’s all.” But as she sat down with the first plate, she wondered if she was lying to herself as well as her friend. She itched to find out more about Greyson Finn on one hand. On the other, she wondered if she was getting addicted to the high of finding out secrets. This couldn’t be good for her. Not really.
“Well, you have enough on your plate with this retreat. You don’t have time to snoop into this guy’s death.” Shauna folded over the second omelet. “Even if it is dreamy Greyson. You know he was voted Denver’s best bachelor in the last two years. He even got a trophy from the city council.”
“Sounds like a wimpy trophy.” Seth came back into the kitchen and pointed at Cat’s plate. “Hey, that’s my food.”
“No, it isn’t. You weren’t here, so I got it. You snooze, you lose.” Cat put her arms protectively around the plate. “Although if you want this half-eaten omelet, I’ll take the new one that Shauna’s just finishing.”
“Oh, no you won’t.” Seth stood between Cat and the stove.
Shauna handed him a filled plate. “Now there, children. Mummy loves both of you equally.”
Seth took the plate and sat next to Cat. He gently elbowed her. “You’re lucky she had more food ready. I’m starving. Now, tell me what’s going on with this dead guy.”
They spent the next half hour filling Seth in on what had happened at the bakery. When they finished, he shook his head. “Pete must be tired of all of this activity. I don’t think we had a murder in Aspen Hills for years before . . .”
He stopped before he finished his statement.
Cat nodded. “You might as well say it. Before the retreat opened.”
“Now, that’s not true. Michael was killed before you even moved back to town.” Seth took his plate to the sink. “And with that clarifier, I’m heading upstairs to check on the home security system. I’ve got a whole list of things I want to get done this week so you get your money’s worth from your handyman boyfriend.”
Shauna laughed as he disappeared out the doorway to the hall. “You have a way of getting under his skin, you know?”
“We’ve always been this way. Other people would tell us to stop fighting and Seth and I would look at them confused. We hadn’t been fighting. We were discussing something. When we’re fighting we’re not talking at all.” Cat ate the last of her hash browns. “Breakfast was really good. If no one’s down yet, I’m running upstairs to play with some new ideas about some spin-off books. That is, if I get a new contract.”
“Just pop into the dining room and say hi if anyone’s awake. I don’t know yet if we have morning larks or night owls, but I suspect there might be someone in there eating breakfast.” Shauna wiped down the table with a clean cloth. “I’m going to chop some apples for a couple of pies for tonight.”
“I’ll come down and take the group to the library.” Cat put a lid on her travel mug and grabbed a couple of cookies. She had some research to do anyway. And it would be better if no one knew she was looking into Greyson.
When she got to the stairs, Rick Talbert was coming down, dressed in running clothes. His red hair peeked out from a ski hat. He slipped on gloves as he went down the last couple of stairs. “Good morning. I’m going for a quick run before breakfast. If I don’t get exercise done in the morning, it doesn’t happen.”
“It’s a beautiful morning. Not too cold.” She glanced backward at the front windows. “We have a treadmill downstairs if you want to use it.”
“I like being outside for as long as possible. I’ll run outside during the winter as long as it’s not icy on the sidewalks. Which means, I don’t get to run as much as I’d like. Chicago winters can be pretty brutal.”
Cat started up the stairs. “Well, I won’t keep you. I’m heading to my office to work for a bit, but I’ll be taking the group over to the library just before ten.”
“Looking forward to it.” He made his way through the foyer and out the front door.
Wondering if any of the other guests were up, Cat paused at the second-level landing, but she didn’t see anyone out of their room nor did she hear anything. Maybe Rick was her only lark this session, as Shauna had called the early risers. When she got to her office, she booted up her computer and started looking into the life of Greyson Finn. The work was interesting. And if caught, she could claim it was research.
An hour later, she had a couple of full pages and more questions than she had answers. Nothing she had found linked the local chef to Aspen Hills or Dee Dee. She shut the computer down and locked her office, just in case one of the guests confused her turret room for the attic, where they had additional writing areas set up for guests. Cat didn’t like the idea of anyone else working in her office.
As she went downstairs, she reminded herself that she needed to stop this addiction. Uncle Pete was the family member in law enforcement, not her. She was an author who also had a retreat—one that was currently going, and she needed to focus on that.
She heard voices in the dining room so, instead of going into the kitchen for coffee, she went in to see who was up. “Good morning,” she called out as she went to the sideboard to fill a coffee cup. She’d left her travel mug upstairs. “How is everyone this morning?”
“I’m so ready to get started writing. I’m beginning a new series this week. I’ve got it all planned out and I hope to have a large dent in my word count by the time I go home on Sunday.” Colleen waved Cat over to an empty chair next to her. “I know some people like the spontaneity of writing whatever comes to mind when they sit down, but I want some guidelines. Especially when I’m opening a new world.”
“Sounds like an ambitious goal.” Cat sat next to Colleen and, since all the guests were in the room, took the time to go through the schedule. “We have a pretty relaxed setup except for the few seminars during the week. If you don’t want to attend one, just let me know. That way we won’t wait, thinking you’re just running late.”
“I love the idea of learning more about Hemingway. He’s in the same time period that I like to set my books.” Bren sipped on her orange juice. “I’m doing a series about Frank Lloyd Wright homes.”
“That’s unusual.” Cat grabbed one of the muffins from the middle of the table. “How did you come up with that hook?”
“I live near the museum in Chicago. I’ve always been interested in architecture. But this way, I get to do research on a house and then make up the story as I go. So much better than having to stick with the truth.”
“So Bren lies for a living,” Rick, who was sitting next to her, said around a mouthful of eggs.
She playfully slapped him on the arm. “We all lie for a living. We write fiction.”
Cat thought she saw a spark between the two, but just as soon as it was there, Bren ha
d turned away and it was gone. Was there a romance going on there? Interesting.
Anne spoke, her voice soft but thoughtful. “I’m going to be working on a young adult book this week. Something totally different than what I usually write. I just want to spread my wings and play with something different.”
“That’s challenging.” Cat was impressed. Some of the group had come with firm goals in mind. “We always encourage guests to set goals for the week before you arrive since it will help center you at the retreat. You won’t believe how fast the week goes by.”
“I’m running every morning.” Rick stood and refilled his plate. “Anyone can join me if they want. I’ll be in the lobby at six.”
“Six is way too early to get up if I don’t have to go to work in the morning.” Colleen shook her head. “You go right ahead and run. I’ll be tucked into bed waking up slowly.”
“I’m coming down early all week and writing in the living room by the fire,” Molly announced. “It’s beautiful in there.”
A cell rang and all eyes went to Bren.
“Sorry, I’ve got to take this. We’re meeting in the lobby at nine forty-five, right?” She stood and paused at the doorway for an answer. When Cat nodded, she answered the phone. “I was just about to call you. Breakfast was . . .”
Bren’s voice trailed off as she walked away from the dining room.
Rick shook his head. “That guy has her on a really short leash.”
“We shouldn’t talk about Bren behind her back,” Anne admonished. “What happens in a relationship is between the couple and not anyone else’s business.”
“You sound like you’re stuck in the sixties.” Colleen held up her hand to stop Anne’s next words. “But I agree. We shouldn’t talk about Bren and her relationship. It has nothing to do with us.”
Rick looked like he wanted to argue, but he sighed and took the wrapper off a blueberry muffin. “Whatever.”
“I guess I’ll see you all in a little bit then. You’re going to love the library. And it’s nice enough you can walk there and work if you want to for a change of scenery. And there’s the attic too, if you need more of a quiet area.” Cat took her cup and walked to the doorway. “The dining room will have drinks and snacks all day to keep you energized. We stock it with some items before we retire at night in case you’re a night owl, but you might run out of coffee.”
“Everything’s perfect,” Anne said. “I just can’t believe I have a week to do nothing but be a writer. This is heaven.”
Cat felt the positive energy as she went back into the kitchen. Shauna was peeling apples. “That didn’t take long.”
“What? For me to get started on the apple invasion?” Shauna smiled. “There’s something very calming about cooking. It gets my mind in a Zen mode where I don’t have to really think. I can just be.”
“No, I was thinking about our guests. Here’s what I think I figured out.” She refilled her coffee cup. “Rick’s in love with Bren. Not sure if she realizes how strong the attraction between the two of them is. But Bren’s in some sort of bad relationship with a guy who keeps pretty tight tabs on her. The rest of the group is concerned but won’t address it because it’s her personal business.”
Shauna looked up at the clock. “First official day, and before the first seminar, and you’ve already got the dirt on your guests.”
“It’s not dirt.” Cat grinned over the rim of the cup. “But knowing the group helps when I’m trying to support them in meeting their goals for the week. I think sending them the goal sheet when they signed up really helped center a few of them. They are ready to go.”
“So as long as Rick doesn’t turn into a raving lunatic or Bren’s significant other doesn’t show up and disrupt the week, you’ve got a handle on things.” Shauna sat one peeled apple down and picked up a second.
“Way to bring my good mood down.” Cat held up her hand. “So sometimes I live in Pollyanna Land.”
Chapter Six
Cat got them to the library five minutes before Miss Applebome’s lecture was supposed to start. She handed out the library cards that the college had printed off for the guests and stopped at the spot where Molly sat. “You don’t have to sit through this seminar. I know you know about the library.”
“It’s fine. I like spending time with the group. It helps me understand people better if we have a common experience.” She leaned over. “Besides, we’re all going to Reno’s Pizza after this for lunch, so I didn’t want to miss that. I love that pizza.”
Cat nodded. That logic she understood. Reno’s had the best Chicago-style pizza west of Chicago. The owner, Don Reno, was the third son born into a family pizza restaurant dynasty. He’d moved and brought his franchise to Aspen Hills, Colorado, years ago. The place was amazing. She often wondered why Don hadn’t moved his business to Denver, where he could have made a lot more money, but she never mentioned the idea to the chef-owner. She wasn’t stupid. “So can you make sure they know their way back to the house after lunch?”
“Definitely.” Molly flipped back her hair. “I like being in charge.”
Rick shook his head. “Don’t get used to it. If you want to be part of this group, there’s only one leader, and that’s Bren. She’s got the Queen Bee persona down to a science.”
Miss Applebome cleared her throat and Cat knew that was the woman’s gentle reminder for Cat to leave the room. She moved toward the door. “See you all back at the house. And my cell number is on the library cards, just in case you need something.”
As she closed the door, she heard Miss Applebome’s welcome to Covington. The head librarian met with all the new students before they got library privileges and she’d insisted on this two-hour introduction session for the writers’ retreat guests as well. The library was her domain and she controlled access and information.
Cat paused in the lobby area. She should go home and work on her edits. She should go home and help Shauna do something with the apples. She should do a lot of things rather than what she was planning on.
She sat at the computer that had the library’s research lists. Cat keyed in Greyson Finn’s name. Several cookbooks were first on the list, but there were also several more recent articles from different Denver magazines and newspapers. She wrote those down and went to hunt the stacks.
After she pulled the periodicals, she sat at one of the tables and started reading. She took out the notebook she’d tucked into her tote before she left the house. She had just finished the pile of magazines when someone sat at the table next to her.
“Cat Latimer, I haven’t seen you in the library for years. What are you researching?” Jessica Blair pulled up one of the magazines and stared at the cover. “Are you setting up a list of restaurants close by for your guests?”
Jessica had been her best friend when she was married to Michael. They’d both joined the English Department the same year and shared the English 101 class load. She’d lost touch with Jessica when she’d moved. Leaving friends behind had been one of the sacrifices of moving. Especially couple friends.
Cat closed her notebook and stacked the magazines. “Just looking up some things. How have you been? I don’t think I’ve seen you since I moved back.”
“Then we should do lunch or drinks one of these days.” She glanced at her watch. “But not today. I’ve got a class in fifteen minutes. I just wanted to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed your books. One of my best students, Molly, is a superfan.”
“She’s in my retreat this week. I’m looking forward to talking with her more.” Cat tucked her notebook into her tote. “I’ll walk with you. We can catch up for a few minutes. Maybe we can do dinner next week?”
“Not dinner. My kids are screaming for help with their homework most nights. Lunch would work better. I’m in my office on Wednesday’s. Can you get away then?”
Cat pulled out her phone and opened her calendar program. “What time?”
“Let’s do eleven and head over to The Diner. That
way we can miss the student rush.” She paused at the doorway to the English building. “I’m so glad I ran into you. I was so sorry to hear about Michael.”
“Thanks. I know we were divorced at the time, but it still came as a shock.” Cat glanced at her watch. “Look, I’ll let you go. Next Wednesday at eleven. I’ll meet you at The Diner.”
“Sounds great.” Jessica started toward the building, a student joining her as they entered.
Cat sat for a moment on one of the stone benches outside the building. All she’d ever wanted was to be a professor here at Covington. And yet, she’d given up that role because she couldn’t stand to be in the same town as her ex. How many other decisions had she made on an emotion when really, she should have been looking at her future. With or without Michael, teaching at Covington had been exactly what she’d wanted in a career. Until her agent had sold her book. Not everyone got two dream careers in their lifetime. As the sun beat on her face, she smiled. She was lucky.
She stood and headed home. She hadn’t mentioned to Shauna that she was going to be a while. Mostly because she knew if she had, Shauna would suspect Cat was researching Finn. Which she had been. But there hadn’t been anything in those articles that had even hinted at a connection to Dee Dee.
As she walked by the bakery, she saw Dee Dee standing at the counter, waiting on a customer. She lifted a hand to wave when the woman turned her way, but Dee Dee quickly dropped eye contact. Cat kept walking. “So much for being friendly.”
When she got home, the kitchen smelled of apple pie. Shauna wasn’t there so Cat checked the whiteboard and read her message aloud. “‘Gone to the store for supplies. Lunch is in the oven. Chicken enchiladas. There’s Spanish rice on the stove, but you’re probably going to have to warm it up. Back soon.’”
Seth stepped into the kitchen from the hallway. “Hey, I was wondering where everyone was. I just went up to your office to see if you were writing.”
“No, I got held up at the library. Did you know Jessica Blair? She started teaching at Covington the same year I did.” Cat wiped off the whiteboard and went to the oven to get out the casserole dish.
