Early Check Out

by Diane Capri

  Behind her marched a younger woman, probably in her thirties. She wore a sharply tailored suit I would’ve killed for in my lawyer days. I would’ve had clients eating out of my hands in that suit. It had feminine power written all over it. She carried a small tan dog in her arms. The assistant, Petra, bearing Duchess the Frenchie, I assumed.

  Mrs. Garfinkel strode up to Samuel Park and smiled, her ruby-stained lips curling up with easy pleasure. “Hello, Samuel.”

  He clasped her hand and leaned in to kiss her pale cheek. “You look radiant as always, Willetta.”

  “Thank you. A month in a Swedish spa will do that for you. You should try it.”

  Lois stepped forward and shook Mrs. Garfinkel’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to see you. We’re very happy you’re staying with us again.”

  “Nice to see you, Lois.” Her gaze swept over Eric and Nicole, and she smiled politely at them. Then she grinned at Ginny. “You, I remember. You helped me find that amazing pair of tangerine jeans. I still wear them.”

  “I’m pleased to hear that, Mrs. Garfinkel,” Ginny smiled.

  Samuel gestured to me. “This is the new concierge, Andi Steele.”

  I shook her petite hand. “I’m honored to be able to serve you during your stay here at the Park Hotel.”

  “Where’s the other one, the boy with the teeth?”

  I pressed my lips together to suppress a grin. Casey did indeed have big teeth, and he constantly flashed them with his big cheesy smile, which I assumed he thought was charming and not smarmy. Wrongly so.

  Samuel said, “He’s taking care of his mother. She recently had hip surgery. It’s a shame he’s not here.”

  Mrs. Garfinkel gave a little shrug and looked at me again. “She looks more than capable. The job’s not all that difficult, after all.”

  I nodded to her, not completely sure she’d paid me a compliment. “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Your bags are already in your suite,” Samuel said as he literally fluttered at the woman’s side.

  “Excellent.” She waved her hand, and the entourage moved past me, now with Samuel and Lois in tow.

  I watched the parade until they disappeared down the right corridor leading to the private elevator to the luxury suites on the third floor. When they were gone, Ginny came up to me.

  “She’s something, eh?”

  “Yeah, not what I expected at all.”

  “If I’m half as pretty and vibrant as she is at that age, I’ll be set for life.”

  “You’ll be just as funky, Ginny, at eighty-two. I have no doubt in my mind.” I laughed when she hugged me.

  “Oh, you always say the right thing, you silver-tongued minx. That’s why you’re perfect for this job.”

  Everyone went back to their proper positions, and by the time noon rolled around, I had booked fifteen dinner reservations around the island, two sunset cruises, and three rounds of golf…and saved one toddler from running out of the hotel and getting on a tour carriage for bird-watching enthusiasts.

  During a lull between guests, I ran over to the Lady Slipper for my usual veggie wrap and bottle of Kombucha. As I uncapped the bottle, I thought about Daniel and the day I’d spilled my tea all over his shoes. Not the most perfect meet-cute, but it got the ball rolling.

  Since our dinner on the mainland, he’d texted me a few times to chat. I liked the casual nature of it. I didn’t like a man who was all in after one date. That was never authentic. I liked a man who took his time.

  Then that made me think of Sheriff Jackson, and I frowned. I didn’t want to be thinking about the sheriff in any capacity except for law enforcement. I didn’t want to think about him in his pretty blue house and going out for lunch with his daughter or the way he ran a hand through his hair when he was stressed.

  Suddenly angry, I stomped across the lobby toward the back employee office to eat my lunch. I must’ve looked like I might punch through a wall, because the Chamber Crew—the hotel maids—moved out of my way as I strode past them.

  “Man troubles?” Nancy asked with a smirk. The other women all laughed. Including Megan.

  “No. I’m not having man troubles.”

  “That’s not what we heard.” Nancy snorted.

  I glanced at Megan. “Really, Megan? After I helped you? You’re going to spread extremely false rumors about me?”

  She shrugged but had the decency to look chagrinned, at least. “Sorry. Just having some fun.”

  “Well, it’s not fun for me. Or for your dad.”

  Nancy waved her hand. “Oh, relax, Steele. It’s not like anyone would really believe that a man like Sheriff Jackson would have the hots for a woman like you.”

  I frowned. “What does that mean?” I put my hand on my hip, anger on the rise again.

  She smacked me on the shoulder. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. It’s not an insult. It’s just the sheriff is, you know, a rugged type of man. A man’s man. Good with his hands.” She winked at me. “And you’re like, you know, educated and a bit uptight and probably scream when you see a spider.” She laughed. “You’re just really mismatched, that’s all.”

  Nancy was absolutely right in her assessment, but I still felt stung. She hadn’t meant to insult me. At least I didn’t think so. Nancy and I got on pretty well. I had helped her a while ago with some troubles she’d been having with her ex-husband.

  “I am not uptight,” I said after a long pause, which made the crew laugh some more.

  “You’re just mismatched, is all,” Nancy reiterated between giggles.

  Everyone’s a comedian.

  I ate my lunch quickly and returned to the concierge desk. There were a couple of messages left on my desk from guests. One was from Mrs. Garfinkel. I immediately picked up the phone and called her suite.

  She answered. “Yes?”

  “Mrs. Garfinkel? It’s Andi Steele, the concierge.”

  “Right. I need your help.”

  “Of course. How may I help you?”

  “You need to come to my suite, right now.”

  “Is it an emergency? Do I need to bring someone from a different department, like housekeeping?”

  “No. You’ll do fine. Be here in five minutes.” Then she hung up the phone.

  I let the front desk know where I was going. Five minutes later, I was knocking on the double doors of the Frontenac Suite.

  The doors opened. “Good. You’re punctual. I like people who are on time.”

  I entered the front foyer of the best and largest suite in the hotel and followed Mrs. Garfinkel into the parlor. The suite was beautifully decorated in blue and white, little splashes of gold here and there. The white curtains were pulled away from the entire wall of windows that led to a verandah overlooking the water. She had a fine view of the magnificent bridge connecting the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan, too. Spectacular.

  “What can I help you with, Mrs. Garfinkel?”

  “I need you to take Duchess for a walk.”

  The little dog in question trotted into the room and plopped its little butt near my feet.

  “I was under the impression that your assistant, Petra, did all the dog-walking while you were here on the island.”

  “Petra is indisposed.”

  That was when I heard the very distinctive sound of someone retching in the bathroom. I winced at the sound. “Oh. Is she okay? Should I call for a doctor?”

  She made a face. “She’s fine. Just a horrible traveler. She’ll be like this for a day or two. It’s nothing serious.”

  Duchess moved a little closer to me. I tried not to make eye contact with the dog. I knew if I did, I’d be done for. I love dogs. But I’ve never been in a position to own one. Lois would have a heart attack if I brought a dog to live with me in my suite. She’d kick me out for sure. She wouldn’t let me have my cats here, and they were a lot less likely to damage anything than a dog would be.

  “You see, Duchess already likes you.” Mrs. Garfinkel leaned down, attached the bed
azzled leash to the dog’s collar, and then handed it to me. “She has lots of energy. A good hour walk will help her calm down.” She also handed me a bag. It looked like one a mother of a new baby would carry around her shoulder. “Everything you need is inside. I’ll see you in an hour.” She crouched and kissed the dog on its furry head. “Behave for Ms. Steele.”

  Duchess woofed softly, then led me to the door, obviously knowing exactly what she was supposed to do and why I’d been called. We walked to the lobby, where I informed the front desk that I’d be gone longer than planned. Everyone cooed at the dog.

  Lane came around to pet Duchess. “You are so lucky to be walking her.”

  I nodded, taking his word for it. At least Duchess wasn’t yappy. She was actually quite well behaved and extremely cute. I bet Daisy would die to cuddle her. So, I decided we’d walk down to the kennels for a visit. Maybe Duchess could even play with Lulu, and I could pop in and see Scout and Jem for some snuggles.

  The walk down the hill to the village was a leisurely affair. Duchess stopped every five feet or so to smell everything low enough to smell. The normal ten-minute trip took twice as long with Duchess leading me all the way. She was small but sturdy, and she wouldn’t move on from one smelling spot to another until she was darn good and ready.

  But I was right. Daisy nearly lost her mind when I walked in with the French bulldog. Squealing, she jumped out of the chair at her desk and immediately got on the floor with Duchess. The dog obviously knew an animal lover when she smelled one, as her little butt wouldn’t stop wiggling, and she couldn’t lick Daisy’s face fast enough.

  “Oh my God, Duchess, you’re so cute.” Daisy kissed Duchess on the head and nose while cuddling her to her chest.

  “You know her?”

  “Yeah. A couple of times, I’ve been called up to the Park to watch her for Mrs. Garfinkel. Duchess is adorable. You’re lucky to get to walk her,” Daisy said.

  I smiled. “That’s what everybody says.”

  “Cool.” Daisy gave the dog a few more kisses.

  “Where’s Lulu?” I asked. I thought the two dogs would probably get along.

  “You’ll never guess what happened?”

  “What?”

  “Mrs. Walker’s will stated that Mr. Rainer should be given ownership of Lulu. The sheriff called me after he heard from the lawyer.”

  I lifted my eyebrows with fake surprise. “Wow. That is great news.”

  “He’s going to be so happy.”

  I knew that was true.

  Daisy’s head came up suddenly, and she made an O with her mouth. “I have a great idea. Why don’t you and Duchess come with me to deliver Lulu to Mr. Rainer? We could walk there. Would be great exercise for the pups.”

  And it would be a chance to vindicate myself. I still felt guilty about taking Lulu away from Mr. Rainer in the first place.

  “That’s a great idea.”

  Chapter 29

  The walk to Mr. Rainer’s place took about twenty minutes. The two pups had a great time running around together, barking at inanimate objects and birds. By the time we got onto Mr. Rainer’s street, though, Lulu was tired, and Daisy had to carry her the rest of the way. Duchess was still full of energy.

  The two neighbor women, Blue and Sunglasses, were sitting in chairs on their front lawn as we passed by.

  I waved to them. They waved back.

  “Did you lock down that sheriff yet?” Blue asked as she sipped on her iced tea and waved a hot-pink fan at her face. She looked like a Southern Belle. Except the weather wasn’t that hot right now. It was only around sixty-five degrees. And we were far from the southern states.

  Daisy gave me a look, but I ignored it.

  “Like I said before, I’m not interested in Sheriff Jackson. We’re just colleagues.”

  “Yeah, that’s what those Twilight kids always said,” Sunglasses argued. “And look what happened there.”

  She was referencing a fictional couple, only one of which was a live human. Those two had ended up in an explosively bad relationship and endured a tragic breakup. Not a great analogy.

  I had no intention of standing there and arguing with them about the sheriff. We continued our walk until we reached Mr. Rainer’s porch. Daisy knocked on the door.

  For a moment, I thought maybe Mr. Rainer wasn’t home, but then he slowly cracked the door open and peered out. His deep frown was ripe with agitation until he saw Lulu tucked under Daisy’s arm. Then he threw open the door and beamed like a kid at Christmas.

  “She’s all yours, Mr. Rainer,” Daisy said. “I guess it was in Mrs. Walker’s will.”

  He eyed me for a moment. I frowned and quickly shook my head—out of Daisy’s line of sight, of course—warning him to play along that he was ignorant of the contents of the will. And then he was all gap-toothed smiles.

  Daisy handed him the little Pekinese. Lulu perked up instantly when Mr. Rainer held her. She licked at his face while her tail wiggled back and forth. Daisy set a bag down on the ground beside him.

  “I packed up some of the toys she was playing with at the kennel, some treats, a blanket, and a few coupons for dog food. I recommend you get food from me. All organic and not full of gross stuff. I’ll deliver it to you. And I’m cheaper, too.”

  “Thank you,” he said.

  “Just take good care of her.” Daisy petted Lulu’s head. “She’s precious.”

  “I will,” he said with emotion in his voice.

  I was about to apologize to him again about my interference when a loud crash from Mrs. Walker’s house made us all turn.

  “Is there someone over there?” I asked.

  Mr. Rainer shrugged. “I think that lazy nephew of hers.”

  I handed Duchess’s leash to Daisy. “Hold her for a minute.” I rushed down Mr. Rainer’s porch steps.

  Daisy called out, “Andi, why are you going over there? Let’s just call the sheriff.”

  “If I’m not out in fifteen minutes, you can call him.”

  I wasn’t really sure why I was acting like I was some kind of gunslinger. Peter wasn’t a stable guy. Since the contents of Mrs. Walker’s will was now public, I suspected Peter had learned she hadn’t left him a penny and he was pissed.

  I’m an optimist. I also believed everyone deserved to be heard. Maybe he just needed someone to talk to, to really hear him. And maybe I could keep him from digging himself any deeper.

  I went around to the kitchen entrance. The back door was unlocked. I opened it slowly and stepped inside.

  The startling sound of breaking glass greeted me when something shattered against the wall in the next room. Glass bits rained down on the floor like hailstones.

  “Peter?”

  There was a grunt, then footsteps crunching on other broken things. Peter stuck his head around the corner and looked into the kitchen. His scowl was deep and a bit frightening.

  “What do you want?” he demanded in an angry tone.

  “You know you shouldn’t be in here.”

  “Why do you care?” he snarled loudly.

  “Because I think you are grieving.”

  “Grieving? Please. Don’t make me laugh. We’re all better off with her dead. She was a miserable old witch.” He kicked one of the heavy wooden dining room chairs. It fell over with a loud bang.

  “I’m hearing that more and more about her.” I considered taking a step forward, but I didn’t think it would be a good idea. I could feel the waves of violence coming off him. The best thing to do right now was to leave and call Sheriff Jackson like Daisy had said.

  But, of course, I didn’t. “I still think you’re grieving. I think you cared a little, or you wouldn’t have seen to her needs all these years. Right?”

  He glared at me, but I sensed that I’d cracked his wall of anger, if only a little. He gripped the back of a chair, his knuckles turning white as he squeezed. A vein along his temple throbbed. I could see the vein pulse, even from where I stood. I really didn’t want to witness
another man collapse in front of me. It was unnerving, to say the least.

  I moved toward him. “Peter, I’m sorry this is happening to you. But you have to see that what you’re doing isn’t helping matters. It only makes you look…”

  “Guilty?”

  “Yes. Actually.”

  “I didn’t kill my aunt.”

  I did the only sensible thing. I lied. “I know you didn’t kill her.”

  He glared at me, but he didn’t throw anything.

  I pushed onward. “But destroying her home? You’re just giving the sheriff more and more reasons to think that you killed her. Your wife’s past behavior hasn’t helped, either.”

  He let out a long sigh, and his grip on the chair lessened a little. “I’m angry.”

  “Of course, you are.” I nodded. “It’s understandable under the circumstances.”

  “Colleen wanted to come here at night and just pack up everything from the house and take it and sell it.”

  “Your wife doesn’t have the brightest ideas. Her time in jail should be proof of that.”

  He nodded, and I could see the exhaustion of the past tumultuous week crushing him. I felt sorry for him. I knew what it was like to have some unexpected event completely destroy your life. When it had first happened to me, I felt absolutely lost and hopeless. If it hadn’t been for Ginny, I wasn’t sure I would’ve come through it all. It was obvious Peter didn’t have anyone he could rely on, to confide in. No one to help him through the tough times.

  “I don’t know what to do,” he finally said, his voice low, wavering a little.

  “When I went through something horrible a few months ago, I didn’t know what to do, either. My whole life had come apart, and I felt completely helpless. But then I did something I didn’t think I could do. I packed up what was left of my tattered life, and I moved here.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I could start fresh and create a different life for myself.” I crept forward cautiously and stood next to him at the dining room table. “Is there anything keeping you here now? Maybe moving to a different city or town would do you some good.”