Crocuses and Corpses (Treehouse Hotel Mysteries Book 5)

by Sue Hollowell

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Thank You

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Join Me

  Also by Sue Hollowell

  CROCUSES AND CORPSES

  Treehouse Hotel Mysteries Series

  Sue Hollowell

  Crocuses and Corpses

  Copyright © 2020 Sue Hollowell. All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher.

  Cover by

  Molly Burton

  Editing by

  Tiffany White at Writers Untapped

  THANK YOU

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for reading Crocuses and Corpses. I’m honored that you gave my story the gift of your time. I put a lot of thought into the mystery and characters and I hope you love them as much as I do.

  More adventures with Chloe and Max are on the way. Crocuses and Corpses will be the fifth in the Treehouse Hotel Mysteries.

  Stay tuned for the launch of my Facebook group where I will host giveaways, play games and puzzles, and share samples of upcoming books, and all things cozy mystery.

  Sue

  CHAPTER ONE

  The blue- and teal-patterned carpet stretched on for what looked like miles down the hallway of the cruise ship. Mom, Max, and I navigated the hordes of families and their dogs as we searched for room 6329. This trip was already one of the highlights of Max’s life. He insisted on stopping at each pup we encountered to greet his new friend. Between that and lugging the extra two suitcases Mom insisted on bringing (certain she would leave something crucial behind and be forced to spend money on the ship) we would never reach our destination.

  “Chloe, I think we’re getting close.” Mom was giddy with excitement. She turned and hugged me tight before continuing our trek. Her attitude was now a complete one-eighty from the time we sat in the travel agent’s office trying to get her to choose a destination. That woman was stubborn. But once something became her idea, she was all in.

  With sweat beading on my forehead I spotted the door to our room. Walking on the ship would be good for improving my fitness. Winter at home meant more hibernating than usual.

  Mom practically danced in place as I opened the door. Max sped inside to inspect our quarters for the next week. Mom and I would share a bed, and Max had his own on the floor. He plopped into it and rested his chin on the side, his tongue out, as winded as I was. Mom dropped her things on the bed and went to look outside.

  She turned to me, a bit choked up. “Chloe, this is so beautiful. Thank you for making me do this after all.” She turned her gaze back to the window.

  My heart warmed. This was the first vacation I ever remembered Mom taking. Given that she was in her eighth decade of life, she may not have many more to enjoy. And she more than deserved this treat. My next mission was to get her to enjoy some of the activities.

  “Why don’t we unpack and rest up a bit? Then we can figure out what we want to do next.” I dropped into a chair and pulled out the folder with all of the brochures from our travel agent. I thumbed through the endless number of options to keep us busy during our time.

  “Not too long, though. I want to get going.” This cruise had become the fountain of youth for Mom. I had a feeling it was going to age me by another ten years. She unzipped her bags and loaded her clothes into the drawers and closet. “I know I definitely want to see Cats. They just don’t have those big city things where we live.”

  I continued perusing the activities. “They’ve got karaoke nights. That sounds fun.”

  She snapped her head my direction. “Oh, not for me. But you can do that. I never want to be the center of attention.”

  Well, that couldn’t be further from the truth. She was the eye of the gossip storm back home. But no matter. Maybe I would try karaoke and stretch my own comfort zone a bit on this adventure.

  With all of her things put away, Mom joined me. “Whew.”

  Max stood and looked back and forth between Mom and me. Apparently, he had rested enough and was ready to roll. I patted his head. “All in due time, my boy.” He lay down.

  Mom gestured toward Max and chuckled. “I’m with you Max. There’s so much to do. I don’t want to waste a minute.”

  Mom reached her hand over and took hold of mine. “This last year has been so trying. I can’t tell you how happy it made me that you decided to return to Cedarbrook and help me run the treehouse hotel.”

  I squeezed her hand. Max got up and placed a paw on our hands too. “Max and I are thrilled we could help and be part of the hotel expansion.”

  “Oh, yes.” She sniffed. “We better rest up on this trip. With the hotel completely booked with conventions and retreats, we’ll be busier than ever when we get home.”

  Max barked. We both laughed. “Agreed. Let’s get some dinner and call it an early night. You have that hair appointment tomorrow before sunrise. Why so early?”

  She dismissively waved her arm. “It was the only time available. This guy is booked solid.”

  I got up to unpack mine and Max’s things. I wanted this trip to be everything for Mom and a memory she would treasure forever.

  ***

  This time of day called for the biggest coffee I could get. I tightly gripped my cup in one hand and Max’s leash in the other as we entered the bright and quiet hair salon. Poised behind the check-in counter was a man with wavy hair moussed up in spikes. His warm smile greeted Mom.

  “Hello. You must be Mabel.” He put an arm around Mom and led her to his chair. Over his shoulder, he said, “I’m Luke. And you are?”

  Max and I moved to the waiting area and took a seat. “I’m Chloe, Mabel’s daughter. And this is Max.” I tilted my head toward Max as if he couldn’t figure it out.

  Max sat so close to me, I could feel his pulse and the rumble of his growl. He was not happy about something here. I couldn’t imagine it was Luke, who seemed very personable.

  Mom sank into the luxurious styling chair as she and Luke began their chat. He fawned all over her, no doubt trying to increase his tip.

  “So, Mabel, tell me. What do you do back home?” Luke darted around the chair, snipping Mom’s hair. He moved so quickly, I hoped he didn’t accidentally stab her. That was all we needed to start our trip.

  Mom loved the attention, despite her assertion to the contrary. “Well, Chloe and I own a treehouse hotel.”

  Luke stopped in his tracks and looked back and forth between Mom and me. “Get out! You mean, like people stay in real treehouses?” He resumed snipping.

  Mom sat a little taller in the chair and beamed. “Yes. We just finished a big expansion, and we’re now booked for months with conventions and retreats.”

  “Well, that’s just wonderful,” Luke said. “Say, Mabel. I have a friend that I think you would really hit it off with. If you’re OK with
it, I’ll introduce you two later.” He locked eyes with Mom in the mirror.

  Mom wiggled in her seat. “Why, yes. That would be lovely.”

  Max gave another low-level growl, protecting Mom. I reached over and laid my hand on his back. He looked up, eyes wide, and shook his head. This environment was all so new to him, he was being overly cautious.

  Mom popped out of the chair and touched her hair, preening in the mirror. “Luke, you are a genius with those tools. Thank you.”

  Luke met Mom at the check-out counter. “Oh, Mabel. You’re too kind. I hope to see you again soon.”

  Max and I joined Mom as she sped from the salon, energy bursting. “Whoa, slow down.” Not something I usually said to her.

  She stopped and waited. “He was just so nice.” She looked me up and down. “You could stand to have an appointment too. Before we leave, let’s get you in there so you look good for Paul when we get home.”

  Mom had been angling for months for Paul and me to go on a date. With his construction team finished at the hotel, and our business relationship complete, I relented. He was a handsome and very nice man. She was right. I missed having love in my life. She attempted to accelerate the process, but I was content to take my time to see where it went. The rest of the guests on the ship were now waking up, the hallways busier than an hour ago.

  “Let’s head back to our room and plan our day,” I said.

  Without a word, she rushed toward the elevator. What a great start to our trip.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Mom slouched in her chair with her arms crossed, eyes closed, and a wide smile on her face. I quietly chuckled. In my wildest dreams, I never would have guessed we would be on a cruise together. And I wouldn’t change this for the world. Mom opened one eye and peeked at me. She kept her smile and closed her eye, at peace. We had a big day ahead of us, and I wanted her rested to fully enjoy our time.

  All of a sudden, she bolted up, startling Max, who joined her. She flitted around the stateroom, picking up things to look under and around them. She stopped and stared at me. “Chloe, where’s my purse?” she squeaked. She returned to her search, opening drawers and scouring every inch of the room.

  I wandered around the room, half joining the hunt. “Did you take it to the salon?”

  “No, no, this isn’t happening.” She continued unearthing every stitch of clothing in the drawers and closet.

  I took a step toward her. “Mom, I don’t think it’s here. You probably left it at the salon. I’m sure it’s fine. Let’s just go get it.”

  She stopped and shook her head, gathering her wits. “I hope you’re right.” In a daze, she began shoving wads of clothes back into drawers. Later when she realized what she had done, she would not be happy about the mess.

  “Oh,” she said, “and things were going so well. I hope this doesn’t ruin my trip.”

  I hoped so too. “Why don’t we go there now and clean this up later?”

  She looked up, dazed, and fumbled to put on her sweater. She yanked open the door and sped to the elevator, tapping her foot while we waited. I hoped with my entire being that her purse was safe at the salon.

  Thankfully, the elevator ride whisked us to the floor with the salon before a full-on panic set in. Mom spurted out when the door opened and continued her race to rescue her purse. Max and I had to almost run to keep pace with her. As we approached the glass door to the salon, the scene on the other side didn’t look right. Luke lay on the floor like he had collapsed. I rushed past Mom and opened the door.

  We stopped inside and I said, “What happened?”

  A woman leaned over Luke, her head in her hands. “He’s dead!” She continued on, incoherent. Dressed in an apron, she appeared to be a stylist at the salon.

  I pointed at Mom. “Go use that phone and call the captain.” She looked at me, at Luke, and back at me again. Without a word, she went to the phone and dialed.

  Luke indeed was dead. As I got closer, the overwhelming smell of huckleberry assaulted my nose. I covered it with my hand as my eyes watered. Luke’s finely coiffed hair was no longer in perfect alignment. At best, he had bedhead, and it appeared someone had covered his entire head with the hairspray. As I walked around his body, I saw scissors protruding from under his right arm. I circled the body, enveloped the woman in my arm, and escorted her to the chairs in the waiting area. She sat next to me, her head bowed, weeping.

  “What’s your name?” I whispered.

  She stopped her crying for a second and lifted her head. She opened and closed her mouth and shook her head. “Shirley,” she squeaked out before returning to her blubbering. The floral scarf wrapped around her hair waved as her head bobbed.

  I rubbed her back. Max approached and placed a paw on her knee. “Shirley, what happened?”

  She stood and approached Luke’s body, tiptoeing through the maze of hair supplies that had been spilled from his station. Hair clips, combs, spray bottles, and a mirror were scattered all around him. It appeared a struggle had taken place and Luke was on the losing end.

  Shirley looked up at me and started smacking her gum. “I don’t know. I found him like this.” She plopped into the chair at her styling station. She waved her arm. “I’m sure he brought this on himself. He was always schmoozing those little old ladies to get better tips.” She stopped and looked at Mom, then continued. “It looks like it finally caught up with him.” She got up, threw her gum in the garbage, retrieved another stick from the pack on the counter, and popped it into her mouth.

  “What’s that smell?” I asked, looking around.

  Shirley looked at Luke’s station and pointed toward a plastic container. “I think it’s the huckleberry hairspray. He overused that on every client, their hair left almost cemented to their heads.”

  She went to pick it up, and I yelled, “Don’t touch it.” She withdrew her hand like she had touched a hot flame. “I mean, it might be evidence. Why don’t we come back to the waiting area until the captain arrives?”

  Shirley, Mom, and Max all followed my instructions, and we sat in silence, the only sound Shirley’s chomping on her gum.

  Mom leaned forward and said, “Well, at least I got my purse.” She hugged it to her chest as if someone was attempting to snatch it.

  I smiled. Even in the midst of the worst tragedy, Mom’s personality prevailed.

  She lightly touched her hair. “Well, I like the huckleberry. It smells like home.”

  “Can someone tell me what happened?” The captain and two crew members entered the salon and startled us all to stand at attention.

  I took a step forward and began, “My mother and I returned to the salon to retrieve her purse from an early morning appointment. When we arrived, we found Luke like that.” I indicated the body on the floor amid the hair supplies.

  The captain circled the scene. He stopped and looked at Shirley, her gum smacking the only sound in the room. He raised his hands in inquiry of her side of the story. Receiving no response, he said, “Shirley?” He continued his route back to where he began, waiting for her response. He stopped and cleared his throat.

  Shirley burst into tears. “I didn’t have anything to do with it!” She returned to her station chair, her cries loudly echoing off the walls.

  “I didn’t accuse you of anything. But if you were the one to find him, you obviously have valuable information.” The captain pointed to his crew, who moved to escort Shirley away.

  He turned toward us and said, “I’m so sorry. We may need you to provide a statement at some point.”

  I nodded. “Of course, whatever you need.”

  Mom touched her hair again as we left the salon. “Chloe, do you think I was the last person to get their hair done by Luke?”

  I sighed, turning to make sure we were out of earshot of Shirley and the crew. “I think so, Mom.”

  She shuffled her feet. “Well, that’s just too bad. Now you’ll have to make an appointment with someone else.” That woman couldn’t be mo
re matter of fact about a catastrophe if she tried. “I’m ready to relax. It’s only nine a.m. and it’s been a day. Let’s hope the rest of our trip isn’t this dramatic. I’ll sure have a lot to tell the garden club when we get back. They won’t believe it.” She marched toward the elevator, putting more distance between us and Luke’s murder.

  Max looked up at me. Yes, we have another mystery on our hands, buddy. Did Shirley’s competition with Luke for clients finally come to a head? It certainly looked that way.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The warmth of the sun as we reached the pool deck enveloped me like a comforting blanket. We had changed into our bathing suits and cover-ups and were on a mission for peace and relaxation. I carried our beach bag of supplies as we found available chairs under the shade. I turned and asked, “How about this spot, Mom?”

  She looked around, assessing the location. For what? I had no idea. They were all essentially the same and provided what we were looking for. Each spot had a chair made of woven material, a small table between each chair, and a large shade awning above us. Interspersed next to some of the chairs were dog beds of the same woven material, portable fans, and water dishes. The pooches on the cruise were pampered just as much as their humans.

  I set the bag on the chair and unpacked our books and water bottles. Max jumped into his seat, ready to settle in.

  Mom touched her hair again, appearing distracted. “I guess this is fine.”

  I sat, removed my sandals, and hoisted my legs onto the lounge chair. Mom followed suit. “Chloe, are my sunglasses in there? The glare is killing me.”

  I reached into the bag and handed them to her. She ceremoniously put them on and sat back onto the chair with a humph. Her large black-framed glasses made her look like Jackie Onassis. The only thing missing was the headscarf.