Crocuses and Corpses (Treehouse Hotel Mysteries Book 5)

by Sue Hollowell

  She stopped and looked at me. “I figured you’d tell me not to do it. To act my age, or something like that.” She continued on to the buffet, grabbed a tray, a plate, and silverware.

  I followed suit and we began ogling the incredible food choices. “Who am I to tell you what to do?” Although, sometimes I had to insert myself into her affairs. The hotel a case in point. Before I arrived in Cedarbrook to help Mom run the place, the hotel was certainly going to close. She and Marty had done very well keeping the place operational and the reservations were normally full. But once Marty passed, Mom struggled to keep the place afloat on her own. It was bigger than a one-person job, even with the help of my niece.

  Mom chose chicken kabobs from the hibachi grill and continued to the next station. “Oh, I’m so excited. Why not live a little, right? Let’s make sure to go back soon before someone else gets it.” I really did need to take a cue from that woman. She mostly didn’t care what people thought of her and enjoyed her life, regardless of their opinions. She chose a plate of grilled vegetables and said over her shoulder, “I’ve never had so much fun in my life.”

  She turned from the line and stopped dead in her tracks. I followed her gaze to the other side of the room. With his back to us, Cecil had his arm around a woman and leaned in to give her a somewhat romantic kiss. Could this be the break I hoped for? Mom pivoted and beelined to our table.

  She dropped into her seat and placed the tray in front of her. With her fork she scooted the food around and looked up at me. “You know, I actually think Shirley did a better job than Luke. Now that I think back, all he did was jabber on about how good he was.” Her demeanor muted, she was obviously upset at the sight of Cecil’s antics with that other woman.

  I looked at her hair. “I agree. I’m glad you let Shirley do it.” From the corner of my right eye, the blur of a now-familiar sight approached our table. If I didn’t know better, I would say Cecil was stalking Mom.

  “What a delight to find my two favorite ladies. It’s my lucky day.” He put his tray on the table and sat to Mom’s left. “Mabel, I see you’re trying the kabobs, one of my favorites too.” Cecil took a huge bite and chomped on the piece of chicken.

  Maybe if we ignored him he would go away. She continued eating without a word. It gave me hope she was seeing through his facade. I followed her lead and kept my mouth shut and my head down. Let him stew in the awkward silence.

  Undaunted, he continued. “And Mabel, if I may say. Your hair looks stunning. Did you have it done at the salon?”

  Mom maintained her silence and the focus on her food. This was it. Cecil’s time with us was nearing its end.

  I kept my head down, but I could tell Cecil was looking to me for answers as to Mom’s silence. If we ignored him long enough, would he go away? With his persistence, it might be a while until that happened. Knowing just what to do with his impeccable timing, Max pranced around the table to Cecil’s side and reached a paw to Cecil’s head. That fake hair must really be bothering him. Did Max think Cecil had an animal on his head? Was he trying to rescue the animal from Cecil or vice versa? No matter, I always trusted my boy’s instincts.

  Cecil swatted at Max. “Seriously, can you control that mutt? Why does he keep doing that?” He returned his attention to Mom. “Mabel, I hope to see you at the show later. It’s one of the highlights of the cruise. You won’t want to miss it.”

  Mom grunted acknowledgment. Little did Cecil know about that woman’s stubbornness. After eighty years and four kids she was at the expert level.

  Max continued pestering Cecil. There was something to that, so I let him continue. If we could out Cecil once and for all and expose who he really was, that would seal the deal with Mom letting him go. With one last attempt, Max dislodged Cecil’s toupee. That number must have been cheap because it didn’t take much for it to come loose and fly to the floor. Cecil picked it up and slapped it on his head, not missing a beat.

  We were almost finished with our lunch—and my hope of ditching this guy.

  “Hi Chloe.” Audrey approached our table. Reinforcements. Maybe he would take the not-so-subtle hint and leave. A girl can hope, can’t she?

  “Please join us.” I pulled the chair out for her. She put her tray down and locked eyes with Cecil.

  He abruptly stood and adjusted his hairpiece. He grabbed his tray and said, “Well, ladies. As always, it’s been my treat. See you at the show, Mabel.”

  As a send-off, Mom didn’t give him the time of day. I was confident her infatuation with him was over.

  Audrey’s gaze followed Cecil from the table until he exited the room. She shook her head.

  “Audrey, this is my mom, Mabel.”

  She smiled warmly. “So nice to meet you, Mabel. Chloe has said wonderful things about you.”

  Mom pushed her tray back, finished with lunch. She dabbed her mouth with the napkin and set it on the empty plate. “Do you know Cecil?”

  Audrey looked at me and gave a slight shake of her head. “No, but I know his type. I mean, just look at his outrageous suit. And that fake hair? Ick. Has he been bothering you?”

  I held out both hands toward Mom for her to answer. She looked at me. “Well, he was so nice in the beginning. And he was so fun at karaoke night. I was hoping . . .”

  I reached my hand over and held Mom’s arm. I hoped this experience wouldn’t taint her view of the vacation. It really had been wonderful, despite being relentlessly pursued by that joker.

  Mom looked toward the spot where Cecil had been kissing the woman. “I just thought he was being friendly to everyone. But now that I’m thinking back, it was only women.”

  “Just be careful, Mabel. I know how those kinds of guys can sweet talk the ladies,” Audrey said.

  “Yeah, he does seem kinda fake. Maybe being out in the ocean air messed with my judgment. Normally, I could spot a fraud a mile away. Right, Chloe?”

  I nodded. Well, yes and no, Mom.

  “Remember that hippie that checked into the hotel? I knew he was trouble from the get-go. I just didn’t know how much.”

  I laughed. “I’ll give you that one. You were right.”

  “I can’t wait to come visit your hotel,” Audrey said. “I’m sure my mom will love it too.”

  Max jumped off his chair and circled the table to Audrey, furiously wagging his tail.

  I laughed. “And our host with the most looks forward to yours and Charlie’s arrival too.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  I found myself unexpectedly getting in a lot of relaxation on my own. I figured most of my time on the cruise would be supervising Mom and escorting her to activities. I wanted to make sure she took advantage and enjoyed her time. I might just take the captain up on another trip, sans the murder. I didn’t have much experience with cruises, but I hoped they didn’t have as much drama as this one had. I was thrilled to meet a new friend my age who might continue the relationship after the cruise. I didn’t have much of a social life back home. Renovating and running the hotel consumed my days. And if Mom had her way, Paul would consume my nights. Maybe this coming year would be the one for me to venture out and try some new things.

  Max and I entered the lounge and looked for Audrey. This was one of the few places we had yet to visit. The piano player entertained with a light jazz tune. The lighting dimmed appropriately for the late-afternoon atmosphere. I instantly felt my blood pressure drop ten points. The ambiance in the different areas of the ship gave me a ton of ideas for the hotel. I wasn’t up for another major overhaul immediately, but some small changes would be really fun.

  Max spotted Charlie before I saw Audrey. He galloped to meet his new friend. Charlie jumped up, and the two bounced around, greeting each other.

  Audrey laughed. “I’m so glad they’re hitting it off. I can’t wait for our visit to the treehouses.”

  I sat and raised my hand to signal the waitress to get a drink order started. Audrey already had a half-full high ball glass on the table in front of
her.

  I scooted back into the soft, plush chair. “I’m so glad we ran into each other. Frankly, I figured I’d be escorting my mom to all of these activities and there would be nobody my age here.”

  Audrey picked up her glass and held it in her lap, studying the liquid. “That’s what I thought the first time I came with my mom.” She swirled the drink with both hands and took a sip, returning it to her lap. It was what she wasn’t saying that concerned me.

  The waitress approached and sat my drink onto a napkin on the table to my right. I picked it up and took a sip, closing my eyes for a second, savoring the sweet flavor. When the waitress was out of earshot, I ventured into sleuthing mode. There was something Audrey was holding back. But her demeanor intimated she wanted me to know.

  “Audrey.” I looked down at my glass and back at her. I needed to see her reaction at my question. “I really hate to be nosy.”

  “Yes?”

  I took another drink and set my glass on the side table. “It’s just that the last few times I’ve seen you when Cecil is with us, you seem to bristle at his presence.” There it was. No question, just a statement laying there for her response. I would get more inquisitive as I needed to.

  She shook her head and let the pause stretch out. Dang, she was forcing me into twenty questions. Mom and I would only see Cecil one last time, if that. I could navigate that encounter one more time before the cruise was over. At lunch, Mom had pretty much indicated that whatever her feelings were for Cecil, they were over. Thankfully.

  “You would too if you knew what he had done.” Audrey looked at me. Her chin trembled.

  I reached my hand across the table to comfort her. “Audrey. Oh no. What happened?” Max jumped up and put his chin on Audrey’s knee. His large brown eyes oozed warmth. She put her hand on his head. Charlie, not to be outdone, mimicked Max’s gesture.

  Audrey chuckled. “It could have been worse.”

  She really was going to force me to give her the third degree. I cleared my throat. That prompted her to continue.

  “Cecil is not what he seems. Oh I know he comes across as super fun and just having a good time. But he’s evil.” Audrey raised her hand to signal the waitress for another round. Perhaps another drink might loosen her lips further. I was getting worried about what was coming next in her story, but at the same time was thankful things had not progressed further between Mom and Cecil.

  Audrey slumped in her seat, avoiding eye contact. She continued. “Just keep him away from Mabel. His smooth talking will get her to do things she normally wouldn’t do.” She looked at me and then back to her hands fidgeting in her lap. “He swindled my mom out of a lot of money.”

  I scooched to the edge of my chair. I wanted to hug her. “Audrey, I am so sorry. I certainly never had a good feeling about him. He comes across as trying too hard. And there’s a lot that’s fake in his persona.”

  Tears beaded up in her eyes. With her head bowed, her hair covered her face. “I only wish I had clued in sooner. My mom’s life savings would still be there for her.”

  Max beat me to the hug and leapt up to put his paws around her neck. Charlie piled on and that did the trick. Audrey wiped the tears with the back of her hand and sat up in the chair. She returned the hugs and patted the floor for the pups to get down.

  “I’m so glad you shared that with me. And I’m so sorry about your mom. Can the police do something about it?”

  She shook her head. “No. Since she agreed to it, it’s pretty much a lost cause.” She pushed her hair out of her eyes and returned it to the hairpin. The same one Mom had.

  She saw me staring at it and reached up to touch it.

  “My mom has one just like that,” I said.

  She kept her hand on it and said, “Yes, this belongs to my mom. I borrowed it.”

  “It’s beautiful. Mom got hers from Luke when she first had her hair done at the salon.”

  Audrey snapped her head toward me. “Yes, Luke,” she said through gritted teeth. She was no fan of the dead. “Cut from the same cloth as Cecil.”

  Max started barking and pacing. I patted my leg, calling him over. He ignored me and continued his rant.

  “I’m pretty sure those two were in cahoots to swindle little old ladies out of their money.” The venom in her voice was thick.

  “Oh no.” My hand flew to my mouth.

  Audrey raised her eyebrows. “Chloe, say it isn’t so. Did the same thing happen to Mabel? You have to report it to the captain.”

  I nodded. “I’ve already been there to give a statement about Luke’s death. But when the captain questioned me, I was sure he was trying to get at something else without showing his hand. The scam that Luke and Cecil had been running must have been it.”

  “Chloe, don’t blame yourself. Those guys are pros.”

  I shook my head. “Luke must have been the set up guy. He would find the victims from his clients. He had the perfect excuse to chat them up. And then Cecil would swoop in to seal the deal.”

  Thoughts quickly spun in my head, trying to connect with each other to paint a picture. I couldn’t quite see how all of this led to Luke’s death. Did he double-cross Cecil in some way? Did the scammer become the scammed? That would explain a lot of things. But the fact was a killer was still loose on the ship.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Mom beamed as if she were the star of the show. As soon as we entered the dressing room, David catered to her. He gave her a bear hug, tucked her arm under his, and led her to where other cast members were getting ready. The lights surrounding the makeup mirrors spotlighted the faces as makeup was applied.

  David stopped and held Mom at arm’s length, looking her up and down. “Mabel, I must say. You look divine tonight. And that shawl is the icing on the beautiful dessert.” He reached in and hugged Mom.

  She teetered, and I thought she was going to faint. I stepped up behind her and put my hand on her shoulder. “Mom, are you OK?”

  She sighed and swept her arm around the room. “Chloe, I feel like I’m among royalty. This is another story for my garden club ladies back home. I’m glad you’re here with me because I don’t know if they would believe me.”

  Mom didn’t usually have tall stories, but she did have some truth that was stranger than fiction. And raising four kids on her own provided a lot of fodder for that drama.

  “Mabel, you’re just in time to meet some of the cast before we have to boot the guests out.” David continued holding Mom’s arm under his elbow. Some of the cast had begun getting into costume, with the fur and ears headgear. David escorted Mom around the room, stopping at each person. I heard Mom saying “Wow” to each person she met. She was stunned into few words. Not a small feat, David. He completed his circle of the room and returned to me.

  “Chloe, did you see them? Aren’t they amazing?” Mom’s eyes were wide like a kid on Christmas morning discovering piles of presents under the tree.

  I chuckled. “I did. And I agree.”

  “And the makeup. It’s like a work of art. It would be hard to wash that off after every show,” she continued.

  “Mabel, you’re too kind,” David said, still locked in arms with Mom. “Oh, here’s Shirley. Shirl, come on over.” David waved at Shirley with his free hand. She joined our circle and he said, “This is our new hair and makeup artist. Shirley, this is Mabel and her daughter Chloe.”

  Mom and I looked at each other, then at David. “We know Shirley. She did my hair.” Mom lightly touched her head for emphasis.

  “Well, of course. I should know Shirley’s handiwork anywhere,” David said. “Sorry, Shirl.”

  Shirley raised her hand to her mouth. “It’s OK, David. I’m just glad I’m here now.”

  David moved around the circle to hook Shirley’s hand under his free arm, flanking him with both women. “Me too. That dreadful Luke. The quality of his work was going downhill. Did you see my face in that last production?” David shook his head. “Disgusting. My whiskers were bare
ly visible, and my eyeliner was totally asymmetrical.” The volume of his voice raised as he went on. Most of the other talk in the room had stopped, and people stared at us.

  “Oh hon.” Shirley patted David’s arm with her free hand. “I’m here now.”

  They gazed into each other’s eyes. “Yes, you are,” David said. “I’m so happy we finally got what we wanted.” He tipped his head and smiled. “Oh, hey, Audrey!”

  We all turned toward the object of his holler. He should save that voice for the stage.

  David let go of Shirley’s arm and reached out to hug Audrey, still holding onto Mom. “Now I am complete.” He grinned, swiveling his head around the circle, stopping at each one. “Mabel, before you have to go, let me show you my costume.” David grabbed Mom’s hand and led her to the racks of cat parts. Headpieces, tops, bottoms, sleeves.

  Mom reached out and stroked the costume like it was a real animal. “That must be really hot.”

  David laughed. “It is. I probably lose weight every night.”

  Mom looked at David and in all seriousness said, “That’s the kind of diet program I need.”

  David turned Mom to face him. “You are perfect. Just the way you are. Doesn’t she look amazing, Shirl? I picked out that shawl for her.”

  “She absolutely does. David does have excellent taste. He picks out these scarves I wear in my hair.” Shirley reached up to her head and flipped the end of a scarf that was woven around her head. She stretched up and kissed David on the cheek.

  Mom had become speechless since we had arrived. She was taking it all in, enjoying herself, but certainly taking inventory of the scene to regale the garden club.

  I stepped up to the group. “David, I can’t thank you enough for your generosity in inviting us back here.” I turned toward Mom. “We should probably let the cast finish getting ready for the show.” Mom showed no sign of releasing David’s arm. I didn’t blame her. This had been a great experience.