by Kathi Daley
I picked up an apple and took a bite. “I’ll do that. In the meantime, I need to call my agent about my launch party. Vanessa is happy to host, and personally, I feel like her store has exactly the vibe I’m looking for.”
Chapter 6
The guest list for the dinner party consisted of the eleven people staying at the inn and seven guests who were staying in town. The people staying in town were Fiona’s guests but were not part of the wedding party. Based on the tidbits of conversations I overheard, it seemed to me that other than Carson, Mike, Ambrosia, Jennifer, Willa, Jordan, and Stephanie, everyone in the room was worth tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars. I still found it very odd that Fiona had chosen to have her pre-wedding party here out of all the ritzy places in the world she could have chosen, but I guess if she was going for something different, then we surely delivered.
“It seems the group has mellowed this evening,” I whispered to Jeremy, who’d just walked up beside me as I stood off to the side, watching the group interact.
“The man talking to Naomi is actually their uncle. I suspect Fiona warned everyone to watch their behavior given his position in the family.”
“He looks young to be an uncle. Is he Naomi and Fiona’s father’s brother?”
Jeremy nodded. “Frederick Arlington is Drake Arlington’s much younger brother. I think someone mentioned that there are fifteen years between the two brothers, but none the less, next to Drake, Frederick has the most control over the family’s businesses and assets. It seems that Drake manages the day to day operations, but it’s Frederick who manages the money.”
“So Fiona and Carson wouldn’t do anything that would shine a bad light on them with Uncle Frederick around.”
He nodded. “Basically. Naomi seemed to think Frederick was here as a spy for Drake, who really doesn’t approve of the match and is looking for a reason to put an end to things. According to Naomi, Frederick wasn’t invited to attend this weekend, but when he heard about the party, he more or less invited himself. Since he’s staying in town, Fiona couldn’t argue that there wasn’t enough room at the inn for him.”
“So Frederick is the buzzkill. What do you know about the others?”
“The woman in the red dress with the dark hair is Frederick’s date, Bronwyn. They aren’t married but, based on comments made by others, it sounds as if they are living together and have been for some time. Bronwyn is English, and while her last name is escaping me at the moment, it seems as if I heard somewhere that she’s from old money too, only her old money is British pounds while the Arlington’s riches come in US dollars.”
“And the two women talking to Fiona?” I asked.
“Old friends from college. I was chatting with Carson, and he mentioned that the taller of the two was named Patience. I guess Fiona and Patience were sorority sisters. I can’t remember the name of the other woman, but I think she might have been in the same sorority. The two men standing just off to the side of the group are the dates of Patience, and…” Jeremy paused. It appeared as if he’d been trying to remember the name of the second friend. “Savannah. Her name is Savannah. I’m afraid I didn’t catch the names of their dates.”
“And the tall man wearing the bright purple ascot who’s standing alone near the back of the room?” I asked.
“Caspar,” Jeremy answered. “I’m not sure how he fits in with this group. He must be a decade older than anyone else, and he really hasn’t engaged in conversation with anyone since he’s been here. I did notice Willa chatting with him for a while, but it appeared she was introducing herself to him. I’m going to assume that, like the other dinner guests from town, Caspar is here as Fiona’s guest.”
“Maybe another uncle?” I asked.
“Perhaps.”
“He may be somewhat of a wallflower, but he is a colorful wallflower.”
Jeremy chuckled. “That he is. I really love his red jacket. Velvet is a bit outdated, and the red is so Masterpiece Theater, but I do enjoy the fact that the man isn’t afraid to stand out.” He glanced toward the kitchen. “I’d better get back to the bar before Mike decides to take over.”
“Good idea. I’ll go and check with Georgia. By this point in the meal preparation, she might need help.”
When I walked into the kitchen, the first thing I noticed was that it smelled wonderful. Georgia seemed well in control of her ship, but I asked her if she needed help anyway. She indicated that I could keep an eye on the sauce she had simmering on the stove that she would serve with the lamb chops while she finished preparing the salad. The dinner she had planned consisted of seven courses, which I personally thought was more food than anyone would ever be able to eat. Although the first course was a single bite of ahi on toast with some sort of flavored cream cheese layer and a sprig of arugula, and the soup had a clear rather than a cream base, so perhaps it wouldn’t be too filling.
Once the predetermined time of eight o’clock arrived, Jeremy, along with Nikki, who were both dressed in a black tux they must have rented, called everyone to the table and served the first course. Georgia and Jeremy had worked out the timing of the seven courses ahead of time, so there wasn’t a lot for me to do, but I did hang around in case my help was needed.
Once the final course was served, those guests who’d come from town, began to gather their belongings. They’d come out to the inn in a limo, so they left as a group. Once the guests from town had gone, Mike took over at the bar however horrible of an idea that might be, and Jeremy, Nikki, Georgia, and I began cleaning up.
“That meal was probably the best thing I’ve ever eaten,” I said to Georgia, who’d set plates back for the three of us to nibble on as we worked.
“A meal such as that takes a lot of planning to ensure that the flavors and textures complement each other, but I think it turned out well.”
“Well, in my opinion, you nailed it,” Jeremy said to Georgia. “I could overhear pieces of conversations the guests were engaged in while I served, and everyone was very impressed. Jennifer even made a comment about watching and enjoying your cooking show and how excited she was when she found out that you were the inn’s chef.”
“I hope the food didn’t disappoint.”
“It didn’t seem like it. She was smiling and happy and looked like she was having a wonderful time,” Jeremy assured her.
She grinned. “Well, I’m happy to hear that the food was well received.”
“Is it weird that you’re famous?” Nikki asked Georgia.
She blushed. “I wouldn’t say famous, although the show is doing very well.”
Georgia looked uncomfortable with the praise, so I changed the subject. “It seems like everyone is having a wonderful time in spite of the fact that Alvin is still missing,” I said. “Am I the only one who finds it odd that no one seems to be at all concerned?”
“I overheard Lisa and Jennifer talking,” Nikki shared. “It seems that Lisa and Alvin had an argument the night Alvin disappeared, which is why she went up to their suite alone in the first place. Lisa seems convinced that Alvin just took off. She mentioned to Jennifer that he isn’t the sort to want to deal with any type of real feelings or emotions. I suppose if the group as a whole agrees with Lisa’s assessment, that might explain why no one is concerned.”
“Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” I answered. “Although, according to Colt, who did some checking, Alvin didn’t call for a taxi or an Uber. If he left, how did he leave? I suppose he might have called a friend to pick him up, but if that was the case, why not take his stuff?”
“It really is odd,” Jeremy said. “I never noticed any headlights in the drive. I guess Alvin could have left after I was asleep, but there is that high window in the basement that is actually ground level from the exterior of the inn. It overlooks the drive, so I usually see a car pulling in after I turn in.”
“Maybe Alvin wanted to be dramatic and slip away unseen,” Georgia said. “He could have walked out to the road and met someone.”
“If that was the case, why didn’t he take his laptop?” Jeremy asked.
“I’ll call Colt in the morning and have him look into things a bit more formally. He did check on the taxi and Uber thing, but no one has actually determined that Alvin is a missing person, so I don’t think he really did much more than that. It’s late now, and we have a lot of cleaning up to do before we can turn in for the evening.”
“I’m going to start running this trash out,” Jeremy said. “It’s a good thing we have a pickup on Monday. The alcohol bottles alone have filled the dumpster, so I’ve been bagging everything and putting it out on the back porch, but I want to move the bags to the garden shed until we can have it taken away.”
“This group is generating four times the amount of refuse we acquire on a normal weekend, and it’s all pretty much bottles. Beer bottles, wine bottles, champagne bottles, tequila bottles, and bottles from what looks to me to be a very expensive scotch,” Georgia agreed.
“I’m actually amazed these folks are still standing,” Jeremy said as he picked up two heavy-duty garbage bags and headed out the back door to the garden shed near the back of the lawn area. The shed was concealed by a hedge so as not to be an eyesore.
“Man, I’m exhausted,” Nikki said, yawning.
“I think Georgia, Jeremy, and I can finish up,” I said. “I know you worked the breakfast shift at the diner before coming in here. You really must be about to drop.”
“I am tired. Are you sure you don’t need me?”
I nodded. “I’m sure. Thank you so much for all your help today. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay. And thanks. I don’t work at the diner on the weekends, so I should have more energy to help out here.”
Once Nikki left, I returned to the dining area to pick up the random dishes that remained. Georgia, Jeremy, and I had at least another hour of dishwashing to attend to, but unlike Nikki, I wasn’t really that tired despite the late hour. It was fun to work alongside my team. I did help where I could, but I was a writer first and inn owner second, so most of the time, I left the work of running the inn to my employees.
Jeremy came in a few minutes later, looking a lot paler than when he’d left.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“I think you’d better call Colt now rather than waiting. When I opened the shed to deposit the trash bags, I found something.”
“Something?”
“A body. Alvin Connor’s body, to be exact. It looks as if he’s been dead since last night.”
Chapter 7
By the time Colt arrived, it was after two a.m. The guests had all returned to their suites, so I’d sent Georgia to bed as well. I could see that she was exhausted, and she was going to have a busy day tomorrow, which I guess was actually today. I tried to get Jeremy to go to bed as well, but he insisted on waiting with me. Once Colt had a moment to view the body, he called the coroner and arranged for transport. At least the shed was far enough away from the main structure of the inn that it was unlikely we’d wake anyone.
I asked Colt if he wanted to wake and interview the guests, but he decided that since no one had vehicles, it was unlikely they’d be going anywhere. He called central dispatch and asked for a patrol car to be stationed out front just to be certain that someone didn’t notice the lights and decide to take off.
Once the coroner took the body away and the patrol car took up residence out front; Colt, Jeremy, and I returned to the cottage, where Colt began gathering the basics.
“Did either of you notice anything that might explain how one of your guests ended up dead in the shed?” he asked Jeremy and me.
Jeremy answered. “Alvin disappeared the first night the group arrived, so I’m going to assume that whatever happened to him happened that night.”
“Can you describe the general atmosphere of the party that night?” Colt asked.
“Rowdy,” Jeremy answered. “Everyone was drinking heavily to the point where people were passing out before they even made it up to their suites.”
“And were you the one who served them so much alcohol?”
“No.” Jeremy shook his head. “I started off manning the bar, but eventually, the best man, a guy named Mike, took over. I helped Georgia clean up in the kitchen, and then I put Annabelle to bed. At some point, Mike gave up his bartender duties, and I think people began to serve themselves. Before turning in, I took a few laps around the place, mostly to be sure that no one was doing anything to damage the furniture. By that point, most everyone was totally wasted.”
“What time did you turn in?” Colt asked.
“I guess around eleven,” Jeremy answered.
Colt took a small notepad and pen out of his shirt pocket and jotted down a few notes. Once he’d recorded what he set out to, he looked back toward Jeremy and me. “So, walk me through what you remember about the evening.”
Jeremy thought for a moment and then responded. “Once everyone arrived, the guests gathered for a cocktail reception. During the cocktail reception, I tended bar, which I’ve already stated. At this point, people were drinking steadily, but I didn’t feel that anyone was overdoing it. Once dinner was served, the bar was temporarily closed since wine was provided by the bride and groom-to-be. After dinner, Mike took over at the bar and started serving shots and mixed drinks. It did seem to me that everyone was drinking a lot more at this point, but no one was driving, and the bride and groom-to-be had provided the alcohol, so I wasn’t overly concerned.” Jeremy took a breath. “I’m not sure if this is normal for this group or if there was something else going on, but the atmosphere seemed more like a frat party than a sophisticated affair.”
Jeremy looked at me as if for confirmation of his assessment. I nodded.
“Go on,” Colt encouraged.
I jumped in. “After dinner, Fiona passed out little boxes of chocolates. She had a bottle of cognac, which she served to everyone, and then she made a speech that ended in a toast. After that, she encouraged everyone to take lots of photos and explained that there was a photo printer in the library on the second floor. She even said that at the end of the weekend, there would be prizes for the funniest photo, most romantic photo, most embarrassing photo, as well as several other categories. It seemed like a fun idea, and I think the women at least were into it since the prizes she mentioned were fun and original.”
“And then?” Colt asked.
“Everyone took out their phone and immediately began snapping photos,” I answered. “It was all in fun, but seriously, it was like a feeding frenzy of flashes around the room. I think it was at this point that Fiona announced that the bar was a serve yourself type thing, which is when Mike took over and started making the drinks. A few guests went up to the library to check out the printer, and I saw at least two of the women walk into the parlor.”
“Do you remember which two women?” Colt asked.
“I think it was Willa and Stephanie. I had no idea anything was going to happen, so I didn’t pay all that much attention, but they did seem to be having a serious conversation.”
“Do you remember where Alvin was at this point?” Colt inquired.
I looked at Jeremy, who slowly shook his head.
“Not specifically,” I said. “I remember seeing Carson sitting in a chair with Fiona in his lap. They were talking to Ambrosia, who was sitting across from them. I didn’t stay much longer since you were coming by for dinner, so I can’t say what happened after that.”
Colt looked at Jeremy.
“Initially, I was helping Georgia in the kitchen, so I just walked through every now and again, checking for any behavior I felt might become violent or destructive. I really wasn’t noting who was where.”
“And did you notice any violent or destructive behavior?”
“No. At that point, everyone was happy, but as the night progressed, I did notice a shift. A few people passed out. I remember seeing both Willa and Lisa passed out on the sofa. It seems like Jordan and Steph
anie went into their room for a while, but then they came back out. I’m trying to remember what Alvin was doing. The only thing I remember for sure was that he was on the phone with someone at one point and that it appeared as if he wasn’t at all happy to hear from whomever he was talking to. I know this isn’t much help. Hopefully, once you’re able to interview the others, you’ll be able to establish a better timeline.”
“Did you notice anyone go outside?” Colt asked.
“I did notice Fiona and Jennifer sitting in the swing on the front porch at one point,” Jeremy answered. “They were all bundled up, swaying gently. They were smiling and laughing and didn’t seem to be in any sort of distress. When I came back through later, both had rejoined the group inside.”
“Earlier in the evening, I remember seeing Fiona and maybe three or four of the other women on the front porch,” I said. “They were sitting in the rockers and chatting. Carson and some of the men were in the back.”
“Other than these two instances, did anyone else leave the inn?” Colt asked.
“Not that I noticed,” I said.
“Yeah, that’s all I remember as well,” Jeremy seconded.
“I guess Alvin must have left at some point,” Jeremy tapped his chin as he considered the situation. “Now that I really think about it, I don’t remember seeing Alvin the last time I walked through before heading down to bed, but everyone stayed up for quite a while after I retired, so I really have no idea what happened next.
“Was anyone else missing during the time you were doing the walkthroughs?” Colt asked.
Jeremy narrowed his gaze. It appeared he was thinking back. “There was a group at the dining table playing a drinking game. I remember both Fiona and Carson being in that group, as well as Mike and Ambrosia. As I’ve already said, Willa and Lisa were passed out on the sofa, and it seems to me that Naomi and Jordan were in the library looking at the photos that had already been printed. I don’t remember seeing either Alvin or Stephanie, but I think Jennifer was with the group at the dining table, so maybe Stephanie killed Alvin.”
