by Bell, Cindy
Killing the Carnations
A Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mystery
Cindy Bell
Copyright © 2013 Cindy Bell
All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and locations portrayed in this book and the names herein are fictitious. Any similarity to or identification with the locations, names, characters or history of any person, product or entity is entirely coincidental and unintentional.
All trademarks and brands referred to in this book are for illustrative purposes only, are the property of their respective owners and not affiliated with this publication in any way. Any trademarks are being used without permission, and the publication of the trademark is not authorized by, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owner.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter One
The Heavenly Highland Inn was bustling with activity. The lobby was flooded with businessmen and women in suits, waiting to have their turn at the registration desk. All hands were on deck to deal with the inundation that the corporate conference had created. Ever since a starlet and a well-known professional tennis player had tied the knot under the roof of the inn, the calls and requests for rooms had not stopped. With so much to juggle on her own, Sarah had finally given in and admitted she needed a little extra help. So, after organizing the conference itself, Vicky was right behind the front desk with her sister and Aunt Ida.
Aunt Ida was more interested in the handsome, young men that were lined up waiting to check in. She nudged Vicky lightly in her ribs with her elbow. “They didn't make 'em like this when I was young,” she insisted. It was the same line that Vicky had heard several times now, but she still gave Aunt Ida a loving smile.
“Oh Aunt Ida, you're still young,” Vicky said firmly as she tapped the keys on one of the computers behind the desk. Somehow two of the mid-level executives of the corporation had been double booked and she was trying to put out the fire before Sarah smelled the smoke.
Ballant Industries was one of the most lucrative up and coming corporations on the east coast, and it was a huge honor for the inn to be chosen to host their annual conference. It would span three days and include several meals, as well as entertainment that Vicky had arranged. It was a late booking as their previous venue had fallen through, but Vicky suspected they had switched at the last minute after hearing about the celebrity wedding.
“I don't understand what the problem is,” the man before her said in a grating tone. He seemed to speak through his nose rather than his lips, and expected his polished demeanor to somehow be able to hurry things along.
“I just need one more moment, sir,” Vicky replied calmly. Being on the front line at the reception desk was not Vicky's speciality. She could throw together an amazing party in less than twenty-four hours, but having patience with an impatient executive was very different from juggling caterers and decorators.
“Here we go,” she said with a smile of relief as she managed to find an empty room on the second floor. “You'll be staying in room 203,” Vicky offered a dazzling smile and handed the man the key for his room. Unlike many other hotels and inns, the Heavenly Highland Inn still used old-fashioned keys instead of electronic key-cards. The cost of updating the old inn to the technology they would need for the key-cards was far more than the cost of maintaining keys. No one seemed to mind the traditional technique of opening the door to their rooms, and it allowed them to keep the authentic feel of the inn itself, which had its own rich history.
The inn changed hands mostly through family lines, and most recently from the ownership of Vicky and Sarah's parents who had passed away in a car accident, to their young daughters who were not expecting the sudden responsibility. Though they had grown up in the inn, and both had spent the better part of their adolescence working behind the reception desk, neither anticipated what it would be like when the full ownership of the inn rested on their shoulders. Although Vicky wished for her parents’ guidance quite often, she at least had the zestful, if not outlandish influence of her Aunt Ida, who had lived at the inn for as long as Vicky could remember.
“Excuse me,” a voice said impatiently from beside Vicky. She glanced up to see the irate glare of one of the most powerful men on the east coast. Jeremy Minkle was the CEO of Ballant Industries, and certainly not someone that Vicky wanted to see upset. With his thick, dark waves of hair and his glowering, brown eyes, she would have considered him handsome, if he didn't look so irritated. She took a deep breath and reminded herself to try not to take his aggravation personally, everyone's nerves were on edge in the busy environment.
“Is there a problem, sir?” Vicky asked and tried not to sound impatient.
“Yes, there's a problem,” Jeremy said sternly, his brusque tone indicating that he was used to being in charge. “I asked for the same room I stayed in last time I was here. That was a room with a view of the gardens and mountains. The room you sent me to has a view of the parking lot,” he pressed his lips together tightly with annoyance.
Vicky searched for his name through the roster of past guests and found that Jeremy had indeed stayed at the inn the year before. She was surprised, because she didn’t recall him staying and Sarah hadn't mentioned it. Unfortunately, the room he requested was showing as already occupied.
“Sir, I'm sorry but...” Vicky began to say, but she was interrupted by one of the maids who worked at the Inn.
“Oh, I'm sorry for the confusion,” Emily said quickly, her gentle voice perfectly matched to the softness of her features. Emily was in her early twenties and had blonde curls that were always tied back in a bun, yet a few strands insisted on tickling at her cheeks and the corners of her eyes. She had the kind of voluptuous body that seemed to draw the attention of many of their guests, but instead of being arrogant about it, she was always very generous and docile. She was very artistic and she loved to paint every opportunity she got and was very talented at it.
“What do you mean, Emily?” Vicky asked as she studied the woman before her.
“I overheard Sarah saying that Mr. Minkle was going to be staying here again, so I took the liberty of booking him the same room, so that it wouldn't be given to someone else,” she explained quickly and ducked her head to hide a slight blush. “I had trouble entering his details and Sarah was already so busy I didn’t have a chance to get her to fix it, and Mr. Minkle left such a generous tip the last time he was here,” she added in a lower voice. Vicky smiled a little at that comment. Emily was one of the more senior maids on staff so she had been trained in the booking systems to help out if they were ever desperate, but unlike painting, technology was not her strong point. Vicky assumed she was just trying to make sure she had the big tipper in her wing of the inn. It probably didn't hurt that Jeremy was so easy on the eyes either.
“That's just fine Emily, in fact it's perfect,” Vicky nodded her head slightly as she retrieved the key for the room. “Would you mind showing Mr. Minkle to his room?” she suggested.
“I certainly can,” Emily agreed. As she escorted Mr. Minkle away, Vicky was pleased to see that he appea
red much more relaxed. She released a sigh of relief as they disappeared together into one of the elevators. The next couple that walked up to the desk caused Vicky to turn her head to keep from grinning. The woman was decked out in a gold dress, the skirt of which ended mid-thigh, paired with just as gold stiletto heels that added at least a few inches to her height. Her hair was bright red and pin straight, with straight cut bangs hanging right above her blonde eyebrows. Though she carried nothing, not even a purse, her husband was loaded down with several suitcases which he carefully placed on the floor in front of the desk.
“Our room please,” he said with obvious exhaustion. He was a delicately framed man, with features to match. Though his physique caused him to seem a bit fragile his bold, blue eyes seemed to gleam with confidence and intelligence.
“Your name, sir?” Vicky asked with more warmth than she normally offered. She had sympathy for the man who was obviously worn out from waiting in line with so many bags.
“Charleston Davis,” he said quickly and glanced over at the woman beside him. He smiled at her with a dreamy curve to his lips, and Vicky noticed that she wore an engagement ring. She understood now, that he was still trying to make a good impression. She could understand why, as the statuesque woman could have easily been a fashion model with her slender frame and wide vacant gaze. She didn't even flinch when a man beside her lost his balance beneath the large bag he was carrying and jostled her arm slightly. But Charleston did.
“Watch it, Brendan,” he said sharply as he glared at the other man. Brendan stumbled a little and put the bag down on the floor.
“I'm sorry,” he said respectfully to the woman who had yet to even blink. “I think I might have over packed,” he chuckled with a good-natured smile. He reached up to straighten his midnight blue tie and smooth down the lapel of his black suit jacket.
“Having an entire wardrobe of tacky suits won't make you the next CEO,” Charleston said sharply.
“I thought you were going to be the next CEO?” the woman beside Charleston asked accusingly. Suddenly Vicky was very aware of what was unfolding around them. She glanced up with surprise at the conversation, then quickly looked back down at the computer screen. It was important in the hotel business to try to stay out of the affairs of the guests. She did her best to, but Aunt Ida didn't seem to share the same standards.
“Would you look at that dress!” she called out with a gasp of pure pleasure. “What is it made out of, butter?” she asked with a purr as she ran her fingers across the shimmery material. Vicky's eyes widened in horror at her aunt's words, but the woman wearing the dress only lifted her chin upward with pride.
“It's nice isn't it?” she assessed Aunt Ida with a critical stare. “Yours isn't so bad either,” she offered in a disdainful tone. It seemed as if her words were meant to be a compliment but it was hard to tell from her disinterested smirk.
“Thank you,” Aunt Ida said and straightened the hem of the peacock blue blouse she had paired with a black pencil skirt. Vicky thought the blouse was a little overdone, as it actually included faux peacock feathers, but she kept that opinion to herself. Charleston and Brendan were still glowering at each other.
“We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?” Brendan asked as he arched a brow slightly at Charleston. Charleston pursed his lips as he snatched the room key from Vicky's hand.
“There's nothing to wait for Brendan, I'm a shoe in and you know it. The only reason you are even being considered is to avoid accusations of favoritism,” he tilted his head to the side and smiled confidently as he looked at Brendan. “Don't worry, I'll make sure you have plenty of work to keep you busy and your mind off not being selected as the next CEO.”
Brendan's eyes narrowed at that. Vicky noticed their cinnamon shade was muted by his thick and long eyelashes. He was older and rounder than his counterpart, his stomach protruding slightly against the buttons of his suit jacket that strained against his midsection. His features were rounder too, with soft full lips, a receding hairline that drew back from a rounded forehead, and even, small round ears that carried the arms of silver-rimmed glasses. His hair was very dark and cut short at the base of his neck. He looked very professional, and though his appearance was rather unremarkable, the way he held himself with such patience and warmth endeared him to Vicky instantly.
“How generous of you, Charleston,” he said with a small smile.
“Perhaps you have someone to help me with these bags?” Charleston asked.
“Of course,” Vicky nodded. Aunt Ida was still fussing over Charleston's fiancée’s dress and shoes.
“Do you think they'd make it in my size?” Aunt Ida wondered out loud. With Aunt Ida's slender frame, Vicky thought they would, but she couldn't imagine her aunt wearing it. Aunt Ida was a very alluring woman, she did her best to flirt with every available man she encountered, but Vicky assumed she might be a bit past the age that was appropriate for such a dress.
“I'll find out for you,” the woman replied with a sweet smile. She seemed to be enamored with Aunt Ida which Vicky understood. Aunt Ida had a very charming and vivacious personality which made her rather endearing. Vicky gestured to the concierge who was standing nearby.
“Can you help Mr. Davis upstairs with his bags,” she asked, trying to hide her amusement as Kent took one look at the pile and then grabbed a luggage cart.
As Charleston and his fiancée followed him, Brendan stepped up to the desk.
“Sorry about all of that,” he said with a grim smile. “Charleston can get a little carried away.”
“No need to apologize,” Vicky smiled politely. “Could I have your name?”
“It's Nicholas Brendan,” he replied and seemed to be studying Aunt Ida who was still standing beside the desk. Aunt Ida appeared to be oblivious to his attention as she was daydreaming about herself in that gold dress. Vicky noticed it however, and did her best not to grin.
“Well, Mr. Brendan I have two options for you. You can have a room on the third floor, or on the second,” she tried to meet his gaze, but he was still staring at Aunt Ida. “Would you prefer a larger room with a view of the parking lot, or a smaller room with a view of the garden?” she asked calmly.
“The larger room is fine,” he said with a shrug. “I can see there's more beauty to view around here than just the garden.”
Aunt Ida glanced up at his comment and caught him looking directly at her. Her cheeks flushed with surprise but her lips curled into a come hither smile.
“Oh Mr. Brendan, I can show you to your room, if you'd like?” she suggested, her smile spreading and her lashes batting swiftly. Vicky suppressed a giggle and handed over Nicholas' room key.
“That sounds wonderful,” he agreed and accepted the key. He offered Aunt Ida his arm, and she led him towards the elevator. As Vicky glanced back at the crowd of people in the lobby she noticed it was beginning to thin out. They were finally getting everyone checked in. She stole a glance over at Sarah and saw that she looked exhausted. Vicky made a mental note to make sure she got a day at the spa. Sarah's day didn't end when she went home, she still had a lot to take care of with a family and house to keep up. Her husband was helpful, but it was still a lot on her big sister's shoulders, and Vicky tried to do her best to make sure she got a little time away to herself.
Vicky on the other hand hadn't been getting much alone time, and she loved every minute of it. She and one of the deputy sheriffs had struck up a friendship that quickly developed into a romance. Vicky was so used to being on her own that being in a new relationship had been a bit bumpy for her at first, but she was getting very used to Deputy Sheriff Mitchell Slate always being there for her. She found herself eager to meet up with him in the evenings no matter how tired she was. That night would be no different as they had plans to go out for Chinese food together. The thought renewed her determination to get through the day.
As she registered several more people and distributed their room keys she noticed that several of the
managers of the company had brought along their spouses. Maybe they had heard about the inn's reputation for being a romantic getaway, not just for the stars, but for anyone that enjoyed such a serene environment. The character of the old inn was enticing for many as its expansive stone structure could remind one of old French castles. But the charm of the inn itself wasn't the only thing that drew the attention of travellers. It was the setting that really pushed the inn to the top of the list when it came to an enjoyable escape.
Set on the outskirts of a quaint little town, the Heavenly Highland Inn was surrounded by nature at its finest. From the towering trees that were always laden with large and colorful leaves, to the mountains beyond the expansive gardens, there was something for everyone to enjoy. There were numerous walking trails that wound along a small lake and up through a few acres of woods, as well as leading directly through the well manicured gardens. The gardens were the inn's pride and joy as they always had colourful flowers no matter what the season. They were dotted with intricate stone statues that stood out as pleasant surprises amidst the foliage, as well as little nooks and hideaways where guests would often retreat for private picnics or trysts. The chef of the inn, Henry, offered a special picnic basket for any guest who wanted to enjoy the beauty that surrounded the inn. It was very popular with guests who were couples, but often even a single person would order the basket and spend the afternoon in the garden.
Sarah worked very hard to ensure that every guest who stayed at the inn had a memorable experience. Vicky worked very hard to ensure that whatever their special occasion might be, they had a wonderful way to celebrate it. They made a good team, as they were not just sisters, but also good friends. While Sarah tended to bring out the mature side of Vicky, Aunt Ida always sought to involve her in her antics and crazy schemes. Vicky was grateful to them both, and even her dear brother-in-law, Phil, who was as straight-laced as they come.
