At Witt's End
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Echelon Press
www.echelonpress.com
Copyright ©2009 by Beth Solheim
First published in 2009, 2009
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NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.
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CONTENTS
AT WITT'S END
Dedicated to:
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Beth Solheim
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At Witt's End
AT WITT'S END
An Echelon Press Book
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First Echelon Press paperback printing / March 2010
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All rights Reserved.
Copyright (C) 2009 by Beth Solheim
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Cover Art (C) Nathalie Moore
Award winning Graphic Artist
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Echelon Press
9055 G Thamesmeade Road
Laurel, MD 20723
www.echelonpress.com
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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address Echelon Press.
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ISBN: 978-1-59080-662-3
1-59080-662-X
eBook 1-59080-663-8
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Printed in the United States of America
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Dedicated to:
Jerry Solheim (the love of my life)
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In memory of:
Gregg Pouliot (my father)
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Acknowledgements
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My tireless work buddies, who never complained
during numerous proofreading sessions,
offered advice, and urged me to persevere.
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My sincere appreciation to my publisher,
Karen Syed, who made my dreams come true.
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A heartfelt thank you to editor Kat Thompson
for her sage advice and guiding hand.
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1
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"Oh dear, not another one,” Sadie said, parting the curtains in Cabin 14 and peering out the window. A man in a black suit stared back at her. Sadie's shoulders sagged as she signaled to her twin sister. “Jane, come here. Tell me if you can see him. In that fancy get-up, he's either one of them or he's an undertaker.” Sixty-four-year-old Sadie cupped her hand over her forehead to prevent the sun's glare from obstructing her view.
The man looked back over his shoulder, clutching his leather briefcase to his chest. He took a few steps forward, hesitated, then cautiously edged off the walkway seeking cover behind a low-hanging pine. Bewildered eyes peeked through the boughs. He concentrated on a group of teens, toting inflatable rafts and skipping playfully toward the shore.
Jane edged closer to the window and nudged Belly LaGossa aside with her knee. The dog snorted at the intrusion. After sniffing the air, Belly waddled across the cabin floor, scratched on the screen door and waited for one of the sisters to let him out. His jowls fluttered a sigh of resignation when he realized they had no intention of honoring his request.
Jane followed the direction indicated by Sadie's finger. “Where? I don't see anybody."
Sadie hoped Jane would quiet her anxiety. If Jane could see him, he wasn't a crosser. If the man was invisible to Jane, it meant the fifth and final crosser was about to make an entrance.
Although most guests who failed to cross over were shocked to learn of their demise, they were generally harmless and agreeable. Not this week, though. Sadie already had Rodney, a crosser with an attitude, occupying one of the bunks in the inner room. She was sure Rodney had been destined for hellfire, but took a wrong turn on his way to meet the devil. The hateful twenty-one-year-old had stretched her patience to the limit, because he didn't give a rip. About anything. Or anybody. He took pleasure in making life miserable for the other crossers. Sadie turned back toward the window. If her hunch was right, another crosser was lurking outside her door.
"Right there.” Sadie jabbed her finger in the direction of the walkway. She watched a courtesy-cart driver glide past the man in black.
The cart driver tapped his horn to alert four men laden with fishing gear that he was about to pass on their left. Chatting with excitement, the cart's passengers scanned the marina as the driver continued to transport them to their assigned cabins along the shores of Pinecone Lake.
The advertised check-in at Witt's End Resort was every Friday afternoon between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. Because guests arrived promptly at 2:00 p.m. to take advantage of two extra hours of valued vacation, staff members scurried to accommodate the rush. Today was no exception. New arrivals crammed the walkways, the gift shop, and the marina.
Sadie tapped the window pane with her fingernail as Jane edged closer. “Just look over the top of my finger at that guy in the snazzy suit. Do you think he's a crosser?” Sadie held her finger rigid to give her sister ample time to zero in.
"Well if he's a crosser, why do you bother to ask? You're the only one who can see the dead."
If Sadie could get her hands on the man who had deemed her a death coach, she'd staple his lips to his nose. It had to be a man bent on revenge. Who else would saddle her with the responsibility of guiding the dead on their final journey?
"Geez Louise. How come everything happens all at once? I've got a cabin full of crossers and now I have to deal with a new manager who can't make a decision. It makes me furious I let you talk me into hiring him to run the resort,” Sadie said. “I gave in too easy. I should spank myself."
"Easy?” Jane's voice rose as she stared in disbelief. “That wasn't easy. It took me two years to convince you."
"Mother would kick the lid off her casket if she knew we hired a manager. Witt's End has been in our family for over eighty years."
"That's a bunch of hooey,” Jane bit back. “Our manager does a good job. You make it sound like we sold the resort. We didn't. Besides, now we can go dancing. You were the one who complained we never went dancing on seniors’ night."
"If that man in the black suit is another crosser, I won't be going to the Fertile Turtle any time soon,” Sadie said.
"Well you better feel like it because Mr. Bakke's taking us dancing tomorrow night.” Jane gestured toward Sadie. “And don't embarrass us by wearing any of your stupid outfits."
"This isn't stupid,” Sadie argued. “It's new. It's all the rage.” She smoothed the hem of the leopard print shirt over her mini skirt.
"You look like you're going on safari. Why can't you dress like me? Like a normal person."
/> Sadie wanted to comment on Jane's attire, but if Jane hadn't changed her appearance in thirty years, one more fashion tidbit wasn't going to help. Sadie had even gone as far as purchasing colorful outfits for her sister. They were still buried in the back of her closet behind the cadaveresque colorscape Jane referred to as beige, ecru, tan, and, on a real flamboyant buying binge, khaki. The bottoms were all worn with white blouses. Ironed, starched, lace-adorned blouses. With Jane's silver bob topping off the ensemble, Sadie often had the urge to poke her bland sister to make sure she was still among the living. Why look like a crosser if you could prevent it?
Before huffing away from the window, Jane added, “I still don't see a man in a suit. If he's got a suit on, he must be a crosser. Who else would wear a suit to a resort?"
"You've got a point,” Sadie said. “But with four other crossers already in residence, I don't feel like dealing with a new one."
"Why? It's no different than any other time. You should be used to it after forty years.” Jane walked over to the screen door and looked through the opening.
"I already told you those business types don't like being told they're dead,” Sadie said. “In fact, they get downright belligerent. They waste time denying it when they should be making their death decisions."
"Do you think I'll end up being a crosser?"
"Not if you don't have unfinished business."
"Who made those stupid rules? And where does it say I need to have unfinished business? I don't understand why they didn't give you a manual so I could check to see if you're telling the truth.” Jane waved her hand in dismissal before removing her glasses and rubbing her eyes.
Not only had Sadie not been given a manual, but the assignment lasted a lifetime. She would prefer to ignore the crossers, but she couldn't. If she didn't guide them through their death decisions in the allotted time, the crossers would never realize their death potential. They'd slip into oblivion.
"You've been in a foul mood ever since you got up this morning. Are you going to share your problem-of-the-day, or are you going to keep me in suspense?"
Jane lifted a Victoria's Secret catalog off the kitchen table and placed it under a stack of magazines.
"Put that back. I haven't decided what to order yet,” Sadie said. Her gaze wandered to the window. The man in the black suit peered back at her. His demeanor had changed from confused to distressed.
"You're too old to be buying that kind of stuff.” Attempting to straighten the rest of the items on the bookshelf Jane said, “Why don't you look at something intelligent?"
"Like one of your cooking magazines? I don't know why you bother to read them. You don't follow the recipes anyway.” Sadie batted at Jane's hand as her sister tried to stop her from pulling the catalog back out of the stack. “You're driving me nuts. All you do is clean, clean, clean. It's to the point where I have to Duct Tape my undies to my butt. I'm afraid if I lost sight of them for one second, you'd put them away and I'd never find them again."
When Jane's tidiness drove Sadie to distraction, Sadie countered by creating a mess. Even though Jane's exasperation resulted in a sermon clarifying the finer points of organization, Sadie took pleasure in flustering her sister. However, this sparring hadn't been intentional. Jane's worries had escalated to a feverish level because of a pending lawsuit, a lawsuit that could produce devastating results, and Sadie knew it would be wise to keep her retaliation to a minimum.
Sadie had dealt with crossers for forty years. That she could handle, but not the lawsuit.
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Jane crossed to the door to let Belly out. “What a nuisance. He's been pacing for the past ten minutes. Everywhere he goes I have to wipe up a puddle of drool.” She peeked through the screen. “Is the guy in the suit still out there?"
Sadie caught sight of movement near a Norway pine as she slid her feet into her rhinestone-adorned sandals and wriggled her toes. “He's still there. He's walking toward the parking lot, but he keeps looking back at our cabin."
"I hope he's not a crosser. I can't take much more stress. Besides, you've already got your hands full."
"I'm not the only one who's got my hands full,” Sadie said. “Nan's got the Fossum family in storage at the mortuary. I don't know how she's going to manage. I still can't believe all three of them died in that accident."
"From what Nan said, Deputy Friborg stopped by twice to look at the bodies.” Anguish tightened Jane's aged features. “He must really miss his friend to view his body twice."
"I don't think that's why Deputy Friborg wanted a second look.” Sadie looked through the window at the mortuary next door. “From what Nan said, he's not totally convinced it was an accident."
"What?” Jane whispered. “Do you mean...?” Jane's mouth hung open in disbelief.
"Shut your mouth before a bird builds a nest and you choke on it. I'm not in the mood to do CPR."
"Not an accident?” Jane said. “When you told me Tim thought his dad was murdered, I didn't believe it. But if Deputy Friborg is concerned, maybe it's true."
Goose flesh rose over Sadie's arm as Jane's comment hit her. If the deputy's curiosity snowballed into a full-blown murder investigation, it would only add to her problems because Tim was one of her crossers.
Jane's gaze darted back and forth. “Who would want to hurt the Fossums?"
"Hopefully no one. I think Tim's imagination got the better of him.” Tim Fossum's body lay in cold storage at the mortuary next to his parents. It wasn't unusual for crossers to deny their demise. The fact that Tim didn't cross over when his parents did made it harder for him to accept. If he fostered a notion of murder, it gave him something to concentrate on, other than his death decision.
"The poor lamb,” Jane said. “What a terrible thing for Tim to go through."
"How do you think I feel? I'm the one who broke the news to Tim. To make it worse, he's forced to make a death decision that might prevent him from ever seeing his parents again.” Sadie tipped her head upward and sighed. “It breaks my heart to see him so confused."
"That's the problem,” Jane said, waving her arms in frustration. “I can't see your crossers but you can. Even that bothersome dog can see them. It's not fair."
"You missed your calling, Jane. You look like a traffic cop trying to get the Hell's Angels to turn in at the church."
"I do not. I'm upset because you're the death coach and I have no choice but to believe what you tell me.” Jane looked out the window again, trying to spy the man in the black suit. “I'm too tired to deal with this. I couldn't sleep last night because I kept worrying about our lawsuit. Now I'll be worrying about a murder, too."
"Quit worrying. I told you our attorney will take care of it. And I'll bet it's not true about the Fossums anyway."
Sadie pushed back the despair that engulfed her every time she thought about losing the lawsuit. Putting forth a positive front was safer than thinking about the consequences.
"But what if we don't win? What if we actually lose the resort?” Jane slammed her hand down on the table. “How can you be so calm?"
Drawing on her reserve, Sadie said, “I'm trying my best not to think about it. There's nothing we can do until the hearing."
"That's what drives me crazy. I hate waiting.” Jane fidgeted with her blouse collar, attempting to pull the points into alignment. “Our employees depend on us for a living. They'll be out of a job if we lose this resort."
Sadie sat in the chair next to her sister and folded her hands around Jane's fists. “You can't think like that. You've got to have faith it will be settled in our favor. We've owned this resort since Mother died. The judge will take that into consideration."
The women turned at the sound of Belly's bark. His stubby tail jerked anxiously as he sniffed the air.
"Judge Kimmer never liked us,” Jane said. “He won't give a hoot how long the resort's been in our family. You know he's wanted to buy this property.
The fact we turned him down won't help."
"The resort was never listed with a realtor. He had no right getting angry when we turned him down.” Impatience squeezed at Sadie like a vice. Witt's End was the most prime vacation property in Northern Minnesota. For over twenty years every developer in the upper Midwest had tried to buy their resort. Some of the locals, including Judge Kimmer, had also expressed an interest in the property, but Sadie held fast by declining their offers.
The resort featured three thousand feet of shoreline dotted with towering Norway pines and sheltered one of the most popular fishing bays on Pinecone Lake. A reservation list spanning two years, a lodge, a restaurant, a marina, a sand beach, and a gift shop guaranteed many return visits by satisfied vacationers.
"You were the one who suggested we get this over with as soon as possible. Because you were in such a hurry, they selected an earlier court date,” Sadie said. “Now we're stuck with it. If we'd have waited, Judge Kimmer wouldn't have been assigned to our case."
Jane pushed back from the table. “I couldn't wait because I'm dying by inches every day. I can't think about anything but this lawsuit.” As Jane paced, she fidgeted with a pleat in her tan slacks. “I know you're right. I know I have to put this out of my mind. You've got the crossers to keep you busy. I don't have anything to occupy my mind."
"It's not like I asked to be a death coach,” Sadie muttered.
"Then why did you take the job?"
"Job? Job? Being a death coach isn't a job. It just happened."
"Well it sure seems like a job,” Jane said. “You're busy every day dealing with them. And now you think there might be another one out there. You need to find someone else to do it."
Through lips tight with exasperation Sadie said, “You know I was chosen to guide them. How else will they know how to cross over to the other side?"
"The fact they couldn't cross over shouldn't be your problem. Let them find their own way."
"I'd like to, but that's not possible. I've explained this a million times."
"I know you have. But it would sure make it easier if I could see them. It's embarrassing when I sit on them all the time."