by Hazel Holmes
Hope shone through Ezra’s eyes and as exhausted as Clara was, it was still contagious. She wanted to enjoy this time as much as Ezra did. This was her dream and she wanted to love it again.
“Besides, I told them I’d bring them food,” Ezra said as he walked to the refrigerator. “Since Nathaniel stormed off without taking any leftovers, we have far more here than we could eat before it all goes bad. So, I promised to bring some over. We really can’t back out now. It’d be rude, promising someone food and not delivering it to them.”
“Fine,” she relented. “But can we at least kind of figure out what we’re going to do about the murders? Like, what direction are we going to go in? Are we still looking for a killer, even though Billy’s dead? Do you think it’s possible that someone else was involved?”
“I can’t think of anyone else who would be involved,” Ezra replied. “But I don’t know the case well and last night was the first time we met Lyla and Richard, so I can’t say for sure. I’m at a loss regarding this whole thing if I’m completely honest.
“The fact that they think we’re in danger though is concerning. Therefore, though Billy may be the likely suspect, I think we should look in other directions too. Lyla and Richard clearly didn’t murder their family, so someone else did, and it’d be prudent to make sure that someone else is no longer a threat to us.
“Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, it might be good to know for sure so we can maybe try to figure out how much Nathaniel knows about all this. He was just at that age where he might’ve been influenced by his father’s actions. Perhaps even… well, if he was old enough to want to buy the bed and breakfast after...”
“He was old enough to potentially be involved,” Clara gasped. She hadn’t even considered that before. She worried Billy had killed the family and that Nathaniel might want to harm them to get his hands on the property. But what if he was involved?
“Even if he simply knew his father killed them, that could be a problem,” Clara said as it dawned on her. “He might be willing to kill just to protect his father’s reputation.”
“There are a ton of ways this could go wrong,” Ezra admitted. “I don’t want you to worry about them today, but I do think this is something we need to investigate. Lyla, Richard, Olivia, and Kyle all deserve justice, and we deserve safety. I’m tired of living in fear.”
“Me too.” Though it seemed the fear was only mounting lately, and though they might be leaving the house, Clara didn’t think they could outrun it.
39
Clara and Ezra believed Brittany when she said their bed and breakfasts were different enough as to not be direct competitors, that they served vastly different clientele. But they didn’t fully understand what she meant until they drove up that winding road to the huge property Brittany and Sam’s business sat on.
Just the driveway itself felt better suited for a high-end hotel, with blue English primroses lining it. Their petals were bright beacons under the snow, leading to a house that was at least three times bigger than Clara and Ezra’s bed and breakfast. The white colonial-style house with dark trimming was immaculate.
“How much do you think it’d cost to stay at a place like this?” Clara asked as they gazed at the gorgeous house.
“Quite a lot,” Ezra replied. “It must be expensive.”
It looked like a luxurious, exclusive hotel that catered to guests with money. Everything was professional and polished. Winter flowers grew around the house, while a horse stable was off in the distance behind it. Tall pine trees covered in lights made the property look like a fancy winter wonderland.
“I can see why she’d want to befriend us,” Clara said. “With a property like this, they could charge hefty prices. But they’ll only be able to do so if more people visit the area, particularly people with money. If they can drive up tourism by supporting local businesses and lodging like our own that could never compete with them anyway, they can build a name for the town and drum up business for themselves.”
“Makes sense,” Ezra said. “Do you hold such lofty ambitions? Would you like to own a place like this someday?”
“I don’t think so,” Clara admitted. “I really like our Victorian home. I’ve enjoyed customizing the rooms and making it a unique experience. If we expanded too much, it might lose that personal touch. Maybe someday I’ll change my mind. But for now I really like the life we’re currently living. Aside from the ghosts of course.”
The conversation darkened a little as Ezra parked the car. He turned to Clara.
“I really don’t want you to worry too much about the ghosts,” he said. “I know that’s a crazy statement. I mean, ghosts are ghosts. Most people would worry about them. But these ghosts don’t seem malicious. They simply seem sad. It seems all they want is to get justice, as most people would.
“I understand that all this is far from the norm. I never thought I’d have to experience anything like it. I’m sure you didn’t either. But it doesn’t need to be scary or intimidating. It doesn’t need to darken our dream life. We can get through this, okay? It’s just an adjustment.”
“An adjustment?” she scoffed. “Some adjustment.” Then she sighed. “I get it though. You’re right. I’m going to try not to dwell on it. I think today is going to be a good break from everything. A much-needed break.”
“I hope so.” He took her hand and kissed it.
By the time they walked up to the front door, Brittany had already opened it and was standing in the door frame looking beautiful in her designer boots and winter jacket.
“Good morning,” she said, her smile as bright as the morning sun. “I’m so glad you came over. We’re going to have so much fun.”
“For sure,” Sam said as he came out behind her with snowshoes in his hands. “Let’s show you the amazing nature this town has to offer.”
The four friends strapped on their snowshoes. Then, Ezra and Clara followed Sam and Brittany to a trail behind the house that stretched on into the woods. They hadn’t bothered shoveling it, of course. And after all the blizzards they’d weathered through that year, the snow was far too high to walk in without snowshoes.
“Have you ever been snowshoeing before?” Brittany asked.
“No,” they answered simultaneously.
“It’s going to be an experience for sure then,” Sam promised as they started down the trail. “There’s something different about being out here in winter. It’s more peaceful somehow.”
He wasn’t wrong. The thick, puffy layers of white snow muffled all sounds and made the land look pristine. Since all other scents were covered in snow, only the strong smell of pine trees survived, stark in each breath they drew in. Other naked trees allowed for a deeper look into the forest than they were usually afforded. With few leaves to stand in their way, they could see the land as it stretched on, revealing rocks and frozen rivers they’d usually miss.
Since Ezra and Clara lived in the city, they hadn’t been able to go hiking all that often. The trails they did travel to were often filled with other eager hikers. They still found stretches of quiet among the trees, but they came across people often enough to remind them they weren’t alone.
That day though, they were alone. The four of them were the only ones around for miles, and the silence that was evoked by this was powerful. They didn’t speak for some time. The only sound was the sound of their snowshoes against the snow.
“Wait,” Sam whispered as a frozen river broke the landscape up ahead. They paused. “Look.”
He pointed to a tree near the river. It took a moment, but then Ezra and Clara spotted the doe too. She was cautious as she stepped out from behind a tree, towards the edge of the river where the ice didn’t quite cozy up to the bank.
“Beautiful,” Clara whispered.
They watched silently as the doe dipped her elegant neck towards the water and drank, her big eyes alert for any predators nearby. Since most other animals were hibernating, the moment felt even more special.<
br />
Usually, they felt like they were surrounded by creatures in the woods. They couldn’t always see them. In fact, they rarely could. But they still got the sense that there were other living beings out there. The trails always felt full of life.
That day, they got the sense that most of life was sleeping, so each flicker of life was brighter. Each movement was bigger somehow. They were enthralled with this deer. When she left, they remained there for a little while, watching the spot where she’d been standing.
“I bet you don’t get that in the city,” Sam teased.
“Not at all,” Ezra admitted.
“It’s enchanting,” Clara said. “Thank you for taking us out here.”
“I knew you’d like it,” Brittany said as they started walking again. “You seem like the type of people who can value the simpler things. I know based off our lifestyle it might seem like we don’t, but we do too.
“We love this area more than anything. We love the nature it offers, the people, the experiences. It means so much to us, and it’s wonderful being able to introduce new people to this. I truly am glad you came out today.”
“We’re glad to be here,” Clara said. She meant it too. Here in the woods, away from the ghosts and stress, she fell in love with this little town all over again. Her strength returned and she knew she could do this. She knew they could do this. She wasn’t ready to give up quite yet.
40
After their exciting snowshoeing adventure, Brittany and Sam welcomed Ezra and Clara inside for lunch and hot chocolate. The interior of the house was even more impressive than the exterior, completely blowing the couple away.
Everything was bright, awash in gold, silver, and white. They followed Sam and Brittany into a room with two walls of windows that looked out at the mountains bordering a frozen lake. The other two walls were white with silver wisps of sparkles on them, matching the light grey carpet. They sat on white couches with gold frames as they waited for their food to be brought out to the black and white table.
“You don’t cook your own food here?” Ezra asked.
“No,” Brittany laughed. “We used to when we first started out. I’d make breakfast for our guests. Sometimes we’d offer lunch as well. But as our business has grown, it’s simply not practical anymore. Now we have a few cooks. Not too many, it’s still a bed and breakfast so we want to keep that homey feeling. Plus, we can still only host so many people at a time. But we have enough to ensure quick and reliable service. Our food is some of the best in the region.”
“Hopefully I can rival that,” Ezra teased, though it wasn’t completely a joke if he was being honest. He suspected his menu had something theirs didn’t: heart. He was so passionate about his craft that he hoped it left its residue on the food.
“We’ll see about that,” Sam retorted, in a good-natured kind of way.
“There’s plenty of room for all of us here,” Brittany chided.
“I agree,” Clara said. “Seeing all you’ve done here has given me so much hope for our business. We each offer something unique, but you’ve clearly found success so I hope that means we can too.
“I can also see how working together would be beneficial. Since we offer different experiences, we shouldn’t be direct competitors. So, I think in simply making this a more well-known destination, we can all win.”
“I’m so glad you agree,” Brittany said. “I’ve come up with some ideas that’ll make use of the strengths of each property. Shall we discuss?”
Their sandwiches and hot chocolate were brought out by the staff as they discussed plans for their bed and businesses. They threw out many different ideas, though they settled on trying to make a food festival happen in the spring, to show off the various cuisine in the area. They also decided to start programs in each bed and breakfast.
Clara and Ezra would host a Victorian-style murder mystery night every third Friday of the month. Brittany and Sam would host a special evening of cocktails and music every first Saturday of the month. Guests from Clara and Ezra’s bed and breakfast would be able to attend Brittany and Sam’s event for free and vice versa. Food from Brittany and Sam’s bed and breakfast would be served at Clara and Ezra’s event and vice versa.
In hosting these events, they hoped to bring more guests in and introduce them to the area and each other’s businesses. The spirit of collaboration brought the four together, and Ezra and Clara were hopeful for the future. The ghosts and dark troubles were forgotten. Mostly anyway.
“I have a non-business-related question,” Clara said, after debating if she should ask it for quite some time. She knew it probably wasn’t the place, and it could be deemed as an offensive question. But Brittany and Sam had been open with them about things in the past, so she hoped they wouldn’t mind.
“Ask away,” Sam said. “Non-business-related topics are my favorite things to talk about.”
Clara tried to smile, but she was too troubled to make it work. “Do you think Lyla and Richard would’ve protected Billy, even if they saw red flags?”
Sam and Brittany shared a knowing look Clara and Ezra recognized. It was the kind of look couples get when they’ve known each other long enough to communicate silently. How much should they share?
“What do you mean?” Brittany asked, trying to sound nonchalant, though her voice wavered just a bit.
“If he happened to do something wrong, do you think they’d be able to acknowledge that?” Clara asked, trying to find the right words to say without bringing up the encounter with the ghosts. “Or do you think they’d deny it? How much did they care about him?”
Ezra remembered that he hadn’t told Clara about his conversation with Sam yet. He didn’t want her to worry, plus he had mostly forgotten about it. Yet he hoped they would tell her. It would be the last secret out in the open. They’d finally be on the same page, as they should’ve been from the start.
“They cared about him a lot,” Brittany said slowly. “I don’t think they’d want to believe anything bad about him. They might be compelled to turn a blind eye up to a certain point. I think we all will to some extent for those we love. Though they weren’t completely willing to ignore everything. They did…” she paused as she looked at Sam, who shrugged.
“They did admit to having their disagreements with him,” Brittany continued. “Near the end, the three of them weren’t always on the best terms. You see, Billy really wanted that property, and though I truly believe he put his all into helping them, I think some resentment grew eventually. It’d be difficult for anyone to put their heart and soul into a place they love, knowing it can never be theirs.
“To be completely honest, there were also times when Lyla and Richard didn’t value him enough. They did take him for granted sometimes, and he was so loyal to them.” She laughed. “We even tried to get him to come work for us when all that tension crept in. We thought it might be best for everyone to create some space, but he refused. He was attached to that house and their family. So maybe they were all a little blind to each other’s faults. Why do you ask?”
Now it was time for Ezra and Clara to share a look. Clara hadn’t done anything wrong by looking into the files. They were public record; it was her right to see them. But now being faced with this, her actions seemed intrusive somehow. She didn’t exactly want to admit to them. She did want answers though, and she couldn’t very well get those answers by admitting to seeing ghosts.
“I happened to learn about the house’s past,” Clara admitted. “Not just the past with Lyla and Richard, but the past that’s even older than that.”
“Billy’s parents,” Sam replied, a knowing look clearing away the confusion.
“Yeah,” Clara said. “It made us question Billy’s interactions with the family. It must’ve been hard for him, losing the family home like that. Plus, Nathaniel was working for us, so we felt we needed some sort of answers. Just to ensure nothing was amiss.”
“Was?” Sam asked as he looked at Ezra, a silent ac
knowledgment of their previous conversation.
“Was,” Ezra said. “He no longer works for us because the answers we got weren’t reassuring.”
“Probably for the best,” Brittany said, her eyes full of empathy.
“So, you think he could’ve been a problem?” Clara asked. “Do you think the past still affects him? Do you think it affected Billy?”
Brittany thought this over as she sipped her hot chocolate. “I don’t know either of them well enough to know for sure,” she said. “But I don’t think any of us can really run from the past. Certainly not a past as traumatic as theirs was.
“I’m sure Billy was far more affected by it than Nathaniel is. I always warned Lyla about that. I told her it was odd that he was working for them. I pointed out that it was kind of a risk. Though I’m not sure she ever truly heard me, you know?
“That bed and breakfast belonged to his parents though, parents he watched get murdered. No one can move past that. Not really. I’m sure he put some of that trauma on Nathaniel too. I’m sure there was at least some pressure on Nathaniel to one day buy the property and restore it under the family name if his father couldn’t do so in his lifetime.
“I don’t know how Nathaniel has reacted to everything. Like I said, I don’t know him well. But I do think it’s safest that he isn’t working for you anymore. Just in case.”
“I agree,” Clara said.
Though she worried their troubles with Nathaniel weren’t over. Sure, he wasn’t working for them anymore. But there was a chance he was angry at them for what they said. He was probably furious they were able to buy the property and he wasn’t. Clara wouldn’t have been surprised if he lashed out in revenge, and she was terrified of the consequences.
41
“So, where do we go from here?” Clara asked as she sat across from Ezra at the table the next morning. Their afternoon with Brittany and Sam had gone even better than they hoped for. They’d made plans and made friends. It was the break they needed.
