Tori scowled. “I’ll call her only as a last resort.”
Kathy shrugged. “So be it. In the meantime, will you be working on Anissa’s website tonight?”
“I could. Why?”
“Because the business cards I ordered online and paid extra to get sooner, should be arriving tomorrow. I’d like to give them to her and show her the site tomorrow evening.”
“I could go work on it now if you finish cleaning the kitchen.”
“Why not?” The truth was Kathy kind of enjoyed cleaning, which was good because until the inn was in the black, she wouldn’t have the money to hire help.
Ten minutes later, she joined Tori in the little office they shared.
“Take a look,” Tori said and pushed her chair away from the computer.
“You changed the home page.”
“Uh-huh, I played with Photoshop and decided to add Anissa to some of the pictures. I think this one standing in front of your new porch looks good.”
“Should I prepare a testimonial?”
“Definitely. Click through the pages, and then write it and I’ll add it to the contact page. While you do that, I’ll go get a cup of tea. Do you want one?”
Kathy shook her head. “Not right now.” Tori left the room and Kathy sat in her friend’s chair and flipped through the new web pages. Considering Tori wasn’t a trained web designer, she’d done a credible job. The site was quite professional looking.
Moving to her own workstation, Kathy opened a document and composed her statement. It wasn’t hard to write a gushing endorsement and she’d finished by the time Tori returned. “Read this and tell me what you think?”
Tori set her mug on the desk and scanned the document. “It’s a little long,” she said, ever the English teacher. “I’ll edit it and then get your approval. Email it to me, will you?”
Kathy did and swung her chair back and forth as Tori worked, her thoughts returning to Charlie Marks.
How had the man survived since his return to the area? He had to have had a job. His next-door neighbor had only mentioned lawn-cutting jobs. When Detective Osborn came to collect the card, and she was pretty sure that he would, she’d ask him about that.
“See what you think,” Tori said, and Kathy stood to look over her shoulder. She read the text. Pared down, it read as a concise summary of Anissa’s strengths—of both skill and character. “Wow. Did I actually say that?”
“You did. Just a little less wordy.”
Kathy smiled. “Have you ever thought about freelance editing?”
“What—you mean like books or something?”
Kathy shrugged. “It might be something you could do during off hours—or during the winter when you don’t have substitute teaching days and when the bait shop is closed.”
“I never gave it a thought. Hmm.”
Kathy studied her friend’s face, glad she had given her something to think about.
She returned to her chair. “I’ve been thinking about Charlie Marks.”
“And?” Tori queried.
“Well, there’s still a lot we don’t know about him—his life. I could kick myself for not asking more questions when I had the chance while talking to his neighbor.”
“Like what?”
“Nobody can live without money, and as far as we know, his income was seasonal. How did this loser guy pay his rent during the winter? How could he buy all those beer cans Anissa took to the recycling center? How did he feed himself—let alone his dog?”
“He wouldn’t want to draw attention to himself by applying for welfare or SNAP benefits,” Tori said.
“Right, so he had to have some way to pay his way, and I’m betting whatever it was, was under the table. Otherwise, he would have to file a ten-forty with the IRS like the rest of us.”
“Good point,” Tori conceded. “So how do we find the answers to these questions?”
“By asking more questions,” Kathy said.
“But of whom?”
Kathy sighed. “I wish I knew the answer.”
Avery Simons’s invitation to meet with Lucina Bloomfield had not mentioned the word “tea,” so Tori figured she had better eat lunch before she drove up Resort Road to meet with the county’s number one millionaire.
She’d borrowed one of Kathy’s summer dresses, but it was much too cold to go sleeveless this early in spring, so she’d donned a white sweater so that she wouldn’t catch a chill.
After parking her truck in the drive near the front of the house, Tori once again stood before the big door and rang the bell. It took long moments before it swung open, once again attended by Collins.
“Hello,” Tori said. “I believe Ms. Bloomfield is expecting me.”
“Yes. Come in, Ms. Cannon.”
Tori swallowed. It was like being addressed by one of her students, but Tori didn’t feel any kind of love, or even welcome, from the never-smiling Collins. He led her to the luxurious living room where Lucinda stood gazing at an oil painting of an older woman above the fireplace. She turned at Tori’s entrance.
“Hello, Tori. Thank you for contacting me.”
“Hi. Thanks for seeing me.”
Now why had she said that? It was Lucinda who wanted to see her!
Lucinda nodded toward the folder Tori held in her hand. “Did you bring the Shepherd Enterprises proposal?”
“Yes.”
Lucinda waved a hand toward the seating arrangement in front of the big fireplace. “Please sit. Collins, would you bring us some tea.”
“Very good, Madam.” And he nodded and left the room.
Tori took a gold brocade wing chair and Lucinda settled on the long white couch. She held out a hand and Tori handed over the paperwork.
Lucinda withdrew a pair of reading glasses from a blue-and-white porcelain box on the coffee table, and settled back to inspect the pages.
Tori found her mind wandering as her gaze settled on the various objects that decorated the room. Kathy would probably sell her soul to get inside the mansion to study what professional decorators had done to transform the place. But Kathy was no slouch when it came to décor, either. Swans Nest might have had a beer budget, but the champagne results were a credit to Kathy’s thrifting ways and frugal living.
At last, Lucinda sighed and set the proposal on the coffee table just in time for Collins to bring in a brightly polished silver tray with a bone china tea set. A small plate held cookies that were commercially made—something with a chocolate coating. He poured before retreating.
“So,” Tori said, picking up the creamer and pouring a small stream into her cup before stirring. “What do you think of Mr. Shepherd’s offer?”
“Not much. I assume you’ve read it through.”
“A number of times,” Tori agreed.
“And your reaction?”
“I’m not prepared to sell my soul to reopen The Lotus Lodge. I’d have to do so to sign that contract.”
“Then am I to assume that you wouldn’t consider my offer to be worth deliberating, either?”
Tori shook her head. “My grandfather sold me the compound with the belief that I alone would be its steward. He was not happy to hear that I might take on a partner.”
“I see,” Lucinda said coolly. “Are you considering alternate possibilities?”
“You mean like going to a bank and asking for a loan?”
Lucinda nodded.
Tori shook her head. “I doubt I could get one. If I’m going to turn the business around, I’m going to have to do it on my own initiative. It might take me a decade or more—if ever—but that’s going to have to be the way it is.”
“That’s too bad,” Lucinda said. “But it seems to me that you’re a determined young woman. If it’s something you really want, you’ll find a way.”
“Yes,” Tori said with authority, “I will.”
“I admit I’m disappointed, but I’m also not surprised,” Lucinda continued and picked up her own cup, taking a sip of tea. She
reached for one of the cookies—or was it a biscuit? “I sense the contract wasn’t the only thing you wanted to talk to me about.”
“You’re right, but…it’s a delicate subject, and I wonder if showing you what Kathy found might be upsetting.”
Lucinda’s eyes narrowed. “Found?”
“As you know, your neighbor, Anissa Jackson, is a contractor and woman of all trades. She was hired to clear out the cabin Charlie Marks was living in.”
Lucinda’s expression didn’t change at the sound of the man’s name, but her gaze seemed to harden. “I don’t think I understand what you’re getting at.”
Tori opened the folder once again, taking out the facsimile of the old Valentine’s Day card. She handed it to Lucinda. There was no flicker of recognition as the older woman gazed at the front of the folded paper and Tori wished she’d cut it down to actual size. However, Lucinda’s eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat when she opened the paper and took in the signature.
“Where…where did you say you found this?” she asked rather breathlessly.
“In Charlie Marks’s cabin. He was living there under the name Mark Charles. It was his body Kathy and I found down by the water next to Swans Nest last Friday.”
All color had drained from Lucinda’s face. She swallowed. “This isn’t the original.”
“No, it’s being given to Detective Osborn of the Ward County Sheriff’s Department.”
Lucinda’s gaze seemed riveted on the signature. “I see. I don’t suppose—” she began, but then didn’t finish the sentence. “This … card … represents an awfully uncertain time in my life.”
“Did you love Charlie Marks?” Tori asked.
“Of course not. I was an infatuated girl. I had no concept of what love was, as I’m sure you didn’t at the same age.”
When it came to that, after her disastrous relationship with Billy Fortner that had ended the year before, Tori wasn’t sure she had a clue what real love was.
“I thought you should know of its existence. The detective is sure to come and ask you about it.”
Lucinda nodded. “I appreciate the warning, thank you.”
There didn’t seem to be much else to say.
Tori collected the papers from the coffee table, but didn’t pick up the copy of the Valentine’s Day card.
“I ought to get going. Kathy’s doing a dry run at Swans Nest tonight. She’s got real guests next week and wants to make sure she’s ready.”
“And you’ll be staying there tonight?”
“Yes. If there’s a problem, she wants to know before its opening day.”
“A prudent decision,” Lucinda agreed. She stood. “Thank you for coming today, Tori. I hope we’ll have more opportunities to chat in the future.”
“Me, too,” Tori said.
Lucinda walked her to the door and they exchanged cordial goodbyes.
The door behind Tori closed softly, but she couldn’t help but feel as though she was being watched as she walked toward her truck, got in, and then backed out of the driveway. For some reason she couldn’t pinpoint, she felt uneasy. But when she turned to look, there was no sign of Lucinda Bloomfield.
24
Kathy couldn’t seem to sit down during the time Tori was gone to visit the lady at the top of the hill. She’d start to clean something, get distracted, and then do something else—like check email, or pick up a magazine, only to abandon it and go look out the window in the front door that overlooked the Cannon Compound’s parking lot. And yet, it wasn’t all that long—maybe half an hour—before Tori returned, the tires of her truck crunching on the gravel parking lot.
Kathy leaned against the worn Formica counter, trying not to look like she was lying in wait for her long-time roommate to reenter the house, and yet it seemed like every muscle in her body was tense and she had to rein in her propensity to pounce as soon as Tori entered the house.
“So? How did it go?”
Tori sighed and peeled off her sweater. “It went.”
“That’s not a satisfactory answer.”
“Okay, she took the fact that I don’t want to take on a partner well. I mean, she seemed a little disappointed, but not floored to hear my decision.”
“And the card?”
“That threw her for a loop,” Tori admitted. “Not so much the card itself, but when she saw her signature, she kind of freaked—but in a totally passive kind of way.”
“What the heck does that mean?” Kathy asked.
“She didn’t seem to remember the card itself, but she sure seemed to recognize the signature.”
“So, there was more than just a crush going on with Charlie Marks. She had feelings for him, too?”
“I don’t know. It seemed more like she was ashamed than anything else.”
“Ashamed?”
“She admitted she didn’t think she was in love with Charlie. I wonder if you might have been right. Maybe she was just a mean girl who led him on.”
“But you can’t be sure,” Kathy said.
“No. I can’t.”
“And you didn’t ask?”
“Kathy, when the woman saw the card, she was gobsmacked.”
Kathy frowned. “You and your Anglophile descriptions.”
“Hey, you’re the one who’s determined to serve afternoon tea.”
Kathy nodded. She sure was.
“After showing her the card, I kind of got dismissed.”
“But what about the Shepherd proposal? Did she offer better rates?”
“Not really. And she actually seemed encouraging when I told her I was determined to revive The Lotus Lodge on my own.”
“Good for her. I think you can do it. It just might take a couple of years.”
“Or never,” Tori groused.
Kathy didn’t like to encourage negativity.
“Did you call Detective Osborn?” Tori asked.
Kathy ducked her head. “Uh, no. I mean—it’s the weekend! Why would he give up a couple of days off? Charlie Marks will still be dead on Monday. I’ll call him then. I promise.”
“See that you do,” Tori warned. “Meanwhile, what are we going to do about supper?”
“I thought we might wait for Anissa and then go across to The Bay Bar. I want Noreen to know that she can count on us remaining her friends. I can afford a greasy supper for the three of us, and then we’ll go over to Swans Nest together. I’ve got snacks ready, and a bunch of chick-flick DVDs to choose from. Add to that a couple of bottles of wine to celebrate Anissa’s new website, and afterward the three of us can retire for the night in the three guest rooms. Then in the morning, I’ll cook you guys a sumptuous breakfast and you can let me know what you think about your stay—good and bad.”
“I hardly think we’ll find anything worth complaining about.”
“But you need to. If there’s something a guest could possibly gripe about, I need to know about it before the paying public arrives.”
“Okay—okay. I’ll be so critical you’ll want to ban me from ever darkening your door again.”
“Well, I didn’t exactly say that,” Kathy cried.
But then Tori’s lips curled into a smile. “I don’t think you have to worry. You’ve been obsessing over this for seven months. I have a feeling I’ll never again have such a wonderful guest experience.”
Tori’s faith in her gave Kathy a shot of much-needed confidence. By tomorrow morning, she’d have her answer.
Kathy crossed her fingers and hoped for good results. And she was determined that no matter what happened during the dry run, that she would be able to fix the flaws.
She had to.
Anissa showed up at Tori’s front door, duffel in hand, just after six that evening. “When does the party start?” she asked, grinning.
“Not until after supper,” Kathy called from her station at the sink, where she was polishing the copper bottoms of the old Revere Ware pans Tori’s grandmother had used for more than three decades. They had h
eld up nicely despite the years.
“Kathy’s buying us dinner over at The Bay Bar,” Tori said.
Anissa’s answering smile looked forced. “Burgers. Again?”
“Nah, they’ve got wraps on the menu, too,” Tori said, but Anissa didn’t look encouraged.
“They’ve also got a salad bar—and that’s what I’m going to have,” Kathy said, rinsing the bottom of the pan and putting it in the sink-side rack to dry. “Let me grab my purse and I’ll be ready to go.” She stopped. “Oh, shoot. The cats!”
“I’ll feed them,” Tori volunteered and picked up the morning dishes. Hearing the bowls clink was like a siren song to the felines, who showed up for their dinners hours early with no qualms.
“Are you packed?” Anissa asked Tori.
Tori pulled the tab on the cat-food can and Daisy wrapped herself around her ankles, meowing quietly in encouragement. “Pretty much. All I’m bringing with me is a sleep shirt and a toothbrush.”
“Are you going to try out the soaker tub?”
“I hadn’t given it any thought.”
“Well, I have.” Anissa indicated her duffle. “I’ve got a change of clothes as well as my nightie. Plus a book, a flashlight, and my cell phone. I like to be prepared for any circumstance. Besides, I never know if I’ll have to fix somebody’s toilet at the crack of dawn. I need to be able to get up and get out if the need arises.”
Facing high schoolers didn’t sound all that bad when faced with that alternative, Tori decided. She placed the bowls down in their usual spots and the cats wasted no time in attacking their meals.
Kathy returned with her purse and a small suitcase. Tori got her things and then followed her friends out, calling, “Goodnight, guys. Henry, you’re in charge.” She switched on the outside light before locking the door behind them.
They hiked across the road and into The Bay Bar. Since it was early, the place wasn’t crowded. Kathy and Anissa took their usual seats at the bar, setting their bags down on the floor, and Tori ambled over to check out the salad bar. It didn’t contain as many offerings as the one at Cunningham’s Cove, but it would do. And she at least knew the potato salad was made by Noreen—not something from one of their suppliers.
A Reel Catch Page 17
