Seated at one of the tables near the big window was a guy hunched over a glass of beer. There was something familiar about him, but Tori had other things to think about as she joined her friends at the bar.
“Are we going to have a drink?”
“I am,” Anissa said.
“I’ve got wine chilling over at Swans Nest,” Kathy cautioned.
“Oh, all right, then,” Anissa said.
“What’ll it be ladies?” Paul asked as he approached them after pouring a beer for another of his patrons.
“We’re just here for the grub,” Anissa answered.
“What’s it going to be?” Paul asked.
“Salad bar,” Kathy said.
“Salad bar,” Anissa echoed.
“Make that three,” Tori told the barkeep.
“If you want soup, it’s Noreen’s famous New England clam chowder. Help yourself when you’re ready,” he said and headed back down the bar.
“I’m ready now,” Anissa said and led the way.
After they’d piled their plates with lettuce, other veggies, plus pasta and potato salads, with dressings of their choices on the side, they headed back to the bar and chowed down.
“Are you nervous about the dry run?” Anissa asked Kathy.
“Of course not. I think—or at least hope—I’ve anticipated your every need.”
“I’m sure you have,” Tori said, but if there was anything lacking in Kathy’s welcome, she had already decided she’d honor Kathy’s request to be brutally honest. There was no way she wanted Kathy to be embarrassed when her first real and paying guests arrived in the not-too-distant future.
Anissa dipped a fork into her dressing and stabbed a piece of pepper. “We need to talk about the addition to your house,” she told Kathy. “We need to figure out where it’s going to go and how big it will be before we build that gazebo you want in the backyard. I mean, if we set the gazebo in the wrong location, and then your new home comes later, it could screw up the whole aesthetic, and it would be expensive to relocate.”
Kathy sighed. “I’ve thought about it. But I don’t have the money to consult an architect.”
“No, but you have me. If you want, I’ll draw up a plan that I think might work, and then give you an estimate on the cost.”
“Of the addition, or the gazebo?” Kathy asked.
“Both. But let’s face it, you aren’t going to be in a position to build the addition until you’ve got a year or two behind you.”
“True enough,” Kathy acknowledged.
“But you need that gazebo if you want your brides to get married on site.”
“Yes.”
Anissa nodded. “I can give you an estimate in a couple of days. Will that do?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Somebody plugged a few quarters into the jukebox and a sad song about love gone wrong boomed from the speakers above them, the bass line vibrating through them.
“I’m so glad we added that soundproofing to the east side of Swans Nest,” Kathy muttered.
“We went way beyond code, but I’m still not sure it’ll be enough,” Anissa said.
“Well, that’s the room I’ve given myself,” Kathy said sounding worried.
“What room have you given me?” Tori asked.
“The Daisy Room. I hope you don’t mind, but since Anissa has done so much to bring that poor sorry house back to life, I thought she should get The Floral Room. Besides, your room was partially named after your cat. It seemed appropriate.”
Tori smiled. “Yeah, it does.”
“Aw, you didn’t have to do that,” Anissa said, but she sounded grateful none-the-less.
“Are you kidding, you told me yesterday, in no uncertain terms, that you wanted it,” Kathy said and laughed.
“Yeah,” Anissa admitted. “But Kath, you’ve got to change the name of that room. It really sucks.”
“Yeah,” Kathy agreed, “it does.”
Since their mission at The Bay Bar had been only to consume food, the women plowed through their salads in no time flat. Tori did go back to the salad bar for another helping of Noreen’s potato salad, which tasted almost as good as what her grandmother, Josie, used to make, but Kathy and Anissa passed on seconds.
Kathy paid the tab and they called goodbyes to Paul and to Noreen, who came out to wish them well on the dry run.
Ready or not—Swans Nest was about to be tested.
25
No sooner had the women retreated to Swans Nest’s game and media room, than Kathy fired up the popcorn machine that sat on the bar on the south wall. It made smallish batches of popcorn that tasted like the kind you get at the movies, and neither Tori nor Anissa complained—especially when she broke out the wine.
“Let me propose a toast,” Anissa said, raising her glass. “To Swans Nest Inn.”
“To Swans Nest,” Tori agreed and the three of them clinked glasses and drank.
It was Kathy who spoke next. “But the inn is not the only thing we have to celebrate tonight.”
“Oh, yeah?” Anissa asked. “Is it somebody’s birthday?”
“Not mine,” Tori said.
“Nor mine,” Kathy agreed, “but it is a gift-giving occasion.”
Anissa looked puzzled. Kathy got up from her seat on the sectional and went behind the bar, bringing back an oblong box wrapped in cheerful paper of colorful balloons; it was actually birthday wrap, but Anissa didn’t have to know that. On top was a big pink bow, which wasn’t exactly Anissa’s favorite color, but the only one Kathy had on hand.
She marched over to the sectional and handed the box to Anissa, who seemed taken aback.
“What’s this?”
“You won’t know until you open it,” Tori said and giggled.
Anissa gave them both a hard look before she began to rip the paper from the box. She lifted the lid and for a few seconds didn’t seem to know what to make of the contents. Then she ran a finger over the top and plucked a card. Her eyes widened, and then she burst into a toothy grin. “Get out—what is this?”
“Read the last line,” Tori directed.
“Anissa Jackson contractor dot com?” she asked in wonder.
“Uh-huh—that’s the second part of the surprise.”
Kathy returned to the bar and bought out her laptop, which was already connected to the Internet. She set it on the coffee table before them. “Take a look.”
“Holy crap!” Anissa hooted. “This is fantastic!”
“Tori made the site,” Kathy said. “I just supplied the pictures.”
Tears filled Anissa’s eyes as she clicked through the web pages. “This is … this is fantastic,” she managed, her voice cracking. She turned her gaze on her friends. “You did this for me?”
“Well, we wanted the world to know what a great contractor you are. We’re so proud of your work—we thought you should have an Internet presence so that others could find you, too.”
A single tear rolled down Anissa’s cheek and she wiped it away. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“I think you just did,” Tori said and laughed.
They toasted once more, stuffed their faces with popcorn, and watched a favorite chick flick that made them laugh and cry. And suddenly it was almost eleven o’clock. After a long day, they were ready to head to the second floor and their respective guest rooms, with Anissa taking her box of business cards with her. Finally they said good night.
As Kathy undressed she noted she could vaguely hear the pounding beat of the jukebox next door, but as Noreen had promised, once the clock downstairs struck eleven, the vibrations ceased entirely. Kathy crossed her fingers that her neighbors would keep that promise when the inn opened the next weekend.
The bed was comfortable, the sheets were sinfully soft, and Kathy had no trouble falling asleep in the Lilac Room. In fact, upon awakening Sunday morning, she wished she could stay in that room instead of returning to the lumpy mattress in the room she slept in over at the Canno
n Compound. Some things just weren’t meant to be…at least for the foreseeable future.
Still, she was up well before six and showered and dressed before stripping the bed and heading downstairs to prepare breakfast. She wanted her dry-run guests to be as pampered as those she hoped to host in the not-too-distant future.
And what a breakfast it would be. Omelets made to order, two different kinds of muffins, sweet rolls, coffee, and tea. She would offer more when the guest roll amounted to more than two, but she knew what Tori and Anissa were used to and didn’t want to overdo her menu.
Tori was the first to come down the stairs, but Kathy heard the water running for quite a long while, which meant that one of the baths was being filled.
“Yup—Anissa,” Tori affirmed. “She told me she was determined to try out that soaker tub.”
Kathy smiled. “Do you want to eat now or wait for her?”
“I’ll wait,” Tori said, “but I sure could use a nice cup of tea.”
“Already made,” Kathy said and pulled a mug from the cupboard. “Of course, when it’s time to serve breakfast in the dining room, you’ll have a bone-china cup. You can choose any pattern you want from the cabinet.”
“No, that’s okay. Whatever you select will charm me no end.”
“Flattery will get you—” She was about to say everywhere, but that wasn’t what Kathy needed to hear. “Do you want to talk about your experience now or wait until Anissa gets down here?”
“Now is fine with me,” Tori said and accepted the mug that Kathy gave her.
“And?” Kathy asked with trepidation.
Tori shrugged. “I’m happy. I would be a very happy person staying here in this beautifully restored historic home.”
“And?” Kathy asked again.
“I love the antiques, but I also am in love with that game and media room. It was so neat to kick back with you guys. It felt like a real family room, except better because of the popcorn machine and wine.”
“And the bedroom?”
“The bed and sheets were great. I had no trouble falling asleep. I like the bathroom, but I’m not a tub person, so a walk-in shower would be better for me personally, but I understand the appeal to the B and B crowd.”
“And the bedroom decorations?”
“Pretty, but not overly so. I’ve seen pictures online of some of your competition and they’re either a little too quaint, or like something from the seventies example of country décor. I think what you’ve done hits the nail on the head, if I may use a cliché as a descriptor.”
“Fine with me,” Kathy said, feeling inwardly relieved and yet proud. But then, what was her best friend supposed to say?
Tori frowned. “I know that look, Kathryn Grant. You’re wondering if you can trust me on this.”
Kathy shrugged.
“If I thought there was something wrong, I would tell you. I want this to be the best B and B in the area. I think once you get that gazebo built and get more of the landscape under control, you’ll have a hit on your hands. But that’s going to take time—and you need money coming in to pay for those improvements.”
“In other words, I have to start somewhere?”
“Another cliché, but also a truism,” Tori said neutrally. She sipped her tea.
“In the meantime, I’ve still got few things to do before breakfast can be served.” And with that, Kathy headed to the fridge and took out an onion, a red pepper, and a block of cheddar cheese.
“Which reminds me, I should take this opportunity to go home and feed the cats. They’ve been alone for more than twelve hours. We’re no doubt going to suffer their wrath by being completely ignored for most of the day.”
“Crap you’re right.”
Tori left the kitchen and Kathy heard the front door close. She would be ready and waiting for make those omelets the minute Tori returned. But first—coffee!
Traffic was non-existent that quiet Sunday morning as Tori crossed Ridge Road and headed toward the Cannon Compound’s mailbox, gravel crunching under her shoes. She opened the box and found it empty. Duh! Kathy had said Anissa’s business cards were to arrive the day before and she’d obviously retrieved the mail in order to collect them. Tori closed the lid and started toward the house when sunlight glinted off something at the side of the home.
Glass. Broken glass.
Tori’s heart picked up speed and she broke into a jog, but then practically skidded to a halt.
“Oh, no!” she cried, taking in the living room’s broken window. Most of the glass was on the inside.
Feeling torn, Tori wasn’t sure what to do. Should she risk entering the house and find a burglar inside—or run back to Swans Nest and call the Sheriff’s Department from there?
She remembered what Anissa had told her: someone who was determined to get in the house would get in. Had Amber paid her a visit the evening before?
Fear turned to anger as Tori pictured Amber rummaging through her things looking for—what? She didn’t have much of value. Just the computers and—
“Oh my god! The cats!”
Throwing caution to the wind, she rushed to the front door but it wasn’t locked. She darted inside, only stopping to grab her grandmother’s rolling pin—the only weapon she could think of. “Daisy! Henry! Larry!”
The kitchen hadn’t been touched, but the two bedrooms and the office had been trashed. Oddly enough, the computers were still there, but Tori wasn’t sure if anything else had been taken. The closets had been rifled and every drawer had been dumped.
Tears of frustration welled in her eyes, but she had more important things to think about.
“Daisy?” she called again. It was later than the cats usually ate and they should have come running when they heard her call. Pulling the tab off a can of cat food might be easier than plowing through the clothes, books, papers, and clutter that littered the three rooms to search for the felines, praying they hadn’t already escaped.
Tori made her way back to the kitchen, her hands shaking. Obviously, whoever had entered her home was long gone. Was it just some teenaged kid having fun? Then why not trash the kitchen, living room, and bathroom?
But what in the world would she do if Daisy was gone? How could she tell Kathy that Henry and Larry might be missing, too?
Setting the rolling pin down, she grabbed a can of cat food from the lower cabinet and called, “Breakfast!” Daisy knew what that word meant: food!
No sign of the cats.
Grabbing the bag of treats, Tori walked into the living room and shook the bag. “Treats!”
Black cat Larry emerged from Kathy’s bedroom and headed for his bowl. “Henry! Daisy! Treats!” she called.
Henry, also known as “The Big Orange,” because he was a fourteen-pound orange tabby, also emerged from Kathy’s room.
But where was Daisy?
The boys were obviously glad to see a familiar face and twined around Tori’s ankles, asking for the promised treats—or at least their morning meals. “Good boys. I’ll get you something to eat,” she promised, her stomach feeling shaky. Where was Daisy?
The phone rang. Tori wasn’t sure if she should pick it up. She’d already contaminated a crime scene, but her cell phone was back in the room she’d occupied at Swans Nest. She grabbed it on the third ring.
“Tori?” Kathy sounded annoyed. “What’s taking so long?”
“Oh,” Tori said, close to tears. “Someone broke into the house overnight.”
She heard Kathy’s quick intake of breath. “The cats?”
“The boys are with me here in the kitchen. I haven’t found Daisy.”
“Oh, no. I’ll be right over.”
“No. The Sheriff’s Department is going to be pissed at me for messing up their investigation—if it comes to that. I have to secure the window so that the boys don’t get out.
“Forget that. If you can get them into their carriers, bring them here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Definit
ely. I’ll be right over to help.” The line went dead, and Tori replaced the wall phone’s receiver.
The boys were getting impatient. Tori picked up their dinner bowls and got three bowls down from the cupboard, still hopeful that Daisy would appear.
Kathy arrived just as the boys tucked in. “Did you find her yet?”
“I haven’t had time to look. Did you tell Anissa where you were going?”
“She hadn’t come down yet,” Kathy said and crouched down to pet her cats. They were more interested in breakfast, but she didn’t seem to care. “Go look for Daisy.”
“Shouldn’t I call nine one one first?” Tori asked.
“We’re in no danger, but you’ve got to find Daisy. If she’s not here, we’ve got to start scouting the neighborhood ASAP.”
Tori nodded. “You call.”
“Go!” Kathy commanded.
Tori tore off for her bedroom. If there was one place Daisy would feel safe, it would be there. But she felt heartsick as she entered her room. Some of her keepsakes—glass from picture frames, and a princess figurine her grandmother had given her for her eighth birthday—were smashed. It didn’t make sense—unless it had been Amber who’d done the damage. Why not try to destroy the pictures of Tori and her beloved grandparents—ruin a gift that had meant so much to her? But then Kathy’s room hadn’t escaped the same treatment, and Amber didn’t even know Kathy. Did she even know Tori had a roommate? Herb might have mentioned it, but what if he hadn’t? Would Amber have just assumed that Tori had taken over two rooms in the little bungalow?
“Daisy?” she called, stepping over the mess on the floor, and in some cases, kicking the debris aside. “Baby, come out for your mama.”
Still no sign of the little orange tabby.
Tori crouched down, and then pushed the mound of clothes aside and got down on all fours, pulling up the dust ruffle and looking under the bed. Two shining eyes stared back at her. “Oh, sweetie, please come out,” she coaxed, but Daisy—who had never been particularly brave—stayed put.
A Reel Catch Page 18
