by Krista Davis
“I’m not telling them! No way. If Myrtle finds out that I have the solution, it won’t be safe for me!” She laughed hysterically. “C’mon, Puddin’. We might win!”
I walked out on the porch with them. A frigid wind blew, the kind that made your fingers feel half-frozen.
Weegie wrapped a scarf around the bottom of her face and took off at a brisk pace.
I hurried back inside. Since Mr. Huckle had been kind enough to cook dinner, I insisted that he put his feet up by the fire and enjoy an after-dinner drink.
Holmes jumped to his feet. “I know just the thing.”
“No coffee, please, Holmes, or I won’t be able to sleep.”
Holmes busied himself with butterscotch schnapps. Meanwhile, I rinsed the dishes and stacked them in the dishwasher.
“Is it usually so calm around here at night?” asked Aunt Birdie. “I always imagined that it would be intolerably noisy.”
“It depends on the guests. Most of the rowdy ones hang out at Hair of the Dog,” I explained. “It will probably pick up when the book club ladies come back from dinner. They were a hoot the other night.”
“Really?” Aunt Birdie shook her head. “I would have expected them to be sedate and retire to their beds with books.”
“Not these women!”
“They’re just kicking up their heels a bit to be away from home. One does that on vacation.” Mr. Huckle accepted a drink from Holmes. “It’s good for the soul to let loose once in a while.”
That was funny coming from him! I had never seen him act the slightest bit loose or improper.
Dave scrambled to his feet. “I’d better get out there and make sure everyone is behaving. Thanks for dessert.”
I walked to the front door with him. “Feel free to stop back by here if you need to warm up.”
I hustled to the reception lobby to lock up the office and found Shadow sitting on the love seat in his stockinged feet. “Hi. Is everything okay?”
“Nothin’ is okay.”
Twenty-seven
Shadow sounded like he was carrying the weight of the world. He slumped forward and appeared miserable. “I’ve been sittin’ here trying’ to get up the nerve to talk to you. You were so nice to hire me, but I think we didn’t get off to a good start.”
I pulled up a chair and sat opposite him. Twinkletoes bounded onto the love seat and reached her paw out to him. He turned his head toward her and ran his hand over her back.
“I wanted to explain about Vana—”
“Vana?”
“Savannah. I don’t want you thinking poorly of her. We, uh, we’ve been in love since high school. Her mom and dad had bigger plans for her, though. A few years back, her dad took me aside and told me to leave her alone. That I didn’t have any prospects, and a girl like Vana could do better’n me.”
I winced just hearing him talk about it. “That must have hurt.”
“Yeah. Well, I’ve got two eyes. I knew Vana was special. They didn’t want me around. And then the whole thing with The Doggy Bag happened and all they could do was tell her ‘we told you so’ and ‘we knew he was no good.’ I about died the day she got married to Norm. Something inside me broke.”
He finally looked up at me. “I’m not a fancy guy. I only wanted a few things in my life. Vana and some kids running around. Lost that. A job. Nobody wanted to hire me after the problem at The Doggy Bag.” He smiled at Trixie, who watched him intently like she was listening. “And a dog. I was afraid I might have to move to the city, so I didn’t get a dog either.”
“You have a wonderful cabin.”
“When you’re unemployed, and your girlfriend is married to somebody else, hammering is a real good way to vent.”
I smiled. “And you didn’t lose your sense of humor.”
“On Friday morning, Vana said she was going to leave Norm. She was finally going to do it. I thought things were looking up. Then you hired me, and I thought my streak of bad luck had ended. I volunteer at the shelter. There’s a dog there that I’d like to adopt. I thought I finally could. And now it’s as if God is playing a bad joke on me. It all came crashing down. Vana doesn’t really get it. She doesn’t see how bad this looks for us. Officer Dave has already been by to question both of us. It won’t be long before he comes to arrest me. I wanted you to know.”
He was doing his best not to cry, and so was I. Now all I wanted was for him to work for the inn, marry his beloved Vana, get a dog, and have a baby. Didn’t seem like too much to ask out of life. This sweet fellow surely couldn’t have killed Norm. If only he had an alibi. “I guess you were home alone the night Norm was killed?”
He turned guilty eyes up to meet mine.
I didn’t know what that meant. “What’s wrong?”
“I wasn’t alone.”
It all clicked into place. Savannah must have stayed the night with him. “It was Bingo who lost his dog bone under your sofa?”
“Norm scared Vana. She went to see Blanche. I guess Norm must have followed her because he hung around outside waiting for her to leave. She called me, and I told her to go to my place. It was a pretty bad night what with the blizzard. Every time the wind banged a branch against the cabin, we thought it was Norm coming for her. But he never showed up. Of course, we knew why the next morning.”
It was possibly the lousiest alibi in the history of man. Savannah could have killed Norm, and then gone to Shadow’s place. Or they could have murdered Norm together. Or Shadow could have done the dirty deed to protect Savannah. It was no help to either of them at all. There was one constant, though. Blanche had said that Norm watched them from outside of Randolph Hall. Savannah had a reason to be fearful. Blanche had told her to run from Norm. Maybe she had. Right into Shadow’s waiting arms.
“Why do you think they’ll arrest you?”
“’Cause of my history. They’ll think if I killed once, I’ll do it again.”
“Who do you think murdered Norm?”
Shadow shook his head. “I wish I knew. My dad says Norm did so many people wrong that they were lined up for a chance to do him in.”
“Did your dad ever try to kill him?”
Shadow grinned. “If my dad had ever tried, Norm woulda been dead.”
A chill ran down my spine. In a weird way, he was bragging about his dad, but it made me wonder if his dad had finally accomplished it. “Hey, Shadow, is your dad diabetic?”
“How’d you know that?”
“Just a hunch.” A very terrible hunch. “Why did your dad hate him so much?”
“Norm ruined my life. It’s because of Norm that I have so many problems. He thinks Norm murdered Juliana and pinned it on me. Only nobody was ever able ever prove it. He came by to get Juliana’s order after she had already picked it up. Then he went to a local football game that night. Everybody saw him there.”
“Is that what you think happened?”
“All I know is that I’m not stupid enough to put laundry detergent into food. I shoulda moved out of town like my dad told me to do. Then I wouldn’t be in this mess. But this is my home. Everyone I care about is here. I couldn’t leave Vana.”
He was breaking my heart—like a lost puppy. What was it about this guy that made me want to believe him? I wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be all right. But that would be a lie. Juliana’s death would plague him for the rest of his life. And now it looked like things might get worse for him if he or his dad had murdered Norm.
“Don’t give up hope yet. Maybe everything will work out.” I didn’t add, Now that Norm’s gone, but that’s what I was thinking.
Shadow thanked me and trudged back outside. Watching him walk like a broken old man made me sad.
When I returned to the table, Holmes had started a new list, and Mr. Huckle had poured me another cup of tea. It was going to be a long night.
An hour later The Thursday Night Cloak and Dagger Club members began to return. Once again the second floor sounded like a sorority house. I was g
lad they felt at home.
A few of them trickled downstairs to the Dogwood Room. Ben, Holmes, and I loaded a cart with pitchers of Holmes’s fabulous drink, gingerbread cupcakes, and for those who didn’t care for sweets, cheese puffs fresh from the oven. We added baskets of dog cookies and dried fish cat treats to the cart as well.
Holmes rolled it into the Dogwood Room, and we set the goodies out for them along with glasses, plates, and Sugar Maple Inn napkins.
Two cat owners brought their kitties with them on leashes. Twinkletoes, who hadn’t always been the best cat ambassador by hissing at some of the feline guests, strolled in and took it all in stride. She even chirped at the other cats, which I hoped translated to a feline welcome.
Weegie and Puddin’ returned from their walk over to Hair of the Dog. There was a chorus of “Where have you been?” from her friends.
Weegie appeared to relish the attention. “I’ll confess. I went over to Hair of the Dog to make my official guess about who killed the Baron von Rottweiler.”
I glanced around to see how Myrtle was taking it but she wasn’t there. “Did Myrtle go up to bed?”
One of the women said, “No wonder we’ve been having so much fun!”
“She must have gone out with some of the others,” said another. “After dinner, we broke up into groups because some wanted to go out and some of us wanted to come home and get warm.”
Sylvie joined them. “Brr. I took a long hot shower. The Blue Boar was so lovely, but this was no night for being out and about in a dress and pantyhose.”
I offered her one of Holmes’s drinks.
“Just what I need,” she said. “I hope we can go home tomorrow. My husband is asking when I’ll be back. Apparently he ate the entire casserole of mac and cheese that I left for him.”
“Wait a minute, girls,” said Weegie. “I just did a nose count and everyone is here except for Myrtle. Who saw her last?”
Before anyone could answer, there was a loud clunk that I recognized and the lights went out.
The members of The Thursday Night Cloak and Dagger Club groaned. Gingersnap ran to my side and leaned against my legs, trembling.
Happily, the fire gave off some light. Enough for me to locate matches and light candles. Of course, the first thought that came to my mind was that Mr. Huckle had pulled the switch again.
I carried a candle to light my way, but when I passed the front window, I realized that none of the other buildings within sight had lights on, either. Even the streetlamps were out. What a pain.
With the help of Holmes, Ben, and Mr. Huckle, we brought out candles and lanterns again. Aunt Birdie busied herself complaining and telling us the inn would surely burn down and that it would not be her fault because she had told us not to light all those candles and lanterns.
“Would you rather break your ankle?” I asked.
“Everyone should just go to bed.”
I figured most people would do exactly that but some of them might find comfort in being with other people. And I did notice that Aunt Birdie migrated to the Dogwood Room, where she poured herself a drink and chatted with the book club members.
Weegie and another member of The Thursday Night Cloak and Dagger Club approached me. “I never thought I would say this considering how annoying Myrtle has been, but we’re getting a little bit concerned about her. We’ve called her room and her cell phone but no one is answering.”
“She’s probably asleep. Did you try knocking on the door?”
Sylvie ambled up. “Who was the last to see her?”
While they sorted out who went where after dinner, I grabbed two lanterns. Weegie accompanied me upstairs to Myrtle’s room. Puddin’ and Trixie bounded ahead of us but Gingersnap stayed right beside me.
“I’m sure she’s fine.” I knocked on the door gently at first. When there was no response, I banged on it as hard as I could. “Myrtle?” I tried one more time before unlocking the door.
I swung it open. “Myrtle, it’s Holly.” Raising the lantern to illuminate the room, I headed for the bed. It was empty.
Twenty-eight
The bed was made. It appeared that no one had slept in it since Marisol made it in the morning.
Weegie strolled around the room. “No sign of her purse or phone.”
I hoped she hadn’t fallen in the bathroom. The lantern illuminated it quite well. She wasn’t there either.
“She must not have come back from dinner. Or she returned and went out again.” Weegie followed me to the door.
I called the dogs and locked the door. There was no hurrying in the dark. We carefully made our way down the stairs. In the Dogwood Room, I raised my voice a little. “May I have your attention, please?”
The chatter subsided just as the front door opened and a gust of freezing air blew in with Geof, Char, and Robin. Char carried a bundle that she set on the floor and unwrapped. Ella Mae shook her entire body and raced up the stairs, chased by Trixie and Puddin’.
I asked Holmes to give Robin and the Tredwells lanterns, then turned back to the book club ladies.
“Myrtle is not in her room, and we didn’t see her purse or cell phone. I’m going to call the police. It would be helpful to know where you last saw her so he’ll know where to start looking.”
I felt Geof, Char, and Robin move in behind me, their lanterns bringing more light into the room.
“None of us remember seeing her after dinner in the restaurant,” said one of them.
I turned to go to the phone.
Geof asked, “What’s going on?”
“Myrtle is missing.”
“I hope she’s not outside.” Robin shivered and rubbed her arms. “You could freeze to death on a night like this.”
“I’ll go out and check between the inn and The Blue Boar,” said Holmes. He had already fetched his warm jacket.
“I’ll help,” said Geof.
When I dialed Dave’s number, I noticed that Ben accompanied them and wondered briefly if he even had gloves.
Luckily, Dave answered right away. “On my way. You call Hollis, Shadow, Larry, Max, and anyone else you can think of.”
When I hung up, I called Val. “Have you seen Myrtle?”
“The short obnoxious woman? She hasn’t been in here all night.” I explained briefly and asked her to call Dave if Myrtle showed up at the pub.
Mr. Huckle had donned a heavy winter coat and gloves. Oy! All I needed was for him to slip and fall outside. I passed along Dave’s instruction. “Could you make the phone calls and then walk through the inn? We’d better make sure she’s not inside somewhere. I’ll bundle up and go out with the dogs. Maybe they’ll find Myrtle faster than we can.”
He was still saying, “Certainly, Miss Holly,” when I patted his arm and dashed into the Dogwood Room, where I asked Aunt Birdie to keep the guests supplied with drinks and food. Several of them had already headed upstairs for their coats so they could help search.
I called Trixie and wrapped two coats around her. “Gingersnap?”
Surely Oma must have some kind of coat for Gingersnap for frigid temperatures. I swung by the office on our way out. I flicked the flashlight on items in the closet. On the top shelf, I located a quilted dog coat with a fluffy faux lamb fur lining. Gingersnap wasn’t pleased when I fastened it on her. But she raced to the door and waited as if she knew we were on a mission.
We stepped into an eerie night of darkness. Lanterns flickered and voices called, “Myrtle! Myrtle!”
I intended to follow the dogs. They weren’t tracking dogs but their noses might lead them to her anyway. I carried the lantern low to see the walkway. Bitterly cold air stung my face. I wrapped my scarf over my nose and mouth.
Trixie and Gingersnap made a beeline to the doggy potty. That wasn’t very helpful. When they were done, I walked all the way to The Blue Boar. They sniffed around nearby but didn’t show an interest in veering off the walkway.
I didn’t know quite where to go. Where would Myrtle have gon
e by herself? To Hair of the Dog to report her Murder Most Howl findings to Val? I started along the sidewalk. Mr. Huckle had done a good job. I could hear people calling Myrtle’s name all around me and well into the distance. Lanterns bobbed along in the green as though they floated by themselves.
Gingersnap and Trixie acted like they usually did. They were just happy to be out for a stroll. Giving up any hope that they would find her, I walked fast. If Myrtle had fallen, I would surely notice her body. Oh no! Myrtle had been outraged that she had to stay on Wagtail Mountain an extra night. Surely she wouldn’t have tried to ski out? That would be sheer folly unless she was an accomplished skier. It seemed unlikely, though. She would have packed her belongings, wouldn’t she? Or would she have relied on other members of The Thursday Night Cloak and Dagger Club to pack them and bring them home to her?
I heard barking. Insistent barking. Trixie perked up her ears. Where was Gingersnap?
The barking wasn’t angry or fearful. It was a high-pitched dog-SOS-style sound.
Trixie turned and ran. I was worried about slipping in the dark but I hurried behind her as fast as I could.
Trixie disappeared from view. Where had she gone? I stopped again and listened.
Gingersnap still yelped. To my right, I thought. I turned down the next street. I could still hear Gingersnap. But where were they?
I walked at a fast clip, swiveling from side to side with my lantern so I wouldn’t walk by them. I reached the end of the block and realized that the barking was now coming from behind me. And then it stopped. The silence was alarming. Had something happened to Gingersnap?
Hurrying back, I spotted her. She ran into the street, did a U-turn, and dodged back behind a house.
I followed her to a black stair railing that I assumed led to a basement. In the moonless night, I couldn’t make out anything. I squatted and held out my lantern, lowering it as far as I could. Trixie’s white face and body glimmered faintly at the bottom. On my end, all I could make out were the soles of a pair of boots.
