by Lyndsey Cole
“You look great, like usual. What have you got for me to wear?” Lily looked in Daisy’s closet and pulled out a mid-length dark green skirt and a cream silk blouse. She held it up in front of herself and faced Daisy. “How’s this?”
“Nice. You can wear these too.” Daisy held up a pair of dark brown heels.
Lily grimaced. “Do I have to wear those shoes? I hate heels.” She looked down at her favorite, worn in flip flops and knew the answer to her question.
“Hurry up and get changed. You know Mom is going to be fit to be tied when she sees us so we’d better not embarrass her with a ratty appearance.”
Lily’s eyebrows jumped up. “Embarrass Mom? Really? Is that possible?” They both chuckled. “Mom, who always likes to push the envelope and shock everyone? Like going commando on her wedding day? Not really any harm in that, but still, for a fifty five year old, she acts more like a teenager at times.” Lily buttoned up the blouse and inspected herself in the mirror. “Am I presentable now?”
“You’ll turn all the heads at dinner, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
Lily linked her arm through Daisy’s. “We’re a knockout couple, don’t you agree?”
“Passable, I guess.” Lily swatted her sister tenderly. “We’d better get going or we’ll be late.” Daisy picked up her fancy box with the fruit tart inside and they left for the Stone House Inn.
Lily turned the radio down and looked at Daisy. “I got a message from Nina.” She checked to see if Daisy was paying attention. “She heard on the scanner that a body was found.
Daisy’s eyes grew large. “A body? Where? Who? Do you think it’s the body we saw?”
“Nina didn’t have any other details, she was digging for information from me.” Lily also told Daisy about what Tamara Biotchi had shared about the missing girl and the conversation Lily had with Anna Sparks at the Black Horse Farm. “Anna’s daughter came home but something odd was going on when I was there. Kari, Anna’s daughter, was arguing with the farm manager but Anna shrugged it off as a lover’s quarrel. Maybe. Maybe not. Anna is a nice woman so I’m glad her daughter is safe, but I got a strange feeling about the whole situation. I watched Gabe, the farm manager, splitting wood and he looked like he was working on an anger issue. On top of that, the pilot arrived with Emma Turner who acted distracted.”
“That hot pilot?”
“Yeah, he sure is easy on the eyes. He asked me again about going riding, and to bring my friend. I’m going to ask Nina but you could come too. What do you think? Want to go?”
“Definitely.” Daisy looked out the window. “Easy on the eyes? What about your hot cop? He’s pretty easy on the eyes too. Are you two not getting along?”
Lily slowed the minivan down and sighed. “I don’t know what’s going on. It seems that all we do is play phone tag lately.”
Lily turned into the parking lot for the Stone House Inn. It was a beautiful setting, nestled in a stand of maple and oak trees with the Green Mountains peeking out in the distance. The main house was built in the eighteen hundreds from local granite blocks. The elegant dining room and kitchen were downstairs and the honeymoon suite was upstairs. More recently, several small cottages had been added behind the main house, all a little different and quite private. The restaurant drew people from all over with its reputation for high quality and local meats and vegetables whenever possible. The chef prided himself on his herb garden and edible flowers, giving helpful information on the menu about which flavors to expect. There was usually a long waiting period to book any of the accommodations, especially the honeymoon suite.
Daisy whistled. “Walter’s friend, Lance, must have some pull with the owners to have been able to get the honeymoon suite for Mom and Walter. I heard this place can be booked up to a year in advance.”
“He seems to have connections with everyone. He set up the balloon ride, got the honeymoon suite, and lets his employee bring guests to go riding. His name seems to pop up connected to everything lately.”
Lily parked next to Walter’s dark blue convertible and looked at Daisy. “Ready for the fireworks?”
“Do you think Mom is going to be that mad?”
Lily shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out.” Daisy carried the box with the fruit tart and Lily locked her minivan.
“What are you doing here?” A familiar, but not too pleased, voice from behind startled her.
Lily turned around. “It’s nice to see you too, Ryan,” Lily said sarcastically. “As a matter of fact, Daisy and I are surprising my mother and Walter for dinner tonight. What are you doing here?” Lily glanced around to see if he was alone.
Daisy whispered to Lily, “I’ll meet you inside.”
Ryan took Lily’s arm and pulled her off to the side of the parking lot. “Sorry. I thought maybe you were planning to do some investigating and get yourself into trouble. I don’t want to be worrying about you all the time.”
Her eyes blazed. “And what makes you think that, Mr. Steele?” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.
“You haven’t heard? Someone found a body and I’m on my way back to the scene. I thought your friend Nina would have already eagerly shared that info with you. She’s called me, I don’t know how many times already.”
Lily couldn’t help but be curious. Her arms fell to her sides. “Do you think it’s the same body I saw yesterday?”
“The victim is a female. If it’s not the same body, then there could be more than one victim out there.” Ryan looked around at the layout of the Inn and the cottages. “Which one did you think that person you saw was coming out of?”
Lily scanned the area. “I’m not sure. It would be easier to figure out with an aerial photo of the layout.”
“Listen Lily, please be careful. I haven’t talked to the Inn owners yet so it’s probably better if you don’t let anyone know what you told me about seeing that body, just in case. Alright?”
She nodded, stood on her tippy toes and leaned toward Ryan, pulling his head down so she could give him a quick kiss. Her annoyance at him was gone as she saw the vulnerable gentle look on his face. “Don’t worry. Call me when you can.” She nodded toward the Inn and started to walk in that direction. “Now I have to get in there and save Daisy from my mom. She doesn’t know we’re crashing their dinner and she might not be thrilled about it. But Walter thought it was a good idea and Daisy made a fruit tart as a peace offering.” She turned back to look at Ryan. “You remember that phone call you got from Anna Sparks, the manager at the Black Horse Farm, about her daughter not coming home?”
Ryan nodded.
“Her daughter came home earlier today, so the body isn’t her.”
“How do you know this?”
Lily walked back to where Ryan was standing. “Emma Turner asked me to come to plan some flowers for an event on Saturday at the Black Horse Farm and Anna Sparks showed me around. Her daughter, Kari, was outside arguing with the farm manager, Gabe somebody or other. Neither one of them looked happy. I just thought I’d let you know that the victim isn’t that girl.”
Ryan’s brow creased in thought. “Are you absolutely positive it was Kari Sparks you saw?”
“I never met the girl before but Anna introduced me to her as Kari Sparks. She said she was her daughter, why would she lie about that?”
Ryan kicked the dirt in the parking lot and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m not saying she was lying, but the driver’s license found near the victim said Kari Sparks.”
Chapter 6
Ryan put his hands on Lily’s shoulders. “Are you okay?
Lily steadied herself by leaning on the car behind Ryan and nodded. “I’m okay, just shocked. How was she killed?”
“She was strangled.”
“Do you know what this could mean?”
“It could mean many different things. Don’t jump to any conclusions yet, and please, don’t think you can solve this. I have to go but I’ll try to stop at your house
later. What time will you be home?”
“Um, I don’t know, but it shouldn’t be too late, I’m sure Mom will try to get rid of us as quick as she can without being too rude.”
Ryan curled his arm around Lily’s waist, pulling her close as he whispered in her ear. “You look amazing. Did I tell you that yet?” He kissed her and reluctantly let her go as he climbed into his car and drove off.
Lily watched his car disappear as she ran all the possibilities through her head. Was Kari the murderer or does she know what happened? She felt sick for Anna if Kari was involved in the girl’s death. Who is the girl and where was the body found? Why didn’t I ask Ryan these questions?
An SUV drove into the parking lot, stirring up a cloud of dust. Lily did a double take when she realized it was the pilot with Emma Turner. This guy is full of secrets. She walked into the Inn, hoping to find Daisy before her mom and Walter arrived.
“May I help you?” A middle aged woman smiled as she waited for Lily to reply.
“I’m meeting some people for dinner—Walter Nash and Iris Bloom, and my sister Daisy is already here.”
“Oh, yes, welcome to the Stone House Inn, my name is Betty and you must be Lily. My husband Bob and I have been running the Inn for about ten years now. Follow me, I’ll show you to your table.” Betty put her hand on Lily’s arm and guided her to the back of the restaurant to a private table where Daisy was sitting and sipping a glass champagne.
“You girls are surprising your mother and Walter tonight?” Betty asked.
Lily and Daisy looked at each other. “Yes, we are. Do you know Walter?”
“Oh yes. He’s a sweetheart. He used to come in with Harriet.” She lowered her voice. “His previous wife? The one that was murdered? Anyway, I’ve heard from Lance Turner that he finally got the chance to marry the love of his life and I’m so happy for him. He certainly deserves some happiness after that shrew he was married to.”
Lily coughed and put her hand over her mouth to hide a choking sound. “We are the ones that found Harriet dead in the sunroom at the Lyman Estate. It was quite a difficult time for Walter and we were almost killed when we stumbled onto the murderer.”
Betty stood back in shock. “Oh dear, I didn’t know that. Well, that’s all in the past and Walter deserves all the happiness he can find now. Enjoy your dinner, it’s on Lance Turner, so don’t be shy about what you order.” Betty hustled away to the front of the restaurant to meet the next diners.
“Do you believe that?” Daisy whispered to Lily. “Lance Turner is footing the bill for dinner. Have you looked at the menu yet? Let’s get some scallop appetizers while we’re waiting. I need something to go with this champagne Betty gave me.”
“Great idea, I’ll order it when they come with my champagne.” Lily slid closer to Daisy. “You won’t believe what Ryan told me out in the parking lot.”
Daisy’s eyebrows went north. “Is this a guessing game or are you going to tell me?”
She whispered. “A body was found with Kari Sparks’ driver’s license.”
“Kari Sparks?”
Lily sipped her champagne. “The daughter of the house manager, Anna Sparks, at the Black Horse Farm. Anna had called the police about her daughter not coming home but Kari was there when I went to the farm about the flowers for Saturday, just before I picked you up.”
“Slow down, this is really confusing.” Daisy ticked off details on her fingers. “Kari Sparks was missing and her mom called the police. The dead girl had a driver’s license with Kari Sparks’ name, but you saw Kari at the Black Horse Farm? Who is the dead girl? And is that the body we saw?”
A sexy voice interrupted their conversation. “What are you two beautiful ladies doing here all by yourselves? Mind if I join you?”
Lily saw Daisy’s eyes stare above her head and she turned around to see Nick, the pilot, standing behind her chair. She felt her cheeks flush and got annoyed with herself for letting this guy get to her that way. “Join us? Don’t you have a date with you?”
Nick moved and stood behind an empty chair next to Lily and chewed on his cheek. “No, no date, I just dropped her highness off to meet a friend. She didn’t want to drink and drive or maybe she’ll spend the night here.” He shrugged. “I don’t know her plans, she just informed me she wanted me to drop her off here.”
Lily smiled. “She can get a room on such short notice? I thought this place was always full.”
Nick leaned on the back of the chair, bending down more to Lily’s level. “Mr. Turner has one of the cottages reserved for himself all the time. It’s his go-to place when he wants a little more privacy.” Nick started to pull the chair out from the table. ”So, can I join you two?”
“Oh, actually, we’re surprising my mom and her new husband and they should be here any second, so …”
Nick straightened, pushing the chair back in and put up his hands. “I understand, I certainly don’t want to crash anyone’s good time, but don’t forget about the invitation to go riding because I’d really like to meet your friend.” He winked before turning and walking away.
Daisy fanned her face. “He’s one steamy hot piece of maleness.” She said as she watched his tight jeans move toward the front door. “So, what do you think?”
“Think?” Lily asked distractedly.
“Yeah, about that hot pilot. What did you think I meant?” Daisy quizzed Lily.
“Did you hear what he said?”
“Yeah, he invited us to go riding and he wants to meet Nina. She’s gonna owe you big time for this date.”
Lily turned a serious face to Daisy. “No, not that stuff. Did you hear him say that Lance Turner has one of the cottages reserved for himself so it’s always available if he wants some privacy?”
Daisy blanched. “Oh my god. The body we saw. Do you think it was Lance Turner carrying that body?”
“Shhhh, Ryan told me not to tell anyone what we saw.” She looked around and caught a glimpse of a black jacket turning the corner to the bathrooms.
Daisy nudged Lily with her foot. “Here comes Mom, I hope she isn’t mad at us.”
Iris’s hands covered her mouth. “This day is getting better and better, my two favorite girls.” Iris looked at Walter and winked. “You have some steep competition for my attention now, you know.”
Walter pulled a chair out for Iris. “Competition? I think I’m surrounded by beautiful ladies for dinner tonight, I don’t see that as a problem at all.” Walter sat down between Lily and Daisy and across from Iris.
“This is a lovely surprise,” she whispered to her girls. “You should see the honeymoon suite—all cherry furniture made locally and a handmade double wedding quilt, absolutely beautiful. And the view.” She patted her heart. “You’ll have to come upstairs to see the view before you go home tonight.” Iris looked at Walter with stars in her eyes. “I’m so happy and so lucky. Whose idea was it for you two to join us for dinner?” Iris looked from Walter to Lily to Daisy.
Lily raised her hand slightly, sighing with relief. “Guilty. We weren’t sure if you would be upset that we’re barging in on your romantic evening.”
Daisy handed her box to Iris. “I made this for the two of you but I’m not sure if you’ll need it tonight after I glanced at what’s on the menu.”
“Upset? Not in the least.” Her face turned serious. “You aren’t planning to stay the whole night are you?”
Lily and Daisy replied at the same time. “Of course not.” Lily continued. “It would be nice to see that view though.”
Their conversation was interrupted as the waiter arrived with another bottle of champagne and the scallop appetizers. “Compliments of Mr. Turner.” He popped the cork and poured champagne all around.
Walter lifted his glass. “To the three beautiful Blooms and especially to Iris. I’ve waited my whole life for this.”
They clinked glasses and Iris beamed from ear to ear and was also a little misty eyed as she sipped the champagne.
Lob
ster dinners were ordered all around along with locally grilled corn and arugula salad. The conversation buzzed about the hot air balloon ride, the antics of Walter’s puppy falling into the swimming pool and how pleased they were with all the surprises Lance was showering on his old roommate Walter.
“How did Ollie get out of the pool?” Lily wanted to know.
Iris laughed. “Walter scooped him out with the leaf net. Fortunately, he’s still small enough to fit in it. You should have seen him, looked like a drowned rat but it didn’t faze him one bit. That puppy is going to be a handful.”
Lily was feeling quite relaxed after all the champagne and decided to pry a little about Lance Turner. “So, Walter, what’s the story with your friend, his name seems to pop up connected to everything lately.” Daisy kicked her under the table but Lily just moved her legs away without even a flinch.
Walter smiled happily. “He’s a great guy and has always been generous to me. Ya know, I was working my way through college but even with all his family’s wealth, he never made me feel unworthy of his friendship. He’s a genuinely good person, at least that’s how I see him. I know not everyone likes him but that’s not the side I’ve ever seen.”
“How did he meet Emma? They seem to be a little mismatched.” Lily raised an eyebrow hoping Walter had some good gossip to share.
Walter took the lobster bib off his collar and wiped his face. “The problem with lobster is that it’s quite messy.” He laughed. “You asked about Emma? Emma has a background deep in the horse world. She’s a world class dressage rider but doesn’t compete anymore. I’m not sure how Lance and Emma first met but he told me it was love at first sight for him and he had some convincing to do to get her to marry him. I don’t know her very well since they got together well after we graduated from college, and even though we stayed close we didn’t see each other much. At least, not until Harriet and I bought the Lyman Estate and moved back here to Misty Valley.”
Iris eyed Lily carefully. “Why all the questions?”
