Mysteries of Holt House - A Mystery

by Marja McGraw

  I spent the afternoon making up the beds and preparing the rooms for Sharon and David. Sharon had already told me she’d like to have the room nearest mine. She explained that she’d prefer to be downstairs with me instead of upstairs with a bunch of strangers. David would have to take the last available room in the servants’ quarters.

  When Lucy returned from town, we put all of her bargains away. I noticed she was careful how she spent my money, and I was pleased she was a careful shopper. She also stopped at a few other places while she was out. She made a deal with the butcher to buy in bulk at a discount, and made a similar deal with the grocer. She even talked the department store into giving her a discount over and above the sale price on the bedding because she was buying so much. I just shook my head.

  We enjoyed a peaceful evening, figuring there wouldn’t be too many more of those.

  Friday dawned and I was up and about early. Mr. Blake was coming and I wanted to be ready for him. I cleaned up and headed to the kitchen to fix breakfast. I found Lucy already there and putting bacon and eggs on the table.

  “Good morning,” I said.

  “You look perky this morning. What’s up?”

  “Nothing. Aside from signing the construction contract this morning, I have absolutely nothing to do today, and I’m thrilled to have a day of quiet before all the craziness begins. I guess a good night’s sleep didn’t hurt either. Sharon and David will be moving in tomorrow, too.”

  “I’m anxious to meet Sharon,” Lucy said, pointedly leaving David out of the conversation. “It’s nice to see you looking so cheerful.”

  She looked at me with a smug grin on her face.

  “What’s with you?” I asked. “You look like the cat that swallowed the canary.”

  “Nothing. You look very nice this morning. Slept well last night, huh?”

  “Yeah, like I said. How about you?”

  “I slept just fine,” she replied. She still had that smug look on her face, and I was suspicious.

  “Mr. Blake will be here in half an hour, so eat and get out of my kitchen.”

  “Okay, okay. You don’t have to get pushy.” I smiled at her.

  She grinned.

  I still felt like she had something up her sleeve, but decided to let it pass. I ate my breakfast as fast as I could and got up to leave because she seemed to truly want me out of her hair.

  “You could use a tad more mascara, and why don’t you change into that blue blouse you had on the day I met you. It does great things for your eyes.”

  I was halfway out of the room and stopped to turn back to her. “Just exactly what are you up to?”

  She put her hands on her hips and didn’t answer me.

  “Never mind.” I decided to change into the blue blouse and see what would happen.

  Returning to the kitchen, I grabbed a leftover piece of crispy bacon. It was cold, but I didn’t mind.

  “Go take a walk,” Lucy said to my back. “It’s going to be a beautiful day. The fresh air will do you good.”

  Lucy was right. It was going to be a great day. The birds were chirping, my presence not disturbing them in the least. A soft breeze ruffled my hair, and it felt good. The blooming flowers left a sweet scent in the air. I lifted my face to the sun and wondered at the brilliantly clear blue sky, just a wisp of cloud showing here and there.

  I heard a truck pull onto the drive, but stayed where I was. I knew Lucy would send Mr. Blake to the garden. When I first saw the garden, I’d begun to think about an addition for the center of the area, but quickly forgot about it. Suddenly I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

  I could envision an old-fashioned gazebo in the center of the garden. It would give the guests a choice instead of having only the patio in which to spend their time. Besides, the truth of it was that I’d always wanted to live in a house with a gazebo.

  I heard footsteps and turned toward the house. Lucy was coming toward me with a most attractive man in tow.

  “Kelly Sanders, this is Michael Blake. Mike, this is Kelly.”

  “Nice to meet you,” I said, and meant it.

  “Hi.”

  “Well, I’ll leave you two alone to take care of business. Mike, come up to the house to see me before you leave.” Lucy had a twinkle in her eyes. She smiled at Mike and me before returning to the house.

  “Mr. Blake,” I said innocently, “I take it you know Lucy?”

  “Call me Mike. Yes, I know her. Her husband worked for my father years ago, and she and I became good friends when I did some odd jobs for her around the house. I was a teenager at the time and trying to earn a few extra bucks. My mother had passed away and Lucy took me under her wing.”

  “Uh huh. She’s decided to be my older sister.”

  “That sounds like her,” he said, laughing. “She’s quite a gal.”

  “Well, let’s get down to business,” I said. “I’ve been thinking I’d like to build a gazebo out here in the garden. What do you think? Could you do that work for me, too?”

  “Sure. Let’s get this contract signed so we can start the other work, and in the meantime you and I can get together and draw up plans for the gazebo. You can tell me exactly what you want.”

  “That sounds great. Why don’t we go sit at the table on the patio and we can go over the contract.”

  “After you,” he said, pointing the way.

  Mike Blake turned out to be a pleasant surprise. He was around six feet tall, had light brown hair turned even lighter from all the time he obviously spent in the sun, brown eyes, and he had a strong face with the beginnings of deep laugh lines. My heart was thumping – a little. I guessed he was probably in his late thirties.

  I sat down at the table and he pulled his chair over to sit close to me.

  He placed drawings in front of me so I could see what he’d come up with. I’d decided I wanted a hothouse put in, and a fairly large shed for storage and tools. He explained it all to me in layman’s terms, pointing things out and asking what I preferred in certain areas. We squared away the plans and he pulled out the contract. We reviewed it slowly, and I signed it.

  “Good,” he said. “We’ll be here around eight o’clock on Monday morning. We can work out a plan for the gazebo later.”

  “That sounds great. I’m looking forward to getting the work started. Would you like a glass of iced tea?”

  “Sounds good. It’s nice out here on the patio. It’ll get the morning sun and then cool off in the afternoon. Can I talk you into showing me around the house? I’ve heard so much about it.”

  “Sure. I think you’ll like it. I’ll be right back with the tea.”

  I entered the back door to the kitchen quietly and found Lucy busily cleaning the stove top.

  “Lucy!” I said sharply.

  She hadn’t heard me come in and jumped. “You just scared ten years off my life, and I can’t afford to lose any years. I’ve got plenty to do before I give up and kick the bucket.” She was talking too much, stalling because she knew I was onto her little game.

  “Exactly what are you up to?” I asked.

  “Now, slow down. I’ve known Mike since he was a kid, and I thought you two ought to meet each other. He’s divorced, has been for about five years, and after all, you are single. He’s thirty-seven and you’re thirty-six and I decided you’d like each other.”

  “You decided...”

  “I was right, wasn’t I?” she asked.

  “I don’t know, I just met him.” I didn’t want to give her an edge so easily.

  “You’ll be seeing a lot of each other with the construction going on.” With that she clammed up and wouldn’t say another word.

  I took two glasses of iced tea out to the patio and sat down with Mike.

  “So you’ll be taking on boarders as well as vacationers?” he asked.

  “That’s the general idea. I’ll need boarders for a steady income, but I think vacationers will like it, too. Those that want to get away and relax can find what they nee
d out here. I’ve got one, maybe two, boarders already, as a matter of fact. My closest friend is moving in tomorrow, and Lucy talked to a gentleman who is supposed to call me. I’ve got an ad running in the newspaper beginning tomorrow, too.”

  “From everything you’ve told me, it sounds like you’ve got it pretty well under control. As a matter of fact, I know a guy who’s been thinking about moving out of town. I’ll have him give you a call.”

  “I really appreciate that. Well, come on in and I’ll show you around the place.”

  We walked round the outside of the house and came in through the front door. I thought I’d begin the tour of the main floor with the kitchen and work my way toward the front, but as we passed through the living room he stopped me.

  “That’s quite a painting. I don’t mean to be rude, but you look better in person.”

  “It’s not me, but thanks for the compliment.”

  “If it’s not you, then who is it? Your mother?”

  “No. I guess I’ll have to get used to questions about this. That’s Mrs. Holt, the last homeowner, and it’s only a coincidence we look alike.”

  “Some coincidence,” he said, with a raised eyebrow.

  “I was going to start in the kitchen, but as long as we’ve stopped here, I might as well show you the rest of this floor first.”

  “I can see the kitchen when I meet with Lucy,” he said.

  I escorted him around the rest of the first floor and before we went upstairs.

  “I’m impressed,” he said after I showed him through the rest of the house. “It’s the perfect place for what you’re planning. Although, with three floors, have you considered putting in an elevator?”

  “No. If people want to stay here, they’ll have to toughen up and use the stairs.”

  He laughed and I noticed he had a beautiful smile with straight white teeth. It figured, considering what the rest of him looked like.

  Mike glanced at his watch. “I guess I’d better get going. I’ll stop to see Lucy before I leave for another appointment.”

  “Okay. It was a pleasure meeting you, and I’m looking forward to getting the work started. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  And I was looking forward to seeing him again. My, my – David and Mike. Who would have expected to find men like these two in such an isolated place? At least the scenery would be nice around the grounds for a while.

  I heard what sounded like someone stepping on a creaky floor coming from upstairs, but since Mike and I had just been up there, I knew it was the house settling. I hoped the old house noises wouldn’t bother the boarders.

  Chapter Nine

  A few minutes later I heard Mike’s truck pull out, and within five minutes I heard another truck drive in. I looked out the window and saw David.

  “Hi, David!” I yelled from the doorway.

  He waved and walked to the back of his truck.

  I walked out to meet him.

  “Thought I’d bring some tools and yard equipment out today. Hope you don’t mind me coming early,” he said.

  “Not at all. I’ll show you where to put everything. The coach house was converted into a garage with storage space. I guess that’s the best place to put your things for now. I’m having a large shed built, too.”

  He pulled two large boxes out of the truck and set them on the ground. Following me, he carried one of the boxes, and I showed him where to put his tools. He said, “Thanks,” and again I thought what a quiet man he was.

  “Well, I’ll leave you to your work. See me when you get here tomorrow and I’ll show you where your room is.”

  “Okay.”

  Walking around the grounds, I enjoyed the peace and quiet. I looked around and tried to envision what it would look like when the construction was done. I wanted to talk to David about putting in some hedges across the front of the property for extra privacy, too. Privacy from whom, I didn’t know, but it seemed like a good idea. I suddenly had that ridiculous feeling of being watched again, and as I turned toward the house the back door opened.

  “Kelly,” Lucy called from the back porch. “Telephone! I think it’s the man I talked to about taking a room.”

  “Coming.” I shook off the funny feeling I had, realizing it must have been caused by Lucy. I was sure I’d probably heard the back door opening and the sound may have triggered the feeling of being watched.

  I hoped she was right about the caller because I was anxious to get things rolling. I knew I’d get boarders before I got any vacationers, and I was sure they wouldn’t mind the construction that would be going on. The end result would be to their advantage, after all.

  Lucy handed me the phone as soon as I walked inside.

  “Hello,” I said. “This is Kelly Sanders.”

  “Hello, Ms. Sanders. This is Joshua Forbes. Mrs. Daley told me that you’re taking on boarders, so I’m calling to make an appointment to see the rooms. I also wanted to make sure that you include meals in the price. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, it is. In fact, Mrs. Daley is my cook.”

  “Splendid. I thought I understood her to say that, but I wasn’t sure. When might I come out to meet with you?” he asked.

  “If you’re free, today would be fine.”

  “Today would perfect. Actually, I’m retired, but I just started a part-time job. Retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I was bored. Anyway, today is one of my days off. Would three o’clock be convenient?”

  “Yes. I’m looking forward to meeting you.”

  I was trying to be friendly and businesslike at the same time, which is a chore for me since I’m not too business-minded. Give me a computer and a letter or legal brief to type, a case file to open, a client to talk to, and I’m fine. But this was definitely different.

  “That was your friend from the motel,” I said, turning to Lucy. “He’s coming out this afternoon.”

  “So I heard. Do you need any help getting a room ready?”

  “Technically, you haven’t started working for me yet, so just relax. You’ve already done enough for today. Besides, someone – don’t ask me who – had almost everything set up when I moved in. All I had to do was dust the furniture. The rooms are ready to show now. As I let them out I’ll put on the bedding. Right now the beds have bedspreads on them, but no linen.”

  “Just the same, if you need help, let me know. I intend to earn my keep even though I haven’t really started yet.”

  “Believe me, you’re already earning your way.”

  “You have no idea who set up the house?” she asked.

  “Not a clue.”

  “That’s odd, don’t you think?”

  “I figure it must have been done by the county agent before they sold me the house.”

  “Maybe,” she said, slowly and thoughtfully.

  I climbed the stairs and once again dusted the bedroom furniture. I picked out one convenient room on the second floor to show – they were basically all the same – and if they were interested then each boarder could pick out which part of the house he or she wanted to live in.

  After dusting I returned downstairs and picked up my book to read while I waited for three o’clock to roll around.

  Lucy called me for lunch and I asked her to sit and chat for a while because I was too wound up to get involved in the book. We were already becoming good friends, which made it hard to think of her as an employee. I was learning that fifty-four years of age really isn’t as old as I’d thought it was. I had a feeling that she and Sharon would get along well too. They were very much alike in some ways.

  We were so engrossed in our conversation that we didn’t realize how much time had gone by, until promptly at three o’clock the doorbell bonged.

  “Isn’t that the loudest bell you’ve ever heard?” I frowned.

  “Yeah,” Lucy said. “It’s almost as annoying at those crickets.”

  Lucy answered the door and returned with a tall, gray-haired man following her. His build was slender and
athletic. I judged him to be around sixty or so. He had an open, friendly face. I could picture him out on a golf course or a tennis court.

  Lucy introduced us.

  “Miss Sanders, this is Mr. Forbes. Mr. Forbes, Miss Sanders.” She was playing the part of the faithful employee and quickly exited after making the introductions, although I could tell she wanted to hang around and see what happened.

  “Have a seat, Mr. Forbes,” I invited, pointing out a chair.

  “Thank you. I’m impressed already. It was a great drive out here, although I’d imagine it’s a bit different during the winter months.”

  “Yes, spring is beautiful around here. Lots of great scenery. I really like this area. It’s convenient to several different towns, but still away and by itself.” I was trying to sell him on the area and wanted to play down the image of a snowy winter’s drive. “You should have all the peace and quiet you want out here.”

  “I don’t want too much quiet,” he replied.

  Whoops! “I’m having a tennis court and swimming pool installed, and of course in an area like this there’s always hiking. Within the next couple of weeks I’ll also have a library set up. The library will include tables to play checkers or chess, or whatever suits your fancy. I may even put in a pool table.”

  “That sounds fine.”

  “Additionally,” I said warming up to the challenge, “if you’re interested it’s only about a forty-five minute drive to skiing during the winter months.”

  “I’ll pass on both,” he chuckled. “My knees aren’t what they used to be. May I see the room now?”

  “Certainly,” I said, standing. “Follow me, please.”

  I led him up to the second floor, to one of the rooms near the stairs, and opened the door.

  “This is basically what all of the rooms look like. There are minor differences in each one, but this will give you the general idea.”

  “Hmm. I like it,” he said, looking around. “This furniture looks authentic. Is it the original?”

  “Most of it is. The house was built during the Civil War period, and the furniture is almost as old as the house. It’s been restored.”