Miz Scarlet and the Holiday Houseguests (A Scarlet Wilson Mystery #3)

by Barton, Sara M.

  “Is that a car in the driveway?” Laurel asked a few moments later. “Did they change their minds and come back?”

  “I’ll check.” I got to my feet, disturbing my canine companions in the process, and crossed the room. Peering out the window, I could see the other half of the Googins girls duo walking toward the inn, bundled up against the chilly wind. “It’s Lacey. Her exercise class must have been canceled.”

  “I wish Bur and Mickey hadn’t gone. I should have stood my ground,” Laurel said, clearly in the mood to kick herself in the proverbial backside. “It was a bad idea to allow them to go.”

  “Bur is a very safe driver,” I reminded her. “He wouldn’t take any unnecessary chances, especially with Mickey in the car. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Judging from her tone, it sounded like she thought it was wishful thinking on my part.

  A noise in the hallway signaled the new arrival. Three sets of ears shot up as the dogs heard Lacey’s key slide into the lock. January ran out of the room in her capacity as lead watchdog, determined to investigate the suspicious sound. Huck and Mozzie were less inclined to bother; both decided to let their buddy handle the call. A moment later, the friendly bark in the foyer informed us that our new arrival was friend, not foe.

  “I’m home!” Lacey entered the inn, stomping her wet boots a foot at a time, singing in an overly loud falsetto. “Where is everyone?”

  “We’re in the living room,” my mother and I answered in unison. The sound of tingling jingle bells resounded as the elderly woman made her way down the corridor and appeared in the doorway. Her gray hair was matted down with tiny flecks of ice and a few snowflakes here and there. She shook her head, and then ran her fingers through her hair, fluffing it up again.

  “Well, God bless you for having the good sense to stay indoors! Brr!” Lacey hugged herself. “It’s nasty out there. Where’s little Mickey? Off gabbing on her phone? Or texting?”

  “Bur took her with him down to New Jersey,” Laurel announced.

  “New Jersey? She seemed surprised by the news. “What’s in New Jersey?”

  I gave Lacey the short version of Big Larry’s airport saga. By now, my mother was back to openly fretting. She was certain the car would go off the road, or someone would crash into them.

  “My son’s trying to impress Larry! He’ll do anything to get in her good graces!”

  “Getting her daughter and her father killed in a car crash won’t do much on that front.” said one Googins girl to the other. “That would be foolish. Besides, Bur’s not a complete idiot, Laurel. He knows Larry will do a lot more than just take a chunk out of him if anything happens to her nearest and dearest. She’ll kill him!”

  “Too true,” I laughed. “I’ll bet Larry knows a hundred different ways to do it.”

  Those were the words my mother needed to hear. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’re probably right. I’m worrying over nothing.”

  Tra-ling...tra-ling...tra-ling. The sudden peel alerted me to a call on the inn’s landline. I picked the cordless phone from its cradle, pushed the button, and greeted the caller.

  “Four Acorns Inn,” I announced.

  “Is this Scarlet Wilson?” The female voice on the other end demanded to know. “Are you the innkeeper?”

  “It is and I am,” I replied. “How can I help you?”

  “I have been trying to get a hold of my daughter all afternoon, but her phone is turned off. I want to tell her that I took an earlier plane from Atlanta.”

  “You must be Mrs. Rivera. Do you need a ride from the airport? I’ll be happy to come get you. What gate are you at?”

  “I’m not in Hartford.”

  “Oh?”

  “I could only get a plane to JFK in New York. I planned to take the limo or the train to Connecticut, but I have been informed that it’s not an option for me.”

  “You’re in New York?”

  “Didn’t you hear me the first time?” Edna Rivera wanted to know.

  “Well, I did. I’m just surprised that you didn’t call sooner. We’re having bad weather here and....”

  “...it’s supposed to get worse. Yes, I know all that. That’s why I took an earlier flight. And now I need a ride, but I can’t get a hold of my daughter, to let her know she has to pick me up at the airport. Don’t you have a worker you can send down here? I’m sure my daughter will pay him.”

  Oh, she’ll pay him alright. I’m just not sure you’re going to like your traveling companions. I could just imagine the moment when the Four Acorns Ford Focus pulled up to the curb at JFK Airport and Edna came face-to-face with her ex-husband. Priceless.

  “Ma’am, where are you and what’s your phone number?” I reached into the drawer of the end table for a note pad and a pen, and took down the information. “I’ll get back to you.

  My first call was to Larry’s cell phone. No answer. I sent her a text. My next call was to Bur.

  “Where are you?” I asked my brother.

  “Hackensack. Don’t worry, Scar. The road trip is going fine.”

  “Well, it’s about to get worse, trust me. Guess who just flew into JFK from Atlanta and needs a ride to the Four Acorns Inn.”

  “The Queen of Clean landed in Queens? Typical,” said an unfamiliar male voice in the background. Ah, the joys of speaker phone function.

  “You’ve got to be joking! There’s no way I can pick Edna up now!” I could hear the frustration in my brother’s voice. “I’d have to turn around and....This is Friday. How am I supposed to get through Manhattan at the top of rush hour and still get home before midnight? Is the woman mad?”

  “I’ve been saying that for years,” Big Larry announced, adding his two cents to the conversation. “Stubborn and determined to do things her way, no matter who gets inconvenienced....”

  I could hear Bur trying to shush the baseball coach without much luck. I broke in.

  “She tried to get a shuttle, but had no luck, Colonel. The limos and trains are full. If you don’t pick her up, she’s stranded.”

  “Ducky! Now I’ve got to decide if I’m taking the Lincoln Tunnel or....”

  “I’ll leave you to that,” I told him, “I’ve got to call Edna back and give her the good news. I’ll give her your number.”

  “Well, do that, but I’m pretty sure I already have her number, if you get my drift.” My brother sighed heavily, even as Mickey and Big Larry continued chattering away in the background. “It’s going to be an interesting reunion.”

  “You can say that again, Colonel. I’d give my right arm to see Edna’s face when you three show up.” Bur chuckled, Mickey giggled, Big Larry gave an amused howl from the passenger seat.

  “She’s going to blow a gasket,” said the ex-husband, with enthusiasm that bespoke of the baseball slob’s delight in riling up the Queen of Clean.

  “I’ll be sure to have my camera ready,” Bur promised, just before he hung up.

  I immediately called Edna back. She answered on the second ring. I could hear the relief in her voice when I told her that Bur was on his way.

  “It’s wall-to-wall people here. I’ve been bumped and jostled left and right. It’s dreadful, absolutely dreadful. I’m so afraid someone is going to walk off with my suitcase.”

  “It will take him some time to get there,” I cautioned her. “Be patient.”

  “Is he a conscientious driver? I don’t like to get into the car with just anyone. You never know these days....”

  “Not to worry, Mrs. Rivera. If you get into his car, I can assure you my brother will get you here in one piece.” If you get into his car....What will she do when she sees Big Larry, run for the hills...get on the next flight back to Atlanta...clobber somebody?

  Chapter Ten --

  Larry hadn’t gotten back to me. I tried once more, but she still wasn’t answering her phone and now my concern was growing. By the time Max returned to the inn, a big brown paper sack in his arms, I
was perplexed.

  “How’s everything?” he greeted me. I took the package he offered and set it down on the hall console table. “You don’t look happy.”

  “It’s been a wild afternoon.” I filled him in on the news about Edna.

  “Oh, she’s a tough nut to crack, like my Aunt Goldie. She goes right for the jugular, a regular pit bull in pumps, always looking for a way to cut you down to size. Larry’s going to hit the roof about this mess.”

  “I haven’t gotten through to her yet.”

  “What?”

  “I left her messages and sent her a couple of texts, but I couldn’t reach her. Edna had the same problem,” I told him. A funny look came over Max’s face. He fished his phone out of his pocket and punched a few buttons.

  “Give me a minute,” he said, walking away.

  “No problem, Max. I’m going to take the dogs out.”

  Gathering the canine trio together, I took them for a quick trip around the yard, just long enough for them to get the job done. When I walked through the back door, the retired homicide investigator was nowhere to be seen. I checked in the living room, where I found the Googins girls watching the local news channel. “Have you two seen Max?”

  “Oh, he poked his head in to say hello and then asked us to tell you that he is expecting an important phone call. He’ll catch up with you.”

  “Great,” I nodded. I hoped that didn’t mean trouble for Larry. How complicated could it be to find out where she was and why she wasn’t answering her phone? “In the meantime, I think I’ll get cracking on dinner.”

  Stepping out into the hallway, I noticed the library door was shut. Apparently, the experienced investigator needed privacy. Surely he should have had an instant answer when he called Larry’s unit. Someone had to know where she was. Should I view the closed door as a harbinger of trouble? Now I was definitely worried.

  Half an hour later, Max came to find me in the kitchen, where I was in the middle of preparing a chicken for the roasting pan. His eyes had a guarded look to them, his mouth was drawn tight.

  “Want the good news or the bad?”

  “How bad is it?” My stomach felt like I was riding an express elevator down from the fortieth floor.

  “Larry left the forensics lab in Meriden two hours ago. She told the people on her team she had a personal emergency. Her phone was just found on the seat of her car, along with her purse. There were signs of a struggle, some blood. Not a lot of blood, but enough.”

  “Dear God!” I sank down on a stool, stunned. “This can’t be happening.”

  “Unfortunately, it is,” he reminded me. “At least Michaela isn’t here.”

  “You think someone kidnapped Larry?” It must be true. How else could we explain the items left in her car? Larry never went anywhere without her phone. It was a lifeline, especially since she was always on call.

  “It’s possible.” Max was hedging his answer. Did he want to believe she’d be okay as much as I did?

  “She was so worried about this case, Max. Carmine Tossi’s kid....”

  “Yeah, I know. It’s an ugly situation.”

  “Do you think someone’s trying to squash the investigation?”

  “It’s hard to know what to think, Scarlet. We really don’t have anything to go on at the moment.”

  “What if she was kidnapped....Or worse?” I suddenly flashed back to my dream. No, not a dream...a nightmare. Someone had wanted to get Larry. Even in my sleep, I had known she was in grave danger. “What if someone wants to kill her?”

  “Not to worry. I’m sure her colleague misheard her,” he fibbed, pretending that there was a logical reason why the homicide investigator was missing. “It’s just a silly misunderstanding. The state cops will locate her before you know it.”

  That didn’t explain why Larry left her phone and her purse behind. Nor did it explain the blood in her car.

  “And if they don’t?” I wanted to know.

  “Don’t even say that, Scarlet.” Our eyes met and I could see the painful doubt creeping into his thoughts, feeding his personal sense of helplessness. He was no longer running the show. Max couldn’t call in his people or launch an investigation. He was a civilian now. “There’s got to be a logical explanation. There has to be one!”

  “What can we do? We’ve got to do something,” I insisted. “We can’t just sit here on our hands!”

  “I gave the unit my number. They’ll call me back when they’ve got something. I told them Larry’s parents are coming in tonight.”

  We were at a loss, the pair of us, sitting in the library and waiting for answers, waiting for some reason to hope. Twenty minutes later, when the landline rang again, I expected to hear Edna’s voice on the other end. I was shocked to hear Larry speak.

  “Ms. Wilson? This is Laurencia Rivera. I’m staying in the White Oak Room at the inn while my condo’s being painted....” What was she talking about? I put my hand over the phone.

  “Max, it’s Larry, and she’s acting like she doesn’t know me!”

  “Put it on speaker,” he urged me. “Hurry up!”

  I did as he directed, my fingers trembling as I punched the button. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly before I spoke, mentally preparing myself. “Yes, Ms. Rivera. What can I do for you?”

  “I wonder if you could help me out. Apparently, I think I left my bank card on the dresser in my room. Is there any chance you could go in there and check for me?”

  Max grabbed my arm and squeezed, before he leaned over and whispered into my ear. “Tell her you’ll be happy to look. Then put the phone down and walk out the door. Make some noise.”

  I followed his instructions. Max met me in the butler’s pantry. “Okay. When you go back in there in a minute, you ask her if it’s a Bank of America card. When she says yes, you tell her you have it. Got that?”

  Why did it matter if it was a Bank of America card? I started to ask, but Max shook his head.

  “Just trust me, Scarlet.”

  A moment later, I made a very loud approach into the kitchen, with Max softly on my heels. As he hovered, I spoke.

  “Ms. Rivera? Is it a Bank of America credit card you wanted?” There was a long pause before Larry responded.

  “Why, yes. Yes, it is. Did you find it?”

  “It was on your nightstand.”

  “Great,” Larry told me. “I’ll be right over to pick it up. I’m having dinner with a friend of mine tonight and I promised him I would treat.”

  “Okay,” I replied, feeling a sudden rush of panic for the safety of my friend. What if this was the last conversation she ever had? What if the creep who was holding her captive didn’t bring her to the Four Acorns Inn? “Get here in one piece.”

  “Excuse me?” I could hear the worry in her voice. Had I just put her in greater danger? Think, Miz Scarlet. Say something logical.

  “Be careful. The roads are icy now.”

  “Right,” said the experienced homicide investigator, sounding relieved. “We’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

  I barely had time to hang up before Max grabbed my arm and steered me out of the library and down the hall in the direction of the living room.

  “We have to put the ladies somewhere safe,” he told me. “Is there a closet we can use, somewhere that won’t be searched by Larry’s abductor?”

  “Better yet, what about the carriage house?” I countered. “Bur’s got a heated workshop in the garage. Will that help?”

  “Absolutely!” Max let out a long breath of relief. “I’m going to need your mother’s wheelchair.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t have time to explain now.”

  Three minutes later, bundled up against the cold, the ladies were escorted out to the tiny workshop at the back of the building. Max had to lift the wheels on my mother’s motorized chair over some of the patches of ice on the driveway, but we managed to get her there in one piece. Tapping the switch for the automatic overhead door, my
heart pounding, I counted the seconds until it rose. Time was of the essence. There was no telling when Larry and her kidnapper would show up. Hurrying inside, I led the trio past my car, all the way to the door of the small room in the back of the carriage house, where I flipped on the overhead fluorescent light, and searched for my brother’s favorite flashlight. With the blue Maglite in hand, I turned on the thermostat for the electric baseboard heater. Then I retrieved two plastic patio chairs from the corner and set them on the floor in the corner. Max and I lifted my mother to her feet and helped her into one of them.

  “Here,” I handed Lacey the heavy flashlight. She groaned under its weight. “It’s heavy, I know.”

  “We don’t have much time,” Max informed them. “Stay here. You’ve got your phones?”

  “We do,” Lacey told him. I could see the Googins girls were terrified.

  “We’ll come and get you as soon as this is over. Keep the light off.” I hugged my mother, kissing the top of her head, and then I threw my arm around Lacey’s shoulder. “Be safe.”

  “Scarlet, come on!” Max had the wheelchair and he was standing in Bur’s open bay. I flipped off the ceiling light and shut the door to the workshop, following in his wake. That’s when a pair of headlights flashed in the driveway. “Crap!”

  “What are we going to do?” I cried. I started to run for cover, but then the horn honked. It was a familiar horn. Looking up through the glare, I saw the SUV had New Jersey plates.

  “Kenny! What is he doing here?” Relief flooded over me like a big, warm wave of pure, unadulterated love. Kenny to the rescue. My hero. Everything will be okay now.

  “Say what?” Max was stunned. We stood there as the car rolled down the driveway towards us. “His timing is perfect!”

  “You’re telling me!”