by Jeulia Hesse
Gina grinned back at her friend. “We aren’t going to be here that long, but I think I’ll leave myself open to the possibilities.” She raised her arms over her head and crossed her elbows, leaning her head on her hands. “How about you and Kevin? He couldn’t take his eyes off you last night at dinner.”
She was not surprised at this news, but it didn’t match his response to her on the patio when they were alone. He could have leaned in, and she would have been willing, to have him kiss her.
But he didn’t. And it made her, well, it made her want him to do it more.
After taking a brief detour to drive through one of the region’s covered bridges, the ladies arrived in the small, picturesque town of Wilmington. Gina had been thrilled with the covered bridge and had taken several pictures when they stopped to have a closer look. It was fun to play tourist and see the area through Gina’s eyes. It really was a beautiful and quaint location.
While they made their way into town, Christina noted that there were a few bed and breakfasts in the area, but hardly any other hotels or lodging with more than a couple rooms. There was a small, run-down motel chain with 10 rooms, but it was unappealing at best. She knew from experience, having stayed there for Ada’s funeral. It was interesting that she had not noticed this before, but she imagined the observation was related to her current project, since she was evaluating the inn for viability as a business.
They lugged the large CPU of Ada’s computer into the local computer repair shop. The young man who waited on them assured them he would have something for them in a few hours. If he could access the hard drive, he would download the files to an external drive. They opted to grab lunch at the local diner while they waited.
They took a booth once in the diner, which was housed in an old-fashioned, remodeled rail car. Gina was interested in the menu, which had everything from scrambled eggs to nut burgers and vegan meatloaf. They ordered and waited for their meal in the bustling restaurant.
The walls were covered with specials written in different vivid colors on the back of paper placemats. “I am always intrigued by how they run these small diners with the tiny kitchens and the huge variety of food on the menu,” Gina said. “There has to be precooked portions of all these meals, right? How else could they possibly whip them up?”
This was as fascinating to her as shoe shopping was to Christina, who amiably nodded while her friend chatted on.
Their meal was delicious. While Christina had ordered eggs benedict, Gina ordered a more complex vegan meal. She was impressed with the quality of the food. The conversation then tilted to dinner and the other restaurants in town. This interested Christina, as she couldn’t recall more than two or three restaurants in the area that had drawn the local crowds when she was growing up. She could really only remember the local pizza parlor.
“If you decide to keep the business,” Gina started, “you would really need to consider expanding the food offerings at the inn. Even though it seems pretty far out of the way, having good food options for guests would be essential. I bet it would appeal to both locals and visitors.”
Christina accepted this opinion while silently nodding, her mind working. “I’ve got to really get a business plan going and see what’s possible for the place.”
“From what I have seen in the past 24 hours, the location really speaks to me. It feels like there would be a lot of business in the fall. I wonder about the winter though, especially with that road. But I bet you can figure it out. It seems like a nice place for a family weekend or a romantic getaway. It would be a great place to stay with all that nature around.”
“It really is far out there,” Christina replied. “I think my aunt didn’t do much advertising, though she had developed plans to expand the dining area. If I recall, there were a few guests throughout the time I spent there – though the inn was never full. I think she liked it that way. It was just enough to keep them going.”
“I see potential,” Gina stated. “I think you better get that business plan together. Do you think the computer is ready now?”
They paid their bill and walked back to the small business service shop. The lanky young man triumphantly handed Christina an external hard drive. “I was able to download the files on the drive – however, it died before I could wade around to see which programs she was using. Likely she used an older version of a common bookkeeping software; you should be able to open them in the current version. If you have any trouble, let me know.”
“You’ll have to take the CPU with you though. I can’t keep it here. Garbage collectors will take them on the last Friday of the month, so just check the local paper for that information.” He looked them over, his eyes resting on the shapely Gina, and he blushed.
She noted his reaction and decided to capitalize on it, placing a hand on her hip, “Do you mind taking the CPU out to the car, hun? It was pretty heavy.”
Christina smiled quizzically at her friend, crossing her eyes. She was always fascinated by Gina’s ability and willingness to use her feminine wares to her benefit. Her sexuality was something she was unable to conjure on her own. Blushing deeply, the young man took the CPU in his arms and followed the ladies out the door.
As they were pulling out to head back to the inn, Christina noted a sign for the local banking co-op. Gesturing in the direction, Christina asked if Gina would mind if she went in to make some inquiries about the business accounts.
“Not at all. I’ll go in that bookstore right next door, so you can take your time. If they have a cookbook section, I may need a few hours.”
Christina pulled in the alley lot between the two buildings and parked the car. They each went their own way, with Christina hoping she would find some answers about Ada’s finances. She checked her phone before entering the bank in case she had any new messages from Victor. Instead, she noted an email addressed directly to her from the attorney Victor had referred. It was so like Victor to take immediate action and elicit a quick response. She was glad he was on her side.
She entered the bank and was whisked into the bank manager’s office. “So very sorry about Ada,” the young manager, Brian Martin, offered. “What can I do for you today?”
She smiled to herself. Brian was young and very formal for the rustic setting of the co-op with its old, planked boards and antiqued tin ceiling. Christina explained her situation to him.
He nodded his understanding, and she instantly knew he was listening intently. “Yes, I had heard that Ada had left the property to a relative instead of the members of the Stone family. It was kind of a surprise to some, especially since Jeremy had been the one helping her out all along.”
Christina rocked on the balls of her feet. She felt a little uncomfortable to be reminded that she had not been assisting her aunt.
“Of course, the inn was hers to do what she pleased with it,” he went on. “I suppose you are here to come on as a signer for the Inn’s accounts?”
She paused. She had not considered this initially, but it would be a wise decision. “Yes, thank you,” she answered. “I would also like to get copies of the statements for the accounts under both my aunt’s name and the Stone Inn, if they’re available.”
Brian looked down at her as he stood behind his desk, getting up for a signature card. “Please sign this, but I will need to get some further documentation from you as well. I will need a certified copy of the death certificate and probate if there is one.
“I can add you as a signer on the business accounts for now. Once you have all of the required paperwork, we can get everything transferred to your name.”
He left the office, and she contemplated what he needed. She would seek out help from Victor’s contact to make sure things were being handled properly. She waited for several minutes for the branch manager to reappear. She could see Brian through the glass walls in the small bank, talking on a phone. It appeared that the conversation was not a pleasant one, as his face became redder and redder. After a few moments, he
hung up the phone and disappeared from her sight.
She pulled out her phone and began to scroll through emails, noting a few from work and the new one from Victor’s contact, asking for a suitable time to set up a call. Abruptly, Brian returned to the office. His face was less red, but he still appeared distracted.
“If you would please go ahead and sign here, we’ll start to process your request to get you access to the business accounts. Once we have the death certificate, it will take some time to go through our main offices, but we can assure you that you will have access in about a month.”
“A month?” she asked, perplexed. “I’m sorry, but in the meantime, who has access to these accounts. How are the expenses being paid?”
He looked down at her notably agitated, and his face grew red. “Mr. Stone has access to these accounts as he has been managing the estate for some time.”
Christina stood, grasping her jacket closer around her. She felt a mixture of humiliation and anxiety rise in her belly. Jeremy had been dealing with the inn and its expenses since Ada was ill and apparently, hadn’t been able to count on Christina. However, she was sure there were business expenses, electricity, gas, food, and caretaker wages that needed to be paid. Without access to those accounts, she would be obliged to pay out of her own pocket for the upkeep expenses. It wasn’t the best of circumstances.
“Is there any way to obtain the account statements?” she asked. “I’m putting together a business plan and would like to capture the true history of the business....”
Brian Martin shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t share those with you without the required paperwork.” He gestured toward the door of his office. “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”
She stood and exited the office. “No, thank you,” she answered with her mind racing, as she tried to determine what her next steps should be. She had not foreseen these obstacles and required paperwork.
She also failed to see the man she ran directly into on the steps of the bank. “Whoa,” he said, grabbing her arm and catching her before she fell hard on the pavement.
Embarrassed, she looked up into a friendly, familiar face. “Jeff!” she called out, surprised.
“Well, hello there,” he responded with a huge grin. “Looks like someone in the bank has made you mad. What a scowl!”
Of all the people to run into after the interaction in the bank, she was glad to see Jeff. He had been part of the group of friends that she’d hung out with throughout the years with Annie. He was always a sweet guy and a huge animal lover – always rescuing dogs and cats and taking them home to his family’s small farm. The last she knew of him, he had been working with racehorses in Saratoga.
They exchanged a brief conversation, detailing what they had been doing since they last saw each other. Jeff had heard that Ada left Christina the inn and was interested to hear about her plans. He joined her on her stroll to the bookstore, where she planned to reconnect with Gina.
“You know, I had been talking with Ada about offering horseback and wagon rides at the inn. I thought it would be a great mutual business opportunity since it’d expand the inn’s amenities. I have my own stable down at my parents place, but could look at stabling horses on site as well.”
Christina was impressed with his business growth. “That sounds lovely, but I haven’t decided what I am going to do with the property. I’m not sure if I will run it or sell.”
Jeff looked at her in surprise. “I never imagined it being sold,” he replied. “I can’t imagine anyone else running the place and living there except Ada or you. I hear there are lots of developers around looking for some property to plunk down some more ugly condos. It would be a shame for them to buy and destroy the old Stone house.”
They entered the bookstore and Christina looked around for Gina. “Hey, look at this,” Jeff said, pulling a book off of a large display. “It’s one of those Shirley Jackson books. And look at all of these about the Bennington Triangle.”
Christina took a moment and looked over the display, which advertised the movie release that was based on the local author’s books. “All fiction,” Christina responded dismissively.
“Well, I sure believe it!” Jeff replied. “I’ve seen some of these things. Plus, you know the story, right?”
It took her a moment to recall what he was referring to, but Christina responded, “The story about the skull?”
Jeff had been teased mercilessly for years by the other boys in their group of friends. When they were young teens, a group of boys had spent the night in the woods. Jeff had gotten separated from the group, but they were able to locate him due to his screams. He had fallen into a cave and swore that there was a human skull in there with him. The boys were able to pull him out with no harm done, but they were unable to ever locate that same cave again. Obviously, they had just gotten twisted around in the dark woods and their location had been misconstrued.
“Kevin says there is a lot of activity up in the trail lately. Both he and Shawn were worried about the summer solstice this year because lots of unprepared people have been heading up there. They all want to see this legendary place for themselves and are hoping to see something.”
Gina appeared from behind a bookshelf, her arms cradling a few heavy cookbooks. “I’m about ready to go. Let me just check out.”
Christina introduced the pair. Jeff was nonplussed and continued to chat with Christina. “Hopefully, the weather stays warm enough for those new hikers. I’ve seen it snow in June up there, so if they come unprepared, they will be cold. There’s always the risk of hypothermia.”
Gina checked out with her pile of books, and they headed for the door. Jeff leaned down and took the package from Gina without missing a syllable in his conversation. He escorted them to their car. “I’ll stop by up at the inn tomorrow or the next day. Or maybe you come to me – we’ll do a trail ride with the horses so you can see what an appeal it would be if you decided to stay open.”
“Whoa, that your car?” He asked as they approached her vehicle.
The back window had been smashed out. The glass was all over the road between the two businesses. Christina leaned in and looked at the back seat.
The computer was missing. Who would have wanted that ancient thing? she thought. She dialed Shawn’s cell that he had given her earlier that morning.
Just a few minutes later, Shawn arrived at the parking lot in his Sheriff’s cruiser. Christina noted that he did not have his lights going as she would have expected. He arrived calmly and coolly, approaching the parked car with wary and observant eyes. She could tell that he was gathering minute details as he approached the trio around the vehicle.
“This your car or is it a rental?” he calmly asked Christina as he made his way around the vehicle, looking for any details of further damage.
She sighed. “It’s mine.”
Keeping a car in the city was costly and frivolous, but Victor had insisted on it. He said that she should have the freedom to leave the city whenever she wanted. At the time, his thoughts had centered around her visits to Ada.
Christina was mentally doing the math in her head about the cost of getting the window fixed. She stretched her mind to recall the glass coverage of her car insurance policy.
“What did they take?” Shawn asked, noting that both women had their purses over their shoulders and that Jeff was holding a large bag from the bookstore.
“I actually had that old CPU from Ada’s desktop in there.” Christina stopped herself from saying more. She didn’t feel that it was pertinent to Shawn’s review that the CPU had been deemed ‘dead’ and that she had an external drive of its files in her purse.
Shawn was busy inspecting the car door and the glass. “Looks like they smashed the window, opened the door, and took the CPU.”
Nothing else in the car was disturbed. The glove box was untouched, and the fifty dollar-bill she had tucked in the center console remained.
“We’ve ha
d a handful of break-ins here and there. Mostly people seeking to get items to sell in order to buy their heroin,” Shawn said. “Though the break-ins don’t usually happen out in broad daylight.”
This surprised both Christina and Gina. They hadn’t expected this challenge in an idyllic setting as Vermont. “I didn’t realize that was a problem here.”
“Lots of families have been impacted,” Jeff replied, “mine included.”
“How is your sister doing, anyway?” Shawn asked, while pulling out a note pad and making out a report.
“Better,” Jeff replied. “She got into some trouble here and there with some bad folks, but she’s better. Got her kids back last month.”
Shawn nodded. “Good to hear. Not everyone has such a supportive family. That makes a lot of difference.”
Shawn ripped a page from his pad and handed the paper to Christina. “Here you go. Your insurance company will want that.”
Christina took the sheet from him and glanced through it. “Is that all?”
“Pretty much,” he replied. “Jim can help you to put something over the hole to keep the rain out for now. There is a glass company a couple towns over that will come around to you to make the repair. I’m not sure if they will do it for car doors – it’s mostly for windshields – but it’s worth a try.”
Christina purposely avoided saying anything about how the computer repair clerk had been able to access some of the files for her. Overall, the response to her car break-in was disappointing. As they stood near the car, Christina felt angrier and more violated with each passing minute. It wasn’t the loss of the computer; it was the damage to her car and the unwelcome element of danger in this rural area. She had assumed such a thing was a rarity, or it at least, thought it was supposed to be rare. Now, not only would she have to deal with the emerging challenges of inheriting the inn, both on a personal and business perspective, but she also had to face the annoyance of organizing the repair and dealing with the insurance company.
