Lavender and Larceny (Treehouse Hotel Mysteries Book 6)

by Sue Hollowell

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Paul and I settled into a booth at the Smokehouse Restaurant. This remained one of the only eating places in town that you could take someone on a date. At least a date where you sat inside and not in your car. The hostess had provided us with water and menus. I took a sip from my glass and peered at Paul over the rim as he perused the menu. That dude really was a looker. His eyes met mine, and I quickly lowered my glass, pretending like I wasn’t staring at him. He smiled and returned his gaze to his menu.

  “Well, hello you two.” I jumped as my sister Joey approached our table from behind. “Mom told me to expect you.” She placed two more coasters on the table and set cocktails on them.

  I looked up at her. “We didn’t order those.” I glanced at Paul and raised my eyebrows.

  “Nah, but they do look good. What are they?” he said to Joey.

  “They’re from Mom,” Joey said. “When she called to tell me you were coming, she bought a round of drinks for you to celebrate. What are you celebrating?”

  “Argh! That woman. She’s so pushy. Nothing, Joey. It’s just a date,” I said and picked up my menu, hoping to end this line of questioning.

  “Just a date?” Paul laughed.

  I sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. She just can’t help her meddling. We’re two grown adults. I think we can handle our relationship ourselves.” I returned my attention to the menu.

  “So now we have a relationship?” Paul teased.

  I glared at him over the menu. He held up his hands. “OK, OK.” He looked at Joey. “Can you give us a minute?”

  “Of course. Just let me know when you’re ready.” Joey eyeballed me, but I kept my nose in the menu. There weren’t many people here on a weeknight, so there was little chatter, but the background music soothed my raw nerves.

  Paul reached a hand across the table and held my wrist. “I’m sorry to tease. I know Mabel’s pushiness annoys you. I didn’t grow up with it, so it doesn’t land the same for me.”

  I lowered my menu. “Thank you.”

  “And we will take whatever we have at a pace that’s good for you.” His smile melted me. That guy fit right into our family. “Just know that I like you. And I’ll be patient.”

  I laughed. “Well, you’ve already won over my mom, which is no small feat.” His hand was still on my wrist. His work-worn, calloused touch warmed my arm.

  “Looks like you two have made up.” Joey again startled me with her appearance. “So what can I get you for dinner?”

  “Mom didn’t order that for us too?” Neither Paul nor Joey said a word, unsure if I was serious. “I’m just kidding. Lighten up, you two.”

  We handed Joey our menus and placed our orders. The perils of a small town. You couldn’t go anywhere to get privacy. Since I had returned to Cedarbrook to help Mom run the hotel, my life was an open book. And Mom was trying her best to write the next chapter. I took a sip of the cocktail and closed my eyes as the cool liquid refreshed me. “Mmm, that is good.” I took another swig. Forgetting my manners, I held my drink over the table. “Cheers.”

  Paul picked up his glass and we clinked. “Cheers to a beautiful future. Whatever that may be.”

  He could certainly extricate himself out of a sticky situation.

  “I’m glad you agreed to dinner. With everything you have going on, I felt like you could use a break.”

  His kindness just continued to pile up. “Thank you. It has been rough. I mean, the festival itself actually went really well. We had about double the number of customers we projected. But my heart is heavy for both Zoe and Caroline.”

  He reached over the table and took my hand. “I’m sorry about that. If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”

  I turned my hand over and interlaced my fingers with his. That little display of affection warmed my heart—and my face. How had I reverted to a teenage girl, blushing at every touch?

  “I know it will work out. Not being able to see the path forward right now is stressful.”

  “Let’s change the subject.” He paused, looking for my response. “I just hope I don’t step in it with this topic.”

  Where was he going with this? And what could be so precarious to discuss? We already covered relationships, murder, business troubles. I didn’t say a word.

  “When your brother’s family visited, there was some talk about opening up the old Murano’s restaurant building for a Carson family restaurant. Is that actually going to be a thing?”

  Well, this guy was as bold as my mom, diving into areas headfirst. I guess that was one way to find out what was going on. Mom had suggested Harrison and family return to Cedarbrook and we all go into business together with a restaurant. With Harrison’s cooking skills, Joey as a hostess/waitress, Zoe providing farm-to-table food, and my newfound business sense, she said it was a perfect fit. Well, she didn’t so much suggest as much as she commanded. Harrison rightly didn’t get Mom’s hopes up. But on a communication back channel, he told me it was a distinct possibility.

  I gripped Paul’s hand tight and released. “You have to promise not to say a word to my mom.”

  He nodded.

  “I’m serious. None of this can be leaked. Because if it doesn’t happen, she will be devastated.”

  Paul made an X over his heart.

  “OK. Harrison and I have been researching behind the scenes to see what it would take to own the Murano building. He’s so excited that he would finally be a head chef. I’m trying to be the rational one so that we think it through from every angle before plunging in.”

  “That’s huge,” Paul said.

  “What’s huge?” Joey had arrived with two steaming plates of food. That woman had to quit sneaking up on me. “Here you go, lovebirds.” She giggled and left us to our meal.

  “Yes. I’m actually really excited but terrified at the same time. For so many reasons. Mom and me running the hotel together is one thing. But going into business with the entire family? Is that insane?”

  Paul grabbed a fork, ready to dig in to the pile of pasta. “And you know I’m ready to help if you need re-modeling.”

  That was a given. His work was so good. The hotel expansion was an enormous project. But Paul and his crew made it as drama-free as possible.

  I picked up my fork and pointed it at him. “Not a word. Sometimes you don’t have a good poker face. You’ll have to work on that.”

  “Maybe you can teach me.” Paul laughed. He made it so comfortable to be with him. This was definitely going somewhere.

  I joined the joviality. It felt so good to release the tension, if only for a bit. In my deepest heart, I felt Caroline would come out OK with her business. It might look completely different, but somehow she would survive. Zoe? I wasn’t so sure. Her empathy for others was legendary. And the care and concern she had for Miles ran deep. Either way this came out for him, he had still lost a brother. I only hoped for both of their sakes that he didn’t have anything to do with it. But the mounting evidence said otherwise.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The return trip to Zoe’s farm left me with a large, unhappy pit in my stomach. I expected after the police investigated that the scene would be mostly returned to its normal look. For Zoe’s sake, I hoped so. But realistically, until we had answers, there was no normal. Max and I turned into the driveway and headed to the barn. Zoe was nowhere in sight. The barn door was open, and the tractor and trailer were missing. Physical labor was a great way to work out the stresses. Typically, that left Zoe in a perpetual state of Zen. But with recent events, it was going to take a lot of harvesting to overcome that level of angst.

  I parked the car and we hopped out in search of Zoe. I cupped my hand to my ear and heard the sound of chopping coming from the other side of the field. Max and I began our trek in search of my sister. So that I minimized startling her, I called out well before we arrived at her location. Thankfully, she responded and we finished our hike to meet her.

  She must ha
ve been working here for a while because the trailer was about half full of lavender stalks. I couldn’t get over the wonderful fragrance. That itself went a long way toward achieving calmness.

  I moved straight to her, and without a word, wrapped her in a tight hug. Max joined us, never one to miss out on comforting his humans. I held her at arm’s length and looked into her eyes. She began tearing up, and I pulled her close again. I rubbed her back and said, “Tell me what you need.”

  Her shoulders rose and fell, her breath escaping her lips. “I don’t even know, Chloe. I just need to be out here doing this for a while.” She plopped down on the back of the trailer and dropped her tools to the side.

  I took a seat next to her, gazing at the acres of lavender, soaking in the peace. I needed to take Zoe up on her offer more often to escape to the farm and rejuvenate. She grabbed my hand and patted it. “Have you gotten any updates? I almost don’t want to know.”

  I hadn’t. I wanted this solved for her sake. But if the outcome meant Miles went to jail, that would be tough for her to swallow. I shook my head. “Not yet. I’m going to see Buzz at some point and poke my nose in.” Buzz was my friend from way back and our town’s retired cop—although he seemed to go out on more calls now than when he was still on the job. I guess you could take the guy out of the force, but not the force out of the guy.

  “Well, I guess it’s better to know. I can’t hide in the field forever,” she said and bowed her head. “I really need Eldon here. But I know he needs to be taking care of his mom right now.”

  I was so glad to hear her begin to turn thoughts to a resolution. I carefully treaded with my next comment. “Zoe?”

  She turned and looked at me, snapping out of her daze. “Yes?”

  I stood and looked at her. “Would you be up for a walk through the fields? I’m just wanting to see if there’s something that occurs to me as we look at the area now that a few days have passed.”

  She shrugged. “I guess that would be OK. Maybe it would help me process it further.”

  Progress. I wouldn’t push her on it, but I agreed. “We’ll only go as far as you want. Just let me know.”

  Zoe stood and Max sprung up, ready for action. He looked back and forth between Zoe and me. That garnered him a chuckle from her. That’s my boy!

  We silently began our route back to the driveway to follow the path I thought Oliver and his killer may have taken to the field. We reached the driveway, and I stopped to check in on Zoe. “You OK?”

  She looked off toward our intended direction. Firmly, she said, “Yes. Let’s do this.”

  We continued walking into the field, Max way out front, nose to the ground as if on a hunt. He darted in and out of the lavender stalks as he led us further.

  “Chloe, I’ve been scratching my head, trying to picture Miles doing this. Maybe it’s my brain protecting me from the unthinkable, but I’m convinced he is innocent.” Her voice cracked. “Please help solve this for his sake. He’s already lost his brother. To go to jail for something he didn’t . . .” She sniffled.

  “I’m confident in the Emerald Hills Police Department. But I hear what you’re saying.” It was what she wasn’t saying that got me curious. Zoe was withholding something. “Zoe? What is it?”

  Max was so far ahead of us that I couldn’t see him anymore. That boy should be wearing a badge himself, as good of a detective as he was. Up to the far right, stalks swayed and rustled. The crime scene loomed large in front of us, near where I assumed Max was exploring. I slowed down to gauge Zoe’s demeanor and whether she could handle a return visit.

  “I’m OK,” she volunteered. No matter how long we sisters were apart, that unspoken bond and communication never left. She stopped and turned toward me. I thought this might be the end of the line. “Chloe, I need to tell you something. But please keep it between us.”

  How could I promise that? If what she had to say was germane to the murder, I would have to disclose it. I would take that chance. “OK.”

  She resumed our walk. “A while back, Miles confided in me that he had been stealing lavender. He had done so from a place I hardly ever went, so I didn’t notice it.”

  I inhaled a gasp so that I wouldn’t disrupt her story. But this was a big development.

  “He told me that Oliver had bullied him into it, saying that if he didn’t steal, Oliver would kick him out of the house. And he had nowhere else to go.”

  “Zoe,” I said.

  “I know. Don’t say it. I shouldn’t trust him, but I do. He seemed so sincere when he told me, like the guilt was eating him up inside. And knowing Oliver, I wouldn’t doubt a bit of it. I was trying to find a way to help him when all of this happened.”

  Oh, my kind-hearted sister. The one who always brought home friends and animals in need of care. I was surprised she hadn’t set up a stray animal shelter on her property.

  “How about this: I’ll promise to let the investigation proceed a bit before I say anything,” I said. We stopped in the middle of the path, hugged, and quietly continued our way further into the lavender.

  Max rustled directly off to our right, very close to where Oliver’s body had been found. With perfect timing he exploded from the stalks and raced toward us. He looked up at me, his mouth clenched, his stubby tail spinning like a helicopter. I pointed to the ground. “Drop it.”

  He nodded and carefully placed a cuff link at my feet. I picked up the drool-covered piece of jewelry and turned it over. I held it out to Zoe. “I can’t imagine Miles wore these. Do you think it belongs to Oliver?”

  She gasped and grabbed my free hand. “Maybe. Or . . .”

  I reached down and gave Max a congratulatory scratch. More treats for you later, buddy. He turned and began leading us back toward the barn.

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. But this might just be the break we’ve been hoping for. I’ll get this over to Emerald Hills PD, and we’ll see from there.” I pulled a tissue from my pocket and wrapped the cuff link inside.

  Zoe sped up and skipped a couple of steps. I really wanted this find to be skip-worthy myself. I wouldn’t let my thoughts go any other place for the time being.

  CHAPTER TEN

  It felt like eons since Max and I had been able to snuggle up on the loveseat in the Buttercup Bungalow. I gathered our supplies and headed to the cozy corner of the treehouse. With my huckleberry vodka cocktail, Max’s gingersnaps, and our puzzle book, we settled into the pale yellow couch. I grabbed my pen, because we were serious about our puzzles. No pencils for us!

  I opened the book to the beginner section of crosswords. Up to this point, Max and I had only worked on number puzzles. He would quickly discern the patterns and be able to solve them—almost better than I could. We had never worked a word puzzle; although we had played Bingo at the community fundraiser for the high school seniors. That was as close to words puzzles as Max had been. It hadn’t taken him long to catch on to the rules of the game, and even to win a round. Always on the lookout for suspicious activity, it didn’t get by him that the people running the tournament were also up to something. But that was another story for another day.

  I showed Max the first puzzle. He tipped his head and eyed me with a quizzical look. “I know. It’s not numbers. But you’re getting so good at those, I wanted to challenge you.”

  Max shook his head. I laughed. My boy knew just what he wanted and went for it. He had mastered the sudoku and KenKen puzzles with ease.

  “Let’s just give it a try. You might like it.” I showed him the book. He studied it for quite a while, long enough that I thought I had him convinced. He looked at me again and shook his head. His brown eyes widened, his jowls and ears drooped, totally laying it on thick.

  “You’re stubborn. But I get it. Stick with what you know. I’m confident you’ll nail this in no time. We’ll just try a few.”

  Max placed his paw on my arm. Alright, game on.

  I looked back at the book. “The first puzzle is types of desserts
. You can do this.”

  He lifted his chin and smiled, showing his top row of teeth.

  “OK. First word. The clue is round and flat. Seven letters.” I waited. I knew he would eventually get this.

  Max sneezed. I assumed more so because of his viewpoint on the puzzle than because of dust tickling his nose.

  “First letter is C.” I placed the letter in the first box and pointed to the remaining six boxes for the word. “You love these.”

  His grin returned and his eyebrows raised. He stood and reached to retrieve a cookie from the side table. He munched down and circled back to his spot near my right arm.

  I laughed. “I’ll take it. Great job for your first clue.”

  His tail thumped. We continued through the small puzzle, me nudging Max with clues. All in all, he did very well for his first crossword puzzle. I had no doubt he would nail this in no time.

  Time with my boy and a puzzle in our treehouse was just what I needed. I already felt rejuvenated.

  “Alright, buddy. You cracked that code. Now another puzzle we need to solve. Who killed Oliver?”

  Max stood and barked. He knew more than I did, but now I needed to catch up to him. I reached and petted him, confirming I would put my mind to resolving the clues. I got another notebook from the side table to make notes.

  “OK. Let’s start with Oliver.” I drew a circle in the middle of the page. “Next we have Miles.” I drew another circle with his name in it and connected it to the circle around Oliver. On the line I wrote brothers. On a separate page, I began to make a list of what we knew about the two of them. Zoe had provided a lot of insight into the current state of their relationship. There certainly was a motive there with Oliver bullying Miles. But not everyone who was bullied committed murder. And Miles’s personality seemed very mild-mannered. With Zoe’s vouching for him, it didn’t seem likely. But we didn’t know enough to rule him out.