Chapter 23
Miss Eleanor called Gavin early the next morning and asked him to meet her at Coastal Coffee. When he walked in, he quickly scanned the room to make sure Tori—no, he had to remember to call her Victoria now—wasn’t there.
No sign of her. Good.
He headed over to Miss Eleanor’s table and sat down. She motioned to the steaming cup of coffee already sitting on the table waiting for him. “Ordered that for you.”
He nodded and took a sip.
“So, what did Miss Duran say when you talked to her?”
He stared down at his coffee, unwilling to meet her gaze. “I didn’t talk to her.”
“I thought you said you would,” she said sharply.
“I was headed over to talk to her and then…” He paused and looked at Miss Eleanor. “I saw her talking to Cliff. They were deep in conversation.”
“Whatever for?”
“I’m not totally certain…” Did he dare tell her his speculations? Though the words he’d heard had been fairly clear.
“Spill it. I can see from the look on your face you know something.”
“I’m wondering if she and Cliff have some kind of deal. If she bought it only to sell it to Cliff. I heard them talking about an offer.”
“She wouldn’t,” Eleanor insisted, then her frown deepened and doubt crept across her features. “I mean, she had to restore it back to how it was… but then, I guess she could sell to whoever she wanted to. I just didn’t think someone would put that much money into it if they weren’t going to keep it open.”
“I wouldn’t think so either. Unless Cliff made her an offer she can’t refuse. And I don’t know if this might have been her plan all along. Or maybe Cliff took advantage of her… ah… situation now and he’s making her an offer. Either way, I’m afraid the town might lose the theater.”
“That can’t happen.” Miss Eleanor insisted by double-tapping the table.
“I don’t know how we can stop her if that’s her plan.”
“I’ll buy it back.” Miss Eleanor bobbed her head emphatically, her wispy white hair bouncing with determination.
“Unless Cliff has the money to outbid you.” Grim thoughts clung to his mind as he thought of the deep pockets Cliff seemed to possess these days. First the land at the end of the boardwalk. Now this.
She scowled. “That son of mine is always causing trouble. I’ll talk to my lawyer and make an offer to her. See if I can stop all this.”
He nodded. “I hope we can. It would be a shame to have it restored, have a grand opening, only to close again.”
“I can just see Cliff converting it into a modern bistro or something equally frivolous. We need the theater.”
“We do. And I’m sorry I didn’t see this coming. I thought I knew Tori—Victoria—but obviously, I didn’t.”
“None of us did.”