Chapter Four #2
Her uncle Dylan had put one of her suitcases on an ottoman. The other was next to the closet. Holly walked past both of them, then flopped onto the bed.
She closed her eyes and tried to pretend she was home. It was impossible. The smells were too different. For starters, no one ever baked at her house. And the sounds—rather, the lack of them—were strange, too. No cars, or sirens, or rumbling old buses.
She felt odd and disconnected here, but she’d felt that way in their old house too. At least here she didn’t have to face her mother alone all the time. She was getting tired of being so mad at her. But she didn’t know how else to feel.
Slowly she pulled herself up from the bed so she could survey the teddy bears. Her favorite was a caramel-colored bear wearing a tweed cloak and hat in the style worn by Sherlock Holmes. When she’d stayed here at Christmas she’d named him Stanley. Now she pulled him off the shelf.
“Hey, Stanley. Want to work a case with me?” All great detectives had a sidekick. Sherlock had Watson. Poirot had Hastings. She would have Stanley.
The bear stared back at her. She imagined him nodding his approval. Yes. I’d be happy to help.
She pulled her backpack from the floor and dug out the camera her dad had bought for her tenth birthday, after she told him she wanted to be a P.I.
when she grew up. Her mother thought it was a phase, but her dad had taken her seriously.
Now she finally had the chance to prove just how serious she was.
She placed the camera on her bed next to Stanley, then went searching through her suitcases for the spiral-bound notebook her aunt Kelly had given her for Christmas. According to Aunt Kelly all good detectives kept notes on their cases.
Holly opened the book, jotted down the date, then paused to think.
James Strongman had been arrested for the murder of Joe Beckett.
Her family thought James’s father Max was equally culpable. Were they right?
Somehow she was going to find out.
*
Monday morning, after Maureen dropped Holly off at her new school, she went with Cathleen to see the town house for sale. The complex was in a cul-de-sac, backing onto the Whitefish River.
“It’s nice here,” Maureen commented, turning in a full circle.
Tall pines screened the development from the rest of town, and the sound of rushing water was audible from the street.
The morning was sunny, and while the air was still cool, the day held the promise of the summer to come.
The town homes were stained cedar, with generous windows, and each had its own driveway and attached garage, a welcome luxury in the long, cold winters.
Cathleen stood in front of the unit with the For Sale sign pounded into the small, square lawn. “Beth said she could get us inside later this afternoon. I suggested just after three thirty so Holly could come, too.”
“Perfect.” Maureen shoved her hands into the pockets of her fleece jacket.
She’d slept better than she had in months in the down-duvet-covered bed at the B and B, and Poppy had done nothing but make her feel welcome.
Still, she was used to her independence and wanted to get settled in her own home as soon as possible.
Plus, she wanted to free up the bedrooms of the B and B for the hordes of summer guests who would soon flock to the mountain town.
Three doors down, someone came out the front door. Maureen and Cathleen turned together, in time to catch Jake Hartman’s startled expression.
“Well, hello. Did you come to see me? If so, you went to the wrong number.” He had on a thick wool sweater and carried a leather portfolio in one hand. He strolled toward them.
“We were checking out this place that’s for sale,” Cathleen said. She flashed innocent round eyes to her sister. “Did I mention Jake lives in this complex, too?”
“What a coincidence. No, I don’t believe you did.” Maureen placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder and dug her nails in, even as she smiled at her new business partner. “I would’ve pictured you in an isolated rustic cabin up in the mountains.”
“You’ve just given a perfect description of the lodge at Grizzly Peaks. Because I sometimes spend weeks or even months away from home, I need a home base that doesn’t require much in the way of upkeep. These town houses are perfect.”
Of course. She’d forgotten she was dealing with someone who played for a living.
At least he deserved credit for recognizing his limitations.
When she’d become pregnant, Rod had been eager for them to buy a house.
But when it came time to mow the lawn or paint the fence, he was always finding excuses.
Finally she’d had to hire a lawn service.
“I was just on my way to get new brochures printed,” Jake explained. “But if you’d like a quick tour of my place, I believe its floor plan mirrors the town house you’re interested in.”
“How nice of you to offer.” Cathleen sidestepped out from under Maureen’s grip.
“Brochures?” Maureen asked. “Could I look them over?”
Jake’s pleasant expression stiffened slightly. “Sure. If you’d like.”
“Definitely. I have a good eye for graphics. I helped Cathleen with the promotional materials for her B and B. Didn’t I, sis?”
“And did a great job,” Cathleen confirmed.
“I’ll show you the brochures after we go through the house,” Jake said.
Maureen wasn’t so sure she was still interested in the property for sale, now that she knew Jake would be her neighbor. Sneaky Cathleen, not mentioning a word… But there was no way to turn down his offer without sounding churlish.
All three of them removed their shoes in the foyer. Maureen noted the generous front closet, then followed Jake to the main sitting area. Of course there would have to be a gorgeous slate fireplace.
“Is this an upgrade?” she asked, running a hand down the rough, gray-speckled stones.
“No. All the units have them.”
Damn.
“Come see the kitchen.”
The cabinets were light maple, the countertops pale blue concrete. “I guess this must be hard to keep clean.”
“Not really.” Jake smiled. “A little soapy water and a dishcloth does the trick. Want to have a look at the bedrooms? They’re both upstairs and each has its own walk-in closet and bathroom.”
Just as Maureen had her foot on the first tread, she heard her sister say, “You two go ahead. I need to make a phone call.”
Maureen gritted her teeth. If Cathleen had to matchmake, she could at least try to be subtle.
“No problem.” Jake was already halfway up the stairs.
As she followed, Maureen tried not to notice the snug fit of his jeans, the narrow line of his hips and legs.
The hall at the top of the landing was small, but the bedrooms were all that Jake had promised and more. Good-sized rooms with big closets and updated bathrooms.
“Sorry it’s a bit of a mess.” Jake’s king-size bed drew her glance.
The comforter had been pulled up in an attempt at neatness, but the lumps and bumps suggested his pillows and sheets were not exactly where they were supposed to be.
Maureen had a flash of two naked bodies, dim lights, soft music in the background…
Lord, what was she doing? Focus on the rest of the room, woman! Look at those clothes strewn on the floor. Doesn’t that remind you of Rod? You were always picking up after him…
“There’s a view of the river.” Jake opened the blinds to show her. “At night you can hear it.”
Maureen crossed to the window, unable to believe how perfect everything was. It would be nice to be lulled to sleep by the murmurs of the river every night.
Next she checked out the second bedroom. It was pretty much perfect, but she needed to point out some flaw or how to explain why she wasn’t making an offer.
“It’s smaller than the room Holly had at our old place. And I’d need to get built-in bookshelves installed. She has a huge collection of mystery and true-crime novels.”
Jake tapped one of the walls. “Those would be easy to install. In fact Dylan and I could do the job for you.”
Maureen was taken aback by the offer. Was he just being nice because she was his new partner?
Back downstairs, Maureen found a note from Cathleen on the table. Figured you guys would have business to talk over, so I’ve driven to Kelly’s for coffee. Meet me there.
“She’s gone.” Maureen waved the note in the air, then scrunched it into her pocket.
“Those newlyweds are the worst aren’t they?” Jake grinned, making it clear that he’d recognized Cathleen’s attempts at matchmaking too.
Maureen groaned and sank into one of the kitchen chairs.
“I’m the eldest. I’m supposed to be the bossy one.
But ever since Rod’s accident, my sisters have treated me like the baby in the family.
First they pressured me into returning to Whitefish.
Now they want you and me to practically move in together. ”
“Moving in might be a little hasty, but would three doors down be so bad?” Jake settled in the chair opposite hers, folding his hands on the table and leaning in close.
Years and the weather had etched lines into Jake’s skin. Yet this made him no less attractive. Although she guessed he was nearly forty, his hair was still unmarred by gray, and his blue eyes were a startling shade, much lighter than her own.
In the curve of his mouth and the directness of his gaze, she saw honesty, humor and just a touch of wariness, as if he hadn’t quite made his mind up about her, either. Well, that was good. She’d lent him quite a bit of money. Keeping him on his toes was wise.
“Let’s see that brochure.”
Jake blinked and sat taller in his chair. “Sure.” He opened his leather portfolio and slid out the prototype for their main advertising pamphlet. “It’s basically the same as my previous one, only updated with the improvements we’re making this summer. Plus, you’re listed as a member of the board.”
Maureen reached for the buff paper feeling disappointed. She’d expected lots of gloss and color. But this was a very plain product. The front cover bore the title “Grizzly Peaks.” Below that was a black-and-white photo of a solitary skier in a mass of virgin snow.
She could see the brochure’s appeal; it had a certain understated style. But would it attract attention sitting on a rack of similar brochures, all vying for the eyes of the winter tourists?
“Well?” Jake prompted.
“Two points concern me right now. First, if I hadn’t happened by this morning, you would’ve had these printed without running them by me first. I’m not sure that’s a very good start for our partnership.”
She suspected she’d annoyed him, but when he replied, his voice was calm. “I hadn’t counted on you being involved in the day-to-day decisions.”
“Really? I don’t remember any limitations on my involvement in our partnership agreement. But back to the brochure… It lacks the visual punch it needs to stand out from the racks of brochures.”
“I did that on purpose. When you print on recycled paper, you send out a message about the environment. All my booklets, cards and stationery are on this type of paper.”
“Okay, I can concede that point. But I still believe we could do a more effective sales job with our copy. Frankly, we could use a good slogan. Something to pique the readers’ interest the moment they pick up the brochure.”
“I suppose…”
“Plus, the information and fee structures in here are all geared to the individual. Have you thought of trying to appeal to families? Or even couples looking for a different, yet romantic, getaway…?” An idea hit.
A good one. “Say, we could even offer a wedding service, a full-package deal. I’ll bet there are people who’d love to get married on a pristine mountaintop. What do you think?”
“I don’t know.” Jake drummed his fingers on the kitchen table. “Interesting idea, I suppose, but have you considered the difficulties? Flowers, for instance. Flying flowers up the mountain would be damned expensive.”
“Jake, it almost seems as if you’re not interested in my ideas.”
“Well, of course I am.”
He put a hand to his face. Was he covering a smile?
“I just didn’t expect you to have so many of them.”