Cranberry Bluff (12 page)

Sadie was the first to arrive at breakfast in the morning, gussied up in an ankle-length lilac skirt and purple tunic with rhinestones on the sleeves. A white velour band with matching rhinestones stretched across her forehead. She poured a mug of coffee at the side buffet and took a seat at the table as Molly entered the room.

“I approve of the flower arrangement, Molly – it matches my outfit. I’ve always loved purple and white together. And snapdragons with carnations – what a sweet mix!” Sadie added creamer to her coffee and watched Molly place a basket of lemon-poppy muffins at one end of the table and a tray of cranberry nut bread at the other. She grabbed a muffin immediately. “These are still warm – how divine! I may have to eat them all myself.”

“That’s one advantage of being the first one to breakfast.” Molly smiled, but her voice lacked the enthusiasm of someone wide awake.

“Are you feeling ok, dear?” Sadie asked.

Before Molly could answer, Bryce arrived. His khaki slacks and blue button-down shirt gave him a business-like appearance. His hair was still damp from a morning shower. A scent of pine and spice followed him into the room.

“Good morning, Bryce,” Sadie said. “I was just asking Molly if she was feeling OK.” She turned her attention back to Molly. “Are you, dear?”

Bryce answered for her. “I imagine it can be a handful taking care of a group of guests.”

“Yes, it can be,” Molly answered, looking at Bryce with a pointed expression. “But I love it,” she added quickly, directing the additional comment toward Sadie. “And I feel fine, don’t worry. I’m just a bit tired.”

Sadie reached for a basket of muffins and handed them to Bryce.

“Try one, they’re delicious!”

“Gladly.” Bryce reached into the basket and took a muffin, placing it on a bread plate.

“You must get up very early to bake these,” Sadie said to Molly before turning back to Bryce. “Put some raspberry jam on that.” She waved her hand in the direction of a bowl of preserves. “It’s a perfect blend of flavors, the lemon and raspberry.”

“Did someone say raspberries?” Susie sashayed into the room, her ponytail as bouncy as the ruffled skirt she wore. Firm, tan legs stretched from the skirt’s hem down to a pair of tan flats. Sadie guessed she’d been a high school cheerleader, maybe even homecoming queen. Susie was exactly the kind of girl she’d envied in school.

“Raspberry jam, not raspberries,” Sadie said, “but just as delicious. You must try some on these muffins – wonderful!”

“Good morning, Susie,” Bryce said. Sadie studied the expression on Susie’s face. She didn’t seem overjoyed to see him. Perhaps she’d thought she could slide in and out for breakfast before he arrived, just as she’d done the day before.

“Where is that lucky fellow,” Bryce continued, “the new husband?”

“Right behind me,” Susie said, just as Dan stepped into the room.

“Dan, you know Sadie from yesterday morning,” Susie said. “But you haven’t met Bryce.” She turned what seemed like an exaggerated smile toward Bryce.

“Bryce, this is my husband, Dan.”

Bryce leaned forward, extending his hand toward Dan. “Pleased to meet you,” he said. Dan returned the handshake politely.

Watching the interaction, Sadie felt certain that Bryce and Dan were meeting for the first time. But Bryce and Susie’s reactions to each other still seemed more familiar than new acquaintances.

Molly brought a pitcher of fresh-squeezed juice from the kitchen and set it in the middle of the table, a bowl of cranberry applesauce along with it. “You must have all coordinated your breakfast times,” Molly said, a light tilt to her voice.

Susie laughed. “Not really!” She chose the seat next to Bryce. Dan sat on her other side. “Just a coincidence. There are so many unexpected coincidences in life.” She turned toward Bryce and smiled. “Don’t you think?”

“Absolutely,” Bryce countered. His smile was less forced than Susie’s. If the two were playing a cat and mouse game, he was winning. Dan seemed oblivious. He stood, reached for the pitcher of juice and poured two glasses.

Molly, on the other hand, had paused at Susie’s comment about coincidence. Sadie was growing more and more convinced that there were several scenarios playing out at the table. The trick was to figure out what they were.

“Everyone OK with French toast?” Molly asked.

“Sounds delicious!” Sadie exclaimed. “And we have everyone here…no, that’s wrong. You have one more guest staying here – the quiet man from yesterday morning.”

“Mr. Miller,” Susie said. “Charlie Miller.”

“You have a good memory, dear,” Sadie said. “I hardly remembered that Mr. Miller
had
a first name.”

“I have a better memory than you think,” Susie replied. The odd comment was as strange and out of place as Susie’s glance toward Bryce.

“Memory can be faulty, you know,” Bryce said. “I backpacked in Europe, back in college one summer. It was all the rage, you know?”

He paused to smile at Sadie, who nodded, remembering doing the same thing, although years before Bryce.

“I remember it fondly now,” Bryce continued, “perhaps from the viewpoint of missing the ‘good old days.’ But the reality was that the trip wasn’t all that glamorous – finding a hostel for the night, counting change to pick up soup or bread at a corner café. I don’t think I had a warm enough jacket – things like that.”

“Oh, yes,” Sadie jumped in. “I did the same thing. Got stuck in the rain one night in Belgium when I missed a bus, had to walk three miles to get back to the hostel. But, like you said, I remember that time as being wonderful.”

“My point being…” Bryce paused to sip his coffee. “…that what we remember isn’t the complete picture. Our memory holds onto what it wants to and discards the rest.”

“Meaning what, exactly,” Susie asked. Sadie thought her voice a bit sharp.

“Meaning the past redefines itself over time,” Bryce said. “What we remember isn’t always accurate.”

Molly brought two plates of French toast from the kitchen. Fresh raspberries and powdered sugar dusted the hot entrée. A serving of scrambled eggs accompanied the dish. She set the plates in front of Sadie and Susie and returned to the kitchen, bringing two more servings out for Bryce and Dan.

“Butter and syrup are in the middle of the table,” Molly said.

“The sweeter the better,” Bryce said. He reached for the syrup immediately, offering it first to Sadie and then to Susie.

Sadie didn’t miss the smile he flashed Molly. Neither did she miss Susie’s frown. Or the look that Dan sent to Susie. It was like watching a chain of dominoes.

“Isn’t Mr. Miller joining us this morning?” Dan asked.

“He called down to say he’d be skipping breakfast,” Molly said. She picked up the breadbasket and headed to the kitchen to refill it with muffins.

“But how could anyone resist this French toast?” Sadie was in heaven, already three bites into the serving. “I might need some of your recipes if they’re not secret.”

“No problem,” Molly laughed as she called over her shoulder. “You’ll get a recipe book full of Cranberry Cottage favorites when you check out. And a few dishes from Eleanor’s, too. There aren’t any recipe secrets around here.”

Sadie was sure she heard Dan whisper to Susie, “Just other kinds.” Susie shot him a warning look before switching back to her usual sweet smile and looking at Bryce. Sadie focused on a dripping forkful of French toast and syrup. What on earth was going on between the three guests?

“Any plans for shopping today?” Sadie directed the question to Susie, hoping to break the tension in the room.

“Maybe that shoe store a couple streets up,” Susie said. “I saw some great boots in the front window – ankle height with three buckles up the side.”

“Yes!” Sadie exclaimed. “I saw those, too. They have them in three colors – black, tan and charcoal.”

“I’d love a pair of the black…no, make that tan. They’re soft and would go with pale colors,” Susie said. “Like a camelhair coat in a snow storm, don’t you think? Sort of Dr. Zhivago-ish?”

Bryce cleared his throat and took another bite of French toast.

“I have no interest in shopping, do you, Bryce?” Dan said.

“None whatsoever,” Bryce said. “A woman’s hobby, I think.”

“Now, now, you seem like a liberated type,” Sadie laughed. “I bet you said that to tease us.”

“Yes, I certainly did,” Bryce said, though he winked at Dan, who ignored him and took a last bite of breakfast, clearly finding Bryce’s gesture annoying. In fact, he seemed to find everything about Bryce annoying.

“Are you done, sweetheart?” Susie set down her fork as she spoke. She looked at Dan brightly. It was clear that Susie expected Dan to be finished when she was.

“Yes, dear,” Dan replied. He stood, pushed his chair in and pulled Susie to her feet. Susie’s smile faltered briefly as Dan slipped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close against him.

“Maybe some shops later?” Sadie said. “We could hit that shoe store, if you want.”

“Sounds great.” Susie said a polite goodbye to Bryce and thanked Molly for breakfast. Hand in hand, the couple left the room to return to the barn suite.

Sadie reached for the tray of cranberry nut bread and offered it to Bryce. He waved it away, indicating that he was full.

“It’s none of my business, of course,” Sadie said, “but those two seem mismatched to me. He’s a quiet sort of guy and she’s more…adventurous is the best description, I think – outgoing, alive.”

Bryce smiled, but didn’t respond. Molly circled the table, refilling both Sadie and Bryce’s coffee mugs and removing the plates that Susie and Dan had left.

“Well, young love, new love, what can I say,” Sadie sighed. “Those days are long gone for me. I can barely remember that far back.”

“Now, Sadie,” Bryce said. “It hasn’t been
that
many years. And, besides, I bet you can remember plenty about those times.”

“Aren’t you full of flattery,” Sadie said. “But, you’re right, I do remember those days. Seems they weren’t that long ago, though I know they were.”

“What is one favorite memory, Sadie?” Bryce sat back in his chair, his right hand curled around his coffee mug.

Sadie waited while Molly removed their plates and then leaned back with her coffee, thinking over her answer.

“How far back do you want me to go?”

“As far as you want,” Bryce said.

“Now that you have me thinking about it, I don’t have to go back all that far,” Sadie said. “I have many wonderful memories of times with my late husband, Morris. But one that stands out is a charity dance we attended in San Francisco. It wasn’t long before he died. He called me one day – from another room in our house, mind you – and asked me out on a date. Those were his exact words. ‘Will you go out on a date with me tonight?’ It was a cool evening and I wore a green velvet dress that I hadn’t worn in years. He greeted me at the front door with a wrist corsage, and we went out to dinner and then danced. There was a marvelous band playing our favorite swing music from the forties.”

“It sounds wonderful,” Bryce said.

“Yes, it was.” Sadie grew quiet, wrapped up in reliving the memory. “We didn’t know at that time that he’d be gone soon. At least I didn’t. He was always quiet about doctor visits. He had that live day-to-day philosophy. In any case, it was an enchanting evening, one that I’ll never forget.”

Sadie stood and set her coffee mug on the table, the rhinestones on her sleeves sparkling as the sunlight streamed through the window.

“Thank you for inspiring me to think about it again.”

“You’re welcome,” Bryce said, also standing up. “Memories are good to have.”

“I imagine you have a few, too,” Sadie smiled.

“Just a few,” Bryce said. “Some are good; some I don’t care to recall.”

“I think we all have a few of those,” Sadie said.

“Yes, I imagine you’re right about that,” Bryce replied.

Susie ran the silk scarf through her fingers, enjoying its soft, cool surface. Its deep blue and green ran together like a forest stream. It was one of several great finds in the last boutique that she’d wandered into while shopping with Sadie. Maybe the town wasn’t as boring as she thought. The people were so trusting. It was easy to have an entertaining shoplifting spree.

Patting the side of her shoulder bag, she mentally counted up the day’s take so far. The silver bracelet had been so easy it was almost embarrassing. Trying it on and rolling it under her cuff was a tried and true technique. Earrings were always simple to pocket and, with the shop clerk gabbing on her cell phone all the time, Susie had managed to stash four pair in one of her front pockets. The scarf would be a wonderful match to the cashmere sweater she had on under the baggy one she’d worn in. But she knew better than to push her luck. She went to the counter and paid for the scarf. No sense getting caught at something as minor as a hobby. She had yet to accomplish her intended goal, the reason she’d come to Cranberry Cove.

Susie alternated between conversation with Sadie and wandering along clothing racks and jewelry displays. Money wasn’t a problem. She had a good amount of savings and could drop a few hundred dollars on any given shopping spree. But where was the fun in that? Anyone could walk up to a counter and buy things. It took talent to shop without spending money. And risk and danger and challenge – all varieties of her favorite drug: adrenalin.

This brought her back to her main purpose. She needed to find the money that Molly had hidden. There was no question in her mind that Molly had it. How the police had managed to miss it when they let her go was a puzzle. She obviously wasn’t a pro, but just someone who was in the right place to take advantage of an opportunity. Quiet office girl, indeed. That hadn’t fooled her, even following the news broadcasts with the security camera footage. Just as the reserved bed and breakfast owner image didn’t fool her now. Looks could be deceiving.

Making excuses that she wasn’t feeling well – that raspberry French toast had been SO rich – she left Sadie to shop on her own and returned to the inn. Molly would be out running errands, if she kept to her apparent afternoon routine. Bryce might be at the inn, unless he was out tracking Molly – whether to prove her guilty, prove her innocent or just to flirt with her.

The last thought steamed her. She’d never wanted a permanent relationship. It would only get in the way of her career. But she also didn’t like men walking away, especially after they wined and dined her on Russian caviar and champagne. That was just insulting to someone who liked to call the shots herself. Wasn’t it fate that they’d ended up on the same assignment again? It should have been a chance to take up where they left off, even for just a few days – or nights. Instead she had a mousy innkeeper standing in her way.

That restaurant called Ocean, where she’d made Dan take her the night before, would be a perfect place for a romantic night out with Bryce. Certainly better than the blasé evening she’d suffered through with Dan. She had to admit the crab cake appetizer with truffle oil was scrumptious. But having to tolerate Dan’s chatter and fawning over her for an entire meal was a high price to pay for fine cuisine, no matter how delicious. She reminded herself, not for the first time, to turn down jobs from him in the future. This trip was an exception, one she’d only agreed to because it brought her to Molly on his dime. It was a perfect cover for her real motives, giving her an excuse to be in Cranberry Cove, searching the inn.

But that was enough of her meandering thoughts. She needed to focus. As she walked up the side pathway to the barn suite, she pulled her thoughts back on track.

Dan wasn’t in the suite, much to her relief. A note on the coffee table from him was even more reassuring. He’d gone up to the nearest big town and wouldn’t be back for a couple hours. Susie smiled to herself. Dan was rarely focused. His habit of heading off on tangents could be annoying, but this time it worked to her advantage. Everyone except Bryce was away from the inn, as far as she knew. With the exception of the second floor, where Bryce’s room was located, she could search for the money. The creaky stairs would warn her if he started down to the entryway. Besides, what was it he was doing? Pretending to be a novelist? He would probably hole up in his room for hours.

The barn suite was a dead end, she already knew. She’d searched every inch of it, rummaging through each room when Dan was out of the way. The inn itself was the place to look. And now was the perfect opportunity.

Susie slipped around the back of the main building, entering through the kitchen. Bryce’s room was at the front of the inn, looking out at the ocean. If he was there, he would have been able to see her walk up to the front porch. The door to the kitchen allowed her to enter unseen.

Nice to flaunt his money like that
, she thought. He picked the deluxe, oversized, ocean-view accommodation. That was one thing that attracted her to him, the fact that money was no object. He could just as easily have taken a smaller room. After all, he was traveling alone. But he did like the finer things in life. Exactly the kind of man she admired.

The kitchen was dark. One window over the sink let light in, but it was small. A side window was even smaller. A four-paned window in the door let in a bit more light, but not much.

Susie searched the kitchen quickly, not knowing how long Molly would be gone. Of all the rooms, it was probably the hardest one to justify being in. Just in case, she had an excuse prepared. Not that saying she needed a vase for flowers would do much good if Molly caught her in a utensil drawer, which is where she started.

Drawer by drawer, she inspected the insides quickly. There were no envelopes or hidden panels. Canisters were her next target, those on the counter, as well as those in cupboards. They all proved to contain cooking supplies – flour, sugar, pasta, coffee and tea bags, but no money. The freezer and refrigerator compartments – a standard but still likely place to hide things – were just as unrewarding. Not to mention that it was tough to keep from breaking a nail while digging through stacks of frozen goods.

After checking walls and cabinets for secret panels, Susie moved on. Molly’s room revealed nothing, though she limited her time in there to floorboards and the closet. She’d have no excuse at all if she were caught in there. She could come back if she didn’t find the money somewhere else. The dining room was also a bust. Susie wasn’t surprised at this. Hiding something in the most frequented room in the building sounded great for a movie plot, but not smart in reality.

Susie moved to the front hallway and looked around, determining her next step. There were two vacant guest rooms on that floor, plus a small library. Molly’s office was only a small alcove off the dining area, so it was easy to check. The library would be time-consuming, but easy to go through at a later hour, since it was intended for guests, anyway. She wouldn’t need an excuse to be browsing in there.

She skipped the library and searched the two guest rooms, since their doors were propped open to show the accommodations off to visitors. Both were quaintly decorated and neat, without a lot of frills. She made quick work of checking old-fashioned hatboxes, drawers, floorboards and table bottoms. Nothing turned up.

Wandering back through the hallway, she paused to push against the sides of the main stairway’s steps. Though carpeted above, the small, side panels were wood. But they all felt secure as she pushed on them. The same applied to doors and doorjambs, molding and support columns. Nothing indicated any alterations had been made.

A creak upstairs told Susie that Bryce was in the house, as she had suspected. She waited for sounds of a door opening and footsteps on the stairs, but none came. She was half disappointed and half relieved. Of all the people to catch her snooping, he was the least problematic. He knew why she was in Cranberry. It would only be a problem if he caught her with money in her hands. He’d consider the case solved and turn in the money. He’d go for the glory of honesty and offer to split the reward with her to placate her.

It would have been much easier if he hadn’t been there at all. That was the biggest problem. Sneaking around Dan was easy, clueless as he was. With Bryce it was challenging. There was no way to check the upstairs floor now, with him in the building, so Susie slipped out the rear door and returned to the suite.