Dangerous Secrets (6 page)

‶
You can′t keep much from
me, buster. No, spill it.″

I pursed my lips in momentary indecision.
‶
I′m
going to call Richard. I want him to come here.″

Her eyes narrowed.
‶
What for?
We′re going home in three days.″

‶
I′m not so sure about
that. If we have to wait until Monday to photograph the rest of the
bedrooms—″

She ignored my explanation.
‶
Why
does Richard have to come to Stowe?″

I shrugged and took a sip of water.

‶
What will you tell him?″

‶
I don′t know. I never
know how to explain these things. But I trust these feelings. I can′t
ignore them.″

‶
What feelings?″

‶
I just feel anxious. Like he
needs to be here.″

‶
Does this have to do with the
murder you asked Susan about?″

‶
I′m not sure.″

‶
What if he won′t
come?″ Her voice was sharp.

‶
Then we should leave.
Tonight.″

‶
But what about the article?
What about the pictures?″ She sounded panicked.

‶
I know. This is one hell of an
opportunity for both of us. If the photos turn out, it′ll be a great
portfolio piece.″

Her frown turned into a tentative smile.
‶
Then
you′re serious about photography?″

‶
It′s more of a career
than tending bar. This job is a first step, but photography′s a long-term
goal. Right now, I feel that Richard needs to be here.″

She looked thoughtful.
‶
Are you sure
you′re not just feeling insecure? You were independent for a long time,
and you′ve had to rely on Richard a lot this past year. He′s been
almost like a parent to you.″

‶
Don′t think I
haven′t considered it.”

I thought I′d bounce back a lot quicker
from the mugging six months before. A residual effect of the fractured skull
was crippling headaches that often plagued me. I hadn′t had a really bad
one in over a week, which was a record for me. But I′d also noticed that
when my haphazard insights kicked in, the headaches followed with a vengeance.

Maggie touched my hand and dug into her purse
for her cell phone setting it on the table.
‶
Eat up. Then go call
him.″

I nodded, thankful she′d accepted the
idea so gracefully.

‶
Besides, it′ll be great
to go shopping with Brenda. We could hit the outlets in Rutland while Richard
and you do whatever it is you—″

‶
No. He can′t bring
Brenda.″

‶
Why not?″

I couldn′t explain why I wanted Richard
to come—let alone why he should leave Brenda at home.
‶
I ... it
wouldn′t be good for her.″

She looked around the room before speaking.
‶
Are
you saying she wouldn′t fit in because she′s black?″

‶
No, nothing like that. I just
get the feeling she should stay in Buffalo. You know, keep the home fires
burning. Something like that.″

Maggie frowned, the disappointment in her eyes
inescapable. Luckily the waitress arrived with our food. We ate in silence.

Maggie was still working on her entree when I
excused myself and headed for the restaurant’s entryway. I dialed and glanced
at my watch: 7:30. Richard answered on the second ring.

‶
Hey, Maggie, what′s
up?″

‶
It’s me. I forgot to bring my
charger, so I’m using Maggie’s phone. And not much is up. How′re
you?″

‶
Fine.″ A long pause
ensued.
‶
Jeff,
what′s wrong?″

The moment of truth.

‶
Rich, can you come to
Stowe?″

‶
Why?″

‶
I′m not sure. I need you
to be here. Tomorrow. And I need you to stay for a couple of days.″

Another long pause.

‶
Jeff, you know I volunteer at
the clinic on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. They′d have a hard time finding a
replacement on such short notice.″

‶
Rich, please come.″

The silence lingered for at least ten seconds.

‶
I can′t. I just
can′t.”

I stood there, stunned. Despite Maggie′s
warning, I hadn′t believed he′d actually say no.

‶
Look, Jeff, I can′t turn
my life upside down every time you get one of those funny feelings of
yours,″ Richard continued.

I tried to hide my disappointment.
‶
You′re
right.”

A plump woman in a tight black mini dress stood
just within earshot, She had her cell phone ready, too. I turned away.

‶
I′m sure whatever it is
that’s bothering you will settle itself in a day or two,″ he said.

‶
You′re probably
right.″ Oh, yeah? Then why did I feel doomed?

The woman moved to stand before me, shifting
her weight from foot to foot. Why didn’t she just go outside? She glared at me,
so I did.

‶
Look, Maggie’s waiting for me,
I’d better get back to her. I′ll see you on Monday night. Bye.″ I
slapped the phone shut, stabbed the power button to turn it off, and shoved it
into my pocket.

I let out a frustrated breath and gazed around
the packed parking lot. The twilight deepened. Headlights flashed on the
highway. The world would soon come to an end. At least, the world as I knew it.
I′d asked a lot of Richard over the past few months, maybe too much,
because now, when it really counted, he′d let me down.

That wasn′t true. He just didn′t
understand what this meant to me. How could he? He didn′t have that sick
feeling in his gut.

By the time I got back to the table, the
waitress had cleared the dishes and Maggie was eating some local
Ben-And-Jerry′s ice cream. She proffered her spoon.
‶
Want
a taste?″

I took my seat and shook my head.

‶
Is he coming?″

‶
No.″

‶
Oh.″ She sounded
surprised. Subdued, she ate another spoon of ice cream.
‶
You weren′t
serious about us leaving Stowe, were you?″

‶
I don′t know what to
think.″

‶
Well, whatever′s
bothering you, we′ll just have to handle it together. Right?″

I smiled and reached over to squeeze her hand.
‶
Yeah.”

But I had a feeling we were already in over our
heads.

Chapter 6

We lingered over our coffee. Not that there was
an abundance of conversation. Maggie respects my quiet interludes. The
waitress, however, hovered anxiously until we finally vacated the table and
headed back to the inn.

Maggie drove. I couldn′t analyze what I
was picking up while behind the wheel, and I didn′t want to get us into
an accident, either. When we passed that spot in the road, I intended to
surrender myself entirely to the feeling, vision—whatever it was—that nagged my
psyche.

Maggie braked. I tensed as we approached that
familiar stretch of road. The headlights cut a path ahead of us, revealing only
the double-yellow line in the highway. Too many shadows obscured the landscape,
yet something registered in my mind′s eye.

‶
Colorado!″

‶
Colorado?″ Maggie echoed,
eyes still on the road.

‶
That spot in the road has
something to do with Colorado.″

‶
The Rocky Mountains versus the
Green Mountains?″ Maggie suggested.

‶
Maybe. It′s not even a
picture in my mind—just a vague feeling. Damn, it′s frustrating only
getting one piece of the puzzle at a time.″

Maggie pulled into the inn′s driveway,
parking behind the black BMW with Québec license plates. She took the keys out
of the ignition and handed them to me.
‶
You′re going to make
yourself crazy. Then you′ll get one of your sick headaches and neither of
us will have any fun. Some vacation.″

‶
Sorry. I won′t mention it
again.″

She frowned.
‶
Don′t be like that. You
torture yourself with these things and usually they don′t amount to
anything. Why put yourself through it?″

‶
I′ll try not to think
about it. Okay?″

Grudgingly,
‶
Okay.″ She tried to be
more cheerful.
‶
What
do you want to do next? Read? Play a game of pool?″

‶
I haven′t played since
the night I was mugged.″

‶
Did you win?″

‶
Yeah,″ I said
thoughtfully, not remembering much else about that evening.

I must′ve had a weird look on my face,
because she reached out to touch my shoulder.
‶
We don′t have to play if
it brings back painful memories.″

‶
It won′t bother
me.″ I smiled, and then wagged a finger at her.
‶
Just don′t
come after me with a baseball bat if you lose.″ Hey, I could joke about
something that had nearly cost me my life a scant six months before.
‶
Come
on, I′ll teach you to play Eight Ball.″

She followed me inside. No sooner had we opened
the door than a voice called out.
‶
Jeff?″ It was Zack.
‶
There′s
a telephone message for you.″

I met him halfway across the room, took the
yellow Post-it note from him.
‶
Thanks.″ He retreated for the office as I
glanced at the slip of paper.

‶
Well?″ Maggie asked.

‶
It says
‵
call
home.′″

‶
Richard?″

I nodded.

‶
I′m going to dump my
purse in the room. I′ll meet you downstairs, okay?″

She went upstairs while I went out on the back
patio to make my call. It took a long time before the Maggie’s phone found a
signal and I could dial. Richard answered on the first ring.
‶
I
didn′t expect a message from you,″ I began.

‶
And I wasn′t expecting a
weekend vacation, either,″ he said sourly.

‶
Then you′ll come?″

‶
Let′s just say if I
don′t, I′ll have a miserable weekend at home.″

I couldn′t help the broad, idiot grin
that spread across my face, or the feeling of triumph that coursed through me.
Good old Brenda was always on my side.

‶
I managed to find someone to
cover for me at the clinic, so I guess I′ll be there tomorrow.″ He
sounded ... resigned?

‶
Thanks, Rich. I knew I could
count on you.″ I gave him the directions on how to get to the inn once he
got into town. The logistics of actually getting to Stowe were going to be his
problem.
‶
Maybe
we shouldn′t let people know we′re related,″ I suggested.

‶
Is all this intrigue really
necessary?″

‶
It could work to our advantage.″

He sighed.
‶
Whatever you say.″

‶
Thanks,″ I said, feeling
calmer.

‶
Listen, don′t expect me
until evening. Will I be able to get a room at the inn?″

‶
Well, they′re booked
solid right now.″

‶
Great. Where am I supposed to
stay? You do know it′s a holiday weekend.″

‶
I know. But I don′t think
you should worry about it.″

‶
Is this another one of your
psychic messages?″

‶
Yes,″ I said hurriedly.
In retrospect, I should′ve analyzed that piece of insight a little
closer.

‶
Anything else?″

‶
Leave Brenda home.″

‶
Oh, she′s going to love
that. Why?″ When I didn′t answer immediately, he spoke again.
‶
Is
there something you′re not telling me?″

‶
No. It′s just ... why
risk it?″

‶
Risk it?″ The impatience
left his voice—replaced by concern.
‶
Jeff, maybe you and Maggie should
just come home.″

‶
It′s already too late.
Whatever′s going to happen ... I think we′re supposed to be a part
of it.″

‶
Jeff, I don′t like the
sound of this.″

‶
I don′t either.″ If
I had to describe what impending doom felt like, this would be it. I cleared my
throat.
‶
See
you tomorrow night, right?″

‶
Yes.″

‶
Thanks, Rich. You′re the
best.″

‶
Good night, Jeff.″

I slapped the phone shut, feeling more relaxed
than I had in hours.

Wandering into the barroom, I found Maggie
sitting at the old upright piano, flipping through a stack of brittle, yellowed
sheet music.

‶
Do you play?″ I asked.

‶
I used to. But
We′ll Kick the Kaiser
doesn′t do much for me.″ She picked out middle C, tapped it and
winced.
‶
Sounds
like it hasn′t been tuned in decades.″ She changed the subject.
‶
Is
he coming?″

‶
Brenda convinced him.″

‶
That′s one you owe
her.″

‶
More like a hundred.″

She nodded toward the pool table.
‶
Shall
we?″

Laura and Ted sat at a table at the end of the
game room playing backgammon.
‶
Hi,″ Maggie said, but the mismatched lovers
barely acknowledged our presence.

The snub burned me. For all she tried, it was
apparent Maggie′s natural friendliness just wasn′t appreciated by
most of the other guests at the inn—their loss.

Ignoring them, I racked up the table.
‶
The
object of the game is to knock the balls into the pocket.″

‶
I got that part,″ she
said, chalking the end of her cue like I′m sure she′d seen hundreds
of times on TV, never knowing why.

‶
The table′s divided into
quadrants. You place the cue ball—that′s this white one—behind the
imaginary line that′s right about here.″

Her stony stare perfectly conveyed her
annoyance.

‶
Why don′t we just take
turns knocking them into the pockets?″ I suggested.

She brightened.
‶
I′ll take the striped
ones.”

‶
Ladies first.″ I came up
behind her, positioning my arms around her, guiding her movements with the cue
stick.
‶
This
is called the break shot.”

Bemused, she looked at me over her shoulder.
‶
I
think I can handle that.″

I backed off and she bent over the table, took
careful aim and hit the cue ball. It slammed into the fifteen ball with a
satisfying smack. The nine ball went into the left corner pocket.

Her eyes shone with pleasure.
‶
How
was that?″

‶
Just fine.″

I grabbed a cue stick from the rack—not too
badly warped—and stood on the left side of the table while Maggie considered
her options. I had a clear view of both the barroom and the game room, and
heard, before I saw, Eileen trudging down the stairs. Dressed in a heavy, white
terry-cloth robe and matching terry thongs, she clutched a bottle of scotch
under one arm and held a tall plastic tumbler in the other hand. Unsteady on
her feet, I guessed she′d started her own personal happy hour before
joining the rest of the guests. She went straight to the bar, filled the glass
with ice, and then poured the scotch.

Kay Andolina sat in a wing chair by the cold
fireplace on the opposite end of the room.
‶
Can I offer you a drink?″
Eileen asked her, her words slurred.

‶
No, thank you!″

‶
Rats! I missed,″ Maggie
said.
‶
Your
turn.″

I turned my attention back to the table. It
took less than a minute for me to pick off all the solid balls, and go after
Maggie′s, too.

She blinked, disappointed.
‶
Maybe
you′re in the wrong job. You could be the next Minnesota Fats.″

‶
Except I′m from Buffalo,
and I′d have to gain a hundred pounds.″ She studied the table,
looking crestfallen. I paused in racking up for another game.
‶
Sorry,
Maggs. If you′ll play again, I′ll give you a second chance if you
miss.″

‶
If we were more evenly matched
I′d refuse. Since I haven′t got a chance of winning, I accept your
offer.″ Her tone of superiority was all for show. Maggie′s not the
competitive type.

I let her break again, my gaze drifting back to
the other room. Kay Andolina stood near the bar, only a foot from Eileen, her
face flushed with anger.
‶
How dare you,″ she said, her voice low and
menacing. For a moment, I thought she might slap her.

Eileen tried to stifle a laugh. I′d
missed whatever insult she′d just delivered. This didn′t seem like
the friendly woman we′d met the night before.

Kay stalked up the steps and Eileen collected
her bottle and glass before ambling into the game room. You didn′t need
to be psychic to feel Maggie′s ire rise. Her ex-husband had cheated on
her, and all the unresolved anger she claimed she′d conquered suddenly
surfaced, threatening to erupt.

‶
Join me in a drink?″
Eileen asked the room at large.

‶
No, thanks,″ I said. Ted
looked up from the backgammon board, but Laura seemed oblivious to her
presence.

‶
A bunch of teetotalers,
eh?″

Laura continued to stare at the game board
before her.
‶
Some
of us don′t succumb to our vices.″

Eileen blinked, then laughed.
‶
Oh,
come now, my dear, everyone does. You more than most.″

At last Laura’s gaze rose to meet the
Englishwoman′s, her glare filled with absolute hatred. I got a strong
sense of déjà vu. These two knew each other well. A decades-old tension hung
between them. But how had they ended up in Stowe at the same place and time for
a seemingly carefree weekend vacation?

Without a word, Laura rose. She brushed past
me, hurrying up the stairs with Ted following a step or two behind.
‶
Laura,
wait!″

Eileen laughed.
‶
I seem to be clearing a path
wherever I go. I hope I shan′t offend you too, my dear.″

Furious, Maggie slammed her cue stick into the
wooden rack on the wall and stalked into the barroom.

Eileen′s eyebrows rose.

I shrugged.
‶
PMS.″

She took a long pull on her drink.
‶
I′m
on my way to the hot tub. Would you care to join me?″

‶
Don′t you think
you′ve had enough? You wouldn′t want to cook yourself.″

Eileen smiled.
‶
Quite right, my boy.″ She
stepped uncomfortably close and patted my cheek, her hot breath reeking of
scotch.
‶
Quite
right.″ Then she turned on her heel.
‶
You know where to find me
should anyone come looking. And I′m sure someone will.″

I watched her stagger toward the Jacuzzi. Her
jocularity was all for show; her shoulders sagged in defeat. More than just
defeat—desolation.

Maggie stood in front of the bar, clutching a
half-empty glass of sherry. Bright spots of pink stained her cheeks.
‶
Isn′t
it a little warm for sherry?″ I asked.

‶
I didn′t feel like going
upstairs for the gin.″

I took the glass from her hand, set it on the
bar and led her to the loveseat across the way.
‶
Don′t let her upset you.
You′ll just get a sick headache and then neither of us will have any
fun.″

It took a moment for my words to sink in;
she′d said the same thing to me earlier. A smile cracked her solemn
features.
‶
Okay,
you win.″

I heard footsteps cross the living room above.
Moments later Susan came down the stairs, looked around the barroom, and
frowned.
‶
Is
Ms. Marshall around?″