Dangerous Secrets (9 page)

I straightened, feeling absolutely stupid. I
was tired and really wasn′t up to any further investigation, so I turned
around and crept back down the hall, hoping the floor boards wouldn′t
creak beneath me.

The staircase was dark. I flipped the wall
switch on and off to no avail.

Great. The damn bulb had burned out.

I started up the steps, inwardly cursing Zack
and Susan, stuffed my hand in my jeans pocket and grasped the key to our room.
As I topped the stairs, something struck me mid-chest, shoving me backwards. I
fell, cartwheeling down the darkened stairwell and smacked my head against the
floor.

Then everything went black.

Chapter 9

Celestial noises—like the tinkling of wind
chimes—and a melodious voice seemed to murmur in my ear, but I couldn′t
understand the words. They faded, replaced by an irritating buzz of overlapping
voices—sound without meaning. A ferocious pounding whacked the back of my
skull, and I cracked open my eyes to see a fuzzy Richard and Maggie overhead,
with a throng of curious, troubled faces crowded around behind them. I blinked
and the focus sharpened.

‶
Are you okay, kid?″
Richard′s voice sounded like it came from an echo chamber.

I was flat on my back, at the bottom of the
stairs, with a small pillow tucked behind my head. I blinked at him, unsure how
to answer—surprised I had the presence of mind to keep his cover intact.

‶
Jeff?″ he tried again.

I swallowed, took a shaky breath, and noted the
concern in my brother′s face.
‶
Yeah.″

He held up two fingers.
‶
How many?″

‶
Two.″

‶
What happened?″ Maggie
asked, her face pale, scared.

‶
I ... fell.″ I struggled
to sit and my stomach lurched as the world tilted crazily.

Richard pushed me back to the floor.
‶
Take
it easy for a few minutes.″ He turned to the others.
‶
He′ll
be all right. Let′s give him some air, okay?″

‶
Lucky there was a doctor
around,″ Laura said, shaking her head, and she and Ted retreated to the
living room with Susan in tow.

‶
I′ll get another
bulb,″ Zack said, his eyes worried; seeing me, lying on the floor, meant
a possible lawsuit.

Footsteps headed back downstairs and a door
down the hall closed, then only Richard and Maggie were left.

‶
How′s the head?″
Richard asked.

‶
It hurts.″

‶
You′ve got a lump the
size of an egg.″

‶
Can I get up now? This is
really embarrassing.″

‶
Wait until Zack gets that light
bulb in, okay?″

I sank back with a sigh.

‶
Is he going to be all
right?″ Maggie asked Richard.

‶
Yes,″ we said in unison.

Moments later Zack was back, and soon after the
hall and stairwell basked in the glow of 100 watts. Richard helped me sit.
‶
Do
you think you can make it up the stairs?″

‶
Of course.”

Despite my bravado, my legs were rubbery as
they pulled me to my feet. I had to lean on Richard to make it up the stairs.
Maggie opened the door to our room and Richard led me to the bed, where I
collapsed.

He pulled up the straight-backed chair and sat
down.
‶
Okay,
what really happened?″ he asked, once Maggie had closed the door.

‶
The light at the top of the
stairs was out. Someone was up there and gave me a shove that sent me
flying.″

‶
Who?″

‶
It was too dark—I
couldn′t see.″

‶
Are you sure you were
pushed?″ Richard asked.

I nodded and winced.
‶
How long was I
out?″

‶
Maybe a minute. We heard one
hell of a crash and everyone came running.″

‶
Did you see anyone?″

‶
Mrs. Andolina was bending over
you when we got there. I didn′t see anyone else,″ Maggie said.

I rubbed the back of my head, my pulse
reverberating through my skull.
‶
Could you get a couple of my
pills and some water, Maggie?″

‶
No,″ Richard said.
‶
That
stuff is for migraines. I′ll give you some Tylenol.″

‶
You brought your little black
bag along?″

‶
Lucky for you I did.″

I exhaled a long breath, trying to collect my
thoughts.
‶
Did
you learn anything from the Canucks?″

‶
Only that they′re frightened.
It′s put a real damper on their honeymoon. They′ve only been
married a week. We had a nice conversation about Old Québec. Michele′s
studio is in the heart of the old city. Sounds wonderful. I′ve got to
take Brenda there some day.″

I lifted my head and looked around. Nothing in
the room seemed to have been disturbed.
‶
Was the door locked?″ I
asked Maggie.

‶
Yes. You had the key in your
hand when we found you. I took it,″ she said, and showed me she still
held it.

‶
Are you sure you were
pushed?″ Richard asked again.

‶
Yes, dammit! I must′ve
interrupted them—him, her—before they could do whatever it was they wanted to
do in our room.″ I sank back on the pillow, frustrated.
‶
Oh,
my head.″

‶
You don′t seem concussed,
but if you have any problems—double vision, nausea, anything unusual—call
me.″ He shook a finger of warning at me.
‶
I′m serious.″

‶
Okay.″

He rose from the chair.
‶
Hang on. I′ll
go get the Tylenol.″ He finally noticed the room.
‶
Boy, this place
really is small.″ Then he was off.

Maggie sat on the bed beside me. She took my
hand, radiating fear.
‶
I want to go home.”

I squeezed her fingers.
‶
We can′t. Not
until the police say so.″

‶
Whoever did this could have
killed you.″

‶
Everyone was accounted
for....″ I thought about it for a moment.
‶
Well, I′m not really sure
about Susan and Zack, or the blonde bimbo and her boyfriend, but—″

‶
You can′t suspect Zack
and Susan.″

‶
I suspect everyone except you
and Richard.″ She frowned.
‶
How well do you know the
Dawsons, anyway?″

‶
Not well,″ Maggie
admitted.
‶
This
is Susan′s second marriage. She met Zack in Mystic, Connecticut, a couple
of years ago. He used to own a landscaping business and was living on his
sailboat. I guess they fell in love. He sold it and his business and they
bought the inn a little over a year ago.″

‶
And you haven′t even seen
or heard from her in at least ten years, right?″ She wouldn′t meet
my gaze.
‶
Susan′s
carrying a secret about Eileen that even Zack doesn′t know.″

Maggie looked up at me.
‶
How do you
know?″ Her frown deepened.
‶
Why do I even bother to
ask?″

The silence that followed weighed heavy between
us. I squeezed her hand again, hoping she′d feel reassured. Stupid
really, since someone had deliberately hurt me, proving just how ineffective I
was as her protector.

Richard knocked on the door, pushing it open.
Maggie rose, went into the bathroom and got me a glass of water. I downed the
pills he gave me.

‶
Get some rest,″ Richard
ordered. He looked at Maggie.
‶
Come get me if he′s too stupid or macho to
admit he′s having problems.″

‶
I will,″ she promised.

‶
See you at breakfast,
right?″

‶
Thanks, Rich.″ I gave him
a wan smile. Words couldn′t express my gratitude for him being here. And
I still didn′t really know why I needed him.

He gave us a smile, and then closed the door
behind him. I watched Maggie lock it.

‶
Why do I feel like the worst is
yet to come?″ she asked.

‶
I don′t want to scare
you, love, but I′ve felt the same way all day.″

‶
Damn, I wish we′d never
come here. Damn it all!″ Teary-eyed, she hurried to the bathroom and shut
the door.

I sank into the mattress. Someone had been up
here, either in our room or contemplating entering it. Here, where none of the
other registered guests would go—not unless they had something to hide ... or
to plant. Maybe Richard and I should have checked all the empty rooms on the
second floor.

Could someone still be hiding there—listening
to us?

Who?

Why?

Maggie said Kay Andolina had been the first to
find me. Could Susan or Zack have pushed me, then come downstairs by another
route? I didn′t even know if the inn had a back stair. I′d have to
check it out in the morning. At that moment, I wanted to do nothing more than
escape in sleep, because in sleep I was oblivious—of blame, of fear. And much
as I wanted to deny it, I was beginning to feel afraid.

And I didn′t like it. Not one damn bit.

Chapter 10

I was up early the next morning. Thin gray
light came in the window at the far end of the inn’s empty second floor hall.
Shoeless, I padded down its length and found no back staircase. I′d been
waiting since before dawn to investigate the other rooms on the floor. All were
sealed with the same flimsy locks on our door, but that didn′t stop me.
With a little finesse, Maggie′s hairpin let me inside the first room.

As Susan had said, the rooms were in various
stages of renovation. Two had no plumbing fixtures; none had carpet, exposing
wide pine plank floors—and all of them were bigger than the cell Maggie and I
shared.

I opened a window overlooking the back of the
property, stuck my head outside and saw metal escape ladders from all three
back rooms. None of them were extended. It would have been impossible not to hear
the rattle of metal if the person who′d pushed me down the stairs had
used one of them to escape. The hot tub and pool were visible from this vantage
point. If any of the guests had seen Eileen floating face down two nights
before, they hadn′t said so.

The room next to ours was the biggest, and
might well be the best in the inn when finished. Zack and Susan planned to
install a gas fire, as a brochure for one was taped to the wall. A layer of
drywall dust covered the floor. Footprints marred it, but it was impossible to
tell the number of people who’d stomped around or how long ago they′d
been made. My attacker could have stood in that room and simply waited until we
went to sleep before escaping by way of the main staircase. I closed my eyes,
concentrating, hoping to soak in the residual aura from the last person
who′d been in the room.

I got nothing.

Signs of life from the floor below made me
check my watch and realize I′d been gone for almost an hour. I headed
back to our room.

Maggie was awake, sitting on the edge of the
bed, brushing her hair dry.
‶
Where did you go?″

‶
Just to check out the other
rooms on this floor.″

‶
And?″

I shrugged.
‶
Nothing.″

‶
Good. I don′t need any
more surprises. What are we doing today? I mean, can we go someplace? I need to
get away from here.″

‶
How about ice cream at Ben and
Jerry′s?″

Her smile was dazzling.
‶
Sounds
wonderful.″

I sat beside her on the bed and kissed her.
Then I kissed her again. And again. And we started the day all over again ...
together.

We made it to the dining room about halfway
through the breakfast rush. Richard had beaten us there, and was seated with
the Andolinas. An empty plate sat before him, along with a half-filled coffee
cup. Kay Andolina was in her glory in the midst of an anecdote, telling it with
great delight. Richard′s glazed expression was one I recognized from
other occasions: bored to death. I felt a little sorry for him, but that
didn′t keep me from smiling at his predicament.

We grabbed coffee and parked at a table nearby.
The atmosphere wasn′t so grim this morning. Zack, Nadine, and Adam were
in the kitchen once again bantering back and forth. I decided against an
entree, but went through the buffet and grabbed scrambled eggs and sausages.
Maggie stuck with her favorite Western omelet and toast.

We′d almost finished eating by the time
the Andolinas got up, leaving Richard with his cold coffee. He sat alone for a
few minutes, staring out the window before getting up. He paused briefly at the
table where the Canadian couple sat, spoke to them, again in French, and must
have made a wonderful joke because they broke out in delighted laughter. I was
working on my third cup of coffee when he finally made it to our table.

‶
My, we′re popular with
the other guests.″

He ignored my comment.
‶
You′re looking
better. How do you feel?″

‶
I′ve got a bit of
headache, but it′s the kind I′m used to having.″

‶
Did you take your
medication?″

‶
Of course. It′s already
fading.″

‶
Good. Then maybe you′ll
feel like exploring the area.″

‶
Sounds like a plan. Meet me out
in the garden in ten minutes and we′ll talk.″

‶
Okay.″

He wandered off and I sipped my coffee.

The Canadian couple finished their breakfasts
and got up. I was surprised when they stopped to speak to us.

‶
How are you today?″ the
woman asked in only slightly accented English. She brushed a strand of her
long, brown hair behind her left ear, her expression concerned.

‶
Much better, thank you.″

‶
I am Michele DuBois and this is
my husband, Jean.″

I introduced Maggie and myself.

‶
I was so worried when you had
your accident last night. Frightening things have been happening here.″
She studied my face for a moment, perplexed.
‶
Do you know, you seem to
resemble the doctor.″

I nearly choked on my coffee.
‶
I
do?″

‶
Oui. It′s impossible, no?
But your noses are very similar. I am an artist. I paint for a living. My
specialty is portraits.″

Jean gently nudged her arm.
‶
We
must go.″

She smiled.
‶
Good day.″

After they′d gone, I found Maggie
studying me.
‶
I
don′t think you look like Richard.″

‶
He got our mother′s blue
eyes, I got my father′s brown eyes.″

She shrugged and pushed back her chair.
‶
I′m
going to the room. Want me to bring you anything?″

‶
Yeah, my camera bag. If
we′re going out, I may as well take some pictures.″ That is if I
could buy another memory card.

‶
Okay. Meet you at the car in
fifteen minutes.″ She headed for the stairs and I left my empty plate and
cup on the table and made for the door to the gardens.

Although the temperature was in the
mid-sixties, the trees were already beginning to show the change of season. The
highest branches were tinged with yellow and orange. Zack and Susan had dug a
fishpond near the inn′s namesake sugar maple, and I wandered across the
enormous yard, stopping by the miniature lake. Seeing my shadow, the fish
gathered before me, impatiently waiting for food.

‶
Sorry, boys, it ain′t
feeding time.″ I sat down on the bench provided and watched the fish swim
in lazy circles.

A lot of care had gone into the gardens in the
back, but like the front of the inn there were signs of neglect. Maggie said
Zack used to own a landscaping business, so he must′ve had the green
thumb. I couldn′t imagine Susan getting dirt under her long nails.

‶
Penny for your thoughts,″
came Richard′s voice from behind me.

I turned.
‶
I don′t think I can make
change.″

He held a slice of bread, broke off a corner,
and tossed it into the pond. The fish went wild, like hungry piranha.

‶
Are you supposed to do
that?″

‶
Probably not.″ He threw
in another piece.
‶
What′s on tap today?″

‶
Maggie′s freaked. She
wants to go home. Hell, I want to go home. But I have this feeling
something′s going to break today. If it does, maybe we can leave
tomorrow. In the meantime, let′s do some touristy stuff, get her mind off
all this.″

‶
Sounds like fun.″ Plop!
went another piece of bread.

‶
We can rendezvous at the
municipal parking lot in the village.″

‶
Okay.″ Plop!

I started off, and then thought of something
else.
‶
What
did you say as you left the dining room to make the DuBois′ laugh?″

‶
Last night Michele told me
people always try to get her to do drawings or paintings for free. I told her
people always ask me for free medical advice. At breakfast Mrs. Andolina
entertained me with the history of her uterus.″

I couldn′t help but smile.
‶
What′s
Michele′s husband do for a living?″

‶
He′s an editor at a
magazine in Québec.″

My smile waned.
‶
Interesting. Laura Ross is a
former editor; Eileen Marshall agented for magazines, and Jean DuBois currently
edits a magazine.″

‶
And Maggie′s written for
magazines. It′s only coincidence, Jeff. I can′t see those two young
people involved in anything sinister.″

‶
I suppose. Maggie and I
haven′t had any luck penetrating Laura′s steel veneer. Do you think
you could talk to her this evening?″

‶
I′ll try.″

I studied him.
‶
It′s got to be the
mustache.″

‶
I beg your pardon?″

‶
Why else would women casually
unburden themselves to you?″

‶
People always tell doctors
things they′d never tell their spouses. You have no idea how many sexual
fantasies have been confided to me at cocktail parties.″

‶
You′re joking.″

‶
Whether I want to hear them or
not.″

I left him to feed the fish, wondering how he
rated all the fun.

Maggie waited for me in the car, reading her
novel. She′d changed into the blue sundress that went so well with her
eyes, with a white sweater draped over her shoulders. I got in and started the
engine. She replaced her bookmark and closed the cover as I pulled onto the
highway.

‶
Rich is going to meet us in
town.″

She nodded.

It was time to broach a potentially sore
subject.
‶
Do
you mind if I pull over and look at that place along the road?″ No other
explanation was necessary.

‶
Of course not. Maybe you should
take a picture.″

The idea gave me the willies.
‶
Can’t—no
memory card. Yet.″

We drove in silence until we reached that
desolate spot in the road. The narrow shoulder bordered a gully, which sloped
into a wooded area. Birds chirped in the evergreens, the branches swayed gently
in the breeze. It was peaceful, idyllic, and yet it scared the hell out of me.
I could almost understand the connection with Colorado. Almost, but not quite.
I felt more than saw it, but it was there.

Maggie got out the car, joining me. She wound
her arm around mine, standing close, and leaned her head on my shoulder.
‶
Wouldn′t
this be a romantic spot to build a log cabin?″

‶
It′s too close to the
road. You′d hear traffic all night.″

‶
There′s not much
traffic.″ To dispel that, a truck roared by, heading north.
‶
Jeff,
you look so worried. What is it about this place that bothers you?″

‶
I don′t know.
That′s what worries me.″

‶
Could something bad have
happened here in the past and you′re picking up on it?″

‶
I don′t know.″

‶
Is it the same as what you felt
in the inn?″

‶
No.″ That much I was
sure. This place had an aura of ... what? Pain ... loss?

‶
If we were going to build here,
I′d do some research. Maybe a tragedy occurred. Or maybe someone was
hanged here a hundred years ago and that person still haunts the site.″
Her expression was wistful.

‶
Pure conjecture. You have a
writer′s overactive imagination.″

‶
I know, but isn′t it
fun?″ She smiled, but it quickly faded.
‶
Do you think the police will
let us go home tomorrow?″

‶
I sure hope so.″

‶
I′ve got to be back at
work on Wednesday morning. I can′t afford to lose this job.″

‶
You won′t lose it.″

‶
There′s talk they might
make me permanent. That would be wonderful. I hate living hand to mouth. If it
weren′t for renting out the bottom of my duplex, I don′t know how I
would have survived the summer.″

‶
They′ll hire you
soon.″

‶
Really?″

She had that look of hope I knew so well.
Maggie and Brenda seem to question everything I say, as though I have a direct
pipeline to the future. Just because I sometimes have flashes of insight, they
think I know more than I do. This time I played along; she′d already had
her contract extended once.

‶
Of course.″

A string of traffic zoomed by.
‶
Come
on,″ Maggie said, tugging my hand.
‶
Or Richard will get to town
before us.″

She got into the car and I crossed to the
driver′s door, taking one last look at the innocent surroundings, wishing
I could pin down why I felt so apprehensive about the place—knowing I′d
eventually find out, and dreading it.