Valise in the Attic (7 page)

Alice laughed lightly. “Which we totally are.”

Linda gave her a warning look, and then pasted a warm smile on her face. “Good afternoon, Mr. Rusher,” she said. “May I help you?”

“I simply wanted to compliment you on your lovely inn,” the actor said smoothly as he stepped up to the desk. Annie noticed he favored one leg slightly, just as the wardrobe women had said. Then he turned and smiled at Annie and Alice. “Don’t I know you lovely ladies from somewhere? You were at the shoot this morning, right?”

“That’s right,” Alice said. “I’m surprised you noticed.”

“I never miss seeing a beautiful woman,” he said. “And I’ve always had a weakness for redheads.”

Alice smiled. “You didn’t seem to be quite so enraptured by my hair this morning when you pushed me out of the way as you stormed across the pier.”

“Oh, I’m sorry about that,” he said. “I hope you’ll forgive me. I was out of sorts this morning. Movie making demands so many small parts work together, or it’s just a train wreck. This film marks a new chapter in my career, and I want to be sure everything works.”

“It is unusual for you to do a movie where nothing blows up,” Alice said.

Rusher laughed at that, but Annie wasn’t sure he really was amused. “I’m getting a bit long in the tooth for jumping off trains and punching out villains,” he said. “I want to exercise my more subtle dramatic skills now.”

Annie snuck a glance at Linda and saw the innkeeper’s mouth was practically hanging open. Clearly she was seeing a different side of the actor than she’d seen before too. Annie couldn’t help but wonder what had brought out this unexpected pleasantness.

“It’s too bad we couldn’t finish the shoot this morning,” Annie said quietly. “We’ll have to go back out in the cold tomorrow.”

“Sometimes delays can’t be avoided,” he said, turning his warm smile on her. “I believe you were on the ferry this morning, weren’t you? That was probably especially cold.”

“It was a bit chilly,” Annie said, “but not as bad as I’d expected. And being part of a movie is interesting.”

“Just don’t feel too bad if your role ends up on the editing floor,” the actor said. “You wouldn’t believe how many of my best lines have never seen the light of day. There has been a couple that I believe would have ended up being as iconic as ‘Go ahead, make my day,’ or ‘Yippee-ki-yay …’”

“Yes,” Annie interjected, remembering the rest of that “iconic” line and not really wanting to hear it in the lobby of Maplehurst Inn. “I imagine that would be frustrating.”

She still wondered why the actor was being so attentive to them. Then she realized she might not be thinking fairly about the man. She hadn’t actually seen what caused him to become angry, and Logan had seemed quite impressed by the man. Maybe he’d been having a bad day earlier and was trying to make up for it now. Or maybe he was a stranger in a strange town, and he just wanted a bit of company.

Matt Rusher turned his eyes and his charm back toward Alice. “I hope you ladies don’t have to drive too far to get to the set,” he said. “This weather can be dangerous.”

“We’re used to the weather,” Alice said. “In Maine, you have to be ready for anything.”

The actor nodded, letting a brief awkward pause gather. “Well, it was nice to meet you ladies. I don’t believe I caught your name.”

“Alice MacFarlane,” Alice said.

“Pleasure to meet you.” He took her hand and held it a moment in a glove-clad grip. Then he turned to Annie and looked at her quizzically. Annie felt an irrational urge to refuse to tell him her name, and the silence lingered a moment too long to be comfortable.

“Annie Dawson,” Alice said. “She can be shy.”

“Shyness is a rare trait in a beautiful woman,” the actor said, bowing over her hand until Annie had an alarming image of the man kissing her hand. Thankfully he stood back up without any kissing, and Annie slipped her hand quickly away.

“Well, I’m sure I will see you ladies tomorrow,” he said.

“See you then,” Alice said.

The tall, broad-shouldered actor turned and headed for the winding staircase that led to the guest rooms. “Wow,” Linda said quietly as soon as he was out of sight. “That was certainly different. I wonder if he has some kind of split personality. That’s the first time I’ve seen him open his mouth without complaining.”

“Oh,” Alice said, her eyes sparkling. “A mysterious stranger acting oddly. Do you suppose that’s a clue?”

“A clue to what?” Linda asked. “Your ability to charm actors? You must have done a better job than me. He’s been a horrible pain every time I’ve spoken to him.”

“Must be Annie,” Alice said. “She brings out the lamb in the lions.”

“I don’t know,” Linda said, grinning at her friend. “As I remember, it was your hair he commented on first.”

Annie stared thoughtfully up the staircase and felt a stir of unease. Something told her the actor hadn’t really been particularly attracted to either of them. She thought something completely different was happening and wondered if Alice’s teasing remark might be on target. Could Matt Rusher’s behavior be some kind of clue?

8

Annie gave herself a mental shake for being so fanciful. Getting mugged was making her see a mystery behind every smile. It was definitely time to get in a bit of quiet time crocheting in front of a roaring fire with a cat in her lap.

“I think I’ll head home now. I’ve had more than enough excitement and adventure for one day,” Annie said. “I’ll see you tomorrow on the set, Alice. It was nice to see you again, Linda.”

“Nice to see you,” Linda said.

“Do you want me to walk back to your car with you?” Alice asked. “I know your knees must be sore.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Then, I think I’ll hang around with Linda for a while in case any other handsome actors want to fall for me.”

“I can’t promise you any handsome actors, but I did want to talk to you about some baked goods,” Linda said. “And I’m willing to beg. I’ve brought back in as much of my staff as I could, but a lot of people are traveling this time of year, and we flatly cannot keep up with the appetites of these movie people.”

“If you feed them Alice’s baked goods, you might never get rid of them,” Annie warned as she turned away with a smile. She’d told Alice that she would do an amazing business if she sold her delicious muffins and coffee cakes. Now Linda’s desperation to feed so many hungry movie people might just give Alice that chance to show off her skills.

Annie walked out of the inn, still smiling. She felt much safer now that the valise was out of her hands, which was probably just as silly as fretting over the motives of an aging movie actor. Maybe he just liked being admired. She knew Hollywood was pretty focused on youth culture. That was probably scary for a man like Matt Rusher who’d made a living being big and tough, and now was definitely showing his age.

The drive home was uneventful and Boots greeted her with her usual pushy affection. Annie spent the rest of the evening at home just as she’d planned with a warm cat in her lap and soft yarn in her hands. By bedtime, she was convinced the attempted valise snatching was totally random, and she fell asleep almost looking forward to the next day’s shooting.

That happy feeling came to an abrupt end when her alarm clock beeped her awake in the dark of early morning again. Annie crawled out of bed, moaning at her aching knees. The skin on them seemed to have shrunk in the night, and they hurt every time she moved her legs.

“Who thought being an extra was a good idea?” she mumbled as she limped to the bathroom to hold cold cloths to her knees until they felt less like her bones might burst through at any moment. Then she went back to get dressed, trying to walk as normally as possible.

As she laid her clothes out on the bed, Boots gave her a supportive head bump, and Annie scratched the soft fur behind the cat’s ears. “Sorry to leave you alone again today,” she said. “We’ll fit in some more lap time when I get home.”

Since she was going to have to change into stockings in the wardrobe trailer anyway, Annie slipped into a pair of close-fitting knit pants under her skirt and pulled on boots. She carried her costume shoes in the bag with the rest of her change of clothes.

Just as she was finishing up, she heard a knock at the door. Annie cut her eyes toward the clock. Who would be visiting while it was still dark? She hurried downstairs and crept across the front room to peer through one of the long windows. Alice stood on the porch, grinning toward her.

Annie threw open the door. “Did we have a plan to meet?”

“No,” Alice admitted. “But I thought you might still be jumpy from yesterday and wanted to suggest we drive in together. Besides I’ve been up for hours. I baked so many muffins and coffee cakes that I reek of cinnamon. I’ve already delivered them to Linda so I warn you, my car smells like Christmas. Sniff.” She held out her arm, and Annie leaned close to catch the smell of warm spices.

“Wow, you smell delicious! So you took Linda up on her request for baked goods?”

Alice nodded. “Baked and delivered. And being up so early definitely showed me that I do not want to be a professional baker. At least Divine Décor and Princessa Jewelry parties are always held at respectable hours.” She leaned closer to look Annie over. “I half expected you to have dark circles under your eyes from being awake all night worrying. But you look terrific.”

“I’m not worried anymore,” Annie said. “I don’t know why I let my imagination run away from me like that yesterday. But I’ll take you up on the ride, just for the heavenly scent alone. But I suggest you stay away from Matt Rusher. I half expected him to kiss my hand yesterday. If he catches a whiff of you, he’s liable to lick your hand like a puppy.”

“Now there’s an interesting image to start the day,” Alice said. “He does look good, but he comes across kind of slick. I’ve been there and done that.”

Annie nodded. Now that she thought about it, Matt Rusher did remind her of John MacFarlane. They were both strikingly handsome and polished. And being an actor, Matt was surely capable of being every bit as skilled a liar as John. “It’s a wonder John never became an actor,” Annie said.

Alice snorted. “Too much work.”

Annie grabbed the shoes and the rest of her change of clothes from the couch where she’d left them and followed Alice out the door. The early morning was still dark but not nearly as cold as the morning before.

“We’re having some kind of warm front,” Alice said. “And I’ll take it as long as it doesn’t come with freezing rain.”

They settled into Alice’s convertible and headed toward the waterfront. Annie couldn’t help but notice that Alice’s Mustang didn’t feel as snug and warm as her Malibu. She shivered slightly.

“Yeah,” Alice said, seeing the shiver. “The convertible doesn’t button up as tight as I’d like this time of year. But every time I get cold, I just think of how much fun the car is in the summer.”

Annie laughed. She had to admit, she couldn’t imagine Alice driving anything else. They pulled into the parking lot soon after that, and Annie shook her head as she looked toward all the lights and trailers. “Still looks like the circus has come to town.”

“I think it has,” Alice agreed.

They hopped out and headed directly to wardrobe, feeling like old pros at the extra’s job.

Both of the wardrobe ladies looked down at Annie’s pants as she walked in. “An interesting addition to the costume,” Betty said dryly.

“I didn’t quite think you’d OK it,” Annie teased. She slipped the pants off from under the skirt. Annie’s pink scraped knees stood out sharply against her fair skin.

“That’s right,” Betty said, frowning. “You tore your stockings.”

“We have more,” Pat chimed in, sorting through a small multi-drawer chest and handing Annie a pair. “At least nothing on the dress or coat looks torn or stained. Perch here, and I’ll paint your knees with liquid bandage. It has a pale tint and should cover the scrapes nicely. We’ll have to give you a minute to dry before you slip into stockings. I hope they aren’t too painful.”

“They were a little stiff when I got up, but the more I walk, the better they feel,” Annie said as she sat on the edge of the chest Pat had pointed toward. The round-faced wardrobe lady painted the liquid bandage over Annie’s scrapes. It stung a bit, but Annie held very still.

“Good girl,” Pat said, patting her arm like a fond aunt. “I always like working with extras. They don’t whine so much.”

“Some of the actors though, whew,” Betty moaned. “You would think we were throwing them outside naked.”

“Not that we wouldn’t,” Pat chimed in. “We do whatever the script calls for.”

Annie smiled at the banter between the ladies. It was obvious they had been working together for a long time. “I imagine you both must have some amazing stories from this work.”

“A few,” Betty said.

“And a few we’ll never tell,” Pat added. “Now, you’re all set. Just be careful as you put on the new stockings.”

“I’ll need my valise too,” Annie said as she walked behind the screen to change quickly.

“A valise?” Pat’s voice carried from the front. “I don’t see you on the prop list.”

“It’s the one I was carrying yesterday when I saw you at the inn,” Annie called out. “Do you remember? It’s leather in shades of brown. I gave it to Samuel Ely to put with the other cases.” Annie stepped out from behind the screen with her knit pants neatly folded and her boots in her hand.

“Well, maybe he hasn’t brought it yet,” Pat responded. She gestured toward the small pile of luggage. “Do you see it?”

Annie peered at the pile. At first, she didn’t. Then she saw a familiar-looking corner and pointed. “I think that’s it in the back.”

“Of course,” Betty grumbled. “It would have to be in the back.” The thin woman pushed her way through the pile of luggage and retrieved the small valise. “This it?”

Annie gave it a quick look. “Yes, that’s it. Sorry to make you go scrambling.”

“Sammy didn’t tag it either,” Betty said. “I’m going to have to give that boy a talking to.”

“Well, I did dump it on him suddenly,” Annie said, feeling badly for creating any discord. “It’s my fault.”

“Don’t worry,” Pat said, patting her arm. “Betty’s growl is worse than her bite. Go and get your hair done, dear.” She peered down at Annie’s knees. “The liquid bandage seems to be working perfectly. I think your knees will look fine on camera. In a distance shot, no one will see the scrapes. If the camera were going to linger, then we’d have to send you to makeup. Vernee has magical ways to make even the worse flaws vanish.”

“I’m sure the cameraman won’t be interested in my knees,” Annie said.

“You never know.” Betty and Pat laughed as Annie moved on to get her hair swept back up in a quick twist. All too soon, she was finished in the trailer and back out in the chill of the pier. Still, she could tell the wind was not as biting as it had been. She spotted Alice chatting with Ian and walked to them. “Good morning,” she said.

“Good morning,” Ian answered. “I hope you’re feeling better.”

“Yes,” Annie said. “I think I’m back to normal. Is it wishful thinking, or does the wind seem warmer this morning?”

“No, we’re definitely in for a warm snap,” Ian said. “We’re going to see some snow melt. I know my roof will appreciate that. I don’t know how the film crew will feel about it though. They came looking for a snowy Christmas town.”

Alice laughed. “Just tell them to give us a little while. If you don’t like the weather, wait an hour, and it’ll change.”

“I’d hate to see it all melt,” Annie admitted. “I really do want a white Christmas, even if I don’t get to spend it with LeeAnn and the twins.”

Annie looked at the other extras standing in small groups, and then she spotted Vanessa standing near the pier railing with Logan Lariby. “Did you chat with Vanessa?” she asked Alice.

“We spotted them right away,” Alice said. “That young man looks smitten to me.”

“Yes, I think that’s a genuine case of smittenness,” Ian said. “I’m not surprised. She is a very pretty girl.”

“And just as lovely inside as out,” Annie added. “I wonder if Kate knows about her new friend.”

“I don’t think Vanessa could have kept it a secret if she wanted to,” Alice said. “She was playing tour guide after the shoot, remember? I expect Kate knew before we got our first sip of hot cocoa yesterday.”

Annie nodded. The Stony Point gossip network was extremely efficient. “I wonder how Kate feels about it.”

“How would you?”

“Worried,” Annie said. “As I remember, that’s how I felt about everything when LeeAnn was that age.”

“And yet,” Ian interjected, “LeeAnn grew up to have a happy home and family. I expect Vanessa will be just fine as well.”

Annie nodded. “I’m sure she will.”

“But I’m glad it’s not my worry,” Alice added.

Annie had to agree. The young actor certainly seemed very nice. She wondered if Kate had met him. Maybe she could ask her. That made Annie jump. “Oh, I forgot,” she said. “I need to stop at A Stitch in Time after the shoot and get some more crochet thread for a project I’m making. I ran out during my crochet marathon yesterday. Do you mind?”

“No, I expect I’m going to be seeking out some more hot cocoa in town anyway,” Alice said.

Just then the young man who had moved the groups of extras around the day before walked through and sent everyone to their places. Annie noticed that Logan kept talking to Vanessa in the group of extras on the pier until the young assistant virtually dragged him to the ferry.

As Annie stepped up on the gangplank to the ferry, she felt a creeping unease, as if someone was watching her. She turned around and scanned the crowd. Matt Rusher was standing at the edge of the crowd of extras, staring at her. The charming man of yesterday was gone, and he had the same fierce glare that he’d turned her way when she’d first seen him. What could the man possibly have against her, she wondered.

Then he saw her looking back; his face lightened, and he smiled and nodded. Annie smiled slightly and nodded back. Then she slipped her hand through Ian’s arm, stepping closer to him for comfort.

Ian looked down on her in surprise. “Cold?”

“A little,” Annie said. “Plus, I’m practicing my character.”

Ian patted her gloved hand on his arm. “Practice away,” he said.

They made their way to the spot where they had stood the day before. The young assistant made slight adjustments in everyone’s position based on notes on his ever-present clipboard, and then the ferry pulled out from the pier again, and Annie waited for the action to begin.

Though the small scene seemed to go smoothly, the director had them repeat it another five times. Annie’s feet began to ache in the unfamiliar shoes, but thankfully she never really got much colder. The temperature was definitely rising. She wondered if her smile was starting to look a little strained. It certainly felt that way, although every time she looked into Ian’s handsome face, his smile down at her seemed genuine and warm. “You Butlers are fine actors,” she said.

“How’s that?” he asked.

“You don’t look the least bit tired of all this.”

“Tired of spending time with the best-looking woman in Stony Point?” he asked. “I can’t imagine.”

“Charmer,” Annie scolded lightly, but Ian’s words gave her a slight ego boost, and her own smile felt less forced.