CHAPTER 11
The door actually creaked as Grans pushed the large front door open and they stepped into the foyer. The stone house looked more like a castle than a house. According to Grans, Adele’s family had lived in the place since her great-grandfather moved to oversee his cattle ranch a few miles out of town. “As Adele told it, Great-Grandmother made one request of her groom before she’d say ‘I do.’ And that was to build this house.”
The foyer was more grand entry than mudroom. The wooden surfaces shone as cherry or some other dark wood, Mia couldn’t tell. But she was sure the wood wasn’t the more locally available pine, which would have been cheaper to use. Adele’s great-grandmother must have been some catch for a man to build this home for her. Mia reached out to touch the glossy banister. “It’s amazing.”
“What are you doing? Don’t touch anything. Just because I have the key doesn’t mean we’re not trespassing in the eyes of the law. I should have told folks about that time I caught him shoplifting. That would have kept him from thinking he’s high and mighty.” Grans nodded to the back of the house. “Adele’s office is back there, in the old servants’ quarters. She turned it into a library ten years ago.”
Mia followed Grans to the back of the house, her hands now shoved into the pockets of the wool peacoat she’d picked up at the army/navy surplus store last winter in Boise. The house felt warm and welcoming, not like Adele at all. Maybe she’d misjudged Grans’s friend. The woman had to have something nice inside for Grans to put up with her.
When they reached the office Grans pushed open the door. Files were strewn on the desk, the couch, even on the floor.
“I didn’t think she’d be this messy.” Mia glanced over the files on the desk. Mostly old clippings from the local paper about births and obituaries.
“Adele was ultra organized. This isn’t her doing. The office has been ransacked.” Grans glanced around the room. “I don’t know what they were after. Adele didn’t keep any money at the house. She believed in using her debit card for every transaction. She never carried a dime’s worth of cash. I don’t know how many times I had to give her a dollar for a soda or a candy bar. The woman must owe me a few thousand dollars from the change I’ve given her over the years.”
“The door was locked, right?” The back of Mia’s neck had started to tingle. Someone had been looking for something, and recently, unless Adele’s maid hadn’t come in since her death.
“I heard the click when it opened. Yes, it was locked. And the front door is the only entrance. She kept getting warnings from the fire department that she had to have at least two exits, but Adele said that her grandfather had built one door and that was the way the house would stay. She thought the old guy had been afraid of his wife sneaking out and running away. One door was easier to watch than two.” Grans frowned. “I didn’t realize Adele was doing genealogy.”
“What do you mean?” Mia removed a pen from her pocket and poked at the clippings.
“This family tree. She was tracing back something.” Grans picked up the paper, glancing at the writing.
“Hey, I thought you said not to touch anything.”
Grans didn’t even look at her. “I told you not to touch anything. I’ve been over here more times in my lifetime than I can count. No one will question my fingerprints showing up. You, on the other hand, are a suspect.”
“Ouch.” Mia faked taking a shot to her midsection.
“It’s the truth, dear girl.” Grans frowned. “Didn’t she tell you that Danforth was her nephew?”
“I think so. She said the guy probably ran through the money her sister had given him. I guess I just assumed. Why?”
“It may have been an omission, but her sister doesn’t have any children listed on this family tree. There’s a cousin with a ‘Billy’ listed, but nothing under Barbara.”
“So you think William is Billy?” Mia stepped closer to the desk. Maybe they’d found the killer. The so-called nephew who’d called her out at the wake. That would tie everything up nice and tidy. Hope filled her as she tried to read Adele’s handwriting.
“I don’t know. And if he was, why would she call him her nephew? It’s probably just a mistake. Adele’s eyesight wasn’t the best lately. Maybe she just wrote the name in the wrong spot.”
“Maybe.”
A footstep echoed overhead. Mia’s eyes widened. Grans had heard it too. “Come on; someone is in the house.”
Mia pushed Grans out of the office and into the lobby, but then voices sounded from the top of the stairs. They retreated into a coat closet next to the office door. She put her finger to her lips, seeing Grans in the dim light. Adele’s furs had been stored in the closet and Mia tried not to sneeze, the fur tickling her nose. Grans, instead of being scared, looked like she was about to laugh. Mia leaned closer to the barely opened closet door.
“So when do you think probate will close and you can sign over the deed?” A male voice boomed in the empty foyer.
“A month or two. As soon as I get permission, I’ll clean out all of Adele’s junk and you guys can move in. We can set up a presale lease contract.” A different male voice answered, one that Mia recognized. She tried to remember if it was the same voice as the guy who’d threatened her.
“Don’t get rid of too much. Adele had such great taste, I’d like to keep her furnishings.” A woman’s voice was added to the mix.
Grans frowned and leaned closer to the door.
“No worries, we’ll just add that to the price of the contract. I’ll clean out the closets and take out her personal stuff. I’m sure I’ll have to take it all to Goodwill. The woman had no taste at all.” The man hesitated, then added, “In clothing, I meant.”
Even in the dim light in the closet, Mia could see Grans’s face tense. She reached out and touched her grandmother’s arm in warning. She didn’t know who was in the house, but she knew barging out of the closet wouldn’t make the situation any better.
“Have your attorney draw up an agreement and we’ll look it over. I hope we can have this completed in the next month or so?” the older male voice asked.
“No worries. The sooner I get out of here and back home to Arizona, the better.” The voice Mia now knew as William Danforth the Third’s drifted out of hearing range, and then she heard a door shut.
Grans reached for the closet door. “I am so mad. I can’t believe he said all those things about Adele. The poor woman’s body isn’t even cold. The lawyer better speed up the reading of the will or that nephew of hers will have this place sold off before he even officially owns the house. Poor Adele.”
“Hold on a second; let’s make sure they’re gone.” Mia thought about her van parked across the street. Good thing she drove an older vehicle. Most people around here didn’t even notice what type of car you drove unless it was a Range Rover or a Hummer. Anything else was for the servants or townies. People like the couple who’d just made a deal with Danforth weren’t interested in the lower classes. Mia thought about them. “Any clue who the other two were?”
Grans opened the door a crack so they could watch the front entry. She glanced back at Mia. “I know both of them. I recognized her whine. Helen Marcum and her husband. The people from Chicago.”
After five minutes Mia couldn’t stand the smell of mink or rabbit or whatever other fur Adele had stuffed in the closet anymore. She slowly opened the closet door. When they reached the front hallway she glanced out the side window by the door. Not seeing any car parked in the driveway or any neighbor out in their yard, the two of them slipped out of the house. Instead of running directly to the van to keep from being seen, they walked around the side away from the driveway. Then Mia pushed through a break in the hedge and returned to the street, using the side yard of the summer home of a famous actor and his equally famous wife. Or ex-wife, Mia mentally corrected. The celebrity faces changed fast, with the happy couple together one summer, and the next season just the wife or just the husband would return. Usually with a new lover in tow. She’d seen a couple of the Sun Valley elite milling around at Majors the last few weeks. Grans called them “wannabes.” The Hollywood and New York celebrities never showed before June or after the Christmas ski season ended. Now, the Lodge was filled with die-hard ski fanatics. Rich or poor, they all came for the powder.
When they reached the safety of the van Mia glanced at her grandmother. “What now? Do we take this to the police?”
“And tell them what? That her nephew is showing the house to prospective buyers?” Grans pulled out the piece of paper with the family tree. “Mark would laugh us out of the station, if he didn’t arrest us for trespassing.”
“Well, me, not you.” Mia corrected. She had no doubt Magic Springs’s finest would waste no time in charging her with a crime if she freely admitted her guilt.
Grans’s smile brightened her face. “You have got his panties twisted, haven’t you?” When Mia protested, Grans put up her hand. “I’m just teasing. But you’re right. He would throw you in a cell.”
“In a heartbeat.” Mia started the engine and steered the van away from the curb.
Grans tapped the paper. “The answer is here, I know it.”
“In the family tree?”
She nodded. “You always find skeletons when you start to do this kind of research. I just wonder what Adele was looking for.”
“Don’t all old people do genealogy?” Mia headed the car toward Grans’s house a few blocks over.
“Don’t age profile us. Just because our hair’s gray doesn’t mean we are all the same. Adele wasn’t the sentimental type. About her family or her age.” Grans swatted Mia’s arm.
“Yes, ma’am. You need some help?” Mia eased the car down the snow-covered street.
Grans put the paper that she’d been studying on her lap. She turned to Mia and cocked her head. “Now you think I’m too old to do research?”
Mia twisted to check for oncoming traffic as she made a right on to Grans’s street. She didn’t answer until she’d pulled the car into the driveway and turned off the engine. “I was just going to offer to hold out the paper farther so you could read the words.”
“Smart aleck.” Grans sniffed and tucked the paper into her purse. “Thank you for the ride. I’ll let you know when I find something.”
Mia leaned over the seat. “I’m here for you.”
“You’re here to tease me.” Grans slammed the door, then wiggled her fingers at Mia. Their secret symbol. Grans had taught Mia the sign when she’d first said goodbye and left the Boise house to return to Magic Springs. Be good, be loved, be everything. Grans had explained the symbolism behind the action. Mia had never forgotten.
She waved back and considered following her grans into the house. Instead she waited for her to find her keys and unlock the door before Mia put the car into reverse. As soon as she touched the gearshift, her phone rang.
“Mia Malone.” She smiled as Grans curtsied in the doorway, then shut the large wooden door. The woman could still surprise her.
“Where are you?” a male voice asked.
“Where am I supposed to be?” Dropping her hand, she decided to finish the call before leaving the driveway. She still hadn’t invested in a Bluetooth, and Officer Baldwin could be just around the corner. The man was just looking for an excuse to write her a ticket or, at worst, throw her in jail. The voice registered finally and she asked, “Trent?”
“You should be here talking to your contractors. They are ready for the building inspector.” Trent’s voice held a touch of humor. “And I brought you a present.”
“I’m dropping off Grans, I’ll be there in a sec.” She glanced behind her, trying to gauge the chances the town’s police cruiser was even out in the more residential areas. Baldwin tended to man the town’s speed trap out on the main highway toward Sun Valley. Reaching up to put the car in gear, she watched out the window for any sign of the cruiser. “What’s my present?”
“If I told you, you wouldn’t be surprised.” Trent added, “Just drive safe and get over here.”
“Who said I like surprises?” Mia realized she was talking to dead air. She tossed the phone into the passenger seat. “Seriously, that man is . . .”
She paused. What had she been going to say? Infuriating? Bothersome? Hot and sexy as hell? Her hormones must be flying for her to be in lust at ten in the morning. Seeing Isaac had brought back a lot of emotions, a lot of pain.
Now, less than six months later, she was considering a relationship with a new guy? Okay, to be honest she really was only considering having sex with the guy. Maybe several sessions, just to make sure she truly was over Isaac. Mia smiled at her reflection in the rearview mirror as she pulled out of the driveway. Finally arriving home, she slid her van into the principal’s old parking spot and sprinted into the building. When she entered the front door she ducked involuntarily. She hoped she’d be able to stop doing that someday.
Voices sounded from back in the kitchen area. When Mia stepped into the room she gasped. All the work she and the general contractor had planned was done. Well, the floor still needed to be replaced and the window treatment had totally disappeared, but the appliances were in, and, heaven help her, the subzero freezer looked cuter than it had in the store. The kitchen reminded her of a mini version of the Lodge’s kitchen. But totally big enough for Mia’s Morsels. Now she just had to find the missing inspector.
Trent gestured her over when he saw she’d arrived. “Hey, what do you think?” He waved his arms around the room.
“I didn’t think we’d be done until late next week at the earliest.” Mia glanced around, looking for the general contractor. He tipped his hat when their eyes met. “What happened?”
The man stepped closer. “Mr. Majors can be very persuasive. Especially when he’s explaining how much opening this place means to you.”
Trent stepped between the two, blocking Mia’s attempt at more conversation. “I didn’t bring you here to chitchat. Meet George Kennedy.”
Mia gasped. “Mr. Kennedy? I’m so glad you made time for us out of your busy schedule.” A little butt kissing may work better than vinegar on the elusive Mr. Kennedy.
“Trent told me about your little predicament. I’m glad to help out.” The inspector glanced around the room. “I’m sure with a few upgrades you’ll be code ready in about a week. How does that sound?”
“Like heaven.” Mia signed in relief. She’d be able to cook and prep for the ritzier party next week, once the kitchen was complete. She’d be a real caterer then. And between her and Christina, they’d make a kick-ass menu for the first drop-off dinner clients and the word-of-mouth advertisements happy customers brought. She’d be doing a brisk business in less than a month. The thought excited her. Her own business.
“Mia? What do you think?” The men were looking at her like she’d missed a button on her blouse.
“What?” Mia smoothed the front of her T-shirt.
“George wants to know what you are doing about the gas lines. Are you going to return to the original kitchen configuration?”
“I don’t understand.” Mia glanced around the room. “Isn’t this the original setup?”
George barked a chuckle. “Heavens no. The school did some unapproved remodeling to allow them to bring in a larger refrigerator, one with a lock.” He walked over near the window. “The stove and hood were over here, which lowers the stress on the gas lines and assures a better distribution. Over there, you’re looking at running all new lines and wires. And probably adding a week or two to your initial proposal.”
“No delays. I can’t afford them. Let’s just move the stove back.” She tried to imagine the updated kitchen. The room flowed better with the change George suggested. She’d expected a long list of corrections before she opened, but this guy was nice, sweet even. She just must have been used to the Boise inspectors, who took glee in writing up even the tiniest infraction.
George handed her a clipboard. “Just sign here and I’ll give a copy to your contractor, giving him the go ahead to continue working with the caveat that these items will be corrected.”
Mia glanced at the list. Twenty-two items. “I don’t understand. All these things have to be fixed? Or are these just suggestions?” She gave the inspector what she hoped was a somewhat friendly smile.
“Either fix them or don’t open. We take building safety seriously in Magic Springs.” He nodded to the clipboard. “Now, if you’ll just sign that you got the list, I’ll be out of your hair.”
Mia glanced at the list. “You want us to install earthquake straps to the large appliances. Earthquakes?”
“The Stanley Basin is a hotbed of tremors. I’m surprised no one told you.” George pointed out the window to the distant Magic range. “A fault runs directly through this valley. Those tectonic plates are shifty little devils.”
“When was the last earthquake that did any damage, 1910?”
“It was 1983—the Borah Peak quake basically destroyed the town of Challis, just down the road.” He pulled on his coat. “I’m not here to argue with you. Either do the work or don’t open. Pretty simple.”
Mia watched as he walked out of the kitchen and toward the front door.
“I’ll calm him down.” Trent squeezed her arm then turned to follow the inspector. “Doesn’t do any good to have George mad.”
“Calm him down?” Mia glanced at the clipboard still in her hand. Sighing, she signed the paper, ripped off her copy, and shoved the rest at Trent. “Take this with you. I don’t have an option here.”
Dollar signs danced around in her head as she tried to estimate the additional costs. Thank the Goddess she’d taken Grans up on her offer of a loan. The kitchen remodel budget had just doubled. She glanced around the room again, watching the dust dance in the sunlight beams forcing their way through the dirty panes of glass. It didn’t matter the cost. In a week she would be putting on her first real event since she left Boise. A chance to start over. All wrapped up in a cocktail party for the Magic Springs elite.