The Inn at Holiday Bay: Message in the Mantel Read online

  I took another bite of my apple as I studied the photo. “It really is breathtaking. If we have all those flowerbeds, I think we’ll need to hire a gardener. I bet the upkeep will be extensive.”

  Georgia ran a hand over the book. “It would be a large undertaking, but Lonnie seemed to think that we could find landscapers and maintenance personnel to handle the heavy work.”

  I flipped to a couple of other pages in the book and then turned back to the one Georgia had marked. “I love it. I have an appointment to go over a final design with the landscape architect in a couple of weeks. We’ll show him this photo and discuss options.” I tossed my apple core in the trash. “That managed to take the edge off, but I’m still hungry. Do you have something in mind for dinner?”

  “I was thinking of pot roast. I’ll need to get it started right away, if that meets with your approval.”

  “That sounds delicious. I need to write at least a chapter of the new book I started today, so I’ll be in the bedroom. I half-expecting a call from Colt, who wanted to set up a time for me to go house hunting with him. I’m going to leave my phone out here so as not to be distracted by it, but if you notice that I have a call from him, you can interrupt me. Otherwise, just let everything go to voice mail.”

  “How is Colt’s hunt for the perfect house coming along?” Georgia asked about our friend, Chief of Police Colt Wilder, and the house he was looking for that would accommodate visits from his orphaned niece and nephew.

  “Slowly. He’s pretty particular, and he seems to know exactly what he wants, so that narrows down the potential pool of houses by quite a bit. But I don’t blame him for taking his time. The reality is that the house he buys now will probably be the home he lives in for quite some time.”

  “Yeah. It is an important decision. I’ll keep an eye out for a call from him; otherwise I won’t bother you. Good luck with your chapter.”

  “Thanks; I’ll need it. I have a really awesome concept for this book, but I’m having a hard time getting started. Hopefully, I’ll make some progress today.”

  Rufus squeezed in through the bedroom door just as I was closing it. He jumped up onto the bed and curled up in a ball. When Olivia, the mama cat who was living in my closet with her litter of kittens, heard him, she emerged and joined him on the bed. They weren’t hurting anything, so despite the fact that I liked to have zero distractions while I worked, I let them stay. The story I was trying to write was a mystery of sorts, but I wanted something that was more than that. I wanted to write a complicated character with very real problems and personal challenges to overcome. I wanted an element of romance, but I didn’t want the romance to overshadow the story. I had a solid outline for the mystery part of the story, but I was still working on developing the characters who would come together to solve that mystery.

  I tried to picture my hero, but the only image to come to mind was Colt, which was one I quickly pushed from my mind. My husband and son had only been gone a year and a half, and there was no way I was ready for lusty thoughts, no matter how innocent they might be. Colt was a nice guy and a good friend. He was responsible and caring, and we seemed to work well together, but he was only a friend, which was a fact I seemed to need to remind myself of more and more often as of late. Deciding my hero should have blond hair and blue eyes, the exact opposite of Colt’s rich brown hair and deep brown eyes, I opened a browser and began to search for male images to use as inspiration for the character I wanted to create.

  I didn’t always use photos as inspiration, but there were times when having an image to look at helped me to focus. The manuscript I’d started called for a blond woman with bright blue eyes, so I decided to look for an image to represent my heroine as well, although the only one that came to mind was that of my sister, Annie, a woman I had been close to for most of my life but had been estranged from ever since I’d come to the decision to buy the inn and move to Maine. The fact that Annie was no longer in my life hurt me deeply, but I wasn’t sure how I could rectify the situation; the chatty emails I’d been sending to her since coming to Maine didn’t seem to be working. She had sent me a single short email on Ben’s birthday. I’d hoped that meant she had decided to forgive me, but so far, that was the only email she’d sent.

  Making a quick decision, I opened my mail app.

  Dear Annie,

  It’s been a rainy March here in Maine, but at least the snow has melted at sea level. The remodel on the house is coming along splendidly. I’m hoping you can make it out here this summer for the grand opening. I want to share my new life with you, and I know you would love spending time on my bluff by the sea.

  I found out today that the mantel in the living room of the mansion may have been carved by a famous artist who lived in the eighteenth century. I plan to research the man and his art in an effort to find out more. I’ll let you know what I find, because I know you enjoy both art and history.

  I need to get back to work on my new novel. The one I recently completed should publish early next year. I’ll send you a signed copy when I get them.

  I love you and miss you, Abby.

  After I hit Send, I returned my attention to the chapter that was still waiting to be written. I knew it was pointless to spend a lot of time agonizing over the loss of my relationship with Annie, but at times the hole left by the removal of her presence in my life was more than I could bear.

  Chapter 2

  Colt called just as I was finishing up my chapter, which had taken me a while to get started but ended up flowing nicely. He informed me that he’d stumbled upon what seemed to be the perfect house and wondered if I had time to look at it and offer my opinion. I told him that I’d be happy to take a look, so he offered to stop by to pick me up. I cleaned up a bit before filling Georgia in on my plans. By the time I was ready to go, he was pulling in to the drive.

  “So, how did you happen to stumble upon this house if it isn’t even on the market?” I asked Colt as we drove south on the highway.

  “Bruce Palmer, the man who owned the home, was found dead by his neighbor. I responded to the call, and once the body was taken to the morgue, I contacted the next of kin, who happened to be the man’s son, Doug.”

  “I’m sorry. That must have been a difficult call to make.”

  “Those sorts of calls are always difficult, but while Doug was obviously upset that his father had passed, he wasn’t overly surprised.”

  “Oh, had he been ill?”

  “Doug shared with me that his father had been complaining of nausea, dizziness, and headaches for a couple of weeks. He had tried to get him to go to the doctor, but he refused, claiming that he had come down with a bug and didn’t want to bother with going out in the cold.”

  I turned slightly. “I suppose that when you are elderly, even the flu can be dangerous.”

  “I’m afraid that much is true.”

  “So you called the son to inform him of his father’s death. How did the house come into it?”

  Colt turned on the main thoroughfare leading into the town of Holiday Bay. “When I called to notify Doug of his father’s passing, he asked if I knew of anyone who could clean out the house and list it for sale. Doug lives in Chicago, and he was very busy and didn’t have time to deal with it. I told him that I’d been looking for a home to buy and asked if I could have twenty-four hours to think things over before he listed the house. If I buy it directly from him, he can save the commission he’d have to pay a real estate agent, so he was all for it. The house is kind of a mess, but all it requires is cleaning up, and it has three bedrooms and three baths, as well as a den and an office. It has a large, fenced yard and it’s in a good neighborhood close to town. I think it could be perfect for me, but I wanted a second opinion before I started talking price with the guy.”

  “Makes sense, and I’m happy to help if I can.” I glanced out the window as Colt slowed as we neared a residential street. When he pulled into the driveway, I smiled. If there was one thing I could say ab
out the house, it would be that it had curb appeal. In fact, the word that came to my mind was charming. The two-story clapboard home was set back off the street, which not only provided for a large, grassy area in the front but would cut down on noise from the road as well. The white house had black shutters and a covered porch that would easily accommodate a swing and maybe a couple of rockers. While the yard was dormant, there was evidence of an extensive flower garden and landscaped walkways. It looked to be completely fenced in the back, and as Colt had already informed me, the backyard was huge. We entered the kitchen on the first floor, through the two-car garage.

  The first thing I noticed upon entering the house was the smell. I put my hand over my nose in an attempt to block the overpowering aroma. “Oh God.”

  “I should have warned you about the stench. The man’s health had deteriorated to the point that he wasn’t able to keep up with things before he passed.”

  I kept my hand over my nose and breathed shallowly through my mouth as I looked around. There was food on the counters, unwashed dishes in the sink, water on the floor from the half-full water cooler that sat in the corner of the eating area, and overflowing garbage cans that looked as if they hadn’t been emptied in weeks. “Maybe we should open a window. I know it is cold and rainy, but I’ll take the cold over the smell, and I think the spilled water from the cooler has already ruined the floor.”

  “Of course. We’ll just do a quick walk-through so that you can get a general feel for the place. I plan to have someone come by to clean out the house whether I buy it or the son lists it.”

  “If you do buy it, you’ll want to consider new carpets and drapes.”

  Colt agreed that a remodel would be called for, as would all new furniture, but he reasoned that if he could get the house for enough of a discount, the cost of the repairs would be worth it. I imagined he was right. The house did have large rooms and picture windows. There was a large living room, full bath, and den downstairs, as well as two fireplaces and a large country kitchen. The upstairs featured three bedrooms, one with a master bath and two with a shared bath. There was an extra room without a closet off the master suite, which must have been the one Colt described as an office. While the house was nicely laid out as far as I was concerned, the enormous backyard was the main selling point. There was plenty of room for Colt to set up a swing set for his niece or play catch with his nephew. Definitely a plus.

  “I wonder why a single man had such a large home,” I said.

  “This is one of the older neighborhoods in town. Bruce Palmer had lived in this house for more than forty years. I imagine that when he first purchased it, he had a wife and children in mind.”

  “You mentioned a son. I assume the wife has passed on. Or maybe they divorced?”

  “Palmer and his wife divorced in 1994. The ex-wife passed away in 2002. Their only child was Doug, who was born in 1986. I didn’t get the sense that he was close to his father, although he did seem to check in on him via phone calls from time to time.”

  I took one last look at the mess and headed out onto the covered back porch for a breath of fresh air. It seemed sad to me that the man had lived a good portion of his life alone. “Will you do an autopsy on the man who died?”

  “Probably not. The son didn’t request one, and we don’t usually do an autopsy on the elderly who die of natural causes.”

  I took several deep breaths of the moist, cool air. “Are you sure he died of natural causes?”

  “There didn’t appear to be any signs of a struggle. The man was found in his bed. It looked as if he’d died in his sleep.”

  “Maybe.” I frowned and looked around the yard. “I noticed that the food that was left out appeared to have come from a meal service. I wonder why whoever made the deliveries didn’t notify someone that the man was ill and unable to care for himself.”

  “I have a meeting with the woman who runs the meal service later this afternoon. I plan to ask her that very question. It appears that some of the food was eaten from each meal, so it wasn’t as if Mr. Palmer wasn’t eating anything at all, but I do agree that someone should have intervened in some way.” Colt turned back toward the house. “I’m going to take one more walk through the place before we head out.”

  “You go ahead. I think I’ll just wait out here.”

  Colt headed in through the back door and I sat down in the old swing that had been built onto the porch beneath the covered roof. I gently rocked back and forth as I listened to the rain. I’d always loved the sound of rain hitting a roof. Being outdoors while the rain pelted the landscape provided for a peaceful and relaxing setting.

  After about fifteen minutes, Colt joined me on the porch. He sat down on the swing beside me.

  “So?” I asked.

  “I think the place has potential. I’m going to let Mr. Palmer’s son know I am interested in discussing a price and we take it from there.”

  “The house is such a mess, but I do agree there is a lot of potential. And this yard—it is perfect for kids, and maybe a dog.”

  “I’d actually love to get a dog. I’ve always wanted one, but I am away from home a lot and my current place is so small. But if the home purchase works out, I will definitely talk to Tanner.” Tanner Peyton, my next-door neighbor, raised and trained dogs for FEMA and other service organizations, but I was sure he’d be happy to hook Colt up with a pet.

  By the time Colt dropped me off at home, Georgia had the pot roast, baby carrots, and roasted potatoes ready. It smelled wonderful. I didn’t want the stench of the house I’d just visited to interfere with my enjoyment of the meal in any way, so I took a quick shower and changed my clothes.

  “How was the house?” Georgia asked after we both sat down at the small dining table that overlooked the sea.

  “The house itself is great, but it was in pretty bad shape, and the smell!” I wrinkled my nose. “Well, it was bad. The man who owned it died in the house and had been sick for a while before that.”

  Georgia made a face. “I’m sorry to hear that. Does it seem as if Colt is interested in making an offer?”

  I nodded. “I think he plans to. The place will need new carpets, drapes, paint, and furniture, but the rooms are large and the yard is at least half an acre. I think it will work out well for him.”

  Georgia forked a carrot. “That’s great. I hope it does works out.”

  I glanced at a file folder on the nearby table. “It looks like you have been busy this afternoon.”

  “I did some research on Samuel Garrison while you were away and found quite a lot, actually. I printed out some of the more relevant articles. Bobby was correct when he said the guy was a famous artist. Not only did he carve intricate mantels for some of the nicer taverns and inns in the Colonies, but he made handcrafted furniture as well. It is said that the homes of many of our founding fathers had furniture that he created.”

  I set down my fork. “Wow. I’m so glad that I decided to have someone like Bobby do the refurbishing on the mantel. I would hate to have done anything to it that would diminish its historical significance. I would love to figure out where the mantel was located before it was brought to the house. Can you imagine if it was once in the home of Samuel Adams or Paul Revere?”

  “It sounded like Garrison’s work didn’t come cheap, so I would imagine that the mantel was either in the home of a rich family or a commercial property. I’m going to keep digging to see what I can find out. I’m sure I only touched the surface today. I know that Lonnie and Lacy plan to look into it as well, so maybe one of us can find a photo of the mantel that might lead to its history. It seems like it might be a one-of-a-kind design.”

  “It would be awesome to get the whole story about it.” I felt a movement against my leg and looked down to find Olivia staring at me. “I guess you are hoping there will be enough pot roast for you?”

  “Meow.”

  I glanced at Georgia. “By the way, Lonnie told me today that he definitely wants to adopt Olivia
after her kittens are weaned.”

  “That’s great.” Georgia grinned. “She is such a sweet little thing. I know she was skittish at first, but she seems right at home now. I sort of hate to give her up, but I’d say this cottage is at capacity. Besides, Lacy and Lonnie will make wonderful adoptive parents, though I’m kind of surprised they didn’t want one of the kittens.”

  “Olivia is a calm and patient cat, and I think they figured that she would be better with the kids than a kitten might be. Personally, I think they might have a point.” I pushed my plate aside. “That was delicious.”

  “Thank you. It was my grandmother’s recipe.”

  “It will be a hit with our guests once the inn opens.” Olivia put a paw on my knee. “Okay, I’ll make up a small bowl for all three of you.” Rufus and Ramos were sitting in the living room not bothering us as Olivia was but most definitely watching us. I didn’t blame them. It smelled wonderful in the little cottage.

  “Any updates on a possible opening date for the inn?” Georgia asked. “I’ve had a ton of inquiries. I’ve just been taking names, phone numbers, and email addresses, and signing everyone up for our newsletter. I promised to let everyone who has shown interest know when we are ready to begin taking reservations.”

  “The second floor is just about done,” I replied. “Once Bobby finishes with the mantel in the living room and the crown molding in the dining area, the first floor will be done as well. I think that Lonnie plans to start on the third floor sometime next week. I imagine that will take a month or two, depending on whether he comes across any major problems with the plumbing or electrical. He wants us to pick out granite and cabinets for the suites on the third floor, and he asked what color paint to order.”

  “Are we going to do the same dark hardwood flooring there that we put down on the first and second story?” Georgia asked.