Death Checks Inn (Aspen Valley Inn 1) (6 page)

He seemed to sense her despair and quickly crossed the room to take her into his arms. His embrace was strong and protective and
yes, loving. She buried her face in his shoulder as he stroked her hair and murmured soft soothing words. She melted into him and just let herself draw from his strength for just a moment.

He led her over to the couch and sank down into the cushions cradling her in his arms.

Much as she wanted to just surrender to all of this coddling, she would not be Lacey if she didn’t push herself up straight and look directly into his eyes. She was no weak female who had to have a man and she wasn’t going to change now.

“Tell me what you know
,” she demanded.

He straightened his body and did his best to hide the slightly amused smile that crossed his face.

He told her that Heather’s body was understandably bruised and broken. They had found no evidence of a struggle or the presence of another person. If it was a suicide there had been no note left at the scene.

He also filled her in on the results of the autopsy of the body found at the bottom of her stairs. The DNA and fingerprints had proved that the victim was indeed Adam Mason.

The
Adam Mason who had been declared dead by the Kansas court system after seven years without a body or any indication that he was alive... The accidental death for which, Heather Mason had collected double on the life insurance. The two deaths had to be connected. Lacey remembered the stricken look on Heather’s face when she realized who the body was. She had seemed truly shocked.

Lacey voiced her thoughts about this.

Wyatt nodded and agreed that he too thought she had looked devastated that morning.

They also spoke about how sad it was that there seemed to literally be no one to even notify of their deaths. Could there not be a single human being who would care that these two lives had passed? They both grew silent as they thought about how unusual this entire scenario had been.

He broke the silence by saying
, “I don’t feel safe leaving you here alone. I want to stay here with you until these deaths are explained. I can’t stand the thought of something happening to you now after I have finally found someone that makes me feel like this.” 

She answered with her usual spunkiness
, “Oh yeah? Well mister, you’ll be staying in the remaining guest room if that is what you are insisting on doing. I’m not that easy!”

T
hey both burst into laughter but he knew she was serious about exactly where he would be sleeping. He was a bit disappointed but then again he had broken the celibacy of his heart only because she was different.

He found himself thinking even more highly
of her; after all, they had only met a day ago. They both felt that they were heading in the direction of intimacy but they would take their time and enjoy the journey. They had guarded their hearts for too long to jump too soon, and too far.

They kissed almost reverently and reluctantly left the library to surround themselves with
distractions to prevent them from acting on the passion that was definitely between the two of them.

Charlotte looked at both of them studiously as they returned to the dining room where everyone lingered talking casually.

They all turned toward the front door as they heard a simultaneous knock and someone shouting, “Yoo hoo!”

Lacey hurried to greet the tall
red-haired woman who was already standing in the reception hall.

“Hi,
” she stuck out her hand, “I’m Tricia Moore; I work at the Elkville Café. I meant to get here before your grand opening to bring these for your guests.”

Lacey
shook her hand and took the envelope she held out. She opened the packet and discovered several free meal coupons.

“Why, thank you!”
she said, “I know my guests will appreciate these. I’ve heard good things about the menu at the café.”

Tricia smiled broadly and said “Well
thank
you.
We are always happy to welcome a business that will send patron’s our way.”

Lacey asked her if she would like the
fifty-cent tour. Tricia seemed very interested and her bright eyes darted back and forth trying to take in everything at once.

Lacey showed her through the
Inn, of course, skipping the occupied rooms. Tricia seemed pleased with everything and oohed and ahhed in the appropriate places. Then she said she needed to get back to the café before the lunch rush hit. She waved gaily to everyone and took her leave.

Wyatt looked after her thoughtfully.

Lacey intercepted the look and wondered what was behind it. Was there something between them? Tricia looked a bit older than Wyatt did but hey, cougars were very in right now. Lacey dismissed her jealousy and decided she was not going to be “that” girl.

Charlotte watched the interchange between them closely. Her sister radar was up, was it justified?

The Braverman’s and Joan and Suzy wandered upstairs to get ready for their planned activities.

Wyatt received a phone call that demanded his presence at the station.

The Inn seemed bereft to Lacey as he hurried out to the cruiser.

Charlotte clucked her tongue, her sister had it bad, and so quickly too.

Lacey realized that once again, he had left, and she had not asked him all the questions she wanted to about his wife and even his life. Damn…damn, damn,death and murder.

Charlotte and Lacey were
silent as they cleaned up the remains of the morning meal.

Finally, Charlotte spoke, “You’re falling for him aren’t you?”

Lacey looked at her sister and there was helplessness in her eyes. She had not expected or intended to feel this way.

She shrugged as if to say, “I can’t help it.”

Charlotte gave her a sympathetic look and changed the subject.
Charlotte asked for an update on the investigation.

Lacey told her about the latest findings.

“But how can that be?” Charlotte wondered, “If Adam Mason died so many years ago how could he die again here at the Inn?”

They discussed the case for several
minutes, both of them feeling awful that Heather Mason was also dead.

Handy Man Dan came in and interrupted their conversation.

“I need something to do,” he said, “I’m worried about both of you. Do you want me to just stay here in case something else happens?”

Lacey groaned and said evenly
, “That’s so nice of you Dan, but Sheriff Graves will be staying here at the Inn for the time being.”

Dan narrowed his eyes, he had thought he was the only “big strong man” to help Lacey.

Lacey asked him if he could check into the cost involved in some sort of security system for the Inn. She hadn’t thought that was a necessary precaution. However, that was before she had been very close to two deaths.

Dan seemed grateful to have a mission and headed into Colorado Springs to get some ideas and costs. He felt badly that “his” Lacey felt threatened,
and he would do everything he could to protect her and her guests. Besides this renovation had been the only steady work he had lined up in over a year. He wanted to stay in her good graces because there was a lot more renovating to be done.

As Dan took his
leave, the sisters talked about what they could do to make this experience better for their guests.  They could not take away the fact that death had been here. They decided that they would put together a barbeque in the walled in sanctuary.

Lacey wanted to make sure that Wyatt and his deputies were invited. Not surprisingly, Charlotte wanted to make sure Cody Westerfield was invited.

Lacey laughed aloud and said, “Well, let’s invite the entire neighborhood. We don’t want this to look like a romantic rendezvous for us.”

“
Why not?” laughed Charlotte.

The Braverman’s had been picked up for their day in Manitou and they would not be here for dinner. They would be enjoying a romantic fondue din
ner to mark their honeymoon.

Joan and Suzy would be hiking all day and would not only be back for dinner but would also most like
ly be starving.

Charlotte offered to drive into the Springs to get the fresh food items they needed and to stop at the neighbors and a couple of businesses in Elkville to invite them to come by tonight.

For the next few
hours, Lacey busied herself with daily chores. She cleaned and straightened the occupied guest rooms, started some laundry and checked the computer for any inquiries from the Inn’s webpage.

Mid
afternoon, Dan returned with the specifications of several security system options for her to look over. She was on a tight budget but this purchase seemed important, for both herself and her guest’s peace of mind.

She chose a mid priced
system then negotiated with Dan for an installation fee. He left looking pleased with her instructions to get started.

She went out into the walled privacy of the sanctuary. This private patio always made her feel
serene and happy. She checked the chemicals in the spa, just in case someone wanted to immerse themselves in the scented bubbling water. Then she strung some white twinkling lights on the top of the wall and around the two trees enclosed in the area. She set some candles and dinnerware on each of the wrought iron tables on the stone-floored dining area.

Next,
she uncovered the grill, which sat in a bricked in alcove. She looked around; satisfied that the area would look magical once the sun went down.

As she opened the side kitchen
door, she was startled to see Tricia Moore standing there.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you
.” Tricia said, “I just came by to see if I can help. Charlotte stopped by the café and invited us to come over tonight. My shift is over and I thought you could use some help,” she finished.

Lacey was happy to take her up on that offer and led her over to the work island in the kitchen.

With Tricia busily peeling potatoes for a large batch of potato salad, she got to work putting together a dessert to finish off their dinner of grilled teriyaki salmon and chicken breast.

They would also have f
resh vegetables brushed with olive oil and grilled with fresh garlic and herbs.

She baked a pan of fudgy brownies. Then layered brownie pieces in a trifle dish with alternating layers of chocolate pudding and whipped cream. She added a few shavings of chocolate to the top of the elaborate looking dish and set the concoction in the large refrigerator to chill.

She really enjoyed making people happy with food, and had the waistline to prove it.

Tricia had finished mixing up the potato salad with a lovely dressing of mustard, fresh thyme and mayonnaise. The bowl was placed in the fridge.

Lacey suggested they pull up a couple of stools at the large work island an
d have a glass of iced tea.

Tricia seemed
happy to take a break and drank thirstily from her glass. She had many questions about the murder and her missing guest.

Apparently, the local gossip mill
had passed on the fact that Heather had been found dead. Lacey was not about to share whatever inside knowledge Wyatt had given her.

She asked Tricia if she had always lived in Elkville.

“Oh no.” answered Tricia, “Very few people are actually from here. I moved here from Denver a few months ago.”

According to her
story, she had tired of big city life and big city crime and a friend had told her about Elkville. She liked the small town atmosphere but still being close to a big city if she wanted.

  Lacey couldn’t help
it, she asked her about the Wyatt. Hoping not to be too obvious, she asked if the town was happy with their choice of sheriff.

Tricia replied
, “Well, Sheriff Graves has only been here a year, but people seemed happy that they got “big city” experience right here in Elkville.”

Tricia was interesting to visit with and before she knew it, an hour had passed.

Charlotte came in lugging several cloth grocery bags. Lacey rushed to take a couple from her as Tricia
did the same.

Lacey unpacked
the wild caught salmon fillets and free range chicken breasts from the bags that Charlotte brought in. She felt very strongly that she should provide the best and least processed food to her guests that she could afford. Someday she hoped to have a fruitful garden that also supplied some home grown organics to her table.

Of course, that was very iffy considering the altitude of the Inn location.

As she whisked together a pungent teriyaki sauce to marinate the fish and chicken she enjoyed listening to the two women get to know each other.