“
Well, can you please inform him that the Holsteads would like their lunch in their room?” Vicky asked politely.
“
Oh, I can take it up to them,” Peter offered with a shrug.
“
No,” Vicky said firmly. “I'd prefer it if it was Chef Henry who took them their food, okay?” she raised an eyebrow and waited for Peter to look up at her. He had pale blue eyes that seemed as evasive as his demeanor.
“
Sure, of course,” he nodded.
“
Could you get me a glass of chardonnay for Mrs. Holstead?” she inquired. “Better make it a large one,” she added as an afterthought. She was sure that Sandy was going to need something to relax her.
“
Absolutely,” he nodded and retrieved one of the glasses. He opened a new bottle of wine and poured the drink into the glass, then handed it to Vicky.
“
Thanks,” she replied. As she took the glass from him she thought she had better be sure that he knew about Sandy’s allergy. “Did Chef Henry tell you to make sure there are no products with peanuts in the kitchen?” Vicky asked.
“
Yes, don't worry, everything with peanuts is out,” he assured her. Vicky nodded and then she carried the glass out to Sandy who was staring out across the grounds. The view from the pool was idyllic as it was of the blooming gardens set against a backdrop of rolling hills that blended into the thick woods.
“Here you are, Mrs. Holstead,” Vicky said as she walked up to her.
“
Thank you, so much,” Sandy replied as she accepted the glass of wine. “Please, will you sit with me for a moment?” she suggested. “I do hate to drink alone, but my husband is not very good company at the moment.”
Vicky sat down at the table beside her and spoke carefully, she didn't want to appear as if she was prying.
“He seems a bit out of sorts,” she offered.
“
A bit?” Sandy laughed at that and took a big swallow of her wine. For the first time Vicky suspected that this wasn't the only wine she'd had so far that day. “Oh, Gerald is never happy,” she sighed and swirled her wine in the glass. “The truth is, that my husband's eyes have been wandering,” Sandy slurred as she drank a gulp of her wine. She leaned back in her chair and gazed out over the sky. “I'm not bad to look at, am I?” she asked as she glanced over at Vicky.
“
Not at all,” Vicky replied as she smiled sympathetically at the woman. “You're very beautiful.”
“
And rich,” Sandy added as she took another large sip of her wine. “You might think that would be enough to keep a man happy. But, no, not Gerald,” she sighed, her shoulders drooped, and her eyes nearly fell shut. “I don't know who she is, or how often he sees her, but sometimes I can smell another woman on him.”
“Are you sure?” Vicky asked as she tried to look into the woman's eyes. “Maybe he is just picking up perfume from another woman at work.”
“
Not at the plant,” Sandy giggled and shook her head. “None of the men that work there wear anything quite so flowery,” she winked at Vicky in an attempt to cover the hurt in her eyes. But Vicky could see through it. She frowned as she patted the woman's hand gently.
“
I'm sorry that you're going through this,” Vicky murmured.
“
Listen to me, blubbering on about myself, and you don't even know me,” Sandy shook her head dismissively. “I'm sorry, I guess it's the wine.”
“
Don't be sorry,” Vicky encouraged her as she gave her hand a light squeeze. “Have you thought about confronting him with what you know?”
“
For what?” Sandy shrugged. “He'll never admit to it,” she pointed out and finished off the last of her wine. “I'm his bread and butter, and I'm sure he's cautious enough never to lose that,” she smiled briefly as she glanced at Vicky. “Ah well, I'm sure there are worse things in life. Thank you for listening,” she added as she stood up from the table.
“
Let me walk you to your room,” Vicky suggested as she stood up as well.
“
Oh no, please, I'm fine,” Sandy laughed a little. “I don't need an escort, but here,” she handed Vicky the glass and nodded her head. “Would you mind having the rest of that bottle sent up to me?”
“
Not at all,” Vicky replied and smiled as she held the door to the lobby open for Sandy to walk through. Vicky walked back towards the kitchen to ask for the bottle of wine to be sent up with the Holsteads’ meal. She found Henry adding the final touches to the main dish.
“
Henry, can you make sure that the rest of that bottle of chardonnay goes with the Holsteads' lunch?” Vicky asked as she stepped up beside him.
“
Sure,” Henry nodded with a slight frown.
“
Is something wrong?” Vicky asked as Henry was not his usual boisterous self.
“
Not really, it's just Peter can be very forgetful sometimes, it gets a little frustrating,” he admitted. “I'm sure he'll start paying closer attention soon. I'll make sure the Holsteads get their wine,” he added and flashed a smile in Vicky's direction.
“
Thanks, Henry,” Vicky smiled, but she left the kitchen feeling a little uneasy. She wasn't sure what to think of Peter, but something simply didn't feel right and if Henry was having his doubts, too, then there might be a real issue.
Vicky
headed back outside to tidy up the pool area and make sure it was ready for the rest of the day. Once all of the chairs were in place she decided to spend a little time on the porch to clear her mind. It had been invaded by fabric swatches and place settings. As she walked around to the front of the inn she glanced over the grounds. Everything seemed to be as it should be, aside from the fact that the shed door was slightly open. Sometimes it stuck. She walked over to it and gave it a hard shove. When she heard it click shut she knew it was actually closed. Satisfied, she walked the rest of the way to the front porch.
The sun was
shining up ahead. It was surprisingly peaceful for this time of day, with little to interrupt the solace of the gardens she walked through, except for the chirping of birds and the trickling sound of the various fountains that were scattered throughout the gardens. Vicky stepped up onto the porch from the side of the inn and walked towards the swing that hung a few feet from the large bay window that let ample sunlight into the main lobby of the inn. She settled into it and closed her eyes.
Vicky
drew a deep breath of the slightly moist air which was laced with the scent of the lush foliage that surrounded the inn. Just as she exhaled her cell phone chirped, announcing that she had a text message. She checked the message to find that it was Mitchell checking in with her. She texted back about the spat she had just witnessed, and that she was looking forward to spending some time with him any time he had the chance. The text that he replied with surprised her. It simply said, 'How about right now?'. She glanced up to find a patrol car rolling into the driveway of the inn. She stood up from the swing and smiled as Mitchell stepped out of the car. He was in full uniform. She hadn't seen him in uniform in some time since he had been promoted to detective.
“
What's all this about?” she asked as he climbed the steps and wrapped his arms around her. “Not that I'm complaining,” she added with a sultry wink as she made a show of looking him over from head to toe.
“
I'm complaining,” he gritted his teeth, but couldn't hide a smile in reaction to the way she looked at him. “This is Sheriff McDonald's way of teaching me that he's in charge,” he shook his head slowly back and forth. “That man really has something against me. The extra shifts I'm covering are patrol shifts. There are plenty of officers to cover them, but he decided I needed to spend a little time in uniform.”
“
Wow, he's something,” Vicky muttered and bit back the colorful language she would prefer to use. She knew that Mitchell was very respectful of his boss, even if they often didn't see eye to eye.
“
Honestly, it's not too bad,” Mitchell replied as they walked back over to the swing. He sat down beside her and draped his arm around her shoulders. Vicky immediately felt warmed and relaxed by his presence. Mitchell had that effect on her. No matter what was going on in her life, his presence was simply soothing and seemed to put things into perspective for her.
“
How can you say that?” Vicky asked as she leaned her head against the curve of his shoulder and looked up into his eyes. “You've worked so hard to earn your new title.”
“
I have,” he agreed as he entangled his hand with hers. “But I don't lose it just because I'm in uniform, and it is a good reminder of what the patrol officers go through. Besides,” he grinned as he leaned in closer to her, “it makes it easier for me to keep an eye on Ida.”
“
Good point,” Vicky laughed, her eyes dancing as she did. “I don't know where she comes up with these ideas.”
“
Me, neither,” Mitchell chuckled and shook his head. “But I've heard from some of the other officers that they've spotted her tearing up and down the back roads. So, I'm going to keep a close watch on her.”
“
Oh, Aunt Ida,” Vicky sighed and melted into Mitchell's arms. She felt so comfortable, even though she knew at any moment his radio might buzz to life and he would have to rush off. But she treasured the moment they were sharing in the middle of such a peaceful, early afternoon.
“
Vicky? Vicky where are you?” Sarah shouted from inside the inn. The sound of the fear in her sister's voice was enough to instantly propel Vicky up off the swing. She rushed towards the front door. Mitchell was right on her heels as she stepped into the lobby. She was nearly barreled over by her sister who was running for the elevator while shouting the address of the inn into her cell phone.
“
Sarah, what's going on?” Vicky asked with wide, fearful eyes. She could tell from the panic in her sister's expression that whatever it was, wasn't good.
“
It's Sandy Holstead, she's had an allergic reaction,” Sarah gasped out as the elevator doors slid closed.
“
Here, we'll take the stairs,” Mitchell said without hesitation. They bounded up the stairs that led to the second floor and arrived in the hallway just as Sarah was stepping into the Holsteads’ room. She was crouched down beside Sandy when Mitchell and Vicky walked in. Gerald was on his knees with tears trailing down his cheeks.
“
Sandy, Sandy, wake up darling,” he was moaning as he clutched at her hand with a trembling grasp.
“
Where's her EpiPen?” Sarah barked as Mitchell dropped down beside Sandy to check her vital signs and attempt to clear her airway.
“
It's here,” Gerald mumbled through his tears as he held out the EpiPen.
Mitchell met Vicky's eyes over Sandy's body and shook his head slowly, she was already gone.
“Why didn't you use it?” Sarah asked Gerald sharply. It was rare for Vicky to hear her sister speak in such a harsh tone, but she was feeling the same quick anger rise within her.
“
I tried to,” he cringed as his hand trembled. “It's, it's,” he nearly choked on his words. “It's empty. There was nothing I could do!”
“
Empty?” Mitchell demanded suspiciously. “How could it be empty?”
“
She must have used it and forgotten to replace it,” Gerald sniffled as he wiped at his eyes. “We were in such a rush this morning, she must have just forgotten.”
The ambulance had arrived and the EMTs
along with two police officers pushed their way into the room.
“
Hey, Mitchell, what do we have here?” one of the younger officers asked as he looked over Sandy's body.
“
Allergic reaction from what we can tell,” Mitchell replied as he stood up and walked over to stand beside Vicky. “Looks like an unfortunate accident.”
“
Looks like it,” Vicky muttered to herself, but her eyes were narrowed. Sarah was doing her best to console Gerald as the EMTs made a futile attempt to revive the woman sprawled out on the floor.
“
It must have been something she ate,” Gerald said quietly as he stared at the meals that were spread out on the small dining table in the room.
His words drew both Sarah's and Vicky's attention first to each other and then to the plates on the table. Vicky's heartbeat began to quicken.
“But that's impossible we made sure nothing with peanuts…” Vicky began to say, stumbling over her words as she spoke them.
“
Not now, Vicky,” Sarah said sternly as she wrapped an arm around Gerald's shoulders. Vicky nodded that she understood. This was a time of grief for Gerald, not a time to openly discuss why or how the tragedy had happened. Vicky was still a little in shock as Mitchell led her out of the room.
“
What a terrible thing,” he said quietly as he hugged her in the hallway. He paused and looked into her eyes. “How are you holding up?”
“
This is terrible,” Vicky agreed. “But something just doesn't seem right to me.” She had never known anyone who was severely allergic to something not to make sure they had an EpiPen ready to go when they needed it. How could Sandy have been so careless as not to make sure she had one with her during a weekend trip?