Inherit the Wool Page 9

  Chapter Ten

  I felt something cool wiping my face. I wanted to open my eyes but they didn’t seem to want to budge, and then with what felt like herculean effort I finally got them open. Dane was leaning over me with a towel in his hand. The smell hit me all at once—boozy throw-up was the best way to describe it.

  “What’s going on?” I said, sitting up and looking around the empty interior of the Lodge.

  “You had kind of an accident,” he said, pointing down at my shirt, and I realized it was the source of the smell. “Lucky for you I stopped by to check over the fake bomb scene again.” He looked at the small table at the end of the couch. “What happened? Did you decide to finish off everybody’s wine?”

  I was still feeling pretty foggy in the head and it took me a while before I remembered everything that had happened. I tried sitting up straighter and wished there was a way to distance myself from my smelly shirt. I told him the whole story about Vanessa and what the doctor said.

  “I figured she couldn’t have been conscious when someone pumped air into her veins. I thought there might have been something with the wine,” I said.

  “So you figured you’d find out for sure.” Dane shook his head and gave me a stern look. “Not the wisest move to let yourself be a guinea pig.” He leaned close and looked over my face. “You look a lot better. It’s probably lucky that you threw up and got whatever it was out of your system. If there was anything. I hate to knock the wind out of your sails, but you have no tolerance for wine, and between all the craziness here tonight and that it is very late, it could have just been the wine that knocked you out.”

  “Sorry. It can’t be very pleasant for you.”

  He used the cloth to wipe my face again. “I’ve dealt with worse,” he said. And then it struck me, he probably had. His mother was an alcoholic.

  The foggy feeling was completely gone now and I stood up. Maybe a little too soon. Dane laughed as he caught me as I listed to the side. “Take it easy,” he said. “I’ll get her home,” he said to the clerk, who had gone back behind the counter.

  “I’ve got to get out of these clothes and tell Lucinda what happened. And the retreat group.” I looked around frantically. My mind had gone back to the wine. “You should take the wine as evidence,” I said.

  “That might be a problem,” he said. I saw what he meant when I looked at the end table. Apparently when I tried putting the glass down, I’d managed to knock over most of the glasses on the table, including Vanessa’s, and their contents had spilled together.

  “I guess that’s not going to happen.” I called out an apology for the mess to the clerk.

  I kept looking at the small table and thinking back. “It would have been easy for someone walking by the back of the couch to drop something unnoticed into Vanessa’s glass. You can’t tell now, but she was the only one drinking pink wine.”

  “Why don’t you table it until tomorrow. Hopefully, she’ll be up and around and be able to tell you all about everything,” he said. “I’ll help you get across the street.” I was waiting for him to make some joke about helping me out of my clothes, but he was all serious now. He was acting as Dane the cop, not Dane the sort of boyfriend.

  “No,” I said. “I want to have a look at her room. Maybe there’s a clue to what happened.”

  “You can do that tomorrow when you don’t have to break and enter,” Dane said, shaking his head. But I persisted and he shook his head again. “Lieutenant Borgnine better never find out that I helped you. What’s the plan, we go in through the window?”

  “No breaking and entering. I have a better idea,” I said with a smile. “But even so, I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble with your superior, so you can leave and I’ll take it from here.”

  “No way,” he said, dropping his voice to a whisper. He pointed outside and said he’d be waiting. He gave a salute to the clerk and went out the door. I gave it a few moments before going up to the registration counter.

  The clerk took one look at me and took a big step back, and judging by the sound of his voice when he asked what I wanted, he was holding his nose. I held up the black sweater I’d just noticed under the coffee table. “It belongs to the woman who went to the hospital and I need to put it in her room.” I went on how it was a designer sweater and very expensive. I’m not sure how much it made sense to the clerk and how much he just wanted to get rid of me, but after hearing her room number, he offered me the second key.

  I showed off the key to Dane when I went outside. “Being stinky came in handy,” I said, telling him what I’d done. “He didn’t want to get close and threw the key to me.”

  “Good work. I’m impressed,” Dane said, and we started up the path toward the Sand and Sea building. “You certainly seem to have recovered.”

  “Except for the stinkiness,” I said, making a face. “It might have come in handy, but now I can’t stand being near myself.” We stopped and I handed Dane my cream-colored fleece jacket, which miraculously was free of throw-up. I heard Dane suck in his breath as I started to rip off the turtleneck that was the source of the smell. He did a double take and then laughed when he saw that I had a very presentable camisole on underneath. I took the jacket back and was good to go.

  The lights streamed out of the lobby area of the Sand and Sea building, but all the guest rooms were dark. We slipped in the entrance and across the empty lobby area to the dark hall. I used the key to unlock the door to Vanessa’s room. Dane shut the door soundlessly and I flipped on the light. The windows were all closed and the curtains drawn now, which made the small room feel even smaller and a little stuffy.

  “This is exciting,” Dane whispered. “Better than ticketing jaywalkers and people who forget to pick up after their dogs.” He glanced around the room. “What are we looking for?”

  I shrugged my shoulders as I took a moment to check out the room. The two slender beds were still made. One of them had her fancy suitcase on it. I stepped closer to look inside and was surprised to see the contents appeared to be all mixed around. I noticed a single no-show sock on the bed next to it. “Aha,” I said in a true Sherlock Holmes moment. “Somebody emptied it and then shoved everything back in.” I pointed out the sock as my proof.

  “Impressive,” Dane said. “My girlfriend the sleuth.” I glared at him and he chuckled. “Sorry, I mean the neighbor that I really like and who if she ever is honest with herself really likes me sleuth.” I gave him a good-natured nudge and rolled my eyes.

  “There’s something else,” I said, walking around the small room. Dane followed me as I checked the closet and the bathroom, and when I stopped he bumped into me. He moved back with an apology and a smile.

  “I wouldn’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of the situation,” he teased. “So, what’s the something else?”

  “It seems odd that there’s nothing hanging in the closet or any toiletries by the sink.”

  “Maybe she packed everything up in a hurry,” Dane offered, “and that’s why the stuff in the suitcase is such a mess.”

  I considered what he said and thought he might have a point, but then I saw something that changed my mind. “No,” I said. “Somebody else was in here.”

  “Okay, hot shot, how can you be so sure?” Dane asked. I pointed to the room key on the floor next to the Prada purse. “She had that purse with her when she came to the Lodge. While everybody was on the beach during the bomb scare, someone picked up her purse, came here and went through her stuff. Though it still doesn’t explain why it was all in her suitcase.”

  There was a sharp rap on the door and we both jumped. Dane mumbled something about how he was a cop and not supposed to get startled, while I went to the door and opened it a crack. The clerk was standing outside looking nervous. He glanced up and down the silent hall.

  “My shift is ending and I need that key back.” He tried to peer around me. “How long does it take to drop off a sweater, anyway?”

  I gave him the key
and he waited until I came outside and shut the door behind me. I must have still been a little odorous because the clerk walked on ahead quickly and exited the building before I’d even reached the lobby area.

  I went outside and had barely cleared the building when Dane came up behind me and I jumped.

  “Sorry,” he said, before explaining he’d gone out the window. We both heard something rustling in the undergrowth and froze. A deer came out and walked in front of us.

  Dane insisted on escorting me home and I didn’t fight him since I was feeling a little wobbly again.

  “I wonder how Vanessa is doing,” I said. “Maybe I should check on her.”

  “The hospital is small, but the care is top-notch,” Dane said. “I’m sure they’re doing everything they can.” He caught me as I started to teeter. “You need to call it a night.” He looked at his watch. “More like call it a morning.”

  As we crossed the street I looked back at the Lodge. “I didn’t pick up the yarn and tote bags. I should go back.”

  He turned me so I was facing the street and ordered me to keep going forward. When we got to my house, he came in. He picked up the ends of my hair. “There isn’t a nice way to say this, but you need a shower and to wash your hair.”

  “I guess my hair wasn’t as lucky as my jacket,” I said. “I’ll take care of that right now.” I told him he could leave, but he insisted on waiting. I returned with my hair wrapped in a towel, wearing a comfortable gray sweatshirt and pants.

  “You look like you might have plans to go somewhere,” he said, eyeing my outfit. “I’m not leaving until I see you in bed.” He realized what he’d just said and got momentarily flustered. “You know what I mean.” He had a no-nonsense tone, which I imagined he’d used on his mother and sister when he was growing up and was the one who got all the dirty work.

  I mentioned the yarn and needles again. “I’ll go back over there and collect your stuff. And help the clerk clean up the mess.” He pointed toward the bedroom. “Now you get some sleep.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Julius was my alarm clock. I awoke to his tongue giving my forehead a sandpaper lick. It was all a plot to get me up so I could dish up some stink fish. I usually tried to ignore his maneuvers as long as possible, but this morning I was already sitting up as he went back for a second lick. I’d fallen asleep before my head even hit the pillow, but it had been a troubled sleep as I fretted about Vanessa. If only I’d made sure all my people got out when the Lodge was evacuated maybe I could have prevented what happened.

  It was impossible to gauge the time by the light coming through my window. This morning the sky was a bright white, but there was no way to tell where the sun was. The floor felt cold as I put my feet down and once again I vowed to get a nice little rug for the spot. I was glad to slip on a pair of fuzzy slippers. The black cat hopped off the bed and followed me down the hall to the kitchen. In his self-absorbed cat world, I’m sure he thought I was going there to get him some breakfast. Actually, it was more about getting me some coffee. I needed something to cut through the groggy feeling I had and get my mind going.

  I didn’t bother brewing a pot, but just took one of the tubes with Starbucks version of instant coffee and put the kettle on to boil. Julius was stationed by the refrigerator and perked up when I opened the door. The can was wrapped in layers of plastic and two plastic bags on top of that and still the smell managed to slip out.

  “It’s only because I love you,” I said as I began unwrapping the open can. I held my nose as I finally got to it and took a spoonful and dropped it in his bowl. The kettle had started to whistle and I hurriedly rewrapped and bagged the can and put it back in the fridge. I washed my hands with lemon soap and got rid of any lingering odor. Oblivious to it all, Julius licked the bowl clean.

  I poured the steaming water over the dark crystals and the inviting fragrance of coffee wafted my way. The smell alone started to sharpen my brain, and when I got to drinking it I began to feel present in the moment.

  Across the street, my group was still lolling in dreamland with no idea that anything had happened to Vanessa. I would tell them about it at breakfast, hopefully with a positive update. I tried calling the hospital to find out Vanessa’s condition. No surprise, they refused to tell me anything. They also refused to put me through to Dr. Gendel, offering only to take a message.

  The only answer was to go there. I drank the coffee in a few gulps and dressed in a hurry before rushing to my yellow Mini Cooper. My stomach felt uneasy both from my episode with the wine and my unease about Vanessa. Normally I would have enjoyed the early morning ride along the curving road flanked by towering pines, but this morning the twists and turns were only making my stomach feel worse.

  A hospital volunteer was acting as gatekeeper at the reception desk just inside the automatic door. I had already figured my best bet to find out anything was to ask to see Dr. Gendel instead of inquiring about Vanessa. It would have been a good plan if it had worked, but the volunteer took his job a little too seriously and seemed to have decided that I was trouble and wanted to know why I wanted to see the doctor. I mentioned being there the previous night with a patient. I watched the older man’s face harden and then changed it to say that Dr. Gendel was a friend.

  “First you say it’s about a patient, now you claim he’s your friend,” the older man said, eyeing me warily. “I’ll take down your name and phone number and give it to him.”

  “Could you do it right now,” I said. “So he can call me while I’m standing here.” I was getting more and more frustrated. “I won’t have cell signal later,” I said, trying to explain my rush.

  “Are you some kind of stalker, a spurned lover, perhaps?” the volunteer asked.

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” I tried to keep my calm and think of the strategies I’d used to get people to talk when I worked for Frank. There didn’t seem to be anything in my bag of tricks that would work with this guy. I was relieved when I heard someone call my name. But my heart sank when I recognized the voice.

  “I’ll handle this,” Lieutenant Borgnine said to the volunteer as he stopped next to me. He was dressed in his usual rumpled herringbone jacket, and the way his round head almost sat directly on his shoulders with no neck reminded me of a bulldog. Maybe it was his gruff personality as well.

  I wanted to think he was there about something else, but he knocked that down right away when he said, “I assume you’re here about Vanessa Peyton-Wilson-Ryerson.” He never seemed to have that benign expression referred to as a cop face. This morning he definitely had a perturbed appearance. I wasn’t sure if it was the situation or my presence.

  We had an uneasy relationship, to put it mildly. He’d been a cop in Los Angeles and moved to Cadbury thinking working in their police department would be like retirement since most of the crime involved things like jaywalking or tourists who drove through town too fast. He hadn’t expected so many murders, or interference from me.

  Probably the hardest part for him to deal with was that I’d been the one to uncover the killer too many times. But on a positive note, he did like my muffins.

  “Is she dead?” I blurted out, being a little more direct than I intended. He answered with a somber nod.

  “The doctor said you came in with her. He said she was at Vista Del Mar for some kind of event. I’m assuming she was one of your retreat people.”

  “Yes,” I said, noting that the volunteer receptionist was taking in our conversation with interest.

  “Do you want to tell me about her?” Lieutenant Borgnine said, eyeing me intently. I wanted to say no, but he’d never go for that. Now the older man behind the reception counter was staring at me, no doubt waiting for my answer. And whatever I said would probably be all over town. That was why I wanted to keep Dane’s and my relationship on the down low. Life in a small town.

  “Why don’t we move over there,” I said, noting there was a small lobby with chairs arranged in a C shape.

 
; “I was just going to say that,” he said quickly, and I got the impression that he was annoyed that I had taken charge. To make up for it, he took charge of where we sat and led the way to some chairs in the far corner.

  “Have you talked to her family?” I asked when we were seated. He responded with a sharp jerk of his head.

  “Ms. Feldstein, I don’t need you to tell me how to do my job.”

  “I was just trying to see if I needed to call them,” I said, hoping to smooth things over, and besides. it was what I’d really meant. He seemed satisfied with what I said and the set of his mouth softened a little.

  “Her husband was already on his way here. Dr. Gendel contacted him when she came in. I got him on his cell phone in the car on the way to the airport in Chicago.”

  I imagined that Vanessa’s husband must have taken the first flight from O’Hare in the morning. There were no direct flights from Chicago to Cadbury by the Sea, so either he would fly to Los Angeles and change to a small plane or he’d land in San Jose and drive from there.

  Lieutenant Borgnine had taken out a pad and pen. “You were going to tell me about the deceased,” he said.

  “Did you talk to Dr. Gendel?” I asked. “What did they list as her cause of death?” He glared at me and then relented.