Murder to Go (The Heights Bed and Breakfast Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) by Susan D. Baker Page B

apartment. This manager’s apartment only has
two bedrooms, and you and David haven’t been married that long. You should have
the place to yourself.”
    “I
wouldn’t have you staying anywhere else, Dad,” Sarah murmured.
    Karl
shook his head. “You don’t have to try to make me feel better. You two need
your own space. If only I could have kept the restaurant going a little longer,
none of this would have happened.”
    Carolyn
and Sarah looked at each other again. He went through the same cycle of guilt
and blame every morning. Carolyn patted her husband’s hand. “You do enough around
here. The guests love your food. You deserve to take a day off now and then. We
should go off together for a week’s vacation at that Mountain Veil Lodge on the
other side of the lake. What do you say to that?”
    David
came out from behind the kitchen counter and propped his hands on his hips. “We
can’t spare Karl for a week. The guests have come to expect a much higher
caliber of food coming out of the kitchen. We can’t go back to the food we
offered before. We’d have to hire a chef to take Karl’s place. That would cost
us a lot more than we spend keeping you two here.”
    Sarah
cringed. “David, don’t.”
    David
rounded on her. His voice rose in anger. “Why not, we can’t just whisper these
things behind closed doors. If we don’t bring them out into the open now,
they’ll fester and blow up in our faces later.”
    Karl
sat up straighter in his chair. “It sounds like they festered too long
already.”
    Carolyn
cocked her head to one side. “What things are whispered behind closed doors?”
    David
threw back his shoulders. “We all know you and Karl cost this B & B money. Last
week, I had to hire someone to fix the outlet you fried in the bathroom. Karl’s
work in the kitchen is the only payment we get for it.”
    “David,”
Sarah whimpered, “Please don’t.”
    “I
plugged in a hair dryer and roller,” Carolyn remarked. “How should I know that
your old wiring couldn’t handle my beauty care?”
    David
turned on Carolyn. “While I’m at it, I might as well tell you I don’t
appreciate your sense of humor around the B & B.”
    Carolyn
bit her lip to stop herself from smiling. “What do you mean?”
    “You
know very well what I mean,” David shot back. “Everybody knows you pride
yourself on your quirky sense of humor. You’ve crafted your blog around your
famous comedic wit, but do us all a favor and keep it confined to your website.
Don’t bring it around the B & B.”
    “I keep
it out of the B & B,” Carolyn told him.
    “Who
do you think you’re fooling?” David snapped. “You come up with those ridiculous
joke names for all the guests. You’re always poking fun at something. You’re
bound to get us into trouble one of these days.”
    “Please
don’t do this, David,” Sarah pleaded. “You know Mom makes sure to use those
names only in the privacy of this apartment, and we all get a good laugh out of
her jokes. It helps us all release the tension. You laugh at them, too. You
have to admit that.”
    “Sure,
I laugh,” David replied. “I’ll be the first to admit the names are funny. But
what happens when one of the guests finds out about them? You’ve worried about
this yourself. You just never mentioned your concerns to your mother because
you didn’t want to offend her.”
    Carolyn
turned to her daughter. “Is that true? You’re concerned, too?
    Sarah
covered her eyes with her hand. “Oh, Mom.
    David
waved his hand at Sarah. “Don’t you see how you’re making her life harder with
your flippant attitude?”
    Carolyn
stiffened. “My.... flippant attitude? When have I ever had a flippant
attitude?”
    “You
don’t care about our business,” David returned. “You don’t have to care. Your
reputation and your livelihood doesn’t ride on this B & B. All you care
about is your stupid blog. I’ve tried to get Sarah to crack down on you, but
she’s too soft-hearted.