need a detective? Are you planning to have Thomas run a background check on him?”
I wrinkled my brow. What was she talking about? Mom’s hearing wasn’t the best. Maybe she hadn’t understood what I said.
“Mom, I don’t think we’re talking about the same thing. What do you mean, run a background check?”
“On Carlos.”
“Carlos?”
“Isn’t that why you’re upset, honey? When Carlos showed up I didn’t know what else to do. He said that he called to tell you that he was coming, so I sent him to you.”
“Oh my gosh!” I laughed. “Carlos. Right. I’d forgotten all about Carlos.”
“He’s not there? He said he was heading to the lodge yesterday.”
“No, he’s here. He’s definitely here, but that’s not what I’m calling about.”
She let out an audible sigh. “Whew. I was worried that you were going to be upset with me.”
“Mom, no. Don’t be silly. It’s not your job to be in the middle of Carlos and me. I’m not mad at all. I mean, I was shocked to see him, a little heads-up might have been nice, but I’m not mad at you.”
“I called you, but your phone went straight to voice mail.”
“Right. There’s no cell service up here.”
Mom’s voice was muffled for a moment as she answered a question in the background. “Sorry about that, Mrs. Ryder wanted to know if it was okay to park her cross-country skis next to the door. She skied in for a latte. Isn’t that great?”
“Great.”
“All right, so back to business, you’re not upset about Carlos, but you need Thomas’s number for his professional help? What’s going on up there? Is someone hurt?”
“Worse.”
“Worse! Juliet, is Sterling okay?”
Time to rip off the Band-Aid. “Sterling is fine. I’m fine. Lance is fine. Everyone you know is fine, but there’s been a murder.”
“A murder?”
“Yeah. The lodge’s bartender has been murdered. I found him this morning.”
“You found him!” she shouted into the phone.
“Don’t freak out, Mom. I’m okay, but the roads are pretty bad. They’re not sure if anyone is going to be able to get up here today, so I just want to touch base with Thomas and see if there’s anything else I should do. That’s all.”
“That’s all? I’m not supposed to freak out when you casually mention that you found a dead body?”
“Mom, really, I’m fine.”
“I need to call Doug right away. Hang on. I’ll get Thomas’s number for you. Then I’ll call Doug, too.”
Doug, aka the Professor, as everyone in town calls him, is Mom’s boyfriend and Ashland’s lead detective. He also serves as the town’s authority on Shakespeare. If the Bard, as the Professor likes to call Shakespeare, were alive he’d probably have a hard time keeping up with the Professor’s knowledge of his work. Once a month the Professor hosts a reading group where members dissect sonnets and translate passages. He’s been known to dress in Old English attire and quote soliloquies on the bricks before performances in the summer season.
Talking to Mom helped me feel calmer. I knew that the second we hung up the phone, she would get in touch with the Professor. Between him and Thomas they’d know what—if anything—I should do.
Mom returned with Thomas’s number. “I’ll give the Professor the lodge’s number and have him call you.”
“That would be great. Thanks, Mom.”
“Juliet, you take care of yourself. Carlos is there, right?”
“He’s here.”
“Good. I know he won’t let anything happen to you.”
I had to agree with her on that. Whatever the problems between us, Carlos would defend me with his life.
“Call me back when you can,” Mom said.
We hung up and I dialed Thomas’s number. He answered on the third ring. His voice sounded groggy. I had woken him. Thomas usually worked the late shift, and he wasn’t a morning person.
“It’s Jules,” I said. “Did I wake you?”
“No, no,” Thomas lied. “What’s going on?” His words ran together
I wrinkled my brow. What was she talking about? Mom’s hearing wasn’t the best. Maybe she hadn’t understood what I said.
“Mom, I don’t think we’re talking about the same thing. What do you mean, run a background check?”
“On Carlos.”
“Carlos?”
“Isn’t that why you’re upset, honey? When Carlos showed up I didn’t know what else to do. He said that he called to tell you that he was coming, so I sent him to you.”
“Oh my gosh!” I laughed. “Carlos. Right. I’d forgotten all about Carlos.”
“He’s not there? He said he was heading to the lodge yesterday.”
“No, he’s here. He’s definitely here, but that’s not what I’m calling about.”
She let out an audible sigh. “Whew. I was worried that you were going to be upset with me.”
“Mom, no. Don’t be silly. It’s not your job to be in the middle of Carlos and me. I’m not mad at all. I mean, I was shocked to see him, a little heads-up might have been nice, but I’m not mad at you.”
“I called you, but your phone went straight to voice mail.”
“Right. There’s no cell service up here.”
Mom’s voice was muffled for a moment as she answered a question in the background. “Sorry about that, Mrs. Ryder wanted to know if it was okay to park her cross-country skis next to the door. She skied in for a latte. Isn’t that great?”
“Great.”
“All right, so back to business, you’re not upset about Carlos, but you need Thomas’s number for his professional help? What’s going on up there? Is someone hurt?”
“Worse.”
“Worse! Juliet, is Sterling okay?”
Time to rip off the Band-Aid. “Sterling is fine. I’m fine. Lance is fine. Everyone you know is fine, but there’s been a murder.”
“A murder?”
“Yeah. The lodge’s bartender has been murdered. I found him this morning.”
“You found him!” she shouted into the phone.
“Don’t freak out, Mom. I’m okay, but the roads are pretty bad. They’re not sure if anyone is going to be able to get up here today, so I just want to touch base with Thomas and see if there’s anything else I should do. That’s all.”
“That’s all? I’m not supposed to freak out when you casually mention that you found a dead body?”
“Mom, really, I’m fine.”
“I need to call Doug right away. Hang on. I’ll get Thomas’s number for you. Then I’ll call Doug, too.”
Doug, aka the Professor, as everyone in town calls him, is Mom’s boyfriend and Ashland’s lead detective. He also serves as the town’s authority on Shakespeare. If the Bard, as the Professor likes to call Shakespeare, were alive he’d probably have a hard time keeping up with the Professor’s knowledge of his work. Once a month the Professor hosts a reading group where members dissect sonnets and translate passages. He’s been known to dress in Old English attire and quote soliloquies on the bricks before performances in the summer season.
Talking to Mom helped me feel calmer. I knew that the second we hung up the phone, she would get in touch with the Professor. Between him and Thomas they’d know what—if anything—I should do.
Mom returned with Thomas’s number. “I’ll give the Professor the lodge’s number and have him call you.”
“That would be great. Thanks, Mom.”
“Juliet, you take care of yourself. Carlos is there, right?”
“He’s here.”
“Good. I know he won’t let anything happen to you.”
I had to agree with her on that. Whatever the problems between us, Carlos would defend me with his life.
“Call me back when you can,” Mom said.
We hung up and I dialed Thomas’s number. He answered on the third ring. His voice sounded groggy. I had woken him. Thomas usually worked the late shift, and he wasn’t a morning person.
“It’s Jules,” I said. “Did I wake you?”
“No, no,” Thomas lied. “What’s going on?” His words ran together
Similar Books
