Criminal Crumbs (3 page)

“I make donuts,” I said.

She patted my shoulder gently. “Don’t worry. I’m sure something better will come along for you soon. Chin up, and all that.”

“I happen to own the business, and I’m perfectly happy with how I make my living.”

“I’m sure you are,” she said condescendingly. “I might see if Celia was able to get that drink after all. I’m a bit parched myself.”

After she was gone, I felt sorry for Nicole. Her boss was a jerk, her sister a weight on her back, and her so-called friend had lost a good deal of her money. Not only that, but two of the women she’d beaten out for her job clearly resented her very presence. At least she had Grace on her side. I was more determined than ever to do what I could to figure out exactly what was going on.

In the meantime, it was as good a time as any to check out the Hemlock cottage and see what it was like.

At least that’s the direction I started off in.

Chapter 5

M
azes have intrigued me since
I was a little girl. A farmer outside April Springs used to do a corn maze long before they became popular, and Grace and I had dragged my mother along every chance we got. After awhile, Momma grew tired and frustrated, and she’d tap one of the guides to lead her out, costing her a dollar that she always gladly paid. That was pure genius on the farmer’s part, in my mind. Not only did he charge admission, but most folks ended up paying to get out, too. Over the years, Grace and I had become rather adept at finding our way out, something that had helped me in our investigations, allowing me to escape from a killer once. I shivered a little at the memory, realizing once again how close I’d come to becoming his next victim. This was different, in many ways. While that maze, much like the ones from my childhood, had been impermanent by its very nature, this one was made from some kind of evergreen, dark and rich and lush, created to stand the test of time. As I neared the entrance, I saw that the sign announcing the maze had a hinged top, and glancing underneath it, I realized that the owners had outlined the way to beat the maze in a record amount of time. I dropped the top back down as though it had burned me. That was cheating, and if Grace and I tackled it later, I wanted to beat the maze honestly. Otherwise what was the point? It was like someone who read the last few pages of a mystery novel to see if they liked the outcome and only then decided to read the book from the beginning. If I lived forever, I would never understand that type of person. Live and let live, though. I knew that many people found my occupational choice more than slightly south of sane, but I wouldn’t trade my little donut shop for the world.

I decided to leave the maze for later and walked over to the edge of the lake. Perhaps calling it a lake was a little too generous. Just how big did a body of water have to be to go from a pond to a lake? I decided to check it on my cellphone, as I’d recently learned how to do Internet searches on it, but alas, there was no service up on the mountaintop. Zero bars. That meant that I wouldn’t be talking to my husband, either, but then again, Jake would probably be too busy to chat anyway. I smiled a little as I put my phone away, imagining how Type-A-personality Hank would react to being completely out of touch with the rest of the world.

In the end, I decided to call it a lake, since that’s what the brochure had named it. There were two structures near the water, a boathouse that I found was closed for the season upon closer examination and a gazebo that offered benches overlooking the water. I sat on one for a few minutes, and I was rewarded by seeing five ducks fly in and settle on its still surface. I could have stayed out there longer, but I was a bit chilly, so I decided to go over to Hemlock and see what it was like.

As I walked toward the gravel path, I noticed that the land behind the cottages seemed to drop off the face of the earth, as though it was some kind of ending point for land. Skirting the gravel path, I took two steps toward the drop and found a forest far below me, dense woods growing at such a steep angle that I knew one misstep could be my last. There wasn’t even a guardrail there, not even a slim chain to warn walkers of imminent death below. How many guests had they lost over the years to its descent? Then I noticed intermittent holes in the ground along the path, and I realized that they must be replacing whatever had stood guard there before. It would be prudent to be careful walking along that gravel in the interim, though, especially at night.

I was a little alarmed to see the door to our cottage standing slightly ajar. Pushing it open, I called out, “Grace? Are you there?”

But it was empty.

Perhaps someone in housekeeping had failed to latch it securely after they’d left. I shrugged it off to someone being in a hurry, and I looked around. The cabin was cozy, but it lacked the grandeur of the lodge, though the buildings had been constructed out of similar materials. For one thing, the windows seemed tiny in comparison, and they failed to let in much natural light. Two twin beds, a nightstand, and a dresser occupied one wall, while a desk and chair were along the other. I peeked into the small bathroom and found small white-and-black tiles covering the floor. It had the standard facilities there, even though the shower was rather small compared to my modern tastes. I was sure that it would be fine, and I wondered what had happened to Grace. Were they still meeting inside? I’d been meandering around for quite some time, and I’d half-expected to find her in the cottage by the time I got there, but there was no sign that she’d even been there.

Being careful to latch the door and lock it behind me, I set off for Grace’s car to get our bags. When I got there, though, I was thwarted.

It was locked, and Grace had the keys.

I decided I couldn’t face running into Celia or Dina again, so I grabbed one of the chairs on the terrace or patio or veranda or whatever they called it and looked out onto the mountains below us. A mist was starting to climb up the valley floor, looking like spun sugar, and a breeze began to blow. It was time to go inside until I could get some warmer clothes on. If I ran into anyone else, I’d do my best to get along with them, but I was beginning to wonder if I’d done the right thing coming along with Grace on this trip.

To my surprise, I nearly ran into my best friend as I walked in. “There you are,” she said. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“I decided to take the grand walking tour while you were tied up,” I said. I noticed that she had a pair of hooded sweatshirts in her hands. “What are those for?”

“They’re part of this team-building exercise,” she said as she threw one to me.

“Does this mean that I’m on the team, too?” I asked with a grin as I pulled it on over my light shirt and thin jacket. The warmth was most welcome.

“Don’t feel too special. Everybody gets one,” Grace said.

“Even Dina?”

“That was odd, wasn’t it? I have no idea what that was all about.”

“I can help you out there,” I said. After I brought Grace up to speed on what I’d learned so far from Celia and Dina, she smiled at me. “What’s so amusing?”

“You can’t help yourself from detecting, can you?” she asked. “It looks as though we’ve just added another suspect to our list.”

“As if we needed another one,” I said softly. “I’m beginning to feel sorry for Nicole.”

“I know, right?” Grace asked. “She deserves better than this.”

“Hopefully we’ll be able to tell her who she needs to watch out for by the time this three-day weekend is over,” I said.

“I’ve got faith in us. Are you hungry?”

“You know me,” I replied with a grin. “I can always eat.”

“Good, because Hank has decided that we’ll all be living by his schedule while we’re here.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“In bed by nine, and up by six,” she said with a groan. “Some retreat this is turning out to be.”

“Look on the bright side,” I said.

“What’s that?”

“For me, it will be staying up late and sleeping in,” I answered, reminding her of my brutal hours running Donut Hearts.

“At least somebody will be happy. So what do you say? Are you ready?”

“I can’t wait,” I said as I followed Grace back into the dining room.

The staff had set the tables in my absence, and I was surprised to find a nametag at every chair. “If I’m not sitting with you, I’m going home,” I told her.

“Don’t worry. We’re together,” she replied and led us to our seats.

I glanced around to see who would be joining us.

I saw Nicole’s name and her sister’s at our table. I wondered if she’d arranged things that way, and I decided that, given the group, it was probably the best result I could hope for, as long as I didn’t have to make any more small talk with Celia.

I looked around, but there wasn’t a waiter in sight. I didn’t even have water in my glass. I was about to say something when Hank stood. There was a wicked grin on his face, and I wondered what he was up to.

I didn’t have long to find out.

“As you all know, I believe that how we play games is a good indication of how we handle life, and this weekend is no exception. I’m sure most of you have noticed the absence of waitstaff. Don’t blame the resort. They’re acting on my instructions. This evening, you’re all going to have to sing for your supper.”

“But I can’t sing,” Janelle Best complained.

“Not literally,” Hank said, looking at her with open contempt. “I’m talking about solving riddles and puzzles before you’ve earned the right to eat. The prize is worth it. I’ve had the chef prepare a sumptuous meal. I just hope that at least some of you have the opportunity to enjoy it.”

There were a few murmured protests, but after everyone had seen the way he’d handled Janelle, no one was willing to say anything out loud. “Don’t worry, even if you fail tonight, you won’t go hungry. You see, there’s a time limit on the challenge. Anyone not back here by nine o’clock will get a cheese sandwich and a bottle of water. That’s fair, isn’t it?”

“What’s the first puzzle?” Georgia asked, obviously intent on being finished first.

“It’s in the display case in the front hall. Oh, there’s one more thing. Cheating won’t be tolerated.” Was he looking at Georgia and Janelle as he said that? “You must visit every solution yourself, and if you don’t, I’ll know it.”

We all looked at each other, and a few folks started to stand when Hank added, “Sit back down. This is a team challenge as well. I want to see how well you work with others. Dina, since you weren’t invited to this event, you won’t be participating.”

“Does that mean that I don’t get to eat?” she asked him petulantly.

Hank considered the question, and then he smiled as he said, “If all of the other teams solve the riddles, then you will dine with us. Otherwise, you’ll have to eat with the losers. If you are unhappy with that proposal, you’re free to leave at any time.”

“No, that sounds fine to me,” she said, though it was clear that it was anything but.

Hank nodded, and then he pulled out a large hat as he explained, “I’ve entered each of your names into the drawing, so the pairings will be fair.”

I looked at Grace, who shrugged apologetically. I frowned in return, but I didn’t hold it very long. After all, this silly contest hadn’t been her idea, so I could hardly blame her for it.

“Suzanne Hart,” Hank called out from the front. “Stand up, please.”

I did as instructed, though for a moment, I thought about refusing his order. I wasn’t in the mood to play his game, but I was there representing Grace, so I couldn’t let her down. I stood up, and he drew the next name. “Nicole Thurman,” he announced.

At least I’d been paired with someone I liked. I would have chosen Grace if I’d been given the option, but this might not be too bad.

We smiled at each other, and Hank said, “Well, what are you waiting for? Go.”

“That’s not fair,” Georgia said. “They get a head start.”

“This game, much like life, never claimed to be fair,” Hank replied.

I nodded to Grace as Nicole and I left.

“Good luck,” she said.

“Right back at you.”

“Sorry about this,” Nicole said as we walked out into the lobby. “I’m afraid that Hank thinks he’s clever. He’s writing a motivational book, if you can believe that. I don’t know what I ever saw in him in the first place.”

“Well, he’s certainly good looking, in a rugged kind of way,” I said.

Nicole frowned. “I know. That’s what trapped me in the first place. Unfortunately, that pretty wrapping conceals a fairly obnoxious gift inside.”

“It’s interesting to find a man working in the cosmetics industry, isn’t it?” I asked her.

“His mother was one of the company’s founders, so she found a place for her son when he couldn’t hold a job doing anything else. Never mind Hank, though. Why don’t we try to make this fun in spite of him?”

“That sounds good to me,” I said as I headed for the bulletin board I’d studied earlier.

There was a new addition to it.

The world is full of amazing things,