The Girl Who Wrote in Silk (24 page)

Thursday, August 9—present day

Rothesay Estate, Orcas Island

Inara entered through the front door and paused on the landing to take it all in.

The hotel,
her
hotel
, was coming together in front of her eyes. Plans that two months ago had been just that, plans, were being brought to life. From here she could see the lobby below and the new wall that had been built to separate it from the expanded restaurant space behind. Where the second floor had been open to the first-floor gallery on the far end above the restaurant, she’d closed it in to make another guest room. The result made the space feel warmer, cozier.

She could no longer stand here at the entry and see all the way through the house to the backyard and the sound behind, but that didn’t diminish the experience at all. Guests would have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the view from other vantage points. With the expanded space for the restaurant, she could bring in an up-and-coming chef and turn the restaurant into just as much of a destination as the hotel itself.

That was the idea, at least.

If her father didn’t kill it first.

No
, she lectured herself,
don’t go there
. She’d decided to find another investor so she wasn’t entirely dependent on her father. The thought of giving up some control of the project was scary, but she knew she’d never go into business with someone she didn’t trust and who didn’t think like she did. She’d be careful in her choice.

Over the last week and a half she’d made countless calls to every friend and acquaintance she could think of who might be interested in going into the hotel business with her, but they’d all turned her down. She’d moved on to calling people she didn’t know but had read about and admired for their business ethics, but so far she hadn’t had any luck.

While her business degrees and family name gave her credibility, she didn’t have a proven track record in the hospitality industry. No one was willing to take the risk.

Still, she wasn’t giving up. There had to be someone out there who wanted to invest in a hotel and restaurant and had wads of cash. Someone like her who felt the magic of the islands and wanted to bring to life the vision she and Aunt Dahlia had created.

Inara lifted her gaze to the second floor where she could see the eight guest-room doors with their new brass numbers already in place. She’d hung them herself despite Tom’s warning that the doors would be taken out before his crews got to work installing tiles, carpet, and new gas fireplaces.

Even so, she didn’t regret the effort one bit. The hotel looked like a hotel. The sight shored up her flagging confidence.

That meant now was as good a time as any to start on phase two of her investor search. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed her brother’s cell.

“I’m heading out for drinks. You have two minutes. What’s up?”

“Do you think I can do this? The hotel?” She hadn’t meant to lead with that, but since that’s what came out, she went with it. “Because Dad doesn’t.”

“What do you mean ‘Dad doesn’t’? Of course he believes in you. Hang on, he’s beeping in.”

As she waited on hold, Inara headed to her own house through the library wing. Just as she locked the connecting door behind her, Nate came back on the line. “Sorry about that. He wanted to know if I was riding with him to the restaurant.”

“Dad’s going with you for drinks?”

“It’s a celebration. The Yŏu Yì deal is finally closed. PMG is now the proud parent company of Yŏu Yì Cruise Lines, serving Southeast Asia and soon expanding to Australia.”

“Are you quoting your press release?”

“Caught me.”

“Well, congratulations on that. I know you’ve all worked hard on the buyout.”

“Thanks. So, back to the reason for your call. What’s up with the nerves?”

She dropped onto the sitting room couch and propped her feet on the coffee table, worn out from a full day of power washing the siding in preparation for the painters to come next week. “Oh, forget it. What I was really calling about was to see who you know who might want to go into the hotel business. Like, say, that guy from your fraternity who’s a distant cousin of the Hiltons? Are you still in touch with him?”

“Alex? Yeah, but what are you planning?”

She sighed. “If Dad pulls my funding, I’m out of business. I love this place, Nate. I don’t want to lose it.”

She could hear a voice in the background telling him it was time to go. He came back on the line. “I’ll run it by him. Was that all?”

“One more thing,” she said quickly, just now getting the idea. “Will you come up on September first with Dad to see the property and all I’ve done on it? Bring Jennifer and the boys. Stay the long weekend.”

“We’d love to come. I’ll check with Jennifer to make sure we’re free.”

“Thanks,” she said, hoping he knew she was thanking him for more than just agreeing to come.

“No problem. I really gotta go now.”

“Go. Have fun.” She hung up and sat with her eyes closed, promising herself just one minute more before she got up to make more cold calls.

Three more weeks. That was all she had to make this place look so amazing Dad wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to go into the hotel business.

Or, another way to look at it, she had three more weeks to find an investor and business partner so she’d have no more need of her father’s money.

The second option was much more appealing. She’d sooner give part ownership away to a stranger than lose the property entirely. And, if her dad eventually came around, she could tell the investor “no thanks” before they signed anything. Still, having someone on the line would make her feel so much better.

She glanced at the clock. Just half an hour left in the business day. Enough time for one more call, at least.

Determined that this would be the call that secured the hotel’s and her own future, she pushed to her feet and headed to the kitchen where she’d left her notes.

She quickly flipped through her notepad until she got to her list of potential investors and, without stopping to give herself time to chicken out, she dialed the next number on the list.

By five o’clock she admitted defeat. For today.

As she was crossing out the last name on her list, her phone rang in her hand.

Thinking it was one of the investors returning her call, she pasted on a smile and answered.

“Aloha! We’re back,” came a voice that was definitely not an investor.

“Liv!” Smiling more sincerely, Inara went to pour herself an iced tea to take out on the porch so she could enjoy the last heat of the day as she talked to her sister. “How was Maui? Did the kids snorkel?”

They chatted about the trip and Inara’s progress on the hotel as she sat on the cushioned porch swing and propped her feet on the wooden railing, enjoying the heat and fresh air. Summer in the islands was perfection.

“Oh hey, I had a message waiting when I got back from the artist we commissioned to do Duncan Campbell’s statue,” Olivia said. “The clay form is finished so I’m going there on Saturday to check it out, make sure it’s what we had in mind before he proceeds with the wax and bronze. Want to come with?”

She’d forgotten all about the park dedication in October. Thinking of it made her feel squirmy. The last thing she wanted to do was publicly honor a man she now knew was a murderer. But how could she stop it now? “Um, sure. As it happens I’ll be in town anyway. Meeting the boyfriend’s family.” Another thing that made her feel squirmy.

“Boyfriend? How long was I gone?”

Glad for the change of subject, Inara brought her sister up-to-date on her private life.

“I’m happy you have someone,” Olivia said when Inara finished the story. “You deserve to be happy.”

Something in her voice, maybe the love Inara could hear in it, reminded her of their mom. So much this summer was reminding her of her mom, and she still hadn’t decided if it was cathartic or painful. Maybe both. “Thanks, Liv.”

“So how’s your sleeve?”

It was an abrupt change of topic, but she went with it. “Good. We’ve learned a few things about the woman who made it but there’s still a lot we don’t know.”

“Like what?”

“Well, like the fact that there is a woman embroidered on the sleeve who is in the water with bodies and demons, and she’s smiling. What’s up with that?”

“Hmm. That is strange.”

“I’m thinking she’s taunting someone because she lived when everyone else died.”

“Who would she be taunting?”

Oops. She had to watch herself or she’d say something she wasn’t supposed to. Liv didn’t know what Duncan Campbell did and she wasn’t going to find out. “Oh, I don’t know,” Inara answered vaguely. Then, eager to end the call before she slipped again, she said, “I’ve gotta go, Liv. I’ll call you about the statue meeting when I get into town.”

She hung up before her sister could get another word in. Dropping her phone onto the table beside her, she covered her face with her hands.

God, this was getting to be too much. The secrets, the evasions, remembering who knew what and what she could and couldn’t say, worrying about the future of her hotel, the emotional roller coaster from it all. It was enough to make her want to stop. Stop everything. Stop sleeve research, stop work on the hotel, stop dating the man she was lying to. Everything. It was too much.

A cry sounded overhead, and she looked up to see the mother eagle soaring toward her nest in a heartbreakingly blue sky framed by Mount Constitution on one side and the house and the huge evergreens on the others. The sight touched a place deep inside her, soothing her battered soul.

She needed this place. No matter what more they learned or what happened with the hotel, she would forever stay connected to the island. It was the only place where, despite everything, she felt whole.

Sunday, August 12—present day

Beacon Hill, Seattle

“Open it,” Daniel said from behind the wheel of his Volvo. His gaze left the road to meet hers, and in his eyes she saw mischief. “You’re not going to believe it.”

Wondering what he was up to, Inara turned to the blue file folder he’d dropped on her lap. They were on their way to his mother’s house on Beacon Hill, where Inara was going to meet her, his grandmother, and his sister, Cassie. She was terrified they were making a mistake, moving too fast, but he kept telling her not to worry.

It was all she could do to keep her hands from shaking, and she had to pee. “Maybe we should save this for later.”

He reached across the console and grabbed her hand. “It’ll be okay, I promise. They’re going to love you.”

“Do you do this often? Bring women home to meet your family?”

He squeezed her hand, then released it to grab the wheel again and navigate a turn. The sun slanted through the windows and bounced off his Ray-Bans. “I admit it’s a significant step in my culture to introduce someone you’re dating to your family. It’s often not done until, well, marriage is being discussed.”

She must have made a noise, despite trying to hold in the panic his words caused, because he smiled at her teasingly. “Calm down, I don’t have a ring in my pocket.” He turned the radio off. “That may be how people of my culture usually do things, but my family has always been more relaxed. Cassie and I bring people home for dinner all the time.”

Was that supposed to make her feel better?

“I can’t wait for you to meet my mom,” he went on before she could say anything. “You’re a lot like her, you know. You both are absolutely fearless, and when you get knocked down, you always get back up again. She fought like hell to get to where she is, just like you’re doing with the hotel.”

That left her tongue-tied. She still hadn’t come up with a response when Daniel continued, “I should probably warn you about my grandmother, though. She may come across as…judgmental. It’s not personal. It’s just her way of testing to see how serious you are about me.”

And there was the nausea again. “Thanks for the warning.” She studied his profile for a quiet moment. “I am, you know.”

“You are what?”

“Serious about you.”

His head jerked toward her, then turned back to the road. A slow grin spread across his face, deepening the lines around his mouth. Similar lines crinkled around his eye, partly visible behind his sunglasses. “Then you’ll be able to handle my grandmother with no problem.”

Inara dropped her chin and pretended to look at the closed folder on her lap. She hadn’t known what she’d expected when she’d said that to him, but it sure as heck had been more than
you’ll be able to handle Grandma
.

To hide her awkwardness, she opened the folder and found a black-and-white picture of a teenaged Chinese boy dressed in period garb like in those booths at the fair. Only, in this picture, the boy wasn’t dressed like a cowboy. Instead he wore the dark pants, jacket, and bowler hat typical of working-class men of the late nineteenth century. Something about the boy seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place him. “Who is this?”

He pulled to a stop at a light and looked at her like he was waiting for something. “It’s Yan-Tao McElroy.”

“Seriously?” Inara gasped as her gaze tore back to the photograph. The young man stood proudly, his shoulders back, his hands folded in front of his waist. His chin was lifted stubbornly, and he seemed to be staring at the photographer with a challenge in his eyes. Was it simple teenage rebellion, or was it an attitude he’d had to adopt to get through the life he’d been given?

What sort of life was that?

She looked closer. The boy was a teenager. At least thirteen. That meant he’d lived. He’d lived beyond his years on Orcas Island. Duncan didn’t kill him.

Relief flooded through her, making her light-headed. “Where did you find it?”

The light turned green and Daniel accelerated through the intersection. “Remember Joseph’s sister in Tacoma? We tracked down the family—Bascomb was their name—and found the woman’s granddaughter still living in Tacoma. She said her mother told her stories of traveling by steamer to Orcas Island every summer where she and her twin sister played with their young Asian cousin.”

Inara’s heart swelled. “So they hadn’t been left all alone after Joseph died.”

“Well, not necessarily,” Daniel hedged. He flipped on the blinker and turned onto a residential street. “The granddaughter was certain no Chinese person had ever been inside her grandmother’s home. In fact, her grandfather was a member of Tacoma’s Committee of Fifteen, the group responsible for driving all Chinese out of Tacoma in 1885. Some believe they were also responsible for stirring up the trouble in Seattle the following year.”

“If that’s true, the couple must have hated that Joseph married a Chinese woman.”

Daniel nodded, his profile grim. “Exactly. Anyway, the granddaughter was told that her mother’s cousin and aunt had died in the boating accident with her uncle.”

“But obviously he didn’t.” She lifted the photograph as evidence.

Daniel said nothing until he’d pulled the car smoothly into position along the curb in front of a Craftsman bungalow with a well-tended yard. “Joseph’s sister lied to her family. I thought the story sounded fishy, so I had my team look at records from local orphanages and children’s homes. That’s where we found him.”

“Where?”

“At the Washington State Reform School in Chehalis.” Silence enveloped them like a bubble as he killed the motor. “They housed juvenile delinquents and orphans ages eight to eighteen. From what I read, it seemed to be a good school. They even taught kids trades like carpentry and farming, along with regular school curriculum and Christianity.”

“So he was orphaned. Does that mean Mei Lien died with Joseph?”

“I thought of that and went back and read all the reports from the accident, and I have to conclude that she didn’t. I think she had a different ending.”

“Something bad happened to her.”

Daniel’s voice was low when he answered, “Yeah, maybe.”

A knock sounded on Inara’s window, making her jump. She turned to find a smiling woman about her age with long, straight black hair waving to them through the glass.

“It’s Cass. Come on.” Daniel jumped from the car and quickly rounded it to pull his sister into a hug.

Inara had to physically shake her head to transition her thoughts to the present. She tucked Yan-Tao’s picture into her bag, then got out of the car.

“Cass, I’d like you to meet Inara,” Daniel said to his sister when Inara joined them. He kept his arm around Cassie’s shoulders. “Inara, this is my sister, Cassie.”

Inara stuck out her hand. “It’s good to meet you. Your brother has told me a lot about you.”

“He lies.” Cassie laughed as she shook Inara’s hand. “I want to hear about your hotel. Daniel says it’s amazing what you’ve done to it in such a short time.”

“That was sweet,” Inara said to Daniel as she took his offered hand. Then to Cassie, “I have pictures, if you’re interested. But what about you? Daniel says you’re in the middle of a tough case. How’s that going?”

At the mention of work, a subtle change came over Cassie, transforming her from playful sister to intimidating litigator. In contrast to the serious expression on her face, she shrugged. “My client is trying to get custody of his two kids from his ex-wife who left them alone for three hours in a hot car parked outside a dive bar. It should be cut-and-dried, but it’s become messy.” She shook her head and spread her lips into a wide smile. “But let’s not talk about that.”

She stepped between them and latched onto their arms, pulling them toward the house. “Mom and Grandma probably have their noses pressed to the glass, trying to get a look at you, Inara. Let’s go put them out of their misery.”

At that, the nerves in Inara’s stomach started jumping twice as fast as before. Daniel must have sensed her discomfort because the moment they stepped onto the tiled entryway, his arm came around her and he pulled her tightly against him.

The house smelled of lemons and something baking. She barely had time to register the earth-toned living room before Daniel whisked her through the empty kitchen and out a sliding glass door to the backyard.

A slim black-haired woman standing at the barbecue grill with tongs in her hand turned as they came outside. She flashed a welcoming smile. “Daniel, you’re here!”

She dropped the tongs onto the table and hurried over to them with her arms held out. As she pulled Daniel into a hug, Inara smelled lilies. Daniel’s mother was about the same height as Inara and dressed in pressed khaki capri pants and a light-blue blouse. Her chocolate-brown eyes were curious as they landed on her. “And you must be Inara. Welcome. I’m Margaret.”

As Inara shook her hand and thanked her for the dinner invitation, she couldn’t help but notice how gracefully Margaret Chin moved, completely at ease with herself and everyone around her.

“Let me introduce you to my grandmother,” Daniel said, leading her with a hand on her back toward a teak patio table where an older woman sat slicing lemons.

“
N
ă
inai
, this is Inara. Inara, Vera Chin, my grandmother.”

Since the tiny woman didn’t budge from her seat, Inara rounded the table and held out her hand, which the white-haired woman reluctantly shook. “I’m honored to meet you.”

“Hmph.” With shoulders stooped, Vera turned back to the lemons.

Inara shot a glance at Daniel. He just smiled and shrugged as if to say that was how his grandmother normally acted, which did little to put her at ease. She rejoined Daniel at his side of the table and took the seat he pulled out for her. Vera’s eyes shot darts at her before turning back to the lemons.

“I hope you like salmon, Inara,” Margaret said to her as she joined them, tongs again in hand. “We thought about making you a traditional Chinese meal like what we serve in my restaurants, but decided instead to take advantage of the Chinook being in season.”

“Love it. I haven’t had any yet this year.”

“You’ll have to try Mom’s Toisan Clay Pot Chicken sometime soon, though,” Daniel said as he squeezed his mother’s free hand affectionately. “Mom’s is the best. It takes a whole day to make.”

Eager to please, and because it was true, Inara smiled and said, “I’ve had it, actually. It’s excellent. My father often entertains clients at Toisan, Mrs. Chin. My whole family loves your restaurant.”

“Call me Margaret, dear. Vera, those lemons are perfect. Will you dice these cucumbers too?” She turned back to Inara. “Who is your father? Maybe I know him.”

Inara tensed, but tried to hide it by looking down at her lap and brushing at a nonexistent wrinkle. “He’s Charles Erickson, of Premier Maritime Group.”

Margaret considered the name for a moment. “Of course I know who he is, but I don’t think I’ve met him. Didn’t I just read somewhere that PMG was founded by the famous Duncan Campbell?”

Inara felt the smile on her face freeze. She really didn’t want to think about Duncan tonight and worry about keeping her lies straight. “Yes. My roots run deep here in Seattle.”

Then, deliberately looking at the barbecue where fragrant smoke streamed from an opening on the side, she said, “The salmon smells heavenly. How do you prepare it?”

Margaret returned to the grill and expertly flipped the salmon, causing a puff of smoke to fill the air. “I soak alder wood chips in water and place them in a foil packet on the fire so the smoke flavors the salmon, which I’ve brushed with garlic butter.”

Inara’s mouth was already watering from the aroma. “I wish you would have let me bring something to contribute to the meal.”

Vera spoke for the first time. “You are a guest. You don’t cook.”

“Would you like some wine, Inara?” Cassie said as she came outside carrying a tray of glasses and saving Inara from having to answer grumpy grandma.

“Yes, please.”

“Tell us about yourself, Inara,” Margaret said as she accepted a glass from her daughter and sat down in the chair at the head of the table. “Daniel says you’re renovating your family’s estate in the San Juans?”

“Yes. I’m turning it into a boutique hotel.”

“Which island?”

“Orcas.”

“Oh, I love Orcas Island.” Margaret relaxed into her chair and sipped her wine. “Kids, do you remember that time we went camping at Cascade Lake on Orcas? Daniel, I think you were about eleven and, Cassie, you were six.”

Conversation turned to adventures in the San Juan Islands intermingled with questions they asked Inara about the hotel. She purposely avoided mentioning its precarious financial state and described the hotel as though there was no doubt it would open next summer. Despite her earlier nerves, she found herself relaxing and enjoying everyone, even grumpy grandma.

Later, when they were all seated around the patio table with plates full of salmon, potatoes, rolls, and three kinds of salad, Margaret lifted her wineglass. “In honor of our new friend, Inara, whom we are very happy to get to know.”

Inara drank, feeling at once honored and uncomfortable, wondering if she should make some sort of toast back to her hosts. Before she could decide, Cassie spoke up. “Tell us how you two met. Wasn’t it on campus?”

“Are you taking Daniel’s class, Inara?” Margaret asked between bites.

“No,” Daniel answered for her. “Inara came to me with a research question and we instantly hit it off, didn’t we?” He squeezed her knee under the table.

She smiled at him and teased, “Yes, we did, apart from you trying to blow me off as a needy student.”

Cassie’s laugh filled the yard. “That doesn’t surprise me. His head was probably still in dynastic China, or whatever his lecture was on that day.”

Daniel looked chagrined so Inara patted his shoulder and smiled.

Margaret came to her son’s rescue. “So what is it you are researching?”

She was surprised Daniel hadn’t already told them. When she sent him a questioning look, he just shrugged, so she answered Margaret. “An amazing embroidered sleeve I found hidden under the stairs on my family’s property.” Then she told them the story of finding the sleeve and how she found Daniel through an article he’d written.