High Country Cop. Cynthia Thomason

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       CHAPTER THREE

      BY THE TIME Miranda pulled into the parking lot for the Hummingbird Inn, she had calmed enough to think about the duties that lay ahead of her. She had to unpack two suitcases, prepare a lunch for her and Emily and talk to Mrs. Dillingham about a reasonable rate for renting the guest cottage behind the bed-and-breakfast, rather than just a room.

      Miranda had learned a great deal about the inn in just the few minutes she’d taken to register. The bed-and-breakfast had been open only a year. The Dillinghams had purchased an old wooden dormitory once used by a local college and turned it into a cozy and warm space for Holly River tourists. The cottage where Miranda was staying was a separate building that had recently been renovated from the original gardening shed. The colors of the cottage matched the crisp white-and-black exterior of the main building. Emily had fallen in love with the small porch with a swing hanging from the ceiling.

      “I want to stay here, Mom,” Emily had said when she first saw the cottage.

      Miranda found Mrs. Dillingham in the living room arranging a bouquet of fresh flowers.

      “Hello, dear,” Mrs. Dillingham said. “How was your morning?”

      “Fine, thanks. I’m going to be staying in Holly River for as much as a few weeks,” she said. “I like your cottage, and I’m wondering what weekly rate we might agree upon.”

      “Let’s see.” Mrs. Dillingham smiled down at Emily. “How do you like it here?”

      “It’s really nice,” Emily said.

      “Okay, then.” Lifting her gaze to Miranda, Mrs. Dillingham said, “How does two hundred per week sound?”

      “Like a very generous offer,” Miranda quickly agreed. “Thank you so much. I can start putting our things in there. Afterward, I’ll make a trip to the grocery to stock the kitchenette. I really appreciate this, Mrs. Dillingham.”

      “Call me Lucy,” the woman said. “After all, we’ll practically be family living so closely together.”

      Miranda reached for her credit card. “Let me go ahead and pay for the first week now, Lucy.”

      The innkeeper set down her pruning shears and walked to the registration counter. She concluded the payment by writing the name Larson in the guest book, and thanked Miranda for paying in advance. “By the way, dear, I know you used to live in Holly River. It must be nice to return to such a charming town and visit with old friends.”

      Knowing it was quite probable that Lucy Dillingham had never driven into the hills and hollows of Liggett Mountain, Miranda kept her response vague. “I doubt many of my friends from high school still live here. I’ve been gone for fourteen years, and unfortunately I didn’t keep in touch with my girlfriends from back then.”

      “What about family?” Lucy asked.

      Miranda explained that her mother lived in Hickory and her father was deceased. Lucy reacted with customary expressions of sympathy.

      “Then what brings you back here? Business perhaps?”

      Durham was certainly different from Holly River, Miranda thought. In Durham no one would think to ask her why she was staying in one location for any length of time. But it appeared that Holly River curiosity had infected Lucy Dillingham as it had everyone else in town for as long as Miranda could remember. “In a way,” she answered. “I do have a family member in the area who needs my help.”

      “Oh, my. Anyone I might know?”

      “I don’t think so...”

      “It’s our cousin, Lawton Jefferson,” Emily said. “Do you know Lawton?”

      Lucy’s expression changed from one of mild curiosity to something bordering shock and disgust. “You’re a Jefferson?” she asked.

      “I used to be,” Miranda said. “Larson is my married name, though I’m divorced now.”

      “Is Lawton related to Dale Jefferson?”

      Obviously Dale’s reputation had traveled even to this insulated place of charm and gentility in the middle of Holly River. “Yes, they’re brothers.”

      “I see. I’ve never personally met either one of the men. I understand Dale lives on Liggett Mountain.”

      “So does cousin Lawton,” Emily said. “He just got out of prison and moved in with cousin Dale.”

      Lucy slowly shook her head and mumbled, “Hmm...”

      Miranda patted the top of Emily’s head. “That’s enough for now, Em. We’ve interrupted Mrs. Dillingham’s chores enough, and we’ve got our own chores to do.”

      They started for the exit, but Lucy stopped them with one last question. “Will you be going to Liggett Mountain to help out or will your cousin be coming here?”

      Miranda understood the deeper meaning of the question. Please don’t allow your cousin to come on this property. “I doubt he’ll come here,” she said. “I’ve already been to the mountain today. It’s like going home to me. Liggett Mountain is where I grew up.”

      Lucy picked up a feather duster and flicked it over the top of her counter. “Have a nice day,” she said with cold indifference. Miranda figured she was probably regretting the two-hundred-dollar deal she’d made.

      When all their chores had been accomplished and the cottage was stocked with food, Miranda felt too lazy to fix dinner. “How would you like to go to the River Café, Em?” she asked her daughter. “If I remember correctly, there’s an ice-cream store right next door.”

      “I want to,” Emily said, reaching for her hairbrush. “I’m going to look nice in case we run into someone we know.”

      “We only know a handful of people, Em, so I wouldn’t count on it.”

      Emily began enumerating Holly River citizens on her fingers. “We know lots of people. Lucy, Lawton and Dale, and that policeman who talked about Daddy. We might see one of them.”

      Miranda СКАЧАТЬ