Ex Marks the Murder

Chapter 1

Hannah was worried, and I could sympathize. 

There’s nothing like an upcoming ten-year reunion to bring all of one’s high-school insecurities bubbling to the surface.

“It really won’t be that bad,” Nell said as she washed the dishes from the morning’s breakfast service. “Once you see all of your friends, you’ll forget everything and have a great time.” 

Our cook’s sage advice didn’t appear to be helping Hannah. “Everyone’s going to think I’m a failure,” she sighed. 

“A failure?” I replied. “You are not a failure!” 

“Right. Everyone I went to school with probably has a career and a family, and I’m a housekeeper.” Her eyes widened when she realized what she’d just said. “No offense,” she apologized. 

“None taken,” I said. “I have to say you’re one of the two best housekeepers we’ve ever had here.” 

Hannah rolled her eyes. She and Susie were the only housekeepers at the inn since we had opened in the spring. 

Nell put her hand on Hannah’s and looked her in the eye. “Do you want to know the truth?” she asked solemnly. “Everyone at the reunion this weekend thinks they’re a failure too. And those who act like they have it made are full of it.” 

Hannah looked at me as if she were waiting for me to validate Nell’s statement. 

“She’s right,” I replied. 

“Did you feel like a failure?” Hannah asked us.

“Honey,” Nell replied. “I’m so old I can’t remember my ten-year reunion. Heck, I’d need an archaeologist to help me remember my high school days!”

“I remember my ten-year reunion,” I said. “I was worried about going, but I ended up having a great time.”

Hannah looked at me with a doubtful expression. 

“Besides,” I continued, “you’ll find out you have nothing to prove to anyone else in the world. Your happiness is the only thing that should ever matter to you.”

“Darn straight,” Nell interjected. “You are an incredible, talented, smart woman. And women like you are incapable of being failures. So knock off the worrying and think about what a great time you’re going to have and what a splash you’re going to make.” 

Hannah grinned and quietly said, “I guess you’re right. Thank you.” 

“Don’t mention it,” Nell replied. “You just go to that reunion and let them know that Hannah is in the house, and she ain’t taking no shade from anyone.” 

Hannah and I burst out laughing when Nell reinforced her statement with a little dance, waving her finger in the air as she slowly twirled. 

As the three of us went about our morning, cleaning the rooms while the guests were out enjoying the town and the mountains, I thought about my reunion. My mother had once told me that people at their ten-year reunions brag about themselves, people at their twenty-year reunions brag about their children, and people at their thirty-year reunions brag about their grandchildren. “By the time you get to your forty-year reunion, most people are too forgetful and don’t even remember what they’re bragging about,” she had said. 

Mom had been right about the first three. After all, people do like to brag. My fortieth was still a few years away, so I hadn’t had the chance to fact-check her last statement. 

“You doing okay?” Jim asked me as I was changing the sheets in the Empire Room. 

“I didn’t hear you come in,” I said. “Did you get that drain unclogged?”

“Drain zero, Jim one,” he said proudly. “We should have thought about this with an older house.” 

“Old house, old plumbing.” 

“How’s Hannah doing?” he asked. 

“Better. I think Nell managed to cheer her up.” 

“Reunions…” Jim shook his head. “Do you remember the women in black at your last one?” 

“Oh, lord,” I replied, chuckling. “How could I forget?” 

The women in black were a group of five of my former classmates who had been, many years earlier, the most popular girls at school. They pranced around the reunion in expensive cocktail dresses and jewelry, making snide comments about everyone else. They acted like they had mentally never left their sophomore year.  

“I don’t think those ladies knew that everyone at your reunion was actually laughing at them,” Jim said.  

“Probably not. They seemed like the type who thought high school was the best years of their lives.” 

“Yup,” he said, grinning and holding up the plunger. “They’re not living the high life like we are.” 

“Funny, would you rather have to plunge the occasional drain in a bed-and-breakfast we own or be on the hook for all the peroxide and makeup those women go through every month?” 

“I would plunge drains all day long as long as you’re by my side,” Jim said. 

“You hopeless romantic, you.” 

“Excuse me.” We both turned to see Mr. Dawson at the door. 

“Heya, Brian,” Jim said with his typical Midwestern warmth. “What can we do for you?” 

“Well,” Mr. Dawson said. “I’ve heard you’re a little bit of an expert when it comes to fishing in these parts, and I was hoping you could let me in on one of the good spots.” 

Jim’s face brightened with a wide smile. In our four months of living in Silver Springs, he was certainly not an authority on the local fishing, but Mr. Dawson didn’t know that, and Jim was more than happy to play along. “There’s a place called Shadow Lake,” he said with excitement in his voice. “It’s only about fifteen minutes out of town. The road is a little rough, but this time of year, you can drive it in a passenger car.” 

“Oh, that’s all right,” Mr. Dawson replied, nodding eagerly, as the two walked downstairs together. “We have an SUV.” Their voices disappeared as they descended the stairs, but I knew Jim would keep Mr. Dawson occupied with fishing stories as long as our guest would let him. 

When I finished in the room, I went back downstairs. Nell had started baking her daily batch of everything cookies for when our guests returned from their outings in the afternoon. The aroma filled the inn, making it feel like a grandmother’s cozy home. 

“I’ll take those for you,” Hannah said, offering to bring the sheets I was holding downstairs to the laundry. Her expression seemed a little more relaxed than it had been earlier, and I hoped we had put her worries and concerns about the upcoming reunion to rest. 

I opened the door to the kitchen and watched as Nell danced in front of the stove to the salsa music playing on her phone. Her wavy silver hair, which she normally tied in a ponytail, swung with the music’s rhythm. Nell seemed to always move with a sway in her step, and I often caught her acting out her philosophy: Dance as if no one were watching. 

“The cookies smell wonderful,” I commented. 

“Thanks,” she said, still swinging her wide, womanly hips to the beat. “I’ll make sure to hide a couple for you and Jim.” 

“Always appreciated,” I said. 

“You know I’ve always got your back,” she said with a wink. 

Eating one of Nell’s daily cookies wasn’t doing anything for my waistline, but I couldn’t resist. They quickly disappeared in the afternoons, so we were grateful to have our secret stash. 

When I went back into the dining room, a woman in her twenties was standing by the front door. 

“Hello,” I said. “Can I help you?” 

She smiled and said she was looking for Hannah. 

“Of course,” I replied. “She’s downstairs in the basement. I’ll go get her. And your name?” 

“Julie,” she replied. “Julie Caldwell.” 

Hannah’s face lit up when I told her Julie was here to see her, and she dashed up the stairs in record time. 

When I caught up, the two women were excitedly greeting each other. 

“Lily, this is Julie,” Hannah said when she saw me. “Julie, this is Lily, my boss.” 

“You know I hate that word,” I said. 

Hannah laughed and said, “This is Lily who employs me and signs my paycheck.”

“I guess that’s better,” I chuckled. “It’s nice to meet you, Julie.” 

Hannah told me she and Julie were good friends in high school, and Julie was now living in California.

“Are you looking forward to the reunion this weekend?” I asked Julie. 

“I am,” she said. 

“Julie was on the organizing committee,” Hannah added. 

“Is that Julie Caldwell I hear?” Nell yelled from the kitchen. 

“Nell?” Julie exclaimed. 

Nell dashed out of the kitchen and gave her a bear hug, nearly squeezing all the air out of her athletic frame. 

“It is sooo good to see you!” Nell exclaimed. “How’s everything in California?”

“Good,” Julie replied, nodding. 

“And your parents? How are they?” 

“They’re great,” Julie replied. 

“Julie’s parents live in Arizona now,” Hannah explained to me. 

Nell hugged Julie again and said, “Wait right here. Hannah told me you were coming into town today, so I saved you a couple slices of pistachio bread.” 

“You’re in for a treat,” I said. 

“I know,” Julie replied. “It’s one of the things I miss the most about Silver Springs. Except for my friend Hannah!” 

“Why don’t you take a break and visit?” I suggested to Hannah. “I think we’re caught up for a while.” 

The two women sat on the couch, and Nell brought out a generous plate of her delectable pistachio bread. 

“Do you have the day off for tomorrow’s hike?” I overheard Julie ask Hannah. 

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Hannah replied. “Do you know who else is going?” 

“Tom Griffiths said he’s coming,” Julie replied. “Jack Collins said he’s going to try, along with Dianne Smith and Chloe MacDonald. Several others signed up for it too.” 

“I haven’t seen Tom for a while,” Hannah said. “Not since he moved to Pueblo.” 

“I heard he’s pretty hot now,” Julie said.

“He was pretty cute in high school,” Hannah offered. 

“Cute,” Julie laughed. “But not hot.” 

The two continued to discuss the hike, then Hannah asked me if it was still all right if everyone met at the inn beforehand.

“Of course it is,” I replied. “Nell might even have a treat for everyone. And don’t forget about the reunion cookout here Friday.” 

“That’s so generous of you,” Julie replied, then looked at Hannah. “You have such a cool boss.” 

“Remember I hate that word,” I repeated. 

“Well,” Julie replied with a shrug. “You’re still cool anyway.” 

“Thank you,” I said. “We’ll have plenty of burgers and hot dogs, and Nell made some special vegetarian patties if someone prefers those.” 

I went downstairs to move the laundry to the drier, letting the two women talk without me hanging around. I hoped that seeing Julie would ease Hannah’s nerves about the reunion. 

“Need a hand, dear?” Jim asked as he came down the stairs. 

“You can fold the towels in the drier. Hannah is visiting with her high school friend.” 

“I saw. They’re having a pretty animated conversation.” 

“Good,” I said. “Hannah needs it.” 

“Did they give you a final number of people who will be here for Friday’s cookout? I'll finish up with the shopping tomorrow afternoon.” 

“I would shop for twenty or so,” I replied. “If more show up, we can figure something out, and if there’s fewer, we can enjoy hot dog dinners for the next week.”

“Yum,” he said dryly.

“Don’t worry.” I joined Jim folding towels. “Rusty will be happy to eat any left-over hot dogs and hamburgers.”

Our golden retriever woke from his nap and stared at us, wagging his tail. I wasn’t sure if his name caught his attention or the words “hot dogs” and “hamburgers” did.  

“I’m sure he will,” Jim said. 

“Did Mr. Dawson say he’s going to try to get to Shadow Lake?” 

“He said he’d like to, but he didn’t pack a pole. So I loaned him one of mine.” 

“Is he going to give you a fish commission if he catches anything?” I joked. 

“Not a bad idea!”  

I took the clean towels upstairs to put in the guest rooms as Jim puttered in his basement workshop. 

As I reached the top of the stairs, I overheard Julie ask Hannah if she had heard the news. 

“What news?” Hannah asked. 

“I didn’t want to be the one to tell you,” Julie said. “But I don’t want you to be blindsided.”