Chapter 8

Betty then pulled Tyler’s business card from her wallet and dialed the numbers on it. She was surprised when he picked up instead of a secretary. “This is Tyler. How can I help you?”

“Hi, Tyler, how are you? This is Betty Cornish. I don’t know if you remember me or not. I ran into you the other night at the supercenter?”

“Yes… of course, I do! There’s been a lot of buzz about you this morning, Betty. How are you holding up?”

“Well… I certainly don’t have to worry about introducing myself to everyone now, it seems. I suppose I’ll have to thank Sheriff Walker for that small mercy. Are you at your office?”

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“I’m looking at my calendar. What would be a good day to make an appointment for you to come and visit the Cornerstone? I’ve decided after the grim events it could certainly use a makeover, and I want you to do it.”

“Oh, well, I’m certainly flattered, but that job is a huge undertaking. Are you certain you want to revamp all of it? There’s a lot of town history there, Betty.”

“Yes, I’m aware, but I feel as if to move forward, we need to abolish the past and cement the new Cornerstone in the hearts and minds of the locals. Sure, we’ll continue some of the older traditions, but I think a change is necessary.”

“I agree. I think that’s a wonderful idea, Betty…but it’ll cost you.”

“Haha! I appreciate your frankness very much, Tyler. Money isn’t my primary concern. What I don’t have in business revenue yet I’ll just take out of my personal savings. I planned for the business to fail anyway since most do in their first year.”

“You very well may the smartest woman in town. I’m free all this week, so whatever works for you works for me.”

Betty glanced down at the calendar and then frowned. She wasn’t overbooked, but she could tell from the tone of the Sheriff that their investigation could take a long time to complete. She had no choice. Tyler would have to work around the deputies and their presence. Everyone else would have to make do, as well.”

“I hate to ask, but I really would like to get started as soon as possible. What about today after lunch? Is that too soon?”

“For our local celebrity criminal suspect, it’s not too soon at all. Besides, if I say no, you may have me swimming with the fishes, hmm?”

“Haha. I assure you I have no ties to the murder or the mafia. Thank you for coming today… I could use a kind face anyway.”

“I’ll see you after lunch. Ask Charlotte to make you her cheesecake. It’s to die for.”

“Ha! Too soon, Tyler, too soon.”

“I’ll see you later, dear. Take care.”

Betty hung up the phone and grimaced one more at the moose head. She glanced at her watch and realized it was time for lunch. She had skipped breakfast that morning, only opting for the chai that Brannigan had provided her. She still couldn’t believe the mailman had somehow known it was one of her favorite beverages. It didn’t mean anything, though. Coincidences happened all the time, didn’t they? Her discovering a body was a coincidence she genuinely wished hadn’t occurred. This was supposed to be her chance to escape into an easy life, wasn’t it? Lost in thought, she walked out of the office and walked down the hall following the signs to the large dining hall on the east side of bed and breakfast. It was nearly lunchtime, and she was disappointed to see that it was deserted. She padded through the room, her flats making tiny squeaking sounds on the hardwood floors beneath her. Their echo made the room feel all the more empty and barren. At every table sat a menu in a placard and a bouquet of artificial flowers, pansies to be specific, which had clearly not been dusted for quite some time.

The lighting in the room was dim, and it felt as if no one had dined there for quite some time. There was no atmospheric music playing through the loudspeakers, and there was not even a smiling face to greet any guests, reminding them of where they were staying. The size of the room was nice, and it certainly had the potential to become not only one of the premier spots for guests to feel welcome in their stay, but it also had the ability to become a nighttime luxury dinner spot for the locals as well. Betty shook her head and sighed. She wondered how anyone could have let the once beautiful space fall into such disarray. After sitting and studying the menu, she realized that no one was prepared to wait on her, much less take an order, so she walked back to the front desk and the lobby. She tapped impatiently on the bell at the desk. Stephen sauntered up to the desk and asked, “What can I do for you, Betty?”

“Stephen, can you tell me why no one is working in the dining room?”

“Yes, ma’am. Charlotte’s in the kitchen making lunch preparations.”

“So, there’s no one else on staff to work the dining area?”

“No. It’s only Charlotte. It’s been that way for quite some time now. The previous owner said it was a waste of money to have someone who couldn’t cook in the dining room, especially if there wasn’t anyone to eat.”

“Hmm. I see. So Charlotte’s in the kitchen now?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Thank you, Stephen. Stephen?”

“You didn’t like it when that changed, did you?”

“No, Betty, but I didn’t want to say nothing about it. I like my job here at the Cornerstone. Most places won’t hire someone as old as me, especially for desk watching.”

“Well… I’ll tell you this, Stephen, if there’s anything you don’t like, you can tell me, and I promise it won’t affect your job. You have a place here as long as you want it, okay?”

“Thank you, Betty.”

“I’m going to go to the kitchen now and chat with Charlotte. I may need you to help me with a project later, okay?”

“Yes, Betty, whatever you need.”

Betty then walked away from the desk and made a right down a long narrow hallway to find the service entrance to the kitchen. She opened the door quietly to peer in. She watched Charlotte for a moment, staring into the contents of the large industrial refrigerator talking to herself. “Yes. This will do nicely. I believe a fine spread of cucumber sandwiches and some homemade crisps will do nicely for lunch service. I’ll do the lemon sorbet at the end for a pallet cleanser. It’s rather warm today, so they all should enjoy the coolness. Yes, it’s going to be very festive indeed.”

Betty smiled at her enthusiasm. She thought to herself that Charlotte almost appeared as if she were a real-life Disney character. She almost broke out into laughter, wondering if she were her fairy Godmother. As she began pulling ingredients from the refrigerator and laying them on the counter, Betty snuck up behind her and cleared her throat. Charlotte whirled around and shrieked in surprise, nearly dropping the items she held in her hands. “Charlotte! Hi. It’s good to see you. I thought I’d come to check out lunch. I’m actually hungry.”

“Well, I must say you’ve given me a fright and a half. I’m glad it was just you though, I don’t know what I would’ve done had it been the killer.”

“Make him a sandwich?”

“Hahaha! Make him a sandwich…oh, that’s good. You’re funny, Betty. I like you. So what can I do for you?”

“Well, honestly, I was a bit angry earlier.”

“Why’s that?”

“I sat in the dining room for quite some time before I decided to go to the front desk and see what was going on.”

“Oh…yes. “Charlotte turned her eyes downward and merely shook her head. “Did Stephen fill you in?”

“Yes, he mentioned that no one was staffed in the entire kitchen with you. I feel it is a disservice to our guests. Sure, you may not have many diners at the moment, but you may have them in the future. If you don’t have a full service, how can you expect to even entertain your guests when they arrive?”

“That was my point exactly when the former owners cut my staff. I very well can’t wait on a customer and bring them their beverages while I’m in the back cooking as well. There’s too much attention to detail necessary back here.”

“Charlotte?”

“Yes, Betty?”

“I told Stephen earlier, and I’ll tell you the same, if there’s anything that displeases you about your job here, feel free to speak up. I assure you if there’s an issue, we will work through it if it’s a reasonable request. You don’t have to fear for your job, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Now, what are we having for lunch?”

“Oh… well, I suppose you heard me planning the menu earlier. I talk to myself in the kitchen. Sometimes I even sing…it just depends on the day.”

“Well, at least someone has some life left in them. This place can definitely use a bit more fun and festiveness. In fact, I’ve even hired a designer to give the entire place a complete overhaul. Out with the dreariness, in with the sunshine. I can tell you one thing…the first item that’s going is that ghastly moose head in the office.”

“Haha! Oh, you mean, Charley? Charley’s been here for years. Don’t tell anyone, though, but Charley was ordered over the internet. He wasn’t a hunting trophy like Mr. Sinclair wanted everyone to believe. I’m glad he’s gone. Anything we wanted to do as employees, he always frowned upon. I wanted to make a special dish for one of our events, and he would always critique it, saying that it was never okay to stray from tradition. Ned wanted to put different flowers in the back for a change, and he wouldn’t allow that either. He said we couldn’t afford anything other than the existing perennials. He was such a boring man. I just hate that you came into his mess, and all the drama with that poor murdered girl.”

“Yes, it’s certainly terrible timing. Sigh… can I tell you something, and you swear you won’t say anything?”

“Why, of course. I really don’t talk to many people at all in this town. I live alone and just have my work here at the Cornerstone. I used to go to the Cup and Saucer, but I’ve always been sort of the outcast here. I guess it’s my bubbly personality, I don’t know. I’m not like the ladies who are affluent. I don’t go to the salon, I don’t really go to the beach often, I just work and go home to my cats.”

“Hmm. Well, we are really more alike than what you know, Charlotte.”

“So, what did you have to tell me?”

“I did see who was murdered. The Sheriff said it was someone named Hanna Davis.”

“No way!” Charlotte covered her mouth in shock and continued. “I can’t believe that. I bet the Parkers are going out of their minds. At least Mrs. Parker.”

“Who are they?”

“Oh my… you have a lot to learn about this town. Go sit down, I’ll finish lunch and bring it out to you, and we’ll discuss everything then. How about that?”

“Sounds great, but only if you’ll join me.’

“Consider it done.”

Betty’s stomach grumbled right on cue, and the pair laughed as Betty went back out into the dining room, listening to the stillness of the room and thinking it sounded as empty and as dark as a tomb. She hoped the young woman’s killer would be found soon.