Drowning the Daffodils (A Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mystery) by Cindy Bell Page A

concerned. He almost canceled the reunion at the last minute. I talked him out of it because, well,” she sighed, her shoulders drooping slightly, “I just wanted a nice vacation and I had heard so many good things about this place.”
    Vicky nodded a little though she couldn't help but think that Lawrence might have had some kind of paternal instinct that the weekend would lead to disaster.
    “Well, if you need anything feel free to call down to the front desk,” Vicky insisted as Alina stepped into her room.
    “ Thank you,” she smiled and disappeared into the room.
    As Vicky walked down the hall toward s Jane's room she caught sight of Charlene at the ice machine.
    “ Hi Charlene, how are you doing?” Vicky asked as she paused beside her and offered to carry the ice for her.
    “ I've got it,” Charlene said sternly and hugged the bucket of ice. “Mike just wants a few cocktails in the room,” she admitted.
    “ How are you two holding up?” Vicky pressed with growing concern.
    “ As best as can be expected,” Charlene replied with a slight shake of her head. “Mike cared so deeply for his brother,” she frowned. Vicky was surprised by that comment.
    “ Oh, were they close?” she asked with disbelief.
    “ Of course they were,” Charlene narrowed her eyes a little. “Why wouldn't you think they were?”
    “ Well, it's just I heard them arguing…” Vicky began to explain, her voice wavering slightly as she tried to disguise her deeper suspicions about Mike's behavior with Jane.
    “ Oh that,” Charlene rolled her eyes and then shifted the ice bucket from one arm to the other. “The truth is Mike played a big part in raising Simon. See, Lawrence was always too busy. Even though Mike was only a few years older he took responsibility for Simon. We got together in high school, not long after Lawrence divorced his first wife. Mike was a little broken up about it, he was really hurt that his father had been cheating on his mother,” she drew her lips into a thin line of disgust. “Some people have no idea what a real loving relationship is supposed to be like.”
    Vicky swallowed back the words that were rising to her lips. She felt almost compelled to reveal what Mike had been up to behind closed doors with Jane. But the way that Charlene described Mike was very different from Vicky's impression of him. She nodded encouragingly as she could tell that Charlene had more to say.
    “After that, Mike started to become really protective of Simon. If Simon wanted to date someone we had to double with them. Of course, when Simon reached college all that changed. Jane is the first girlfriend that Simon found all on his own. Mike had it in his head and still does that Jane was just after Simon for his money, that she was just manipulating him, and that she would take him for all he was worth and then leave him,” Charlene rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I tried to tell him that the more Mike tried to pull them apart, the more Simon would want to be with her, but he is so stubborn. He just kept saying that he had to protect his brother, and if no one else would tell him the truth, then he would.”
    “ Did he?” Vicky asked as she moved slightly closer to Charlene. “Did he tell Simon his suspicions?”
    “ He hinted at it. He kept trying to catch Jane in the act. It got so bad that he even hired a private detective.”
    “ Wow,” Vicky said and then raised her eyebrows. “He was really serious about getting some proof.”
    “ That's the strange thing,” Charlene admitted thoughtfully. “He hired the private detective, and then one day I asked him if the detective had found anything because his mood had changed, he'd become really quiet. He said no, and not to bring it up again,” she glanced towards the door of the room they were staying in. “Before all of this I could have told you every single thought in Mike's head, but since then, he's been closed off to me,” she blinked as if she