turned their coffee cups over in tandem and the waitress filled them. “I’ll be back to get your order in a minute.”
“So, what’d you find out?’ Paul asked.
Jennie paused. “I don’t know where to start. First, I stopped into Cutting’s Hall of Records. No help there. But tenacious as I am–“
Paul grinned. “You are that.”
Jennie took a gulp of coffee. “Anyway, I got hold of some old court documents. It seems Charles Baxter owed a fortune in back taxes. Right before his trip to the Amazon.”
“But I thought he–”
“He did. Poor guy was getting it from both ends. Like they say, nothing in life is certain but death and taxes. He was under inducement on both counts. He may have been dying of cancer, but the IRS was about to take Harbor View away from him. Unfortunately, I came to a dead end after that. Still, it raises some interesting questions.”
Paul leaned in close. “Yeah, like what happened to the place after he died?”
Jennie drummed her fingers on the table. “What I want to know is how the current Baxter fits into the picture.”
Paul went on to tell Jennie about Hudson Cregg and how Baxter had stopped him in the hall and tried to discredit Cregg.
“I’ve been thinking,” Paul said, “Maybe I could take a trip up to the state capitol and do some research. They’ve got records for the whole state and I’m sure it’s more concise than the small office here in Cutting.”
“Maybe you could go up Monday and I could stay here and snoop around some more. You can drop me off in town”
Paul shrugged. “Can’t hurt.”
The waitress materialized again, this time with a huge plate of bacon and eggs for Jennie, and an equally large portion of meatloaf for Paul. She made sure they were set, then excused herself.
“This looks good,” Paul said.
Jennie flipped her napkin open. “And how. Let’s eat.”
When the first chords of Hotel California came on the jukebox, Jennie and Paul looked up at the same instant.
“I used to like this song up until a couple of days ago,” Jennie said. “Now, it creeps me out.”
Paul put his fork down. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
P aul’s eyes blinked open. At first, he was disoriented and didn’t know where he was. There were unfamiliar curtains over the windows shading the early morning sunlight. Turning his head to the side, he saw Jennie’s sleeping form. Then it all came back in an instant.
Paul smiled and shook his head. “Hypocrite,” he whispered to himself. Just yesterday, he vowed not to get too close to this girl. Now, here he was waking up next to her in her hotel room. Strangely though, he had to admit he didn’t regret it. One thing was certain. He never knew a girl who moved as quickly as Jennie.
He tried to slip out of bed and get dressed before Jennie woke up, thinking he needed to get back to Harbor View. Suddenly, he remembered it was Saturday. He was off!
Jennie shook herself loose from the covers and sat up.
“What time is it?”
“A little after six.”
“Why are you awake so early?”
“I thought I had to work, but I just remembered it was Saturday.”
Paul moved over and put his arm around Jennie. They didn’t talk for a minute, then Paul broke the silence.
“This is all new to me, you know.”
Jennie cocked her head. “Do I make you uncomfortable?”
“No, of course not. It’s just moving so fast.”
“I’ll slow down if you want.”
“I’m not sure I want you to.”
“Good. Then come over here,” Jennie said, pulling the covers over them.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
P aul called in sick on Monday so he could ride to the state capitol to visit the Historical Society. He was convinced that, if he was going to find out anything about Baxter, the historical society and its vast archive of records would be the place to start. Jennie, on the other hand, wanted to stay in Cutting and talk to some locals, maybe the Sheriff.
As Paul headed toward Burlington,
“So, what’d you find out?’ Paul asked.
Jennie paused. “I don’t know where to start. First, I stopped into Cutting’s Hall of Records. No help there. But tenacious as I am–“
Paul grinned. “You are that.”
Jennie took a gulp of coffee. “Anyway, I got hold of some old court documents. It seems Charles Baxter owed a fortune in back taxes. Right before his trip to the Amazon.”
“But I thought he–”
“He did. Poor guy was getting it from both ends. Like they say, nothing in life is certain but death and taxes. He was under inducement on both counts. He may have been dying of cancer, but the IRS was about to take Harbor View away from him. Unfortunately, I came to a dead end after that. Still, it raises some interesting questions.”
Paul leaned in close. “Yeah, like what happened to the place after he died?”
Jennie drummed her fingers on the table. “What I want to know is how the current Baxter fits into the picture.”
Paul went on to tell Jennie about Hudson Cregg and how Baxter had stopped him in the hall and tried to discredit Cregg.
“I’ve been thinking,” Paul said, “Maybe I could take a trip up to the state capitol and do some research. They’ve got records for the whole state and I’m sure it’s more concise than the small office here in Cutting.”
“Maybe you could go up Monday and I could stay here and snoop around some more. You can drop me off in town”
Paul shrugged. “Can’t hurt.”
The waitress materialized again, this time with a huge plate of bacon and eggs for Jennie, and an equally large portion of meatloaf for Paul. She made sure they were set, then excused herself.
“This looks good,” Paul said.
Jennie flipped her napkin open. “And how. Let’s eat.”
When the first chords of Hotel California came on the jukebox, Jennie and Paul looked up at the same instant.
“I used to like this song up until a couple of days ago,” Jennie said. “Now, it creeps me out.”
Paul put his fork down. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
P aul’s eyes blinked open. At first, he was disoriented and didn’t know where he was. There were unfamiliar curtains over the windows shading the early morning sunlight. Turning his head to the side, he saw Jennie’s sleeping form. Then it all came back in an instant.
Paul smiled and shook his head. “Hypocrite,” he whispered to himself. Just yesterday, he vowed not to get too close to this girl. Now, here he was waking up next to her in her hotel room. Strangely though, he had to admit he didn’t regret it. One thing was certain. He never knew a girl who moved as quickly as Jennie.
He tried to slip out of bed and get dressed before Jennie woke up, thinking he needed to get back to Harbor View. Suddenly, he remembered it was Saturday. He was off!
Jennie shook herself loose from the covers and sat up.
“What time is it?”
“A little after six.”
“Why are you awake so early?”
“I thought I had to work, but I just remembered it was Saturday.”
Paul moved over and put his arm around Jennie. They didn’t talk for a minute, then Paul broke the silence.
“This is all new to me, you know.”
Jennie cocked her head. “Do I make you uncomfortable?”
“No, of course not. It’s just moving so fast.”
“I’ll slow down if you want.”
“I’m not sure I want you to.”
“Good. Then come over here,” Jennie said, pulling the covers over them.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
P aul called in sick on Monday so he could ride to the state capitol to visit the Historical Society. He was convinced that, if he was going to find out anything about Baxter, the historical society and its vast archive of records would be the place to start. Jennie, on the other hand, wanted to stay in Cutting and talk to some locals, maybe the Sheriff.
As Paul headed toward Burlington,
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