Room At The Inn (The Jeff Resnick Mysteries) by LL Bartlett Page A
Authors: LL Bartlett
Tags: USA
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table while Maggie considered her options. I had a clear view of both the barroom and the game room, and heard, before I saw, Eileen trudging down the stairs. Dressed in a heavy, white terry-cloth robe and matching terry thongs, she clutched a bottle of scotch under one arm and held a tall plastic tumbler in the other hand. Unsteady on her feet, I guessed she'd started her own personal happy hour before joining the rest of the guests. She went straight to the bar, filled the glass with ice, and then poured the scotch.
Kay Andolina sat in a wing chair by the cold fireplace on the opposite end of the room. "Can I offer you a drink?" Eileen asked her, her words slurred.
"No, thank you!"
"Rats! I missed," Maggie said. "Your turn."
I turned my attention back to the table. It took less than a minute for me to pick off all the solid balls, and go after Maggie's, too.
She blinked, disappointed. "Maybe you're in the wrong job. You could be the next Minnesota Fats."
"Except I'm from Buffalo, and I'd have to gain a hundred pounds." She studied the table, looking crestfallen. I paused in racking up for another game. "Sorry, Maggs. If you'll play again, I'll give you a second chance if you miss."
"If we were more evenly matched I'd refuse. Since I haven't got a chance of winning, I accept your offer." Her tone of superiority was all for show. Maggie's not the competitive type.
I let her break again, my gaze drifting back to the other room. Kay Andolina stood near the bar, only a foot from Eileen, her face flushed with anger. "How dare you," she said, her voice low and menacing. For a moment, I thought she might slap her.
Eileen tried to stifle a laugh. I'd missed whatever insult she'd just delivered. This didn't seem like the friendly woman we'd met the night before.
Kay stalked up the steps and Eileen collected her bottle and glass before ambling into the game room. You didn't need to be psychic to feel Maggie's ire rise. Her ex-husband had cheated on her, and all the unresolved anger she claimed she'd conquered suddenly surfaced, threatening to erupt.
"Join me in a drink?" Eileen asked the room at large.
"No, thanks," I said. Ted looked up from the backgammon board, but Laura seemed oblivious to her presence.
"A bunch of teetotalers, eh?"
Laura continued to stare at the game board before her. "Some of us don't succumb to our vices."
Eileen blinked, then laughed. "Oh , come now, my dear, everyone does. You more than most."
At last Laura’s gaze rose to meet the Englishwoman's, her glare filled with absolute hatred. I got a strong sense of déjà vu. These two knew each other well. A decades-old tension hung between them. But how had they ended up in Stowe at the same place and time for a seemingly carefree weekend vacation?
Without a word, Laura rose. She brushed past me, hurrying up the stairs with Ted following a step or two behind. "Laura, wait!"
Eileen laughed. "I seem to be clearing a path wherever I go. I hope I shan't offend you too, my dear."
Furious, Maggie slammed her cue stick into the wooden rack on the wall and stalked into the barroom.
Eileen's eyebrows rose.
I shrugged. "PMS."
She took a long pull on her drink. "I'm on my way to the hot tub. Would you care to join me?"
"Don't you think you've had enough? You wouldn't want to cook yourself."
Eileen smiled. "Quite right, my boy." She stepped uncomfortably close and patted my cheek, her hot breath reeking of scotch. "Quite right." Then she turned on her heel. "You know where to find me should anyone come looking. And I'm sure someone will."
I watched her stagger toward the Jacuzzi. Her jocularity was all for show; her shoulders sagged in defeat. More than just defeat—desolation.
Maggie stood in front of the bar, clutching a half-empty glass of sherry. Bright spots of pink stained her cheeks. "Isn't it a little warm for sherry?" I asked.
"I didn't feel like going upstairs for the gin."
I took the glass from her hand, set it on the bar and led her
Kay Andolina sat in a wing chair by the cold fireplace on the opposite end of the room. "Can I offer you a drink?" Eileen asked her, her words slurred.
"No, thank you!"
"Rats! I missed," Maggie said. "Your turn."
I turned my attention back to the table. It took less than a minute for me to pick off all the solid balls, and go after Maggie's, too.
She blinked, disappointed. "Maybe you're in the wrong job. You could be the next Minnesota Fats."
"Except I'm from Buffalo, and I'd have to gain a hundred pounds." She studied the table, looking crestfallen. I paused in racking up for another game. "Sorry, Maggs. If you'll play again, I'll give you a second chance if you miss."
"If we were more evenly matched I'd refuse. Since I haven't got a chance of winning, I accept your offer." Her tone of superiority was all for show. Maggie's not the competitive type.
I let her break again, my gaze drifting back to the other room. Kay Andolina stood near the bar, only a foot from Eileen, her face flushed with anger. "How dare you," she said, her voice low and menacing. For a moment, I thought she might slap her.
Eileen tried to stifle a laugh. I'd missed whatever insult she'd just delivered. This didn't seem like the friendly woman we'd met the night before.
Kay stalked up the steps and Eileen collected her bottle and glass before ambling into the game room. You didn't need to be psychic to feel Maggie's ire rise. Her ex-husband had cheated on her, and all the unresolved anger she claimed she'd conquered suddenly surfaced, threatening to erupt.
"Join me in a drink?" Eileen asked the room at large.
"No, thanks," I said. Ted looked up from the backgammon board, but Laura seemed oblivious to her presence.
"A bunch of teetotalers, eh?"
Laura continued to stare at the game board before her. "Some of us don't succumb to our vices."
Eileen blinked, then laughed. "Oh , come now, my dear, everyone does. You more than most."
At last Laura’s gaze rose to meet the Englishwoman's, her glare filled with absolute hatred. I got a strong sense of déjà vu. These two knew each other well. A decades-old tension hung between them. But how had they ended up in Stowe at the same place and time for a seemingly carefree weekend vacation?
Without a word, Laura rose. She brushed past me, hurrying up the stairs with Ted following a step or two behind. "Laura, wait!"
Eileen laughed. "I seem to be clearing a path wherever I go. I hope I shan't offend you too, my dear."
Furious, Maggie slammed her cue stick into the wooden rack on the wall and stalked into the barroom.
Eileen's eyebrows rose.
I shrugged. "PMS."
She took a long pull on her drink. "I'm on my way to the hot tub. Would you care to join me?"
"Don't you think you've had enough? You wouldn't want to cook yourself."
Eileen smiled. "Quite right, my boy." She stepped uncomfortably close and patted my cheek, her hot breath reeking of scotch. "Quite right." Then she turned on her heel. "You know where to find me should anyone come looking. And I'm sure someone will."
I watched her stagger toward the Jacuzzi. Her jocularity was all for show; her shoulders sagged in defeat. More than just defeat—desolation.
Maggie stood in front of the bar, clutching a half-empty glass of sherry. Bright spots of pink stained her cheeks. "Isn't it a little warm for sherry?" I asked.
"I didn't feel like going upstairs for the gin."
I took the glass from her hand, set it on the bar and led her
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