okay?” she added quietly.
He grinned ruefully. “I was a stockbroker, remember? I’m used to life on the roller coaster. We’ll be good. It’s just that I love this place so much.”
“And you
should
love it,” Scarlet said. “Spend more time during the next few days riding the trails. Hike.”
He brightened. “I can help you out here in the museum.”
She opened her mouth, trying to figure out just how to answer him.
She didn’t have to; the front door opened again and Trisha walked in. “Scarlet, you doing all right?” she asked.
Scarlet nodded. “I just got up.”
“I can see that,” Trisha said with a smile. “Want us to hang around down here while you go upstairs and shower?” She looked toward the stairs as she spoke, and her eyes widened. “Where’s Nathan?” she asked, almost as if the mannequin was a living, breathing man who might have headed out for a morning walk.
“I have him upstairs,” Scarlet said. “I’m studying his construction. I think he was carved in the 1870s but I’m trying to ascertain who the artist might have been.”
“You moved him upstairs?” Trisha asked.
“Yeah, I’m stronger than I look,” Scarlet said lightly. “But, it’s such a great figure, I want to know more about it.”
“People whittled in these mountains all the time, so if you don’t find a signature or anything, it won’t be surprising. Back then, once the snow fell, there wasn’t much to do except sit around the fire and whittle,” Ben said.
“That’s always true in my line of work,” Scarlet said. “Sometimes we can find the answers, sometimes we can’t. But yes, I’d feel more secure if I knew the two of you were here while I was getting ready. Thank you. Come on up. Nathan Kendall’s in the living room, if you feel like visiting him.”
She turned and fled up the stairs, wondering for a minute if she’d asked a pair of psychotic killers to stand guard while she showered.
No. The idea that Ben and Trisha could be killers was ridiculous.
More ridiculous than that a mannequin had moved on its own?
She winced and silently prayed that Diego would arrive soon.
Taking a deep breath, she told herself that she had to behave normally. Still, she locked the door to her room. Her mind was racing, filled with all the crazy things that had happened in less than twenty-four hours.
Ben and Trisha, the murders, the mannequin at the foot of the bed, her feeling of being watched, the pictures, the man who had stopped her in town...
She finally turned on the water.
But even in the shower, she kept peeking around the curtain, making sure that Nathan didn’t walk in to surprise her when she stepped out.
She was more relieved than she liked to admit when he didn’t make another appearance.
Clean and dressed, she entered the living room. Nathan Kendall was still right where she had put him, and Ben and Trisha were talking about his merits. Despite herself, she couldn’t help feeling suspicious.
Trisha turned to her with a smile. “I took the liberty of putting coffee on,” she said. “Or would you rather have tea?”
“I’m happy with either,” Scarlet assured her. “And no liberty—you own this place.”
“But we’ve given you the apartment as part of your employee package,” Ben said. “That means we’re guests in here right now.”
“Then I should be getting you coffee,” Scarlet said. “And I hope you don’t mind, but Diego, my ex, has three other agents with him. I can ask them to stay somewhere else if you’d rather.”
“Four FBI agents to watch over us?” Trish asked. “I don’t mind in the least. In fact, I’m thrilled.”
“We have an almost empty bed-and-breakfast,” Ben said drily. “Not a problem at all.”
“They should be here soon. While we’re waiting, I’ll whip up omelets,” Scarlet said. “I’m actually a pretty good cook,” she promised.
She looked at her watch and realized that she didn’t want to be alone in the
He grinned ruefully. “I was a stockbroker, remember? I’m used to life on the roller coaster. We’ll be good. It’s just that I love this place so much.”
“And you
should
love it,” Scarlet said. “Spend more time during the next few days riding the trails. Hike.”
He brightened. “I can help you out here in the museum.”
She opened her mouth, trying to figure out just how to answer him.
She didn’t have to; the front door opened again and Trisha walked in. “Scarlet, you doing all right?” she asked.
Scarlet nodded. “I just got up.”
“I can see that,” Trisha said with a smile. “Want us to hang around down here while you go upstairs and shower?” She looked toward the stairs as she spoke, and her eyes widened. “Where’s Nathan?” she asked, almost as if the mannequin was a living, breathing man who might have headed out for a morning walk.
“I have him upstairs,” Scarlet said. “I’m studying his construction. I think he was carved in the 1870s but I’m trying to ascertain who the artist might have been.”
“You moved him upstairs?” Trisha asked.
“Yeah, I’m stronger than I look,” Scarlet said lightly. “But, it’s such a great figure, I want to know more about it.”
“People whittled in these mountains all the time, so if you don’t find a signature or anything, it won’t be surprising. Back then, once the snow fell, there wasn’t much to do except sit around the fire and whittle,” Ben said.
“That’s always true in my line of work,” Scarlet said. “Sometimes we can find the answers, sometimes we can’t. But yes, I’d feel more secure if I knew the two of you were here while I was getting ready. Thank you. Come on up. Nathan Kendall’s in the living room, if you feel like visiting him.”
She turned and fled up the stairs, wondering for a minute if she’d asked a pair of psychotic killers to stand guard while she showered.
No. The idea that Ben and Trisha could be killers was ridiculous.
More ridiculous than that a mannequin had moved on its own?
She winced and silently prayed that Diego would arrive soon.
Taking a deep breath, she told herself that she had to behave normally. Still, she locked the door to her room. Her mind was racing, filled with all the crazy things that had happened in less than twenty-four hours.
Ben and Trisha, the murders, the mannequin at the foot of the bed, her feeling of being watched, the pictures, the man who had stopped her in town...
She finally turned on the water.
But even in the shower, she kept peeking around the curtain, making sure that Nathan didn’t walk in to surprise her when she stepped out.
She was more relieved than she liked to admit when he didn’t make another appearance.
Clean and dressed, she entered the living room. Nathan Kendall was still right where she had put him, and Ben and Trisha were talking about his merits. Despite herself, she couldn’t help feeling suspicious.
Trisha turned to her with a smile. “I took the liberty of putting coffee on,” she said. “Or would you rather have tea?”
“I’m happy with either,” Scarlet assured her. “And no liberty—you own this place.”
“But we’ve given you the apartment as part of your employee package,” Ben said. “That means we’re guests in here right now.”
“Then I should be getting you coffee,” Scarlet said. “And I hope you don’t mind, but Diego, my ex, has three other agents with him. I can ask them to stay somewhere else if you’d rather.”
“Four FBI agents to watch over us?” Trish asked. “I don’t mind in the least. In fact, I’m thrilled.”
“We have an almost empty bed-and-breakfast,” Ben said drily. “Not a problem at all.”
“They should be here soon. While we’re waiting, I’ll whip up omelets,” Scarlet said. “I’m actually a pretty good cook,” she promised.
She looked at her watch and realized that she didn’t want to be alone in the
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