Dead in the Daisies (A Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mystery) Read online

  “Oh my,” Vicky covered her mouth to try to suppress a laugh, but she couldn't hold back. Aunt Ida looked a bit like a troll with the shock of purple hair, and she just couldn't get that image out of her mind. “It's not that bad,” Vicky squeaked out. “It's a lovely shade, really.” Aunt Ida yanked the hood back up over her hair and glowered at Vicky.

  “It's not that bad?” she hissed in return. “I look like a grape, seriously Vicky, don't lie to me! If you want to laugh, laugh,” she huffed and blinked to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes.

  Vicky did want to laugh, very badly, but she resisted for the sake of her aunt's feelings. She didn't want to make her feel worse than she already did.

  “What's going on ladies?” Sarah asked as she stepped out of her office and joined them in the lobby. She looked perky enough, but Vicky could detect the worry lines at the corners of her eyes. She was already anticipating the worst with the upcoming wedding.

  “Aunt Ida got a new 'do,” Vicky declared, knowing that she needed a little cheering up. She reached up and tugged the hood back from Aunt Ida's head.

  “Vicky!” she shrieked and tried to cover her hair with her long thin fingers. Sarah's eyes grew as large as saucers as she looked at the brightly colored hair.

  “Aunt Ida, what were you thinking?” she groaned and shook her head. “Purple is not the new blonde, no matter what anyone tells you!” she paused a moment and then looked at the woman suspiciously. “You didn't get anything pierced, did you?”

  “No,” Aunt Ida groaned with embarrassment. “It wasn't supposed to be purple,” she growled with annoyance. “All I wanted were a few little highlights and look at what it has turned into. Sandra’s new assistant used the wrong liquid and if they dye over it, it will dry it out too much and it will break and probably fall out.”

  “Oh well,” Sarah hesitated a moment and reached out to lightly touch her aunt's fried hair. “It's not so bad really,” she attempted to sound positive. “At least you won't be easy to overlook,” Sarah pointed out, hoping to brighten her aunt's mood.

  Aunt Ida sighed heavily and then nodded. “I guess you're right about that. I'm going to go and shampoo it a million times and hope it washes out,” she huffed as she headed for the elevator that would take her back up to her room.

  “Poor Aunt Ida,” Vicky said quietly as the sisters stood beside each other, waiting for the elevator doors to slide shut. As soon as they did, they both burst out laughing so loudly that they had to lean on one another for support.

  Chapter Three

  The next two days flew by as everything was prepared and carefully planned out. Sarah had a lot to handle on the business end, and Vicky was overwhelmed with trying to secure the wedding cake, the catering, and the photographers.

  The day before the wedding was buzzing with activity. All the private security hired by the couple had arrived early in the morning, well before the bride and groom. The bridal couple had invited a few family members and friends to attend a small rehearsal dinner in the restaurant prior to the day of the wedding, so all their rooms were being prepared. All the staff members had gathered together in the large conference room for an early morning pep talk from Sarah. The most important message she impressed upon the staff was one of restraint.

  “Once the guests arrive, please, let's conduct ourselves in a polite and professional manner,” Sarah said sternly as Vicky listened in. “I know that we're all excited to have celebrities in our midst, but they are people, too. Remember this should be one of the most important days of their lives, and we need to treat them with as much respect and kindness as we treat all of our guests. Understand?” she asked as she looked from face to face. Her eyes lingered for an especially long time on Aunt Ida, who was wearing a scarf over her purple hair.

  “They chose us because we have such a great reputation for providing a quiet place to celebrate such a wonderful event, so let's make sure we live up to that reputation. That means that only those authorized to do so may go to the third floor. Understand?” she looked at each of the faces again. “Don't ask me who's authorized either,” Sarah said sternly. “If you are authorized then you already know who you are, and if you aren't, then you don't need to know who is. There's plenty to get ready in the kitchen, the restaurant, and out in the garden where the ceremony will take place. Any needs that the couple may have when they arrive will be tended to by those who have been given the job to do so.”

  She paused a moment and checked a text on her cell phone before she looked back up at the gathered staff. “This isn't just a matter of your job people, if the security that Trinie and Seth have brought in with them catches you sneaking around they will not hesitate to deal with the issue. I want this to go smoothly, and I promise there's a bonus in it for all of you if we can just get through this weekend without incident. Okay?”

  The members of staff nodded while Aunt Ida stared miserably straight forward. She was still not over the disaster of her hair. As the staff members filed out of the conference room, Vicky walked up to Sarah with a proud smile.

  “Great job sis,” she said with genuine admiration. “You really sounded like you have everything under control.”

  “Oh, I am so stressed out,” Sarah gasped as she pointed to the text on her cell phone. “It looks as if they are going to arrive an hour early and they need five more seats for the rehearsal dinner tonight.”

  “No problem,” Vicky said with confidence. “I planned for the possibility of an early arrival. Their room is already prepared, there are strawberries and champagne on ice, and the rehearsal dinner allowed for ten extra guests just in case,” she smiled proudly.

  “Wow!” Sarah said with surprise as she looked at her sister. “You really do have everything under control.”

  “You shouldn't ever doubt me,” Vicky replied, her smile spreading into a grin. “Little sisters do grow up too, you know.”

  Sarah smiled affectionately at her. “I know, but your big sister will always be here, don't forget that.”

  “I won't,” Vicky assured her. Sarah grimaced as she saw another group of security guards walk past the glass doors of the conference room. It made Sarah uneasy as she watched them pile into the inn.

  “Maybe this wasn't a good idea,” Sarah frowned as she watched the handful of well-toned men walk past her.

  Aunt Ida sighed with a smile as she watched them walk past. “I think it was a grand idea,” she declared and followed after the men.

  “Don't worry about it,” Vicky said whilst giving her sister's shoulder a light squeeze. “The officers that Sheriff McDonnell is sending to help will be here soon, they can deal directly with the security guards, okay?”

  Sarah nodded, and smiled at her sister. “I feel like you're the calm one in all of this Vicky, thanks.”

  “Hey for once I am,” Vicky laughed. “Don't expect it to happen again.” As she walked into the restaurant to check on the set up for the rehearsal dinner, her phone began to ring. She answered it after the first ring, knowing that it was likely wedding business.

  “Hello? Vicky speaking,” she said cheerfully. That cheerfulness quickly faded.

  “What do you mean the photographer can't make it?” Vicky hissed into the phone. From across the room, despite the amount of harried staff that were running back and forth with vases, and tablecloths, Sarah seemed to sense that something was wrong. She locked eyes with Vicky, who quickly turned away. She didn't want Sarah to think anything was wrong, but losing the photographer who was handpicked by the bride and groom, was a pretty big problem.

  “No, that isn't going to work,” she said angrily into the phone when the receptionist offered to reschedule. “Don't you have anyone who you call when one photographer can't make it?” she demanded with her anxiety building. Sarah had begun to walk across the room towards Vicky when Vicky quickly nodded her head. “Okay fine. Email his details and I’ll get approval from the couple. If there’s a problem I’ll let you know. But, as long as he has ha
d the preliminary security check, that should be fine. I’ll get back to you as soon as it’s approved. Get him ready so that when I get back to you he can leave immediately,” she growled into the phone and hung up just as Sarah reached her side.

  “Something wrong?” Sarah asked as she studied her sister.

  “No, no,” Vicky shook her head quickly. “Everything is fine, right as rain, it's all good,” she stopped herself as she realized how many words she had rattled off in such a short period of time.

  “Vicky, tell me the truth,” Sarah pleaded. “If this whole thing is going to fall apart, I'd rather know about it ahead of time.”

  “It won't,” Vicky promised her and clutched her phone tightly. She hoped she wasn't lying to her sister. “It was just a snafu with the photographer, but as soon as we get the approval from Seth’s assistant they're sending someone new out.” Her phone beeped and she checked her emails. “That’s the email from them already. I’ll just forward it to Seth’s assistant for approval,” Vicky said while forwarding the email.

  “Oh, okay,” Sarah said with relief. “At least the groom didn't call off the wedding.”

  “I don't think Seth would ever do that,” Aunt Ida said as she joined her nieces in the restaurant. “He's one of those good guys that you should never let get away, Like Phil or,” she cast a knowing smile in Vicky's direction, “Mitchell.”

  “Aunt Ida, we're not that serious...” Vicky began to correct her, but Aunt Ida tilted her head towards the entrance of the restaurant.

  “No, I mean, there's Mitchell,” she said with a smile.

  Mitchell was walking into the restaurant, his eyes wide at the transformation that had taken place over just a few days. A few officers followed after him as he walked across the restaurant towards Vicky.

  “Hey,” he smiled at her as he looked around at all she had created. “Great job, this place looks amazing.”

  “Thanks,” Vicky replied and tilted her head towards the officers. “Thanks for the reinforcements too, things are really starting to get a little crazy.”

  “Of course,” he nodded and caught her hand in his. “Just call me if you need anything,” he held her eyes for a long moment.

  “I will,” she assured him and leaned forward to lightly kiss his cheek. As he walked off to make sure that the officers were introduced to Sarah, Vicky watched with admiration and that undeniable warmth that had been building in her chest. She checked her emails and Seth’s assistant had already got back with approval. Very efficient, she thought as she sighed with relief. She quickly sent an email to the photographers to say that they could go ahead and send the new guy.

  Vicky glanced at her watch and hoped that the photographer would not take too long to arrive. With all of the activity occurring inside she decided to look over the progress of the garden. It was being transformed into an elegant mixture of pale silvers and pure white hues, per the bride's request. It was a very appealing color combination as it drew and reflected the shimmering of the morning sun. She soon heard someone following behind her. A glance over her shoulder revealed it to be Aunt Ida. Her hair was still covered by a colorful scarf that accentuated the fine gown she wore.

  “You're awfully dressed up,” Vicky laughed a little as she watched her aunt approach.

  “Well, they will be arriving today, won't they?” Aunt Ida asked with gleeful anticipation.

  “Yes,” Vicky nodded. “In fact they're coming earlier than expected. They should be here within the hour.”

  “Wonderful!” Aunt Ida said happily. “So please, give me something to do,” she pleaded.

  “You just want to stick around,” Vicky grinned at her but pointed to the chairs that were being arranged. “Could you make sure they're spaced evenly apart?” she suggested. “I don't want the guests having to rub elbows.”

  “Absolutely,” Ida headed for the chairs. As she was walking towards them a sudden gust of wind blew through the garden. It knocked into the tents that had been set up, ruffled the flowers that were being hung from the bushes and trees, and ripped the scarf right off the top of Aunt Ida's head!

  “Oh no!” she cried out as various staff members hurried around her to make sure the tents stayed in place and the flowers didn’t fall. None of them chased after her scarf. Her purple hair was exposed for everyone to see, and in particular, the photographer who had just arrived.

  “Trend-setting granny,” the photographer announced and snapped a photograph of Ida's purple hair.

  “Granny?” Ida sneered as she turned on the man. “You have no right to call me that. I am in fact, nowhere near being a grandmother,” she narrowed her eyes at him and began advancing upon him. The photographer slowly lowered his camera, realizing his grave mistake far too late.

  “Ma'am, I didn't mean anything by it,” he said quickly.

  “Ma'am is it now?” Ida demanded as he was backed carefully into the wedding arch. “You must understand young man, that if I wanted to be in your little pictures, it would not be in this gown,” she flicked the skirt of her gown dismissively.

  “Aunt Ida, I'll get you another scarf,” Vicky said quickly as she hurried over to the two. She didn't need another photographer bailing on her especially on the day before the wedding.

  “Here, she can use this one,” a soft, unassuming voice said from just behind her. Vicky turned to find Trinie standing there with Seth's arm laid casually across her shoulders. The pair was trying to look incognito but Vicky immediately recognized them. Trinie was holding out a lavender scarf that she had unwound from around her neck.

  “It'll go nicely with the shade,” she smiled as Aunt Ida stared at her absolutely star-struck.

  “Thank you,” Ida stammered as she accepted the scarf. “It's beautiful,” she added. Vicky helped her tie it around her hair before she turned back to face the couple.

  “It's a pleasure to meet you,” Vicky said. “I'm Vicky, I know we've talked briefly on the phone.”

  “Oh yes,” Seth nodded as he studied their surroundings from behind a pair of dark sunglasses. “I hope you don't mind our early arrival, it's just, we're both so excited,” he admitted.

  “Of course not,” Vicky's smile spread into a grin. “Would you like me to show you to your room?”

  “Perfect,” Trinie nodded and winked at Aunt Ida who had yet to find her voice again. The photographer was snapping pictures of the encounter. Vicky watched him for a long moment. She hoped he would be as good as the original photographer. In the whirlwind of the rest of the afternoon, Vicky caught brief glimpses of the photographer snapping away as the guests for the rehearsal dinner arrived. Some were celebrities that she recognized, while others seemed to be just close friends or family members of the couple. All were escorted by security past the throngs of press that had begun to gather outside the gates of the inn. Someone had already tipped them off about the wedding, which was no surprise.

  Vicky grew more nervous when the rehearsal dinner began. She had made sure that Henry, the head chef, had everything that he needed to create a successful and delicious meal. Sarah kept poking her head into the kitchen to check on things as well. Trinie and Seth were surrounded by people they loved, who they assumed loved them in return. It was a beautiful evening, with lots of heartfelt toasts, and hilarious memories shared.

  The one time Vicky was sure that the night was a success was when Seth stood up and in front of the entire gathering proposed to Trinie again. There was a tense moment when Trinie hesitated to accept. But her playful grin indicated that she was just teasing him, and when she did accept, the entire group erupted into applause. Vicky was someone who tended to assume that most celebrities were stuck up or spoiled, but by the end of the night she was wishing for nothing but happiness for the sweet couple. If Trinie and Seth could take the risk knowing how long most celebrity marriages lasted, wasn't it something she should begin to consider?

  ***

  After the rehearsal dinner was over, Vicky headed back to her apartment. She
found Mitchell waiting for her outside the door.

  “Hi,” he said shyly as she smiled at him with surprise.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked as she paused beside him.

  “I'm sorry, I know that you're probably worn out, and it's the big day tomorrow. I was just hoping we could spend a few minutes together,” he shrugged mildly. “If it's not a good time, I can go though,” he offered

  “No, it's fine,” she smiled and opened the door. “Come on inside,” she stepped in and waited for him to follow after her. They hadn't really done much hanging out at each others' places yet. Just the occasional after date drop off, but no evenings in. Mitchell nervously stepped inside and she closed the door behind him. Luckily, she tended to keep her place pretty neat, but she still glanced around wondering if something embarrassing might be in plain sight.

  “Want a glass of wine?” she offered as she headed for the kitchen.

  “If you're having one,” he nodded slightly and sat down on the couch. As she poured them both a glass of wine she wondered why he might be there. Was it just to spend some time with her or was it because of what Ethan had said? It was hard not to think that the little boy's innocent words hadn't disturbed Mitchell at all. When she returned to the living room with glasses in hand he was sitting forward on the couch waiting for her.

  “Thanks,” he murmured as he accepted the glass of wine and she settled down on the couch beside him.

  “So, what brings you here?” she asked as she reached out to lightly trace the slope of his shoulder.

  “I just wanted to make sure that you were ready for tomorrow,” he said calmly. “I thought you might like a massage.”

  “A massage?” Vicky grinned. “That sounds wonderful.”

  “Here,” he shifted on the couch so he could reach her shoulders and gently rub them for her. His thumbs traced slow circles along her muscles, encouraging them to relax. “Everything is going to be perfect,” he assured her. “Don't let yourself get worried.”