The Cottage Grove Mysteries: 3 in 1 Collection: The Christmas Thief, The Christmas Killer, The Christmas Heist by Julie Carobini

Author:Julie Carobini [Carobini, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dolphin Gate Books

5

So what happened next?” Lorena asked as she dredged sliced apples in lemon for an enormous apple tart. It was Sunday and Tasha had joined her in the camp kitchen because Lorena planned to bake several of the large tarts now so they would be on hand for hungry cheerleaders tomorrow.

Tasha craned her neck for the umpteenth time, peering into the dining hall. She knew the Adair brothers were not on site, but still, she kept watch. “Nothing, but at the same time, something.”

“That’s dramatic.”

“The entire experience gave me the creeps, for some reason.”

“Why? Because you think they’re up to something?”

She shrugged. “No, not really. Although … well, it felt as if they didn’t trust each other all of a sudden.”

“I’ve heard that about those two. Like they’re brothers from different mothers.”

“Ha. Then again, they may have just been looking for Cooper’s plans for the future. As I had thought, he wanted to turn this place into a leisure spa.”

Lorena looked up.

“Not right away, of course. But all the evidence is clear that he had big plans for the place. Lots of expensive purchases squirreled away as if he was waiting for just the right time to kick out all the campers and welcome the rich and famous.”

“What kind of rich and famous like to sleep in cabins with twin beds wrapped in bed bug covers?”

“Right?” She turned her chin toward Lorena. “Maybe what I was feeling last night was their distrust of Cooper. Or maybe they just don’t trust me.”

“You? Why would you think a thing like that?”

Tasha shrugged, wishing she could tell Lorena what she’d learned from Wes last night about the mounting evidence that Cooper’s death was not an accident. She didn’t want to spook her friend, though she had to admit that she had been fairly skittish herself since learning this bit of news.

“Well?”

“Never mind. It was just a vibe. And maybe it’s not me, per se, that they seem to be scrutinizing, but anyone who has had access to the behind-the-scenes workings in this place.”

“Do you think they regret hiring Cooper?”

“Neither of them came out and said that, but they did seem disappointed in their own way by all that’s transpired. I mean, remember the big ribbon cutting celebration they held here last summer? True, some of the locals were unhappy that they booted Pastor Ric out, but others seemed to think they were the answer to lack of available jobs in town. Like this place would suddenly be crawling with new opportunity now that they were all back.”

“They do all have roots here.”

“About that. I know that Bayne and Beck’s parents once ran this place—”

“They owned it.”

“What? I never heard that before.”

Lorena hesitated, one hand hovering in the air above a tray of thinly sliced apples on homemade dough. She shrugged, continuing to fan out the fruit. “I think I heard that somewhere anyway.”

“So wait … the Adairs’ parents owned this place, but sold it? Was that when they were kids?”

Lorena didn’t look up, but nodded.

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