Mary Daheim - Snow Place to Die - A Bed-and-breakfast Mystery

You use a red background, you’re stuck with it for everything.

It’s too hot, it lacks class. Black is much more versatile. You’ll

like it when you see it. Your basic colors were a great idea.”

If Margo was taken aback, she didn’t show it. “Okay, we’ll

see. I still think red is vivid and eye-catching. I’ve got Ward

Haugland’s vote on that. Max Agasias is in my corner, too.”

Renie chuckled softly. “I didn’t realize it was a democratic

process.”

Margo’s smooth skin darkened. “It should be.” With great

thoroughness, she wiped her hands on a towel. “You’re on

in thirty minutes,” she said to Renie. “I hope you’re ready.”

Renie smiled and inclined her head. Margo left the kitchen.

Judith started putting the puff pastry on dessert plates.

“She’s dangerous, coz,” Judith said. “Don’t these people

scare you?”

“Not anymore. I don’t know what went on out there in

the dining room, but I’d guess that one or more of them was

acting like a big brat. That’s what they are—spoiled children.

You have to treat them like that. Let them have their little

tantrums and allow them to show off a bit and give them an

occasional ego-massage. Then yank the chain. Every so often,

they have to get a dose of reality. If they don’t like it, I peddle

my wares someplace else.”

Judith didn’t try to hide her admiration of Renie. “You

don’t worry about losing clients?”

Renie shook her head. “That’s bound to happen. But the

marketplace is vast these days. If I lose somebody, two more

pop up. Besides, I don’t intend to lose this bunch.

28 / Mary Daheim

Unless,” she added with a little laugh as she reached for another cigarette, “they die on me.”

It didn’t occur to Judith that Renie’s little joke might not

be so funny.

THREE

AS SHE’D PREDICTED, Renie’s presentation went well. “There

were the usual glitches,” Renie reported to Judith three hours

later, “and of course they got to arguing among themselves.

But Killegrew still has the last word, and he seemed very

pleased.”

Judith gave Renie’s shoulder a congratulatory pat. “Good

for you, coz. I was worried, especially after that scene in the

dining room.”

“You can tell me about that now,” Renie said, opening a

duffel bag and pulling out a pair of old slacks and a Georgetown University sweatshirt. “I didn’t want to know about

it before I went onstage. It might have distracted me.”

While Renie changed, Judith recounted what she knew of

the incident between Margo Chang and Andrea PiccoloniRoth. “Mr. Killegrew took charge, and everything sort of

calmed down. There was another man who intervened, a

tall, lean guy with a faint drawl.”

“Ward Haugland,” Renie said promptly. “He’s the executive vice president, remember?”

Judith did, vaguely. “The only other one who spoke up

was a woman who looked as if she was Samoan. I guessed

her to be Ava Aunuu.”

“Exactly.” Renie slipped into thigh-high boots.

29

30 / Mary Daheim

“Ava’s a computer whiz. Frank Killegrew raided her from

one of the big computer companies about four years ago and

immediately made her a vice president. She’s only in her

thirties, but I’ve been told that she’s the person most responsible for bringing OTIOSE up to speed in terms of technology.

Frank’s strictly from the old school of engineering. That’s

why he keeps his trusty slide rule at his side. I don’t think

he’s figured out how to use a computer, let alone apply the

new technology to modern communications.”

Judith only half-heard Renie’s comments. It was a quarter

after four, and she was taking final inventory of the foodstuffs

she’d arranged for the rest of the weekend.

“Just before we leave, I’ll set up the supper buffet,” Judith

said, removing the soiled apron she’d worn since arriving at

the lodge. “They plan to eat at seven, right?”

“Yes.” Renie reached for her cigarettes, saw Judith’s disapproving glance, and began to nibble for the first time. A slice

of peach, a chunk of cantaloupe, and a plump strawberry

seemed to satisfy her. “Right now, they’re taking a breather,

then they’ll gather for cocktails around six. You’ve got chafing dishes, so you can put the hot food out around six-thirty.

Then we can head home.” Renie yawned and stretched.

“Sounds good to me,” Judith said. “Is there any reason why

we can’t have a look around now?”

Renie considered. “We probably shouldn’t go upstairs

where the guest rooms are located. But we could snoop

around the main floor. Oh, when I carted all my presentation

materials back to the car, the clouds had lifted, and you could

see the mountains. It’s beautiful outside.”

“Great,” Judith said, putting on the dark red three-quarter

coat Joe had given her for Christmas. “Let’s have a look before it starts getting dark.”

The cousins went out through the dining room, where Judith had cleared away the luncheon debris and reset the table

for the buffet supper. In the lobby, they paused to

SNOW PLACE TO DIE / 31

examine some of the art works more closely. There were

soapstone carvings, Native American masks, and a few pieces

of jade, which were kept under glass. The only painting was

a large, rather abstract mountain scene hanging above the

big stone fireplace.

Judith smiled wistfully when she saw the swirling signature

in the lower left-hand corner. “It’s a Riley Tobias,” she said

to Renie. “Doesn’t that bring back a few memories?”

Renie, however, made a face. “Not good ones, seeing how

we found him dead next door to the family cabin.”

Judith inclined her head in assent. “His art lives on, though.

He did some wonderful work at one time.”

“Let’s skip the body count,” Renie said. “You and I have

had our share of stiffs over the years.”

It was true. But Judith rarely marveled at her encounters

with premeditated death. She was married to a homicide

detective; she was engaged in a business which brought together all sorts of people, with all kinds of passions and

quirks; she had a natural curiosity and a penchant for the

unusual; she lived in a violent world. To outsiders, her daily

routine of personal and professional domesticity should have

invited calm. But coping with husbands, children, relatives,

in-laws, neighbors, and friends brought not only joy but

conflict. And the B&B guests ran the gamut from amiable to

zany. If Judith didn’t exactly live life in the fast lane, she was

accustomed to traveling a bumpy road with unexpected detours.

“Here’s the library,” Renie said, standing in the doorway

of a room off the far side of the lobby. “It’s nice.”

Judith agreed. Unlike the rest of the lodge, the room was

paneled in knotty pine. Tall, open bookcases reached almost

to the ceiling. With her librarian’s eye, Judith took in the

collection, from some of the classics to the latest best-sellers.

There was also a combination game-and sunroom, which

faced what was probably a terrace when the snow melted.

32 / Mary Daheim

Renie showed Judith the main conference room, though it

lay in darkness and they couldn’t find the lightswitch.

“You get the idea,” Renie said dryly. “Chairs, tables, a