Page 32 of The Summer Inn on Plum Island
“What is wrong with you?” Simon stared at Liam in disbelief. “Why can’t you just have normal sized animals?” He glanced wearily at Ritz. “Or just normal animals like a cat, maybe?”
“I don’t have animals,” Liam told him, pulling the bed with a smug Ritz in it. “They’re Finn’s pets.”
“You mean Finn’s big black cane corso with the red eyes is here in the hotel?” Simon looked at him questioningly.
“Yup, Hicks is here and is upstairs with Miss Vanderbilt,” Liam told Simon. “So be careful when you take the food and the bed up to her. I have to go get the pizzas warmed.”
“Here’s a better plan,” Simon said. “You take Godzilla, the bed, the bowls, and the food.” He balanced them all on the bed, being careful to avoid Ritz. “I’ll get the pizza and take it to get warmed. I’ll even bring you a nice bottle of wine and some dessert on the house.”
“Thanks for the complimentary items frommyhotel.“ Liam stood balancing everything in his arms.
“You’re so welcome.” Simon grinned.
“Here, take my keys and lock my vehicle when you’re done.” Liam dangled the car keys from his finger.
“No problem,” Simon said, pushing the elevator button for Liam. “I’ll see you in fifteen to twenty minutes when your food is ready.”
Liam nodded his thanks and stepped into the elevator. Simon pressed the button to Dawn’s suite, and the doors closed. When the elevator arrived on Dawn’s floor, Liam battled his way to her door. Just before he got there, Ritz’s tail started to swish, and she hissed.
Liam frowned, looking around to see what upset her, and out of the corner of his eye, he could’ve sworn he saw part of the wall move. He gave his head a shake and looked around again but saw nothing but the wall.
“I’m going mad,” Liam mumbled to himself as he balanced everything in his arms to knock on Dawn’s door.
She opened it with a smile and a happy Hicks by her side.
“Hi,” Dawn greeted him, reaching out to help and jumping when Ritz moved on the bed. “Oh, goodness, Ritz, you scared me.” She laughed.
“I had to bring her,” Liam explained. “The crazy reptile wouldn’t let me leave the house.”
“She misses her friend and holiday family,” Dawn said, taking the bowls and food and then stepping aside for Liam to enter.
“Did anything happen while I was away?” Liam asked.
“No,” Dawn said, shaking her head. “I did order some hot chocolate. I know it’s summer, but I just felt like some warm chocolaty goodness.”
As Liam stepped into the suite, he caught movement from the corner of his eye once again. He whipped his head around to see, but there was nothing.I’m going crazy. All this phantom stuff is getting to me.
“We can put Hicks’s bed in here with us for now.” Dawn pointed to a place near where she was sitting on the sofa. Some of the notes and pictures were spread out over the cushions. “You can put Ritz wherever she wants to be.”
“She’ll stay on the bed,” Liam told Dawn. “It’s warm and fuzzy.”
“I don’t have those warm lights you have for her,” Dawn said. “I hope she doesn’t get cold.”
“She’ll be fine,” Liam assured Dawn, placing the bed where Dawn instructed. “Simon, the night manager, will be bringing up the pizza, some wine, and dessert.”
“Nice,” Dawn said. “I’m starving.”
“Me too,” Liam said, sorting out Hicks’s food and water in the kitchenette.
He walked through to the living room, and when he was done, he sat beside Dawn on the sofa. Hicks decided he wasn’t having Liam too close to his new bestie and plopped himself between them on the floor.
“I’ve been going through all the newspaper clippings Harper and Lila snapped,” Dawn told him. “I’ve been going through the diary trying to tie up some of the dates.” She showed him a few of the clippings. “These dates tie up with the hotel renovations.” She pointed to it with her pen. “Apparently, the Summer Inn was quite the establishment. It wasn’t the run-of-the-mill tavern-type inn. It was respectable.”
“Until the thefts started,” Liam guessed.
“These clippings accuse a thief they caught around the time the thefts started,” Dawn handed them to Liam.
Liam adjusted his position on the sofa to better see the clippings Dawn had handed him. Each article was a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era, detailing various events at the Summer Inn that coincided with the initial rounds of renovation and the subsequent mysterious occurrences that followed. One clippingin particular caught his attention; it featured a photograph of a man, eyes shaded by a hat brim, being led away by local police.
