A Taste of Death (Maggie Olenski Series) (17 page)

"I feel sorry for Elizabeth having to miss all this," she said quietly to Dyna.

"Yeah," Dyna agreed, looking in the same direction. "She could have been there, right next to Paul, if all this stuff hadn't happened."

"Well, time to start working on getting her life back the way it should be." Maggie grabbed a cracker round loaded with something green - avocado, she hoped - and what looked like shrimp pieces. "Shall we split up and see what we can learn?"

"Okay
. Wonder where that vegetarian table's set up," Dyna said, and wandered off toward the den.

Maggie was looking around, undecided where to go first, when she saw John Severin - Sheriff John - over near a window. She nea
rly didn't recognize him without his
uniform, and found herself having mixed feelings at seeing him here. On the one hand, she liked him, finding him sensible and intelligent. But on the other hand, she hadn't liked his warning her away from police business at all, and feared he might be an obstacle to her goals for tonight.

As these thoughts went through her head Maggie noticed an un
usual expression on John's face
and followed the direction of
his gaze. He was watching Dyna
as she neared the den, and the look on his face was definitely 'interested male'. This was quite a surprise, as Maggie had never seen anything of the sort coming from him before. His manner towards Dyna had always been friendly and slightly teasing, and, lately, forbidding. Of course Dyna did look wonderful in her lavender gown. And John was off duty.

Perhaps feeling Maggie's gaze, John suddenly l
ooked over at her. His sheriff
face quickly reappeared, and Maggie thought she saw a slight narrowing of his eyes. Well, Sheriff, if you think you're going to get in the way of my learning something tonight, you're badly underestimating me. She took a sip from her ginger-ale, immediately coughed as a few bubbles went down the wrong pipe, and, struggling to recover her composure, moved away with as much grace and dignity as she could muster.

She was heading toward Paul Dekens, planning to talk to both him and Karin when Vickie, Dan's hostess, stopped her with a cheerful greeting.

"Well, hello again. Don't you look nice tonight!"

"Thank you." Maggie watched as Paul walked off toward the den, and hoped Dyna might be able to catch him there. "And you too," she answered Vickie politely. "I guess the restaurant's closed?"

"Oh, yes. It's usually only closed on Mondays, so this is quite a concession for Dan, closing up an extra day. It's not exactly a day off for him, though, is it? And he's at the restaurant even on Mondays, doing the paper work and such. I keep telling him he'll run himself ragged if he keeps that up."

"It's not easy handling your own business," Maggie said, thinking of her own family's bakery business, and how it had dominated their lives.

"It would have been easier for Dan if Brenda had lived. They ran a restaurant together once before, you know, but not as owners."

"Oh?"

"Uh-huh. Where was it, now. Atlantic City? Dan!" Vickie called out to Dan who stood a few feet away with Leslie, facing people Maggie didn't recognize. He turned around. "Was your last place in Atlantic City?"

Dan's scowl returned, which immediately made him look more normal to Maggie. Clearly a private person, he didn't enjoy being discussed by his employee. He nodded and said "Yes," turning back at once to his group.

Maggie heard Leslie say, "Oh, Atlantic City. I lo-ove it there. One of Jack's hotels is right near the casinos and we used to..." her voice was lost in a burst of song coming from the piano area. Alexander had decided to vocalize a few bars of "New York, New York".

Vickie rolled her eyes at Maggie. "He's getting started early."

"
At least he seems in a good mood."

"For now."

Maggie looked around for Karin, but she seemed to have disappeared. Regina
, however, had arrived
and stood near the doorway. Maggie had a lot of things she wanted to talk to her about. Before she could even think of moving in that direction, however, Susan Larson walked up with a white-haired woman in tow.

"Hello Maggie, Vickie. Maggie, I don't think you've met our school principal, Carol Martin."

"I understand you teach math," Carol began, and Maggie was effectively pinned down to a discussion of her own school and classes. Much as she would have enjoyed it on any other occasion, tonight was not one of them. Vickie excused herself and moved on, leaving Maggie wishing she could also. Common courtesy, however, kept her with Susan and Carol, all the while trying to keep her ears alert to the conversations going on around her. When Carol turned to make a comment to Susan, Maggie glanced around, looking for Regina, and saw her talking with a few of the people Maggie remembered from the restaurant. Regina managed, somehow, to be the focus of all their attention despite her diminutive size and her drab, sparrow-like attire, perched
as she was
among several peacocks.

Dyna emerged from the den, holding a plate piled high with edibles, and Maggie saw John move in her direction.

"We haven't really had much to eat yet," Susan said, "and I, for one am getting hungry. Carol?"

"Yes, I believe I'd like something now. Maggie?"

"I've been nibbling. I'll catch up with you later."

Susan and Carol moved off, and Maggie quickly checked the room and spied Karin Dekens standing alone. Having already been blocked twice from her goals, Maggie hurried over before it could happen a third time. Memories of Karin on the ski slopes with Ethan came to mind as she pressed through the crowd, mixing with less pleasant ones of the scene with Alexander at the restaurant.

Karin's demeanor was as cool and composed as ever, but a smile to Maggie as she approached lightened it considerably, much as the single strand of pearls she wore lightened her sleek, black dress.

"Enjoying the party?" Karin asked.

"There's certainly a lot to enjoy," Maggie said. "I hope it raises a lot of money for the school. I imagine Ethan will be starting there soon?"

The smile, while lingering on her lips, disappeared from Karin's eyes. "He'll be kindergarten age next fall."

"You might put him somewhere else?"

"It's possible." Karin took a sip from her glass and, glancing around, raised her voice a notch, changing the subject. "So, since you're here tonight, the snow plows must have been busy on your road."

"Yes, they did a great job. Dyna and I had to ski out before they got there, though, to do some shopping. Paul and Alexander must be delighted with the snow because of the extra skiers it must draw."

Karin looked at Maggie for a moment before answering. "Paul, yes." She paused again. "Alexander is concerned with other things."

As if on cue, Alexander's voice could be heard, causing Maggie to turn in his direction. He stood, fresh drink in hand, with Mayor Tom Larson, his face a bit redder than it had been a few minutes earlier.

"It's nearly a done deal," he said, loudly enough to be heard across the room. "Big Bear will be sold to the Warwick Corporation any day now. I'll be flying to New York tomorrow, to work out the details."

M
aggie, shocked, looked back at Karin who nodded, her face as impassive as ever. 

"Paul and Alexander are only two of several owners of Big Bear," Karin explained. "They are the major ones, but Alexander managed to get enough minor ones, mostly distant cousins, over to his way of thinking."

Maggie didn't have to ask how Paul felt about this. One look at his rigid face across the room told her. She was almost afraid to find Regina, but when she did she saw the expression Regina had worn the night of the town meeting, jaw clamped with what must be painful pressure, sparks almost flying from her eyes.

"What about the zoning change?" Maggie asked Karin.

"Alexander feels confident that will be changed. I'm not sure how he comes by that. Perhaps he thinks if the resort is sold, the town will simply give up on it."

"He might be right."

Maggie looked back in Alexander's direction
,
and Karin excused herself and left. Where she planned to go Maggie couldn't imagine, with Alexander's statement still hanging in the air, but she disappeared from Maggie's sight quickly. Maggie, left on her own, deci
ded to roam and listen
. Discreetly.

Most comments she heard were about Alexander's announcement. People were expressing shock, dismay, delight,
and resignation. A
n argument or two sprang up, to be immediately quashed by nearby spouses. Maggie saw the dress store owner, Mona, standing in her elegantly tailored evening suit some distance away. She was speaking to the gentleman with her through clenched teeth, making it unnecessary for Maggie to hear her words to guess their content.

Near the doorway to the sun room, Maggie felt a touch on her
shoulder and turned to see Dyna.

"Did you hear him?" Dyna asked.

"Who didn't?"

"Yeah, he made sure of that, didn't he? It's awful, though. How can he do such a terrible thing?"

"It must benefit him, financially, and I suppose that's all he cares about."

"Poor Karin. And Paul. And everyone!" Dyna grabbed the las
t
stuffed cherry tomato
on her plate
and popped it in her mouth, chewing glumly. Music drifted over from the piano, and a few couples had started dancing in the sun room, now cleared of most of its furniture and larger plants.

Maggie saw John approaching, and braced herself for another warning. But she felt oddly invisible when he passed her by and asked Dyna if she would like to dance. Looking surprised but pleased, Dyna handed her empty plate to Maggie, and took John's hand to be led near the other dancers.

Maggie watched them for a while, happy to see Dyna perk up as well as amused to see John trying, somewhat unsuccessfully, to keep time to the music. Her thoughts drifted to Rob, remembering the last time they had danced together, and she felt a stab of melancholy. Their promise to
call every night had been slow
ly disintegrating. Tonight, she promised herself, when she got home, she would .... Her reverie was interrupted by the sound of Leslie's voice.

"I can't eat yet," Leslie insisted. "I haven't had a thing to drink. I'm parched!"

"Let me get you some water then," Dan answered her.

"Water?"

Maggie turned to see Dan firmly turning Leslie away from the bar. "Alcohol dulls the pala
te. Are you going to let all my work
go to waste by not tasting it properly?"

Leslie looked a bit uncertain, then smiled and shook her head. "Of course not." She let herself be led away from the bar as Dan did a running explanation of the choices on the table.

Maggie turned and saw Vickie watching the same scene. She smiled at Maggie and walked over.

"I just realized," Maggie said, that I haven't seen Leslie holding a drink so far this evening."

"That might be Dan's in
fluence. He detests hard liquor
and only offers wine at the restaurant because of customer demand."

"Is that because of what he just said? That it dulls the palate?"

"I'm not sure. I only know that he never drinks, and Brenda didn't either. But then, she
was always watching her weight
and called alcohol empty calories."

"Speaking of empty calories...." Maggie nodded towards Alexander, who had loosened a too-tight tie
and shirt collar
and was draining the last of his latest drink. His eyes had taken on a glaze, and he looked around with some confusion as if he had forgotten for the moment where he was. Spotting Dan and Leslie near the food table, he suddenly lurched in their direction, bumping against an elderly woman who had to be caught and balanced by her husband. Alexander moved on without apology, earning a look of disgust from several bystanders.

"Hey, got anything to eat here that won't kill me?" he said loudly as he approached the table.

Leslie's head jerked up, and Dan scowled, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"I mean, I don't like a lot of extra seasoning." Alexander picked up a carrot stick and looked at the dip near it. "I hear too many people have funny plants around. You didn't sprinkle any of them in this, did you Leslie?" Alexander's finger poked into the creamy dip, and he pulled it out, looking at it with mock serious scrutiny.

Dan stepped between Alexander and Leslie, moving her back. "Mrs. Warwick had nothing to do with the food preparation."

"Mrs. Warwick? Oh, yeah, the grieving widow. Or maybe I should say the Merry Widow. You two gettin' along pretty well, huh? The widower and the widow. Just think. If you hadn't come here from Atlantic City you two might never have met. Right? But then, maybe if you'd stayed there, Brenda'd still be around."

Maggie heard a gasp from someone nearby. Suddenly Paul appeared, grabbing his brother's arm and speaking in a low, angry voice. Maggie couldn't hear it all, but the words "jerk" and "think of Karin" came through.