Iced (29 page)
Authors: Carol Higgins Clark
And Bessie loves her new apartment. I couldn’t stand the thought of her going back to New York with the Grants. After all this time apart, I wanted us to be as close as possible and make the most of the rest of our lives together. So we got her a place in town and she’s got a good job with the Rescue Aspen’s Past Association, overseeing the room dedicated to Pop-Pop, her Great-Pop-Pop. I think she’s a little bossy with them but I guess she comes by it honestly. She was in charge of cleaning all the junk that came out of my barn for the museum. You should see the shine on those spittoons!
So, Regan, after all these years I have a family! How can I ever thank you for your part in saving my children? And Angus and I are so happy together. Who would have thought that at my age I would have found again this most wonderful man? It can happen! We really hope you’ll be able to share with us our special day. The ski slopes will still be open too!
Let me hear from you.
Love,
Geraldine
Regan paused. There was silence on the other end of the phone. “Kit, are you still there?”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing?”
“Arithmetic. Geraldine is getting married for the first time at seventy-five. If we follow in her footsteps, that means another forty-five years.”
“It’ll fly by.”
“I don’t think I can live through forty-five more Bermuda Triangles.”
“Sure you can. I’ll throw you a shower when you and Derwood are reunited in the year 2040.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
The phone beeped in Regan’ sear. “Holdon, Kit.” Regan pressed the clicker. “Hello.”
“Regan, it’s Lar!”
“Hi, Larry! I’m talking to Kit on the other line. Can I call you back?”
“Sure. But tell Kit she has to come to Aspen for the World Cup Weekend in March. It’s the first weekend. There’ll be lots of guys I’ll introduce you both to.”
“That’s the weekend Geraldine and Angus are getting married!”
“They are! What’s the rush?”
“It’s called love. I’ll call you back.” Regan got back to Kit. “That was Larry. He’ll be out in Aspen the weekend of the wedding. It’s the World Cup. You’re going to come, aren’t you?”
“Sure,” Kit said. “Why not? After all, I think I’ll make each minute of the next forty-five years count.” She laughed. “Hey, Regan, do you think Geraldine will throw a bouquet?”
“Are you kidding? She’ll fire it into the crowd.” Regan laughed. “But don’t stand next to Bessie!”
Contents
Praise For Carol Higgins Clark And Iced
Table of Contents
1 Aspen Saturday, December 24 E BEN BEAN LOVED to ski. The magic, the joy, the excitement o
2 Summit, New Jersey Saturday, December 24 R EGAN REILLY LEANED back on the big overstuffed
3 New York City Saturday, December 24 L ARRY WILL THIS hurt?” Nora Regan Reilly garbled fro
4 Summit, New Jersey Sunday, December 25 H URRY UP, REGAN,” Nora called up the stairs. “The
5 Aspen Sunday, December 25 L OUIS WAS FILLED with a sense of nervous wellbeing. Things wer
6 I DA BOYLE OPENED the door of her daughter Daisy’s oven to take a peek at the turkey that was
7 E BEN HAD HAD a terrible night. And to think it had been Christmas Eve. It just wasn’t fair.
8 N OT EXACTLY WHAT I expected to find at Kendra’s house on Christmas afternoon in Aspen, Regan
9 R EGAN, THANK GOD, you’re here!” Louis screamed as the cabdriver helped her into the lobby wi
10 T HE MAN KNOWN to the art world as the Coyote had spent a highly entertaining Christmas. He
11 Monday, December 26 E BEN SLEPT FITFULLY. Being tied up didn’t help. He had dreams of a l
12 A T NINE O’CLOCK on Monday morning, Regan and Louis met with Detective Matt Sawyer, who had
13 W HILE HE WAS eating breakfast, the Coyote observed the antics of Willeen and Judd practicin
14 R EGAN HELD LOUIS’S hand as Detective Sawyer phoned his counterpart in the Vail Police Depar
15 I DA COULDN’T GET her mind off all the excitement going on in Aspen as she spooned out the p
16 I THOUGHT YOU were going skiing early today,” Bessie Armbuckle barked at her employers, Yvon
17 G ERALDINE SPOONFELLOW SAT in her creaky old rocker, lacing up her well-worn high-top boots.
18 T HAT’SIT! I’M ruined!” Louis howled when Regan appeared at his office door. Tripp, the you
19 G ERALDINE WAS OUT in the barn muttering to herself when Regan, followed by Louis, tried to
20 B Y THREE O’CLOCK, the call of nature was very strong for Eben. Very strong indeed. Willeen
21 B ESSIE WAS GLAD to be getting out of town for a few days. Enough is enough, she thought. I’
22 I CAN’T BELIEVE how late it’s gotten,” Regan said as she and Louis carefully guided Louis XV
23 D AISY DROVE TO the Woods’ house, never tiring of the scenery of Aspen. The small Victorian
24 W ILLEEN SAT IN the back of the car with the gun they kept in the glove compartment pointed
25 T HE COYOTE WHISTLED as he showered and rushed to join the apre`s-ski crowd. As he towel-dri
26 A FTER HER UNEXPECTED guests left, Geraldine returned to the barn for another couple of hour
27 A S DAISY HEADED home in her Jeep, she hummed to herself. Everybody loves a massage, she tho
28 K IT’S PRESENCE WAS like a shot in the arm for Regan. On the way over to Little Nell, Regan
29 I DON’T BELIEVE this,” Bessie said. “Our hands tied behind our backs, our legs shackled to t
30 F OR HOURS GERALDINE had sat in the rocker, her shawl wrapped around her, engrossed in the a
31 I ’M SO TIRED I may just pass out with my clothes on,” Kit said as Regan unlocked the door t
32 Tuesday, December 27 E BEN LEANED OVER toward Bessie. “Up and at ’em!” “I wish I could k
33 R EGAN WAS DREAMING that she was in an audience somewhere, watching a play. The actor was on
34 O N TUESDAY MORNING, Ida was so excited she could hardly stand it. She’d never been inside a
35 A FTER TAKING A hot shower, Regan felt ready to take on the day. She went downstairs to Loui
36 T ED WEEMS ANSWERED the door and ushered Regan in. He lived in the area behind the Ritz Carl
37 R EGAN CONSIDERED HERSELF a fast walker until she tried to match the stride of Ted Weems. He
38 W HEN REGAN FINALLY got back to the room, Kit was just about ready. “Perfect timing,” Kit s
39 A T TWO SHARP, Ida grabbed her coat and bolted out of the cleaner’s. “Where are you going,
40 D INNER WAS DELICIOUS. The one thing you could say for Ida was that she did know how to put
41 E BEN AND BESSIE lay together in the slowly darkening bedroom, the sound of the buzzing wash
42 A FTER MIDNIGHT, AS he sat in bed, the Coyote watched with amusement as Judd and Willeen cam
43 G ERALDINE SAT PROPPED up in her bed, with her pillows around her and her quilt pulled up un
44 Wednesday, December 28 R EGAN AND KIT sat with Louis in the dining room having breakfast.
45 B RIGHT AND EARLY, for the third time that week, Angus Ludwig sauntered into the Wonder Prop
46 W ILD WITH IMPATIENCE, Geraldine waited for Marvin Winkle, the investigator, to return her c
47 R EGAN AND KIT hurried over to the framer’s. His office was in the back of a gallery that wa
48 I T WAS A wonderful day for snowmobiling. Ida’s son-in-law Buck led them on a tour through t
49 I DA WAS PULLING a load of wash out of the dryer when she heard the car pull up. “Oh dear,”
50 K IT HELD THE phone and waited as Regan stepped out of the bathroom in her terry-cloth robe.
51 T HE TABLE WAS a lively one. Everyone looked very sporty. Kendra was wearing a bright green
52 A FTER JUDD AND Willeen had left for dinner, Eben attempted to grab one of Bessie’s heavy, o
53 Thursday, December 29 A T NINE O’CLOCK the next morning, Regan was propped up on her bed
54 R EGAN WALKED INTO the dry cleaner’s store where Ida was busy tagging articles of clothing.
55 B ACK AT THE inn, preparations for the party were in full swing. Louis was in his office, an
56 E BEN AND BESSIE listened to the sounds of Willeen and Judd packing up their things. “I’m s
57 M ARVIN WINKLE WAS on an airplane thousands and thousands of feet over the state of Illinois
58 G ERALDINE STOOD IN front of the mirror, pinning a silver broach on her black high-necked ta
