The Inn in Rhode Island, page 19
“Me, too.” Sam replied and closed his menu. But then looked up at Dan and added, “Can I?”
“Of course you can,” Dan said as he reached for everyone’s menus.
The server came back to the table and took our orders. “Excuse me,” Dan called to the server. “Can we get a large order of fried calamari and French fries as appetizers?”
“Sure.”
“And chocolate cream pie?” Max added.
We all laughed. I nodded to our server. “For dessert. Thank you.”
“Aunt Julie, can we live here all the time?”
“Oh, Sam, I would love that.”
As we waited for our meal, Max told us a story about dragons and butterflies. “I can draw them!” he said, smiling.
Sam inhaled and smiled. “When we get back, I’m going to ask Amanda to roll out the long paper so I can make a sign for my mom and dad.” His eyes got big when our server set the appetizers on the table.
“Sam, I love that idea. In fact, I’ll help you,” I said right before I took a sip of my refreshing ice tea.
“I can sign it, right?” Jesse asked.
“Everybody can,” Max said as he picked up his fork and stabbed another piece of calamari.
I tapped Dan’s hand. “Thank you.”
He flashed me a grin.
During our entire meal, both Sam and Max told one joyful story after another. “Aunt Julie, I like Amanda. She’s the best teacher I ever had.” Sam set his fork down. “Thanks for taking us to see our parents, and thanks for lunch. I’m full.”
“Me, too,” Jesse said, as he leaned back in his chair. “I’m sitting in the back so I can go to sleep.”
After Jesse helped Max put on his coat, Max reached up for Jesse’s hand. “Sit next to me.”
Twenty minutes later, we arrived back at the inn. “Our guests must be back from their ski trip,” I said as I noticed their license plate. “Hmm, they’re from Rhode Island. Okay, let’s go.”
“We can walk over to the daycare by ourselves,” Sam proclaimed. “We’re old enough.”
“No,” Dan said loudly, “I’ll walk you over.”
“I’ll take them,” Jesse said as he held Max’s hand up in the air. “Right?”
Max nodded. “Right!”
I blew them kisses, and told them, “I’ll see you guys at four o’clock,” then I watched Jesse race them to the daycare.
Dan and I had just stepped up onto the front porch when we heard a loud noise. People were shouting. Dan opened the door, and we heard, “I’ll kill you and your fucking kid before I let you go!”
Bang! Bang!
Without thinking, Dan ran in and tackled the man. Teresa was standing behind the front desk, screaming. I could see Erin, Kyle and Lady. Kyle started crying hysterically. Erin dropped to her knees. Lady staggered and fell over onto her side.
I screamed, “Call nine-one-one! Somebody dial nine-one-one.”
Chapter 44
Kyle bent down and hugged Lady. Dan wrestled the man’s arms behind his back. To their right, I saw the gun. Just then, the front door swung open and slammed against the coat rack. Jesse came running in and immediately knelt down on the man’s back. My eyes met Dan’s. I ran over to Erin, Kyle and Lady. With one sweeping motion, I picked Kyle up and carried him down the hall.
By the time I reached Kourtnee’s office, she was on the phone with the police. Christine took Kyle from me. Michael ran past me to the lobby. A chill came over me when I heard Dan scream! My knees gave out, and I dropped to the floor.
I took hold of the doorjamb, got up and went back to the lobby to pick up my little girl but Dan was standing there holding her in his arms. Blood was everywhere.
Teresa handed Jesse a piece of rope and ran over to Erin and me. Under her breath, I heard Teresa say, “Oh, my God, Erin, is that Josh?”
Erin gave us no warning. Before we knew it, she was flat on the floor. My heart started beating in my ears. I searched her entire body for gunshot wounds.
I couldn’t find any.
As Josh lay face down, hands tied behind his back, Michael straddled him.
Jesse rushed over to us. “Julie, she passed out. That’s all, thank God.”
By this time, Kourtnee had entered the lobby. Jesse told her to grab a cold cloth and assist Teresa. “Teresa, let’s go!” he shouted to her as he picked Erin up and carried her to the library.
Seven minutes passed before three police officers entered the inn. Guns drawn. Michael held his arms up and placed his foot on Josh’s backside before he pointed to the gun.
An officer picked the gun up with a pen and put it in a plastic bag.
I saw Michael open the front door for Dan as he carried Lady outside. I saw him collapse on the first step. One of the police officers sat beside him. When Michael closed the door, another officer placed a set of handcuffs on Josh.
Two more police officers came inside, followed by several EMS workers and four men dressed in black suits.
Michael and I were standing together when Kevin came running inside. He stood with his hands on his hips, shaking his head. For a moment, I thought he was going to kick Josh in the head. Instead, he moved about as if he were checking every room. I heard him say, “She okay?” to Kourtnee and Teresa.
“Who are you?” one man wearing a black suit asked Kevin.
“I work here.” Kevin pointed to me. “That’s my boss.”
The man held out his badge. “I’m detective Kohl.” He nodded slowly. His tone was mild, but his eyes were steely.
I motioned to him with my hand. “Julie Holliday…” The next thing I knew the entire room went black.
Chapter 45
I opened my eyes and saw a female EMS worker taking my blood pressure. I read her nametag, Mary M, Field Staff. Emergency Medical Services. Paramedic. Jesse was sitting to my right, holding his head in his hands. I whispered, “Where is everyone?”
Jesse reached out a hand and helped me to my feet. “Come with me,” he said, sounding tired and distraught.
As we entered the lobby, I could see drops of blood on the floor. My hand went to my mouth. “Oh, no.” Jesse held me closer to him.
We stopped at the front door. He helped me with my coat. Outside, Lady was on the porch floor in a pool of blood. My heart crumbled, but I found the strength to sit beside her. Eight years cascaded down my face in the form of wet tears.
Dan’s eyes widened, filling with tears. I felt his lips on my face. The entire world darkened when he said, “Say goodbye…”
I kissed her and before I could say a word, Dan, Jesse and Mary M carried her away.
A strange man helped me to my feet. Together we went back inside. I sat down in the chair near the picture of Eleanor Roosevelt. I sat there wondering which garden Dan would bury Lady in. I imagined Lady running in our field in New York.
Detective Kohl came over and sat down in the other chair. “I have to ask you a few questions.”
I blew out a long breath. “I’ll try my best.”
Detective Kohl and I went into the library. Erin was crying in Teresa’s arms. I sat down on the sofa next to them. “It’s okay. You’re both safe.”
Erin’s head fell into her hands and I heard her cry, “He shot Lady.”
I hugged her. “It’s not your fault.”
“Oh, Julie, I’m so sorry.”
Teresa stood up and said she was going to see Kourtnee. But I knew she was up to something.
“Before you leave the room, I need to get a statement from you.”
Teresa nodded to him and sat back down, this time in one of the chairs.
“Okay. Who was in the room when Mr. Rhimes entered the building?”
Teresa motioned with her right hand. “I was. I’m the receptionist.” She sat up and uncrossed her legs. “I greeted him and asked if I could help him.” She shook her head. “He never answered me. He just looked around for a minute and then we both heard Kyle asking Erin when the boys would be back.”
“Boys?” Kohl asked.
“Sam and Max. They go to daycare with Kyle.” Teresa pointed to me. “They were both with Julie at the time—”
“I took them to see their father at the hospital,” I said.
He pointed toward Teresa. “Go on. What happened next?”
Teresa swallowed. “The moment he saw Erin, his eyes hardened. He had this terrible expression on his face.” Teresa’s lip quivered. “I didn’t see the gun until he shot it.”
I handed her the box of tissues.
“At what point did Mr. Rhimes pull the trigger?”
“The second he saw Erin.” Teresa cried. “I’m sorry. I should have warned them.”
“Teresa, you had no idea who he was or what his intentions were.” I waved my hand at the detective. “Can’t this wait?”
Kohl shook his head. “Take me to the lobby.” He stood up.
I helped Erin to her feet. Teresa and I followed him to the center of the room.
Kohl pointed to Teresa. “Show me where you were standing?”
Teresa walked behind the desk. “I was standing here when he started screaming, ‘I’ll f-in kill you.’”
“And where did you and your son enter the room?”
Erin and I moved to the other side of the lobby and stood near the hallway leading to the kitchen. I heard Erin suck in a loud breath. She bent down and ran her hand over the three bullet holes in the wood casing. Someone had circled them with a pen.
Detective Kohl walked over to Erin. “Please stand in the exact location.”
Erin spoke up, “I was standing right here.”
“Obviously, Mr. Rhimes is not a very good shot. Lucky for you, he missed every time.”
Erin’s eyes dropped to the floor and noticed there was still blood at her feet. She was trembling.
“And where was your son?” he asked.
Erin pointed to her right side.
I heard the detective inhale. “It appears Josh aimed for your son. But instead shot the dog.”
I squinted my eyes at Kohl. “I’m taking her back to the library. You can finish in there,” I told the detective as I led Erin away.
“I’ll be back for everyone to sign their statements. In the meantime, no one is to leave.”
“We’ll be fine.” I reached over and touched Kohl’s elbow. But I don’t think he appreciated me touching him, because he reached for his gun. “Sorry,” I quickly said to him.
“Not a good idea,” he told me.
I extended my hand to Kohl. “Please keep us posted.”
He nodded to me. “Mrs. Rhimes, you’re not to leave.”
“I won’t. I assure you.” Erin reached for my hand.
“She’s not going anywhere,” I said.
I was thankful Detective Kohl told the other men to take down the crime scene tape.
We were in the library when I heard Jesse, Michael, and Kevin enter the lobby. I heard Jesse telling everyone we were all sleeping at the inn tonight. A moment later, Kourtnee, Christine and Kyle were asking Michael and Kevin what happened and where was everybody?
I called to them, “We’re in here.”
Kyle ran to Erin. “Mommy, Mommy!”
Erin reached out and hugged Kyle. My heart sank. When she closed her eyes, I could only image how she felt. I glanced over at Jesse, Michael, and Kevin. I was thankful for all of them. I felt blessed to have them in my life.
Dan entered the room without Lady and my heart sank deeper. He motioned to me and in a sad voice said, “Maybe you should take Kyle over to the daycare.”
I stood up. “Erin, why don’t you and I take Kyle to daycare? I’m sure Sam and Max will be happy to see him.”
She nodded. “I could use some fresh air.”
“I’ll go with them,” Jesse said to Dan as he reached for Kyle’s hand. Jesse stopped in front of Dan long enough to say, “Why don’t you come up with a game plan for the night.”
Teresa stayed behind. As soon as Erin and I opened the door to the daycare, both Sam and Max ran to tell Kyle about their dad. Kourtnee picked Delilah up. Christine held Brin in her arms. Kourtnee and Christine sat in their rocking chairs. They both had tears in their eyes.
“We went to the hospital and saw our dad,” Max said as he helped Kyle take off his coat. “Come over here, I’ll show you what I drew.”
“Yeah, you can sign our dad’s card.” Sam pointed to a piece of paper rolled out on the floor.
Kyle knelt down, picked up a marker, and wrote his name. You could have heard a feather drop. We were all waiting for him to tell the boys about seeing his father, but he told his favorite story about Pete the Cat.
Then Amanda read to the boys. The Purple Pail by Christine Ieronimo, a beautiful story about a pail that travels all over the world.
Chapter 46
I was standing outside the daycare when my cell phone rang. It was Lynnae calling to say they would be home the next day. I waited until dinnertime to tell the boys. I wanted to let things settle.
When I stepped inside, Teresa was on her knees, washing Lady’s blood off the hardwood floor. I bent down next to her. “Thank you.” Next thing I knew, Dan and Michael were using sandpaper on the wood trim. Two hours later, the trim was painted, and there was no sign that Josh had ever been at the inn.
Jesse had snuck in as quiet as a deer. He stood there pondering. “I’ll sleep in the library,” he said, as if that was a possibility.
“You can’t sleep in the library,” I quickly stated. “I have guests. Remember?”
My heart jumped in my chest when the front door opened. Kevin was wearing black from head to toe, his thick black hair hidden under his baseball cap. “I’ll sit in the lobby tonight.” He glared at me. “In case the asshole makes bail.”
“I’ll stay with you,” Jesse said in a voice I’d never heard before.
“Seriously, I don’t want to alarm the guests. They may be skiing now but, I—”
Kevin held up his hand. “Dan and I already discussed it. I’ll be fine.” He glanced over at Jesse. “We’ll… be fine. Just for a few nights. We’ll sit in the billiards room until the guests go to sleep. Let’s make sure the doors and windows are locked.”
I couldn’t help but wonder. Was there a possibility of Josh being released? Would he come back? Although I own a handgun. I have never used it on a person. I was glad when Michael eased the tension in the room by saying it was time to think about dinner.
“Let’s get something to eat,” Michael announced as he rounded the corner out of sight.
“Good idea,” Dan said as he reached down and picked up the pail of bloody water.
Jesse followed Michael’s lead. His shoulders were so wide, I could hardly see who was in front of him.
Michael prepared grownup Sloppy Joe’s for the children. “Julie.” He turned to me. “What do you think about serving just the roasted chicken with red potatoes?”
“Sounds good. Do we know how many dinner reservations we have for tonight?”
Michael flipped up the first piece of paper hanging on the clipboard. “Sixteen.”
“And what dinner choices did we offer?” I asked.
“Hmm, roasted chicken and vegan chili.”
“I’ll make the chili,” Dan said from across the room. “For havens sake, let’s keep things as normal as possible.”
Michael turned around. “I’ll do it.”
“No, we’ll help,” Dan said as he reached for the recipe. “We’re in this together.”
Dan was correct. We were in it together. I stepped away. “I’ll get the dining room ready.”
Kevin put his hand on my shoulder. “Other than the front door, is every window and door locked?”
Teresa stood up. “The media room. We better check,” she said, as they left the kitchen. “I opened it for the delivery man the other day.” Teresa opened the door leading to the basement. Kevin stepped in front of her and she followed him downstairs.
I continued to make my way to the dining room. I stood alone in the dark room. She’s gone. My baby was gone. To everyone else she was a dog. But to me, she would always be my little girl. I touched the side table. The wine carafe and the stack of napkins, before I collapsed onto a chair. For ten minutes or so, I allowed myself to cry. Then I wiped my eyes, stood up and said a prayer.
In front of me was the repurposed dresser Teresa had made into a sideboard. She had four baskets on the bottom shelf and one basket in the center of the two top drawers. It was perfect. The bottom baskets were for tablecloths. In the two drawers, silverware. And in the middle, a basket full of cloth napkins. On the top shelf was the first item I purchased for the inn, Teresa’s wine rack. I ran my hand over the two ceramic green artichokes sitting next to it. An hour and a half from now, I’d be serving dinner to our guests. Yet, it all felt so surreal to me.
Somehow, we got through the earlier part of the evening. Thankfully, I was never alone. Dan and Teresa assisted me in the dining room. Sitting at the large table for ten was a group of five women in their mid-to late-fifties. I could not get away from them.
“You should definitely check out the Newport mansions,” one of them told me.
“Seriously,” another said, “we started at The Breakers, and then went to Marble House, had lunch and then went to The Elms. But I have to tell you, the Chateau-sur-Mer was my absolute favorite.”
“Huh!” One of the other women said. “You could have fooled me. You spent two hours in the gift store at The Breakers.”
“Well, I can’t help it,” she pronounced. “They’re pretty clever. They let you walk in the front door but lead you to the basement. Where all the gifts are!”
“I’ll be sure to go. I’m so glad you all had a good time today.” I motioned for Teresa to give me a second. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to check on your desserts. Christine prepared a delicious apple puff pastry with almond ice cream and caramel sauce.”
