A Room with a Roux

Book 4: Pancake House Mystery

by Sarah Fox

Genres: Cozy Mystery

Synopsis

Pancake house owner Marley McKinney takes a break from the Flip Side for a romantic getaway. But soon, instead of mixing batter, she's mixed up with murder . . .



Marley and her new husband Brett need some quality couple time before the holiday madness, so they drive up into the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula to charming Holly Lodge. Before long they're enjoying snowshoe excursions, hot chocolates, and cuddling in front of a roaring fire. Despite some barely concealed marital tension between the owners of the lodge, they're finally able to unwind . . .



Until one morning when they notice a glove sticking out of a snowbank outside of the lodge. Inside the glove is a hand connected to a frozen corpse buried beneath the snow—lodge owner Kevin Manning has been murdered. Presented with a stack of suspects and eventually stranded at the lodge by a blizzard, Marley has to catch the cold-hearted killer before someone else gets iced . . .

Release date: January 12, 2021

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Print pages: 281

Sample

Chapter One

Fluffy snowflakes swirled down from the gray sky, hitting the windshield a split second before the wipers whisked them away. I gripped the edge of my seat as my husband, Brett, steered his truck around a tight turn. Driving along winding mountain roads made me nervous at the best of times. The winter weather only added to my anxiety.

Ahead of us, the road straightened out, bordered on both sides by tall, snow-covered evergreens. I relaxed into my seat, relief allowing me to finally enjoy the view. It was the day after Thanksgiving. Winter had arrived early on the Olympic Peninsula, and although there was only frost on the ground in the seaside town of Wildwood Cove, up here in the mountains more than a foot of snow had already fallen. It had covered the world in a beautiful white blanket and it made me think of the upcoming Christmas season—when I wasn’t worrying about the driving conditions.

Brett glanced my way as we continued our gentle ascent along the straight section of road. “We’re almost there. You okay?” He knew I wasn’t keen on mountain roads and hairpin turns.

“Yes,” I said, glad that it was now the truth. “All good.”

A painted wooden sign caught my eye at the same time as Brett flicked on the left turn signal and said, “This is it.”

Excitement pitter-pattered through my stomach. I’d been looking forward to this getaway with Brett ever since we’d booked our stay at Holly Lodge a few weeks earlier. After our wedding in August, we’d had a short honeymoon in Victoria, Canada, but ever since our return, we’d both been busy with work. I knew Brett wanted this time alone together, without any distractions, as much as I did.

Brett followed the curving driveway that led through the trees. After a few seconds, we emerged from the woods and got our first look at Holly Lodge. I’d seen photos of the place on the Internet, but the pictures didn’t do the building or its setting justice. The lodge looked cozy and welcoming, and was nestled in the middle of a winter wonderland.

Although Holly Lodge was small in comparison to many other hotels, that was partly why Brett and I had chosen it. We wanted a quiet getaway without any crowds, a place where we could focus on relaxing and on each other. It certainly seemed like we’d come to the right spot. The lodge resembled a large log home rather than a hotel. It had two stories and a covered wraparound porch. Warm light lit up the windows on the ground floor, sending a welcoming glow into the gray afternoon.

White twinkle lights lined the edge of the roof and the porch. Greenery also decorated the railing, and a large wreath hung on the front door. The effect was festive and inviting.

Holly Lodge sat in the middle of a woodland clearing, but as Brett drove around the side of the building to a small parking lot, I caught a glimpse of a frozen lake through the trees.

“It’s beautiful here,” I said as Brett pulled into a free parking spot. “And it looks like we’ll get the peace and quiet we’re after.”

There were five other vehicles in the parking lot aside from ours, but even if the place was fully booked, I figured it would still be relatively quiet for a vacation destination.

“Peace and quiet and alone time,” Brett said, leaning over to give me a kiss.

I smiled. “That’s a definite yes to the alone time.”

We climbed out of the truck and I shivered as the cold air stung my cheeks and the light wind cut through my clothes. Snowflakes still swirled down from the sky. I tipped my head back so all I could see was the falling snow and the leaden clouds. I stuck out my tongue and caught a fluffy flake on it, feeling like a kid. Already I was more relaxed than I’d been for weeks.

I joined Brett on the other side of the truck as he unloaded our suitcase, and together we headed along the shoveled pathway that led to the lodge’s front door. Before going inside, we wiped our boots on the welcome mat.

Brett grinned and gently brushed a hand over my curly hair. “Snowflakes,” he said by way of explanation.

“You’ve got some too.” I stood up on tiptoes so I could return the favor.

We brushed off our jackets as well and then entered the lodge. As soon as we stepped inside, my breath caught in my throat. I stood there in the foyer, with Brett by my side, gazing around us. Once again, the photos I’d seen online didn’t do the lodge justice. Straight ahead of us was a reception desk with a closed door behind it, but my attention was drawn elsewhere.

To the left was a dining room and a staircase with a carved wooden banister, and to the right was a lounge. Both rooms featured gleaming wooden floorboards and exposed beams. I took a few steps to the right to get a better view of the lounge. A massive stone fireplace dominated one wall of the room, a fire crackling away behind the grate. The lounge stretched all the way to the back of the lodge, where floor-to-ceiling windows provided a stunning view of the lake. Cozy armchairs practically called out to me to settle into one and enjoy the warmth from the fire. With the snow falling outside the windows, the interior of Holly Lodge was picture-perfect and fit for a magazine.

We’d definitely chosen the right place for our getaway.

“It looks great,” Brett said quietly into my ear.

I slid an arm around his waist and leaned into him. “I’m so glad Patricia told us about this place.”

Patricia Murray was a friend of mine who ran a bed-and-breakfast two doors down from our beachfront Victorian. She and her family had spent a couple of weekend getaways up here at Holly Lodge in the past and she’d recommended it to us when we’d mentioned we were planning a short vacation in the mountains. I couldn’t have asked for a better spot.

Although I was itching to explore the rest of the lodge, Brett and I approached the reception desk. I thought we’d have to ring the bell for assistance, but before we had a chance, a woman emerged from an office behind the desk.

“Hello, and welcome to Holly Lodge,” the woman said with a smile. She was tall and striking, with high cheekbones. She wore her short hair in glossy finger coils and moved with the grace of a dancer. “I’m Rita Omondi-Manning, one of the owners. You must be Mr. and Mrs. Collins.”

I still wasn’t quite used to the fact that I was now a Mrs., but the reminder put a smile on my face.

“That’s right,” Brett replied. “Brett and Marley.”

“Did you have a good trip up the mountain?” Rita asked.

“It wasn’t bad, considering the weather,” I said. “It’s such a beautiful place you’ve got here.”

Rita’s dark eyes lit up as she smiled again. “Thank you. I do love it. And I’m glad we’re able to share our little slice of mountain paradise with our guests.”

I told Rita that we’d heard about Holly Lodge from Patricia Murray, who’d highly recommended it.

“You know Patricia?” she said.

“We’re neighbors and good friends,” I replied.

She asked how Patricia was doing, and I filled her in briefly. Then Rita turned her eyes to a computer screen and tapped a few buttons on the keyboard. “We’ve got you in room five, up on the second floor. It has a lovely view of the lake.”

“That sounds great,” Brett said, and I voiced my agreement.

She handed over two keys, each one on a wooden keychain with a number five carved on it. “The dining room is open for breakfast from six until ten, for lunch from twelve to two, and for dinner from five to eight. You’ll find a credenza in the dining room, where there’s always tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and a few snacks available. There’s a hot tub out back, and if you’d like to try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, just let us know. We have plenty of equipment available.”

We thanked her and headed for the staircase, Brett carrying our suitcase. On our way up the stairs, we got a better view of the dining room, and I noticed a man with graying dark hair sitting alone at a table, reading a newspaper, a mug with steam rising from it set on the table in front of him. I assumed he was another guest, but he was the only one we encountered on our way up to our room.

The second floor hallway was silent and deserted, all of the guest room doors shut tight. Brett unlocked the door to room five and pushed it open before stepping back to let me go in first.

“Holy buckets!” I exclaimed as I entered the room. “This is gorgeous!”

Our room was located at the back of the lodge and, just as Rita had told us, it offered a beautiful view of Holly Lake. Beyond the lake was a higher mountain than the one we were on, barely discernible through the falling snow, its peak shrouded in clouds.

The room itself was almost as impressive as the view. I removed my boots and left them on the mat by the door so I could explore without leaving damp footprints on the hardwood floors or rugs. I ran a hand down one of the carved posts of the king-size four-poster bed that took up one half of the room, knowing I’d sleep well that night. Matching nightstands flanked the bed and a chest of drawers and a small desk made from the same type of wood sat against one wall.

The other side of the room featured a small sitting area with a loveseat, armchair, television, and gas fireplace. A rustic but tasteful credenza was home to a kettle and an empty ice bucket. When I opened the cupboards, I discovered a mini fridge, two drinking glasses, two mugs, and an assortment of tea bags. A doorway led off the sitting room to a tiled bathroom with a shower stall and a soaker tub.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Brett said, gazing around with appreciation as I returned to the middle of the room.

“It’s perfect.”

I picked up a glossy brochure that was lying on the bedside table. It was about Holly Lodge and the activities available on-site and in the surrounding area. I sat on the edge of the bed and took a closer look at the brochure while Brett unpacked a few items from our suitcase.

The last page of the brochure featured information on the history of Holly Lodge, which had been built thirty years ago on the site of an old cabin that had stood by the lake for nearly a hundred years before it had become so derelict that tearing it down had been the only real option.

“Hey,” I said to Brett as I read the next paragraph. “Apparently this place has a ghost.”

“Holly Lodge is haunted?” Brett asked. “Wait—I think I saw something about that on the website. It’s supposed to be the ghost of a woman, right?”

“Henrietta Franklin,” I confirmed. “But it’s Holly Lake that’s haunted, not the lodge itself.”

Brett sat next to me and put his arm around my shoulders. “We’ve got a good view of the lake from here, but somehow I think we’ll be too distracted to notice any ghosts outside the window.”

He kissed me in a way that almost made me forget what we were talking about.

The brochure slipped from my hand and fell to the floor. When I retrieved it a moment later, I returned it to the bedside table.

“I think you’re right,” I said, picking up our conversation where we’d left off. “But I doubt we’d see the ghost even if we weren’t distracted.”

I didn’t know for sure if ghosts existed or not, but I figured most ghost stories were just that—stories. My experience with a supposedly haunted house in Wildwood Cove had led me to believe that more firmly than ever.

“That’s probably true,” Brett agreed, “but it makes for a good tale to tell the guests.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

As I got up from the bed, my attention strayed back to the view, and I wandered over to one of the two large windows.

Brett joined me and wrapped his arms around me from behind. “What do you want to do first?”

“Walk down to the lake? I wouldn’t mind stretching my legs after the ride up here.”

“Sounds good.”

Neither of us made a move toward the door. I leaned into Brett, still enjoying the view from the window.

“I’m glad we decided to do this,” I said.

“You’re not worrying yet?” There was a note of gentle teasing in his voice.

I smiled. “Not quite yet. It helps that The Flip Side will be closed while we’re gone.”

It wasn’t easy for me to leave the pancake house in other people’s hands. Not because I didn’t trust them—all my employees were excellent and my mom was always willing to step in to help out when she was in Wildwood Cove—but I didn’t like to burden anyone with my responsibilities on top of their own. I also wasn’t keen on leaving our pets, even for a few days, but they were in good hands.

My mom and her husband, Grant, had come to Wildwood Cove for Thanksgiving and now they were staying on at our house to look after our goldendoodle, Bentley, and our orange tabby cat, Flapjack. I missed the animals already, but I knew they’d be fine with my mom and Grant, so I was determined to keep my worries at bay and focus on enjoying myself.

After another minute of soaking in the view and each other’s company, we put our boots back on and headed downstairs. Rita was no longer in sight, but a man with chestnut-brown hair stood behind the reception desk. His face was tanned and weathered, as if he spent a lot of time outdoors. He had his attention fixed on the computer screen, but he raised his eyes and smiled when he heard us coming into the lobby.

“You must be our newly arrived guests,” he said, coming out from behind the desk. “I’m Kevin Manning.”

He offered his hand, first to me and then to Brett. As we shook, we introduced ourselves and assured him that we were settling in well so far.

While we chatted, a woman descended the stairs from the second floor. She had a pale complexion and dark hair that was tied back in a messy bun. She wore glasses with purple frames and a thick sweater with a long black skirt.

“How are you doing this afternoon, Lily?” Kevin asked the woman as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Very well, thank you.” She held up a paperback novel that she had with her. “I’m going to get in some reading time in front of the fire.”

“I’m hoping to do some of that myself this weekend,” I said. I’d packed a mystery novel that I’d started reading two days ago. I was only a few chapters in, but the story already had me hooked.

“Lily,” Kevin said, “Brett and Marley are our latest guests.” He addressed us next. “This is Lily Spitz. She’s an author as well as an avid reader.”

“That’s cool,” I said, intrigued. “What genre do you write?”

“I’ve been writing romance for several years, but I’ve branched out into mysteries as well.”

The phone on the reception desk rang, so Kevin excused himself to go answer it while Lily, Brett, and I headed into the lounge.

“I’ll have to check out your books,” I said to Lily. “I love mysteries.”

A hint of pink showed on her cheeks. “I hope mine won’t disappoint.”

“I’m sure they won’t.”

After exchanging a few more words, Brett and I left Lily in the lounge and headed out the back door onto a large deck. In the summertime, it would be a great place for outdoor dining, if the bugs weren’t too bad. The view was incredible and the air fresh, if a bit cold at the moment. A stairway led down to a shoveled path. The main part of the walkway stretched toward the lake while a branch to the left led to the hot tub, currently not in use.

The hot tub was tempting, but we bypassed it—for now—and made our way down to the frozen lake. The gray afternoon was already fading toward dusk, and lights glowed in three houses on the far side of the lake. Those dwellings were the only other buildings in sight aside from Holly Lodge. The relative isolation added to the tranquility of our location.

As we stopped to take in the view from our new vantage point, I noticed snowshoe prints along the shore, leading into the woods that surrounded most of the lake.

I pointed them out to Brett. “It’s been years since I last had a chance to go snowshoeing. We should go tomorrow.”

“We should,” he agreed. “We might be able to trek all the way around the lake.”

I liked that idea, and I could already picture us enjoying mugs of hot chocolate upon our return, either while snuggled up in our room or in front of the log fire in the lounge. We were going to have a great time at Holly Lodge.

The more the light faded from the gray sky, the more the temperature dropped, so we didn’t linger by the lake. As we were about to head back up the path to the lodge, Brett put a hand on my arm to stop me and pointed into the trees to our left without saying a word.

My breath caught in my throat when I realized what Brett had seen.

Two beautiful deer stood at the edge of the forest, perfectly still, their eyes on us. With the snow falling softly and the backdrop of snowcapped evergreens, the scene looked like it belonged on a Christmas card.

Brett and I stayed as still as possible, not wanting to scare the deer. After a few seconds, however, they abruptly turned away and bounded gracefully through the snow, disappearing into the forest.

I smiled and took Brett’s hand as we returned to Holly Lodge. Our vacation was off to a perfect start, and I didn’t think anything could possibly ruin it.

Chapter Two

Brett and I weren’t quite ready for dinner when we got back to Holly Lodge so we decided to try out the hot tub. I was glad I’d thought to pack a swimsuit and flip-flops. There were two fluffy robes hanging in the closet in our room, so we pulled them on for the trip downstairs. When we passed through the lounge again on our way out the back door, the fire was still crackling and popping away, but Lily had disappeared and there were no other guests in sight. Outside, the snow had stopped falling, and darkness had settled over the mountains.

As we made our way down the path to the hot tub, I questioned the wisdom of our decision. We could have stayed inside and enjoyed a hot drink by the fire before dinner. Instead, we were about to turn into icicles. Or, I was, anyway. Brett seemed completely unaffected by the cold. He was as relaxed as he would have been if we were out for a sunny stroll on the beach. In stark contrast, my teeth chattered and I tried to pull my robe more tightly around me, but it didn’t do any good. The cold air cut right through the fabric and nipped at my bare legs.

“How can you not be shivering?” I asked Brett as we turned off the main path.

“We’ve barely been out here five seconds,” he said.

“That’s long enough to turn into a popsicle.”

He laughed. “Want to turn around and go back?”

I glanced over my shoulder at the lodge, its windows glowing with warm light. We were far closer to the hot tub than the lodge now, and steam was rising from the water, visible thanks to the string of lights hanging above the small deck.

“Too far,” I said through chattering teeth.

I picked up my pace and hurried up the three steps to the hot tub deck, quickly dropping my robe and climbing into the water. I let out a sigh of happiness and relief as the hot water enveloped me, instantly banishing the chill that had been working its way into my bloodstream seconds before.

Brett stepped into the water and sank down onto the bench next to me. “Better?” he asked.

I scooted closer to him and rested my head on his shoulder. “Much.”

My muscles relaxed more and more with every second spent in the hot tub. Around us, the world was perfectly still and quiet. With my back to the lodge, it was easy to pretend we were in our own private world, alone in the wilderness.

“This is perfect,” I said as my eyelids grew heavier.

Brett settled an arm across my shoulders. “You’re not thinking of giving up beachfront living, are you?”

I smiled, hearing a note of teasing in his voice. “Never.”

“Good.” He kissed the top of my head. “But this is a great getaway spot.”

“It really is,” I said with a happy sigh. “I’ve never thought of having a hot tub before, but now I’m wondering if we should get one.”

“Do you really think we’d use it enough to make it worthwhile?”

“Maybe not,” I conceded, thinking about our busy schedules. “We’ll just have to make the most of this one while we’re here.

“That sounds like a good plan.”

Time passed, but I barely noticed. Brett and I spoke in low voices now and then, but mostly we relaxed and enjoyed the soothing heat of the water and each other’s company.

“Getting hungry?” Brett asked after a while.

“Mmmm.”

“Is that a ‘yes’ or an ‘I don’t want to get out of the hot tub?’”

“Both,” I said.

He leaned closer, as if about to share a secret. “I don’t think they serve dinner out here.”

A sleepy smile spread across my face. “You’re probably right.”

I decided it was time to force myself to get out of the water, though I didn’t relish the thought of how cold I’d feel in the seconds before I could get my robe back on. Before I could make a move, however, the sound of approaching voices stopped me.

“Have you thought any more. . .