If this was the prequel to the hurricane, what would tonight be like?
Maybe Sheila would come to her senses and cancel the party. It would be crazy to go out in weather like this.
Luckily, not many other people were stupid enough to be on the roads. Leaves that had been on the trees this morning now filled the air like rain. Or were they blowing up from the ground? Wherever they’d come from, they were sticking to the windshield. The wipers couldn’t get them all off.
Maggie slowed down even more.
Should she stop and remove the leaves? Or would stopping mean more leaves would get on the van?
She kept going, but even slower.
She crossed the downtown area. Main Street was empty. None of the stores looked open. Although if one were, she couldn’t tell and couldn’t take the time to look. No cars were parked on the street, which was beginning to flood. Leaves must be plugging storm drains. That happened this time of year in New Jersey. The center of Winslow looked like the set of a science fiction movie after all the humans had been vaporized. Prime for a Martian takeover.
Maggie smirked at her own fantasy. Those Martians had better be wearing heavy-duty L.L. Bean slickers, or they’d be mighty wet when they arrived to take charge. She made her way around the town Green and headed north.
Not far now. She slowed down even more. She didn’t want to miss the entrance. Thank goodness there were no other cars on the road.
Finally. There it was. She turned into the driveway with relief.
A police car was parked in front of the entrance to Six Gables.
Chapter 37
Donovan’s Humble-bee and Great Humble-bee.Delicate hand-colored steel engraving (1843) from Sir William Jardine’s forty-volume Naturalist Library, published by W.H. Lizar of Edinburgh. As with other engravings in the volumes, the subjects are carefully and vibrantly hand-colored; backgrounds are uncolored. The humble, or bumble, bee, is black with broad bands of yellow or orange. Humble bees often nest in the ground. Each nest has a queen, drones, and workers. 3.75 x 6 inches. Light foxing. Price: $50.
What business did the Winslow Police Department have at the B&B?
Maggie’s thoughts were almost drowned out by the rain pounding on the van roof.
Why hadn’t she thought to bring a raincoat to the Cape? The door to Six Gables was only twenty steps away, but she’d be soaked by the time she got inside.
The rain and wind weren’t easing up. She hoped Will’s mood had. She grabbed the bag of potato chips she’d bought for him, opened the van door, and ran, splashing through puddles already an inch deep that filled her sneakers with frigid water. Sodden leaves made the driveway treacherous. By the time she reached the ramp to the porch her hair was soaked, and she could practically feel her favorite wool sweater shrinking as it clung to the dripping turtleneck beneath it.
Cold, drenched, and focused on thoughts of Will, hair dryers, and towels, she opened the door to the B&B. All four people standing in the lobby turned to look at her.
“Here you are,” said Mrs. Decker. “Finally. We were wondering when you’d get back. It’s blowing a gale out there.”
“It’s dreadful. I got here as soon as I could.” Maggie stood, dripping, on the mat inside the door. Will was in back of two other women, one of whom she didn’t recognize. He wasn’t smiling. “I’m sorry. I should have called, Will. But I got back as soon as I could.” She shook herself a little and carefully stepped across the worn oriental carpet to hand him the bag of barbecued potato chips covered with beads of rain. “Here; these are for you.” She wanted to add: a peace offering. But she wouldn’t say that in front of the others.
“I’m so pleased to meet you dear,” said an elegantly coiffed gray-haired woman she hadn’t met, putting out her hand. Maggie knew immediately who she must be.
“You must be Jim’s mother, Mrs. Dryden,” she said, taking the woman’s hand in her damp one. “Gussie told me you’d be staying here. I’m so glad to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“You must call me Lily,” she said. “Gussie and Jim said you and your friend,” she glanced at Will, “were staying here. Jim took me to see their new house, and then brought me here to rest and dress for the party tonight. Although I’m not sure the party’s going to happen. There were telephone calls going back and forth when he dropped me off. A number of guests who’d planned to come to Winslow tonight have wisely decided not to travel until tomorrow morning.”
So that left the questions no one had answered. Why was Annie Irons here? And why was a police car parked out front?
Maggie turned in her direction. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again so soon, Annie.” Mrs. Irons was wearing a Burberry trench coat. Maggie’d coveted one just like it at the Short Hills Mall in September, but its price tag had been higher than her mortgage payment.
“My husband heard the governor is probably going to ask all non-essential drivers to stay home tonight. The roads are getting more treacherous every hour, and Hurricane Tasha’s not due to hit here full force until early evening,” said Annie.
Yes? So the Winslow Chief of Police sent his wife to deliver a weather bulletin? That seemed unlikely. But no one else was here. She must have come in the police car.
“The car out front is yours, then?”
She nodded. “Ike will kill me when he finds I borrowed one of the station cars, but I enjoyed our talk this morning so much I thought maybe we could get together this afternoon to chat a little more. But your friend Will told me you’d gone out, and now the storm is so much worse. If the party does go on tonight, perhaps I could get Ike to pick you ladies up in the patrol car when he takes me? Police cars are heavy, and wouldn’t skid as easily on the leaves.”
“Why, that would be lovely, Annie; wouldn’t it, Maggie?” said Lily. “Wouldn’t it be fun to have a police escort?”
“Will’s given me your telephone number, so we can be in touch. We should be hearing from the governor’s office very soon now,” said Annie. “In the meantime I’d better get the car back to the station. Maybe I’ll see you later. For sure, I’ll see you all tomorrow at the big event!” She waved, pulled her coat’s hood over her head, and left.
Mrs. Decker shook her head. “Maggie, there’s a hair dryer in your room. Can I get you a cup of tea, or anything else right now? You need to get out of those wet things.”
Maggie shook her head. “Thank you, but no tea. I want to dry off, and maybe take a hot shower.”
“You’d better do that soon, dear. If we lose power, we lose hot water, too, and with that Hurricane Tasha getting closer all the time, you never know,” advised Mrs. Decker. “I’ll be downstairs if any of you need anything. And I’ll have sandwiches, and if the power holds, hot soup in the dining room for supper at six o’clock. No extra charge. A hurricane calls for special measures. I’m guessing none of you will be going out for dinner. I just checked. All the restaurants in town have closed.”
“You’re a wonderful hostess, Mrs. Decker,” said Lily. “I’m going to lie down and maybe turn the Weather Channel on in my room. I was up very late last night flying in, and tomorrow is a big day. I wouldn’t mind at all if this to-do tonight were cancelled, to tell the truth.” She went ahead up the stairs.
Maggie put her hand out for Will’s. “Coming?”
Will hesitated.
“We need to talk. Upstairs?”
Will nodded.
Behind their closed door she added, “Give me five minutes to shower and warm up. Then we’ll talk,” she promised. “And I apologize.”
“May I eat the chips in the meantime?” he asked, holding the bag out, “since you’re setting the agenda for the next hour or so?”
“Of course,” she agreed, stripping off her wet clothes and stretching the wet sweater out as best she could on a towel on the floor. “And I hope you’ll forgive me for being such an idiot earlier. And I do have news! That pizza was worth a lot more than its weight in information. But first I desperately need that hot shower!”