Switchback. Ch12

Alex read the sign below the first floor windows as she climbed from her blue Honda Civic. ‘Pineview Lodge,’ she said. ‘Guess this is the place, then.’ She had parked beside the only other vehicle on the small parking lot, a black Cherokee, its doors emblazoned in large gold letters with the words “Deputy Sheriff Putnam County”.

          Sammi also climbed out and opened a rear door and pulled her suitcase from off the back seat. ‘It looks ancient,’ she said. ‘Do you reckon it’s still open?’

          ‘I think the word you’re looking for is quaint, and I doubt the young guy at the supermarket would’ve recommended it to us if it wasn’t still open.’

          As ancient or as quaint as it was, Pineview Lodge spanned a little over the width of two average-sized houses and stood three storeys high with a louvre-slatted belfry protruding from its centre.

          ‘It looks just like the Addams Family Mansion,’ Sammy said. ‘Do you think it’s haunted? It looks haunted.’

          ‘If you want we could go somewhere else. I saw a−’

          ‘No, it’s okay; this place might be a scream.’

          Alex smiled, pulled her case from the trunk. ‘Come on then; let’s go see if Morticia has a room for us.’

          Five steps led to a porch where a wicker sofa-swing big enough to seat four had been placed to the right of the entrance door, its cushions embroidered with blue-bells. A row of three round wooden tables with chairs tucked under them and embroidered in the same pattern were on the left of the door. Above it was a sign, its words once clear had since faded to unreadable, except for the owner’s details, “Prop: Mrs Agnes Peabody”.

          Alex pushed on the door handle to find a lounge on the left with various forms of comfortable seating scattered around, there was a television high in a corner switched on but at low volume. To her right were eight cloth-covered tables with four place mats on each and all set out ready for an evening meal. The smell of roast beef, mash and cabbage and onion gravy wafted from the back of the room. There were no guests present, and no Lurch to invite them in.

          In the centre of the far wall was a bar come reception desk which half-concealed a woman who was leaning on one elbow as her wiry, liver-spotted free hand, flicked through the residents’ book she seemed engrossed in. The woman only looked up when the tiny wheels of their suitcases clicked across the tiled floor. She peered over half-moon lenses with eyes that looked fatigued, her skin, tanned and lined by maybe seventy years of sunshine.

          ‘Good afternoon,’ she said, her English refined. ‘And welcome to Pineview. My name is Agnes Peabody and I’m the proprietor here. You’d like a room, is that correct?’

          ‘Yes,’ said Alex. ‘Do you have a twin; say for the next three nights or so?’

          Agnes Peabody took a red plastic fob that held two keys from inside a glass-fronted cabinet behind her. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘room seven is available, and I do so hate to talk money, my dear, but the room will be sixty-five dollars per night, which I’m pleased to say does include a hearty English breakfast for each of you.’

          ‘That’s very reasonable, Mrs Peabody.’

          ‘Agnes, please. Now, will you be requiring any evening meals during your stay with us?’

          Alex shrugged, ‘Maybe,’ she looked at Sammi then back to Agnes. ‘If we do could we order them on a daily basis?’ 

          ‘Certainly,’ she said. ‘We serve our evening meals between four O’clock and five, and although Mrs Bellamy is a fine cook…’ She leaned in. ‘She does grow rather irritated when things become disorganised, so if you do require an evening meal be sure to let me know each morning before eleven.’

          ‘We’ll be sure to do that.’

          Agnes smiled, indicated the residents’ book. ‘If you could fill in the spaces required, here, here, and here, and sign just there, please. And again, I’m sorry about the money-talk, but will you be using cash or card?’

          Alex filled in the spaces and turned the book back. ‘American Express, is that okay?’

          ‘Of course, dear. Ah, I see you’ve stayed with us before.’

          ‘Excuse me?’

          ‘Your name, dear. Oh, I’m completely hopeless when it comes to anything else but I never forget the name of someone who has stayed with us in the past.’

          ‘But I’ve never been here before.’

          ‘Really, are you sure?’

          ‘Yes.’

          ‘Alex has been on TV,’ said Sammi. ‘You might remember her name because she’s a−’

          ‘Sammi, will you go to the car and get my purse, please?’

          ‘Yeah, in a minute, I’m just telling−’

          ‘Now, Sammi,’ she said. ‘Here’s the keys.’

          Agnes smiled, flopped her hand forward. ‘Oh, never mind me, dear; I’m probably confusing you with another guest with the same surname. Now, here are your room keys, the stairs are next to the kitchen door behind this wall, and when you get to the top of the first flight be sure to turn right, it’s the last door on the left, next to the bathroom.’

          ‘It’s a shared bathroom?’

          ‘No, dear, the shared bathroom is for the three gentlemen we have staying over from the county sheriff’s office, which is on the same floor but at their end of the landing, and as you’re the only ladies here at the moment, the bathroom next to your room is for your use only, the smaller key I’ve given you will unlock it.’ 

          ‘Thank you,’ she said, then looked round for Sammi. ‘This person you mentioned, the one with the same surname as mine?’

          ‘Yes, dear.’

          ‘Was it a couple, or perhaps just a young woman?’

          She thought a minute. ‘You know, I really couldn’t say.’

          ‘Well do you remember when it was?’

          ‘No, like I said, I’m completely hopeless unless it’s a name.’

          Again she looked for Sammi. ‘What about records? You must have records on a computer.’

          She shook her head, indicated the visitor log. ‘I don’t have a computer, dear; all I have is a stack of these in the basement.’ 

          Sammi came back, stood by Alex, indignant, hands on hips. ‘Your purse isn’t even in the car.’

          ‘I know,’ Alex said, then produced it from under her arm. ‘Get your suitcase, we’re going to our room.’

          ‘If you like you can leave your cases here, my grandson will be home from the supermarket any time now and he’ll be more than happy to take them up to your room.’

          Grandson.

          Supermarket.

          Recommendation.

          ‘By any chance,’ said Alex. ‘Is he a thin lad, looks around nineteen, black spiked hair, about yay high and wears a Metallica T-shirt?’

          ‘You know him?’

          ‘No, we called there on the way here to pick up some toiletries; he’s the one who recommended we come here.’

          ‘What’s his name?’ asked Sammi.

          ‘Charlie, Charlie Howler, but everyone calls him Chuck.’

          ‘Someone call?’

          Alex turned to see Charlie “Chuck” Howler stood just inside the doorway with a white cardboard box in his hands. The light from behind made his slender frame’s silhouette look like a tall toilet brush. He stepped farther into the room, his smile and words aimed at Sammi.

          ‘Hello again,’ he said. ‘I see you took my advice, then?’

          Alex wasn’t too keen about the attention this boy was giving her sister; he seemed a little too forward, a little too pushy. She wondered if Sammi was the reason he recommended the place.

          Sammi smiled, said nothing.

          ‘Hi, Grandma, here’s the groceries you asked me to get but the drug store won’t have any Tylenol in until four, their delivery’s late or somethin’.’ He placed the box on the bar. ‘I told ‘em I’d call back later to pick ‘em up, is that okay?’

          ‘Nonsense, there’s no need for you to traipse all that way back to town, it’s only a headache, it’ll go away before long.’

          Alex understood why the fatigued eyes, she opened her purse. ‘I have some Excedrin,’ she said, passing Agnes a half-used bubble-pack. ‘They’re not as strong as Tylenol, but on the plus side the liver damage is far less acute.’

          ‘Thank you, dear, that’s very kind.’

          ‘Is there anything else you need before I go, Grandma?’

          ‘Yes, would you to take those cases to room seven, please?’

          ‘Sure.’ He turned to Alex and Sammi. ‘Ladies, if you’d like to follow me.’

          Sammi went to follow, Alex pulled her back. ‘Not right now,’ she said. ‘If you leave them outside the door that would be fine; we’re going to have a drink before we go to our room.’

          ‘No problem,’ he said, and to Sammi, ‘Maybe I’ll see you later, then?’  He winked. ‘Name’s Chuck by the way.’

          'I know.'