Page 59 of Little Shattered Dreams

“I hear everyone in your employ has a criminal history of some kind.”

She folded her hands over her lap and nodded. “You’re right. All of them have gotten into a bit of trouble at one time or another. Nothing too major.”

“You don’t worry one of them could slip, causing a situation in front of your guests?”

“It isn’t a big concern of mine, no.”

“Why not?”

“Do you believe in second chances?”

Second chances were a gray area.

“It depends on the person,” I said. “Some people deserve a second chance. Some don’t.”

“I believe most people deserve a second chance. We’re all human. We all make mistakes.”

“What made you decide to hire people who have been in trouble with the law?”

“I know how hard it can be for some of them to get jobs after serving time. Nowadays almost every job application asks about a criminal record, even fast-food restaurants, if you can believe it. I’m sure there are those who would dismiss such a person, no matter how big or small the crime. I’d like to think we help them move on from the person they were to the person they can become.”

It seemed helping wounded birds was her life’s work.

Part of me admired her for it.

The other part thought she was a bit too “glass half full” all the time. I wondered if she’d considered the dangers involved with bringing on some of the more aggressive staff like Rebecca, Kelly, and Abby. Not everyone can be saved.

“I’m not sure what to do now,” Grace said. “New guests are due to arrive on Monday, and Chief Foley has just asked me to cancel their reservations while he continues questioning everyone.”

“I’m doing everything I can to solve this case so you can keep your doors open. How long can you last without accepting more guests?”

“The retreat has done well over the last year. We’re booked to full capacity every week now. I’ve been able to set aside a bit of money in case of an emergency. It should be enough to keep this place up and running for a few weeks, maybe a little more. If I can’t accept new guests by then … well, I’d rather not think about it.”

“Foley won’t ask you to stay closed any longer than is necessary. He just wants to make sure it’s safe.”

“She’s right.” I turned to see Foley standing in the doorway. He poked his head in, looked at me, and said, “Georgiana, we need to talk.”

CHAPTER31

Foley and I walked over to my bungalow, engaging in small talk until we stepped inside and found Simone leaning back on the sofa, staring at something on her cell phone. She smiled at me and said, “How are you doing, after the … you know, what happened this morning?”

Foley took a seat on a barstool. “What happened this morning?”

“I guess I scared all the guests away with my pep talk,” I said.

He shook his head. “Why am I not surprised?”

“I don’t get it,” I said. “I thought talking to them would put them at ease. It did the opposite.”

“It was a tough crowd,” Simone said.

“Just a thought,” Foley said. “Next time you decide to have a chat with a group of people during a murder investigation, consider letting me do the talking.”

He’d said it in the nicest possible way, but I knew what he was suggesting.

His way of dealing with people was a lot different than mine.

“With all the guests gone, I think it’s best if I pull my officers,” Foley said. “Their time will be better spent working on this case from the department. You all right with that?”

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