Sleepy Hollow Inn, Part 2

Sleepy Hollow Inn
By M. Davenport

Part II

Veronica and Ed James contacted Mickey six months prior to their visit. As I said, we were booked for months in advance. It was mid September when they arrived. The weather was not quite so hot as it had been in the summer, and the nights were growing cooler than they had previously been. The visit was a treat for Veronica who was quite a lovely, though somewhat sad creature. Ed made it plain the evening I met them that he was indulging Veronica’s romantic side. Mickey informed me later he had done the same thing upon their arrival.

It wasn’t the couple’s wedding anniversary or one of their birthdays. It was just a treat. A treat for Veronica.

“She has always wanted to spend a couple of days in an old house like this,” Ed James informed me that first evening. He was a big man, square shouldered and barrel chested. Construction was his business and he was quite proud of the firm he ran. Although this Mr. Edward James wasn’t the one who had made it into a multi-national, multi-million dollar company. His father, Martin James had taken over from his father and went global. Ed James could not stop talking about the business prowess of his father.

“Dad saw the world as one big resource, as yet untapped at the time. He started making bids, and winning them, in Canada and Mexico first, and branched out from there. I brought in the computers and business boomed.” Ed James was such a modest fellow. He was the total contraposition to his wife.

Veronica James was a busty, petite red head with natural curls that fell down her back to bounce along as she walked. The eyes that looked out at the world were in intelligent hazel. She was quiet whereas her husband didn’t understand he could even be silent. Veronica moved quietly about the house that evening with a jade green book in hand and a thoughtful look on her face.

“She fancies herself a writer,” Ed said as she passed us to go outside to roam the sparse grounds. She had on a tattered brown sweater. “She’s had a few things published. Mostly in women’s magazines. And she won some writing thing. I don’t know what it was called, even though I went to the awards dinner. Some romantic thing,” he added with a heart-less laugh and snort. “It is seven o’clock. Mind if I make myself a drink?” I really didn’t believe it would have mattered if I had approved or disapproved because he had already reached the bar and when he was informed he could not “make his drink” but that Mickey would be happy to serve him, he ordered a Jack-and-coke.

Mickey smiled at Ed and went about making the requested drink. It was quite obvious to anyone who would take the time to notice that my dear Mickey found half of our current guests (we only had one couple) to be almost repulsive. Mickey had interesting senses about people in general. They were almost ferral in their depths, and quite accurate usually.

I had not seen anyone get under Mickey’s skin so deeply so quickly. It had been quite a while since I had seen disgust in Mickey about any of our guests.

With the husband safely tucked away at the bar, I decided it would be a good opportunity to speak with the wife, but not before doing a little research. Mr. James obviously knew very little about what Mrs. James did and cared little for her writing. I thought it prudent to see what she had had published. It would be a shame to be entertaining a potential Pulitzer Prize recipient or the up-and-coming new Stephen King and be totally ignorant of it.

I am sorry all for the delay in getting this out to you today, but Hubby has been playing on the computer ALL day and am just now able to post this for your reading enjoyment.