She caught her breath. “The promise of recovering the shares.”
“Yes.”
The weather had been excellent for most of the drive to the coast, but by the time they reached the hotel, ominous clouds had begun to pile up on the horizon. The ocean was now the color of mag-steel.
She started to follow Rose and Owen to the door of the greenhouse but paused when she discovered that Sebastian had disappeared.
She stopped and turned on her heel, surveying the long benches covered with pots, containers, and trays filled with flourishing plants.
“Sebastian, we’re leaving,” she said, raising her voice.
A muffled chortle came from a bank of herbs. Sebastian appeared. He dashed toward them. He had a green stem studded with delicate leaves and topped with a dainty yellow blossom in one paw.
“Sebastian,” Alice yelped. “You can’t pick flowers in here. This is not your greenhouse.” She turned to Rose. “I apologize. He doesn’t understand.”
Rose stopped at the door, smiling a little. “Please don’t worry about it. He found the bunny mint—it’s like catnip for dust bunnies. Naturally he couldn’t resist.”
“What effect does it have on them?” Alice asked, deeply uneasy.
“Don’t worry, it’s harmless,” Rose said. “They don’t eat it. They just like to play with it. The herb emits a mild radiation from the paranormal end of the spectrum that makes the leaves and the flowers sparkle to a dust bunny’s eyes. Humans can’t detect the energy visually, but if you concentrate you can pick up a bit of the vibe. Quite pleasant. Florists sometimes add it to bouquets for the background effect.”
“I see,” Alice said.
Sebastian arrived at her feet. She picked him up. He waved the bunnymint at her with an air of triumph. Clearly he wasn’t worried. If anything, he appeared to be borderline euphoric. For some reason that made her even more concerned.
A sharp breeze struck as they left the greenhouse and crossed to the back door of the hotel. The first currents of energy from the still-distant storm lifted the fine hair on the back of her neck. Or maybe it was the vibe of the Hotel of Dreams that was responsible for the disturbing frisson. She really hated the place. The thought of being forced to spend the night in it because of the weather was enough to give her nightmares. They needed to get on the road before the storm made landfall.
Owen caught her eye when he held the door for her, silently asking if she was okay. Annoyed that she had allowed her anxiety to show, she squared her shoulders and assumed what she hoped was a serene, composed expression.
Night was still a couple hours off and the sun was shining brightly outside, but the interior of the hotel was drenched in gloom.
Rose stopped at the first door on the right and waved them into a surprisingly cheerful kitchen. The walls were painted a warm yellow and the backsplash tiles were colorful. A round table and a single chair were positioned near a window framed by bright floral curtains. Containers of plants were artfully arranged on the windowsill, shelves, and countertops.
Rose picked up the kettle and went to the sink. “Regular tea or herbal?” she said.
“We’ll pass on the tea,” Owen said. He glanced out the window at the briskly blowing bushes. “That storm is moving quickly. We won’t be staying long.”
Alice was impressed with the smooth way he handled the offer of tea. Before they arrived, he had made it clear that under no circumstances were they to eat or drink anything prepared by Rose Ash.
“I understand,” Rose said. She gave him a wry, knowing smile. “But I do want you to know that I wasn’t planning to poison you.”
“The thought never occurred to me,” Owen lied politely. “But since you brought up the subject, we are here because we had a few questions about your background. You were a chemist who worked in the pharmaceutical industry, according to what little I found online.”
“It’s true I have several degrees in chemistry, but I’ve also got a psychic affinity for herbs and botanicals. Back on the Old World they called people like me apothecaries. You are wise to be cautious.” Rose gestured toward a swinging door on one side of the room. “There are some spare folding chairs in the pantry. If you wouldn’t mind fetching a couple, Mr. March, we can all sit down for our little chat.”
“Sure,” Owen said.
The alacrity with which he disappeared through the door told Alice that he was pleased with the opportunity to look around without having to ask permission.
“Please take the chair,” Rose said, waving at the only one at the table.
Reluctantly, but unable to think of anything else to do, Alice sat down. Sebastian blinked a few times and settled on her lap. He clutched the herb, evidently mesmerized by it. Without warning, he closed his eyes and went to sleep.
Okay, this was not normal behavior.
She waited until Rose’s back was turned to remove the bunny mint from one front paw. Surreptitiously she dropped it into a nearby pottery container that held a large fern. With luck, Sebastian wouldn’t remember the herb when he woke up.
Owen reappeared with two chairs. There was a little heat in his eyes. He and Rose sat down at the table. Rose visibly braced herself. She fixed Alice with a steadfast gaze.
