ONE *The sun had been up for a little over an hour when Tricia Miles arrived on her sister''s doorstep on that early Monday in June. It was to be a busy day, what with welcoming the Chamber of Commerce''s summer intern, getting him settled, and attending to her vintage mystery bookstore, Haven''t Got a Clue. Tricia and her sister were co-presidents of the Stoneham, New Hampshire, Chamber-a job they''d held for nearly six months. It had been a rocky experience trying to revive the operation their predecessor had so diligently tried to destroy. Thanks to Angelica''s previous tenure at the organization''s helm, and Tricia''s involvement as her woman Friday, they''d slowly been rebuilding the trust of their members. But welcoming the new intern was only one part of the day''s plan. Angelica Miles was a woman of many talents-and two personas. She was a successful businesswoman in her own right, owning the Cookery book and kitchen gadget store; Booked for Lunch, a small retro café dedicated to the midday meal; the village''s day spa, Booked for Beauty; and a half share of the village''s most expensive bed-and-breakfast, the Sheer Comfort Inn.
But it was her alter ego, the secretive Nigela Ricita, who commanded the utmost respect, and sometimes animosity, for transforming the somewhat sleepy village of used bookstores known as Booktown to a wildly successful tourist attraction. NR Associates owned the Brookview Inn, the local pub (the Dog-Eared Page), the Happy Domestic home/gift shop, a food truck, a real estate office, the other half interest in the Sheer Comfort Inn, and the most recent addition to the NR portfolio, the Stoneham Weekly News. When Tricia thought about her sister''s business acumen, she sometimes suffered from an inferiority complex-but not for long. Angelica actually spent little hands-on time with her companies since she''d built a team of top-notch and experienced individuals. She acted as the CEO of her empires, letting her son, Antonio Barbero, take on the day-to-day supervision. His wife, Ginny Wilson-Barbero, was the company''s marketing director and mother to Angelica''s grandbabies, little Sofia and baby Will. On that morning, Tricia had agreed to accompany her sister to NR Associates'' new world headquarters, a historic granite-clad building located off the village''s main drag. The former mansion had been owned by Asa Morrison, another of the village''s founders, who''d made his money producing whiskey, and his stately house had been built some 150 years before.
During its life, it had been a home, a hospital, a school, and most recently office space. It was to be upgraded in the latter configuration with a new roof, HVAC, and plumbing before Angelica would personally choose the furniture and décor. The workmen usually got started around seven, and Tricia and Angelica had decided to set out to check on the progress of the renovations an hour before the construction crew arrived for the day. Tricia texted her sister. I''m here. Be right down. Tricia would have been pleased to use the occasion to get in part of her morning three-mile constitutional but she knew her sister would insist on taking her car. The five-block walk was probably too far for her to ever walk, even though she''d given up her stilettos earlier that year.
Sure enough, when Angelica appeared she clutched her car keys in her right hand. She looked smart dressed in a peach cotton sleeveless blouse, black slacks, and sandals, sporting a black fanny pack that she''d never be caught wearing in a business setting, so she obviously didn''t expect to be seen at that time of the day and especially at the construction site. Tricia''s attire wasn''t much different. She''d chosen a pink tee and jeans but would change into her usual sweater set and black slacks once the workday commenced. The weatherman had predicted an unseasonably warm day. It was already in the seventies. She''d be glad of the sweater once she cranked up the AC in her shop upon her return. "Let''s go," Angelica said brightly.
"I need to make a list of things I want to be completed by the end of the week." "Isn''t that up to Jim Stark?" Tricia asked. Stark was the contractor Angelica had hired to complete the mansion''s renovations. Tricia had worked with him, too, but these days the firm was booked solid months in advance. So much so that lately Stark''s clients had been dealing with his right-hand man, Sanjay Arya, a personable man in his thirties with a ready smile and a reassuring presence. "I hardly ever talk to Jim anymore," Angelica lamented as she started up the road toward the village''s municipal parking lot, where the street''s residents kept their vehicles. Angelica might not exercise as much as Tricia, but if she cared to, she could have excelled in competitive walking. "When I do get to speak to the boss man, I always feel like him consulting his phone is more important than anything I have to say.
" "He''s a busy man." Angelica glanced at her sister with disdain. "And I''m a busy woman." She was indeed. They arrived at the lot and headed for Angelica''s car. Neither of them spoke until Angelica pulled the car onto Main Street and headed for the mansion. "We should have done this yesterday," Tricia said, "especially if you don''t want to run into the workmen." "Are you kidding? Sunday is my busiest day of the week.
" That was when Angelica hosted their weekly family dinner, although since baby Will had made his appearance two months before, they''d been gathering with the Barberos in their newly built home. Dragging the kiddies out took a lot of effort, but Angelica had adapted. She''d either have the meal catered or bring the ingredients for a delicious meal to the fabulous kitchen she''d designed for the family. In addition to Tricia and the Barberos, their "family" consisted of Tricia''s friend and employee Mr. Everett and his wife, Grace. They''d been accepted as the children''s honorary great-grandparents. Angelica pulled up in front of the mansion, which at this point bore a rather ramshackle appearance. Landscaping was one of the last items on the list of things to be completed.
The sisters exited the car and stood before the building. Tricia studied Angelica''s face. She could tell her sister was looking at the mansion with an eye to its future appearance. "I love this place," Angelica muttered. "If only it was feasible to return it to its original use." She shook her head, looking wistful. "You''ve got big bucks," Tricia commented. "I do, but what would I do, one person living in so large a home? Besides, the older I get, the less I want or need.
" Tricia was beginning to think that way herself. She looked at her watch: 6:10. If they wanted to be out before the workers showed up, they''d better start their inspection. She said so. Angelica approached the lockbox hanging from the dull brass handle on the big oak door, punched in the code, and removed the key to the former palace, unlocking the door and letting them in. Antonio must have given her the combination to the electronic lock. Tricia hadn''t visited the building since Angelica''s initial walk-through almost a year before. Everything took so long.
Permits, zoning, architectural plans. She''d been told that the future NR offices had actually been put on an accelerated schedule. Even so, the timeline for finishing the job was almost a month away. Dust caked every surface. Where it had come from was anyone''s guess. Random lumber and metal framing materials were piled in what had once been the home''s grand foyer. It would be a shame if the beautiful marble floors were covered instead of being restored. "I thought we should start on the second floor and work our way down," Angelica said, and headed for the grand staircase.
"They''re not going to replace these magnificent stairs, are they?" Tricia asked, appalled at the idea. "No. I was adamant about that," Angelica said as they made their way to the second floor. "But they''ll be placing laminate on these floors," she said, indicating the scuffed wide-pine flooring beneath their feet. "Why? It looks like it''s in good shape." "And I want to keep it that way." Tricia studied her sister''s expression. "What are you planning to do with this place in the future?" she asked with suspicion.
"Nothing. Nothing at all," Angelica said innocently. Tricia didn''t believe her. Perhaps Angelica did hope to restore the old building to its former glory after all-just not at this time. They wandered through the upper rooms, admiring the cove moldings, the ceiling medallions, and other features before taking the back-or servants''-stairs to return to the main floor. "What''s your favorite part of the renovation?" Tricia asked. "It''ll be the communal kitchen. I had the most fun choosing the appliances and furniture.
" "Is it located in the original kitchen?" "Yes, but unfortunately, it''ll be reworked on a smaller scale. Still, we''re keeping some of the original features. Want to see the work in progress?" "Why not?" Angelica might not have visited the site much in person, but she seemed to have memorized the layout, for she led Tricia through corridors until they came to a door that was ajar. Angelica pushed through it. The room was large and two of the walls had been stripped back to the brick. Like the foyer, boxes of building supplies littered its floor. Vintage subway tile covere.