Bed & Breakfast Next to the Pink Roses Hotel

THE NEXT MORNING, KATHY TOLD PAT AND MRS.HORWOOD ABOUT the hotel's new responsibilities regarding contingencies past midday, which - surprisingly in the case of the older lady - they were both very pleased at. She also told them about the contested will. It was not so much that she felt comfortable enough to share the information with them, but, above all, that she wanted to find out about their point of view in order to face the matter with the most self-confident attitude.

"I thought as much," Mrs. Horwood shook her head. "I'm sorry, dear. Dealing with that family is not going to be a bowl of cherries."

"Do you know them?"

"Not personally, no. But Mary Anne let it drop that her sister always protected her own interests, if you know what I mean. And she had her reasons not to trust her."

"I must say they fooled me completely," Kathy admitted openly. "Every one of them. But Jesse and I have decided to respect Mrs. Sloan's wish, which now means to try to keep our properties."

"And I applaud your good sense," said Pat. "Mrs. Sloan knew what she was doing when she left you her possessions here on the island."

"Thank you," answered the young woman. "That means a lot to me."

"Dr. Cameron called," Jesse informed her at lunch. "He had some… juicy news about the matter at hand."

"Juicy?"

"Well, I thought we could use a little humor. And it is kind of funny, actually. The irony."

"What are you talking about?"

"He phoned you first. But you didn't answer, so he called me."

"Oh, yes, I saw I had a lost call from an unknown number. It wasn't the doctor's cell."

"No. He called from the hospital. He'll be expecting you to contact him. I'd rather you heard it from his own lips."

Fairly disoriented, but justifiably smelling a rat, she opened her handbag, took out her phone and searched for Dr. Cameron's number, while Jesse observed in apparent calmness, if somewhat eager to see Kathy's reaction.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Cameron? I'm Katherine Schneider."

"Kathy! How are you?"

"I'm… well."

"I spoke with Jesse this morning."

"Yes, I know."

"Did he give you all the details?"

"No. He won't say a word," she answered with a conspiratorial glance at her companion.