Trunk Show Murder (A Seagrove Cozy Mystery Book 2) by Leona Fox Read Free Book Online Page B

But it seemed important to keep up the pretense. And also her mother had taught her never to be rude, more’s the pity.
     
    A moment later the three of them were seated around the table and Mister Bradshaw came to sit on Sadie’s lap. Apparently he didn’t much like Ryan Pallone joining Sadie for breakfast either.
     
    “What were you talking about before I came in?” He asked. “Unless it was private of course.”
     
    “I was just filling John in on the local goings-on,” Sadie said. “Britt Rumstocking’s boyfriend was a bit much to handle, but I think we’ve got him sorted now.”
     
    “And when you say we’ve got him sorted, do you actually mean that you sorted him out? Ryan asked.
     
    “In this case, yes I did intervene, but only because Britt was willing for me to do so. She doesn’t have the kind of experience to know how to deal with a bully like that,” Sadie said. “And it just so happens that I do.” She looked at Ryan pointedly.
     
    “Are you suggesting that I’m a bully, Ms. Barnett?” He asked.
     
    “Yes, Mister Pallone, I believe I am,” she said.
     
    “Really? You consider me a bully? Why?” Ryan asked, and John choked on his pastry.
     
    “Because you are trying to push through your agenda against the wishes of the people of this town. That’s why,” she said.
     
    “Your town plan is antiquated,” he said. “Just think how much more business would come your way if we had a resort overlooking the ocean. How could that possibly be a negative?”
     
    “This is where you and I differ,” Sadie said. “I don’t need to be rich to be happy. I’d much rather be able to continue walking along the bluffs at the end of the day. I’m not willing to trade it for potential sales. Hell, I’m not willing to trade it for real sales. If you could guarantee me that my profits would double if we put a hotel on that bluff, I still would not want to change the town plan. The people who live in this town, Mister Pallone, live here because we like the ambiance. We like being a backwater.” She turned to John. “Why did you come here, John?”
     
    “Because I like the thought of living in a quiet town, with customers who are also my neighbors, and whose names I know. Sadie’s right, I don’t think we need some huge hotel.”
     
    “Think of the jobs. The number of people we could put to work,” Ryan said.
     
    “We don’t have the population to support a business of that size,” Sadie said. “We’d have people coming here from the surrounding areas, and people moving in wanting to live in a resort town. It would change the flavor, the ambiance. The next thing you know we’d have nightclubs and carousels.”
     
    “We have nightclubs now, Sadie,” Ryan said. “They just don’t happen to be on Main Street.”
     
    “No, they don’t,” Sadie said. “And I think that’s the way the people of this town like it. If you put a hotel on the bluff not only will there be increased traffic to the hotel restaurant and I assume a nightclub; but nightclubs, restaurants and other tourist traps will go up on the other side of the street in order to support the hotel. The hotel by itself is already too much. Add those other establishments and we might as well move to Florida and live near Disney.”
     
    “Amen,” John agreed. “We don’t need the growth.”
     
    “Lucky for me,” Ryan said. “There are other people in this town that are not adverse to profit. I’m sure to have a few of those on my side when we vote in a new mayor.”
     
    “You still have to get the town plan overruled, wouldn’t you?” John asked. “It’s not just a matter of voting for a new mayor.”
     
    “No, perhaps not. But a mayor who was not adverse to progress would be a good first step,” Ryan said.
     
    Sadie choked on her cinnamon bun. It was taking everything she had not to attack Ryan personally.
     
    “I’ll go now,” Ryan said. “I can see I’m ruining Sadie’s breakfast. We