"We'll figure something out," she said. "He can't plan to stay here long term. Can he?"
I didn't want to hear Griffen's answer. The truth was, we had no idea what Tyler's plans were. I'd learned he'd gone out drinking with Bryce after the meeting with Harvey. They'd come in late, drunk, and neither had been at breakfast. As far as I knew, Tyler was still passed out in bed.
I took the stairs to the lower level of Heartstone Manor at a jog, appreciating the way the formal woodwork of the main level shifted to rough stone and arched barrel ceilings as I descended. It felt like I was traveling further back in time with each step.
The wide hall of the lower level ran from one end of the Manor to the other, the ceiling high, pipes and electrical conduit exposed, but out of reach. The air here was a good five degrees cooler than above, the light bright in spots, and dim where the bulbs couldn't reach.
The main kitchen bustled with activity, the staff preparing for lunch. Savannah spotted me as soon as I stepped through the doorway, setting her clipboard on a windowsill and crossing the room. "Nash, how can I help you?"
"I can see you're all busy, but I was thinking about bringing Parker lunch. Maybe a picnic? She's been scraping paint off that mantel–" I didn't get any further. Savannah knew exactly what I was getting at.
"Let's keep her out of the dining room then, and spare April and Kitty the vacuuming. I'm sure she'd prefer a romantic picnic with you than a family lunch, anyway. Why don't you–" Savannah's eyes sharpened as something behind me caught her eye. "What do you think you're doing here?"
I'd never heard that edge in her tone. Turning, I saw Finn, Parker's older brother, lurking in the hall. He lifted his chin at Savannah, his usual chill demeanor nowhere in sight.
"You didn't answer my text," he said.
Savannah's eyes narrowed so far they were almost slits. "I was getting to it. We're preparing for lunch down here, in case you can't tell."
"You can do seventeen things at once, Savannah. If anyone else had texted, you would have answered by now."
"True," she agreed with saccharine sweetness. "But I like everyone else. And I'm helping Nash. I'll get to you later."
"I texted before he showed up," Finn protested.
"Technically," Savannah drawled, "I already answered your question. You can have kitchen time on Saturday, when the cook is off. Otherwise, you're banned from the kitchens. No exceptions."
"That's ridiculous," Finn protested. "I'm not going to start a fight with this one. She's completely adequate–"
Savannah raised a hand, palm out. "Don't say another word. Just turn around, walk away, and you can come back on Saturday. Otherwise, I'll get Griffen to ban you from the lower level entirely."
They stood facing each other, Savannah's sharp grey eyes locked to Finn's green. They reminded me of two cats, facing off before one of them pounced. Finn backed down first. Interesting. He turned and stalked off without another word. Savannah saw me watch Finn leave and explained.
"He's a classically trained chef and a real snob about it. So far, he's run off two perfectly good cooks. Griffen told him if he does it again, he either takes over the job or he has to leave Heartstone. And you know what that means."
Her head tilted to the side as she considered. "I think it's driving him nuts not having access to a kitchen. But he made his bed." Straightening, she refocused. "Give me twenty minutes to put something together for your picnic. Maybe thirty. I have to–"
From down the hall, a loud pop filled the air, and everything went dark. For just a moment, all movement stilled in the busy kitchen, the light from the windows set high in the walls the only source of illumination.
"God damn it!" I heard from deeper in the kitchen, joined by, "Not again!"
A scuffle of feet sounded in the hall. A second later, Scarlett, Tenn's girlfriend, appeared in the doorway, her red hair curling wildly around her face, a metal clamp in her hand. Parker had told me she was a glass artist and had her studio down here somewhere. Glancing around the kitchen, she asked, "Is it the entire house? Or just down here?"
Savannah's phone beeped with a text, giving us the answer. Her shoulders slumping, she confirmed, "It's the entire house. Damn it. Last time it took all day to get it back on." She typed a quick reply to the text.
"Where's the panel?" I asked. "I can take a look. I'm no electrician, but I can change a fuse." At Savannah's raised eyebrow I said, "The house I grew up in wasn't this size, but it was about this old and the fuses used to blow now and then."
Savannah nodded at Scarlett. "Could you show Nash where it is? I have some calls to make."
Scarlett flicked on the flashlight on her phone and I followed her down the long hallway to a narrow door at the far end. It hung slightly ajar. Scarlett hummed in the back of her throat, considering. "This is always closed. Whatever blew was loud. Maybe it forced the door open?"
Turning on the light from my own phone, I shone it in the small room. Several electrical panels lined one wall, all of them neatly closed. The wiring leading to all three was a mess, tangled and scorched. The faint scent of smoke hung in the air, though nothing was on fire.
"What the fuck?" I said into the dark, studying the wild knot of wiring. I knew better than to touch any of it.
"This is way over my pay grade," Scarlett murmured.
"Mine too," I admitted.
