"He bought this house as part of it, didn't he?" Isabel said. "Bay View Beach House. It's not a holiday home. It's part of the acquisition plan."
Penny didn't answer immediately.
"Yes, it is," Penny said finally, shaking her head. “When we came here, he told me that he was thinking of maybe keeping the house as a holiday house, and while I was skeptical, I gave him the benefit of the doubt about this trip.”
Isabel blew out a breath, regaining her composure as the anger simmered down. She pressed her fingers against her forehead for a moment while she thought before looking at Penny.
“Is it true?” Isabel asked. “Is Darius trying to make my father’s vision for Sweet Blossom Bay come true?”
"Yes," Penny said. “Only, bigger than what I believe your father had envisioned.”
“What?” Isabel spluttered. “My father wanted to turn this part of the bay into a family-friendly and affordable holiday resort, spa, and a huge amusement park for kids. A sort of Disneyland-type place.”
“Well, Darius certainly wants to do that,” Isabel told her. “Minus the theme park thing.” She pulled a face and shuddered. “He wants a space camp type place and…”
“And?” Isabel asked.
“A mall.”
“A mall?” Isabel looked at her in disbelief. “Here in Sweet Blossom Bay. A big ugly shopping complex.” Anger spurted through her again. “They have already got a lovely, tasteful, shopping area that suits this small town perfectly.” Her cheeks grew hot. “And they don’t need a resort and spa, family friendly, affordable or not.”
“I agree,” Penny told her. “Especially having been here now.”
“Then we need to march right up to my brother and ask him what the heck he thinks he’s doing,” Isabel growled.
“No!” Penny shook her head. “That is not the way to handle this.”
“Then how do you suggest we handle this?” Isabel leaned back slightly and folded her arm in front of her. “Because we both know that there is no way I’ll let him do this. Especially not now.”
Her mind flashed to Emma and how happy her granddaughter had been since arriving in Sweet Blossom Bay. How she’d come back out of her shell and had made good friends. Even Isabel had made friends, and she sure as heck was not going to let her brother spoil that. Wayne Group did not need another resort and spa. Besides, before her parents died, she remembered a conversation between them. One that she wanted to march up to her older brother and slap him with.
"I want to go in there right now and tell him exactly what I think of this," Isabel told her.
"I know you do," Penny answered. "And you will. But not yet. Not until we know who Baxter has brought with him and why." She paused. "If we go in now, all we know is what we overheard. We don't know what Baxter's plan is. We don't know who thisacademic contact is or what they're claiming about the hotel site. We don't know what Darius has already agreed to."
Isabel looked at her, noting the cunning look flashing through Penny’s eyes, and smiled. She always had the best plans.
"What are you suggesting?" Isabel asked.
Penny's expression shifted in the way it shifted when she'd already thought three moves ahead.
"I know the diner Darius agreed to meet Baxter and his academic advisor at," Penny told her. "The one on the outskirts of town. I stopped there a few days ago when I went to look at a property near there. A waitress spilled coffee on me. The owner came out personally to apologize and told me to eat there whenever I liked, on the house. He was genuinely lovely about it." A smile curved her lips. “We got talking, and he even introduced me to his wife. By the time I’d left, it was like we were old friends.”
"I remember you coming home with the stained blouse," Isabel said slowly.
"Yes, well," Penny answered. "It turns out that was a fortuitous accident, it seems.” She glanced at her wristwatch. “If we leave now, we can get there before Darius and Baxter. We can have a word with the owner and see if we can position ourselves somewhere out of sight or close enough to hear what's discussed."
Isabel stared at her.
"You want to spy on my brother," Isabel said.
"I want to know what we're dealing with before we confront him," Penny replied. "There's a difference."
A pause.
"We'd need a recording device," Isabel said.
"There's an electronics shop two blocks from here," Penny told her. “We can stop on the way.”
