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CHAPTER SEVEN
Hudson took a seat beside Kayleigh and across the table from the police chief and a detective. They’d ended up in a small boardroom that showed signs of wear on the chairs around the table and on the walls, which could have done with a fresh paint job. It was nothing like the boardrooms he was used to being in.
Over the next hour, the police chief and the detective detailed each theft and what they’d discovered during their investigations. Hudson was impressed by their efforts, even though they hadn’t solved the crimes.
Since it was a small-town police department, he’d assumed that their investigation would be a half-hearted effort at best. Their resources were likely limited, and perhaps they were constrained by the ability of their computer specialists.
Wanting to be proactive about the situation, Hudson had contacted the manager of Remington’s computer security department in New York earlier that morning. He’d asked him if he had someone to do some looking around in the resort’s security system. Or if he didn’t have someone in-house, Hudson wanted an outside recommendation.
He was waiting to hear back from the man, but at least he felt good about the job the police had done. The insurance would take on the responsibility of reimbursing each of the guests for their loss, but unfortunately, the thefts were still a black mark on the reputation of a Remington property.
Once again, Kayleigh sat in silence for the most part, but she was definitely paying attention, even though she’d probably heard all the details before.
“Thank you for sharing all this with me,” Hudson said as they stood to leave at the end of the meeting.
“You’re welcome,” the chief said. “Feel free to call me if you have any other questions.”
They all shook hands, then left the room. Hudson followed Kayleigh as they made their way back to the foyer. The woman at the desk waved to them as they walked past on the way to the door.
“Is there a place to get coffee around here?” Hudson asked as they stood on the sidewalk outside the police station.
“Yep. It’s a little too far from here to walk to in the cold, so let’s take the car.”
Once they were in the relative warmth of the car, Kayleigh started it up and pulled out of the station’s parking lot. She turned onto what looked like the main street, and Hudson glanced around as she drove.
It was a nice-looking street with brick buildings and wide sidewalks. Kayleigh angled the car into a parking spot along the street, then they got out. She talked a bit about the businesses in that area as they walked to one of the buildings.
“Kayleigh, darling!” A short, middle-aged woman with a pile of blonde curls on the top of her head and a big smile greeted them. “How’ve you been doing?”
“I’m good, Adela. How are you?”
Hudson was glad that Kayleigh had explained a bit about her family and their history in the town of Serenity Point, so he wasn’t surprised that someone knew her wherever they went.
“I’m great! Life is good.”
Hudson glanced around the space, taking in the… Valentine’s decorations? They seemed a little early since Christmas hadn’t been that long ago.
Along with the seasonal decorations, the coffee shop was filled with some other eclectic décor in bright colors. It certainly wasn’t like the modern, aesthetically pleasing places he usually visited, but it wasn’t off-putting since it had a real cozy feel to it.
The shop also had an aromatic warmth that Hudson had to admit was welcoming after the coldness of the weather outside.
“Who’s this you’ve brought with you today?” Adela asked, her curious gaze meeting Hudson’s.
“This is Hudson St. James. He’s here on business for the resort.”
“Oh. A business acquaintance.” For some reason, Adela looked momentarily disappointed, but the smile she gave him was still warm and friendly. “Well, you’re very welcome here.”
“Thank you,” Hudson said with a tip of his head.
“What can I get for you two?”
Kayleigh turned to Hudson. “Their coffee is great, and so are their pastries.”
Hudson hadn’t planned to get anything but a black coffee, but as his gaze strayed to the bakery case, he was tempted.
Kayleigh rattled off the coffee she wanted, which wasn’t a simple coffee, then added that she wanted a chocolate croissant.
“I’ll have a large black coffee, and I’ll try a chocolate croissant as well,” he said as he pulled out his wallet.
