Read Heavenly Highland Inn 05 - Suffocating the Sunflowers for Free Online Page B

going to tell the lawyer that he made a mistake?”
    “ Henry is very honest,” Vicky said and bit into her bottom lip. She wasn't sure what Henry would do, especially in his emotional state. “What we need is a good distraction, we need to get Henry away from Barry Baker, and everyone out of the kitchen.”
    “ The fire alarm,” Sarah suggested, her eyes widening. “We can set off the fire alarm, then maybe we can get them out of the kitchen.”
    “ No, it needs to be more than that,” Vicky said as she tried to come up with something that would absolutely drive everyone out of the kitchen.
    “ The sprinkler system,” she announced suddenly. “Barry was wearing an expensive suit, if the sprinklers go off he's going to run out of that kitchen.”
    “ But the sprinklers only go off if there's smoke,” Sarah pointed out with a shake of her head. “We can't just turn them on.”
    “ Don't worry about it, Sarah. You go to the front desk, I'll take care of the sprinklers, understand?” she met her sister's eyes.
    “ Vicky, please be careful. Whatever you do, get that bottle out of your pocket and put it in a safe place!” she hissed. “If you get caught with it…”
    “ Sarah, everything is going to be fine,” Vicky declared impatiently. But as her sister brushed past her and Vicky rummaged through her kitchen drawer for a lighter, she had no idea if everything was really going to be fine.
     

Chapter Four
     
     
    Vicky knew that she needed to get back inside the kitchen. Unfortunately, when she peeked into the kitchen she saw that Aunt Ida, Barry, and Henry were all standing around the island in the center of the room. There was no way to get inside without them noticing. If she slipped inside and then the sprinklers went off Barry would be very suspicious. She decided that the only way she was going to get inside was through a window.
    Vicky stepped out through one of the side doors towards the gardens and walked around to the staff quarters. The staff quarters were directly across from the kitchen, with a walkway and large, grassy space between them. There was only one window on the wall of the kitchen facing the staff quarters that was large enough for her to fit through. It was a window into the pantry. Vicky tried to jump up high enough to grab it but it was a high window. Instead, she had to drag one of the rubber trash cans around from behind the kitchen and place it beneath the kitchen window. She tested its strength with one foot. It was tough rubber, but it was still rubber. She balanced herself by leaning her hand on the brick surface of the outside wall as she climbed up onto the trash can.
    The center of the lid of the trash can began to give way, making her feel as if she was going to fall through it. She gripped the ledge tightly, worried that she might fall and cause a commotion. Just as the trash can was about to give way completely, Vicky managed to get the window open. She tossed one leg over the windowsill and then climbed the rest of the way in. When she got both legs on the other side of the windowsill she encountered a new problem. The floor of the pantry was a long way down. Luckily, there was a small ladder that was used to reach the items on the highest shelves of the pantry. She managed to hook her foot through one of the rungs and guide it closer to her. Once it was stable against the wall she climbed the rest of the way through the window. She could hear the voices in the kitchen, and though they were muffled she could tell that Henry's voice was full of defeat. It seemed as if he was preparing to make a confession.
    There was nothing Vicky could do but hope that her paper and lighter would be enough to convince the sprinklers there was a large fire. She stood on the ladder in th e pantry, nearly tumbling off it every time she tried to ignite the lighter. In the kitchen she could hear the voices of Barry and Henry growing a little louder.
    “ Do you often use peanuts in the