Summers at the Saint

Parrish is angry as she leaves the bar. As they drive home, Garrett confesses: Traci has been good to him, so he feels guilty because he’s agreed to look the other way while some of the other workers at the Verandah sell off the hotel’s top-shelf liquor and replace it with cheaper versions. In return, Garrett gets free drinks and favors. Parrish tells him that this is stealing and that he’s an accessory to a crime. Garrett begs her not to tell anyone because he’d lose his job.

Later, Parrish asks Traci to meet. Traci suggests Sunday brunch.

While opening new boxes of merchandise in the stockroom, KJ notices that the number of expensive cashmere sweaters in the box doesn’t match the invoice. He tells Marcie, his supervisor, who replies that she will handle inventory from now on. She gives KJ a lesson on how to upsell but tells him not to ask questions about inventory discrepancies. In a somewhat veiled threat, Marcie tells KJ that she saw him coming out of a gay bar one night.

Whelan stops by the hospital where Shannon works, asking to speak with her. Shannon is reserved and suspicious when he asks why there was no local investigation into Hudson’s death. Shannon, who was 19 at the time, reveals that she was fired for the incident, even though she did everything she could to save the boy. Whelan says that Hudson was a good swimmer.

Shannon recalls that Hudson’s mother, Kasey, was very striking. When Whelan shows Shannon a recent picture of Kasey—who is also his mother—Shannon is shocked at the change in her appearance. Whelan explains, “Her little boy died. Her husband blamed her, and she blamed herself and this is how she ended up. Alone, haunted by that loss” (127). Kasey’s second husband, Brad, wasn’t around much. Shannon recalls that Hudson had been on the outs with his friend Mike that day. Whelan guesses that this is Michael Sullivan, who wrote his mother a sympathy card. As Shannon tells her story, Whelan recalls his mother’s intense grief when Hudson died. Whelan is shocked that Shannon and Traci never talked about what happened.

Traci scrambles to save the Beach Bash after Charlie reports vandalism to the beach club toilets. Felice shows Traci the bad shrimp that their long-time fishmonger sold her. Charlie promises to take care of it, warning Felice not to endanger that vendor relationship. Madelyn has new decorations and needles Traci: “[M]ust you cling so tenaciously to the clichés of the past?” (132). While the women are dressed alike, Madelyn’s dress is very revealing.

Traci is worried because this is her first time running the Beach Bash without Hoke. Parrish reveals her talent for hospitality as she greets guests. Traci also circulates but is annoyed when people treat her with pity. After it rains, Colonel McBee pesters Parrish about his wife’s dress being soaked.

The staff plan an after party at what they call the “Shack.” KJ brings Livvy and Parrish in a golf cart. Parrish recognizes the old landscaping shed where she and her friends used to hang out.

Parrish drinks and smokes marijuana with the others. When Garrett asks if she told anyone about the liquor, Parrish says that she’s been writing everything down in her little blue book. Cedric, one of the members of the Jamaican steel drum band that performed at the Bash, approaches Parrish and offers her marijuana. Parrish smokes a bit but doesn’t feel well. She tries to find a bathroom and falls. The last thing she sees is the face of her grandmother.

Traci prepares for brunch. She is concerned that Parrish is late, which isn’t like her. She goes to the staff dorm, but no one has seen Parrish, who isn’t in her bedroom. KJ volunteers to go to the Shack to look for Parrish, and Garrett quickly offers to help. There is a mess left from the party, so Garrett tells KJ that they have to clean it up or else Traci will be mad.

KJ is alarmed when he sees a rat. Garrett and KJ put the trash bags in the dumpster.

Traci calls Ric to ask if he knows where Parrish is, but Madelyn is not picking up the phone. Traci contacts the head of security, Ray Bierbower. When Ray calls her back, Traci is certain it is bad news.

Traci gives the phone to Ric, who begins weeping. Ray found Parrish’s body in the bushes behind the Shack, where the police have cordoned off a crime scene. Traci is so distraught that she faints.

Traci speaks with Sherriff Coyle, explaining Parrish’s role at the hotel. Coyle guesses that some of the guests are “entitled assholes” (157). The sheriff senses animosity between Ric and Traci and advises Traci not to feel guilty for persuading Parrish to come work at the hotel.

Sheriff Coyle interviews the staff at the dorm and is irritated to learn that Garrett and KJ removed evidence from the scene when they disposed of the trash. After Coyle leaves, the others quarrel. When Livvy remembers seeing Parrish talking with Cedric, Felice is concerned that Livvy is accusing the Black man of murder. Livvy wants to investigate, but Garrett tells her to keep her head down and stay out of it.

Traci sits in her office, looking at pictures of Parrish on her phone. She remembers a ski vacation that she and Hoke brought Parrish on. She weeps, devasted at the thought of losing Parrish, who was like a daughter. The sheriff asks for Traci’s help with investigating Parrish’s death. Traci tries approaching Ric, but he is drunk and doesn’t want to talk to her.

Whelan locates Michael Sullivan and visits his house. Michael is initially wary but hears Whelan out. After Whelan found his mother’s box of memories, he started to think that there was more to Hudson’s death. Michael remembers Hudson as annoying; he also remembers a man in a red car giving Hudson something in a paper bag.

Shannon is upset to learn of Parrish’s death and begs Livvy to return home. Livvy meets with Traci, who looks tired and haunted. Traci asks Livvy to take over guest relations.

Traci trains Livvy on the guest relations desk, including dealing with Colonel McBee. He complains about the mattress in his room and says that Parrish wrote something down in her book about it. Traci tells Livvy that the hotel just bought new mattresses. She asks the Colonel “to treat all [her] staff […] with the same courtesy and respect which [he] expect to be shown by them” (185). Traci asks Livvy to be there when the mattress is exchanged, but another guest comes to the desk. Livvy helps the other woman by styling her wig at the salon, but when she follows up on the mattress from the Colonel’s room, it has disappeared from the warehouse.

Livvy asks Felice to help her figure out who killed Parrish. Felice demurs at first but then helps Livvy search Parrish’s bedroom, which has pretty bed linens. Livvy finds the blue notebook inside a pillowcase.

Traci attends a service for Parrish, sitting in the back because Ric tried to exclude her. The hotel chapel was commissioned by Helen Eddings. Parrish’s mother, Heather, a musician, performs a moving song. Heather was married to Ric but left when Parrish was three because she didn’t want to raise a daughter. Traci and Heather meet at Pour Willy’s to talk about Parrish. Heather has always admired Traci’s backbone in the Eddings family: “When the old man and Ric treated you like shit, you’d just shrug it off and keep going” (202).

After the service, KJ leaves Livvy and Felice, who get lunch. Livvy opens Parrish’s blue book but can barely read the scribbles. Felice reminds Livvy that she’s not a real detective.

Traci feels buzzed from the wine she drank with Heather, so she calls for an Uber ride. Whelan picks her up. He finds her attractive and put-together, but he can tell she’s sad. She tells him that her niece died. When he says that he’s a landscaper at the Saint, she asks if he likes his job. As they stop at the gate to the grounds, the security guard recognizes Traci, and Whelan realizes that he’s driving his boss. Her home, Wisteria Cottage, is modest but lovely. Whelan offers to drive Traci’s car back to resort the next day.

Ray Bierbower visits Traci’s office to return her car keys; he reveals that the cause of Parrish’s death is fentanyl poisoning. The death has been ruled a homicide. Press vans and reporters set up outside the main gate. Andy Plankenhorn tells Traci to let public relations handle things, reminding her that the people of Bonaventure “think [her] and everyone connected to the Eddings family are just a bunch of uppity, rich, entitled billionaires” (217). Traci makes a statement to the press, asking them to be respectful of her guests’ privacy.

Whelan researches Traci and learns that she got engaged to Hoke when she was 19, during the summer she was lifeguarding at the pool when Hudson died. He observes Traci speaking to the press and talks with her afterward. She offers to give him a ride home since he doesn’t have his vehicle. Ric sees the televised press conference and angrily calls Traci. She hangs up on him, saying that she has a hotel to save.