It was only two short blocks to Rayburn House, built back in the days when this end of Main Street had boasted several large houses where the wealthy of Baron Hollow had lived. Now, of course, the remaining wealthy families wanted larger lots and quieter streets, and built their mansions on mountain slopes to look down on the quaint little town. And what had once been large houses had mostly been turned into businesses of one kind or another, with a few divided into apartments or condos. Jessie turned her car into the driveway of what was now an inn rather than the family home, reflecting that if it had been Emma’s idea to turn Rayburn House into a paying proposition, it had been a good one. Judging by the parking lot Jessie could see, off to the side and nicely landscaped so it wasn’t ugly, Rayburn House was doing good business, at least on this weekend. There was a rather unobtrusive sign that read VALET PARKING, so she left the keys in the car when she got out. The long and wide front porch held several rocking chairs and small tables; one middle-aged couple was enjoying the summer morning with iced tea and a plate of cookies.
