EPISODE 7, SCENE 2

Marshal Bill Tramaine studied the lock on the door of Mason Foster's woodworking shop. "Someone who knew what they were doing picked this lock." Mason nodded, numbed by his bad luck. Sometime late last night, a thief had broken into the shop and ripped off most of Mason's custom tools and all of the commissioned pieces he'd been working on. Kelly stood by her husband, feeling his despair. It was an unpleasant echo of their Boston apartment break-in last June.  This was worse.

"You got insurance for the loss?" Tramaine asked. Mason shook his head bitterly. "I didn't think I needed it in this kind of town."

"Any idea who might've done it?" Tramaine asked. "You hire any untrustworthy assistants?"

"No," Mason answered. "I do all of the work myself."

"You've had clients in the shop," Kelly said. "Maybe you can give the Marshal a list." Mason grimaced, sarcastic.

"So much for repeat customers," he said.

After Tramaine left, Mason slumped down on a workbench and surveyed his ransacked shop. "Where can I go from here, Kel? I'm stuck."

"One good job and you'll be able to replace the tools you lost," Kelly offered, "and  you can start again. She knew her words wouldn't weigh much to him. Mason was in a deep funk. He just seemed moody and disappointed all the time. Kelly, on the other hand, was so busy with her teaching gigs at the ski school and real estate work that she hadn't devoted much time to the marriage. She didn't want to admit to herself that they'd grown apart.

An idea occurred to her. She'd talk to Jordan Thorne about hiring Mason to build the cabinetry for Clifftop. It would be a perfect calling card. Mason would have as much work as he wanted, and be able to afford to replace his stolen tools. It might be just the thing to bring him back to life, and back to Kelly. She wondered why she hadn't thought of it before.