Sconed to Death

by Lynn Cahoon

  Anne glanced up then at the clock. “Five minutes until break. Get past that next stopping point.”

  Rick groaned and, glancing at his notes, started writing again. Bren, Colleen, and Molly were all head down, furiously keying in their stories.

  Cat left them and went to grab a water bottle out of the dining room. While she was there, she adjusted some cookies from one basket to another, cleaned off the table, and refilled the drink refrigerator. Shauna would just have to add the evening treats and bring out a new carafe of coffee and hot chocolate after dinner.

  She heard the timer go off and grabbed her water bottle and headed into the living room. “How’s it going?”

  “We’re just reporting words.” Anne stood by the flip chart and wrote 897 under her name. “This is our second session. We’ll have one more thirty-minute sprint before we head into town for dinner.”

  “I’m at 732 words. But I feel like I’m going to have to trash all of them,” Rick called out. “This plot is killing me.”

  “That’s the problem, you’re supposed to be killing the victim,” Bren teased. “I’m at 550 but they were all really good words.”

  “No filler words like ‘so’s’ in the bunch?” Colleen elbowed her friend. “I’m at 623. But I’m in the middle so I’m totally lost on if the words will stay or not.”

  Finally, Molly raised her hand.

  Anne pointed at her. “You don’t have to do that; I’m not a teacher. What’s your count?”

  “I think I must be doing something wrong.” Molly looked down at the figure she’d written on her notebook.

  “Why, honey?” Now Anne’s voice was softer, less teasing.

  “Because I’m kicking everyone’s butt.” Molly grinned and held up her notebook. “I’ve written 1,020 words. I win the round.”

  Laughter filled the room and the unease Cat had felt after going to the library lifted. Writers could do that for her. They made the load just a little lighter. “Well, there’s still cookies in the dining room if you need some fuel for the last run.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Rick stood but looked over at Bren. “Can I bring you something?”

  Bren pushed herself out of the couch. “I can get my own. Besides, you’ll probably take the last chocolate chip and bring me a peanut butter one if I let you choose.”

  Unwrapping her legs from the chair where she’d curled up, Molly jumped up. “I’m getting a cookie too.”

  When Anne and Colleen were the last ones in the room, Cat sat on one of the chairs. “You guys need me for anything? Any questions?”

  “We’re good. Thanks for setting this retreat up. I know we probably take over the house more than you’re used to, but we’re having a blast.” Colleen opened the water bottle next to her laptop and took a sip.

  “And making some amazing strides on our projects. Even Bren with all the upheaval is finding comfort in focusing on the words and the story instead of things in her life she can’t control.” Anne spoke in a low voice, hoping her friend wouldn’t hear her words.

  “Writing does that. It takes you away for at least a little while. And your group has been amazing. All I offer is a place to stay and write, some food, and a few seminars to talk about writing. The magic is what you make it.” Cat sipped her water considering what she’d just said.

  “It is magic.” Anne nodded. “But it’s also work. And we have five minutes before the last sprint starts so I better grab some fuel and take a comfort break before they get back in here to write. Or else we’ll just talk away our time.”

  “Wait for me.” Colleen followed Anne out of the room.

  Cat walked around and picked up plates and empty bottles and took them into the kitchen. She dropped the plates into the sink and the bottles into the recycling. Shauna was still writing. “I’m going to work in the study. Let me know when pizza is here.”

  A grunt from Shauna was all she got in reply, but that was enough. Cat left the kitchen and moved into the study where she opened her notebook and reviewed what she’d learned. She wrote out the questions she wanted to ask Sandra the next morning and thought she’d be able to just act like the nosy Aspen Hills resident who wanted the gossip.

  She glanced out the window and saw Mrs. Rice’s house ablaze with light. Maybe she should ask the town’s authority on all things gossip what she knew. She had been at the funeral. Maybe she’d picked up something that Cat had missed.

  Cat wrote down on tomorrow’s to-do list: “visit Mrs. Rice.” Her stomach turned just thinking about it. The woman was a master at the art of guilt. Even though Cat had nothing to feel guilty about, the woman would make her feel like she should be visiting more often. Or maybe calling her mother more.

  She sighed and looked at her notebook. Too many unanswered questions to leave any possible rock unturned. She’d have to go talk to Mrs. Rice.

  She was still dealing with her unease when a knock came at the door. Seth stepped halfway into the opening and smiled at her.

  “Pizza’s here. Are you coming to the kitchen?” Cat shut her notebook and, bringing it with her, left the large antique desk and met him at the doorway. She kissed him and then moved under his arm into the hallway. “I’m starving.”

  * * *

  Friday morning, Cat turned her alarm off and squinted bleary-eyed at the clock. Why on earth had she set an alarm for five a.m.? She dragged herself upright, then remembered, the Denver trip. She hurried into the shower and quickly dressed in what she considered her “author costume,” jeans and a cute tank. Then she threw on a corduroy jacket over the top. Checking her look in the mirror, she decided she looked upscale casual.

  She headed out to the hall and moved down to Seth’s room. She knocked, but there was no answer. Assuming he was in the shower, she decided to go downstairs for coffee. She’d call him in ten minutes to wake him up if he didn’t surface by then.

  The house was quiet and still as she made her way down the stairs. She’d always loved the way the house felt first thing in the morning. When she was a professor, she’d left early to hit the gym before anyone else was even awake. Then she’d come home and write until she had to leave for her first class. It had been a good life. One she sometimes missed. She sniffed the air as she came down the last few stairs. Coffee was brewing in the kitchen. Shauna must already be up and getting breakfast ready for the retreat guests.

  Instead of finding Shauna at the stove, Cat saw Seth sitting at the country table, reading the paper and drinking coffee. He’d already showered and dressed in good jeans and a T-shirt that didn’t have either a sports team or a smart aleck saying on the front. He looked surprisingly presentable. He glanced up as she walked into the room and his smile almost melted her on the spot.

  “Good morning, Cat. Ready for our little adventure?” His eyes twinkled as he watched her move to the coffeepot.

  “I’m surprisingly nervous. I know I’ve played a part before, but the more I think about it, I’m not sure this Sandra wasn’t responsible for Greyson’s death.” She poured coffee, then grabbed a couple of cookies from the bowl Shauna kept on the cupboard.

  “I’m starting to agree with you. I’m apparently friends on Facebook with this woman, probably because I was trying to get her to shoot some work my way if she ever did a decorating job in Aspen Hills. I have a lot of designers on my friends list, just in case.” He winked at her. “Anyway, I went back on her feed, and from what I could decipher from her posts, she had a big fallout with her SO a few weeks before his death. She even said she wished he’d just disappear out of her life.”

  “That’s the same time as he transferred the house to her name only. Maybe they were on their way to breaking up?” Cat bit into the peanut butter cookie and groaned. Shauna had the magic touch with desserts.

  “But last week she was back to praising the guy and his attention to her.” Seth grinned. “I guess giving her a mansion free and clear is one way to prove your love.”

  “You could try it with me someday,�
� Cat teased. “I’m pretty sure it would increase your position on the boyfriend scale by at least a few points.”

  Seth glanced around the kitchen. “From where I sit, you already have your mansion. I’m going to have to be more creative.”

  Cat bit into the second cookie and sighed. “It is a good house. Even when Michael and I were house hunting, this was the only one I seriously had on my list.”

  “Yeah, there’s that issue, but the house can’t be blamed for it.” Seth stood and filled a travel cup with coffee.

  “It doesn’t bother you when I talk about Michael, does it?” Cat studied his face to see if she could see a lie if it came. But she shouldn’t have worried. Seth was as up-front as he’d always been with her.

  “The only part of it that bothers me is that I let you go in the first place. If I’d been smart, Michael wouldn’t have had a chance to sweep you off your feet because you would have had the Mrs. Howard title long before you met him.” He held out the bowl of cookies. “Do you want one more for the road? We better get on the road if you want to be back for Tammy’s seminar.”

  Cat didn’t know if Seth had cut the conversation short because of the topic or the actual time, but she was glad he had. She wanted to be sensitive of his feelings, but sometimes, the story she was telling included Michael. It was a part of her history now and Seth needed to understand that. She stood and moved toward the bathroom off the laundry room. “Pour me a travel mug and fill a bag with those cookies. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

  When they’d gotten in the SUV, Seth was quiet for a few minutes as he moved quickly through town and out to the highway. As they drove by Jessica’s house, the boys were getting into Tyler’s Land Rover. Jessica stared at Cat as if she could read her mind.

  They were on the highway before Seth spoke. “Do you really think she has it in her to kill someone?”

  Cat sighed and turned in the seat to meet his eyes. “The problem is, I just don’t know. She’s a different person than who I thought she was when we were friends.”

  “Can someone really change that much?”

  Seth’s question echoed in her head as Cat watched the scenery pass by as they drove through the edge of the national forest between Aspen Hills and Denver. Could Jessica have really changed—from the fun-loving peer who she used to sneak off campus with and grab an ice cream cone between classes—to a stone-cold killer?

  Cat finally turned back to look at Seth. “Maybe some people hide their dark side from everyone for years.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Cat and Seth listened to music he’d downloaded for the trip. Some of the music brought back memories from their high school dating years. When one of her favorites from senior year came on, she grinned at him. “You made a good mix tape for the drive.”

  “I don’t think they call it mix tapes anymore. It’s a playlist.” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “But more important, it’s the playlist of our relationship. There’s a song in there from every year we dated. Including the last two, after you finally came to your senses and came running back to me.”

  “I’m not sure that’s exactly how it happened, but you can live in your fantasy world.” Cat sipped her coffee. “I didn’t ask: did you find the receipts for Uncle Pete?”

  “All neatly accounted for. There is no reason for me to be on the naughty list.” He grimaced. “Although I think clearing my name put Nate on the suspect list.”

  “Wait, how is that possible?” Cat set her cup down and wiped off the lid where she’d spilled after Seth went over a pothole. “Nate seems like a nice guy.”

  “He’s a great guy who tends to lose too much during the poker game. I swear if that guy lived in Vegas he’d be homeless by now. I paid Nate’s rent for several months. That’s how I paid back Greyson.”

  “So then Nate owed Greyson instead of you.” Cat tried to put the scenario in her words so she could understand. “I’m not sure why he mixed up money like that. How would he remember who owed him what?”

  “Greyson was crazy smart about money. He was always giving us investing tips when we played poker. I guess he kept a log or something to keep track of who owed him money.” Seth tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove. “I hated telling Pete that Nate owed Greyson money, not me. Nate couldn’t hurt a fly, much less murder someone. Especially over money. He’s not that type of guy.”

  Cat didn’t want to point out that a lot of murderers were people whose friends and neighbors had no clue of their darker hobbies.

  Seth laughed. “Although I think the only one less excited to hear about Nate’s motive was your uncle. He flat-out told me that his suspects in this case were more like the cast of that summer TV show. You know the one that he talks to Shauna about all the time.”

  Cat couldn’t think of what the name of the show was, but she knew what her uncle was saying. He was addicted to reality television, even the really, really bad shows. “He thinks that everyone who could have wanted Greyson dead is too nice or soft to have really killed the guy.”

  “That about sums it up. I hope we find the grieving girlfriend to be a hard-eyed chick who’d rather cut you than talk to you.” He turned off the highway and onto a section of freeway that would take them downtown.

  “I wouldn’t describe a decorator as hard.” Cat pulled out her notebook. “From what I learned about her on the Internet, she chaired her sorority charity event all four years in college. And she still donates a week’s worth of her business’s profit to the humane shelter every December.”

  “Maybe . . .” Seth stopped and shrugged. “Sorry, I’ve got nothing.”

  Cat put the notebook back in her tote. “Yeah, this is probably a total waste of time.”

  Seth turned off the freeway and drove down a surprisingly quiet downtown street. It even had available parking in front of the building that held Sandra’s offices. “Well, didn’t we just win a lottery. Maybe our visit will be as lucky.”

  “From your mouth to God’s ears.” Cat stared at the art deco building as she climbed out of the SUV. She grabbed some quarters out of her purse and fed the meter for two hours. “I don’t think we’ll need all that time, but just in case.”

  “Stop being such a worrier. I swear sometimes you’re just looking for the sky to fall.” Seth met her on the sidewalk and put his arm around her waist.

  She paused at the doorway. “Maybe this is a bad idea.”

  Seth pulled her to the side to let another woman pass through the doorway. “Why are you so hesitant? This isn’t like you at all.”

  Cat stared inside the expansive lobby. It looked pricy and she felt totally out of her element. She was being silly. She had driven all this way and she was going to get the information she came for. She put her hands on her hips, spread her legs a little, and looked up into the sky. Then she started counting in her head.

  “What on earth . . .” Seth paused, watching her. “Wait, I know what you’re doing. The Superman pose that’s supposed to make you more confident. Do you do this a lot?”

  She saw him glance around to make sure no one was watching. She took a deep breath and kept counting in her head. “Before every signing, especially if I have to present in front of an audience. Now give me a minute so I can keep track of how long I’ve stood this way.”

  He stepped in front of her, blocking her from the people walking into the building. Cat saw him nod to a couple who appeared to be watching her closely. “Good morning. It’s going to be an amazing day.”

  The man responded with a nod as he held open the door for his companion, but the woman gave Seth a cheery response. “Good morning.”

  Seth glanced at her over his shoulder. “Are you almost done? There’s a ton of people walking down the sidewalk.”

  Cat took one last deep breath, then stepped beside Seth. “What? Was I embarrassing you?”

  He held the door open and hurried her into the foyer. “I was just hoping they wouldn’t ask if you were havi
ng a seizure or something. You have to admit, it looks a little odd.”

  “Odd is fine as long as I feel better about my next steps. And I do.” She punched the up button on the elevator. The car must have been waiting at the bottom as the up light blinked, and after Cat and Seth entered the elevator a mechanical voice announced that they were going up. Cat pressed the top button and the car rushed upward to the fifth floor. When the doors opened, they stepped out directly into a waiting room where a woman sat behind a large reception desk.

  As they walked up, the woman smiled so brightly Cat imagined that her teeth must have been bleached to gleam that way.

  “I’m here to see Sandra Collins,” Cat announced, making her voice as perky as she knew the receptionist’s answering tone would be.

  Instead, the woman’s voice was deep like dark chocolate. “You must be Catherine Latimer. Sandra’s expecting you. I’ll just buzz Chi Chi, her assistant, to escort you back. Can I get you some coffee while you wait?”

  “Water would be lovely. I’m about coffee’d out.” Cat downgraded the perky tone in her voice as she turned to Seth. “Do you want something?”

  “Thanks, Kathi,” he said, looking at the receptionist’s nameplate. “A Coke if you have one. Otherwise, black coffee will do just fine.”

  “Perfect. I’ll buzz Chi Chi and then go get your refreshments. I’ll bring them to the meeting room so you don’t have to carry them.” Kathi pushed a button on her switchboard.

  Cat and Seth went over to one of the white couches to sit. She looked at the white rugs under all of the furniture and over the walnut flooring. “I wouldn’t want to carry a cup of coffee over all this white.”

  “I’m not touching that one at all. Why you set me up for all these zingers, I don’t understand.” Seth picked up a copy of Modern Western Living and started flipping through the pages.

  “It doesn’t hurt anyone to be a little self-deprecating at times.” Cat leaned in and looked at the magazine too. She dropped her hand and stopped his flipping. She pointed to a flower garden. “Wouldn’t that look great outside the barn?”