Once I was sure that Tate and Skye were gone, I hopped on my skateboard and rode it back to my lonely townhome. I was feeling a bunch of different things. Confusion, guilt, anger. In other words, it was just your typical Sunday. Cue the choir.
Actually, I did need to stop by and see my parents. My dad had called me three times the previous week, and Jill had called me twice. It had been too long since I’d checked in with them. Sometimes it was just difficult. Of course, I felt guilty about not visiting my parents more often, and we live in the same area, but seeing my parents can be stressful.
When I reached my townhome, I went inside and traded my skateboard for my car keys. I drove to the old part of town where my parents still live in my childhood home. It was just three doors down from Jed’s family home, and I knew Jed lived there now. I avoided looking at Jed’s house as I pulled onto the quiet tree-lined street and parked my car in my parents’ driveway.
I opened the backdoor—the door is usually unlocked to allow for the easy transition of my mom’s caregivers—and I walked inside.
“Hey Mandy,” greeted the day nurse, Jill. “It’s good to see you. I didn’t expect to see you today.” Jill hugged me. Jill has worked for my parents for over a year now. At first, the nurses came and went like the weather, but Jill was a true angel who stuck with us despite all of my family’s difficulties. “You picked a good day to stop in. Your mom is having a good day. She’s in the family room with your dad. She’s chipper today.”
“Thanks, Jill. I really mean it, thank you.” I fought the tears that formed in my eyes. In the past several months, my mom’s health declined rapidly. She was in and out of the hospital multiple times the month before my dad decided to have hospice care brought to our home. Mom’s visits to the hospital lessened dramatically with the help that she received at home from great nurses like Jill.
“Are you okay, honey?” Jill leveled her brown eyes to mine and rested a strong hand on my shoulder.
“I am. I just feel bad that I didn’t stop by sooner.”
“Well, don’t worry about that now. You go on in there and say hello to your parents.”
“I will.”
I walked slowly through the kitchen and down the hall toward the family room. In the past, I would always build myself up for visits. Today, though, I was visiting on a whim, and I hadn’t had the time to prepare myself. I didn’t have time to think about the wheelchair in the corner or the antiseptic smells that replaced the pleasant smells I remembered from my mom’s cooking. Gone were nights of laughing around the dinner table while my parents swapped stories about their workdays.
“Mandy!” My dad greeted me, as he stood from the kitchen chair where he was seated. “Lydia, look who it is.”
My mom didn’t stand or turn to look at me. She sat in her hospital bed with tubes in her arms and a new one at her throat. She was staring straight ahead. I walked around her bed so that she could see me, and took her hand in mine. Jill brought a chair from the kitchen and placed it behind me so that I could sit near my mom.
“Hey Mom, I’m sorry I didn’t make it out here last week. Things got a bit crazy at the Chalet. Did you hear?”
My dad spoke. “We saw it on the news. Just awful. Are you okay?”
I shrugged. “I’m trying to take it one day at a time.”
“We’re surprised to see you. You usually call before you stop by. You just missed the chaplain he was here for about an hour. Did you have the day off?”
“I did,” I replied, feeling guilty. I could have spent the day with my parents, but I spent it with Tate and Skye instead. “I went skateboarding with some friends.”
“You’re still doing that? Did you hear that, Lydia? Mandy went skateboarding today.”
My mother remained quiet.
“Yes, I was helping my friend’s daughter learn how to ride. Anyway... I missed you both, so I thought I should stop by.” I wondered how long my mom had the tube in her throat. I swallowed against the rocks that I felt in my throat.
“You have a chaplain visiting now?”
“Well, yes. I thought it might comfort your mom, and it’s part of her hospice care.”
I nodded. My mom used to like to attend the local Presbyterian church on Sundays and stay after to talk to the pastor.
“We know you’re busy with the Chalet. We saw Jed last night. Did he tell you he’s been coming by?” My dad asked.
“No. Jed? Really?” Hearing about Jed’s visits surprised me. Not because Jed hadn’t told me—we rarely spoke—I was surprised that Jed stopped by to see my parents at all. I guess I had assumed that when he ghosted me, Jed ghosted my parents too. Feelings of surprise and relief that Jed still spoke to my mom and dad filled my heart.
“Yes, he comes by at least once a week to talk. He’s a good guy. We’ll never understand why the two of you never got together, will we, Lydia?”
It hurt to hear my dad ask my mom questions with no hope of her giving him a verbal response, but I did feel the slightest sensation in my mom’s hand when Dad mentioned Jed.
“Sometimes things just aren’t meant to be, I suppose,” my dad continued.
“No, they aren’t,” I agreed. I didn’t know how to mend my relationship with Jed. It was best not to give my dad any hope. “Did Jed mention the case?”
“No. Jed doesn’t talk about work very often. We just talk about everyday things. Sometimes we play chess.”
“Really?” Jed must spend a lot of time with my parents when he visits. My dad and Jed used to have marathon chess games when I was a kid. With the time it takes for my dad and Jed to finish a game, I was surprised I hadn’t run into him on one of my visits. Then again, knowing Jed, he probably made sure he didn’t show up while I was there.
“I don’t know why you are so surprised, Mandy. Jed used to stop by all the time when you were kids. I was the one who taught him how to play chess. You never wanted to learn.”
I laughed. “You’re right. I was too busy bouncing off the walls. I couldn’t sit still long enough to play the game.” I was always the yin to Jed’s yang. I was always bright and lively, and Jed was always quiet and introspective. Dad loved me and indulged my wild side, but I knew he enjoyed having Jed’s quiet presence as well. I was an only child, and I think Jed sort of rounded out our family for my dad. He was the son my dad never had.
“Did you have a good time?” my dad asked, and I realized that he said it more than once before I registered that he was speaking to me. Furthermore, I had no idea what he was talking about. My thoughts about Jed distracted me from my dad’s conversation.
“When?” I asked, suddenly confused.
“When you went skateboarding.”
“Oh, yes, it was okay.” For a while. I decided not to mention that my friend was a single man with a child.
“It’s July fourth, are you going to see the fireworks tonight?” My dad asked me. I remembered how Dad used to pile young Jed, me, and my mom in our old Subaru station wagon and drive us down the mountain to see the fireworks. My mom would pack a picnic, and we would sit and eat on a blanket before the display began. After the picnic, Jed and I would lie on the cool grass and watch the colorful explosions overhead. I always loved those times.
“No, I think I’ll stay in and watch them from my balcony.”
“Yes, I think we’ll do the same, won’t we, Lydia?”
“I asked Jed if he wanted to go, but he said ‘no.’”
My dad frowned. Honestly, he looked a bit sad. “I don’t think Jed enjoys fireworks anymore.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
My mom remained quiet. I love my parents. I love my old home, but it was full of memories, and I was having a difficult time getting past them. I wondered if it was the same for Jed when he stopped by to see them. Did seeing the old house and my parents make Jed sad too? I doubted it, otherwise, I don’t think he would spend so much time with them. How had I not known about his visits to my parents?
Jill re-entered th
e room. “It’s time for Lydia’s medication, Mr. Swift.”
“Right.” My dad hopped up again so he could help Jill. “Mandy, would you like to stay for dinner? I could do a grill out, just like old times.”
“Um,” suddenly I couldn’t face things, and I made something up. “Actually, I just remembered I have a bunch of paperwork I need to get to before work tomorrow.” I jumped from my chair.
“Oh, that’s too bad, isn’t it, Lydia? We sure enjoy visiting with you. Maybe later this week then?”
“We’ll see. I’ll call you,” I promised for the millionth time. I felt awful for the millionth time as well. My chest tightened uncomfortably. I needed to leave. I wasn’t ready to see my mom like this. I shouldn’t have come. I should have answered Dad’s calls.
I rushed from the room with Jill at my heels.
“Mandy, wait, please,” Jill said softly as I reached the backdoor.
I turned and Jill set a calming hand on my shoulder. “When did she get like that, Jill?”
“Like what, honey?”
“The tubes, the stupor? Can she even hear us? Does she know we are there?”
“She’s still in there, honey, she can hear you, she just can’t say much. The feeding tube was last week. I tried to call you. Your dad did too.”
“How long does she have?” It was all I could think of at the moment. My mom couldn’t get out of bed, she couldn’t speak, and she couldn’t eat on her own. She depended on my dad and a team of nurses. When I stopped by a few weeks ago, mom wasn’t quite so bad, was she?
“Only God can say, honey. I can’t tell you what to do, but it wouldn’t hurt if you stopped by more often. Things wouldn’t be so shocking.”
I nodded. “I’ll try.”
“Trying and doing are two different things. Your dad needs you too. He’s so brave, but he could use his daughter’s support.”
“I know. It’s just the memories.”
“I know it’s difficult to watch a parent go through this. Just know that she appreciates seeing you and misses you when she doesn’t. Hey, maybe stop by while Jed is here sometimes. He just seems to have the touch, you know?” No, I didn’t know.
“I’ll think about it. I’ll call soon,” I promised as I stepped out the door.
NINE
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” – Will Rogers
I DRANK TOO MUCH ON Sunday night. I know that drinking wine isn’t the answer to my problems, but I gave it a try anyway. Seeing my mom so ill and my dad, he seemed so old, it was difficult. When had it all happened? When did they change? The wine I drank didn’t help my disposition, and I slept poorly that night and I was tired and grumpy as a result.
On Monday, I was busy reconciling accounts payable documents—one of my least favorite jobs—when I had an unexpected interruption. “Mandy Swift?” I turned my eyes away from my computer monitor and looked up. In front of me stood a tall, slim, attractive woman with auburn hair who was wearing a charcoal gray pantsuit and sensible shoes. She reminded me a bit of Agent Scully from ‘The X-Files.’ Although Agent Scully had a more pleasant disposition and a handsome partner. Sadly, this woman arrived unaccompanied.
“Yes?” I answered. I hadn’t even heard the woman walk into my office.
“I’m Agent Susanne Riley from the FBI. Your police captain, Jed Link, told me you were expecting me.”
“Right.” I removed my reading glasses and set them on my desk. I nodded towards the empty desk chair across from me, and the agent sat in it. “How can I help you?”
“I’d like to talk to you about Jonah ‘Crater’ McMurphy,” she explained. “I understand that you were the individual who discovered his body on Saturday morning.”
“That’s right. A couple of my staff realized that Mr. McMurphy wasn’t responding when they visited his suite, and they contacted me. When Mr. McMurphy didn’t respond after repeated attempts to rouse him in his suite, I used my passkey to enter the room. That’s when I discovered his body.”
Agent Riley nodded. “I understand that you had a few interactions with Mr. McMurphy during his stay.” I was a little surprised that the agent mentioned my exchanges with Mr. McMurphy. To my mind, our interactions were limited and of little consequence.
“Well, as the manager of the Chalet, I did speak to Mr. McMurphy.”
“What were your interactions with Crater McMurphy like?” How could I characterize my exchanges with Crater McMurphy? To be honest, our conversations were friendly with a touch of creepy—all of the creepy coming from him. I decided to keep my personal feelings about Crater to myself for the moment.
“The first time I met him was in Slopes, our onsite bar. He was at the bar having a drink, and Mr. McMurphy recognized me from my days as a professional snowboarder. We chatted for a few minutes and I told him not to hesitate to ask if he needed assistance with anything during his stay.”
Agent Riley’s eyebrows rose a bit as if what I said was somehow surprising. “Do you make the same offer to all of your male guests?”
Ignoring the subtext of the agent’s question I replied, “When I meet any of our guests, I make sure that they feel welcome and they know our staff is here to help them during their stay.”
“Right. And your other interactions with Mr. McMurphy, what were they like?”
“I ran into Mr. McMurphy on Friday morning just before nine. He was with three of his friends, and he was headed to our spa. I greeted them and offered the use of the Chalet’s pool to Mr. McMurphy’s friends. And you might as well know, I was aware that Mr. McMurphy had a bit of a reputation for causing trouble in the past, and I asked him if I needed to worry about his behavior during his stay here.”
Agent Riley cocked an eyebrow. “And what did he say?”
“Mr. McMurphy said he had no intention of causing trouble, and I believed him.”
“I understand that Mr. McMurphy told you he and his friends were camping that evening.”
“He did.”
“And that he invited you to join them,” the agent shifted her gaze and her mouth formed a tight line. I wondered how the agent knew about Crater’s invitation. Had one of his friends mentioned it? I never even took the invitation seriously. I knew Crater was a flirty guy who liked to cause a stir.
“He may have invited me, but I didn’t believe that the invitation was sincere. I think Mr. McMurphy was just playing around. He seemed like a bit of a flirt.”
Agent Riley crossed her legs and switched gears. “Besides you, Ms. Swift, who has access to the guest suites?”
“The guests, of course, have their own keys, and several of the staff have passkeys so they can enter the rooms to provide service.”
“For example?”
“Well, the housekeeping staff and the maintenance staff have passkeys.”
“Anyone else?”
“Well, as with any hotel, when a guest checks in, we always ask how many keys they would like for their room. Sometimes guests want an extra key to keep in a second wallet or bag, and sometimes they want an extra key for a family member.”
“Do you know how many keys were issued to Mr. McMurphy?”
“No, but that information will be in his file. It would be easy enough to check.”
“And if a guest were to ask for in-room services, would the staff member be able to enter the room on their own?”
“In-room services?” I asked. I wanted to understand what Agent Riley was asking before I answered her questions. It felt like the agent was trying to trip me up. In fact, our conversation felt more like an interrogation than an interview.
“For example, room service or perhaps a massage? Would either of those staff members have a room key?” The agent shifted her dark eyes and gave me an intimidating look as if she was waiting to catch me in a lie.
“Our room service staff is instructed to knock on the guest doors, and wait to be invited in the suite to deliver the food. Our massage therapists work out of our spa. There is no
reason for them have a key to access a guest's room.” Suddenly, I wanted to know if Agent Riley thought Anne Marie had something to do with Crater McMurphy’s death. Had the FBI agent learned about Annie’s past run-in with the celebrity?
“So, you are saying the room service staff and the spa staff are not issued passkeys?”
“That’s correct,” I sat up straighter in my chair. I wasn’t going to be intimidated by Agent Riley.
“I understand that you encountered Mr. McMurphy again on Friday evening. Is that correct?”
Damn Jed. He must have told Agent Riley that I’d run into Crater at Rascal’s. “Yes. I was having a girl’s night out with two of my friends at nine Friday night. We were having drinks, and Mr. McMurphy approached us at a little after eleven, I think.”
“And what was your interaction like?”
“Well, he, Mr. McMurphy seemed to be in a good mood. He asked my friend and me if we wanted to dance. We turned him down.”
“He asked you and your friend, not friends? I thought you said you were at Rascal’s with two friends.”
“I was. I arrived with my friend Anne Marie, and we met our friend Vanessa at Rascal’s. Anne Marie left just before Mr. McMurphy arrived. She was not feeling well.”
“I see.”
“And Vanessa and I left our table to find Annie shortly after Mr. McMurphy spoke to us.”
“Did you find your friend?”
“We did. She had gone to the parking lot for some fresh air.”
“Then what happened?”
“Anne Marie and I decided to leave for the evening. As I said, she wasn’t feeling well.”
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