The Inn at Holiday Bay: Proof in the Photo

by Kathi Daley

  “No,” I said. “Lisa said that she went upstairs before Alvin, so he must have left the party after she woke up and headed upstairs. I also remember hearing that Lisa and Alvin had a fight, which caused her to go up alone. If Lisa was passed out with Willa at one point, then Alvin must have been around somewhere. Otherwise, he couldn’t have argued with her.”

  “Good point,” Jeremy acknowledged. “I guess Alvin came back from wherever he was after I went to bed and argued with Lisa. She went up at that point, which is when he must have gone out with whoever killed and stashed him in the shed. If that happened after I turned in, there’s no way to really know when this all went down or who was involved.”

  Colt replied. “Maybe once we know the time and cause of death, we can narrow things down a bit. I’m going to head over and see what the coroner can tell me. I’ll be back in a couple of hours, probably long before your guests begin to stir. If you’re going to head to bed, it would be great if you could leave the cottage door unlocked for me.”

  “You don’t think we’re in any sort of danger from the killer, do you?” Jeremy asked.

  “No. I’m willing to bet the murder was personal, and like I said, I am leaving a man here at the inn to keep an eye on things.”

  Chapter 8

  Colt pulled back into the drive shortly after five a.m. I’d been dozing on the sofa, so I’d seen the light from his headlights. I wrapped a blanket around my body, went to the door, opened it, and stepped out onto the deck.

  “Do you want to come in for coffee?” I asked.

  “I do. I just want to check in with my guy in the car first.”

  I went back inside and started a pot of coffee while Colt headed toward the inn to speak to his man. By the time he made it back to the cottage, the coffee was ready.

  “I’m going to take a cup over to my guy out front. I’ll be back after that.”

  “Here. Take a thermos.” I poured the entire pot into a thermos and then added a mug. “I’ll make another pot for us.”

  “I’m sure Joe will appreciate this.”

  After Colt left, I started a second pot of coffee. I’d nodded off from time to time during the early morning hours, but I suspected Colt hadn’t slept a wink. The poor guy must be exhausted.

  The second pot of coffee was ready by the time Colt returned. I poured two mugs, and then we settled in on the sofa in front of the fire.

  “So do we know what happened? How Alvin died?” I asked.

  “There are no obvious wounds, such as a gunshot or a stab wound. There wasn’t any visible blood on his clothing, nor did the coroner notice any bruising. At this point, the cause of death is unknown, but we should know more once the autopsy is complete, and the test results are received. Based on a lack of any obvious cause of death, I’m assuming something like poison was the murder weapon. I guess we’ll see how it all works out. The coroner did say that he suspects that Alvin died between two and four on Friday morning.”

  “What about smothering?” I asked. “If someone held a pillow or something similar over his face, there wouldn’t be a wound, blood, or bruising.”

  “True. Normally, it would be difficult to smother a healthy male the size of Alvin, but he’d had quite a bit to drink, so maybe. Once everyone from the group wakes up, I can interview them to get a better idea of what went on that first night. At this point, it would be helpful to know where everyone was at all points during the evening.”

  Colt finished his coffee, and I refilled his mug.

  “Should Georgia make breakfast as planned?” I asked.

  “She should make something that she can serve buffet style.”

  “The group requested a continental breakfast, so that works.” I refilled my mug. “I wonder how the news of Alvin’s death will be received. I didn’t know him or any of them well enough to know if he was popular within the group.”

  Colt shrugged. “I guess Carson was fond of him, otherwise why ask him to be one of his groomsmen.”

  “Based on what I’ve overheard, Carson met Alvin through Lisa, who is Fiona’s friend. It was suggested that Carson asked Alvin to be in the wedding as a political move and not necessarily because they were friends.”

  Colt bobbed his head. “Good to know.”

  As they had been the previous morning, Fiona and Carson were the first to emerge. Colt gently told them what we’d found and then asked to speak to each of them individually. We’d set up an interview space in the parlor so that the door could be closed and the conversations Colt had kept in confidence. Carson volunteered to go first. Fiona poured him a cup of coffee, kissed him, and then returned to the kitchen with us to wait for her own interview.

  “I just can’t believe this has happened,” she said as she appeared to be struggling to keep her emotions at bay.

  “Were you close to Alvin?” Georgia asked.

  She smiled a little half-smile. “No. Not really. Alvin is a friend of Lisa’s. Actually, they’re more than friends. They are, or I guess I should say they were, romantically connected. I hope it doesn’t make me look guilty to say as much, but personally, I didn’t really like the guy. He is or, again was, a very aggressive stockbroker, who seemed to be all about the money. I was always concerned that the reason he was even dating Lisa was because of her money. She has a lot of it. Or at least, her daddy does. Alvin has done well for himself, and most would consider him to be wealthy, but he seemed to be after something more.”

  “He was after the prestige that comes with old money,” I guessed.

  Fiona looked surprised. “Exactly. Most people don’t get that, but there is a certain distinction that comes from being part of a family whose wealth extends generations into the past. It isn’t something I care about, but there are those who do. For Alvin, no matter how much money he made on his own, he was never going to have money that was old and musty and told a story. I believe that’s where Lisa came in. Her family history goes back to before her ancestors came to America from England not long after the Revolutionary War.”

  “I think it’s fascinating to be able to trace family lines so far back,” I said. “I’ve only recently become interested in family histories, but now that I am, I find the whole thing captivating.”

  “Well, my family, as well as Lisa’s, goes way back. Not only do we come from old money, but we come from a history complete with longstanding feuds, family ghosts, and plenty of skeletons in our closets. Sometimes I wish I didn’t know where I came from, but most of the time, I’m proud to be an Arlington.”

  “So if Lisa and Alvin are from such different worlds, how did they meet?” Georgia asked.

  “Actually, Naomi introduced them,” Fiona answered. “I’m not actually sure where she met him, but probably at a party. Naomi has made a career out of attending all the important parties.”

  “So Lisa and Naomi are friends?”

  She nodded. “We’ve all known each other since childhood.” She frowned. “I never was all that comfortable with the pairing. I understand what Alvin got from his relationship with Lisa, but I’m really not sure what Lisa got in return. There are those who say I’m only with Carson to tee off my father, but the reality is that I love him with all my heart. Lisa, on the other hand, might just be dating Alvin to make a statement to her parents. They do tend to be controlling.”

  “But she’s over thirty. How much control can they have over her?” I asked.

  “Lisa doesn’t work or have income from any source other than her trust fund and her family. She’s burned through her trust fund, which has put her in a position where she’s totally dependent on her parents for her lifestyle. If they cut her off, she’d be destitute. Or at least less able to travel and party the way she does now.”

  Georgia got up and refilled everyone’s coffee. “I don’t mean to be rude, but you and Lisa are both from wealth, but you run a successful business while she lives off her parents. To the outsider, it doesn’t appear the two of you have a lot in common, and yet you’re frie
nds.”

  She smiled. “We are friends. We’ve been friends since we were born. Our parents are friends. At this point in my life, I have a lot more in common with Jennifer and actually spend a lot more time with her than I do with Lisa, but growing up together does count for something in my book.” She looked toward the door. “I wonder how Carson is doing.”

  “I’m sure he’s fine,” I said. “Colt’s a good guy who just wants to figure out what’s going on. He plans to interview everyone, but unless one of you killed Alvin, I wouldn’t worry about it. He isn’t going to trap anyone into saying anything that isn’t true. You can trust him.”

  She took a sip of her coffee. “Good to know.”

  Right about then, Mike and Ambrosia walked into the kitchen. We all moved out to the dining table, so there was room for everyone to sit while we filled the best man and his date in on what was going on. Jeremy came up about then as well, so there were six of us waiting for Colt to complete his interview with Carson.

  “Whatever could have happened?” Ambrosia asked after we’d all settled in around the dining table. “Alvin was alive and well when we went up to our suite.”

  “And when was that?” I asked, more out of curiosity than anything else.

  Ambrosia looked at Mike. “I guess around one. Fiona, Carson, Mike, and I were sitting around the dining table, talking. We had been playing a drinking game, but we were getting pretty tipsy, so we quit and just talked. I guess it was around one a.m. when the four of us decided to go up to our suites. Willa was passed out on the sofa, and Mike didn’t want to leave her downstairs, so he carried her to her room.”

  “And the others?” I asked.

  Mike answered. “Lisa was passed out on the sofa as well, Alvin was in the parlor, talking to Jordan and Stephanie, and Jennifer was sitting on one of the chairs near the fireplace, chatting with Naomi. When I stopped to pick up Willa, Jennifer mentioned that she was heading up as well, and I did notice her going into her suite by the time I’d dropped Willa in her room and made it to the third floor.”

  “Okay,” I said. “That just leaves Alvin, Lisa, Jordan, Stephanie, and Naomi downstairs.”

  “Lisa said she went up before Alvin, I’m assuming after they argued,” Fiona said. “I guess we’ll need to compare everyone’s stories to figure out who was still up and about when Alvin left.”

  “Colt will ask the questions needed to get a timeline,” I assured everyone.

  When Naomi came down, she told the group that when she went to bed, only Lisa, Alvin, Jordan, and Stephanie were downstairs. She said Lisa had woken by then, and the four were having a conversation about some upcoming benefit.

  “Lisa said she went up before Alvin, so I have to assume that she went up before Jordan and Stephanie as well,” I pointed out. “It seems unlikely that Alvin would stay downstairs alone.”

  “What’s going on?” Jennifer asked after joining the group.

  Fiona explained what had occurred and that everyone would need to submit to an interview.

  “Lisa told me that she and Alvin argued on Thursday night, which is why she went up early,” Jennifer shared. “I asked what they’d argued about, and Lisa said that Alvin had been on the phone half the night, and she was tired of being ignored. I’m not sure who was still downstairs at that point, but I guess you can ask Lisa when she comes down.”

  Carson rejoined the group shortly after Jennifer had joined the group. Colt asked Fiona to come with him next, which she did, although she didn’t look happy about it.

  “Was it brutal?” Naomi asked Carson.

  “Not at all,” he replied. “The police chief asked a lot of questions, but he was patient and helpful. He seems to be after the truth, which I suppose is what we’re all after.”

  “Definitely,” Mike said. “It sounds as if someone here at this party killed the guy, which I am having a hard time believing, but if that’s true, then we need to do whatever we can to help the authorities find the killer.”

  “I just can’t believe anyone here is a killer,” Jennifer said.

  “I agree,” Naomi seconded. “There has to be another explanation.”

  “Like what?” Ambrosia asked.

  “Maybe a member of the staff,” Naomi said.

  I shook my head. “It’s just Jeremy, Georgia, and me here at night. I can assure you that none of us killed the man.”

  “What about a neighbor?” Jennifer asked.

  “What neighbor?” Naomi asked. “We are literally in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Then what about a vagrant living out in the forest somewhere?” she insisted.

  “I don’t think there are any homeless people in the area,” I responded.

  Everyone froze as Lisa came down from upstairs.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “It’s Alvin honey,” Naomi said. “I’m afraid the reason he’s missing is because he’s dead.”

  I watched Lisa’s facial expressions as Naomi got up and hugged her. Her tears seemed real enough, and her disbelief was enough to convince me that she wasn’t the one who killed the man. The question was, if not her, then who?

  Chapter 9

  Colt spoke to Lisa after he finished his conversation with Fiona. Lisa told him that things with Alvin had been tense lately and that she thought he was up to something behind her back. She didn’t know what. At first, she suspected he was cheating on her, but as time went by, she began to suspect it was something else. Lisa told Colt that when she went up, Jordan, Stephanie, and Alvin were all downstairs, but Stephanie had been making noise about turning in, and she suspected that once she headed up, the other two retired as well.

  Colt spoke to Jordan and Stephanie individually, and both stated that they turned in about twenty minutes after Lisa went up, which they estimated to be close to two a.m. At this point, Alvin was sitting alone in front of the fire, sipping on a whiskey. Neither knew what happened after that.

  “So Alvin was the last one up,” I said after Colt had filled me in. “That’s going to make it hard to know what he did next. Did he go out, or did someone come to the inn? And if someone came to the inn, was Alvin expecting him or her?”

  Colt frowned. “I’m not sure at this point, but I do plan to figure this out.”

  “So, are the guests free to go about their day?” I asked.

  Colt nodded. “Based on proximity, logic would dictate that one of your guests is the killer, but after speaking to everyone individually, I just don’t think that is the case. Fiona told me that the group had planned to head to a resort south of here for a day of spa treatments for the ladies and golf for the men. I told her it was fine to keep her reservations. I don’t think any of the ten will flee, and Fiona has promised me that they will all return to the inn this evening if I have additional questions.”

  “So, what now?”

  “I’m going to head back to my office and go over my notes. I’m also going to pull Alvin’s phone records since it sounds like he was on the phone much of the evening. After that, I’m going to head over to the morgue and have another chat with the coroner. He should have his toxicology screen and other tests back by then. I’m hoping we can nail down the cause of death.”

  “Will you be back later?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Probably. I’ll call you. Fiona mentioned that the group should be back here at the inn by seven. I may have additional questions by that point.”

  “The group is due to check out on Monday,” I informed him. “If you haven’t solved the case by then, is it going to be okay for everyone to leave?”

  “Probably. Every guest staying with you is a high profile individual. I know where to find them if I need them. Of course, if I find something that causes one of the guests to stand out as having a real motive, I may change my position on letting everyone go.”

  “Okay, I guess we’ll just play things by ear. Fiona hasn’t asked for a cocktail hour this evening. Dinner will be served at eight. You said she mentioned every
one would be back by seven, I assume to clean up and dress for the meal. If you do need everyone to stay, we can arrange for that. We don’t have guests checking in until Wednesday of next week.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you know after I check a few things out today. The reality is that I can’t require anyone to stay unless I have significant grounds to do so, which at this point, I don’t.”

  After Colt left, I helped Georgia, Nikki, and Jeremy clean the rooms as well as the common areas. We were just finishing when Lacy called to ask Georgia and me if we wanted to go to the house Lonnie was refurbishing with her. Baron Chadwick had added some items to his furniture order, and Lacy needed to go to the house to take photos and measurements. Lonnie was home today, so he had the kids, but she needed to be home by four, so it would be a quick trip. I told her that I would love to go and that I’d ask Georgia. I was sure she would want to come along as well, assuming she didn’t have complicated dinner preparations to attend to.

  Lacy came by just after noon to pick Georgia and me up. It was a forty-minute drive to and from the house, but that left us over two hours to poke around and still be home by four. Plenty of time to satisfy our curiosity. During the drive, we chatted about the upcoming Clam Bake Colt had mentioned. The town of Holiday Bay was big on tourism, mostly because tourism was its only industry. The town seemed to hold a festival of one sort or another most weekends. Summers were the busiest, of course, followed by the fall foliage season and Christmas. Last year, Georgia and I had helped out with both the Lobster Festival and the Wine Festival, which I assumed we’d do this year as well.

  “So what sort of items did Baron Chadwick add to your list?” Georgia asked as we neared the house.

  “He added items to refurbish and to purchase. I want to look at the items he wants refurbished before agreeing to take on the work, and many of the items he added to purchase are part of a set, so I need photos. The items he wants me to find seem reasonable. One of the bedroom sets is missing the tall armoire, although Baron did indicate that the vanity dresser and the nightstands are intact. I need to take another look, but I remember the set, and I think given enough time, I can find what he needs. He also wants to add an end table to match the one that’s currently in the parlor, and he wants me to find a Louis the XV buffet for the dining area. In addition to the items I’m already refurbishing, he wants me to look at the desk in the library, which he initially thought we’d need to replace but can’t seem to find, as well as an eighteenth-century French hutch, which is simply gorgeous.”