by Emily Selby
Katie's chest filled with warm tingling.
'Thanks for that, Jack. I'll ask my friend Dorothy. She's offered her help many times. Will you let me know when you're ready to call in?'
'Will do. I'm bringing the food, remember?'
'Okay. I'll prepare dessert.'
'Is that all I'll get in return?' he asked, and a cheeky note crept into his smooth baritone.
'I thought you liked talking to me,' Katie answered, feeling her cheeks getting hotter and hotter.
'Of course, I do. It's always a pleasure. Particularly if I can also hold your hand at the same time. '
'And to eat my dessert with the free hand?'
'That's even better,' he said.
She giggled.
'Sorry, Katie. I have to go now,' he added, a serious note creeping into his voice. 'Chloe MacGregor hasn't returned my call, but I need to find her. I'd better catch her before she has another wardrobe malfunction and enlists another friend to rescue her or does something equally irresponsible.'
'Like disappears before you can talk to her?'
'That would be really bad for her.'
18
Thank goodness for Dorothy Ravencroft. Her paper crafts loving friend was not only keen to help stay with Julia, she didn't mind helping Julia with her homework. Julia was surprisingly happy about it, too.
Katie rushed out of her flat, holding the folder with her CV and letter of application tightly to her chest. It was a cold evening; the wind had just picked up, but the air was fresh and crisp. Still no rain. Unusual for this time of year.
She drove through the town and then along the stream, taking care not to miss the turn.
The Sunny Corner Hotel had become very popular in recent months. The local grapevine said the owner's daughter had come up with an effective marketing strategy that attracted a hungry audience.
Katie turned into the hotel's car park and her jaw dropped. The hotel was more popular than she thought. All the spaces were filled with rows of cars of various types.
She drove along a dirt road leading to the stream and left her car as close to the nearest lamp post as she could. The car should be visible, and she could see the hotel door.
Apart from a little dark patch by the bushes, everything was reasonably well lit.
Katie climbed out of her car, clutching her folder. She zipped her jacket and pulled up the hood. She didn't like having the hood on - she couldn't see properly – but the dry, cold wind stung her face.
Katie trotted forward, keeping her eyes on the hotel front door, fifty yards or so away. Catching her foot on something, she stumbled.
She stopped and turned, straining her eyes. The dirt road was dark and appeared flat in the dim light of the nearby lamp post.
Katie bent to have a closer look. Something glistened just by the grassy edge.
A shoe?
Katie pulled her phone out of her handbag and used the torch app. She picked the shoe up.
Nice shoe. A pump, medium heel. Good quality leather in a neutral beige colour. With its pair, it would look perfect in the house she planned to buy from Michael Bower.
But why was the shoe there? Where was its owner?
Katie's heart rate accelerated. She squatted on the side of the road, by the bushes and used the light on her phone to search the tall grass.
A wide trail created by crushed blades led further into the bushes. Katie stepped forward, pushing aside the cold branches, and cringing every time her face touched a freezing twig.
A dry stick cracked underfoot. She jumped, and more icy twigs whipped her face.
Katie shivered.
There was nothing there. Maybe the beige pump had fallen out of a bag or a box?
She turned around as carefully as she could. Time to go back. A wintery Cinderella must have lost her glass slipper. A prince should have found it, not a freezing, tired, single mother who needed to find a job, not another body.
A body?
The light from her mobile bounced off something shiny. Another beige slipper?
With her heart thumping faster than her teeth were clattering, Katie pushed away the branches obstructing her view.
Oh, my goodness!
A body with a stripe of something dark around the neck. A cord with a tassel?
Katie touched the woman's cheek and searched for a pulse at the side of her neck.
Nothing.
She tapped Jack's number with numb, trembling fingers, unable to keep from staring at the dead woman's swollen face.
'Jack, where are you?'
'At The Sunny Corner Hotel, in the lobby, still waiting for Chloe MacGregor,' Jack replied. 'She left about an hour ago after she received a message. She's not answering her phone.'
Katie glanced at the still body, not sure entirely sure. But the shoes were quite new and nice.
'I think I've found her.'
'Don't let her go anywhere.'
'She won't go anywhere,' Katie said and squeezed out the tears gathering in her eyes. Another life being extinguished. A young, beautiful life. 'She's dead, strangled,' Katie croaked.
'Where are you?' Jack's voice was sharp. 'Get out into the light right now. The killer may still be there.'
'Okay,' Katie said automatically and pushed the branches aside, heading back to the path.
'Talk to me all the time,' Jack called. 'I'm on my way.'
'I'm just walking through the grass,' Katie said, struggling to move her mouth as if it was wooden. 'It's cold, and yuck.'
'Keep talking. Where are you?'
A door slammed in the background. She could hear him running, and his breathing grew heavier.
'To the left, on the path that goes along the stream.'
'I'm on my way, keep talking.'
She did. Until she saw him running towards her and ran in his direction. He caught her in his arms, just for a few seconds. It felt warm and safe, and calm.
'Are you alright?'
Katie nodded.
His lips touched the top of her head. She hadn't even noticed the hood must have slipped off.
'Thank God you're okay. Go inside. Get a hot drink. I'll find you later. Where is the body?'
Katie forced herself to break away from Jack's hold and point towards the bushes.
Jack gestured to one of the staff members who must have followed him and was standing nearby. 'Can you please take this lady inside and make her a hot drink?'
'Yes, sir,' the uniformed staff member replied and beckoned Katie.
She duly followed him inside.
Into the warmth and light and safety.
19
Katie accepted the cup of tea made by the receptionist and tried to push away the image of Chloe's beautiful face deformed by the effects of strangulation, she guessed, and approached the desk. Even if it felt a little callous, she was here for a reason. And it was an important reason, and she might not get another chance soon. Mr McBride and other staff members would inevitably get dragged into the investigation any moment.
'Could I see Mr McBride? I'm interested in the position of temporary receptionist if it is still open.'
The receptionist beamed. 'Oh, did I talk to you the other day?'
Katie nodded. 'Probably. I'm Katie Redford.'
'I'll let him know you're here.' The receptionist grabbed the phone and after a few seconds, she announced that Mr McBride would come to talk to Katie shortly.
Katie steadied her breath. Since she was here anyway, she could do some sleuthing.
'That guest who has gone missing, did she just go for a walk?' Katie asked cautious not to reveal that Chloe had just been found dead.
The receptionist, who must have been new to town, as Katie didn't recognise her face, rested her elbows on the counter.
'No,' she said quietly. 'There was a message for her here, in the cubby hole,' the receptionist pointed at the set of tiny shelves. 'Someone must have put it in there while I was in the conference room. After I came back from my tea break,
the message was gone.'
'What time was this?'
'I went to check on the conference at about 1.15 pm and was back fifteen minutes later. The message disappeared between three-thirty and four o’clock.'
'Did Miss MacGregor know there was a message waiting for her?'
'Yes, I rang her when I first saw it. She was in her room, having a nap. She said she had a headache, she returned to her room after lunch.'
'Did she socialise with anyone here?'
'No, she kept herself to herself, ever since she arrived on Monday.'
'You have so many guests, and she'd never talked to anyone?' Katie asked, letting the doubt creep into her voice.
'She wasn't part of the "Healthy Living for Mums" conference, if that is what you're referring to,' the receptionist explained. 'Those guests all stick together. All twenty-five of them. But I heard her talking on the phone during lunch.'
Twenty-five people! All of them at a crime scene. There was no way Jack would finish before midnight.
The dinner date was called off. Katie's heart sank. She was so looking forward to it.
'Are you all right, miss?'
'Call me Katie,' Katie said shaking off the disappointment and bracing herself to make the most of this opportunity.
'I'm Amanda,' the receptionist said and smiled.
Mr McBride appeared in the lift door.
'Mrs Redford, Katie, good evening.' He beckoned her. 'You want to talk to me? Follow me.'
Katie grabbed her folder from the reception counter and trotted after Mr McBride, following him into one of the meeting rooms.
It didn't take long. Mr McBride was to the point, at times his honesty stung a little, but Katie kept her composure. Hard work, set hours, but filled with running around, doing whatever needed to be done with a smile to please the guests.
She could do that.
'Right, so are you ready?' Mr McBride struggled to his feet. His rounded belly was clearly getting in the way.
Katie looked up at him. Had she missed something?
'Ready for what?'
'For work?'
Katie opened her mouth and closed it again. 'Like now?' she asked, keeping her voice in check.
'Well, why don't you start now?' he said leaning on the back of the chair.
'Because I've got my daughter waiting for me at home,' she said slowly. 'It's late and I wasn't prepared to start tonight. Or tomorrow. I can start on Monday.'
Mr McBride's pouted his heavy lips.
'What about a couple of hours over the weekend? We've got a yoga retreat starting Friday night and ending on Sunday morning. There'll be a lot of work. We can give you a quick training.'
Katie stood up, clutching her handbag.
How badly did she need the job? How much direct contact would she have with Alistair McBride?
'I'll need to reshuffle some of my commitments, particularly child-care wise. Can I let you know tomorrow morning or should I talk to someone else about it?' she asked.
'Oh, I'm stepping back from the direct management. My daughter Ellen’s in charge. The receptionist will give you her contact details. You talk to her.'
'Thank you. I shall,' Katie replied. Her phone rang. 'I'm sorry, I think I really must go now. Thank you for your time, Mr McBride.'
Katie walked out, keeping her head high, even though her heart was sinking.
She really, really hoped, Ellen McBride, or whatever her name was, was a little less abrasive than her father.
She checked her phone. Three missed calls, all from Jack.
She called him back immediately.
'Where are you, Katie? I need to talk to you. I'm in the lobby.'
'Two seconds.' She disconnected and rushed to the lobby.
He was sitting in the large club armchair and jumped to his feet as soon as he spotted her.
'I'm sorry about the wait. The forensics are here. We have to interview everyone in the hotel. I just need a few details.'
'No problem,' she said working hard to keep her voice casual, as if it really wasn't a problem.
She told him about the shoe and how she found the body.
'She was strangled, wasn't she?'
'With a curtain tieback.'
'Where did if come from?'
'The lobby,' Jack said, pointing to one of the windows at the front – one with a badly arranged curtain.
Katie tried to push the image of Chloe's beautiful, swollen face and the cord out of her mind.
'It must've been someone staying at the hotel. Or someone who knew she was staying at the hotel,' Katie said. 'Have you found the message?'
Jack nodded. 'She had a scrap of paper in her hand. I think it was a piece of message the receptionist was referring to.'
'Is there anything written on the scrap?'
'Just a few words, ripped. "I sa..." and then "mee..."'
Katie narrowed her eyes as if that helped her to see what she couldn't see.
'As in, "I saw you... meet me with the money"?'
'That's a quick assumption, but not unlikely,' he replied. 'We didn't find any money on her, but, if I'm also allowed to make an assumption, I wouldn't be surprised if it was an attempt at blackmail.'
Jack lowered his head and clasped his hands. 'I've got to go. Twenty-five mums to interview, plus a handful of staff.'
Katie's throat tightened again.
'I gather you won't be coming for dinner tonight,' she stated, although it was intended as a question.
He looked at her. His face furrowed.
'I'm sorry. I was really looking forward to it.'
Even though Katie had guessed, she was still disappointed. 'We'll have to try another time.'
'First available. And I'll catch up with you tomorrow morning for a formal statement,' he said taking her hand in his. Katie soaked up the warmth that radiated from his palms. She didn't realise her hands were so cold and numb. 'Your hands are freezing, Katie. You need to go home and warm up.'
'Yes,' she said reluctantly sliding her hand free. 'I'd better go. It's Julia's bedtime. Is there anything I can do for you to make things easier?'
'Actually, yes. I need more information on Chloe MacGregor. Chris and I will be busy dealing with stuff here. I've already called your friend, Ally, and told her about Chloe's death. She burst into tears. She's clearly upset, but if you could get her to talk to you, it'd be very helpful.'
'What are you after?'
'Anything about Chloe's stay in Sunnyvale. What she was doing at the café. If she saw anyone or anything there. Her stay at the hotel. Has she mentioned any people who might have approached her? Anything that could help solve the mystery.'
'I'll do my best,' Katie promised.
20
Katie drove home with her heart aching and her head buzzing.
She rang Ally, but her phone must have been switched off. Katie was looking forward to a chat with Dorothy, who maybe knew something about Ally's friend-cum-sister-in-law. Dorothy knew things.
Once Julia was in bed, Katie put the kettle on and gave Dorothy a quick update on the latest events from the hotel. Then, she took the leftover cake out from the fridge.
'It's two days' old,' Katie warned. 'But it's from Sunita.'
Dorothy waved her hand. 'I'm sure it's more than good. When did you get it? The café was closed today.'
Katie put the plate with the cake on the table. She was too tired to bother with the cake stand.
'I got it yesterday. Is the café still closed? Haven't the police finished searching it?'
'They finished by eleven and Sunita was going to reopen, but then, a disaster struck.'
'What's happened? Are things getting a little too much for Sunita?'
'I exaggerate a little,' Dorothy giggled. 'They had some sort of plumbing incident. They're closed until tomorrow. But, you’re right, it is getting too much for Sunita. I don’t think she's coping very well with the stress of running the café by herself. I was there when she tried to get hold of Miriam, h
oping to beg her into returning to work.'
'Oh, my... 'Katie shook her head. 'Sunita must have been really beside herself but, with everything that’s going on right now, it would be so unfair to expect Miriam back at work.'
'That's exactly what I told Sunita. By the way, Miriam hasn’t answered her phone all afternoon.' Dorothy's last words vibrated in the air.
Katie wondered if Dorothy was trying to tell her something between the lines, but she felt too overwhelmed, juggling multiple threads already.
'Miriam's too busy with her own stuff to have the spare headspace for the café, I'm afraid. But what a bad luck for the business and Sunita.' Katie poured the boiling water into the prepared mugs. 'They've had a series of unfortunate events. Some problems with the kitchen, with their new chef being off sick, Miriam having to step back a little, now this...'
Katie brought the steaming mugs to the table and settle into her seat.
'You forgot about the murder,' Dorothy added, wiggling her eyebrows.
'That's because, first of all, the police are still unsure if it was a murder. And then, because they don't know where it all happened.'
Dorothy cocked her head. 'And what do you think?'
Katie put a slice of Victoria sponge on her plate. Although not a fan of sponge cakes, she needed a sugar boost.
'I think it was a murder. Particularly now, Chloe has been strangled.'
Dorothy stirred her tea, even though she hadn't added any sugar. 'Sad story with that girl. Did you say she was Ally's friend?'
'Yes. And her husband's sister, I understand. By the way,' Katie said, jumping at the opportunity to do her sleuthing, 'do you know anything about Chloe?'
'No. But compiling various snippets of gossips I've heard on Chloe and what I know about Ally, I guess they must have met when Ally was studying in London.'
'Actually,' Katie collecting the crumbs on her plate with her fork. 'I don't know much about Ally, either. I must admit I didn't listen to her presentation on Tuesday. I was too busy worrying about mine. What did she study?'
'Ally has a business degree. She worked in some sort of consulting agency in the past. Her presentation was all about developing the club in a more professional way. I almost had a sense that she was going to turn it into a fully functioning profit bringing business.' Dorothy paused and sighed. 'To be honest, I didn't like it one little bit.'