by D. K. Hood
Panic shivered down Kitty’s spine. Vulnerable and naked in the tub, she scrambled for a way out of the situation. This person didn’t have her wealth and she could usually buy her way out of anything. “Oh, I don’t remember. We talked about lots of things, but I don’t recall discussing the climax of my story with you.”
“You’ve used my ideas almost word for word and you sure didn’t mention it when you asked me to write the pitch. I wouldn’t have helped you if I’d known you’d intended to change up the ending to the same as my story. Clever though. Did you get one of your editor friends to change the pitch so it matched the new ending? I guess so. That would’ve been out of your ballpark, right?” Her friend turned on the hairdryer and wafted the hot air over her.
Teeth chattering, Kitty shook her head. “I never used all of your pitch. Well, just the elevator pitch because that was ambiguous and very catchy. What was it now? Ah yes, I remember: No place to run, no place to hide. She knew he’d always be there right behind her. I must admit you do have skill in writing an elevator pitch and we all know agents love a hook.” She wrapped her arms around her. The once-warm water was cooling fast and goose bumps prickled her arms. “You’ve had your say, now leave. I’m getting cold.”
“Oh, I haven’t finished with you yet.” Her acquaintance waved the hairdryer around. “Aren’t you enjoying our little chat?”
Not that she cared what this nobody thought of her but relieved not to have a gun pointed at her, Kitty lifted her gaze. “No, I’m not. You’re batshit crazy.”
“I think I am too and I kinda like it.” Her friend laughed. “Well? Is there anything else you want to say to me? An apology, perhaps?”
This was just another jealous person Kitty could do without. A leech wanting to bathe in her success. They wouldn’t dare hurt her. She’d call their bluff. “I’ve nothing to apologize for. You’re acting as if you wrote my book. Get it into your head that I wrote the damn book. Now, I need to get out of the tub, my skin is wrinkling. I’ll look a mess in the morning and the press is everywhere.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I figure you’ll make the news headlines.” Her friend smiled and moved closer. Dangling the hairdryer a few inches from the water.
Terror gripped Kitty as she stared into the menacing face but she refused to back down. “Get that hairdryer away from me. I’ve had enough of your stupid games. I’m getting out the water.” She gripped the sides of the tub, her feet slipping on the bottom as she tried to rise.
“Sit back down. You do know what will happen if I drop this?” The smile widened as her friend twirled the hairdryer from the cord just a few inches above the water. “You’ll be frizzled.”
Trembling with fear, Kitty swallowed hard, trying to think. “What do you want? Money? There’s a few hundred in my purse.”
“A few hundred?” Her friend moved the roaring hairdryer up and down like a teabag. “Nope, that just won’t do it.”
Blinking away tears of frustration, Kitty stared at the uncaring face. “What then? A job. You need a job and my husband—”
“I’d never work for you.” The voice was as cold as the blizzard outside.
The hairdryer swung back and forth like a hypnotizing pendulum of death. Rigid with fear, Kitty dragged her eyes away. “Please, we can work this out. Whatever you want—money, real estate… My husband will give you anything I ask him to.”
Her friend seemed to consider her words, the hairdryer stilling and twirling just above the suds. She pushed wet hair from her face with trembling fingers. “Tell me what you want.”
“An apology would have been nice.” The hairdryer dropped another inch. “Or an acknowledgement in your book.”
Sucking in a breath, Kitty lifted her chin. Oh, she’d get even. How dare this person treat her like this? She’d call the cops the moment her friend left.
“You don’t believe I’ll drop it do you?” The hairdryer brushed the suds sending foam blowing into the air like snowflakes. “I’d like to see you fry in hot oil. In fact, it’s been a fantasy of mine for some time, but I guess water will just have to do.”
Suddenly very afraid, Kitty watched the air from the hairdryer make holes in the suds. Teeth chattering, she looked up at her friend. “If you insist. I’m—”
“Too late.” With a wide grin, her friend let go of the cord.
Horrified, Kitty opened her mouth to scream just as the hairdryer splashed into the water.
Twenty
After supper Jenna followed Kane, Emily, Julie, and Rio into the elevator. “I’m ready to get back to work. What about you?” She looked at Kane.
“There’s nothing else we can do until Wolfe completes the autopsies and we hear back from Bobby Kalo.” Kane shrugged. “We’ll just have to put up with all this luxury.”
Plunged into darkness without a warning, the cab dropped. Brakes shrieked before the elevator bounced to a stop, throwing everyone in all directions. Jenna moved around on hands and knees. “Is everyone okay?”
“Yeah.” Kane touched her shoulder. “Give me your hand.”
Jenna grabbed hold and was pulled to her feet. “Em? Julie?” She peered into the dark, seeing nothing at all. “Zac?”
“We’re okay.” Emily’s voice came out of the pitch black.
“I’m good.” Rio had tumbled into Jenna as they fell. “Are you? Sorry I trod all over you.”
“I’m fine.” Jenna fumbled for her phone and lit up the space with her flashlight. “What the hell happened?”
“The power’s out is all.” Kane’s voice was calm and steady. “Don’t worry, the backup generator will kick in soon, unless there’s a fire or it’s an electrical fault. They have many backups in the resort. Power problems on a mountain in freezing temperatures are normal.”
“Normal?” Jenna stared at him. “I thought the elevator cable had broken.”
“It’s fine, don’t panic.” Kane squeezed her hand. “Trust me, okay? We’re not in any danger.”
The elevator moved, dropped, and then settled again. Julie let out a wail, phones hit the floor, and everyone hung on, anchoring themselves to the handrail. Unease crept over Jenna. She bent to retrieve her phone. “What’s happening? That can’t be normal.”
“The falling is normal. This is a new building and the elevators would be fitted with a braking system that doesn’t require power. Once the cab goes over a certain speed, the brakes engage.” Kane smiled at her. “The reason we moved again is because it also has a battery backup that takes us down to the closest floor. It only works once and often doesn’t open the doors.” He looked at the girls. “We’ll hang tight for a few minutes. It depends what’s happened. As the power didn’t come on straight away, there may be a bigger problem. They might have to find the cause before they turn everything back on.”
“And just how do they do that? This place is massive.” Julie’s face looked pale. “I hate enclosed spaces. It comes from being buried alive.”
“You were what?” Rio looked at her astonished.
“Long story.” Julie shrugged.
“There’ll be a circuit board somewhere and they’ll check for the fault.” Kane smiled at Julie. “Once they locate the fault, they’ll turn on everything in sections. But if you’re worried, I’ll open the doors and we’ll take the stairs.”
“Please open the doors, Uncle Dave.” Julie looked frantic. “I can’t breathe in here.”
“Sure.” Kane turned to Rio. “Give me a hand.” He dug his fingers into the seal on the door.
Keeping the girls to the back of the cab, Jenna held her breath as both men, heaved the door open a few inches before it snapped shut again. She pulled off her boot and when they slid it open again, she stuck the heel into the gap. “Hang on, I’ll get down under you and help.” She dropped to her knees, and with the three of them, they forced the doors back, and Kane used his back on one side and foot on the other to hold the doors open as they all ducked out under his leg.
“That was harder than I
thought it would be.” Kane frowned. “I couldn’t get any leverage. They need to leave a crowbar or something in the elevator in an emergency pane.”
“This is Black Rock Falls.” Rio chuckled. “If they did that, someone would use it as a weapon to kill somebody for sure.”
Jenna moved her phone light around. People were peering out of doors asking what had happened. Phones glowed in the hallway. “It’s just a power failure. Go back in your rooms and try to keep warm. It shouldn’t be too much longer.” She looked at Kane. “Maybe we should call the manager. People are worried.”
“What floor are we on?” Kane walked to the door to the stairs and pulled it open. “Second floor. We might as well go back downstairs and see what we can do to help.” He looked at the girls. “I think we should stick together. Grab hold of Zac’s arms and take it slow. I don’t want anyone falling down the stairs.”
“I’ve got them.” Zac held out his hands for the girls. “Em, use your phone to guide us.”
They made their way down the stairs. Jenna clung to the handrail. The light from the two phones cast unusual shadows, making it hard to see the steps. Used as a fire escape, the staircase had a damp musty smell, as if the cement hadn’t dried, and a strange haunting echo seemed to whistle up toward them. Their footfalls sounded like an old man shuffling along in bedroom slippers. She tightened her grip on Kane’s warm hand, glad of having him beside her. She sure wouldn’t like being alone in this stairwell in the dark.
They finally reached the ground floor and tumbled out into the foyer. It was chaotic, with everyone talking over each other, all huddled around the light from the fireplace. Some had their phone flashlights, but most seemed to believe the blackout was part of a game. Big fat candles had been lit and placed along the front counter. Jenna headed in that direction and waited for the manager, Mr. Brightway, to finish speaking to a guest. She raised her voice. “Is there anything we can do to help?”
“Yes, maybe they’ll settle down if you speak to them.” Brightway pushed a hand through his hair. “I have the maintenance crew checking for a fault. It must be substantial to prevent the generators from taking over.”
“Where are they?” Kane leaned on the counter. “With everything that’s been happening, I think one of us should be with them when they check out the fault.”
“They’re out back of my office. There’s the main power box in there.” Brightway met his gaze. “Be my guest.”
Jenna walked back to Rio. As the only one of them in uniform, he’d be the best person to speak to the crowd. “Try and calm these people down. Get them seated if possible. I’ll go with Dave and see what’s happening.” She looked at Emily and Julie. “Stick to Zac like glue. Any of these people could be a killer. Don’t trust anyone. We won’t be long.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.” Emily smiled at her.
“Keep out of the crowd until we get the lights back on.” Kane narrowed his gaze at the girls. “Are we good?”
“Oh, Uncle Dave, you’re getting more like Dad by the day. We’re all grown up now.” Julie grinned at him. “I can scream real loud and Zac is armed. Do you really think anyone will try to kill us with everyone watching?”
“Humph.” Kane walked away shaking his head.
Jenna chased after him and they walked into the manager’s office and soon found the men examining the circuit board. It was a huge complicated contraption and men were moving power from one grid to another manually. “Have you found the fault?”
“Yes and no.” A man in coveralls was peering at a gadget in his hand. “We have a major problem on the north corridor on the third level. I’ve isolated that floor and we’ll power up the rest of the complex, but it means going door to door to find out which room has the fault. As you are aware, the passkeys require electricity to gain access to the rooms. We have master keys to use in an emergency, so we’ll head off there now. The guests won’t be able to use the elevators until all the floors are reconnected.” He handed Jenna and Kane a passkey. “You’ll need these. They open everything. After a power cut, some of the doors to the stairwell lock to prevent the spread of fire and the lights go out. You’ll find battery-operated card readers beside the doors inside and out if you get into trouble.”
“Copy that.” Kane pocketed the key. “So, you can use these to lock the doors as well?”
“Yeah, and if you need to turn on or off the lights.” The man smiled. “There’s a box inside the stairwell. It’s pretty simple to use. One switch is all.”
“Okay, we’re coming with you.” Jenna lifted her chin. “We need to know if this was an accident or a deliberate sabotage.”
“Sure.” The man smiled at her. “But it’s probably water leaking onto something. In a blizzard anything is possible.”
“We’ll go tell the manager. Maybe he can move the people back into a restaurant or something.” Kane shrugged. “This may take a while.”
Jenna nodded. “Good idea. I’ll go and speak to Mr. Brightway.”
After bringing everyone up to date, Jenna and Kane headed up the stairs following the four-man maintenance crew. The flashlights made it easier to negotiate the stairwell, but it seemed even darker than before. Finally, they spilled out onto the third floor. In the pitch black, the crew’s flashlights made round arcs on the walls that reminded her of the Hollywood searchlights. They pushed out into the hallway and split up to door-knock. They asked the guests if anything had happened to the appliances in their room and found nothing. Many rooms didn’t reply and the crew used the master keys to enter. They had a quick look around and left until they came to room 3/24 and Jenna heard one of the crew swear. She hurried toward him, Kane close behind, his phone light bobbing in the dark. “What’s happened?”
“An accident, it looks like. There’s someone floating in the tub with a hairdryer.” The man’s face was ashen in the flashlight beam as he stepped out into the hallway.
The maintenance man turned to go back inside the room. “I’ll pull the plug from the wall and we can get the power back on.”
“Wait! Everyone stays here. Don’t touch anything.” Jenna grabbed his flashlight and pushed inside with Kane on her heels. Her gaze settled on a naked woman floating just under a film of spent bubbles in the bathtub. A blue hairdryer lay across her chest. The woman’s eyes were fixed in death and staring, her mouth hung open. Pushing shock to one side, Jenna turned to Kane. “Get a few shots and then we’ll disconnect the hairdryer.” She pulled out her notebook and wrote down the time they’d discovered the body. “We don’t have to worry about the time of death. It would have been when the lights went out. It must have been close to ten-thirty.”
“It was ten-twenty-five.” Kane accessed the camera on his phone. “I checked the time on my phone.”
As Kane went to work, Jenna pulled on surgical gloves and went back to the sitting room. The smell of perfume hung heavy in the air and a bottle of white wine sat open on top of a bar fridge. She walked into the bedroom. Discarded clothes littered the bed and an overflowing suitcase suggested the woman hadn’t bothered to unpack. A phone sat on top of a laptop beside the open suitcase. She could see Kane through the door moving around the bathroom. The room had two doors. She’d taken the other to the sitting room. After moving the flashlight around the bedroom, her gaze settled on a purse on the nightstand. Inside, she found a few hundred in crisp bills, credit cards, the woman’s ID, and some promotional bookmarks belonging to Kitty Pandora out of Superstition, Oregon. She stared at them, shaking her head and looked up as Kane walked from the bathroom. “Take a look at this. Is this a coincidence or what?” She walked to a box of books on the luggage rack and, juggling the flashlight, read the back cover. “This book is about a woman who was murdered by electrocution.”
“Frizzled, huh? It’s not a coincidence.” Kane aimed his phone light on the cover. “This is a homicide. I found hairbrushes and product on the vanity. There’s no way she decided to dry her hair in the tub. No one is that stupid
, and it’s all set up for her to style it in front of the mirror.”
Jenna replaced the book and looked at Kane. “This is creepier than you think. During the background check I did into Dakota Storm, her last big deal was for a book titled Body in a Lake: Frozen in Time.” She paused a beat. “Jedidiah Longfellow’s book is titled: Nailed It and now her book is titled Frizzled. More than a coincidence, don’t you agree?”
“What!” Kane’s eyebrows shot almost to his hairline. “I was joking when I suggested that before. This has to be a first.”
A shiver ran down Jenna’s spine. “Yeah, and we’re trapped in a resort with the killer. Now we must figure out what connects these people, and who will be next on his list.”
Twenty-One
Pulling up his collar, Deputy Jake Rowley left the warmth of the barn and made his way through the blinding snow to his ranch house. It had been a long hard freezing-cold day managing the sheriff’s office alone. He could’ve asked old Deputy Walters to come by but dragging the elderly man out in a blizzard wasn’t his style. He’d eaten at Aunt Betty’s Café after picking up his very pregnant wife from her mother’s. They’d been staying there overnight, mainly because it was closer to the hospital, but Sandy had become restless and hadn’t been sleeping, so they’d decided to stay at home. The driving back and forth to tend the horses had been an extra chore, but in his world, Sandy came first and he’d walk through fire if it kept her happy.
He kicked the snow from his boots and shook his coat before entering the mudroom. After hanging up his clothes, he showered and crept into the bedroom. Sandy’s soft breathing met him as he padded silently across the floor. The warm room carried the scent of her shampoo and he slipped in beside her not making a sound. Sleep called to him and he fell into the blissful warmth. The next moment, something jammed into his ribs. Awake in an instant, his hand went to the Glock on his bedside table.
“Jake, are you awake?” Sandy poked him again. “I think the babies are coming.” She turned on the light.