by Lynn Cahoon
Why couldn’t these retreats be just about the writing? She glanced at the two dozen roses on the table by the entry. Linda Cook sent them at the start of every retreat. At first Cat had thought it was as a joke, because of her overzealous admirer at the first retreat. But now she realized the flowers were a symbol of hope. Of success and protection for the new guests and for the house that welcomed them each month. Writers were a different lot. Each had their own idiosyncrasies, and each retreat would be different because of that. She took a breath and entered the room.
The murmuring stopped as soon as she walked into the room.
Jessi stood. “I’m so sorry, Cat. This is my fault. Please don’t blame the others.”
Cat waved Jessi back down into her chair and glanced around the circle before pulling up a chair to join them. “What is your fault, exactly?”
Cora started to speak, but Jessi shook her head. Cat waited in the silence.
“Okay, so I got to thinking about Danielle and how she was killed at Outlaw. I thought maybe we might find some clues that the police didn’t know to look for.” Now that the floodgates were open, Jessi talked like she was on a timer and needed to get everything said before the bell rang. “So I hired a car to take us up there. Except when we got there, he ran my card and my money manager had put a hold on my account. I used my school card, and he watches that like a hawk. He steps in when he thinks I’m spending too much. It’s my money, I can spend it any way I want. Anyway, the car left while we were in the saloon. I was trying to get it back when your uncle showed up. I guess we tripped some security system thing I didn’t know about.”
“That explains how you got there, but what happened once you were at Outlaw? What exactly were you looking for?” Cat wondered just how tight a leash the family had on Jessi and her activities. She knew she was going to talk to Dante about this manager guy stranding her in a ghost town. That couldn’t be safe either.
“Clues. You know, like on that show Murder, She Wrote?” Kelly leaned forward. “We broke off into two groups and searched the upstairs for anything that shouldn’t be there.”
“And what did you find?” In for a penny, Cat thought.
Cora glanced around, and all the woman shook their heads in a silent go ahead. Then she pulled her Warm Springs Writers’ Retreat bag out and dumped it on the table. Pieces of paper, cigarette butts, and a broken silver chain lay in front of them. The piece that caught Cat’s eye was an old decorated hair comb. Cora checked her bag for any remaining items before she spoke. “This is what we found. All of these were in the room where Danielle was found. And the police didn’t take them into evidence.”
“And now you’ve broken the chain of evidence, so if any of these things are clues, they can’t be used in a trial setting.” Cat grabbed a tissue and picked up the hair comb. “This looks old.”
“It is. It’s mine.” Jessi spoke quietly. “I bought it last year when I started playing Kate the saloon girl at Outlaw. I found it in an antique shop in town. Darryl had a fit when he got the bill. That was probably when he started turning off my cards. I’ve complained to Mom, but she’s backing Darryl on the money front.”
Poor little rich girl, Cat thought, and she wondered if Danielle had thought the same thing. “Had you been in that room before?”
Jessi shook her head. “Not since first year. One of the girls took a guy up there after we closed up one night for a quickie and he fell through the floor. Those boards are old and can’t hold a lot of weight.”
“Which is another reason you shouldn’t have been up there.” Cat stared at the comb. “When was the last time you saw this?”
“Last week. After my Saturday shift, I put it in my jewelry box in my room. Danielle must have gotten it out when she got ready for her shift. She was always borrowing my things without telling me.” Tears filled Jessi’s eyes, but she wiped them away. “We fought about it, a lot.”
Cat set the comb down and picked up the first sheet of paper. It was a charge slip like the kind you got for gas and was dated earlier that year. She frowned and checked the date on all the slips. Most of them were just like the first, but all were dated within the last six months. A couple were for snacks and alcohol purchases, again, within the last six months.
“Well, someone had been using that room for a while.” Cat looked at the cigarette butts. “And these are all the same brand.”
“Yeah, we saw that, but before we could look closely, the police car lights came into the saloon, so I tucked everything into my bag.” Cora stared at the items gathered on the table. “It means something, doesn’t it?”
“It means you all are in trouble for obstruction of justice. What were you thinking?” Uncle Pete’s voice came from behind Cat and even made her jump, and she hadn’t been the one his wrath was aimed at this time. He walked over and glanced at the table. Then, surprisingly, he sank into the empty chair that completed the circle. “I’m glad I stopped by this evening. Do you all want to tell me the rest of the story you forgot to mention when I found you in Outlaw?”
Cora went through everything they’d just told Cat. Then she sighed. “Don’t blame the rest of them. Hiding this from you was my decision. And I’m prepared to take the punishment.”
“No, Cora, this whole stupid idea was mine. I should be held responsible.” Jessi swallowed and looked at Uncle Pete, her face calm and determined. “I’m ready to go.”
“I’m not taking you,” he glanced around the room, “or any of you anywhere. I would like to strongly suggest you refrain from your Nancy Drew habits and stay out of my investigation.” He gathered the items, put them into an evidence bag, and sealed it.
“So we’re not going to jail?” Cora’s eyes widened.
Uncle Pete smiled, but the emotion didn’t light up his eyes. “Not today.”
Glancing at the clock, Cat realized it was already six. “If you are going to find someplace to eat, you better get going. I take it you didn’t have lunch.”
“No, we were going to go and grab takeout once we got done at Outlaw, but, well, you know what happened then.” Kelly stood and stretched. “I could go for pizza again. I’m starving.”
Cora paused by the door. “We saw that cat again. The black and white one? Does the caretaker live up there? She must be his.”
“I don’t think they have an on-site caretaker.” Jessi frowned as she made her way out of the room with the other women.
As they filed out, Cat started to stand, but Uncle Pete put a hand on her arm and held her back. “I need to talk to you.”
Cat held up a finger, then went to the pocket doors separating the lobby from the living room. She slid them closed and then returned to sit by her uncle. “What’s up?”
“I called and talked to Jessi’s driver, and he said when he called in the charge, he was told the credit card was stolen. That’s why he left them there, thinking it paid them back for using someone else’s card.” He leaned back into the chair.
“But it wasn’t stolen, it was Jessi’s card, right?” Cat felt confused.
“It was. I called her financial manager and got his side of it. Apparently, he’s been concerned with her overspending, so he’s monitoring all her purchases. When he saw that limo charge, he called the card in as stolen.” Uncle Pete shook his head. “To protect her. I told him that instead, he’d put her and her guests into a dangerous situation. If we hadn’t gone up there to check on the break-in, your guests would have been spending the night and I would have been looking for them in Denver.”
“Did he realize what he was doing?”
Uncle Pete glanced toward the door. “Honestly, he seemed upset that he’d put her in a dangerous situation. Something felt off about his reaction, though. I may just be tired. Anyway, I can’t believe I’m going to ask this, but I have two favors I’d like to ask of you.”
“Shoot.” It was apparently her week for granting favors.
“I want you to take Jessi to her dorm room tomorrow and see if ther
e’s anything missing or unusual. I’ve gone through it, but it’s a typical girls’ dorm room. Messy with clothes all over.” He smiled at her. “Like your room used to be as a teenager. I remember your mom used to rail at you all the time about cleaning it up.”
“I knew where everything was.” Cat smiled at the memory and made a mental note to call her mother on Sunday after the guests had left. It had been a few weeks since she’d talked to her. “Are we looking for something specific?”
He glanced at the clear packet with the items from the saloon that Jessi and Cora had found after his police officers had scanned the room. “I think she’ll know it when she sees it. I’d send one of my female officers with you, but Katie has the day off and Irene is doing a seminar at the college on safety for the new freshmen coming in.”
“I’ll take her over first thing in the morning.” She thought about the retreat schedule. “I think I’m giving the seminar tomorrow, but it’s not until ten. We’ll have time.”
“Great. I appreciate it. And if you find anything,” he handed her a clear bag, “bring it by the station. I think it’s more likely Jessi will notice something gone than evidence of the killer being in their room. The graduate dorms have much better security than undergrad ones since they are newer. I don’t think anyone could get inside undetected.”
“Not a problem.” She took the bag and put it in her pocket. “What’s the other favor? Keeping an eye on the guests?”
“No. And I can’t believe I’m asking this, but would you call your friend Dante and ask him about Jessi’s fund manager?” He watched her face.
“Sure, but why don’t you call?”
He shrugged. “I kind of read him the riot act a few months ago about leaving you alone. I told him you were trying to get over this whole thing with Michael and didn’t need him messing with your new life. Anyway, I’m not his favorite person right now.”
“He’s concerned about Jessi. He wouldn’t hold that against you.” Cat shook her head. “Like I don’t stay mad about your sticking your nose into my business when it was totally uncalled for. Uncles can be overprotective.”
“I hear what you’re saying, but I know what these people are like. And sometimes, well, you can be a little naïve.” He blushed as she stared at him. “Well, it’s true. You have a good thing going with Seth. I’d hate to see you mess it up.”
“Again. You wanted to add again.” What was with Uncle Pete was treating her like a teenager? “I’m a grown woman who can make her own decisions and mistakes, thank you very much. And besides, if it’s any of your business, I don’t see Dante that way.”
“Now I’ve ticked you off too.” He put his hand on hers. “I’m sorry, Cat. I’ll try to be a little less involved in your life.”
“Involved I can deal with, as long as you realize it is my life.” She let out a deep breath. She had lied to her uncle just a tiny bit. She found Dante exciting and handsome, but she knew she had a good thing with Seth. She wasn’t going to mess it up over a fling with a totally impossible life choice. “Don’t worry, I’ll call Dante and keep myself in check while I try to find out about Jessi’s money guy. But if I run off with him to the Bahamas and chuck this life, you only have yourself to blame. I can’t be held responsible for my feminine hormones.”
“Point taken. Just call me when you find out something.” He glanced at his watch. “Does the invitation to supper still stand? Or are you too mad at me to share a meal?”
“You’re always invited for supper, you know that.” She stood, and as he followed, she hugged him. “I should be mad at you, but I understand.”
The front door had just closed and Cat watched through the window as the five women made their way to the sidewalk. “I know they were friends before they came, but they have taken Jessi into their group seamlessly. Maybe that’s why they’re already in trouble on day three of the retreat.”
“Strangers take some time to warm up to each other. They don’t have time to plan B-and-Es so early in the week.” Uncle Pete put a hand on her back. “Let’s go eat and not think about murder for at least an hour. I could use the break.”
When they entered the room, Seth was sitting at the table, reading something on his phone. Shauna was at the other side, reading on her laptop.
“I’ve got to make a call to Dr. Simon’s clinic before it closes.” Cat smiled at the peaceful scene and then called out to the room. “Look who is joining us for dinner!”
Cat grabbed her phone and stood near the edge of the room to make her call. When she got the office voice mail, she looked at the clock. The offices were already closed. She left a quick message and then put her phone in her pocket.
While she was on the phone, Shauna had closed her laptop and set it on the kitchen desk. Now she was bubbling to Uncle Pete. “I’m so glad you came. You must have had a horrible day. I didn’t know who would be here and when for dinner, so I made a batch of lasagna. Garlic bread is warming in the oven and I have a fresh green salad in the fridge. Will that work?”
“I’m so hungry, I could eat a box of Pop-Tarts and probably eat the box too.” Seth set his phone down and waved Pete closer. “Come over here and check out this area we’re looking at backpacking into. I’m looking at it in Google Maps and it looks a little different than I remember.”
As Uncle Pete and Seth talked about the upcoming fishing trip, Cat went over to get plates and salad bowls out of the cabinet. She glanced at Shauna. “You okay?”
“I’m just been thinking about that poor girl. Do you think her killer was the guy causing problems over at the school? Women just aren’t safe anywhere anymore.” She got the bread out of the oven, put the steaming loaf into a basket, and covered it with a towel. “I thought getting out of the city, we’d have less of this.”
“One, we don’t know if we have a problem here.” Cat didn’t like where the conversation was going. Not at all.
“We have a dead girl. That’s a problem.” Shauna glared at her as she grabbed the pan out of the oven. When it banged on the stovetop, Cat winced.
“You’re right. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to diminish Danielle’s death. But, Shauna, you didn’t even know her. Why are you so upset?” Cat put a hand on her friend’s arm. “Seriously, tell me what’s going on.”
“I think it’s just so soon after Kevin.” Shauna glanced at Uncle Pete and Seth, who had stopped talking and were looking toward her and Cat. “Look, I don’t want to ruin your dinner. I’ve just had a bad day. Can you finish this up? I’m going to my room.”
“Aren’t you hungry?” Cat put a hand on Shauna’s arm. “I want to help.”
“Let me go to my room. If I get hungry, I know where the leftovers will be.” Taking off her apron and putting it into the hamper in the pantry, Shauna left the room.
Seth grabbed the plates. “Is she okay?”
“I think so.” Cat got the salad out of the refrigerator along with an assortment of dressings. As her hand paused over Shauna’s favorite, she sent up a shower of love to her friend, hoping her thoughts might make at least a little difference. As they sat down to eat, her thoughts were racing with concern for Shauna and Jessi. Both women were hurting, and that made her heart ache a little too.
After dinner, Seth helped her clean up the kitchen as Uncle Pete was heading back to the station to work. She sighed as she watched him leave. “I’m worried about all the time he’s putting in lately. He’s not as young as he used to be.”
“Wow. Don’t tell him that. Your uncle is the most active man I know. Did you know he started working out at the gym a few months ago? My trainer, Matt, he’s been seeing him twice a week, and he says Pete’s really shaping up.” Seth leaned closer. “You think it’s got something to do with a certain ex-officer in Alaska?”
Cat rinsed the last plate, holding it under the warm water. “I do. And I have to be honest, I have mixed emotions about that. I thought this thing with Shirley would be good for him. Open him up to dating someone who lived in Colo
rado. Not at the edge of the world.”
“You know Shirley’s not unwilling to move here, if they get serious. She loves Aspen Hills.” He studied her. “So what’s got you worried?”
“I guess I’m being silly. I’m always worried about change. I’ve always been Uncle Pete’s girl. If he gets married and moves, well, I’m not even going to think about it.” She dried her hands and started up the dishwasher. She turned and smiled at Seth. “You’re thinking I’m overreacting, right? Maybe I hold on to the present too tightly.”
He pulled her into his arms. “I think you hold on just tight enough.”
CHAPTER 7
Jessi was already in the dining room eating breakfast when Cat came down. Cat had had a restless night, thinking about Uncle Pete and Shirley. Today, she’d decided, would be a happy day. She could check off Uncle Pete’s chores this morning, then set herself and Shauna up for a mani-pedi as soon as the retreat was over. Getting your nails done didn’t solve all the world’s problems, but at least you looked great while you were doing it.
Cat grabbed a cup of coffee and paused at Jessi’s side. “Hey, we’ve got an assignment from Uncle Pete we need to do this morning. What are your plans for the day?”
“I was planning on writing, attending the seminar, going to lunch and dinner, and just basically staying out of trouble.” Jessi grinned. “No outside field trip planning for this girl.”
“At least not today,” Cora added, laughing.
Kelly stood and grabbed her coffee cup. “Good. I’m behind on my word count, but I didn’t want to miss out on any of the shenanigans.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll come get you before we go heist the bank,” Connie deadpanned.