Slay in Character

by Lynn Cahoon

  “Actually, the school pays for the room for the Covington student that is chosen to attend. It’s quite an honor.” She tucked the card into her notebook and quickly shut the cover. “Jessi seems to be making the most of it, even with the circumstances around the death of her friend.”

  “I heard about Danielle’s death. So tragic. Do the police know why she was killed? I never met the girl, but Miss Ball always talked about her in such glowing terms. I am so terribly upset at the confusion my actions caused. I’ve had to be strict with Jessi as she has a habit of being quite the spendthrift, and her mother is concerned about her spending habits. If I had known the trip was halfway over by the time the driver called in the card, I never would have declined the charge.”

  Uncle Pete’s description of his conversation came back into her mind. The words he was saying were all correct, but somehow, they had a different meaning. “I’m confused. Why exactly did you need to know who was paying for the retreat?”

  He looked like he was pained at Cat’s question. “I don’t really want to air Miss Ball’s dirty laundry, especially to a stranger, but let’s just say I’m concerned that her money might be used to support a habit that she’s recently broken. Her mother would be quite upset if the girl slid back into her old ways.”

  CHAPTER 8

  “He said what?” Shauna poured another cup of coffee as Cat told her about the conversation. “Is he trying to imply she’s a drug addict? Or maybe has a drinking problem? Or maybe the habit he was so upset about is shopping. I could see Jessi having a mad shopping habit. But the others? I haven’t seen any signs, and believe me, I had my share of druggies in the bar when I was bartending. It’s a little hard to hide, especially long-term use.”

  “I don’t know. The whole conversation was weird. He was super nice, but there was just something.” Cat thought about Jessi. She was a runner. She was energetic. She wore tank tops and short sleeves. “Do you think he’s trying to cause trouble for her? If he gets me to think she’s a drug user, I kick her out of the program. If I’m really upset, I whine to the college. She gets a bad rap there too.”

  “He’s her money manager. From what I know about these guys, they are like a locked vault with your information. That’s the only way they can keep the trust of their clients. Why would he want her to have a bad reputation?” Shauna shook her head. “It doesn’t make sense to me. Besides, this is what I don’t understand about rich people. They have so many layers in between them and the actual action, you can never figure out what really is the issue. You know, I’ve tried to call Paul ten times in the last month to see if I could just go visit with Snow. The horse has to be lonely. I tried to get Kevin to buy a second one just to keep her company, but, well, we never got there.”

  “Why don’t you just go out to the farm and see her?” Cat sipped her coffee.

  “Yeah, right. I thought of that, but Dwayne, the guard, stares through me like he’s never seen me before in his life. I went to the hospital and gave his wife a present when she had their son last year. Now I’m a stranger?” Shauna’s voice had been getting louder and louder. “Of all the things I miss about Kevin, and believe me, there are a lot, losing that horse has been the worst.”

  The will was still in probate. Cat wondered if Shauna’s ex-boyfriend-slash-fiancé had really taken the time to make sure she was protected. “Have you called your lawyer?”

  Now the wind seemed to leak out of her sails. “Yeah, she says to hold on. That the will should be probated soon. Kevin left me something. I know that. I just don’t understand why it would take this long.”

  Cat hoped that Kevin’s inheritance included the horse, or Shauna would be more upset than she was now. “Why haven’t they done a reading yet?”

  “Jade keeps putting it off. The boys have school or activities or are at camp.” Shauna sipped her coffee. “She can’t play this game forever. My lawyer’s working on it. I’ve just got to trust the process. Remember? It’s happy day. I’m going up to my room for a while. I’ll see you at dinner.”

  Cat watched her leave the room. Seth was outside working on his secret project, and the writers were still at lunch. She was alone, and if she was going to go, this was the best time. She put her plate in the sink. Outlaw had a gift shop in town. Maybe the employees there had some gossip about Danielle’s death. And if she hurried, she could stop by the gym where Jessi’s now-ex-boyfriend worked and talk to him. Uncle Pete couldn’t cover every angle.

  She wrote a vague note on the board about walking into town. She’d stop at the bookstore and make sure Tammy was ready for her talk on Friday. At least that way, she’d have plausible deniability if anyone questioned her about snooping. It wasn’t her fault people wanted to talk to her.

  As Cat left the house, she thought she heard her conscience laughing at her. The bookstore stop was quick, and so she went down the block and into the Outlaw store. A lot of the items she’d seen at the ghost town were also available here, including the leather journals. Cat wondered how costly it would be to put the Warm Springs Writers’ Retreat logo on them and give them out to the guests. She’d have to talk to Shauna about that since she typically dealt with the marketing and promotion part of the business.

  “Aren’t those lovely? You could use one for writing down recipes or even as a journal. I’ve kept a diary since I could write, but now I call it journaling.” A young woman in the outfit Cat had wanted to wear for pictures stood next to her. Her non-time-period name tag identified her as Your Experience Hostess—Janelle. She picked up one of the notebooks and smoothed its leather cover. “It’s luscious.”

  “Yes, it is. I’d be interested in a bulk sale. Do you know if you do wholesale pricing?”

  The girl’s eyes widened. “No, I don’t, sorry. And Tad, he’s the manager, he’s out talking to the attorneys.” She looked around the empty shop. “I don’t know if you heard, a girl was murdered out at the property.”

  Bingo, Cat thought. Janelle liked to talk. She put on what she hoped passed as a look of shock. “No. What happened?”

  “She went to work, then she disappeared. When they finally found her, she was dead upstairs in one of the bedrooms.” Janelle shivered. “That saloon has always given me the creeps. I hate working shifts out there, even if the girls are paid more at the actual site. I’d rather stay here where it’s safe.”

  “How did she die?” Cat wondered if the only gossip she was going to get was about the creepiness of the Old West town. “In one of those gunfights? I thought they were all for show?”

  “Oh, no, she was strangled. The guy I know who saw them bringing her out said she was still dressed in the costume. Headdress plume and all.” Janelle shook her head. “I knew Danielle. She told me last week her boyfriend was ready to propose. She was so ready to be done with this life and this town. I guess he’s from Boston. A lot of the kids at Covington have family in Boston. It’s kind of weird.”

  “Are you a townie?” When Cat was in high school, they called themselves by the moniker, like it was a club. Or more likely, a gang. She could tell by the smile on Janelle’s face that she’d also grown up in Aspen Hills.

  “For sure. I thought I recognized you. You’re that author that runs the writers’ thing.” She twirled her hair. “I really like your witchcraft books, even if they are for younger kids.”

  “Thank you. I enjoy writing them.” Cat wondered what younger meant to this girl who was probably all of seventeen or eighteen. She tried to steer the conversation back to Danielle. “So she was about to be engaged? That’s so sad. Did you know the guy?”

  “No, I never met him.” Janelle frowned, clearly thinking about the times she’d been with Danielle. “And I never saw anyone with her. She seemed to always be with Jessi Ball. She works for Outlaw too. But a lot of the girls are dating someone from out of town. It makes classes easier to prioritize if you don’t have a guy hanging around all the time. Especially since the management frowns on us dating other employees.”

>   “Oh, there’s a rule?”

  Janelle shrugged. “Not exactly a rule, more like a suggestion. They just don’t want us running off into the empty houses and getting friendly, if you know what I mean. Although I would think that would add to the realism of the experience for the tourists.”

  Janelle didn’t have any more information on what happened to Danielle, but Cat felt like the trip hadn’t been completely wasted. Danielle had thought Max was going to propose. Jessi thought she and Max were just on a break due to his high stress load. It was time to find out what exactly Max had thought about the two girls. Cat bought a notebook to show Shauna and started to leave the shop.

  “Oh, there was one weird thing.”

  Cat paused at the counter. “What?”

  “Danielle was complaining about someone taking her clothes. I guess she had borrowed something from her roommate and put it in her work locker, but it was gone when her shift was over. No, it wasn’t clothes, what was it?” Janelle tapped a finger over her lips as she thought. “Oh, it was earrings. I guess she borrowed some really expensive hoops, and of course, we can’t wear them in costume, so she put them in her locker. And poof, they disappeared.”

  Cat thought she knew the answer but had to ask anyway. “Do you know who she borrowed the earrings from?”

  “Jessi Ball. That’s Danielle’s roommate.” The bell over the door rang and Janelle looked that way. “Sorry, real tourists. I’ve got a role to play. I’ll be sure to stop by next time you have a book signing.”

  Cat moved her way through the Old West replicas and thought about the role Danielle was playing. Could it have been as simple as someone taking the fantasy too far? Or was the answer in this Max and his two-timing ways? She’d have to ask Jessi about the earrings too.

  She tucked the bag with the journal into her tote and crossed the street to head toward the gym. If Jessi was right about his summer schedule, Max should be in the weight room, pumping iron. She hadn’t seen a need to join the Aspen Hills Fitness Club since she still had privileges at Covington College, which meant she could swim or use any of the equipment for free. And by the end of summer, Seth promised to have a small gym set up in the basement of the house. Right now, it had a treadmill and a bike, but as soon as this retreat session was over, Seth was starting the remodel.

  Cindy, one of her students from her time at Covington, sat at the front desk. “Hey, Mrs. L. What are you doing here?”

  “I need to talk to someone. Is Max Trandor here?” She glanced around the rows of equipment. A few treadmills were in use by several men and women, none of whom looked young enough to be Max.

  “Wow, he’s popular today. Yeah, he’s in the weight room.” Cindy stood and pointed around the corner. “Just go left at the water fountain and past the—”

  She didn’t get a chance to finish her directions when they heard raised voices coming from the area. Cat shook her head. From the heated words she heard, the fight could only be between two people, Max and Jessi. She hurried in the direction of the noise with Cindy at her side.

  “Crap, and my boss just stepped out. Do you think I should call the police? I’ve never dealt with a fight before. Well, except that time Mrs. Rice pushed that girl off her treadmill because she wanted to use it. Seriously, there were fifty others, but you know Mrs. Rice. She’s a creature of habit.”

  Cat had a few other descriptors for the woman, but she didn’t have the time to gossip about her. “Hold off calling. Maybe I can defuse the situation.”

  As they walked into the room, Max and Jessi stood in the middle. Three men were standing by the mirror, free weights in their hands, watching the ruckus. On the other side of the room stood Cora, Connie, and Lisa. Cora shrugged when Cat caught her gaze. Before she could ask what the heck was going on, Jessi went off again.

  “How could you sleep with her? Behind my back,” Jessi screamed at the red-faced man who must have been Max.

  “Look, she came on to me. I didn’t go shopping. Besides, you were too busy with playing dress-up for your stupid job. Do you think I can just wait for when you have time? A man has needs.” He reached out to her. “Besides, baby, it didn’t mean anything. She was just someone to pass the time with. You know we’re soul mates.”

  “We aren’t soul mates if you can just stick yourself into any woman who lets you. How could I ever trust you again? What would happen if you felt left out because I went on a work trip or went to visit family?” Jessi’s eyes swam with tears. “No, Max, we’re done. I just wanted to know why you’d betray me in such a manner. And I’m keeping the ring.”

  She swung around to leave and stopped abruptly when she saw Cat. Now the tears were starting to fall. She turned her anger on Cindy. “Look, I said what I needed to say, and I’m leaving. You didn’t have to call my babysitter.”

  “I’m not your babysitter, and Cindy didn’t call me. I was here to ask Max a few questions, but it looks like a bad time. Why don’t we all go back to the house and calm down.” Cat put her arm around Jessi and started to lead her out of the room. She glanced over her shoulder and caught Cora’s gaze. “Let’s go.”

  Sometimes she felt like a babysitter. What had Jessi been thinking? If Max had been angry enough and killed Danielle in a fit of passion, did she think he was just going to sit there when she told him they were through? Man, she wanted a drink. Or chocolate. Or maybe both. She realized they were next to Bernie’s. Midafternoon, the place was dead. She decided to have a spur-of-the-moment come to Jesus meeting. And maybe she could talk some sense into the justice brigade.

  “Who wants a beer?” Cat nodded to the bar. “I’ll buy first round.”

  Connie eyed her suspiciously. “In the middle of the day? Maybe we should just go back to the house and write.”

  “I want a drink.” Jessi swiped at her cheeks with her hands. “No way I’m wasting good tears on that guy anymore.”

  “I’ll drink to that.” Cora took Jessi’s arm and shot a look at Connie. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. Kelly’s back at the house writing.”

  “I’m game. I haven’t had a drink during the day since college. Of course, we were way too young anyway, so we didn’t make the best decisions, but it was fun.” Lisa put her hand on Connie’s back. “Come on, loosen up a little. Who was it that said write drunk, edit sober?”

  “Hemingway,” Cat answered. “We don’t have to stay long, but I really want to talk to you all about your little adventures.”

  “Uh-oh, we’re in trouble.” Lisa grinned, then the smile faded as she took in Cat’s expression. “Seriously? We’re in trouble?”

  “You’re not in trouble. I just want to have a conversation about this whole thing.” Cat opened the door and waved them inside the gloomy interior. The smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke engulfed them as soon as they stepped into the small building. Even though legally, smoking anything in a bar or restaurant had been banned for years, she guessed the old-timers didn’t quite worry about technicalities, as she saw ashtrays stacked up on the bar edge.

  Bernie was sipping on something in a coffee cup and raised his eyebrows in surprise as they walked in. “Well, I’ll be. This is a surprise. Cat Latimer in my bar with a group of lovely women in tow to boot. Jessi, I know your poison, but what can I get for the rest of you?”

  Jessi shrugged as the group turned toward her. “What? It’s a small town and this is the best bar around.”

  The women called out their orders and Cat gathered them around one of the larger round tables in the back. She gave Bernie her credit card and told him to keep the tab open. This conversation might take a while. Cat waited for the drinks to arrive. Finally, after Bernie had dropped off the last beer, Cora sighed.

  “Go ahead. I know you’ve got something you want to say. I can feel the judgment coming off you in waves.” Cora sipped from her bottle.

  “I’m not here to judge. But I do feel responsible for you while you’re part of the retreat.” Cat paused, picking at the b
eer label. “It’s not as safe here as it appears. Aspen Hills has some secrets that if you run into them, you could get hurt.”

  “Like freak snowstorms or floods? It’s June, what could happen?” Connie laughed and held up her bottle. “We promise to stay out of the sun, Mom.”

  She told the group about the uniqueness of the student population at Covington. Cora leaned back and whistled. “So Danielle? That’s why she was killed?”

  “No.” Jessi shot out the word. “Or, I guess, I don’t know. Danielle was a scholarship kid. The college likes to admit normal kids to the campus too. My mom went here, so she wanted me to attend. She said it was the safest campus in the States. I guess she was wrong.”

  “Knowing this about Aspen Hills only makes your little town more interesting.” Cora glanced around the table thoughtfully. “I don’t believe that the sins of the father should affect the children.”

  “My parents were closet drinkers.” Lisa shrugged. “We all have crosses to bear.”

  “Cat’s right, though. We should leave the investigation to the professionals. Especially here. I can’t believe I’ve dragged you into this twice already.” Jessi looked at each one of the women in turn, and when she was done, tears filled her eyes. “You should hate me.”

  “We could never hate you, Jessi. Each one of us made our own choice to go back to Outlaw and to support you while you told off your creep of a boyfriend. You are so much better off without that guy, by the way.” Connie sipped her beer. “Unfortunately for you, you’ve been adopted into our little writing world. So don’t think you’re going to get away with not staying in touch after the retreat. We will hunt you down.”

  Jessi leaned back in her chair. “This was not the reaction I expected.”