by Lynn Cahoon
She left the window and went back to her computer. Finding writing time during retreat weeks was rare, and she was going to make the most of the gift she’d been given.
At noon she was reviewing the day’s words. She was happy with the work she’d finished and excited to get back to the writing. If she got to work before everyone woke up each morning of the last few retreat days, she might even get to a place where she could finish up a week early. She made notes in her calendar of what she needed to write to make that happen. Her phone rang and Uncle Pete’s name showed on the screen.
“Hey, what’s going on?” She shut down the computer, making sure she saved her document one more time, just to be safe. She also emailed it to herself at the end of every writing session, just in case her hard drive gave out in the middle of writing a book.
“I need you to come get your guests.” Uncle Pete’s voice sounded taut, and Cat recognized the anger behind them.
“Uh-oh, what did they do now?” Cat had a sinking feeling she didn’t want to know. The pause on the other end of the line had her scared, but finally, her uncle answered.
“I hate to say it, but they probably saved this guy’s life.” He barked an order to one of his men. “Sorry, just come and get them.”
“Where are you?” Cat figured she already knew the answer.
“At Keith Anderson’s cabin. The guy had been beaten to an inch of his life. If they hadn’t come when they did, he probably would have been dead in a few more hours.”
Cat called Seth as she walked down the stairs. Shauna was in the kitchen folding laundry and took one look at her before setting the towel back down, unfolded. “What happened now?”
Cat held up one finger. “Hey, can you drive me somewhere? Like right now?”
When the answer came, she nodded. “I’ll be out by the SUV with the keys. Hurry, okay?”
“What happened?” Shauna repeated again.
Cat grabbed the keys to the car off the rack and grabbed her purse. “They didn’t go to Denver. They headed out to find Keith and his cabin.”
“Oh, no. Was there a fight?”
“I guess there was before they got to the place. Uncle Pete says they saved his life.” Cat paused at the door. “I’ll call you when we get there if there’s going to be a delay, but you should see us in ten to twenty minutes. I’d have coffee going.”
“I might have the whiskey available too just in case.” Shauna made shooing movements with her hands. “Go on. Go save the day. This group thinks they are in one of those television murder mysteries. I can’t believe what they’re doing. Don’t they realize they could be putting themselves in danger?”
Cat hurried out to the car and unlocked it, then slid into the passenger seat. She turned on the engine, and it was ready to go by the time Seth came out from behind the trees. He was covered in sawdust and tried to brush himself off before getting into the car. Cat waved him in. She didn’t want Uncle Pete to be any madder than he already was.
As he slipped into the driver’s seat, she took a sliver of straw out of his hair and threw it out the window onto the driveway. He back up and paused at the street. “Where are we going?”
Cat rattled off the address, and he turned right toward the road out of town. As he headed toward the cabin, he glanced over.
“Can I ask what we’re doing?”
She turned off the radio that had been blaring when she got into the car, finally noticing the noise. Shauna liked her show tunes. “The guests are at another crime scene, and Uncle Pete would like us to come and get them as apparently Affordable Taxi got another call and left them at Keith’s cabin before they found the guy all beat up in his kitchen.”
Seth let out a low whistle. “Those women know just how to get in the middle of things, don’t they?”
“I thought they were doing research for Connie’s book. I didn’t realize they were trying to confront a guy who was supposedly dating Danielle. I guess they thought they were helping Jessi heal from her broken heart, but seriously, what if this guy had murdered Danielle?” Cat shook her head. “They could have been killed and I would have been up in my office writing.”
“Did you get a lot of words?” Seth didn’t look at her as he turned the car onto the mountain road and decreased his speed.
Cat tried to hide the grin. He knew her too well. “About three thousand, and I’m close to finishing a chapter. What about you? How was your day before this emergency taxi run?”
“Good. I still should be finished by Saturday morning for the big reveal.” He shook his head. “And before you ask, don’t. I’m not talking about it.”
They drove in silence until Seth turned onto an unmarked side road. “I did some work up here a few weeks ago for one of the neighbors. The road is a cul-de-sac and has three other houses. One of them must be Keith’s.”
As they turned a corner, they saw the entire road was blocked with emergency vehicles. He pulled over onto the side embankment, and an ambulance with its lights on took off out of the area. “I’m glad we didn’t run into him on the main road. He needs to put on his siren too.”
Then, as if the driver had heard Seth’s muttered complaint, the sirens went on and echoed down the mountain. The sound made goose bumps pop up on Cat’s arms.
CHAPTER 12
Cat and Seth walked through the line of police cars, all with their lights flashing, and headed to the cabin where the historical writers stood outside in a circle with Jessi in the middle. When they approached, Jessi held up her hand.
“Really, Cat, we didn’t hurt him. He was like this when we got here. Then we saw him on the floor and the taxi guy took off to call your uncle. And now you have to come and rescue us again. Seriously, I don’t know how things got so bad, so quickly. All I wanted to do was to let Keith know he was such a jerk. He probably didn’t even know about Danielle since he came up here after his shift on Sunday.”
“Did you ever think that Keith might have been the one to kill your friend?” Cat glanced at the other three women. “I should have thought after the last field trip, one of you might have thought twice about this adventure.”
Cora stepped toward Cat. “You’re right. I should have nipped this in the bud as soon as Jessi brought up the idea, but I really didn’t think we’d even find the cabin. It’s crazy what you can find out about people on Google.”
“Let’s get you all back to the house where you can get back to the reason you signed up for the retreat: writing. I’m sure Kelly’s probably finished four or five books by now.” Cat nodded to Seth, and he took Jessi’s arm and started to lead her to the car.
“Kelly’s a machine. Besides, I’ve gotten more words this week than all last month,” Connie groused on the way past Cat. “And it’s been exciting. I may just have to write a contemporary mystery or suspense after this week. Historical seems so tame now.”
Lisa followed her friend. “Leave it to Connie to see the bright side. I’m just glad I’m not going to town in the back of a police car.”
“Don’t even joke about that.” Cora paused by Cat. “I really am sorry. I didn’t even think that this Keith guy could have been more than just a bad boyfriend. Too much romance writing, I guess.”
“No worries. You’re all safe. I was just concerned when I got the call from Uncle Pete.” She turned and saw her uncle by the side of the house. “Would you let Seth know I’ll be right there? I want to check in with my uncle.”
“Sure.” Cora paused. “You don’t think this was because of Danielle at all, do you? You think Jessi is somehow involved.”
“I think involved is a strong word, but she may be part of the answer here.” Cat glanced toward the car. “Let’s just keep that between us for a while, okay? And try to keep her under control? We only have three more days of the retreat, and I’d like to not lose any of you before you leave on Sunday.”
“I’ll do my best. She has a way of talking people into things. I swear, she’s a trouble whisperer.” Cora turned an
d moved toward the car.
When Cat got near her uncle, he was on the phone. She waited for him to get off before asking, “Is Keith going to be okay?”
“They think so. That was the EMT. I told Jake to call when he got the guy stable. He just gave him a quick glance, but in his opinion the injuries are not life threatening.” He glanced over at the car where Jessi sat. “Too much damage for that little thing to have done it, and besides, it looks like he was beaten sometime yesterday. The last call recorded on his cell was yesterday afternoon, and I’ve talked to the girlfriend who left the cabin around ten yesterday morning.”
“Who would do this?” Cat looked around the small cabin, the room a mess from the struggle. Keith had tried to fight back.
“My guess? He was beaten right after Jessi talked to her mom about the missing jewelry.” He held up pawn slips and Cat saw the name on the top—Ernest Hemingway. “I think someone got to George at the pawnshop before I did and traced Danielle’s fence down to Keith.”
“But why would he kill her?”
Uncle Pete slipped the bag with the pawn slips back into his pocket. “I don’t believe Keith killed Danielle. She was his money tree. The good thing is I have the last piece of jewelry Jessi declared as missing in evidence now. I guess he didn’t have time to pawn that yet.”
Cat was quiet as the car made its way back to town. The women in the back talked about the way the trees shadowed the road. Seth told them that the road closed from the first heavy snowfall until spring thaw.
“So people just let those cabins sit in the winter?” Lisa glanced back up the road. “Seems like a waste of a house.”
“Believe me, they get plenty of use during the summer. We have tourists up here all season wanting to be part of the wilderness adventure.” He glanced over at Cat. “There are all kinds of people who show up for the experience. Hikers, kayakers, people who like to fish, and in the fall, a lot of hunters come in to bag an elk or a deer.”
Back at the house, the guests headed into the dining room for some coffee and treats while they planned their lunch adventure. Cat thought about handing them delivery menus, but they were adults. If they wanted to go get in trouble again, all she could do was go and rescue them yet another time.
In the kitchen, Cat sank into a chair cradling a cup of coffee. “I swear, this retreat is going to be the death of me.”
Shauna giggled. “My mom used to say that about me. I was her wild child. It’s probably why I took off for California. I was always living down to expectations.”
Seth set a cup of coffee in front of Shauna and then sat down with his own. “You wanted to be an actress? I didn’t know that.”
“Actually, no, I followed a guy who wanted to be an actor. Then he dumped me for some chick who worked at a studio and had connections. The loser tried to stop by and get some on the side at first, but I had the apartment in my name, so I just changed the locks.” Shauna sipped her coffee. “Not all men are as upstanding and honest as our present company.”
Seth blushed and Cat smiled. Shauna seemed happier the last two days. Had she already started attending the grief group? Or were her chats with Connie helping? She didn’t really care, she was just glad to see her coming back to normal.
The door opened and Uncle Pete wandered inside. He took off his hat and set it on the bench by the door. “Mind if I steal some coffee?”
“Help yourself.” Shauna popped up. “I can make you a sandwich or we have some clam chowder just about ready for lunch if you can stay.”
He got his coffee and sat next to Cat. “I’m heading back to the station as soon as I take the women’s statements. Are they all here?”
“In the dining room.” Cat studied her uncle. He looked tired. “You should eat.”
“If you could have some ready for me after the interviews are done, that would be great.” He smiled up at Shauna. “I feel like I’m always mooching food.”
“You’re family. There’s no mooching involved.” Shauna set a piece of blueberry cobbler in front of him. “And we’ll start with dessert. Life’s too short.”
“Isn’t that the truth.” He gave in and picked up his fork.
Cat waited for him to finish, then asked, “How’s Keith?”
“Dehydrated. He lost a lot of blood. His kneecaps were smashed, so he’s going to have to have surgery, but he’s lucky to be alive. Arnold’s been known to rough up customers who cause him problems. I’ve got an APB out on him for questioning, but I’m sure he’ll have an airtight alibi.” He pushed the plate away. “He doesn’t get his own hands dirty.”
“You think it’s just that?” Seth had been quiet, but Cat had noticed him watching her uncle closely.
“I got an anonymous tip this morning before the taxi driver showed up.” Uncle Pete sipped his coffee. “They told me that Keith should have learned his lesson by now and where to find him. The caller also said that finding him would solve the active case I had on my books.”
“Maybe they were talking about another one?” Cat wasn’t hopeful. Jessi and Dante’s family had a way of taking care of their own problems.
“I only have three active cases. The murder, the loss of Jessi’s jewelry, and the missing money. Since he didn’t have the money at the cabin, just the earrings, I’m thinking someone else has the money.”
Cat thought about that. “I’m not sure Jessi has called her mom since we found the empty safe. Have you called her mother?”
Uncle Pete sat back in his chair. “No. I haven’t. I reached out to my contact at the college, but I didn’t hear back from him. Jessi’s an adult. I want to let her deal with her family. Besides, right now we’re just guessing that she’s in trouble.”
The other three at the table didn’t speak and finally, Uncle Pete stood. “I better get these interviews done. I’ll stop back in for a small cup of that soup and maybe a sandwich if you don’t mind?”
“When you’re ready, let me know.” Shauna took his plate as he tried to rinse it in the sink. “Go work. The sooner you figure all this out, the sooner life will go back to normal around here.”
After Uncle Pete had finished with his interviews, he quickly ate the lunch Shauna had prepared for him, then excused himself from the table. Seth was the next one to finish and he left, saying he had work to complete. So then it was just Cat and Shauna.
“Did the guests go into town? Including Kelly?”
Cat had been in the foyer with the others as Uncle Pete did his interviews in the study. No one stayed in longer than ten minutes, except for Jessi. She was in the study almost twice as long. As soon as she got out, Cora bundled Jessi and the others outside to go get lunch. When she went into the kitchen to eat with Shauna, she updated her on their status. “These are people after my own heart. Food solves everything.”
“That’s my motto.” Shauna pushed away her soup bowl. “I’m sorry I’ve been horrible lately.”
“Stop apologizing. I get it. You have had a bad couple of months.” Cat ran her spoon through the creamy soup, making figure eights. “What’s helping? You seem better.”
“Talking to Connie has really been helpful. She was married for so long, and when he died, she hated him for changing her life. Then she hated herself for hating him. Just listening to her helped me realize my crazy emotions are normal and it’s time to get past this. I called the attorney and told her I wasn’t going to wait any longer for Jade’s excuses. I’m pushing for the will reading to be on Monday. I want to be done with this whole thing next week.” Shauna sighed. “Then I can start healing and get this behind me.”
“That’s great. I’m glad Connie had some good advice.”
Shauna picked up her dishes and started cleaning up the lunch mess. She kept her back turned away as she spoke. “She just told me what had happened to her. Knowing I wasn’t alone in this really helps. Thanks for being there for me.”
“Any time.” Cat paused, wondering if she should say more, but the outside door opened. Seth came bac
k into the kitchen. “I thought you were working?”
“I was, but I got a call from Joseph John himself. He wants me to go check out the security system out at Outlaw. I guess the other company he hired is getting a little tired of the constant travel out here from Denver. I even doubled my hourly rate for this emergency trip, and the guy didn’t blink.” Seth ran a hand through his hair and studied her. “I’m going to regret this, but do you want to go up with me?”
“You’ll let me into the crime scene? Won’t Uncle Pete be mad?” Cat didn’t want to talk him out of it, really. She just wanted him to think she was second-guessing herself when in fact, she’d been chomping at the bit for a chance to get back to the saloon in Outlaw.
“I just talked to him. He cleared me to go.” Seth shrugged. “I didn’t mention having a ride-along.”
“You’re devious. I like it.” Cat grinned. “Let me get my tote.”
As they drove up to the ghost town, Cat checked the camera on her phone. Sometimes just being able to see where something happened let her think about what shouldn’t be there. And even though her uncle and his team were professionals, they didn’t deal with murder a lot. Maybe Jessi could spot some inconsistencies that Cat could point out to her uncle. She was feeling kind of lost on this investigation. Every time she looked at one thing, a totally unrelated clue popped up and made her question the few ideas she’d had.
“So I knew Keith.”
Seth’s statement was out of the blue and made Cat look up from her phone. “You never said you two were friends.”
“It wasn’t like that. We played on the same baseball team for Aspen Hills rec last summer. This year I was too busy with the retreat to sign up for the league. He was a pretty good outfielder, but he couldn’t hit worth crap. I think he was doing it more for fun, although he claimed he’d been a star player on his high school team. All I could think of was it must have been a small school.”
“Was he on scholarship at Covington?” Cat turned in her seat so she could see Seth as he drove.