The Cure For What Ales You

by Ellie Alexander

  “You want to know what I think? I think she saw something she wasn’t supposed to and that got her killed. As to who? Go talk to my boss.” Bozeman proceeded to chug his beer. When he was done, he slapped a twenty-dollar bill on the table and turned to his friends. “Let’s go, boys.”

  Bozeman thought that Jay had killed Sara, and he claimed that Marianne and Vienna had been fighting earlier. I knew that none of the men in my life—Alex, Hans, Mac, and Garrett—would like it, but I had to get over to Hotel Vierter Stock.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-THREE

  “HEY, GARRETT, I NEED to go to the Vierter Stock,” I announced when I returned to the bar with a tray of empty glasses.

  “What? Why?” Garrett set down a towel and waved his hand. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Aren’t you supposed to stick around?”

  “Yes, but there’s been a development.” I told him about my conversation with Bozeman.

  “Sloan, I don’t want to sound like an overprotective boss or friend, but think about what you’ve just been through.”

  “That’s exactly why I need to go. It’s still light outside, and Chief Meyers doesn’t think that Forest is still in town. Plus she assigned me extra protection.” I pointed to the patio. “Look, there are more police in the village right now than during every festival combined.”

  Garrett shoved his hands into his shorts pockets and shuffled his feet. He stared outside and then back at me again. “I don’t really want to let you out of my sight. I know that sounds corny, and I know that you can take care of yourself, but—” He didn’t finish his sentence.

  “Exactly. I’m a grown woman, Garrett. I know the risks, and I also know that I will have a sea of police officers surrounding my every step.” Actually, I wondered again what had happened to Officer Downs. Maybe Chief Meyers figured I wasn’t in any direct danger after the huge scene of searching the village.

  He hesitated. “If you’re sure?”

  “I’m sure. I have to try and figure this out. Marianne’s arrival and Sara’s death can’t be a coincidence. I’m becoming more and more convinced that she could have had a hand in the housekeeper’s killing.”

  “Isn’t that even more reason to leave it to the police?” Garrett suggested.

  “The police are focused on finding Marianne right now. I won’t be long. If I’m not back in an hour, come find me. Okay?”

  “Okay.” He couldn’t stop me.

  I made a beeline for the front door and ran smack into Officer Downs. “Speak of the devil. I was just talking about you.”

  “Talking about me, or trying to shrug your detail?” He cocked his head and gave me a sideways glance. There was no chance I could make it past his burly body. He filled the entire door frame.

  “No, I’m glad to see you. I wondered if Chief Meyers decided I didn’t need extra protection.”

  “She did not.” Officer Downs’s lips turned down.

  “I need to run over to Hotel Vierter Stock.”

  “Then I’ll be with you.” He motioned for me to pass him, waving at two other uniformed officers, who followed me to the hotel. The garden seating area was buzzing with tourists who had had their return plans canceled. Guests had spread out grocery store picnics and were playing cornhole and bocce in the grass.

  I spotted Vienna carrying a stack of towels to a room upstairs.

  In the lobby I asked for Jay. The front desk clerk told me they would check to see if he was still on the premises. While I waited, Eleanor and Russ came into the cavernous lobby, holding hands. They didn’t see me. Eleanor made a beeline to the front desk.

  “I’ve had a break-in! Two cases of my most expensive wine and five hundred dollars cash is missing.” She sounded irate. Russ stood next to her, his hand on the small of her back.

  So I hadn’t been wrong about their affair.

  The front desk clerk tried to appease her. “I’m so sorry. Can you please fill out this report and then we can have staff and one of the police officers take a look at your room?”

  “A piece of paper isn’t going to help.” Eleanor refused to take the report that the clerk offered her. “I don’t know what kind of operation you’re running here. My entire weekend has been a disaster. Sara’s murder. The police swarming the building. Not being allowed to leave. And now, even with an army of cops around, my things were stolen. This is ridiculous.”

  Jay appeared in the lobby. His staff waved him over to help. I watched as he strolled over to Eleanor, who was becoming more vocal. Russ left her side and went to have a conversation with one of the officers posted at the front doors.

  “How can I help?” Jay asked with smooth confidence.

  “My room was broken into!” Eleanor yelled. A small group had gathered round to witness the scene. “Thousands of dollars of wine is missing, along with cash! This is completely unacceptable.”

  Jay snapped his fingers at the young staffer behind the desk. “Call the manager on duty. Let’s take care of this.”

  “How are you going to take care of it?” Eleanor shot back. “We’re not allowed to leave town. I was planning to curl up in my room tonight. Now I don’t feel comfortable setting foot in there again. It’s so disturbing to think that someone was in my private things and stole the most expensive cases of wine. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. You have a thief amongst your staff!” She was dressed in a slinky red skirt and low-cut tank top, not exactly curl-up-with-a-book attire.

  Russ and one of the police officers joined Eleanor. “You’re going to have a serious lawsuit on your hands,” Russ threatened. “Obviously this hotel has no regard for guest security and safety.”

  Jay lost a little bit of his swagger. “Listen, we’re going to do everything we can for you.” He addressed the police officer. “My manager on duty is on his way to the room. Can you escort them back to their room to make sure it’s secure and take an initial report? I’ll notify Chief Meyers.”

  “You expect us to stay in a room that’s been ransacked?” Eleanor reached for Russ’s hand.

  “Unfortunately, I don’t have any other open rooms. With the highway shutdown, every room is booked. I wish there was more I could do for you. I can offer you a complimentary stay.”

  Eleanor glared at Jay. “I don’t want a complimentary stay. I want to feel safe, and I want my money and wine back.”

  Jay gave her solemn nod. “I understand, and I assure you we’re doing everything to get to the bottom of this.”

  “You’re not doing enough,” Russ added.

  “Let’s go take a look at the room and get a police report going,” Jay suggested, motioning to the police officer.

  Russ threw out his hand. “Not you. We’ll go with him.” His hand traveled to Eleanor’s hip as they took off with the officer.

  Jay whispered something to his front desk clerk before trying to smooth things over with the other guests who had gathered. “Sorry about that, folks. I assure you that we have everything under control. Please feel free to help yourself to complimentary snacks in the garden. Our kitchen staff has put together a Bavarian smorgasbord for you this evening—meats, cheeses, pickles, pretzels, mustards, and of course our signature Black Forest torte and red berry pudding. We’ve set out lawn games and have tons of movies, puzzles, and books for you.”

  Vienna entered the lobby balancing a tray of pastries. She stopped short at the sight of Jay.

  He gave her a wicked grin that made the hair on my arms stand at attention. “Ah! Here’s our beautiful housekeeping staff with dessert now. Vienna, why don’t you take that outside? Everyone please go help yourselves and enjoy the fresh mountain air.”

  A few people followed after Vienna.

  I continued to watch Jay, who worked the room like a politician, shaking hands with guests and putting on an air that everything was fine.

  It wasn’t.

  My theory that Sara had been responsible for the thefts at Hotel Vierter Stock had just been proven false by Eleanor. Sar
a was dead, and the guest room break-ins continued. That meant that her murder couldn’t have been because she had gotten caught stealing. I couldn’t blame Eleanor for being upset, and I was inclined to agree with her. Whoever had been breaking into rooms must be on staff. That meant that Vienna was the most likely culprit. Had I made a mistake in feeling sorry for her? Could she be a killer?

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-FOUR

  JAY FINISHED WORKING THE room and noticed me. “Hi, Sloan, to what do I owe the pleasure? Two visits in two days?” He sounded casual, as if nothing had happened.

  “Can we talk somewhere more private?” I glanced around at the crowd of guests still milling about after Eleanor’s explosion. “It seems like people are bit on edge.”

  He bristled, but quickly recovered. “Sure, let’s go sit over here.”

  Jay flipped on the golden chandelier and pointed to a chair on the opposite side of the impressive conference table. “Have a seat. What can I do for you?”

  “It’s about Sara’s murder.” I got right to the point.

  He stood and walked over to a buffet near the bookshelves. There was a large assortment of travel books and hiking, snowshoeing, hunting, and fishing guides. A silver pitcher of water and a stack of clear glasses sat on the buffet. “Do you want a glass of water?”

  “No thanks. I’m fine.”

  He poured himself a drink, but didn’t return to the table. “What about Sara’s murder?”

  “I’ve heard from more than one source that you may have been involved.” I decided I had nothing to lose at this point.

  Jay nearly dropped the glass on the table. Water spilled from its top like a tsunami. He didn’t bother to wipe it up. “Who? Who’s been saying that?”

  “Everything that I’ve learned has been in confidence. I’m not going to tell you who I heard it from, but the rumor is circulating through the village. It’s not just one person.” I tried to gauge his reaction as I pressed on. “I know it’s none of my business, but I’m sure you heard about my son Alex’s abduction earlier. It’s personal now.”

  “Sorry about your kid. They got him back, though, didn’t they?”

  “Yes.” I tried not to replay the memory of April rushing into Nitro to tell me Alex was missing. “There’s a chance that Sara’s murder is connected. I don’t know what Chief Meyers has told you. That’s why I wanted to come straight to you and not get caught up in rumors.”

  He picked a book on backcountry trails off the shelf and leafed through it. “You know, I don’t even know what books we have in here. I ordered a crate of used books to fill these shelves when I bought the place. I don’t know if anyone reads them.”

  Was he stalling?

  “Look, I’ll tell you the truth.” He returned the book to its spot, with the spine facing inward. I wanted to go fix it. “I have an idea how those rumors started.”

  “How?” I was surprised that it was going to be this easy to get him to talk.

  “Sara was upset with me. She threatened a lawsuit, actually.”

  This was huge news. Jay was admitting that Sara had confronted him—why?

  “She claimed that I was being inappropriate with some of the women on staff. You can’t joke about anything these days. Everything is taken out of context. I’m not always the most politically correct boss, but I wasn’t doing anything out of line.” His movements were sharp and stiff, like he was trying to contain his frustration.

  “How did the lawsuit come into play?” I remained seated.

  “She told me I had to stop flirting with the staff. What’s the big deal? She apparently was documenting my ‘behavior,’ as she called it. I told her it was illegal for her to be taking pictures of me without my knowledge. She told me it was illegal to pat one of the girls on the butt or rub their shoulders. Total crap, if you ask me. She was trying to get more money out of me, that’s all.”

  “Did other staff members know about the lawsuit?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I know that she had been trying to rally my team behind my back. She had been having private meetings with everyone on staff, taking notes, trying to build a case against me.”

  This didn’t sound good for Jay.

  “I had to get my lawyers involved. Do you know how expensive it is just to get them to review some basic documents?” He didn’t wait for my answer. “They made it clear that I could lose a potential suit, so I wrote up a formal apology letter and had to have HR enact some new policies. It was no big deal. Sara was fine with the outcome, or at least that’s what she said to my face. I know that she and Vienna were working together behind my back to keep the suit moving forward. They were in it for the money.”

  I couldn’t believe he was telling me this.

  “Renovating this property took my entire savings. I didn’t have the cash for a lengthy legal battle, so I gave her what she wanted.” He ran his finger along the bookshelf, finally landing on a guide for hunting elk that apparently captivated his attention more than our conversation because he opened the book and slowly turned page after page, not bothering to look at me.

  “What?” I finally asked.

  “A raise. A bonus and profit sharing. I set Sara up. We made a deal. She would give up the lawsuit, and I would make sure she was taken care of.” He continued to leaf through the book as he responded.

  “Did she agree?”

  “Of course she agreed.” Jay gave me an incredulous look. “Like I told you, she was in it for the money. She tried to claim that she cared about the young staff, but she didn’t. She knew that a sexual harassment suit was her ticket to retirement. I’ve found that people’s moral compasses tend to go haywire when you start to involve money. So that’s what I did. I offered her a better position, a raise, and she took it without blinking.”

  “When was this?”

  “A few days before she was killed.” Jay picked up his water and wiped his hands on his pants. “Sara was my ally. Part of our agreement included her making sure to stomp out any employee uprising. She and I came to a mutual understanding and respect.”

  A knock sounded on the door, and the front desk clerk peered inside. “Jay, there’s a call for you.”

  “Excuse me, I have to take this.” He tossed the elk hunting book on the table. “Feel free to tell your friendly neighborhood gossips the truth.” He gave me a once-over, ran his tongue over his lips seductively, and left the library.

  I sat in silence for a minute, shaking off the grossness of his lecherous behavior and trying to make sense of what he had said. If he was telling the truth, then what motive would he have had for killing Sara? Unless he didn’t want to continue paying her a higher salary or splitting the hotel’s profits.

  On the other hand, if Sara had agreed to be his insider when it came to employee relations, killing her made no sense.

  After a few minutes, I left the library. I wanted to talk to Vienna and hear her side of the story. Did she know about Sara and Jay’s agreement? If she could corroborate Jay’s story, then suddenly it became much more likely that Marianne might have been involved in the housekeeper’s murder.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-FIVE

  HAD I COMPLETELY MISREAD the situation? Had I been helping a killer these past couple of days? The more I learned, the more likely it seemed that Marianne was not looking after my best interests and, worse, could have killed Sara. The question was why? Had the housekeeper caught her lurking around the hotel grounds? Or could Marianne have left plans to kidnap Alex in her room? Scenarios swam in my head. What if Sara had discovered paperwork spelling out Marianne’s intentions while cleaning her room? She could have confronted Marianne and ended up dead. Marianne had definitely proven that she wasn’t reliable. Maybe she hadn’t meant to kill Sara. It could have been an accident. Or it could have been premeditated. What if she’d seen Sara with photos of Alex or me or sensitive documents? Could that explain why multiple people had claimed they had seen Marianne sneaking around the hotel? Maybe Maria
nne had plotted to kill Sara and silence her for good.

  I shuddered at the thought and pushed away visions of Alex gagged and blindfolded as I returned to the lobby and asked whether Vienna was working the evening shift. The clerk told me he had seen her in the garden a few minutes earlier, so I made my way outside.

  A pink dusky light fell over the ambrosial enclosed garden. The calming hum of the gurgling water fountain and the scent of sweet jasmine made me pause and take a long, slow breath. Remember, Alex is safe.

  I followed the cobblestone path that cut through the patio tables. A few guests lingered beneath green and cream umbrellas snacking on slices of cake and sipping tea and coffee. Solar lanterns flickered on, casting shimmering yellow light on my footsteps. Vienna was on the far side of the garden, pushing a supply cart along the narrow pathway between the guest rooms.

  “Vienna!” I called, waving to her.

  She didn’t acknowledge me. She pushed the cart onward toward the supply room.

  I hurried after her.

  When I finally caught up to her, I realized the reason she hadn’t responded. She had earbuds tucked into both ears and was swaying to music that I couldn’t hear.

  I tapped her shoulder, causing her to jump.

  She whipped her head around and yanked her feather duster from her apron, ready to use it as a weapon.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” I apologized, and took a step backward.

  Her face softened when she realized it was me. “I didn’t hear you. You scared me.” She removed the earbud from her left ear.

  “Sorry,” I repeated. “I was hoping to ask you something. I called out to you, but you must not have heard.”

  She removed the other earbud, tucked them both in her apron pocket, and unlocked the supply closet. “What did you want to ask?”

  “Did you hear anything about Sara trying to put together legal action against Jay?”

  Vienna glanced around us. She motioned for me to come closer. “How did you hear about that?”