Peril & Prayer

by Olivia Matthews

  “We’re grateful for your time, Mr. Hargreaves.” Sister Lou heard soft music in the background. The chords had an international flavor.

  “Call me Gary.” The invitation was grudging.

  Sister Lou smiled. “Gary, as I explained to the deputies, we’re on the same side. Do you know whether Autumn had any concerns about the resort? Had she been distracted or preoccupied before her death?”

  Gary shook his head. “Autumn didn’t form relationships with the staff. She wasn’t cold. She just didn’t encourage confidences and she didn’t share any, either.”

  Although Rita made the comment that Autumn told Kelsey everything.

  “How long have you worked for her?” Shari glanced around the office.

  Did she see what I saw? Sister Lou turned her attention back to Gary.

  He sat straighter and lifted his chin. “I’m the longest tenured of any of her employees. I started here before the resort officially opened.”

  “That’s impressive.” Sister Lou understood the source of his pride. She swept her hand to indicate the images on his walls and the crafts on his desk. “I see you’ve also made the most of your vacations.”

  Gary grinned. “Yes, I enjoy traveling.”

  “Do you work with one of the resort’s travel agency partners to plan them?” Sister Lou kept a casual demeanor.

  “Yes, I use Briar Coast Travel.” Gary seemed to relax. “They’re local. Are you planning a trip?”

  “I might be.” Sister Lou stood, offering the accountant her hand. “Thank you again for your time, Gary. I hope Autumn’s killer is found soon.”

  Grief shadowed the accountant’s features. “So do I.”

  Sister Lou quietly led Shari from his office. Would he lock the door behind them or was that only when he left the room?

  Kelsey bobbled toward them as they entered the lobby area. “Did he tell you why he’s being so weird?” She posited the question in a stage whisper.

  Shari gave the administrative assistant a curious look. “We didn’t ask him.”

  Sister Lou tried to temper Shari’s response. “Everyone handles grief differently. He’ll be back to his old self in time.”

  “I hope so,” Kelsey groused as she turned to bounce back to the registration counter. Her mannerisms were so youthful, but there was experience on her face.

  Sister Lou exited the main cabin and climbed in behind the wheel of her orange compact. She waited as her friend strapped in. “Could you contact Briar Coast Travel to learn as much as you can about Gary’s trips? How much have they cost? How often does he go? How long does he stay?”

  Shari glanced at her. “Do you think Gary is the embezzler?”

  “Those trips weren’t inexpensive.” She put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot.

  “So tell me, how did you know that mentioning his grooming habits would get us an invitation to his office?”

  “How many men do you know who’d want to discuss their salon visits in the middle of their employer’s lobby?”

  “Good point. I’ll look into Gary’s travel, but I can’t see him killing someone. I doubt he’d want to risk his mani-pedi.”

  Chapter 28

  “Ah, Louise, I’m glad you’re here. We need to talk.” Sister Marianna came around her desk and ushered Sister Lou into her office late Tuesday afternoon.

  Sister Lou lowered the hand she’d raised to knock. She watched in confusion as Sister Marianna welcomed her into her office. That was unusual. Her look of displeasure wasn’t.

  Sister Lou smoothed her cream pantsuit before lowering herself with some caution to the padded visitor’s chair. “It seems we both need to speak with the other. You first, Marianna. What’s on your mind?”

  Sister Marianna returned to her faux mahogany wood desk. She pinned Sister Lou with a direct stare. “Frankly, Louise, it pains me to have to say this, but you’re making a mess of this investigation.”

  She’d wondered how long it would take Sister Marianna to launch her attack. Waiting eleven days showed an admirable amount of restraint for her.

  Sister Lou relaxed back on her armchair and said a quick prayer for patience and understanding. “In what way?”

  “It’s been eleven days.” Sister Marianna tossed up her arms, causing her pale blue blouse to crease. “You still don’t know who killed Autumn Tassler.”

  Neither did Sister Marianna nor the deputies, but Sister Lou refrained from pointing fingers. “Before we can identify the killer, we need to understand the motive.”

  “How hard could that be? Someone wanted her dead.” Sister Marianna spread her arms. Her vocal register was arcing toward an impressive octave.

  “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why did someone want her dead?”

  “How should I know?”

  Sister Lou remembered her prayer for patience. “You’ve just proven my point. If we don’t understand why someone wanted to kill her, we won’t be able to identify who committed the crime.”

  Sister Marianna sighed. “What motive have you come up with?”

  There were signs of tension and distraction around Sister Marianna’s office. Her work space wasn’t as rigidly organized as Sister Lou had come to expect. Mail and other papers filled her usually empty in-box. A manila file folder lay as though forgotten on her blond wood conversation table. Her pale gold blazer was folded on the back of her seat instead of hanging on her coatrack. The strain was getting to the other woman. Understandably.

  “As we discussed the other night, we have multiple motives, depending on the suspect.” Sister Lou collected her thoughts. “There’s jealousy, which would fit her cousin. But as for her business partner, her ex-husband, his wife, her business rival, and possibly an employee, money appears to be the more popular cause.”

  “Those are two motives and more than thirty people.” Sister Marianna gave her a wide-eyed stare.

  “We only have thirty suspects. Autumn employed twenty-five people. In addition to her employees, we have five outside suspects.”

  “You’re not including me on your list?” Sister Marianna sat back on her seat.

  “You’re not guilty, Marianna.”

  “I know that.” Sister Marianna made a visible effort to pull herself together. “What are your plans to eliminate your suspects?”

  “Autumn’s business rival and her ex-husband have moved to the bottom of my list.” Sister Lou cocked her head. “You mentioned that you have concerns regarding the way I’m handling the investigation. What would you recommend I do?”

  “You need to be more forceful, Louise.” Sister Marianna leaned into her desk. Her eyes snapped with impatience. “These suspects need to prove their innocence.”

  Sister Lou’s eyebrows flew up her forehead. Sister Marianna’s forceful approach was one of the reasons she preferred to leave the other woman behind when she met with potential suspects. Considering the struggle Sister Lou had this morning keeping Shari’s temper in place, she could only imagine the juggling act she’d have undertaken if Sister Marianna had tagged along. The difference between the two women was that Sister Lou could help Shari keep her temper in place. Sister Marianna was a loose cannon. Period.

  “Marianna, these people don’t have to speak with me. Perhaps the deputies could take a stronger approach, but I have to be diplomatic.”

  “Then you have to get regular updates from the deputies.”

  Strange how times had changed. When Sister Lou was investigating her friend’s murder, Sister Marianna was adamant that the deputies should handle the investigation and the congregation should not get involved. Now that she was a suspect in a murder investigation, Marianna wanted Sister Lou to ruffle the deputies’ feathers. She’d take a pass on that, thanks anyway.

  “Marianna, you’ve been cleared of suspicion for Autumn’s murder.”

  Sister Marianna’s lips parted in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me that when you first arrived?”

  “You w
anted to discuss my handling of the case first.”

  Sister Marianna’s shoulders sagged with relief. “And you’re certain that I’m no longer a suspect?”

  “Yes, we’re positive.” Sister Lou smiled at her associate’s reaction. “Shari and I met with the deputies this afternoon. The lab didn’t find traces of either your DNA or Autumn’s DNA on the scarf. The deputies conceded that it wasn’t your scarf that they’d found at the crime scene nor was it the murder weapon.”

  Sister Marianna grinned. “Well, then, our job is done. The congregation’s been cleared. Barbara and Valerie will be thrilled to hear it.”

  Sister Lou held up a hand to slow Sister Marianna’s celebration. “I’m afraid we’re not completely clear yet. Until the real murderer is found, we’ll continue to have a cloud of suspicion over us.”

  “Oh, Louise, you’re making too much of this.” Sister Marianna waved a dismissive hand.

  “I hope you’re right, Marianna.” But Sister Lou wasn’t willing to take the risk.

  * * *

  “Your guy has an interesting background.” Shari disregarded the traditional greeting when Sister Lou answered her desk phone early Wednesday morning.

  Perhaps that contributed to Sister Lou’s confusion. “My guy?”

  “Gary Hargreaves, Autumn Tassler’s ne’er-do-well accountant.”

  “What makes him my guy?”

  “Play along with me.”

  “All right.” She was still confused. “What have you learned?”

  A couple of keyboard strokes carried over the phone line. From her evaluation of the background sounds, Sister Lou determined Shari had made this call from her cubicle at the Telegraph. She must have gotten an early start, too. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and Sister Lou had a long to-do list if she was going to take the day off.

  “Buckle up. This is good.” Shari seemed to enjoy the presentation almost as much as the investigation itself. Either that or her friend had had too much caffeine—and it wasn’t yet eight o’clock. “One Gary Theron Hargreaves. Born July thirteenth in the year of our Lord 1965 in Trenton, New Jersey. Age fifty-two. He arrived in Briar Coast September 2013, or at least that’s when he started renting his condo.”

  “Did he move here for a job?”

  “Good guess, but no.” Shari projected her best game-show voice. “Autumn hired him January 2014, one month before she opened the resort. By the way, guess what day she launched her Briar Coast Cabin Resort enterprise?”

  Sister Lou searched her memory and came up blank. “When did she open it?”

  “Valentine’s Day. Irony much?” Shari laughed. “Starting a resort with your alimony checks, then opening it on Valentine’s Day. The more I learn about this woman, the more I like her.”

  “Autumn seemed to have a flair.”

  “I’ll say.” Shari paused before continuing. “Before setting up in Briar Coast, our pal Gary moved around. A lot: East Coast, West Coast, South, Mountain States. He’s never stayed in one place for long. Makes you wonder if he was running from something, doesn’t it?”

  “Not necessarily.” Sister Lou turned her desk chair away from her computer to contemplate the cold, late-fall scene outside her office window—and the little she knew about Shari. “I’ve learned that a person’s abrupt departures could mean they’re running toward something rather than away. They may not have realized it yet.”

  Shari hummed noncommittally. “Let’s put a pin in that for now. Gary was running from something. He’d been arrested for embezzlement at least twice before. Other times, he may not have been arrested, but he was caught.”

  Sister Lou closed her eyes in mild disappointment. The signs were there. Autumn may have seen them, too. Still she held on to hope. “Are there any indications that Gary was trying to do better?”

  “I’m afraid not.” Shari’s voice was subdued as though the reporter sensed Sister Lou’s disappointment. “I called Briar Coast Travel as you suggested. You were right. He does take several expensive, international trips each year. His next one is a weeklong winter cruise to the Mediterranean.”

  Sister Lou frowned at the audacity. “Is he traveling on a discounted or packaged special?”

  “No. His travel agent said this time, he’s going first class.” Shari made a disgusted sound. “You’d think someone who’d been arrested for embezzlement not once but twice would stop pushing his luck.”

  “It must be a sickness.”

  “Must be.” There was a shrug in Shari’s voice.

  “Is he carrying any debt?”

  “Some, but not much.” The phone line picked up the sound of rustling. Shari must be checking through papers on her desk. “In addition to his trips, Gary has a membership to Fit Up Health Space. We both know that’s an exclusive gym. He also has a standing weekly appointment to a beauty salon, and he’s a member of some shoe-of-the-month club. Even with my shoe fetish, I think that’s nuts.”

  “It does seem excessive.” Sister Lou inhaled deeply, drawing in the soothing scents of her white tea potpourri. “Based on all you’ve just reported, it seems Gary was the one stealing from the resort’s accounts.”

  “He had access to them,” Shari continued as though using her fingers to count off the points. Sister Lou imagined the reporter cradling the receiver between her shoulder and chin as she proceeded. “The motive would be his spending habits. He had plenty of opportunity. He’s the resort’s accountant.”

  “You’ve summed all of that up very nicely.”

  “I suppose you want to give this information to the deputies?” Shari sounded like she was being forced to go to the dentist—or worse.

  “No, not yet.”

  “Why not? Is something wrong?”

  “Gary may very well have been the embezzler, but can you envision him killing Autumn?”

  There was a brief pause on the line. “Now that you mention it, no. I can’t see him ruining his weekly manicure.”

  “Neither can I.” Sister Lou’s lips curved in appreciation of Shari’s observation. “I think we’re once again getting another question for every one we answer.”

  “Do you want to talk with Gary before we go to the deputies?”

  “I think that would be for the best.” Sister Lou spun her chair back to face her desk. “I also want to know why he’s locking his office door.”

  * * *

  “You two again?” Gary spoke in a stage whisper as he hurried past resort guests. He stopped his customary arm’s length from Shari and Sister Lou, who waited for him in the main lobby of the Briar Coast Cabin Resort later Wednesday morning. “I’ve told you everything I know and probably more than I should have.”

  Kelsey stood behind the front desk, shaking her head and rolling her eyes at Gary’s near-hysteria. She turned and disappeared, bouncing into one of the two offices behind the registration desk.

  Sister Lou wouldn’t be able to embarrass him into meeting privately with them again, but she’d learned a thing or two from her fearless friend. “Shari and I have a question or two about your international trips. Would you like to discuss them here or in your office?”

  A chill breeze struggled in from beneath the resort’s front door. The scents of strong coffee, breakfast meats, and fresh pastries floated out to greet her, though not nearly as tempting as the aromas of the Briar Coast Café’s offerings.

  In her peripheral vision she noticed guests walking in the direction of the dining hall for an early lunch and those coming from a late breakfast. They were older couples and extended families who’d checked into the resort for the long Thanksgiving weekend. The air hummed with the sounds of their excited chatter and bursts of laughter. She remembered when she’d been a part of an extended family. Now it was up to her and Chris to keep their family traditions and memories alive—and to start new ones.

  “Fine.” With that single grudging syllable, Gary again led them to his office.

  Sister Lou followed him and Shari. A little farther than halfw
ay down the main hall, they stopped in front of Gary’s office. Why had he locked his office door before coming to meet them in the lobby?

  He held the door as they entered, then closed it before confronting them. “What do you want to know about my vacation?”

  “Wouldn’t that be vacations in the plural?” Shari emphasized the s at the end of the word. She faced Gary, crossing her arms. Her winter coat hung open over her citrus orange sweater and chocolate corduroy pants. Muted colors for the outspoken reporter.

  “We’re not just interested in your international trips.” Sister Lou shrugged out of her coat and folded it over her joined arms. It was stuffy in Gary’s office. “You have a membership to an exclusive health club and a shoe-of-the-month club.”

  Gary’s features battled between shock and outrage. “Are you spying on me?”

  “Yes.” Shari swept her right arm to encompass his office and everything in it. “How are you able to afford this lifestyle? You can’t possibly make that much for a small, struggling resort.”

  “The resort isn’t struggling.” Gary marched past them to stand behind his desk.

  Shari circled to keep their target in her sight. “You should know. You’re the accountant.”

  “That’s right.” Gary’s words were clipped with irritation. “And I’m telling you the resort isn’t struggling. By all accounts, our profits should have been more significant.”

  Gary sounded so sincere. Either he believed what he said or he was a skillful liar. Sister Lou stepped to his desk and sat uninvited on one of his guest chairs. Shari followed suit, peeling off her coat.

  Sister Lou rested her coat and purse on her lap. “Did you know Autumn was doing background checks on all of her full-time employees?”

  “Of course I did.” Gary lowered himself onto his wheeled executive chair. “We had to complete the paperwork giving the third-party vendor permission to collect the information. People were angry about it.”