Holiday Hangover

by Kathi Daley

  “And Daniel?” Zak asked. “Did he support the relationship?”

  “Daniel didn’t believe the relationship was real. He thought Mercedes was helping me to steal Kyle from Bear Mountain. I tried on several occasions to convince Daniel that I had nothing to do with it and had no intention of stealing Kyle, but he couldn’t be moved. The reality is, the feud between the two families had been more firmly ingrained in Daniel’s mind than it had been in mine. I suppose that was natural when it became evident that by dividing the mountain, Xavier Carrington didn’t, in reality, gift his sons with equal shares of his wealth.”

  “I understand Stephanie wants to sell you her stock.”

  “She does. She approached me quite a while back, in fact, but her stock was useless without Daniel’s. Besides, buying her stock would have enraged Daniel, which would only have made things worse. It was my goal to end the feud, not make it worse.”

  The conversation paused when the woman I’d seen at the reception desk earlier poked her head in through the door. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Mr. Carrington, but Jordan is on the radio. He says it’s important.”

  “Thank you, Margaret. Tell him I’ll be right there.”

  Michael turned back to Zak and me. “I’m sorry for the interruption, but I need to deal with this. Feel free to enjoy the mountain. If you have additional questions ask Margaret to radio me and we can set up another meeting later in the day.”

  “Before you go, I was wondering if we could speak to one of your kitchen workers. It seems she worked for Bear Mountain on the day of the party.”

  “Certainly. Just tell Margaret who you want to speak to and she’ll arrange it.”

  He rose and we all left Michael’s office. Zak and I stopped by Margaret’s desk and gave her the name of the kitchen worker we hoped to speak to. She promised to track her down and try to arrange a meeting.

  “What’s on your mind?” I asked Zak after we’d left the building.

  “I’m just thinking about the dynamics between the two sides of the Carrington family. Michael made a good point when he said the feud originated due to the fact that Xavier Carrington didn’t leave his sons equal shares of his wealth when he divided the mountain.”

  “So you think Robert was jealous of Joseph?”

  “I think it’s a good possibility, which could explain why Daniel was brought up to resent his cousins on the other side of the mountain. Our conversation with Michael has helped me to understand the family dynamics somewhat better, but I’m not sure it’s helped me figure out who might have killed Daniel.”

  Zak took my hand and started to walk down the artfully decorated street. We’d only made it a few hundred feet when my phone buzzed, letting me know I had a text. It was from Margaret, telling me she’d managed to line up the interview we’d asked her about. The woman’s name was Serena Smith. We turned around and headed back to the administration building. We were shown into a conference room and told Serena would be with us shortly.

  “The offices here are a lot nicer than the ones at Bear Mountain,” Zak commented as he looked around the room. “I guess it never occurred to me before that one resort could be doing all that much better than the other.”

  “Do you think Xavier Carrington knew what he was doing when he divided the mountain between his two sons?”

  “Probably not. Neither resort existed when Xavier was alive, so I doubt he took the number of inches of snowfall per year into account.”

  I looked up as a young girl opened the door and entered the room.

  “Thank you for agreeing to speak with us,” Zak said as soon as she took a seat.

  “I’m happy to help in any way I can.” Serena was a tiny little thing who fidgeted in her chair while she waited for the first question.

  “I understand you and four other kitchen staff were assigned to work the party held at Bear Mountain in honor of the opening for the season,” Zak continued.

  “Yes, sir.” Serena clasped and unclasped her hands in her lap in an almost frantic manner. It was obvious she was nervous about the interview.

  “There’s no reason to be nervous.” I smiled at the girl. “Just walk us through your day and we’ll ask questions as they arise.”

  The girl offered me a half smile. “Yes, ma’am. Let’s see; there were five of us assigned to work with Miss Izzy on the day of the party. We were told to meet at the foot of the tram at eight o’clock. When we had all arrived we were taken up to the top of the mountain.”

  “And after you arrived at the restaurant…?” I continued.

  “Izzy gave us all jobs to do. I was in charge of chopping vegetables and slicing meat.”

  “And what was Izzy doing during that time?”

  “She was in and out of the kitchen, giving us directions and checking on our progress.”

  “Were all the workers assigned tasks in the kitchen?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Some of us were instructed to slice and dice and others were assigned to work on the hot dishes.”

  “Did any of you leave the kitchen at any time? Maybe to use the ladies’ room or just to take a break?” I asked.

  “No,” Serena answered. “We were told to stay put in the kitchen until the guests arrived.”

  “And no one left, even to use the restroom?” I verified.

  “No. Amy said she needed to use the facilities, but Izzy had told us not to leave the kitchen without permission and we did as we were told.”

  “I’m sure Izzy wouldn’t have minded if you used the ladies’ room if you had the need,” I pointed out.

  Serena shook her head. “You don’t know Izzy. Everyone knows you best do what you’re told if she’s the one doing the telling. She likes her kitchen to run a certain way and she won’t tolerate anyone doing things differently than she instructs.”

  “So Izzy is the type of person who likes to control things.”

  “She’s very focused on her work.”

  I glanced at Zak as I gathered my thoughts. He seemed content to let me take the lead, so I continued. “If Izzy likes things to go just so, I guess she must have been a little rattled when she found out the toilets were clogged.”

  Serena shook her head. “No. She didn’t seem upset. Like I said, Izzy has a very deliberate way about her. She just called down to maintenance as calmly as could be and told them about the problem.”

  I had to admit the Izzy Serena was describing didn’t seem to mirror the woman we had spoken to. “And what happened after that?” I asked.

  “A couple of men arrived and I guess they fixed the plumbing. It seemed to be working okay later in the day.”

  “Did you speak to either of the men?”

  “No. We never left the kitchen until we were told to begin serving the food.”

  I jotted down a few notes while Serena fidgeted in her chair. “I was real sorry to hear about Mr. Carrington,” Serena offered. “I didn’t know him well, but he seemed nice. I couldn’t believe it when I heard he had fallen from the deck.”

  “Do you remember where you were when you heard the news?” I asked.

  “I was in the main part of the restaurant, where the food was being served on clearing tables. The buffet was just winding down when Chance Carrington broke the news to everyone.”

  “And then what happened?”

  “There was a lot of commotion. Everyone was told that the Mounties were on the way and we would all need to wait until they arrived. The kitchen staff was asked to wait in the kitchen.”

  “And how long did it take for law enforcement to arrive?”

  “A little over an hour, I think. They took a look at things and then took down everyone’s name, and then they started transporting the guests down the mountain.”

  “And when did you leave?” I asked.

  “Izzy told us we could leave shortly after the last of the guests had gone.”

  “Did Izzy leave with you?”

  “No, she stayed behind. I guess they might have had questions for he
r.”

  Zak and I asked Serena a few more questions, then thanked her and went in search of Alex and Nikki. I still didn’t have any idea who had pushed Daniel from the deck, but Zak and I had promised to meet the girls for lunch. I wanted to speak to Mercedes while we were at Echo Ridge, so Nikki called and arranged it while we chowed down on the best pizza I had ever eaten.

  After lunch the girls went snowboarding while Zak and I continued our investigation. When we arrived at the administration building for the third time that day, Zak and I were shown into Mercedes’s office.

  “Zak, Zoe, I’m Mercedes Young. I’m sorry it took so long for me to get here,” a woman with dark hair and a broad smile greeted us as she ushered us into the room and motioned for us to sit down. “It’s been crazy this week with the holiday and all the extra snow we’ve had so far this month. And if that wasn’t enough, we’re having a rash of electrical problems that has everyone run ragged.”

  “I can see you’re busy and want to thank you for agreeing to speak to us. The resort is lovely,” I replied.

  “Thank you. Michael and I try very hard to offer our guests the ultimate ski experience. Can I get you some coffee?”

  “No, we’re fine,” I answered. “We really just wanted to have a chance to meet you while we’re visiting this side of the mountain. Nikki has told us all about you.”

  “Nikki’s a sweet kid. I’m happy we’ve finally had the opportunity to become friends.”

  “I understand this movement between Echo Ridge and Bear Mountain is a fairly new thing.”

  “It is. I’d only spoken to Nikki once before Michael hired Jordan and Marcus and Kyle started to visit. Now that the door has been opened, we’ve become close even though I’m twice her age.”

  “Family seems to be very important to Nikki,” I observed.

  “It’s important to both of us.”

  Mercedes sat back in her chair and waited. It was obvious she knew why we were there and planned to let us take the lead. She didn’t seem to be the least bit anxious to fill in the silence with meaningless chatter.

  I decided to jump in. “I understand you were at the party where Daniel Carrington died.”

  “I thought that was what you really wanted to talk about.” Mercedes leaned back, her stance open and welcoming. “Ask away. What would you like to know?”

  “You arrived at the party with Kyle?”

  “Yes. It was the first time I’d attended an event at Bear Mountain and I wasn’t sure I’d be welcome, but Kyle asked me to go as his date and I agreed.”

  “And after you arrived?”

  “Kyle and I went up early with other members of the family to greet the guests as they arrived. And if you’re wondering, yes, I felt a little odd being part of the welcoming party, and no, it didn’t seem as if anyone had a problem with it.”

  “Including Daniel?” I asked.

  “Daniel came later, with Dr. Townsend. We were no longer greeting at that point, so it wasn’t an issue, although I could tell by the look on his face that Daniel wasn’t thrilled I had been invited.”

  “Did you speak to Daniel after he arrived?”

  “No. I wanted to say hi and thank him for having me, but Kyle thought it best that we avoid him, so we did. At least at first.”

  “I understand Michael attended the party as well.”

  Mercedes leaned forward and rested her arms on the desk in front of her. “Yes. Unlike me, he wasn’t invited. I was as shocked as anyone when he showed up, and I could see Daniel was furious. I asked Michael why he’d come and he said he wanted a chance to speak to Daniel.”

  “And did he?” I wondered. “Speak to Daniel?”

  “No, he never did. By the time Michael arrived the buffet lunch had already been served. Luckily, there was an extra chair at the table where Kyle and I were seated, so we asked him to join us. Daniel was glaring at Michael the whole time, but he didn’t approach him or even say anything, so I began to relax and enjoy the food, although that didn’t last long.”

  “I understand Kyle and Daniel argued.”

  “Yes. Michael wanted to speak to Daniel and asked Kyle to arrange it. Unfortunately, Daniel wasn’t at all receptive to the idea and the two of them ended up in an argument. Poor Kyle was really devastated that the harsh words spoken during the course of that argument were the last ever exchanged between them.” Mercedes looked me directly in the eye. I could see the grief on her face. “I feel like the whole thing was my fault.”

  “How could that be?” I wondered.

  “If I hadn’t been there, if I had said no when Kyle asked me to go, Michael probably wouldn’t have shown up and Kyle and Daniel wouldn’t have argued.”

  “Are you saying you feel if you hadn’t been there Daniel would still be alive?”

  Mercedes frowned. “You think Michael or I killed him?”

  “Did you?”

  “Of course not. We would never do anything like that. If you don’t believe me ask Kyle. Other than the few moments when Kyle and Daniel were arguing, we were together the entire time.”

  “What about Michael?”

  “What about him?” Mercedes challenged me. Her stance had definitely changed from open and welcoming to guarded and somewhat hostile. “Michael is a wonderful man who wouldn’t hurt a fly. I agree he made an unwise choice showing up at the party the way he did, but I can assure you he didn’t kill Daniel Carrington. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.”

  Mercedes stood up, making it clear the interview was over, and escorted us out of her office.

  “What do you think?” I asked Zak after we’d exited the building and begun walking down the street.

  “Although we struck a nerve, I don’t think she did it. I still haven’t made up my mind about Michael.”

  “We should track down Kyle for a one-on-one,” I suggested. “He was the last one to speak to Daniel and he’s also Mercedes’s alibi. I wanted to ask her where she and Kyle went after they left the restaurant, but I guess I made her mad too quickly.”

  “We can speak to Kyle tomorrow. For now, let’s try out the superior runs we’ve been hearing so much about.”

  Chapter 9

  “So what did you think?” Nikki asked later that afternoon as we drove back over the mountain toward Bear Mountain.

  “It was just like you said it would be,” I answered. “The snowboarding was the best I’ve ever experienced and Michael was both warm and welcoming. I’m sorry we missed Jordan.”

  “Jordan isn’t the type to hang out in his office, so I’m not surprised we didn’t run into him. If you really want to meet him, I can try to arrange something before you leave.”

  “Michael indicated that he and Daniel didn’t have much of a relationship, but you seem to go back and forth between the two resorts fairly often, and Kyle and Mercedes are dating. Would you say the imaginary wall between the two families that existed at one time has begun to crumble?” I asked.

  “Definitely. I guess things really began to change when Michael gave Jordan a job.” This confirmed what Mercedes had said. “Grandpa wasn’t happy about that at all, but I think it was the best thing that could have happened. Marcus and Jordan aren’t only brothers; they’re close friends, so Marcus began hanging out at Echo Ridge to visit his half brother, and Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Brian started spending time at Echo Ridge when they visited too, and then they got to know Michael better. Uncle Kyle is only two years older than Jordan and four years older than Marcus and he gets along with them really well, so he started going over the mountain on his days off to visit Jordan. At some point Uncle Kyle started hanging around with Mercedes, and then they started dating. It feels like we’re becoming a family. A real family, not just one that fights all the time.”

  “And your dad? Does he visit Echo Ridge too?” I asked.

  “No, not really. He doesn’t seem to have anything against the other side of the family and he doesn’t try to stop me from going back and forth, but he isn’t fr
iends with Mercedes and Jordan the way Kyle and Marcus are, so he doesn’t have a reason to go. Besides, Grandpa didn’t approve of it. I asked my dad why and he just said Grandpa was set in his ways. I hope I never get so old that I’m set in my ways. It seems silly to me.”

  I couldn’t agree more.

  As nice as today had been, and as much as it had helped to put the Carrington family into perspective, I didn’t think it helped us to get closer to the truth of who had killed Daniel Carrington, so I told Alex she could hang out with Nikki the next day while Zak and I worked on the investigation. I’d already pretty much decided the killer most likely wouldn’t be a Carrington by blood or family association and nothing we’d found out that day had dissuaded me from that opinion.

  After we got back to the guest house, Alex fed Charlie and made me a cup of tea while Zak began putting dinner together. I’d taken a hot shower and dressed in the footie pajamas Zak had bought for me the previous winter, when I’d complained of always being cold once the first snow hit the ground. Zak swore Alex didn’t know about the failed pregnancy, though it seemed as if she was treating me with kid gloves, which made me wonder if she didn’t suspect something at the very least.

  “I really had fun today,” Alex said after handing me my tea and curling up on the sofa next to me.

  “I had fun as well. Echo Ridge really is in the perfect location to enjoy the fresh snow. Did you and Nikki decide what you’re going to do tomorrow?”

  “She was going to check with a couple of her friends and let me know. Whatever the group decides is fine with me. Everyone has been so nice to include me.”

  “Have you talked to Scooter today?” I asked.

  “Just for a minute. He texted me when we were at Echo Ridge. I told him I’d call him back tonight, but he said they were going to get home late, so I told him I’d just wait and call him tomorrow. He sent me photos from Disneyland. It looked like he was having fun.”