"I like Holly," she said, starting to pout. "I'm pretty sure she likes me. I can't believe she'd try to kill me just to get her hands on the money willed to Women On Top. It's not like she could take it for herself."
No, not outright, I thought, but she could sure manipulate where it ended up. With Allison out of the picture, who would know how much money was being funneled into which accounts? Especially if the only other person aware of Allison's fortune was Holly's ex. They could well be in this together.
"Is Holly your personal financial advisor as well?" I asked, getting out of the tub.
"No. Just for Women On Top. Where are you going?" Allison was scrambling out behind me.
"To check the tape," I said. "And to do some thinking. Right now, I just want to think."
Chapter Eight
In the dream, the creature was cloaked in darkness. Murky water obscured its features, but somehow I could make out the eyes. They were bathed in hatred. I knew I needed to see the thing's face, but doing so would necessitate diving deeper into the dark waters. And I needed to get to the surface or I'd drown. I kicked out, trying to get free, and found myself on the floor. I'd rolled off the damn bed.
It was early Tuesday morning and the birds were chirping merrily away. I could tell it was going to be another beautiful day. My thighs were stiff from yesterday s ride, but other than that, I felt fine. What I needed was a good long walk and some breakfast.
I listened at Allison's door and heard nothing. Feeling guilty, I went into the closet and peered through the view-finder. We'd moved the offending red shirt the night before and I had a clear shot of most of the room. She was safe in bed, sleeping soundly. I doubted her assailant would try anything so early in the morning, so I slipped into a pair of sweats and quietly let myself out of the cabin.
I wasn't the only early riser that morning. A few couples strolled along the lakeshore, and now and then I passed a jogger, but for the most part the resort was quiet. I liked it this way. In fact, I wouldn't have minded bringing Maggie up here sometime when there weren't a hundred other women. I forced myself to concentrate on the case, wishing I knew which cabins the other staff members were in. I made my way to the lodge and wasn't surprised to see Stella, the turquoise-lover, already watering flowerpots on the front deck.
"There's coffee inside, if you're interested."
"Actually, I was wondering if you could help me locate some friends of mine. I mean, I know they're here, I just don't know which cabins they're in."
"Register's right on the desk there, if you wanna take a look-see. Help yourself." I could've kissed her then and there.
I searched around for something to write with and jotted down the cabin names as I found them. Now all I needed was to locate the cabins themselves. I took one of the maps lying on the counter and went back out to talk with Stella.
"I don't suppose you have a fax machine?"
"Up here? We don't even got a phone." She laughed. "We keep all the fancy gadgets down at the T-Bone. That's where all our business is conducted. Up here, we keep things simple. Some folks find it inconvenient but it suits me fine." She paused, seeming to realize that I was probably one of the ones who found it inconvenient. "I can radio down for you, or if you want, Buddy can send a fax out. He goes down for supplies every morning. But you better hurry if you want to catch him this morning. He's probably already saddled up."
I ran back inside and made a hasty note to Martha at the precinct, asking her to do a background check on the WOT staff members. I jotted down their names and ran to the corrals in search of Buddy. I found him saddling a gray gelding.
"Can you fax this for me?" I asked, handing him the folded slip of paper. He unfolded it and started reading. "It's kind of confidential," I said.
His freckled face turned pink. "Oh, sorry." He refolded it and stuffed it in his shirt pocket.
"The fax number's on the front there, but you'll need to write the T-Bone Ranch fax number on the inside before you send it or they won't know where to send the return message."
"You want me to bring you an answer?" He didn't look too happy about it.
"It sure would be helpful," I said. "It could take them a while to get what I need, though. Could you just check the fax machine before you come back up? I'd really appreciate it." I flashed him a smile and he shrugged, pulling himself up onto the horse.
"You're the one that nearly got throwed off of Diablo, ain't you?" He peered at me more closely and I nodded. 'Well, I guess I do sorta owe you one, then. I'll send this off first thing and check for an answer before I head on back up here this afternoon."
I thanked him and walked back toward the lodge, hoping that Martha would be able to find something useful. I knew I'd owe her something really gourmet for this favor, but I felt like I was operating in the dark up here. At the very least she should be able to tell me if any of the women had a criminal record. Knowing Martha, she'd go the extra mile and find out more than that, provided she didn't have the day off or was out of the office. In the meantime, maybe searching the cabins would prove fruitful, I thought, studying the map.
The first thing I noticed was that Lacy Watkins and Sabrina Pepper had a suite similar to Allison's and mine, and in the same general area. Holly and Fay's cabins were fairly close to ours too, while Reeva's, Billie's and Karen's were all on the opposite end of the resort's grounds. If any one of the three had left what I assumed was poisoned pate in Allison's cabin, she would've had to haul some pretty serious ass to get all the way back to her cabin, retrieve the poisoned goods, run all the way to our suite, crawl through the window, and hope to make it back to the lodge before anyone noticed her missing. It was probably do-able, but it would've been a heck of a lot easier for Lacy, Sabrina, Fay or Holly to pull it off.
And how did any of them know the window would be unlocked in the first place? Unless they'd either seen it earlier or had sneaked in and unlatched it themselves. Given Allison's propensity for hot-tubbing, that seemed an easy enough task.
Suddenly, another thought hit me. Whoever it was had to know that Allison and I were suite-mates. They must have known it before we even pretended to be introduced, because otherwise, how would I have supposedly gotten into Allison's cabin to leave the wine and pate? Like me, the stalker must have checked Stella's guest list. When she saw that Allison and I hit it off during dinner, her mind must have gone into overdrive.
From the outside, most of the cabins looked quiet, although smoke curled out of a few chimneys, and now and then I caught the aroma of someone cooking breakfast. I noticed Billie's curtains were pulled open, so maybe she was up, but Karen's and Reeva's cabins were dark and silent. Heading back to my cabin to see if Sleeping Beauty was still sacked out, I nearly bumped into Sabrina Pepper coming around the bend.
"You're up early," she said, a tight smile on her thin lips. She was a slender, pale woman, with light blue eyes and fine straw-colored hair that flipped up at her shoulders. Her bangs were so long they must have obscured her vision; she had a habit of blowing upward to keep them out of her eyes. It would have been easier to get a trim, I thought, returning her smile.
"It's so beautiful up here, I didn't want to waste any of the day by sleeping in. How about you? You always an early riser?"
"Not always. I just felt like getting out, that's all. I'm surprised that after last night you're not exhausted." Her cheeks had taken on a faint blush, and although her lips were smiling, her eyes were not.
"I'm not sure what you mean," I said, knowing exactly what she meant. Apparently, people had taken note of Allison's and my early departure.
"Huh!" She sounded as young as she looked, which was about fourteen, and I guessed she was probably in her thirties. "I'm not stupid, you know," she said, crossing her arms. Her eyes challenged me to refute this.
"Sabrina, have I done something to offend you? If I have, I assure you, it was unintentional."
"Of course not." She exhaled and suddenly she looked sad. "Anyway, it's not you
. Forget I said anything. You haven't done anything wrong. If I were as pretty as you, I'd be flirting with Allison too. Just don't get your hopes up."
"You're kidding, right?"
She stared back at me with baleful eyes and I realized she was serious. Was it possible she didn't know how attractive she really was? Like anorexics who forever see themselves as overweight, did Sabrina see herself as homely? She tugged at her earlobe self-consciously, squirming under my scrutiny.
"I take it you and Allison have dated?"
Her eyes grew wide, as if I'd slapped her. Her blush deepened. She nodded.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know. If I'm out of line, just tell me."
"It's over," she said. "I don't know why I get so crazy every time she dates someone else. I should be used to it by now."
"How long ago did you break up?" I asked.
Sabrina's laugh surprised me. It was high and thin, like a misplayed note on a flute. "No one ever breaks up with Allison. She just sort of moves on. Anyway, like I said, I should be over it by now. Please, don't let my little emotional outburst get in the way of your affair."
"For what it's worth," I said, "it hasn't exactly come to that."
Sabrina's eyes brightened. "You haven't slept together?" She sounded incredulous.
"I just met her last night." I felt oddly defensive.
"Yeah, but. Well. Hmm." I could practically see her mind wrestling with this unexpected news. She seemed unduly cheered. Then her brow furrowed. "But you want to, right?" She watched me expectantly. I felt my own face blush at this candid question. "I'm sorry. That's none of my business. Forget I asked, okay? God, I can't believe I even said that. I'm not normally this forward." She'd turned suddenly loquacious and full of vitality. This woman had more mood swings than I could keep up with. "Guess I'll see you at breakfast," she said, practically skipping away.
Walking back toward the cabin, I felt as though I'd just come through a whirlwind and wasn't sure I still had everything intact. Sabrina Pepper was a bundle of contradictions. But was she crazy enough to be a killer?
Allison was not only up but dressed and sitting out on the front deck with a cup of coffee. "Grab a cup and come join me," she called over the wall that divided our porches. I walked through our adjoining doors and helped myself to a cup of coffee from her kitchen, then joined her on the deck.
"I just had an interesting chat with one of your many exes," I said, sitting down beside her.
"Is that jealousy I detect?" Her aqua eyes were dancing.
"Very funny. Tell me about Sabrina Pepper."
Allison smiled, looking pensive. "Sabrina's a real sweetheart, but she gives too much of herself and ends up getting hurt. I think she tries to buy people's love, which is sad, because they'd give it freely. Her ego is so frail. She doesn't acknowledge her own self-worth."
"She seems pretty hung up on you," I pointed out.
"I try not to encourage her," Allison said. "When I realized she was really falling for me, I tried to ease off gently. Maybe too gently. Sometimes I think she's just waiting for me to change my mind."
"The jilted lover has been known to seek revenge," I stated mildly.
Allison looked up, startled. "You think Sabrina's the one?"
"She does seem kind of unbalanced."
"But she likes me!" Allison said.
"Like isn't really the word I'd use. Fixated is more like it."
"God, I'd hate for it to be Sabrina." She stood up and started pacing the deck.
"Who would you like it to be?"
This brought her back to her chair. She slumped into it, drawing her knees to her chin. "I'd like it to be over, is what I'd like. Damn. What are you going to do?"
Like Sabrina, Allison had an amazing ability to shift moods. She'd just gone from carefree and cocky to scared and vulnerable. I wasn't sure which way I liked her best.
"Well, first I'm going to do some nosing around after breakfast while you hold your staff meeting. Do you think you can keep your meeting running an hour?"
"It'll be at least that long. More likely an hour and a half. We have a lot to do. But be careful, Cass. There aren't any workshops scheduled until tomorrow so there'll be a lot of people out and about. Someone might see you."
"I'll be careful. It's you I'm worried about. Although I assume you'll be safe as long as you're in a group. Unless, of course, they're all in it together." I smiled sweetly, and Allison laughed.
"Thank you very much. That's one possibility I hadn't even considered until now. My dreams should be really great tonight."
"You having nightmares?"
"Only when I sleep. Which isn't much."
"Join the crowd."
"Nightmares or not sleeping?"
"I've been having this dream," I said, not sure why I was telling her. "It's been a few weeks now, before we even met. But I can't help thinking it's got something to do with this case. A premonition, sort of. Only I can't figure out what it means. Something evil is trying to drag me down into the lake. I never see its face but I know it's bad. I'm drowning, struggling to get to the surface for air. I kick and kick, trying to get free. Just as I'm ready to draw my last breath, one I know will draw water into my lungs, I wake up. This morning, I kicked so hard, I found myself on the floor."
"Does this happen often? Your having premonitions?"
"Not like this."
"Maybe if you could get a look at the face, you'd know who was trying to kill me."
"In the dream, the only way I'd be able to see the face, is if I went down with it. And if I did that, I'd drown."
"Hmm. You want some more coffee?"
When she came back, I was so absorbed in thought, I didn't hear her. She put her hand on my shoulder to let me know she was behind me and the touch was so light it sent shivers right up my neck.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."
"After breakfast, try to keep them for that hour and a half," I said gruffly, standing up. I was miffed at the unwanted goosebumps.
"Whose cabin are you checking?" she asked.
"All seven of them, if I can. Starting with Reeva's and Karen's, since they're the farthest away. I'll work my way back here, hopefully before you finish."
"What will you be looking for?" she asked.
I sighed. I had no idea.
Chapter Nine
The dining room was much less crowded for breakfast and was set up buffet-style. I sat with Allison and Billie, enjoying Billie's account of a camping trip they'd made in which Reeva had gotten locked in the outhouse. We were still laughing when Lacy and Sabrina joined us.
"How are you two enjoying your suite?" Lacy asked. She was wearing hot pink shorts and a matching top. Her brown curly hair framed her dimpled cheeks, and despite her rather noticeable overbite, she was cute. She sort of reminded me of Shirley Temple, and the way she bounced on her chair made me think she was on the verge of breaking into song and dance. I glanced at her, wondering how she knew Allison and I had a suite, but her bright, hazel eyes revealed nothing more than healthy curiosity.
"It's in a nice location," I offered.
"Sabrina and I are just down the hill from you. Ours doesn't have quite the privacy of yours, but it's in a real sunny spot. I like the suites better than the single cabins. As long as you're not sharing with a bathroom hog." She smiled her buck-toothed grin at Sabrina, who seemed shy after our talk on the trail. She was pushing around a small mound of scrambled eggs with her fork, occasionally nibbling at a piece of toast.
"You going to enter the race?" Allison asked. Lacy nodded enthusiastically but Sabrina just shrugged. "You should enter," she said, clearly trying to cajole Sabrina out of her shyness. "With your sailing skills, you could win it!"
"What race is that?" I asked.
"It's a lot of fun," Lacy volunteered. "You should sign up. It's not till Thursday, but there's limited space to enter. It's sort of a camp tradition. A triathlon with a twist." When I looked puzzled, she giggled. "First you get a vest w
ith an emblem on it. It could be a star, a moon, a four-leaf clover or any number of things. You gotta wear it the whole time. The first part of the race is on foot. It starts at the lodge and goes down to the pier. A little more than a mile, I'd say. Anyway, at the pier, you've gotta find the sailboat with your emblem on the sail. The same one that's on your vest. That's your boat. You sail over to the island, pull up on the beach, and look for the flag with your emblem. They're hidden all over the island, but they have to be in plain sight. You're not allowed to take or move anyone else's flag. When you find yours, you take it back to your boat, sail back to the pier, and race to the finish line. It's really a hoot!"
"Sounds fun," I said.
"Too much luck and too little skill," Reeva said, sitting down across from Sabrina. Her yellow flattop was still wet from the shower. "Some of the sailboats are faster than others. If you get a slow one, you don't stand a chance."
"Or if someone moves your flag," Sabrina said, nodding.
"They're not allowed to do that," Lacy said, plucking a piece of bacon from Reeva's plate and crunching into it.
"Hey!" Reeva made a feigned attempt at Lacy's wrist with her fork.
"People do cheat," Sabrina said, blue eyes narrowing.
"I don't think that's a real big threat in this group. It's just for fun," Allison said.
"Me, I'd rather compete in something more straightforward. Like archery. Or football."
"Oh Reeva, you're so predictable," Lacy said. Reeva looked as if Lacy had slapped her.
"She's a Seahawks fanatic," Lacy said to me. "The only thing she'd rather be doing than watching football is playing it,"
"I'd have made the varsity if they'd have let me try out," Reeva said. "Still ticks me off they wouldn't even give me a shot at it."
"There's a girl place-kicker in Eugene," Karen said, joining us. She mussed Reeva's flattop and winked at me across the table. "She hasn't missed a single field goal in two years."
"Reeva wanted to play quarterback in high school," Sabrina explained.
"I'd have settled for linebacker. Hell, I'd have kicked the damn ball. I just wanted a chance to play."
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