“On it.” This time Adam terminated the call.
Sean faced his wife. “Tony would have all the motive in the world. He’d lose his career, all that he had worked for. If Julie had diabetes, he could have easily taken some of her insulin with him.”
Sara nodded. “I like the way this is coming together.”
“So do I. It’s like the pieces are starting to fit somewhat.”
Sean’s phone started ringing again. “If that’s Adam, he’s quick,” he said to Sara.
“He never ceases to surprise or impress.”
Sean answered. This time it was Helen. He held the phone angled for Sara again.
“I have more information on Monique.”
With everything that continued to spiral with this case, Sean had almost forgotten about Adrian’s steady girlfriend. But with Brent providing her alibi, she no longer seemed suspect.
“Monique is Dale Peterman’s younger sister,” Helen continued.
“One second.”
“Sean, that’s all I have if you just want to go,” she said.
“Okay, thanks, Helen.” Sean clicked off and turned to Sara. “That’s why she knew about Adrian’s ‘secret’ trip.”
“She probably got it out of her brother. Maybe we should have Adam look into Dale’s financials and see if he was in Vail last week, too,” Sara added. “It might not have been as simple as him just notifying her of Adrian’s death.”
“Or he could have hired us to make sure Monique didn’t come under questioning.”
“True. He did say he knew how it looked for her. And neither Dale nor Monique have diabetes, either, so where would they have gotten the insulin?”
Sara had asked a good question and it rendered him speechless for a moment.
“Right… Here’s the other thing with Tony, though,” Sean said, shifting gears again. “He could have easily gotten Adrian’s trip information out of Dale.”
“I’m not buying that, darling. Let’s assume Dale was aware of the fact that Adrian wanted out of his contract with Arctic Blast. Why would he divulge Adrian’s location to Tony?”
“He didn’t feel he was a threat to Adrian? Maybe Tony approached Dale with the promise of wooing Adrian to stay.”
“Or the flipside of that. Dale could have set them up for a face-off for some reason. But what would Dale’s motive be?”
“But regardless, why not mention that Tony knew where Adrian was?”
“Well, we’re assuming this conversation happened. For one, we don’t even know Tony came to Vail, and two, if he did, Tony may have found out where Adrian was another way.”
Sara left him speechless again.
-
Chapter 25
MOTIVE UNDER QUESTION
SEAN AND SARA PACED ALONGSIDE the patio until the glances from the morning waitstaff multiplied and urged them get to a table. Sean had an orange juice coming and Sara a coffee.
“Let’s run through what we know,” Sean said. “There might be something we’re missing.”
She nodded. Sara understood why Sean wanted to run through everything again. It was the best way to uncover those little gems they might have overlooked. “We know Adrian’s insulin was high. The autopsy report didn’t note any injection sites,” Sara summarized.
“It’s possible they just didn’t find one, but assuming he wasn’t given the insulin through a needle, the liquid would have been given to him some other way. Probably through food or a drink.”
The waitress returned, set their drinks in front of them, and left.
“So we have cause of death and the means,” Sean said.
“Only thing is that none of the people we suspect has diabetes,” Sara added, distracted. She kept replaying that moment in the lobby when the brunette woman with the snowflake earrings extended her hand in introduction. It was only a feeling in her gut, but she couldn’t shake the hunch that they were looking at a partnership. “We have a man who called the front desk,” she went on. “We have a snowflake pendant where Adrian’s body was found that matches earrings on a woman we met briefly. What if these aren’t necessarily separate? What if there was a partnership?”
“All the pendant tells us is he was likely close to that woman, and we know Adrian was popular with the ladies. And to play Devil’s advocate, the woman from the lobby can’t be the only one with that jewelry set.”
Sara let her mouth fall into a flat line. “No, but that’s stretching. I think it’s a good theory.”
Sean sighed. “Maybe. I don’t know. I’m frustrated. We’re getting close, but we’re not quite there.”
“And you say this is based on a feeling? One in your gut?” She smiled at him. He always gave her a hard time about following her hunches, and to have him admit to his own was sort of a victory for her.
SEAN AND SARA WERE ALREADY on refills of their drinks when Sean’s phone rang.
“It’s Adam.”
Sara slipped into the chair next to him and leaned in toward the phone.
“Tony’s credit card shows he made a purchase through an airline. I dug into their records and found that he’d purchased a ticket a week ago Monday to Vail. He was traveling alone and he arrived there last Tuesday. No return flight was booked.”
Sean pulled back from the phone and looked at Sara. “That means he’s still here.”
“Monday was the same day he had the phone call with Adrian. Tony booked last minute with no return flight. Tony had bad intentions coming here,” Sara suggested. “Julie—” Sara paused for a moment, obviously giving something deep thought. “Adam, how old is she?”
Sean glanced at her, not sure exactly what she was getting at.
“She’s thirty-nine.”
Sara’s eyes widened. “And is she a diabetic?”
There was a split-second pause on Adam’s end. “She is.”
“I’m just going on a hunch here, Adam, but can you send us Julie’s picture?” Sara requested.
“Sure. You should have it…now,” Adam said.
Sean’s phone chimed.
“Look at it, Sean,” Sara urged.
“One minute, Adam.” Sean toggled between the screens while keeping Adam on the line and brought up the picture. Julie’s face stared back at them.
Sara was bouncing in her seat and pointing. “That’s her! That’s the woman from the lobby. She’s the one with the snowflake earrings that match the pendant we found.”
With all being revealed, Sean finally realized that the woman had never given them her name. She’d just shaken their hands.
“Sean, Julie must have come out here to rendezvous with Adrian. Tony found out and came to confront them,” Sara suggested.
“Gina and Brent lied to us,” Sean spat out. “They said Stephanie was the only one they remembered or knew by name. I don’t buy that anymore. They had to have known that Adrian was sleeping with Tony’s wife.”
“Not necessarily. Adrian did pay them to look the other— Oh!” Sara nudged him in the shoulder and shot to her feet. “We have to go, Adam. Hang up, Sean. Now.”
“Hang on— Oh!”
She tugged on his coat sleeve.
He struggled to hang up as she dragged him along. “Sara?”
She explained on the move. “Tony knew about his wife’s affair with Adrian. He came all the way down here to confront them. The two of them.” She made sure to punch her last statement home with a jut of her chin.
“You’re thinking she’s in danger.”
“I haven’t seen her since we met her. We could already be too late.”
-
Chapter 26
ON A MISSION
SARA STEPPED THROUGH THE PATIO doors and set out in a full run across the lobby to the front desk, awkward as it was ski boots. She stopped at the counter and was face-to-face with How
ard. He attempted a smile, but it didn’t fully form. She didn’t think he recognized her as Tonya Burch, but he was taken aback by the rush she was in.
Sean stepped up beside her.
“We need to know what room Julie Frasier is staying in,” Sara demanded.
“I’m sorry, but it’s against resort policy to give out that kind of information.” Howard’s voice quaked, but he seemed intent on standing his ground.
Sara turned to Sean and bobbed her head toward Howard. Sean pulled out a few hundreds.
Howard picked them up and looked them over, lifting them individually to the light, acting as if he’d either never seen hundred-dollar bills before or doubted their legitimacy.
“Please, Howard, we need—”
He halted, the bills suspended in the air, his arms lowering slowly. There was a question in his eyes. He was starting to give her appearance too much thought.
She pointed to the name embroidered on his shirt to explain how she knew his name, and he looked down.
“The room number for Julie Frasier,” Sean pressed.
“Hurry, please,” Sara added.
Howard pocketed the money with a furtive glance over his shoulder—now apparently concerned with someone watching him—and clicked away on the keyboard. “Room six twenty-two.”
“Thanks.” Sara shot away from the counter and realized she wasn’t sure what direction to go. The resort was split up into several wings. She spun toward Howard, but instead she caught the eyes of Detective Callahan. He was coming toward her and Sean with a few other officers.
“McKinleys, stop right there!” Callahan shouted.
Uh-oh!
Sara grabbed Sean’s hand and pulled him along. He seemed to be frozen in place. They’d have to find room 622 on their own.
She ran through the corridors and loaded onto an elevator that just happened to ding its arrival when they were almost to it. The doors parted just as they got there. Three people unloaded, and she and Sean got in.
Sean tapped the button to close the doors.
She hit the number 6 and then fell against the back wall as they shut, heaving for breath.
“What was all that about?” Sean asked.
“Tony could kill his wife. He might have already.”
“Yes, but the reason we ran from the police?”
“Sean, they’re not going to listen to us. We have to find Tony and get his confession. We need to prove what he did. Then we can go to Callahan.”
“I’m not so sure Callahan would approve.”
“Well, that’s too bad, darling, because we said we’d solve Adrian’s murder, and I plan on doing just that.”
The elevator chimed, and the doors opened on the sixth floor.
“There.” Sean pointed to a sign on the wall.
Thank goodness, she had chosen the right section of the resort. The layout here was confusing at best.
“And what if we don’t find Julie in her room?” he asked.
“I just hope she is because that clerk is telling Callahan right now where we are headed. I hope to lead them straight to a killer.”
“You think Julie is the killer now?”
“No. I’m hoping that if we find Julie, we’ll find Tony.”
She stopped outside room 622. A DO NOT DISTURB sign was hanging on the knob. Not a good indication. If Tony killed his wife, he could have posted the card to keep housekeeping out. Sara pointed to it, making sure Sean noticed, and then banged on the door.
There was no sound from inside.
She banged again.
She faced Sean. “We have to get inside. She could be dead or fighting for her life. You have to break in.”
JUST WHEN SEAN THOUGHT HIS lock-picking days were behind him, his skill was needed, but this particular kind presented a problem. “I can’t pick a keycard lock.” He hated the resulting disappointment on her face.
“How else are we going to get in there?”
“Give me a minute.” He stepped backward.
“Sean, where are you going? The cops are going to be here any—”
He leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips. “Just a second.” He then set out on the hunt for a maid’s cart, hoping that the one he found would have an all-access keycard on it.
He ran through the hallways, doing his best to mute the flashes of pain going through him. Between his falls yesterday and the skiing today he was feeling like an old man.
Around a third bend, he found a cart and ran toward it like a man thirsting for water in the desert. As he got closer, he heard the maid rustling about in the room nearby.
He searched over the cart. No keycard.
He tucked his head into the room. “Excuse me.”
“Yes?” A woman about his age came out of the bedroom alcove, a keycard dangling from an elastic curly keychain on her wrist. She smiled when she saw him.
This might be easier than I thought.
“Hi.” He smiled, slowing himself, trying not to think about Sara standing outside room 622 with the cops in hot pursuit.
“Hey.” The woman leaned against the doorframe. “What can I do for you?”
Sean read her name from her uniform. “Joanne? That’s a beautiful name.”
She blinked deliberately, flirtatiously. He could play this one of two ways: use his masculine charm or come at it from the law enforcement angle.
He pulled out his PI license and flashed it quickly. “I’m investigating a case, and I need in one of the guest rooms right this second.”
Joanne looked confused. “Did you go to the front desk and ask them?”
Good, she didn’t even question his legal right or ask to examine his PI credentials. “Unfortunately, I don’t have that sort of time.”
Joanne studied his eyes, and a light flickered in them. She seemed to be considering his proposal.
He pointed to her keycard. “Can you help me? Could I borrow that for just a minute?”
“I don’t know…”
“Please, Joanne. It’s really important, and time is of the essence. I’ll be quick.”
Joanne fidgeted with the keychain.
It was times like this he was truly thankful for his good looks and trustworthy face.
“I probably shouldn’t… But sure, seeing as you’re a cop.” She took it off her wrist.
Imitating a police officer was illegal. He’d just let her run with her own assumptions and took the keycard from her. “Thank you.” He wanted to set out in a dead run but just meandered down the hallway.
“Sir, just bring it back to me in a couple minutes. I’m almost finished in this room.”
“Sure.”
There was a touch of guilt snaking its way through him, but he would do his best to honor his promise. He waited until she went back to her work and was no longer watching him, and then he ran.
Sara’s eyes were bulging when she caught sight of him. “What took you so long?”
“Don’t ask.” He slipped the keycard into the lock, and the second the green light flashed, he turned the handle.
He never expected to see what was now in front of them.
-
Chapter 27
TWIST OF FATE
THE WOMAN GASPED AND PULLED the sheets up to cover her naked body. The man lying beside her was wearing boxers and stretched out with his arms over his head, his hands clasped together.
“Mr. and Mrs. Frasier?” Sara stepped toward the bed, wanting to avert her eyes to give them privacy, but seeing them together this way was like witnessing a car accident, and she found herself drawn to them. “What are— Never mind, don’t answer that. You have to get away from him, Julie. You’re not safe.”
Julie laughed and motioned with her fingers for Sean and Sara to turn around.
“He’ll turn. I won’t
,” Sara said.
“Suit yourself.” Julie got out of the bed and slipped on a bathrobe. She took her time tying the belt. “Why wouldn’t I be safe with my own husband, Mrs. McKinley?”
“He killed Adrian Blackwell. He knew about your affair.”
Another hearty laugh.
“He didn’t kill Adrian.” Julie was worming her way around the perimeter of the room, heading toward Sara.
“You can turn back around, Sean,” Sara said. There was something extremely unsettling about this woman. In her movements, in her laughter, in the tone of her voice. The insulin was hers… “You killed him.”
“Now you’re getting warmer.”
Sara glanced at Tony, who remained seemingly unfazed on the bed.
“You finally had enough of Adrian’s cheating and decided to kill him. You used your insulin to spike his levels. You knew about Kendra. You knew about his late-night runs.”
Julie pressed her lips together and angled her head to the right. She kept silent.
“Is that why you killed him? Out of jealousy?”
Another laugh. “No. I knew what he was like when I started sleeping with him.”
“I don’t understand, then. Why?”
Julie shot her a sly smile. “Not so fast. We’ve been sleeping together off and on for Adrian’s entire career, not long after he signed up with Arctic Blast.” She flicked her hand in her husband’s direction. “Tony knew. He didn’t care as long as Adrian was happy.”
Sara looked over at Tony, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze. A brief flash of pain swept over his expression, though, and Sara didn’t miss it. She’d tuck that away for a few seconds longer. Julie seemed to be on a roll with her theatrics.
Sara took a step toward her. “But Adrian wasn’t happy anymore, was he?”
Julie blinked slowly. “You have a good reputation for a reason. But let me enlighten you. I’m assuming that you know Adrian wanted to move his sponsorship to Arctic Blast’s largest competitor. What you don’t know is that I came here to ask him to reconsider. But Adrian”—she traced her fingertips over the desk—“he was so stubborn. He wouldn’t listen to anyone.”
Skiing is Murder Page 10