Skiing is Murder

by Arnold, Carolyn

  “Are you sure that’s all? I still think your husband came out to confront the two of you.”

  “Rubbish.”

  “Is it? He booked his flight here last minute.” The truth was they didn’t know exactly how she had gotten here, but she probably just paid with her own money.

  Sara stepped back again, putting distance between her and Julie. Adrian and Tony had a brief call just before Tony booked his ticket to come out here. Sara would follow her gut feeling.

  She spoke to Julie but her eyes were on Tony. “Adrian told him about your affair.” Sara paused. Tony’s eyes snapped to hers. “He followed you down here to confront you.” Sara faced Julie now.

  She smiled. “You’re a good storyteller.”

  “I believe that everything I just said would be found in the nonfiction section.”

  “And you”—Sean indicated Tony, finally getting involved in the conversation—“came down here to find out that she had killed him already. She probably told you that she did it for you, and you bought it. You saw her as remorseful for her adultery. You had mercy on her and decided to cover up the murder she committed.”

  Tony was sitting up in the bed now. His Adam’s apple heaved with a deep swallow, his mournful eyes on his wife. “Was everything you told me a lie, Jules? Are they telling the truth? You didn’t kill him for me? For us?”

  Julie scoffed. “You will believe anything you’re told, Tony.”

  “Anything? So you did lie to me? You killed him for a different reason?”

  Her face was stone when she replied. “You surely didn’t believe that I killed him for you, did you? You’re pathetic!”

  Tony began to cry, sobbing into his hands.

  “See?” Julie gestured toward her husband. “Pathetic.”

  “You killed Adrian because he threatened your lifestyle,” Sean ground out.

  “Fine, you got me. Tony didn’t know about the affair until Adrian told him. Then Adrian ended things with me on Wednesday, after I came all the way down here, and of course, after we spent a couple nights together!” Julie cried out. “He said he told Tony and he wouldn’t be surprised if the man was on his way here. I acted in the moment and spiked his drink with my insulin. I didn’t know for sure if it would kill him, but I didn’t much care if it did, either.”

  “When was the last time you saw him?” Sara asked, just to firm up the timeline.

  “Just after dinner last Wednesday. I found out he was dead along with everyone else.” There was a sick smile teasing the edge of her lips.

  “Why did you stick around? Why not leave?” Sara asked Julie the questions but they could extend to Tony, as well.

  Julie slid a cool gaze Tony’s way. “When I didn’t see Adrian on Thursday and Tony came to me, I saw my way out. The police would suspect him over me.”

  The pain emanating from Tony was now tangible.

  “So you got in on Monday but didn’t confront your wife until Thursday?” Sean asked.

  “No.”

  “And she still didn’t know Adrian was dead at that point. She just hadn’t seen him,” Sara added.

  Julie angled her head to the left. “I had a feeling he was dead so I came clean with Tony about what I had done and potentially caused.”

  “Vail PD! Everyone, hands in the air!” Callahan shouted.

  Sara stepped beside Sean, and both of them raised their arms in surrender.

  -

  Chapter 28

  A VACATION SAVED

  “HOW DID YOU FIGURE IT OUT? And so fast?” Detective Callahan sat behind his desk, leaning forward as he cradled a cup of coffee. “What was it, two days?”

  “Three if you count the night we found out,” Sean said, tossing in a smile.

  He and Sara were down at the police station. They’d already been through hours of questioning, and they had turned over the snowflake pendant Callahan’s investigators had missed collecting. He wasn’t impressed, and Sean figured someone was in trouble. How it ended up on Adrian’s person was never revealed.

  Without much effort, the Vail PD was able to get a full confession from Julie.

  As for Adrian’s belongings, they were found in a storage locker that Tony had rented. He admitted to calling the front desk and ending Adrian’s stay at the resort. He would be charged with accessory to murder after the fact. Tony refused to clarify what the Twitter fight with Adrian was really about. But, even so, Adrian Blackwell’s case was now closed.

  Sara crossed her legs toward Sean. “If you don’t mind, Detective, I have a question for you.”

  “Shoot.”

  “How did you know we were looking into Adrian’s death?”

  A smile lit up the lawman’s face. “A front desk clerk told us about a lovely Miss Burch who showed up looking for Adrian.”

  Sean gave Sara a sideways glance.

  A smile lit Callahan’s eyes. “We traced the card used to rent the room.”

  Sean turned to Sara. “You rented a room?” He felt a grin tugging on the corners of his mouth.

  She feigned a smile and shrugged her shoulders. “I couldn’t just leave the resort after finding out about Adrian. That would have looked suspicious.”

  Sean looked back at the detective, who was smiling. He took that as a very good sign. “Are we free to go?”

  “You are.”

  Both of them stood.

  “One more thing, McKinleys.” The detective’s tone was gruff and serious. “In the future, maybe slow down your investigative work a little. You make us look bad.” Callahan’s smile widened. “Take care.”

  “Thanks,” Sean replied. “You too.”

  Stepping out into the fresh air felt great. It meant they weren’t going to jail, and that always made for a good day. It also made Sean aware of something else.

  He wrapped his arm around Sara as they left the station. “Look at that, Sara, we solved a murder and still have four days left of our vacation.”

  She turned and pressed a gloved finger to his chest. “You have slopes to hit, and I have a spa to visit. I think I’ll do some shopping, too.”

  “Whatever makes you happy, Mrs. McKinley.”

  She stopped walking, and he faced her.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “You do, Sean. Make me happy, that is.”

  And as his lips met hers, a fine snow began to fall.

  -

  Be certain to catch the next book in the McKinley Mystery Series!

  Sign up below

  to be notified when it’s available for pre-order:

  >> http://carolynarnold.net/mmupdates/ <<

  You will also receive:

  Any updates pertaining to upcoming releases in the series (cover art, book description, firm release date)

  Access to sneak peeks

  Receive insights giving you an inside look at Carolyn’s research and creative process

  -

  Note to Readers

  If you’ve enjoyed this novella, please tell your friends and family about it. If you have time to write a brief, honest review on the retailer site where you purchased this book that, too, is appreciated.

  Carolyn loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at carolyn@carolynarnold.net.

  Upon receipt of your e-mail, you will be added to her newsletter mailing unless you express your desire otherwise.

  Keep on reading for a sample of Ties that Bind, book 1 in the Detective Madison Knight series.

  Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:

  Website

  Twitter

  Facebook

  -

  Preview of Ties that Bind

  The hunt for a serial killer begins…

  Detective Madison Knight concluded the case of a strangled woman an isolated incident. But when another woman’s body
is found in a park killed with the same brand of neckties, she realizes they’re dealing with something more serious.

  Despite mounting pressure from the sergeant and the chief to close the case even if it means putting an innocent man behind bars, and a partner who is more interested in saving his marriage than stopping a potential serial killer, Madison may have to go it alone if the murderer is going to be stopped.

  -

  Chapter 1

  SOMEONE DIED EVERY DAY. Detective Madison Knight was left to make sense of it.

  She ducked under the yellow tape and surveyed the scene. The white, two-story house would be deemed average any other day, but today the dead body inside made it a place of interest to the Stiles PD and the curious onlookers who gathered in small clusters on the sidewalk.

  She’d never before seen the officer who was securing the perimeter, but she knew his type. The way he stood there—his back straight, one hand resting on his holster, the other gripping a clipboard—he was an eager recruit.

  He held up a hand as she approached. “This is a closed crime scene.”

  She unclipped her badge from the waist of her pants and held it up in front of him. He studied it as if it were counterfeit. She usually respected those who took their jobs seriously but not when she was functioning on little sleep and the humidity level topped ninety-five percent at ten thirty in the morning.

  “Detective K-N-I—”

  Her name died on her lips as Sergeant Winston stepped out of the house. She would have groaned audibly if he weren’t closing the distance between them so quickly. She preferred her boss behind his desk.

  Winston gestured toward the young officer to let him know she was permitted to be on the scene. The officer glared at her before leaving his post. She envied the fact that he could walk away while she was left to speak with the sarge.

  “It’s about time you got here.” Winston fished a handkerchief out of a pocket and wiped at his receding hairline. The extra few inches of exposed forehead could have served as a solar panel. “I was just about to assign the lead to Grant.”

  Terry Grant was her on-the-job partner of five years and three years younger than her thirty-four. She’d be damned if Terry was put in charge of this case.

  “Where have you been?” Winston asked.

  She jacked a thumb in the rookie’s direction. “Who’s the new guy?”

  “Don’t change the subject, Knight.”

  She needed to offer some sort of explanation for being late. “Well, boss, you know me. Up all night slinging back shooters.”

  “Don’t get smart with me.”

  She flashed him a cocky smile and pulled out a Hershey’s bar from one of her front pants pocket. The chocolate had already softened from the heat. Not that it mattered. She took a bite.

  Heaven.

  She spoke with her mouth partially full. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

  “The call came in, I was nearby, and thought someone should respond.” His leg caught the tape as he tried to step over it to the sidewalk and he hopped on the other leg to adjust his balance. He continued speaking as if he hadn’t noticed. “The body’s upstairs, main bedroom. She was strangled.” He pointed the tip of a key toward her. “Keep me updated.” He pressed a button on his key fob and the department-issued SUV’s lights flashed. “I’ll be waiting for your call.”

  As if he needed to say that. Sometimes she wondered if he valued talking more than taking action.

  She took a deep breath. She could feel the young officer watching her, and she flicked a glance at him, now that the sergeant was gone. What was his problem? She took another bite of her candy bar.

  “Too bad you showed. I think I was about to get the lead.”

  Madison turned toward her partner’s voice. Terry was padding across the lawn toward her.

  “I’d have to be the one dead for that to happen.” She smiled as she brushed past him.

  “You look like crap.”

  Her smile faded. She stopped walking and turned around. Every one of his blond hairs were in place, making her self-conscious of her short, wake-up-and-wear-it cut. His cheeks held a healthy glow, too, no doubt from his two-mile morning run. She hated people who could do mornings.

  “What did you get? Two hours of sleep?” Terry asked.

  “Three, but who’s counting?” She took another large bite of the chocolate. It was almost a slurp with how fast the bar was melting.

  “You were up reviewing evidence from the last case again, weren’t you?”

  She wasn’t inclined to answer.

  “You can’t change the past.”

  She wasn’t hungry anymore and wrapped up what was left of the chocolate. “Let’s focus on this case.”

  “Fine, if that’s how it’s going be. Victim’s name is Laura Saunders. She’s thirty-two. Single. Officer Higgins was the first on scene.”

  Higgins? She hadn’t seen him since she arrived, but he had been her training officer. He still worked in that capacity for new recruits. Advancing in the ranks wasn’t important to him. He was happy making a difference where he was stationed.

  Terry continued. “Call came in from the vic’s employer, Southwest Welding Products, where she worked as the receptionist.”

  “What would make the employer call?”

  “She didn’t show for her shift at eight. They tried reaching her first, but when they didn’t get an answer, they sent a security officer over to her house. He found the door ajar and called downtown. Higgins was here by eight forty-five.”

  “Who was—”

  “The security officer?”

  “Yeah.” Apparently they finished each other’s sentences now.

  “Terrence Owens. And don’t worry. We took a formal statement and let him go. Background showed nothing, not even a speeding ticket. We can function when you’re not here.”

  She cocked her head to the side.

  “He also testifies to the fact that he never stepped one foot in the place.” Terry laughed. “He said he’s watched enough cop dramas to know that it would contaminate the crime scene. You get all these people watching those stupid TV shows, and they think they can solve a murder.”

  “So is Owens the one who made the formal call downtown, then?” Madison asked.

  “Actually, procedure for them is to route everything through the company administration. A Sandra Butler made the call. She’s the office manager.”

  “So an employee is even half an hour late for work and they send someone to your house?”

  “She said it’s part of their safety policy.”

  “At least they’re a group of people inclined to think positively.” She rolled her eyes. Sweat droplets ran down her back. Gross. She moved toward the house.

  The young officer scurried over. He shoved his clipboard under his arm and tucked his pen behind his ear. He pointed toward the chocolate bar still in her hand. “You can’t take that in there.”

  She glanced down. Chocolate oozed from a corner of the wrapper. He was right. She handed the package to him, and he took it with two pinched fingers.

  She patted his shoulder. “Good job.”

  He walked away with the bar dangling from his hand, mumbling something indiscernible.

  “You can be so wicked sometimes,” Terry said.

  “Why, thank you.” She was tempted to take a mini bow but resisted the urge.

  “It wasn’t a compliment. And since when do you eat chocolate for breakfast?”

  “Oh shut up.” She punched him in the shoulder. He smirked and rubbed his arm. Same old sideshow. She headed into the house with him on her heels.

  “The stairs are to the right,” Terry said.

  “Holy crap, it’s freezing in here.” The sweat on her skin chilled her. It was a refreshing welcome.

  “Yep, a hundred a
nd one outside, sixty inside.”

  When she was two steps from the top of the staircase, Terry said, “And just a heads-up—this is not your typical strangulation.”

  “Come on, Terry. You’ve seen one, you’ve—” She stopped abruptly when she reached the bedroom doorway. Terry was right.

  -

  Chapter 2

  THE HAIRS ROSE ON HER ARMS, not from the air-conditioning but from the chill of death. In her ten years on the force, Madison had never seen anything quite like this. Maybe in New York City they were accustomed to this type of murder scene but not here in Stiles where the population was just shy of half a million and the Major Crimes division boasted only six detectives.

  She nodded a greeting to Cole Richards, the medical examiner. He reciprocated with a small bob of his head.

  Laura Saunders lay on her back in the middle of a double bed, arms folded over her torso. But the one thing that stood out—and this would be what Terry had tried to warn her about—was that she was naked with a man’s necktie bound tightly around her neck. That adornment and her shoulder-length brown hair provided the only contrasts between her pale skin and the beige sheets. Most strangulation victims were dressed, or when rape was a factor, the body was typically found in an alley or hotel room, not the vic’s own bedroom. For Laura to be found here made it personal.

  Jealous lover, perhaps?

  “Was she raped?” Madison asked.

  Terry rubbed the back of his neck the way he did when there were more questions than answers. “Not leaning that way.”

  “And she’s in her own house,” Madison added.

  The entire scenario caused Madison pain and regret—pain over how this woman’s life had been snuffed out so prematurely, regret that she couldn’t have prevented it. For someone who faced death on a regular basis, one would think she would be callous regarding her own mortality, but the truth was, it scared her more with every passing day. Nothing was certain. And with this case, the fact that the victim was only two years younger than she was sank to the pit of her stomach.