Nailed

by Avery Daniels

  Porsche and I glanced at each other remembering my moment of fear in the hallway over nothing.

  “No, I think everything has combined to create a pressure cooker of anxiety.” Porsche didn’t mention my lunacy last night. She winked at me. Our little secret.

  “The weather has cleared up and we may get temperatures as high as fifteen today. That may help with the roads.” Tammy said.

  I worried if the roads started to be cleared and the killer hadn’t been arrested, the guests would likely stampede in exodus out the door taking potential evidence with them and lessening the chances of an arrest.

  I saw Kylie and Zack in the full-service breakfast restaurant and waved, but they were so busy they didn’t notice me.

  Porsche and I went up the lobby grand stairway and took a few moments to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the front entry. It still looked like a solid sheet of ice on the roads. The evergreen boughs were sagging low from heavy wet snow. The bare limbs of aspens were coated with thick prickly ice crystals.

  “Doesn’t look any better to me,” Porsche said.

  I agreed.

  The spa was ready for us and I was taken into the room Detective Larson had used for his questioning of guests. Guess he got booted out for paying customers. No doubt the spa was doing a brisk business with such a captive audience. Porsche got her own room.

  I was going with the hot stone massage and the seasonal body wrap, so I would be here for a while. My massage therapist was Kandi and we chatted a little about the treatment. I lay on my stomach and the massage began. The room filled with gentle acoustic music and the smell of mint and eucalyptus essential oils while the fireplace warmed the room. I was amazed at just how tense I had been. My muscles were like bands of steel in my shoulders. Youch!

  After a while, Kandi began placing the heated stones down my spine to help loosen muscles. Ohhhhhh, that felt good. In spite of how relaxed I was becoming, I found myself asking another “invisible” staff member about the two murder victims.

  “I imagine most everyone staying here has gotten a treatment in the last few days?” I tried to make it sound conversational not forced.

  “Sure seems like it.” Ah, a woman of few words. Dang it.

  “I keep wondering who that Leona was? She didn’t seem like a ski enthusiast to be here. Did you meet her?” I know I violated the rule to not ask direct questions, but I didn’t have all day to wrangle information. I tried to sound like I wanted to gossip and not like I was asking questions or interrogating.

  “Uh ha.”

  “I hear she was by herself. That seems strange to me. Did she seem like she was here for something illegal?” I was doing the best I could to get Kandi to share.

  “She didn’t seem the type. Pleasant enough and knew what she wanted. Gave me a good tip.” Bingo, Kandi gave Leona a treatment

  “If I didn’t ski and I wanted to go to a resort, I would go somewhere warm. Just saying.” I wiggled the bait again.

  She finally spoke. “Oh, there’s a reason to go someplace you most likely won’t meet anybody you know and appear to be alone. Just saying.” Her massage never wavered as she dropped that gem.

  She was an experienced masseuse, strong hands and arms to really work on those stubborn knots in my muscles.

  “Oh, like maybe she was seeing somebody...?” I wanted her to spit it out.

  “You didn’t hear it from me...she was upset that her, let’s say special friend, showed up with his wife in tow. She said this was some sort of anniversary for them and he ends up bringing his wife. Like a slap in the face, she said. Then she said how he could take his family priorities and shove it.” She indicated for me to roll over.

  “Oh my,” I said. “I wonder who that might have been?” So she wasn’t waiting for a boyfriend that couldn’t get here because the roads closed, she was here for a continuing affair. And an anniversary of some sort, so it was a long-running affair. Well, that was quite the bombshell. Could this married man have anything to do with Kara’s death too? I kept looking for a connection between the two murders.

  Then I thought of a jealous wife getting rid of the mistress. The wife could’ve insisted on going with the husband with the intention of putting a permanent end to her husband’s cheating ways. Although, personally I wouldn’t strike out at the mistress – I would go after my unfaithful hobby. Just saying.

  The entire hotel was full of couples, most of them married. The philanderer or his wife could’ve taken the murder of Kara as an opportunity to get rid of a difficult mistress and have Kara’s murderer be the likely suspect. But, I couldn’t see how the philanderer or wife could be tied to Kara’s murder.

  Maybe my panicking when there was no hall monitor wasn’t so extreme after all if there are two killers lose.

  “She didn’t share anything about him. No name. No hints.” Kandi added as if anticipating my next question.

  “What did the police say?”

  “I haven’t told a soul...except you just now.” Whoa, people really do confide in me.

  I thought Johan needed to hear this bit of information. After my treatment was finished, of course. No need to spoil my spa treatment.

  Next was the exfoliating full body scrub then I was wrapped in a layer of moisturizing body mask and warm wraps. Kandi set the timer and exited. The soft music played and I tried to keep my mind active, but the long night and total relaxation allowed me to doze.

  Kandi knocked on the door and entered after what seemed like only a few minutes, but had probably been twenty. I tried to grasp the threads of my dreams. I remembered it seemed important, something about the killer. The dream had slipped away when I snapped awake. She began peeling off the wraps.

  “With these deaths, I keep thinking about how sad it is, both the women were single. Did Kara get a spa treatment?” It would be so much easier if I could just come out and ask questions.

  “Yeah, she did. I wasn’t her therapist though.” She stopped and crossed her arms. “Come to think of it, her attendant said she was excited about getting even or exposing something. The attendant said it sounded like Kara was a vindictive type and was just happy to be finished with giving her massage.” She began removing the mudpack with a wet cloth.

  Getting even may have got her killed if the recipient found out. That was good but it still didn’t point out the killer. It could still be any one of the people I considered my suspects.

  “I don’t suppose she gave a name? I’m just concerned about being held here much longer with the weather and roads still undrivable.”

  “Yeah, that’s rough alright. The other massage therapist said she didn’t let on who she was getting even with or anything.”

  I met Porsche in the circular lounge around the fire outside the spa. I was glad to sit and enjoy the relaxed glow I was still feeling. The treatment had been a bit pricey, but it was so worth every dollar. Porsche had struck up a conversation with a couple and after she introduced me I just listened.

  “I don’t know who she was, and I spent my days in classes or some activity. Did you run across her at all?” Porsche was working the Leona trail.

  “We met her, briefly mind you. She kept to herself in a reserved way but would chat when you made the effort.” The apparent husband answered. In his late forties, tanned, graying temples, and a ram-rod straight back. If I had to guess, I would say he was prior military maybe turned government contractor. I saw plenty of those around the Colorado Springs Resort – my home base.

  “Where did you meet her? I met two ladies who took a baking class with her.” I hadn’t seen Porsche in action before but she was good. Subtle in her approach and slipped in her questions with an example. She was getting her degree in gossip as well.

  The wife answered. She was equally tanned, quite fit, with mostly white hair and a gentle smile. Her perfume – White Shoulders I believe – wrapped around me, smothering me. They were the type you would see on the cover of an active retirement magazine. />
  “Let’s see, we went to a ski and snowboard talk given by the resort ski instructor. Not that either of us is taking up the sport, but our youngest son is interested. I remember she said she’d never done any winter sports before. The instructor was giving her the sales pitch for lessons once the weather cleared a bit.”

  That corroborated what somebody else had told me about Leona not being here for the winter sports. But was she really here for an affair with a married man, or could a boyfriend have been waylaid like we theorized?

  As I’d heard repeatedly, this would be a romantic getaway. But you don’t go to Vail in the winter if you don’t enjoy winter sports. I couldn’t see the attraction of shopping in town as a big draw either, particularly by herself. An affair was likely, or maybe the potential boyfriend was into skiing or snowboarding. That was possible – if he existed.

  Sure, there was always the chance that she loved winter and wanted to be alone and enjoy the food and shopping by herself. I suppose that is possible. But the necklace that disappeared, supposedly given by a special male friend, seemed to point to a rendezvous with a man – whether a boyfriend or a torrid affair.

  The lady added, “I believe the ski instructor might have been flirting with her, but she seemed uninterested.”

  Could be he wasn’t her type or more confirmation she was seeing somebody.

  “Do you think these horrible deaths could be connected? I don’t want to be alarmist, but two separate killers is a terrible thought.” Porsche appeared to really play up her role and gave a shudder.

  “It seems highly improbable to have two murders in our small numbers without them being related.” The stiff husband answered.

  “I heard she argued with that brash uncouth woman who went over her balcony.” The wife tsked-tsked. “But I can’t imagine how they would know each other, can you James?”

  “I don’t know, but at the poker table last night one of the men thought this Leona knew another guest, he thought the man suing Kara was talking to her in the bar in a...very cozy way – if you get my meaning. He couldn’t be sure, but that’s who he remembered.”

  “James dear, we should go change before our lecture on environmentalism and skiing.” They stood to leave, and we said goodbye.

  Once they were gone, Porsche turned to me, “What do you think of that? Could that Christopher guy be the link between them?”

  “Christopher Burns. Sure, at this point anything is possible. But that was second hand and he claimed the poker guy wasn’t sure anyway. If the ski instructor was flirting with her, perhaps Christopher was too. After the argument with his wife, so he could’ve been drinking and flirted a bit before staying in the library the rest of the night. I don’t know, but we’ll pass it along to Johan.”

  We stayed there for a while soaking up the fire’s warmth and extending the spa experience as long as we could. We had some of the complimentary tea and watched the windows shimmer from the sun making an anemic appearance in the sky. The worst was over, at least I hoped so.

  We went to our room to change. I checked on the raccoons only to find they had vacated the balcony. The blanket was left in a pile, but the scraps of food we had slipped them was nowhere in evidence. Maybe the worst of the weather was truly over, our little refugees sensed it and left.

  I showered and put on jeans and a cashmere sweater. The conference was done, so I could dress more casually. I hadn’t brought many extra clothes, not like Porsche. The sunlight, frail as it was, had lightened my mood so I put on some dangle pearl earrings and a long pearl necklace for a touch of chic. Porsche and I were ready to join the hubbub again, albeit reluctantly.

  Porsche and I were in the lobby on the way to our lunch reservation, when we couldn’t help but overhear a couple at the front desk.

  “The roads are clearing. We want to leave now, you can’t hold us hostage here,” The burly husband said, not quite yelling but close.

  The soft-spoken wife attempted to mitigate her husband’s angry words. “Not that you haven’t done your best in a bad situation dear. We just really have to go home now.”

  “Porsche, call Johan now. This could get out of hand.” She hadn’t seen the near riot the other day. But, I had and didn’t want a repeat performance of that scene.

  Chapter Twenty

  I approached the couple in hopes of softening the potentially riotous problem if others heard and joined the push to leave.

  “I couldn’t help but overhear. It’s great news about the weather letting up and the roads will be opening soon but they weren’t open the last I heard? You won’t get far. Besides, I thought we were also providing the police time to investigate.” I was trying to channel my mother’s voice to reason with an unruly child. I knew it so well.

  “I would think they’ve had plenty of time by now...” He began.

  “Oh, even with all the wrecks and emergencies that took resources away from the investigation? It’s not as though this was the only problem the police had to deal with.” Leading them by the hand.

  “Oh dear, I hadn’t thought of that.” The wife said. Her eyebrows carved into a deep “v” shape. Hubby still had a bullish look on his face.

  “I can’t help it they didn’t get the investigation done yet. They can’t expect me to stay, I’m not going to pay for a single day past my scheduled check out.”

  I looked at the front desk clerk. Her big eyes and open mouth told me she didn’t know the answer to that demand either. I was about to suggest she call the manager or assistant when Johan arrived. He’d rushed to the lobby and skidded to a stop at our little group.

  “Oh good. Detective Larson, perhaps you can give us an update on the investigation and road conditions. This couple is anxious to leave.” I figured he would understand the situation with that introduction.

  Johan nodded curtly. “I’ve been in touch with state officials and we would appreciate everybody staying through today.” He had drawn himself up to his full height and puffed his chest out like a rooster. But the irate man had his hands on his hips.

  It was a showdown and I felt like we could have slipped back in time with the sheriff having a standoff with a ruffian. I cracked a smile despite how serious the situation could potentially get.

  “You can’t just keep us here against our will.” The man huffed.

  “I appreciate how you likely want to get home. Give us one more day to investigate. We have your home address and information, correct?” Johan was pouring on the charm now. I figured he probably used that tool more often in his job than any other.

  The husband looked at his wife, “What do you say, dear?”

  “I guess we can stay one more day, but then I really want to get home to my little princess.” The lady answered. “My poodle.” She added by way of explanation.

  One crisis averted. We were down to mere hours before the killer would return home. Only a few short hours remained until the chances of solving the case or arresting the killer diminished and he or she was free to potentially leave the country.

  The couple turned and meandered to the elevator. The front desk lady looked a bit shell-shocked still but gave us a weak smile.

  “We were headed for lunch and I heard them. I didn’t want another uprising.” I explained.

  Johan’s eyes were still red with bags under his eyes. His hair was limp, and I suspected he hadn’t shaved yet today, judging by the accumulated growth he was sporting.

  “Mind if I join you for lunch, I may not eat otherwise.” He looked at me but I wasn’t sure he even focused.

  “If you um, don’t mind sitting with Porsche.” I wasn’t sure how he might feel about that on top of his dilemma with two murders to solve. I motioned towards her standing by the staircase

  “Yeah, okay. I know it’s a little awkward, but we had a good talk last night.”

  Okaaaaay, but I worried how Porsche might feel about my inviting him without consulting her first.

  Johan walked over to Porsche, “Thanks for the
call. I know keeping everyone together can’t last much longer.” He took a deep breath. “Would you mind if I joined you and Julienne for lunch? It’ll give me a chance to catch my breath and eat.” They both looked uncomfortable and didn’t make eye contact.

  We were in the little café, Mountain Chalet, in a corner slightly away from the main traffic. There was actually some sunshine glinting on the windows occasionally. I hadn’t realized how subdued I felt with all the gray and gloom until just a glimpse of sun warmed my spirits and brought a smile to my face. As much as I was enjoying the resort and restaurants, I was looking forward to being home.

  I looked at the menu and still wanted a home-cooked meal. I would kill for some homemade meatloaf. Don’t get me wrong, the Bavarian and German dishes had been amazing, but the menu didn’t have anything I really wanted to try anymore.

  We placed our orders and jumped right into the problem at hand.

  “Do we really get to leave tomorrow?” I tried to be patient as long as I could, but I ended up just blurting it out.

  “I’m afraid so. I don’t have enough to hold my persons of interest, all forensics have been collected, all staff and guests have been questioned twice now, and the two victim’s rooms remain empty and sealed. Once the roads are safe, I really can’t force every guest to incur more expense and stay indefinitely.” He took several swallows of the coffee the waitress had brought. “Unless more evidence is discovered or this is somehow blown wide open, we’ll be relying on the forensic evidence going to the Denver labs. There’s a chance they may find something, but that could take weeks, maybe even months.” His shoulders slumped.

  Porsche placed a hand on his arm. “You’ve worked hard and done your best in extenuating circumstances. That’s all anybody can expect.” He reflexively placed his hand over hers.