Fatality by Firelight

by Lynn Cahoon

  “I have to cut fresh tomorrow anyway and there’s not enough for a serving there.” She headed to the door leading to the foyer. “Hold on a minute; I’ll be right back.”

  Cat finished clearing the table and ran a rag under the hot water. She’d just finished wiping down the table when Shauna returned, a card in her hand.

  “Hope your second retreat goes smoother than the first. Thinking warmly of you all, Linda Cook.” Shauna handed Cat the card. “I can’t believe you didn’t see the two-dozen red roses on the registration desk. Although red roses are kind of an odd choice.”

  Cat knew exactly why Linda had sent the roses: An inside joke between the two women mirroring the flowers Linda had received from a killer when she’d been a retreat guest. “She’s a strong woman. I hear she’s working on a book and already has signed a top-notch agent.”

  “She’s got a lot to write about, that’s for sure.” Shauna looked at the clock. “Let me clean up the lunch mess, then I’ll get the baking done for tomorrow’s brunch. You have a craving for any specific sweet?”

  “Brownies. But don’t forget to look for the contract.” Cat paused at the door. “I’m going upstairs to write. I’ll go get the retreat guys from the library at 3:00, and Seth said he’d stop in around 5:00 in case there’s something you need him to do.”

  “That’s nice.” Shauna smiled. “He’s good to have around.”

  Cat shook her head. “I’m sure he’s coming by then so he’s on time for dinner.”

  “That’s not fair. He comes by when his meal isn’t included in the deal.” Shauna smiled. “To see you.”

  “Food’s a stronger driver, I believe.” Cat smiled when she saw her friend start to argue. “Let it be. Right now, I’m happy with getting to know Seth again. I don’t know where it’s going, but it’s good today.”

  She left the kitchen before Shauna could see the question in her face and ask her what was wrong. She didn’t want her friend to worry about Cat reading the journal again. Shauna was instinctual about things like that and, honestly, Cat wasn’t good at hiding her feelings.

  She climbed the stairs slowly. With each step, she wondered if she’d be stopped or if she’d actually make it the entire way to her office. When she finally reached the third floor and opened her office door, she let out the breath she’d been holding. Now all she had to do was get her computer started, and she could at least write down a number on her word-count tracking sheet. When she wanted to write, things got in the way. When she didn’t want to write, no one was around to bother her.

  A knock on the door caused her to look up from her document, surprised at the time on the clock. She’d been writing for over two hours straight, lost in Kori’s latest drama. She hit save and stood to stretch. “I know, I’m late to get the guests.”

  “Not too late.” Shauna leaned on the open doorway. “It shouldn’t take you more than ten minutes to get over there. Unless you want me to go?”

  Cat turned off the computer. “Nope. I want to have some one-on-one time with our Miss Christina. Maybe she’s more rational today about Tommy Neil and his situation.”

  *

  By the time she got to the library, most of the group was hanging out in the foyer, their backpacks heavy with checked-out books. The scene made Cat smile, wondering how anyone visited a library without leaving with a to-be-read list longer than the one they walked in with. “Hey guys, sorry I’m late. Ready to wander back to the house? Shauna has afternoon snacks set out and hot apple cider to warm us up.”

  “No worries, we just finished up.” Nelson Wider picked up a pile of books from the counter. The books were all about the Old West and Colorado. Cat wondered if he was writing about the local area or something else. Maybe he and Bella could share their research, helping each with their different viewpoints. “I went a little crazy in the history section. Looks like I’m reading and taking notes for most of the week with this gold mine.”

  “That’s why I write fiction.” Bella smiled at the man, straightening his neck scarf. “Yes, you have to have your facts straight, but mostly it’s about the story, not the history.”

  He blushed and Cat wondered if the guy had a bit of a crush on the older woman. Bella didn’t seem like a cougar but, honestly, what happened between guests wasn’t her business. She glanced around. Four guests. Who was missing? She looked out the glass entry doors and saw Christina Powers climbing into a truck that had just pulled up in front of the book drop. Four-wheeled drive, jacked up, and painted with a glimmering red—there was only one person who the vehicle could belong to: the player, Tommy Neil. Cat sighed.

  Jeffrey Blank, turned at the sound, shaking his head in disgust. “Some girls are just attracted to that bad-boy anti-hero type. Apparently, they can’t see through the fluff to the real person. That’s what’s wrong with relationships these days. The kid’s sweet, but she can’t see the jerk wants one thing from her.”

  Cat nodded. “It’s not my business, but I agree with your analysis.” She looked back at the other three, who were watching their interaction. Writers were like magpies: They picked up everything, including unexpected tension in the everyday. “You all ready to head out?”

  The group made their way through the foyer area and started following Cat back to the house. Jennifer Simon caught up with her. “That was something.”

  “The library tour? I would have thought you would be bored.” Cat smiled at the woman. Jennifer had long, dark hair covered with a fuzzy beanie and her puffy ski coat was high quality. She was used to the Colorado winters and wore heavy gloves. Cat had bundled the other guests with additional winter items from the retreat closet, including hats and gloves.

  “Miss Applebome let me write during her presentation. I did an internship with her a few years ago, when I was thinking about majoring in library science.” She tilted her head and grinned up at Cat. “I was talking about the chick running off with Tommy Neil. That guy’s a loser, I don’t know what Brit ever saw in him.”

  “You know Tommy and Brit?”

  Jennifer shrugged. “Bernie’s is a popular spot. A group of us in the graduate program go down on Friday’s for karaoke. I’m totally into Adele. But, anyway, when Brit started wearing that rock, I told her Tommy was a jerk, but she just laughed. You won’t believe what she said.”

  Cat didn’t stop walking or respond, but the younger woman continued as if she had.

  “Brit said even bad boys needed a chance at redemption.” Jennifer adjusted her backpack. “I think sometimes Brit should have been the writer; she’s really good at making up stories about her own life to fit her delusions.”

  *

  When they returned to the house, Shauna greeted them at the door, helping to hang up coats and set aside snow boots. “Check out the brownies. They just came out of the oven.”

  The guests disappeared into the dining room, and Shauna put her hand on Cat’s sleeve. “I see we’re missing Miss Powers?”

  “She’s going to leave here with a broken heart, that’s all I have to say.” Cat ran her hand through her short hair, feeling the static cling from the hat.

  “She might wind up with more than her heart broken.” Shauna lowered her voice. “Brit stopped by all hot and bothered, looking for Tommy. She’s tired of hearing about him hanging out with Christina.”

  “Brit can’t be mad at her. He’s the one who is breaking a promise.” Cat slipped on a pair of house slippers she kept by the door.

  “I don’t know. Women tend to blame the competition rather than the guy who’s stepping out.” Shauna put away the last coat. “Anyway, I told her they weren’t here and that she needed to calm down. I can’t believe she drove as angry as she seemed.”

  “Well, I didn’t get a chance to talk to Christina. I’ll try again tonight when she comes back from their date.” Cat followed Shauna into the kitchen. “Who would have thought that babysitting would be part of my duties running the retreat?”

  Chapter 4

  A kno
ck on Cat’s door woke her. She peered at the clock display: 3:00 a.m. Who would be waking her up at this time? She sank back into her comforter. Maybe she’d imagined the sound. The old house had a way of creaking and squeaking making her think she heard voices and noises. She closed her eyes.

  “Cat, are you awake?” Seth’s voice came through the door.

  Now she did sit up. She grabbed her robe and slipped her feet into her slippers sitting next to the bed. The wooden floors could be ice cold during the night. “Just a minute,” she called out, still not convinced Seth was really waiting in the hallway.

  When she opened the door, he held out a cup of coffee. “Here, drink this, get dressed, and come downstairs. Your Uncle Pete is here, and he needs to talk to you.” He looked at the flannel pajamas that peaked out from underneath the robe. “Cute Snoopy pj’s. I thought you gave those away.”

  “You’re assuming these are the ones your mother gave me in high school.” She took the cup and drank deeply. “What are you doing here? Do you know it’s three in the morning?”

  “Drink your coffee, get dressed, and come down to the kitchen,” he repeated. He kissed Cat on the top of her head. “And don’t make me come back up here. Your uncle wanted me to dump a glass of ice water on you.”

  “He did it once when I was in high school. I’ll be down in a few.” Cat shut the door and turned on the room light. What in the world was so important that she had to be woken up in the middle of the night? A vision of Christina climbing into the truck ran through her mind. “Crap. I hope she’s okay.”

  By the time she’d arrived in the kitchen, she’d gone through a list of what could have happened to the missing Christina, none of them pleasant to think about. She took a deep breath, then pushed the door open and walked into the warm kitchen, filled with smells of biscuits and a sausage gravy. Uncle Pete, Seth, and Shauna sat at the table, coffee cups in hand. They all turned and looked at her as she walked in.

  “Okay, what happened?” She poured her own coffee before sitting down in the empty chair next to Seth. He put his arm around her, but didn’t speak.

  “When was the last time you saw Christina Powers?” Uncle Pete picked up a pen and poised it over his notebook.

  “Yesterday about three. She was climbing into Tommy Neil’s truck at the library. Why, did they get into an accident?” She rubbed her forehead. “I can’t believe that kid thought driving that truck in the snow was a good idea.”

  “They weren’t in an accident as far as I can tell.” Uncle Pete sat his pen down. “Miss Powers is not in her room.”

  Cat’s gaze turned to Shauna. “She didn’t come back last night?”

  She shook her head as she stood to grab the coffee pot and refill everyone’s cup. “I checked her room and the security logs. She left with you at ten but hasn’t been back since.”

  Shrugging, Cat sipped her coffee. “I guess she’s not the first to spend the night with an inappropriate man. Why is this a big deal? This kind of shack-up has to happen often in a college town. Just check Tommy’s house.”

  “Tommy lives with Brit.” Uncle Pete leaned back in his chair. “But he wasn’t there either. Tommy rented a ski condo for the week.”

  “Well, then look there.” Cat frowned. There was something they weren’t telling her; she could see it in their faces. “What? No one wants to bother Tommy the cheater during his player time? What are you all not telling me?”

  Seth turned her face toward him. “Tommy Neil was found dead in the condo a few hours ago. From the look of the living room, he and someone, probably Christina, had a romantic dinner in front of the fire. A few hours ago, a guest called the front desk to report an open condo-room door. When the front desk sent someone up to check, the girl found Tommy dead. He was naked in the in-room hot tub, a knife in his gut.”

  “Tommy’s dead?” Cat whispered. She hadn’t really known the guy or liked him, but that didn’t matter now. Not now that he was dead. “Did the killers kidnap Christina? Did we check the phone for ransom demands?”

  “I don’t believe she was kidnapped, but we’ll explore that avenue too.” Uncle Pete ran a hand through his thinning hair. “Look, Cat, I don’t know how else to ask this, but do you think this woman could have killed Tommy Neil?”

  “No.” Cat shook her head violently. “The girl wrote sweet romances. If she wouldn’t even imagine sex for her books, why do you think she would have the confidence to kill someone?”

  “I’m not saying she did; we just need to question her.”

  Shauna stood and crossed to the stove. “Let’s eat something before our blood sugar gets low and people get cranky.”

  Cat sat thinking about Tommy and Christina. The girl had been drunk on happiness the last time she’d seen her. Over the moon, Cat’s mom would have called her. “I just don’t see how she could have done something like this.”

  Shauna set down plates in front of everyone, but they all just picked at the food.

  Then, the kitchen door blew open, and Christina stumbled into the room. She collapsed on the bench, shivering as Shauna ran to help her out of her wet coat and boots.

  “I’m freezing,” the girl choked out. “I must have walked a mile or more. I thought the house was closer to the library, where I had the guys drop me off.”

  “Where have you been?” Cat knelt in front of her and pulled off the gloves. Seth reappeared to her left with a couple of large blankets. “Why didn’t you come right to the house?”

  “I didn’t trust them. They were ski bums. I didn’t want them to know where I was staying. They kept asking if I wanted to go party with them.” Christina’s teeth started chattering as they wrapped her in blankets and led her to the table. Shauna handed her a cup of coffee and went back to the stove to get her a plate of food.

  “You’re lucky. A lot of people die from being out in the weather too long. Why didn’t Tommy bring you back?” Cat looked at Uncle Pete as she waited for the girl’s answer.

  “That jerk. All he wanted was one thing. When I told him I didn’t believe in premarital sex, he laughed at me and threw me out of the room. Said I’d been a waste of perfectly good room service.” She sipped more of her coffee. “When I got down to the lobby, these guys offered me a ride back to town.”

  “Did you tell them what happened?” Cat watched as the girl devoured the food in front of her. Cat pulled the blanket off her left hand. The shirtsleeve was covered in blood spatter.

  “No. I felt stupid. I made up some story about missing my bus. They didn’t really care; all they wanted was the same thing as Tommy.” Christina brushed tears away from her eyes with her forearm. “That’s it. I’m done with drinking and going to bars and meeting guys. If God has a plan for me to be married, he’ll send my Mr. Right to my young-adult group at church.”

  “Christina, what happened to your arm? Is it cut?” Cat pointed to the dried blood.

  The girl barely glanced her way. “No, it’s Tommy’s blood. He cut his hand when he was trying to open the champagne. You know, like you see on the television? He had some kind of machete and lopped the top off, but then he cut his hand on the bottle. I told him he probably had glass shards in the wine so I refused to drink it. Of course, that made him mad too.”

  “More coffee?” Shauna interrupted the quiet that had come over the room.

  “I’d love a hot chocolate. And after that, I’m going to my room and sleeping the day away. I’m sorry I’m going to miss the Hemingway lecture.” Christina shook her head. “I’ve been an idiot on this trip, but I swear I’ll be in full retreat mode as soon as I wake up.”

  “You’ll have to take your hot cocoa to go.” Uncle Pete finished off the last bite of food on his plate. “I’m afraid you’ll have to come with me and make a formal statement at the police station.”

  Christina stared at him. “A formal statement about what? I wasn’t gone long enough to be considered missing, was I?” She turned to Cat. “Did you file a missing-person report?”


  “No, honey, I didn’t.” Cat put her hand over the young woman’s hand. “Listen, I have some bad news.”

  “Stop, Cat. I’ll tell her.” Uncle Pete stood and turned toward Christina, blocking her exit in case she showed any plan on running. “Tommy Neil was murdered last night, and you were the last person to see him alive. I need to ask you some questions.”

  Uncle Pete waited as Shauna escorted Christina up to her room to change into warm clothes. As they walked out of the kitchen, he handed her a bag, “No showers, please. And I’ll need her clothes as evidence.”

  “I didn’t do anything.” Christina looked at Shauna, her eyes wide. “Really, you have to believe me.”

  “Honey, let’s just get this over with okay?” Shauna murmured. “When you come back, I’ll have a nice breakfast waiting, and then you can sleep as long as you want.”

  When they were out of the room, Cat looked at her uncle. “Her story could explain why she had his blood on her. There’s just no way she killed Tommy Neil.”

  He shrugged. “You’re probably right. Unfortunately, she is the last person I know who saw him alive. I need to protect any evidence that might be there.”

  *

  After Uncle Pete and Christina left, Cat took her coffee cup upstairs to her office. There was no way she could sit in that kitchen and worry. What was going on with her world? It had to be a coincidence that Tommy Neil was killed on the same day one of her guests was seen leaving with him.

  She opened her computer and read the last few lines of what she’d written the day before. No matter what kind of turmoil Cat was experiencing in her real life, typically writing made her forget everything and concentrate on the story. As she stared at the last few lines written a few days ago, all she could see was the look on Christina’s face after Uncle Pete told her the news. The girl had been crushed. Sighing, Cat tried to put the incident away in a box she could deal with later. Right now, she wanted, no needed, to write. She checked her notes, then added a sentence to the document. Then another.