by B. J Daniels
“A deputy told me that we’re not allowed to leave our rooms tonight. I told him I wanted to stay with you.” She hugged him harder. “I don’t know when we’ll be allowed to leave.”
“None of that matters,” she said, pulling back to look at him. “Who killed them?”
Finn thought any number of people, including the investors who’d trusted Devlin to make the deal on the hotel, but he only shook his head. Past her, through the window, he could see deputies searching the woods and the outbuildings, their flashlight beams flickering in and out of the trees as they moved.
“I was going to ask you to stay in my room tonight,” he said.
She smiled. “I’ve seen your room. Glad you decided to stay in mine.”
“I’m usually neat and organized.” She laughed in answer to that but quickly sobered. Tears filled her eyes. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be all right, that the marshal would find out who had killed Claude and Devlin. But the law had never found out who had killed Megan. Wasn’t that why they were all here right now? Except for Casey. She’d come back only to sell the place and move on. But someone had other plans. He still didn’t know who that other person was, but he suspected now more than ever that it was the killer and Casey still wasn’t safe.
* * *
THE MARSHAL HAD just finished questioning Benjamin Travers when one of the deputies stuck his head in the door and motioned that he needed to speak to him outside the room.
Leroy knew bad news when he saw it coming. He excused himself and stepped out into the lobby. He figured it would be another body, Patience Riley’s. He’d put a BOLO out on Riley, figuring if she really had left, she’d be picked up soon. He’d been told that she’d left not too long ago, which meant she would still be in Montana.
“We found something.” The deputy held up the bag.
For a moment Leroy thought it was some kind of dead animal. “What is it?”
“A wig.”
He was about to say And you think this is important how? but he stopped himself short of doing that as he remembered what he’d been told about Megan’s ghost. Finn had said he’d found a strand of what appeared to be blond hair caught in a tree bough, but the hair had turned out to be from a wig.
“Let’s see if the lab techs can get any DNA or hair fibers from it,” the marshal said. Finn had said that everyone had just assumed Claude or Devlin was behind the ghost sighting. But if they were already dead...
Just then, Deputy Hepner came up from the basement carrying an evidence bag. Leroy swore under his breath as he braced himself for more bad news. With a start, he saw that the bag contained what appeared to be a human skull. His gaze shot to Hepner.
“There are more,” the deputy said. “Those tracks down in the basement that led up to the cellar door? I found what made them. It’s a cart that was in an old shed in the trees out back. I think that’s how the killer got the bodies into the basement. If I’m right, then there’s a tunnel from the outbuildings into the basement.”
Leroy saw himself in Hepner. It was one reason he’d been harder on him than the others. “Good work, Hepner.”
“Thank you, sir. If it’s all right with you, I’ll go back to the basement and see if I can find the tunnel.”
Leroy gave him a nod and turned back to the office and Benjamin Travers.
* * *
WHEN CASEY HAD reached her room, she’d quickly turned on all the lights. She’d felt foolish checking the closet and the bathroom, but she did it anyway.
Moving to the window, she’d hugged herself as she looked out on the familiar landscape. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined what was waiting for her at the hotel when she’d arrived just days before—Finn included.
Just thinking of him steadied her as she waited for him to return. He’d gone across the hall to get a few things for the night. She tried to relax. Finn would be here with her tonight, even as she realized that there wasn’t much night left. She could see the sky lightening over the mountains to the east. As exhausted as she was, she doubted she’d be able to sleep.
She heard him enter the room and ran to him. He pulled her into his strong, hard body, and she leaned into him. “Something’s happening,” she said, her voice high and tight as she pulled away from him to motion toward the window. She had spotted the sudden movement in the woods. “You don’t think they found Patience, do you?”
“Jason said she left, but...” Jason had said he thought the others had left as well.
The horror of it hit her hard. She realized she’d never believed that any of the staff had killed Megan. Finn had, though. He’d been so sure that there was a killer in the hotel with them. That was why he’d been worried about her.
But she hadn’t taken it seriously. Or just hadn’t wanted to believe that anyone she knew could kill. Was this what the reunion had been about—just as Finn had feared? Someone had planned to kill them off one at a time?
“You were right,” she whispered.
Finn shook his head. “I wish I wasn’t.” He looked at her as if still worried.
She’d always been so proud of herself for needing almost no one. With Finn, she could let down the protective wall she’d built around herself. She could be not so strong.
As she began to cry, he turned her around, swept her off her feet and carried her over to the bed to lie next to her. She cuddled against him, letting the tears come, not sure if she was crying for the loss of her grandmother or out of fear and regret. It didn’t seem to matter.
“This isn’t over, you know,” he said when she’d stopped crying.
She wiped at her tears and forced a smile. “The place is crawling with deputies.”
He nodded, but she could see that it didn’t relieve his concern.
Casey felt the lateness of the night in her bones. Her eyes felt sandy, and she found herself blinking as exhaustion began to take over.
“We should try to get some sleep,” Finn said.
She didn’t believe she would be able to sleep a wink, but still, she closed her eyes as Finn took her hand.
* * *
AFTER BEING QUESTIONED, Benjamin couldn’t imagine anything worse than spending what was left of this night in this hotel with these people, even with deputies in the hallway. Then again, maybe he could.
“You heard?” he asked the group gathered in the staff-wing hallway. Jason looked worse than even the others, which made him feel a little better.
“We’re going to get something to drink from the kitchen,” Jason was saying.
“Haven’t you had enough to drink tonight?” asked the deputy standing at the end of the hall. They’d been told not to leave the hotel and encouraged to stay in their rooms so they would be safe. “It will be morning soon. You should all try to get some sleep.”
“We should do as he says,” Jen said, tugging on Jason’s sleeve.
“What’s wrong with you?” he demanded of her.
“Seriously? You have to ask?” she snapped.
“Other than the obvious,” he added.
“We’re all scared,” Benjamin said. “You going to pretend you’re not?” He cursed himself for his need to show these people how much he’d changed. He shouldn’t have come here. It made him furious with himself. None of these people cared what he’d done with his life. They didn’t even understand what he did for a living or how important it was. It was sick that he’d needed them to acknowledge that he was somebody.
“What is wrong with all of us?” he demanded. “We’re all sick. We all should have forgotten Megan a long time ago and put that summer behind us. If we had, we wouldn’t be here now. We wouldn’t be trapped here together.”
“The marshal can’t keep us here much longer without arresting us,” Jason said, shooting a look at the deputy. “They let us all go after Megan was murdered.”
“Yeah, well, it’s even worse now, wouldn’t you say?” Benjamin said. “Which one of you idiots thought this was a good idea?” He glanced at the others, his gaze coming back to Jason.
“It wasn’t me,” Jason said with a groan. “And we can assume it wasn’t Claude or Devlin, so if it wasn’t us and Casey swore it wasn’t her...” He sighed. “Then it must have been Finn.”
“Why would he do this?” Shirley demanded.
Jason raked a hand through his hair. “He was in love with Megan.”
Jen nodded. “He did spend months in this hotel by himself looking for her diary or her ghost or whatever. What sane person does that?”
“I don’t know,” Shirley said. “I think he was looking for something, but it wasn’t really Megan. I think he found it in Casey.”
Jen groaned. “You’re such a romantic.”
Benjamin wouldn’t let it go. “Whoever wanted us all here must have had a reason.”
“Like what?” Jason said. “To kill us all off?”
“Maybe. Or maybe they just wanted Devlin and Claude,” Shirley said, almost sounding hopeful.
“Kind of went to a lot of trouble to kill only two of us,” Jason said.
“What about Patience?” Benjamin asked, looking directly at Jason.
“She left,” he said and looked away. “She had to get home to her husband.”
“Maybe whoever is doing this isn’t done.” They all turned to look at Benjamin where he stood. “Just saying, if one of us is killing off the others...maybe the only way to stay safe tonight is to stay together.”
“Or sleep with our eyes open the rest of the night?” Jen demanded. “No, thanks. I have a lock on my room door and a can of bear spray in my pack.”
“Don’t you mean our room?” Shirley said. “Unless you want me to take another one.”
“Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.” Jen said it as if the words pained her.
Shirley let out a huff but looked close to tears. “We’ve been friends since we were toddlers. You really think I’m a killer?”
“That’s just it,” Benjamin said. “We don’t know, do we?”
“He’s right,” Jason said and moved a few feet down the hallway. “We should all go to our rooms and lock the doors. Maybe even put a chair under the knob.”
“Maybe I’ll just go back to the motel.” Shirley looked toward the deputy. He shook his head from where he stood down the hallway.
“Stay,” Benjamin told her. “The place is crawling with law enforcement. You’re safer here. Even with us. At least for the rest of the night.”
“Fine. I’ll find a room to sleep in and lock the door.” Shirley glared at Jen. “Sleep tight, everyone.”
* * *
FINN LISTENED TO Casey’s steady breaths as she fell into an exhausted sleep. He’d held her as she’d cried, then fallen asleep. He’d never known such a strong woman. It made him smile as he looked down at her. The sun was coming up on another day. He hated to think what this one was going to bring.
At the sound of running footfalls outside the door, he carefully pulled away from Casey. She didn’t stir as he rose and went to the door to peer out. Two deputies had just run by. He could hear voices down in the lobby. Taking the passkey, he glanced at Casey and then locked the door behind him.
The voices were growing louder down in the main lounge. Something had happened. He thought of the notebook he’d found. In all the confusion, he hadn’t mentioned it to the marshal. It might not be anything, but then again, it might.
He hurried across the hall to his room. The notebook in the plastic bag was in the side of the duffel bag where he’d stuffed it after showing it to Casey. He pulled it out and rushed down the dim hallway.
At the top of the stairs, he looked down to see a half-dozen deputies scurrying around. The marshal walked back into Anna’s office. For a moment, Finn hesitated. He didn’t like leaving Casey alone, worried that she would wake up and be frightened. But he had to know what was going on—and give the marshal what he’d found. He hurried down the stairs and headed for the office behind the desk. The marshal had left the door open.
“What’s going on?” For a moment, he thought the marshal wasn’t going to answer him.
“Weren’t you asked to stay in your room?” the lawman snapped.
“What’s happened?” Finn stepped into the room, determined not to leave until he had an answer. “I own this hotel now. If you’ve found something...”
The marshal nodded with a mumbled curse. “My deputies just found what appear to be old graves in the basement.”
“Graves?” He was thinking the hotel had been built on an old cemetery when the marshal clarified.
“Someone has been burying bodies in the basement. Apparently for years.”
Finn felt that bump in his bloodstream. “The missing young women.”
“I beg your pardon?” the marshal said, looking at him with sudden mistrust.
“I spent months in this hotel, and during that time, I read all of the old journals that Casey’s grandmother kept. Every few years, a young woman either who had been staying in the hotel or working here disappeared and was never found. I was going to bring the information to you, along with anything I’d learned about Megan’s death.” He thrust the bag toward the marshal. “I found this hidden under the stairs to the tower. There’s a page in it you might want to read. I think you might be looking for a serial killer.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
LEROY HAD TWO fresh murders and counting. Patience Riley was missing. Maybe she’d left. Or maybe she hadn’t and they had yet to discover her body. He had more deputies coming from the next town to the west. The crime team had arrived and was processing the scene in the basement. He had deputies making sure no one left the hotel or ventured down to the wine cellar. He’d secured the crime scene as much as he could.
He’d told himself that he had control of the situation, and now Finnegan James had walked in and told him he might be looking for a serial killer?
He could see that the man wasn’t going to leave until he looked at the notebook. It almost amused him that it had been put in a plastic bag like evidence. People watched too many crime shows.
It took him a moment. Most of the pages were blank. When he did find it, he was struck by the handwriting. There was something about it that set his teeth on edge even before he began to read. Halfway through, he dropped into the office chair.
By the end, he looked up at Finn. He wanted to argue that anyone could have written this. But he had a basement with God only knew how many bodies in it. The skull he’d seen was smaller than a man’s, so he suspected it was that of a young woman.
There was no way he couldn’t take this seriously. He started to thank Finnegan for bringing this to him and to order him back to his room when Deputy Hepner appeared in the doorway behind the man. Leroy didn’t need any more bad news right now.
But when he saw Hepner’s face, he knew that whatever it was, it was much worse than anything else that had been discovered tonight. That was the thing about Hepner: every emotion showed on that face. Right now it was bleached white. He’d seen the man’s reaction when they found the graves. Hepner had been stoic, calm, contained. Now the deputy looked terrified.
Leroy felt his heart drop to his feet. “Thank you for this information,” he said to Finnegan. “Now, I would appreciate it if you would go back to your room.”
The man seemed to hesitate but then stepped past Hepner and out into the lobby. Leroy motioned the deputy in. He could tell that Finnegan was even more curious about what was going on.
Hepner closed the door behind him. “You need to come down to the basement. I found...”
Leroy shot him an impatient look.
The deputy swallowed and whispered in a hoarse voice, “Bombs.”
The word was
so out of place in the situation that it didn’t make any sense for a moment. Not a bomb but bombs.
Hepner was green but smart. Still, Leroy doubted the kid had ever seen a bomb except in the movies.
“Show me.” He rose to his feet, and they left the office. In the lobby, he didn’t see Finnegan. Nor was he on the stairs. He didn’t have time to worry about him, however, as he followed the deputy down the hall to the doorway to the basement and then into the dark underbelly of the hotel.
At the wine-cellar entrance, Hepner drew him down one of the series of tunnels that handled the utilities. A series of corroded piles and conduits ran along the ceiling. Leroy had to bend down in spots to keep from bumping his head as he followed the younger man deeper and deeper under one of the wings, the smell becoming more dank and stagnant and...grave-like.
“The bombs are all along the outside walls,” Hepner said, his voice cracking, as he stopped to shine his flashlight on the first one he’d found.
Leroy stared at the dynamite for only a second before he turned to Hepner. “You say there are more of these?”
The deputy nodded. “All along the outside walls of the hotel, from what I can tell. I saw a half dozen before I came to tell you.”
The marshal swore under his breath. Bombs along the outside support walls? This wasn’t the first time he’d seen something like this. He had an uncle who specialized in explosive demolition. Uncle Pete had dropped some huge buildings in some of the country’s largest cities. He was an expert, dropping them straight down. He did beautiful work, which his nephew had always admired. He’d seen his old newsreels and videos of his jobs and been amazed at how a huge building could just drop to its feet, crumbling into nothing but dust and debris.