by Diane Capri
When I got back, instead of going into the lobby, I went around the hotel to the other side where the family suites were located. I wanted to get a different view of my suite from the path that wound through the grounds and along the west bluff.
I crossed the grass and approached my patio. I stood near the bushes on the left side of the cement partition, where the sheriff had found the cigarette butt. I looked down at the ground to see if there were any more. I hadn’t expected to find any because the lawn maintenance staff at the Park, like everything else, was top-notch. Everyone who worked there made sure the place was as sparkling clean as humanly possible.
I stood there, envisioning myself as a man lying in wait, watching me, waiting for an opportunity. I surveyed the grounds. From this spot, I could see most of everything going on around me, but I didn’t think too many people could see me. It was a good hiding spot. Which probably meant no one had noticed him standing there. Heck, a lot of the guests at that time, who might have seen something unusual, were long gone.
My gaze landed on a spot near the west bluff less than a hundred yards away from my suite. I could see a couple of people standing near the edge, police tape flapping in the wind. I immediately recognized Sheriff Jackson. He turned and watched me as I trekked across the manicured lawn toward him.
“Hey,” he said.
I crept closer to the edge and peered over to see the rocky beach below. This must’ve been where Jeremy had…what? Jumped? Fallen? Been pushed? A shiver racked my body, and I felt the sheriff’s hand on my arm, helping me take a few steps back.
“Find anything helpful here?” I asked.
“Nothing definitive. Lots of foot traffic in this area. Hard to distinguish tracks and footprints.”
“Do you think he fell or was pushed?”
“Because of where he was found, I’m fairly certain he was pushed. If he’d simply fallen, his body would’ve landed closer to the bluff.”
Trying to wrap my head around it, I repeated, “So he was pushed.”
“Looks like it,” the sheriff replied quietly.
I nodded. I’d been hoping that he’d simply fallen. That it somehow had been a terrible accident. Like he’d stumbled or lost his footing or something like that. Now, it looked like he’d been murdered.
I reached into my purse and pulled out the cigarette the guy at the airport had given me. I handed it to the sheriff. Frowning, he took it.
“Um, I don’t smoke.”
“This is the same type of cigarette you found outside my place. It’s Russian.”
“What?”
I told him about our trip to the airport and what the guy with the tattooed head had told me.
“Why would some Russian man break into your suite?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, but maybe it had something to do with Jeremy.”
He sighed and shook his head. “I don’t like this, Andi. There is something so very wrong about all of this.”
“I know.”
We stopped talking when an elderly woman walking with a cane approached us. “Good afternoon,” she said.
Sheriff Jackson tipped his hat. “Ma’am.”
“Good afternoon,” I said to her.
“Are you investigating the garbage dumpers?”
I frowned, as did the sheriff. “Pardon?” he said.
“I was wondering if you were here about the people who dumped all that garbage over the bluff. I hate polluters, don’t you?” She looked at me.
“I do. Absolutely. Are you a guest at the hotel?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yes, I am. Lovely hotel, lovely place. That’s why it’s so despicable when someone litters.” She shook her head. “I mean, why dump a big bag of clothes like that? They could be donated, at the very least. Such a waste.”
“You saw someone dump a bag of clothes over the bluff?” the sheriff asked.
She nodded. “Oh yes, the other night.”
“What time was this?” He took out his notebook.
“Late. Sometimes I can’t sleep—the arthritis acts up.” She touched her leg. “So I like to walk. I came out here. It was dark, but I’m not scared.” She lifted her cane. “I’d knock some sense into anyone who tried anything with me.”
I smiled at her. “Of course you would. Me, too.”
“I was walking along this path, and I saw someone drag a big bag of clothes and then toss it over onto the beach.”
“Was this someone a man or a woman?” Sheriff Jackson asked.
“Oh, I’m sure it was a man. He was too tall for a woman.”
“Did you see what he looked like?”
She shook her head. “It was dark, and I didn’t have my glasses on.”
He gave her a tight smile but continued. “Where were you when you saw this man?”
She pointed down the path with her cane. “I was walking from that way. I stopped at that bench and sat for a spell. And that’s when I saw him.”
I looked at the bench she pointed to. It had to have been thirty yards from the bluff. Without her glasses, she could only have seen vague, dark shapes. What she assumed she’d seen was a man dragging a big bag of clothes. But what she could’ve seen was a man dragging Jeremy’s body to the edge and pushing it off.
The sheriff nodded to her. “Well, thank you for sharing this. Would it be possible to get your name and a way to get in touch with you for our records?”
“Oh yes, certainly. I’m always happy to help out the police. It’s important to be an active member of society. I’ve seen too many times when people don’t do anything.”
“Me, too,” he said.
“My name is Carol Jacobs.” She rattled off her cell phone number, and he wrote it down.
“Oh, you’re from Ontario,” the sheriff said.
“I am. Sudbury. But every few years, I try to come to Frontenac Island. It’s such a beautiful place. Don’t you think, dear?” She looked at me.
“I do.” I smiled at her. “You know, I work here at the hotel.” I gave her one of my business cards.
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“I’d like to offer you a free breakfast tomorrow morning, for being so helpful.”
“That is so sweet of you. Thank you.”
“What room are you in? I’ll make sure to let the restaurant know.”
“I’m in 234.”
The sheriff tipped his hat to her again. “You’ve been very helpful, Mrs. Jacobs.”
“Just doing my duty.” She gave us a nod and then started to go about her way, but she suddenly stopped and turned back around. “Oh, Miss Steele, you should probably have a talk with your staff about what happened.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I assume he either works at your hotel or is a guest.”
The sheriff and I glanced at each other, both of us frowning.
“What makes you say that, Mrs. Jacobs?” the sheriff asked.
“Because after dumping the clothes, he ran back to the hotel.”
We both stepped closer to her. “Did you see where he went exactly?”
She nodded and lifted her cane to point. “There. He ran toward that room. The one with the azalea bushes.”
I followed the visual direction, my stomach churning and my mouth going dry. She was pointing toward my suite.
Chapter 12
After we thanked Mrs. Jacobs for her help, Sheriff Jackson and I walked to my suite. I had to take extra strides to keep up with his brisk pace. I could almost see the wheels turning in his head.
Breathlessly, I said, “Come on, Luke. There’s no way Daniel left my suite, found Jeremy, had a fight with him, then threw him off the bluff.”
He stopped dead in his tracks and stared at me. “That was not what I was thinking.”
“Oh.” I looked around sheepishly.
“Why are you worried about that? Did something happen?”
“I’m not worried.”
“You are, or it wouldn’t have popped into your head.”<
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I wondered if I should tell him that when I woke up around 3 a.m., Daniel wasn’t in bed with me. I couldn’t be sure he wasn’t in my suite somewhere, so I’d decided to keep that information to myself. There could’ve been a million different reasons why he wasn’t in bed. And one of them was definitely not to go out and murder a man who had threatened me and basically ruined my life. Daniel simply wasn’t that kind of guy.
I replied, “Nothing happened. I’m not worried that Daniel killed Jeremy. Because he didn’t. Simple as that.”
The sheriff eyed me for another long moment. “You would tell me, though…if something happened to make you suspicious of Daniel?”
Before I could respond, he broke his gaze and turned toward the patio of my suite. “According to Mrs. Jacobs, the man came here. Why? Was he planning to break in?”
“How would I know?” I replied.
Frowning, he looked at me. “Did you leave your balcony blinds open?”
“Probably. I don’t often shut them.”
He shook his head. “That’s just irresponsible, Andi. You’re a pretty young woman living alone. You should take more care.”
I made a face. “Are you blaming me?”
“No.” His frown deepened. “That’s not what I’m doing. I’m just saying it’s like leaving your door unlocked and wide open—”
“Oh my God, you are blaming me.” I felt my face flush and my heartbeat quicken, not in a good way.
Sheriff Jackson raised his hand, palm out. “I’m not blaming you. Get that out of your head. I’m just saying that maybe he saw Daniel inside your place and decided to not come in.”
Then I had an epiphany. “So, you think the same guy who broke into my suite could be the same guy who threw Jeremy off the bluff?”
He rubbed his chin. “There’s nothing actually tying the two events together.”
“But it’s possible.”
“That theory is complete speculation at this point, Andi. Nothing more.” He sighed and rubbed his chin again. “I do think that you need to be more careful. You are definitely connected to this case. You knew the victim, and he claimed that you had something of his in your possession, which he wanted badly enough to risk violating his parole and going to prison for. He was killed for a reason, and you seem to be involved, whether you want to be or not.”
I thought about the tiny card in my wallet. I probably should’ve handed it over to the sheriff, but I needed to know what was on it first. The contents could be the reason why Jeremy was killed. They could also be the reason I’d lost everything that was important to me, and I didn’t want to give that over to someone else.
Not yet. Not until I knew exactly what I’d be handing over.
“I’ll be more careful,” I said finally.
Sternly, as if he were talking to his daughter or something, he said, “That means no running off looking for evidence, either.”
I looked at him for a second longer than was probably polite. “I said I’ll be more careful.”
“Andi…” he said with a long, exasperated sigh.
“Luke…” I mimicked him.
“You are impossible.” He shook his head and turned to walk away. I followed him. I needed him for…to…I maybe just needed him.
I caught up and grabbed his arm. “Okay. You win. How about if I feel like I’m going to go running off after evidence that might be dangerous in some way, I’ll call you first? Fair?”
“This is not a game. You could get seriously hurt. You’re involved somehow.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t you get that? Whoever killed Jeremy Rucker is playing for keeps.”
I put my hand up toward him. “I swear I didn’t kill Jeremy and toss him off the cliff like a duffel bag of old clothes.”
He shook his head again, but this time, there was a ghost of a smile on his lips. I was getting better at this. He wasn’t staying mad at me for long anymore. Annoyed most likely, frustrated most definitely, but not angry. That was indeed progress.
“I know, but whoever did kill him is circling around you in some way and for some reason. That much is fact.” His cell phone buzzed from his pocket. He took it out and answered it.
“Jackson.” He nodded, grunted, then said, “I’ll be right over.” He returned his phone to his pocket. “The autopsy report is finished.”
My eyes lit up.
“No, you can’t come with me.”
“Will you call me later and let me know?” I cocked an eyebrow. “You’re the one who says this is connected to me, so surely I should have all pertinent information, including how Jeremy died.”
He frowned and stared at me again. “You make all of this really hard, you know.”
“What, your job?”
“No. The other part.” Then he walked away, and I stood there watching him go, dumbfounded. What did he mean “the other part”? What was the other part?
Still contemplating what the sheriff had said, I went into the hotel to check on the Park family. I wanted to find Ginny and see if Nicole’s decision to leave the hotel was the emergency Lois had texted her about.
As I crossed the lobby, I heard raised voices at the concierge desk, which was never a good sign. Casey was arguing with a clearly upset young woman, whom I recognized as Melanie, the assistant of the jerk I’d dealt with the other morning.
“I’m sorry,” Casey was saying, “but we can’t cover your drinks for the whole weekend.”
Melanie was close to tears. “But the other concierge told me to charge my bill to my room and she would take care of it.”
Casey folded his arms across his chest. “Well, she doesn’t have the authority to make decisions like that. I’m the chief concierge, and Ms. Steele is a junior staff member. You’re going to have to pay for those drinks.”
I approached the desk. “Hi, Melanie. Good to see you again. Is everything okay?”
Casey flinched, apparently not expecting me—and not ready to take me on, either. Smart man.
Melanie shook her head, showing me the sheet with her room charges on it. “He’s telling me that I’m going to have to pay for these charges. I really can’t afford to pay this bill.”
I took the invoice from her. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure these charges don’t go on your credit card.”
Casey sputtered, “You can’t—”
I cut him off with a look.
“Really?” Melanie said with a tremulous smile.
“Yes, I promised you free food and drinks, and you shall have them. It’s a fair trade, I think, for having to put up with a really horrid boss for the weekend.” I smiled at her, then turned and looked at Casey with the same grin. Casey wasn’t my boss, whether he wanted to think so or not.
“Thank you.” She visibly sagged against the counter. “It’s Andi, right?”
“It certainly is, and don’t hesitate to give me a call if you have any more problems.” I handed her one of my business cards. “The Park Hotel appreciates every valued guest.”
She gave me a big smile. “I’ll never forget this.” Then she walked off.
Casey huffed. “You can’t just give free stuff to people willy-nilly. Everything comes out of the profits of the hotel.”
“Don’t you think customer service is more important?”
“Not always.”
I gave him a withering look. “That woman is an assistant to a very important CEO of a huge company. I guarantee you she is the one who books events, and she’s the one who decides where such events will take place and where the CEO and staff stay at such events. She is also the one who books his family holidays. He also loves to golf. So, where is she likely to suggest for his family holiday next year? Or maybe even the next company retreat?”
Casey rolled his eyes. “You don’t know any of that.”
“You’re right, I don’t. Not for sure. But it’s way more likely than not. What do you think the result would have been if I’d let you force her to pay?” His eyes bugged out of his head. I glan
ced over his shoulder and then smiled sweetly. “We can ask Samuel, if you’d prefer.”
He opened his mouth, and I expected a slew of bad language to be coming out of it, but Samuel appeared at the desk, and Casey quickly snapped his mouth shut. It literally made a snapping sound.
“Hello, Samuel,” I said with a smile.
“Andi.” He nodded.
“Good afternoon, Samuel.” Casey preened. “I was just trying to explain some of the finer points of being a concierge, things I think she’s failing to grasp.”
“Oh, really?” Samuel said. “I think Andi has a fine grasp on all aspects of being a concierge.”
Casey pursed his lips.
Samuel took my arm. “I hear you’re going to be golfing on the Park Hotel team tomorrow.”
“Yes, I’m very excited to represent the hotel.” I gave Casey a side-eye look. “You know who’s also on the team? Lane, from the front desk. He’s a wonderful asset to the team and to the hotel.”
“Is that right?” We walked together, arm in arm, away from the concierge desk.
“Yes, he’s usually my go-to guy when I need someone to cover the desk. I think he’d make a great concierge one day.” I glanced over my shoulder at Casey to make sure he heard every word.
The eye daggers he shot me could have been lethal. But the exchange made me smile, anyway.
Once we were across the lobby and out of earshot, Samuel stopped and gestured to one of the green sofas near the big bay window. We sat. I was nervous because I’d never taken a pause with Samuel before. He was usually always on the go and not interested in spending any extra time with me.
“I heard what you said about the hotel,” he said.
“Sorry about that. Casey just—”
“I know…he can be irritating.” He shook his head and gave a wistful smile. “You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff we’d do way back when I worked in the hotels in Chicago. The concierges at competing hotels would actually sabotage each other.” He laughed. “Oh, some of the hijinks I could tell you.”
I watched his expression change from wistful to worried. Something was bothering him. “Are you concerned about Nicole leaving the hotel? Are she and Eric…?”