“Ow!”
I glanced up at what appeared to be a giant. He seemed about thirty years old, and a tight dark suit highlighted his lean, cut body. Standing at what appeared to be seven feet tall, he had banged his head on the decorative molding at the room’s entrance. A massive hand rubbed his large bald head. “I’m Detective Dustin Kelly. You were the one who called 911?”
“Yes.”
“Are you a guest here?”
I nodded. “Andre Beaufort.”
“Where are you from, Mr. Beaufort?”
“It’s Andre. Hoboken, New Jersey.”
“What do you do for a living, Andre?”
“I’m a grade school teacher.”
“Why are you here?”
“I’m on vacation. Staying in room six.”
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
“My partner is summoning the other guests upstairs.” He craned his neck to look around the room. “Do you know where Mr. Russell might be?”
“Your partner will probably find Jim Russell in room number one and Nelson Russell in room number three,” I said, trying to be helpful.
Kelly glanced at me suspiciously. “How do you know so much about where everybody sleeps?”
I explained, “Earlier this evening, I saw Jim Russell mounting the stairs to go to his sister-in-law’s room. That’s Sherry Butler, who is visiting from Poughkeepsie and staying in room one.”
“You sure he was headed to room one?”
I nodded. “Jim and his wife had argued about it.”
“In front of you?”
“They didn’t know I was listening.”
His hazel eyes widened. “Why were you listening?”
“I was on the terrace, having just come back from dinner. Their voices were raised in the living room.”
He dug into his suit pocket and pulled out an electronic tablet. As he sat on an armchair opposite me, the detective’s long legs caused his knees to ram into his diaphragm. “Ugh!” After catching his breath, Kelly typed on the tablet. Then he said, “And you know Nelson Russell is in room three how?”
I felt like a peeping Tom. “I overheard Nelson and Sergio Santino plan their evening together.”
“And Sergio Santino is staying in room three?”
I nodded. “Next door to his mother, Renata Garcia Santino, who is in room four. The Santinos are visiting from New York City, where Jim and Sergio had first met and become… friends prior to the time the Russells bought the B and B and moved back to Cold Spring from New York City.”
He scratched his long nose. “Were the Russells… pleased about their son’s… friendship with Sergio Santino?”
“Cynthia no, Jim not so much, Sherry yes. Renata was thrilled.”
He seemed astonished. “And you overheard all this?”
I nodded.
“Remind me never to stay in a hotel with you.” He typed. “Who’s in room two?”
“Zian Raye, a painter from New York City.”
“House painter or painter painter?”
“Painter painter.”
“And in room five?”
“Gabriel Bennett, an architect from Vermont. We just met yesterday, but we’ve become friends.”
He stretched out his legs.
“Ouch!”
“My apologies.” Kelly slid his large shoes closer to his chair. “I generally don’t kick witnesses.”
Rubbing my calf, I said, “I appreciate that.” Worried about Gabriel, I asked, “Can I speak with my friend?”
“How about you tell me what happened here first?”
I took in a deep breath and tried to recall each moment. “At about 3:00 a.m., I woke with my stomach growling. When I checked in yesterday, Nelson Russell mentioned a fruit bowl out in the dining room overnight. So I left my room, came down the stairs into the dining room, and spotted a large red apple.”
Kelly winced at the sound of my stomach growling.
“I never ate it.”
“I figured.”
“Because I heard a scream.”
“Was it Cynthia Butler Russell?”
“No, Gabriel Bennett.”
He typed. “Your friend from room five.”
“Right.”
“The police officers found you in the Russells’ private office. How did you get there?”
I explained, “I followed Gabriel’s shriek.”
“What did you find?”
“Cynthia Butler Russell slumped over the desk with blood dripping from her neck. Gabriel was standing over her holding a letter opener with blood on it.”
“Did he say anything?”
I nodded. “She’s dead!”
“What did you do next?”
“I asked Gabriel how he knew Cynthia wasn’t alive. Gabriel said he put his finger under her nose and there was no air. I pulled out my phone and called 911. Then I told Gabriel to leave the letter opener on the desk. Next, I walked him out here to the living room, where we sat until the police arrived. I’m sure they told you what happened after that.” I slid to the edge of my seat. “Can I see Gabriel now?”
Kelly rested the tablet on his vast knee. “The police officers have him in the solarium at the back of the house. After I finish questioning you, I’ll need to question him.” His face hardened. “It doesn’t look very good for your new friend.”
“Gabriel didn’t kill Cynthia.”
“How do you know?”
“Gabriel told me he’s a sleepwalker.”
“And you think he was sleepwalking tonight?”
I nodded. “While we were waiting for the police to arrive, Gabriel told me he had been sleeping in his bed. The next thing he knew, he was staring down at Cynthia’s still body with the letter opener lodged in her neck. He pulled it out, hoping to save her, but it released even more blood. When he realized she wasn’t breathing, he screamed.”
Kelly typed. “That’s some story.”
“I believe Gabriel.”
“And why is that?”
“Why would Gabriel kill Cynthia Butler Russell? He barely knew her.” I leaned toward him and my knees grazed his. “I hope you’ll be gentle with him. Gabriel has had a rough life.”
Kelly glanced at me. “Did you have anything against Cynthia Butler Russell?”
“I just met her when I checked in here yesterday, but other people at the inn had motive and opportunity.”
He cocked his head at me. “You sure you aren’t a detective?”
“Positive.” I didn’t mention how Freddy and I had caught a murderer the summer prior in our apartment building in Hoboken. “I’m a music teacher.”
“All right, music teacher. Let’s hear your theory.” He smirked. “You can sing it if you like.”
Wishing Freddy were with me, I tented my fingers. “From what I overheard, Jim Russell wanted out of his marriage with Cynthia so he could be with Cynthia’s sister, Sherry Butler. Cynthia wanted no part of a divorce. Sherry fantasized about taking her sister’s place as Jim’s wife and Nelson’s mother. Nelson was angry with his mother for not accepting his relationship with Sergio.”
Kelly interrupted me. “But according to you, Nelson and Sergio were together during the time of the murder. So were Jim and Sherry.”
“But if they were asleep, one partner could have left the room without the other partner noticing. Or maybe Cynthia was killed by a couple.”
He typed quickly. “Keep going.”
“And Renata, who was in her room alone, was outraged at Cynthia for Cynthia’s bigotry, even claiming she and Cynthia had some unfinished business. Zian Raye, also alone, had asked Cynthia earlier if he could speak with her about a private matter.”
“What was that?”
“I don’t know.”
“You slipped up.”
I ignored his sarcasm. “Perhaps people outside the house had issues with Cynthia as well.”
“Meaning?”
“Nelson Russell told me the front door is locke
d at ten each night. I had to unlock it in order to let in your police officers.”
“Therefore, we have a closed-door mystery.”
“Not necessarily. What if somebody got in through one of the first-floor windows?”
“My officers didn’t report any windows left open.”
“Were all the windows in the Russells’ private quarters locked?”
He shook his head.
“Then the murderer could have opened a window, crawled in, murdered Cynthia, and closed a window after he left.”
“My officers didn’t report anything disturbed outside the house.”
A police officer entered with Gabriel. Upon seeing me, Gabriel raced into my arms. I obliged with a warm hug. When we parted, I asked him, “Are you all right?”
He nodded.
Kelly said to Gabriel, “I’m Detective Kelly. I need to ask you a few questions… in the butler’s pantry past the dining room.”
I spoke up. “Gabriel, you should call a lawyer.”
“Why? I didn’t do anything.”
Kelly rested his large hand on Gabriel’s small shoulder. “It’s just an interview.”
Zian Raye came barreling down the stairs in a lemon tank top and denim shorts. “What’s going on?”
Kelly glanced at me questioningly.
I said, “Detective Kelly, this is Zian Raye, the guest in room two.”
Zian’s head barely reached Kelly’s torso. “Your partner told me Cynthia Butler Russell was murdered. If you think Gabriel did it, you’re wrong.” He focused on Gabriel. “What happened?”
“I was sleepwalking, and I found Cynthia.” Gabriel blinked back tears. “It was crazy to pull out the letter opener, I know, but I thought I might be able to save her. I was still half asleep.”
Zian turned on Kelly. “You heard what he said. Gabriel didn’t do it.”
Kelly glanced down at Zian. “How about you take a breath, Mr. Raye?”
“I’ll breathe when I like. And please don’t call me Mr. Raye.”
Kelly asked me, “Isn’t that his name?”
“It sounds like you’re talking to my father. Please call me Zian.”
Kelly rubbed his neck. “All right, Zian, why don’t you take a seat in here, and I’ll speak to you in the butler’s pantry after I question Mr. Bennett.”
Zian pointed to Kelly. “Don’t let him trick you into signing a fake confession, Gabriel.”
Kelly explained, “I’m not making any arrests. At this point, everyone is simply a person of interest.”
“Like you,” Zian said.
Kelly cocked his head. “Excuse me?”
Zian stood on his tippy toes to address Kelly. “Where do you live, Detective?”
“Here in Cold Spring.”
“Do you know the Russells?”
Kelly nodded. “It’s a small town.”
“Did you ever have a disagreement with Cynthia Butler Russell?”
“How is that any of your concern?”
“It concerns me a great deal if it was you who broke into this house and murdered Cynthia, and now you’re trying to pin the blame on Gabriel.”
Kelly rested his wide hand on Zian’s back and led him over to a chaise. “You seem to want some attention, Zian. I’ll be happy to give you that right after I question Mr. Bennett. But only if you promise to sit here quietly while I’m gone.” Once Zian was seated, Kelly asked, “Do we have a deal?”
Seething, Zian nodded.
“Good.” Kelly whispered to me, “Make sure he behaves.”
Zian groaned.
Kelly said to Gabriel, “Please follow me.”
I squeezed Gabriel’s hand, and Kelly took him past the dining room into the butler’s pantry. After sitting next to Zian, I said, “Poor Gabriel.”
Zian replied, “He looks so lost and helpless. What happened?”
I explained how I found Gabriel in Cynthia’s office.
Snapping his fingers, Zian said, “Since Gabriel was sleepwalking, he must have frightened away the murderer, or maybe the murderer saw him coming and decided to use Gabriel as a scapegoat.”
Sighing, I said, “If only Gabriel had woken sooner. He might know who killed Cynthia.”
“I don’t have much faith in that detective solving the case.” Zian’s dark eyes flashed angrily. “He’s too full of himself, strutting around like he’s God’s gift to the world.”
“I think Kelly is just trying to do his job.”
“By bullying Gabriel and treating me like a child?”
I tried to be gentle. “You were acting a little bit childish.”
“Kelly accused Gabriel of something he didn’t do. And Kelly was acting condescending toward me.”
“You were pretty hard on him too, accusing him of murder.”
“Kelly’s a local. Maybe he was having an affair with Cynthia.”
I chuckled. “I doubt that.” Sitting back, I said, “Let’s try to remain calm—for Gabriel’s sake. Okay?”
He acquiesced. “Okay.” Running a hand through his thick black hair, he said, “After Gabriel is grilled by the ogre detective, it’ll be my turn under the hot lamp. I’m sure he’ll try to break me down.”
“Do you know something about last night?”
“Of course not. I was asleep in bed. But it’s pretty clear that Kelly hates me.”
I grinned. “Actually, I thought he was checking you out.”
“Checking me out for prison garb, you mean.” He added quickly, “Do you think he’s gay?”
“I get that feeling.”
“Then he should lay off Gabriel.”
I snickered. “Whatever his sexual orientation, a detective has to be impartial. Kelly did the right thing by taking fingerprints and fiber from Gabriel and me.”
“He did that? What a creep!”
“It’s his job.”
“Is it also his job to tower over me?”
“He’s tall.”
“That doesn’t give him license to act like he knows everything I’m thinking.” He muttered, “I’m sure whoever he lives with thinks he’s a hero protecting the city.”
“You don’t know he lives with anyone.”
“Good point. He probably lives alone, because nobody can stand being near him.”
I smiled. “Zian, for someone who doesn’t like Kelly, you’re sure talking about him a lot. Are you interested in him?”
Zian guffawed. “I wouldn’t be interested in Detective Kelly if he were the last Neanderthal on the planet.”
I let it go. Recalling what Zian had said to Kelly when they’d first met, I asked him, “Why did you get so upset when Kelly called you Mr. Raye?”
He folded his arms over his small, sculpted pecs. “Mr. Raye reminds me of my father.”
“Don’t you like your father?”
“Not particularly.”
I realized I’d hit a sore spot. “You want to talk about it?”
“No.” He sighed. “But what else do we have to do at this ungodly hour.” Disgust filled his handsome face. “My dad, like my grandfather, was in the military. Rules, regulations, manliness, and strength were all that mattered to him. Obviously, he wasn’t thrilled to have a gay son who’s an artist.”
“Did he treat you badly?”
“Worse. When I was a kid, he tried playing sports with me or running me through exercise drills. It didn’t work out. I was also late for everything, and I spent hours drawing and painting, which both drove him nuts. So he and my grandfather ignored me, like I wasn’t alive. My sister, who’s also in the military, got all the attention. She still does. My father gave her a big wedding, and he dotes on her husband and kids too.”
“What about your mom?”
“She’s old-fashioned, so whatever my father says goes.” Tears filled his eyes. “When my grandfather died of a heart attack, my dad told me it was my fault, because what I was broke his heart.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
�
�Have you tried trying to find some common ground with your dad?”
He nodded. “Once a few years ago when I brought home a boyfriend to show him my latest painting.”
“What happened?”
“My dad threw him out of the house, called me a ‘backdoor bandit airhead art freak,’ and then destroyed all my artwork. So I moved out. And I haven’t looked back since.”
“Have you tried forgiving your father?”
He shook his head, and water sprayed me. “And I never will.”
“Do you go to therapy?”
He turned away from me. “I’m dealing with it in my own way.”
I squeezed his hand.
Gabriel entered the living room.
I hurried to his side. “Are you okay?”
Zian ran to his other side. “Did Kelly book you?”
Kelly entered with an apple in his hand. After he threw it to me, he approached Zian. “I haven’t booked anybody—yet. But nobody should leave the house, including you.” He tugged on his suit jacket. “Are you ready for me, Zian?”
Zian met his gaze head-on. “Totally.”
“We’ll see.” Kelly smiled. “Follow me.”
“I know where the dining room is, Detective.”
“I’m impressed.” Kelly added, “As I said, follow me.”
Zian groaned and followed Kelly out of the room.
I sat Gabriel next to me on the chaise. “How did it go in there?”
Shrugging, Gabriel said, “I told the truth.” He clenched his fists. “If only I had woken sooner!”
“Gabriel, you sleepwalk. It’s not your fault. You have bad memories from your childhood. You’re doing the right thing by going to therapy.” I didn’t mention my concern over Zian trying to handle his problems solo. “Try not to beat yourself up.”
He unleashed a nervous smile. “Roger already did that for me.”
My hands surrounded his small hand. “Gabriel, even though we only met yesterday, you can call me a friend. I hope you know that.”
“Thanks, Andre.” He gave me a hug.
When we parted, I asked him, “Is there anyone I can call for you?”
He shook his head. “Obviously I’m not close to my adoptive family, and I don’t want my friends to know about this.”
I hoped I wasn’t being too intrusive. “Have you ever tried to find your birth parents?”
He nodded. “I registered with an agency that searches for you.”
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