by Sonia Parin
“You.” Marcela stabbed a finger at her. “You did this.”
“Huh?”
“You ordered the pizza. I have a kitchen full of it and it won’t stop coming. No sooner do we clear out a stack than another one appears. Oh... and did I mention the cat food? Cans of it. Everywhere.”
Luna lifted her head. “Game Indulgence? There’s more.”
“You’ll get fat,” Lexie warned under her breath.
Marcela punched the air. “Stop it. Stop it right now.”
“I don’t see anyone else complaining. In fact, they all seem to be enjoying the feast.” The chatter around her rose and mingled with laughter.
Red blotch marks bloomed on Marcela’s cheeks. “And where did you get your power from? You were supposed to be temporarily bound.”
When Lexie shrugged, Marcela swung on her feet and stomped out of the sitting room.
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough pizza?” Gerard asked.
Lexie managed a single word, “Enough?”
He smiled. “And enough Game Indulgence.”
Luna’s head sprung up. “Men. What do they know?”
“You’re probably right and Marcela did look flustered. Okay. Enough with the pizza.”
The buzz in the sitting room died down.
Luna turned on her, the fur at the back of her neck standing up on end. “I’m going to saunter into the kitchen. If my Game Indulgence is gone, you’ll have a lot of explaining to do.”
Lexie watched her go and couldn’t help saying, “Hey, that’s not a saunter. That’s a strut. A stiff, erect, and apparently arrogant or conceited gait.”
Luna looked over her shoulder at her. “Did you just look that up in a dictionary?”
Lexie tilted her head in thought. “You know what? I think I just did. Whoop, whoop. I must have subliminally downloaded a dictionary into my head. Game on, missy. I can match you word for word now.”
“Now you’re just being supercilious.”
Huh? Oh... right. “I am not behaving or looking as though I think I’m superior.”
“What was that about?” Gerard asked.
“Nothing but light, friendly bantering. Luna loves it.” Lexie sunk back in her chair and stared at her empty plate.
“Before you go into mourning for your pizza, what else were you and Luna following up on?”
“The blue couples. Emily and Kenneth Grant and Lana and Daniel Andrews. Luna said she spotted someone in blue along the hallway and so did Zoe. Also, we were thinking the killer might have something in common with everyone else, but only half the guests are in real estate. Lana and Daniel are both translators. However, they’ve been showing unusual interest in the house itself.”
“And?”
“We know Marcela Taggart is having financial problems.” And desperate to acquire the powers that had been denied to her. “What if someone has their eye on the house? What if more than one person is interested?”
“Are you suggesting the killer is trying to get rid of his competition?”
“It’s a sound motive.”
The detective brushed his hand across his chin. “If this is about the mansion, then we’ll have to look at everyone more closely, including their financials.”
“Especially everyone who’s a returning guest. Zoe and Zach come to mind but they don’t strike me as the type to commit murder.”
“It takes all sorts to commit murder,” Gerard reasoned.
“That reminds me. Are you sure Lauren and Lance were electrocuted?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I assume modern appliances have failsafe mechanisms.”
He nodded. “Modern hairdryers are manufactured with ground fault interrupters that immediately shut down the appliance if they’re waterlogged. But Lauren had an ancient hairdryer.”
Lexie steepled her fingers. “How would the killer know that?”
“He wouldn’t. So we can safely assume he got lucky. Unless...” Gerard leaned forward. “Unless he could tell the hairdryer wasn’t a new model. Would you be able to tell the difference?”
“I think I could. Everything nowadays looks lighter... Lauren had a clunky looking hairdryer.”
Gerard spread his hands. “There’s your answer. They were electrocuted.”
Yes... but...
How would the killer have known about the hairdryer? And not only that... “I’m thinking the killer needed to have access to personal information... traits... habits.”
“Or the killer might have overheard a conversation.”
“The husband saying he wanted a bath and the wife agreeing it would be a great idea and she wouldn’t mind washing her hair?”
He shrugged. “It’s possible.”
Luna returned from her reconnaissance mission. “You’re safe. For the time being, at least. My cans of Game Indulgence have been stored and the pizza has stopped materializing. The kitchen staff is eating the leftovers.”
“Well, that’s a load off my mind.”
“What is?” Gerard asked.
“Oh... you staying here. It’s such a comfort.” She tapped her hand on the armrest. “Something just came to me. At lunch, several people left the table to, ostensibly, take calls. What if that’s when one of them used the opportunity to slip into Joshua’s office and steal the key card?”
Gerard’s jaw muscles twitched. “You want me to get my people to check the video footage to track guests’ movements at lunch time.”
“Yes, please. And while you’re at it, you could find out which numbers they called. You know, like Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote. Also... There could be an outside person involved in all this.” Lexie sat back and looked around her. “I sure wouldn’t mind a slice of blueberry pie.”
Chapter Eight
“I think everyone is too afraid to call it a night,” Lexie remarked as she sipped her coffee. Conversation had died down to a low hum and hushed whispers. Everyone kept shifting to the edge of their seats only to then slide back again. Eventually, someone would have to make the first move...
Luna yawned. “It’s become quite atmospheric. Throw in the rustling of leaves or a tree branch scratching against a window and some footsteps and we’ll all be running for our lives. It’s the perfect setting for a scary ghost story.”
“Don’t look at me. I don’t know any.”
“You had a recent encounter with a ghost. Surely there’s a story there.”
“I’m not the raconteur type.” Lexie tucked her feet under her. “I wonder what Jonathan is up to?”
“He’s probably busy chronicling your adventure.”
“Yeah, about that... it’s bad enough having you eavesdrop on my thoughts, this business of having Jonathan somehow absorbing everything I do is making me self-conscious.”
“You could run a comb through your hair and present yourself in a more favorable light.”
Lexie’s mouth gaped open. She had to push the words out. “Are you saying he also describes me?”
Luna nodded. “As Alexandra Elizabeth Mackenzie confronted the killer, she licked a smudge of pizza sauce from the corner of her mouth, her lithe body casting a dramatic shadow, while her unruly... unkempt... windswept hair—”
Groaning, Lexie turned to Gerard. “Let’s focus on the business at hand. It’s your turn to share something with us. It’s only fair.”
“I already told you my people are working on the case, digging deeper and looking for possible connections.”
“You only echoed what Luna and I had already been thinking.”
He drew out a piece of paper and unfolded it. “This is a list of guests seen going in and coming out of the adjoining suites. Zoe and Zachary, Lana and Daniel Andrews are the ones exiting closer to the time the key card was used.”
Far too closely, Lexie thought. It would not have given them enough time to hustle Lauren into the bathtub and force her to trip over. “What would a couple of translators have to gain by the McCullens’ death? They’re f
irst time visitors to Gainsborough Mansion with no connections to the house market. Is there any chance they might have met Lauren and Lance somewhere else?”
Gerard shook his head. “We haven’t found anything. Not even a connection on social media. Our best bet is to work on the business links between the victims and Zoe and Zachary. Maybe they attended a realtor’s convention somewhere or vied to win a lucrative contract. Something will surface.”
“In the meantime, do we hang tight and hope the killer is not here to take everyone out, one by one? You have to offer some sort of assurance, detective.”
“I’m spending the night in Jeeves’ office watching over the monitors. If a door opens after everyone’s turned in, I’ll know.”
Lexie turned to Luna. “Come on. I think it’s up to us to lead by example.”
* * *
Luna paced around their suite. “What if the killer has the ability to shrink and squeezes in through the kitty door?”
Lexie chuckled. “I didn’t realize you had such a vivid imagination. Settle down for a minute, you might fall asleep.”
“Is that part of your plan? All that time I was upstairs relieving myself you could have snuck up, killed Lauren and Lance and hurried back down. For all I know, I could be next on your list.”
Lexie snorted. “Right, because I came here with that purpose in mind.” Plumping up her pillows, she settled into her comfortable bed and studied the diagram Gerard had shared with her. It showed all the suites, with the guests’ names printed in tidy script. “Here’s something interesting. There are two empty suites between the victims’ suite and Lana and Daniel’s suite. He said they’d heard Lauren and Lance arguing.”
Luna’s ears twitched. “So? I would have been able to hear them.”
The way she’d heard the scream when she’d gone to do her business? “Not everyone has such fine hearing.” Even with the balcony doors open...
Lexie pictured Lana and Daniel using the stolen key card to make their way into the adjoining suite. Gerard hadn’t found anything connecting the couples, but did killers need a solid motive? “We all have something in common,” Lexie thought out loud.
Luna stopped her pacing and stared at her. After a couple of minutes, she blinked. “Are you waiting for me to give you an encouraging prompt?”
“We’re all searching for something.”
“You’re being as enigmatic as the clues we’ve been provided.”
Lexie held up a finger.
“You’re doing it again...” Luna gave her head a vigorous shake, “Are you about to offer a list or are you holding up a finger and calling for a moment of silence? You’re confusing me.”
“I wanted to propose a theory but it refuses to take shape in my mind. Help me out... We know Marcela wants to acquire powers. Emily Grant said something about acquiring magical powers... That reminds me, it seems everyone here belongs to a coven but no one is using their powers because they signed an agreement. In case I forget, remind me to ask Marcela about that. Maybe her great grandfather imposed some sort of caveat banning the use of magic within the grounds of Gainsborough mansion.” Lexie raked her fingers through her hair. “Maybe once she has enough power, she can overturn the caveat. I think she’ll do anything to reestablish her rightful heritage...” Argh! Lexie didn’t need the wake-up call. She had so much ground to make up for and no time to regret being a late bloomer.
“Should I intervene before you harm yourself? You seem to be about to tear your hair out.”
“I know I’m missing something...” Something obvious.
“It will come to you.” Luna leaped up onto the bed and sat at her feet. “By the way, thank you for procuring some Game Indulgence for me today. It was a thoughtful gesture.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Do you think it would be a good idea to take turns sleeping? I could take the first watch.”
“Thank you, but I doubt I’ll get any sleep. You go ahead.”
Luna settled down beside her.
Lexie looked up at the ceiling. “What if the killer tries to return the key card? They don’t know that we know they have it... Gerard could be in danger.”
“I’m not really sleepy. Perhaps I could prowl around the mansion. In fact, I might just do that.”
“Why don’t you heed your own advice and embrace the indifference? He’s not going to appreciate you being so pushy.” Ignoring her, Luna leaped off the bed and disappeared through the kitty door. Moments later, she returned.
“Then again, he is a detective and I’m your feline companion, so my priority is to think of your safety first.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to butter me up for something.”
Luna curled up beside her. “Well... now that you mention it... I wonder if you’ve given any more thought to visiting the market? I would really love an Amish quilt.”
“You want me to try and conjure one for you?”
Luna tilted her little head in thought. “I think I would enjoy visiting the market and selecting one myself... but of course, I’ll take whatever I can get.”
“We’ll see...” Lexie tapped the page. “We’ve only suspected the guests. What if...” She fell silent.
“I can’t actually hear you thinking. That’s unusual. You normally have a barrage of thoughts swimming around your head, with images of pizza weaving in and out.”
“I drew a blank. Actually, I couldn’t justify my suspicion. Hang on. I’ll try again. What if... Marcela is the killer? She’s in debt and struggling to keep the place running. Then along come Lauren and Lance. They circle around like vultures waiting for her business to dwindle to nothing so they can swoop down and buy the place at a rock bottom price. She resents their underhandedness and, in a moment of desperation and a flare up of anger, as we witnessed today...” her theory floundered. If it came down to her business going belly up, Marcela would be more than happy to get what she could. Besides, killing her guests simply didn’t make sense. They were her livelihood. She’d said it herself... a scandal could ruin her.
“Okay, you’re coming through loud and clear now. Marcela is actually the most likely suspect. She would definitely have known about the security camera not working,” Luna reasoned.
“I wonder how she’d know about that. Did she confront Joshua about it? Let’s picture the scene. She goes to Joshua’s office and finds he’s off on one of his endless breaks. She’s furious, the way she was today when she stormed into the sitting room. To make matters worse, she discovers Joshua has not only abandoned his post, he’s also covered his tracks by disarming the security camera, and so she confronts him. While she might have taken the precaution to be discreet, someone witnesses the clash.”
“You mean, the killer?”
“Yes, or at least, someone with nefarious intentions and that’s how they knew they could get their hands on a key card.”
“Do you have anyone in mind?”
“I’m underlining Lana and Daniel’s names and adding a note about their super fine hearing. Gerard would have to get his people to go through all the video footage and piece together their comings and goings. If I’m right, at some point, the camera would have captured them hovering near the office. It’s not located anywhere near the suites or any other room used by the guests so it shouldn’t be difficult to pinpoint someone hanging around where they shouldn’t...”
“There’s a hole in your theory.” Luna sat up. “Once Marcela found out, surely she would have insisted Joshua reconnect the camera.”
“Maybe she did and he pretended to reconnect it.” Lexie yawned. “All this has worn me out. I’m going to try and get some sleep. I suggest you do the same.”
Luna lifted her chin. “I shall do my duty and stand guard over us. If anyone dares to make an attempt on your life, I’ll... I’ll...”
“You’ll what?”
“At the risk of being forced to attend further sessions with a psychiatrist who might prescribe behav
ioral altering medication, I’ll bite them.”
* * *
The next morning, Lexie sat cross-legged at the end of her bed studying the list of guests as she tried to think of possible motives for murder.
“Did you come up with any sparkly ideas?” Luna asked as she stirred awake.
“Not yet... Did you know you flick your tail in your sleep?”
“It’s not as strange as you ordering pizza when you sleep.” After a leisurely stretch, Luna sauntered over to sit beside her. “You smell of soap.”
“I had a shower.”
“Good. I was rather worried about you not having a change of clothes. As you know, personal hygiene is a priority with me. Being your companion, I must stick close to you so I worried about having to endure unpleasant smells. Where did you get a change of clothes? You didn’t bring any luggage.”
Lexie stared at Luna.
“What?”
“Are you trying to get a rise out of me?”
Luna looked sheepish. “Did I say something to offend you? If I did... I’m sorry. I wouldn’t want to be the instigator of another... squabble.”
“At some point, we have to agree there will be some remarks we can say to each other without taking offence.”
“That’s a relief. Sometimes... well, sometimes I can’t help myself and I have to voice my opinions, but I assure you there is no malice intended.”
“Ditto.”
“I believe we’ve made some solid headway... So... did you use your new powers to conjure your clothes?”
“Yep. I need to get some practice in. I fixed my thoughts on the t-shirts I know are stacked in my wardrobe but it didn’t work, so I ended up getting something from my favorite jeans shop. I’ll have to reimburse them.”
Luna rested her chin on Lexie’s hand and studied the list. “You’ve underlined everyone’s names. I’m surprised we made it through the night unscathed.”
“These are the return customers but, with a few exceptions, they haven’t all been here at the same time. Zoe and Zachary and Lauren and Lance McCullen were here last year along with Bill and Susan Faraday. They all have one thing in common.”
