Cindy removed a key from a locked cabinet and handed it to Kalin. “Maybe. I’m thinking she’s stalking Ben.”
“Ben said he’s going to tell her to leave us alone.”
“She’s not the type to listen. Good luck, though.”
Kalin put her hand on the exit door, about to push when an idea hit her, and she turned back to Cindy. “How do you decide who gets a key?”
Cindy looked up from the computer she’d already focused on. “What do you mean?”
“Did you give me a key because I’m a director and you know me?”
“No. I give one to anyone who asks. The person just has to sign the logbook.”
“Do you record when the key is returned?”
“No. Usually the person brings it back at the end of the day. It’s for when staff forget their own key.”
“Does anyone review the list?”
Cindy winced as if she didn’t like the answer she was about to give. “You’ll have to ask my manager.”
“Can I see the logbook again?”
“Sure.”
Kalin flipped back one page and found the date she was looking for. Her heart thudded as she read a name written beside five fifteen a.m. and thought about what the signature meant.
She stood outside the front desk building, called Miller and kept her voice low. “I’ve found something.”
“Didn’t I tell you to stay out of this? I don’t think you realize the danger you could be putting yourself in.”
“I can’t help it. I stumbled across something. Do you want to know or not?”
“Of course I do.”
“I took my Jeep to town for an oil change and forgot my keys in it.”
Miller chuckled. “You want me to bring your keys up?”
“No. I don’t know why you think I’m funny. You’re always laughing at me.” Kalin liked the way he teased her but wasn’t going to admit that to him. Their banter had become their style. “I want you to understand I discovered this by accident. I stopped at the front desk to get a key to the admin building. They have a logbook, and I signed out a key. Then I had a thought.”
“You would.”
“That’s because I’m smart. I checked the log for the day McKenzie died.”
Silence.
“Are you still there?” Kalin asked.
“I’m waiting for the bomb to explode.”
“Two keys had been signed out at five fifteen. One for the admin building and the other for the tuning room.”
“Are you going to tell me by who, or are you going to make me sweat?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Reed was on the phone when his estranged daughter walked into his office. He didn’t say a word, and sweat beaded on the back of his neck.
Melanie stared at him with eyes overpowered by black mascara and black eyeliner.
Reed’s mind emptied. He should be listening to the call, and he had to excuse himself from the phone conference. He was confident in his role as the president of the resort but not in his role as Melanie’s father. He swallowed and said, “Hello.”
“Dad.”
He wanted to get up and hug her, but he held back. He suppressed a grin. “Melanie.” She’d gained back some of the weight she’d lost. She still didn’t look healthy, but she did look better than before. Her black hair, black T-shirt and black jeans made her pale skin even paler. Somehow, the band of freckles across her nose took away from the Goth image she tried so hard to portray. Was it too much to hope she’d made it through the worst?
“Can I come in?”
He let out a breath and realized he hadn’t inhaled since she walked into his office. “Of course you can.” He pulled a chair away from his table and offered her a seat. “How long can you stay?”
Melanie clasped her hands on her lap, hesitating. “I was thinking of moving here. Not home but here to Stone Mountain.”
Reed allowed himself a hint of a smile. Don’t come on too strong. “That would be great.”
“The thing is…I need a job.”
“Sure. What do you want to do?”
“Maybe I could waitress. I got some experience in the last six months.”
She looked young and innocent, and he wondered how she’d lost control of her life. He’d thought a lot about what he could have done differently. Maybe giving her time to sort things out for herself had been enough. He hadn’t judged or hassled her when she’d phoned. He’d hated hiding the rare calls from his wife even though it had to be done. “I’ll introduce you to our HR director and get that set up. Do you have somewhere to live?”
“Not yet.”
“Do you want to move into staff housing? It’s nothing fancy, or I could rent you another place.”
Her eyes darkened, matching her eyeliner, and Reed understood he’d overstepped.
“I don’t want charity.”
“Sorry. You’re right.”
“Staff housing would be sweet. Do you have to tell Mom I’m here?”
“I’d like to, but I won’t until you’re ready. She’ll want to see you.”
“I know, but I can’t face her yet.”
Reed flipped his phone and read the time. “Do you want to watch Ian ski?”
Her lip ring twisted at an angle when she smiled. “I’d like that. It’s been a long time.”
“He’s training right now. We can watch from the bottom or from the side of the run. Whatever you like.”
* * *
They stood together at the base of the Alpine Tracks run, father and daughter watching the Holden racers ski. Immense happiness swallowed him. His two kids within range. He stepped to his left, and his arm touched Melanie’s. She didn’t move away.
Reed pointed midway down the race course. “There he is.”
Ian’s arm smacked the last gate as he turned around the pole. He skied fast, his form perfect as he held his tuck across the finish line. He slid to a stop with his skis bumping sideways against the snow, his knees bent, and his body full of confidence. He shoved his goggles over his helmet. “Dad. Did you see?”
“I did. Looks like you had a good run.” Reed caught the second Ian’s eyes recognized Melanie.
“Hey, you.” Ian’s chest heaved, his cheeks reddened from exertion, and his eyes smiled at Melanie.
“Hey, back.”
Ian leaned on his poles, taking the pressure off his knees, and slid his skis back and forth across the snow. “You decided to come. I’m glad.”
Reed looked from Ian to Melanie, understanding the tightness of their relationship for the first time. Melanie held herself still, and Ian could never stop moving. Both were his kids, but they were opposites.
Over Melanie’s shoulder, Reed saw his wife stomping toward them, her face full of sour juice, and the vision of having a future with his kids blurred.
“What are you standing around for?” Susan asked. “You’re supposed to be training.” With her anger focused at Ian, she hadn’t noticed Melanie.
Reed and Melanie’s eyes locked. “Sorry,” he mouthed at her.
“Mom,” Melanie said.
Susan snapped at Reed, “How long has she been here?”
“How about saying hello to your daughter,” Reed said.
“I asked you a question.” Susan’s voice pierced the air and crossed the snow-covered surface in seconds.
The ticket checkers and lifties turned to watch. Even Kalin Thompson was within hearing range. “Please lower your voice,” Reed said.
Susan held a wide stance, her hands on her hips, her chin jutted. She was in fight mode. “What? You’re embarrassed? Some of your precious staff might overhear us and find out you’re not perfect.”
“Why don’t we all go inside to talk?” Reed gently held Susan’s elbow, but she swatted his hand.
“Mom, please. Melanie just got here. Dad and I didn’t know she was coming.”
“Don’t lie. The three of you have always been against me.” She turned to Melanie. “Why are you h
ere? Do you want money?”
“Enough,” Reed said. He turned to Ian and spoke softly. “Finish training. I’ll take care of Melanie.”
Ian hesitated but obeyed his dad.
“Susan, go home. Melanie, can I take you to lunch and then the HR department?”
Susan took one step toward Reed, and he held up his hand in front of her. “Don’t.”
She looked as if she might fight him, but the menace in his tone must have told her he was serious. He saw the tension leave her stance, and he nodded once at her, acknowledging she was backing down.
Reed and Melanie left Susan standing alone, abandoned by her family. Something inside him crashed over a precipice. One second he loved Susan, the next he didn’t.
* * *
Kalin ate a spoonful of bean salad marinated in balsamic vinegar and olive oil and pursed her lips. She always over did the vinegar. Maybe next time she’d get the portions right.
“Not any good?” Miller asked.
Kalin ran her tongue over her front teeth searching for bits of basil. “Don’t sneak up on a girl when she’s eating. I almost spat on you.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been spit on.”
“Ew. Not a job perk I want.”
Miller closed her office door and sat in the guest chair. “I interviewed Donny this morning.”
Kalin pushed her salad to the side and set down her fork. “It’s too weird he didn’t have his keys on him the day McKenzie died. What did he say?”
“He said he keeps his keys in the center console of his van and didn’t notice they were missing until he arrived at the mountain. That’s why he signed out keys at the front desk.”
“Lucky for him, it’s open twenty-four-seven. Where were his keys?”
“He found them later that day on a counter in his garage.”
Kalin laughed. “I guess I got over enthusiastic about my big discovery. I’m sorry I wasted your time.”
“I don’t think it was wasted.”
She shook her head slightly indicating she didn’t get what he meant.
“What if someone knew where Donny kept his keys?”
Kalin liked the way Miller’s quick mind worked. He was suspicious, not a believer in coincidences, and she had to work hard to keep up with him. “You think the killer borrowed the keys and put them back later.”
“Donny said he didn’t remember taking them out of his van. The killer couldn’t have known Donny was going to work early that day. The plan could have been to use the keys during the night and get them back before Donny left for work. He wouldn’t have known they were missing.”
“Why was Donny in so early?”
“He said he left work early the night before and had to catch up.”
“Do you think Jeff could’ve taken the keys?”
Miller leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. “Anyone who’d been in his van could easily see a set of keys in the center console. It’s not like he kept them hidden.”
The list of possibilities included Kalin’s friends. “Any of Donny’s friends. Nora. I don’t think Donny had started dating Amber Cristelli before McKenzie died, but she might be worth checking.”
“You think Amber had a motive?”
“I heard she slept with McKenzie. I don’t know if it’s true. You know how gossip travels. Maybe she had access to Donny’s keys.”
Miller wrote in his ever-present notebook. “Anyone else?”
“Donny’s dad. Have you investigated him?”
“No.”
“I met him the other day. He’s nasty.”
“Nasty how?”
Kalin described her conversation with Donny the night she met him in his garage and how his father had been angry for no reason.
“Tell me again why you followed Donny. I asked you to be careful.”
“Donny’s not a threat to me. I wanted to talk to him about Nora. I’m worried about her.”
Miller put his pen in his pocket and held eye contact with Kalin. “You do realize it’s still possible either Donny or Nora killed McKenzie, or that they planned it together. It’s an interesting coincidence Donny and Nora were at the resort around the same time on the morning McKenzie died and they both hid the fact until they were caught. Donny could have left his keys on purpose to throw us in a different direction. He would have known it would make him look innocent.”
“What about the person the snowmaker saw? You’re forgetting about that.”
Miller clenched his jaw. “Putting yourself in a position where you’re alone with either Donny or Nora is dangerous. You have to stop.”
“I can’t believe Nora would harm me. We’re friends.”
“So you think.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
“Are you kidding me?” Jeff said. “What the hell did Miller want?”
Donny and Jeff sat in the cafeteria. Jeff had come off a high, having had the fastest time race training that morning. He should be ecstatic right now, not worrying about Donny. They’d put their plastic trays and Jeff’s ski helmet beside them on the table, deterring anyone else from sitting too close.
“He only asked questions. Why are you so uptight?”
Donny had kept his voice low, and Jeff had to lean over his overflowing plate of spaghetti Bolognese to hear him. The aroma wafting toward his nose made his stomach growl.
“He already interviewed you. Twice. Why did he have to come around again?”
“He’s doing his job,” Donny said between bites of his burger. “Stop worrying. This is your season. Focus on skiing instead of what Miller’s doing. He’s going to snoop around until he finds out who killed McKenzie. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is he thinks you killed him. He’s coming around again because you’re a suspect. I keep telling you to stop trusting everyone.”
“He can’t touch me. I didn’t murder McKenzie.”
Jeff’s hand clamped his fork with such force he bent the tines with his thumb.
“I don’t believe it,” Donny said. “You actually think I killed him. Why would I do that?”
The anger in Donny’s voice surprised Jeff. Donny rarely lost his temper. Even after he’d been paralyzed, he’d been rational. No blaming McKenzie because he’d been driving. Nothing. Jeff couldn’t understand. He hated McKenzie for what he’d done to Donny, for stealing Nora and for Rachel. The idea that Donny kept anger brewing inside him worried Jeff. “Tell me exactly what Miller asked.”
Donny sipped his cola, and ice clinked against the glass when he set it back on the table. “He wanted to know why I had to get temporary keys from the front desk on the morning McKenzie died. I said they weren’t in my van like usual, and I found them later in the garage.”
“How did he know?”
“He said it was written in the front desk logbook.”
“Who told him about the log?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did he say anything else?”
“He asked questions about where the keys were. Who knew they were in my truck. Why I went in early. How often I went in early. Did I see anyone else at the resort that morning.” Donny took a breath. “I think you’re making way too much of this. Miller will find out who killed McKenzie. He’s a good cop.”
“Don’t be so gullible. He’s a cop. He’ll go after whoever he thinks is guilty. What if he had enough to convict on reasonable doubt or whatever they call it?” Donny had so much of Mom in him. She believed in their dad—talk about gullible—and sure, Dad took care of her but not anyone else. Donny could get trapped just by being like her and being too trusting. Jeff would never let that happen.
Donny frowned at him. “You watch too much TV. It doesn’t work like that in real life. He won’t want just any conviction. He’ll want the right one.”
“I wish I could think like you. Not everyone is straight forward. I can’t believe you don’t get that. Wake up.”
“What if Dad did it?”
“
He couldn’t have. He doesn’t have the brains to alter a binding,” Jeff said.
“Anyone, even someone as stupid as him, could figure out how. All the tools are in our garage. How many times has he stood yelling at me while I tuned your skis? Maybe he paid attention. Miller kept pounding on who knew where I stored my keys. Dad knew.”
A malicious thought made Jeff smile. “Maybe you’re on to something. I’d have thought the bastard’s too blunt. That if he was going to do it, he would have beat McKenzie to death, and he would have done it a long time ago.”
“He’s good with his hands.”
“You think it’s possible?”
“I do. There’s no way we can move out until this is settled. He might take it out on Mom, blame her somehow for us moving out. If he killed McKenzie, he’s crazy. Who knows what he’d do to her.”
“Agreed. No moving out until we know who killed McKenzie.” Jeff didn’t know how much longer he could take living with his dad. The rage inside him was starting to gnaw at him, and once that slab of snow let go, it wouldn’t stop barreling down the mountain until he buried his dad, and he didn’t want to be that person.
* * *
Kalin’s desk was buried in paperwork, and she tidied the cluttered surface as she talked with Ben.
Kalin angled her mouth toward the speaker on her phone. “Can you meet me at the tuning room, and we’ll go from there? I need to lock up. Security is busy with a traffic accident.”
“Sure. Ten minutes?”
Kalin pressed the disconnect button, picked up the file resting on her desk and opened the top drawer. Inside the drawer, she found a photo. Ben standing behind the Goddess with his arms wrapped around her and a great big fucking smile on his face. His eyes laughed. The Goddess held his hands across her voluptuous boobs, and her blue eyes sparkled at the camera.
Kalin flipped over the photo. In red ink, circled with a heart, she found Ben and Vicky forever written on the back. At least the handwriting wasn’t Ben’s. How juvenile. Kalin ripped the photo in half and tossed the remnants into the garbage can. The Goddess would not get the better of her. She locked her office when she left, thinking she’d have to start locking the door during the workday too.
Descent (A Stone Mountain Mystery Book 1) Page 22
