Kalin arrived at the tuning room and found Ben standing with Amber. He had an odd look on his face.
“That’s a unique hair clip,” Ben said.
Amber touched the clip at the side of her head. “My mom sent them to me. I thought I was going to get the tuning job, and she thought clips designed in the shape of skis were cute. She’s forgotten how old I am.”
“How come she only gave you one?” Ben asked.
Kalin raised her eyebrows at him.
“I lost one.” Amber folded her tongue and rolled her tongue stud between her lips.
“I’ll lock up.” Kalin took the scanning gun from Amber, told her she could go and left the gun inside the tuning room. McKenzie’s ski jacket still hung in the corner, and she decided it was time to return it to his family. She folded the jacket over her arm and an envelope slipped to the floor. Not gonna happen was scrawled on the outside. She should call Constable Miller, but instead she opened the envelope. The first piece of paper had information about getting an abortion. The second was a note to Nora. I’ll pay whatever you need. But that’s it. We’re done.
Kalin put the note back in the envelope and the envelope back in the pocket. She returned the jacket to the hook. She rubbed her fingers over her eyes, wondering what she should do now. The writing on the outside of the envelope had to be from Nora. The words could be taken as a threat, or they could mean she thought there was hope for her and McKenzie. Kalin had to believe the latter. She called Miller and told him what she’d found and where she’d left the jacket.
“I think this proves Nora didn’t kill McKenzie,” she said to Miller.
“How do you figure that?”
“She must have put the note in his pocket after he got on the mountain. She’d be expecting him to read it when he finished training.”
“Or she put it there the night before. McKenzie rarely wore his team jacket home. She could have had a change of heart and forgotten she put the note there.”
“I don’t believe that. The timing was too tight. I think McKenzie gave her the abortion information the morning he died, and after he left for the hill, she wrote not gonna happen and put the envelope in his pocket.”
* * *
After the call with Miller, Kalin checked the tuning room was empty and locked the door. “Ready?” she asked Ben.
She snuggled against Ben’s arm and walked at his side. Her winter boots sunk into the top layer of snow. The air felt clean and carried the soft scent of pine. “What were you asking Amber about her hair clips for? You thinking of starting a hair clip design business?”
Ben didn’t smile at her joke. “I think I know where she lost her clip.”
“What’s the big deal?”
“The morning after the flood, I helped maintenance clean up. I found a similar clip on the ground floor stairwell. I only noticed it because of the shape.”
Kalin frowned. “Do you think she did it?”
“Maybe. But I like her. I don’t want it to have been her.”
“What’d you do with the clip?”
“Nothing.”
“It could still be in the stairwell. Let’s go look.”
Kalin and Ben entered the stairwell in staff housing. With the drywall repaired but not yet painted, the building appeared run down. She tapped a note into her phone to call maintenance and ask for the painting schedule. The hair clip was nowhere to be seen.
“Are you sure it was the matching clip.”
“I think so. Call Miller and see if he’ll interview her again. He might be able to get her to admit she flooded the building.”
* * *
Snowflakes the size of cotton balls floated onto Kalin while she stood on Nora’s stoop. How should she bring up the note she’d found in McKenzie’s jacket? And would Nora talk to her about it?
After a minute, Nora opened the door. “Come in.”
Before Kalin stepped over the threshold, she shook snow off her head and wiped her shoulders. “I thought I’d surprise you.” She held a box of herbal tea and a bag of microwave popcorn. “Ben’s out with his buddies, and I didn’t feel like sitting at home.”
Lisa stepped into the foyer, holding a glass of red wine, and leaned elegantly against the wall. “Hi. Looks like a girls’ night.” She wore a shimmering turtleneck sweater and a sleek black skirt that reached her ankles. Her hair was twirled into a clip on the back of her head.
Kalin wanted to talk to Nora about the note but not with Lisa there. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll go.”
“That’s silly,” Nora said. “You know Lisa.”
“Are you sure?” Kalin asked.
“We’re having wine and cheese.” Nora laughed. “Well, Lisa’s having wine. I’m off that for a while.” Nora grabbed Kalin by her hand and pulled her in.
The fireplace threw shards of light across the room. Candles filled the mantel and windowsills.
Nora sat inches from Lisa on the couch, and Kalin flopped into the armchair. She’d brought tea, thinking of Nora’s pregnancy, but really, she’d rather join Lisa in a glass of wine.
“I’ve told Lisa I’m keeping the baby.”
“You seem excited.” Kalin looked at Nora over the top of her wine glass. “Have you told Ian?”
“Ian?” Lisa asked.
“Sorry,” Kalin said to Nora. “I thought…”
Nora held Lisa’s hand and explained what had happened with Ian.
“The baby’s not Steve’s. Are you sure?” Lisa asked.
“I hope Steve’s the father, but I can’t be sure. Ian talked to me yesterday. He stopped and chatted about skiing. He didn’t mention the baby and neither did I, but it’s an improvement. Maybe he’ll want some involvement if it turns out he’s the father. I can’t believe I’ll be a mom.” Nora turned to Lisa. “That makes you a grandmother. Are you ready?”
“The important question is are you? You don’t have to keep the baby.”
“What if Steve is the father and I didn’t have the baby? I don’t think I could live with that. Not after what’s happened.”
Kalin remembered the fight she’d read about between Jeff and McKenzie, and that it happened around the same time Nora and McKenzie had gotten together last February. Maybe Jeff had been building resentment for him. A man didn’t stay friends with a woman after a breakup unless he wanted back together.
“I want to ask you something about the investigation,” Lisa said to Kalin.
“I’ll tell you what I can.”
“Do you think the RCMP really suspects Donny? I know he was interviewed again today.”
“I don’t know what they think. Constable Miller talks to me, but he just asks questions.” Again with the secrets, but she couldn’t repeat Miller’s words.
“I can’t help worrying. Donny’s been through enough without being a murder suspect,” Lisa said.
“It’s going to turn out okay.” Nora reached for Lisa’s hand. “Miller thinks I did it, not Donny. And I know I didn’t, so what can happen?”
“Did he accuse you?” Lisa asked.
“He interviewed me again today. It was dumb, but I left a note in Steve’s ski jacket about the baby, and Miller found it. The note doesn’t prove anything.”
Kalin felt uneasy not mentioning she found the note and called Miller. She sipped her wine to hide her burning cheeks. Maybe she wasn’t cut out to be a mini police chief, except that she wanted to be one. Why couldn’t someone else have been McKenzie’s girlfriend? Why did it have to be one of her friends? She knew in her heart Nora didn’t kill McKenzie, so she wasn’t hurting her by sharing information with Miller, but she still felt like a traitor.
Nora rubbed her hand over her stomach. “This baby will come into a happy family, whatever that might be, so enough of this depressing talk. Did you see Jeff’s times from today?”
A wide smile crossed Lisa’s face, filled with laughter.
The doorbell rang, and Nora scooted to the front hall. The weariness of the last couple
of weeks had left her, and her perkiness was back. Kalin hoped that meant she’d come to terms with her situation.
Nora returned with Jeff at her heels. He stopped short when he saw Kalin.
“What?” Nora asked.
“Nothing.” He unzipped his fleece and flopped beside his aunt, slouching with his knees spread apart and resting an elbow on the side arm of the couch. “I didn’t know this was a girl’s party.”
Nora moved to the hearth. “It’s not. Quit being so sensitive.” She curled her back, warming herself. “Ben’s out with friends, and Kalin wanted some company.”
“I’m sure she did,” Jeff said.
“What’s with you?” Nora asked.
“What’s with you?” Jeff bounced back at Nora with a smile that took the harshness out of his words. “I’m getting a beer.” He pushed himself off the couch and sauntered to the kitchen. The fridge door opened and a glass clinked against the counter.
“Should I go?” Kalin asked.
“No. He’s fine. I think he wanted to talk about Steve and the investigation. He probably thinks he can’t do that if you’re here. He’ll get over it. Let’s play euchre. That’ll distract him.”
Kalin and Nora teamed up against Lisa and Jeff.
“Donny’s usually my partner,” Nora said. “And we usually win.”
“You do not,” Lisa teased.
“Sometimes we let you win. You know, since you’re not that good,” Jeff said.
Nora punched Jeff’s shoulder. “Shut up. I’m better than you any day.”
Lisa caught Kalin’s eye. “When Donny was first in the hospital, the four of us played this a lot. Jeff and Nora always squabbled.”
Kalin sipped her wine and tried to concentrate on the rules, but she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about Nora and the note, and Jeff and his history of violence.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
“Melanie Reed is waiting in your office for you. She says she has a meeting,” Monica said when Kalin entered the HR reception area.
“She does. She wants to work as a server.”
Monica grimaced. “Hiring Reed’s daughter is a bad idea. If she has any issues, how are we going to deal with her?”
“I don’t think we have a choice. He asked me to hire her.”
“She’s had problems.”
“Maybe she’s over them.” Kalin hesitated. “I know where you’re coming from, but she’s his daughter. What could I say?”
Kalin’s cell rang.
“I’ve got good news for you,” the maintenance manager said. “Staff housing has been cleared. It’s structurally sound. Once the cleanup is finished, you can move the employees back in.”
Kalin winked at Monica. “You can drop your plan to house staff in town. We’re getting the building back. I’ll go speak with Melanie.”
“Um, before you do. I was wondering if you’ve had any luck finding a replacement for me.”
Monica looked uncomfortable asking, but she’d been doing her new role as manager as well as her old role.
“Not yet. I’m working on it.”
“I was wondering if I could move into your old office. I mean, now that I’m the manager.”
“As soon as we find someone. Until then, I need you to cover the desk.” Kalin better start focusing on a replacement before Monica timed out and decided she didn’t want to perform two jobs. “I’ll get on it. Right now, I’ve got to see Melanie.”
Melanie stood with her hands clasped in front of her waist, waiting for Kalin. She wore black dress pants and a white blouse. Her hair was pulled tight into a ponytail. Even if Kalin hadn’t heard about her problems, she would have picked up on the look. She’d seen more than one recovering drug addict at the resort. The skinny frame, acne-damaged skin and sunken eyes were a giveaway.
Melanie handed Kalin her résumé. She had six months experience as a server in Vancouver. She’d listed the restaurant manager as her reference. Kalin would call, just out of protocol, but she’d hire Melanie regardless of what she found out. “Have a seat.”
“I know this is awkward for you, but I’m an excellent waitress. I’ve been clean for nine months. My reference is good. I didn’t want to come here without being ready.”
Raised voices outside of her office grabbed her attention, and Kalin glanced in the direction of her door. “Hang on a sec. I need to see what the problem is.” She stood and opened her door.
“I know she’s in there, and I want to see her.”
“That’s my mom,” Melanie said.
“Do you want to talk to her?” Kalin asked.
Melanie pinched her lips into a thin line and shook her head.
“Okay. Stay here. I’ll deal with her.”
Kalin returned to the HR receptionist desk and found Susan Reed standing in front of Monica, demanding to be let into Kalin’s office.
“How can I help?”
Susan removed brown leather gloves, taking her time pulling each finger free, and set them on the reception desk. Her fingers were perfectly manicured, her fingernails covered with a subdued red polish that matched her lipstick. “I know my daughter is in there. I want to see her.”
“I’m interviewing her for a job right now. Maybe you could meet her later?”
Susan glared at Kalin.
Reed entered the reception area. “Susan, not here. Okay?”
“Get away from me. You can’t dump me just because your precious daughter comes home and then think there won’t be repercussions. If none of you will see me at home, then I have to come here.”
“Please don’t drag Melanie into this. This is about us. Can we go to my office? Please.”
“No.”
“We can talk about this, but not here. If you want to see Melanie, I’ll help you do that.”
Susan softened but only slightly. “She’s my daughter. I missed her too, you know.”
“I know. Let her finish interviewing. She’d like to live near us, and to do that, she needs a job.”
When she didn’t argue, Reed added, “We’ll work things out with her. We have a chance now that she’s home.”
It was enough, and Susan followed Reed out of the HR office.
Kalin returned to Melanie. “Okay, where were we?”
* * *
Reed led Susan into his office and closed the door. She settled herself across from him. He found it disturbing that love existed one moment and not the next. The emotion physically left his body. He never realized that’s how love died. He’d seen friends fall out of love, but no one had mentioned the suddenness. He’d been married twenty-one years and failed.
“So you’ll come home now,” Susan said.
Why did she have to use her authoritative tone? Couldn’t she back down for one second? “We need to talk about what’s best for Ian and Melanie.”
“What’s best for them is to have a stable family.”
“I’m not so sure.” He examined her face. He used to think she was beautiful. She drove to Calgary every six weeks to have her hair styled and dyed at a high-end salon. She plastered herself with every anti-aging cream that came on the market. She mail-ordered her makeup from the States, but without her smile, the effort was wasted.
“You’re not serious. We’ve been through tough times before. What’s different now?”
“Melanie needs to know she’s loved. Unconditionally. I don’t think you can do that.”
“How dare you. Don’t even think about criticizing me. I was a good mother to her. She started the drugs. Not me.”
Reed’s phone rang, but he left it unanswered. The four rings until the call switched to voicemail felt like an hour. “I’m not criticizing you. We need to be realistic. Melanie has to come first right now.”
“If it wasn’t for the drugs, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Susan said.
“I know that, but I think Melanie is better. I don’t want her to slide downhill.”
“So let’s work together and figure out
what to do.”
After a quick knock, Gertrude opened the door. “The director’s meeting has started. Should I tell them to wait?”
Susan glared at Gertrude, and Gertrude smiled politely.
“I won’t be long. Tell them to start.”
Once the door shut, Susan turned on Reed. “All I get is a quick meeting with you. You can’t postpone your other meeting? This is our marriage we’re talking about.”
Reed ignored her outburst. “I’ve already figured out what to do. I’m going to be available for Melanie. I’m not going to push her, but I am going to help her when I can.”
“We can do that together.”
“I don’t think so.”
Susan twisted her gloves as if she were wringing water out of them. “I love Melanie and Ian.”
“I know you do.”
“With McKenzie gone, Ian has a shot at the Olympic team. Melanie wants to live here and get her life in order. Now’s the time for us to stick together.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Are you asking for a divorce?”
Was he? He didn’t want to live with Susan right now. He wanted to be with Ian and Melanie. “I’m not sure.”
“What an inadequate answer.”
“Susan, please. Give me some time.”
“How much?”
“You know what’s sad? I can’t remember the last time you smiled at me. The affair was years ago. Do you even like me anymore?”
“What kind of question is that?”
Reed looked around his office at the photos displaying his history together with Susan, Ian and Melanie. Most of the photos were taken on some ski hill. They used to ski together, Susan full of life, her eyes sparkling with excitement. He’d destroyed something in her when he cheated on her, and he regretted that the most. The photos showed an active family who did things together. They didn’t show how fractured they’d become. They didn’t show he’d taken her beautiful smile and thrown it away. He shook his head slowly and sadness built inside him. “You’re unhappy. Anyone can see that. Why do you want to stay married?”
Descent (A Stone Mountain Mystery Book 1) Page 23
