The Inn at Holiday Bay: Boxes in the Basement

by Kathi Daley

  I took a long sip of coffee, then slid onto one of the barstools. “I appreciate you letting me sleep. If the roles had been reversed, I’m not sure I would have let you sleep.”

  Nikki laughed. “So tell us everything. Start at the beginning.”

  I started off with the phone call from Wilder, asking me to meet him at his office, then segued into the theory about the compound, the FBI footage that showed Carrie enter it, and the undercover agent who located her and managed to sneak her out. I also filled them in on what had happened in the safe house.

  “I bet she was so happy to see her baby,” Georgia gushed.

  I felt tears prick in my eyes but fought them back. “It really was an amazing and emotional reunion,” I said. “Very heartwarming. I can’t imagine the hell that poor woman must have been going through, not knowing if she would ever see her baby again.”

  “It must have been awful,” Nikki said.

  Georgia sent me a soft smile. I knew she understood the mixed emotions I’d been juggling.

  “How did she end up in the compound?” Nikki asked.

  I took another sip of my coffee. “Prior to his arrest, Carrie’s father, Griff Murphy, worked for a crime boss named Mickey Boyle. Murphy was involved in an arms sale that went bad, and a bunch of people died. He was sent to prison for twenty years. Shortly before he was released, he told a cellmate he planned to look up his old boss, which he did. The boss, however, was less than thrilled to see him. It was Boyle’s belief that Murphy had hidden away money that belonged to him. He wanted it back and threatened to kill Griff, Carrie, and her daughter if he didn’t retrieve the money and return it. Griff went to Carrie and told her all their lives depended on him getting money to give to Boyle. Carrie didn’t have as much money as he wanted, but her dad convinced her that she had enough to serve as a down payment and he would get the rest. He also promised that if she gave him the money, he would disappear from her life forever.”

  “So she drained her account and arranged to meet up with him,” Nikki provided.

  “Exactly,” I answered. “The meeting was for the day after she went missing but, according to Carrie, her father showed up at her home late that night, saying he needed the money right then. Carrie had hidden the money in her locker at the market, so she called her neighbor to sit with the baby and then went there with her father in her car. Carrie often opened the store, so she had a key and the combination to the alarm. She told her dad to wait for her and went in to get the cash. When she returned, there was another car in the lot. Inside it were two men with guns. One of them got into the back seat of her car and told her to drive. He directed her to the compound.”

  “And they held her there all this time?” Georgia said. “Why?”

  “Carrie still isn’t sure. She was separated from her father as soon as they arrived. She never saw him again. She thinks he’s probably dead. They showed her to a nice room with a private bath and told her to wait. She had no choice, so she waited, but no one ever came to get her. Women brought her food and drink and saw to her needs, but they wouldn’t give her any information. She was basically locked in the room all this time. She said it seemed as if they’d forgotten about her. Wilder’s FBI friend thought they probably just didn’t know what to do with her. She’ll stay in the safe house with her baby and aunt until it’s all right for her to return to Holiday Bay.”

  “Do you think it will ever be all right?” Nikki asked.

  “Wilder said he wouldn’t be surprised if she had to remain in protective custody for the rest of her life. It’s too soon to tell. The FBI made the decision to pull the undercover agent out of the compound after he helped Carrie escape, so there’s no one on the inside to tell them what’s going on or how Boyle responded to the news that Carrie’s gone.”

  “Wow,” Nikki said.

  Wow is right. Talk about a crazy end to what was already a very complex story. One thing was certain: My next book was going to practically write itself. I was already outlining chapters in my mind.

  “So, it looks like we actually had four separate mysteries rather than just one,” Georgia said. “The case of the boxes in the basement, the case of Carrie Long’s disappearance, the case of Darcy Jared’s murder, and Karen Stinson’s accident. At least I’m assuming it was an accident.”

  I frowned. “I guess. The only reason it was considered to be something other than an accident was because of the connection between her and the other girls.” Even as I said it, I knew in my heart the story of Karen Stinson wasn’t over yet.

  Chapter 20

  “Oh look. I think we have a search-and-rescue cat.” Nikki laughed, clapping her hands when Rufus came trotting into the living room with the stuffed doggy Tanner had hidden for the five dogs in training he had living with him to find. It was Christmas Eve, and Nikki and Tanner had invited Georgia and me, along with Rufus and Ramos, to dinner. I was hesitant to bring Rufus after Nikki informed me that the five dogs in training would be included in the celebration, but Rufus seemed to have no problem taking control, bossing them around the way he’d been bossing Ramos for weeks.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” Tanner said. “I’ve never seen a cat do that before.”

  “He’s a smart cat,” I said. “And he knows what he wants and how to get it.”

  “It’s true,” Georgia said. “He bosses Ramos around all day long and he doesn’t seem to mind.”

  Rufus trotted over to Tanner and dropped the toy at his feet. Then he sat down and stared at him.

  “He’s waiting for his treat,” Nikki said. “You did tell the dogs that whichever one of them found the stuffed toy would get a treat.”

  “I don’t think he’ll want a dog treat,” Tanner replied. He looked at the buffet table, where Maria was setting out their meal. “Maybe a small piece of prime rib.”

  In the end, all the animals, including Ramos and Tanner’s five dogs in training, were given prime rib out on the enclosed porch. Tanner had just returned from washing up after feeding the animals when a car pulled into the drive. “That must be Colt,” Tanner said. “I was hoping he’d be here in time to eat.”

  I hadn’t known he was coming, but I was happy he had. His comment about a personal tragedy had been on my mind since he’d made it. I still didn’t know what it had been, but I did know Christmas Eve was a night to be with family and friends, not alone with a microwave dinner.

  Once Colt was thoroughly welcomed by all, Tanner instructed us to take seats at the long table someone had taken an awful lot of care to set just right. I was happy to see that Maria was going to join us for the meal. When everyone was seated, Tanner stood and raised his glass.

  “To friends. Some new and some not so new. May the joy we share at this table tonight see each and every one of us into the new year.”

  Everyone clinked glasses.

  Maria announced we should all serve ourselves buffet style. Once our plates were full, we returned to the table, where Tanner was busy pouring wine. Not only was the house beautifully decorated, but everyone seemed to be relaxed and happy. After the year Georgia and I and probably Colt had had, that in and of itself seemed like a miracle.

  “I’m glad you made it,” I said to Colt when we returned to the table.

  “I would have been here earlier, but I went by the safe house to bring gifts to Carrie and her daughter.”

  A warmth spread through me. “That was so nice of you.”

  “I figured a safe house wasn’t the best place to spend the holiday, although they seemed perfectly happy to be there. I convinced the agent staying with them to allow Velma to come over with a meal.”

  “Velma is with them as well?”

  “She is. I know it isn’t protocol, but she really wanted to see Carrie and Carrie really wanted to see her. I convinced the agent we could trust her not to give Carrie’s secret away.”

  I placed my hand over Colt’s. “You’re a good guy, Colt Wilder.”

  “We’ll see if you feel that way
the next time I tell you to stay out of my cases,” he said with a laugh.

  I raised a brow. “I’m not worried about that. You seem like a smart guy. Seems to me your cases are exactly where you’d want me to be.”

  “Are you trying to tell me that you’re an author by day and a mystery-solving superhero by night?”

  I winked. “Absolutely.”

  Up Next From Kathi Daley Books

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  Sample Chapter

  Saturday, December 15

  The short days of winter had set in, creating a state of almost perpetual darkness. When combined with the heavy clouds that had blanketed the area for the past week, I was beginning to think the sun had disappeared completely. Having lived in Rescue, Alaska, my entire life, I’d learned to roll with the changing weather, but for some reason, this year the endless snow and dark skies were beginning to get on my nerves. Not that there was a thing I could do about the weather, I reminded myself as I handed out event tickets to the sugared-up children at the annual Winter Wonderland Christmas Celebration.

  “You do realize that since we’ve been here, Grandma has been run over by a reindeer at least three times, Frosty has stolen some poor guy’s hat at least twice, Rudolph has been bullied by his nasally unimpaired classmates a whopping six times, and the Grinch has stolen Christmas despite the fact that my own powers of observation tell me Christmas is alive and well.”

  I glanced at my ticket booth partner, Officer Hank Houston. He hadn’t wanted to participate in this annual event when I’d first approached him about it, but over time, my tenacious nagging had worn him down and he’d agreed to help me with the shift my best friend, Chloe Rivers, had badgered me into signing up for. “I take it you aren’t a fan of the kiddie carols Chloe put on an endless loop from hell.”

  Houston ran his hands through his thick brown hair. “It’s not that I have anything against the carols per se, it’s just that Christmas isn’t really my thing. I guess all the ho-ho-hos and one-horse open sleighs are getting to me. How long is this shift?”

  “Four hours.”

  “And how long have we been here?”

  “One hour.”

  I tried unsuccessfully to suppress a smile as Houston let out a very unmanly groan.

  “You sound like you’re dying.” I chuckled. “It really isn’t that bad.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  I raised a brow. “Okay, this is a bit much, but I’m going to go out on a limb and assume it isn’t just the noise and the chaos. I’d say there’s a deep psychological reason you aren’t a fan of the jolly old man in red.”

  Houston shrugged. “It’s not that I’m a Grinch, but I’ll admit the big guy and I have had a few problems over the years.”

  “I see. Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not really. Are you sure you need me to help you? It’s my day off, barring any emergencies, and it seems like you have it this under control.”

  I was debating whether to let Houston off the hook when I noticed the very real pain in his eyes. Maybe he really wasn’t being a Grinch. I knew he’d moved to Rescue the previous spring after having suffered a personal tragedy he was unwilling to talk about. Now, if I had to guess, that tragedy was Christmas involved, given his lack of enthusiasm for the holiday. “I get the aversion to the hoopla,” I said with compassion. “I haven’t always been the biggest lover of the season myself.”

  Houston frowned. “I’m sorry. I remember you mentioning your parents died in a car accident at Christmas.”

  I shrugged. “I’m fine. I’ve mostly been able to move past it.” That wasn’t totally true, but I liked to tell myself it was.

  Houston opened his mouth as if to reply when a woman dressed as an elf came over to us. “Are you Harmony Carson?”

  “I am,” I answered.

  “I have a message for you from a man named Jake Cartwright.”

  Jake was my boss and brother-in-law. “I wonder why he didn’t just call my cell.” I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at it. No bars.

  The elf replied, “The man I spoke to called the landline we set up for this event when he couldn’t get hold of your cell. He said the team has been called out on a rescue. He needs you to meet him at the Rescue Inn as soon as you can get there. And he said to bring Yukon.” The elf, who must be new in town because I’d never met her and she didn’t seem to know who either Jake or I were, glanced at Houston with an appreciative gleam in her eye. “I don’t suppose you’re Yukon?”

  Houston laughed. “Hardly. I’m Hank Houston. Yukon is a dog,” He looked at me with what could only be an expression of relief on his face. “It sounds like duty calls. Carl is on shift today, but a search-and-rescue call sounds like something I should handle personally.”

  I found I had to agree. Carl Flanders and Donny Quinlan, the deputies Houston had inherited when he’d taken on the job as police chief, weren’t exactly the most motivated men in the world. They provided somewhat adequate support when it came to day-to-day tasks, but they certainly weren’t the men you’d want in charge during an emergency, which, if you thought about it, was pretty ironic given that responding to emergencies was pretty much their entire job description.

  I picked up the backpack I used as a purse and nodded at Houston. “If you’re coming, grab your stuff. I’m already out of here.”

  “But you can’t both leave,” the elf complained as Houston began gathering his own hat, coat, and gloves. “Who’ll man the ticket booth?”

  I handed the cashbox to the woman who wore little more than green tights and some sort of short red dress that barely covered the tops of her thighs. “I’m sure you can handle things until the next shift gets here in three hours.” With that, I grabbed Houston’s hand and headed toward the exit before anyone came up with a reason to cause us to stay.

  ******

  The search-and-rescue team had been called out to find an elderly man who’d been staying with his daughter and son-in-law at the Rescue Inn. He hadn’t been seen since he went up to bed at nine thirty the previous evening, so we weren’t sure how long he’d been out in the snow dressed in nothing but his furry red Santa suit. It was almost eleven a.m. now, and the temperature was hovering around zero. If he’d been out in the cold for more than a couple of hours, I was afraid this was going to be a retrieval operation rather than a rescue.

  According to Jake, our victim was a seventy-six-year-old named Nick Clauston. Nick’s daughter, Noel Snow, had reported her father missing at around ten fifteen that morning. He hadn’t come down to breakfast, but initially, she hadn’t worried because he slept late and it wasn’t unusual for him to skip breakfast altogether. When he hadn’t come downstairs by ten o’clock, she went up to his room to check on him. She found he was gone from his room, as was his red Santa suit. She looked around the inn and its immediate area and when he wasn’t found, Mrs. Snow called Carl at the police station, who referred her to Jake. Noel told him she had no idea whether her father had wandered off that morning or during the night, although she suspected it might have been this morning because she didn’t think it likely he would leave the inn when it was pitch black outside. I certainly hoped that was the case.

  “Jake to Harmony,” I heard through the two-way radio I carried as I trudged on snowshoes through drifts of deep snow. My search-and-rescue dog Yukon and I had been paired with fellow S&R team member Wyatt Forrester.

  I paused, wiping a huge snowflake from my cheek before I answered. “Go for Harmony.”

  “Sitka seems to have lost the scent.” Jake, who served as the leader of the search-and-rescue team, referred to our lead S&R dog. “At first, it seemed like he had something, but now he just looks confused. Do you and Yukon have anything?”

  “It seemed Yukon had a scent when we first started out, but he seems to have lost it as well,” I answered. I looked around at the dense forest. “It’s snowed quite a bit in the past few hours. If the man came this way, it’s likely his tracks will b
e covered.”

  “Any luck making a connection?”

  “No.” I looked around at the blanket of white. “I’ll try again.” The team depended on my ability to psychically connect to victims I was meant to help rescue. My ability, which I oftentimes considered a curse, had come to me during the lowest point in my life. My sister Val, who had become my guardian after our parents died, had gone out on a rescue. She’d become lost in a storm, and although the team tried to find her, they came up with nothing but dead ends. She was the first person I connected to, and the one I most wanted to save. I couldn’t save Val, but since then, I’d used my gift to locate and rescue dozens of people.

  I found a large rock, brushed off the snow, and sat down. I focused in on the photo of the white-haired man with rosy red cheeks dressed in a very authentic-looking Santa costume. His daughter had told us they’d come to Rescue so her husband could ski, but ultimately, they’d chosen Alaska as their vacation destination so her father could participate in the Santa Festival being held in Tinseltown, only a short drive from Rescue. Well, it was a short drive by Alaska standards. It was a little more than an hour away.

  Mrs. Snow had explained that Mr. Clauston suffered from the early stages of dementia, although he seemed to be having a lot of good days lately, and she felt he was doing much better than he was when he was first diagnosed. She had real hope the progression of his disease had been stalled, at least until she’d discovered he’d wandered away without his snow boots or heavy jacket.

  I closed my eyes and focused on the man’s jolly face. I tried to think as he would, which I hoped would increase my odds of making a connection. Mrs. Snow had told us that at times, her father actually believed he was Santa Clause and behaved accordingly. He’d do things that in his mind Santa would do. For example, not long ago, her father had collected a bunch of stuff he had around his house, wrapped it, and broke into houses up and down the block where he lived, delivering gifts.