Holiday Hangover

by Kathi Daley

  “I hope so. I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

  After we’d had dinner and Zak had cleaned up, he went upstairs to answer some emails and I called Jeremy. The Zoo would be closed by now and he’d be at home, but I never had gotten the chance to connect with Salinger that day and was interested in what was going on with the missing dogs and the reward we’d offered.

  “Sorry to call you at home,” I began.

  “Not a problem. I was just thinking about calling you.”

  “Any news?”

  “About the missing dogs, no. It’s been over twenty-four hours and no one has taken the bait. I doubt they will.”

  “Any more missing dogs?”

  “Not since the initial five. I don’t have a good feeling about this. Why would anyone want a bunch of black dogs? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Are you sure it isn’t just some kids playing a prank?”

  “I haven’t eliminated that possibility.” Jeremy sighed. “Right now we don’t know anything. Salinger did at least go to each of the five houses and take a report. I haven’t spoken to him today, but one of the owners of a missing dog called to tell me he’d been by, so I checked with the others. I’m not sure how much good it will do, but you never know when a clue might present itself.”

  This one definitely was a brain teaser. I couldn’t come up with a single reason for anyone to go around stealing dogs.

  “Were all five of the dogs pure black?” I wondered. “Or did some of them have white or other markings?”

  “All black. There were two black labs, a medium-size poodle, a Newfoundland, and a Schipperke.”

  “The dogs run from small to very large, so size doesn’t seem to be an indicator, and it sounds like both curly-haired as well as smooth dogs and both long and short haired are represented. Are there any other common links?”

  “Such as what?”

  “The part of town they were taken from, age of owner, single-person home versus a family, that sort of thing.”

  “Hang on.”

  I listened as Jeremy set down his phone and rustled through some papers. It took a few minutes for him to come back on the line.

  “All the dogs were outside when they were taken, which we already knew. They were all taken during a time when the owner was at home. The family size as well as the age of the owner seems to vary, as does the time of day they were taken. I don’t see any common denominator other than the fact that the dogs were all taken from a relatively small area.”

  “How small?”

  “Maybe two square miles.”

  “Okay, good. That’s a clue. A good one. The dognapper probably lives nearby. I want you to do two things tomorrow: First, go to each home from which a dog was taken and look around.”

  “What am I looking for?”

  “I don’t know. Anything. Everything. Just look for something that seems odd or maybe a common variable between all the houses such as accessibility.”

  “Okay. And the other thing?”

  “Drive around the neighborhood. Knock on a few doors. Ask if anyone has seen anything, or if they’ve noticed a neighbor who suddenly has a bunch of dogs. The more people you talk to, the better chance you have of uncovering a clue.”

  “Okay. I’m on it. Anything else?”

  “No. Not for now.”

  “So how’s your trip going?”

  I paused as I switched gears. “It’s going fine. It’s really beautiful up here and so far the weather’s been perfect, although I think there may be a storm blowing in at some point tomorrow.”

  “Any big plans for tomorrow?”

  “Plans?”

  “It’s New Year’s Eve.”

  Oh, yeah. In all the confusion, I’d forgotten about New Year’s Eve. “I’m not sure,” I answered. “I know the resort has a big party and we were invited, but Zak and I never discussed whether we were going to attend. I’ll have to talk to him to see what he wants to do. We also have Alex to consider. I’m not sure whether kids are welcome at the party and I don’t want to leave her alone. Besides, I didn’t bring a thing to wear to a party like that.”

  “I’m sure you can buy a dress at the resort.”

  “Yeah, I did see a few nice dress shops. What about you? Are you and your new family doing anything special?”

  “Jessica and I are going to spend the evening with the kids. At least the first part of the evening. They do go to bed pretty early. After that I’m sure we’ll find a way to welcome in the new year.”

  I smiled. I was so happy Jeremy and Jessica had found each other. They were both such good people, they deserved to be happy.

  “How’s the murder investigation coming along?” Jeremy asked, changing the subject.

  “We’re learning a lot but not really getting anywhere. The most likely suspects seem to be family members, but I’ll be surprised if it turns out to be one of them. Zak and I are going to talk later. Maybe make an updated list. I think we’re going to spend at least part of tomorrow trying to work this out.”

  “Do you know when you’ll be home?”

  I leaned back into the cushions of the sofa I was sitting on. “Not specifically. I know Zak wants to solve this case, but we need to be back before Scooter gets home from his dad’s, so I guess whichever comes first.”

  “Well, try to relax and have some fun while you’re there. You’re going to have a busy spring with the remodel of the boathouse, Ellie’s baby being born, and the construction of phase two of Zimmerman Academy.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. Who knows when we’ll have another chance to get away.”

  Jeremy and I spoke for a few more minutes and then hung up. I poured myself a glass of wine and looked out the window. If things went as planned I’d be pregnant and unable to snowboard next winter, so I’d better get my fill now, while I had the chance. The thought of a baby in the future did little to comfort me about the baby I didn’t have now, but this time away had given me perspective. I was starting to feel excited about what the year ahead would bring.

  Chapter 10

  Saturday, December 31

  As predicted, a storm blew in overnight and the sunny skies we’d been enjoying had been replaced with snow so thick you could barely see twenty feet in front of you. There are times when I enjoy snuggling by the fire while a storm rages outside, but today I was determined to find out who had killed Daniel Carrington and the snow was going to make things more complicated.

  Zak had made a big breakfast of waffles, bacon, and hot cocoa that would at least fuel our efforts that morning. “Good morning, sleepyhead,” Zak greeted me when he noticed I was lingering in the doorway. “Waffle?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Coffee or cocoa?”

  “I think I’d better start with coffee.”

  I wandered over and sat at the counter next to Alex while Zak poured my coffee. It was so peaceful and cozy in the cabin with the cheery fire and soft music in the background. I was sorry I had to bring murder into the conversation.

  “I called Tiffany to check on the dogs and cats and she mentioned Jeremy needed to talk to you,” Zak said. “She said he called and left a message on your cell.”

  “Thanks. I haven’t checked my messages yet. He probably just wants to update me on the missing dogs.”

  “Tiffany did mention there was a strange development, but it didn’t sound like they’d found either the dogs or the dognapper yet.”

  “I’ll call him after we eat.”

  “Syrup or jelly?” Zak asked.

  “Syrup.” I turned to look at Alex. “Did you make plans with Nikki for today?”

  “Sort of. She knew the storm was coming, so she’s just planning to hang at her house with a couple of her friends, but she said I could hang with them if I didn’t have other plans.”

  I glanced at Zak.

  “I was waiting to see what you wanted to do,” Zak said in response to my unasked question. “I listened to the weather report and it looks like
skiing and other outdoor activities are going to be off the table for the next twenty-four hours at least.”

  Alex stood up. “I’m finished with breakfast, so I’ll take Charlie out. We can discuss plans for the day when I come back. I’m really fine with whatever the two of you decide. I’m happy to go and hang out with Nikki, but I’m also happy to spend time with you if you want to do something,”

  I smiled as Alex pulled on her coat and Charlie trotted after her. She really was the best kid. She was so easygoing, always willing to pitch in with whatever needed to be done.

  “More bacon?” Zak asked after Alex left.

  “I wouldn’t mind another piece.”

  Zak slipped the crispy rasher onto my plate.

  “Do you have any official work to do for Chance today?” I wondered.

  “No. I’ve finished my investigation into the security breach. We know how the murder was eliminated from the feed, but we don’t know who did it. The patch was administered from the main computer terminal, so that tells us the person who covered up the murder had access to the computer room.”

  “I guess we could look at who had both access and the expertise to do such a thing,” I suggested. “I have no reason to believe the kitchen staff were involved, but I think we should try to speak to everyone we haven’t met yet, and maybe take another look at Izzy. I can’t put my finger on it, but I have a feeling there’s something going on with her that she hasn’t mentioned.”

  “She did seem somewhat twitchy. I’ll call Chance to see if he can line up the rest of the kitchen workers for interviews. It will be easier if they come to us, I think.”

  I decided to call Jeremy while Zak was busy with Chance. I doubted he had any new news so early in the day, but I knew he’d be at work and I found I couldn’t get my mind off the missing dogs. Jeremy answered on the first ring and informed me that he was out canvassing the neighborhood where the dogs had been taken.

  “So far no one seems to have any knowledge of what might have happened to the dogs, but I have stumbled across something interesting.”

  “Oh, and what is that?”

  “Two of the people I spoke to reported that, while they weren’t missing a dog, they did have something taken from their yards.”

  “Something like what?”

  “One man told me he had a trash can stolen from his yard and the other said his snow boots had been taken from his front porch.”

  “So you think whoever took the dogs could be just some random thief?”

  “I don’t know,” Jeremy admitted. “It seems unlikely, but the fact that both the trash can and the snow boots were black makes me want to explore the theory further. I’m going to talk to some more neighbors to see if I can come up with any other missing items. I’ll call you when I get back to the Zoo.”

  “Okay, thanks. The more time that goes by, the more concerned I am about those missing dogs.”

  I put down my phone and went to speak to Alex, who said the shuttle was going to be by in a little while to take her over to Nikki’s. She assured me she could come home at any time if we decided we wanted to do something together as a family. I’d noticed that the concept of family had become a big theme for Alex during this trip. I guess I didn’t blame her. The situation with Scooter had caused us all to feel unsettled.

  By the time I returned to the living room, Zak had finished his call and was waiting for me.

  “Did you line up interviews with the kitchen workers?” I asked.

  “Two of them. There were five in addition to Izzy. We spoke to Serena and two others have left the mountain since the day of the party. Chance said we should come over to the admin office in an hour and he’d have the two remaining workers, Amy White and Leslie Longhorn, available to interview.”

  We paused our conversation when the shuttle showed up to pick up Alex. We saw her off, then headed into the kitchen to clean up and make our own plans. We decided to see what we could dig up on Izzy while we waited for our interview with Amy and Leslie. Zak stacked some additional wood on the fire before settling down at the kitchen table with his laptop. He had access to the resort’s employee files because his work had granted him full access to the entire computer system.

  Zak looked up from the computer after a few minutes. “Isabella Vanderhouse was born in Vancouver and moved to Bear Mountain with her parents when she was three years old and they got jobs here. She lived here year-round until high school, when she went away to boarding school. She attended college in the States before returning to Bear Mountain.” Zak furrowed his brow as he looked at the computer screen. “According to her employee file, she applied for a job in the business office after graduating. It seems her degree was in accounting.”

  “So why is she working in the kitchen?” I asked

  “I’m not sure. It looks like she worked in the business office until two years ago, when she transferred to the kitchen. There’s a note on her file indicating that an incident of some sort occurred prior to her transfer. I’ll call Chance to see if I can find out what it was.”

  I went into the kitchen to make another pot of coffee while Zak was on the phone. Maybe it was the stress I’d been under or the iciness of the snowy day, but for some reason I couldn’t seem to wake up and was finding it harder and harder not to give in and head back to bed. I really hoped I wasn’t coming down with something.

  I poured a cup of coffee and went through the series of events once again in my mind. I felt somewhat like my brain was in a fog, and while I could see images around me, I couldn’t quite make out the scene in its entirety. I got out my notepad and went back over my suspect lists. The first list I’d created had Michael, Kyle, Stephanie, Brian, Jordan, and Mercedes as suspects. So far no one had said anything that would lead me to believe Brian, Jordan, or Stephanie were involved in Daniel Carrington’s death in any way, but Michael’s appearance at the party did seem suspect, and Kyle and Mercedes both had disappeared from the party shortly after Daniel, and they did seem potentially to have a lot to gain from Daniel’s death. My intuition told me neither Mercedes nor Kyle were guilty, but I did think it was important that we speak to Kyle, who seemed to be a key player in the whole thing.

  I started a new list of people to follow up with that day. I wrote down Kyle’s name, as well as the names of the kitchen workers. Dr. Townsend’s name had come up several times, but I’d never thought of him as the killer; still, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to speak to him, so I added him to the new list as well. I looked up when Zak came into the room and sat down across from me.

  “It seems that just prior to his stroke Daniel found out someone was embezzling money from the resort,” Zak began.

  “Who?”

  “Chance didn’t know for sure. Daniel blamed Izzy and wanted not only to fire her but to press charges. Kyle intervened, arguing that while they suspected it was Izzy who was skimming money off the top, they lacked any proof. He talked his father into forgetting about pressing charges and moved her to a job where she wouldn’t have direct access to the books.”

  “So she became kitchen manager.”

  “Yes. Her mother had worked in the kitchen when she was growing up, so she knew her way around there. It seemed a logical choice. Chance said it was his impression that Izzy was fine with the transfer, but he admitted she has a temper and has been known to hold a grudge.”

  “So he thinks she could have been in on Daniel’s death?”

  “He didn’t seem convinced she was, but he seemed to consider it a possibility.” Zak looked at his watch. “I feel like we may be narrowing this down a bit, although I still don’t have a clear sense of who actually pushed Daniel from the deck. Let’s go speak to the two kitchen workers and take it from there.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Amy White was a nice woman with a quiet way about her. She told us she was twenty years old and had decided to take a break from college to work at the resort over the winter. She’d just been hired in October and the party
was her first assignment for the resort. Just as Serena had described, Amy was told to show up at the tram at eight o’clock on the morning of the party. Once they arrived at the top she was given a list of tasks and directed to stay in the kitchen until the guests arrived.

  “Was anyone at the restaurant prior to the arrival of your group?” I asked.

  “No. I’m pretty sure that other than the maintenance workers who came to fix the plumbing, the kitchen staff were the only people on the mountain until Chance Carrington and some of the family arrived just before the guests began to arrive.”

  “And where were you during the buffet lunch?”

  “Serving and clearing dishes.”

  “Tell us what you remember about the party itself,” Zak said.

  “Everyone was in a good mood and it seemed like everyone was happy to see the senior Mr. Carrington when he arrived with Dr. Townsend. Once most of the guests were on-site the kitchen staff began bringing out the food and everyone helped themselves, then found a place to sit and eat.”

  “Did you notice Daniel Carrington leave the party?” Zak inquired.

  “No. I was in and out of the kitchen and wasn’t aware that anything was going on until Chance Carrington came into the main room and told everyone his father had fallen from the deck.”

  “Did Chance say his father had fallen?” I verified.

  Amy paused to consider the question. “Yes. Initially I believe he said he’d fallen, although at some point it was discovered that he must have been pushed.”

  “What did you do after Chance Carrington found his father’s body?” Zak asked.

  “We were asked to return to the kitchen and wait there while the guests were being questioned. We made use of the time to clear away the food and clean up the dishes.”

  “Were you at the restaurant until the end?”

  “No. We weren’t the last to leave. There were a few family members still there at the time we were released to leave the premises.”

  Zak asked Amy a few more questions that didn’t really provide any relevant information, then we thanked her, she left, and we called in Leslie. She had worked at the resort for years, knew all the players, and told us much the same story the others had. I was beginning to feel these interviews were a waste of time until we came around to asking her if she’d noticed Daniel leave the party.