Crime at Cripple Creek (The Sisters Week Series #1)

by Elizabeth Sherry

  Chapter 9

  Knowing she had over an hour to get dressed, Beth poured herself another cup of coffee then thought about what she’s wear. It’s another warm day so she’ll probably wear a pair of Capri pants since she brought four pairs with her. She went more for comfort than fashion, but it seemed most of her outfits did go together.

  Getting dressed, she found herself daydreaming about Tyler and wondered if they would actually have some kind of relationship once they both returned home. She didn’t expect ‘forever relationship’ but having someone’s company whom she enjoyed once in a while would be very nice and someone who understood that she didn’t always talk or think in complete sentences, but that someone could understand her anyway.

  Finally dressed in white Capri pants and a burgundy knit top Beth quickly styled her hair so that it fell in soft curls around her face and shoulders. Now a little make-up and she was ready for the day.

  Lynn and Joy were up too and ate breakfast as Beth returned to the kitchen with her coffee mug. “How did you two sleep?” Beth asked as she smeared cream cheese on a gluten-free bagel.

  Lynn answered as she picked up her empty cereal bowl, “I was out like a light as soon as my head touched the pillow.”

  “Me too,” said Jo, “I feel great today. Time to get ready for company and then we can discuss what we’ll do today.”

  Gabbing bottled water from the refrigerator, Beth stepped out the front door and sat on the porch till her sisters were dressed and ready. She always liked going outside with her coffee, but this morning she felt a little leery about going out. Now that Tyler would be here in a few minutes, she sat on the porch and enjoyed Mother Nature.

  She saw the beginning of the dirt road to their cabin and she saw the gate leading to their cabin from where she sat. In between those two, the road was curvy and hills and trees prevented her from seeing the whole road. When she came outside she put the gate key in her pants pocket so she’d be able to walk down the road and open the gate for Tyler.

  Seeing a black SUV turning onto her road she knew Tyler was minutes away so she started her walk down the road to meet him. She wasn’t afraid or cautious this morning, she was just excited.

  She reached the gate just before the black vehicle but she waited to unlock the gate till she saw that it was actually Tyler and not some stranger.

  Standing behind a clump of trees, she waited till the car stopped. She watched Tyler get out of the car and then she moved. “I have to unlock the gate then you can drive through,” she told him.

  After she closed the gate again and locked it behind Tyler’s car, she climbed in the passenger door he had opened for her. “Good morning. Did you find us without any problem?” she asked Tyler.

  Tyler laughed, “I am staying at the cabin on the next hill. So I found you just fine.”

  Lynn and Joy waited on the porch as Tyler parked the car in the driveway. “Where’s your car?” he asked.

  “It’s a long story. Come inside and we’ll tell you after I fix you a cup of coffee,” Beth answered.

  Entering the cabin, Tyler looked around and smiled, “This one is quite a bit larger than the one I’m staying in. Now tell me what you women have been up to since yesterday afternoon.”

  As the three women toke turns telling the story about the blue car and the nice neighbor who helped them, Beth saw the frown on Tyler’s face deepen.

  “It all turned out alright. Nothing happened and we are all feeling much better today,” Beth told him, trying to ease his frown, “Oh, I almost forgot. I have something for you. I’ll be right back.”

  While Beth exited the room, Tyler asked Lynn and Joy “Is she really alright? Her voice sounded a bit hoarse last night over the phone when I called.”

  “She’s great now. She fell apart some last night but that’s the way we sisters are. We’re wonderful during a crisis, but fall apart afterwards. So you don’t have to worry, having you here makes it a better day,” Joy assured Tyler.

  “I found this in front of the ice machine and picked it up and put it in my pocket. Then I forgot about it till last night. It might be important,” Beth said as she handed the button to Tyler.

  “I’ll pass this to Michael. It just might be from the clothes of the person responsible for that woman’s death. If you’ll excuse me a second, I’d like to call Michael and tell him the story you three just told me,” Tyler pulled out his cell phone as he stepped outside.

  Michael answered on the second ring, “What’s going on Tyler?”

  When Tyler finished letting Michael know what the sisters went through yesterday and described the button Beth found, Michael swore, “Damn, are you sure Beth didn’t see anything else on the way to that ice machine? It sounds to me that maybe someone is worried she did. This can’t be a coincidence. I’ll meet you in about an hour to retrieve the button. Maybe we can match it to someone from the surveillance tapes of all the guests coming through the casino.”

  Tyler hoped his friend got a break in this case soon. He wanted a vacation also and wanted some time spent with Beth without talk of a crime.

  “Where do you want to meet?” Tyler asked his friend.

  “How about we meet at the restaurant down the street and around the corner from the casino where the crime occurred?” Michael suggested.

  “See you then,” Tyler said before he hung up the phone.

  Tyler made a spur of the moment decision to walk around the cabin. He wanted to get a feel of the area and make sure the women were safe. After scanning all around, Tyler went back inside, “Would you three mind if I looked around? I just want to ease my mind on your safety.”

  “Help yourself. There’s also a basement downstairs. We’d appreciate your checking thing,” Lynn told Tyler.

  “While Tyler is gone, why don’t we come up with a plan for today? We can walk down by the creek or work on our quilts, or go somewhere. I’m open to ideas,” Beth smiled as she finished talking.

  “I hate myself a little saying this, but we were having so much fun yesterday before I got ill, I’d like to go play some more slot machines. We don’t have to go to that casino. We can go to one of the other ones. Would that bother you, Beth?” Joy asked.

  “No, as long as we stay away from that end of the strip, I don’t think it would bother me. Why don’t we stop at the one that’s not on the little strip? You know the one around the corner by itself. I remember they also have a great restaurant where we can have lunch. I just want to be back here before dark,” Beth told Joy.

  Lynn spoke up next and said, “Why don’t we ask Tyler and get his opinion on if it’s safe?”

  When Tyler returned to the living room after he looked over the whole cabin, the women asked for his input on the casino trip.

  “I don’t see a problem as long as you don’t go near the one where you stayed. Michael and I are meeting there in an hour, how would you feel if Michael and I take you three to lunch?” Tyler thought he needed to keep an eye on these three.

  The girls looked at one another and Joy especially was excited about the prospect. Beth saw yesterday that Joy was attracted to Michael even while she felt so sick.

  “I’ll go meet with Michael and I’ll call you on the time he’s available for lunch. Will that work?” Tyler asked.

  Lynn answered for the three of them,” That would be great. We won’t be hungry for a while.”

  “Beth, would you mind riding down the road to let me through the gate?” Even if it’s just for a few minutes, he wanted some time alone with Beth.

  “I’ll be right back girls. Don’t get into any trouble while I’m gone,” Beth said as she giggled.

  Stopping at the gate, Tyler touched Beth’s arm and stopped her from getting out of the vehicle. “Beth, I really would enjoy you riding to Cripple Creek with me but I know you need to be with your sisters. But before the weeks over, do you think it’s possible for us to have dinner? There are not too
many choices up here but we can always go where we’ll have lunch today. I know this is your time with your sisters, but maybe they can have fun at one of the casinos while we have dinner.”

  Beth gave Tyler one of her beautiful smiles as she responded,” I would like that. I think we can arrange for a dinner sometime this week. I’d like to spend some time with you too,” she said before she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek and then she got out and opened the gate.

  Tyler smiled as he waved and drove away. Beth thought this was going to be a good day, as she walked back to the cabin.