The Inn at Holiday Bay Books 7 - 9

by Kathi Daley

  “That is odd,” I said.

  “It is also odd that Frank was in the bathroom for thirty minutes. Yes, I have had stomach upsets in my time, and I guess if he was feeling ill, that might be why he sought out the bathroom that was farther away, but it feels fishy to me. Abby’s friend, Dax Sherman, did say that he saw Frank coming downstairs when he returned to the house after being outside during the break, so it seems possible he was on the second story the entire time.”

  “Abby’s friend was outside the entire thirty minutes?” Velma asked.

  Colt nodded. “Dax told me that after the break was called, he went out to his car to get his phone. When he arrived there, he noticed he had several texts that needed his attention, so he answered them, checked his email, and then decided to take a walk. According to Dax, he walked down the street a block or two and then returned. By the time he got back to the den, the group was beginning to regather.”

  Velma looked at me. “How well do you know this man?”

  I shrugged. “Moderately well. He is an author, as I am, and he is represented by Kate, the same agent as me. We met years ago at a writers’ retreat. I can’t say that we stayed in touch with each other, but Kate knows him well, and as far as I’m concerned, if she likes him, he is most likely a good guy. Kate is a good judge of character.”

  “And how did he end up at this poker game?” Velma asked.

  “Tank was his brother’s college roommate. He stopped by to visit while he was in town and was invited to sit in on the game,” I answered.

  Velma sat back in her chair. She sipped her coffee as she appeared to be noodling on things. “So you are telling me that in addition to the victim, there were five men in the house, and none of them admit to have seen anyone else until right at the end?”

  Colt nodded. “That is what I’m saying.”

  “And the back porch is where the brother’s body was found. Based on the statements provided by the men, could any of them have accessed that area?” she asked.

  “Tank admitted to going out to the garage. He would have had to go out into the backyard through the kitchen door, which would have put him in proximity to the porch. Initially, I felt there was no way that he could have walked right past Train and not seen him, but the porch goes around to the side of the house, so he might not have been able to see what was going on there. As for Dax, he admitted to being outdoors, which in my mind provided him with the opportunity to head around back and stab the guy. Hank said he was in the den the entire time, but Bob said he wasn’t there when he stopped in. Either man could have stepped into the kitchen while Tank was in the garage, grabbed a knife, stabbed Train, and then returned to the rooms they claim they never left.”

  “And Frank?” I asked.

  “That is trickier. If he actually was upstairs the entire time, it seems less likely he could have been the killer, although, in my opinion, he has the best motive of the five.”

  Colt went on to explain to Velma that Frank owed Train a lot of money and was being pressured to repay the debt. The three of us finished our meal, and then I called Dr. Carl, who told me that Rufus was doing fine, that he was still waiting for the results of a few tests, and that he’d like to keep him a couple more hours. I said that was fine and asked that he call me with an update. I figured that until Rufus was ready to go, I’d just hang out with Colt. I’d helped him with cases in the past and was sure he wouldn’t mind a little help today.

  We left Velma’s, and Colt and I decided to stop by Tank’s place to take another look around. Tank was home because the store was closed due to the storm and all right with having us.

  “Can I get you some coffee? Tea? A cola?” he offered.

  We both thanked him but declined the offer. Colt assured him that we just wanted to wander around to get a visual of the movements of each member of the group on the night of the murder. Tank assured us that he was as anxious as anyone to have the killer identified and that we should feel free to move around anywhere. He would be in the den, watching a movie.

  We started in the den, where the poker game was held. At one point, all six men had been together in this room. We then retraced Tank’s steps from the den to the kitchen, where he’d told Colt he’d gone to get a beer.

  “There is a straight shot from the den to the kitchen,” I said. “The only room that would be passed on the way is the downstairs bathroom, so if Frank did use the one upstairs, no one would have been at this end of the house other than Tank.”

  Colt glanced toward the back door. “Let’s check out the path Tank would have taken to get the beer.”

  The door opened from the kitchen to the backyard. There was a covered patio off to the side, fenced in with a hedge, so I could see that if it was dark and Tank hadn’t been looking carefully, he might have passed by the porch and not noticed Train. Once you exited the house, there was a cement walkway that led back to the garage. Thankfully, Tank had shoveled it already, making the garage accessible.

  The door leading into the garage was unlocked, so Colt and I entered. As Colt had said, the place was packed from front to back, top to bottom, with boxes and yard and garden equipment. The refrigerator Tank had referred to was near the side door from the house. I opened it to confirm that it contained various beverages.

  “Tank said that while he was in the garage, he heard a noise, which he checked out,” I said. “While he was doing that, he noticed the garbage and decided to put it out for pick up the following day. I guess that all makes perfect sense.”

  “That’s what I thought when I was here immediately after the murder. Tank said after he put out the garbage, he took an eighteen pack of beer into the kitchen, put it in the refrigerator, and then headed into the den. He said that he noticed mud on the floor, vacuumed it up, and then watched part of the movie with Hank.”

  I stepped out of the garage and looked once again toward the porch where Train died. It did seem possible that Tank might not have seen his brother, but I had to assume that he had turned on the garage light when he came out, so Train couldn’t have helped but notice him.

  Once we checked out Tank’s movements, we went into the office and retraced Bob’s steps from there to the front porch to the kitchen to the den to the bathroom and back to the den. It really did seem as if he would have run into someone along the way despite his insistence that he hadn’t.

  Hank had said he was in the den the entire time, so there were no steps to trace for him, and Dax had said he’d been outdoors the entire time, so again, no steps to trace. Frank had said he’d been upstairs, and Dax had seen him coming down just before the men met back up, so it seemed the least likely he was the killer despite him having the best motive we knew of.

  “Let’s head upstairs and look around,” Colt suggested.

  The stairs from the first floor to the second was just inside the front door of the house. The bathroom in which Frank claimed to have spent his entire break was at the top of the stairs. You would have to pass it to access any of the other rooms on this floor. We went into each of the second-story bedrooms to look around. We pretty much decided that Frank couldn’t have been the killer until we discovered that Tank’s bedroom was at the back of the house, and that room had a deck with stairs. Colt and I went out on the deck and down the stairs, which led directly to the back porch.

  “Perfect access from the second story to the murder scene,” I said.

  “Yes. This does change things.”

  After we wandered around through the back yard to the kitchen door, we headed back inside and returned to the den, where Tank was still watching a movie.

  “So, did you get what you needed?” he asked.

  “Yes, I think we did. Thank you so much for allowing us to take a second look.”

  “Any suspects?” Tank asked.

  “We’re still working on that. I should know more once I have the chance to verify a few things. I was curious about one thing, however. When I spoke to Dax, he mentioned seeing Frank coming
down from the second floor when he came in from outside. I don’t suppose you remember seeing Frank at any point during the break?”

  “No. I didn’t run into anyone, but I was in the garage for quite a while, looking for the source of the noise.”

  “And did you ever find out what caused it?” Colt asked.

  “No. Like I said before, it was probably a cat.”

  “Perhaps,” Colt agreed. “Before I go, tell me again about the man who came to the door, causing the game to pause in the first place.”

  Tank lifted a shoulder. “He was just a guy. He said his car broke down and his cell was dead and he wanted to use a phone. I showed him into the office, where I have a landline. He was gone when I checked back on him.”

  “Can you describe the man?”

  “Tall. Dark hair. I don’t know, it was late, and I didn’t pay all that much attention to him.”

  Colt thanked Tank, and we left.

  “So what was up with the motorist?’ I asked once we’d settled back into Colt’s truck. “Did you find him?”

  “No. I have absolutely no information on the guy. I was never able to find a tow truck called, and I already determined that no calls were made from Tank’s landline that night. I’m beginning to wonder if there even was a stranded motorist.”

  “So am I. Why would some random guy stop at this particular house late at night in the middle of a storm, ask to use the phone, and then just leave without either making a call or saying thank you before leaving? And why would Tank show a stranger to the phone and then just leave him there alone in his house?”

  “I don’t know. Something about the whole thing is fishy. I need to get back to the office for my interview with Bob. Would you like to come along?”

  “Yes. I’d like that. I want to stay in town until I can take Rufus home anyway.”

  After we left Tank’s, we headed to Colt’s office. It was snowing steadily, but he seemed confident behind the wheel of his specially equipped truck, though I had to admit there were times I had to wonder how he could see where he was going. He didn’t seem stressed about the snow or the visibility, so I decided to relax and ask some of the questions that had been floating around in my mind.

  “Does the fact that Frank had both motive to kill Train and access to the murder scene via the deck stairs make it even more likely in your mind that he is the one who did it?” I asked.

  “At this point, I would have to say he is my prime suspect, although the reality is that none of the five had alibis, and any of them could have been the killer.” Colt reached over to turn up the defroster when the windows began to ice over.

  “Do you think it might have been someone other than the five poker players?”

  “Like who?” he asked.

  “Like whoever Tank heard in the garage. Maybe the noise he heard was actually a prowler. Maybe the prowler broke into Tank’s garage, or even into his house via the back door. Train, being the first to leave the house, might have surprised him, and the prowler grabbed a knife and stabbed him rather than risk being found out.”

  “I suppose it could have happened that way. Can you turn your heater vent toward your side window, please? The ice doesn’t seem to want to melt the way it should.”

  I did as Colt asked.

  “It sounds like everyone had the opportunity to kill Train because everyone who had been in the house was apparently alone at some point that night,” I said. “It also sounds like everyone except Dax had a motive. I agree that Frank, who owed him money, probably had the best motive, but from what you told me earlier and now with Velma, neither Hank nor Bob were Train fans either. Though if Tank wanted his brother dead, you would think there would have been much easier ways to go about it. The motorist is a wild card, as is the idea of some random intruder. What about the pizza delivery guy?”

  “You think he could have killed Train and then come back around the house to deliver the pizza?”

  “No, I guess not.”

  “I think I will find that Train was killed by one of the other five men he’d been playing poker with. I just need to keep digging until I can determine who had the strongest motive, who might have lied about their movements that night, and who is telling the truth. I suspect that if I continue to ask the same questions again and again, the answers I am getting will change eventually.”

  “Do you really think so?”

  He nodded. “I do. I’ve tried that strategy in the past. Asking the same person the same questions over and over again may seem like a waste of time, but I’ve found that if the person being interviewed is lying, eventually they’ll slip up and say something different from what they had been saying all along. Once that happens, I will have an opening to really home in on and go for the jugular.”

  I laughed, “Remind me never to commit a crime in your jurisdiction.” I glanced out the side window as Colt slowed at an intersection. “Do you have a gut feeling about anyone at this point?”

  “Not really. I wish I did, but right now, I suspect everyone. Maybe Bob will have something to add that will provide clarity to the situation.”

  “And if he doesn’t? What then?”

  “Then I’ll talk to everyone again. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll interview everyone a third time. Eventually, someone will say something that will provide the exact insight needed for me to figure out exactly what it is that is currently missing.

  Chapter 9

  Bob didn’t look at all happy to have been called in for an interview, but he did show up on time. Colt asked him to have a seat in the conference room, and while he’d left me in his office, both doors were open, so I was able to see both men and hear what was being said.

  “Let’s start off by walking through the events of Wednesday night,” Colt suggested. He seemed relaxed and casual and appeared to have all the time in the world.

  “Isn’t this getting repetitive?” Bob asked, making it clear that he was not nearly as relaxed as the man who was asking the questions.

  “Not at all.” Colt smiled. “Just start at the beginning.”

  Initially, it looked as if Bob would resist, but eventually, he took a deep breath and began to speak. “Tank invited me to come to his house for a poker game. We’d played poker many times in the past, but after Train arrived in town and started crashing our get-togethers, I stopped coming around. The guy is, or I guess I should say was, a total moron. Worse than a moron, but given the nature of our surroundings, I will leave it at that.”

  “Were you aware that Train would be attending the poker game that evening?” Colt asked.

  “No. Tank assured me that he hadn’t been invited. I think Train found out about the game and crashed it. Tank looked as surprised as anyone when he walked in.”

  “And why did you decide to stay when Train showed up?”

  “Because Tank asked me to,” Bob answered. “Tank and I have been friends for a long time. Before Train came into the picture, we were very close. In fact, he is the one who probably had the most to do with my decision to leave the hospital and open my own practice.”

  “You are a doctor?” Colt asked although I knew that he already knew that.

  Bob nodded. “You know I’m a doctor. You even brought your niece in to see me when she had tonsillitis.”

  Colt clicked his pen open and closed a few times in a relaxed and casual manner. “I do know you’re a doctor, but I need to ask these questions for the record.”

  Bob huffed out a breath. “Okay, fine. I’m a doctor. Family practice. What else do you want to know? My blood type, dating profile, credit score?”

  Colt ignored the man’s outburst. “So, to summarize your relationship with Tank, the two of you have been friends for a while.”

  “Yes. I already said that.”

  “And then Tank’s brother, Train, came to town and upset the relationship you’d previously enjoyed.”

  “Basically, yes.” I was sure that Bob’s face was visibly red by this point. I could see that Co
lt’s strategy of repetition was working to throw Bob off his game. “Tank is great, but Train is, or, again, I guess I should say was, really annoying. He was self-centered and egotistical, and he seemed to believe that everything and everyone was put on the planet for his benefit. If you never had the displeasure of meeting the guy, you should consider yourself lucky.”

  Colt jotted down a few notes despite the fact that it didn’t seem as if Bob had said anything interesting or relevant. Again, I thought he just wanted to draw out the interview in an attempt to get his suspect riled up.

  “Let’s get back to what happened that night,” Colt said after a minute. “Tank invited you to the game, believing that Train would not be attending, but then Train showed up. What then?”

  “Then we played. These questions are ridiculous.”

  “Perhaps, but let’s keep going. What happened after that?”

  “After a few hours, Tank made a comment about someone being at the door. He got up to check it out. When he returned, he told us that it was a stranded motorist who wanted to use his phone. He suggested that because the game had already been interrupted, we just take a break. Hank suggested calling for pizza. Tank suggested that we just extend the break until the pizza arrived. We all agreed, and once the pizza was ordered, everyone went their own way.”

  “And what did you do then?”

  “I already told you the last time we spoke that I went into the office to make a call.”

  “And was the stranded motorist there when you entered the office?” Colt asked.

  “No,” Bob answered. “The room was empty. We’ve already been over all this. Do we really need to go over it again?”

  “Humor me,” Colt said.

  Bob threw up his hands. “Whatever. I may need to send you a bill for my time.”

  Colt simply smiled and looked down at his notes, as if he had all the time in the world. “You said you went into the office to make a call. Who did you call?”