Death by Fountain

by Jennifer S. Alderson

  “Why didn’t you tell the cops the truth?”

  “I got into a couple of scrapes right after college. I had a lot of anger issues and was drinking too much, but I’ve gotten help since then. I didn’t want to bring attention to myself, in case Rachel was murdered. I had nothing to do with it,” Jake added quickly, “but the cops might not have looked any further if they saw that I had a police record.”

  Lana’s neck hairs stood on end. “What kind of police record?”

  Jake looked down to the floor. “The juvenile kind. Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to get into trouble for youthful transgressions after I’d turned eighteen,” he said. “It’s been tough enough finding work, as it is. If I get entangled with the police again, even wrongfully so, it might become impossible.”

  Lana’s eyes narrowed as she scanned his face for signs of deceit. If he lied so easily about his actions, could she trust anything he said?

  “You aren’t going to tell the others, are you? Heather and Katherine both work at Straight Up Climbs; I can’t afford to lose that job,” Jake pleaded.

  “Alright, I’ll keep it to myself,” Lana said, adding, “for now” in her mind.

  “I saw you and Heather when I was following Rachel, too,” Jake pressed. “Heather lied about being at dinner—she didn’t show up until after we had already been served dessert. Where was she when Rachel was killed? She did hate her and follows Randy around like a puppy dog. I bet she did it to get rid of her competition—Gloria is probably next. You saw how mean Heather was to her, didn’t you?”

  Lana forehead crinkled. “What do you mean?”

  “Heather is obsessed with Randy! He told me that he’s getting sick of her constantly calling to check up on him. I bet she wants to be more than friends, but she’s so socially inept that she never figured out how to ask him out.”

  Lana considered his words. He actually made a good point about Heather, although she doubted that the young woman would actually harm Gloria. Lana made a mental note to talk to Heather about her calls to Randy; however, she was not yet ready to scratch Jake off her suspects list.

  Jake took advantage of her hesitation and began walking back towards the others. “I’m going to join the rest, unless you have any more questions?”

  “No, we’re good,” Lana said. She still didn’t trust him, and until she spoke to Jeremy and found out more about his background, she probably wouldn’t be able to. Lana couldn’t wait to see what her friend found out about Jake Segers.

  23 Shifting Priorities

  After spending two hours absorbing the beauty and history of Saint Peter’s Basilica, all of their stomachs were rumbling. Lana led them under the Passetto di Borgo, an aboveground corridor connecting the pontiff’s official residence to Castel Sant’Angelo, and towards a busy street running behind the walled city. Towering palms and stone pine trees, their skinny trunks twisting up towards the clear blue sky, lined the sidewalks.

  “Hey, Jake, why don’t you pick the café?”

  He patted his firm stomach. “Happy to oblige.” Jake slowed his pace, pausing to read every menu they passed.

  The group of friends squeezed onto the busy sidewalk, automatically pairing off. As the euphoria of their visit to the Vatican dissipated, Lana’s thoughts turned again to Randy and her investigation. She made a point of stepping in line next to Heather, who appeared to be lost in her thoughts. Lana considered the young woman’s motives for harming Rachel, but couldn’t really think of anything stronger than protecting Randy. But would she go so far as to kill for him? And if she did, how the heck had she kept it to herself for so long? With her tendency to blurt out every thought, Lana imagined it would be impossible for Heather to keep anything secret.

  “Hey Lana,” Heather said, seconds later, as if noticing her for the first time. “Have you heard from Randy yet?”

  “I’m afraid the police aren’t going to let him speak to anyone but his lawyer until he is released. Dotty messaged me when we were in Saint Peter’s to let me know that she’s found a law firm in Rome willing to represent him. They are sending a lawyer to the police station today.”

  Heather teared up and looked away, biting her lip in an apparent attempt to control her emotions.

  Lana patted her arm. “With a little luck, the lawyer will be able to get Randy released pretty quickly. From what Gloria said, it sounds like their evidence is pretty flimsy.”

  “I sure hope so.” Heather turned to Lana, her gaze intense. “He has already suffered so much because of Rachel. It’s not fair that he’s being wrongly accused of causing her death, as well.”

  Lana wondered whether Jake was right and Heather was infatuated with Randy. Would she actually harm Gloria? Lana had to try to find out. “You are a really good friend to Randy.”

  Heather nodded. “He’s the brother I never had.”

  “And it sounds like it’s been an incredibly tough year for him, and his losing his job meant you two haven’t seen each other as much as you used to. And now with him marrying Gloria… I bet you miss hanging out with him.”

  “It’s true; he hasn’t had as much time for me. But that will change soon enough.”

  Lana frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Gloria isn’t right for him. He needs someone who craves adventures, not having lots of babies,” Heather said dismissively. “I bet they don’t last a year—well, unless she manages to get pregnant before he can arrange for a divorce.”

  Lana’s eyes widened as she took in the younger woman’s proclamation. “Have you ever been in love?”

  Heather jutted out her chin. “I don’t know if I want to be in a long-term relationship—things can get so messy when others depend on you. I’m happy being alone, and it gives me time to help my friends when they need me. If I was in a relationship, I probably wouldn’t have time for them.”

  Maybe it is better that Randy is putting distance between them, Lana thought. From what Jake had said, Randy was tiring of Heather’s constant mothering. And it sounded like Heather was completely unaware that her behavior was getting on his nerves.

  When she noticed Jake pointing towards a tiny bistro and waving them forward, Lana sucked up her breath, knowing it was now or never. “I saw you following Randy the night Rachel died. I even called out to you, but you ran off. Were you trying to protect him or harm Rachel?”

  Heather stopped and put her hands on her hips. “Why would I hurt Rachel? If I wanted Randy for myself, it would have been smarter to kill Gloria, don’t you think? Besides, I was at dinner with the others when Rachel died,” she replied, quite adamantly. “Who says otherwise?”

  “Craig and Jake both said that you didn’t show up until after the main course had been served.”

  “Jake is lying again! I don’t trust him, Lana,” she protested, conveniently not addressing how Craig had made the same observation. “There was something odd going on between Jake and Rachel. He told the police they were dating, but she didn’t seem interested in Jake when she was fighting with Randy in the lobby. Didn’t Rachel say she flew over to disrupt Randy’s wedding and that she and Randy were meant to be together? Rachel must not have loved Jake that much if she flew all the way to Rome to profess her love to another man.”

  Lana nodded, considering her words. “You make a great point. But I’m more interested in you right now. You don’t seem upset by her death in the slightest. What was your beef with her?” Lana said.

  “Why should I be sorry that she’s gone? Rachel was so bad for Randy. She should have been on that ladder, not him. She finally got what she deserved.”

  Again with the ladder, Lana thought. Why was Heather was obsessed with that incident? Although, when Lana thought about it, Randy’s accident had changed their relationship forever. They no longer worked together and, as a consequence, saw each other far less. Now that he was getting married, his free time would be reduced even further. Randy’s fall was a turning point for Heather, Lana realized; it was no wonder that she wa
s fixated on it.

  “What do you mean—she got what she deserved? That sounds pretty harsh. You were suspended, too.”

  Heather froze on the sidewalk as her face began to whiten. “I wasn’t suspended…” she began to protest, though half-heartedly.

  “According to an article in the Seattle Chronicle, you were temporarily suspended right after the accident, along with Rachel.”

  “Yes, but my suspension was part of the normal investigative procedure because the equipment is my responsibility. Rachel’s suspension was unusual in that circumstance. Our boss only took her off the schedule because of Randy’s assertions that she was somehow involved.”

  “Then why did they hire Rachel back?”

  “I think Randy is right—Rachel probably was sleeping with one of our managers. She loved to control and manipulate men and used her body as a weapon or prize, depending on the situation. Otherwise I don’t know how they could have taken Rachel back, knowing how much pain it would have caused Katherine and me.”

  Jake jogged back to fetch them. “Hey, guys—we’ve got a table. Do you want to join us?”

  “Sure, thanks. We’ll be right there,” Lana said brightly.

  When Heather sped up, clearly intending to get away from her, Lana grabbed the younger woman’s wrist.

  “Did you hurt Rachel?” Lana whispered.

  “No,” Heather hissed, “I did not. But I do applaud whoever did.”

  24 Channeling Rachel

  Jake had chosen well. The Trattoria Vaticano Giggi’s selection was mouth-watering, and the café was an open and friendly space, despite being incredibly busy. While they patiently waited for their server to take their order, Lana took in the bright red and yellow walls covered in film-stills of actors eating pasta. Despite the photos encouraging them to order otherwise, they chose an antipasti platter to share.

  Lana let her tongue roll over the salty hams, pork, sausages, and salamis, tamed by the freshness of the mozzarella balls, olives, pepperoncini, marinated vegetables, and arugula leaves. The carafes of red wine the waiter had brought over helped to wash away the fat and salt from her palate.

  Jake’s hunger wasn’t sated by the cold cuts, so he ordered a slice of gnocchi potato pie, as well. Although Lana’s stomach was far too full to sample it, she made a mental note to try a piece later in the trip. It looked scrumptious, just like the rest of their meal was.

  By the time they left the trattoria, all were completely stuffed, so they took two cabs back to the hotel. During lunch, they had unanimously agreed to take a break and rest their feet after they’d wined and dined.

  Back in the comfort of her own room, Lana stretched out on her bed and loosened her pants, giving her overly full stomach extra room. Three suspects down, two to go, she thought as she stared up at the ceiling. Yet, the remaining pair—Rachel’s sister and her brother-in-law—were the least likely to have harmed her, in Lana’s mind. Statistically speaking, she knew that people were often murdered by their own family. But in this case, she couldn’t see either Bruce or Katherine as being able to do so.

  Then again, it must have been someone in this group—or it was Randy, after all. And time was running out for her friend. As implausible as it seemed, she had to consider that Katherine and Bruce were potentially killers.

  Lana’s beeping phone broke her train of thought. It was a message from Alex. “Arriving early tomorrow morning. Don’t worry about picking me up, I’ll meet you at the hotel. LOVE YOU!”

  As much as his message warmed her heart, it reminded her that she needed to step up her investigation. She had hoped to have a better idea of who could have harmed Rachel by now. When she met up with Randy’s friends again tonight, talking to Katherine and Bruce would be her top priority.

  They met up in the lobby at 7 p.m. and took two taxis to a restaurant Craig had read about. Its interior was quite industrial, but the food was extraordinarily extravagant and lived up to the glowing reviews the restaurant had received. Despite the delicious meal and unique surroundings, the evening was a bit peculiar thanks to Katherine’s metamorphosis.

  In a few hours’ time, she had transformed herself into a Rachel-lite. It was unsettling to see Katherine wearing her dead sister’s shoes, clothes, and makeup. Gone were the muted browns and grays that she normally favored; instead, she was wearing a pink and green ensemble that was so bright it hurt Lana’s eyes. When she moved, the multitudes of rings, armbands, and necklaces that she now wore shimmered and jangled. Even stranger was her newly found self-assurance. It was as if Katherine was channeling Rachel’s personality as well, because she was no longer a wallflower, but a temptress.

  Bruce seemed to be freaked out by the transformation, as well. He kept an eye on his girlfriend throughout the meal, his brows raised in astonishment as she flirted openly with the waitstaff and even slapped the sommelier’s backside after he delivered their wine.

  The rest of their friends clearly noticed Katherine’s makeover, yet none dared to ask her about it directly. Luckily, they had enough to chat about to keep the conversation rolling throughout the dinner. After a scrumptious meal of tender lamb, baby potatoes with rosemary, and delicately grilled vegetables, Lana was satisfied, happy, and up for anything.

  “What should we do now?” Bruce asked.

  “Go to a bar?” Craig asked.

  “Shouldn’t we call Randy or Gloria and see if we can do anything to help him first?” Heather pushed. “I called them both when we were taking a break, but neither has gotten back to me.”

  “What can we do that the police cannot?” Craig retorted.

  “We have to be patient,” Lana said. “Randy’s lawyer should be there by now. I’m certain the police will release him quite soon.”

  Katherine pushed back her chair and rose. “Then let’s go out and celebrate for Randy.”

  When they passed a bar with dance music blaring out of the windows, Katherine clapped her hands and began shaking her hips in time with the rhythm. “I love this song!” she exclaimed before rushing inside.

  “You do?” Bruce asked as he trailed after her.

  Lana watched in wonder. Their dynamic today was quite different than what she was used to. What happened during our short break to warrant such a drastic change? she wondered.

  Once they were inside, Katherine took off another layer of clothes, exposing a tank top that left little to the imagination, and tossed it at Bruce. Still, no one dared to ask her about her metamorphosis. Thinking it may have something to do with Rachel’s demise, Lana decided to take the plunge.

  “Hey, Katherine. Wow, I’ve never seen you wear such colorful clothes before. They suit you.”

  Katherine sashayed her way over to Lana and grabbed her hands, twirling her once, before releasing her. “They were Rachel’s. The police brought over her belongings this morning and left them for me at the reception desk. Seeing as she won’t need them anymore, I figured I’d try out some of her clothes. They are a lot brighter than I usually wear, but I like the way they make me feel,” she cooed as she ran her hands over her silky skirt. “I feel like a vixen in these—no wonder Rachel could land any man she wanted to. I’m going to go have some fun. Care to join me, Bruce?”

  Bruce flushed bright pink and looked to the ground.

  Katherine shrugged. “Suit yourself,” she muttered before disappearing into the crowded dance floor.

  What was going on with those two? It was as if their personalities had switched. Katherine’s decision to wear her dead sister’s wardrobe was creepy, but perhaps that was her way of coping. She was so much more confident now than Lana had ever seen her. In one sense, it was a good sign, but the reason behind the change did concern her. Was it a healthy reaction?

  Lana moved closer to Bruce. He looked so stricken. She followed his gaze to see why. Katherine was flirting with a stranger while stealing coy glances at Bruce. Bruce, in turn, stared at his girlfriend, yet didn’t move in to claim his territory.

  “Grief does we
ird things to a person,” Lana said as they watched the stranger buying Katherine a drink.

  “She’s on an emotional roller coaster, I think. One minute she’s trying to come to terms with having to work with Rachel again, and the next minute she has to tell her parents that their favorite daughter is dead.”

  “How did they take it?”

  “As well as you could expect, I guess. Luckily the police had called them before Katherine did, so they were already getting used to the shocking news. Her mother is inconsolable, but her father was calmer.”

  “If there’s anything I can do…”

  “That’s what you’re supposed to say, isn’t it?” Bruce’s sad smile almost broke her heart. They both turned to Katherine, now twirling on the dance floor with yet another male patron.

  “Katherine really didn’t know that Rachel was coming back to work?”

  Bruce shook his head. “She had no idea. I cannot believe none of the managers told her. They all knew that those two didn’t get along. But Rachel did have a way of wrapping men around her finger. I bet she asked whoever hired her back not to.”

  “How is it that you all live in the same city and never see each other?”

  “Katherine’s parents don’t invite us over often, and when they do, it’s usually for one of their big parties. They like to invite hundreds of people, so it’s easy for us to avoid Rachel when we’re there.”

  “I don’t understand why she and Katherine disliked each other so much.”

  “Rachel did everything she could to humiliate and belittle Katherine. I’m sorry she’s dead, but I am glad she can’t hurt Katherine anymore. If only her parents will let her in. I’m a little worried her mom is going to bury herself in her charities and pretend like Katherine doesn’t exist.”

  “How heartbreaking,” Lana said sympathetically. She gazed over at Katherine, now with her arms around another man’s neck. “Not to be a jerk, but you two don’t seem to be as lovey dovey as you were before Rachel passed away. Did you two get into a fight, as well?”