A Killer Column (13 page)

“I think you’re doing a great job. You found the keys, didn’t you? That’s more than I can say.”

“I’m sure you would have found them if you’d looked at Derrick’s shoes first instead of me,” she said, but I could tell she looked a little pleased by my praise.

“Don’t bet on it. I just wish I knew what they unlocked.”

“We could always ask Cary,” she said.

“Maybe if we get desperate, but for right now, let’s just keep it between the two of us.”

Jenny looked at me with a slight bit of concern in her eyes. “Do you mean we should keep the fact that we found them from Zach, too?”

“Of course not. If I talk to him again, I’ll be sure to mention it.”

Jenny shook her head. “If you talk to him? Savannah, you two will work this out.”

“I know, but that man can be so stubborn sometimes.”

At that comment, Jenny started laughing. I looked at her for a second, and then asked, “What’s so funny?”

“If anybody knows what stubborn looks like, it would be you.”

I chuckled softly myself. “I’d like to dispute that, but we both know that I can’t.”

My phone started quacking, and I couldn’t help but smile. “That would be my husband,” I said.

“Would you like some privacy?” Jenny asked as she stepped away. “I’ll go in the bedroom and wait.”

“You’re fine,” I told her, and then answered, “Stone Investigations,” in my best, most professional voice.

“Sometimes I wonder if you’re not the better detective in the family at that. What have you and Jenny been up to?”

“More than I can say over the phone,” I answered.

“Then why don’t we get together and discuss it,” he said.

“Have you made up your mind about what you’re going to do?” I asked, trying to remember to breathe as I did.

“Savannah, there won’t be any decisions made until we both discuss this and come to an agreement.”

“And what if we can’t?” I asked, my voice suddenly growing softer.

“Then I turn them down without discussion. You’re more important to me than any job. You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” I said. “But it’s still good to hear every now and then.”

“I’ll try to do better,” he said. “Are you two still at Jenny’s?”

“No, sir,” I said, my mood suddenly lightened. “We’ve been busy since you left. At the moment, we’re in Derrick’s suite at the Crest Hotel. We just finished searching the place for clues, and we found a few things that are pretty interesting.”

“Savannah, have you lost your mind? You can’t interfere with an active police investigation like that.”

I took a deep breath, and then asked, “Are you through scolding me?”

“For now,” he said grudgingly.

“The police released his room hours ago, and we got Cary Duncan’s blessing to search the suite.”

He whistled. “How’d you manage that?”

I didn’t want to tell him the truth, but I didn’t see that I had much choice. “She caught us searching the place, so Jenny convinced her that we were there to help her take care of Derrick’s belongings so she wouldn’t have to deal with everything herself. Soon enough, she’s going to know that I’m the one who found him, and honestly, how much of a leap is it for her to figure out that I’m a suspect in his murder?”

“I don’t like Cary knowing that you’re involved so deeply in this,” Zach said.

“I’m not thrilled about it either, but she is going to find out sooner or later. I had to take a calculated risk. Besides, if I get into any real trouble, Jenny can bail me out.”

Zach laughed at that, a sound I never grew tired of. “If I’m ever in a jam, I think I want Jenny representing me. You’re in good hands, Savannah.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” I said. “We’re about to deliver Derrick’s things to his widow. Would you care to join us?”

“Try and stop me. Where is she staying?”

“She’s at the Brunswick,” I said. “Would you like us to wait for you in the lobby?”

“I’ll be there before you will,” he said. As he was about to hang up, he added, “I really do love you. You know that, don’t you?”

“Right back at you,” I said.

After I hung up, I called out to Jenny, “It’s safe to come out now.”

She walked out, and without waiting for me to say a word, Jenny said, “Good, you two made up.”

“How can you tell?”

“There’s a smile you don’t bring out enough, one that lights up your eyes. You’re displaying it right now.”

“You always were great at reading me. We’re going to return these things to Cary at the Brunswick Hotel. Zach’s going to meet us in the lobby.”

“Sounds good,” she said.

As I opened the door to the suite, a young woman with platinum blonde hair and a figure nearly as artificial was hovering just outside.

“My key doesn’t work anymore,” she said. “Who are you?”

“We’re friends of Derrick,” I said, truly stretching the truth beyond its breaking point. “And you are?”

She didn’t answer, instead pointing at the bags near the door. “Those belong to Derrick. Are you trying to tell me that he’s okay with you waltzing in here and taking his things?”

“He doesn’t have much to say about it anymore,” I said.

“Why not? What’s going on here?”

“You haven’t heard?” I asked.

“Heard what?” The suspicion was even stronger in her voice and eyes now. “If he thinks he’s dumping me for one of you, he’s sadly mistaken.”

“You’re Mindi, aren’t you?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I am. I’m still waiting to hear who you are.”

“That’s not important,” I said. “When’s the last time you saw Derrick?”

“Three days ago,” she said. “I had to leave town, but he knew I was coming back. I’m getting tired of this. Tell me who you are and what you’re doing here, or I’m going to call the police.”

“Mindi, I don’t know how to tell you this,” I said, “but I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news for you. Derrick’s dead.”

She looked as though she’d been hit between the eyes with a sledgehammer. One second she was standing there talking to us, and the next, she was plummeting to the floor in a dead faint.

As Jenny and I rushed to her, my old roommate said, “Man, you’ve got a lot to learn about giving someone bad news.”

“What should I have said?”

“I’m not sure, but I’m guessing there was a better way of handling it than just blurting it out like that.”

“I’ll get some water,” I said.

Jenny nodded as she knelt down. “She’s out cold. It should wake her up.”

“I’m not getting it for her. I’m thirsty.”

“Not funny, Savannah. She took it really hard, didn’t she?”

“It appeared that way, didn’t it?” I got water from the sink in one of the hotel glasses and flicked some onto Mindi’s face. It took more than a few sprinkles to wake her, and when she finally came around, she asked, “Is it true? Is he gone?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid he is,” Jenny said as we helped Mindi up.

We walked her to the couch, and as she sat down, I handed her the rest of the water. “Drink this. It will help.”

She gulped the water down, and then said, “Thank you.” After taking a deep breath, she asked, “How did he die?”

“Someone stabbed him with a steak knife,” I said. I didn’t feel the need to add that the police believed that I was the one who’d done it.

“So Cary finally killed him,” Mindi said, her voice suddenly dead.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“She’s been threatening him for ages, and when he asked her for a divorce, she said she’d give him one over her dead body. I just never thought she’d kill him instead of setting him free.” As she looked around the suite, she asked, “Who cleaned up in here?”

“We did,” Jenny admitted.

Mindi got up and hurried to the closet in the other room. When she threw open the door, we all saw the lonely little hotel hangers with steel balls welded to their necks, an antitheft device that was probably pretty effective, since the hangers were useless without the receiving brackets that allowed them to work. “My things. Do the police have them?”

“No, we’ve got them in the other room,” I said.

Mindi looked around the bedroom as we walked out into the living room, and it didn’t appear to be a casual glance. She was searching for something, something that was clearly missing.

“Did you leave something else behind?” I asked her.

“No, just my clothes,” she said.

Jenny retrieved the dry cleaning bag and handed it to her. “Sorry, we didn’t have anyplace else to put your things.”

“It’s fine,” she said absently. “Can I have his suitcases? There are some things of sentimental value in there.”

“I’m sorry, but Cary asked for them. We’re doing this for her.”

Mindi bit her lower lip, and then said, “At least let me get his favorite shoes. I got them for him after our first date.”

“Again, we can’t help you,” I said.

Jenny took her arm and led her out the door as I collected the suitcases. She told Mindi, “If you’d like to ask Cary, you’re more than welcome to, but she trusted us to do this, and we don’t have any choice. We gave our word.”

“I understand,” Mindi said.

It was clear that she was more interested in the suitcases than she was in us, and I was beginning to worry that she was going to take them anyway, but Mindi finally turned toward the elevators. “Are you two coming?”

Jenny started to tell her that we were when I touched her arm lightly. “You go ahead. We have a few more things to do here first,” I said.

She frowned, and then nodded in acceptance. “Fine. Good-bye, then.”

“Good-bye,” we said, and closed the door behind her.

“What was that all about?” Jenny asked me once we were alone again in the hotel suite.

“Did you see the way she looked at those suitcases? I wouldn’t put it past her to mug us for them on the way to your car, and I don’t think there’s anything sentimental about her motives.”

“She wants those keys,” Jenny said.

“You got it on your first try. I’m going to call Zach and have him meet us up here. I’d feel better having him with us when we leave.”

“Do you honestly think that Mindi could be dangerous?”

“I don’t want to underestimate her,” I admitted. “Don’t forget, someone’s already dead, someone close to her.”

I dialed Zach’s number, and when he answered, I said, “I can’t explain, but it would be great if you could meet us in Derrick’s suite in the penthouse.”

“What’s going on? Did something happen?” The concern in my husband’s voice was easy to hear.

“No, but I’d feel better if you were with us,” I admitted.

“Then say no more. Lock the door, and don’t let anyone in until I get there. Understood?”

“We’re not under siege,” I said.

“Your gut’s telling you that you two might be in danger, and that’s all I need to hear,” he said. “I’ll see you soon.”

As we waited, I worried that I’d alarmed my husband for nothing, but I knew I wouldn’t relax until he was there with us.

I was about to tell Jenny that I might be overreacting when there was a heavy pounding on the door, and from the sound of it, I doubted that Mindi Mills could make such a racket.

It appeared that someone else was paying us a call.

“
W
HO’S THERE?” I ASKED AS I TRIED TO LOOK OUT THE door’s peephole. The view was blocked, and all I saw was darkness on the other side when I tried to look through it.

A muffled voice said, “Delivery,” and whoever was on the other side tried the handle.

“You can leave it at the front desk,” I said.

Jenny whispered, “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t like it,” I said softly.

“You have to sign for it,” the voice said in a low tone. I couldn’t honestly tell if it was a man or a woman. Whoever was speaking didn’t want me to know either.

“Slide the paper under the door,” I ordered. As I did, I told Jenny, “Call the front desk, ask for Benjamin, and have them send Hotel Security up here right now.”

She nodded, and I held my breath waiting for a reply.

When there was no answer, I counted to ten, and then looked out the peephole again. It was now clear, but I couldn’t see anyone standing there. I started to undo the chain when Jenny grabbed my arm.

“What are you doing?”

“I want to see who’s out there,” I said.

“Too bad,” she said as she put her hand on mine. “We’re waiting for reinforcements.”

One minute later, there was another knock at the door, and when I looked outside, Benjamin was standing there.

I opened the door, and he came in. “I was at the front desk when you called. What happened?”

“It’s probably nothing,” I said, “but someone just tried to get me to open the door, claiming there was a delivery.”