peered into the dark. After the first five steps, there was only inky black. I took the flashlight and shone it up toward the ceiling, where heavy cobwebs hung in the corners as if the stairs had not been used in decades.
Vi charged ahead and motioned for Mac to follow.
“Wait, Vi,” I said and grabbed her arm. “We don’t know where it leads and there’s no light.”
She shrugged off my hand and turned toward me. “How are we going to know where it leads unless we go down those steps?” She put her hands on her hips and looked at Mac for backup. “The flashlight is bright enough to show us the stairs.”
I knew she was right. We’d been assuming the killer could only come in through the one door, but if this stairway led to another room, then maybe more people had access than we thought.
I felt my shoulders slump. “Okay, but let Mac go first, Vi. I don’t want you breaking a hip.”
Vi gestured for Mac to lead the way.
We carefully descended the staircase following Mac’s flashlight beam. It only illuminated as far as the next few steps. For all we knew, the stairs could dead-end or drop off into a crumbling pit. I kept one hand on the stone wall for balance and one hand on Vi’s elbow. It was slow going and the skittering of creatures in the dark didn’t add to the enjoyment. I sent up a request to the universe that Mac’s light wouldn’t fail.
Finally, we came to a wooden door. I was certain it would be locked and we’d have to turn around and make our way back up in the gloom. Mac tried the handle and it turned. He gave the door a gentle shove and we peeked out into the hallway that Wally had said contained offices and the back entrance to the kitchen. It was empty, but we heard René and Emmett in the kitchen. The three of us looked at one another in various states of surprise. The door was one of several in the hallway. There was a sign affixed to it on the hallway side: STORAGE—STAFF ONLY . This opened up a whole new avenue of investigation.
“I knew it!” Vi said. “It’s the chef. He did it.”
I chose not to mention her last suspect had been the maintenance guy and we hadn’t even interviewed him yet.
“Why would René want to kill Clarissa?” I said.
“I don’t know yet, but he has a back entrance to her room. That’s pretty suspicious.”
“It
is
pretty suspicious,” Mac said. “Mostly it’s suspicious because the staff and the family must have known this staircase is here, but none of them chose to tell us.”
“Staff and any curious guests might be aware of the staircase,” I said. “It’s not locked on either side.”
Mac nodded. “Let’s get out of here and go somewhere we can talk in private.”
Vi insisted we return to “our” room. Mac’s look of dismay made it clear he had meant that he wanted to talk to
me
in private, not Vi.
“Should I get Rose and Lucille?” Vi asked. “Wally might be helpful, too.”
Mac opened his mouth to speak, but Vi held up her hand.
“He knows lots of stuff about this place, you just have to ask the right questions with him,” Vi said in a lecture-y tone. “There’s no way he could be the killer because he was with us from the time Clarissa left until Linda found her.” Vi rummaged in her purse and pulled out a small black notebook that looked remarkably similar to the one Mac carries. She flipped it open and began writing a note while we walked along the back hallway toward the stairs.
“What’s that you’re writing, Vi?” I said.
“I just don’t want to forget anything. You never know what will be important to an investigation.”
“Ms. Greer, you aren’t investigating anything. Clyde and I will figure this out.”
Vi’s mouth turned down. I could tell by the softening of his expression that Mac interpreted this as sadness.
I
knew it was her stubborn streak expressing itself.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you—” Mac began.
Vi cut him off by saying, “I understand. You haven’t
Vi charged ahead and motioned for Mac to follow.
“Wait, Vi,” I said and grabbed her arm. “We don’t know where it leads and there’s no light.”
She shrugged off my hand and turned toward me. “How are we going to know where it leads unless we go down those steps?” She put her hands on her hips and looked at Mac for backup. “The flashlight is bright enough to show us the stairs.”
I knew she was right. We’d been assuming the killer could only come in through the one door, but if this stairway led to another room, then maybe more people had access than we thought.
I felt my shoulders slump. “Okay, but let Mac go first, Vi. I don’t want you breaking a hip.”
Vi gestured for Mac to lead the way.
We carefully descended the staircase following Mac’s flashlight beam. It only illuminated as far as the next few steps. For all we knew, the stairs could dead-end or drop off into a crumbling pit. I kept one hand on the stone wall for balance and one hand on Vi’s elbow. It was slow going and the skittering of creatures in the dark didn’t add to the enjoyment. I sent up a request to the universe that Mac’s light wouldn’t fail.
Finally, we came to a wooden door. I was certain it would be locked and we’d have to turn around and make our way back up in the gloom. Mac tried the handle and it turned. He gave the door a gentle shove and we peeked out into the hallway that Wally had said contained offices and the back entrance to the kitchen. It was empty, but we heard René and Emmett in the kitchen. The three of us looked at one another in various states of surprise. The door was one of several in the hallway. There was a sign affixed to it on the hallway side: STORAGE—STAFF ONLY . This opened up a whole new avenue of investigation.
“I knew it!” Vi said. “It’s the chef. He did it.”
I chose not to mention her last suspect had been the maintenance guy and we hadn’t even interviewed him yet.
“Why would René want to kill Clarissa?” I said.
“I don’t know yet, but he has a back entrance to her room. That’s pretty suspicious.”
“It
is
pretty suspicious,” Mac said. “Mostly it’s suspicious because the staff and the family must have known this staircase is here, but none of them chose to tell us.”
“Staff and any curious guests might be aware of the staircase,” I said. “It’s not locked on either side.”
Mac nodded. “Let’s get out of here and go somewhere we can talk in private.”
Vi insisted we return to “our” room. Mac’s look of dismay made it clear he had meant that he wanted to talk to
me
in private, not Vi.
“Should I get Rose and Lucille?” Vi asked. “Wally might be helpful, too.”
Mac opened his mouth to speak, but Vi held up her hand.
“He knows lots of stuff about this place, you just have to ask the right questions with him,” Vi said in a lecture-y tone. “There’s no way he could be the killer because he was with us from the time Clarissa left until Linda found her.” Vi rummaged in her purse and pulled out a small black notebook that looked remarkably similar to the one Mac carries. She flipped it open and began writing a note while we walked along the back hallway toward the stairs.
“What’s that you’re writing, Vi?” I said.
“I just don’t want to forget anything. You never know what will be important to an investigation.”
“Ms. Greer, you aren’t investigating anything. Clyde and I will figure this out.”
Vi’s mouth turned down. I could tell by the softening of his expression that Mac interpreted this as sadness.
I
knew it was her stubborn streak expressing itself.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you—” Mac began.
Vi cut him off by saying, “I understand. You haven’t
Similar Books
