worked with us before so you probably don’t know what a great team we make. But Clyde and I have done some good work in the past when we had murders to solve.” She elbowed me in the ribs. “Tell him, Clyde.”
Mac turned his incredulous face in my direction.
I couldn’t look him in the eye, so I addressed his snowman.
“Actually, Mac, they do sometimes have some good ideas, and they have helped me in the past.”
“In the past? You mean the times you took it upon yourself to solve a murder and almost got yourself killed, not once, but twice?
Those
times?” Mac’s face had turned stony and red. It was as if he didn’t know whether to be outraged or terrified.
I lowered my voice and leaned closer to Mac.
“It’s easier than fighting it.”
Mac took a deep breath and let it out.
“Okay, go get Wally and Rose,” Mac said to Vi. “But leave my mother out of it.”
Mac took my hand and stormed up the stairs toward my room.
“I’ll be right there! Don’t say anything until I get back,” Vi said, and scurried off toward the front desk.
Mac dragged me to the room and waited while I pulled out my key. He closed the door quietly behind us and took a moment before he turned around.
“I don’t like the idea of getting civilians involved in a murder investigation,” he said to the door.
“I know, Mac, but honestly, we can’t stop them from talking about it and throwing around ideas. I think it’s better if they think they’re part of the action. Otherwise, they’ll go around talking to everyone and we won’t be able to keep any information to ourselves.” I put my hand on his shoulder to turn him around. “This way we have some control over them. Plus, technically, we’re
all
civilians in this case.”
Mac nodded. “I get it. Wally might actually be helpful anyway. He’s in a unique position—we know he’s not guilty and he knows all the suspects better than we do.”
“Besides, if we hadn’t come here, Vi would probably be in charge of the investigation all by herself,” I said.
Mac shuddered and held his hands up. “Okay, okay. You’re always looking on the bright side, aren’t you?”
I smiled at him, glad he wasn’t going to fight Vi on this. Arguing with Vi was always a losing proposition.
He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into an embrace. “This is not the way I planned on spending our first full day of vacation,” he said into my hair.
“Oh, what did you have planned?” I asked and moved a little closer.
“First, breakfast on a balcony looking out over the ocean.” He tightened his hold and kissed me. “Then, maybe a stroll on the beach. Followed by—”
The doorknob rattled and we sprung apart.
“Here we are!” Vi announced as the door opened.
Mom came in first, followed by a nervous-looking Wally and then Vi.
Vi was breathing heavily. “They weren’t in the lounge, so I had to track them down in the library. Good thing Rose was looking at the door when I cracked it open,” Vi said. “Lucille was focused on her cables so I gave Rose the special signal and she snuck out without anyone noticing.” Vi turned to Wally and said, “Detective McKenzie doesn’t want his mother mucking around in the investigation. She doesn’t have any experience in this sort of thing.”
Mom cleared her cards off the coffee table and we sat by the window.
“Rose, you won’t believe what we just found!” Vi said.
Mac cleared his throat to interrupt her. She glanced at him and miraculously fell silent.
“Wally, do you know anything about a back staircase that leads to the kitchen from the turret room?” Mac asked.
Everyone looked at Wally, who turned bright red.
He nodded. “Yes, I know of it. I’ve never used that staircase. It was put in when the house was built. Ada Carlisle liked to cook even though in those days, everyone hadservants and it was considered unladylike to be involved in the household duties.”
Wally stopped and looked at us.
Vi
Mac turned his incredulous face in my direction.
I couldn’t look him in the eye, so I addressed his snowman.
“Actually, Mac, they do sometimes have some good ideas, and they have helped me in the past.”
“In the past? You mean the times you took it upon yourself to solve a murder and almost got yourself killed, not once, but twice?
Those
times?” Mac’s face had turned stony and red. It was as if he didn’t know whether to be outraged or terrified.
I lowered my voice and leaned closer to Mac.
“It’s easier than fighting it.”
Mac took a deep breath and let it out.
“Okay, go get Wally and Rose,” Mac said to Vi. “But leave my mother out of it.”
Mac took my hand and stormed up the stairs toward my room.
“I’ll be right there! Don’t say anything until I get back,” Vi said, and scurried off toward the front desk.
Mac dragged me to the room and waited while I pulled out my key. He closed the door quietly behind us and took a moment before he turned around.
“I don’t like the idea of getting civilians involved in a murder investigation,” he said to the door.
“I know, Mac, but honestly, we can’t stop them from talking about it and throwing around ideas. I think it’s better if they think they’re part of the action. Otherwise, they’ll go around talking to everyone and we won’t be able to keep any information to ourselves.” I put my hand on his shoulder to turn him around. “This way we have some control over them. Plus, technically, we’re
all
civilians in this case.”
Mac nodded. “I get it. Wally might actually be helpful anyway. He’s in a unique position—we know he’s not guilty and he knows all the suspects better than we do.”
“Besides, if we hadn’t come here, Vi would probably be in charge of the investigation all by herself,” I said.
Mac shuddered and held his hands up. “Okay, okay. You’re always looking on the bright side, aren’t you?”
I smiled at him, glad he wasn’t going to fight Vi on this. Arguing with Vi was always a losing proposition.
He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into an embrace. “This is not the way I planned on spending our first full day of vacation,” he said into my hair.
“Oh, what did you have planned?” I asked and moved a little closer.
“First, breakfast on a balcony looking out over the ocean.” He tightened his hold and kissed me. “Then, maybe a stroll on the beach. Followed by—”
The doorknob rattled and we sprung apart.
“Here we are!” Vi announced as the door opened.
Mom came in first, followed by a nervous-looking Wally and then Vi.
Vi was breathing heavily. “They weren’t in the lounge, so I had to track them down in the library. Good thing Rose was looking at the door when I cracked it open,” Vi said. “Lucille was focused on her cables so I gave Rose the special signal and she snuck out without anyone noticing.” Vi turned to Wally and said, “Detective McKenzie doesn’t want his mother mucking around in the investigation. She doesn’t have any experience in this sort of thing.”
Mom cleared her cards off the coffee table and we sat by the window.
“Rose, you won’t believe what we just found!” Vi said.
Mac cleared his throat to interrupt her. She glanced at him and miraculously fell silent.
“Wally, do you know anything about a back staircase that leads to the kitchen from the turret room?” Mac asked.
Everyone looked at Wally, who turned bright red.
He nodded. “Yes, I know of it. I’ve never used that staircase. It was put in when the house was built. Ada Carlisle liked to cook even though in those days, everyone hadservants and it was considered unladylike to be involved in the household duties.”
Wally stopped and looked at us.
Vi
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