The Grudge (9 page)

“Maybe it’s a substitution cipher with a specific key,” Devon suggested.

“If it is we’ll never solve it without the key. It could still be a phone number, or maybe some type of ID number.”

“Maybe the numbers don’t have anything to do with what we’re working on,” Trevor mused. “It was in the victim’s wallet; it might just be a pin number or a password he wanted to remember.”

“True,” Mac acknowledged. “Maybe we’re seeing a clue where there isn’t one. Let’s move on to the
how
part of our brainstorming session.”

“Maybe we should pick this up in the morning.” Alyson yawned. “My brain is too tired to storm.”

“Yeah, I should get home too.” Andi stood up. “I’ll bring pastries again. Maybe we’ll be able to figure it out in the morning, when we have fresh brains.”

Andi showed up bright and early the next morning. She’d brought pastries from the bakery and a variety of sliced fruit and cooked breakfast meat from the resort buffet.

“Looks good.” Trevor helped himself to a large plateful.

“It’s snowing again.” Mac groaned.

“The partial clearing we were promised never really materialized. Our next shot for clear skies is tomorrow, Are you okay?” Andi asked Alyson. “You look sort of pale.”

“I’m okay. Just tired.”

“You should eat some of these oranges. If you’re getting a cold the vitamin C will do you good. Cookie imports them from Florida. They’re really good.”

“Thanks.” Alyson picked up a small slice.

“What time do you think it will be safe to head over to Bret’s?” Devon asked.

“Maybe around ten. Even the folks who only work a half day should be gone by then.”

Mac looked at the clock over the stove. “It’s nine o’clock now. Let’s eat, then check out the condo. We can work on the security file this afternoon.”

“Maybe Bret’s there and we won’t have to break in.” Trevor poured himself some coffee.

“That would be preferable,” Andi agreed. “At some point I’m going to have to explain to my dad everything we’ve done, and the less criminal activity I have to confess the better.”

A knock on Bret’s door confirmed that there still wasn’t an answer. Luckily, the surrounding condos all appeared to be deserted. Devon found a rock and broke the small window near the door. He reached his hand inside and turned the lock.

“This place is a mess,” Eli observed. “I don’t see any dead bodies, though.”

“If there are any clues we’ll never find them.” Alyson stepped over a large pile of dirty laundry.

“There’s food on the dishes in the kitchen that looks like it’s been there since the turn of the century,” Mac informed them.

“How can anyone live this way?” Andi wondered. “I doubt we’ll find anything useful.”

“And then again, maybe we will. Look at this.” Trevor stood in front of the closet door. The entire closet was full of explosives. Different types, different levels of power.

“Oh my God. Do you think he’s the one who blew up the propane tank?” Andi asked.

“Maybe. He obviously had the fire power to do it.”

“But why? Bret and Mario were friends.”

“Maybe it’s a coincidence,” Alyson suggested. “Just because he has explosives doesn’t mean he tried to kill Mario.”

“What could he possibly want with all this stuff?” Mac wondered. “There’s enough fire power for him to start his own war.”

“I’d better call my dad,” Andi said. “I’m not sure how I’m going to explain how we happened to be in Bret’s condo, but I think it’s time to fill him in.”

Andi called her father and Devon called his.

“Andi,” her dad called as he entered the condo, with Devon’s father on his heels a short while later.

“Here, Dad,” Andi answered from the back of the bedroom.

“You said Bret had a bunch of explosives?”

“Here in the closet.”

Andi’s dad walked over to the closet and pulled out his two-way radio. “Sebastian.”

“Yeah, boss?” Alyson heard a voice on the other end reply.

“Send a security team over to Bret Robbins’s condo. Right away.”

“Sure thing.”

After he put his radio away he turned to look at Andi. “Okay, you want to tell me how you happened to find this stuff?”

“It’s kind of a long story. And there’s more. Possibly a lot more,” Andi said softly. “This place is a dump. Do you think we should go somewhere else to talk?”

“You kids head over to the conference room. As soon as security gets here to dispose of these explosives I’ll meet you there,” Andi’s dad instructed.

“I am so dead.” Andi groaned as they drove toward the admin offices.

“We didn’t actually do anything wrong,” Trevor insisted. “Okay, maybe a little breaking and entering, but it was for a good cause.”

“Let’s get the scotch and the positive test strips,” Andi suggested. “Maybe we can leave out the test on the blood. We have enough without it, and that might really make my dad flip.”

Once they’d gathered everything they needed, they headed over to the admin offices to wait for the dads. Alyson could tell Andi was really sweating her dad’s reaction when he arrived, but it had taken only a moment to tell the man adored his daughter and would do anything to make sure she was safe and happy. It was times like this that Alyson missed her own father. The fact that she’d most likely never see him again didn’t even seem real most of the time.

“Would someone like to tell me what’s going on?” Andi’s dad asked as soon as he arrived and had asked everyone to take a seat around the conference table.

“The night Bruce Long’s body was found,” Devon began, “we happened to meet Andi in the cantina. We asked her to join us for dinner, and during the course of the meal she told us about Mario’s accident. We thought it a little odd that there could be two such serious accidents in a two-day period, so we began to wonder if they weren’t accidents at all.”

“You thought someone purposely hurt Mario and killed Bruce Long?” Devon’s dad asked.

“At this point, yes,” Devon answered. “But it took a little sleuthing on our part to put together all the pieces.”

“Oh, this should be good.” Devon’s dad sighed. “My sons and their friends consider themselves to be amateur detectives of some sort. They’re actually very good, so I have a feeling we’re in for a hell of a story.”

“So you decided the accidents might not be accidents…” Andi’s dad said encouragingly.

“We thought it might be helpful if we could get a look at Bruce Long’s body,” Mac contributed.

“You broke into the clinic!”

“Actually, I have a key,” Andi reminded him.

“Anyway,” Mac continued, “a cursory examination of the victim revealed a bump on the back of his head and skin under his fingernails.” She passed the skin sample to Andi’s dad.

“We realized the bump could have happened when he passed out and the skin could have come from anywhere,” Alyson said, “but we felt further investigation was warranted.”

“Do I even want to hear this?” Andi’s dad asked.

“Probably not,” Andi answered, “but it’s important. Just remember I love you and we were only trying to help.”

“The next day,” Devon continued, “we decided to check out Bruce Long’s cabin. We didn’t find much there except a note by the phone that said ‘pub eight p.m.’ Mr. Long’s body was found around nine o’clock, so the period of time between the meeting at the pub and finding the body was suspiciously short.”

“We talked to Hank,” Andi added. “He said Mr. Long ordered a forty-year-old bottle of scotch he didn’t even know he had. Mr. Long had mentioned a reunion, but no one ever showed up to join him. Hank said he had one drink and left.”

“One drink doesn’t sound like enough to make someone pass out in the snow,” Andi’s dad commented.

“That’s what we thought.” Alyson jumped in. “I bought the bottle from Hank. We used drug test kits we found in the clinic to test it. It came up positive for GHB. A strong enough dose of GHB would cause someone to feel dizzy almost immediately and to pass out within a matter of minutes.”

“You think someone drugged Bruce Long?” Andi’s dad clarified.

“We do. At the time we had little to go on, but now we have quite a lot of evidence,” Alyson explained.

“Besides investigating Mr. Long’s death,” Mac continued the story, “we also looked into Mario’s accident. We talked to Charlie in maintenance and learned that he was actually on shift the day of Mario’s accident but somehow got food poisoning, so Mario was called in to cover for him.”

“You think someone specifically targeted Mario?” Devon’s dad asked.

“We do.” Mac nodded. “We found out along the way that both Mario and Bruce Long were marines. We also suspect the woman who had the heart attack, Stacy King, was a marine. Although we don’t have definitive proof, she had a bumper sticker on her car that said ‘Once a Marine, Always a Marine.’”

“So you think someone’s targeting marines,” Andi’s dad concluded.

“Specific marines,” Devon said. “During a conversation with Charlie, we learned that Bret was in the same marine unit as Mario in Afghanistan. He’s been AWOL for two days; Charlie’s been covering for him. We broke into his condo because we thought he might be another victim. Now we’re not so sure.”

“To summarize, you think Bruce Long and Stacy King were both killed by the same person, who also tried to kill Mario, and that their deaths have something to do with the fact that they were all marines,” Andi’s dad clarified.

“Yes,” Alyson answered.

“And you think Bret is either the killer or another victim?” he added.

“Yes,” Alyson said again.

“As crazy as this sounds, I think you’ve made a good case for yourselves. It might be better if you didn’t fill me in on all the details of how you got this information. I’d hate to have to have my own daughter arrested.”

“There’s more.” Andi hesitated. “We think the accident on the lifts yesterday was deliberate sabotage. We haven’t figured out how yet, but we did confirm that the victim, Todd Wallford, was here as Bret’s guest. We think Stacy King was here as his guest also. I found out that Bret used some of his points this week and Randy Fallon told me Bret bought some of his comp nights from him.”

“I’m not sure whether to be grateful or horrified by what you kids have been up to.” Andi’s dad shook his head. “But from this point on I want you to let our security people handle the situation. Go home, relax, have a nice dinner, take a sleigh ride, go skiing tomorrow. The weather report is calling for sunshine. Have fun, but promise me you’ll leave this alone. If someone
is
orchestrating all these deaths you guys might be putting yourselves in trouble by snooping around.”

“I promise.” Andi hugged her dad.

After leaving the conference room they headed over to the house. Alyson made a pot of hot cider and Mac heated up crab puffs and salmon rolls in the oven. Devon built a fire and Eli put on some music. There was a gentle snow falling outside the large picture windows, creating a feeling of romantic isolation.

“So where should we have dinner tonight?” Trevor asked as Alyson carried in a tray of hot beverages.

“Let’s go to the lodge,” Andi suggested. “Maybe we can relax and enjoy it this time. I’ll call Tony about a reservation.”

“Sounds good.” Trevor put his arm around Andi’s shoulders.

“I want to stop off in the village and buy a bathing suit.” Alyson sat down next to Devon. “I’ve been wanting to try out that hot tub ever since we’ve been here.”

“There’s a great little shop across from the pub,” Andi told her. “I’m due for a new suit myself. Plus I can get us all an employee discount.”

“Count me in.” Mac set down the tray of appetizers on the coffee table. “My budget’s kind of limited, but I’m sure I can find something.”

“This is really nice.” Alyson placed her head on Devon’s shoulder. “This is the first time I’ve felt relaxed since we’ve been here.”

“It has been a bit of a ride,” Trevor admitted.

“When I was at home in Cutter’s Cove I envisioned sleigh rides, gourmet dinners, romantic moments beside a roaring fire, and world-class skiing. Not death and conspiracy,” Alyson complained.

“I can order us a sleigh to take us into town,” Devon offered.

“Really? I’d like that. Will it fit all six of us?”

“It should.”

“I’ll need to go home and change at some point,” Andi reminded them.

“Trevor can take you home later. We’ll pick you up first, then head over to the bikini shop and then to dinner,” Devon suggested.

“I can’t believe my dad didn’t totally flip out.” Andi curled up into Trevor’s side. “I really expected him to go ballistic and lock me in my room for life, if not longer.”

“Maybe he realized we were doing the work his security personnel should have been doing,” Eli pointed out. “And with us there it was kind of hard for him to lose his cool. I’m sure he wanted to maintain a professional air.”

“I can’t believe you guys do this all the time. Tell me about some of your other investigations,” Andi said.

“We first met when Alyson moved to Cutter’s Cove last September,” Trevor began.

“You’ve only known each other since September? You seem so close. I would have guessed you were lifelong friends.”

“We only met three days ago,” Trevor pointed out. “And I feel pretty close to you. Solving a mystery breeds intimacy pretty quickly.”

“I guess you’re right. Continue with your story.”

“Alyson and her mom bought this old mansion on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The attic was jam-packed with generations of both valuable artwork and antiques and quite a lot of garbage. Mac and I, along with Eli, volunteered to help her clean it out. Somewhere along the way we got the idea of seeing if we could find the rightful heir to the stuff.”

“And did you? Find the heir?”

“We did. Of course along the way Alyson almost got shot and we uncovered a double murder and a history of extortion.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Not a bit. But everything turned out okay and we’ve been best friends ever since.”

“I wish I lived near you guys. It sounds like you have a lot of fun. Things here are nice, and I have several close friends, but I’ve never solved a murder.”

“In the four months we’ve known one another we’ve solved four murders, three kidnappings, and two secret conspiracies.”

“And let’s not forget the fact that Alyson broke a hundred-year-old curse,” Mac reminded him.

“Oh, you have to tell me about that.”

For the next several hours they filled Andi in on their various adventures until it was time for her to go home and change for dinner.

Alyson put on soft suede pants and a warm cashmere sweater for dinner. She curled the ends of her long hair and applied a light touch of makeup.

Mac wore one of Alyson’s long wool skirts with thick leggings underneath to keep her warm. She wore a fuzzy angora sweater and, like Alyson, had curled her long hair in a soft, flowing style.

“You both look wow,” Trevor complimented them when they came downstairs. “We should do this dress-up thing more often.”

“You look nice yourself. New sweater?” Mac asked.

“My mom gave it to me for Christmas. What do you think?”

“I like it.” Alyson looped her arm through Trevor’s and walked into the living room, where Devon and Eli were waiting.

“Sleigh’s here.” Devon got up from the sofa and walked over to take Alyson from Trevor’s arm. “You look beautiful.”

“Why, thank you, kind sir.”

Devon helped Alyson into her coat while Eli helped Mac into hers. The sleigh had three rows of passenger seats. Devon and Alyson climbed into the back row, Eli and Mac into the middle, and Trevor into the front.

The snow from earlier in the day had stopped and the clouds had cleared to reveal a sky decorated with more stars than any of them had ever seen. Each seat of the sleigh held a heavy blanket, which each of the couples and Trevor snuggled under.

“Mind holding off with the smoochies until we pick up Andi?” Trevor complained. “I feel a little left out.”

“Don’t look.” Alyson laughed as she wrapped her arms around Devon’s neck for a prolonged kiss.

“I can hear you.”

“So don’t listen,” Mac added as she scootched down under the blanket for a little one-on-one time with Eli.

“Can this thing go any faster?” Trevor asked the driver.

“Don’t worry, we’re almost at Andi’s. I’ve known her since she was born, though, so watch the hands.”

“Great. We have our very own watchdog along. Did Andi’s dad arrange for you to be our driver?”

“No, it’s my shift. I guess you just lucked out. The other driver is new. I’m not sure he’s even met Andi yet.”

Andi had been waiting for them and jogged out of the house as soon as the sleigh pulled up. Trevor hopped down to help her into the high seat.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

“Can we just drive around a bit?” Andi asked. “We have dinner reservations at eight and we wanted to stop by the bathing suit shop beforehand, but we should have time for a backwoods tour.”

“Whatever you want, darlin’. I already warned your young man about being a gentleman at all times.”

“Rory, you didn’t. I’m not ten anymore. I’m perfectly capable of monitoring my own dating activity. I don’t need a watchdog along.”

“That’s what I said,” Trevor agreed. “Besides, I’m always a gentleman.” He pulled the blanket over Andi and himself so that the watchful driver could only imagine what was going on.

The sleigh traveled a narrow path through the forest. The thick canopy of evergreen branches blocked the light from the sky in places, causing a feeling of total isolation from the rest of the world. Each of the couples was locked in their own intimate exchange of quietly spoken words and long, meaningful kisses. By the time the sleigh returned to the village and the bathing suit shop, all involved welcomed the shot of cold air to cool their senses.

“I think I’ll get this red one.” In the shop, Alyson held up a teeny-tiny bikini made of red satin.

“I think I’ll stick with a one piece,” a more modest Mac said. “I saw a nice one in royal blue when we first walked in.”

“Come on, Mac. Take a walk on the wild side,” Alyson encouraged. “How about this one?” She held up a modestly cut two-piece in forest green. “The green will look great with your complexion.”

“I don’t know…”

“Just try it on.” Alyson pushed her into a nearby dressing room. “What are you getting?” she asked Andi.’

“Maybe this black one.” She held up a black bikini with silver trim in a Brazilian style.

“It’s cute. Don’t you think it’s cute, Trevor?”

“Cute isn’t the word I was going for. But yeah, I like it.”

“How’s it going?” Alyson called out to Mac.

“I don’t know. I’m not sure it’s me.”

“Can I see?”

“Is Eli there? Or any of the guys, for that matter?”

“I’ll come in alone.”

“Okay. But don’t laugh.”

The bathing suit showed off Mac’s figure and complexion perfectly.

“Wow, you’re a total babe. You have to get it. Eli will totally lose his cookies when he sees you.”

“Are you sure? I feel sort of naked.”

“Wait here.”

Alyson walked over to the cover-ups and found a complementary color. The fabric was sheer but slightly darker than the two-piece. Alyson went back into the dressing room and slipped it over Mac’s head.

“Just wear this until you’re ready to get into the hot tub, then slip it off and slide in. It’ll be dark. No one will get more than a brief glimpse of the hot package underneath.”

“I do feel better. Less exposed. I guess it’ll be okay. But remember, no porch lights.”

“I promise. We’ll have nothing but the stars to light our way. It may feel strange now, but you’ll thank me later.”

As before, Andi had reserved a table in a corner alcove with windows on three sides. This time the sky was clear and the view was breathtaking. Someone was playing a piano in the bar, and the sounds of soft jazz filled the restaurant. Candles flickered from every table, and the low lighting lent a romantic quality to the evening.

“Good evening, Miss Andi and guests,” the waiter greeted them. “Can I get you beverages while you look over the menu?”

“What do you have that’s sinful?” Andi asked.

“We have a nice virgin daiquiri,” the waiter suggested. “I’m afraid that’s as sinful as you can get when you’re only sixteen.”

“It’s such a drag to go to a restaurant where everyone knows you,” Andi complained. “I could totally pass for eighteen, which is the legal drinking age here, in any other restaurant.”

“A virgin daiquiri sounds great,” Mac agreed.

“Daiquiris all around?” Trevor asked.

Alyson studied the menu. “Everything looks so good.”

“We have to have the crab wontons and oriental shrimp appetizers,” Andi told them. “They’re both to die for. Take my word for it, you won’t be disappointed.”

“Sounds good. When the waiter comes back with our drinks we’ll have him get them started,” Devon said.

“What’s in the house salad?” Alyson asked.

“It’s really good. It has your usual veggies, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrots. But it also has artichoke hearts, bay shrimp flown in fresh, feta cheese crumbles, and the best homemade dressing you’ve ever tasted. Of course Cookie’s soup of the day is always excellent too, so it’s usually a tough choice between the two. They’re both pretty big servings, though, so you should probably do one or the other or you’ll never be able to eat an entree.”

“Any idea what the soup of the day is?” Eli asked.

“It usually says on the back of the menu.” Andi turned her menu over. “Cream of roasted chestnut amaretto. Sounds decadent.”

“One of us should get the salad and one of us the soup, then we’ll share,” Alyson suggested to Devon.

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Do you want to do that too?” Mac asked Eli.

“If you do.”

“Let’s all do it. You really should try both,” Andi said.

When the waiter returned they ordered the appetizers and toasted the evening with their fancy drinks. The bartender had added fruit garnishments, making the drinks appear tropical and exotic.

“So what’s everyone eating?” Alyson asked. “I’m leaning toward the lobster.”

“I think I’ll try the prime rib,” Devon said.

“I was leaning toward the sirloin,” Mac joined in. “It says it has a blue cheese and crab topping. And it comes with asparagus. I love asparagus.”

“I think I’ll have the same.” Eli set his menu aside.

“I’m with Alyson,” Andi said. “The lobster is always excellent.”

“Trevor?” Alyson asked

“I’m thinking the surf and turf. Might as well have a little variety.”

The food, as usual, was excellent. They kept the conversation light, getting to know one another even better. Andi told them about growing up at the resort and attending boarding school in Vancouver, and the others filled her in on life in Cutter’s Cove and their state-champion football team. By the end of the meal, it was obvious they’d be lifelong friends with Andi.

The sleigh ride back to the house was more direct than the one into the village but equally romantic. By the time they arrived, everyone was relaxed and mellow. Cold drinks in the hot tub, surrounded by snow and majestic mountains, were just the thing to top off the perfect evening.

Alyson hurried out of the house in front of Mac. “Mac’s a little insecure about her new bathing suit, so no one say a word. Actually, Eli can say something, but privately. Trevor, no sly comments or catcalls.”