Open for Murder, page 11
“You’re right.” He rolled down the window. “I’m better with animals than people.”
“I wish I could say the same, but you’ve met my cat.”
Max’s chuckle faded into the background music. A few minutes passed before he spoke. “I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Zo gave him a glance. “Saying you’re sorry I got upset isn’t the same thing as saying you’re sorry for accusing Beth of murder.”
“I didn’t accuse her of murder,” Max denied. “I said to be careful.”
“I feel like it’s the same thing.”
“It’s not.”
Zo had to hand it to him. He was good at quibbling, and it was even kind of fun, but she’d had enough of the banter. “Okay, simple question, simple answer. Do you think Beth killed Enid?”
“Do you?”
The question dragged her attention from the road. “What kind of question is that? Of course I don’t.”
“You’re not the most trusting person I know.” Max shrugged. “It had to cross your mind.”
She couldn’t lie. She’d considered the possibility for one split second. However, she’d never admit it to Max. “I can’t believe it. Beth defended you.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “I wondered about that. Why was she defending me?”
“Beth used to coordinate a lot of weddings for her job in Chicago,” said Zo. “I think she’s having a hard time adjusting to life without a bride or a groom.”
“So, she’s playing matchmaker—on us?” He laughed.
She threw him a look. It wasn’t that crazy of an idea. He acted as if she was the last person in the world he’d date. Well she felt the same way.
“Not that it couldn’t happen, I mean,” stuttered Max. “I think you’re—”
“Okay, let me save you from saying something we’re both going to regret.” Zo lifted one hand from the steering wheel. “Just answer the question. Do you think Beth murdered Enid?”
“Hey I was going to say something nice,” said Max. “But to answer your question, no. I doubt Beth had anything to do with Enid’s murder.”
“Thank you.”
“But people surprise me all the time,” he added. “Don’t let your guard down.”
“You sound like my old boss,” said Zo. It was a line he often repeated to reporters on assignment. It was one of the beliefs she let go when she opened Happy Camper. You had to let down your guard to make meaningful connections with people.
“Didn’t you work for the Star?”
“Yes, almost ten years.”
“I read your Curious Camper column every week,” said Max.
“I—really?” She checked to see if he was kidding. “You read my column?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Of course. I am a forest ranger, as you keep reminding me. There’s some good stuff in there.”
Zo relaxed. “I like writing it. My degree is in journalism.”
“That makes sense,” said Max. “So, what made you want to go into business?”
Zo switched lanes. “I always had the idea for the store but not the money. Every morning when I drove an hour to work, I thought about it. I saved my paychecks, hoping for someday. Then, a few years ago, I went to work and found out I didn’t have a job anymore. People weren’t reading the newspaper; they were getting their news online. I figured it was a sign, my someday. I opened the store, and you know the rest.”
“Patrick Merrigan really wouldn’t renew the lease on the first place?” Max asked. “I always thought he was a nice guy.”
“Oh, he is,” Zo said. “He was incredibly nice when he told me he needed the space for his sporting goods store. He even offered to help me pack my things.”
“Which explains why you were trying to shove your Happy Camper sign in your Outback by yourself,” said Max.
She smiled. He could be funny when he wanted to be. “Your truck came in handy that day. I guess I never got a chance to thank you.” She exited toward Lead. Like the resort in Spirit Canyon, Serenity Falls was on the outskirts of town. According to her GPS, it was several miles outside of the city.
“That’s okay,” he said. “I understand. I would have been mad, too.”
From a distance, she could see the evidence of Lead’s mining history. Homestake’s open cut mine was a rocky hole, plunging deep into the earth. Gold was mined here from 1876 until 2001. She’d heard once that it produced ten percent of all the gold in the United States. Officially closed, it now housed a visitor’s center, where tourists could find out information about the Sanford Underground Research facility, which was dedicated to projects like dark matter. Just the words dark matter were enough to arouse curiosity in Zo. She needed to check it out.
If not for the blue sign that read Serenity Falls, she would have missed her turn. As it was, she took it sharply.
“Look at this place,” said Zo. “It’s enormous.”
“And secluded,” added Max. “Customers must really be looking to get away from it all when they come here.”
While the turn had been hidden by shade, the spa was in a clearing. Surrounding the main building were several executive cabins, a pool and detached steam room, and a meditation garden—the perfect accommodations to a relaxing getaway. Only the very rich could afford these digs. There’s no way Allison could swing them on her teacher’s salary, thought Zo.
Max was the first to open the door. “What do you suppose something like this costs?”
“A lot.” Zo joined him. “Look at that waterfall.” Despite being manmade, the waterfall spilled gallons of water over a rocky cliff, giving the illusion that the pool was its natural run off. Pots overflowed with colorful flowers, and lush green plants decorated the muted cobblestone. The spa must have had a full-time gardener, if not many, to care for the grounds and cabins.
Max opened the heavy wooden door to the spa, and Zo squinted to make out the front desk. The room was painted green and had minimal lights and a small waterfall near the reception area. It was more modern than Serenity Hills in Spirit Canyon, and from all the cars in the parking lot Zo guessed it was also busier. No wonder Enid didn’t mind leaving the other resort to Henry. This was where she was making her money.
“Hello,” said Zo as they approached the front desk. She’d never been to a spa in her life, and the only time she got a pedicure was when the Cut Hut in town was running a special.
A woman in a high bun and black smock looked up. This must be what flawless looks like, thought Zo. If she had pores, Zo couldn’t see them. Her makeup was perfectly applied.
“Welcome.” Her nametag read Claire.
“I’m Max Harrington with the Black Hills National Forest Service, and this is Zo Jones.” Max stuck out his hand, and Zo noticed it was calloused from outdoor work. He obviously wasn’t there for a manicure.
Claire nodded, and he continued.
“I’m investigating an accident in Spirit Canyon, and I have a couple of questions about someone who might have stayed here recently.”
Zo was impressed. He sounded very official. She decided it was nice when his officialness wasn’t directed toward her or her store.
“Of course.” Claire said the words as if she handled inquiries like this every day. “How can I help?”
“Her name is Allison Scott,” said Max. “She’s a scientist, and she might have been a guest here when she was working at the Homestake Lab.”
Claire’s lips turned into a straight line. “You’re mistaken. Allison Scott was never a guest.”
“Maybe she used the facilities?” Zo tried.
Claire blinked. “That might have helped her attitude, but no.”
“How do you know her, then?” asked Max. He was losing patience. She could tell by the way he crossed his arms.
“Allison wanted to do soil tests at the spa—if you can imagine.” Claire was clearly horrified by the idea. “She wouldn’t leave it alone, even after Enid told her no. If you’re here for the same reason, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“We’re not,” Zo said in a rush. “We’re here about Enid. I’m sure you heard about her death.”
The receptionist looked around to make sure no one heard the unseemly word. “Of course. I was so sorry to hear of her passing.”
“You got along with her?” asked Max.
“We heard she could be tough to work for,” explained Zo, covering for Max’s surprise.
“It’s called being a boss,” said Claire. “I had no problems with her.”
Zo appreciated Claire’s directness. “I bet Allison encountered some problems, though, when she approached Enid about the tests.”
“For all her academic mumbo jumbo, Allison was a bully.” Claire pursed her red lips. “Plain and simple. Enid was right to turn her down. No one wants a spa like Serenity Falls crawling with equipment and scientists. This place is the epitome of solitude. Just the idea of a problem would keep people away.”
“When was the last time you saw Allison?” asked Max.
She held up her index finger as she answered the phone. It was a request for more salt in the steam room. She paged an employee then returned to Zo and Max. “I never saw her. I only took her calls—dozens of them. She claimed Homestake could mandate the tests, but of course they couldn’t. This is private property.”
Zo wondered about that. Yes, it was private property but private property located in the middle of a national forest. Could what Allison said be true? If so, there would be no need to contact Enid. She must have needed permission.
“Do you know if Enid ever met Allison, in person?” asked Max.
Claire gazed over his shoulder. A guest was approaching the desk. “Not that I’m aware of. She might have tried reaching her at her other property, though. You could check with them.”
“Thank you for your time,” said Max. “If you think of anything else, please give me a call.” He slid his business card across the front desk and turned to leave. Zo followed, almost bumping into a towel-clad man. She took a moment to sneak a peek at his backside as they walked out the door.
“I’m pretty sure that guy didn’t have any underwear on,” Zo whispered when they were safely outside.
“Thanks for letting me know,” said Max.
Zo unlocked the car doors. “I’m just saying.”
The seats were warm from the sunshine overhead, and she took off her sweater before buckling her seatbelt. Max unfastened a button of his shirt, perhaps wishing he had on something lighter. He wore a park ranger uniform and his gun belt.
“I didn’t know you had business cards.” Zo opened the sunroof. “Maybe I should have one of them. You know, just in case.”
He placed a card into the compartment near her gearshift and patted it. “You’re starting to warm up to me. Admit it.”
“The car is starting to warm up, if that’s what you mean.”
He laughed.
Zo pulled out of the resort parking lot. “I think Enid recognized Allison at the chuck wagon. Maybe not recognized, recognized, but she said there was something familiar about her. I bet you it was her lisp.”
Max nodded. “You’re right. I noticed it, too.”
“It’s slight,” said Zo, “but distinguishable.”
“What bothers me is that she never mentioned the soil tests during our conversation,” said Max. “Maybe she said something to Brady, but I doubt it.”
Zo signaled to get onto the highway. “And she’s a scientist—who almost became a pharmacist. She would know how to go about killing Enid.”
“But why would she kill Enid?” asked Max. “What’s her motive? The tests? Even with Enid gone, Griffin might not agree to the equipment.”
“He’s younger, though,” said Zo. “He and his fiancée are much more modern in their thinking.”
“True,” Max agreed.
“And Griffin wasn’t shy about going against his mother’s wishes when he asked Robyn to marry him,” she pointed out.
He stared out the window. “Still, it’s a stretch.”
Max believed the easiest explanation was the right one. Zo assumed pretty much the opposite. She’d done enough work at the Star to know the tangled webs people wove, the stories that started one place and finished another. It was shocking how one event triggered another. All Max knew was the straight-and-narrow road to justice. Zo knew other ways to get there.
A shiny billboard interrupted her thoughts. It pictured a boy with a gleaming nugget of gold in his hand. Seven days a week, tourists could pan for gold at a forgotten vein of the Homestake Mine. Although one of many similar signs in the Black Hills, it gave Zo a new idea. “What if it wasn’t about the soil?” Zo mused. “What if Allison found something at Serenity Falls?”
Max turned from the window. “Like a discovery?”
“Like gold.”
Chapter Thirteen
Despite the look on Max’s face, it wasn’t that crazy of an idea. The Homestake Mine had produced gold until the lab took over, and gold had been found near Deadwood as early as 1865. The Gold Rush was the one and only time in history people flocked to South Dakota. Shops everywhere sold Black Hills Gold, the rose-colored mineral specific to the area. Maybe Allison found a new outcrop. Studying the land from afar, however, Allison could only speculate what lay underground. She would need proof, and a test would give her that.
“You’ve got a good imagination, Zo,” said Max. “I can almost picture the idea in my head.”
“Anything is possible, even an undiscovered gold mine. People aren’t as predictable as animals. They’re really kind of crazy when you get to know them.”
“I’m starting to realize that.” Max smirked.
“I’m being serious,” Zo said.
“Okay, truce.” Max held up his hands. “Actually, your theory reminded me of something else. Remember the dinosaur found near Hill City years ago?”
Zo nodded as she took the turnoff for the canyon. Of course she remembered. A paleontologist with the Black Hills Institute discovered the most complete T-rex ever found, on a ranch near Hill City. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to keep it. Federal agents seized the dinosaur days later. The whole region was sad and angry. The dinosaur’s name was Sue.
“Maybe Allison found something like that,” said Max. “A fossil or bone.”
So, Max did have an imagination. “That’s not a bad idea. Fossils would be as valuable to her as gold. And she had to have found something of value. That’s why she kept calling.”
“What I don’t get is why Allison didn’t confront Enid.” Max shook his head. “Meeting at the lodge was the perfect opportunity to plead her case in person. Why didn’t she?”
No wonder he’s a forest ranger, thought Zo. The word lie isn’t in his vocabulary. “Maybe she did confront her. Maybe it didn’t go well. Do you really think she’d admit they’d had words? No way. Allison’s too smart for that. She’s a professor, for Pete’s sake.”
“It’ll be easy enough to find out why she’s interested in the resort,” continued Max. “She teaches at Black Mountain College. If it’s work related, I can start there.”
“Hey, my astronomy group meets at the college tomorrow night,” said Zo. “The Zodiac Club.”
“What do you guys do in that group anyway? I’ve always wondered.”
She pulled up the drive to Spirit Canyon Lodge. “We mostly talk about stars and constellations. Sometimes we have a guest speaker or book discussion. You’re welcome to join us tomorrow. We’re meeting at nine o’clock at the observatory.”
He turned to face her. “You can’t mean that. You’d hate it if I came.”
She put the car in park. “Not true. Why would you even say that?”
“Because I have no imagination.” He crossed his arms. “Because I’m a Boy Scout. Because I push your buttons.”
Check, check, and check. That pretty much covered it.
“See?” Max pressed. “No rebuttal.”
“I’m just surprised you’re interested. That’s all,” said Zo. “Tomorrow night’s meeting would be a good chance to get inside and snoop. Allison teaches in the science department, and it’s summer. No one’s around.”
“But the college isn’t open.”
“Hence the term snoop. Besides, the buildings are open, until ten.” She glanced out the window. The group was back from the casino. It was after four, and Allison’s Durango was parked in the drive.
Max didn’t answer.
“You’ll be fine,” prodded Zo. “Just leave your Boy Scout badges at home.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Okay, it’s a date.”
If he was scared of the word snoop, she was just as scared of the word date. Anytime the word entered a conversation, it ended badly. She went through boyfriends like she went through tea bags, quickly and with variety. Her independent style made relationships—even with a cat—hard. Now that her business was doing well, she was even more content to bury herself in her work.
A woman walked out of the lodge in fringed boots, and it took Zo a moment to realize it was Sarah. Usually plainly dressed, Sarah looked as if she’d been out shopping with Jennifer. The mom jeans were replaced with skinny jeans, and she wore a ruffled shirt. Maybe she’d ransacked Jennifer’s closet, or maybe she’d won the jackpot they’d been talking about earlier.
Zo decided to ask her and reached for the door handle. Max did the same. “Hey Sarah.” She shut the car door. “You look nice.”
Not used to praise, Sarah blushed. Her brown hair was curled into waves, making it appear fuller and shinier, and her hazel eyes looked blue with the new touch of eye makeup. “Jennifer talked me into a makeover.”
“Let me guess. Deadwood?” said Zo.
Sarah nodded. “She didn’t win the jackpot, but she did win enough to treat us to a trip to the spa in the casino.” She smoothed the ruffles on her shirt. Her nails were purple. “They had a great clothing store there, too.”
