“Okay, but please keep this to yourselves.” Tanya looked between them.

  They gave a quick nod in agreement.

  “It was the regional tourism committee,” Tanya admitted. “They hired me to find out if Jocelyn was rigging the results.”

  “So, it’s possible John found out you were here investigating Jocelyn and Rick, and realizing his suspicions were probably true, he went after Rick,” Mary suggested.

  “I guess.” Tanya nodded. “Look, my point is that me being here might be what triggered all this. So, it’s very important to me to get to the truth.”

  CHAPTER 24

  As Tanya’s words hung in the air, Suzie drew a quick breath, then exhaled just as swiftly.

  “Okay, it doesn’t matter so much what triggered what happened,” Suzie said. “What matters is who did it. So, we need to get to the bottom of that. If John lost his temper because he found out that his suspicions were right, and Rick had paid his way into success, my question is, why would he go only after Rick? Why not Jocelyn, too?”

  “Oh!” Mary snapped her fingers. “Because he wanted the same deal. He got rid of Rick, and knowing what Rick had done, he could use that information to force Jocelyn into promoting his business instead. Think about it, he wouldn’t benefit from her site being shut down. It’s thriving. Everyone uses it. Instead, he just wanted his inn to be the first one to come up in the search results.”

  “That does make a lot of sense,” Tanya said.

  “It does. You’re right.” Suzie frowned. “But none of it matters if we can’t prove it. Right now we have theories.” She gestured to the laptop. “And a ton of info that we can’t begin to sift through. I think we need to give the police the laptop to see what they can find.”

  “Okay. I’ll text the detective about it.” Mary tapped on her phone.

  “Let me see if I can help you find out if there’s anything important on there.” Tanya stepped closer to the laptop.

  “Wait, don’t.” Suzie blocked her way. “Why should we trust you? You’ve lied to us from the beginning. You might just use this to help your client, or to cover your own tracks.”

  “I would never.” Tanya moved around Suzie to the computer. “Just let me show you what I can do. If you want to see what files were accessed most recently, you can do this.” She hit a few keys.

  Suzie and Mary exchanged a brief worried look, then stepped aside as they watched Tanya work.

  “Here, see? These are all the files he accessed in the last few hours before he died. This is the last one he opened.” Tanya clicked on the file, then stepped back as a video began to play.

  “It’s the video he played for us of the zip line at his inn.” Suzie watched it. “We all saw it. I know he accessed that earlier in the day.”

  “Yes, you’re right.” Tanya clicked on the file again. “But it shows that he played the video within about five minutes of his death.”

  “So maybe he watched the video in the turret?” Suzie looked at the screen.

  “Maybe he showed it to someone?” Mary suggested.

  “But why? He’d just played it at the presentation.” Suzie sat back in her chair. “And what could be in this video that would make anyone want to kill him?”

  “I don’t know.” Tanya reached for the laptop. “Why don’t you let me take this back to my room and I can search a little deeper. I’m sure that we’ll find more.”

  “No.” Suzie stood and blocked her access to the computer again.

  “I’ve already told the detective about it and it’s evidence,” Mary said.

  “It’s only evidence if someone actually looks at it,” Tanya said. “What if the police don’t dig into it? What if they just stick it in a bag and leave it on a shelf? Let me take it to check it properly.”

  “No. You haven’t been truthful from the beginning. For all we know, you killed Rick to keep him quiet about your investigation. Maybe he found out who you really were and was going to expose you to Jocelyn, Saul, and everyone else. That would have ruined your investigation, and maybe even your career.” Mary locked her eyes with Tanya’s. “That’s right. You had a lot on the line, and you couldn’t risk losing it. Now you’re trying to pin it on someone else, so you don’t end up in prison. If we give you this laptop, we might never see it again.”

  Suzie opened the door and stepped aside for Tanya to get through. “You need to go. We aren’t letting you take the laptop.”

  “But wait.” Tanya held up her hands. “I just wanted to get to the truth about Next Stop Getaways, and now I want to know the truth about Rick’s death. They must be connected. Yes, I told some lies so people wouldn’t guess what I was doing. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to. It’s my job.”

  “And the police? Did you tell the detective the truth about why you were here?” Suzie asked.

  “What is it that you’d like to tell me?” Blake stepped into the doorway, his brows furrowed.

  Tanya spun around to face him.

  “Tanya, you need to tell him everything,” Mary said.

  “Okay. I haven’t told the whole truth.” Tanya hesitated, then glanced at Suzie and Mary. “But only because I’m not supposed to.” She looked back at him. “I’m sure, as a detective, you understand what it means to be undercover.”

  “Slow down a minute.” Blake held up his hands. “Just take it from the beginning, and tell me everything.”

  “This is my first real solo case.” Tanya nodded. “I’m working undercover as a private investigator looking into whether Jocelyn was taking bribes from Rick to promote his business on her site over the other businesses in the area. But that’s it. I had nothing to do with Rick’s death.” Her voice wavered. “Please, you have to believe me. Just because I lied about that, doesn’t mean I killed him.”

  “Relax, Tanya. I already knew who you were.” Blake looked past her, at Suzie and Mary. “You said you have Rick’s computer for me?”

  “We found it at the bottom of the laundry chute.” Mary handed him the laptop.

  “How do you know it’s his?” The detective raised an eyebrow as he opened it.

  “The username is Rick, and the password is pippalove. One word, all lowercase.” Suzie set her jaw as she realized how suspicious she and Mary looked at the moment. “I think that makes it pretty clear.”

  “And how did you find out the password?” Blake balanced the laptop in one hand and typed in the password with the other.

  “We guessed it.” Mary glanced after Tanya as she took off down the hallway, then looked back at the detective. “Are you really going to let her go? Don’t you want to question her?”

  “What’s this?” Blake’s focus remained on the laptop. “A video?”

  “Yes. Apparently, it’s the last file that was accessed. It was within a few minutes of his death. We’re not sure why, but that’s what was playing around the time he was killed. We think the killer tossed the laptop down the laundry chute.” Suzie watched the elevator doors begin to slide closed behind Tanya.

  Blake’s eyes widened. He drew a sharp breath, then snapped the laptop shut.

  “Hold that elevator!” Blake waved to Tanya, who managed to push the button just before the doors closed all the way.

  The detective ducked inside, the laptop tucked under his arm.

  CHAPTER 25

  “Do you think he’s going to arrest her?” Mary kept staring at the elevator, even though the doors had already shut on the detective and Tanya.

  “It didn’t look that way.” Suzie wrung her hands. “Why do I feel like we’re no closer to finding out the truth than when we started?”

  “It only happened yesterday, Suzie. These things take time. We did find the laptop, we did confirm that it’s Rick’s, and we did see the last thing he likely watched. There’s also the fact that someone else was in the basement with us, remember?” Mary held her gaze.

  “When the electricity went out, yes. In fact, that person might have been the one who cut off the electricity. They probably tripped the breaker for the basement to make their escape in the dark.” Suzie narrowed her eyes. “It worked.”

  “You’re right. Which means that whoever it was might actually be the murderer.” Mary bit her bottom lip at the thought. “I think the best thing we can do is recruit some help.”

  “Help? What kind of help?” Suzie asked.

  “We can gather everyone together and show them this video.” Mary held up her phone. “I recorded it from the computer. Maybe someone will have something useful to say, or maybe their expression will tell us more than their words do.”

  “I like that.” Suzie grinned. “Clever. Very clever. You can just say you recorded it the day Rick gave the presentation.”

  “Good idea. We all put our numbers on the guest sign-up sheet yesterday, and I snapped a photo of it. I’ll send out some texts and get them to meet in the lounge. A few drinks might loosen some lips, too.” Mary winked at her.

  “You’re on a roll.” Suzie smiled, then glanced back into the room at Pilot who was sound asleep under the table. “I guess he’s okay here for a while.”

  “I think he’s a little worn out from all the excitement.” Mary swallowed hard as her phone began to chime. “I’m getting a lot of quick responses. Everyone’s on edge. I asked if they would help with the investigation, and so far they’ve all agreed.” She squinted at the phone.

  “I just can’t imagine what on that video would make the detective react that way.” Suzie pushed the button on the elevator.

  “He must have seen something,” Mary mused as she entered the elevator with Suzie beside her. “It was just about the zip line. It’s not like Rick was trying to hide it. He played it for everyone during his presentation.”

  “And died shortly after.” Suzie stepped out into the hall. “So, maybe someone watching the presentation saw the same thing that the detective did. The question is, what?”

  “That’s what we’ll ask.” Mary followed her toward the lounge. When she stepped inside, she was surprised to see a frazzled Brittany behind the bar. “Brittany, I didn’t think you worked this late?”

  “Normally, I don’t,” Brittany huffed as she wiped her hands on her apron. “But Michael was a no-show, so I’m filling in. It’s going to cost me more in babysitting fees than I make, probably, but when Saul says jump, I jump. He’s fired people for a lot less.”

  “What do you think happened with Michael? Is it like him to just not show up for work?” Suzie asked.

  “No, not at all. But he’s not here, and I haven’t been able to reach him. Maybe the reality of what happened to Rick has hit him, and he just can’t bring himself to come in,” Brittany suggested. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “Just some sparkling water, please,” Mary said.

  “Same for me, thanks.” Suzie set down a generous tip despite the drinks being free.

  “It’s probably going to be very busy here soon.” Mary turned toward the door just in time to see a gathering of people she’d invited making their way through it.

  “Suzie. Can you help me position this in a way that everyone can see?” Mary asked.

  “Sure.” Suzie smiled at her as she placed the phone on the bar top. “Can everyone see?”

  “I’ll do my best.” Elliot peered at the phone.

  “What are we supposed to be looking for?” Pippa cast a nervous glance at the others around her.

  “Hey, as long as the drinks are still free, I’ll watch whatever you want me to watch.” John smirked as he signaled to Brittany.

  “I don’t see Jocelyn.” Suzie leaned close to Mary. “Do you think we should wait?”

  “No, let’s get started. Maybe she’s not coming.” Mary turned to the rest of the group. “We’ve asked you to gather here because we need some help.” She gestured to the phone on the bar. “We have a recording of the video you saw during Rick’s presentation. We’re just going to ask you to let us know if you see anything odd about it. If there’s something we should know about the people in it, or where it took place. Any little detail could help.”

  “You called us all here to watch that video?” Pippa laughed dismissively. “You’re not sharp detectives, are you? I thought you were going to leave this alone.”

  “The sooner the truth’s revealed, the sooner we can put this all behind us. And there might be something on this video that helps with that.” Mary pressed the play button. “Please, just call out if you notice anything you might have missed at the presentation, anything that could be relevant.”

  Elliot abruptly stepped closer to the phone and pointed at a man who was standing near Rick beside the zip line in one of the clips. “That’s Henry. That’s the man who died on the zip line. This must have been filmed the day of his accident.”

  “That’s not possible.” Pippa frowned. “When Henry died, the zip line wasn’t operating. We’d shut it down after the storm the night before had downed some trees. He went out there by himself and used it without permission. That’s how he died, because he didn’t give us a chance to inspect it after the storm. He’s with Rick, so this must have been the day before. Henry went out alone the next day, and died.” Her tone grew sharper. “It was a terrible accident that wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t broken the rules.”

  “Was Henry a friend of Rick’s?” Mary studied the different expressions around her. She noted that Pearl didn’t seem to recognize him, and John refused to look at the screen, however, Elliot and Pippa were riveted to the video.

  “He died a couple of years ago.” Pippa cleared her throat. “He was a guest, for a few days, and wanted to try out the adventure activities.”

  “He was more than that.” Elliot glanced at Pippa. “And you know it. He was competition. Henry had inherited a property from his late wife’s family just around the corner from Old York Inn. Rick was furious when Henry decided to build an inn there with his sister, and even more so when Henry started snooping around.”

  CHAPTER 26

  All eyes shifted to Pippa, who shrank back from the sudden attention.

  “That’s just how Rick was.” She rolled her eyes. “John knows that. He was very competitive. So, yes, he wasn’t pleased about it. But like I said, Henry died in an accident. It had nothing to do with Rick. If you want to figure out who killed Rick, you should ask yourself who had the most to gain from his death.”

  “Other than you?” Pearl raised her eyebrows.

  “How can you say that to me?” Pippa shot back.

  Before Pearl could reply, Elliot spoke up. “I remember Henry well from when Rick and I operated our first B&B. He and his now late wife would come stay when visiting family.” He gazed at the screen. “And you’re not wrong. Rick was very competitive.”

  “Elliot, stop talking like you know so much about Rick. You’d barely spoken to him for years. All you wanted to do was take from him. You were even suing him. When are you going to pay back that loan he gave you?” Pippa scowled at him.

  “What are you saying?” Elliot squinted at her. “I didn’t take any loan from him.

  “Don’t lie!” Pippa glared at him.

  “Okay, that’s enough!” John set his glass down with a thud, and some of the liquid sloshed over the side. “Guessing isn’t going to get us anywhere. Just let the police do their job.”

  As he stormed off, Brittany groaned, “Great, another mess to clean up.”

  “I’m sorry about that,” Mary said.

  “It’s not your fault, but Michael’s definitely going to owe me,” Brittany muttered as she started cleaning the bar top.

  While the others dispersed, Suzie caught Mary’s arm.

  “Let’s see if we can hunt down Jocelyn and find out why she didn’t show up,” Suzie said.

  “What are we going to do when we find her?” Mary led the way out of the lounge and into the main hall.

  “If it’s true that John did this, and then used what he found to blackmail Jocelyn into giving him the same deal, then we should confront her. She might confess if she realizes that we know,” Suzie said.

  “It’s worth a try. But what would John have to do with the video that we watched?” Mary tightened her lips with determination. “I’m certain that the detective saw something in that video that made him take off the way he did.”

  “I’m not sure.”

  Mary sighed. “I suppose the video could actually mean nothing, and we’re just grasping at straws.”

  “Yes. Every time I think we have a lead, we end up back at square one. Oh, look, there’s Martha. Maybe she can tell us where Jocelyn is.” Suzie quickened her pace to catch up with the manager who’d just turned the corner toward the front foyer. “Martha!”

  Martha froze, then turned around to face them with wide eyes. “Yes?”

  “Sorry to disturb you.” Mary noted the tension in her expression. “You must be so busy.”

  “I am. I’m trying to get this place into shape. Everything’s falling apart with the chef gone and the guests ignoring all the activities that were supposed to get them out of their rooms long enough to be cleaned,” Martha groaned. “It’s been a difficult couple of days to say the least.”

  “I can definitely agree with that,” Mary said. “Do you have any idea where Jocelyn might be? I’ve tried to reach her, but she hasn’t responded.”

  “I saw her out by the dogwoods just before. I’m not sure what she was doing, but it seemed like she was upset. Like she wanted to be alone.” Martha’s eyes scanned the room. “Have you seen Pippa? I found something in her room that I reported to the police, and I know they’ll want to talk to her.”

  “She was just in the lounge with us. What did you find?” Mary’s heart skipped a beat as she recalled Pippa’s sharp tone with Elliot.

  “That box of files she claimed was missing. It was right out in the open in her room, but mostly empty, and there was a lighter next to it. And early this morning, I found a burn pile in one of the outside garbage cans. I think she destroyed some kind of evidence.” Martha wagged her finger at them both. “If you see her, steer clear. I think she’s dangerous.”