“Let’s hope so.” Eddy nodded to Walt. “Let’s allow the ladies their privacy. We’ll meet in the café in the morning? Six? I was told the actors will be there. It will be a good time to question them.”

  “Good plan.” Jo walked with them to the door. “And be careful, Eddy. As of right now, you’re the only one that saw that body. The killer might be watching you.”

  “I’ll be careful.”

  “Good night, Walt.”

  “Good night, Jo, Samantha. Don’t forget to check your mattresses!”

  Jo pushed the door closed and turned back to Samantha in time for them to exchange grins at Walt’s dedication.

  “He’s passionate, that’s for sure.” Samantha shook her head.

  “Yes, he is.” Jo wiped a hand across her forehead. “I’m exhausted.”

  “Me too. I hope the morning brings some clarity to all of this.”

  “Sam.”

  “Yes?”

  “You do think there was a body, right?”

  “Yes, I do.” Samantha sat down on the edge of her bed. “If Eddy says there was, I believe him.”

  “Good. I do, too. I just hope he believes that we believe him.”

  “Me too.”

  11

  When Eddy woke up the next morning, the events of the day before struck him before he even opened his eyes. His thoughts were plagued with the memory of Howard’s body and who his killer might be. As he climbed out of bed he found Walt by the window with a cup of tea.

  “Walt, did you sleep at all?”

  “Yes, but I got up early, it’s the easiest way not to miss anything. We only have about twenty minutes before we need to be down at the café.”

  “All right, I’m going to grab a quick shower to help wake me up. Or do you need to go first?”

  “Already did, and scrubbed the shower down, so you’re good to go.”

  “Thanks Walt.”

  “I’ve also been looking into Howard’s financial records a little deeper. I discovered that he’s worked for this acting company fairly steadily for the past two years.”

  “Fairly steadily?”

  “I can only assume that the breaks in employment are due to his drinking problem.”

  “That would explain things. But somehow he always ends up back here. I wonder if there might be a reason for that?”

  “He must have a good relationship with his boss, to still have his job.”

  “All right, I’ll be out shortly.” Eddy disappeared into the bathroom. Walt continued to dig through what he could find about Howard. With a bit of effort he was able to access a copy of the divorce agreement between Howard and Jennifer. Outlined in the agreement was what Howard needed to pay Jennifer. He skimmed over the usual alimony, the house, and froze when he saw another entry that detailed a ninety thousand dollar savings account that was to be turned over to Jennifer. However, he couldn’t find any record of the money being transferred to her. In fact he found records of her filing law suits in an attempt to get the money. By the time Eddy emerged from the shower, Walt had run out of time to search. They met up with Jo and Samantha in the hallway.

  “I found something odd in Howard’s divorce agreement with his ex-wife. It seems to me that ninety thousand dollars might be missing.”

  “That sounds like a pretty good motive for murder.” Samantha pushed the button on the elevator. The doors slid open and the four stepped inside.

  “Yes, it does. And, she’s here. So obviously she was up to something.”

  “What about those men in the storage room, though?” Jo narrowed her eyes. “They were vicious.”

  “True, but we don’t know for sure who they were after.” Walt led the way out of the elevator.

  “And the man I ran into in the hallway was pretty intense, too.” Eddy trailed after his three friends as they headed towards the café. He couldn’t help but stare into the dining hall as they passed it. Everything was undisturbed. There was still no sign of a murder. No police tape, no memorial, nothing. His stomach twisted at the thought. They were almost to the café, when Bart walked up to them.

  “Morning, you’re all up early.”

  “We have a murder mystery to solve, don’t we?” Eddy smiled.

  “Like I said, we didn’t find a body yet to lead us to believe there was a crime of any kind committed. However, we also have yet to find Howard. I thought perhaps you could take a look at this picture for me, and see if you think it was who you saw last night.”

  Eddy gritted his teeth. Several words flew through his mind that he would have liked to say out loud, but he decided against it.

  “Sure.” He gazed at the picture on Bart’s cell phone. “Yes, that’s the man I saw last night.”

  “Okay.” Bart shut his phone off and tucked it back into his pocket. “At this point, because of his reckless behavior, the resort has decided it will press charges against him. The manager would like to speak with you directly and apologize for the disturbance.”

  “Instead of pressing charges against a dead man, why not consider that Eddy could be right?” Samantha studied the man before her.

  “It is hard to consider that when no body has been found.”

  “Are you aware that Howard’s ex-wife is staying in this resort? Or that he owed large amounts of money to ruthless debtors?”

  “Uh, well. No, I wasn’t aware of that.” Bart frowned.

  “While you assumed that Howard was just missing, we’ve been trying to figure out why he might have been killed. Trust me, it is more likely that someone murdered him, than it is that Eddy made a mistake.”

  “But without evidence…”

  “Without evidence we have no proof.” Walt nodded. “But we still need to investigate based on what we do know. Sometimes you have to take the risk of being wrong, in order to find the truth. Something to consider.”

  “I’ll review whatever security footage I can find throughout the resort.” Bart shook his head. “I’m not saying there was a crime, but if there was, it would be best to find out as fast as possible.”

  “Yes, it would be.” Eddy held his gaze. “Because if, as you say there might have been a crime, which as I say there was, then you have bigger problems than a body in your resort. You have a murderer, snowed in with the rest of your guests.”

  Bart’s eyes widened. He turned and walked away.

  “I think he’s starting to catch on.” Jo crossed her arms. “Maybe we’ll be getting some help with this soon.”

  “There might be something on the surveillance footage. There are plenty of cameras around here.” Samantha led the rest of the way to the café. The cast members of the murder mystery were gathered around two small tables pushed together. Samantha counted seven members, and guessed that the only one missing was Howard.

  “Good morning.” She smiled at them. “I’m here with the group from Sage Gardens, who you will be performing for today.”

  “How nice.” A woman with long, blonde hair, and sharp features, held out her hand to Samantha. “I am the host of the murder mystery today, Denise. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Samantha.” She shook her hand and smiled. “I’m sure that you will all put on a wonderful show.”

  “It’s more than a show to us, we take it quite seriously.” An older man, with a gruff tone looked from Samantha to the others gathered behind her. “We’re not ready for autographs yet.”

  “Victor, don’t be so rude.” Denise rolled her eyes. “They’re just saying hello.”

  “Will you be able to continue with the performance? I understand one of your actors is missing.” Eddy kept his gaze on Victor. If he took acting so seriously, perhaps he’d had enough of Howard’s flaky ways?

  “We have all played the different roles more than once. Howard is one of our best victims, but he can be replaced.” Victor’s lip curled into a mild smirk. “It’s not the first time he’s been a no-show.”

  “It’s ridiculous.” A younger man on the opposite side of the table from Victor shook his head. “I just can’t believe he would do this.” Samantha noticed Marty, the man that was looking for Howard the previous night, sitting next to the younger man.

  “Try not to worry about it, Jeremiah, it’s just how Howard is. Once you get to know him, you’ll understand.” A petite, black-haired woman reached out and patted Jeremiah’s hand. Jeremiah pulled his hand away and narrowed his eyes.

  “I’m not worried about it, Callie, I just think it’s irresponsible and unprofessional.”

  “Well, maybe if you hadn’t gotten into a fight with him last night, he’d be here this morning and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Denise crossed her legs under the table and fixed Jeremiah with a steady glare.

  “That’s not why he’s not here.” Jeremiah flipped his hair out of his eyes and stared off in the other direction.

  “Sounds like there were some issues?” Eddy frowned. “Co-workers sometimes struggle to get along.”

  “The only way to get along with Howard is to accept him for who he is. Actors are a different breed. They are whimsical, irrational, and impulsive. We all are. Howard’s no different,” Callie said.

  “Oh, that’s the excuse?” Jeremiah stood up from the table. “I don’t want to listen to this anymore. I’ll be back in time for rehearsal.” He stalked off, out of the café. Samantha glanced at Jo, who nodded. Then Samantha followed after Jeremiah. Jo sat down in Jeremiah’s empty seat.

  “I have to admit I am fascinated by actors. I once thought about going into acting myself.”

  “Oh really?” Callie smiled. “You have the bone structure for it.”

  “Acting isn’t all about being pretty enough, Callie.” Another woman beside her huffed. “It’s about talent, imagination, and dedication.”

  “That’s true, Marsha.” Victor nodded. “You have to forgive Jeremiah, he’s young, and hasn’t been involved in the acting life long.”

  “Is there a reason why he and Howard argued?” Jo glanced between them. Eddy and Walt stood back as Jo blended right in with the group.

  “Howard has been on this kick lately, claiming that he’s not drinking anymore. But it’s just one of his usual ploys.” Denise waved her hand dismissively.

  “I really thought he was going to pull it off this time.” Marsha sighed.

  “Usual ploys? Did he have a habit of swearing off things?” Jo asked.

  “He had a habit of doing everything.” Callie giggled. “The man manages to get addicted to anything and everything. Cards, ponies, alcohol, you name it.”

  “Callie, watch it.” Victor rapped his hand on the table. “Gossip is the fastest way to create a problem.”

  “It’s not gossip if it’s true, Victor.” Denise laughed.

  “Anyway, Jeremiah is a bit of a straight arrow. He thinks acting should be treated like religion, pure and obedient. He doesn’t yet know what real acting requires from a person. So, when he found out that Howard fell off the wagon, he was upset. Thought he could strong arm him into behaving himself. But the thing with Howard is that he doesn’t take direction well. If he did, he would have been in the movies, not in some little murder mystery.”

  “Hey, it’s a very highly acclaimed little murder mystery.” Denise sniffed.

  “Everyone at this table knows that Howard is the real star here. If he ever gets his life together, he’ll be famous,” Callie said.

  “Had anyone else been upset with him lately? Did he know his ex-wife was here?” Jo watched for the reactions of the people at the table.

  “Oops.” Callie giggled again. “I guess everybody knows now.”

  “Callie? What did you do?” Marsha frowned.

  “All I did was come to the aid of a woman scorned. We all know that Howard has been doing his best to hide from her.”

  “You just love to cause drama, don’t you, Callie?” Denise sighed. “Acting isn’t enough for you, you need the real life soap opera, too?”

  “It does make things interesting, doesn’t it?” Callie shrugged.

  “Do you know if Howard met with Jennifer since she’s been here?” Jo held Callie’s gaze.

  “I don’t know anything about anything.” She widened her eyes. “I’m just the messenger, I delivered the message, whatever happened after that is not my business.”

  “No wonder Howard took off. This is your fault, Callie!” Victor stood up from the table. “No matter how many of us you pick off, you’re never going to be the star of this show.”

  “Everyone, just settle down.” Jo placed a hand on Victor’s shoulder. “I’m sure we can figure all of this out if we work together.”

  “Ha!” Victor snorted. “I have no interest in working with this woman. She is a con artist and a traitor. Why would you tell Jennifer that he was here?”

  “Because he stole her money. That was her money. She earned it, and she deserved to have it. He gambled it away, and the poor woman was about to lose her house. Was she supposed to just endure that?”

  “Did Howard know she was coming?” Jo asked.

  “No. He didn’t. But when Jennifer got here, I told him. I didn’t want him to be totally blindsided,” Callie said.

  “So that’s why he took off. He wanted to get away from his ex. Mystery solved.” Victor waved his hand through the air. “Anything else you want from us?”

  “No, that should do.” Eddy slid his hands into his pockets. “Just keep in mind that there may be more to Howard’s disappearance than you assume.”

  “Don’t worry, my friend, if we hear a word from our dear Howard, you will be the first to know.” Denise patted his hand.

  “Thank you.” Eddy nodded as he turned away. Walt followed after him, but Jo lingered.

  “I’m looking forward to your show.”

  “Good.” Denise smiled. “I’m sure that you will enjoy it. We really do work hard to make sure that it’s as entertaining as possible. I know right now you probably see us as chaotic and competitive, but the truth is, we’re really all a family. We may have our problems, just like any family, but when it comes down to it, we would do anything for each other.”

  “Anything?” Jo looked between the faces around the table.

  “Just as you would look out for your friends, we look out for ours. If any of us truly believed that Howard was in any trouble, we’d all be hunting down the person who hurt him.”

  “That’s good to know. Good luck today, with the show.”

  “Thank you. Good luck with solving the mystery.”

  Jo followed after Eddy and Walt. They stood close to the tall front windows of the lobby.

  “It’s amazing isn’t it?” Eddy gazed out the window. “Millions of snowflakes, and each one is unique.”

  “That actually isn’t exactly true. While no two snowflakes are identical, many are very similar. In fact thirty-five types of snowflakes have been identified so far.” Walt sighed. “But, they are all still quite exquisite.”

  “Interesting, but that doesn’t solve our murder.” Jo looked back over her shoulder at the actors. “It’s hard to decide what to believe and not believe about that group. They’re trained to pretend and create illusion.”

  “They seemed pretty raw to me.” Eddy shrugged. “Lots of infighting. I think if one of them had something to do with it, it won’t be long before something leaks out.”

  “Too bad we don’t have much time to wait.” Jo looked back out at the snow that was still falling. “We may be snowed in now, but the blizzard is forecast to let up tonight or tomorrow. Then the roads will be cleared. We’re on a deadline if we want to find Howard’s killer.”

  12

  “Jeremiah, wait.” Samantha caught up with him as he neared the elevator.

  “What is it?” He turned to look at her. She was startled to see tears in his eyes. “I don’t have time for autographs right now.”

  “No, of course not. You’re quite upset. Is there anything I can do?”

  “No, there’s nothing. I just made some bad decisions and now I’m paying the price.”

  “What kind of bad decisions?”

  “What do you care?” He sighed and wiped at his eyes. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude. I know that you’re just being considerate. But there’s nothing that you can do for me. I never should have come here in the first place.” He stepped into the elevator.

  “If you want to talk about it, Jeremiah, I could listen. I’m very good at that.”

  “Thanks, but no thanks.” The elevator doors slid shut. Samantha stared at the doors for a moment. She was tempted to follow after him. It seemed odd to her that he would become so emotional over an argument with another actor. Maybe he knew what the other actors didn’t, that Howard really was dead. If that was the case, then he was likely the murderer. She made a note to look into Jeremiah. She wanted to know where he came from, and what his connection to Howard was. As she turned back towards the café, her friends walked towards her.

  “Anything from Jeremiah?” Eddy paused in front of her.

  “Only that he’s very upset over something. I doubt that it’s just about that one argument. I want to find out more about him.”

  “And how about Callie?” Jo scrunched up her nose. “She directed Jennifer right to Howard. Maybe Howard found out and confronted her about it. She could have killed him during the fight.”

  “Maybe, but any kind of yelling and screaming would have been heard, don’t you think?” Eddy frowned.

  “Not necessarily.” Walt held up a finger. “If the murder took place during the time we think it did, the bar was quite crowded and loud, and there was loud music on. There is a very good chance that any shouting or cries for help would not have been heard by anyone inside the bar.”

  “Good thought.” Eddy shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, if there’s one thing I’ve learned through years of investigating, it’s that the bartender always knows more than he reveals. I’m going to speak with Ben again. Maybe he knows something about the argument between Howard and Jeremiah. Someone had to have seen or heard something.”