“Right.” Suzie plucked a grape from a bunch piled high in a bowl on the prep table. “Do you have any more details about that fight between Rick and Antonio? Any thoughts as to what exactly they were fighting about?”

  “I’m sorry, I wish I did.” Pearl hesitated, then looked down at the knife she held. When she looked up at them again she had tears in her eyes. “I really don’t want to get involved with the police, but trust me, they have the right guy.”

  “You did hear more, didn’t you?” Suzie gestured between herself and Mary. “You can trust us. You can tell us.”

  “I heard Antonio tell Rick that if he ruined things for him with Saul, he’d make him pay.” Pearl bit her bottom lip. “Trust me, I’ve felt guilty about it ever since. I keep thinking if I’d just said something, intervened somehow, maybe Rick would still be alive.”

  “I don’t think there was anything that you could have done.” Suzie tried to reassure her, though her eyes lingered on the knife she still held. “Did Rick seem frightened by what Antonio said?”

  “No.” Pearl blinked back the tears in her eyes as her shoulders dropped in defeat. “That was the worst part. He laughed at him, right in his face. I don’t think Antonio’s face could have gotten any redder.”

  “Did you tell any of this to the police?” Mary asked.

  “No, like I said, I don’t want to get involved with the police.” Pearl returned to chopping the vegetables.

  Mary realized it must have been someone else who told the detective about the fight. But maybe they hadn’t heard as much as Pearl, or told the police everything.

  “I understand that, but this is really important information to give the police.” Mary stepped closer to Pearl. “You have to talk to them.”

  “Why?” Pearl glanced at Mary. “They already have him in custody. They obviously have enough evidence. They don’t need me to convict him.”

  “What if they do?” Mary asked. “Evidence has to be strong enough to convince a judge or jury. Hearing your testimony might make that difference.”

  “See, that’s exactly what I mean.” Pearl put the knife down on the cutting board. “If I tell them all of this, they’ll expect me to testify. I just can’t. I need to stay focused on my business right now. I don’t have any extra time or energy to get involved in something like this.”

  “Okay, I understand how you feel.” Suzie took a step between her and Mary, sensing the tension that rippled through Pearl.

  “We just came in to steal some lunch.” Mary offered a soft chuckle, hoping to lighten the atmosphere.

  “There are sandwiches in the first drawer of the fridge. Help yourselves.” Pearl began chopping away again.

  “Thanks.” Mary opened the fridge and selected two chicken sandwiches for them.

  She and Suzie continued on through the kitchen and into a hall that led toward the front door on one end, and to a cluster of utility rooms on the other.

  “Don’t you think that was odd?” Mary turned to face Suzie, only to find her about to speak.

  “Yes, I was just about to say the same thing.” Suzie took one of the sandwiches. “She’s very spooked by the idea of getting involved with the police. But if what she’s saying is true, if she really saw Rick and Antonio interacting that way, then there’s a very good chance that the killer is in custody.”

  “I hope that’s the case,” Mary said. “But I think it’s time we talk to Saul and try and find out if he knows anything that can help get to the bottom of this.”

  “Saul’s a bit of a ghost. Do you think he’s going to be willing to speak to us?” Suzie asked.

  “I think we’re going to have to use an inside connection for that,” Mary said.

  “An inside connection? Who?” Suzie narrowed her eyes.

  Mary tipped her head toward Martha as she stepped into the hallway through another door and began walking toward them.

  CHAPTER 22

  “Suzie, Mary, I keep running into you two today.” Martha smiled.

  “We’re just lucky, I guess.” Mary grinned. “What are you up to?”

  “I’m heading down to the basement. I need to help catch up on some laundry. With everything that’s been going on, the staff haven’t been able to get to it, and it completely slipped my mind.” Martha looked between the two of them with a concerned expression. “Is everything okay? Did you need something?”

  “Actually, we were hoping that you might be able to get us a meeting with Saul,” Suzie said. “He’s so hard to pin down. I’ve left a message for him, but I haven’t heard back.”

  “Oh, he’s so busy.” Martha waved her hand and laughed. “Chasing him down isn’t easy. But I’ll try. I’m sure he’ll have a few minutes to talk to you. You two wait here.” She headed off down the hallway.

  “I feel bad asking her now. She already has so much to do running this place, and now a murder as well.” Mary’s eyes widened. “The laundry!”

  “Yes? What about it?” Suzie raised her eyebrows. “You’re not planning to go do it for her, are you? Do you really miss it that much?”

  “No, I don’t miss it at all.” Mary laughed. “It’s just that after Rick was found, and I had my shower, I went to put my towel in the laundry chute, and when I tried to open the door to it, it was stuck. Tanya helped me. When she did, something heavy fell through the chute. It clunked on its way down. I remember wondering what anyone would put in the chute that would make that kind of sound. But I had no reason to think twice about it until now.” She grabbed Suzie’s arm. “I’m sure that laundry chute comes all the way from the top floor. What if the killer threw something down it?”

  “What would the killer throw down a laundry chute?” Suzie scrunched up her nose. “It’s not like there’s a missing weapon.”

  “I don’t know, but we need to find out what was in there. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe just someone’s trash. But I won’t be able to stop thinking about it until I check. If the staff have been so busy and haven’t had time to get to the laundry, then it’s probably still in the chute. Let’s go down into the basement and take a look. Just real quick.” Mary lowered her voice as she hurried down the hallway. “If Martha finds it first, she might toss it without realizing how important it is. And if it implicates Antonio, she might get rid of it fast.”

  “Okay. But real quick.” Suzie opened the door to the basement and held it for Mary.

  As they both descended the stairs into the well-lit basement, Suzie marveled at the size of it.

  “Can you believe they have all this space down here?” Suzie gestured around her. “This entire place is just huge.”

  “It really is. And we haven’t even had the chance to see half of it. We need to really try and enjoy some of the activities. I hear there’s a rock-climbing wall that looks like an actual mountain.” Mary chuckled. “I can’t see myself getting to the top, but I might be willing to try.”

  “Then let’s get this solved. I want you to enjoy yourself, and I want Rick’s killer behind bars.” Suzie scanned the basement.

  “Look, here’s where the laundry comes out.” Mary walked over toward a pile of towels.

  “That’s one of the places.” Suzie gestured to two more piles beneath two other chutes. “I guess that with a place this size they need multiple chutes.” She glanced over at her. “Maybe we need one at Dune House?”

  “With the way the rooms are set up, it wouldn’t be very convenient. I have a system that works. Hurry. I think it’s one of these two.” Mary pointed to two of the chutes, then began sorting through the towels at the bottom of one of them.

  “I’ll help.” Suzie hurried to the other chute and started sifting through the pile, when the overhead lights abruptly cut off. “Mary? Are you okay?”

  “I’m okay,” Mary replied.

  In the darkness, feet shuffled, then a shadowy figure blew past them both, up the stairs, and out the door of the basement.

  “Let’s go, we have to catch them!” Suzie switched on the flashlight on her phone and bolted up the stairs after the figure, with Mary a few steps behind.

  As Suzie burst through the door into the hallway, she nearly collided with Saul who was standing just in front of the door.

  “Hey, watch it!” Saul jumped back as Suzie and Mary came barreling through, nearly running him over in the process.

  “What’s going on here?” Martha stepped up from behind him. She froze at the sight of the two of them. “What were you doing in the basement?”

  “I’m sorry, I know that we shouldn’t have been down there. I just wanted to see what your setup is like.” Mary tried to sound casual. “I think our B&B could definitely use a laundry chute.”

  “You shouldn’t have gone down there without asking!” Martha’s voice grew tight and high.

  “Now, now, Martha. It’s fine. It’s just fine.” Saul waved his hand to silence them all. “That’s the point of this gathering, isn’t it? To give each other tips and celebrate each other’s businesses?” He clasped his hands together as he looked at Suzie and Mary. “Now, I was told that you wanted a meeting with me? I’m sorry, I only have a few minutes before I have to take a call.”

  “We all want a meeting.” Jocelyn walked toward them from one side of the hallway.

  Tanya walked toward them from the other side.

  “Yes, we do.” Elliot joined them a moment later, his eyes set in a determined glare. “It’s time you gave us all some answers, Saul. What are the updates on the case? Will the awards ceremony still go on? When can we leave?”

  “Leave?” Saul chuckled as he looked around at each of them. “You don’t really want to go, do you? We have so many activities lined up. I know it may be hard to enjoy after what happened, but I truly believe that Rick would want us to. He had a passion for adventure, after all, and he believed in his idea of creating adventure at the inns, not just at tourist destinations.”

  “Are you really still advertising?” Elliot asked incredulously. “You should just hand out the award now and let us go home and try to get over this.”

  “Tonight.” Saul’s tone became serious. “We’ll have the ceremony tonight as planned. And the detective has asked you all to stay. It’s not up to me if you can leave or not.”

  As the group began to question and argue more, Mary pulled Suzie away, toward the elevator.

  CHAPTER 23

  “What are you doing, Mary? Didn’t you want to talk to Saul?” Suzie whispered.

  “Yes, but we’re not going to be able to get a word in at the moment, and I found a laptop down there. I’d rather have a good look at it.” Mary tapped the computer she had slipped under her light jacket, then pressed the button for the elevator. “It might just be what leads us to the killer.”

  “Oh, well done, Mary.” Suzie cast one more look down the hall in Saul’s direction. “He did sound a little cold, didn’t he? I mean he even wants to go on with the ceremony.”

  “You’re right.” Mary stepped into the elevator. “He seemed more focused on advertising his business than on getting justice for Rick.”

  “Hopefully, we won’t have to rely on him for any information once we get a look at that laptop.” Suzie unlocked the door to their room, then held it for Mary.

  “We’re the only ones who know we have this laptop.” Mary took the computer out from under her jacket. “If it turns out to be Rick’s, then we’ll have to let the detective know, but as far as anyone else is concerned, it’s missing.”

  “Let’s see what we can find.” Suzie closed the door behind them.

  Pilot ran up to greet them. He sniffed suspiciously at the computer in Mary’s hands.

  “Don’t lick it!” Mary held it up high in the air to avoid his friendly tongue.

  “Here, Mary.” Suzie cleared off the small table in the kitchenette. “Pilot, come sit here.” She directed him to settle by her feet, and he happily obliged.

  “Okay, let’s have a look.” Mary set it down on the table.

  “Is there anything on the outside? Maybe a sticker from his business?” Suzie leaned close.

  “It looks like it got a little cracked from its journey.” Mary pointed to the split in the shell. “But let’s see if it will turn on.” She flipped it open and hit the power button. “We don’t have the charger, so it might not even have enough battery to start.”

  “It looks like it does.” Suzie leaned close as the monitor lit up, then began loading the operating system.

  “If it’s Rick’s, there might be something on it that will tell us who his killer is.” Mary groaned as the computer demanded a password. “How are we ever going to figure out his password?”

  “At least we know it’s his. The username is Rick.” Suzie pointed at the screen. “But if we can’t work out the password, we’ll have to turn it over to the police, and maybe they can get into it.” She sat down beside her at the table.

  “But we should give it a try, right?” Mary said.

  “Right. We can start with the most obvious options. Let’s see, his business was very important to him. Try different combinations of Old York Inn,” Suzie suggested.

  “Good idea.” Mary began typing in potential passwords.

  As each one met with rejection, she and Suzie discussed how to figure out the password, what to add, and what to leave out.

  After a few minutes, Mary shook her head. “I don’t think we’re getting anywhere here.”

  “Wait, we just have to think a little bit more like Rick,” Suzie said. “His business was the most important thing to him. If that wasn’t his password, what’s the second most important thing to him?”

  “I’m sure it was Pippa. They were married, and everyone talked about her like she held the business together.” Mary considered the options. “Maybe it’s as simple as IlovePippa.” She tried the password and groaned at the instant rejection.

  “I think you’re onto something, but let’s make it simpler. It has to be something he could type in fast, but also a little odd enough that people wouldn’t guess it. What about pippalove?” Suzie leaned close as Mary typed it in.

  “Yes.” Mary jumped up from her chair as she flung her hands in the air and cheered. “You did it, Suzie. That’s it.”

  “That certainly is a stroke of luck.” Suzie laughed. “I wonder what’s on there?”

  “Let’s see, nothing too interesting on the background, but there are tons of files, photos, and videos.” Mary scrolled through the computer. “It’s great that we were able to get in here, but I don’t even know where to start to look.”

  A loud knock on the door startled them both. Pilot ran over to the door.

  “I’ll see who it is. You take over. You’re better with computers than me. Remember, if anyone asks, that’s our laptop,” Mary whispered, then walked over to the door. She opened it to find Tanya.

  “Tanya!” Mary’s eyes widened. “What do you need?”

  “Actually, I thought you might need my help.” Tanya glanced between the two of them as she patted Pilot’s head before her gaze settled on the laptop. “I knew it! I saw it under your jacket before you disappeared. And I knew there must be a reason you’re hiding it. It’s Rick’s, isn’t it?” She looked back at Mary. “I’m here to help you get into it. I’m sure it’s password protected, and I’ll be able to work it out.”

  “Is that so?” Suzie walked up to the door as well. She peered up and down the hall, then gestured for Tanya to step inside. “And what makes you so sure?”

  “Oh, it’s just that I know a little about Rick, and what he might have used as a password,” Tanya said.

  “You do?” Mary raised her eyebrows. “Why would you know that much about him?”

  Tanya bit her bottom lip. Her muscles tensed. She remained quiet.

  “So, you’re not going to tell us the truth?” Mary closed the door behind her. “But you want us to trust you with the computer we found?”

  “Okay. Yes, I’ll tell you.” Tanya clenched her hands at her sides, then continued in a flurry of fast-paced words. “The truth is I’m not here for the awards at all. I’m a private investigator, working a case to see if Rick paid Jocelyn to boost his business to the top of her site’s search results.” She looked between them. “There, now you know everything.”

  “Wow.” Mary glanced over at Suzie, then looked back at Tanya. “I have to say, I didn’t see that coming.”

  “No?” A smile tugged at the corners of Tanya’s lips. “I guess I was doing a pretty good job at staying under the radar, then.”

  “I knew something was up when you pretended you were hanging around here like you were just another guest. I could see the investigator in you.” Suzie studied her. “Maybe Rick did, too. Maybe he realized you were digging into him. That might explain why you two ended up in that turret, arguing.”

  “You suspect me?” Tanya pointed at herself. “That’s ridiculous. I had no reason to want Rick dead.”

  “That we know of. But you’re obviously good at being deceitful.” Mary planted her hands on her hips. “And now you’re here trying to get a look at possible evidence.”

  “Yes, you’re right. But I’m here to help.” Tanya squared her shoulders. “I want to get to the truth as much as you do. I didn’t come here expecting to deal with a murder, and I can’t shake the thought that my digging might have set events in motion that cost Rick his life.”

  “You think that Jocelyn got wind of your investigation and killed Rick to hide it?” Suzie suggested.

  “Yes, possibly,” Tanya said.

  “Did John hire you?” Suzie asked.

  “No.” Tanya shook her head.

  “Who, then? There’s no use hiding it,” Suzie said. “The truth will come out.”