Iris had returned.
“I was searching under your bed for Venus. You know, the bald cat.”
“Why would it be in my rooms?”
Iris stepped into the room and looked around. Liz quickly passed her, went through the open doorway, and stepped out into the hall. “You’re right, she’s not here. I thought with all the commotion last night that she might have snuck in when you were packing to leave the hotel. Did you find a good place to stay?”
“Yes.” Iris placed her suitcase on the bed.
“Nearby?”
The housekeeper didn’t answer.
“I’d better check Betty’s room. Oh, by the way, you missed the fingerprinting session in the library. Agent Pearson was looking for you.”
Color seeped into Iris’s pale face. “Well, I’m here now.”
“You can check the library and see if she’s still there. Agent Pearson also wanted me to ask you about the rock with the note tied around it that David Worth showed you yesterday afternoon. She wanted to know what the note said.”
“I don’t know. He mumbled something about it saying, ‘You better leave things as they are or else’.”
“Do you know what he did with the note?”
“He handed me the rock, which I threw in the bushes, then he tossed the note in the trash.”
“In the lobby?”
“Yes.”
“Thanks. I’ll tell the homicide detective.” Liz said the word “homicide,” louder than the rest of the sentence, trying to gauge Iris’s reaction. Iris remained stone-faced. Liz said, “I’m really sorry you’re the one who found Regina Harrington-Worth dead. It must have been a shock. Especially when you saw that thing wrapped around her neck.”
“It was a shock. The Ace bandage was wrapped so tightly, she didn’t have a chance.”
“Good thing Captain Netherton was with you.”
“I guess.”
“David Worth is coming home from the hospital today and staying here, although he can’t stay in his old suite—for obvious reasons. I would check with Aunt Amelia and see which suite needs to be cleaned and aired out for him. I’ll touch base with you later.”
Liz turned and walked toward Betty’s suite, thinking about the strange murder weapon. If, as Agent Pearson postulated, someone related to the Indialantic had murdered Regina and stabbed David, then Liz would keep Iris near the top of her suspect list. The woman was sketchy and always disappearing.
She made a mental note to try to corral Captain Netherton, recalling the absence of both his cane and limp last night and the fact that he’d called Regina by her first name. Though Liz had a hard time pegging the charming sea captain as a killer—after all, he was the distinguished Captain Daniel Gregg from television’s The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.
Iris was another story.
Chapter 22
Before reaching Betty’s suite, Liz saw Officer Hernandez, whom she’d seen earlier in the library, coming out of the Worths’ suite. In his arms were a large pet carrier, a small pet carrier, and a leopard-print diaper bag bursting with cat paraphernalia.
Liz wondered if she would ever think of the Oceana Suite as anything other than where Regina had been murdered. When the police were done with the suite, Liz would call in Kate and the crew from Home Arts by the Sea to redecorate it.
She waved at the officer. “I’ll take those.”
They met halfway at the iron railing overlooking the lobby and made the transfer.
“Thanks. This will be one happy cat.” Then, Liz thought, how happy could Venus be after her human had been murdered? Sadness enveloped Liz. She felt a little coldhearted that she hadn’t taken a moment to mourn Regina’s death. They weren’t friends—far from it—but she’d never wished the woman dead.
Liz continued to Betty’s and turned the knob to her door. It was locked. Usually, she left it open 24/7, which confirmed that Betty had been frightened last night. Who wouldn’t be? She knocked, and Betty came to the door dressed in jean capris, a white button-down blouse that came below her knee, and a pair of red ballet flats—very Audrey Hepburn. Betty’s hair was a silver-white that she wore in a French twist. Betty didn’t dress like a grandma, even though she was one.
Betty took the small carrier out of Liz’s left hand. “What do you have here? Carolyn Keene has enough toys for a dozen cats—the captain keeps buying them for her. Whenever he buys one for Killer, he makes sure Caro isn’t left out. Plus, Kitty Keene prefers more classic playthings and bedding. She’s not into bling.”
Liz laughed. “These are Venus’s things. I asked Agent Pearson if I could have them. Venus is staying at the beach house for now. Although David Worth is coming back to the hotel sometime today.” Liz stepped inside and dropped the carriers and the kitty diaper bag onto the floor.
“He’s coming here? Why in the world would he do that?”
“Dad said he needs time to decide where to go and make arrangements, etc. You’re right, I wouldn’t want to stay where my wife was murdered and I’d been stabbed. Oh, Betty, it’s starting to hit me. I think I’ve been in shock.”
“I’ll make some tea. You’ll feel better in no time.” Tea: the magic elixir of the Indialantic by the Sea Hotel.
Liz picked up the leopard-print cat bag and started rifling through
