A little bubble of excitement zinged at the thought. How clandestine! Maybe it was a secret lover. Maybe she was cheating on Jason. Scandal!
Inside, the hotel was like something out of a fairy tale. The wide entry hall was paved in ivory marble and lined on either side with matching marble pillars. Overhead, massive gold and crystal chandeliers bathed the place in sparkling light. Everything was bright, elegant, and exactly the opposite of what I expected from a haunted mansion.
George had switched to stories of a ghost in a white suit walking along the beach. Apparently also the original owner. I supposed there were worse ways to spend the afterlife.
As he led us upstairs, George launched into an account of a female ghost in a flowing gown often spotted walking the hotel halls. “A raven-haired beauty, she is.”
“Have you actually seen her?” Cheryl asked breathlessly. Her eyes were wide, and she had her cell phone out, videoing the tour.
“You bet,” George said with a grin. “It was late one night. I’d just finished a tour and was rounding this very corner.” With a dramatic flourish, he waved to the corner in question, which, frankly, looked like every other corner in the hotel. “And there she was. Staring out the window as if waiting for her true love,” he finished melodramatically.
Lu sighed at the romantic tale. Maggie strode to the corner to look out the window as if expecting the lady ghost to appear immediately.
As George droned on about other ghost sightings, I wandered a bit away from the others toward the sweeping staircase. Honestly, I was more interested in the architecture and design of the place. According to George, it had been built in the 1920s. Very Great Gatsby. A little late for my era, but perhaps I could write a story about it. Some Western cowboy, maybe from Montana, goes east for...something. Hmm... An inheritance, maybe? He would meet a rich heiress, and then...
Before I could finish my thought, I felt a hard shove from behind. I stumbled, my foot hitting the top step. Somebody screamed. And then I was falling.
Chapter 10
Appointment with Death
FOR A BRIEF MOMENT, I thought about how people talk about their hearts jumping into their throats. Because I was pretty sure mine actually did.
It was as if time ceased to exist. Everything around me froze as I tumbled in slow motion through empty air. And then it sped up as I crashed, knees first, into the first step. Flailing like a lunatic, I managed to grab the balustrade and halt myself mid-fall. I wrenched my shoulder in the process, but it was better than smashing my skull on the marble steps.
Above me, I could hear people shouting, but I wasn’t sure what they were saying. My hearing was fuzzy all of a sudden.
Gasping for breath, I turned my head to glance up the staircase. The entire group was gathered at the top of the landing, horrified expressions plastered on their faces. Even Piper had been jarred from her ennui and appeared suitably startled.
“Oh, my goodness,” Cheryl managed to gasp, her face so white it was if she’d seen a ghost. Mine. “What happened?” She clattered down the stairs, flip-flops slapping against the stone. “We heard you scream. Did you slip? You could have been killed.” She tried to haul me to my feet, but only managed to wrench my already throbbing arm. I must have winced because she blanched even whiter. “You’re hurt! Somebody call 911.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I finally managed.
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Lucas interrupted, joining us. The stair was getting crowded. “Looks like she’s in one piece. Just a few bumps and bruises?”
I nodded. “I’m fine. My shoulder hurts a bit, that’s all. From where I grabbed the railing.” And my knees throbbed like nobody’s business. I was going to have some nice purple bruises in no time.
“What happened?” Cheryl repeated. “Did you slip?”
“No,” I said, eyeing the watchers above. Having no idea who was the guilty party, or even if they were part of our group, I lowered my voice. “I was pushed.”
For a minute, I was afraid Cheryl would pass out. “Somebody tried to kill you,” she squeaked.
“Shh. Keep it down.” I eyed the group again, but no one seemed to have heard her.
Lucas glanced up, too. “You think it was one of us?”
“Maybe, maybe not. But I don’t want to let on I suspect anyone.”
Lucas offered his arm and helped me limp up the stairs. After ensuring I was fine and receiving my refusal of a trip to the hospital, George continued the tour. I limped along behind the rest of the group with Cheryl all but glued to my side.
“You think this had anything to do with Natasha’s murder?” she whispered.
“Of course it does,” I said, trying to ignore the pain in my knees as I limped down yet another hall. “Being as that I don’t usually get pushed down stairs, it has to be connected.”
“But who would do that?”
I eyed her. “Other than the killer?”
Her eyes widened. “You think the killer is here? One of the group? Surely not.”
I shrugged, holding back a wince as pain lanced through my shoulder. Maybe a trip to the doctor was in order after all. “Maybe. It’s possible. I still haven’t ruled out Piper. And then there’s Lucas...”
“Oh, please.” She rolled her eyes. “You know very well that Lucas didn’t murder Natasha. And he would never push you down the stairs. Don’t be silly.”
I wasn’t so sure, but I let it go for the moment. “There are other options.”
“Lu and Maggie?” She actually giggled. “Those two lovelies? I don’t think so. Can you really see either of them as a knife-wielding maniac?”
I had to admit I couldn’t, but stranger things have happened. “There’s another option.”
“What?”
“The killer has a sidekick. Somebody helping them. Somebody who didn’t commit the murder, but who
