done with you,’ and I went about my business. When I didn’t hear from him again, I figured it was over. And then I saw those roses, and my name on the card.”
“What does it say?” I asked as I reached for it.
She pulled it away from me. “There might be fingerprints, though he’s been careful so far. Let me.”
She pulled out a pair of latex gloves, slipped them on, and then opened the card. Inside, something fluttered to the ground, and Jenny’s face went pale as she said, “It’s part of my blouse. The one I threw away. How did he get it?”
“What’s on the card?” It was killing me not knowing.
I looked over her shoulder as she opened it.
“Call Murphy,” I said as I handed her the telephone.
“He’s just going to say the same thing,” Jenny protested.
“I’d say the threat level just elevated, wouldn’t you?”
She took the phone from me and dialed the number she obviously knew by heart. After a brief conversation in which she was clearly getting more and more frustrated, she hung up.
“What did he say?”
“He’s coming by later, but as you heard me tell him, I’m not going to be here.”
“Jenny, this is more important than my case. It can wait.”
“No, it can’t,” Jenny said resolutely. “I’m not letting this creep win and keeping myself locked up behind a bolted door. We’re going hunting for a killer.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive,” she said.
I insisted we take my car, and Jenny agreed. As we drove to the Crest Hotel, I tried to get her to talk about what was happening with her, but she didn’t really respond, so I finally dropped it. The police might not be taking these threats seriously, but I was going to make certain that Zach did. He’d figure out what was going on, and we weren’t going to leave Raleigh until he did.
IT FELT STRANGE BEING BACK IN THE HOTEL WHERE I’D found Derrick’s body the day before. At least I wouldn’t have to go into the conference room again. At the front desk, I asked the clerk, “Could you tell me what rooms Brady Sims and Sylvia Peters are in?”
The young woman behind the desk kept looking at me, and then she clearly made the connection. “I’m sorry, but we’re not at liberty to give out that information.”
I looked around, suddenly realizing that Jenny had disappeared. I knew she didn’t mind conflict—she was a lawyer, for goodness’ sake—but I wasn’t going to let her desertion stop me. “They’re both friends of mine,” I said, stretching the truth to the point of breaking, but not really caring about doing it. I needed to speak to them both, and if that meant lying to get their room numbers, I was fine with that.
“Sorry. There’s nothing I can do about it. Edmond, could you come here please?” She turned toward the office in back of her, and ten seconds later, a large dark man with a pasted-on smile joined her up front.
“Is there something I can do for you?”
She whispered something to him, and then faded into the back. “What seems to be the problem?” he asked, his smile a little less warm than it had been before.
“I just need a few room numbers. Honestly, I don’t see what the big deal is.”
“Ma’am, at this hotel, we protect the privacy of our guests.”
I was about to argue when Jenny suddenly reappeared at my side. “Come on, there’s no use fighting with them.”
I wasn’t about to move, though. “He won’t even call their rooms for me. This is insane.”
“Savannah, trust me on this, okay?”
I gave Edmond an icy look, and then let Jenny lead me away. “Why did you do that? I had him on the ropes.”
“From the look of things, he wasn’t about to budge. I think you were close to having a police escort out of the building.”
“I’ve been thrown out of nicer places than this,” I said.
“But that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. There’s no need.”
“Why not?”
“Your two fellow suspects are having breakfast together in the dining room. It might be nice if we joined them, don’t you think?”
“Lead the way. So that’s where you disappeared to before.”
Jenny smiled. “Hey, it never hurts to know your surroundings.”
She led me through the atrium and into the hotel’s dining room. I didn’t spot them at first, but then Jenny pointed to one side, and I saw them hiding behind a display of greenery. The table had been placed there for privacy, and my fellow columnists had taken advantage of it.
“Mind if we join you?” I asked as we approached them.
They both looked startled to see us.
Brady said, “Not at all,” at the same time that Sylvia said, “Yes, as a matter of fact, we do.”
I chose to ignore Sylvia and accept Brady’s invitation. “Excellent. I take it you have both seen the newspaper today.”
“It’s actionable,” Sylvia said, “portraying us all as suspects in Derrick’s murder. Why, we were dear friends. I never would have dreamed of hurting that sweet man.”
I exchanged a quick glance with Brady, who’d seen her storm out when I had. Neither of us decided to contradict her.
“Actually,” Jenny said, “you aren’t mentioned as suspects, merely clients. The newspaper did nothing they can be sued over.”
“And who exactly are you?” Sylvia asked with an arched eyebrow.
“I’m an attorney,” Jenny said with her sweetest smile.
“So, you feel you need legal representation?” Sylvia asked me. “That would seem to imply guilt to me.”
“She’s my old college roommate,” I said.
“I take issue with the word ‘old,’” Jenny said.
“Former, is that better?”
“Much.”
“Still, you found reason to bring her with you,” Sylvia said.
“Sylvia, I don’t like being in the bull’s-eye of a murder investigation any more than you do. Jenny’s here to help us clear our names.”
Brady spoke for the first time. “You don’t think we did it, either?”
“I haven’t formed an opinion one way or the other,” Jenny answered truthfully.
“The sooner we can clear our names, the better off we’ll be,” I said. “Brady, where were you when Derrick was murdered?”
“I was sitting in my car. I’d just been cut loose from the only job I can do. Savannah, you saw me when I left there. I was in shock, and I didn’t come out of it until I heard the police sirens.”
I could very well believe that alibi. Then again, it was impossible to verify, so Brady had to stay a viable suspect.
“How about you, Sylvia?”
“I don’t owe either one of you an explanation of my whereabouts,” she answered snippily.
“No, but I’m sure the police have already asked you,” Jenny said. “What is it going to hurt to tell us as well?”
She looked from Jenny to me, and then back at Jenny. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I was in my
