“You know what you’re asking for?”
“Yes, I do.”
“What’s her sister’s name?”
“Beth Holbrook. Beth is probably short for Elizabeth.”
“Right-Steve mentioned Grace’s half-sister came to help at the lodge. Keeping the books, I think he said. She used to be a bank manager or something.”
Beth kept the books? That made sense-she knew that the lodge had been running in the red, and she seemed to have specific knowledge when she mentioned the problems to Lucy.
The sheriff continued. “Why would either of them want to kill a guest? It doesn’t make sense.”
It may not make sense to them now, but it would when they solved the crime. She simply said, “Someone killed her.”
Lucy had a couple of theories that made perfect sense.
VII
Lucy checked on Patrick. He was still lethargic, but was no longer hallucinating. “What happened?” he asked.
“Someone drugged you. I think it was in the water bottle. Don’t eat or drink anything I don’t hand you personally.”
He tried to sit up, but groaned. “Why am I in your room?”
“Don’t you remember? You puked all over yours. I cleaned it up. You can thank me later.” She spoke lightly, but she was hugely relieved that Patrick was better.
She gave Patrick water from the tap. “Only tap water. I’m going to grab some food from the pantry.”
“I can’t eat.”
“You need to eat something. I’m going to look for chicken broth. In a can.”
“What have you learned?”
“First, I need to know who you spoke with when we weren’t together yesterday. You tipped someone off. That’s why they drugged your water.”
“I used to be a damn good cop, Lucy. I didn’t tip anyone off.”
“You act like a cop investigating a murder. Wouldn’t that be tip-off enough for the killer?”
Patrick still looked ill, and Lucy wanted him to rest. “I spoke to the sheriff,” she said. “The blizzard won’t be letting up soon. He can’t get the coroner here, but he’s working on sending two deputies. There’s no guarantee they’ll be here today.”
“So Steve did talk to the sheriff. Good.” He sipped some of the water Lucy had given him. “I spoke to Kyle and Alan after we moved Vanessa’s body to the root cellar. They were both a little unnerved. Neither seemed to be hiding anything. Kyle was very worried about his wife.”
“She was sitting up with Trevor most of the night in the library. She said she couldn’t sleep.” Lucy remembered the water by the door. “There was a puddle of water on the floor after I woke you up. In fact-it was after I went to the library. I was in there about fifteen minutes.”
“If it was my water that was drugged, they would have had to have done it before that. I took a leak and drank half the bottle after you woke me.”
“Where did you get the bottle?”
“It was in the bathroom when I-” He hesitated. “I’m not sure. I don’t remember it being there when we checked in Thursday night, but it was there last night when I went to bed. I didn’t think about it.”
“When were you out of your room yesterday?”
“All day. We left about nine-thirty to go skiing, came back at four, found Vanessa at five-thirty-I went to my room to change after we moved her body, between seven and seven ten or so. Then back at eleven.”
“Can you remember if the bottle was there when you changed?”
Patrick closed his eyes, thinking. “No, it wasn’t there.”
“You’re certain.”
“Yes. I brushed my teeth and used a glass for water. When I came back at night and brushed again before bed, the glass was gone.”
“Mom would be so proud of you.”
“What for?”
“You probably flossed, too.”
Patrick threw a pillow at her, then groaned. “I feel like I’ve just been beaten up.”
She sat on the edge of the bed. “You’ll be fine.”
“Steve and I were talking about how his great-grandfather bought this land and built and lived in the cottage. The kid was really upset, but I felt it had less to do with Marsh’s death and more to do with his physical health.”
“Did you see either Grace or Beth?”
“I didn’t see Grace after Kyle collapsed in the kitchen. Beth was talking to Trevor and Angie later in the evening, but I didn’t talk to her alone.”
Lucy straightened her back as something occurred to her. “Kyle said he was dizzy.”
“Yes. Altitude sickness.”
“I doubt it. He broke a glass, remember? It was juice. Steve was drinking orange juice from a carton yesterday.”
“You think the juice went bad? Or-” Realization dawned on Patrick. “You think they were drugged.”
“I read a letter Steve’s father left him in his will. It was written two years ago, when Steve was eighteen, and Leo said there was plenty of money to support this property, even during the lean years. That was his exact quote. I think Steve believes his dad lied to him.”
“In a will?”
“Exactly, I don’t believe he lied. I think there was money. Beth was a bank manager before she came here, and she’s the one who mentioned that Leo had spent all the emergency funds.”
“You think she stole the money? Why?”
“This property is worth a small fortune, at least I’m guessing it is. It’s close to the ski resort, it’s in its own little valley, and has its own road. With no mortgage, it’s owned free and clear. But if there’s no money to keep it going or expand-which according to Steve was his father’s dream-then they would have to sell.”
“And how does that benefit Beth?”
“I don’t know that it does, but we don’t know how much money was in the accounts in the first place.”
“If she’s guilty, we can’t ask her.”
“No, but we can find the books.”
“Lucy-”
“I know what to look for. Beth has her room off the kitchen. I’ll get Angie to keep her occupied.”
“You trust Angie?”
“Yes, but I’m not going to tell her why.”
“I’ll do it.” Patrick tried to stand, but fell right to his knees. His skin paled.
“Or not,” Lucy said and helped him back into bed. “Patrick, you stay here. My plan is contingent on the killer thinking that you’re too sick to investigate and we’re just waiting for the sheriff to come for Vanessa’s body.”
“Lucy-you need to be careful.”
“I promise.”
“Why would Beth drug Steve?”
“I don’t know. Maybe to distract him-or Grace-from her embezzlement.” She frowned.
“Okay, spit it out.”
“I don’t know. It’s Grace, too. She was really angry about the spilled juice.”
“When Kyle fell?”
