Page 80 of Rebels and Roses

“That’s not what Fiona told us.”

Cooper’s ex-wife was a liar. He wished he could be shocked, but he wasn’t. Had she even really been that drunk or just pretending?

“It isn’t, which is why I’m headed to the hotel to ask your ex-wife a few questions. I want to know if she actually did see him that night after the party, and if she was with him when he died. She may not be telling the whole story.”

“Knowing her as I do, there’s a high probability of that,” Cooper said.

“If you came with me, I couldn’t stop you,” Finn went on. “Not in my official vehicle, but in your own. I couldn’t stop you from being there. Especially as this is not an interrogation but simply to clear up any misunderstandings there might have been about her statement.”

“I’ll be right behind you,” Cooper said, pushing the fries he’d been munching on away. “Let’s go.”

“Hell, I’m going, too. You don’t have a car, so I’ll drive,” Tate said, turning to his assistant manager. “Ronnie, watch the place. I won’t be gone long.”

“Yes, sir,” Ronnie replied, his chest puffed out in pride. “I’m in charge. I’ve got it.”

The young man was a student, but so far, Tate had said he was a decent employee.

“Just don’t burn the place down,” Tate instructed. “No hiring or firing. Just sell drinks and food. If something happens, just lock up and put a ‘closed’ sign on the door. I’ll deal with it when I get back.”

“You trust him to run the joint while you’re not there?” Cooper asked when they were in Tate’s car, driving toward the Winslow Inn.

“I’m fairly certain I won’t return to a pile of ashes if that’s what you’re asking. Would I go on vacation for a week and leave him? Fuck, no. At least, not yet. He has potential, though. More than anyone else I’ve hired lately.”

It didn’t take long to get to the inn, and Tate parked next to Finn in the parking lot. Cooper’s car was parked not too far away so Jane was still here.

They walked into the lobby, and were heading to the elevators when the manager, Dean, flagged down Cooper from behind the desk. They’d gone to high school together about a hundred years ago.

“Hey, if you’re looking for your guests and Jane, they just left a few minutes ago. If you hurry, you can probably catch up to them.”

“Jane left with Erica and Fiona? She didn’t drive?”

“I guess not,” Dean said. “They didn’t say anything to me. All three of them were together, though. They got into a car and left.”

“Together?” Cooper pressed. “Erica and Fiona left together? Were they arguing or anything?”

The two women were literally suing each other. Had they decided to make nice? Had Jane conjured up some major magic and now everyone was best buds? She was amazing, but getting Fiona to act reasonably about anything was a challenge.

“Which way did they go?” Finn asked.

Right or left, they’d eventually end up back in the center of town. The only difference would be how long it would take to get there.

“Left, I think,” Dean replied. “Like I said, they didn’t say anything to me or the clerk, but I did hear one of them mention food. I assume they were going out to eat. But it hasn’t been long since they left. If you turn your lights on, you can catch them easily.”

“Then let’s go,” Finn said. “If they’re heading to get something to eat, we can talk there.”

Cooper thanked Dean, and they climbed back into their cars. Finn took the lead, and he didn’t put on his lights and sirens, but he wasn’t taking his time either. This route to town took them through a mostly rural area without much traffic or pedestrians. Despite exceeding the speed limit by quite a bit, they hadn’t caught up to the women. It didn’t make any sense unless whoever was driving was auditioning for a Formula One racing team.

“Does Jane have a lead foot?” Tate asked.

“No, she’s a good driver. Keeps up with traffic but isn’t a speed demon. And Fiona, despite what you might think, hates to drive and has anxiety about it. She wouldn’t speed at all. She drives like our grandmother. But I don’t know about Erica. Maybe she’s already in town, parked the car, and they’re on their first iced tea.”

“We just passed a couple of bikers. I’m going to ask them if they saw another car go by recently.”

Tate pulled to the side of the road, and the two cyclists caught up with them fairly quickly. Cooper had rolled down his window and waved to them, hoping they’d stop.

“Sorry to interrupt your ride,” Cooper said. “But I don’t suppose you saw a car come by you a few minutes ago? A dark sedan?”

Cooper didn’t remember the color of Fiona’s rental, but it was either blue or black. Erica, on the other hand, hadn’t rented a vehicle. She’d taken a taxi from the airport. At least, that’s what she’d said. At this point, he couldn’t be sure.

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