Page 8 of Colton's Last Resort

Laura thought about it. “Yesterday. She teaches... I mean, she taught a yoga course in the meditation garden at the rock labyrinth at sunset. I saw her coming back from that around dusk. It was between six and six thirty. I was on my way to check on our chef at Annabeth. He had to have stitches the day before. He cut himself during the lunch rush. I wanted to make sure he was okay to work through dinner. I saw Allison walking from the meditation garden toward C Building, which is where the staff locker rooms, break rooms and café are located. It’s also where they park their cars when they arrive for work in the morning.”

“Did you speak to her?”

“I did,” Laura said with a nod.

“How would you describe her demeanor?”

Laura frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Did she strike you as happy, tired, angry, upset...?”

It took a moment for Laura to settle on the right description. “She was upbeat. Allison was always upbeat. Even when she was fatigued, which I imagine she was after a full day of classes. She does guided meditation for guests and for anyone on staff who wants to join after hours. One reason I was so excited about hiring her was because she had wonderful ideas for improving the wellness of not just Mariposa’s guests but the resort as a whole. She wanted fellow members of staff to have the opportunity to rest and recharge.”

“That was generous of her.”

Laura nodded. “Allison was always generous with her time and attention. Everyone liked her.”

“What did you speak to her about when you saw her yesterday evening?”

She narrowed her eyes, trying to recall the exact words of the conversation. “She wanted to grab dinner and was looking forward to a few moments to herself in the break room before the guided meditation with the staff. Sometimes, she liked to join the stargazing excursion after dinner. She was excited about seeing last night’s meteor shower before she went home to Sedona. She had a house there.”

“Would you mind telling me what she was wearing at the time?” Fulton asked.

Laura fumbled. She thought again of Allison lying between Knox and Joshua. Her blue-tinged lips. Her blank stare.

Something wormed its way up Laura’s throat. The taste of acid filled her mouth. She had to force herself to swallow it back down. “Workout clothes. The same ones we...we found her in this morning.”

“Was she wearing shoes last night?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s an odd question, Detective. Do you mind me asking how that’s relevant?”

“I’m just trying to get a full picture of the deceased...I mean, Allison...in the hours leading up to her death.”

He said it gently. Even so,her deathsounded so final. Laura reached up for her temples, feeling off balance. “Ah... I believe so. Yes. She wore flexible, lightweight footwear between classes. For the classes themselves, she preferred to go barefoot.” Laura remembered the tiny lotus tattoo on Allison’s ankle. Her eyes stung. “Do you mind me asking, Detective, if you have any ideahowshe died? It just seems strange for someone so young to just...”

Fulton nodded away the rest. “That’s why I’m trying to go through all the details. It will help me understand what happened to her.”

“Did she have a heart attack?” Laura asked. Even that seemed nonsensical. Allison was so healthy. She was vegan, preferring to bring her own meals instead of having them prepared by others. “It could have been a stroke, I suppose. Or an aneurysm?”

“Again, Ms. Colton,” Fulton said in as kind a voice as he could muster. “I assure you. I will do everything I can to figure out what happened to your employee.”

Employee? Allison was her friend. Laura opened her mouth to correct him, but she faltered.

“Was there anyone on staff who Allison didn’t get along with?” Fulton asked.

“No. As I said, everyone liked Allison.”

“What about guests? Have there been any disgruntled students from her yoga or meditation classes?”

“No,” she said, finding the idea ridiculous. “None.”

“In two years, she never had a dissatisfied student?”

“Not one,” Laura said. She would have known. Allison would have told her.

“Did she have a personal relationship with any of the guests?”

“What do you mean by that?” Laura asked.

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