Page 9 of Colton's Last Resort

“Was she closer to any particular guest?” he elaborated. “Beyond the classes. Maybe one she got to know during the stargazing excursions.”

Laura frowned. “Allison would never overstep. She knew where to draw the line. She was the perfect mix of friendliness and professionalism, and she never would have thought of mixing business with pleasure, if that’s what you’re implying.”

“You’re sure of this?”

She met his level stare. “Yes.”

He made several notes before he asked, “Do you know anything about her personal life? Was she involved with anyone on staff?”

“No, Detective. Relationships among staff members aren’t encouraged.”

“No one on staff seemed especially interested in Ms. Brewer?”

“I don’t think so,” Laura said. “There was a flirtation with our adventure guide, Knox Burnett. But Knox flirts with everyone.”

“What about outside the resort? What was her personal life like in Sedona?”

“She was in a relationship when she first came to the resort,” Laura remembered suddenly. “But it ended a few months after she started.”

“Did she seem upset?”

“She enjoyed being single again. Prioritizing herself was important. She enjoyed living alone.” She came to attention as something occurred to her. “Oh my God! Have you told her family? She didn’t talk about her parents, but there was a brother she was close to. She talked about him regularly. Does he know? Should we have contacted him already? I’m sure she put him down as her emergency contact.”

Fulton held up a hand. “We have contacted her next of kin. You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Still, I’d like to extend the condolences of the family and staff,” Laura explained. “There must be something we can do.”

“I’d be happy to get you in touch, if you like.”

“I would,” she said. “Very much.”

“I’ll have that information sent to you as soon as possible,” he stated. “One more question, and I’ll let you get back to your day. Can you tell me about your whereabouts between one and two o’clock this morning?”

She felt heavy in her chair, as if gravity were exerting more force than necessary. “Is that when Allison died?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Why do you need to know my whereabouts?”

“It’s simply a matter of routine.”

“I was in bed,” Laura explained. She’d gone to bed early, her large tabby cat at her side.

“Can anyone corroborate that?”

“No.” Was her word not enough? “I took off my smartwatch to charge it. I’m sure there’s a time stamp, probably around 11:00 p.m. My alarm goes off at 5:30 a.m.”

“Your brother informed me there are no security cameras on the property.”

“No. The privacy of our guests is very important at Mariposa.”

“He said that, too. I just hope it doesn’t make matters more complicated for you.”

“Why would it?” she asked.

He closed his notepad and pushed his chair back from the table. “I think that’s all I have for now. Thank you for sitting down with me. If I have any more questions, I’ll let you know.”

If he had any more questions for her? She was the one with all the remaining questions, and none of them had been answered. She sat frozen as he rounded the table. Before he could reach for the door, she snapped to attention, standing suddenly. “Detective?”

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