Page 4 of The Familiar Stranger

I didn’t have much more to give of myself right now.

“So he just wanted us to know, then,” I said. “How’s he doing? Is he okay? I mean, I’m sure he’s not, but … you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, he’s dealing with it, but he’s shaken up. Her family and their friends from the Helping House have been by his side ever since it happened, chipping in as needed. He knew you were already in North Carolina, so he called me.”

“Mm-hm.” My mind started to roll with questions. I assumed a murder investigation would delay the funeral, and by then, I’d be back in NOLA. “What do you know about how she died?”

“Knife to the throat. Nasty stuff. Happened sometime during the day when he was at work. No exact time of death, but that narrows it down some. I can’t even imagine what went through his mind when he found her.”

All the renewal I’d been feeling during my massage began to leave my body. I shuddered to think of a murder happening right outside our part-time doorstep. In an instant, it felt like the walls were closing in.

“Look,” Cade said, sounding wearier, “I didn’t mean to put a damper on your vacation. But … well, like I said, Henry wanted us to know before we heard it from someone else.”

“Should I call him?”

“He’s a wreck and busy with … everything that comes with a murdered girlfriend. He’s insisted we not change our plans. We’ll be there for him when we get back, and maybe then he’ll be in a better place to talk about things.”

I paused a minute, thinking. “Did Henry happen to mention anything to you about what the motive might be?”

“He said the detectives were leaning toward a robbery gone wrong. They’re speculating Kim may have arrived home and caught the killer in the act of trying to break in. Henry has quite a few collectibles in the condo from his travels, and as you know, some are valuable. So, the robbery theory makes sense. Besides, Henry can’t think of a single reason someone would want to kill Kim.”

“I feel awful about the whole thing. Poor Henry.”

“Yeah, and listen, I’m sorry to break it to you while you’re on vacation, but I figured you’d want to know,” Cade said. “Now go on and get back to your relaxin’.”

Relaxing.

After the news I’d just been given, it was easier said than done.

CHAPTER4

After the call ended, I took a moment to regain my bearings, and I realized I was in the main lobby of the inn, which featured a fieldstone fireplace built from local mountain rock, where a low, steady fire burned. A large antique mirror sat on the mantel of reclaimed wood. The entire lobby spoke to history, nature, and subtle luxury.

I did a slow three-sixty, looking for Maddie, and I found her walking toward me from a small bar area tucked into a corner of the space. In each hand was a martini—just what I needed. She handed one to me, and I downed it.

“You okay?” she asked.

“No, I’m not.”

“What’s going on?”

“Just feeling a little … off, but I don’t want to dwell on it.” I placed my glass on a side table and dropped into a deep, cushiony chair nestled in one of the room’s little seating clusters. Before she could question me further, I asked, “Did we miss our reservation?”

“I’m not sure,” she said, eyeing me with concern. “I let them know we had an emergency of sorts. I had no idea how long you might be.”

The conversation with Cade had made me lose my appetite, but I didn’t want to ruin our dinner plans.

“Let’s see if we can get a table,” I said. “And then I’ll tell you what Cade’s call was all about.”

We stepped up to the podium at the Alta Vista, which was right off the lobby, and I inquired about the status of our reservation … or an acceptable alternative.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Monroe. We did try to call you,” the maître’ d informed me. “Several times.”

Had they?

I looked at my phone, and sure enough, missed calls that hadn’t made it through because of my Do Not Disturb setting.

“Well, that’s a bummer,” Maddie said. “Guess I should have put my name on the call list too.”

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