Page 86 of All You Want
“Let me call her. I mean seriously, you guys just text, text, text, when a simple call will take care of it.” I take out my phone and place the call.
It rings, rings, rings, and goes to voicemail.
“Hey, Rissa. We know you’re having fun, but did you seriously run away with this guy? Send us a selfie.” I leave the message and look up to their “told ya” expressions.
“Okay, so she’s gone incognito. Doesn’t mean anything bad happened to her. It’s not like she has any enemies or even knows anyone here.” I sound lame even to myself.
“She would have posted something,” Rosalie says. “She’s all hashtag this, hashtag that. There’s nothing.”
“Maybe her phone ran out of charge. I did get a short message this morning. I hate going through her things, but did she take anything?”
“No, that’s just it. She left her phone charger, wallet, toothbrush, and makeup bag,” Suzette says. “What if the murderer got her?”
“Unlikely.” I open the dressers near Larissa’s unslept-in bed and find her lingerie tucked away. “She left before the fireworks show, and the body was still warm when I found it after the show. I walked in right after Viola was killed.”
“Oh, Tami, we didn’t know.” Rosalie claps a hand over her mouth, her big blue eyes wide.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. The police like to keep things under wraps.”
“But you can tell us,” Suzette pleads. “We don’t know anyone to spread gossip.”
“Right. You must have scared the murderer into dropping the bat.”
“He or she pushed me onto the body. It was squishy and wet.” My shoulders shudder at the memory.
“He or she?” Suzette puts her arm over my shoulders, and Rosalie leans against me, patting my arm. “Do they have a suspect?”
I nod involuntarily. I know I shouldn’t talk about police business.
“Who? I bet it’s that weird guy, Dumb Al,” Rosalie says. “That’s what everyone was saying at the pumpkin carving contest.”
“That’s not nice,” I chastise her. “Al isn’t dumb. He’s just quiet.”
“Yes, but he’s creepy, and he was drunk,” Suzette chimes in. “And he claims someone stole his black sheet, as if that’s a costume.”
“I don’t think it’s him,” I say. “It’s someone who wants to silence Viola.”
“Who?” they both hoot like members of a church chorus.
I clap my hand over my mouth and shake my head. “I’ve said too much. We should get dressed for the Trickvenger Hunt.”
“We’re still going out into the mountains for this?” Suzette says. “What if the murderer is out there already?”
I’ve already had the staff plant treats in the scary venues, and the weather looks like it’s holding up. No rain cloud in sight, although we might get a snow flurry or two.
“The deputies will be out there with us,” I assure them. “And if Todd catches the suspect, we can all relax. I can’t say who it is because we don’t want to alert them.”
“Oh, goody. I can’t wait to see if my guess is right.” Rosalie rubs her hands together. “Remember, it was supposed to be a contest to win a gold nugget?”
“That was…” I’m about to say it was fake, but I stop myself. “Sure, but you would all have to turn in written responses before the big reveal.”
“Great. Then I won’t guess Al Norman,” Rosalie says. “Suzette, who’s your guess?”
“Order and reason.” Suzette points to her head. “I’m not letting you know what my little gray cells come up with.”
“I’ll announce that all entries must be put in a shoebox before the Trickvenger Hunt.” I tap a message to Neil and ask him to make an audio announcement as well as put up a sign in the lobby. “There. Now, what are you guys wearing?”
“Since it’s outdoors, I’m wearing my Valkyrie warrior costume.” Rosalie swaggers to her dresser and pulls out a fur-trimmed hoodie. “And I’m carrying a real battle axe.”
