Page 90 of All You Want
“Who were they?” I ask.
“Dave and Jen Jewell.” She touches her computer’s touchscreen. “They’re from San Francisco.”
“Dave and Jen are potential investors,” Tami explains. “He’s CEO of Mississippi.com, and she’s chairwoman of the board. I’m sure they have nothing to do with Diana.”
I give Tami a nudge with my knee, because I don’t need her interrupting when I’m on police business. “I won’t disturb them. Why don’t you print out everyone who checked in and out from the grand opening to present time?”
“Can we do that?” Shelly’s eyes bug out as she turns to Tami.
“Yes, it’s a police investigation.”
We wait for the printout, and I take it with Tami to her office in the control room and shut the door.
“Looks like Diana checked in but never moved into Baja Angel,” Tami says, tracing her finger on the printout. “This isn’t going to help us.”
“Looks like Bonnie and Clifton left shortly after lunch.”
“They left without saying goodbye? I hope she’s okay.” Tami takes out her cell phone and calls.
I only hear a part of her conversation while I peruse the rest of the list. Nothing jumps out.
Tami wishes her friend well and hangs up. “Apparently, Bonnie and Clifton drove back to the city. They want to do the ghost hunt with Evan again at the Tower of Reeds. It’s supposed to be up on top of the rotating bar with a three-hundred-sixty-degree view of San Francisco. How will I ever compete with that?”
“You have atmosphere here. I’m sure once this hotel takes off, you’ll have plenty of fun things to do for all seasons.”
“We’re snowed in up here half the year.” Tami plops down on her padded leather chair. “People don’t start coming until after Memorial Day weekend, and Spooky Fest is the last draw. Everything after that is locals.”
“Locals like to have good fun, too.” I take off her cowgirl hat and lay it on the table so I can stroke her long, silky hair. “You can do a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, create a Christmas wonderland with sleigh rides and cross-country skiing, and a honeymoon resort for winter getaways.”
“If the haunted ladies don’t drive everyone away.” She wipes her eyes. “Bonnie said the sound effects and holograms were a little too much. Somehow, even though she got the Goldilocks Suite, she heard a baby cry all night. She also said there were thumps on the wall, and the sounds of fingernails scratching as if trying to get out of a coffin. Clifton thought he smelled pipe smoke and heard a rustling sound slide across the ceiling.”
“It could all be their imagination, or maybe Evan and Molly took the sound effects to an extreme.” The last thing I want for my peppy Tami is to be discouraged. “It’s the cloud of Viola’s death that’s hanging over our heads.”
“Doesn’t that doom this venture? I mean, my friends, Cait and Brian, cancelled their reservations, and now, Bonnie and Clifton left.”
“There are still the Jewells,” I point out. “Anyway, your HEX sisters are having a ball.”
“True, but it isn’t like Larissa not to be bragging about which hunk she bagged.” She picks up the printout and looks it over. “It can’t be any of the Drunk Tank guys because you had them in jail. Chad and Randy are accounted for. Do you remember which of the Vice Squad was around?”
“Corny and Johnson gave their statements. They also validated Paul’s statements of who was at the bar during the fireworks.”
Tami scrunches her nose and rips her fingers through her hair. “This is so confusing. We need to make a chart of everyone and where they were.”
“This isn’t your job,” I counter. “Shouldn’t you be out there getting ready for the trick or treat scavenger hunt?”
“I’ve got time. Everyone’s still saying Larissa went with Bigfoot. I wonder, Todd, where did you leave your costume?”
I catch the suspicious tone in her voice. She’s wondering if I stashed Larissa as my personal sex slave and told her to keep quiet. “At my cabin, but Larissa wasn’t with me by then. I’d already ditched her at the dance and spoke to you near the dumpster where you ripped off my mask.”
“I’m suspecting Larissa left before or during the ghost hunt. She didn’t show up for it, and I remember Suzette saying it was something she couldn’t wait for. She texted her with no answer.”
“So, you’re saying I’m the last to see Larissa?” My mouth twists, and I shake my head slightly.
“Pretty much.” She beams up at me with inquiring eyes. “Not that you’re holding her in your cave for sex all day since you’ve been investigating.”
“Then she’s not with me or any of the guys you’ve seen today.”
“True, true.” She taps her lips with a pencil and grabs a pad of lined paper. “I’m going to figure out who was where at what time. I’ll put a line for Bigfoot.”
