Read Online RESORT TO MURDER by Mary Ellen Hughes - Free Book Online
Authors: Mary Ellen Hughes
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told Dyna about going to the
sheriff's office. She had been greeted quite cordially, invited to
sit down, offered coffee. But when she inquired about the
investigation into Lori's death, she got vague answers and
empty-sounding assurances.
"We're working on it. Don't you worry your
little head about it," was the deepest extent of his answers.
To add to her frustration, their
conversation had been constantly interrupted by phone calls, and
questions from a deputy on various unrelated matters. When Maggie
finally gave up and rose to leave, the sheriff had covered the
phone with his hand and given her a friendly wink and a promise
that "everything is being taken care of.” Which did nothing to
convince Maggie.
The sheriff reminded her too much of Harvey,
her school principal. Harvey was big on talk, loaded with charm,
and made promises that more often than not evaporated as quickly as
he closed his office door behind you. Maggie had soon learned that
if she wanted something out of the way done at school she had to
find a way to do it herself. Maybe she would have to do the same
here.
"You don't think they'll find the killer?"
Dyna asked.
Maggie sighed. "I doubt it."
She looked over at her friend, whose
multi-shaded blonde hair was escaping bit by bit from the tie
holding most of it near the top of her head. "I can't stand the
thought of this murder not being solved, though," she said. "It
wouldn't be fair to Lori's family to just leave things hanging.
They deserve an answer. And something's going on here, I'm afraid.
More than just a drifter attacking a defenseless girl in the
woods.” She told Dyna about the two other employee deaths.
"You think someone from here is killing
people?” Dyna's blue eyes opened wide, and she glanced nervously
around at the sparsely populated pool area. A white-haired woman
wrapped in terrycloth smiled sweetly back at her from her lounge
chair several feet away.
"I think maybe someone from here
killed Lori, and if so Sheriff Burger doesn't seem likely to find
out who."
"Well, maybe we could try to find out," Dyna
said.
The edges of Maggie's lips turned up in a
grim smile. "Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking. Maybe we
could."
"You mean it?"
"Yes, I do. We'll be here a few more days.
We can certainly poke around, ask questions. That is, if you want
to."
"Sure I do!"
Maggie was conscious of a feeling of relief
which surprised her. She hadn't realized just how much she was
counting on her friend's help. "But Dyna," she cautioned, "it would
have to be very discreet. I might be wrong about someone from here
being involved. And of course, I might be right, in which case it
could be dangerous if we're not careful."
"Right. But it can't hurt to just ask a few
questions, and keep our eyes open, can it?" Dyna replied, her eyes
already bright with anticipation. "Where do we start?” She looked
ready to leap from her chair into action.
"Well, I've been thinking. One person who's
been mentioned so far with a hint of suspicion is the tennis pro,
Rob Clayton. Remember when Burnelle brought our dinner to the room
she said she thought there might have been something going on
between them? Why don't we start with him?"
"Rob Clayton. OK.” Dyna was on the edge of
her chair by now. "What should we do, follow him? Watch him?"
Maggie smiled. "No, just talk to him. But in
a way that seems natural, not like we're interrogating him. How
about if I take a lesson from him? My backhand is really awful, you
know."
"Yeah, I know. Good idea. But what about me?
Should I come along?"
"Well, it might be easier to get him to talk
if it's just one on one, don't you think? But I'd certainly feel a
lot more comfortable if you were nearby, like maybe practicing your
serve or something on another court?"
"Sure. Those courts are so far away from
everything else, if he’s the one who killed Lori, you don't want to
be out there alone with him. I'll be your safety net. Or watch dog,
or whatever.” Dyna jumped up
sheriff's office. She had been greeted quite cordially, invited to
sit down, offered coffee. But when she inquired about the
investigation into Lori's death, she got vague answers and
empty-sounding assurances.
"We're working on it. Don't you worry your
little head about it," was the deepest extent of his answers.
To add to her frustration, their
conversation had been constantly interrupted by phone calls, and
questions from a deputy on various unrelated matters. When Maggie
finally gave up and rose to leave, the sheriff had covered the
phone with his hand and given her a friendly wink and a promise
that "everything is being taken care of.” Which did nothing to
convince Maggie.
The sheriff reminded her too much of Harvey,
her school principal. Harvey was big on talk, loaded with charm,
and made promises that more often than not evaporated as quickly as
he closed his office door behind you. Maggie had soon learned that
if she wanted something out of the way done at school she had to
find a way to do it herself. Maybe she would have to do the same
here.
"You don't think they'll find the killer?"
Dyna asked.
Maggie sighed. "I doubt it."
She looked over at her friend, whose
multi-shaded blonde hair was escaping bit by bit from the tie
holding most of it near the top of her head. "I can't stand the
thought of this murder not being solved, though," she said. "It
wouldn't be fair to Lori's family to just leave things hanging.
They deserve an answer. And something's going on here, I'm afraid.
More than just a drifter attacking a defenseless girl in the
woods.” She told Dyna about the two other employee deaths.
"You think someone from here is killing
people?” Dyna's blue eyes opened wide, and she glanced nervously
around at the sparsely populated pool area. A white-haired woman
wrapped in terrycloth smiled sweetly back at her from her lounge
chair several feet away.
"I think maybe someone from here
killed Lori, and if so Sheriff Burger doesn't seem likely to find
out who."
"Well, maybe we could try to find out," Dyna
said.
The edges of Maggie's lips turned up in a
grim smile. "Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking. Maybe we
could."
"You mean it?"
"Yes, I do. We'll be here a few more days.
We can certainly poke around, ask questions. That is, if you want
to."
"Sure I do!"
Maggie was conscious of a feeling of relief
which surprised her. She hadn't realized just how much she was
counting on her friend's help. "But Dyna," she cautioned, "it would
have to be very discreet. I might be wrong about someone from here
being involved. And of course, I might be right, in which case it
could be dangerous if we're not careful."
"Right. But it can't hurt to just ask a few
questions, and keep our eyes open, can it?" Dyna replied, her eyes
already bright with anticipation. "Where do we start?” She looked
ready to leap from her chair into action.
"Well, I've been thinking. One person who's
been mentioned so far with a hint of suspicion is the tennis pro,
Rob Clayton. Remember when Burnelle brought our dinner to the room
she said she thought there might have been something going on
between them? Why don't we start with him?"
"Rob Clayton. OK.” Dyna was on the edge of
her chair by now. "What should we do, follow him? Watch him?"
Maggie smiled. "No, just talk to him. But in
a way that seems natural, not like we're interrogating him. How
about if I take a lesson from him? My backhand is really awful, you
know."
"Yeah, I know. Good idea. But what about me?
Should I come along?"
"Well, it might be easier to get him to talk
if it's just one on one, don't you think? But I'd certainly feel a
lot more comfortable if you were nearby, like maybe practicing your
serve or something on another court?"
"Sure. Those courts are so far away from
everything else, if he’s the one who killed Lori, you don't want to
be out there alone with him. I'll be your safety net. Or watch dog,
or whatever.” Dyna jumped up
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