He reached the grill, then grabbed the tongs and lifted the lid. He flipped the steaks and smiled. Perfect. He wanted everything to go well tonight. Hailey went past him to the truck and got out the basket with utensils and food. She set it on the picnic table, then vanished into the bathroom. She was still wiping her hands with a damp paper towel when she exited. She looked like a small adult as she pulled out the bags of veggies to arrange in a salad. She snuck a few cherry tomatoes to eat as she worked. The girl was lucky she hadn’t turned into a tomato with how much she loved them.
He could hear her banging around and talking to herself, though he couldn’t make out any words. The sound of tires crunching on gravel made him turn, and his pulse ratcheted to high speed when he saw Torie get off a bike.
Torie carried a six-pack of boxed apple juice, and he eyed the drinks. “Thirsty?”
She smiled. “Hailey mentioned she loves boxed apple juice. I hope this brand is okay. It’s organic.”
“It’s her favorite.”
She passed the juice boxes to him and followed him to the picnic table. “I put them in a bag to ride my bike over.”
“I told you I would have been glad to pick you up.”
“I know, but it’s a perfect day for biking, and it only took ten minutes.” She gazed past him. “Hi, Hailey!” She waved, and his little girl turned from her salad prep and waved back.
“I made brownies,” Hailey called.
“I love brownies,” Torie said.
“Any problem getting a room at the hotel?”
“Ms. Hallston offered me a storeroom with a cot, but Anton arranged for a suite. She might not be too happy with me when she learns about it.”
He set the juice boxes on the picnic table. “You can always call Anton if she gets mean about it.”
“Apple juice! Can I have one now? It’s hot work making salad.”
“If you name the verse.” Joe grinned. “‘For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and He has filled the hungry soul with what is good.’”
Hailey frowned. “I think it’s in Psalms.”
“Good guess. Psalm 107, verse 9.” He opened the cooler and peered inside. “I have iced tea and several different Cokes. What would you like?”
“I’ll have iced tea.” Torie settled on the picnic table. “I tried to talk to Bella about Lisbeth, but she went white when I asked about the antidepressants and rushed off. I think she was scared.”
“Of who or what?” He pulled out bottles of iced tea and handed her one.
She uncapped her bottle and took a long swig. “I don’t know yet, but I’m going to pin her down tomorrow. Maybe she’s ashamed that she lied and doesn’t want to continue it.”
“Did you talk to Anton about it?”
“Not yet. I suppose I should. He might be able to get her to talk if I can’t. I don’t understand why she would lie about this. It’s strange.”
“You’re certain it’s not true? People are often embarrassed about that kind of thing.”
“Not Lisbeth. This isn’t possible. Not in any way. I’m as certain of that as I know she didn’t go in the water. Knowing Bella was on the scene right away seems suspicious. It might account for the fear she showed when I started questioning her. I think she knows more than she’s telling. And I need to find out what she knows.”
Maybe Torie was right. Someone didn’t want her poking into things, but at least she’d be safe at the hotel.
* * *
The smile Torie had carried since the picnic died as she looked at the closed door to her suite. Did she really want to sleep on the same floor where her mother died?
Torie paused another long moment before she unlocked the door and stepped into the dark suite. Moonlight streamed through the open French doors, illuminating the white sofa and gray armchair. A clean scent welcomed her, and she switched on the light, then dropped her purse onto a table beside a fruit basket before glancing around the small living room. Her suitcase sat by the closet where a bellhop had left it.
A gleam drew her to the balcony, and she stood looking down on the swimming pool, and then farther out, the glimmer of the Intracoastal Waterway.
She retraced her steps and found the door to the bedroom. An odd odor hit her when she stepped into the space, and she turned on the light. A bare foot protruded from one end of the bed on the far side near the window.
Torie gasped and took a step back as she identified the odor as the coppery stench of blood. Her knees shook as she approached the person on the floor. The slender foot and ankle appeared to be that of a woman who was lying on her side. When she reached the prone figure, her gaze traveled up the shapely legs to land on the blonde hair matted with blood.
Bella!
Torie knelt beside the young woman and pressed her fingers to her neck. No pulse. She gasped and jumped to her feet. Her dad would know what to do. She fumbled with the connecting doorknob and found he’d already unlocked his side.
“Dad!” She practically fell into the room. “Daddy!”
He leaped from the sofa where he’d been watching TV in his pajamas. “Torie, what’s happened?”
She pointed a shaking hand toward her room. “It’s Bella. I think she’s dead. There’s blood all over her hair.” Her voice quivered, and she struggled not to cry.
Had Bella come to her suite to tell her what she knew about Lisbeth’s death? Or had someone placed her there as a warning? But no. Blood soaked the carpet too. Had she been killed there?
Her dad picked up his phone from the table. “I’ll call security while you call the state police. Tell them we might be dealing with a homicide.”
She nodded and went to retrieve her purse in her living room. After digging out her phone, she first called 911. Maybe she was wrong, and Bella was still alive. After giving the dispatcher the information, she found the entry for Craig.
He answered on the first ring. “Officer Craig Hall.”
“C-Craig, I think there’s been a murder in my room at the hotel. This is Torie Berg. I just got here and found Bella Hansen’s body. I think she’s dead, though the paramedics aren’t here yet.”
“Room number?”
She gave him the details on how to find her room.
“Be right there.”
Her dad let in security, and they stood back as two guards swept her suite as well as her dad’s. It wasn’t until one of them gave her a sidelong glance that she realized how it probably looked. Like she and the older man beside her were having an affair or something. They had no idea he was her father. But she clamped her mouth shut and let him speculate.
“All clear,” the oldest one said.
The faint wail of a siren approached. “The ambulance is here.”
Her dad gave a curt nod. “It’s too late.”
“I know. I-I was hopeful at first.” She went to let in the paramedics.
After a quick examination, the female paramedic shook her head. “I’m sorry. Do you know the woman’s name?”
“Bella Hansen. She worked as a desk clerk here,” Torie said.
“We’ll wait for the police,” a security guard said. “You called them, right?”
“Yes.”
“They’ll need the room cleared so they can sweep it for evidence.”