Murder Games (18 page)

Ivy
stood behind the bar. “I’ve got just the thing for you, Kyle.” She handed him a tall glass filled to the brim with what appeared to be whiskey. “It will calm you down.”

“No, thank you.” He pushed the drink b
ack toward her. “I’ll calm down as soon as I find Grace.”

“You’re not going to find Grace all
frazzled and uptight.”

“I’m not going to find her blitzed out of my mind
, either.”

Rupert
painfully limped toward the bar. “I’ve finally tracked Grace down. She just got back from lunch, and is at the spa getting a facial.”

“She is?” Kyle asked doubtfully.

“Yep.” Rupert leaned heavily against the bar. “Why don’t you go join her? You’re obviously not having any fun here.”

Kyle stubbornly shook his head. “No, I’m not leaving unti
l I hear from Grace myself.” He looked around the room. “She’s not the only one missing, you know. We haven’t seen Sabrina since this morning, and where’s Molly? Or Austin. I haven’t seen either of them since I arrived.”

“Molly said she had a headache and went up to take a nap,” Rupert said. “I think
Austin decided to join her.”

“Oh, I’m so glad.
” Ivy smiled brightly. “She does so like him.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Rupert said.

“Yes, she does.” Ivy brought the glass of whiskey to her lips. Grimacing, she set it back down without taking a drink. “She’s practically in love with him.”

“She just met him
,” Rupert said.

“So what?
” Ivy asked. “She’s still in love.”

“She didn’t seem so in love this morning,” Rupert scoffed. “She acted like she hated him.”

Ivy waved her hand dismissively. “Just a lover’s tiff.”

“How can it be a lover’s tiff when they’re not dating?”

Kyle leaned his head against the bar. He felt Ivy pat him on the head. “They’re upstairs resting and Sabrina will probably show up at any moment. I really do think you’d be happier if you went back to the hotel and took your own nap.” She pushed the drink toward him. “Here, have a drink.”

“No
, thank you.” Kyle lifted his head. “I’m not leaving.”

“We could make you,” Rupert said
.

Kyle straightened
and turned to face the caretaker.

Rupert licked his lips.
“I told you, I spoke to her on the phone. She’s fine.”

Kyle
looked into Rupert’s eyes. “If I find out you’re lying to me, there’s nowhere you’ll be able to hide that I won’t find you.”

*  *  *

“Yes, Billy.” Ivy wrapped the phone cord around her fingers and smiled. “She is? Okay, I’ll tell him.” She turned to Kyle. “Grace can’t come to the phone. She’s taking a mud bath right now. She said to tell you that she’ll talk to you later tonight.”

Resisting the urge to yank the phone out of Ivy’s hands, Kyle said, “I want to speak to him myself.”

“Hang on, Billy. Her boyfriend wants to talk to you.” Sighing, she passed the phone to Kyle.

“Who is this?” Kyle asked.

“Billy Tabor. I work at the spa. Grace said—”

“I
know what she said, but I need to speak to her right now. Would you please go and get her?”

“I’m sorry
, but I can’t do that. No phones are allowed in the spa.”

“Well, this is an emergency, so go and get her.”

“Uh . . . I’m sorry but we have a strict policy at the spa. No phones are allowed.”

“I don’t care
what your policy is.” Realizing he was sounding more and more like his father with every passing second, Kyle grimaced slightly. “I need to speak to her. Please, put her on the phone.”

“Um
. . . well . . . I can’t really . . .”

“Why not?”

“Um . . . No phones are allowed.”

“
I know, you keep telling me that. If you can’t take the phone to her, then ask her to come to the phone.”

“I can’t
. . . I can’t really do that.”

“Then let me spea
k to someone who can.”

Ivy reached up and tugged the phone down. “Billy, go get Grace and have her call back here at the manor. Tell her to hurry.” Ivy hung up the phone and gave Kyle a chiding glance. “Really, Kyle
, there’s no reason to get upset. She’ll call as soon as she can get cleaned up.” She walked out of the study. “I’m going to make you some nice hot tea,” she said turning toward the dining room.

Kyle walked out of the room without answering and ran upstairs.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his lock pick kit. He opened the first door he came to without bothering to knock. Finding it empty, he went back into the hall and methodically made his way down the hallway searching every room, closet, and bathroom he came across. He even checked under the beds, but found no sign of Grace.

Slamming another door shut, h
e made his way to the last bedroom on the left. From there, it was the attic, and then the lower floors he decided. He opened Austin’s door surprised to see Molly sound asleep. Austin was behind her with his arm wrapped around her waist and also asleep.

They didn’t even stir as Kyle barged his way in. He walked over to the closet and then the bathroom. When he didn’t find Grace in either one
, he dropped to his knees and looked under the bed. Finding nothing, he continued his search up in the attic where he found Laura and Jerry arguing over an old trunk.

Jerry grabbed the top of the trunk and held it open. “I want to look myself.”

Laura leaned back on her heels. “Don’t you trust me?”

Jerry bent over the trunk. “Of course not.”

“What are you two doing up here?” Kyle asked. “I thought Rupert declared the attic off-limits.”

They both jumped in surprise.

Jerry shrugged. “He changed his mind. He said we could go anywhere that we want.”

“
That’s right and we’re looking for the next clue.” Laura stood up and dusted off her slacks. “Ivy’s murderer supposedly left a clue in the attic.”

Jerry
nodded. “We have to find it soon. We only have a few more hours before this game ends. Personally, I suspect Rupert.”

Laura rolled her eyes. “It’s not the butler. They wouldn’t make the butler the killer. It’s too much of a cliché.”

Kyle’s heart sank as he looked around the attic. It would take hours to search it. If Grace was dead, they could have hidden her body anywhere . . . he shook his head unwilling to even think such a thing.

She’s fine, he reassured himself. She’s at the hotel
and she’ll call any second. He rubbed his hand along the back of his neck praying that she would call soon. “Have you heard from your sister yet, Laura?”

“
Mr. Cheatum, I don’t have a sister.”

“Laura, I’m not playing this game anymore, so would you drop the act?”

Laura flinched. She raised her chin and crossed her arms in front of herself.

Kyle blew out a breath.
“I’m sorry, I snapped.” He softened his tone. “We haven’t seen your sister in a few hours. Aren’t you concerned?”

“No, of course not.
Sabrina’s fine. She said she was bored and wanted to do some shopping. She’ll be back any minute.”

Kyle reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic baggy containing the burnt scraps he found in the fireplace earlier that day. He held them out in front of her.

“What’s that?” Jerry asked.

“It is what’s left of a
Haunted Theater invitation and Belinda Forrest’s receipt.” He looked at Laura. “Do you recognize them?”

“
Of course I do. I’m the one who found them.” She took the baggy out of his hand and brought it closer to her face. “Why is it all burnt?”

“Belinda Forrest?
” Jerry looked up suddenly. “Didn’t Rupert say that’s who they thought the dead woman was originally? Why do you have her receipt?”

“I found it near the pon
d this morning,” Laura said.

Kyle took the baggy back from her and stuffed it in his pocket. “Why didn’t you give it to the police? It’s evidence.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Laura scoffed. “It’s not evidence. It’s litter.”

“A woman died,” Kyle said
, “she might have been murdered.”

“
I didn’t know that when I found it,” Laura said defensively. “Besides, it has nothing to do with murder. Her death was an accident.”

“Who says?” Kyle asked.

“That’s what they said,” Jerry said.

“Who?”

Jerry shrugged. “Rupert and Ivy. They told us during breakfast that no one considered it a murder anymore. I figured the police must have said something to the hotel staff and that’s how they found out.”

Kyle
looked at Laura. “Why are you here?”

“
I thought that was obvious.”

“Have you ever done this type of thing before?
” Kyle asked. “Played a mystery game, I mean?”

Laura shoved her glasses back on her nose.
“No, this is my first time.”

“
What made you suddenly decide to do this now?”

“
Sabrina told me it would be fun. She did this last year with one of her boyfriends.”

“
She was here at the Murder Manor?” Kyle asked.

“
No, she played the Deadly Delights mystery game. It’s a culinary mystery.” Laura grinned at Jerry. “She gained ten pounds.”

“
What was her boyfriend’s name?”

Clearly not happy with being on the receiving end of an interrogation, Laura snapped,
“I don’t know. I never met him. Sabrina has a lot of boyfriends. I can’t keep track of all of them. I have other things to do. She told me how much fun it was and bought the tickets for us last year.” She glanced over her shoulder at Jerry. “I’m going to go check the cellar. Want to come?”

Jerry slammed the trunk shut. “Where you go, I go.” He stood up and followed her out of the attic
, leaving Kyle alone.

Kyle took a few steps into the attic. It was huge. It would
really take hours to search it effectively. Coming to a decision, he marched down the stairs and into Austin’s room.

He
gripped Austin’s shoulder tightly and shook.

Austin
’s eyes fluttered open.

“
I need your help.”

Austin
muttered something before shaking his head no. When his eyes drifted shut once more, Kyle shook him awake again. “Austin, I can’t find Grace and I’m worried. Please, help me. Did you bring the plans to the house with you?”

That seemed to get the other man’s attention.
Austin raised his head off the pillow at least and rubbed a hand across his eyes. He seemed surprised to see Molly lying next to him and shook her gently. She rolled over and wrapped her arm around his waist.

“What’s going on?”
Austin asked sleepily.

Kyle was just about to explain when he heard
the phone ring and Rupert call his name. He pivoted on his heel, raced out of the room, down the stairs.

Rupert
was standing in the hallway. “Grace is on the phone.” He motioned for Kyle to follow him into the billiard room. Pointing to the old-fashioned phone on the wall behind the bar, he said, “I told you she was fine.”

Relieved, Kyle
held the phone up to his ear. “Grace, where are you?”

“Hi
, Kyle, I’m at the spa. I was up to my neck in mud when you called. Didn’t they tell you I’d talk to you later tonight?”

“Yes,” Kyle said slowly. “Why
. . . why did you leave without telling me?”

“I didn’t have time. After
—oh, I’m not supposed to tell you who the killer is, am I?—Well, after they killed me, I was told I had to leave immediately. And you know me, rules are rules.”

“Yeah
,” Kyle said softly.

“Now just go have a good time. Everything’s fine.”

“What about what we talked about this morning?”

“Kyle, we’ll talk again tonight. I have to go. I have an appointment to have my hair done in ten minutes. Good luck, I hope you win that sleuthing trophy. I’ll be rooting for you.”

“Wait, Grace . . . one more thing.”

She sighed.
“What?”

Kyle swallowed over the lump
that was forming in his throat. “What’s my real name?”

“Uh
. . . Funny, Kyle. You know what your name is. Now, I’ve got to go. Have fun. I love you.”

Swallowing hard, Kyle hung up the phone.

“See,” Rupert said, “she’s fine. Now, will you just relax and start playing the game.” He held the door open and gestured for Kyle to follow him.