Chapter 19
Nineteen
COULD IT BE SCOTT? Lyle? Cassie’s mind raced. Who made the most sense?
“It can’t be Devon,” Joel said. “He was back well before he could have taken Brady up to the drop-off. That had to take time. Although . . .”
“Although what?” Cassie narrowed her eyes. “You’re making that face.”
“What face?”
“The one when you’re thinking really hard about something.”
He shrugged. “It’s just something that’s been bugging me.”
“What’s that?”
“The sled I found.”
“Sled?” She frowned.
“The one I found by Brady’s body when I rappelled down to lift him back up.”
“Of course, the one in your photos. What has you thinking about the sled?”
“I just realized it couldn’t have been down there long because it wasn’t buried in the snow.”
“All right. And what does that make you think?” She started running it through her head—the implications, the possibilities.
“I’d be surprised if a man pulled a body on a sled up to the overhang, but maybe I’m wrong. Although, there is a possibility it could have been a woman. With Brady’s size, she’d need the extra help of a sled.”
“But you said a woman would have a hard time slitting Brady’s throat and strangling Nat.”
“She’d have a very hard time, but . . .” He raked a hand through his hair, like he always did when thinking.
“We should consider the possibility we could be looking at a pair of them. That would explain the two sets of footprints by the window—one large, one small. It would explain the sled and would give people alibis when they needed it by trading off.”
“So what woman was missing long enough to get Brady out to the overhang?” She thought it through. “I don’t see Amy as an accomplice, but I could be wrong. I don’t know her well, but I can’t see a kindergarten teacher dumping Brady’s body over the side of a cliff.”
“Did Heath hang with any particular women? Though he was so freaked out. Unless it was a really good act.”
“He hung with Amy occasionally—which I never could figure out because she’s so sweet, and Heath is Heath, but I still can’t see her killing anyone or aiding in it. Mia either, plus she hasn’t been out of the parlor because of the stitches on her legs.”
“Which leaves Penelope, Kendra, and Savannah,” Joel said. “We know Iz didn’t do it, and Savannah is too sweet natured. No way she’s a cold-blooded killer.”
“I can’t see Penelope doing it. She’s too proper to get her hands messy.”
“But she was alone in the room with Nat.”
“True. And her sleeping took her away from the group for a significant amount of time. What if she discovered the passages too?”
“All right. Penelope or Kendra. Let’s attack it this way. Which one entered our group about the same time your stalker letters started?”
“Let’s see. Penelope is family, while Devon introduced Kendra.”
“Have either Heath or Devon acted strange around you?”
“Strange, no. I mean . . .” She shrugged a shoulder. “They both asked me out. But, then again, so did Lyle.”
“They all asked you out after we broke up?”
“Yes. Well, no. Heath and Devon both asked me out before we started dating and then again after we broke up.”
Boards creaked behind the wall.
They both turned.
Time to get in there.
Someone was watching.