Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
I stood outside the inn, waiting and watching. Big fat flakes had started to fall. But they didn’t look as ominous as the meteorologists were making out. They spiraled down slowly from the gray sky, barely accumulating on the ground.
A car I recognized drove past and parked in the lot. My bodyguard was here. She got out, wearing winter boots and dark jeans.
“Thank you for doing this!” I called, waving.
Holly zipped her black puffer jacket and trudged up to me. “It’s like the buddy system we used on field trips in school. Nothing can happen when there are two of us!”
I chuckled. “I owe you one. The next time you need a safety buddy, hit me up.”
Her eyes narrowed into slits. “Unless I’m the killer and you just fell right into my trap.”
I snorted. “That would be just my luck.”
“I don’t think either of us needs to worry about the other.” She pulled on a pair of black leather gloves. “Worldwide, 96 percent of murderers are men. The number is a little lower in the U.S., but the point stands.”
I shook my head. “Okay, Inspector, let’s go.”
We started the short walk to the apartment.
A few people were out and about, maybe grabbing some last-minute provisions before hunkering down for the storm.
But the vibe was different. No one was waving and saying hi.
Christmasville and its residents had lived in a pristine snow globe, surrounded by beauty and protected in their bubble.
But now someone had turned that globe upside down and shaken it.
People looked at each other with big-city suspicion.
Friendly smiles were replaced with no eye contact.
The killer could be here somewhere. Among us. They could be in any of the shops or the rentals above. They could be watching us right now.
“It’s still hard for me to believe that this is really happening here,” I said sadly.
Holly gave me a dubious look. “Did you think the Christmas magic made us impervious to evil?”
“No,” I sighed. “But it’s just such a happy place. Or was.”
“A serial killer can be anywhere,” she said matter-of-factly. “Happy or not. Jeffrey Dahmer worked in a chocolate factory.”
I grimaced. “Why do you know these things?”
She stopped beside Candy Cane Dreams. “We’re here, Not-So-New-Girl.”
“Not-So-New-Girl?” I laughed.
“Yeah, I’ve got to workshop that one. I can do better.”
I gave her arm a playful slap. “Whatever, murderino.” I couldn’t help the smile growing on my face. She was making fun of me. Like she did with Ellison. That meant we were good friends.
But my smile fell when I reached the address. The last time I’d looked at this door was when Susie had opened it, smiling her creepy smile at me. She’d touched this handle. She’d climbed this staircase. Up to the roof. To her death.
“You okay, Kels?” Holly’s brow furrowed with concern.
I shook it off. “Yeah, I’m good.”
She pulled open the heavy front door, and I followed her up the stairs. On the second floor, two doors stood opposite each other in the empty hall.
Holly pointed at 2A. “You know Ellison lives there, right?”
I couldn’t push any words out of my suddenly tight throat. I gave a little nod.
Holly, catching on right away that something was up, pointed at my face. “We’re going to talk about that.”
But right now was not the time because the door to 2B opened, and a woman stepped out. She wore black jeans and an ugly Christmas sweater that I was pretty sure was homemade and not ironic. Her blonde hair was clipped short, and thick black glasses were currently sliding down her nose.
“Kelsey Hendricks?” she asked.
I stepped forward. “Yes. And this is my friend Holly.”
She tilted her head to the side. “I recognize you. Love your bakery!”
“Thanks!” Holly said.
“Well, I’m Donna. The listing agent.”
She waved us in. The apartment had an open concept with a living room, small dining area, and kitchen all in one space.
“The place does not come furnished,” Donna warned. “As I told you over the phone, the resident is ending her lease early to stay in Florida full-time. The weather, you know.”
I was pretty sure all the murdering had something to do with it too. I tried not to think about how the last killing happened right above my head on the roof of this very building.
“Family members will be coming within a week to pack up her belongings,” Donna continued. “The new tenant can move in about a week after that. I just need time to get it deep cleaned and freshly painted.”
I took a moment to scan the space, puzzling out where and how the furniture I’d been keeping in a storage unit would fit.
This living room had enough space for two sofas if I wanted.
My place in Boston could only hold one. The kitchen had brown cabinets and older countertops, but new appliances.
I poked my head into the bathroom. Nothing fancy, but it all looked clean.
“Laundry?” I asked.
“In the basement. We pay for water and sewer. You pay heat and electric. We require first and last month’s rent plus a security deposit. And I’ll need to see a pay stub.”
“That’s no problem,” I said, making my way to the living room window. It looked down on Main Street. At night, with the lights, I imagined it was beautiful.
“Same view from the window in the bedroom,” Donna pointed out. “You can head in there and chat if you like.”
I appreciated the bit of privacy. Holly followed me in. The bedroom was larger than I expected. Plenty of space to include a little home office corner with a desk.
“So, what do you think?” Holly asked.
I cast my eyes over the room. “To be honest, it’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for.”
“Then why don’t you sound excited?”
I leaned against a dresser. “I just … don’t know what I want anymore. This was supposed to be my fresh start. And things were going so well. I love my job. I met Ellison.”
“And me,” Holly added in.
I smiled. “And you. And I really felt like this could be home.”
“But then everything went to hell,” she said.
I blew out a breath. “Yeah.”
“But I’m still here. And after they catch this psycho, the tourists will come back. Your job will be fun again. And … Ellison’s still here.”
I went to the window. The lazy snowflakes had built into a thickly falling snow.
“We should go,” I said. “The weather is going to get bad soon, and you don’t want to drive home on slippery roads.”
She gave the window a cursory look. “I’ve driven in worse conditions. Tell me what’s going on.”
I wanted to talk about it. I needed to talk about it. But it wasn’t my place to share Ellison’s secret with others.
“Do you know about … where Ellison lived before?” I asked cautiously.
Holly hesitated. “You mean that podunk town in western Massachusetts …”
She stared at me, and I stared back. Something unspoken passed between us.
“You do know,” I said.
“I’m not supposed to.”
“But he confided in Nick, and then Nick told you,” I guessed.
She shrugged. “It’s what we do.”
I snorted. “I’ll remember that if I ever think about telling you a secret.”
“I never tell anyone else!” she said defensively. “Just think of Nick and I as a package deal. You have a dilemma and need advice? Two for one.”
At least she was honest about it.
So, Holly and Nick knew. But they apparently loved and trusted Ellison anyway? I didn’t quite understand.
“Is Nick cool with …” I took a deep breath. “Ellison’s past?”
She leaned against a side table. “He looked into it himself and found information that matched what Ellison told him. So, yeah, he’s cool. He’d never let a man into our home that he didn’t trust.” She paused. “But I can sense that you’re wary.”
“Yeah, I am.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’m still in shock that he told you already. He hasn’t even told me.”
“He probably just assumes that Nick did.”
“Yeah, that’s probably true.”
“And he didn’t tell me,” I clarified.
“Then how do you know?”
I paused. “Aaron told me.”
Her head rocked back in surprise. “How did Suit Man know?”
I bit my lip, not wanting to say the words that would get her temper up. “He ran a background check on him.”
Holly’s hands clenched into fists. “That man has triggered my last nerve. Where is he? I’m going to—”
“He’s gone.”
“Gone?” Holly repeated. “What about the land deal?”
“That part is still up in the air, but he left town to stay safe.”
“But not without dropping this bomb on you first. Nice.”
I pursed my lips. “He thought I deserved to know.” I had touched Ellison, kissed him. We’d been alone in my hotel room. I’d drunkenly tried to get him into my bed.
“I get that,” Holly said. “But, just, talk to Ellison. Listen to his side.”
Side? I thought. How many sides could there be to arson and assault?
“Promise me,” she said. “You can’t make up your mind without all the information.”
“I’ll talk to him,” I promised.
Donna appeared in the doorway, wringing her hands. “It’s starting to look bad out there. I need to head on home. So, what do you think? The whole building is owned by Evergreen Realty. We respond quickly when there are any repair issues. Other tenants are very happy with us.”
I took a deep breath. “I love the location. And it’s nice that there isn’t a creepy landlord.”
“Creepy landlord?” Holly repeated, eyebrows raised.
“I looked at a unit on the outskirts of town,” I explained. “And the landlord gave me the creeps. Some guy named Billy.”
“Oh,” Donna said knowingly. “Stay far away from him. He owns a couple units and only rents them to women, then he harasses them until they break their leases early to get away. Everyone in real estate in the area knows about him.”
Holly pulled out her phone, her interests piqued. “What’s his full name?”
“Billy Ramsey,” Donna supplied.
“He was at the parade,” I said. “He spoke to me.”
Holly and I shared an unspoken look. He was a known creeper of women and was at scene of the crime. She sent a quick text on her phone, and I knew she was sharing the information with Nick.
“About the apartment,” Donna nudged. “I really need to get home.”
“Sorry,” I said. “I need a little time.”.
She nodded, understanding. “You have my number.”
We all left the apartment, and Donna descended the stairs. But Holly and I hung back.
“Did you text Nick about Billy?” I asked.
“Yeah, he’s worth looking into.”
“Totally. Bad vibes all around.”
Footfalls on the staircase were headed this way. Had Donna forgotten something? Was she coming back?
But it was Ellison, his keys in his hand. He stopped short and looked at us in surprise.
“A promise is a promise,” Holly whispered in my ear. “Talk to him.” Then, to Ellison, she said, “They let you out, huh? Too bad.”
“Hello to you too, Holly,” he said with a genuine smile. His eyes moved to mine. “I’m just coming from the inn. I was trying to find you.”
“She was with me,” Holly announced. “Checking out the real estate. Old Mrs. Wickstrom decided to full-time it in Florida.”
Ellison’s eyes darted between Holly’s and mine. No doubt he was wondering why I hadn’t returned his text. Why I hadn’t told him I was touring the apartment across the hall from his own.
“Can we talk?” he asked me.
Holly gave me a little nudge with her elbow. “I have to get home before the roads get really bad. But Ellison will walk you back to the inn after. Right, dork?”
“Of course,” he said quickly.
I couldn’t put off this talk any longer. Holly was right. As uncomfortable as this conversation would be, I had to get all the facts.
“Sure,” I said. “Let’s talk.”
Holly waved goodbye as she descended the stairs. Ellison unlocked the door to his apartment, and I stepped into the unknown.