Michael didn’t look like a man who would leave them within twenty-four hours. He looked happy and relaxed.
They moved out of frame, and the woman looked up and down the hall.
The dark-haired woman turned the cart back, going straight to Ty’s room. She slid her key card in and entered.
“Damn it.” Ty’s hands fisted. “She’s not supposed to go in unless asked or for a scheduled cleaning.”
“Do you recognize her?” Nate asked.
Ty was quiet for long enough to let suspicion flow. “Her name is Ashley.”
“Would she have any reason to help someone hurt you?” Gemma asked.
Lucy couldn’t help it. Her eyes rolled because she knew. “He slept with her and didn’t call.”
Ty’s jaw turned mulishly stubborn. “I never said I would call. I never told anyone I would call except Lucy, who I called all the time without even sleeping with her for years.”
Oh, his poor damaged soul. “And even then most of the time you text.” She turned back to Nate. “It’s safe to say Ashley wouldn’t mind getting some revenge on Ty, but there’s no cameras inside the room. She can easily explain that she was confused.”
“Well, she didn’t actually clean,” Ty admitted. “I can tell when housekeeping comes.”
“She spends very little time in your room, and if you’ll notice she doesn’t even take the cart in.” Gemma pointed to the screen. The door had been propped open, as was protocol whenever housekeeping entered a room. Usually it was left open by sliding the inside lock outside, but this time she used her cart. Ashley picked up two rolls of toilet paper from the top of her stack and entered the apartment. “I believe she’s got the bag stashed inside the roll, and if anyone asks she simply restocked Ty’s room. Did you call for toilet paper?”
“No. Like I said today is the day I get cleaned and restocked.” Ty stared at the screen like he could fix something. “Why would she do this? I wasn’t nasty to her. I was honest about what I wanted and could give. Hell, I’m pretty sure I talked to her about Lucy the whole time. She was the last person I slept with before I decided I couldn’t do it anymore.”
She reached over and covered his hand with hers. She’d let go of this anger a long time ago. They’d dealt with their insecurities in their own ways. He was solid now, and she wasn’t going to punish him for something he’d done when she wasn’t ready to be with him. “As a woman who has slept with you, I can promise she’s still thinking about you. You make an impression, babe. But she was also probably paid. However, I don’t know why she would ever admit to it. She’s going to say she got confused about who put in a request for restock, and that will be that.”
Nate’s lips had lifted in a distinctly predatory grin. “Not after I get through with her she won’t. Cam and I are pretty good at bad and worse cop, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll send Gemma in.”
Gemma snorted. “Yeah, because this one will be hard to break. We’ll tell her we’ve got her on tape, and she’ll give it all up as soon as possible. She’s not exactly a hardened criminal.” She closed her laptop. “I feel bad for our killer. They thought they were in some small town and could railroad a local, and they forgot they’re in Bliss and we do murder investigations all the time. We’re like the Murder, She Wrote of small towns.”
“Do not say that to Henry,” Nate said with a shake of his head. “He’s got some crazy theories about that show. I’m going to call them in on this. I’d like to know a little about the corporation the Fosters run before my interviews with them this afternoon. I’m curious about the cyanide. It’s not easy to obtain.”
She huffed. “Michael told me I could make my own by crushing apple seeds.”
Nate sighed. “Mike has some hang-ups about the women in his life going nut-bag crazy and trying to murder people. If it helps at all, I think he can get over it. Especially given the fact that you two are human beings who don’t hold a man to an unreasonable standard.”
“Six years,” Gemma interjected with wide eyes. “You brooded for six years. Sorry, I have to say that because your wife isn’t here. She does the same for me when it comes to Cade. Can’t have you men forgetting what you put us through.”
Ty frowned. “I don’t want to wait for six years. I was kind of hoping he would figure this out quickly because there’s a cabin in the valley I happen to know is going on the market soon, and I don’t want it to go to another freaking Texan. That friend of Henry’s asked Marie to let him know if anything went for sale.”