Concerned, Julie worried her bottom lip. “I don’t think so.”
“I do.” April Perkins moved closer. “Those three people are linked. Anyone who has been at the conference knows Kitty Pandora’s and Jedidiah Longfellow’s agent was Dakota Storm. Dakota mentioned their books Frizzled and Nailed It.”
“So that’s the first clue. The second and third would be in their bestsellers. We’ll need to buy copies and hunt through them.” Jenny grinned. “And what was the book Dakota Storm mentioned during the agents’ roundtable?”
Julie swallowed hard as realization dawned on her. “It was the Frozen in Time series. The first book is titled Body in a Frozen Lake.”
“Oh, how intriguing.” April made notes on a pad. “Soon as this forum has finished, we’ll grab a book each and head for my room. We can work together. It will be fun. We have time before the next reading.”
I must go and find Jenna. Julie smiled at her friends. “I’ll be back soon. I’m going to the bathroom.” She took off through the crowd.
With everyone involved with the conference, very few people moved through the ski lodge. The staff acted like ghosts and seemed to drift in and out getting things done when no one was around. As Julie headed through the walkways from one part of the conference area to the next, her neck prickled with an awful feeling that someone was behind her. She heard a slight squeaking like leather shoes on the tile and turned to look over one shoulder, but found the passageway empty. Swallowing the rising panic, she peered into the shadowed doorways along each wall. Each of them offered a place for someone to hide. Heart thumping, she gripped the stun gun in her pocket and quickened her pace. The corridors had no windows and when one of the lights flickered and went out, fear had her by the throat. Someone was following her and they must have ducked into the recessed doorways each time she stopped to look behind her. The terror of seeing a man in her room charged into her mind. It had been a stupid mistake to move around the lodge alone. She took her hand off the stun gun and went to depress the stone in the tracker ring when she heard someone clearing their throat. She spun around, ready to fight for her life, but recognized the person coming along behind her.
“Julie, isn’t it?” The person smiled. “Mind if I walk with you? After hearing the sheriff’s warning, I feel a little worried about walking alone.”
Julie smiled. “Me too.” She fell into step beside them.
“Where are you headed?” The acquaintance strolled along beside her.
Not wanting to discuss her need to find Jenna, Julie indicated with her chin toward the elevator. “I left my iPad in my room. I want to make notes at the forum.”
“I’m heading that way too.” The person smiled broadly and pressed the button for the elevator. “How wonderfully convenient.”
Before she could reply, the elevator doors opened and Zac Rio appeared wearing a scowl. Julie looked at him in astonishment.
“What are you doing out of the conference hall?” Rio looked from one to the other. “Who’s your friend?”
“Just someone wanting to use the elevator.” They pushed past him, stepped inside and the doors closed.
“Who was that and why are you wandering around the lodge on your own?” Rio glared down at her. “Didn’t you listen to Jenna?”
Embarrassed, Julie’s face grew hot. Rio made her feel like his little sister, and unlike her, she’d never gotten into trouble. “Yes, I listened and I wasn’t alone, was I? I met that person at the conference yesterday and they offered to walk with me to the elevator, so stop acting like my father.” She sighed. “I don’t recall their name. I needed to see Jenna urgently.” She took in his disgruntled expression. “Is something wrong? You look angry.”
“You could say that.” Rio turned back to the elevator and pressed the button. “First, Kane roughs me up because I tried to protect you, and now he’s moved into my room.” He rolled his eyes. “Look, I’m not easily intimidated, but right now, I’m a red flag and he’s a mad bull. I figure he’s had a fight with Jenna. They’re at each other’s throats.” He swung his gaze back to her. “Unless they’re like this all the time?”
“No, they’re usually great.” Julie frowned. “Uncle Dave only gets mad if someone tries to hurt one of us, but then it’s a cool calculated mad. I’ve never seen him yell at anyone, not ever.” She thought for a beat. “We all assumed they were in a relationship.”
“Well, that would make sense.” Rio rubbed the back of his neck. “A lovers’ spat maybe.”
The elevator stopped at the interview room floor and Julie looked at him. “Talk to him, maybe he needs a man-to-man chat with someone.”
“Me?” Rio snorted with laughter. “No way. I’m keeping my head down.”
Julie led the way through the open door of the suite and headed for where Jenna was working on her laptop. “Jenna, I think I might have a clue to the killer.”
Thirty-Five
So close her hair brushed my cheek. I could smell her fear, and her eyes, so wide with terror, made the temptation almost irresistible, but only a fool would take such a risk. I’m in complete control and it would’ve been foolish to extinguish her in the elevator. The cameras are everywhere, and although I’d love to share my skills with the world, alas, to finish my story I’m compelled to keep my hoodie up and my head down. I take the elevator to the next floor, move quickly to the stairs, and make my way back down to the conference. I need to be seen in the crowd with hundreds of witnesses and will be the social butterfly this afternoon. My plans are set and I have everything I need waiting for me in the forest. I’m salivating at the thought of my next kill. I enjoy brutality, feed on pain and suffering, but the thrill will be dismembering someone right under the sheriff’s nose and then presenting my kill as an offering.
I’m smiling at the thought of the delights to come. The next will be a confection of my skills, one that will make all who love writing about crime sit up and take notice. There will be fear but also kudos for my ingenuity, something that has been sadly overlooked by the publishing industry. Will the guests run screaming from the ski lodge, demanding the sheriff allow them to leave and damn the risk of dying on the road down the mountain? Or will the fools continue to believe my kills are just part of an elaborate charade? After this, I can turn my attention to a burning need, I refuse to deny myself: Julie. One thing is for sure, when my hands close around her slender neck, I won’t be playing games.
Thirty-Six
On hearing Julie’s voice, Jenna shut her laptop on the crime scene photographs she was scanning for clues. She’d had the unfortunate task of having to speak with Kitty Pandora’s husband. The distraught man had informed her Kitty never removed the missing ring from her finger. It was her engagement ring and he’d send Jenna a photograph of Kitty wearing the distinctive diamond and sapphire ring. She smiled at Julie. “Okay, sit down and tell us what you’ve discovered. Rio, close the door. We don’t want anyone listening in.”
After everyone had drawn close, Jenna leaned back in her chair, listening intently to the link between the murder victims. She made fast notes and looked up at Kane. “So what’s the deal with this killer?”
“Well, if it had been all agents, I’d say he was an author who’d been rejected, but why would he kill the authors?” Kane stared at the ceiling for a few seconds and then lowered his gaze to Jenna. “The fact he’s using the authors’ methods of killing in the three murders is significant. How I’m not entirely sure. Jealousy that they’re published and he isn’t, perhaps?”