The Hotel – 29

Noah returned, looking shaken, and told Kirby it was his turn, and so it went. It was early afternoon before Orville got to me. I was the last one.

"First," Orville said when we were in Edwin's office, "I want to know if you have any suspicions about who might have murdered Ms. Baker."

"No," I replied succinctly.

He cocked his head, looking at me. "I'm aware you just found out about us. Has Edwin said anything to you since then about our abilities?"

I sighed and nodded. "It's not that I think either of them were involved, but Jenn had no love for Tessa, and Kirby… Well I don't know how he felt about her, but Tessa was trying her best to take him away from Jenn. That bit of information I only found out a couple of nights ago when I overheard Jenn and Tessa arguing."

He was taking notes as I talked. Now he looked up at me, saying, "See, don't you feel better telling me the truth?"

I snorted. "Not really. They're my friends. Implicating them in this? Well, I'd rather not have to, to be honest."

"You're not the only one who mentioned the argument, so you were only confirming what I already knew."

"Ramsey," I replied and he nodded.

"Is there anyone else you'd I rather I didn't know about?" he asked.

"No. And that is the truth. I can't think of anyone who had a reason to kill her."

"What about Ramsey and Marshall? Could one of them have come on to her and then gotten upset when she rejected them?"

"That happens to everyone at one time or another and you know it. If someone rejected me it's for damned sure I wouldn't murder them. I might be pissed. Probably would be if I'd thought I had a chance. But that would be it."

"All right. Next question. Do you know where everyone was when Ms. Baker left the hotel?"

"Not really. Presuming it was late, which I guess it was, then as far as I know everyone had already gone to bed. The last I saw of most of them was in the cocktail lounge. With the exception of Jenn and Kirby, that is. Tessa wasn't with the group. She was at the bar, flirting with Vern. He said, later, that he took her to his suite for a nightcap, but she left before anything happened between them."

"Yes, I know that," Orville replied. "You don't know if she returned to her room?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not the troupe's houseparent. They'll all adults and I treat them like they are."

I wanted to ask him if anyone had lied to him, but didn't. One, it was none of my business. Two, I didn't think he'd tell me, anyway.

"One more question. Are you putting on the show tonight as planned?"

"Unless someone in the troupe protests vehemently, I am. As I told Edwin, we'll do it as an homage, or I guess a memorial to Tessa."

"You and he are becoming quite good friends," Orville said. I thought I detected a slight smirk before his expression returned to neutral.

"I guess so," I replied, damned glad he couldn't read my mind as I immediately flashed on the previous night when I ended up in Edwin's bed.

"He's a good man, Austin. You could have a worse friend." With that he stood, telling me that was it for the moment. "I have to get back to town so the doc can do an autopsy on Ms. Baker."

That was a chilling thought, though I knew it had to happen.