Guardian Angels – Ambivalent - 32

As Mike had predicted, he, Paddy, and Link walked into chaos when they entered the shelter. It was controlled chaos, but still enough that the two young men manning the admissions counter were definitely relieved when Mike and company took over.

The rain finally let up an hour later. Many of the teens left at that point. Those that remained took advantage of the sudden calm to try to get some sleep while there were empty beds in the dorm. 

Mike bent to touch his toes then stretched. "I didn't need this today," he grumbled.

"Sit and I'll rub your back," Link told him.

"Great. But first I need to hit the john." He headed to the door to the employee's area, asking one of the others to buzz him through.

"I'll go with you," Link said.

Mike started to protest that he was quite able to use the restroom on his own then realized what he meant. "Okay, but you get to wait outside."

"After I check it out."

They both looked at Paddy, waiting for him to buzz them through, which he did. When they got to the small employee restroom, Link went in first. He came back, telling Mike it was empty.

Mike chuckled. "Good. I don't like voyeurs."

A couple of minutes late he rejoined Link in the hall, saying with a trace of amusement, "I half expected Mister… Okay, he's not Keefe, he's McKim. Either way, I half expected him to drop down through the ceiling tiles and try to drown me in the toilet."

"Now there's an interesting image. It would be hard to make that look like an accident though. 'Honest, officers, he must have slipped on the wet tile and gone in face first, hitting his head'."

Mike laughed as they headed back to join Paddy in the front room. "Somehow I doubt anyone would buy that."

"No kidding."

When they got to the counter, Paddy was dealing with a couple of kids, telling them they were too early to sign up for a bed for the night. They muttered a few words about his parentage and ancestry and left. He chuckled, then said, "It's slow enough right now that if you want to go somewhere more comfortable for your back rub, Mike, have at it."

"You sure?" Mike asked.

"No, I said it just to entertain myself. Yes I'm sure."

            "We can use the employee lounge. It's got a sofa," Mike told Link.

The Hotel - 38

Everyone was back in time for dinner. They seemed much more relaxed as the result of their forays away from the hotel. Kirby and Marsh regaled us with stories about the town, with Jenn and Caitlin adding their two cents worth. Phil and Noah talked about the deer they'd seen with huge antlers.

"This big," Noah said, spreading his arms.

Phil grinned. "You look like a kid. 'It was this big, Daddy, honest.'"

"Well, they were!"

Phil gave him a hug, telling us, "He's not exaggerating…much."

After dinner, we got ready for the show. Just like Noah, who was handling makeup as well as playing Renfield, Caitlin was doing double duty, making certain everyone was properly in costume before dressing for her part as Lucy.

The audience was smaller than the previous evening as most of the guests had already seen the show. Not that it mattered. My troupe would willingly perform for an audience of one. It was what they did, and loved.

Afterward, we all gravitated to the cocktail lounge. Ramsey swore he was only going to have one drink and then switch to water. He kept his promise.

Edwin was there, of course, mingling with the hotel guests. We chatted for a few minutes about our day and the weather, which he said was predicted to remain clear for at least the next few days. Then he looked across the room and excused himself. I saw Orville standing in the doorway and wondered what was up. Not that I could ask at that point.

Even though it was relatively early, just after ten, I decided I didn't want to stick around. Apparently most of the troupe felt the same because when I left the only ones still there were Phil and Noah. I had the distinct feeling they were in the process of cementing their relationship from the way they were looking at each other, hands clasped across the table.

When I got to my room, I went to the window, staring out across the lake. For a brief second I saw a wolf standing on the other side, looking my way, and wondered who it was. Then it vanished into the trees.

I found out moments later that it wasn't Edwin. There was a rap on my door and when I opened it Edwin was standing there. He said, "We have to talk," and suggested we do so in his suite.

The first thing he asked after he'd poured us coffee and we settled on the sofa was, "Have you learned anything more today?"

"Yes. Ramsey was interested in Tessa, although he says he never let her know. When he saw her leave that night with Vern he said, okay implied that he gave up on ever trying to tell her how he felt. Of course he is an actor, and a good one, so he could have been lying."

"He never said anything about that to Orville, which is too bad. He would have known if it was the truth. However, he admits all he asked Ramsey, or anyone else, was when the last time was they saw Tessa, without digging deeper as they were preliminary interviews." Edwin stared into his cup. "I could have a talk with Ramsey."

"And Caitlin? She's also a suspect in my book, as much as I hate the idea. There's also Jenn, and maybe Kirby, and damn that's half the troupe."

"That we know of. The only one's I'd write off are Phil and Noah," Edwin said.

"What about Marsh?"

"Probably. He never showed any interest in Tessa?"

"No," I replied, "but neither did Ramsey when it comes down to it. I think he only admitted it to me because I pushed and he was still nursing a hangover so he wasn't thinking, if that makes sense."

"It does."

The Hotel – 37

I was part way through the third chapter of my book when I heard footsteps and then someone sat in the chair next to mine. My pulse quickened until I turned and saw Ramsey.

"You're looking better," I said.

He grimaced. "Remind me the next time I order a drink that I'm off booze forever."

I chuckled. "When have I heard that before?"

He sighed. "The last time I got stupidly drunk? But—" he held up a finger, "—that was three months ago."

"When you and what's her name broke up." I looked hard at him. "Did you, were you interested in Tessa?"

He worried his lip between his teeth. "Yeah, I was, for all the good it did me. Then, after her argument with Jenn, I thought maybe I could step in and—" he shrugged, "—you know. That was before I saw her take off with the bartender. And now she's dead, damn it." He buried his face in his hands.

Right now I wished Orville, or Edwin, or hell any of the shifters were around and could hear him. I'd give my eyeteeth to know how much of what he was saying was the truth and how much was him using his acting skills to try to convince me he wasn't lying. If he had run into her after she left Vern's suite and she was still upset about Kirby and Jenn, it would have given him a good reason to suggest they take a walk until she cooled down. From there, if he made a play for her, as Edwin had suggested when we talked about it last night, and she laughed at him… A possibility with no way to prove it. But then, so far, there was no way to prove anyone in the troupe was her killer.

I patted Ramsey's arm, suggesting he get something to eat. "It might not help you emotionally, but it will do something for your hangover, which would be a good idea since we're putting on the show again tonight."

"Oh boy. Okay. I won't argue with you about eating." He chuckled. "When have I ever done that?"

"Never?" I replied, laughing as he got up and went inside to see what was for lunch.

I considered doing the same but I wasn't hungry so I went back to my reading, using it to push aside everything that had happened since we came up here. Okay, not everything. Edwin, and our relationship if you could call it that, floated in and out of my thoughts. I did like him, there's no denying that. But I'm not a dreamer who believes it's possible to overcome the odds. When we, the troupe that is, finally leave I knew it would be the last I'd see of him. That doesn't make me exactly happy, but it is what it is, I supposed.

The Hotel – 36

It was close to ten by the time we all finished eating breakfast and Ramsey still hadn't put in an appearance. It was obvious from their expressions that some of the troupe was beginning to worry. It was almost a repeat of Tessa's not showing up for breakfast Thursday morning—and they all knew the reason she hadn't.

"He drank way too much last night," Phil said aloud, apparently trying to ease his, and their, concerns. "My bet is he's got the hangover from hell and we won't see him until this afternoon."

"He never misses a meal," Jenn said. "That's not him."

"I'll go check on him," I replied even though I was certain Phil was correct.

When I got upstairs, I knocked on Ramsey's door, then tried the door handle when I got not response. It was locked so I banged harder.

"Go way," came a muffled reply.

"I wanted to make certain you were still with us," I called out.

I heard shuffling footsteps then the door being unlocked. Ramsey opened it, gripping the edge to keep me from coming in, I suppose. If he felt as bad as he looked… I shook my head, asking if he had any aspirin.

"Yeah. Took some. I'll be fine. Go away." He flicked his fingers at me and when I took a step back he slammed the door. I had the distinct feeling he regretted that seconds later if his head hurt as badly as I bet it did.

When I got back downstairs I told everyone he was alive, but far from kicking. They all looked relieved and from there they split up with Phil and Noah saying they were going for a walk. Jenn, Kirby, Caitlin, and Marsh held a brief conversation before telling me they wanted to hike down to the town.

"Maybe get lunch while we're there, if there's a decent restaurant," Kirby said.

"There is," Felicia told him, coming into the room. "Not four-star, but the food's edible if you like plain cooking. Give me a call when you're ready to come back and I'll send Logan to pick you up."

"Don’t think we can make it on our own?" Marsh asked disbelievingly.

"Feel free to try, but it's all uphill from there, and in case you haven't noticed the air is thinner in the mountains."

"If the macho men want to walk back that's fine with me, but Caitlin and I are smart enough call for a ride," Jenn said with a smirk.

"Wusses," Kirby muttered, ducking when Jenn took a swipe at him. I had the feeling calmer heads would prevail and they'd all be happy to ride back with Logan.

"What about you?" Felicia asked when they left.

"I'm going to find a good book and sit out on the patio," which I did.

The Hotel - 35

"Good morning," Edwin said when I awoke Saturday morning.

"Umm, good morning to you." I was surprised, but not terribly so, to find he was still in my room. The last thing I remembered was a lot of good sex before I fell asleep with him spooned behind me. "What time is it?"

"Close to nine." He finished putting on his shoes. "I have things to do but I didn't want to leave until I did this." He bent to kiss me. "I'll see you when you get downstairs."

I kissed him back then watched as he checked the hallway and gave me a thumbs-up before taking off. Our having sex, because I wasn't about to call it making love, was becoming a habit. One I'd miss when we finally were able to leave and return to the city.

After I showered and got dressed, I headed down to the dining room to get something to eat. Everyone was there except Ramsey, who I presumed was still sleeping off his binge from last night.

The moment I walked in I knew they had heard that we weren't leaving this morning as planned.

"Okay," I said when I got to our communal table. "Let's not get bent out of shape. We can do another show tonight, which will help Caitlin polish her performance. That way I won't have worry about the show when we get back home. That is if it's all right with you."

Caitlin's face lit up. "You're serious? I get to keep on doing her?"

"Yep. I don't see why not. I'm not promising I won't look for another actress to replace Tessa, because I will. But having you available, too, means we can do shows with more than two females in them."

For someone who once told me she wasn't an actress and never wanted to be, Caitlin seemed very excited to be joining the acting roster. That gave me pause when I recalled Edwin's comments from the previous evening. While I couldn't picture Caitlin as a murderer, I supposed it could just as well have been her as anyone else.

"Can we at least get out of here for the day?" Kirby asked. "I'll go crazy if we're stuck inside, especially since the weather's better. There's even sunshine and most of the snow has melted."

"I don't see why not. All I ask is, you don't go out alone," I replied.

"Afraid one of us will take off if they're the killer?" Marsh asked sourly.

"Not at all. None of us know the area that well. It wouldn't pay to get lost, or fall into some abandoned pit and not be able to call for help."

"Or run into a wolf," Jenn said, shivering.

"Probably the least of our problems," I told her. "As far as I know, no one's seen one since the first night we were here," I added, lying through my teeth. Knowing what I did, that the 'wolves' were wolf shifters who had no reason to bother any of us, I figured I could at least lay that fear to rest.