Casey Mayes - A Killer Column

The elevator door opened back down the hallway, and two members of Hotel Security got out.

Zach made a decision quickly, and moved toward the battling women before he consulted me. That was fine. If he had a plan to make this work in our favor, I was all for it.

“Cary, Mindi, Hotel Security is on its way,” he said as he reached them. “Unless you both want to go to jail for disturbing the peace, follow my lead.”

Was he kidding? This was his plan?

To my amazement, both women nodded.

As the security pair rounded the corner, Zach said in a loud voice, “I told you that television was too loud before. Thanks for turning it down.”

“No problem,” Mindi said with a rise in inflection.

“We’ll see you later, then,” Zach said as he ushered Mindi into her room and quickly returned to the hallway.

Cary looked dumbfounded as Zach took her arm. “We need to go. We’re late for our meeting.”

“Of course we are,” Cary replied.

“Is there a problem here?” the lead security man asked.

“Just a television turned up a little too loud. Sorry about the commotion.”

One man looked at the other, and it was clear that neither was fooled by Zach’s story, but some kind of silent conversation went on between them, and the older man finally shrugged. “Just tell her to keep it down from now on.”

“It’s taken care of,” Zach said.

After the men left, Cary said, “Not that I’m ungrateful, but how did you happen to be here?”

“We were looking for a friend staying at the hotel,” I lied. “When we heard the commotion, we decided to see what was going on. Zach stepped in so there wouldn’t be any more trouble.”

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“I figured you’d been through enough already,” my husband replied. “I’d hate to give the police another reason to question you.”

Cary shuddered noticeably at that comment. “How right you are. If I can ever repay you, all you need do is ask.”

“I might just take you up on that,” Zach said.

Cary barely looked in my direction as she headed for the elevator herself.

Once she was gone, I asked Zach, “Are you serious? That story honestly worked on everyone?”

He shrugged. “Savannah, Hotel Security just wanted the problem to go away. I found a way to let them ignore it in good conscience, and that was enough for the moment. If Cary and Mindi go at it again, it’s going to be on their heads, not mine.”

“Nice save, Zach.”

“I do what I can.”

He knocked on Mindi’s door, and she answered, cowering behind it as though she was afraid to come out. “Yes?”

“I didn’t have a chance to introduce myself before,” my husband said smoothly. “I’m Zach Stone, and you’ve already met my wife, Savannah. May we come in?”

To my amazement, she nodded and stepped aside. “Of course. Thank you for coming to my rescue. It’s hard to tell how ugly that could have gotten if you hadn’t stepped in when you did. Hi, Savannah. You’ve got quite a husband there.”

“I was glad to help,” Zach said, and I was amazed he didn’t throw in a “Shucks, it was nothing” while he was at it.

I looked around the room and was surprised to see that it was as neat as could be. It was hard to believe that Mindi had been able to stand cohabiting with Derrick after seeing what a slob he could be.

After she closed the door to her modest room, Mindi said, “I’m not afraid to say it; that woman frightens me.”

“I know what you mean,” I said. “She was really blasting away at you.”

“Normally, I hate confrontation,” Mindi said, “but I couldn’t just stand there and listen to her abuse. It’s not called for in polite society.”

Neither is sleeping with another woman’s husband , I said in my head. I wasn’t there to point fingers, though. Zach and I were looking for clues. “Do you believe what you said to her?”

“What’s that?” Mindi asked, looking slightly confused.

“You told Cary that everyone knows she killed her husband.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Mindi asked. “She’s getting a fat insurance settlement, from what I’ve heard.” Mindi began to whimper softly, and then she added, “She didn’t even love him.”

“And you did,” I said softly, not making it a question, but rather a statement.

“It’s true. I did.”

“Listen, I hate to bring this up, but we need to know. Was there anyone else in Derrick’s life?”

“You mean romantically?” she asked as she looked at me quizzically.

“That’s exactly what I mean,” I said.

“He’d never be unfaithful,” she said. “Derrick loved me.”

“And yet he was still married to Cary,” Zach said. “That must have infuriated you.”

Mindi didn’t rise to the bait. “They had an arrangement. She didn’t care if he slept with me, as long as we were discreet.”

“Did Cary tell you that?” Zach asked.

“No, Derrick did, and I believed him.”

Zach just shook his head, and she asked, “What are you trying to say?”

“If he really loved you, he would have left his wife, wouldn’t he?”

For a split second, Mindi hesitated, and then began crying with such force that I was certain someone from Security would be back.

I tried to calm her down, but she just pointed to the door and shrieked, “Leave this instant.”

We had no choice but to comply, and as Zach and I walked to the elevator, I said, “Smooth, Zach, really smooth.”

“Those tears were a little too convenient, weren’t they?”

I looked at him. “You noticed that pause before she busted loose, too?”

“Hey, I was once a trained detective, remember?”

I shook my head, though I couldn’t hide my smile. “She got out what she wanted to say, and once you started pressuring her, she kind of conveniently fell apart.”

“It didn’t work though, did it?”

“What should we do now, tackle the other writers under Derrick’s thumb, or go after Kelsey Hatcher?”

His stomach rumbled, and Zach asked, “Is there any chance we can get a bite to eat? I saw a hamburger joint on the corner. We wouldn’t even have to drive to it, so we can keep our space in the hotel parking lot.”

“Fine, I know how you get when you’re hungry,” I said. “Let’s go eat, and then we’ll tackle the rest of them.”

AFTER A QUICK MEAL, WE WENT BACK TO THE HOTEL TO finish our second round of interviews.

Zach asked, “Can we stop off at the car for a second?”

“Sure, what did you forget?”

“Nothing. I just want to get another pen.” He’d taken notes about what had happened so far during our lunch, and his pen had slowly failed him.

“I have one in my purse that you can use.”

As we walked back past the car, I noticed that it was sitting lower than it had before. Was it sinking into the pavement of the hotel’s parking lot?

Zach must have noticed it the same time I did. “Hang back a second, Savannah.”

He reached into his jacket and pulled out his gun. “I didn’t even know you were carrying that.”

“It’s a new holster,” he said. “You should go inside.”

“I’m not leaving you out here by yourself.”

“Savannah, stop arguing with me.”

“Then stop ordering me to do things you know I have no intention of doing,” I said.

He shook his head in disgust, but he quit trying to drive me away. If anything happened, I was going to be there for it, no matter what. The not knowing was the worst part about it.

I’d learned that lesson the hard way.

Zach moved back to the rental car, his gaze taking in our surroundings with laserlike precision. Once he was satisfied no one was around, he reholstered his gun. “It’s all right.”