Murder Games (14 page)

“What happened to Erica?” Grace asked.

Molly’s ball bounced against the edge. She straightened. “Your turn, Kyle.” She waited until Kyle lined up his shot before adding, “I don’t know what happened to her. Erica and I were supposed to play college roommates.”

“
What was that story you told us about your fiancé ditching you for your best friend?” Kyle asked as he sunk a ball into the corner pocket.

“I had a feeling when I couldn’t find Erica yesterday morning that she
had bailed on us. I had to come up with some explanation as to why I was by myself. People usually come to these events in pairs. And if you’re a single, you stick out like a sore thumb. Everyone automatically assumes you’re the actor.”

“Why
did you think she wasn’t going to show?” Kyle leaned down and lined up another shot. “Did she do that often?”

Molly shook her head. “She told me the night before
New Year’s Eve that she was leaving. I just didn’t believe her. I couldn’t believe she would leave us in a lurch like that, but when I couldn’t find her and she wasn’t answering her phone calls . . .”

Grace moved out of Kyle’s way and came around the other side of the table.
“Did she say why she was leaving?”

“No.” Molly said softly. “Not exactly. She had always talked about going to California. She had dreams of becoming a big star one day. She had tried years before
, but didn’t have any luck. I asked her if she had a job lined up, but she just laughed and said she had bigger dreams. She was going to buy a mansion and become a producer. She told me that she might give me a part.” Molly’s face darkened. “She said, I’d have to audition for it like everyone else, but if I took some classes, she might give me a non-speaking role. We didn’t talk much after that.”

“When did you last see her?”
Kyle asked.

“A couple of hours before
midnight.”

“
How was she going to become a producer?” Grace asked.

“I don’t know.”
Molly grinned as the cue ball followed a solid into the pocket. She fished the ball out and placed it back on top of the table. “My turn.”

Grace once again stepped out of the way. “Why do they have so many actors and actresses playing the game?”

“To add drama and keep the game moving.” Molly straightened as another stripe rolled into the side pocket. “The way the game is usually played, Ivy is bumped off first. She’s usually the first victim no matter what. Erica is usually killed during the night, and the guests are supposed to find her body in the sunroom the next day. We do it that way, so the paying customers don’t get knocked off too early, but there’s another murder to keep up the suspense. I’m here if something goes wonky. Like if the murder is solved too early or if our prearranged killer lets the cat out of the bag. If that happens, then I become the murderer to keep the game going. We were worried you were going to quit on us this morning.” Lining up another shot, she looked up at Grace. “If that had happened, I would have taken over as the killer and begun knocking a few of the guests off.”

“Is that
the plan B Ivy mentioned to me this morning?”

“Probably,” Molly said. “
Usually, right before the end, we up the body count. It’s a real tightrope. Too early, and the guests want their money back; not at all, and they feel deprived. The trick is getting someone alone without any of the other guests catching you in the act, so to speak. It gets harder at the end, especially if the guests start playing smart and insisting on banding together. One group last year decided that no one would go anywhere without at least two people with them.” She laughed. “Our poor killer, a sweet little old lady, couldn’t get anyone alone. Rupert and I finally maneuvered one of the guests outside, and then snuck away while they weren’t looking, hoping she would take the bait. It didn’t work though. She couldn’t break away from her group and she couldn’t kill the two with her without exposing herself.”

“
You said Erica’s body is usually found the next day, right?” Grace asked.

“
Yep.” Molly grimaced as her shot went wide.

“
Tell me the truth,” Grace said, “was what I saw last night part of the game?”

Molly shook her head. “I don’
t know what you saw last night.” Molly looked at her sympathetically. “Are you sure you weren’t dreaming?”

“Positive.”

“Some people have difficulty with role-playing,” Molly said gently. “They can become confused.”

“I’m not crazy,
” Grace said.

“No, I’m not saying that. You just seem very tired.”

“Of course I’m tired. I barely got any sleep last night. I’m exhausted, but I’m not delusional.”

“What about Austin’s fall
?” Kyle asked. “Was that part of the game?”

“
No.” She looked down at the table and whistled as Kyle shot two balls at once. “I’m glad I didn’t put money down.”

Kyle smiled as he lined up another shot. “How much of the game did they change because of Erica disappearing?”

“Not much. I think they were thinking she would show up. When she didn’t show, Ivy ended up doing a hasty re-write to the character packet, eliminating her before everyone got to the house. We have a couple of different scenarios depending on how many guests we have, their relationship to one another, and their age and sex. This one isn’t that different from the one we played in December. The only difference is in that one, I played Rose, Austin played Will Cheatum, and the guy who played Hunter, ended up being the murderer. In this one, I become Daisy, and the Hunter character isn’t supposed to exist.”

“If they deleted his character, why did Rupert allow
Austin back in?” Grace asked.

“Ivy told me that
Austin gave Rupert some money.”

“
Is Rupert in the habit of taking bribes?” Kyle asked.

“Rupert is always broke.
” Molly looked over her shoulder before whispering, “I don’t know for certain, but I think a man last December paid Rupert for the solution to the game.” She pointed her finger at the two of them and then sternly said, “You did not hear that from me. I don’t have any proof. It’s just something that I suspect.”

“Why did
Austin want to be here so badly?” Grace asked. “If he’s not one of the actors, and he’s not really interested in the game, why is he here?”

Molly
began to take another shot, but hesitated. She placed her pool cue on the table and straightened. “I have no idea. I stupidly thought it was because he was interested in me, but I doubt it now.” She shook her head. “You should have seen him last time. Austin was . . . he was just different.”

“How so?” Grace asked.

“He was more into the spirit of the game. We had a lot of fun in December. You two should have been here.” Molly’s features clouded. “Now, he just seems distracted. Nervous. I was so excited when I heard Becky call his name yesterday morning. I guess I didn’t make as much of an impression on him as he did on me.” Falling silent, she picked up her cue stick, leaned over, took a shot and missed.

Grace watched as Kyle p
ocketed the last remaining ball. “How long have you worked here, Molly?”

“
A couple of years.” Molly hung her pool cue up. “I knew Ivy and Rupert from the local theater, and they suggested I apply for one of the murder game roles.”

“
How did you meet Erica?” Grace asked.

Molly’s lips pursed together into a thin line. “
I met her about four years ago when she blew into town and decided to take over the community theater. She practically ran it into the ground. I’m glad she’s gone. The game’s been a lot easier without her and her diva attitude.” She turned around and smiled brightly. “Well, this has been fun, but it’s really time for you to go now, Kyle.”

Kyle smiled. “I’m not leaving.”

“He can’t,” Grace said, “I haven’t killed him, yet.”

Molly sighed. “That’s not how the game works. The moment she told you she was the killer, you died.”

“Nah, we came to an agreement. We’ve decided to join forces.” Kyle leaned his hip against the pool table. “I really wasn’t that fond of Ivy anyway.”

“That’s right,” Grace agreed
, “he’s my accomplice now.”

Outraged, Molly placed her hands on her hips. “You can’t just re-write the game.”

“Of course we can, Molly,” Kyle said with a smile, “we just did.”

Molly shook her head as she turned to walk out.

Grace picked up a pool cue. “Oh, Molly, you wouldn’t happen to have a sample of Erica’s handwriting would you?”

Molly narrowed her eyes.
“Why would you want that?”

Grace gathered the balls together.
She leaned forward and balanced the stick on her fingers as she lined up a shot. “Her signature will do.” She shot and missed the white ball. Her pool cue scratched the surface of the table.

Looking on i
n confusion, Molly said, “I think I have a picture she had autographed lying around.”

“Could you get it for
us?” Grace lined up the stick and ball again. She shot the stick forward missing the ball by two inches.

Molly sighed as she left the room. “I’ll be right back.”

“What are you doing?” Kyle asked with a shake of his head.

“I wa
nt to see Erica’s handwriting and compare it to the note you found last night.” She shot and missed again.

“That’s horrible.”

“If we can compare the handwriting, we’d know if she left that note for Austin or not.”

“Th
at’s not what I’m talking about.” Kyle walked around the table. Standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her body and leaned forward. He placed his hands over hers. “Let me show you how to play.”

Smiling, she looked over her shoulder at him. “Want to make it interesting?”

CHAPTER
thirteen

Grace held out
her hand. “Pay up.”

Kyle snorted.
“I’ve been hustled. Who taught you how to play like that?”

“My grandpa Jessie.
Stop stalling.”

“I don’t have any money.
”

“Then why did you take the bet
?”

Kyle sat on the pool table.
“Well, I . . .”

“U
h huh. You thought you could take advantage. I’m on to you, buddy, so pay up.”

“I can’t.
I’m saving my money.”

“Oh, what for?”

He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. “There are some toys upstairs I plan on buying for someone very special.”

“Really?
Anyone I know.”

He nodded. “
Allen Madison.”

She playfully swatted him on the arm.

Laughing, he said, “Guess who was calling and texting me all night.”

Grace grinned. “It’s driving him crazy, isn’t it? You didn’t tell Allen where we were
, did you?”

“I didn’t speak
to him at all, but I have over fifty text messages and twenty voice mails from him, mostly consisting of ‘where are you?’, ‘the pictures are fake,’ ‘I’ll find you,’ and my favorite, ‘I know where you are. I’ll be there soon.’”

“He’s bluffing.”

“Next time, we’re using your phone.”

“We have to get to the hotel and see if we can buy those dolls before he gets a chance.”
She reached up and ran her hand through his hair. “Of course you could pay me my winnings now and then I could buy the toys for myself. Although the hundred you owe me probably won’t even cover the tax.”

“How abou
t we work out some type of deal?”

Grace wrapped her arms around his neck. “What do you have in mind?”
she asked as he bent his head forward and kissed her passionately.

“Oh,
” Grace said as he moved from her mouth to her ear, “that’s not too bad. You should lose more often.” She stood on her tiptoes and reached up for another kiss when the door opened and Molly walked back in.

Grace took a step ba
ck. “You still owe me a hundred.” She turned toward Molly. “Did you find it?”

Molly nodded
. She held out a cast photo for a local community theater adaptation of the
Taming of the Shrew
. “I don’t know why you want it, but here it is.”

Grace took the photograph and placed it next to Kyle on the pool table. Seven signatures dotted the image, the most prominent being Erica Powell’s. Grace ran her fingertip over the image trying to identify the actors on the stage. “Where’s Erica?”

“She’s in the back,” Molly said. She tapped her finger against the picture. They could just barely make out a woman standing at the back of the stage, partially obscured by two other actors. “You can keep it,” she said, turning to leave.

“Where are you going?” Kyle asked.

“Back to work,” Molly said. “I have to drop a few clues to the others.”

As soon as the door closed behind Molly, Kyle reached into his pocket and pulled out the note he found in the
cellar. He laid it next to the photograph. “You don’t think Erica left the note, do you?”

“
No, I don’t. You saw the cellar. No one would choose to hide down there waiting for Austin to show. There are far more comfortable places to wait than that. I think this was just a ruse to get him down there.”

“You may be right
.” He pointed to the vowels in each signature. “The E and A are completely different. So, if she didn’t write this note . . . who did?”

Grace shrugged. “Someo
ne who wanted Austin dead.”

“We don’t know that. The note
isn’t addressed to anyone in particular. We’re just assuming Austin had it on him when he fell.”

“True.”
Grace tapped her fingers against the felt tabletop. “Let’s suppose for a moment that the woman I saw being dragged out of here last night was Erica Powell.”

“Not that I don’t believe you
, but why Erica? According to Molly, Erica was planning on leaving.”

“But why? Why did she suddenly decide to leave? What made her take off like that—the day before the game
started? And when did she decide to leave? Was it before or after her cousin was killed? Then, there’s this note.” She tapped her finger against the scrap of paper. “It references Laura, so it had to have been left after we arrived. This is what I think happened; I think someone killed Belinda on New Year’s Eve. Realizing what happened to her cousin; Erica decided to run, so she tells Molly that she’s leaving. I think she came back to the manor for some reason after the celebration, but before the game started. Unfortunately, the killer found her before she could get away and killed her. Soon after, the game started and then Austin arrived looking for Erica. We know he came here to meet her about something. Whatever it is, it’s obviously put him in danger.”

“
Of course, there is another theory . . .” Kyle leaned back on his elbows. “Like I said last night, Austin could have been faking.”

“
But it still doesn’t make any sense. Why would he do that?”

He sat up. “Maybe he
is the one who killed Erica and hid her body here in the manor. He probably felt it was safe where he hid it, but when everyone started searching the house looking for Ivy’s diary, he panicked. He realized he had to get rid of her body before anyone stumbled across it. So, he created a diversion; some reason for us to stop searching. Let’s face it, our little hunt for the diary came to an end as soon as he went down the cellar stairs. Rupert locked the cellar and the attic down after that and practically sent us all to bed like unruly children.”

“There’s just one little problem with that theory. He couldn’t have been the person I saw dragging Erica down the stairs. He was out cold when Ivy and I went to check on him.”

“So? He could have taken something after he got rid of the body.”

“
But why grease up the stairs? We could have broken our necks.”

“He probably didn’t think about us or care. He just wanted t
o make it seem like he was hurt, or maybe throw suspicion onto someone else if anyone had found Erica’s body during the search.”

There was a sudden knock at the door. Jerry poked his head through the opening. “
Hey, you two. I don’t suppose you’ve seen Sabrina or Laura, have you?”

*  *  *

“How could you have lost them?” Caroline asked with a shake of her head. She stood at the foot of the stairs where Jerry, Kyle, and Grace had gathered.

“I don’t know. I was walking
through the maze with Sabrina and Laura discussing the mystery when they disappeared one right after the other. The first one to vanish was Laura. Sabrina and I turned a corner, and when I looked back to ask Laura why you, or rather Rose,” he said pointing at Grace, “would have gone to the trouble of dragging the mannequin down the stairs and tossing it out in the snow, if all you wanted to do was to deflect attention away from yourself. I mean, you could have just as easily
pretended
to have seen the killer.” He leaned forward with a smile. “The hysterics were excellent, by the way—very believable—but you didn’t need a prop.” He leaned back and tilted his head to the side as he observed her. “You wouldn’t by any chance have done some acting in the past, would you?”

Grace briefly closed her eyes and sighed. “You were telling us how Laura disappeared.”

“Oh, yeah. Anyway, I looked behind me and she’s not there. I mean, one minute she was there with us, telling us how you are definitely the murderer, and not a very good one at that, and the next—poof—she was gone. So, Sabrina and I retraced our steps. We walked down one blind alley after another, calling her name, but she didn’t answer. And then, just as I’m telling Sabrina not to worry, that Laura’s probably back at the manor, I look behind me and Sabrina’s gone.”

“I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about,” Kyle said. “They’ll turn up eventually.”

Caroline crossed her arms and glared at her husband. “You need to go and find them.”

“Sweetheart,” Jerry said,
“Kyle’s right. The maze can’t be that big. They’ll turn up.”

Caroline wrung her hands. “It’s cold. One of them could have gotten hurt. I think we should organize a search.”

Jerry reached out and ran his hands down his wife’s arms. “Sweetie, I’m sure they’re fine.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “They’re grown adults. I’m sure they’re both intelligent enough to navigate the maze. They’ll be back before you know it.”

“But—”

Jerry smiled. “But I will go get Rupert and we’ll go back out and look for them.”

“I’ll go with you,” Kyle said.

“Me too,” Grace said.

Jerry nodded. “Maybe we can get
Austin to help.”

“No!” Caroline said quickly. “There’s no reason to bother anyone else. I guess I’m just being a little paranoid.”

Kyle and Grace exchanged a look, each wondering if the other had picked up on the tension in Caroline’s voice.

“You know what? I’m kind
of tired,” Grace said, “I think I’ll stay here.”

“You sure?” Jerry asked
.

Grace walked over to where Caroline was standing. “I’m sure.”

“Alright, Kyle,” Jerry said, “let’s see if we can find Rupert.”

Kyle
waved goodbye at Grace as he followed Jerry into the dining room.

Caroline
closed her eyes and sighed.

“Are you okay
?” Grace asked.

Caroline chuckled. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m just—I don’t think I really like this whole murder
mystery experience. It’s kind of ghastly when you think about it, but I guess I don’t have to tell you. I can’t believe you’re still here. If I had seen someone carrying a dead body—I don’t care whether it was a mannequin or not—I would have run screaming out of this place.”

“I’m getting kind of use to running into dead bodies.”

Caroline looked at her strangely.

“It’s a long story,” Grace said
as they walked from the foyer to the dining room. She sat down at the table. “I’m sorry; I forgot to tell Kyle that you wanted to see him. What exactly did you want to talk to him about?”

Caroline sat down next to her. “I was hoping he could help me track down a missing relative.”

Grace looked up sharply. “A missing relative? What’s her name?” she asked, wondering if this missing person had anything to do with the murders.

Caroline blinked in surprise.
“It’s not a her; it’s my grandfather. He abandoned my grandmother and my mom in 1987, and they never heard from him again. A couple of weeks ago, an old friend of the family came by and told us that Grandpa had died back in ‘88. Pneumonia, he thought. He didn’t really have any other details. My mom would like to know what happened and pay her respects. Closure, I think.”

“Oh,
I thought . . .” Grace said, shaking her head. “I’m sure Kyle would be happy to help.”

Caroline smiled. “Thank you. That’s a relief.” She leaned back in the chair. “
What’s wrong? You seem disappointed. I understand it’s probably not the most exciting case Kyle’s ever worked on but . . . ”

“
No, it’s not that. I just thought it had something to do with . . .” She paused, deciding not to lay out her suspicions about the murders just yet. “I thought it might have something to do with Austin.”

“Why would you think that?”

“It’s just that you seemed to be slightly afraid of him last night. And then a few minutes ago, you were very insistent that Jerry not ask for his help . . .”

“Was I? I didn’t mean to give off that impression.”

“You’re obviously worried about something. It might help to talk about it.”

Caroline
glanced over her shoulder before leaning forward. “I saw something New Year’s Eve that’s sort of made me a bit concerned.”

“What?”

“I’m pretty sure I saw Austin arguing with some blonde woman in the gazebo a quarter after eleven.” She hesitated. “Then when they found that woman’s body . . . I know now it was an accident, but last night, I was afraid that he may have had something to do with it.”

“Are you sure it was him? He told me he arrived yesterday.”

Caroline shook her head. “If he told you that, then he was lying. It was him. I’m positive about that.” She looked down at the table as her fingertip traced along the edge of a pale pink rose embroidered into the lace tablecloth. “I can’t get the image out of my mind. There was just something wrong with that whole scene. I don’t know how to explain it, but it frightened me.” She looked at Grace. A worried frown creased her forehead. “I think he saw me,” she said softly.