No One Else to Kill (Jim West Series) (6 page)

y the time I got back downstairs,
the first of the emergency responders had arrived, and I could hear the sirens
of more close behind.

A man who I had not seen before, but I felt pretty sure
was the manager of the lodge, stood at the entry to the hall and instructed
hotel guests and staff to vacate the hallway.

“You do not need to return to your rooms, but this hallway
needs to be cleared for the ambulance and the police.
 
The dining room will be serving coffee and
snacks for anyone who wants them, free of charge.”
 
The manager also passed instructions to his
staff as they passed him, but I couldn’t make out what he said.

I went into the dining room.
 
The hunting group gathered at one big
table.
 
The two men I had observed upon
my arrival were either in their rooms or out somewhere as I had not seen either
of them all morning.
 
I didn’t know if
the hotel had other guests or not.

Rather than be antisocial, I strolled over to the big
table, too.
 
Besides, I wanted to know
what they thought had just happened.
 
I
hadn’t heard any shots that sounded like they came from inside the lodge.

“Do you mind if I join you?” I asked.

None of the friendliness that they had been so full of
before was present now.

“This may not be the best time,” the chubby one with the
burr haircut said.

“Hell, what does it matter? Let him sit down,” said the
one with the permanent five o’clock shadow.

None of the others seconded his opinion.

“Go ahead and sit down, Jim.”
 
Geri had come in behind me and cast the
deciding vote.

“Thanks. I felt it would be awkward to sit alone a few
tables away after what just happened.”
 
Actually, I was just nosy but didn’t think that would sound the same.

“How’s Randi?” asked the one who always needed a shave.

“She’ll be alright,” Geri answered. “I asked one of the
EMS guys to check her out when they had a chance, but other than the shock of
finding Cross, she’s fine. In fact, if it wasn’t for that, I would’ve thought
she was faking, the way she swooned into Jim’s arms out there.”

“No time to be joking, Geri,” said the burr haircut.

“Sorry, dear.
 
By
the way, have you all met Jim?”

One member of the group said no.
 
They all looked at me.

“I’m Jim West.
 
Sorry we couldn’t have met under better circumstances.”

“You must have been here when Cross was killed?” It didn’t
sound like a simple, innocent question.
 
The asker looked like years ago he could’ve played professional ball –
any of the big three. He still looked in good shape, but the grey hair and
lines in his face put him close to sixty.

“Before we give him the third degree, let me introduce
each of you,” Geri said.

“Hey, someone just killed Cross.
 
He wasn’t just our boss, he was our
friend.
 
I, for one, don’t feel like
being social,” remarked burr haircut.

“I understand that, but there is no reason to be hostile
to anyone at this point.”
 
I wondered
what she meant by “at this point.” No one contradicted her.

“My husband, Vic.”
 
She motioned with an open hand toward burr
haircut.
 
“Next to him on his right is
Mark Stallings.” The guy needing a shave nodded. “Between you and Mark is Tom
Griffith.” He hadn’t said anything yet. I noticed he
had a diamond stud in his right ear. “This is Aaron Nesbitt,”
she touched the man’s arm to her left.
 
He was the former athlete. “Last, but not least, is
Harv
.”
She motioned toward one of the group who had Mexican features.
 
I wondered why she hadn’t offered his last
name. He hadn’t said anything since I joined them.
 
Harv
at least gave
me a half smile with his half nod.

“Nice to meet you all, and again, I’m sorry about Cross.”

“I can’t believe it,”
Harv
remarked softly.
 
He sounded sincere, and
I knew he meant Cross’ death, not my expression of sympathy.

The manager entered the dining room and approached our
table.

“I’m so sorry. I just can’t believe this happened here.” I
could see the stress in his face. Small beads of sweat had popped out on his
forehead.
 
“I meant what I said.
 
Anything you want from the kitchen, just ask
for it. I’ll make sure the staff knows it’s on the house.”

“How about from the bar?”
Stallings asked the question.

“Later.
 
The cop in
charge said no to the alcohol.”

Someone to my right grumbled.
 
I didn’t blame the police for not wanting us
to start drinking, but I wondered about their authority in not allowing us to
have one.
 
Since I didn’t want one, I
didn’t push the issue.

“Are you the manager of this place?” Geri asked.

“Yes, and I do appreciate your patience with us.”

“One could hardly blame you or the lodge for what
happened,” Geri replied.

“Who is to blame?” her husband sniped.
 
Geri gave him a look.
 
I began to feel all wasn’t content between
them. Perhaps Cross’ comments about my having better luck with Geri than Randi
might have been more serious than I took it.

“The killer, dear.
The killer.”

“So it wasn’t suicide?” I asked.

“What?”
 
Vic asked.

“I mean, well,” I paused, “have the police ruled out
suicide?”

“Oh come on, Cross would more likely have shot one of us
than himself,” Griffith finally spoke up.
Harv
nodded
in agreement.

“I saw the wound.
 
It was in the back of his head. Not a likely spot for a suicide.
 
Besides, while I didn’t exactly look for one,
I didn’t see a gun in the room,” stated Nesbitt, the member of the hunting
troop in with the staff trying to perform CPR.
 
With the distraction Randi caused, I couldn’t be sure.

A uniformed, New Mexico state patrolman walked into the
dining room.
 
He carried a clipboard.

“May I have your attention please?
 
I simply need to ensure we have everyone’s
names, addresses,
phone
numbers.
 
You know: the basics.
 
I have a list from the hotel that I can work
from, but I need you to verify the information.”

The patrolman appeared to be in his early twenties.
 
He looked at us. No one said anything.

“Sure,” I said.
 
Maybe he thought he needed permission.

“Ok,” he said. “Victor and Geri
Schutte
,”
he looked around.

“That’s us,” Geri answered.

“1214
Tapaz
Court, El Paso,
555-575-3432.”

“Correct.”

The patrolman continued rattling off names and data of the
entire hunting group, only skipping Cross and Randi. Good prep work, I thought.
Not only did they get the info before he came into the room, he knew who to
expect in the room.

“And you’re Mr. West, right?”

“Yes.”

He rattled off my contact info, and I acknowledged he had
it right.

“Do any of you know where we can find a Sean or Colt
Bettes
?”

“Never heard of them,” Geri responded.

“They’re the other two guests at the lodge right now.”

Frick and
Frack
, I thought.
 
At least they had real names.

“I think I know who you’re talking about, but I haven’t
seen them at all this morning,” I said.

“If you all could stay here for a few more minutes,
Sheriff Montoya will be with you in a bit.”

The patrolman hadn’t even reached the door when Geri
turned toward me. “Do you think they killed Cross?”

“I have no idea.”

“It’s only a matter of numbers,” Vic said.
 
“The six of us were down at the range when
Cross was murdered.
 
That only leaves the
two of them and your friend here.”

I didn’t react to his dumb inference. “Actually, you
forgot the entire lodge staff, Randi, and anyone else who may have been in the
lodge at the time.”

“He’s right, Vic,” Stallings said. Vic gave him a nasty
look.
 
No love lost between those two, I
thought. That was the second time Stallings sided with me over Vic, and I
didn’t even know the guy.

“Jim, right?”
Stallings asked.

“Yeah.”

“Do you know those two guys?”

“No.
 
They arrived
yesterday when I did.
 
I just saw them.
That’s all.”

“I can’t believe someone actually murdered Cross,” Geri
said.
 
“This only happens in the movies.”

“Don’t you watch the news? You know we share a border with
Juarez, the world’s murder capital. These things, unfortunately, do
happen.”
 
Harv
didn’t come across being short with Geri.
 
He just sounded matter-of-fact.

“Did he have enemies over there?” I asked.

“No,” Geri responded, and the rest nodded or at least
didn’t disagree.

“I don’t know anyone who would’ve had a motive,” Nesbitt
added.
 
“We may have some competitors who
don’t care for us and maybe some angry, past clients, but no one…..” he left
his sentence unfinished.

“Oh my God,”
Harv
said softly.
“Who’s going to call Bea?”

They looked at each other.
 
No one stepped up to the plate.

“Is Bea Cross’ wife?” I asked

“Yeah, been married forever,” he said.

“I vote we let the police do it. It’s their job anyway,
isn’t it?” Vic’s comments only deepened my dislike for the guy.

Nobody spoke for a minute or two.
 
The silence broke when two members of the
wait staff showed up.
 
Despite the events
of the morning, or perhaps because of them, most at the table ordered large
breakfasts. Nesbitt ordered a cheeseburger.
 
Only Geri declined.

“I can’t eat anything right now,” she said.

My gut told me she meant it.

“I don’t mean to sound morbid, but what happens to the
company now?” Griffith asked.

“It’ll continue,” Geri said.

“But, I mean, his death has to have an impact.
 
Cross was the senior partner.”

“I’m not absolutely certain,” Geri added, “but I sat in on
the legal briefing we had a few years back when Cross updated a few
things.
 
We do have a transition
plan.
 
We have insurance for this type
of--”

“Insurance?
Why wouldn’t that go
to his family?” Nesbitt interrupted.

“I have no doubt that there’s insurance that the family
will be getting, too.
 
In fact, if my
memory serves me right, the insurance the company has on Cross is to help us
compensate his wife in exchange for her releasing her interest in it.
 
Cross got it to help us get through this sort
of thing.”

“Are you a partner, Geri?” I asked.

“Yes.
 
I own twenty
per cent.
 
There’s another partner who’s
not here.”

“That’s old man
Hardzog
, right?”
Vic asked.

“Yes, he also owns twenty per cent.
 
He actually owned the company outright before
Cross bought him out years ago.
 
Mr.
Hardzog
isn’t active in the company anymore, although he
does sit on the board.”

“Do we get any money out of this insurance?” Stallings
asked. He noticed a couple of critical stares. “It’s just a curiosity question,
that’s all.”

“I’m not sure.
 
I
mean it’s not that type of insurance, but it’s there so none of us lose
anything.
 
If it ensures we stay in
business and stay profitable, that helps, but we’ll need the lawyers to explain
it all to us.”

“Shouldn’t one of us call Sheila?” Griffith asked.

“I guess so,” Geri responded.

“I don’t think we should call anyone until the police
tells us
it’s
okay,” Stallings said.
 
“And then, I think we should call Bea before
we call Sheila.”

“Who’s Sheila?” I asked.

“Cross’ personal assistant.
 
She’s been with him since he became the
boss,” Geri answered.