The Best Man to Trust

CHAPTER Five



Tom watched the emotions wash over Meredith’s face. Dismay. Fear. Resignation. He’d seen them lurking beneath the surface as she’d dealt with the situation upstairs, but she’d done an admirable job hiding them as much as possible, keeping a cool, calm facade. That was gone now, her feelings bare and plain to see. She looked lost, as though the world had just come crashing down on her and she had no idea what to do next.

It wouldn’t have been a good look for anybody but somehow seemed especially wrong on this woman’s face. His gut clenched at the sight. He automatically stepped forward and started toward her, the need to do something, say something, to make it better rising from the pit of his stomach.

Before he could, she abruptly lifted her head and spun away toward the door. “I have to get to Ellen and Rick,” she said, her voice wobbly. “Make sure they...know what’s happening.”

He had a feeling make sure they’re all right was what she’d started to say. “Okay,” he agreed. “Let’s go.”

She was already brushing by him as he said it, her strides long and full of purpose. He quickly moved to follow as she pulled the door open and plunged back out into the hallway.

She headed toward the back of the house, away from the front hall and living room where they’d left the others, down another long corridor.

She plowed forward, her head bowed slightly, her movements rushed and uneven. Concern rippled through him. “Hey.”

When she didn’t react to the word, he caught her elbow to stop her progress. A split second after his hand made contact, he felt the tremor rip through her body, every inch of her tensing even more than she already was. A strong reaction, far stronger than normal for such a minor touch. He suspected he knew the reason for it, unease roiling in his gut.

Still, she did stop. He dropped his hand. “Are you okay?”

She nodded tersely, her head bent. “I’m fine. You just startled me.”

It had been more than that. He didn’t doubt it for a second. Her reaction had been too fierce, too defensive. “Maybe you could stand to take a breath. Everything’s been happening so fast. You haven’t really had a chance to process any of this.”

She mustered a smile without meeting his eyes. “And I don’t have time to now. I appreciate the thought though.”

She stood there, her head down, her body still tight with tension, as if it was still protecting itself. The sight drove a hard lump to his throat, and suddenly he had to know. It really wasn’t any of his business, but he couldn’t hold back the question.

“About what Jess said...” he said softly. “You didn’t lie about what happened with Brad, did you?”

She winced, her expression saying she would give anything not to answer the question. He was about to withdraw it when she finally gave her head a tight shake, still not meeting his eyes. “No. I didn’t.”

Anger surged from the pit of his stomach in a rush, for what had been done to her, toward the bastard she’d been married to whose face Tom couldn’t even remember. He struggled to keep the emotion off his expression and out of his voice. “I’m sorry,” he said gently, the words pathetically inadequate. He actually felt stupid saying them. “For Jess. For...everything.”

“Thanks,” she said flatly. “But that’s pretty much the least of my concerns now.”

“Understood. You’re sure you’re okay?”

“I think I have to be, don’t I?” She glanced up at him, realization dawning on her features. “What about you? She was your friend.”

Tom nodded, a combination of guilt and sorrow building in his chest at the reminder. He knew Haley was dead—murdered. He’d seen it with his own eyes, felt her cool skin with his own fingers. But it didn’t seem real. None of this seemed like it could actually be happening.

“I actually hadn’t spoken to her at all since college, at least not until today. I should have stayed in touch with her.” Heck, he should have done a better job of keeping in touch with all of them. Even Scott, the one he’d spoken to the most, was someone he’d only been in contact with a couple times a year, if that. If there was one thing this weekend had already proved, it was what a lousy job he’d done maintaining the friendships that had once been the cornerstone of his world.

“I only got a chance to catch up with her a little at the airport. And now she’s gone.” He could barely wrap his head around it. It was hard to believe that the same woman who’d been laughing and talking with them just a few hours ago was now lying dead in the upstairs hallway, gone forever.

Meredith reached out, hesitating slightly before placing her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry,” she said, genuine sympathy shining in her deep brown eyes.

“Thanks.”

With a tight nod, she pulled her hand away, its absence inexplicably making him feel colder. “Come on,” she said, sending an uneasy glance down the corridor. “We should keep moving.”

Tom followed her gaze. The hallway was empty and well-lit. He didn’t spot a single shadow. So why did it suddenly appear so impossibly long and dim somehow, every doorway seeming to contain a possible threat?

As if sensing the same thing he did, she shuddered lightly.

“You’re right,” he agreed. “Let’s go.”

She quickly took off again, regaining her earlier speed. Tom fell into step beside her. He knew she had to be concerned about her employees. But as he thought about the people they were seeking out, he realized there was a very good chance that one of them was responsible for what had happened upstairs.

He pictured them—the big, muscular handyman with the friendly grin who’d helped them with their bags and the full-figured, pleasant-faced cook who’d served dinner. He couldn’t immediately see either of them committing the gruesome act upstairs. But who else was here?

“How much do you know about your employees?” Tom asked carefully.

“Everything possible. After what happened here before, Adam—that’s my brother—conducted practically government-level background checks on them to make sure there were no skeletons in their closets or issues we needed to know about. After what happened before we weren’t taking any chances.”

“Still, there could be something that wouldn’t show up in a background check, some secret reason to lead one of them to do this.”

“I trust them absolutely,” she said firmly.

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask if she’d felt the same way about the previous staff. He bit back the question, figuring he’d pushed her enough tonight.

“It looked like a kitchen knife was what was used,” he pointed out. “As far as I know, no one from the wedding party got close to the kitchen.”

“I didn’t see it that closely. And Ellen had a few knives out for the roast and the rest of dinner, didn’t she?”

Thinking back, he realized she was right. “Did you notice any of them missing after dinner?”

“No,” she admitted. “But I wasn’t keeping track of them. She shot him a glance. “What about you? You haven’t seen most of your friends in years. They could have changed. They could have motives you know nothing about.”

Tom couldn’t exactly argue with her. He suspected many of them had changed. But the idea that one of them could have changed enough to become a killer—and kill one of their own friends—was inconceivable.

Before he could answer, they arrived at a back hallway on the first floor not far from the kitchen. Probably a logical place for the household staff to be staying.

Meredith walked up to one of the doors. Raising her hand, she hesitated for a brief moment before knocking. “Ellen? It’s Meredith.”

There was no immediate response, likely not a surprise considering what time it was. The woman was probably asleep. Unless she’s been up to something else, he thought.

A darker thought drifted through his mind, inspiring a hint of guilt. Unless something happened to this woman, as well.

They waited a few moments. Tom didn’t detect any sounds from within the room. His unease growing, he shot a glance down the hallway in both directions. “Is Rick staying down here, too? I can get him.”

Meredith nodded. “Yes, he’s—”

The door of the cook’s room suddenly opened slightly, drawing their attention back to it. Seconds later, Ellen appeared in the gap. Still holding the door partway shut, she peered at them, eyes wide with concern. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Something’s happened,” Meredith said. She took a deep breath before continuing, and he could sense how difficult it was for her to say the rest. “There’s been a murder. One of the guests has been killed.”

At first the other woman simply blinked at her with a complete lack of comprehension. “Who— When—” She swallowed. “Who did it?”

“We don’t know,” Meredith admitted. “Can you come with us? I think it would be safer if everyone stuck together.”

For a moment, doubt flickered across the woman’s face, and Tom had a feeling she wanted to say no. She was probably thinking she’d be safer staying where she was. He couldn’t fault her for the idea.

He studied the cook’s face, trying to get a better read on her. He hadn’t gotten much of an impression of the woman that evening. Truth be told, while they were being served dinner, he’d been too busy watching Meredith to pay much attention to the other woman. She’d simply been a smiling presence working beside Meredith.

She wasn’t smiling now, of course. She looked appropriately shocked and scared. He just didn’t know her well enough to know whether the reaction was genuine.

“Of course,” Ellen said. “Just let me get dressed.”

“Go ahead,” Meredith said. “Let me wake Rick. He needs to know what’s happening, too.”

“What’s going on?”

The voice came out of nowhere. Tom quickly jerked his head to the side to spot the man a few yards away, standing in the open door of another room farther down the hall. It was Rick.

Tom nearly swore. The man had managed to come out into the hall without any of them noticing. Tom was going to have to do a better job staying on guard and aware of his surroundings.

“Rick,” Meredith said. “We were just coming to get you.” She quickly explained the situation as she had to Ellen. “Will you come with us to the main living room?”

“Sure,” he said, without hesitating as Ellen had.

He didn’t seem at all disturbed by the idea that there was a killer in Sutton Hall. Or maybe he figured he could take care of himself. From the look of him, Tom wasn’t sure he could disagree. A big man in his thirties, Rick was tall and clearly muscled even beneath the baggy sweatshirt and shorts he wore. When he’d helped them with the bags, he’d been friendly and all smiles. There was no trace of that now, his expression serious and attentive. Something in his steady, watchful gaze made Tom think of a soldier or a police officer. He wondered again what the man’s background was.

Ellen’s door opened, and the woman stepped out, now wearing a robe over her nightclothes.

“All right,” she said solemnly, looking at the three of them. “I’m ready.”

With a nod, Meredith turned to lead the way. Ellen followed her. Tom motioned for Rick to precede him. From the way the man eyed him, Rick wasn’t sure he wanted to. Maybe he figured it made sense for him to bring up the rear, since he worked here.

After a moment, Rick moved to follow Ellen. The tightness in his chest easing slightly, Tom fell into line behind him, casting one last glance back.

Maybe he was being overly cautious, but Tom wasn’t ready to put his back to the other man. Or to the cook, for that matter.

Meredith might trust them but, for the time being, he couldn’t afford to.

* * *

THE LIVING ROOM doors were shut when they made it back to the front foyer. Tom wasn’t surprised. Given what was happening, he couldn’t blame the others for wanting to feel a little more secure.

Instead of heading toward the living room, Meredith crossed the foyer to the front door. Unlocking it, she pulled it open.

The wind immediately burst in, lashing at them. Standing a few feet behind her, Tom saw his earlier conclusion had been right. In fact, seeing it for himself suddenly made it seem so much worse. The snow came up to the middle of her thighs, and that was just by the door. It seemed to get higher the farther out he looked. The vehicles they’d driven up the mountain had been left in front of the building, but there was no sign of them in the snow. And more flurries continued to flood down from the sky, the air nearly as white as the piles already on the ground.

Meredith pushed the door shut, filling the hall with silence once more.

“Not getting out of here anytime soon,” Rick observed.

“No,” Meredith agreed softly. “Let’s get back to the others.”

She quickly moved to the living room, the rest of them following close behind. Reaching the door, she hesitated briefly, then knocked before opening it. Warning them someone was coming in so they weren’t surprised and scared by someone yanking the door open, Tom figured, impressed by her consideration.

Everyone in the room looked up as they entered. As the last one in, Tom pulled the door shut behind him.

“Did you reach the police?” Rachel asked, a touch of hope in her voice.

Meredith took a breath. “No,” she said calmly. There was no hint on her face or in her voice of the devastation he knew she’d felt after the call. “The phone is out. It looks like we have no way to reach anyone.”

A chorus of dismayed sounds rose from the group. “Then what are we going to do?” Scott asked. “Is there any way we can get out of here?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Meredith said again. “There’s already too much snow on the ground and it’s still coming down too hard. We do have a plow capable of being connected to one of our pickup trucks that can be used to clear the snow, but the way it’s coming down out there, we can’t even get to the garage to reach the plow.”

“Not to mention it won’t do much good with the snow still coming down the way it is,” Rick noted.

“So how long will it be until we can get out of here?” Jessica demanded.

Meredith hesitated briefly before admitting, “At least a few days.”

“A few days?” Jessica screeched. “So what are we supposed to do, just sit here while there’s a killer running loose?”

“If we all stay calm and look out for each other, we should be safe until the storm ends,” Tom said.

Jessica’s expression made it clear what she thought about that.

“Are there any weapons in the house?” Scott asked.

Meredith slowly shook her head. “There used to be an antique gun collection, but we sold it.” She swallowed. “It seemed unsafe to have in the house with guests.”

A subdued silence fell over the room. Tom studied the others’ faces as they processed the news that they were trapped here. He knew they all had to have been hoping for a different answer, no matter how unrealistic that was. Now that last bit of hope had been snuffed out. There was no denying it. They were thoroughly trapped for the time being.

Still, as he observed their expressions, Tom had to wonder if everyone was upset about the news. How did the killer feel knowing that they weren’t going anywhere? Upset that there was no possibility of escape for himself, too...or pleased that the rest of them would still be here, still available to be attacked next?

He looked for the slightest hint that anyone was anything but discouraged at the news, but he didn’t detect anyone’s reaction being out of the ordinary.

Then he realized what he was doing. Shock jolted through him at the knowledge. Was he really considering the possibility that one of these people he’d known for years, people he’d once considered his closest friends, was not just a killer, but some kind of psychopath wanting to strike again? If anything he should be looking at the ones he didn’t know, Rick and Ellen, considering them more likely candidates.

But as he surveyed the assembled group, he knew that was exactly what he’d been doing, and what he probably had to do. One of these people likely had a better motive to kill Haley than a complete stranger would. And for the sake of the rest of them, he had to consider that one of them might be a threat to the others.

“I’m still having a hard time understanding who could have done this,” Scott murmured.

“Can any of you think of any reason why someone would have wanted to hurt Haley?” Meredith asked. “Did anyone have any known problems with her?”

Everyone looked at one another, as though expecting someone else to have the answer. No one responded.

“No,” Rachel said finally. “She was one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. She’s the last person I could ever imagine anyone wanting to hurt.” Her voice trembled on the final words, and Scott reached out and wrapped an arm around her. She leaned into him, turning her face into his chest.

“Are you sure there isn’t anyone else in the house?” Alex asked.

Meredith shook her head. “No, this is everyone.”

“But are you sure of that,” Alex pressed in what Tom imagined was his hardnosed reporter voice. “This is a massive place. There’s no way there could be someone else here that you don’t know about?”

Meredith hesitated, seeming to consider the idea. At the sight of that pause, Tom could practically feel the tension in the room go up another notch.

“We’re so isolated that anyone would have needed a car to get up here, and I haven’t seen any unexpected vehicles around. Have you, Rick?”

The man shook his head. “No.”

“Have you had any trucks making deliveries for the wedding?” Alex asked. “Is there a chance someone could have come with someone else and simply not left?”

Meredith paused again, but this time was quicker to answer. “It’s possible, but very unlikely. For one thing, someone would have had to get into the house without Ellen, Rick or I noticing. I honestly don’t believe there’s anyone else here.”

Tom fought a frown. Given the size of Sutton Hall, there could be any number of places someone could have sneaked in unnoticed. He kept his mouth shut, not about to bring that up now. The group was tense enough as it is. And she was right, it did seem unlikely. Still, it was something they might have to consider.

“Then who could have done this?” Rachel said.

Tom watched several heads turn toward Rick and Ellen, viewing them with suspicion. Rick and Ellen looked back at the group with equal distrust.

“Maybe it was her,” Jessica said sullenly, looking straight at Meredith. She leaned back in her seat, her arms folded over her chest, her eyes narrowed to slits.

“It couldn’t have been Meredith,” Tom said, barely managing to keep a hold of his temper. “She was with me.”

Tom sensed the others’ attention shift to him and Meredith. Jessica’s eyes widened, her brows shooting sky-high as she glanced from him to Meredith and back again. “I didn’t realize the two of you were so close.”

“We’re not,” Tom said, though as soon as the words were out they felt wrong somehow. “We were in the kitchen. I went down for a snack. We both came when we heard you screaming. And she was right earlier. If you don’t have anything helpful to contribute, you might as well be quiet and let the rest of us work this out.”

“This isn’t your damn TV show, Tom,” Jessica sniped. “We’re not part of some production for you to manage, Mr. Producer. You’re not in charge here.”

“No, I am,” Meredith said. Tom thought he heard a tremor in her voice, so light he wasn’t sure he hadn’t imagined it. She glanced around the room at the others, her gaze steady. “Unless anyone has a problem with that?”

No one voiced an objection. Jess’s eyes narrowed, her face going red, but she held her tongue, pressing her lips together tightly.

“Good,” Meredith said. Tom could practically sense her relief. “Now I think we should all try to get some sleep. It’s been a long day, and sitting here throwing around a bunch of accusations isn’t accomplishing anything. Hopefully after we get some rest, we’ll all be thinking clearer and we can figure out what to do next.”

“An excellent idea!” Greg proclaimed, raising his glass in acknowledgment. Tom noted that his hand shook as he made the gesture. “I could use some shut-eye myself.”

“I’m not sure how much sleep I’ll be able to get,” Rachel said quietly. A few others murmured in agreement.

“That’s why it helps to have a drink,” Greg said.

Rachel shot him a look, her nose wrinkling in distaste. “I don’t think it would help at all if the rest of us started drinking as much as you.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised. It’s very good at helping you forget things. For a little while at least...” he added almost as an afterthought, his voice trailing off, his tone surprisingly subdued.

“There’s just one thing we have to deal with,” Tom said. He almost hated to raise the subject, but there was no way around it. “Haley.”

The reminder that Haley was still up there, lying in the middle of the hall, plunged the group back into a grim, uncomfortable silence.

“It’s still a crime scene,” Alex pointed out. “The police probably wouldn’t want us to move her.”

Rachel looked at him in horror. “So what do you want to do, Alex? Leave her lying there in the middle of the hall for days?”

Alex lifted his hands defensively. “I’m not saying it’s what I want to do! I’m just saying it’s normal procedure.”

“We are not leaving her there!” Rachel insisted.

Tom had to agree with her. There was no way of knowing when they’d be able to reach anyone. Even if they did, it would be at least three or four days until the police could arrive. There was no way they could simply leave the body in the middle of the hall that long. It would be utterly inhumane to someone most of the people in this room considered a friend. And everyone’s nerves were already frayed, he didn’t want to think how tense things would be after a few days of living with Haley’s body there in their midst.

“You’re right,” Meredith said calmly. “We can’t leave her there. It may be normal procedure, but these are not normal circumstances. We can move her to a room at the end of the hall until the police get here. If the police have a problem with it, they can charge me with whatever they want. I’ll worry about it later. But we should probably try to document the scene first so they can see what it looked like. Even if it’s not admissible as evidence, at least they’ll be able to see it.”

“I can do it,” Tom suggested. “I brought a couple cameras for the wedding, both a video and a Nikon.” A few of the others had actually kidded him about it on the drive up when Scott had mentioned it, pointing out that everyone’s cell phone had a camera on it these days. He’d thought they deserved better images than those captured by a camera phone. That seemed even more vital now that they were talking about things like evidence.

“Thank you.”

Jessica suddenly spoke up again. “You can hate me for saying it, but somebody has to. How do we know the two of you won’t try to destroy any evidence?”

Silence fell again. Tom noted that no one spoke up to say the idea was ridiculous.

“If it would make everyone more comfortable, we could probably use at least one more person to help move...the body, if someone wants to come up?”

He glanced around the group for volunteers. In spite of being the one who’d raised the objection, Jessica didn’t speak up, her lips fixed in a pout. He saw Rachel grip Scott’s hand. Even if she hadn’t, Tom doubted Scott would have wanted to leave her. As Tom thought it, Scott looked up and met his eyes, a hint of apology in his. It wasn’t as though Greg would be much help, his head already starting to droop.

“Why don’t you go, Alex?” Jessica said. “Or would it be too hard for you to see her like that?”

There seemed to be a challenge in the question, one Alex didn’t miss as he glared back at her.

Before he could respond, Rick stepped forward. “I’ll come with you,” he said. “She’s right. Her friends shouldn’t have to see her like that or have to help move her.”

“Thanks, Rick.” Meredith glanced around the room, lingering slightly on Jess. “Any objections?”

Jess pressed her lips together as though she was barely managing to hold one back. She didn’t say anything. Neither did anyone else.

“All right,” Meredith said. “We’ll return as soon as we can to let you know you can come up.”

From the looks on their faces none of them was particularly eager to do so. Not that Tom blamed them, not with the memory of what had happened up there still fresh in their minds.

Tom wasn’t looking forward to moving the body, but it had to be done. He hadn’t been much of a friend to Haley since college, but at least he could do this for her. Not only did Haley deserve to be treated with care, but there might be clues that could indicate who’d done this to her.

And if there was no way out of here, the most important thing was to identify the killer in their midst.

Before he—or she—could strike again.