“Did you see him leave the hotel or head for the elevators to go upstairs?” Thor asked.
Haskell frowned, thinking hard. “A whole pack of people came in—there’s a drug company having their annual meeting here. They kind of overwhelmed the desk when they first arrived. They had my attention...but I think he did head toward the elevators!” Haskell said suddenly. “I mean, maybe. You know how you see things from the corner of your eye? I looked at this poster thing the drug company had. And it seemed like it was moving oddly—it jostled! I think he went behind it, toward the elevators!”
“This is important, Mr. Haskell,” Thor said. “Can you remember if he was carrying anything?”
Haskell let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even really see the man, much less if he was carrying anything.”
If the white-haired man had been Tate Morley, how the hell had he beheaded a woman if he hadn’t gotten upstairs with a weapon?
Unless the weapon had been left for him.
“I didn’t see or hear anything out of the ordinary that evening or even in the morning—until all hell broke loose. And I was here from about six until after the cops came the next morning. We work twelve-hour shifts,” he explained. “Everyone loves it—gives us three days off each week.”
“I’m sure it’s good,” Clara murmured, offering Haskell a smile. He smiled back at her, a little smitten.
He looked at Thor then, and he seemed even more passionately earnest. “I really want to help you in any way. This is so horrible. And the hotel is so great. Seward is great! I don’t want people to stop coming here, you know?”
“They won’t,” Clara assured him.
“You were still on duty through the night and the next morning, so you saw Amelia Carson before she left?” Jackson asked.
Haskell nodded. “Oh, yeah. I didn’t just see her. I heard from her. She was just irate that we didn’t have coffee out! I wonder what it is about people who come to Alaska. Well, I mean, I suppose I should understand. We’re used to so much darkness and so much light. But Miss Carson, she just couldn’t believe that I could do anything about there being no coffee. The concept of ‘hotel policy’ meant nothing to her!”
Thor thanked him for his help, gave him his card and asked him to call if he thought of anything else. Then they rose and asked about Misty Blaine.
“We moved her to the concierge level—easier for a cop to stay up there and guard the hall,” Haskell said. “I’ll put you in the elevator to the top. You need a key.”
Up on the concierge level, Haskell nodded to the police officer on duty, who nodded back and acknowledged Thor, Jackson and Clara.
“She’s in her room?” Haskell asked.
The officer nodded and Haskell tapped at the door.
“Who is it?” came a scared voice.
“It’s Arnold Haskell, Miss Blaine. I’m with some people from the FBI. You can check your peephole.”
“It’s Thor Erikson, Misty. We spoke before,” Thor said.
Apparently, Misty trusted no one. “Show me your badge!” she said.
He pulled his badge from his pocket and put it up to the peephole. A moment later, the door opened.
Misty Blaine and little Emmy Vincenzo, Marc Kimball’s assistant, seemed very much alike, in Thor’s opinion. They worked—and had worked—for people who cowed them. They were hesitant, ready to shrink into the shadows.
Misty was a plain woman, medium in height and size. She moved with her shoulders slumped and her eyes darted nervously about.
“Who are they?” she demanded suspiciously, looking at Jackson and Clara.
“I’m Clara Avery,” Clara offered quickly. She had an innate ability with people; she stepped forward and reached for the other woman’s hand. “I was on the island. I’m so, so sorry.”
Misty nodded, nervously pumping Clara’s hand. “Horrible, horrible, I can’t believe... They gave me something to sleep. I still couldn’t sleep.”
“I understand,” Clara said, and turned to Jackson. “This is Jackson Crow. He’s with the FBI, too. These men are going to find out what happened. But they need your help.”
“I—I’ve spoken to them. I don’t know... I said good-night to Natalie when we came up. We were on a different floor...all of us had rooms here. But the others...they were going out to the island. It was just Natalie and me in the hotel after they were gone. She wasn’t afraid... She didn’t know anyone here. I don’t know how he got in. We didn’t talk to anyone but each other, I don’t think. Oh, I don’t know, I don’t know!” she said. “I just went to bed. I woke up, and Natalie... Natalie was...oh!” She started to shake, big tears welling in her eyes.