The Hidden

“We’re working it from every angle we can find,” Diego told her. “They never solved the murders of Nathan and Jillian Kendall. I believe the killer now is counting on our inability to solve these murders, too.”


“But why kill the Parkers? They didn’t own the ranch. Does the killer have some kind of grudge against the original owners, so he’s going to run around the country and try to get rid of everyone who’s descended from Nathan and Jillian? Surely that would be almost impossible. There’s no inheritance, is there?”

Diego shook his head. “The family lost ownership years ago. Ben and Trisha Kendall bought the property.”

“So it’s not as if he’s killing off all the possible heirs,” Jane mused. “Well, I’m looking forward to working with this skull. Maybe...” She paused, looking at Matt.

“He’s Krewe now,” Matt said quietly.

“Maybe the skull will talk to me,” she said.

Diego knew that should probably make him wonder about her sanity, but after what he’d seen on the zombie case, it made perfect sense.

“I’m all for the skull talking to you,” Diego said. “I’m all for anything that will solve this case before anyone else gets killed.”

*

There were more elegant hotels in the world and there were more historic places to visit, and there were certainly more ghosts at other venues, as well.

But Scarlet loved The Stanley; it offered history, beauty and charm, along with the splendor of the Rocky Mountains.

They’d visited room 217, where Stephen King had come up with The Shining, and rooms 401 and 428, which were reputed to be haunted. Their guide had cheerfully told them that yes, if you were flexible with dates, you could to stay in any one of them.

They’d learned about the man who’d built the hotel, Freelan Oscar Stanley, the wealthy man who had, along with his brother, given the world the Stanley Steamer automobile. He had first come to the area in 1903 because he was suffering from tuberculosis. His wife, Flora, had wanted a home like the one she had left behind in Maine, and so The Stanley had come into existence. Flora herself still sometimes came in ghostly form to visit and play her beloved piano.

The hotel itself was beautiful, a grand white building built in the Colonial Georgian style, and their guide showed them through the lobby area and out to the majestic front porch before they headed to the next building on the tour, the theater.

Scarlet still didn’t have her camera, and while she might have snapped some shots with her phone, she was too restless. The others all seemed to be enjoying themselves tremendously, though, and she was glad for them. She tried to envision what it would be like if the murders remained unsolved and everyone had to keep on looking over their shoulders for a killer.

Ben and Trisha might decide that it was just too depressing, too stressful, staying on at the ranch, always wondering if the killer would come back, maybe for them.

She would have to move on herself, though where and to do what, she didn’t know.

She lingered on the porch, feeling a little numb. That wouldn’t happen. The one thing she knew for certain about Diego was that he never gave up. His cases didn’t always end the way he wanted, but he always solved them.

Scarlet looked up and found Meg standing next to her. Adam was busy talking to their guide, probably discussing some piece of history. The other three were avidly flashing away.

Meg gave her a curious look, then flushed and looked away.

“What is it?” Scarlet asked.

“Nothing. None of my business,” Meg said.

“Now you have to tell me whatever you were thinking, because not knowing is going to drive me crazy.”

Meg took a deep breath and said, “Okay, but remember, you asked. I haven’t known Diego long, and I only just met you, but under circumstances like these, you get to know people quickly. So knowing what strong, smart interesting people you both are, and seeing how much you still care about each other, I can’t figure out what happened between the two of you. You seem like the most perfect couple in the world.”

“Far from perfect,” Scarlet said, then paused for a long moment and finally said, “Work.”