Chapter 50

FIFTY

MARCH 2023

Whatcom County

Lucas had never had cause to visit the Semiahmoo Resort before for a couple of good reasons. The first was that it was within ten miles of his home, so he had never had the need for an overnight stay, even if he could afford it. The second was that the Semiahmoo Resort wasn't the kind of place where the police were regularly in attendance.

Detectives MacDonald and Anderson had talked about the Park Plaza in Ohio like it was high-end, but the Semiahmoo Resort made it look like a Motel 6 by comparison.

Lucas parked in the lot outside and went into reception.

There was a brunette behind reception wearing a black blouse and gold stud earrings. She looked up from her computer as Lucas approached, the customer-service smile breaking out on her face unconsciously. The badge over her left breast read CHRISTI.

"Good afternoon, how may I help you?"

Lucas flashed his badge and told her who he was.

People react in all sorts of different ways to seeing the badge. Some are immediately on their guard. Some sigh and resign themselves to a little more hassle than they had scheduled for the day. Some give away guilty consciences.

Christi was none of the above. Instead, she widened her eyes and her smile got wider. "Oh wow, exciting! What are you here for?"

"I was hoping I could ask a few questions in relation to an ongoing investigation."

"Are you working on that dead body they found up at the creek?"

Lucas stalled by patting his pockets, looking for his notebook, reflecting on the fact that it might be possible for someone to be too cooperative.

"I'm working on a few things right now." He took his notebook out and flipped through a couple of pages, pretending to look for something. "Let me see. Right. I'm looking into a report somebody made about a black Nissan Frontier being parked in your lot last Tuesday. Somebody complained about it, said it wasn't registered with a guest."

Christi told him she hadn't seen such a car, with her tone suggesting that she would have remembered a car like that in this place. She offered to check the security cameras, if Lucas had an idea of when on Tuesday the car had been sighted. He asked for the whole day, and Christi said she would get the manager to send it over.

Lucas was pleasantly surprised with how cooperative Christi was. No persuasion or cajoling had been required. Nobody had mentioned a warrant. He asked if she had worked for the resort long.

"I'm here for a good time, not a long time," she said. "I'm going to college in the fall. Criminology. Although I have been thinking I might like to be a police officer. Do you have any advice?"

Behind them, the elevator pinged softly. Lucas glanced back and saw a well-dressed man and a woman step out. He looked back at Christi.

"Sure," Lucas said. "Stick to the lab. Better pay, less grief."

"Good afternoon, Christi."

Lucas turned at the pointed greeting to see a man in his fifties who had just exited the elevator. He was a little shorter than average, dressed in a slim-fitting charcoal suit with a white shirt and a gray tie. Lucas could almost see the reflection in his shoes. He had a suede overcoat draped over one arm.

His female partner, presumably his wife or girlfriend, was a step or two behind him, looking into one of the large mirrors that lined the wall and adjusting one of her earrings. She was younger than the man. Blond-haired and with striking cheekbones. She reminded Lucas a little of Olivia Greenwood. She wore a long coat that hung down to just above ankle level.

The man's gaze moved from Christi to Lucas and back to Christi again, a questioning expression on his face.

"This is Sergeant Lucas, from the Sheriff's Department," Christi said brightly. Perhaps it was Lucas's imagination, but it looked like she had physically snapped to attention. By the looks of the man in the suit, this wasn't a mere manager, it was the owner.

"Jack Marsh," the man in the suit said, extending a hand abruptly. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Lucas took his hand, expecting a bone-crushing shake. He was not disappointed.

"Just making some inquiries on a vehicle that may have been sighted in your lot, Mr.Marsh. Christi has been very cooperative."

"Jack, we're running late," the woman Lucas assumed to be his wife said in a bored tone of voice, still adjusting the earring.

Marsh didn't acknowledge the interjection.

"What vehicle? What's this in relation to?"

"Nothing you have to worry about. It's of potential relevance to a case I'm working."

His wife finally seemed satisfied with the position of the earring and turned back to see that her husband was still occupied. "Jack…"

"Just a second, Vic," he said without looking around. "Do I need to be concerned?"

"I don't know," Lucas said, knowing he was being needlessly antagonistic. He couldn't help it, though. He had met this prick twenty seconds ago and already hated him. "What's your interest in this company?"

"I own the resort, Officer Lucas."

"Sergeant," Lucas corrected, not rising to the bait by sounding aggrieved. "Okay, then you can let me see the security footage for Tuesday."

"I'd be delighted to," Marsh said. "As soon as you produce your warrant."

Lucas sighed. "Can we talk privately?"

Marsh smiled imperiously. "Sure, as soon as you have that warrant."

Lucas glanced at the receptionist, who was making herself busy with some paperwork and trying not to look like she was listening. Mrs. Marsh wasn't paying any attention, but she wasn't pretending. He leaned in and lowered his voice.

"I don't want to be difficult, Mr. Marsh. But I'm investigating a murder here, and I'm trying to trace a vehicle that might be related and was sighted on your property. I can absolutely get a warrant, but it will take time, and I can assure you it will be more hassle for you."

Marsh stared back at him, and Lucas was suddenly sure he was going to tell him to go ahead. But then he rolled his eyes and looked over at the receptionist.

"Christi, let him have the footage for Tuesday." He looked back at Lucas. "But anything else, you're going to have to come back with something official."

"Much obliged," Lucas said.