Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

T he gang continued trekking through the snow, following the vintage-looking light poles that lit their path.

Andi shivered as she walked. The place appeared so peaceful . . . but it wasn’t.

Horrible things had happened here. A killer—or two—was still out there.

It would be hard to relax knowing that.

She knew the truth. If Andi and her team failed, someone else might die. Her throat tightened at the thought.

They did have one ace up their sleeve, however. On the last episode of The Round Table , they’d hinted that they’d be looking into this case. Andi hoped that might be enough to draw this guy out—to either make him nervous or make him arrogant enough to slip up.

However, what if that had backfired? What if Pepper’s death had something to do with the fact they were coming to investigate?

They reached the lodge and stepped inside. Twenty or so people were seated at small, round tables in the dining area to their left. Many of them spoke quietly, whispering nervously to each other—no doubt about the rumors of the dead body found here.

Andi had no doubt some people would try to leave earlier than planned. Christmas and death didn’t mix, nor did vacation and murder. She wasn’t sure what Juniper had said to her guests to reassure them or to explain things. Publicity-wise, this had to be a complete nightmare.

The scent of something savory—probably some type of beef—teased at Andi’s senses and made her stomach rumble.

The place was nice, not like the basic dining hall at the summer camp she’d grown up attending. Andi wasn’t sure why she’d pictured this place being like that. Probably because the rustic resort called itself a camp.

But this dining hall had a pitched ceiling lined with rich-looking beams. The tables each had burgundy tablecloths covering them and small, decorated Christmas trees as centerpieces. Huge windows lined the north side, where the aurora might be spotted on dark nights.

Juniper met them near the door, Tundra beside her. Her eyes still looked glazed with tears, but she held herself together.

“Good news,” she started, her voice lackluster. “It looks like Emmett will be okay. I mean, he’s still critical right now, but the doctor thinks he’ll make it, that we got help to him in time.” She glanced to Duke. “Part of that is because you did CPR, so thank you.”

“I’m glad I could help,” Duke said.

She released a breath, and then tensed as if her lungs froze again. “I’m sure you’re hungry. We have a buffet tonight with beef tips, mashed potatoes, and green beans. We also have some freshly baked rolls and an assortment of drinks.”

“Sounds delicious.” Simmy tilted her head in that sweet manner she was known for. “Thank you so much for your hospitality. But if you want to take some time for yourself, I’m sure everyone would understand . . .”

“I’ll do better if I can keep myself busy.”

Andi understood that.

The murder club gathered at a table in the corner. As they all took their seats, Andi glanced at everyone in the room.

Most of these people were guests, but a few people appeared to work here—she could tell by the jackets and long-sleeved shirts they wore boasting the camp’s name.

How many of today’s staff were here last year as well? Who was here when the murders had occurred?

They would need to talk to those people.

They needed to figure out what connected the victims. It was the only way they’d find any leads.

As of right now, they didn’t have anything.

The FBI had released only a few clues about who the murderer might be and even those were iffy. They believed he was a male in his twenties. They thought he might have driven an old green Toyota Corolla to one of the crime scenes. He dressed in blue-collar work pants, boots, and a thick jacket.

According to some reports they’d read, cops had narrowed their suspects down to a man named Jesse Burbach. The man did have a connection with two victims. But on the night of one of the murders, he had a solid alibi. For that reason, the police had taken him off their suspect list.

That left investigators with nothing and no one.

Their drinks were served, and they were told to help themselves to the buffet.

The rest of the team headed that way, but Andi and Duke didn’t get up right away. Instead, she glanced across the room again.

Was the killer here? An eerie feeling washed over her.

She swallowed hard, not liking that thought.

Andi’s gaze stopped at a fortysomething woman sitting at a nearby table. Her food was untouched as she stared at something in the distance.

Andi followed her gaze. The woman was staring at Juniper as she talked to a tall, blond man wearing an official camp jacket. The two met in the corner and, based on how close they stood, there was more between them than a professional relationship.

The man touched Juniper’s shoulder as if trying to offer comfort.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Duke whispered in Andi’s ear.

“I’m thinking the two of them are together.”

Whoever that guy was, Andi wanted to talk to him.

As she continued watching, the man suddenly took a step back. He shook his head as if Juniper had said something he didn’t agree with. Then he scanned the room before his gaze stopped at their table.

Andi watched as his nostrils flared.

He clearly looked upset about something, maybe even something pertaining to the team.

What could that man have against the murder club? Did he not approve of them coming? Was that what his reaction was about?

Andi didn’t know. But he was someone she’d keep her eye on.

Duke had thoroughly enjoyed his food. But despite the late hour, the team still had work to do.

Before leaving the dining hall, they divided up the tasks they needed to accomplish. Mariella and Matthew would go back to the cabin and work on some admin duties, as well as fill out more info on their murder board. The visual helped them to keep their thoughts organized, plus they’d begun to feature graphics of it in their episodes.

Ranger and Simmy would check out the barn behind Juniper’s cabin. They had a couple of things to wrap up before they walked over. The team didn’t expect to find anything new, but it would be good to see the place where the last crime had occurred. They would also take some pictures so the rest of the team could see the spot where Calvin and Mary’s bodies had been found.

Duke and Andi would check the Burrows’ office for anything that may have been missed during the police investigation. He didn’t have high hopes there would be any clues there, but they needed to be thorough.

Juniper drove them to her place now. Apparently, she’d moved the contents of her parents’ office into the family home after her mom and dad had died. Then she’d set up a new office space for herself in the lodge.

Juniper escorted them to her parents’ bedroom and unlocked the door. That reminiscent look flooded her gaze again as she observed the space. Duke had a feeling she didn’t like to come into this room very often. Today had already been an emotional day for her.

He peered inside. The master bedroom was located on the first level of the house. A rustic-looking bed sat in the center of the space, a red-and-green quilt covering it. There was also a matching dresser and chest of drawers.

The contents of their old office had been moved into what had most likely once been an empty corner. A couple of old, mismatched filing cabinets stood there, and a metal desk with several knicks on the side had been shoved against the wall. A fake leather chair had been shoved beneath the desk, with a piece of duct tape on the corner of the peeling green cushion.

Several pictures filled the wall above the filing cabinets, mostly photos of Juniper when she was younger.

They looked like a happy family.

Still gripping the door handle, Juniper turned toward them. “Go through whatever you need to look at. I don’t care what you find. I want to do know who did this to them, even if it stirs up more questions.”

“Thanks for giving us access,” Duke said.

“I hope you find some answers.” She turned to leave.

Before Juniper walked away, Andi called her name, and she paused.

“One question.” Andi openly studied Juniper’s face. “Who was the man you were speaking with in the dining hall?”

So Andi had noticed that interaction also. Duke was curious about the man and why he’d had such a strange reaction.

“You mean Caleb?” Surprise flooded Juniper’s eyes. “He works here.”

“What does he do?” Andi settled against the door jamb as she waited for Juniper’s response.

“He’s in charge of our UTV excursions and manages that team for me. He officially works under Uncle Tim.”

“How long has he worked here?” Duke lingered in the doorway also.

“He started as a seasonal employee about a year and a half ago, but then asked if he could be brought on full time. I said yes, of course. Caleb’s very helpful.” Juniper paused. “Any reason why you’re asking about him?”

“We’d love a list of employees who worked here last December so we can talk to them,” Andi said. “And also a list of the guests here at the time of the murder.”

“I can do that for you. Like I said, whatever you need, I’ll be happy to provide if it’s at all possible.”

“Perfect.” He nodded to the office. “We’ll get busy then.”

“Good luck.” Juniper glanced back one more time and frowned. “I’ll be back in a while to check on you in case you need anything.”

After Juniper left, Duke and Andi stared at the filing cabinets in front of them, ready to dive in. Duke felt as if they were about to go spear fishing, but they had no idea if they were even swimming in the right pond.

They were about to find out.

They each decided to take a filing cabinet to search. It was the best place to start.

They both grabbed a handful of folders and sat on the end of bed to scour through them.

Only fifteen minutes into their search, a crash sounded close by.

Duke looked up to see a bookcase in the hallway cascade to the floor in front of the door and a masked figure dart away.