Murder in Vail Read Online Free PDF Page A

man.”
    “Remind me to never get on her wrong side.” Stephen laughed.
    They went inside and filled the brass firewood rack next to the fireplace to the top. Sally liked to leave the building of the fire to Stephen. She always tried to find activities to keep him busy and his mind occupied with thoughts other than his desire for drugs. Smoking pot this afternoon definitely wasn’t a good sign.
    Glancing at Rachel as she started to leave the room, Sally couldn’t tell if she was awake or asleep.  She looked like a zombie sitting there on the couch and seemed to be under the influence of something. Sally wanted to get her out of the living room.
    “Rachel?” she said softly, touching her shoulder.
    “Hmmm?” was her daughter-in-law’s only response. She didn’t move or lift her face.
    “Let me show you up to your room. You’ll be more comfortable there,” Sally said, taking hold of her suitcase and rolling it toward the staircase.
    “I’m okay here,” Rachel said drowsily, pulling the afghan tighter.
    “No, no. Come on,” Sally insisted. “You’ve had a long drive, and you must be exhausted. Let’s go on up. You’ll feel better after a good, hot shower. Maybe you’d like to get in the hot tub later.”
    “Yes, go on up, Rach,” Stephen said, turning away from the fireplace to speak to his wife. “I’ll be up in a while.”
    Rachel reluctantly dragged herself up from the loveseat and picked up her shoulder bag.
    She followed Sally through the living room, the foyer, and up the staircase without uttering a word. Sally had never seen Rachel at a loss for words but kept telling herself that she should be glad she didn’t have to endure one of Rachel’s usual, “I’m the expert on everything, and you’re an absolute idiot,” monologues.
    Rachel came to a dead halt at the top of the staircase. “Are you putting us in the same room as last year?”
    “I was planning on it,” Sally answered, turning to look at her.
    “I didn’t like that room.”
    Sally wasn’t sure what to say. Helga had prepared Stephen’s childhood room for them. Stephen always stayed in it when he was home, and there was no other bedroom available.
    “Was there something wrong with it? It was Stephen’s room growing up.”
    “I didn’t like it. It’s too small and there’s no balcony. I need it to you know—” she gestured puffing a cigarette.
    “Well, the only other room ready that has a balcony, is Lance’s room, but he
likes—”
    “We’ll take that one,” Rachel said, moving quickly past Sally and rushing down the hallway to Sally’s older son’s room. When she got there, she hurried inside and shut the door behind her.
    “Wait, Rachel. Lance will be here any time now, and he will definitely want his room—”
    “Just leave the suitcase by the door!” Rachel yelled through the closed door, cutting her off.
    Sally could feel her blood pressure rising for the third or fourth time today. “This isn’t a hotel, Rachel.” She tried the door, but Rachel had locked it. Sally could hear the sliding glass door to the balcony slam shut.

Chapter Seven

    Livid, Sally went to her bedroom and splashed water on her face. It didn’t help. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and could see that her face had the same red blotches that always appeared when she got angry. She took a couple of deep breaths and tried to compose herself before going back downstairs.
    When she entered the living room, she saw leaping flames in the fireplace and Stephen pointing proudly to the hearth. “Now, that’s a fire!” he said.
    Sally tried to smile. She really did appreciate her son’s efforts.  But Stephen could tell by her expression that she was angry.
    “What’s wrong, Mom?” he asked, coming to her side.
    Sally didn’t want to upset Stephen right after he arrived, so in as calm a voice as she could manage, she told him, “Rachel said she doesn’t want to stay in your room again this year because it doesn’t