The Inn at Holiday Bay: Clue in the Clam, Kathi Daley [early reader chapter books TXT] 📗

“Buck said that the man identified himself as one of the band members who was supposed to play that night. He said he stopped by to check out the sound system and found the electrical panel messed up. Buck didn’t ask for additional information from the man. He just said he’d check it out,” Colt answered.

“And was there a problem with the electrical?” Sydney asked.

“No,” Colt confirmed. “The call was an obvious ploy to get Buck over to the gazebo.”

Sydney sat back in her chair. “So the killer wanted the bodies to be found, and he or she wanted them to be found by a specific person at a specific time and not simply by whoever wandered by first. If they hadn’t cared about who found the bodies or when they were found, they wouldn’t have bothered to make the calls.” Sydney looked at Colt. “Did you trace the phone numbers used to call both Georgia and Buck?”

He nodded. “Both calls were made from unregistered cells. The calls were made from different numbers, although I have to agree with you that one person likely made both calls.”

“Using a burner for a single purpose and then dumping it is common in these situations. Tracing the call back to the owner seldom works, but I might be able to get information as to where the call was made if you’re interested.”

“I’m interested,” Colt said. “Do you think we are looking at a serial killer?”

Sydney paused. “Perhaps, but at this point with only two victims. It’s highly likely that you have a killer with a personal grievance with both men. If additional victims show up, then you might consider a serial killer, but for now, I’d look for a link between the victims.”

“So you’d look for people with motive to want both men dead,” I said.

She nodded. “Yes. At this point, I’d look for a personal motive, although the terms greed and pride can have religious and metaphysical meanings as well.”

“Anything else?” I asked.

“The use of lethal injection as a murder weapon seems relevant. It’s quick and fairly non-violent compared to other forms of murder. It might indicate that the killer knew his victims and wasn’t necessarily looking to torture the men but simply kill them for some perceived wrongdoing. The killer may even consider himself to be the good guy, a vigilante of sorts who is ridding the world of wrongdoers.” She looked at Colt. “I didn’t ask about bank records or phone logs. I assume you didn’t find anything relevant that might provide a different perspective.”

He shook his head. “The bank records of both men appear to follow a regular sort of pattern for each individual. I didn’t find any red flags amongst the phone records, although a lack of records during certain windows seems to indicate that both men had an unregistered cell phone that they used at times.”

“And what about the movement of each of the victims before their deaths?”

“Oliver Halifax was last seen leaving his home just before noon on the day he died. His maid stated that he hadn’t said where he was going but that it wasn’t uncommon for him to come and go during the day, so she didn’t think a thing about it. According to the calendar on his cell phone, he was supposed to meet with a man named Timothy Viscount, but I spoke to Mr. Viscount, and he said that Halifax called earlier that morning to cancel their appointment.”

“Was his car found?” I asked, realizing that he’d been found on an island, so his car had probably been abandoned.

“It was found in the parking lot at the marina,” Colt answered. “No one I spoke to remembered seeing Oliver there that day, although he did own a boat that he kept there. The boat was found in its usual slot, but it might have been taken out earlier, or Halifax could have gone to the marina to meet someone at the boat but was detained before they ever left the marina.”

“And Henry Goodman?” Sydney asked.

“Mr. Goodman lives alone and never showed up at his office today. It’s impossible to know exactly when he might have fallen prey to his killer. He keeps his own calendar rather than depending on a secretary, which we’ve yet to find. His computer is locked, and his cell phone is missing. I checked with his office, and no one has called to report that he missed an appointment he had with them, so at this point, I’m figuring he either canceled or didn’t have any appointments today.”

Colt’s cell phone rang, and he got up to answer it. After he returned, Colt, Sydney, and I discussed the situation a while longer, and then Sydney excused herself to return to her suite.

“So what did you think of what she had to say?” I asked Colt after Sydney left.

“She didn’t have a lot to add, but she did make a few good points. I’m sure that with more deaths to provide additional raw data, she’d be able to come up with a more complete profile.”

“I hate the fact that murder victims are looked at as raw data.”

Colt put his arm around me and pulled me in closer. “Me too. I’m sure those who deal with mass murders have to look at the victims as nothing more than raw data, or it would drive them crazy.”

I supposed Colt had a point.

“It’s a nice night. Do you want to take a walk?” I asked.

“I’d like a walk. A short one. I’m pretty tired, and I’ll need to get up early.”

Colt and I grabbed the dogs and then walked along the bluff. Colt’s presence along with the warm glow of the stars and the sounds of the sea worked to calm my soul. The peace and calm of the moment allowed