Seductive Suspect - Page 27

“Where are you?”

“Check the closets for an extinguisher!”

“Can someone get to the sink?”

“I think the smoke is coming from the oven!”

Confused shouts echoed throughout the kitchen, nearly drowned out by the incessant blare of the alarm. I groped my way to the nearest window and fumbled with the locks. Once I succeeded in getting it open, I knocked out the screen for good measure, then repeated the process with the others. I turned around, but the dark gray clouds limited my visibility.

On the other side of the kitchen, the oven door opened with a bang. I heard the loud whoosh of what I assumed was a fire extinguisher and stumbled toward the noises. Little by little, the smoke thinned out. I saw Adam leaning against the cabinets, wiping sweat from his forehead. Dylan stood beside him, holding the bright red canister he’d emptied into the oven.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“What?” Dylan shouted over the shrill whine of the smoke detector.

Adam held up one finger to pause our conversation. Hehoisted himself up on the countertop and reached for the alarm mounted on the ceiling. With the push of a button, deafening silence washed over the kitchen.

Isabel tentatively approached the oven, as if it would burst into flames if she got too close. “What happened? I mean, how did the fire start?”

Adam hopped off the counter and grabbed a nearby pot holder. He used it to slide a rack out of the oven, which held a charred, black mass in the center of a tray. “I doubt we’ll ever know what this was,” he said, nudging at the shelf with his foot. “Whether someone wanted to burn the place down or just set us on edge even more…well, there’s yet another mystery.”

I reached over the smoldering clump and turned one of the oven dials. “It’s set pretty low. I don’t even remember if it was on when we were making our sandwiches for lunch.”

Dylan dropped the fire extinguisher and grimaced. “We were all in and out of the library throughout the day. Anyone could have set this up at any time.”

Isabel nodded, then looked around. “Where’s Laura?” Notes of concern colored her voice.

Oh no. I swallowed. “Maybe she went back to the library?” I didn’t believe the words coming out of my mouth.

Adam ran a hand through his hair. The worry in his deep-set eyes matched my trepidation. “Let’s go find out,” he said with a sigh.

We peered into the foyer. Empty. Together, we plodded across the room with heavy steps. Isabel pushed on the library door, which swung open with a foreboding creak. No sign of her.

Our search ended in the dining room. Laura’s body lay draped across the chair at the head of the table. The bright red hues of her hair offered a stark contrast to the bluish tinge of her skin. Her mouth hung open, frozen in surprise, and her hands were balled up beneath her chin. Upon closer inspection, I saw a pairof nylon pantyhose wrapped tightly around her neck.

The purpose of the fire became all too clear. We stood in a half circle, gaping at the gruesome sight before us.

Dylan let out a noncommittal noise and stuck his hands in his pockets. “And then there were four.”

Chapter Nine

Despite scrubbing at my skin and hair in the shower for what felt like the entire evening, the smell of smoke clung to me. Even if I imagined the unpleasant odor, I constantly replayed the events surrounding the fire in my mind. Whoever set up the oven to start smoking had succeeded in creating chaos, which resulted in being able to murder Laura while the rest of us ran around amidst all the pandemonium. But who was the culprit?

I agreed with Dylan’s statement—all of us had the same opportunity. And I’d been so engrossed in the games of chess and my determination to find some clues I’d lost track of the comings and goings of everyone else. My thoughts turned back to Adam. Did he set the fire on one of his trips out of the library? Was that why he’d marched into the kitchen so fearlessly? And wherewashe when I was trying to clear the smoke out of the room?

I tried convincing myself he wouldn’t have been able to leave the kitchen without me noticing, yet someone had been able to do exactly that. I found it difficult to reconcile the image of the amiable, attractive man with whom I’d spent the afternoon with one of a ruthless killer…but then again, I’d felt the same way about everyone here. Sighing, I put on my pajamas and combed out my hair. Every time I thought I’d made progress in untangling the mysteries of the lodge, something new happened to set me back. Although I hoped I’d figured out a few key points earlier in the day, I doubted I’d solve anything else overnight.

When I left the bathroom, my gaze immediately went to the window. Sure enough, Adam stood at the edge of the balcony, moonlight illuminating his profile as he stared over the railing. The day’s theories jumbled together in my head. Was he waiting for the rest of us to go to sleep to plot his next nefarious act? Ordid he wait formeagain?

Pushing aside my better judgment and the urge to hide in bed beneath the covers, I decided to confront him. I flung the window open and leaned against the sill. “What are you doing?” I called.

He turned, showing no signs of surprise at my question, and gestured toward the sky. “Just admiring the stars. It’s finally a clear night.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And I needed to get out for some air.” He rubbed his nose. “Everything smells like smoke inside, it seems.”

Both reasons sounded plausible. We stared at each other in silence until his expected invitation came. “Would you care to join me?”