Page 10

CHAPTER TEN

We were headed down Highway 95 on the way back to King George when Jack finally got through to Derby in IT.

“Sorry, Sheriff,” Derby said. “I had to step out of church so I could take your call.”

“Sorry about that, Derby. When you get a chance could you get me information on Max Ortega? He was Theo and Chloe’s personal bodyguard. He supposedly drove them to The Mad King from the Briarly. I also need a check on Vivica, formerly Vasilios. She was Theo’s ex-wife.”

“You got it, boss,” Derby said.

“Finish service first,” Jack told him. “We’re going back to The Mad King, so we’ll be a little while.”

“10-4,” Derby said and hung up.

Jack’s next call was to Doug.

“I’ve gone through the golf cart trackers,” Doug said. “I’ve got cart 1001 arriving at the honeymoon villa at 8:41 p.m.”

“That would be the housekeeper, Dorinda Lake,” Jack said. “In her statement she said she arrived around eight thirty.”

“Close enough,” Doug muttered. “And then we’ve got golf cart 1021 arriving seven minutes later.”

“That would be Aidan Chisolm. Dorinda confirmed he arrived to set up food service out on the patio. She said he was finishing up as she was about to leave.”

“1001 left at ten after nine,” Doug said. “1021 left at ten nineteen.”

“Wait a minute,” I said. “You’re saying that Aidan Chisolm stayed over an hour and a half in the honeymoon villa?”

“That’s what it looks like,” Doug said.

“I guess we need to see if old Aidan is at work this morning,” Jack said. “I think he has some explaining to do.”

“I’ve already pulled a background on him,” Doug said. “Seems pretty normal. Originally from South Carolina. Got a rowing scholarship to Roanoke College. Tuition there is steep, but it looks like the scholarship covers most of it. He’s worked at The Mad King since its opening last year. DMV shows a Virginia driver’s license. No parking tickets. No arrests. He lives on campus.”

“Thanks, Doug,” Jack said. “Do me a favor and pull the camera footage of the night Theo and Chloe arrived at the resort. After they leave the vehicle I want you to see if the driver sticks around or if he leaves the premises. See if you can get facial recognition.”

“Will do,” Doug said.

I recognized the same security guard at the gate of The Mad King as from when we’d arrived the morning before. He waved us through and opened the gate so we could climb the winding, tree-lined hill to the resort.

Jack parked under the glass-covered portico again, and a different set of doormen welcomed us into the opulent lobby. Sundays were obviously a time for rocking in the chairs by the large fireplace, lazy games of checkers, and Bloody Marys being served from the bar.

We went into the glassed-in check-in area and waited as a couple received their room keys and a map of the resort. Once they’d been directed to the elevators Jack showed his badge to the young man across the reception desk.

He was early twenties with a wide, friendly smile and spiky blond hair. He was dressed in a silver dress shirt and a black three-button vest, and his sleeves were rolled up to show an Apple watch on his left wrist.

“You’re with the police,” he said. “I’m Jeremy. Mr. Harris said you might be coming back, and that we’re to cooperate in whatever way you need. Would you like coffee?”

“We appreciate that, Jeremy,” Jack said. “No coffee for us.”

I kind of wanted coffee, but I appreciated Jack’s restraint for the both of us.

“We have a couple of people we need to talk to,” Jack said. “Edward and Donna Kelso are guests here. If you could give us their room number we’ll announce ourselves. And Aidan Chisholm is with food service. Can you see if he’s working today?”

“I can check all of those for you now, sir,” Jeremy said helpfully, moving to his computer and typing quickly. “It does seem that Aidan Chisholm is working until three o’clock today. It looks as if he’s doing delivery service on the golf course. I can check out a golf cart for you so you can meet him there.”

“That would be great, thanks,” Jack said.

Jeremy typed something else into his computer and then reached below the counter and got a sheet of paper from the printer. “Here’s a map and the room assignment for Mr. and Mrs. Kelso. If there’s anything else I can do for you please let me know. The golf cart will be waiting for you out front.”

We thanked him again and headed back into the lobby. “This resort really lives up to the hype. No wonder there’s an eight-month waiting list.”

“Maybe we should come here for a babymoon,” he said.

“What’s a babymoon?”

“It’s when the soon-to-be parents get away for one last hoorah before the baby comes,” Jack explained.

“I’m always open to going anywhere with you,” I said. “Maybe we could go before I start looking like a beached whale. That sounds a lot more fun than waiting until right before things get critical.”

“Maybe we could go now and later,” Jack said. “We’re not limited on how many times we can go.”

“The dead bodies waiting for us might have something to say about that,” I said as we made our way back outside. Jeremy had been remarkably efficient as there was a golf cart waiting for us at the entrance.

“We don’t have to save the world,” Jack said. “I’ve got a good team of investigators. And if you’re not available for autopsies then the bodies can always go to the state lab. They’re going to have to get used to you being out for a while after the baby comes. So let’s take the trips while we can.”

“Don’t you think it’s weird to pay money to go to a resort that’s twenty minutes from the house?” I asked. “Kind of takes the excitement out of it.”

“You’re probably right,” he said. “It’s too easy to think about work when we stay close.”

There was a digital map on the dashboard of the golf cart that had been pre-programmed to show us how to get to the golf course.

We drove along the narrow pathway, passing the archery field and another area that was lined with ATVs for off-road adventures. The golf course was on the other side of the property and we wound our way toward the flashing dot on the GPS.

“I’m guessing the flashing dot is Aidan’s golf cart?” I asked.

“I hope so,” Jack said. “Otherwise we’ll probably be introducing ourselves to some very confused golfers.”

“I guess a double homicide didn’t discourage too many guests from staying on the property,” I said.

“I can’t imagine it would,” Jack said. “It’s not like this is a seedy motel on the edge of town. This is high profile and sensationalized. I’m sure anyone who checked out early was immediately replaced by another guest. At their very core, people are just nosy. We’ve probably got a dozen eyes on us right now.”

I snickered and watched as we drew closer to a bright red golf cart with a scalloped awning. It was longer than the regular carts to transport guests, and it had shelves down the side like a metal tool chest and drinks sitting in a cavern of ice in the back.

“That must be him,” I said, noticing the young man in pressed khakis and a white shirt with blue trim that the food service workers wore. “Good-looking kid. Doesn’t look like he’s ever been in trouble a day in his life.”

“He reminds me of Eddie Haskell,” Jack said. “Why don’t we see what he has to say?”

The kid noticed us immediately and stood next to his cart, nodding politely to resort guests as they passed by. He was tall and broad shouldered, and I could see how he’d be an asset to the rowing team. His hair was a dark auburn and there was a smattering of freckles across his tanned face. He was a handsome kid who looked like he belonged in a 1950s soda shop.

“Aidan Chisolm?” Jack asked, showing his badge discreetly.

“That’s me,” he said. “Dorinda said you stopped by to talk to her. She figured you might do the same for me.”

I saw a crack in his exterior when he looked at each of us nervously, and neither Jack nor I said anything. People weren’t always comfortable with silence, and usually felt the need to fill it with something.

“I guess I know what you’re here to talk to me about,” Aidan said, looking around to see if there was anyone close by.

“Why don’t you tell us,” Jack said.

“All of the golf carts are tracked,” he said. “I figured you probably noticed I stayed a little longer than I should have at the villa where those people were murdered.” His face turned scarlet, making his freckles stand out across the bridge of his nose and cheeks.

“You doing drugs?” Jack asked. “We found a couple of joints that had been tossed off the back deck.”

“Oh, no,” Aidan said shocked. “Nothing like that. I’d lose my scholarship.”

“Dorinda told us you were finishing up about the same time that she left,” I said.

“That’s true,” he said. “I like Dorinda. She treats all the college kids like they’re her own. Brings us snacks and keeps up with what we’re doing. It’s a real family here.”

“So if you were almost finished setting the scene on the deck why did it take you another hour and a half to leave?”

Aidan winced and said, “You see, there’s this girl. Her name’s Andi, and she works in the pro shop over there.” He pointed toward the clubhouse by the first green. “I had a break scheduled right after I finished at the honeymoon villa, and she was just getting off shift. So, uhh, she met me out there and we, uhh…”

He scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly. “I’d nicked an extra bottle of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries and set everything up so it was real romantic. She likes that kind of stuff. And that deck is epic, even at night. They’ve got those big lounger beds and you can see the stars and hear the waterfalls, and then there’s all the lights in the trees.”

“We didn’t find any other golf carts at the honeymoon villa until Mr. Harris arrived with the victims later that night. How did she meet you there?”

“Oh,” he said, understanding. “She rode one of the bicycles. Anyone can use them all over the property.”

“Did you notice anyone else around the villa while you were there? Did you hear anyone come inside?”

If possible his face flushed even more. “I, uh, didn’t see or hear anything else. But I, uh, wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Did you notice anything when you left?” I asked.

“No,” he said. “We were in a hurry to get everything back in place and get out of there. I’d lost track of time and I was still on shift. I had to tell my manager that I’d gotten sick and had been in the bathroom the whole time. I loaded Andi’s bike up on the back of the golf cart and I dropped her off at the staff parking lot so she could get home. My manager told me to go home early after I told him I’d been sick. I feel bad about that.”

“Is Andi working today?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, Sundays are busy days on the golf course,” he said. “I guess you’re going to need to ask her about everything I told you.”

“Just checking off boxes to try and find who murdered those people,” Jack said, handing him a card. “If you think of anything else give me a call.”

* * *

We stopped by the pro shop on the way to our next interview and talked to Andi Belding. She was a pretty, athletic-looking girl who blushed prettily when we asked her about Aidan, but she’d confirmed his alibi down to him dropping her at the staff parking lot.

“Who’s next on the list?” Jack asked.

“Donna and Edward Kelso,” I said. “And look where they’re staying? In the Dowager Villa.”

“Am I to assume that it’s located close to our murder site?” he asked.

“This is why you make the big bucks,” I said. “It’s the bungalow closest to the honeymoon villa. Turn left here and follow the path. You’ll eventually run into it.”

When Jack pulled up in front of the Dowager Villa, I noticed it was a smaller version of the honeymoon villa, featuring the same stone and glass design as the main resort. The villa had a wooden deck that wrapped around its entirety, giving it a cozy yet elegant feel. Nestled among the trees, it offered a picturesque view of the eighteenth hole from the front and the serene expanse of the Potomac River from the back.

“You think they’re here or out playing lawn darts somewhere?” I asked.

“There’s a golf cart pulled around to the side,” Jack said. “Maybe we’ll get lucky. How far of a walk do you think it is to the honeymoon villa from here?”

“Maybe ten minutes, fifteen at the most,” I said. “It’s just around that bend in the path.”

It turns out we were lucky. The front door opened and an older couple stepped out, obviously heading out for some kind of activity. They certainly didn’t look like they were overly upset at the news that the bride and groom from the wedding they’d just attended had been murdered a villa down from them. But different people handled the news of murder in different ways.

“Mr. and Mrs. Kelso?” Jack asked, showing his badge.

“That’s us,” Mr. Kelso said, studying Jack’s badge intently. He was a distinguished, portly man with wavy silver hair and a bushy salt-and-pepper mustache. He was a couple of inches shorter than his wife and dressed in black swim trunks and a red guayabera shirt. His expression was curious, but not necessarily friendly.

“I’m Sheriff Lawson,” Jack said. “This is Dr. Graves. She’s the coroner for King George County. We need to ask you some questions about Theo and Chloe Vasilios.”

“We’ve got an appointment at the spa,” Mrs. Kelso said.

She was a thin, stern-looking woman with the kind of posture that reminded me of a piano teacher I’d had as a child. The woman had scared me to death, and I hadn’t taken very many lessons before deciding piano wasn’t my future. Mrs. Kelso had probably been very pretty when she’d been younger, but now her skin was tight with Botox, her lips looked like they’d been stung by a swarm of bees, and her cheeks were so sunken in I didn’t know how she chewed without biting them.

She was dressed in white linen pants and a flowing top the color of coral, and her blond hair was long and artfully highlighted and belonged on a much younger woman.

“We won’t take up much of your time,” Jack said, giving her a smile. “I’m sure they’ll make accommodations for you if you explain the situation. The staff here are exceptional.”

She huffed and pursed her lips. “It doesn’t seem like we have any choice in the matter.”

“It’s important to find out everything we can so we can find out who killed Theo and Chloe. The two of you were at the wedding.”

Jack didn’t ask it as a question, but let the Kelsos interpret it however they saw fit.

“And what is that supposed to imply?” Mrs. Kelso asked.

“Settle down, dear,” Mr. Kelso piped in, settling a meaty hand on her arm. “They’re just doing their job. They’ve got to ask questions.”

“All I heard was an accusation,” she said coldly.

“Not at all, ma’am,” Jack said easily.

We walked up the steps so we were level with them on the deck, and Mr. Kelso took the hint and guided his wife into a chair. She didn’t look like she liked being handled, but she sat in one of the four rockers. Jack and I stayed standing.

“How did you know Theo and Chloe?” Jack asked.

“Oh, we were at Theo’s first wedding,” Mr. Kelso said. “We’ve been friends of the family for decades.”

“Where are you from?” Jack asked. “I can’t place your accent.”

“Oh, my wife is American through and through. A New Yorker. I was born in Scotland, went to boarding school in London, and lived a decade in Dubai before I met Donna in New York while on a business trip.” He smiled genially. “So I’m sure my accent is quite hybrid by this point.”

“And Theo?”

“We’ve been friends with Nicholas and Cecelia for years,” he said. “So of course, we watched Theo grow up. We thought for a while that Theo and our daughter, Catherine, would end up together. I know Donna and Cecelia wanted it that way. But Theo and Cate are just good friends. She was at the wedding as well, but she’s already left to go back to London.”

“Were you surprised when Theo announced his engagement to Chloe?” Jack asked.

Donna snorted indelicately. “Theo was a fool, but men usually are when it comes to the wrong kind of woman.”

“And Chloe was the wrong kind?” Jack asked.

“She was trouble,” Donna said. “You know Theo hired the poor girl out of the goodness of his heart. She was down on her luck and needed the work, so he hired her to manage his restaurants. Theo’s always had his father’s knack for business. It wasn’t long until she was dressing well above her pay grade and being integrated with Theo’s circle of friends.”

Mrs. Kelso lowered her voice and leaned closer. “Chloe didn’t belong, and never would have been accepted. Cecelia told me in confidence that she’d seen Chloe with another man when she’d come to surprise Theo for lunch one afternoon. The man walked out the front door of their home just as bold as you please and right past Cecelia, and Chloe was standing there in the doorway with hardly a thing on. Chloe told Cecelia that Theo was out of town. Can you believe the gall? Bringing a strange man into Theo’s home like that?”

“Settle down, dear,” he said, patting her arm again. “You’re speaking of the dead now.”

“I can only assume she brought it upon herself,” Mrs. Kelso said testily. “Cecelia immediately went to Theo about the incident, of course, but Theo told her it was nothing of importance and to stay out of it. She was so upset. Theo was her pride and joy, and she hated that he would be throwing his life away on a whore. She wanted grandchildren so badly, and Theo wasn’t getting any younger.”

“What time did the two of you arrive back here on the night of the wedding?” Jack asked.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Edward said. “I’d say it was before ten o’clock. We’re not as young as we used to be, so we left after the dancing started.”

“This resort isn’t anywhere close to the wedding venue,” Jack said. “Why stay so far away?”

“We’ve been trying to take the time to stay at The Mad King since they opened,” Mr. Kelso said. “We had some friends stay here and they said it’s on par with resorts all over the world. It’s gotten quite the reputation across the globe. When we got the wedding invitation in January I had my assistant call and see if they had any openings. It was our lucky day because someone had made a cancelation.”

Mrs. Kelso cleared her throat and said, “Nicholas of course was able to pull some strings so Theo and Chloe could stay here for their wedding night. There are very few people who can say no to Nicholas.”

“Is that so?” Jack asked. “Did you see Theo and Chloe while you were here at the resort?”

“No,” Mr. Kelso said. “From my understanding they were only staying the one night and were scheduled to leave early the next morning. The Vasilios private plane was going to take Theo and Chloe to Tahiti for their honeymoon, and there’s the private airfield that’s not far from here.”

“The villa where Theo and Chloe were murdered isn’t far from here,” Jack said. “Did you hear gunshots that night? See anyone unusual lurking about?”

“We went straight to bed as soon as we arrived,” Mr. Kelso said. “We slept late the next morning because we flew in from London for the wedding and were still jet lagged. We didn’t realize something had gone wrong until management knocked on our door to inform us about the situation. They also mentioned that certain areas of the resort would be off limits while the police investigated.”

“We really have to be off for our appointments,” Mrs. Kelso said, coming to her feet. “It’s tragic what happened to Theo, but this is the kind of thing that happens when you surround yourself with riffraff. We’ll of course stay in town for Theo’s funeral. A wedding and a funeral in a matter of days.”

“Quite tragic,” Mr. Kelso repeated.

“Just one more question,” Jack said. “Did you know anything about Chloe? Maybe you overheard something about her background or met some of the guests at the wedding that she invited?”

“Not likely,” Mrs. Kelso said, rolling her eyes.

I was mesmerized by her face, waiting for the arch of a brow or the slightest crinkle in her forehead. But the only thing that moved on her face were her eyelids.

“Cecelia told me Chloe didn’t have any family, and she didn’t really have any friends. She told me the only people Chloe insisted receive an invitation were two men. I don’t know who they were, but no doubt she was probably sleeping with them. Cecelia also told me that she’d once overheard Theo talking to Chloe about where she’d grown up, and Cecelia said it sounded like some kind of commune.” Mrs. Kelso shuddered delicately. “Filthy people.”

Jack handed Mr. Kelso a card and said, “If you think of any information you think might help us find who did this to Theo give me a call.”

“I don’t want to discourage you, son,” Mr. Kelso said. “But you might be out of your league with this one. Might be best to hand it over to higher authorities. Nicholas has excellent contacts with the State Department. I’m sure he’d make sure you received some of the credit.”

“We appreciate your time,” Jack said, not acknowledging the comment.