Page 46 of It's a Wonderful Knife

I was hoping the local cops would be able to find a way to get to the farm. There was no way they could fly a chopper in. Not in this storm. I highly doubted the river was less terrifying after even more torrential rain. Somehow, I needed to keep everyone safe.

No problem.

Everyone was still eating when we walked into the dining room.

Amelia scooted back her chair and hurried over to us. “Did you find him?” She looked past us, her expression muddled. “Where is he?”

I felt sick having to tell her what had happened, but it needed to be done. Since there was no point in keeping Santiago’s murder a secret, I decided to tell everyone at the same time.

Something in my expression must have clued Mona in to the fact that something was wrong. She stood and came over. “What’s wrong, Royce?”

I cleared my throat. “We have a situation.”

“What kind of situation?”

Max shifted uneasily beside me.

I turned to face the table and found everyone watching me. “Folks, I have some bad news.”

“Is it the river?” Penelope asked, her expression apprehensive. “Is it coming closer?”

“No, nothing like that.” I braced myself and gave Mona an apologetic look. “I’m afraid we’ve had a death.” I swallowed hard. “A… murder.”

Amelia gasped, and she clutched the back of the closest chair. “What?”

I met her frazzled gaze. “I’m sorry, Amelia. Santiago is dead.”

She let out a shriek and fell onto the ground. Mona immediately ran to her, as did Max and Chloe, who happened to be entering the room. Max checked her head carefully, grimacing at a bump forming on her forehead.

“Can I get some ice?” he asked Chloe.

“Of course.” She jumped up and ran toward the kitchen. When she returned, Elle was with her, looking stricken.

“Chloe said Santiago has been murdered?” Elle’s voice broke.

“I’m sorry. Yes.” I sighed.

People were standing and muttering to each other. Penelope looked like she too was about to faint, but thankfully Gerald had his arm around her waist. Todd was hugging Girdy, and she watched us with a terrified look on her thin face.

“Why would someone kill Santiago?” Gianna whispered, still sitting in her chair at the table. “He was a beautiful person.”

Considering how he’d shunned her once he’d had sex with her, she was being very magnanimous. Was that because she was covering for herself or because she truly had liked Santiago?

Richard still sat at the table, his expression odd. He didn’t speak or make any attempt to come closer. He looked out of it. Disconnected.

I turned to Mona. “I need to use your landline.”

“Of course.” Mona nodded and walked away.

I assumed she wanted me to follow her, so I did. Max stayed with Amelia, whose lashes were fluttering as if she was about to come to. When we reached Mona’s office, she let us in with a key.

She pointed to her desk, looking dazed. “I… I can’t believe this is happening. That poor man. That poor, poor man.”

“This will ruin us.” Ezra spoke from behind us, and I jumped. I hadn’t realized he’d accompanied us. “No one is going to come to a Christmas tree farm where someone wasmurdered.”

Mona didn’t respond; she just stood staring at the cordless phone.

I picked up the receiver. “Mona, where do you keep the cell phones you take from the guests?”