Page 15 of The Whispering Girls
Katie turned to Jack. “But what does this have to do with me?”
“You and Cisco are welcome to stay here. There are two suites that are ready for guests. You can have your pick. The two others are being redecorated and updated with new furniture and aren’t entirely ready for guests yet.”
“I—”
“It’ll be quiet for you and it’s a great place to relax. There are hiking trails nearby.” He stood smiling, watching her reaction. “And this is an area with good cell phone signal, there’s Wi-Fi too. Can’t beat that around here.”
“I can’t…” She continued to look around amazed by the place.
“It’ll be like your private resort. I’ll charge you whatever you were paying on the cabin.”
“No, I can’t do that.”
Jack laughed. “You keep saying you can’t…That doesn’t sound like a cold-case detective to me.”
“And Cisco?”
The dog barked on hearing his name.
“He’s welcome, of course.”
“I don’t know…”
“Follow me and take a look at the suites, each with a private bath, and you can make your decision.” He walked down the hallway, expecting Katie to follow. “Since we’re not booked with anyone right now, the cleaning staff comes in once a week to check everything and keep everything sparkling. My manager and cook are both retired and come in when needed.”
Katie tried not to get overly excited because it seemed too good to be true. The murder was highlighted in her mind and she really wanted to stay in case she could help with the investigation. There wasn’t anything else keeping her in Echo Forest—she could rest anywhere—but if the local police ended up recruiting her, this would certainly be a relaxing place to stay while she assisted them.
Jack opened one of the suites—it too had a digital keypad. It beeped five times.
“Take a look,” he said.
Katie walked in with Cisco at her side. It was even more stunning than the front room. Similar in style, it too had a rustic beauty about it. All the furniture—bed, dresser, nightstands, sitting area with table, and two overstuffed comfortable chairs—appeared to be made by the same craftsman. The curtains, bed comforter, pillows, and upholstery were in earth tones with a few pops of blue and yellow. There were two bigwindows that looked out over the forest that backed up to the warehouse.
“This is beautiful,” she said, taking a quick peek of the bathroom. It was as wonderfully decorated, with a large shower and claw-foot tub along with fresh linens and towels.
“You can look at the other one if you would like.”
“No, that won’t be necessary.” She turned to Jack. “I can’t possibly pay you what I was paying for the cabin?—”
“Why not? No one is here—there’s no waiting list. These rooms are just sitting empty.” He moved to the window and pulled back the sheer curtain. “It’s the least I could do for one of our finest.”
Katie didn’t want to feel as if she was getting a special deal because she was a police detective. She remained quiet and looked around. It was like going to a resort—something she had never done because it wasn’t within her budget.
“C’mon, Detective,” he said, petting Cisco. “This shouldn’t be a difficult decision. It would be peace of mind for me, knowing a police officer is staying here as security.”
Katie ran several things through her mind. “Okay,” she said.
“Yeah?”
“It would be a privilege to stay here, but I will pay you.”
“Great. Let me give you the codes and the Wi-Fi name.” He turned to leave when his cell phone rang. “Dr. Thomas. When? Where is he now?” Jack turned to Katie with a distressed look upon his face. “I’ll be right there.” He hung up.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s the chief. C’mon.”
EIGHT
