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.When I first heard about it, the name Agnes Warner didn’t mean anything to me.At least, I didn’t remember who she was.But I remember her now, seeing her husband.From years ago.They used to come into the Spoonful.I’d see them whenever I came home to visit.But I haven’t seen them since I’ve been back in town.”“You mean they stopped coming?”“I guess so.”“Maybe they moved away—or at least moved farther out of town.”Lucky nodded.“Possibly.Just strange that I didn’t really connect the names with the faces until now.”Lucky heard Nate call Sophie’s name.He beckoned both of them over.They rose and followed him into his office.Nate stood in the doorway.“Our tech is in the back room grabbing a coffee, waiting until I was finished.” He turned back to the front desk.“Bradley—go let the lady know we’re ready if she can join us.”Nate entered and sat heavily in the armchair behind the desk.“How are you doing, Sophie?”“I’m okay, Nate.”Nate looked at her dubiously.“Really, I am,” she replied.“Just.none of this seems real to me.”He nodded in acknowledgment.“I can understand that.I just want to cover all the bases here.Just need to make sure.There’s something I should tell you, though.If your brother is a private investigator, I don’t think he’s licensed—at least not in New York State.”“Really?” Sophie looked puzzled.“Well, maybe he changed his mind.Maybe he never got his license.”“Could be,” Nate replied.At that moment, they heard a tap on the door.“Come on in,” Nate called.A young woman in her thirties, wearing jeans and a blazer, entered the office.Her bangs reached her eyebrows, and her hair was pulled up in a ponytail.Lucky was reminded of a kindergarten teacher she had liked very much.The technician smiled at them.“Are we ready?” she asked.“Sophie?” Nate raised his eyebrows.“I’m ready.What do you need?” she asked the technician.The woman put on a pair of latex gloves, opened her case and pulled out a white pouch.She removed the covering to reveal what looked like a flat white plastic stick.She slid her thumb along the middle, revealing a covered section of the device.“With your permission, I’ll just take a swab from the inside of your cheek.Nothing invasive.Won’t hurt at all.”Sophie nodded and dutifully opened her mouth.The technician was quick.She moved the end of the device across the inside of Sophie’s cheek, slid the covering in place and then dropped it into a white collection pouch.She sealed the top with a self-adhesive strip.“All done.That was easy, wasn’t it?”“That just looks like a paper pouch,” Sophie remarked.“You’re right.It’s for short-term transport with a desiccant inside.It’ll keep the sample safe.The adhesive strip prevents anyone from licking the pouch closed and maybe contaminating the sample.It’s very secure.”“Thank you,” Sophie replied.She turned to Nate.“How long will this take?”Nate looked up at the technician.She replied, “A few days.We send it to a larger lab.We’ll have results then, and I’ll give Chief Edgerton a call.”“Thanks for coming over.” Nate stood.“Not a problem.” The tech smiled.“Have all the paperwork you need?”“Yes.Thanks.I’ll be in touch.” The technician left the office without another remark.“Well.That’s that,” Nate said.“Thanks for coming by, Sophie.Glad this worked out.Didn’t want you to trudge over to Lincoln Falls if you didn’t need to.”“I appreciate that, Nate.” She took a deep, shaky breath.“I just hope you’re wrong.”“I hope so too, believe me.”Lucky followed Sophie through the waiting area.When they reached the front door, she heard Bradley call her name.She turned back.Bradley was waving her back to the front desk.“What does he want?” Sophie asked.“I don’t know.I’ll find out.You go ahead.I’ll be out in a sec.” Lucky walked back to the counter.Bradley leaned across.“Lucky, would it be all right if I brought a guest, do you think?”“A guest?” Was Bradley talking about the wedding? She cringed, imagining Sophie’s reaction.“Uh, let me ask Sophie, if you don’t mind.” If Sophie agreed, at this rate they’d have to expand the party to Jack’s next-door neighbor’s garden.Sophie was sitting in the passenger seat when Lucky finally emerged from the police station.She climbed behind the wheel.“Sure you don’t want to drive?” Lucky asked.Sophie shook her head.“No, you go ahead.”“I appreciate this, Sophie.I’m sorry the repairs are taking so long.Guy’s had trouble getting some of the parts.”“Not a problem.You can use the car as long as you need it.Sage and I are fine with the one car.” Sophie fastened her seat belt.“What did Bradley want?”“He asked if he could bring a guest.” Lucky glanced at her friend, as she revved the engine.Sophie’s eyes crossed.She groaned.“I can’t think about that right now.” She turned to stare out the window as Lucky drove down Green Street.Her jaw was clenched.“I have this terrible feeling that Nate might be right.” She turned to Lucky.“But wouldn’t I have recognized something about that man if it really was Rick? Something? The shape of his head or the color of his hair? Something.” She trailed off.“How? How would you have recognized him? He was completely clothed and.Sophie, his face was gone.There was nothing to recognize.” Lucky turned to face her friend.“I have an idea if you feel up to it.”“What’s that?”“Let’s do a little investigating on our own.”Sophie smiled.“Okay.I’m game.”Chapter 16LUCKY PULLED INTO a parking space reserved for employees of the Snowflake Resort.Sophie’s employee sticker would cover them.She had been quiet on the drive, and Lucky was sure Sophie suspected what she had in mind.“You’re thinking there’s some mistake, aren’t you? That they might have given that room to someone else if Rick hadn’t shown up to keep his reservation?” Sophie asked.“That’s exactly what I’m thinking.I’m sure it happens.I mean, they’re not going to hold a room if someone doesn’t show.Maybe the clerk let a friend stay there, for all we know.And maybe they don’t want to admit that to Nate.You still have that picture with you?”Sophie rummaged in her purse and retrieved a high school photo of her brother.She smiled and passed it to Lucky.“Will you look at the hair? Those school pictures are so awful, aren’t they? The photographers even used to colorize them.”Lucky agreed.“It does look like something from another era.But it’ll do.When you go in, I want you to check with the supervisor and see which maids were assigned to that area.We can show the picture around and see if anyone recognizes it.Nate’s probably already done that, but these people know you.They might be a little more open.”“I agree.”They clambered out of the car and headed for the lobby entrance to the Resort.The clerk at the desk looked up as Sophie walked past and raised a hand in greeting.Sophie ignored him and, pushing through a door near the reception desk, descended a flight of stairs.They had entered another world.The aromas of steam and laundry detergent wafted up the stairwell.The uncarpeted stairs were concrete with safety strips at the edges.The walls and ceiling of the hallway and rooms below were painted glossy white.Sophie turned a corner and came to a closed door.She knocked once and entered quickly.A middle-aged woman with dark straight hair cut short looked up.A gray sweater was draped over her shoulders, partially covering a white uniform.“Hi, Mary.Sorry to barge in like this [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]