Deadly Fate (Krewe of Hunters #19)(54)

He’d forgotten, too, that she knew Angela—that she had spent time with her in New Orleans after the Archangel affair.

“Clara! I’m so sorry you’re involved in all this,” Angela said.

“It’s okay. Hey, I’m with the best of them, right?” Clara said.

“Don’t you two dare leave her alone,” Angela said firmly.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let them. But what about Kimball? He’s freaky-scary-slimy, even if he isn’t a crazy murderer,” Clara said.

“Ah, yes, Marc Kimball!” Angela said. “His business policies are certainly questionable—especially everything I’ve read regarding the treatment of his employees. They’ve had protests, they’ve tried boycotts...but, people need jobs. According to reports, he was flown via his private jet from New York City to Alaska yesterday morning after learning about the terrible crimes at his property. All I know for sure is that his jet did leave NYC for Alaska. I haven’t found an eyewitness account of him getting on or off the plane. Private jets at small airports fly by different laws than commercial liners, so finding someone at a small airport isn’t easy—especially when it comes to a very rich man who has always seemed concerned about his privacy.” She paused. “We have proof that the plane left NYC, and we have proof that it landed. But we interviewed the pilot and he never saw Kimball. Doesn’t even know what he looks like. He was given his directions via an email the day before he flew, and through the intercom on the plane. He was in the cockpit before Kimball boarded. Since I didn’t accept anything about the plane at face value, I can’t say for a fact that he was on the plane as he claimed. But I can’t say that he wasn’t. There are no reports of his having been in Seward until he arrived at the police station there.”

“Thanks, Angela,” Jackson said.

“Yeah, sure,” she said, her voice dropping low and husky. “Be careful, guys, please. This sounds like a really rough situation. I mean, yes, investigating is what we do, but...”

“Of course,” Jackson said softly.

“How is your research going on the others?” Thor asked her.

“No felonies among your television crew,” she told them. “Becca Marle has some unpaid parking tickets. Tommy Marchant was reported once for domestic violence, but witnesses said that his ex-wife was the one being abusive. Nate Mahoney—once again, we’re not looking at anything more threatening than parking violations. He had a juvenile record.”

“Really?”

“He robbed a convenience store with some neighborhood toughs—they pretended sticks were guns. The judge put him on probation...his father had just died. Apparently he’s been clean ever since. Graduated from NYU film school and apprenticed with one of the top special-effects companies in LA. He took the job with Wickedly Weird Productions about two years ago. None of them sound as if they have the makings for murder and dismemberment. But we all know that might not mean anything.”

“No history of anyone tying firecrackers to cats’ tails, throwing stones at dogs or chopping up lizards?” Jackson asked.

Angela shook her head. “Ups and downs in life. Tommy apparently had a very nasty divorce. Poor Becca was literally left standing at the altar. Nate dealt badly with the death of a parent—a situation that is definitely not unprecedented.”

“What about the couple at the house?” Thor asked.

“American Gothic!” Clara murmured, and Thor glanced at her.

My thoughts exactly, he told her in silence.

She smiled slightly.

“Ah, yes, they’re interesting. They’ve worked for Marc Kimball since he bought the property. Alaskan natives, both of them. They had one child who died in infancy. Neither had much of an education, but they are, apparently, the only people who don’t kowtow to Marc Kimball. They watch his place, they cook and clean, but—I searched a lot of Facebook pages for this, by the way!—they move about Kimball in something like silence, they don’t suck up to him or his guests. In fact, Ginger Vixen—of Ginger Vixen Cosmetics—wrote on a page, ‘I feel like I’ve entered a Victorian manse when I’m there. The servants don’t talk or even crack a smile.’ Apparently, she said something to Kimball about them. ‘They’re the best at leaving me to my privacy and keeping a true eye on this place,’ Kimball told her. As for a criminal background—no. Not even parking tickets!”

“Okay, thanks. We’ll get on it here,” Thor said.

“I’m still working. I’ll be in touch with anything, no matter how small,” she promised. She said goodbye to all of them. The screen went to gray.

“We’d better get going,” Jackson said.

Thor nodded and looked at him. “I think we should speak with the hotel clerk who was on duty—Arnold Haskell, if I remember correctly. And the production or production assistant who worked for Natalie Fontaine. Misty Blaine. Let’s see how she’s doing. We spoke when we arrived at the crime scene, but she was really hysterical. Maybe she’s calmed down some. I figure she’s still at the hotel?”

“Yes. None of the Wickedly Weird crew is leaving yet—they’ve been asked to stay. I’ll check it out, find out where they both are,” Jackson said.

He turned aside to use the phone. Thor found himself looking at Clara. “You do know that this investigation could go on a very long time, right?”