Dead Girl Running (Cape Charade #1)(98)

“She was illiterate and locked her books in a closet? Isn’t that symbolic?”

“And—” Birdie looked vaguely ill.

“What else?”

“Hands. Mummified.”

“Birdie.” Kellen pressed her back against the seat as if trying to get away from the vision. “That’s…”

“Yeah. It is.” Birdie took a breath. “There’s speculation she used a dehydrator.”

Kellen leaped to a horrifying conclusion. “Not a dehydrator in our kitchens!”

“No! At least, the chefs said no, but they’re buying new ones.”

“Ugh.” Kellen could only imagine the chefs tossing the resort’s commercial-sized dehydrators out the windows. “Mara is all things twisted and warped. Does anybody know who she really is?”

“You mean her background? No. She just appeared out of nowhere.”

Like me. Kellen shrugged the thought away. “She corrupted Mitch. I swear he was our man until she got her claws in him.”

The car swerved as Birdie half turned toward Kellen. “You can’t blame her for Mitch!”

“I guess not. I just feel less stupid about trusting him if I have her to blame.”

“He tried to kill us. He almost succeeded. For money and maybe for sex with her? I feel for his family, but he hurt me and he hurt you. He was responsible for his actions, and I don’t mourn him.” Birdie was angry, vehement.

“Okay. You don’t have to.” As badly as Birdie had been injured, Kellen didn’t blame her a bit.

Birdie asked, “Guess what else? Guess what washed in on the beach the day after they took Mara away?”

“If you tell me more artifacts, I’ll tell you I don’t give a damn.”

Birdie grinned and shook her head. “Guess again.”

“My God.” This time Kellen knew she had guessed right. “Priscilla’s body?”

“In the plastic container,” Birdie affirmed. “She didn’t have any family, so she’s buried in the Cape Charade cemetery. Annie and Leo paid for the gravestone. We all chipped in for some nice flowers. She deserved that.”

“What about her ring?”

“We put that in the coffin with her.”

“Good. Good. I hope she knows the good she did by stashing that ring in her shoe. I’m glad she’s at rest, and I hope she’s at peace.”

“Amen,” Birdie said.

They fell silent. The miles rolled past. Kellen kept stumbling on the memories she had recovered along the way. Nils was gone from the resort. Maybe Max was gone, too? But she didn’t want to ask—it revealed more than she wanted, so instead she said, “Are Annie and Leo back?”

“Got here last week.” Birdie was a little too terse.

“They’re upset?”

“What do you think? It’s Annie’s resort. She feels like she left it to be destroyed.” Birdie glanced at Kellen. “You saved it.”

“You saved it, too.”

“Leo says I have a job for the rest of my life. I’d be more flattered if I thought they could ever find someone to take my place.”

Kellen chuckled. “You’re irreplaceable. But should you be back on the job? You look tired and as if you’re in pain.”

“Other than driving you to the resort, I’m not doing much. As soon as all the kinks have been worked out, I’m going on vacation someplace warm.”

“I thought we were going on vacation together.” Then, “What kinks?”

Birdie drove carefully around the curves. “Things are changing at the resort, you know. Mr. Gilfilen’s injuries have left him with limited mobility, so he can’t manage security anymore. A replacement must be found.”

Kellen had already thought of this. “I’ll do it. I’d rather be in charge of security than be broadsided by another management crisis involving a missing shipment of nail polish with a name like Orgasm.”

Birdie made a doubtful sound. “When all is said and done, I don’t know that you as the head of security is such a good idea.”

Kellen’s attention swerved toward Birdie. “When what’s said and done?”

Something was out of whack in this conversation. Birdie kept glancing at Kellen, smiling and frowning, then smiling again, and every once in a while, she shook her head.

It must have to do with Max. Taking the bull by the horns, Kellen asked, “Where’s Max? Is he still here? Is he going to take over security?”

“Max is at the resort. No, I don’t think he’s considered a permanent position at Yearning Sands.”

“Oh. Well, that would be too much to…” Kellen caught her first glimpse of Yearning Sands, of the stone castle-like edifice that grew out of the sand and scrub, that faced storms and murders, that had accepted the passage of time with such grace. Home. Kellen’s friends were here, and here she felt at home.

She was glad to be home.

“I knew Max before.” Saying the words made Kellen feel light-headed.

“I know,” Birdie said.

“He…told you?”

“It was a surprise.”

“Does everybody know?”

“Pretty much. Kind of.” Birdie verbally squirmed. “Yes. But he didn’t blab anything! Things just…got around.”