Free Room At The Inn (The Jeff Resnick Mysteries) by LL Bartlett

taken, and the county medical examiner arrived, they hauled Eileen's bloated, naked body from the tub, laying her on the concrete deck. In death she looked younger than she had the night before. A discolored, crescent-shaped cut and bruise marred the left side of her forehead. The photographer took close-ups of her face, as well as the edges of the hot tub; there were no other signs of trauma on the body. The bruise didn't match the edge of the tub. But something else was wrong. Eileen's abdomen should've been discolored by pooled blood. Could she have bled to death? The police had the same idea, for next they took water samples, then completely dismantled the hot tub's filtering system.
    I turned away, embarrassed for the dead woman. The last thing she would have wanted was strangers gawking at her wrinkled, naked body.
    With all the questions and photos, it was hours before the Eileen Marshall’s body was removed by the medical examiner. By then I'd told my story to four or five officers of different ranks, making sure to tell it exactly the same every time. Sgt. Beach seemed to be in charge. He wasn't a local. His voice bore the trace of a mid-western accent—maybe Iowa. He wasn't much older than me, and maybe five-ten in height.
    Meanwhile, Morris and the other officers interviewed the rest of the guests. They even went through the inn's trash looking for the missing scotch bottle. And while there wasn't talk about them coming back with a warrant to search each room, it seemed like the next step. At one point Susan disappeared with two of the cops, and the photographer, to chronicle and then pack Eileen's belongings.
    When the ME's wagon pulled away, Sgt. Beach gathered all the guests in the dining room. "Folks, I know this is going to be an inconvenience to some of you, but until we determine how Ms. Marshall died, I ask that everyone stay in the area. If you move to different accommodations, please let the police department know. We'll be in touch."
    The Andolinas looked grim as they left the dining room, presumably for their room. Alyssa and her beau seemed shell-shocked, and wandered out back, probably to look over the death site.
    I was starved, and it was almost eleven when I finally sat down to eat. A tense-looking Maggie waited for me, and pulled her chair close to mine. The meal was a somber affair. The camaraderie evident in the kitchen the day before was gone. None of the guests were particularly hungry, as evidenced by the food still heaped in the warming trays. Even though they were booked for another week, we overhead the young Canadian couple debating whether they should cancel and go home. I put odds that the wife would win and as soon as the police cleared them they'd be on their way home to Québec as fast as their BMW could take them. Personally, I didn't blame them.
    Maggie sipped her coffee and picked apart a carrot muffin. "How do you think it happened?"
    "Not here," I said under my breath.
    She nodded and pushed her plate aside. I finished my breakfast in silence.
    About the time the dust from the preliminary investigation had settled, Susan came looking for us. Her eyes were haunted. "You'll still take the pictures and finish the article, won't you?" Her voice just broke a whisper.
    "We'll finish the job," I said.
    "Thank you." Real humility colored her voice. "We've worked so hard, I hope this doesn't ruin our business." She turned and slowly walked toward the stairs.
    I downed the rest of my orange juice, pushed back from the table, and we headed for our room.
    "Well?" Maggie asked, as soon as I'd shut the door.
    "Eileen was murdered."
    Her pale face and worried eyes reflected her fear. "That means somebody here at the inn killed her. Why? Do you think they'll come after any one else?"
    I took her in my arms and brushed a kiss along her forehead. "Now why would they do that?"
    "I don't know. I'm scared. I've never seen a murdered person before."
    "It's scary," I admitted.
    "Is that how you felt