Free Cold Turkey by Shelley Freydont Page A

as Eric and Joe passed her walking at a clip that would catch them up to Eileen in the next block.
    Liv took off after them. This was so not in her job description, but somebody had to keep them from leaving town. She was pretty sure she knew who had killed Max Bonhoff, but there was no way she was going to let any of them get away.

Chapter 9
    The lobby was empty when Liv reached the Inn. Liv dinged the registration bell, and as soon as Corrine appeared at the desk, Liv pulled her back into her office and shut the door.
    “What’s going on?” Corrine asked as the color drained from her face.
    “I think Pudge and Co. are about to check out.”
    “Well, two of them are. Mr. Clegg, the one they call Pudge, just called down and asked for his bill to be prepared. And for the widow’s, too.”
    “And the other two?”
    Corinne shook her head. “They just came in and went into the bar.”
    “They just finished coffee at the Buttercup,” Liv said.
    “Well, Mr. Sattler, Eric, wanted to go right upstairs, but for some reason the other one held him back and told him to cool it. Then he pulled him into the bar, which is open for lunch but empty so far.” Corinne finished her statement with a disapproving look.
    “They’re still there?”
    “As far as I know.”
    Now what? How could she keep the two men from finishing their drinks and bolting while she stayed on the lookout for Pudge and the widow? And how could she possibly stop all of them if they tried to leave before Bill arrived?
    “Don’t give them their bill.”
    “What?”
    “Just don’t give it to them, tell them the printer is jammed and tell them to have a drink on the house while it gets fixed. No, that won’t work, they may just have you send it to them.” Liv bit her lip. “Take their credit card and then keep it.”
    “Why?”
    “Bill wants to talk to them and he can’t if they leave.”
    “Oh my— Is one of them the murderer?”
    “Possibly.”
    Liv knew immediately that she shouldn’t have said anything. Corinne stepped back and knocked over the desk lamp. “Look, don’t think about it. If you’re afraid, just don’t come out of your office. In fact, that would be better. They’ll have to wait.”
    Liv started for the door.
    “Where are you going?”
    “To sit in the lobby.” And hope like hell Bill was on his way.
    Liv cracked the door open and peered out. Seeing that the coast was clear, she straightened up and walked sedately, she hoped, out of the office. A sound on the stairs destroyed her cool. She grabbed a copy of the
Celebration Bay Clarion
that Corinne kept on the desk and threw herself at the nearest wing chair.
    She’d barely gotten the paper open and up hiding her face before Pudge and Eileen came downstairs. They crossed straight to the reservation desk. One of them hit the bell to summon Corinne.
    Liv was dying to look over the edge of the paper to see what was happening, but was afraid of giving herself away. For a brief moment she realized the ridiculousness of her situation: hiding behind a newspaper like a ditsy blonde in a thirties detective movie.
    But it was too late to worry about that now. All she could do was listen while she stared at an article on the habitat of the striped bass.
    The bell tinged again. Good. Corinne was following instructions. She might be too nervous to even show her face. Liv slid her hand into her coat pocket and turned off the ringer on her cell phone. She would feel the vibrations if Bill called. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to answer it, but at least she wouldn’t draw attention to herself. She’d learned the hard way how a cell phone could be your undoing.
    “Where is the woman?” Pudge’s voice. “Hey, anyone around?”
    “Let’s just go,” Eileen said petulantly. “They have our card numbers.”
    “I suppose you’re right.” Pudge grunted. He must be picking up their suitcases.
    A door opened. Corinne’s voice. “Sorry. Did you ring?”
    “Yes we did. We’re