Part 2 (2/2)
He studied the switches and then shook his head. ”None of them.”
Julie wiggled out from between the closet and him. ”How's that?”
”The main switch doesn't have to be in the same box with the others. In fact, it can be on a completely different floor.”
”How do you know so much about this?”
Daniel shrugged nonchalantly, but she could tell he was pleased with her backhanded compliment. ”I had an uncle who was an electrician.”
”Your uncle wouldn't happen to know where the main switch would be, would he?”
”No. But if I had to guess, I would say it's somewhere near the kitchen.”
”Oh, yeah?”
Again he shrugged. ”It seems like a good place to put it in case of a fire. In fact, it may have been moved there for that very purpose. I'm surprised the electrician didn't mention this when he moved the box.”
”Me too.” Julie smiled in admiration. ”Lead the way, detective.”
This time she followed Daniel as he led her back downstairs. After searching the entire kitchen and the surrounding area, they finally located the main switch in the tearoom. Julie thought it was strange that she had never noticed it before. Oh, she had seen it, but had never given the small metal plate on the wall a second thought.
Daniel opened the door and peered inside. ”See, there's the problem.” He wiggled the breaker to show the play and then snapped it back in place. After moving two more switches back and forth, the inn was flooded with light.
No sooner had Julie blinked everything into focus than another scream pierced the night.
”Oh no,” she said and raced toward the dining room with Daniel close on her heels. Julie hadn't realized just how big the inn really was until she was running through it, summoned by a shriek.
”Oh my, oh my, oh my, ...,” someone said over and over again.
”That sounds like Susan,” Julie said as she and Daniel skidded around the corner and into the dining room.
”Do something,” Inga demanded of Julie.
Julie looked down to where the grim housekeeper's calloused finger was pointing and saw the body of Alice Peyton sprawled out on the floor. A dark spot stained the floor near her head, and a heavy bra.s.s candlestick lay off to one side.
”Julie?” s.h.i.+rley asked, a slight tremble in her voice. ”I don't understand. This wasn't-”
”I'm calling an ambulance,” Inga said.
Dear G.o.d, please let Alice be alive, Julie silently beseeched, gently falling to her knees beside the body. Was this the source of the thump they'd heard earlier?
Hesitantly, Julie reached out two fingers and lightly touched the woman's throat.
No pulse.
Maybe I'm not doing it right. Julie moved her fingers a little to the right, then a little to the left. Still nothing.
Her eyes met Daniel's as he knelt beside her. He lifted Alice's limp hand and pressed his fingers to her wrist. After a few seconds, he shook his head.
”Well?” s.h.i.+rley demanded as Daniel pushed to his feet.
Julie slowly stood. Another murder; it was only a few months ago that Daniel's best friend, George Benning, had been murdered. This time, it was blatantly obvious that this was murder.
”Well?” s.h.i.+rley asked again. Her tone more of a shriek this time.
Julie shook her head.
Finally, Daniel broke the tense silence. ”She's dead.”
THREE.
”But she's supposed to be dead, isn't she?” Susan asked. She stood off to one side with Kenneth hovering slightly in front of her as if he were protecting her from everyone else in the room.
”Of course she is,” Sadie said. ”Alice is our murder victim. Isn't that right, Julie dear?”
”I didn't think any of the guests were supposed to be the victim,” Joyce interjected.
”We don't need an ambulance,” Julie murmured, still shocked by the grim turn of events. ”We need to call the police.” She looked at Daniel to find he already had his cellphone pressed to his ear.
”Yes,” Daniel said into the phone. ”The Quilt Haus Inn. Thank you.” He tapped his phone off. ”Done,” he said to Julie.
”The police?” Susan asked, the weight of the situation finally settling in.
”I knew I felt something brush behind my back in the dark,” Joyce said. She looked accusingly at Carrie. ”It felt like something short and small.”
Carrie let out a small gasp as all eyes in the room swung in her direction, her face turning bright crimson. ”It wasn't me!”
”Well, I'm certain I heard footsteps near my chair right after the lights went out,” Gregory said. ”They were heavy footsteps. Like that of a man.” He eyed the other men in the room with suspicion, casting a brief glance at Inga too.
”This is absurd,” Liam said. ”I'm not going to stand around in a room with a dead body and a room full of suspects listening while we all accuse each other of murder.”
Julie turned to s.h.i.+rley. ”Why don't you take everyone into the tearoom? I think it would be best if the guests remain together-and out of this room.”
s.h.i.+rley swallowed hard and then nodded.
The guests cast accusatory looks at one another as s.h.i.+rley, with a little help from Inga, herded them out of the dining room. Only Brandon, Daniel, and Julie remained.
”Brandon?” Julie turned toward the young actor. He stared at the body with disbelieving eyes. ”Brandon?” she said, louder this time.
”Huh?” He jerked his gaze up to meet Julie's.
”Perhaps you should join the others in the tearoom.”
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