20
Kellen hurried down to the kitchens, where the chefs were getting along admirably—the calm before the storm?—gathered the two waiting cardboard boxes and walked to the elevator that led to Carson Lennex’s penthouse.
Each penthouse had its own elevator. She stepped in and took the direct trip from the lobby to the eighth floor. The elevator doors opened and Kellen stepped out into a small entry. She walked through the open double doors into the penthouse entry, where a curvaceous staircase led to the bedroom level, then went into the luxurious living room. The furniture was minimalistic: leather, steel and stone. Splashes of color lit the paintings on the wall, and on the fireplace mantel, bizarre clay art forms writhed. Shelves with well-read books and illuminated glass art lined one wall. Interesting. Kellen would have never suspected Annie would decorate the penthouses so eccentrically.
Carson Lennex stood behind the bar pouring wine and mixing drinks.
The Shivering Sherlocks were in costume, clustered around him, laughing and talking.
One of them was stretched out flat on the floor in front of the fireplace.
Kellen hurried over and knelt beside her. Patty. It was Patty dressed as Hercule Poirot. “Are you all right?”
Patty opened one eye. “I was just poisoned. Now they have to figure out who did it.”
“Oh.” Kellen settled back on her heels. “Oh. While you’re dead, would you care for an appetizer?”
Patty opened both eyes. “What have you got?”
Kellen peeked inside the first box and read the labels. “Wine-marinated frozen grapes, smoked salmon with capers on pumpernickel, rainbow fruit kabobs with yogurt fruit dip and, oh jeez, toast swords tipped with hummus-cide.” She looked seriously at Patty. “The hummus-cide is made from beets. It’s red.” And a little gruesome, considering the events of the past days, but this was a murder mystery weekend and she supposed the chef was allowed a bit of whimsy.
Certainly Patty laughed. “I’ll have one of each.”
“Let me set up and I’ll be back to you right away.”
Patty caught her wrist. “Me first. I’m dead, and once those piranhas descend, I’ll never get my share.”
Mr. Lennex knelt on the other side of Patty and slid two couch pillows under her head. “She’s right,” he said to Kellen. “Better feed her now.”
“I can always order up more,” Kellen pointed out.
“Then you can feed me later, too.” Patty rubbed her naturally expansive padding.
Mr. Lennex fetched a small square plate and a silver spoon and fork wrapped in a linen napkin.
Kellen loaded the plate and handed it to Patty, then made her way to the copper-topped dining table and created an oasis of artful mystery weekend food. The living ladies descended, and as Patty had predicted, they picked the trays clean.
“Egyptian scarab beetles,” she called from the floor.
Tammy confided to Kellen, “Usually we buy a mystery weekend package that includes the script—who dies, who’s the killer and why, and we open the envelopes as we go. But Carson Lennex has seen us come year after year and this time he’s the one passing out the clues. We’re in ancient Egypt. I’m so glad. I do love a good Egyptian mystery!”
Kellen looked at their early-and mid-twentieth century costumes and raised her eyebrows.
“We didn’t know our setting until we got here,” Debbie explained.
Candy joined them. “The great thing about having Carson in charge is we have lines to read.”
From the floor, they heard, “All my lines consisted of Argh, and then death.”
“It was a very realistic death.” Carson went into his study, came out with his Academy Award and handed it to Patty. “And the award goes to…”
“Now she’s going to give a speech,” Rita said in resignation.
“Damned right I’m going to!” Patty sat up. “I’ve been rehearsing this my whole life!”
“Lie down,” Carson instructed. “You can give a speech, but you’re still dead.”
While Patty thanked the Academy and all the little people who contributed to her success, Kellen inched toward the bookshelves and examined the contents.
Carson joined her. “No need to listen. I’ve heard a few of these speeches in my day. Although she is pitch-perfect.”
Kellen indicated the swath of hardcovers. “Egypt?”
“Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, Persia, China, the Mayans and the Aztecs… I love the romance of ancient civilizations, and I came this close to finishing an archaeology degree.” He chuckled and with his fingers indicated a short distance.
Archaeology. Really. She looked sideways at him. “What happened?”
“When I was twenty, the department sent me on a dinosaur dig. In the summer. In Utah. My God, what a miserable place. Desert in the middle of nowhere, dirt in my teeth, dried rations, no liquor, certainly no romantic ancient civilizations…” He stepped back from her. “Are you well? You look a little stupefied.”
“I didn’t get much sleep last night.” I was listening to the single remaining Monuments Man who is searching for a mass murderer who also might do well with an archaeology degree.
“You carry the weight of responsibility for the resort, so I hear.” He smiled with all the charm of an aging roué. “Leo and Annie have a good staff. Depend on them to do their work and you’ll be fine.”
“Thank you. I’ll remember that.”
Patty proclaimed, “And now, the award for best director—Carson Lennex!”
“Excuse me, I’m being paged.” He gave a little nod to Kellen and went to accept his Academy Award back.
Kellen stared after him. His face had graced movie screens across the world. He was self-deprecating, friendly in the cautious way of any celebrity, going out of his way to charm the Shivering Sherlocks. Although she had wondered at his decision to remain in Washington for the winter, she had never doubted his intelligence. Staying afloat for forty-five years in the entertainment business required a keen mind and a strong survival instinct, two talents that would serve him well…if he was the Librarian.
“Look!” Rita pointed out the wide window. “The storm is gone!”
“A pristine night!” Carson threw open the sliding double doors.
The ocean-chilled breeze swept in, and everyone, even Patty the Dead, crowded onto the wraparound balcony.
The night sky was absolutely black with a crescent moon and stars so big and close they could hypnotize a romantic.
Luckily, every romantic sinew and nerve in Kellen’s body had been transformed to steel, and she took the opportunity to see what Carson Lennex viewed from his penthouse.
This would be the ideal location for the Librarian. From here, the resort was laid out like a map: the marriage grove to the north and east; the ocean, beach and dock to the west; the lighted paths, the wings of the hotel and the cottages scattered like gems across the landscape. She looked toward the cliffs, half expecting to see another flash of light, but all was dark and still.
Then, in the farthest end of the darkened west wing, a door opened, and in the square of light, a thin man was silhouetted. He bent, put something down, stepped back and shut the door again.
Lloyd Magnuson. That damned policeman wasn’t just working in the west wing, he was also hiding out there, cell phone off to avoid speaking to her.
He was going to be sorry.