Blood Loss

‘Do you know their names?’ said Ren.

‘No, but I can find out.’ He looked away. ‘I can’t think of anything else I can help you with.’

‘That’s not really your call,’ said Ren.

‘Look, it’s Sunday morning,’ said Jared, pointing to the reception desk, ‘people are trying to check out. I need to be there.’

‘It’s nine a.m.,’ said Ren. She looked at her notes. ‘Didn’t your shift end hours ago?’

‘Oh, yeah,’ said Jared. ‘I guess with all the commotion …’

‘Well, thank you for your time,’ said Ren, standing up, shaking his sweaty palm.

Ew.

14

The door to Room 304 was open, and Sheriff’s Office detectives were in the hallway outside, talking loud enough for Ren to follow the sound when she got off the elevator. She nodded to the men, flashed her badge to the officer at the door, and went in. She pulled on her gloves.

The room was more European capital city than Breckenridge ski resort, except that it was spacious. It had modern lines, but was decorated in warm shades of cream and beige.

A crime scene tech was sliding a cotton swab across the edge of the low walnut headboard. Ren recognized it from the photo of Laurie Whaley. The tech looked up at Ren. The tip of the swab he was holding was reddish brown.

Oh, no.

‘We found a blood-stained pillow and a wet blood-stained towel in a plastic hotel laundry bag at the back of the wardrobe,’ he said. ‘Looks like someone used the towel to wipe blood away.’

Ren looked at the lamp shade on the nightstand beside him.

‘There’s an indentation there,’ said Ren. ‘Looks like it fell, and was put back up.’ She turned it around. ‘Yup – there are bloody prints here.’

The technician nodded.

Ren walked through the door into the adjoining room. The bathroom door was to her left. She could see another technician in there, swabbing the tiles.

‘Looks like someone’s head was bashed against the headboard,’ said Gary.

‘Yes,’ said Ren. ‘And someone tried to clean it up.’

Gary handed her an evidence bag.

‘What’s this?’ said Ren. There was a small, torn string of blue and brown beads in it, with more loose beads at the bottom.

‘They were found right here by the door,’ said Gary. ‘It’s some kind of bracelet, could belong to either of the females, or a cleaner, or an unsub, or anyone else who could have been in the room.’

‘They’re ghost beads,’ said Ren.

‘So the girls were taken by spirits …’ said Colin. ‘Case closed.’

‘Actually, ghost beads are meant to ward off evil spirits,’ said Ren. ‘They’re Native American.’

‘Your people,’ said Colin.

Somewhere in Ren’s past, there was Iroquois blood.

‘Is there a dance you could do that would make an unsub rain down?’ said Colin.

‘Keep ’em coming …’ said Ren.

She studied the bag. ‘Laurie Whaley was wearing the bracelet in the photo. It’s hers.’

‘So she could have been pulled out of the room by the wrist,’ said Gary.

‘Or chased into it from the parents’ room,’ said Ren. ‘I’m wondering how, assuming there was an unsub, he could have subdued Shelby out in the other room if she was close to the main door? Wouldn’t she have just run?’

‘Two unsubs?’ said Gary.

‘A planned operation, then,’ said Ren.

‘Two unsubs could have been planning a robbery …’ said Gary. ‘Got the wrong room, or got the right room, but thought it was going to be empty …’

‘They could have been taking advantage of the fact that the hotel wasn’t quite on its feet yet,’ said Ren. ‘They knew security was lax.’

‘The contractors would know that,’ said Colin.

Ren looked around the room. ‘Anything else in here?’

‘Nothing that jumps out,’ said Gary.

‘Which bed is whose?’ said Ren.

‘Leo Whaley’s is the one by the window,’ said Gary.

There was a portable DVD player on top of the rumpled bed clothes. Ren put on gloves and went over to open it. ‘“Dora”,’ said Ren. ‘Not something Laurie would watch. Could Leo have been watching this in bed? Headphones on, which is why he didn’t hear anything? Or he could have fallen asleep with the headphones on …’

Gary nodded. ‘The child forensic gal – Sylvie Ross is her name – should be hitting Breck round about now. She’s part of the CARD team.’

Gal …

‘And then we can benefit from the wisdom of Leo Whaley’s three years,’ said Colin.

‘Three-year-olds can surprise you,’ said Gary.

‘Even traumatized, pajama-wetting ones?’ said Ren.

‘Well, I’m not holding my breath,’ said Gary.

‘Ren will do a little rain dance,’ said Colin.