Page 89 of Hell Hath No Fury

He huffed in disgust and swung his attention to Emma. “Yeah, she’s here. So what?”

“She used a credit card to pay for the room?”

“Yep. For the whole night. And she’s all by herself.” He wagged a finger between Emma and Cassie. “If you ladies plan on making it a threesome, I’ll need to raise the rate.”

Emma ignored him. She pulled out her driver’s license, careful to conceal her address, and showed it to him. “You see, the problem is thatIam Emma Anderson, and the card she gave you was stolen.”

He swore. “I ran it, and it cleared.”

“I’m sure you did. What room is she in?”

He made a pained face, his mouth pinched shut.

Emma pursed her lips and looked at Cassie. “I guess I’ll have to call the police. They’ll likely have to check every room to find the right one.”

Cassie did a remarkable job of keeping a straight face. “I guess you will.”

“Son of a…” John let the epithet die on his lips. “She’s in one twenty-eight. I suppose you want a key.”

Emma smiled sweetly. “Yes, please.”

Grumbling, he pulled an old-school key and plastic fob from beneath the counter and handed it to Emma. Then he turned to Cassie and held out his hand. “I’ll take my reading material back now if you don’t mind.”

Cassie held up the magazine as she had before, but this time, she tore it in half.

“Hey!” He pounded a fist on the counter. “You said if I told her what she wanted to know, you’d give it back.”

Cassie ripped each half in half again. “I saidmaybeI’d give it back.” She dumped it in the trash bin on their way out the door.

* * *

The construction site at the old Powell farm was deserted when Matthias arrived just before midnight. He cruised past the entrance, turned around in a driveway, and drove past a second time before pulling onto a side road a hundred yards or so away. He parked, cut the engine, and checked his phone, hoping to see a missed text from Emma or Cassie. Finding nothing, he silenced and pocketed his phone before stepping out of the Jeep. He reached back in and retrieved his Maglite and the hammer he’d borrowed from Eric.

Aside from the Maglite, the only illumination came from a series of dusk-to-dawn lights mounted on utility poles along the paved roads, which looped through the not-yet-built community. He hadn’t noticed them during his previous visits in the daytime. Glad he’d decided to wear all black, he clung to the shadows as he made his way to the three Tyvek-wrapped houses. Two of the structures had doors and windows installed. Plywood protected the third from the elements. And from intruders.

The realization that he fit that last category mildly amused Matthias. Here he was, far from his jurisdiction, with no backup and no court order. He might not have nefarious intentions, but there was no denying he was guilty of trespassing. The fact that his motive was to find evidence wouldn’t be much help in a court of law.

One of the overhead lights shone on the fronts of all three houses. Matthias crept to the rear of the first. He would need a stepladder to see into the first-floor windows on the lower side. Due to the lay of the land, though, he could reach them on the upper side. He clicked on the Maglite and aimed it inside. The interior walls had yet to be finished, allowing him an unobstructed view of the ground level. Stacks of drywall, spools of wiring, and a toilet sat ready for installation. No sheets of glass. He wasn’t surprised. It was too early in the construction process to bring in materials for a shower surround, and the windows were already installed.

He would’ve loved to get inside and sweep the flashlight beam across the floor, searching for the glitter of broken glass. From outside, he didn’t see any telltale reflections on the subflooring.

Matthias moved on to the next house with the same lack of results.

There was no peering into windows at the final structure. He studied the plywood covering the openings and debated his plan of action. So far, all he’d done was snoop, leaving no evidence he’d been here. If he continued, his next action tipped into the category of breaking and entering. Did he really expect to find broken glass? The lab had already stated the shard used to kill Jones wasn’t the type used for windows.

Still, it made sense that Jones’s murder had happened here. Moving his body the short distance to where it’d been found would be easy, and it was more logical than transporting it from anywhere else. This might be Matthias’s only opportunity to get inside. If he passed it up, and the answer to all their questions was right here, Jones’s murderer might never be caught.

“Aw, hell,” Matthias muttered. He brought his borrowed hammer up to the plywood, rammed the claw end under the edge, and pried. The corner popped loose. He continued working his way around the edge until the sheet came free. He set it down, gripped the frame, and heaved himself up.

He was halfway in when a bright beam of light struck him.

“Police!” a commanding voice shouted. “Back out of there and keep your hands where I can see them!”

ChapterTwenty-Seven

Emma stood outside room 128, staring at the key and numbered fob in her hand. She glanced toward the Prius and the sedan in which Cassie and Denene waited. Cassie had merely told Emma that she was there if needed but hadn’t suggested she join Emma in confronting Nell.

Instead of using the key and letting herself in, she knocked. “Nell. It’s me. Open up.”