And Then They Were Doomed by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli

Author:Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Chapter 30

Up in her room, where she was beginning to feel a little bit at home, Zoe offered Jenny and Lisa the bed, the single chair at the desk, or the reading chair she hadn’t used yet.

They squatted on the bed together and talked about the box of funeral cards.

“So, you called Tony?” Zoe asked Jenny, who nodded, chin out, daring Zoe to say another word.

“Was he surprised to hear from you?” She didn’t take well to dares.

Jenny sniffed and looked away. “I only asked him to help because we couldn’t get enough band width to do the search ourselves. Lost the call to him twice, as it was. He said he’d send a copy of what he found.”

“I have to tell you something.” Jenny leaned close. “That Emily Brent—I don’t think that’s her real name.”

“I figured that out the first day. Must’ve thought it was cute …”

“No. She’s an actress. She was in The Mousetrap. Right here in Calumet. At that theater we saw. Anyway, her name isn’t Emily Brent. Not at all. It’s Susan Winton.”

Zoe felt the blood drain from her face. That name. Her stomach turned. She had to reach out behind her, to the headboard, for support.

“That’s who she is?” was all she could get out.

“Wasn’t Jokela your mom’s name?” Jenny asked. “And two others in the cast were named Lamb. I don’t know if that means anything …”

Zoe could only nod and think harder, then harder, until she almost couldn’t think at all.

“She’s Susan Jokela, my mother’s sister. I guess Winton’s her married name. She was someone Mom thought still liked her. She thought Susan was a friend. And she’s here.”

“You were right, Zoe. You’re here because of your family. Terrible.” Jenny climbed off the bed. “You’re going to leave with us today. Something’s going on, just the way you thought. We’ll help you pack.”

Zoe looked away. She slid to the floor. The other name: Lamb.

“I’ve got something to show you. I didn’t think that much of it …” She got up and went to the closet for the box of photos.

It wasn’t where she’d left it, pushed in next to her suitcase. She moved the suitcase. Nothing.

“It’s gone,” she said.

“What’s gone?” the women asked together

“A box of photos. They were here when I arrived. I took these.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the photos she’d hidden there. She held one up and pointed to Leon Armstrong. “That man was here yesterday. Supposedly a professor. He left during the night. They said he was sick, but he arrived here drunk and stayed that way.”

“But since he was sick …” Lisa said, taking a deep breath, “maybe he wanted his photographs and those people didn’t want to bother you.”

“So, they had to sneak in today to get them?”

Lisa shrugged. She took the photo of the man and child from Zoe.

“His name is Leon Armstrong,” Zoe said. “A professor at a college in New York. I don’t remember which one, but it’s on our schedule.

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