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Cash wasn’t rising to the bait. “I prefer the hands-on method.”
Archer’s look was frosty. “Just make sure you’re keeping your hands off the members.”
So that’s what this was really all about. Archer didn’t want him to get too close to Riss. Too damn late for that. When he’d heard the scream, he’d known instinctively that it was Riss. He could’ve sworn his heart stopped beating. He was damn lucky he managed to get his pants on before running down to her room. He wanted to run in his underwear, but he knew Archer was in the building and that would’ve been a major mistake. Archer insisted on professionalism at all times.
“No one came in from outside,” Cash stated.
Archer nodded and then motioned to the chair next to him. He had two cups of coffee in front of him and moved one over to Cash. “I do value the fact that you did a physical check.”
Cash nodded and took a sip of the coffee. “But it means that someone on the inside just broke a very serious rule.”
“Yes, and we need to find out who.” Archer gestured to the screens once again. “Unfortunately, there are no cameras pointing to that hallway.”
Cash leaned forward and started typing on the keyboard. “True, but there is a camera pointing towards the door to the roof on the floor above.” He didn’t pick up their earlier conversation about having more cameras inside because Archer would probably reach out and throttle him but now, more than ever, he wanted to install them. As long as Riss was in trouble, he wanted any advantage he could get.
One of the screens turned into an image of the third floor hallway. Cash rewound the feed and they watched the video record from one forty-five a.m. until they saw Cash run down the hallway at two-oh-eight. Cash leaned back again. “That tells us that none of the employees are responsible, assuming they are all in their beds. I can have Antonio watch the video in the morning and verify that.”
Archer let out a quiet sigh. “That’s one good thing. It will be the first thing that the guests suggest immediately following the idea that someone broke in.”
“Agreed. We can now say we know for sure that is not the case.” Cash took another sip of coffee. “What I find very interesting about all this is the fact that not one of our resident guests came out of their rooms. Not one. What do you make of that?”
“I noticed it as well but to be honest, screams aren’t all that uncommon in certain Society establishments, and I am sure they’ll all have a valid excuse when we ask them in the morning. But it doesn’t help us with narrowing down who the culprit is. It makes it that much harder.” Archer stared at the screens with unfocused eyes. “It also makes me wonder who is so desperate that they are willing to risk death and what were they searching for? How is Ms. Day by the way? Should we call a doctor?”
Cash shook his head. “The drugs seemed to be wearing off while we were in the room. I don’t think there will be any permanent damage.” Although his desire to kill whoever drugged her hadn’t diminished while he’d made his rounds. “It was a gamble. What if she didn’t drink the tea? Desperate for sure. You think they were after the bible?”
Archer gave a small shrug. “Could be, but why? I cannot fathom why Alicia was killed over it. It makes no sense.”
Cash cocked his head. “Why do you want the book? Maybe they want it for the same reason.”
“No,” Archer shook his head. He glanced at Cash and a shadow flitted across his expression. With a sigh, he seemed to make up his mind. “That book, the Fitzgerald family bible has the origin of the Society written down in it. The Fitzgerald’s were one of the founding families when the Society started in nineteen-nineteen. It lists the rules as they were then and the other founding members. I cannot have that information floating around. It would expose too many secrets.”
Of all the things he’d thought of that could be in the book, the Society’s history wasn’t one of them. Cash frowned. “Where’s the book been all this time then?”
“It was in the possession of the Fitzgerald family as they were members until something happened in the late Eighties or early Nineties. A fire at the Fitzgerald family home killed the last remaining members. The book was said to have been destroyed in the fire. Or so everyone thought until Alicia showed up asking questions. I wasn’t sure the book was still around until someone killed her.”
Cash nearly choked on his coffee. “That means Riss is…holy shit.”
“Yes, if she is indeed a Fitzgerald, she’s entitled to a seat on the Society’s board of directors.”
Cash’s heart slammed against his rib cage. Riss was not going to like that one bit. There would be no leaving the Society behind once all this was sorted. Life as she knew it was over for sure and she would always be in danger. Board seats were the epitome of a high value target. They were supposed to be safe from people trying to kill them for their seat, but the newest board member, Remington Tanger, was a case in point. Anything was possible.
“That’s a long way off,” Archer commented. “We have to get through this meeting first and find the bible. If we do and we run a DNA test to prove Riss is indeed a Fitzgerald, then we can deal with it. But there is no need to borrow trouble at this juncture.”
“You knew all this this afternoon. That’s why you were willing to extend Riss membership and waive the fee so easily.”
Archer shrugged. “No choice really. Back to the book. It could still have been burned up in the fire and someone is just nervous about it and is out to kill anyone having something to do with it just in case, but I have no idea why it would be of interest to anyone but me…and Alicia and Riss, of course.”
Cash traced the lip of his coffee cup. “Unless they want to blackmail you about the Society.” He thought about Crosera. “Maybe they want money or maybe they want membership. If they can prove the Society exists, they could feasibly go after you to make them a member or threaten to tell the world.”
“In a nutshell,” Archer agreed.
“So then why did someone kill Alicia and why are they trying to kill Riss?”
Archer gave another small shrug. “There must be something else in the book that someone doesn’t want anyone else to know. It’s the only reason I can come up with.”
“I spoke with someone Antonio dug up today. Guiseppi Crosera. He knew of the bible. Knew it by name. He said he might be able to get it.”
Archer stared at him. “Guiseppi Crosera is an interesting man. You have to wonder how he survived when so many others from his ‘family’ went to prison or died. What does he want for the book?”
