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Both Miranski and Nix perked up at my question. Miranski nodded.
“He’s a ski coach,” Cy said.
“That’s right,” Miranski replied after looking at her notes.
“I’ve never heard of the other two guys, but Mark Bastion is Hailey’s coach.”
“Hailey who?” Nix asked.
“Hailey Taylor, the downhill racer?” Miranski asked.
“And our woman,” I said, looking to Cy.
“You found his fingerprints at Erin’s house?”
“We did,” Nix said. “What’s up?”
“Mark Bastion knew Erin. Well enough to be in her house,” I said.
“When would they have met?” Cy wondered. “Erin skied, but wasn’t into racing.”
I shook my head. “She liked picking out the cutest ski suit. She was definitely a slope bunny.” I paused. “Wait. I told her about the mud run, the charity event up at Cutthroat Mountain last month where I met Hailey. Erin could have gone. Met him there. There’s no way she raced, not if mud was involved. She could have met him during the event itself when I was on the course. I was with Hailey, so she wouldn’t have seen them together either.”
“That event was before she was killed, right?” Miranski asked.
“A week or so.”
The detectives looked at each other. “Maybe they met on the mountain, came back into town, had a fling. Things went south.”
“Holy shit,” Cy said, pushing at Nix to get out of the booth.
“What? What’s the matter?” he asked as he got out of the way.
“Hailey’s with him now. He came here to take her to pre-season training, but she’s telling him she’s done with racing. She said he’s pretty aggressive, and she worried about telling him she was quitting.”
I stood, too, seeing where he was going. “Mark Bastion is on your short list of suspects in the murder of my sister. His fingerprints are at the crime scene. And he’s with our girl right fucking now.”
Cy ran for the door, drawing lots of attention. I followed along with Miranski. Nix stopped to talk to Dolly, then came outside after us.
“Where are they?” Nix asked.
“My house.”
“Follow us, we’ve got the light bar.”
I ran for the truck, said to Cy, “That won’t be necessary.”
“Damned straight. Hailey’s with a murderer. Holy fuck.”
13
HAILEY
I stepped back, brought my hand up to my face. I’d never been hit before, but I’d fallen down a mountain more than once. Hit my head, even with a helmet. The pain from Mark’s strike was intense, but it was more the surprise of it that had me freezing in place.
“You’re going to go get your shit together. All of it because you’re not coming back here ‘til the season’s over.”
I took a step back, then another.
