Page 30 of Forever Gone

“No.”

Selena turned to a fresh page. She wondered if someone else attached to the cabin could have taken exception to Karen being there. “Have you had trouble with previous renters or guests?”

The line buzzed again. “Nothing serious,” Hannah said. “A family broke a kitchen chair last summer and tried to hide it in the shed. One guest complained about mice, but there weren’t any. I put traps down and never caught a thing.”

“No threats, disputes, or people refusing to leave?”

“No. Most folks go there because they want peace.”

“What about trespassers?” Selena asked.

“Hikers cross the upper part of the land sometimes. Hunters too, though they’re not supposed to. My uncle used to chase them off when he was alive.”

“Mr. Montgomery?”

“That’s right.”

Selena remembered the mounted bear and the stories that grew each time Mr. Montgomery told them.

Selena continued. “Who has keys to the cabin?”

“I have the spare,” Hannah said. “Karen had the other one.”

“Where do you keep yours?”

“In a locked drawer at my house.”

“Has it been there continuously since you mailed Karen’s key?”

“Yes. Deputy Shaw came by and collected it this afternoon. I showed him the drawer.”

“Could your uncle have made additional copies?”

“He could have done anything. He died six years ago, and I cleared the place out after that. I found two keys. One went with the cabin, and I kept one.”

“Any cleaners or maintenance workers go to the cabin regularly?” Selena asked.

“I clean it myself between renters,” Hannah said.

Selena thought through the crime scene again. “What about the utility door off the kitchen? It was easy to access.”

Hannah hesitated. “The latch has always been temperamental. I got it adjusted earlier in the year. I thought it was fixed. I got my cousin Dale to have a look at it. He doesn’t have a key, but he’s handy.”

“Forensics found it can be pushed open from outside without damaging the lock,” explained Selena.

“Oh, God. I didn’t know.”

“Did Dale enter the cabin after Karen took possession?”

“No. Nothing needed doing.”

“Can you give me Dale’s details?”

“Sure,” Hannah said. “But I can tell you right now he’s vacationing in Canada.”

Selena wrote down Dale’s full name and contact number.

“Did Karen mention any concerns before she arrived?”