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There was another scream. This time it came from the other young blond woman. Flynn thought her name was Payton. Her eyes were wide and staring as she covered her mouth with her hand. “I can’t believe it. Is she…?”
Gina appeared by her side, taking her by the shoulders and turning her away from the banister. They disappeared from sight. Everyone remained motionless, staring at the dead girl.
Mrs. Carruthers came to the rescue. “Go back to your rooms everyone, please. Let us handle this.” She shooed them away and then started down the stairs. “I need to—”
“Stop,” Flynn growled. “I need you to go back up and go to your room. I’ll let you know when you can come out.”
She froze. Her mouth opened and closed several times. She pulled herself up to her full height. “I am in charge here—”
“Not anymore. I am in charge.” Flynn’s stern tone cut across hers. “And I am telling you to go back to bed.” He turned to Fisher. “There’s a set of stairs by the kitchen; use those to go back up to your room.”
Fisher opened his mouth to argue but must have thought the better of it because he turned and walked back through the salon.
Flynn turned back to Mrs. Carruthers. “Now, please.”
She glared at him but finally, pursing her lips she turned and went back up the stairs and disappeared. Flynn only hoped she hadn’t destroyed any evidence that was up there. He needed to find out who did this. Not just because a young woman was dead but because she was killed on the premises and that was against the rules. Someone would have to pay and pay dearly.
He pulled out his cell phone and hit a preset to call Archer. Calling the man was not something he did often if he could help it and two times within a forty-eight-hour period was unheard of, but the situation warranted direct contact.
“Flynn, I don’t have time for any more complaints,” Archer said sounding tired. He must have been in bed.
“There’s been a death here in the house in Maine. She was one of Gina’s girls. How do you want me to handle it?”
Archer swore. “How many people know?”
“All the members I would guess. Someone threw her down the main flight of stairs,” Flynn said matter-of-factly.
There was a pause. “Are you sure it was murder? Could she not have just fallen? Maybe she tripped in the dark.”
“Her dress is on backward.”
“How do you know?” Archer asked, in a neutral tone, which meant the man was pissed.
“Because the zipper was in the front and it should be in the back. And her nose is broken. She has slight bruising around her eyes and makeup is covering it. This was no accident. I think she was dead before she went down the stairs and someone just wanted to make it seem like she fell. They added a scream for appearance's sake.”
“Fuck,” Archer snarled. “Has anyone called the police?”
“Not yet,” Flynn stared at the dead girl. “I was thinking maybe we could avoid that since Calli, the dead girl, came up from New York.”
Archer’s response was quick. “Do you think that’s possible? It would be the most prudent course of action.”
Flynn cocked his head.Shit.“I think…that ship has sailed.”
“How do you mean?” Archer demanded.
“I hear sirens.” Flynn’s gut tightened. Cops were never a good thing in his world. Everything was about to get a lot more complicated. This.Thiswas why mixing the Society with anything in the outside world was always a mistake. Now there would be cops in the building asking questions and poking around. How the hell was he going to keep a lid on this?”
Archer let out a string of curses and then fell silent. Finally, he said, “Do you think you can keep everything under wraps?”
Flynn wanted to immediately say yes but he stopped himself. He had to be realistic. “It’s going to be hard. Someone is obviously working against us. They called the cops. And as this is a case of murder, it’s not like the cops won’t be asking a shit ton of questions. I’ll do my best but Archer, I can’t promise something won’t get out.”
“Do you want me to send Ryker up?”
“No. Too many of us here will raise suspicion. I’ll do what I can and if I see it spiraling then I’ll call. In the meantime, I’ll work out a plan B.”
“Keep me in the loop. Don’t fuck this up.”
Flynn wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but Archer had hung up, saving him the effort.
