I’d guess. It could be done, even by someone like Nadia.
The real question is, who flunked the buddy system?”
Renie’s eyes widened. “You’re right. Unless it was Max
SNOW PLACE TO DIE / 169
who was also alone in his room upstairs, somebody got
loose.”
“I’ve been trying to think back to when we returned to the
lobby after Max and Ward went upstairs to change. How
long were we gone collecting towels in the supply room?
Five, ten minutes at most?”
“About that,” Renie agreed. “But before we went there,
we’d been in the basement getting more liquor.”
“That’s right.” Judith drummed her nails on the bare table.
“Margo and Russell went with us. They took the bottles out
to the lobby. Where we finally got there?”
Renie’s face fell. “I don’t remember. Nadia and Ava were
coming out of the restroom, though.”
Judith nodded. “Have you ever noticed how long other
women take to use a stall at a public restroom?”
Renie chuckled. “I figure they must be completely dressing
and undressing. Maybe they put their clothes on backwards,
and then switch them around. It beats me, but I sure get tired
of standing in long lines at the theater or the opera or a ball
game.”
“That’s what I mean,” Judith said. “It’s conceivable that a
woman—let’s say Ava, just for the heck of it—could go into
a stall at the same time as another woman—like Nadia—and
come right out, leave the restroom, then return five, even ten
minutes later, without the other woman knowing she was
gone.”
“It’s a stretch,” Renie said with a frown.
“Try this—one of them says she forgot her purse. The
other one is already in the stall. She waits, because she feels
it’s safe, the other woman will be right back.”
“Okay, I’ll mark ‘slim’ by that one,” Renie conceded.
“What about the rest of them?”
Judith concentrated on her memory of the lobby as she
had seen it upon her return from the supply room. “Russell
and Gene were talking by the library. But we know they
170 / Mary Daheim
hadn’t been together long because Russell had been with us
in the basement. Who had been Gene’s buddy before that?
Was he alone for a few minutes before Russell came along?”
Renie snapped her fingers. “Frank and Margo had gone
to check on one of the conference rooms. That’s why they
weren’t there.”
“You’re right, but nobody could see them. Did they stick
together?” Judith made a face. “It’s impossible to figure out
unless we interrogate them separately. That won’t be easy.”
“How about impossible? The buddy system, remember?”
Judith grimaced. “That’s true. You and I will have to be
their buddies, I guess.”
“Gack.” Renie finished her Canadian whiskey. “You mean,
we each take one of them aside and pump away?”
“You got it. It should be kind of subtle. I’ll take Margo,
Ava, and Nadia. You get Frank, Max, and Gene. Russell’s
up for grabs.”
“Hey!” Renie wagged a finger in Judith’s face. “How come
you get all the women?”
“Because women can always talk to women, no matter
what their backgrounds. On the other hand, men don’t open
up so easily. But,” Judith went on in an attempt at flattery,
“you’re used to corporate types. You have a knack.”
“Twit,” said Renie. “Don’t pull your soft soap act on me.
I get the tough ones. Thus, you get Russell. He likes you
best. You made him tea.”
“Fine.” Judith finished her Scotch and stood up. “Let’s go
separate a couple of them from the herd.”
“How do we manage that?” Renie asked with a dubious
expression.
Judith gazed in the direction of the kitchen. “I guess we’ll
have to make dinner after all. I’ll cook, you mop.”
“Jeez.” Renie wasn’t pleased. “So I get Frank to help me
swab the decks while you and Margo peel potatoes.”
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Grinning, Judith tipped her head to one side. “I like that.
Frank will like that. It’s right up his cliché alley.”
“No, thanks. I’ll ask Gene. Lawyers are used to cleaning
up after other people.” Renie led the way back into the lobby.
At first, Margo was reluctant to join Judith. But after some
coaxing, the p.r. vice president patted her suede bag and
agreed to accompany Judith to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Renie
managed to secure Gene’s help with what was becoming a
rather alarming situation in the entranceway. The water was
edging toward the near walls and creeping up on the Navajo
rugs in the sitting area. Russell suggested that they search
for an indoor-outdoor vacuum in the basement.
“Good thinking,” Renie said. “They must have something
like that because of all the skiers trooping in and out. Come
on, Gene, let’s go look.”
A sense of trepidation stole over Judith as she watched her
cousin and Gene Jarman head for the basement. But she
herself had been alone with Gene earlier. Nothing alarming
had happened. Surely Renie was safe. The cousins had issued
their insurance policy.
Margo seemed to be studying Judith closely. “I’m not much
of a cook,” she said, still holding the suede bag. “Why me?
Why not your cousin? Or Nadia?”
“My cousin and I are getting a bit sick of each other’s
faces,” Judith said glibly. “As for Nadia, it seems to me that
she always gets stuck with the grunt work. Why not spread
it around?”
“Because I’m a vice president and Nadia’s not.” Abruptly,
Margo looked contrite. “Sorry. That was arrogant. In any
event, I don’t expect to be a vice president much longer.”
Judith was removing a dozen stuffed Cornish game hens
from the freezer. “Here,” she said to Margo as she placed the
frozen birds one by one on the counter. “You can unwrap
these and thaw them in the microwave. Dinner’s go- 172 / Mary Daheim
ing to be a bit late.” She paused for just a fraction. “So you
still plan to quit?”
“You bet. Whatever’s going on in this company is too
gruesome for my tastes.” Margo finally put the suede bag
down, but kept it close at hand. “Besides, this scandal could
ruin OTIOSE. I don’t intend to stick around for the fallout.”
Judith shut the freezer. “You don’t think the company could
survive if the story gets out?”
Margo opened her mouth to give a quick reply, then hesitated. “I’m not sure. There have been other phone company
scandals over the years involving just about any sin you could
imagine. You wouldn’t believe some of the wild stories,
despite the pristine, even dull, cachet associated with the
phrase ‘phone company.’ But underneath, there were the
same rampant human emotions that exist in more flamboyant, glamorous corporations. Greed, ambition, sex—the
whole gamut. Once in awhile they played out in some highly
unusual—and ghastly—ways.”
Judith gave Margo a curious look. “I don’t ever recall
reading about such things in the paper.”
Margo’s expression was ironic. “You wouldn’t. That’s what
people like me get paid to do—cover it up. Oh, I’m not
saying that the old telecommunications industry was rife
with scandal, but given the millions of people who worked