Sexy Girls (24 page)

^{“Who paid the bill?”}

^{“I'm not sure. They paid in cash. After I left the bill, I came back a few minutes later and there was a large stack of twenties.”}

^{“What did they eat?”}

^{“The ladies had seafood, the gentleman had a steak, they ladies drank Chardonnay and the man had beer. They didn't have dessert, only the women had coffee.” Wanda rattled that off without a pause.}

^{Good memory, I thought. No, she didn't hear or see where they went from here. No, she didn't know if they left in one or two cars.}

^{I ordered a t-bone steak and drank two glasses of cabernet. During dinner I wrote in my notebook as much as I could remember of these conversations, especially Jill's. I did a lot of writing; I was in the restaurant nearly two hours.}

 

 

^{By the time I got back to the hotel it was close to ten o'clock, and I realized it was nearly midnight East Coast time. I was wiped out and talked out. I wanted to speak to Cyn but just couldn't do it. I guess the altitude, the big dinner, the long day and the recent busy times had taken their toll. Within ten minutes I was in bed asleep.}

^{I slept well and woke Tuesday at 7 a.m. After acclimating myself, I ordered room service. I placed the same order as my first visit in the hotel; grapefruit juice, a small pot of coffee with cream, a western omelet, toast and a banana. The friendly lady at the other end of the line said my food should be up in twenty minutes. Perfect!}

^{I picked up the Coloradoan, the Fort Collins newspaper, on my door step, scanned the headlines, and then jumped in the shower. The food arrived as I finished in the bathroom.}

^{I opened the curtains and was greeted by another beautiful Colorado day. I ate my breakfast, and by 8 a.m, I had just poured my third cup of coffee. Having read the news, I was ready to check in back east.}

^{Cyn would be first. She sounded sleepy as she said hello. Cyn poured herself a cup of coffee. I told her I was on my third and explained all I had eaten by then.}

^{She said, “That's not fair. I'm settling for yogurt and a banana.”}

^{“Cyndie, get comfortable on the couch and I'll review last night's visit with Andi's stepdaughter.”}

^{“Oh my gosh, she met with you?”}

^{“Yes, and she almost pulled off her innocent act too, but not quite.”}

^{“You can go over the whole story later, but, for now, tell me the high points.”}

^{I scanned my handwritten notes and responded, “Cyndie, bottom-line, I believe Jack and Jill are the blackmailers. And, I think they were involved in Andi's murder.”}

^{Cyn gasped, “Oh my God! How did you find that out?”}

^{“By listening to Jill's phone conversation with Jack after I talked with her.”}

^{“What? How did you do that?”}

^{“Let me explain, Cyn. First, Jill lied to me during our conversation. Second, she knew more than she let on. She knew that you and Andi had sex. She knew it was in the
Kimmel Center
, because she mentioned the name of the place before I did. She tried to convince me that the filming was done by security cameras too.}

^{“I told her about the blackmail and asked her how she and Jack got all the money for their move and the new stores. She was scared and my visit drove home the point that crimes have been committed. I saw it in her eyes; she thinks she's in big trouble.}

^{“Cyn, I told her where I was staying and how I want to speak to Jack before I leave Colorado.”}

^{I told Cyndie some more about my meeting inside Jill's shop and she responded by calling Jill, “That little witch.”}

^{After I finished, Cyndie responded, “You led her on good. I can understand why she got confused and then, mad.”}

^{“Wait, Cyn. I learned more. Earlier in the day I put a listening device in Jack and Jill's apartment.”}

^{She gasped, “What, how did you do that?”}

^{“After I met Jill and before I called you. I went back to Jack's store and bought it. He has quality electronics in his store.”}

^{I finished the tale of my adventure in the apartments, and then continued with, “After I left the photo studio, I went behind the stores and heard Jill enter the apartment and call Jack on the phone. It became clear they both were involved in the blackmailing. The biggest surprise came next.”}

^{“Oh my God, Stevie, did she actually say they killed Cyndie?”}

^{“No, but she told Jack that he screwed up; that he got it all wrong. At the end, Jill told Jack he had to handle me, whatever that means. That was Jill's words.”}

^{“Stevie, you need to get out of there as soon as possible.”}

^{“I don't plan to stay long, but I want to proof of the blackmail or the killing.”}

^{“Stevie, you don't need to prove it. Please call the police and get out of there, now.”}

^{“No one will believe me unless I find something else, something more. I want to talk to Jack, but, I promise to be careful.”}

^{Cyndie said, “Oh my God, I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you. No matter what, you should only meet with him in a public place and don't be alone with him.”}

^{“Absolutely. I just thought of something. I'm going to follow up on one other lead. If that produces solid information, then, I'll leave town without meeting Jack. If not, then, I'll call Jack tonight once he's back in town and see if he'll meet me for a few minutes in a place with lots of people.”}

^{Cyndie replied, “That's a better plan.”}

^{Cyndie paused and then asked, “Stevie, what does all this mean?}

^{“It means we're making great progress and we're close to the truth. There are still some open questions. The first one is what does Robert know, how was he involved?”}

^{“I agree Stevie. He must know more.”}

^{“Right, because he benefited big time by getting Andi to commit marital misconduct. But, did he arrange all this himself or did he work with Jack and Jill?”}

^{Cyn answered, “I don't know.”}

^{“I'm curious about the blackmail payoff. Cyn, call Walter Hines and brief him on our findings. Ask him to call my ex, Eve. I want Eve and Robert to prove to us that Robert really paid the million dollar ransom. I think that's a lie.”}

^{“Sure. I will.”}

^{I added, “Be careful! Don't call or go see Robert or Eve. Have Walter contact Eve. Promise you won't talk to Robert.”}

^{“Absolutely, I won't!}

^{“I'll call you later tonight.”}

^{“Please do. Good bye, I love you.”}

^{“I love you too. Goodbye, Cyn.”}

^{Next, I called Detective John Morelli and left another message about my progress in Colorado. I asked him to call me back and said I expected to be back in Philly in a few days.}

 

 

 

^{I left the hotel with a simple plan in mind. I would speak to Jack's assistant manager again. I'd ask Felix Jung if Jack Hostel travelled recently, in the last week of May.}

^{On the way out of my room, I grabbed a bottled water, an apple and a banana. It was just before 9 a.m. when I drove up College Avenue. I noticed that the
Jack's
and
Jill's
stores were still closed. That's right;
Jack's
wouldn't open until ten. Damn! I'd stop back later.}

^{I turned left on to Horsetooth Road and pulled over to the curb. I thought, “What can I do that's cool to pass the time? It's such a super nice summer's day.”}

^{Rising from the foothills in the west was a neat-looking reddish-brown rock formation at the top of one prominent hill. I pulled out my map and saw that this formation must be in
Horsetooth Mountain Park
. The way there began on Harmony Road, which ran east to west about five streets south of my hotel. I made a quick U-turn on Horsetooth Road, and was nearly broadsided by a dark green pick-up truck that I didn't notice going west. After getting the horn and the finger from the guy in the pickup, I turned right back on to College Avenue and headed the SUV south.}

^{As I drove towards Harmony Road, I made up my mind to go find Horsetooth Reservoir as the map showed many neat paths and things to see up there. This reservoir is less than ten miles from town and I wondered about the view from the foothills; maybe I'd see the awesome Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in the distance.}

^{I turned on Harmony Road and headed west. Soon, I left the streets of Fort Collins behind. I felt my tension slip away as I drove up the meandering road toward the foothills. The water in the reservoir reflected the clear blue sky. Bright yellow wildflowers were in full bloom on the green hills.}

^{Driving uphill, I noticed many others were about to spend this Tuesday morning in the mountains. There was a steady stream of cars going my way. Fewer than fifteen minutes later I was rounding Horsetooth Reservoir heading up towards that neat rock formation. I guessed, correctly, that I was looking at the Horsetooth Rock. After going up and down two hills past the reservoir, I turned right in to the entrance of
Horsetooth Mountain Park
. I paid the $6 entrance fee and got a trail map.}

^{Finding a good spot in the lot, I opened the windows to let in the sixty-five degree air as I plotted my hike. Two sites interested me; the top of Horsetooth Rock and the hidden waterfall. I decided to do both. I plotted a counter-clockwise route to the two attractions and then back to the parking lot. The waterfall would be first.}

^{The trail map indicated the trip would cover five miles round-trip and would take between three to five hours, depending on my pace. I'd still have plenty of time to get to
Jack's
before closing. I locked the car, placed my water, fruit and binoculars in my day pack, and started down the first path, the Soderberg Trail, to Horsetooth Water Falls. I read in the map's narrative section that the waterfall slows and sometimes stops in dry weather. Since it rained long and hard two days ago, I thought, with a little luck, there should be water flowing.}

^{It was a short descent from the parking lot to the falls across open wild grass fields. I thought about my next steps in the investigation, as well as, the next steps on the trail, on the pleasant walk to the falls. I came to a fork in the path. The left fork led up to Horsetooth Rock. I started down the right fork and the people on the trail thinned.}

^{Through the gulch down to the falls I stopped when I saw some berries growing in the bushes that lined the path. These must be chokecherries, which the guide map indicated were edible. Edible they were, but I didn't like them. Their small amount of sugar and fruitiness couldn't completely mask their tartness. I'm glad no one was there to see me puckering my tongue and lips.}

^{However, while sitting on a rock, there was a rustle in the bushes and shrubs behind and to my left. I looked that way but quickly turned back as a small group of chipmunks crossed the path in front of me and fed on the chokecherries. They loved them. As I got up to leave, it looked like they were happy to be left alone with their wild fruit.}

^{I turned a last corner to the left and suddenly I heard and saw a bold leap of water jump off a cliff down to a round pool at the bottom. What an awesome waterfall! The chasm was 75 feet tall and the water fell in a three-foot-wide transparent sheet in a smooth arc into the pool underneath. I stopped at a distance of about sixty yards, sat on a rock and just let the cool wet sounds pour over me.}

^{I read in the trail map that at the top of the falls the stream has carved a half-round channel through the outer reddish brown rock to reveal its heart of pink granite. This smooth pipeline is tilted at a forty-five degree angle so the stream is funneled in its last ten feet before it is freed to pour out and over the rock. The pool lies at the base, beginning about where the falls hit bottom. The front half of the falls pours into the pool and the back half hits the rocks directly underneath splashing up five feet in all directions. It was a breathtaking sight!}

^{A family with three kids and a blonde mom was splashing water and playing in the pool, while dad took photos. A girl of six, a boy of four and another girl of three were my age guesses for the children. Wonderful thoughts of family came into my head and bounced around.}

^{Again, I was embraced with an understanding that this was my opportunity.}

^{I realized how much I wanted Edie McCall. I mean I wanted her in my life forever. Edie always intrigued me like no other woman I'd ever met. Sure, she was beautiful. She's also talented, kind and loving. Like Edie, I had a lot of fun over the past few years. But, deep down we both want something more. We want the whole thing; home, marriage, kids, stability, but most important we want someone to love and who loved us. I decided to go for it with her. I know, it was way early, and she and I had lots of issues. We had to get this trauma behind us. But, I would give it the full shot, to see if we could make things permanent.}

^{I heard sliding rocks up to my right near the top of the falls. I turned to look, but a scream of a bird broke my concentration. I felt so much better. My attitude matched the clarity of this altitude. I needed Edie McCall.}

^{I sat back for a minute. I decided to walk around the pool to get closer to the falls. The pool extends forward from the base a hundred feet and looked to be at least three feet deep. There was no way to get close without getting in the water, so I took off my shoes and socks. The water was cold and I went in to a depth of two feet, which left me far from the middle of the pool. However, I moved in a clockwise direction until I was right near the water of the splashing falls.}

^{Sitting on a ten foot high boulder next to, but out of the way of, the down pouring water, I sunned myself again, watched the children play, dried my feet, and listened to the echoing sound of the falls bouncing off the surrounding canyon.}

^{I made up my mind to speak to Felix Jung. If I learned enough from Jung, I'd get the hell out of Fort Collins, Colorado, and let the police handle this. If I didn't, I'd try to meet Jack Hostel. Of course, once I got back to Philly, I'd fully brief Detective Morelli on this trip.}

^{After a good rest I headed around the falls, over to the Wathen Trail and started my hike up to Horsetooth Rock. It was all up hill from here. This trail was through open, low shrub country and I soon peeled off my sweatshirt as I was sun drenched. I was very glad to be wearing only a t-shirt and shorts. A young couple was fifty yards ahead of me walking at a brisk pace. I kept up as they confidently walked toward the big rock formation.}

^{After a pretty tough quarter-mile climb the switchback path leveled off. I continued on the path to the top and, gratefully, it entered into some tree cover. It was a peaceful grove of ponderosa pines. The hills and valleys were brightened by the yellows of goldenrod. As I continued on my counter-clockwise path upward, two large birds circled overhead. I spotted their yellow talons and quickly referred to the map. They were Golden Eagles, common to these mountains. I stopped worrying when they swooped over to the next ridge.}

^{Maybe my luck had changed.}

^{I looked around and down as this vantage revealed the entire valley below. I stopped and took in the view. I caught a glimpse of another hiker on his way up the trail, and three others all the way back at the start, near the falls. I could see all of Fort Collins and Loveland at my feet and miles of the prairie beyond to the east, south and north. The trail narrowed as it followed a dry creek bed upwards again, under the shade of more ponderosa pines. The path leveled off a second time and a sign indicated that I had come to the Horsetooth Rock Trail.}

^{After another minute of rest, I walked onward and upward. Just as it seemed like I'd walked for a solid hour, I turned a final corner and the base of Horsetooth Rock was straight ahead. The rock looms up several hundred feet from the trees and shrubs and is craggy red rock. I wanted to go to the top.}

^{I gathered from seeing the same young couple in the air above me that getting to the summit required the use of all fours. I learned later that this is called bouldering. I conquered my fear of falling because I didn't look down at the cliffs around me. In ten minutes I was standing on the north end of Horsetooth Rock drinking in the incredible 360 degree panorama.}

^{The views from the summit were breathtaking. Using my binoculars added to the seemingly endless vistas. Tops of the Rockies were visible in the distance west, and looking back down the trail, I felt like I climbed half the way from town. To the east, I could see on and on across Colorado. I found Long's Peak and the Mummy Mountains to the south, and the tops of the Front Range towards the northwest. All in all, it wasn't a bad way to spend a Tuesday afternoon.}

^{I sat after ten minutes of sightseeing, took off my daypack and ate my apple and banana. I cooled down with long swallows from my water bottle. The guy in the twosome came over and said, “Some view, isn't it?”}

^{I agreed and we talked for a minute and then the young couple said goodbye and headed down off the rock. Being up in the mountains, I thought about my future. I said a prayer of thanks.}

^{I suddenly felt very lonely and decided to call Edie as I needed to hear her voice and talk about the next steps in this adventure. I stood and walked close to the edge of the rock, about six feet from the cliff, soaking in the incredible view.}

^{Amazingly, my cell phone got reception up here in the foothills. The phone rang three times and then Edie said hello.}

^{“Hello, beautiful.”}

^{“Oh, Stevie, I'm so glad you called. Where are you?”}

^{“I'm in the hills above Fort Collins standing on top of a small mountain peak.”}

^{“Oh my God, that sounds so romantic. I wish I was there too!”}

^{“It would be so much fun if you were. This day trip is really taking my mind off the case. Actually, this has been a terrific past three hours. I took a hike down to a hidden waterfall in Horsetooth Mountain Park. Which is a funny name, isn't it? Now, I've hiked to the top of one of the horse's teeth on the big Rock. I agree with what another hiker said to me, 'It's one of the best little mountains I've ever climbed.' I'm seeing for miles and miles on this sunny, summer day.”}

^{“Wow. That's much more exciting than what I've been up to.”}

^{As we talked, I moved closer to the edge, intending to sit down, when I slipped on the crushed rock. I fell on my butt, landing four feet from the sheer drop, but I wasn't in danger of going over. Even still, I blurted out, “Holy cow!”}

^{“Stevie, what happened?”}

^{“Edie, I just scared myself. I slipped on some loose rocks and slid near the edge of the cliff. The gravel is in a little depression and the rock underneath is worn smooth. I bet water flows there and over the cliff in a little waterfall when it rains.”}

^{“Please be careful!”}

^{“I sure didn't expect that to happen. The gravel was on top of the slick, polished rock here and was really slippery. Anyway, I'm safely sitting about four feet back now. I'm sorry to scare you. I wasn't in danger. I'm okay. What were we talking about?”}

^{“I was saying I had a pretty boring day. I'm memorizing a script.”}

 

^***

 

^{Then, I hear crushed rock under a boot. I turn and a tall, muscular, strawberry-blonde-haired man in his early thirties is twenty feet behind me, moving steadily towards me, focused on me. It's the same guy from the pickup truck that almost hit my SUV, earlier, on the streets of Fort Collins. He looks like a linebacker and strong enough to be a Denver Bronco. I pick up the limp in his right leg. He's wearing jeans, a t-shirt and lightweight hiking boots. He's dripping wet from sweat due to the hard climb. There's a flash of reflected sunlight from his right hand. He has a Bowie knife with a six-inch blade sticking up between his thumb and fingers. The knife is aimed at my head. I drop my cellphone. It bounces on the rocky surface, side-ways, about two feet to my right and only inches from the cliff edge. The phone rests face up.}