Lust and Lies 04 - Pretty Maids in a Row

over what's happened. You didn't know any of us until a month ago and, realistically, you still don't know any of us well enough to trust us. But I'm going to ask for that trust anyway. None of us is a murderess, Holly. You must believe that."
    Holly felt Roberta's narrow-eyed stare before she saw it. The woman had slipped out of her mousy shell again and her thoughts were easy to read. Except for Erica.
    Rachel drew Holly's attention. "Bobbi said you were with a friend the night O'Day was killed. Who was that?"
    "David and I spent the weekend at a mountain lodge in Maryland."
    Rachel smirked. "Of course, he's not in any condition to confirm or refute that alibi at the moment, is he?"
    "What do you mean?"
    "I mean, what happens to your alibi if he doesn't wake up?"
    "I don't need an alibi," Holly protested. "I haven't done anything wrong."
    "Hmmph," Rachel snorted. "Did anyone else see you that night? Desk clerk? Waitress? Bartender?"
    Holly paused and made herself review the Saturday night in question. Rather than get dressed to go out, they had ordered room service and when it was delivered, she had shyly retired to the bathroom. It wasn't much better than the night Ziegler was murdered, when she had been home alone. But surely Philip would be willing to say they were together. Good Lord. She was thinking of lying to defend herself from something she hadn't done to begin with.
    When she didn't answer, Rachel went on. "It seems to me that we're the ones who should be concerned about you. In all the years the Little Sister Society has been operating, we've never had a single violent incident. The trouble didn't start until you came into the picture. I can account for every one of our member's whereabouts during both murders—except yours."
    "April and Cheryl were here together. Not only can they vouch for each other, but Professor MacLeash will corroborate their story. Bobbi, Erica, and I were having a girls' night out when Ziegler was killed. There are a number of people who could easily be encouraged to verify they saw us. Last Saturday night, Erica was at home in California, and Bobbi and I were out together again."
    Holly could not imagine Bobbi hanging out at bars, least of all with Erica, but she could hardly call Rachel's bluff when she couldn't prove her own story.
    As usual, April tried to ease the tension. "Rachel's not accusing you of anything, Holly. She's just showing you that we can't afford to start being suspicious of each other. At any rate, didn't you say there were some suspects already, Rachel?"
    "Actually, the computer has picked quite a few," Rachel replied with a nod. "The use of drugs to subdue the men implies the killer isn't big or strong enough to overcome them with force, which could suggest a woman. Ziegler and O'Day opened their hotel room doors to the murderer, which suggests that he or she was either recognized or expected. If it was a stranger, it is more likely the men would have invited a woman into the room than a man. And third, the weapon used suggests a woman as well. The mutilation is sexual to begin with, as was the message, and it was done by two serrated blades sawing smoothly back and forth—in other words, the guess is it was an electric carving knife—something found in most modern kitchens."
    Holly made a face at the picture Rachel created, then noticed that she was the only one bothered by it. She supposed Rachel was used to this sort of thing, but April and Bobbi looked as though they'd heard it all before. Had this entire "get-together" been staged for her benefit?
    "Since both murders occurred in the same part of the country," Rachel continued, "the investigative team began searching for women in that region who have criminal histories of violence against men. Once we've narrowed down the field of possibles and start questioning the suspects, we'll know better whether we're on the right track."
    "It's not known yet why Ziegler and O'Day were chosen as victims. If one of the female suspects saw the list of names Cheryl gave to the Senate committee, we haven't figured out how it got into her hands, but anything is possible."
    "At the moment, we're trying to keep a lid on what the possible connection between Ziegler and O'Day could be, but agents may soon be assigned to guard the other eight men on the list until the killer is found. The problem with that is, once they all start talking, someone is liable to remember the names of other women besides Cheryl who were