Chapter 12

It was close to eleven when Joe, dressed in t-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes strolled into the Sunrise Café. He spied Nancy and Frank hunched over their notes and walked to their table. They looked up when he sat down.

"You two haven't solved this case yet?" he said and turned over a coffee cup to signal the waitress his need for caffeine.

"Good morning to you, too." Frank glanced at his watch. "Or should I say afternoon?"

Joe flashed one of his famous smiles, the kind that always got him out of trouble when he was younger. "It's almost an hour until noon."

"Almost, being the key word." Frank really didn't mind that Joe had slept in. They'd all needed the rest and Joe's absence had given Frank time alone with Nancy, something he certainly couldn't complain about.

The waitress appeared with a pitcher of coffee and placed it on the table. Joe ordered his usual breakfast of pancakes, eggs, harsh browns, and sausage.

Joe saw Nancy and Frank's arched eyebrows and explained, "It's breakfast and lunch all in one. Saves time that way."

"Right," Nancy said, but did not look totally convinced. "Don't forget we have the luau tonight. You might want to save room for that."

"What time is that again?" Joe added cream and three spoonfuls of sugar to his coffee.

"Five o'clock." Nancy thought the sugar would certainly give Joe a rush if the coffee didn't.

With his coffee properly prepared, Joe leaned back, and sipped. He eyed the notepads and scrabbled notes lying on the table. "You two Brainiacs come up with any new theories about our case?"

"Nancy has," Frank said. "She believes – and I agree with her – that the killer came here prepared to kill Gwen. He brought a gun, used it, and disposed of it as soon as possible. That seems to indicate that Gwen was his one and only target."

Joe sipped his coffee. "Hmm, unless he brought a second gun."

Frank considered the possibility. "I think that's a long shot. If our killer has other murders planned, he would've kept the gun. Why go to the time and trouble of getting a new gun, not to mention, the time and trouble of getting rid of the first one."

Nancy laid a hand on Frank's arm. "Joe has brought up a good alternative to my theory, one we can't dismiss. Gwen may not be the only target. We'll have to wait and see."

"See if there are any more murders? Is that what you mean?" Joe asked.

"Yes," Nancy said.

Joe stretched his legs and crossed them at the ankles. "So, what do you two have planned for today?"

"To finish interviewing the wives and their husbands," Nancy said.

Joe took another sip of coffee. It had cooled considerably due to the generous helping of cream. "How many couples are there?"

"Three." Nancy pushed her notepad closer to Joe. The notepad contained a list of names.

"John and Kate Mansville," Joe read. "They were with Mr. Airedale checking things for the fashion show when his wife was murdered."

"That's correct," Nancy said. "I interviewed Mrs. Mansville yesterday. I can't say that I got any useful information out of her."

Frank lifted the coffee pitcher and refilled his cup. "I've set up a meeting with Mr. Mansville for one o'clock this afternoon."

Nancy pointed at the names on her notepad. "The other two couples are Chase and Barbara Westin and Parker and Paula James. All three wives have their own fashion labels and have been associated with Airedale Fashions for several years. I'm hoping one of them can give us some insight, or background, on Gwen Airedale."

"I wouldn't hold my breath." Joe drained his coffee and reached for the pitcher. "Seems like Gwen didn't get out much. Isn't that what Kate Mansville told you?" He tilted the pitcher over his cup. Nothing came out. "Great," he muttered.

"She did," Nancy replied, "but I'm still hopeful one of the wives knows something about Gwen's past. I'm meeting with both Paula James and Barbara Westin at one today."

Frank looked at his brother. "That leaves you and me to interview the husbands."

To Joe's relief, the waitress appeared with a fresh pitcher of coffee. "Your order will be out in a few minutes," she told him.

After the waitress departed, Frank leaned toward his brother. "So Joe, which husband do you want to interview, Chase Westin or Parker James?"

Joe shook his head as he fortified a second cup of coffee with cream and sugar. "Sorry, can't help you out."

Frank's mouth dropped open in surprise. "What? What are you going to be doing today that's more important than interviewing people?"

Joe stirred his coffee, laid the spoon aside, and lifted his cup. "Figuring out the mystery of the locked door." He took a sip and peered at Nancy and Frank's startled faces. "C'mon guys. How'd the killer get in the room? Don't we want to know?"

A smile played upon Nancy's lips. She nudged Frank in the shoulder and said, "He has a point. We hadn't thought of that, Frank. How did the killer get in Gwen's room? Given how afraid she was I can't imagine she would have been in her hotel room with the door unlocked."

"Yeah, you're right," Frank grudgingly agreed.

Nancy smiled at Joe. Her words, however, were directed at Frank, "I think Joe might be onto something very important."

Frank chuckled softly. "He might be, but don't say it too loud, he'll get a swelled head."

"Too late," Joe assured them with a wide grin. "Listen, I have a theory about that locked door. I just need to do some investigating and interviews of my own in order to prove it."

Nancy and Frank peppered Joe with questions, but he held fast and didn't reveal one word of his theory. Thereafter, the conversation shifted to the luau. The trio wondered who had been invited besides the three couples they were anxious to interview.

Frank and Joe asked Nancy what she thought they should for the event. Nancy's answer was immediate – Hawaiian shirts.

Joe's breakfast arrived and everyone looked upon the bounty. Joe rubbed his hands together and surveyed the food. Where should he begin? Pancakes? Eggs? Sausage?

Nancy gathered up her notepad and pen. "We should leave and let you eat in peace."

Joe speared a sausage. "You guys don't have to leave on my account."

Just as Nancy was about to insist, her phone buzzed. She checked the caller ID. "It's Detective Lau."

Frank and Joe waited quietly while Nancy nodded into her phone.

Finally, she hung up. "Good news, well at least I think it is. Lau has information on the weapon you two recovered. He wants to meet with us, and the hotel manager, at noon in the hotel lobby."

Frank's dark brow creased. "I wonder why Lau wants the hotel manager there?"

"We'll soon find out," Nancy said with a fetching smile.

# # # #

At 12:05, Nancy and the Hardys found themselves in a narrow hallway. They, along with Detective Lau and his partner, Detective Kim, were following the hotel manager, Craig Gaulter. Mr. Gaulter, a short heavy-set man with thin gray hair, was dressed in a light blue suit that did nothing for him. The pale blue against his pale skin made him appear washed out. The fabric was as wrinkled and crumpled as Gaulter's pinched, puffy face.

As the group followed Gaulter's wide backside, Frank wondered how a person could live in one of the sunniest places on earth and look like they never stepped outside. The poor guy looked like he was stressed to the max, too. A murder in one's hotel would do that to a person.

Gaulter was indeed stressed and his nerves were shot. He only wished this murder would be solved soon. The media had hounded him daily asking for any information on the victim or cause of death. Gaulter had tactfully avoided giving a comment. "Talk to the police," was his standard reply.

In Gaulter's opinion, the Aloha Hilton had received enough press coverage regarding this death. The media had labeled it suspicious. Certainly, that was not good for business.

Carrying the weight of the last few days on his shoulders, in addition to his own considerable weight, Craig Gaulter was breathing heavily when he stopped in front of a door. He opened it and led everyone into a private conference room. The room was large and well-lit despite being windowless. A long rectangular table with high-backed chairs dominated the center of the room. Photos of the hotel in various stages of development hung on the walls.

Frank stopped short when he saw the guard, Butch Overton, standing at the far end of the table. Frank and Butch eyed each other like two boxers in a ring sizing up their opponent. The corner of Butch's mouth rose in a smirk and Frank thought of the two hundred dollars Butch owed him. After all, he and Joe had found the weapon just like he said they would. He hoped that was why Detective Lau had called this meeting. Maybe Lau was going to tell everyone about the weapon. If so, great. That would definitely wipe that condescending smirk off of Butch's face. Nothing would give Frank more pleasure.

Gaulter motioned at the chairs. "Please, have a seat everyone." He moved to the far end of the table and sat near Butch. Butch remained standing, his hands at his sides.

Gaulter pointed a pudgy finger at Butch. "This is Butch Overton. He's head of hotel security. I thought it best to include him in this meeting. I hope you don't mind?" The question was directed at Detective Lau.

"Not at all. A wise decision," Lau said. He was standing behind his chair. "Let me introduce everyone. This is my partner, Detective Kim."

A stocky, twenty-nine year old man sitting in the chair next to Lau's nodded his head. Kim was part Korean and part Hawaiian. He looked like he spent all of his free time in the gym. He'd been partnered with Lau for four years. During that time, Kim had learned a lot about police investigations. He'd also developed a deep respect for his superior.

"This is Miss Drew, a private investigator," Lau said continuing the introductions. "These are her partners, Frank and Joe Hardy. All three are highly qualified and experienced investigators. Detective Kim and I welcome their assistance on this case. Miss Drew and the Hardys have agreed to share information and evidence with us and we've agreed to do the same. And that, folks is what brings us here today. It's through the investigative efforts of Frank and Joe Hardy that the murder weapon was found yesterday."

Frank looked at Butch. He saw the guard's smirk morph into a sneer and grinned.

"This morning," Lau said, "I received a report from the forensic lab. Their findings match the bullet, taken from the body of Mrs. Airedale, with the gun the Hardys pulled out of the ocean yesterday. The silencer on the weapon obviously kept anyone from hearing the shot."

Frank couldn't have been happier. However, what Lau said next, stunned him.

"I had Detective Kim run the gun and bullets through the national database. He got a hit. The lans and grooves on our bullet match the lans grooves on bullets found at a murder scene in Chicago seven years ago."

"What?" Joe gasped.

Detective Kim spoke for the first time, "The forensic experts are rerunning the tests just to be sure, but they don't expect the results to change. I've contacted the Chicago PD and they're pretty excited about this. Their case went cold real quick seven years ago. They've been hoping for a break ever since. The detective I spoke with said they'd never had any real suspects or a motive for the murder."

Nancy quickly processed the implications of this new evidence. "The Airedales are from Chicago," she said.

Frank added, "Gwen Airedale lived and worked in Chicago area for the past eight to ten years. I spoke with Walter last night. He's an investigator at the Hardy Detective Agency and he's been digging into Gwen's past for us. His search turned up some interesting information. So far, we know that Gwen was a fashion designer and her employment history wasn't the most stable. She bounced from company to company before landing a job at Frazer and Frazer Designs. According to Walter, Gwen worked for Frazer for close to three years. Five years ago, Lance Airedale happened to spot her designs at a fashion show in Chicago. He offered her a job and she accepted. Shortly after that they were married. I'm not sure if she really ever worked for Airedale Fashions as a fashion designer. Walter's still investigating."

Kim and Lau exchanged glances. Kim leaned over and whispered something to Lau. Lau nodded his approval and Kim turned to Frank. "Our investigation has uncovered the same information and no, Gwen Airedale never designed anything for Airedale Fashions according to our initial reports. Although, by all accounts she was a decent designer. From what our investigator in Chicago says, Lance Airedale met Gwen when she was at the top of her game, at least according to the people in the fashion industry. I wouldn't know. Fashion's not my area of expertise."

Frank grinned at Kim. "Mine either."

Nancy had her notepad and pen ready. She looked at Kim. "What's the name of the murder victim in Chicago?"

"Diana Collins," Lau said before Kim could respond. "She was a very successful designer who was about to go national."

Nancy snapped her fingers. "I thought I recognized the name. If memory serves me, Miss Collins was about to launch her fashion line in either Target or Wal-Mart."

Lau gave Nancy a nod of approval. "Your memory is correct, Miss Drew."

Joe sat at the table frowning, turning the facts over in his mind. "This sounds like a heck of a coincidence. Two fashion designers from Chicago murdered with the same weapon."

"It does," Frank said. He, too, was frowning. "Seven years is a long time between murders. I'm wondering, did Gwen Airedale suddenly become a liability for the murderer?"

Or," Nancy said, "she was always a liability. Perhaps, the killer's been searching for her for the past seven years. Gwen probably knew that, too." She looked up at Lau. "We've conducted a few interviews of our own. From what we've heard, Gwen wasn't fond of socializing. Mr. Airedale himself told us Gwen seemed uneasy soon after they arrived at the hotel. I wonder if Gwen saw someone from her past. Someone she recognized as a threat."

Joe asked Lau, "Are there any other connections between Diana Collins and Gwen Airedale?"

"The only connection I can find is that both women worked for Airedale Fashions at the time of their murders. That fact alone keeps Lance Airedale on the suspect list."

Frank voiced his opinion, "If Mr. Airedale was the killer why'd he wait until now to kill his wife? He could have killed her at any time during the past five years? By waiting, he took huge risks." And it didn't fit with what Frank knew about Gwen or the case.

"In my opinion," Lau said, "the simplest solution is usually the best solution. I believe Airedale wanted the murder to look like a robbery. However, things didn't go according to plan. They never do as we all well know. The way I see it, Airedale entered the room and shot his wife without hesitation. Just as he was getting ready to toss the room and make it look like a robbery, the maid knocked at the door. He panicked and hid in the bedroom. The maid came in, saw Mrs. Airedale was dead, and fled. We know she went straight to the front desk."

"Excuse me, Detective Lau," Nancy said. "But Mr. Airedale was with another couple, the Mansvilles, checking the stage setup for the fashion show when his wife was murdered. He couldn't possibly be in two places at the same time."

Lau folded his hands and his eyes sharpened. He looked at Nancy pointedly. "Kim and I have tried to figure out the exact time when the Mansvilles and Airedale were together. That has been a focal point of our investigation. We have questioned the Mansvilles and Airedale repeatedly. Unfortunately, neither the Mansvilles, or Airedale, have been able to give us exact times for their whereabouts. All they can say is, about this time or about that time. None of them can say with any degree of certainty when they left each other. That leaves a lot of time unaccounted for, Miss Drew. By my estimation, Lance Airedale had plenty of time to commit this murder. All he needed was a minute or two to shot his wife and leave the room."

Nancy said nothing. Lau was right and for the first time, Nancy felt a twinge of doubt regarding Lance Airedale and his innocence.

Lau continued his story. "I believe Airedale fled the room right after the maid. He couldn't to be caught in the room. His only concern was to get rid of the gun. Which he did. He tossed it in the ocean the first chance he got. He never suspected someone had seen him or that two industrious private eyes would fish it out of the ocean." Lau smiled at Frank.

Frank had nothing to smile about. He didn't believe Airedale was the killer, but this wasn't the time or place to debate it. Not with the detective in charge of the case.

Lau looked at Mr. Gaulter who had grown considerably paler. Sweat glistened on the heavy man's brow and his eyes widened as he returned Lau's gaze.

"Mr. Gaulter," Lau's voice was calm. "It's my duty to inform you that the killer might still be in your hotel and might strike again."

Gaulter hung his head. "Oh, God." He thought he was going to be sick. This was the worst possible news. "I was afraid you were going to say that." He lifted his head, his pale eyes pleaded for help. "What am I going to do?"

Butch squared his shoulders and stepped forward, ready to take charge. "I'll double hotel security, Mr. Gaulter. Guards will be posted on every floor. We'll maintain a constant presence and surveillance. That should discourage the killer if he's still here."

Gaulter nodded weakly then fixed his eyes on Lau. "What should I tell the hotel guests? I mean … don't they have a right to know there's a killer in the hotel?"

Lau paused and studied the fine grain of the table as he collected his thoughts. Finally, he lifted his head and said, "We don't have any definitive proof the killer is still in the hotel. I've only warned you of the possibility. You're also aware that I consider Lance Airedale a suspect. We don't have any hard evidence against him though. As Frank Hardy has pointed out, not all of the evidence against him stacks up in nice, neat little rows."

Lau drew a breath as did Frank who was happy his opinion had not been dismissed or trivialized.

"Truthfully," Lau said, "Mrs. Airedale's murder could simply have been a botched robbery and the killer is long gone. At this point, I can't be certain of anything. That's why my advice to you, Mr. Gaulter, is to remain calm. Don't alarm your guests. Stick to 'no comment' when speaking with the media. Better yet, send the media to me. I'll handle them." Lau tipped his head at Butch. "Mr. Overton has the right idea. Beef up security while we continue our investigation. I assure you, we're doing everything in our power to solve this crime."

Gaulter seemed somewhat relieved.

Lau rose as did Kim.

Lau addressed those still seated round the table, "Are there any other questions or concerns?"

Nancy, Frank, and Joe exchanged glances and shook their heads.

"In that case," Lau said, "Kim and I will continue our interviews of the hotel staff. A couple of people were absent yesterday and we're hoping they're here today."

"Of course." Gaulter placed his chubby hands on the table and pushed himself up.

Joe sprang to his feet. "Detective Lau, I'd like to tag along on those interviews if you don't mind."

Lau eyed Joe quizzically. "Sure. No problem."

A/N: This chapter was a real bear to write the first time around and a real bear to edit this time! Some chapters are just like that. I'm exhausted! LOL

Thank you all for the reviews. :)