Discreet Discussions

Ground floor unisex bathroom, 9:00 A.M

David was just now washing his hands. "Hey Billy." He said in whispered tones.

"Talking to me in the toilets now, are you?" Eugene whispered in returned. "What's with the secrecy anyway?"

"Well, you know how people think best when they are relieving themselves."

"Quite."

"I just recalled a little detail which I will explore further tonight."

"What did you remember?"

"When we saw the victim last, his ski poles were beyond perfect, but now the grip of the ski pole we put on the left is no longer in such a state of perfection."

"But that could have been knocked about by the search party when we moved the body."

"Unlikely, if that was true then why is the other one still so perfect still? The victim must have hidden something in that grip."

"I see, but why not say that out here?"

"Because somebody in this ski lodge is his murderer. If I had said anything then the killer might have removed the evidence."

"But you could simply take whatever is inside now."

"Oh, and let the killer know that their victim was planning to reveal them after his death? I be safe then be the next one found with a ski pole in my chest."

"I see what you mean. If the killer killed once, then they would kill again to remain hidden. But why was he murdered."

"Well, it certainly wants jealousy, nobody else there, except us, were particularly interested enough in snow sports to even want to challenge the man."

"Quite right."

"Let's move the corpse to his room, and I'll look at that ski pole when nobody else is paying me any mind."

"So, you are really going to do what Yvette stated? You are going to take on a murder investigation despite only being a search and rescue officer?"

"That's right, Yvette noted that I'm more observant when I'm in my element, if anyone can resolve this matter, it's me."

"Oh, I almost forgot." Eugene walked to the bathroom on the first floor and placed a toothpick in the keyhole. "Your new toothpick, as you requested earlier."

David spit his toothpick out and placed it in the trash and received the new one and washed it as he did not know what had been in that keyhole. Once he was certain this new toothpick was sanitary, he placed it in his mouth.

David left the bathroom and joined the rest of the guests by the fireplace.

"Laksmi!" David announced.

"Yes David?" Laksmi responded.

"The small Italian man, Mario, how is he?"

"Why are you showing him concern when the man you call famous lays dead on our finest carpet?"

"I just want to know what he'd been up to since we left to go find Milo."

"He fell into a deep slumber upon your departure, I would never have guessed that a man of his origins could snore so loud."

David nodded. "Are you completely certain that he never left?"

"I am very sure he was in his room the whole time. He was so tired that he had forgotten to lock his cabin door. The ladies and I constantly checked on him, after all that twitching of his was not a good sign."

"I see. That is why you can say for certainty that he never left his room. What about the young child Siva? Did he assist you?"

"Well, no, none of us local ladies, as you keep putting it, have not seen him for some time."

"Would you mind meeting me upstairs, in my room?"

"Oh, sir, we just met, I'm not ready for anything like that."

"No, I actually want to discuss a certain matter a bit more privately." David whispered into her ear.

Laksmi nodded. "Sorry, yes, I'll bring you a coffee to your room." She winked at him making sure nobody saw.

David entered his room. Billy was waiting inside.

"Any insight on who killed Milo?" Eugene inquired.

"Well, I know it wasn't you or me, we weren't jealous of him." David stated.

Billy's eyes narrowed. "I do not know, one of us could be lying. I mean come on David, you found the body fast, someone would think that was suspicious."

David shook his head. "No, impossible."

"Nothing is impossible."

"Billy, the killer dug a little hole atop the mound of snow to confirm the body was there and then covered it up with fresh snow. If I killed him, I would not have needed to do that."

"You must have a good eye for detail, because I didn't even notice the fresh snow."

"That is right, four years of experience, remember. This is the 23rd time that I have dealt with an avalanche, the first time one was caused by a killer, but still, I know what I know because of those experiences."

"I am aware. I was a special guest for some of your rescues, if I were not, I would not know your style of search and rescue so well."

"Yes, I remember."

Laksmi entered. "Why is that man here?"

"He didn't kill Milo." David stated.

"How could, you be sure?" Laksmi asked.

"That ski pole in the victim's chest, it was from this lodge, right?"

"Yes, one of rentals, how did you know?"

"The name of the lodge is printed on the side of that ski pole. Billy and I both have our own ski poles. The way I am thinking is that our killer was not planning to kill anyone at all, Milo must have stumbled on something that warranted him being killed. Who rented the pole?"

"Nobody did, it was stolen, anyone could have taken it, we always forget to lock rooms up."

"So, our killer must have been a common visitor to this location." Billy pointed out. "Or it's a staff member."

"No, only the killer knew where the body was, so only one of the people who joined us on the search party could have killed him, which eliminates the three local ladies, Siva and Mario." David deduced.

"There was a matter that you wanted to discuss more privately, what was it? Or have we discussed it?" Laksmi asked.

"I want to know about the first room on the left of the hall to the right of the staircase." David stated.

"I can't tell you much about it, I'm not trying to hide secrets, it's just I've never been inside."

"Really? Surely you have a key?"

"No. None of Matilda's keys or the copies she lent us work on that door, somebody must have changed the locks without Matilda's knowledge."

"This Matilda, she's the owner of this lodge?"

"That's right, or as the English say, 'right on the nose.' Whatever that means."

"That idiom means that the deduction presented is absolutely accurate."

"Idiom?"

"An odd phrase that means something contrary to its words."

Laksmi nodded, but it was clear that she still did not know about the concept despite David's explanation.

"So," David spoke again. "Nobody knows what lays behind that door other than Arbane."

"Perhaps Siva knows as well?" Laksmi added.

"Siva?"

"Yes, you know him, you've seen him, he's been working here even before the three of us 'local ladies' started."

"Is there anything odd you've seen from him?"

"He only leaves the lodge when we do our restock runs. He always brings his own wheelbarrow. But he does not leave it in the room where we leave our wheelbarrow."

David nodded.

"But what could all of this mean?" Billy wondered aloud. "This whole affair just keeps getting more and more mysterious."

"Access to that room is now cordoned off." David added. "I'm starting to get the feeling that the solution lays beyond that door."

"Then you should go open it!" Billy stated.

David shook his head. "No. We cannot do anything hasty. We do not know the secret and how many others are involved in it. Arbane and Siva may not be the only ones that are involved in whatever is behind that door. If we go in there without knowing all the players, then we would be in for a tough time."

Eugene nodded. "My apologies. But until you do know, how are you going to go about things?"

"Remember how I told you about the skiing pole, the one owned by the victim where the handle was a little off."

"Yes, you said to me that the victim may have hidden something within the pole."

"It may help point us to the man, or lady, no offence to you or your colleagues Laksmi, that killed Milo."

"I'm not offended." Laksmi added. "But my colleagues may be."

Billy nodded. "Then we shall wait for nightfall, and then David will see what is hidden within that ski pole."

So, they patiently waited. The wait felt like hours, but soon the mystery will unravel.