Page 48 of Shattering Dawn

“It’s got a history. It was originally an expensive sanatorium andthen it became a failed resort. That was followed by a series of hotel and resort failures. The nineteen-thirties-era architecture makes it special and worth recording.”

“Are you here on your own?”

“No, my assistant is with me.” Amelia angled her head toward the table where Gideon sat contemplating the desert. “I do the photos. He handles the background research.”

“I see,” Katy said. “Sounds interesting.”

The wistful note in her voice made Amelia pause.

“What about you?” she asked.

“Signed the divorce papers last week. My friends were tired of watching me mope around, so I figured I’d take a vacation and give them a break.”

“Good idea.”

“I got in last night,” Katy said. “This is my first full day here. I intend to spend it sitting in the shade beside the pool, reading a book.”

“Enjoy.”

“I will,” Katy promised.

Amelia filled two large cups with coffee, snapped on the plastic lids, and set them on a small plastic tray. She added the egg and a banana and picked up the tray.

Pete Ellerbeck appeared with a platter of replacement doughnuts for the buffet table.

“Good morning, Ms. Rivers,” he said. “Great weather for a photo shoot today.”

Amelia smiled. “Unfortunately, sunshine doesn’t provide the right atmosphere for what I’m trying to capture. I’m after the hotel’s history. Night shots will provide more emotional depth.”

“I get it,” Pete said. “You’re going for creepy.”

“Something like that, yes.”

“I should have time to do that interview today after the morning rush,” Pete said.

“That would be great,” Amelia said. “Thanks.”

She made her way to the table where Gideon waited and sat down across from him.

He reached for a cup of coffee. “Who were you talking to?”

She looked at him, surprised. “Pete Ellerbeck.”

“I meant the woman.”

“Oh, she’s a guest here at the motel. Her name is Katy something. Shipley, I think. She’s here on her own. Recovering from a divorce.” Amelia cracked the egg against the table and started to peel it. “Why?”

“At this stage we can’t trust anyone,” Gideon said.

“Wow. You are even more paranoid than I am. I honestly don’t think we need to worry about Katy, but whatever. By the way, Ellerbeck wants to do the interview later this morning.”

“That works.”

She finished peeling the egg, sprinkled a little salt on it, and took a bite. “Out of curiosity, how are you going to ask Ellerbeck about a death in room ten without letting him know we think Dr. Fulbrook was murdered in that room?”

Gideon snapped the lid off his coffee. “I can be subtle.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”