“So you contacted this partner?” I asked. “You knew somehow that she...”

“She,” she affirmed.

“That she had contacts who might have more information?”

“It wasn’t hard to sort locations and zero in on the three partners in that general area.”

“You know, you could sell your talents and stop bagging groceries.”

“I like my life. I like Out in the Cold. I like being beholden only to me.” It was true. Sophie was a free spirit, and she would hate being nosy for profit in any kind of corporation or institution.

“So what did this partner turn up?”

“It’s not verified, okay? But she says the maid who discovered the body quit her job and left town, and Calvo’s driver refuses to speak to the police and hired a lawyer. Both are considered persons of interest, but investigators are also looking for several guests who left the resort between the time Calvo was murdered and his body was found.”

“So that’s another reason why you thought this murder was promising. Maybe Wendy was there and got spooked.”

“I’m imagining that could have happened, based on what we actually know.”

“We need that list of hotel guests.”

“I can’t ask anybody to steal them, even if we could figure out a way.”

If we had the list, we might not be able to use it for any reason other than to verify Wendy’s presence at the resort anyway. Of course I could also just ask her outright and hope she was honest.

If she called again.

“So how long has your sister lived here?” Sophie asked.

“Months. She moved in this past summer.”

“The whole place feels very standard-issue. Like everything here came with it, even the dish towels.”

“I don’t think she brought much with her when she drove down. And my mother probably stocked it with supplies Gracey Group uses for their vacation rentals on the beach.”

“Let’s say Wendy’s been here six months. That’s plenty of time to surround herself with things she likes better. Little things.”

I wasn’t sure where Sophie was going with this. “Wendy’s not overly sentimental. She did a lot of entertaining in Connecticut, but I’m pretty sure she turned the decorating over to an interior designer.” I’d been to Wendy and Bryce’s home several times. My nieces’ rooms were both Disney Princess themed and pristine. The rest of the house looked like a spread in House Beautiful.

Sophie was clearly not convinced. “I’m always buying little things I like for my condo.”

She wasn’t kidding. Getting in and out the door of Sophie’s condo was challenging.

“Wendy is essentially a single mom,” I said, “and she has a job. I don’t think there’s a lot of time for shopping.”

“Especially if she doesn’t plan to stay.”

“I’m pretty sure the plan is for her to move back to Connecticut when it makes sense again.”

“When would it make sense?”

“When Bryce has a longer stint on shore? When the girls are older?”