ONCE THEY WERE outside the dining room, JJ said to Penny, “We need more information on Mr. Clark.”

“And Mr. Barclay.” Penny then looked around. “Hey, have you seen Emma? We should probably fill her in on everything that just happened.”

JJ looked too. “I haven’t seen her in a while. Did you notice if she came downstairs with us?”

Penny shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Maybe she’s way ahead of us. Maybe she’s already looking for more clues about Mr. Barclay and Mr. Clark,” JJ said. The dining room was still loud with arguing adults—something he was happy to leave behind. “I have an idea to find out more about Mr. Clark.”

“I’m going to find Mr. Barclay,” Penny said. “Meet you in an hour, right here? And hopefully one of us will run into Emma.”

JJ nodded.

The killer was after Mr. Clark.

Mr. Barclay said that Mr. Clark knew all his business dealings. That meant that Mr. Barclay had to have hired him.

If there was anything JJ knew from watching his mom run her business, it was that there was a lot of paperwork involved. Filing cabinets full of the stuff. And that meant that there’d be a paper trail.

Mr. Barclay had to have a record of hiring Mr. Clark, right? There had to be some information about Mr. Clark in there, like a former address, personal references, stuff like that.

JJ made his way to Mr. Barclay’s office and was surprised to find it unlocked. And here he thought he might have to go hunting for the key! Today was his lucky day. His ankle even felt a little better, as long as he didn’t put his weight on it.

JJ decided it was better to keep the light off. He’d just open the blinds a little, and let the view of the mountains stream in. Snow was falling outside and coating the trees and the lawn in front of the hotel. It didn’t show any signs of letting up.

JJ focused his attention on the row of filing cabinets against the back wall. He opened the drawers, one by one. Accounting records, something called deeds (whatever that was), and a bunch of other stuff JJ didn’t need.

But the bottom drawer finally had him hitting the jackpot. There it was: Gregory Clark. The folder was the same as the others: gray and bland. Only it was different in a not-so-good way.

The folder was empty.

JJ searched the rest of the cabinet, to see if maybe there was another folder, anything else to go on.

It was right there in the bottom drawer, waiting to be discovered. JJ’s heart beat a little faster as he read the words.

Last Will and Testament. The letters were small and the text boring legal stuff, so he scanned the pages. JJ halted somewhere on the third page of the document, where a name was printed in bold letters.

JJ held his breath. He read the name twice, just to be sure.

Then he clutched the papers and rushed out of the office.

He had to find Mr. Barclay, and fast.