Overdose in Paradise

by Deborah Brown

  “Wish we knew more about him,” Fab mused.

  “Isn’t wanting to know the answer to every question what gets us into trouble?” I asked.

  “I wasn’t that way until I met you. Some days, I miss my old ‘I couldn’t care less’ attitude.”

  “No worries.” I flashed a sad face. “Your old persona isn’t far from the surface.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  It had been a quiet week, during which I waited to hear news on several fronts. Right after my morning coffee, my phone pinged with a message: Pecan roll?

  Heck yes, I typed back.

  Then open your door. Beachside.

  I almost tripped rolling off the couch, catching myself to stand and race to the patio doors. Fab was climbing the stairs in her bathrobe.

  Fab laughed at my “what the heck” expression and thrust out a pink bakery box.

  “You’re the bestest, besty, best,” I squealed, still annoyed after Creole suggested that I cook breakfast; his next helpful hint being boxed cereal when I whined, “What am I going to eat?”

  “Some mornings, there isn’t enough coffee in the world for you.” Fab took off her robe, tossing it on the chair. “Just wanted to see your face.” She was decked out in workout gear.

  I walked into the kitchen. “I’ve got your favorite coffee.” I pulled a Turkish blend out of the cupboard and made her coffee and mine while she got out plates.

  “This feels like the old days.” I handed her a mug and slid onto the stool next to her.

  The phone rang, and Dr. A’s face popped up. I showed it to Fab.

  “Guess that means he’s out…or someone stole his phone.” Fab took a long drink of her coffee without making a face. I’d followed the directions the man at the coffee bar gave me. Guess it worked.

  “I’m out on bail and leg monitor,” Dr. A said when I answered. “I want to thank you for all your help and finding me a good lawyer.”

  “I’m happy you were sprung, and as for the lawyer, luck played a role.” I hoped his release would be more than temporary.

  “I’ll be keeping a low profile, but if there’s anything I can do for you, you know where to find me.”

  “If you’d like, Fab and I can stop by tomorrow for a friendly chat. Update you on a few things we found out about your girlfriend.”

  He groaned. “I imagine it’s not good, considering the amount of drugs found in that damn briefcase. I know it looks damning, but I had nothing to do with it showing up in my house.”

  “I just thought you might want to know. You can share with your lawyer or not, depending on the plan for the case.”

  “My lawyer’s warned me not to talk about the case, but I want to hear everything you’ve found out.”

  “Tomorrow, then.”

  “What about the money and drugs?” Fab asked after I ended the call.

  “I vote for honesty and telling him everything. He says the drugs aren’t his, so he shouldn’t be too perturbed that they’ve been disposed of.”

  “Somebody might be.” Fab refilled her mug. “Can’t help thinking there’s another party involved, or more than one.”

  “As for the money, that’s his decision. He won’t be able to go and spend it all in one place. That would be a red flag. If the cops had found it, it would’ve been another piece of damning evidence, especially if he couldn’t document where it came from. Finding a large stash of cash seems like a dream come true until you figure out that spending it could land you in cuffs.”

  Fab finished her coffee, and I pointed to the pot if she wanted another refill. “To spend in any quantity, you’d have to deal with the shiftiest of people, and that brings on a different set of problems. Living your life with one eye over your shoulder isn’t living.”

  “Next time, I’ll remind you that you don’t need to know everything, as much as you won’t like hearing it.” I caught Fab’s smirk, even though she tried to hide it.

  “That’s rich, coming from you.”

  “Wasn’t I the one to suggest some manner of restraint in our actions?” I asked. “At least, I thought it was me, since I’m usually the sensible one.”

  “Is that your way of saying I’m the bad influence?” Fab asked in an amused tone.

  “In a word—yes.” I picked up the bakery box and turned it upside down. “No extras?”

  Fab laughed at my antics. “Almost forgot.” She put her tennis shoe-clad feet on a stool, and I shoved them off. “Ran into Emerson at the bakery this morning. Red-rimmed eyes, pale, the little makeup she does wear only making her appear paler, and she’s lost a few pounds. Not a hint of her usual smile. I got out of her that she lost a big case and the children wound up in the custody of the wrong parent, in her opinion. She hadn’t slept since the decision.”

  “I imagine that’s a drawback to the legal profession. You lose when you think you should’ve won, and it probably isn’t easy to shake off.” My phone rang again. “Busy phone,” I said, answering it. “Hey, bro.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Home. Watching Fab do dishes.” I shoved her hip with my foot.

  “Favor? I have a last-minute meeting, and Mother had an appointment. Would you watch Mila for about an hour? Mother can pick her up at your house.”

  “You’re in luck. Both of us have a free schedule today. Bring her over.”

  “See you in a few.”

  “This is payback day,” I said conspiratorially to Fab. “Go get dressed for shopping. We’re going to party with Mila. As long as we don’t stay here, Mother will never find us.”

  “I predict…” Fab paused melodramatically. “Your mother is going to have a flippin’ fit and so will Brad, because he hates getting caught between the two of you.”

  I jumped up and ran for the bathroom. “Hurry,” I yelled before closing the door.

  When Brad buzzed the gate, I went out to meet him, having gotten dressed and ready in record time. He’d pulled up in front and had the back door open, where he was unhooking Mila from her car seat.

  Mila waved frantically. “Auntie,” she yelled.

  Brad handed her to me clad in an empire-waisted floral dress and red tennis shoes and slipped a bag over my shoulder.

  “Thanks for calling me. We’re going to have so much fun.” I kissed Mila’s nose.

  “You’re the best.” He kissed his daughter and got back in his SUV, waving as he turned around.

  Mila and I waved back until he drove out of sight.

  Fab roared up in her Porsche, also having gotten ready in record time, her hand out the window, waving as Brad drove away. “It’s Mila,” she yelled. She and Mila squealed at one another, and Mila waved back.

  Fab parked next to the SUV and got out. I handed Mila to her. “I’m going to get my stuff and be right back out.” By the time I got back, Fab had Mila strapped into the back of the SUV. Everyone in the family had a car seat, courtesy of Mother.

  “Half-hour.” Fab pointed to the dash clock. “Your phone is going to blow up with Granny calls.”

  “First stop, Party Palace. Mila wants a cape for her princess outfit.” I looked over the seat, and she was stretched back, her eyes fluttering. She hadn’t quite given up to sleep.

  Fab stuck to the speed limit and took the direct route to the strip mall, avoiding alleys and shortcuts. She’d barely got the engine shut off when my phone rang. She grabbed it from the cup holder and smirked after looking at the screen. “Mila and I will meet you inside.” She handed the phone to me.

  “Coward,” I said, staring at Mother’s face on the screen. I got out of the SUV and went around to Fab’s side and out of Mila’s earshot. It stopped ringing.

  Fab could win a contest for getting a kid out of a car seat and disappearing inside a store in record time.

  My phone rang again. “Hi, Mother.”

  “I got done with my appointment early. I’m at your house to pick up Mila.”

  “There was this window of opportunity that presented itself, and
I suggested to Fab that we take Mila shopping. I’m certain you don’t mind. It makes up for our last missed outing.”

  The silence was deafening. A loud sigh crossed the line. “Spoon warned me this would happen. Well, not exactly this, but something like it. I need to learn to share, but I just don’t want to.”

  “I love you.” I laughed softly.

  “Please don’t make me feel any worse. Promise me that you won’t take her to any shoot-outs or similar activities.”

  “You know we save that kind of fun for you,” I said in a faux huff.

  “Which we haven’t done in a while.” Her pout could be heard through the phone line.

  “Thank you for being so understanding.”

  “It’s hard for me. So you need to behave.”

  I blew her a kiss before she hung up.

  Next time, I admonished myself. I won’t be so sneaky. Sure.

  I went inside the store and found the two of them in line for the cashier, having decided on a mermaid outfit. “You couldn’t slow it down a little?” I arched my brow.

  “They were out of stock on most of the princess accessories, and this outfit caught Mila’s eye.” Fab tweaked her cheeks and got a smile. “It’s all the sparkles. There was only one, and another woman wanted it.”

  “Is the woman okay?” I looked around.

  Fab laughed. “I didn’t commit bodily harm, but I cut her off…politely.”

  I picked Mila up out of the cart and swung her around. “What next?”

  “My turn to choose. We need to stop at the shoe store. Mila needs mermaid shoes.” Fab wiggled her tennis shoe-clad foot.

  “I’m fairly certain finding fin-shaped shoes will be impossible.”

  “Don’t suck the fun out of our shopping excursion. You should be happy that you’re still in one piece after confessing to your double-cross.”

  “Mother took it well.” I chuckled.

  “Uh-oh.”

  As we left the store, angry voices floated down the sidewalk. Two men stood arguing on the patio of a restaurant at the far end.

  Fab stood at the front bumper and watched as I put Mila in her car seat. “That’s Lucas Mark, exchanging a difference of opinion with that thug in a suit.”

  “Get in the car. We’re not getting involved.” I forced myself not to look until I got in the car and could check them out through the tinted windows. The two had already lowered their voices, but the conversation was no less intense if body language counted.

  The dark-haired man with Lucas turned slightly. His dark beard was neatly trimmed, the black designer suit fit his frame, and his tie matched. He looked the part of a respectable businessman, but something about his demeanor said that wasn’t an apt description. In contrast, Lucas was decked out in tropical attire—shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.

  Fab drove by the two men slowly. “The suited one has a shoulder holster.”

  “Let’s get out of here.”

  “You recognize that man?” Fab asked, pulling into traffic without another glance.

  “He looks vaguely familiar. Let’s hope we never run into him. What I find interesting is that Lucas hasn’t been in town long, and he’s already hooking up with thugs.” I stared out the window. “Where are we going after the shoe store?”

  “It’s a surprise for you and Mila. And before you start, you’re going to like it.”

  I flipped down the visor and used the mirror to look at Mila in the back. “You ready for more fun?” I asked her.

  “Yes,” she cheered. I rolled down the window, as we were about to drive by Jake’s, and thrust my head out, a huge sandwich board out front catching my interest. “Turn around.” I pulled my head back inside. “Twinkie Princesses has two half-naked middle-aged men in front, hoses in hand, spraying each other with water. What the heck is going on?”

  Fab made an eww face. “It’s almost lunch time.” She tapped the dashboard. “We’re not eating any food from the food truck.”

  I horked up an imaginary furball. My cats would be proud.

  Mila laughed and clapped from the back, then mimicked the sound.

  Fab and I exchanged ‘oh no’ looks.

  “That will teach me,” I said quietly. “Mila loves her sound effects.”

  “I wonder who she gets that from?”

  “Maybe the Princesses are finally going to open for business. You’d think they might have given me a heads-up.”

  “You serious?” Fab pulled into a parking space. “I can’t wait to meet these two. Have you ever met them?”

  “No, and seriously, I like the relationship we have. They send their rent check on time, and their continuously closed shabby chic roach coach gives the property a little more character and zero customer issues.”

  “Wonder what’s up today?”

  “I’m about to find out.” I climbed out, leaving Fab to free Mila as I headed around the front of the coach. “Hey,” I yelled, hoping not to get my clothing soaked.

  Both men turned.

  “You came to the right place to get your buggy washed,” the shorter of the two paunchy specimens boasted. It was by only an inch but was probably a bone of contention when they’d been drinking.

  The other stepped back, craned his neck around the back of the coach, and whistled. “Nice ride.”

  The sandwich board again caught my eye. Who knew they were built with drink holders in each side? They were currently holding cans of beer. On the board, it said, “Git your car wased” in chalk. So much for spelling. “Bucks go to poor folks.”

  “What the hell is going on?” I said, out of patience with a pair of locals working some sort of scam. “Make it snappy or I’m calling the cops.”

  “We got legal rights.” The spokesman reached over, grabbed a beer, downed it, and smashed the can under his flip-flop-clad heel. The other man reached inside a cooler leaned up against the side of the coach and tossed him another. “We got hired to give Princesses a good wash. It was my brainchild to offer car washes on the side.”

  “You mean bilk people for a fraudulent cause?” I returned his dumfounded stare with a glare.

  “Don’t get your shorts in a wad; we ain’t made jack yet.”

  “Why is the cleanliness of this…” I pointed. “…suddenly an issue.”

  “It’s getting sold, and the owner wants top dollar.”

  Good luck to that. “I suggest that you finish the job you were hired to do and stop wasting water.”

  “We’re done. We’re waiting on someone who wants to see the inside, and then we’re leaving.”

  The other one had already started to clean up, rolling up the hose and tucking it under his arm, trying to drag the sign in the other until it clattered to the ground. He snorted in disgust and stomped over to a pickup truck.

  A grey testosterone-size truck gunned its engine into the driveway, coming to a stop.

  “We’ll be out of here in a few,” the man said to me as he hustled over to the latest arrival, his partner meeting him.

  The driver hung out the window. The conversation that took place was short.

  I noticed that there was an exchange of envelopes and slid my phone out of my pocket, snapping a picture of the license plate. I’d text it to Doodad, who’d put a stop to illegal transactions in the parking lot. And another text to myself as a reminder to contact the Princesses.

  “We’re leaving,” the man told me after the truck left.

  The men each grabbed a side of the sign and dragged it over to the back door of the coach, heaving it inside and locking up. They jumped in the truck and backed out, not making eye contact.

  Not sure what I was looking for, I walked around the coach, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I made a mental note that when I contacted the owners, to tell them that the location wasn’t included in the sale, stressing that the coach would have to be moved. The last thing I needed was for someone to think it was an ideal location for illegal activity.

  Mila’s laughter had me hust
ling over to join the twosome. Nothing was going to spoil our outing. Mila stood on the bench outside the lighthouse, clapping her hands as Fab locked up, having finished a tour.

  At Fab’s raised brow, I said, “I’ll tell you about it later.”

  “You ready for this?” Fab asked.

  Not sure what she was talking about, I was hesitant to answer.

  Fab scooped up Mila and, before putting her back in the car, asked her, “What do you want to eat for lunch?”

  “Ticos.” Mila air-boxed.

  “From where?” Fab asked.

  Mila pointed to Jake’s. “U Hen.”

  Mother was going to kill us.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “It doesn’t take much to entertain Mila,” Fab said, glancing in the rearview mirror at the little girl sleeping in the back. She’d zonked out not long after leaving Jake’s.

  “I’m not going to feel guilty for taking her to Jake’s, since she knew everyone in the kitchen. It obviously wasn’t the first time she’d met them.” The crew was as happy to see her as she them. “Did you notice that she got better service than we did?”

  “She loves her ticos.” Fab half-laughed. “We should give her a bubble bath before returning her to Madeline, so she won’t detect any food crumbs.”

  Fab handed me my ringing phone.

  “Hey, babe,” I said.

  “In case you didn’t know, family dinner at your mother’s,” Creole said.

  “Is Brad coming?”

  “Since you kidnapped his daughter, he’d probably like to get her back.” He laughed.

  “How about you stop by the house, pick up Mila, and take her to Mother’s?”

  “No chance.” He laughed again. “See you later.”

  I hadn’t been paying attention to where Fab was driving, but it only moderately surprised me when she pulled up in front of her door.

  “We’re going to try out that new bed of yours.” Fab hopped out. “When Mila wakes up from her nap, we can jump on the mattress.” She whisked Mila out of her car seat and into the house without disturbing her sleep.