“So, who is the dead guy?” Irene asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I texted Owen but he hasn’t answered yet.”
Irene looked at her phone. “Oh! We have to run. We have hair appointments in twenty minutes.”
Hattie popped out of her chair. “Yes! We’re getting fun colors! I think I’m going with pink and Irene is thinking of purple!”
As they made their way to the door my phone buzzed again. “Hey guys, it’s a text from Owen.”
Hattie and Irene stopped at the door. “Does he know who the victim is?” Irene asked.
I read the text out loud. “We just ID’d the guy. This is going to send shock waves through the town. It’s John Asuza. Let’s keep this to ourselves. I don’t want this to get out.”
Oops, he should’ve started with that.
I looked up and was surprised to see the faces on the grannies. They all looked shocked. “Who’s John Asuza?” I asked.
Irene sat back down. “John’s dead?”
They all looked at each other in silence and shock.
Hattie spoke up from the door. “I always knew someone would do him in.”
3
John Asuza. I said the name over and over in my head. Just like the man’s face, his name was familiar, but I just couldn’t place it. Then it hit me. “Wait, is that the sports guy who is always ticking everyone off?”
“Yep,” Hattie answered. “His face is plastered all over the city buses.” Well, that would explain why he looked familiar. Hattie went on. “He’s a real jerk. He’s always picking on athletes and putting them down. My dentist, Dr. Fernsby, plays golf with him and says he’s real pompous butt waffle.”
“His poor mother,” Greta added, shaking her head. “I wonder if she knows.”
“Of course she knows!” Hattie yelled. “She raised him!”
“I don’t mean I wonder if she knows he’s a pompous…whatever you said. I’m sure she’s aware that her son makes waves,” Greta said, rolling eyes. “I wonder if she knows he passed.”
Grandma looked concerned. “Did Owen say anything else? Is he suspecting foul play?”
I glanced at my phone again to see if he sent any more information. “That’s all he said. Maybe he’ll tell me more later.”
“I just hate it when someone we know dies in such a terrible manner,” Virginia said, standing up.
“Me too,” Irene added. “Even if he was a jerk. You still hate to see someone’s life cut short.”
They were jumping to conclusions big time. “You guys are acting like he was murdered. We don’t even know how he died yet.”
Greta reached over and put her hand on mine. “Honey, if a guy in his fifties, who seemed otherwise healthy and makes a living off upsetting people dies, it probably wasn’t of a heart attack.”
“Heart disease is a huge killer,” I argued.
“Yes,” Hattie said. “And so is ticking people off.” She looked at Irene. “Come on girl, I don’t want to miss my hair appointment just because John Asuza finally got what was coming to him.”
Irene stood up and Virginia followed her to the door.
“I better get going too. I have a lot of work to do. I have a new client,” Virginia said proudly. “She works at my bank, sweetest thing. Her and her fiancé decided to have a courthouse wedding and she hired me this morning when I went in to make a deposit.”
“Congratulations!” we all chimed in at the same time.
“I’m really proud of you,” Grandma Dean said, putting teacups in the sink.
Virginia blushed a little. “Thanks. I’m having so much fun.”
She looked genuinely happy. She had found her thing – something that occupied her time, made her happy, and gave her purpose. Everyone seemed to have a thing except me. Virginia was a courthouse wedding planner, Greta was a published writer, working on her Hearts Before Parts sex education program, Grandma Dean was a business owner, and Hattie and Irene…well, they were always busy taking the world by storm.
Geocaching had been my attempt at a hobby, and it turned out to be a disaster – as did most things I did. No, I wasn’t going to go down that road. I had come a long way in the months I had been staying with Grandma Dean. Leaving behind my home in Illinois and all my past mistakes had been the best decision I had ever made. I really felt like I was making progress here. And geocaching hadn’t been all bad. I got to hang out with Annalise and meet her friends. They all seemed really nice.
Greta followed the others out the door. “I better run too. I have some work of my own to attend to. Nikki, please keep us updated, will you?”
I promised I would. Soon the kitchen was quiet, the only sound running water and the occasional glass clinking together as Grandma washed the dishes in the sink.
“So, is this John guy really as bad as they say?” I asked.
Grandma laughed. “He’s even worse.”
“Really? Like how?”
“Well,” she said, drying her hands. “He has his own show on some local channel, he has a podcast, and he’s all over social media. You’d think someone like that would be careful what they say. But not him. I can’t stand to listen to him. He’s always belittling players, especially college kids. It’s just awful.”
“They’re not good enough for him?” I asked, trying to make sense of this.
“Never, unless of course they’re from Florida. He can’t stand it when students from other states come here and compete.”
“That’s stupid. Why would he even care.”
“Who knows. I used to listen to him years ago. He was always a little bit cocky but not near as bad as he is now…or was. He’s actually from here in Peace Pointe, but has a second house in Miami. He bought that when he signed some kind of contract with a TV station over there.”
“Do you really think someone would’ve killed him?” I asked.
Grandma sighed. “I don’t know. Contrary to what Greta said, fifty-year old’s die all the time. He could’ve been out walking and passed out or died. Who knows what kind of underlying medical condition he could’ve had.”
“So, you think he probably died of natural causes,” I said, more than asked.
Grandma looked serious for a moment. “No, I think he was murdered.”
4
Grandma had some errands to run so I had the apartment to myself. She had asked me if I wanted to grab lunch with her but the two…okay…three donuts I had eaten sat like a giant rock of dough in my stomach. I felt bloated and exhausted.
I climbed in my bed and tried to go to sleep. Maybe a nap would make me feel better. The longer I laid, there the more I thought about John and seeing him dead in the grass. What a horrible thing to see, and I couldn’t get the image out of my mind. I finally sat up and pulled my lap top off my nightstand and onto my lap. For some reason I needed to know more about him.
A quick Google search pulled up his picture and his information. He even had a Wikipedia page. First, I flipped through images of him – they all looked about the same. He was fairly attractive for a man losing his hair. In every picture he had stubble and wore a Nike polo shirt. He had a big smile, a bit of a beer belly and a thin scar that cut through his left eyebrow.
Next, I clicked on his Wikipedia page. He was fifty-two, no kids and married to a woman named Lira. He graduated from the University of Florida where he played football and baseball. I was impressed. It looked like he could play just about anything. He had been inducted into their sports Hall of Fame and even played for a minor league baseball team out of college. The list of awards and accomplishments went on and on. I probably should’ve been impressed but I started to feel bored. I wanted to get to the good stuff.
There was a link to his wife, Lira, so I clicked on that. She was beautiful with long black hair and tan skin. She had money of her own and was a philanthropist. Her list of accomplishments stood in sharp contrast to her husbands. He had a long list of things he had done for himself, she a long list of things she had don
e for others.
I moved on and found several videos of his sport’s show, Time Out with John Asuza. After watching just five minutes I could already understand Grandma Dean’s comments. John Asuza was cocky and arrogant. He sat behind his desk and dissected play after play, and player after player. After fifteen minutes I couldn’t take anymore. I watched the first few minutes of several more episodes and they were all the same. His social media pages weren’t any different. But I did notice a theme – even though he picked on a lot of athletes, one in particular seemed to really get under his skin. A college basketball player named Lucca Harris.
I sat there trying to figure things out. Then I scolded myself. Nikki! Stop this! The guy probably wasn’t even murdered. But deep down I thought Grandma and the others were right.
“Do you want dessert while we watch the news?” Grandma asked as she turned on the TV. “I picked up some lemon squares at the store today.”
I wasn’t a big fan of lemon, but for some reason I still couldn’t turn them down.
The beginning of the evening news played quietly from Grandma’s living room while she grabbed some plates and forks. “Am I missing anything?” She called from the kitchen.
“Not yet,” I called. “They just said a local celebrity was found dead and they’d give more information after the weather.” Magnus Storm, our local weatherman, was then giving the same update he gave every night – it’s going to be humid, chance of rain, blah blah blah. Unless there was a hurricane, the weather didn’t seem to change.
There was a knock at the door and I got up to answer. It was Lloyd and he looked upset.
He was dressed in his usual attire of a speedo and a silk robe. I tried as hard as I could not to look down and see what kind of Speedo he was wearing, but I couldn’t help it. I laughed when I saw it.
“Where did you get a speedo with Ronald Reagan’s face on it?”
He perked up a little. “You like it?”
“It’s…interesting.”
He smiled. “You like it! That’s the first time you’ve ever commented on my speedo.” He punched me in the arm. “I kind of feel like we’re bonding a little. Do you feel it too?”
Oddly enough, I kind of did.
“Lloyd, do you want a lemon square?” Grandma asked, carrying our plates to the living room.
When he said yes, she cut him a square. “We better hurry,” she said, handing him his plate and heading to the living room. “I don’t want to miss the news on John.”
“Oh yeah, Hattie told me he was murdered. What a crazy world.”
“Well,” I answered as I sat down near the TV. “We don’t actually know if he was murdered.”
Lloyd laughed. “He was definitely murdered.”
The news anchor, Amelia Glasgow, started her segment in her usual serious tone. “Tonight, we mourn one of our own. John Asuza was found dead in Peace Pointe Park this morning. Blake Cavannah has more.”
The camera changed to Blake who was standing in the same spot in the park where I had stood earlier. He pointed to the grass. “This is where the body of John Asuza was found today. Hidden in the tall grass until a local resident found his body while geocaching.”
“Hey that’s me!” I said, suddenly feeling famous.
“Authorities tell us his cause of death was most likely from a snake, as puncture wounds were found on his left shoulder.” Glen paused for effect. “A simple walk in the park, turned out to have deadly consequences.”
We all looked at each other stunned.
“A snake bite?” Grandma said. “Well, I guess I was wrong.”
“But on his shoulder?” I questioned.
Lloyd nodded. “They can be in trees. Could be that he walked under one, not knowing a snake was in a branch.”
Well that’s terrifying. But then I thought about that area of the park. “There weren’t trees anywhere around that area. It was just tall grass.”
Lloyd shrugged. “He could've been bit and tried walking to his car.”
“That’s true,” Grandma agreed. “A friend of mine was bit on the back of the leg last year. At first, she thought she was stung by a wasp. It wasn’t until she got to her car and got a good look at her leg and saw the puncture marks.”
We sat there quietly for a minute and I picked at my lemon square. Snake bite. A weird thought came over me. If he had been murdered, I wouldn’t have felt bad for him since he may have deserved it. But now that I knew it was an accident, I couldn’t help but feel bad.
“You alright Lloyd?” Grandma asked, pulling me from my thoughts. “You don’t seem like yourself.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Not really.”
“I’m surprised you and Hattie aren’t doing something tonight,” I said to him.
He shrugged again. “She’s been spending a lot of time with Irene lately.”
I felt sorry him. He looked so down.
Grandma picked up our plates and stopped in the doorway. “I don’t know what’s gotten into those two. They’ve been even crazier than usual.”
“I know why. And I’m trying to be understanding,” Lloyd said. “But I feel really lonely sometimes. Thanks for letting me come in and spend some time with you two.”
“You know why they’re acting crazy?” I asked. “Why is that?”
Lloyd looked at Grandma Dean and I and it was clear we both wanted an answer. “Okay, but don’t tell her I told you.”
I moved to the edge of my seat and Grandma walked back in, three plates still balanced on her hand.
Lloyd sighed. “Hattie’s afraid things will change between her and Irene since she and I are getting more serious. I think she’s trying to hang out with Irene as much as possible before we get married.”
I nearly fell out of my chair. “You’re getting married?” I asked.
Grandma’s mouth was wide open, and she was speechless.
“Well, I haven’t asked her yet, but I think she knows it’s coming. It’s not like she has to stop hanging out with her friends once we tie the knot. Heck, I don’t plan on cutting back on my time with my friends.”
I looked at Grandma and she was still standing there stunned.
“When are you going to ask her?” I managed to ask him.
“I don’t know. I don’t have a date set yet. Maybe in a couple weeks. You know, at our age you kind of have to act fast.”
Grandma scoffed. “That’s no excuse to rush things. We have plenty of good years left. Marriage is a serious matter, Lloyd.”
He hung his head. “I know, but it feels right. And Hattie feels the same way.”
What more could you say after that? “Well, congratulations,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m happy for you.”
He smiled. “Thanks Poodles. That means a lot to me.”
I hated when he called me that.
Grandma went to the kitchen and I could her putting the dishes in the sink. I thought she would come right back in the living room, but instead, I heard her turn on the facet.
I sank back in my chair, my thoughts turning back to John Asuza. “I can’t believe he died like that,” I said out loud.
“Who? John?” Lloyd asked.
“Yeah, I feel bad for him. I know a lot of people didn’t like him but I’m sure he wasn’t that bad of a person. I’m sure he had a reason for acting the way he did.”
“Nikki,” he said looking serious. “Don’t make excuses for the guy. You can’t stick a flower in a butthole and call it a vase.”
Lloyd always knew how to put things into perspective – even if it was disturbing.
My phone buzzed and I saw that Annalise had texted me. She asked if I wanted to meet her and her friends at the Palm Breeze coffee shop. I thought about saying no. It had been a long day, and even though it wasn’t even 7:30, I was tired and wanted the day to be over. But part of me wanted to go – to talk about what we had seen, to share how we felt about it. And maybe so I could see Kent. I texted that I’d meet her there.
/> I stood up and said goodbye to Lloyd and walked in the kitchen. Grandma was standing in front of the sink and I thought I saw her wipe her face. “Grandma,” I said walking closer to her. “Are you okay?”
She stiffened and didn’t turn around. “I’m fine,” she said, a crack in her voice. “Just got something in my eye. Darn soap bubbles.”
I walked over close to her and gave her a side hug. To my surprise she put her head on my shoulder for a brief moment.
“I was going to go meet Annalise at the Palm Breeze, but if you’d like I can stay here.”
“No,” she said shooing me on. “I’m fine. You go on and have fun with your new friends. You need that, especially after a day like you’ve had.”
I stood there for a moment. I thought about staying but I knew Grandma Dean wouldn’t talk about her feelings. She rarely did. And I felt better knowing that Lloyd was there with her.
I gave her another hug and headed out the door, pausing to take another quick look at her. Her eyes were red and she kept washing the same plate over and over. Something had upset her, and I was sure it wasn’t the death of John Asuza.
5
Annalise and her friends were already at the Palm Breeze when I got there. I pulled up a chair and sat down. I was happy to see Les, Annalise’s boyfriend and the first friend I made when I moved to Florida.
“Les!” I said, trying to summon the energy to be excited. “I’m so glad you’re here! Have you written any more poems lately?”
He laughed. “Of course!”
Les loved to write short, quirky poems. He had a whole book full of them.
“I can’t believe you tripped over a dead body today.” He chuckled. “I mean, I kind of can because it’s you.”
Annalise put her head in her hands. “It was awful. I can’t get that image out of my mind.”
“Me either,” I said quietly.
Piper had tears in her eyes and Aaron quickly put his arm around her. She smiled at him and seemed to relax into his arms.
Crack the Code (Glock Grannies Cozy Mystery Book 5) Page 2
