I left him in the room, not bothering to wake him, but I left a note telling him we’d be in the restaurant for a bit, just in case he came down before we left. I checked myself in the mirror on the closet door and decided, with makeup and my hair pulled up, I only looked like I’d just died and not death warmed over.
* * *
Anthony jumped up from his seat as I approached the table. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered, “Did you have makeup sex too? You look simply exhausted.”
I peeled Anthony off me. “You look radiant, which is how I’d look if I’d gotten laid. Instead, I barely got a few hours of sleep, and I might be slightly grumpy.”
Anthony politely flagged down our server. “Honey, this girl needs a Bloody Mary, stat.”
The server, a petite brunette with big eyes, smiled. “I’m on it, Anthony.” Then she winked and left the table.
Charles didn’t look quite as chipper as Anthony. He looked up from his phone for a moment, nodded, and started swiping the screen again.
“Good morning to you, too.” I sat down and picked up a menu.
“Don’t bother. I already ordered for you.” He put his phone away. “And along with the Bloody Mary, I ordered you a Red Bull.”
“I’d rather have coffee.” I put the white linen napkin on my lap.
“You look like you need a bigger jolt, and they don’t have an espresso bar in this restaurant.”
“I see you’re in a jolly mood today.” He was almost as snippy as I was.
The Bloody Mary came before the Red Bull, and so did our breakfast of bacon, eggs, hash browns and waffles. Oh goodness, there were butter pecan waffles with pumpkin butter sauce, only my favorite way to have waffles. Then as if it was a sign from above that I didn’t need the calories, Nick walked into the restaurant.
“Good morning, everyone.” From the glow of his skin, I’d have thought he’d gotten laid last night, but I knew better.
Then it struck me. Did I know better? He wasn’t even aroused when he saw me naked, or when I was straddling him. Well, the last part I can’t be sure of, because he was on his belly, but still. Maybe he did have sex last night, just not with me. I just knew he and Eva were more than platonic working partners.
Everyone said their “good mornings,” and I put a bite of waffle in my mouth. I was expecting deliciousness, but it somehow tasted sour. I pushed my plate away and downed the rest of my Bloody Mary in one gulp.
“Another?” Anthony asked.
I forced a smile. “No, I’m good. Thanks.”
“Not hungry?” Charles asked around a mouthful of bacon and eggs.
“No, suddenly, I just don’t feel like having waffles.” I wiped my mouth and put the napkin on the table.
“Don’t let a good meal go to waste.” Anthony shoved the plate toward Nick.
Nick didn’t hesitate. He grabbed a fork and dug right in.
“Is the mess with Marina all cleared up?” Charles asked.
Nick swallowed before he spoke. “Not sure.”
“Not sure? What’s that mean?” Anthony seemed anxious.
“We haven’t ruled out foul play, but it’s looking more and more like it was just a heart attack or stroke or something.”
“Really?” I was surprised. “And you were with Eva until all hours of the night to come up with this?”
Charles kicked me under the table and I jumped.
“What Little Miss Crabby means, did you not find any evidence to the contrary, after working so late on the case?”
“That’s--.” Ouch. He kicked me again.
“We talked to Willard, but there’s really nothing there. Boy, talk about one dedicated husband. He said they travel to about a dozen of these shows a year, mostly in the south - Atlanta, Dallas, and Los Angeles - and it’s a constant string of logistics to pack, unpack, arrange shipping, design the booth, set up, the works.”
“Guess I’ll be finding out what it’s like.” Anthony didn’t sound thrilled.
“Did the crime scene guys say anything to you about the voodoo doll and the needle?” I wanted to hear what non-evidence they’d come up with.
Anthony immediately went into a defensive posture. “Look, Nick, I don’t sell my voodoo dolls with needles. I encourage my buyers to use the dolls for good. I have a lot of cancer patients who buy it. The doll is their cancer, and they can destroy it. And other ways of doing good, like hugging…”
Charles put his hand on Anthony’s and squeezed. “Or like sticking a hypodermic into the heart and wishing for a heart attack.”
Anthony’s glare could have killed a lesser man.
“Relax, Anthony, I’m kidding. Besides, do you really think it was a heart attack?” Charles still had his left hand on Anthony’s while he shoveled food into his face with his right.
“The M.E. said it looks like she didn’t die quickly. They won’t know for sure until tests come back, but she thinks it may have been a slow, painful death. There may’ve been symptoms leading up to Marina’s demise.” Nick rivaled Charles with his ability to clear a plate. He scooped up the last bit of egg with the corner of his waffle and ate it.
“So what’s on your agenda today? More alone time with Eva?” I wanted his reaction.
“Yeah, alone time with Eva, me, her partner, and whoever else has the answers to this case.” Nick put his napkin on the table and drank some water.
“Is there a case? You said you seemed to think there wasn’t.” Personally, I thought Marina had definitely been murdered.
“It’ll probably be another day or so before we know anything for certain,” Nick said.
“Isn’t there some forty-eight hour timeline? Like if you don’t catch the killer, your chances pretty much take a nose dive?” Charles had finished eating, too. He leaned back in his chair.
“In this case, we don’t even know if there is a killer. I may have jumped the gun.”
“Ha ha, jumped the gun. You’re a cop. Jump the gun.” Anthony sounded delirious.
“Anthony, why don’t you head over to the booth? I’ll meet you there in a bit.” Charles took Anthony’s napkin from him and slapped it down on the plate.
Anthony popped out of the chair. “Great idea. All this death and murder talk is depressing.” He nearly knocked over his chair scrambling to leave. “Catch you on the flip side.”
I smiled. Anthony would always be Anthony, even in the face of adversity, stress, or in this case, death. I really wanted to know who killed Marina, and if they put the voodoo doll under her body to make him look guilty.
Charles made sure Anthony was out of earshot before speaking. “Look, Nick, just tell me, is Anthony a suspect?”
“There are no suspects. We aren’t even sure there’s a murder to investigate. When a person dies alone, as is the case with Marina, there is always an autopsy,” Nick explained.
“So what does your gut say? Natural causes or murder?” I was curious to hear what the expert thought.
“I don’t think she died of natural causes, but I’m not a hundred percent sure it’s murder, either.”
I pushed my chair back and stood. “Well, that certainly clears things up. Thanks.”
Before I could leave, Nick said, “I’m betting that slamming her head onto the concrete floor when she fell is what killed her. What made her collapse is a different story. Understand?” He spoke as if I was a rookie, or a small child.
“Got it,” I snapped. “I’m going to help Anthony get set up.”
As I walked away, I heard Nick say, “What’s with her this morning?”
I stepped out of sight, but stopped and waited for Charles’s reply. “Not sure.” I heard him stand up. “Did you two share the room last night?”
Nick said, “Yes.”
“Ah, and no rosy cheeks on the girl. That might explain her mood.” I could hear Charles walking towards me.
I jogged to the elevator, so I wouldn’t be waiting with Charles and Nick. I didn’t want them to know I’d been lingeri
ng. When I got off the elevator, security asked me for identification. I showed him my vendor’s badge, and looked up to see the floor bustling with activity.
Seeing the sign for the bathrooms, I detoured to check my makeup and hair, and to be alone for a minute.
So much for any of the things I’d planned to do in the bathroom. There was a wait for the stalls, the counter was lined with women doing their makeup and hair, and I was definitely not going to be alone. I left and headed to the booth, only to run into Charles and Nick.
Charles wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “So, you didn’t get laid last night, huh?”
Nick’s eyes went wide with Charles’ question. I nearly fainted.
“Nope. Last night was all business.” I elbowed him hard in the ribs for good measure. “You?”
“I don’t kiss and tell.” Charles zipped his lips.
“Since when?” I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Okay then,” Nick said, clearly uncomfortable. “I’ll be meeting with Eva this morning to check some things out and see if the preliminary results are in. But I’m all yours for at least an hour before she gets here.”
We walked the rest of the way in silence.
Just before we arrived at the booth, Charles said, “Nick, you go ahead. I wanted to show Mimi this booth I just adore.”
Nick walked on, and Charles and I went in the other direction. I knew there was something else going on, because Charles wasn’t into this kind of thing.
“What’s up?” We stopped just around the corner.
“I don’t care what Nick says, the bitch was murdered,” Charles whispered.
“Why are you whispering?” It was so loud in the room, no one would overhear us.
“I’m not,” he said in a normal tone.
“I agree that she was murdered. There are just so many people here with a motive.” I looked both ways down the aisle. “We just have to find the other pieces.”
“Pieces?” Charles looked flummoxed.
“Anything that will give us a clue as to the method, motive, and opportunity.”
“But the police aren’t even investigating yet. And when the shit starts to hit the fan, I want Anthony as far away as possible. I just don’t think he can handle being a suspect.” Charles shoved his hands in the pockets of his khakis.
“What do you suggest? We investigate on our own?” Now I was intrigued.
“Why not? It’s what we do for a living. I can’t get my hands on any computer equipment to find a trail, but I’ll bet we can find some people who’ll talk.”
Charles was right. She was dead and there wasn’t a damn thing we could do about it. But Anthony could be fragile when stressed, so it was best to figure it out before the cops came to ask him questions.
“I’m in.” I was suddenly excited. “What should we do?”
“We can’t let on that we are looking into anything. Anthony will get nervous, and Nick will be pissed.” The conspiracy was on!
“Fine. Any suggestions as to how to proceed?” I paused. “If not, I have a few ideas.”
“I’m all ears.” Charles was actually all teeth, as his grin was from ear to ear.
55
The morning started off fairly well for Anthony. His booth was busy with visitors and many buyers and lookers took his business cards, but only a few were given his brochures. Anthony is a smart businessman, and he only gives his brochures to serious buyers who are willing to trade business information. If they want a brochure, they give him their contact information. Follow up is so important, and brochures are expensive, so he can’t afford to hand them out freely.
About an hour after the show opened, I could feel some frustration emanating from Anthony. Even though traffic was good, the sales were not. The tension between Charles and Anthony had become palpable. So I figured this would be a good time to implement our investigative plan of attack.
I was about to announce my trip to the bathroom when Eva arrived. Just the person I wanted to see. Not.
“Eva, so nice to see you this morning,” I said, smiling.
“You too, Mimi. I hope Nick didn’t wake you up when he got in last night.” There was something in her tone that made me think there was more to this.
“No, as a matter of fact, he was asleep when I got back to the room.”
“Wow, you are a night owl. Not Nick, he fell asleep at my place, and it wasn’t even that late.” She looked over at Nick. “But it wasn’t early either, now was it?”
Nick’s cheeks flamed. “Thanks for the ride home. I know it was late.”
“Well, he must have slept well, because he was wide awake and in a mood when I climbed into bed.” Take that!
I wanted to vomit all over Eva’s pretty silk blouse. I looked her up and down, and was pretty sure she hadn’t been dressed so nice the day before. More cleavage and more leg. Definitely more leg, since she was wearing a skirt today. But her face wasn’t quite so smug now.
“Isn’t it hard to chase down the bad guys in a mini skirt and heels?” Charles to the rescue.
“I try not to do much chasing. And when I do, let me tell you, I can run like a mad woman barefooted. Just kick these babies off and call me FloJo.” Eva kicked up her heel.
“Now there’s a cop show I’d like to see.” I couldn’t tell if Charles was being facetious or not.
Under my breath, I said, “FloJo is dead.” Then I looked up and said to myself, “Sorry, FloJo, I really liked you.”
“I’m going to leave you three to sell your hearts out,” Nick said. “I’ll probably be leaving this afternoon, so I’ll see you back in Salinas.”
“Leaving so soon?” Charles sounded miffed.
“Not much for me to do here. The booth is set up, and I’m definitely not a salesman. Besides, with me here the booth is a bit overcrowded.” Nick walked off with Eva, who looked over her shoulder and waved, then slipped her arm in Nick’s.
“That bitch,” I fumed. “I hate her.”
“Relax, you don’t even know her,” Charles said. “But I’m sure if you did, you’d be saying the same thing. I’m not sure I like her much, either.”
“FloJo? Seriously? She couldn’t hold a candle to her, dead or alive. But she’s not hard to look at,” Anthony interjected.
We both turned to look at Anthony.
Defensively, Anthony added, “What, just because I like boys doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a hot girl.”
“Great, just what I needed.” I flopped down in the folding chair.
Charles mussed my hair. “Oh, honey, she’s not that hot.”
I saw Anthony mouth, “Oh, yes, she is.”
I picked up a voodoo doll and threw it at him.
Anthony caught it in the air. “Hey, that’s one of my most expensive dolls. Be nice to it, or it’ll put a curse on you without anyone’s help.”
Charles watched as Nick and Eva turned the corner at the far end of the room. “And Mimi, dear, you don’t need any extra help in the curse department. I think you may have it bad for the wrong man.”
Why is it that the truth always feels like a slap in the face? Charles was right; I had it bad for Nick. I’d been doing so well when I hadn’t seen or talked to him. But now that we’d slept in the same bed together last night, I had my knickers in a twist for him again. Granted, he wasn’t at all interested in even seeing me, much less touching me, but that was beside the point.
“Okay, I need some coffee. I’ll leave now, so you two can talk about me.” I stood and grabbed my handbag.
I stepped out of the booth to see a large group of men and women striding down our aisle.
“Hopefully we won’t have time to even think about you, much less talk about you,” Charles said to me, then to the group he said, “Come to Papa.”
I laughed and headed away from the throng of buyers. At least I hoped they were buyers, and I hoped they bought Anthony’s dolls.
As I approached the elevators I heard my name and looked up to see Zack.
“Good morning.”
I took in his young face and nice body. He wore dress pants and a starched shirt with a lavender tie. “Don’t you look handsome this morning?”
“Thanks. I think the tie may be a bit much, but Uncle Willard wanted to change things up, since Marina isn’t here to boss everyone around.”
He followed me into the elevator.
“I can’t believe you and Willard are here working as if nothing happened.” I was shocked to see them in their booth, smiling and laughing, and doing business as usual.
“Willard needs to keep busy. He can’t leave until the police decide whether Aunt Marina died of natural causes or not. Until they do, the M.E. won’t release her body.” He pressed the button for the lobby.
“Where are you going?” I was beyond curious why he was leaving the booth when that crowd was working their way toward it.
“I’m on a break. It’s a long day, and we all have scheduled breaks. So I’m headed for some caffeine reinforcement.”
The elevator had reached the lobby, and I hadn’t even thought to press any buttons, so I got off with him. A total gentleman, he held the door.
“I have to say, if I lived in California, I’d be asking you for your phone number. I’ll bet we’d make a great team.” He looked me up and down as he said this.
“Ha, thanks, but I don’t think so. You’re a bit young.”
What was it with me and these young boys lately? First Sebastian, now Zack.
“I’m thirty. Not so young.” He reached for his wallet to show me.
“No, I believe you.” I put my hand up. “You probably get carded all the time.”
Zack smiled.
I lied and told him I was getting coffee, too. I was getting coffee, but I’d planned to sit in my nice, quiet hotel room and have a cup or two while checking on things at the agency. That could wait.
I saw Eva and Nick in the reception area as we walked by. They were in conversation with Eva’s partner, Harry. I don’t think I’d have noticed them, but I felt someone looking at me.
Gotcha Detective Agency Mystery Box Set Page 43
