“OK. I’ll try to give him the benefit of the doubt,” I said.
“That’s all I’m asking. You wanted me to relax and have fun. That’s just what I’m doing. And if things go further with him, then so be it. I mean, it would be wonderful to have a man in my life again.” Her voice drifted away.
“You’re in luck!” Cecil bellowed from behind us. I didn’t know if he purposely startled us, but the result was the same. Max and I both jumped.
I turned and he handed me my cocktail. The luxuriously pink liquid was adorned with a skewer of berries and a sprig of mint. It was all I could do to not gulp down the entire thing. I took a sip and set it on the table.
“And for milady.” He placed Mom’s drink on the table. “A champagne cocktail. Elegance for royalty.”
“Oooo,” Mom squealed and took a sip. “This is so good.” She looked at Cecil with hearts in her eyes.
He sat and took Mom’s hand again, like he owned her. “Mabel, I had a brainstorm I want to share with you. Now, it’s just an idea at this point.”
“OK.” Mom’s voice was quieter, more tentative. Maybe Cecil’s armor was cracking, just a bit.
“So I was thinking for your hotel, you could add an ice rink.” He sat back in his chair, looking down his nose at Mom.
She looked at me and back at Cecil. I hoped this was it. That she would take the opportunity to dash his plans. “I love it!” she exclaimed.
My shoulders slumped. I took a couple of gulps of the vodka. If I interjected now, it would only embolden Mom toward his idea.
“I’m so happy to hear you say that.” Cecil continued holding Mom’s hand as if he had a spell over her. “I think it would be an excellent investment. I’ve been looking for just the right place for my money for a while. I think this is the perfect fit.”
My heart sank. How could I get Mom extricated from this quicksand? She was sinking deeper into his grasp by the second. She turned in her chair. “Chloe, I know we just finished a big renovation, but do you think Paul could do this? It would really put us on the map for good.” She returned to Cecil, not waiting for an answer. But then again, it wasn’t really a question, more a statement of her plan. “Paul is Chloe’s boyfriend. He did the construction for our expansion. And it’s beautiful.”
Cecil looked at me. I gave my best fake grin. His planting of that seed in Mom’s head was a stroke of genius on his part. He stared me down, daring me to contradict Mom. “Well, it’s settled then.”
It was far from settled. I needed to regroup and get Mom away from him. I caught a blur from my left side as Max sped around the table toward Cecil. He jumped up and pawed Cecil’s head, dislodging what was clearly a toupee. Cecil shoved Max and righted his hairpiece. If I couldn’t convince Mom that Cecil wasn’t what he appeared to be, maybe my boy could do it.
CHAPTER NINE
I melted into the lounge chair as Max began his playtime. How could I strategize an angle to get Mom away from Cecil? There was just one more event where they would be together. After the Cats show, my sole focus was to complete our trip unscathed by Cecil’s scams. It wouldn’t be easy. He seemed experienced in wooing women. Mom was blinded to his motives, only seeing his fawning all over her. And it was working. No way could I straight-up tell her what was going on. She had to come to the conclusion herself.
This puppy playground had it all. They had set up an automatic ball-throwing machine to launch them into the pool. Max sprinted alongside the pool to the point where the ball entered and jumped to catch it. So far he had caught almost every single one. I was convinced if I let him go indefinitely, he would play until he dropped. As it was, every time he got out of the pool, his tongue was hanging further out of his mouth as he panted. He was going to sleep well later. This would be a super fun setup to have back home. Note to self: talk to Pearl about expanding her pooch pampering business to add a play area.
Me napping? Not so much. Luke’s murder continued to weigh on my mind. The fact that a killer freely roamed the ship quite unnerved me. I wracked my brain to remember anyone near the salon as we left the other day. Everyone I saw looked like a suspect. I shook my head to clear the confusion.
Think logically, Chloe. It’s one of your best skills. OK, first up was obviously Shirley. She was with the body and the only one there when we arrived. She conveyed a strong impression that she was jealous of Luke getting the rich clients, and thus, the lucrative tips. But enough to kill him? Her demeanor since his death had been euphoric. And David wasn’t a fan of Luke’s work either, blaming him for his shoddy hair and makeup job for the Cats production. And Luke possibly costing David a better role in the show.
A shadow blocked the sun from my left side. I looked up to see the captain. “Hi, Chloe. I’m so sorry to bother you, but I really need to get a formal statement on Luke’s death. Anything you can tell us.” Two crew members flanked the captain.
I shaded my eyes. “Of course. I need to tear Max away. You’ve really got a winner on your hands with this dog play area.”
The captain chuckled. “I’m pretty sure the dogs have as much, if not more, fun than their owners. I’m glad he likes it.”
I stood and called Max over, grabbing two towels to absorb the water from his long fur. His energy level remained as high as it was before he started.
As I finished, the captain said, “Right this way.” He and his entourage turned and led us out of the play area. Max and I fell in line like soldiers.
The captain turned and asked, “What has been your favorite activity so far?” We continued our trek to what I guessed was going to be his office.
“We enjoyed the karaoke. That was my first time. Max and I did a duet. I might even consider adding that to our events back home at our hotel.” We wound our way through an extensive labyrinth of hallways that eventually opened into a conference room with a desk at one end.
The captain held the door for everyone to enter, then closed it behind us and drew the curtain on the door for privacy. He took a seat at the head of the table and gestured for me to sit along one side. The two crew members sat opposite me. Max joined me at the table, not missing a thing. My stomach churned. My hands clammed up. Flashbacks of sitting in the principal’s office flew through my head. I swallowed and took a deep breath.
“Thank again, Chloe. Don’t hold anything back. You might think something isn’t relevant, but let us make that decision. Can you start from the point you found Luke?”
I scooted my chair closer to the table, then looked at the crew and back at the captain. “My mom, Mabel, had an early morning appointment to get her hair done. When we were in the salon, it was just Luke.”
The crew members furiously took notes. When they paused, I continued, “She realized when we got back to our cabin that she had left her purse in the salon. We returned to get it and found Luke on the floor. And Shirley stood over him, crying hysterically.” I paused and looked at the captain, and he nodded.
“It was quite a mess. An overwhelming odor of huckleberry hit us as we entered. Strangely, someone had emptied most of a can of the huckleberry hairspray onto his head. And his hair looked like he had just gotten out of bed.”
I concluded two notetakers were necessary in order to make sure they captured all of the statement. They finished writing and looked up, signaling they were ready for more.
The captain interjected, “Can you tell us about the conversation with Luke?”
I paused and looked at Max, buying time for my memory to kick in. I reached over and put my hand on his back, feeling his warmth and steady pulse. Turning back to the captain, I said, “It was just small talk. You know. What do you do back home kinds of things?” What else was there?
The captain prompted, “Did he mention the show Cats?”
I looked at Max for guidance. He shook his head no.
The captain stared at Max and looked at me. “It’s almost as if he understands what we’re talking about.”
I smiled. “You’d be surpris
ed.” I petted my boy. At times, he’d uncovered more clues than the police.
“Well, we’re almost done,” the captain said. “Did Luke happen to mention anyone else?” He looked at the crew members.
I had a feeling there was something specific they were looking for but couldn’t lead the witness. For the life of me, I couldn’t think of anything relevant.
I shrugged. “Not really. He did say there was someone he wanted to introduce Mom to but never mentioned a name. Only intimated they would really hit it off.”
The captain gave a slight nod as if he heard what he expected. Max barked to put an exclamation on the point. “I might just have to put that little guy on the payroll. I’m not at liberty to share any details. But there was more going on with Luke than met the eye. We’ve suspected for some time there was nefarious activity but could never get any specifics or clues. Chloe, you’ve been incredibly helpful. For your troubles, I’m happy to gift you and your mom another trip if you’d like.”
Max barked. The captain stood and said, “And Max, too, of course.”
I stood and shook the captain’s hand. “I don’t know if we were all that helpful.”
He escorted us to the door. “More than you know, Chloe. Thank you again.” He closed the door behind us as we headed back to meet up with Mom.
The captain’s secrecy about the person Luke mentioned prompted me to suspect that person was involved in some way. But who was it? And were they the killer? And what was their motive?
I stepped a little lighter as we worked our way back to the cabin. A Cecil-free day was on my agenda.
CHAPTER TEN
The hallway floor rumbled from the music coming from the salon. Through the glass door I saw Shirley bebopping around her station, using a hairbrush as a microphone.
Mom stopped just outside the door and turned toward me. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head.
I answered her expression. “I know, Mom. But what are you going to do?”
She grabbed the door handle and yanked. The noise assaulted our entire being, halting us in our tracks. Mom covered her ears with her hands.
Thankfully, Shirley saw us and ran to turn down the volume. “I’m sorry. I’m just so happy. I couldn’t contain my excitement. Come on in.” She waved us toward the check-in counter. Shirley’s gum smacking was inches from Mom’s face.
She turned and glared at me again. Looking back at Shirley, she asked, “Is there anyone else who can do my hair?”
Shirley looked at me and tapped her long fingernail on the counter. “Um, nope. Just me.”
Mom looked at the empty salon like she was willing someone else into existence. “Well, I want to look nice for the show. So I guess it will have to do.” She marched over to Shirley’s station and plopped her rear into the chair.
Shirley continued gazing at me. I shrugged and headed to the seats in the waiting area.
She came up behind Mom and looked at her hair. “You have lovely hair,” she said.
Mom wriggled in her seat, softening to Shirley’s attempt at conversation. “Well, Luke did it before. He was a genius.” Mom placed her hand on her heart.
Shirley tilted her head and made eye contact with Mom in the mirror. In a somber voice, she said, “It’s so sad, what happened to him. I just can’t imagine who would do that to another person.” She fluffed Mom’s hair. “So what can I do for you today?” Her voice raised a few octaves. Her emotions seemed to rotate on a dime.
“Can you do it just like Luke did?” Mom asked.
“I’ll do my best. Each stylist does things a little differently, you know,” Shirley said, attempting to set expectations for an alternate result. “You know, I am also now the stylist for the Cats show.”
“I heard,” Mom said in a deadpan expression.
Shirley retrieved a comb from her supply and began working it through Mom’s hair, all the while smacking her gum.
“Can you get rid of that gum?” Mom asked.
Shirley stopped in her tracks. “Pardon me?”
“That gum smacking is driving me nuts,” Mom replied.
I agreed with Mom about the annoyance factor of the gum. She was usually the one to speak up about those things, even if it was said in a somewhat crass way.
Shirley took the gum and tossed it in the trash. Without a word, she went to the sink, washed her hands, and returned to her spot behind Mom. “As I was saying, I’m now the hairdresser for Cats, so I have the experience to do your hair however you’d like.”
Not convinced, Mom replied, “I’d like it to be as close to how Luke did it as possible. Chloe,” Mom yelled over to me. “Next time I get my hair done just perfectly, let’s remember to take a picture in case the stylist isn’t around.”
“OK, Mom,” I said. That was actually a pretty good idea.
As Shirley began her work styling Mom’s hair, I picked up a magazine from the side table to distract me. Mom could be a handful, especially if you didn’t have the experience with her direct nature. I only hoped for Shirley’s sake that Mom would soften by the time the appointment was over. I was confident that Shirley would do a good job, even if Mom wasn’t. Their conversation quieted, now a murmur in the background. Shirley kept a smiling face, in spite of how she may have felt about her client.
Not long into my peaceful respite, Max leapt from the chair next to me and sped to the opposite end of the salon. I stood to see the object of his attention, and Shirley stopped her work. Max had both of his front feet onto a counter with displays of wigs. The specific mannequin he was attacking had a toupee, suspiciously like the one Cecil had worn.
I walked to the other end of the salon to rescue the hair pieces. “Max,” I admonished. He grabbed the toupee and was flinging it from side to side as if he were rescuing me from a wild animal. “Max,” I said again.
He looked at me, the hair protruding from both sides of his mouth.
I pointed to the ground. “Drop it.”
He reluctantly complied. “I’m so sorry. I’ll pay for that,” I said to Shirley.
She and Mom were still watching the show. “He really went after that. Like he was angry or something,” Shirley said.
I tossed the toupee in the garbage, sure it was ruined beyond repair. Max returned to his chair and sat tall, obviously proud of his conquest. I suspected Shirley was on to something. I couldn’t blame Max. “You sure have a lot of wigs and toupees,” I said.
Shirley turned back to continue styling Mom’s hair. It was actually looking even better than Luke’s handiwork, in my opinion. “You’d be surprised how many we sell. I think people come on a cruise and want to pretend they’re a different person while they’re away. And we actually sell more toupees than wigs.”
“Really?” Mom piped up.
Shirley nodded. “Yes. Men can be more interested in their looks than women, sometimes. It gives them a chance to try it out in a relatively safe space.”
“Well, I like going natural. I’m proud of my gray hair, every one of these strands hard-earned.” Mom sat taller and patted her head.
Shirley stepped to the side of Mom’s chair and looked at her in the mirror. “You’re right, Mabel. But just for fun, let’s see what one looks like on you.” Shirley retrieved a blond, shoulder-length number from its mannequin and set it on the counter in front of Mom.
“Nah,” Mom said half-heartedly.
Taking her cue, Shirley removed the wig from the Styrofoam head and placed it on Mom. She fluffed and straightened it to make it look natural. That was a courageous move given how their interaction began. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. Shirley clasped her hands together under her chin, waiting for the response.
Mom fluffed and straightened some more, turning her head from side to side.
Shirley handed her a mirror and swiveled the chair for Mom to see the back of her head.
The silence was killing me. “What do you think, Mom?”
Shirley returned the chair to face the mirror. “You kn
ow, I’m not hating it,” she said.
Maybe it was being sequestered on a ship that prompted an adventurous nature that might otherwise go undiscovered.
Shirley laughed and removed the wig. “You just let me know, Mabel, and I’ll hook you up.” Shirley finished up Mom’s hair and topped it off with a little huckleberry hairspray. Shirley removed Mom’s cape and stepped back. “What do you think?”
Mom stood and stepped back from the mirror, taking in her whole silhouette. “Well, maybe Luke wasn’t the genius he made himself out to be. Not to speak ill of the dead. But Shirley, I think you outdid him.” She continued to preen.
Shirley gave a little golf clap. “Mabel, I’m so happy. And give that wig some thought. You’ll be the talk of the town when you get back home.”
Well, if Shirley didn’t just hit the sweet spot with Mom. Fodder for the garden club gossip fest.
Mom puffed her chest out and strolled her regal self out of the salon. “I will. Thank you, my dear.” Shirley wasn’t just a magician with hair, she was a wizard with tough personalities.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
With Mom’s hair done and ready for the show this evening, we decided to stay indoors to preserve Shirley’s creation. We had a big day ahead of us so we made our way to the lunch buffet to fuel up.
“You know, Chloe, I just might go back and get that blonde wig. I mean, how fun would that be to walk into the garden club meeting wearing that? I’d be the talk of the town for years.”
I needed to choose my words carefully. We approached the smaller dining room and my stomach rumbled. I could smell the food from the hallway. “Well, Mom. I think if you want to do it, you should.”
Crocuses and Corpses (Treehouse Hotel Mysteries Book 5) Page 4
