I shook my head, feeling my shoulders finally begin to relax as the warm, night air unthawed me. God, they kept their air-conditioning low. Something I still wasn’t used to. I was lucky if I got to use a fan in the summer growing up. What was I doing? What if I hadn’t been holding the box with Princess’s stuff when Robert walked in? What if he would’ve walked in while I was on her laptop? There would have been no way to talk my way out of that. I had to be more careful.
Sunday afternoon the sky was beginning to swell with heavy, charcoal clouds to the south. I flicked the Frisbee once more for Buddha and watched him lumber across the span of sand toward its general landing area. True to form, he got distracted by the possibility of a snack in a pile of seaweed and abandoned the toy. Shaking my head as an excited terrier claimed it, I walked into the warm water up to my knees, enjoying the gentle rocking of the tide against my bare legs.
There were never waves here, just soft white caps that peaked like meringue and dissolved as gently. I let my gaze wonder up to the wooden ramp that marked the entrance of the dog beach. Though I’d never been self-conscious in a bathing suit before – I practically grew up in one – I was reluctant to pull off my cover-up knowing Devon would be here any moment. Instead, I dipped down and cupped some sea water to wet my arms and sticky-with-sweat neck.
A bright yellow jet ski came roaring into view from the distance. I watched in fascination as Devon, with Petey balanced on the seat in front of him, maneuvered the jet ski into the shallower water beside me. Devon shot me a grin as he removed Petey’s life vest, tossed it on to the beach and let him jump down. Buddha butt-wiggled his way over to greet his new friend and the two dogs sniffed and play bowed to each other.
‘I can see by the suspicious look you’re giving me, you’ve never been on a jet ski,’ Devon teased as I waded closer to him.
‘That would be a safe assumption.’ I crossed my arms, feeling exceptionally vulnerable. The man was dangerous enough without being perched atop a loud, fast machine.
Devon scooted forward, then reached up, grabbed my hand and, before I knew it, I was seated on the contraption behind him. ‘Time to change that.’
‘Wait!’ Terrified, though of what I had no idea, I scrambled to find any excuse to stop this madness. ‘I don’t want my cover-up to get wet.’
He turned his head so I had an up-close-and-personal view of that dimple when he smiled. ‘Then take it off.’ His feet dug in the sand as he began to push us out into the deeper water. With a growl of frustration, I ripped the thing off over my head and tossed it toward the shore, barely making it past the wet sand. His back was warm and my traitorous body happily pressed against it.
‘What about the dogs?’ I screeched, feeling the anxiety of being out of control grip my lungs like a fist.
‘They’ll be fine. We’ll stay close to shore.’ At that, he had apparently had enough talking and gunned the jet ski, sending it bouncing and flying through the water at what I thought was a reckless speed.
I pressed myself against Devon’s back, my heart pounding, my arms wrapped around his waist, and my face buried in his shoulder. The wind was ripping at my ponytail, whipping it around my face as the sea spray soaked my whole body. Too terrified to scream, I held my whole being in a clenched ball and silently pleaded for it to be over.
After a few harrowing minutes of planning my own funeral, I peeked over Devon’s shoulder and gasped. Fresh sea air rushed into my lungs. Whoa! Wondrous, endless ocean flew up to meet us, disappearing beneath us just as quickly. It was … exhilarating. I was alive. I felt myself smiling and loosened my death grip just a bit. And then suddenly, I was laughing. Laughing as Devon did a sliding turn and laughing as he went against our own wake, jumping and landing roughly and turning a circle to do it again. As he tore through the water back toward the dogs, I lifted a fist in the air and yelled, ‘Wahoo!’ I felt Devon’s stomach contract with laughter under my hand.
I watched Petey bark and splash into the water to greet our return. Buddha waded up to his belly and stared at me curiously as Devon maneuvered the jet ski back to shore. With a start, I realized I had my bikini-clad body pressed up against this solid specimen of man. It was a good time to practice being in the moment. I moved my attention to the warmth of the place where our skin touched, feeling his muscles move under my skin. I breathed in the faint minty scent of his damp hair, felt the rumble of his words in my own chest as he greeted the dogs. When he let his hand fall to my thigh and squeezed gently, I nearly moaned aloud.
Instead, I dismounted on trembling legs, pushing aside all the emotions going with him on that crazy ride had stirred within me. Retrieving my cover-up from the sand, I floated back to where I’d thrown my towels.
‘So, what’d you think?’ Devon had plopped down in the sand and was grinning up at me.
I spread out my favorite, well-worn dolphin print beach towel and sat down next to him, not caring any more that I was in a bikini in front of him. What I just did was way more vulnerable an act than being half naked.
What did I think? I think you somehow understand my needs more than I do. ‘It was fun.’
‘Fun.’ Devon squinted at me curiously. ‘Yeah, that, too.’ Thunder rumbled in the distance. He looked up at the gathering clouds now moving quickly in on us. ‘It’s about to bucket down. So, let’s get to it then. How’d the party go?’
‘Awful … but productive.’ I released my hair from the ponytail to let the intensifying wind dry it out as I talked. I noted Devon’s attention as he watched it tumble over my shoulder and a tiny feeling of power surged through me. ‘First of all, I had to actually get stuck with a needle. In my forehead. More than once. Though, I did manage to steal a bottle of Botox, so that goes to show how accessible it is.’
‘Naughty girl,’ Devon said, taking the found Frisbee from Petey and tossing it down the beach. The contraction of his bare, muscular arm did not go unnoticed by me. Power, it seemed, was a two-way street.
I ignored his muscles and his teasing. ‘And then, I found Celeste’s belongings in boxes in Robert’s office. You were right, he had her laptop and “Princess” worked as the password to gain access. There was an email there from a few days before she died, from her friend, Billie Olsen, the lady who took Princess. It was basically a confession. Apparently she’s been in love with Celeste all along and she hoped Celeste could feel the same way about her since her divorce was final.’
Thunder rumbled again, this time louder as Devon stared out at the ocean. He lifted his gaze to me. I blushed. I still wasn’t used to how blue his eyes were, especially in the outdoor lighting, and how much they affected me.
‘Good work. Rejection is definitely a motive for murder, if in fact she was rejected. We need to find out if that was the case. And if so, did this Billie Olsen person go to a Botox party recently or have any other way of getting her hands on some?’
I suddenly sat up, gasping as I remembered something. ‘Oh my god … BO …’ I smacked myself in the forehead. ‘I can’t believe I forgot to tell you this when I showed you the mudbath room. When Celeste died, she had written “BO” in the mud. I assumed she was trying to write “Botox” but what if it was initials? What if she was naming her killer and wrote BO for Billie Olsen?’
‘Huh.’ Devon stared at me for a moment. ‘That’s interesting. Yeah, I suppose that’s a possibility. All right. We need to talk to this woman ASAP.’
The wind picked up and the dogs came over to lay down by us. I noticed the few people who had been on the beach were hurrying to gather their things. I hated to have Devon disappointed in me, but he needed to know everything that happened at the party. ‘Devon, there’s one more thing.’
His eyes glittered as he watched me. ‘There always is.’
‘Robert kind of walked in on me while I was going through the boxes in his office.’ I held up my hand as I saw the concern harden his features. ‘I think I dealt with any suspicion he had. I simply told him I was looking for Princess’s t
hings to take with me when I visited Billie, and I didn’t want to bother him. It didn’t hurt I was holding the actual box with Princess’s things when he walked in.’
‘What did he say?’
‘He said he’d have the box put in my car. Which he did. That’s all. No other drama.’
The wind was whipping the towels around now, and the first fat drops of rain were landing around us. He stood and held his hand out to me. I took it and let him pull me up.
‘Try to get a visit set up with Billie Olsen for Wednesday evening if possible. I won’t be back on the island until then.’ I felt my heart sink at that news. Again, I questioned my disappointment. It had been a week and a half since Celeste was killed. We should be working every day to clear Ira. But, even as that thought congealed, I knew I was lying to myself. I wanted to spend more time with Devon. Some friend I was.
He held eye contact but let go of my hand. ‘You did good, Elle.’ With a parting smile, he ran toward the jet ski. Petey was at his heels as the sky opened up, dumping cold rain on us all.
FOURTEEN
Wednesday morning I checked my phone after class. Oh no. There were about twenty missed calls from Hope. She was in panic mode. Something had happened. I closed the studio doors and called her back.
‘Oh my god, Elle, it’s happened. They’ve arrested Ira for Celeste’s death. They came right into his office! His secretary, Anna, she called and told me. They took him out right in front of his patients. Can you imagine? He’s probably so devastated right now. What am I going to do?’
I plopped down on the wood floor and began to rub Buddha’s warm belly to calm myself so I could be strong for her. ‘First, you’re going to take a deep breath. Have you called your lawyer?’
‘Yes, he was going to the Clearwater police station immediately. He said they’re charging Ira with involuntary manslaughter, so he’ll probably have to spend the night in jail for a few days until he has a bail hearing! Elle, Ira in jail … it’s just too horrible to think about. He doesn’t belong there.’ She was sobbing quietly now. I could just picture her hiding her face in a towel like she always did when she was trying not to let anyone hear her cry.
‘I know.’ I fought back my own tears. I couldn’t stand it when she was upset. ‘OK, listen. Devon and I have come up with a lead on someone. We’re going to talk to this person of interest tonight so I want you to stay strong, OK? We both know Ira is innocent and we’re going to prove it. As far as being in jail, you’ll probably have to put up a pretty high sum for bail, but then he can go home and wait until this is all figured out from there.’
‘But he won’t be able to practice. What if everyone believes he did this? They’ll be afraid of going to him, and his practice will be ruined. He loves his work, Elle. I know he won’t be happy doing anything else.’
I felt her panicking, even over the phone. ‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, OK. Once the real killer is found, no one will be afraid to go to him.’
Hope took a shuddering breath. ‘Do you believe Devon can find out who really killed Celeste?’
Did I? Yes, I did. I wholeheartedly believed in Devon Burke. ‘Absolutely.’
Hope sniffed. ‘And not just because he’s hot, right?’
A small laugh escaped me and I swiped at my eyes with the back of my hand. ‘There’s the Hope I love. No, not just because he’s hot.’
She sighed. ‘I love you, too, Elle. Thank you for talking me down. Keep me updated with what Devon finds out, OK?’
I had a sudden thought. Since Ira was paying for Devon’s services maybe he should be talking with them. ‘Do you want me to have him call you directly?’
‘No, I’m a mess right now. I can’t even think straight. You just keep us updated, and I’ll do the same.’
Billie Olsen lived in Seaspray, which were stunning two-story Mediterranean villas situated on the south-west corner of the island and bordered on both sides by mansions. The whole middle of Moon Key was a first-rate golf course with condos, villas, homes and businesses built between the golf course and the shoreline. Being between the Gulf and golf, I silently mused. It was a rich man’s ménage à trois.
‘Elle Pressley to see Billie Olsen,’ Devon said to the gate guard. He had picked me and Buddha up and, once again, he was going to play the part of my boyfriend so we didn’t raise suspicion. I wasn’t complaining.
‘Have a great day, Mr Pressley.’ The guard buzzed us in after checking his log.
‘Don’t even,’ Devon said, throwing me an unamused glance at the guard’s mistake.
After I stopped laughing I asked, ‘Does it ever strike you as funny that every place you go here is gated and guarded? I mean, just to get on the island requires a first-born child, so who exactly are they protecting themselves from? Each other?’
Devon chuckled and then his expression sobered. ‘One thing I learned from my da, Elle, is money comes with a certain amount of necessary paranoia.’
I frowned. I wasn’t sure money was worth having if you had to spend your whole time worrying about who was going to take it away. Oh well. ‘She said to follow the loop around to the second set of villas.’
Devon followed my directions. He had been quiet this whole ride, and I began to wonder if something was bothering him. I wanted to ask him about his trip this week off island but didn’t feel like we knew each other well enough for that.
‘You can park here.’
I helped Buddha down from the back seat as Devon grabbed the box of Princess’s things.
‘Come on in.’ Billie was a wiry, petite woman who exuded inner strength. She greeted us with a sad smile and opened the door wide so Devon could get the box through. My heart squeezed at the sight of Princess, who sniffed Buddha with exuberance. We exchanged greetings and Billie bent down to give Buddha a pat. ‘What a beautiful dog. What is he?’
‘The vet seems to think he’s an American bulldog mix. I hope you don’t mind me bringing him. I thought it might help Princess to see a familiar face.’
‘Not at all. It’s very thoughtful of you to visit and bring Princess her things. Come sit down. Can I get you some fresh iced tea? Coffee?’
With mounting trepidation, I glanced around at the spotless, white-themed living room. The furniture was white, bleached coral and white seashells adorned every flat surface, and if I had to hazard a guess at the paint color on the walls, it would be ‘White Elephant in a Snowstorm White’. ‘Sure, tea would be great.’
‘Perfect. Be right back, make yourselves at home.’
Moving a pearled silk pillow out of the way, I took a seat tentatively on her white suede sofa and picked a dog hair off my pants. I’d never felt so unclean.
Devon placed the box on the floor and sat down so close to me our thighs were touching. He put his arm around the back of the sofa behind me. I shot him an annoyed look, but he didn’t notice. He was studying the room. His gaze stopped on a photo of Billie and Celeste resting on the fireplace mantle. They were on some sugar-sand beach, their arms thrown around each other, smiling with fruity umbrella drinks in their hands.
I felt Buddha’s full weight as he leaned up against my leg. Princess had apparently tired of sniffing him and made one graceful leap into my lap.
‘Hey there, girl.’ I scratched under her tiny ears and let her give me a couple of wet chin kisses. She smelled like she’d just gotten a bath. ‘How’re you holding up?’
‘Should I be jealous?’ Devon was staring at me with that sexy half-smile of his.
‘I don’t think pretend boyfriends are allowed to get jealous.’ I planted a kiss between Princess’s eyes for good measure and then sat her on the floor so I could dig the Pampered Pup gourmet treats out of my bag. I gave one to each dog and placed the rest of the bag of treats on the glass coffee table … next to a sculpture of a white mermaid.
‘She seems to be settling in here.’ Billie emerged from the kitchen with a tray of glasses, placing them on the other side of the mermaid. ‘At first she cried
a lot, especially at night and seemed to be searching the house for Celeste.’
I heard the catch in Billie’s throat at saying her name. She really did care about Celeste. Picking up a glass of tea I motioned to the photo. ‘And how are you holding up? Looks like you and Celeste were close.’
She stared off in the distance, her hand absent-mindedly clutching a gold rope chain at her neck. Her hand was noticeably quaking, which surprised me. ‘We’ve been best friends for twenty years. Honestly, I still can’t believe she’s gone. I still go to call her and then remember …’
‘I’m so sorry for your loss. I can’t even imagine losing my best friend,’ I said and meant it.
Devon’s hand dropped to my shoulder, and he pulled me closer to him. ‘I couldn’t either. Especially one I loved so much.’
I indulged myself and leaned into his solid chest, taking a sip of the iced tea to cool off as Billie smiled warmly at us. ‘Yes. I suppose now that there’s nothing to lose, I can admit it out loud. She was the love of my life. I’m lucky in a way. I did get to tell her that before she died.’
‘And did she share your feelings?’ Devon’s voice was full of empathy. Was he faking it to get her to talk? Somehow I didn’t think so. He wanted her to talk, but the empathy was real.
Billie sighed and stroked Princess, who had curled up into a ball beside her on the love seat. ‘No.’ A tear rolled down her cheek. She didn’t bother to wipe it away. ‘She didn’t.’
‘That must have been hard,’ Devon offered. His thumb was gently rubbing my arm and giving me chills. I wondered if he was even conscious of what he was doing.
‘Honestly, it broke my heart. But, I was willing to settle for friendship.’
‘So, it didn’t change your friendship then?’
She forced a smile through the tears. ‘Well, she did stop taking my calls for a few days but I know she just had to sort through her feelings and needed time. That’s just the way she handled things. We would have been fine. Had she lived.’
Faux Pas Page 9
