Odds Ball (Margot and Odds Cozy Mystery Book 3)

by Audrey Claire

  “But he found her,” Margot said.

  Jimmy scratched the back of his head. “Seems like it, but I wonder.”

  Margot leaned toward him and lowered her voice. “You think Zabrina let him find her so she could kill him?”

  Jimmy’s gaze met hers. A series of emotions flitted over his face from fear to confusion to anger.

  “Margot, dear, there you are.” Nancy bellowed above the crowd as she headed toward them carrying two plates. Jimmy used the distraction to escape Margot’s questions, and she had no choice but to watch him go as Nancy set a plate of desserts down in front of her. “Look what I have for you. You can tell me if you agree my sour cream coconut cake is so much fluffier and moister.’

  “Oh, Nancy. I’ve eaten too much as it is.”

  Nancy wouldn’t be put off. She also carried a big purse, which she boldly sat on the arm of the chair to begin packing away the dessert in Baggies. Margot’s mouth fell open. “Nancy, I’m sure that’s not necessary.”

  Nancy blinked at her. “How else will you be able to compare if you don’t have a sample? When we get back home, we’ll have coffee and a slice of the cake, one of mine and one of that woman’s.”

  “That woman?”

  “She means your ex boss. Call the cops. I think another murder is coming.”

  “That’s not funny, Odds,” Margot chided him. “Come on, Nancy. We have a case to solve.”

  “Me too?” Nancy said, straightening from her task.

  Margot rose smiling. “Yes, did you notice you came down here all on your own, and you’ve been doing just fine?”

  “Don’t remind her. We’ll never get her out from under the table.”

  Nancy pinked and clutched her hands together. “I did, didn’t I? See, Margot? I told you I don’t have a problem. I can go wherever I want. I just wasn’t ready until now.”

  “Of course, dear. You’re absolutely right. Now, let’s go see if Zabrina killed two people, one, or none.”

  Nancy’s eyes rounded. “What have I missed?”

  “A lot. I’ll explain on the way.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Are you going to tell her about Lyle Barber?”

  Margot pretended not to hear Odds in her head.

  “You want him to yourself, don’t you? He could be a killer.”

  “Nancy,” Margot almost shouted as they made their way across the ballroom floor, “maybe we should take Odds back to the room and leave him there.”

  Odds proved he understood everything Margot said by leaping free of her bag and scurrying off. Several yelps throughout the guests told her the direction he went.

  “Who brought a cat here?” someone shouted.

  “A rat?” A woman screamed. Margot sighed and clutched Nancy’s arm to keep her moving.

  “I hope Odds is okay,” Nancy worried when they reached the exit.

  “He’s fine. Don’t you worry. He’s stubborn and hardheaded, but he’s clever. I’m sure he won’t get caught.”

  Margot offered brave words to alleviate Nancy’s concerns, but she was worried about Odds, too. In an attempt to distract herself, she guided Nancy up to the room where the interviews had taken place. The area appeared abandoned. No one was around at all, and they had seen no signs of anyone when they approached.

  “Where could they be?” Margot wondered. “Maybe Brock Cordova was staying at the hotel if he was from D.C. We could check his room.”

  “Margot, who is Brock Cordova? You keep mentioning that name as if I should know him. I’m afraid I haven’t kept up with the news.”

  “Oh, I don’t know if he’s been in the news.” Margot hesitated and chewed her bottom lip. “Now, dear, don’t get upset, but… Brock Cordova is the man we kind of met in the hall earlier.”

  Nancy paled. “My…my…”

  “I’m afraid so.” Margot tugged Nancy’s arm, and they headed back down the stairs. “We’ll go see if we can find out what room he was staying in. I can’t imagine we can trick the front desk into telling us.”

  Nancy stumbled along blank faced and then she stopped moving, her lips tight and one chubby fist balled tight. “We’ll just have to find justice for him, that’s all!”

  Margot sighed and gave Nancy a tug but failed to get her moving again. “Nancy, haven’t you been listening to my explanation? I said Brock Cordova apparently wasn’t a good man. He was Zabrina’s father, and he refused to let her mother see her after they divorced.”

  “What mother would give up her daughter without a fight, I say?”

  “I assume a poor one.”

  Nancy waggled her finger at Margot. “Not having money is no excuse. Why if I had the choice, I would—”

  She broke off, and Margot was reminded that Nancy’s son had left long ago with his dad to move to California. He was grown and saw his mother infrequently. Nancy was blaming Zabrina’s mother for her situation. Maybe Nancy blamed herself for somehow failing her own son. Margot didn’t have any kids, but she imagined too that she would fight to see her child.

  “Murder changes everything,” Margot muttered, thinking about it. “I think a mother would give up seeing their child if it meant protecting that child’s life.”

  Nancy agreed and started walking again. “Okay, Margot, I’ve decided.”

  “What have you decided, dear?”

  Nancy marched toward the elevators as if she were going to war. “I’ve decided we’ll seduce the front desk clerk and get him to tell us which room Mr. Cordova was in.”

  “Nancy, how old do you think we are?” Margot demanded.

  “I for one have still got it, Margot.” Nancy’s gaze swept Margot in her sky blue pantsuit, which she had changed into when she returned to the room earlier. “And you look smart tonight. I’ve always thought even though you lost all your money, you still have an air of importance, Margot. We can do it. I know we can.”

  Margot grinned. “Why thank you, Nancy. You’re right. No sense in giving up before we try. And if it’s a woman, you can offer her the cake in your bag.”

  “Good point!”

  “How about I tell you where the room is so you don’t embarrass yourselves?”

  Margot looked down to see Odds sitting at her feet, watching the two of them with wide-eyed wonder. Embarrassment made her mute for a minute. She had enjoyed her fantasy with Nancy for the moment even knowing reality probably wouldn’t have lined up with their plan.

  “Odds!”

  He swished his tail back and forth then stood and walked over to the elevators.

  “Wait a minute, Odds,” Margot called after him. “Do you realize if you show us where the room is, it means you really are speaking to me, and I’m not crazy?”

  The cheeky cat glanced back at Margot and meowed. She had no idea what that meant. Unless he realized his mistake and would promptly lead them on a wild goose chase. Margot would have none of it.

  “Never mind, Odds. We’ll work this out on our own. You can go back to the room.”

  The elevator doors opened, and a young woman stepped out. Her nose was so high in the air, she didn’t notice Odds and strode on by. Odds darted into the elevator.

  “Coming?”

  “Margot, I say let’s follow Odds. It can’t hurt to do some exploring.” Nancy was already following the cat into the car and hovered a hand over the buttons. “What floor, Odds?”

  Margot huffed and joined them. She eyeballed Odds, waiting for him to volunteer a number but he blinked back at her.

  “I don’t know numbers.”

  “You’re lying!” Margot rubbed her temple. “Of all the…”

  A noise caught Margot’s attention, and she looked to find Nancy pouncing on every button, lighting them to stop on each floor. When Margot looked at her in disbelief, her friend shrugged, grinning. “We’ll find it.”

  Margot settled into the back of the elevator as the car moved. Odds paced, yowling low in his throat. Margot figured he hated being on the floor in the moving contraption,
but he hadn’t decided to jump into her arms. When they reached the next floor, Odds sat down and stared into the hall. The door closed, and they ascended again. A few more fruitless stops.

  “Maybe we should try the lobby,” Margot said.

  The doors opened on the tenth floor, and Odds scurried off. Nancy clapped. “We’re here! Come on, Margot.”

  Having no choice, Margot followed the other two. She kept a tolerant expression on her face, but deep inside, she was getting excited. If this was it, Odds’ voice was real, and he was… What was he? How could a cat talk? Well, for now, she had to focus on some other truths, like who really murdered Brock Cordova.

  They walked down the hall past several doors. Ahead Odds scampered around the bend, and Margot shouted as quietly as she could for him to wait. When she didn’t have a choice but to pick up her pace, she reached the corner where Odds disappeared and glanced further on to spot him sitting in front of a random door.

  “This is the one, Margot,” Nancy chirped.

  “We don’t know that.” Margot scanned the hall. “You know how naughty Odds is. He might have made us chase him for no reason.”

  Margot looked down at Odds, waiting for him to defend himself, but he said nothing. She sighed and checked the door. She listened at the panels but didn’t hear anything inside. A soft knock and few soft calls calmed some of her worry that this might be another guest’s room, and they were disturbing him or her. No one came to answer.

  “It’s locked,” Margot said. “How will we get in?”

  “We need a maid’s card key,” Nancy announced proudly and produced one from apparently inside her brassiere.

  “Nancy, you’re wonderful.”

  “See, Margot? I told you I’m a woman about the world, and I’m not as afraid as you think I am.”

  “You’re right. I won’t underestimate you again.”

  Margot slipped the card key into the slot, yanked it out, and opened the door when the green light flashed. She pushed the door wide but hesitated on the threshold. Nancy clung to her back, and even Odds seemed less than enthusiastic about entering Brock Cordova’s room.

  Margot swallowed and grabbed Nancy’s hand. “I’m sure they didn’t put the body in here.”

  Nancy squeaked. “Body? Why would they put it anywhere?”

  “Because the storm is so bad and what with all the emergencies around the city, the medical examiner hasn’t been able to pick up Mr. Cordova’s body. They might even have to put it inside the walk-in freezer.”

  Nancy looked horrified. “I won’t eat here, Margot.”

  “I don’t blame you, dear. Neither will I.”

  They took one shuffling step into the room, but the interior was dark. Someone had closed the blinds. Margot had visions of finding the light switch, flicking it on, and finding Brock Cordova staring at her from the bed. Thinking that way froze her in place, and neither Nancy nor Odds pushed her to go on.

  “How did you know about the body not being picked up, Margot?”

  “I overheard someone say it in the ballroom. I wanted to confirm with Peter, but so many things happened to distract me.”

  “You mean Lyle Barber distracted you.”

  Margot grumbled and took another step into the room. At last, she found the mechanism for activating the lights, and she placed the card key into it. The room brightened, and Margot sighed in relief when she saw that the bed was empty.

  Fear left them, and they walked farther into the room and let the door close. “What are we looking for?” Nancy asked when they began searching the room.

  Margot checked the bathroom to find an assortment of toiletries and a package of antacids. The air smelled faintly of shower gel and cologne. She left there and rejoined Nancy in the bedroom.

  “We’re looking for evidence,” she said and started for the suitcase at the foot of the bed. A click at the door froze her. Someone was entering the room. Margot waved at Nancy and put a finger to her lips. The two of them stumbled toward the closet and almost fell into it. Margot had almost gotten the door shut when Odds padded in.

  “Oh no, back in the closet!”

  “Shh,” she whispered to Odds.

  “No one can hear me but you.”

  “I can’t hear.” She peeped through the narrow gap she created with the door.

  Zabrina strolled into the room and set her purse on the bed, along with another key card. She walked around to the base of the bed and pulled the suitcase onto the mattress. Nancy squeezed Margot’s arm and bounced a little. Her head must have clunked against one of the hangers, because the sound brought Zabrina’s head up. She narrowed her eyes, staring at the closet.

  “Meow.”

  Margot clapped a hand over Odds’ small face. How did he think his meow would fix it? A cat shouldn’t be in the closet in this room. Nervous, Margot shut her eyes, but then a breeze stirred her hair, and she looked up. Zabrina stood over the three of them, hand on her hip, foot tapping in her impatience. Margot’s back ached from taking some of Nancy’s weight, and Odds struggled against her hold.

  “What are you doing in here?” Zabrina demanded. “Come out of that closet!”

  They tumbled out, and Margot used the doorjamb to climb to her feet. She had to help Nancy rise, and Odds jumped on the bed to sniff the suitcase. Margot followed him. “What are you doing here, Zabrina? I thought you were under arrest.”

  “It’s none of your business, and if you must know, I didn’t kill my father.”

  “You wanted him dead though, didn’t you? He kept you from your mother and the rest of your family.”

  Zabrina’s lips tightened. She turned away and opened the suitcase then began rifling through it. Nancy moved to her other side. “What are you looking for, sweetheart? Maybe we can help you find it.”

  “I don’t need your help, Nancy!” She slammed a fist against the side of the suitcase and sank onto the bed. When she dropped her face into her hands, her shoulders shaking, Margot joined her and wrapped an arm about her shoulders. Zabrina sucked in deep breaths and raised her head. Her eyes were red and wet. “I don’t want to go to jail. The only reason I’m not arrested officially is because we’re all stuck. When the storm blows over, the police are going to take me in. I’ve been a prisoner for ten years already.”

  Margot felt guilty. “I’m sorry I told Peter about seeing you push your father over the balcony.”

  She expected Zabrina’s anger but got resignation instead. “You weren’t the only one who saw me. I wasn’t trying to kill him.”

  “You had your hand in your purse, and he held his hands up. Were you hiding a gun?”

  Fleeting amusement surfaced in Zabrina’s eyes. “No, not a gun. A check.”

  “I’m sorry, dear. I don’t understand.”

  “Ten years ago, I saw my father murder a man.”

  Nancy cried out and would have fallen down if Zabrina didn’t help her to a chair. Margot didn’t feel too steady herself, but she was already sitting down, and the lightheadedness would pass.

  “My father killed a man in cold blood, and I saw it. He knew I witnessed it, and I was scared he would try to kill me, too, so I ran away to Uncle Lyle’s house. He helped me hide until the case was brought to trial. At least, that’s what we thought would happen.”

  “No trial?” Margot asked wide-eyed.

  “No charges. My father committed murder, and no one knows it except him and me.”

  “Did your father ever try to find you?”

  Zabrina appeared miserable. “Yes, but my uncle put together some money for me and told me to get as far away as possible. I was fifteen, alone, and scared. Eventually, I got Jimmy, Uncle Lyle’s son. My mother’s side of the family is middle class, but on my father’s side, they’re all rich, ruthless, and cunning.”

  “And murderers.”

  “I couldn’t fight him as a teenager, especially when he had full custody. When he found me after all this time, I decided to put an end to it. My father’s answer was
to write me a check for three hundred thousand dollars.”

  “Oh my.” Nancy touched a hand to her chest.

  Margot, having been rich before was less shocked, but still sympathetic to Zabrina whose dad had tried to pay her off. “So you were…”

  “I was meeting him to give the check back. He had it delivered to me, and it’s just a matter of time before the police find out about it.”

  “So he wrote you a check,” Nancy said. “You’re his daughter, and a father should look after his little girl.”

  “I’m hardly a little girl, Nancy. The check looks like a bribe—which it was—and who knows if the police will decide I bribed him and then decided it wasn’t enough money.”

  “When he wouldn’t comply, you killed him in a fit of rage,” Margot finished.

  “I didn’t kill him! But—”

  “But what?”

  “Uncle Lyle…”

  Another sound at the door. This room was a hive of activity. Margot scuttled toward the closet, dragging Nancy along with her. From inside their hiding spot, Margot signaled Odds to come on, but he ignored her. The cat splayed himself atop the blanket as if he was sunning his silver fur. He turned his head away from Margot, and she shook a fist at the back of his head. Beside her, Nancy giggled.

  “He does get your goat, doesn’t he, Margot?”

  Margot didn’t have time to answer. Zabrina, who had been looking at them like they had a few screws loose when they ran back to hide, turned away from the closet to greet the new visitor. Margot couldn’t see him because Zabrina blocked the gap.

  “What are you doing here?” Zabrina demanded.

  “I see you still don’t recognize me, Patricia,” the mystery guest said.

  “My name is Zabrina now.”

  “So you’re no longer a Cordova. Is that it?”

  Zabrina shifted from one foot to the other, but she didn’t move so Margot could see the visitor. Still, Margot already knew who it was. She hadn’t heard his voice more than once or twice, but she was sure. The man who expected Zabrina to recognize him was Steven Sandifer. Of course Zabrina would know him. They all lived in the same building after all.