Hair Brained

by Nancy J. Cohen

  “Have you been thinking about it?” He gave her a wishful glance.

  “Let’s not go there. This isn’t about me.”

  She wondered how his deceased wife had raised Brianna. Had Pam been the perfect mom who’d made everything from scratch? Would Marla be deficient in Dalton’s view if she did things differently? With her work schedule, convenience mattered more to her than prevailing feeding practices.

  Parenting took an entirely new skill set than what she’d practiced as a babysitter years ago. How could she even contemplate going down that road?

  Instead, she focused on the one in front of them and revived her theme from earlier. “Do you suppose the car accident was meant to be a fatality?”

  “We won’t know until we catch the other person involved.” Dalton’s expression hardened. “Mallory said there was some sort of odd residue on the warehouse floor. He’s having it analyzed.”

  “That could be helpful. What else has he learned?”

  “He’s identified the weapon used by the killer but hasn’t recovered it.”

  Marla didn’t inquire about the type of gun. Despite Dalton’s attempts to teach her weapon skills, she had trouble differentiating among the various firearms. She should make more of an effort to pay attention to his lectures when he took her to the shooting range.

  “Any hints from the dead woman’s colleagues about her mission?” she asked.

  “They’re running silent. I’m thinking they don’t know who else is included in the scam.” He raked his fingers through his hair in a gesture of frustration.

  “Sounds like the leads are rather thin.”

  “The killer is covering his tracks, but we’ll get him. Or rather, Mallory’s team will have the honors.”

  She heard the resentful note in his voice. “You wish this were your case, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do. Tally and Ken are like family to us.”

  “Maybe we feel that way, but I’m not so sure they did.”

  Dalton gave her a knowing glance. “You’re not happy Tally kept secrets from you. But she entrusted you with Luke, sweetcakes. Even though she chose to keep part of her life private, she gave you her most precious possession.”

  “I suppose. But there’s no question we’ve drifted apart. She started in with that New Age stuff a while ago. At least she doesn’t go to the drumming circle anymore, and she’ll eat chicken now, if not red meat.”

  “She’s a new mother. That’s a whole other ballgame.”

  “So why didn’t she join a mommy and me play group instead of the tea party circuit? And why not tell me about it?”

  “Maybe she wanted to strike out in a new direction. People change, and friendships come and go.”

  Marla shook her head, confused as to where she stood in her friend’s view. Was it wrong of her to expect Tally to remain her BFF? Had it been a one-sided opinion of late? True, their interests had been diverging, but they had business ownership in common. Or had Tally seriously been considering selling out to her landlord and staying home to raise Luke? She wouldn’t have mentioned day care centers in that case, would she?

  Dalton was right in one regard, though. When it came down to life’s ultimatum, Marla was the one person Tally trusted above anyone else.

  *****

  The bar at the beach had valet parking. Marla emerged from their car and smoothed down her jeans. She wore a corduroy jacket over a pullover sweater, glad for the extra cover when a cool breeze stirred her hair. At least the cold spells in South Florida only lasted a few days.

  She paused inside the lounge to study the contemporary motif. Clear columns holding aquariums stretched toward the turquoise-painted ceiling. A polished wood bar lined one entire wall, its stools crowded with patrons. Small round tables filled the rest of the space, while at the far end, a guitarist strummed his instrument. A disco ball threw colored lights on the walls, designed with murals of undersea life.

  “May I help you?” asked the hostess in a black dress enhanced by a garish crystal necklace.

  “Are any tables available?” Dalton replied with a frown.

  No doubt the loud noise bothered him. They both preferred more intimate restaurants to bar scenes. Marla tuned out the background chatter, guitar music, and the clink of glassware.

  “Inside or out?” The hostess indicated a collection of tables spilling onto the sidewalk. These had an ocean-view across the street, but at nighttime, you couldn’t see much.

  Marla would rather be seated indoors where it was warm. “We’ll take a table in here,” she said, gesturing toward the interior. They had a better chance of spotting Ryan there, too.

  “I can take your names for now, or you could grab those vacant seats at the bar. It’s bound to get more crowded once our headliner musician starts at nine.”

  “Fine, we’ll take what’s available.” Dalton steered Marla by the elbow to the only available seats in the house. “Do you see Ryan anywhere?”

  “No, but it’s early yet. He might still show up.”

  “Let’s hope he comes soon. I don’t like having my back to the door.”

  They hopped onto a couple of tall stools. Dalton ordered a beer on tap while she requested a glass of Chardonnay.

  They were on their second round when she spotted Ryan stepping across the threshold.

  “We’re in luck. Here he is,” she said, nudging her husband.

  Dalton withdrew a twenty-dollar bill from his wallet. “I’ll pay for the drinks while you approach him. Pretend we’re bar hoppers for the night.”

  “Oh, yeah, like Ryan will believe us. We’re too old for this crowd.” She noted some middle-aged guys there, doubtless on the prowl. The mostly twenty-somethings filling the lounge made her feel out of place.

  She got up and sauntered toward their target. “Hi Ryan, imagine running into you here.”

  His eyebrows lifted as he registered her presence. “Marla, I wouldn’t have expected to find you in this place.”

  “Dalton and I needed a break from baby care. You’d mentioned this hangout, so I thought we might check it out.”

  “I’d mentioned it? I don’t recall … hey, isn’t that Detective Vail?”

  “We are married,” she reminded him. “I believe he interviewed you about Ken.”

  “So what is this? Another interrogation? I’m not the one you should be questioning.”

  “That’s exactly why we want to talk to you. I gathered you meant to tell me something at the office. We aren’t within hearing range of your colleagues now. You can say whatever is on your mind.”

  Once they’d taken seats at a suitable table, Ryan leaned forward. “Why is there an investigation going on? Beyond a traffic accident, I mean.”

  “I thought you might have some insights to offer us,” Marla said, crossing her legs. “You’d warned me not to dig too deep.”

  “That’s because this whole thing is so strange. Ken gets a call from a colleague on New Year’s Eve? To my knowledge, it wasn’t one of us.”

  “How can you be so sure? You don’t keep tabs on everyone.”

  “No, but what reason would they have? Likely Jeri spent that evening at home with her daughter, Cassie. I suppose the girl could have had a crisis, and Jeri called Ken for advice.”

  “What sort of crisis?” Marla took a sip of white wine from the glass she’d brought from the bar.

  “Cassie has a health condition. Jeri doesn’t talk much about it. She’s always upbeat and has a good word to say. It would help if she would open up so we could offer support.”

  “She’s married, isn’t she? Maybe her husband stayed home with their daughter that night while she went to meet Ken.”

  Ryan folded his hands around his ale glass. “She lives in Coral Springs. Why would she meet him in Davie?”

  “Perhaps she needed money, and Ken offered her a loan. Or maybe they were partnering in something else, and an urgent issue came up that demanded action.” The news of the insurance fraud investiga
tor’s death hovered on her tongue, but Marla couldn’t give that information away if Ken’s office staff hadn’t been told.

  Ryan’s eyes narrowed. “You might be right about the partnering, but I’d look at Darryl rather than Ken. He and Jeri have had some heated discussions lately. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I could see them through the glass partitions.”

  “Do you suspect those two of colluding together?” Dalton interceded. He’d let Marla take the lead, but she could tell he was getting impatient from the way he tapped his foot.

  “I don’t know.” Ryan shifted restlessly. “I just think it’s weird what happened to Ken. Lately in the office, he’d been acting withdrawn. And when the others were gone, I caught him looking through their desks. He could have discovered something that got him killed.”

  Or maybe Ken wanted to see if any of his colleagues knew what he was doing so he could better cover his tracks, Marla thought.

  “Where can I find Jeri if I want to visit her aside from the office?” she asked. “I’ll encourage her to talk about Darryl. Or as you said, it might ease her burdens to talk about her troubles at home. I’m a good listener.”

  Then again, was Darryl merely a smoke screen that Ryan was casting their way? Could the younger man be the guilty party, trying to throw them off track? Her glance dropped to his cell phone, which he’d laid on the table. Clearly, Ryan was fond of technology. He’d probably know more about burner phones than his older co-workers.

  “Jeri and her husband always go to breakfast at TooJay’s in Coral Springs. It’s their routine on weekends,” Ryan replied with an earnest gleam in his eyes. “You might have better luck at sounding her out. I don’t know why she’s so embarrassed to mention her daughter.”

  “The girl could have chronic problems that need costly care. You should be familiar with disabling illnesses. Shawna mentioned your mother has Alzheimer’s, and the responsibility for managing her affairs falls to you.”

  His face flushed, and his lips flattened. “That’s right. I don’t hide it. I owe my mom a lot, and it’s important to me that she’s well cared for. It hurts to see her deteriorate. Alzheimer’s is a terrible illness.”

  “I’ve no doubt that’s true. So how do you get by?”

  Ryan regarded her steadily. “I’m good at my job, so I make enough money to support us both. This is exactly why I advise older folks not to drop their policies. Lots of people feel they’re getting up in age. Why should they keep paying on that long term care or life insurance policy? Yet they’re approaching the very years when they’ll need them.”

  “Do you get commissions on each policy or referral?” Dalton inserted, pushing back a lock of hair that had fallen onto his forehead. He parted it to the side, but one stubborn curl kept flopping forward.

  “Depends on the type of policy. I’m ready to move up to account executive. I realize I’m relatively new at my position, but I’ve got the chops to bring in new sales. My talents are being wasted at the front desk.”

  “Did you ask Ken for a promotion?” Dalton asked him.

  “The boss was aware of my plan to move up the ladder, but Darryl and Shawna aren’t going anywhere soon. Their sales records make them valuable assets. I’ll have to change agencies if I want to advance.”

  So Ryan’s job pitch had been rebuffed. Did he knock Ken off to create a vacancy? “Tell us more about Shawna,” Marla said in a coaxing tone. “She seems competent in her role.”

  Ryan twisted the silver ring on his right hand. “She’s going through a hard time right now. Her husband is out of a job, and they have two kids in private school. I don’t know how they’re making ends meet. Maybe they’re dipping into their nest egg.”

  “Can’t you borrow on a life insurance policy? Does she have one with your agency as part of her benefits package?”

  “Well, yes. That might be what Shawna and Ken were arguing about when I saw them together. It looked like a heated discussion from their facial expressions.”

  “When was this?”

  “About a week before the accident. He was showing her a printout. I didn’t hear what they said, but Shawna seemed upset.” The young man leaned forward and fixed his gaze on Dalton. “So tell me, why are you really here? Do you know what happened to Ken?”

  “His car was deliberately forced off the road. We have the make and model of the other vehicle. What kind of car do you drive?” Dalton asked, his expression giving nothing away about his opinions.

  “I have an Audi S5 Coupe. But I still don’t get it. What was Ken doing in Davie late at night on New Year’s Eve?”

  “When we find out, we’ll let you know. Or vice versa.”

  “Okay with me. Meanwhile, I’ll keep my head down and my mouth shut at work. Now if you don’t mind, I see some chicks over there who are eager for my company.” Ryan shoved his chair away from the table and stood.

  Marla and Dalton followed suit. “Thanks for talking to us,” she told the young man. “If you hear anything significant, please give one of us a call. You have our numbers.”

  “Yep, I believe I do.” Ryan sauntered away, leaving them both staring after him.

  During the drive home, Marla contemplated what they’d learned. “We should visit TooJay’s in Coral Springs on Sunday to look for Jeri.”

  Dalton, hands on the wheel, nodded his agreement. “I still don’t trust Ryan. He’s eager to cast blame on everyone else.”

  “Blame for what? I wish the victim’s agency would tell us what she was investigating. That would be immensely helpful. And why they aren’t sending in another agent to take over the case? Have they been haranguing Mallory about his findings?”

  “I don’t think they’ve intervened. Maybe someone higher up has put a lid on the subject. They might figure Ken is out of the picture now.”

  “But if Ken had an accomplice, you’d think they would want to pursue things further.”

  “I agree. It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Who works in that department? Like, what are their divisions, and who’s at the top?”

  “I’ll look into it. I’m not familiar with their organizational structure.” Dalton pressed on the brake pedal as the light ahead turned yellow.

  “So what else did we learn tonight? Was this trip worthwhile?” Eager to return home to Luke and relieve the babysitter, Marla clasped her hands in her lap.

  “It was helpful. We know more about the personal lives of Ken’s staff.”

  “Ryan drives an Audi. That’s not the car you’re looking for, but it doesn’t get him off the hook. He has expensive habits.”

  “I’ve noticed. His shoes alone must have cost several hundred bucks.”

  “Do you believe he makes enough money to cover his expenses and his mother’s?”

  “That would depend on how much of his mother’s medical care isn’t covered by her insurance. I have to be careful about digging too deep. Mallory will get pissed if I step on his toes. I don’t want to tick him off, or he’ll clam up.”

  “You’d be a valuable resource if he would use you as a consultant.”

  “But I’m also biased. Ken was my friend.”

  Marla fell silent, unhappy with his limitations on the case. Aware of his frustration, she didn’t want to fuel his fire. So she focused her mind on more personal thoughts.

  Her hand slid over to caress his thigh. “We used to go out more often before we got married. That bar scene reminded me. What’s happened to us?”

  “Do you really have to ask? We have a baby at home now along with a teenager and two dogs. The noose of domestic life has tightened.”

  “Yes, but Luke isn’t ours. We’ll have to give him back to Tally when she wakes up, assuming she’s well enough to return home.”

  Marla loved Luke, but he wasn’t theirs to keep. Caring for him gave them a taste of what it would be like to have their own child one day. It no longer seemed like such an onerous responsibility. And Dalton’s analogy wasn’t quite accurate where she
was concerned.

  Had it been so long since Marla’s divorce to Stan that she’d forgotten how restricted she’d felt being married to him? Life had become infinitely better with Dalton. She’d describe it more like domestic bliss than a rope around her neck. Being married to Stan had stifled her. Dalton encouraged her to soar.

  “Maybe I’d rather stay home with you than gallivant around town,” she said with a sexy smile.

  “Likewise. But I don’t ever want you to feel confined. It doesn’t bother me when you go for a girls’ night-out, for example, or if you want to join your colleagues for a drink after work.”

  “I know, and that’s another reason why I love you.”

  When they arrived home, Mrs. Phelps greeted them at the inner garage door. “Did you have a nice evening?” she asked from the kitchen while packing her supplies.

  Dalton handed over her payment. “It gave us a break from routine. We’re not used to having to call a babysitter, so we appreciate you being available.”

  “If only Tally would get better, she could take care of the little guy. You’ll let me know if her condition improves, won’t you? I’m worried about her. The outcome might have been quite different had it been her end of the car in the canal instead of Ken’s.”

  “Yes, Luke is fortunate he still has his mother.” Marla didn’t rejoice over this fact. Ken was dead. The outcome was bad either way you looked at it.

  “Let’s hope Tally is in her right mind when she wakes up. Otherwise, Luke might become a permanent fixture in your household.”

  “God forbid. Tally will be well again, you’ll see.”

  The sitter’s words reverberated in her head as she got ready for bed. How did the driver of the other car know what would happen when he bumped into Ken’s Acura? He couldn’t have predicted the rollover accident. Nor could he have foretold which end of the car, if any, would end up submerged in the canal. This entire incident bothered her on some subconscious level, but she couldn’t pinpoint why.

  She didn’t want to bring it up when Dalton stretched his length beside her and tickled the sensitive skin on her underarm. They were alone except for Luke, who was sleeping peacefully next door. So she turned toward her husband and allowed him to divert her attention.