Hair Brained

by Nancy J. Cohen

  “If this doesn’t break out into a full-fledged cold, it might be a short-term thing. I’ll come there tomorrow so you can go to work.” Anita’s commanding tone brooked no argument.

  “I hate to rely on you again, Ma.”

  “Nonsense. That’s what I’m here for, although it would be gratifying if it were my grandchild.”

  “Oh, don’t start.”

  “Just saying. Expect me around eight-thirty in the morning.”

  Marla had little time to be annoyed by her mother’s remark as ministering to Luke occupied her for the rest of the day. She managed to get some of her household chores done, call Dalton with a quick update, and catch a nap in the intervals between Luke’s feedings and medication schedule. He fussed in discomfort, while she wished she had more ways to help him. Poor guy could only pucker his tiny face and cry.

  She lifted him from his crib and cuddled him as though that would help, but then she realized her body heat might make him warmer. Wheeling him around in his stroller might be more useful. She tried that tactic and was relieved when it eased his distress.

  It wasn’t until later when she picked up her cell phone to call a friend, needing to hear an adult voice, that she noticed a text message waiting for her. It came from Ryan’s mobile number that she’d programmed into her phone.

  Call me. I found something.

  Her pulse accelerated. She phoned him back but it went to voice mail. Maybe he’d respond to a text.

  A return message came through: Can’t talk. Will catch you later.

  She pictured Ryan at his desk in the insurance office. What was going on that he couldn’t mention in front of his colleagues?

  Chapter Twelve

  Marla told Dalton about Ryan’s call when her husband walked through the door around four o’clock. “I wonder what he has to say,” she concluded.

  “You’ll find out when he calls you back.” Dalton emptied his pockets on the kitchen counter. “How’s Luke?”

  “The medicine is helping, thank goodness, although he’s still fussy. I tried some of the teething gel the doctor gave me. Why are you home so early?”

  “I thought you might need a hand. Besides, Kat made an arrest on the robbery case. She’s got enough evidence to put the guy away.”

  “That’s good news.” Marla followed him to the bedroom where he went to change. His manner seemed subdued. “What is it you’re not telling me?”

  He tossed his jacket onto the bed. “Kat has asked for a transfer back to her former precinct. She finally told me what was eating at her.”

  “No kidding. Well, don’t keep me in suspense.” She knew working with Kat hadn’t been easy for him. The lieutenant had been a closed book from the moment she showed up, silent over her reasons for a transfer and his chief not revealing why it had been granted. Sinking onto a corner of the bed, Marla waited while Dalton changed into jeans and a sport shirt.

  “From what I gathered, her partner died on their last case together, and she blames herself.” Dalton paced as he spoke, his expression grim. “She became personally involved with a suspect, and the man pulled a gun on them when her guard was down. Her boyfriend fatally shot the partner, and Kat killed him before he could turn the weapon on her.”

  “That’s horrible.”

  “She was suspended from duty pending an internal affairs investigation. She wanted to resign but was convinced to go for therapy instead. Then when they reinstated her, she got the mayor to grant her a temporary transfer. She’s still dealing with the emotional fallout.”

  “Kat should have told you sooner. It might have affected her performance.”

  “But it didn’t. She kept her cool.”

  “Yeah, like an ice queen. I hope she melts when she goes home. Those mental barriers have to come down sometime if she’s to forgive herself.”

  “You, of all people, should know we learn from our mistakes. It takes time to heal.”

  “You’re right.” Marla had moved on from her personal misdeeds.

  “I’m glad she’s made peace with herself and is ready to return to her own people.” Dalton went to lock his firearm in their home safe, located in the master closet.

  “So what happens with you?” she asked upon his return. “Will you get a new partner?”

  “I don’t need one. Captain Williams wants me to assume more administrative duties.” He scowled at the notion. “Langley has passed the exam and made sergeant.”

  “Good for him. But will they hire more people? I mean, your department gets short-staffed around the holidays when everyone wants time off.”

  “I’ll continue to share the call schedule and the investigative work, but I can delegate the more mundane tasks. That isn’t a bad thing.”

  “Your powers of observation are second to none. You pick up on details that your colleagues might miss.”

  He regarded her with a fond smile. “My expertise will still be available. I’m hoping I can get home earlier each evening, unless there’s a hot case for us to work on.”

  “That’s always a plus.” Luke’s whimper drew her attention. “Oh, dear. It’s not quite time for his next medicine dose. His fever might be spiking again.”

  Dalton stood by as she checked the baby’s temperature in the nursery. Luke would need the medication again. Feeling bad for him, she stood over the crib and tickled his tummy. A colorful mobile twirled lazily overhead. As they watched Luke’s facial expressions in fascination, Dalton’s hand grasped hers.

  “Any more thoughts about—”

  “I made an appointment with the gynecologist.”

  “O-kay. When were you going to tell me?”

  “I did say I’d been thinking about it. There’s nothing to report until I see the doctor.”

  “No problem. Just wondering.”

  She let go of his hand and turned to him. “And no promises either. This is a good trial run for us. It’s helping me get used to the idea, but I’m not totally sold.”

  *****

  Marla didn’t go back to work until Wednesday, when Luke was well enough to return to day care. She hadn’t felt comfortable allowing Anita to come over and be exposed to his germs, so she’d called off her mother’s visit. The illness had lasted a couple of days and went away as suddenly as it had appeared. It made Marla realize that if she chose this path for her future, she’d have to create more flexibility in her schedule.

  It was hard saying goodbye to Luke that morning. He gurgled at her and wriggled his little body. She felt sure he must recognize her as his caretaker by now. She kissed his little fingers where he lay in a crib before turning away.

  During the drive to her salon, she wondered how Dalton would get along without Kat there as back-up. She meant to ask him if he’d been able to get in touch with Ryan. The young man had never called her back, and Marla’s other attempts to reach him got his voice mail. It was damned odd that he didn’t even respond to her text messages.

  Ryan hadn’t shown up at the office yesterday, either, as she’d tried that number on Tuesday. Darryl answered and said Ryan wasn’t feeling well. He had called in sick.

  A mantle of unease settled upon her. She should have heard from him by now. So when Dalton called at mid-afternoon, she stepped aside to answer.

  “Bad news,” his somber voice declared. “We found Ryan Browning’s body this morning. He’d been shot.”

  “What? Where?” Ice sluiced through her veins as shock overtook her.

  “He lives in the Hibiscus Estates subdivision. His gardener knocked on the door after doing the lawn, and it swung open. Someone had left it unlocked. Ryan’s body was inside.”

  “Oh. My. God.”

  “Ryan must have let in somebody he knew. There weren’t any signs of forced entry.”

  Marla’s sense of reason returned. “Likely he stumbled onto something that got him killed. If only I’d answered the phone when he first called…”

  “I’m heading over to his office now to talk to his colleagues. I�
�d like to know which one of them took his call about being sick. We can verify it on their phone records.”

  Marla pictured the young man seated at his desk. How could this be possible? She leaned against the storeroom counter where she’d gone to take the call. What had Ryan learned that he’d meant to tell her?

  “This is going to hit that group hard,” she said.

  “Some of them, maybe not all. I sense a rat there.”

  “Do you think Ryan got killed for the same reasons as Ken? The insurance fraud agent’s involvement suggests a broader operation. That could be why her department has been keeping mum. They don’t want us locals to spook the big fish.”

  “I’ll get in touch with them. There’s one good thing to come out of this situation,” Dalton said in a taut voice. “Ryan’s murder falls under my jurisdiction.”

  “Will your captain let you get involved?”

  “Langley could take charge, but this one’s my baby. I’ve already been in touch with Mallory. Ryan’s death affects his case as well. Now he’ll have to cooperate.”

  Marla drew in a sharp breath. “What if the dead woman wasn’t investigating Ken as a suspect? What if he was working with her?”

  “It would help if her people would tell us who they were interested in among that group.”

  “Maybe they don’t know, and that’s why they enlisted Ken’s help. Are you going to close the office?”

  “Not until I talk to Louise Harrison’s boss, or I might inadvertently screw up whatever her team has in the works. There’s something going on here that is eluding us.”

  “What if I’m right, and Ken was cooperating with their agency? Why would he have gone out that night? And what made Tally jump in the car with him?”

  “She could have been worried about his safety, if he’d clued her in on things.”

  “I can’t see Tally risking her life and leaving Luke that way.” Marla brushed a hand over her face. This case kept getting more complicated.

  “Perhaps her concern for Ken outweighed her other interests in the heat of the moment. We don’t know what message he received. Ken must have repeated it to Tally, and she became concerned for his welfare.”

  “Do you think Ken knew Louise was a captive in the warehouse? Maybe the bad guys lured him out to rescue her,” Marla suggested.

  “Or they could have threatened him. If he didn’t follow their instructions, they’d kill her. Which they did anyway,” Dalton added in a glum tone. “That would only be effective if Ken and Louise were working together.”

  “He could have been a mole to gather evidence, and she was his handler. Do you have a photo of her?” Maybe Louise was the strange woman she’d seen in Ken’s company at Wilton Manors.

  “I’ll get one. But these are merely theories. Ken could still have been involved in whatever fraud scheme was underway. I’m betting he had a partner who double-crossed him, and Tally was collateral damage. Ryan was getting close to the truth, and so the partner offed him, too. It has to be somebody in their office.”

  “Darryl is the most likely suspect, but we shouldn’t overlook the ladies, either. They both have secrets they want to keep. Did you find the murder weapon? Maybe you can trace the killer through ballistics.”

  “Not yet. If it was left at the scene, we haven’t found it.”

  “Then there’s Shawna’s idea, assuming she isn’t blowing smoke because she’s guilty. If Tally hadn’t gone with Ken, she and Luke would have been home alone.”

  “So somebody wanted to put Tally in a vulnerable position. Why?”

  “Who knows? She’s been running around town lately, making new friends. It could be she stirred the wrong pot.”

  “That seems like a wild shot, forgive the pun.”

  Marla straightened her spine, aware her next customer would arrive any minute. “You’re the one who told me to examine all the options. I think I should look into this angle while you focus on Ken.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.” His voice deepened. “Have I mentioned what a good team we make?”

  “You have, but you can tell me again later … in bed. Love you, hon.”

  Marla repeated her news to Nicole first chance they had together.

  The other stylist’s eyes rounded at Marla’s tale. “I’m so sorry. How awful. If Ryan could have shared what was on his mind, he might not have been killed.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Did Dalton say if they recovered his cell phone?”

  “No, why? Because of what information we might find on it?”

  “That would be helpful, but I’m thinking along different lines. What if the bad guy looked through the call list and saw that Ryan had sent you a recent text message? He’d be wondering how much you know,” Nicole explained.

  “Dear Lord, surely he wouldn’t come after me, not with Dalton on the case?”

  “That wouldn’t be a deterrent to this guy. And when Tally wakes up, she may be in danger, too, if the killer thinks Ken confided in her.”

  “Dalton mentioned putting a guard on watch, but that was back when Mallory was in charge. Ryan’s death puts a new spin on things. I’ll text him right now.”

  “So what will you do next?” Nicole asked once Marla had completed her task. She stood by her station preparing a stack of foils for her next highlights customer.

  Marla hovered nearby. “I’m still not convinced Ken was the target, although it seems the most logical explanation with the dead agent in the warehouse. Dalton will investigate that angle. I’ll get better acquainted with the tea circle ladies to see if Tally mentioned anything relevant to them.”

  Nicole jabbed a finger in the air, an excited gleam in her eyes. “What about her recent phone calls, contacts, and meet-ups? Did Dalton check her email messages?”

  “No, he’s been looking in the other direction. So has Mallory, who’s in possession of their home computer hard drive and Ken’s work device. I’ve suggested Dalton check for backup data in the Cloud, but we need our friends’ passwords. Mallory will have to give Dalton access to his findings now that there’s a related murder victim on his turf.”

  “You both have lots of trails to follow.”

  “Want to go with me? I mean, to check out the places where those tea ladies have met.”

  “Sorry, but I promised Kevin I’d help him study for his paramedic exam. It’s on Monday, and we have plans for the weekend.”

  “Hey, that’s great. Wish Kevin good luck for me. I hope he passes.”

  The fire department EMT had rescued Marla’s poodle from a hazardous hole in the ground next door. She’d thought he and Nicole might hit it off and had invited them both to a barbecue at her house. Nicole had been dating him ever since.

  Not wishing to jinx their relationship, she changed the subject. “I should bring Luke into work so you guys can see him. He’s the cutest thing. I felt so helpless when he was sick.”

  “I’d love to see the baby.” Nicole gave her a penetrating glance. “Say, are you and Dalton thinking any further about—?”

  “Not yet. You know how I feel on the subject.”

  “Yes, but I thought you were coming around.”

  Marla spied a woman headed their way. “Here comes your client, Nicole. We’ll talk more later.” Relieved to have dodged that conversational ball, Marla prepared to receive her next customer.

  *****

  Thursdays were Marla’s late day at work, so she had the following morning free. After dropping Luke off at day care, she headed for the yoga studio listed on the tea circle group’s itinerary. A class was already in full swing when she entered through a set of double front doors. The instructor’s voice echoed down the hall.

  A receptionist glanced up from her seat behind a granite-topped counter. She had curly auburn hair, tanned skin, and friendly blue eyes. Behind her on the wall was a bulletin board full of notices on one side and a collection of framed certificates on the other.

  “May I help you?” the woman aske
d in a pleasant voice.

  “I’m thinking of joining a yoga class. One of my friends came here a few weeks ago and recommended the place. Her name is Deanne Tinsley.” Marla mentioned the skinniest of the tea circle ladies, assuming Deanne worked out to maintain her figure. “She came in with a bunch of other women. I believe they took a class and then hung around to chat.”

  “Do you mean the meet-up group organized by Rissa Kyle?”

  “Yes, that’s the one. Do you remember them?”

  “I’ll let you talk to their instructor. If you care to sit in our lounge, she’ll be finished with her class in ten minutes.”

  “Can I take a peek?” At the receptionist’s nod, Marla headed down the corridor. Polished wood flooring flowed between the areas, creating an expansive pattern. Her low-heeled sandals made a discreet tap-tap as she strode along.

  She followed the instructor’s voice to a large, well-lit room filled with students. Their trim bodies encased in athletic garb made Marla envious. She watched as they twisted into various positions on colored mats. Water bottles and towels lay by each person’s spot. No one wore shoes. A rack of cubbyholes by the door provided storage for foot wear. Other containers held extra mats, Mexican blankets, and equipment that was foreign to Marla. Portraits adorning the walls displayed photos of famous yogi masters.

  The instructor stood at the far end, between two windows shaded by blinds. Her blond hair tied in a ponytail, she demonstrated the poses for her disciples to imitate. Behind her sat a shelving unit holding a collection of rock crystals amid potted greenery. Speakers mounted on the walls played New Age music from a digital player.

  Not wishing to break the women’s concentration or disturb the vibe in the room, Marla retreated to wait in the designated lounge. Comfortable seating areas made for a quiet respite. Vending machines offered snacks and drinks, while another corner held gear for sale. Yoga mats in plum, teal, or royal blue; tee-shirts with the studio logo; and books on yoga, meditation, and massage were available for purchase. Marla sat on a couch and picked up a health magazine from the coffee table.