Handbags & Homicide

by Anne Marie Stoddard

  I'd hoped to fall asleep at a decent hour since I'd promised to meet Noa early the next morning to go buy my new phone, but my mind just wouldn't turn off. I lay awake in bed for hours, picturing Bryan and Valentina sitting in a secluded corner of The Lava Pot while Coco spied on them from the bar counter. I puzzled over why she hadn't just gone up to their table. Had she not wanted to be seen? Why not? I tried to envision Coco stalking the couple as they left the bar. Maybe she was just a sad, lonely girl, drowning her sorrows in a drink while she watched her crush give his affection to another woman. Or maybe she was jealous enough to kill her competition, I thought, remembering her sandy shoes.

  But Bryan and Val were fighting, the voice in my head argued. Casey the bartender had said that he'd seen them part ways when they left The Lava Pot, but could he have been mistaken? Maybe he'd only thought he saw Bryan leave Valentina alone. Or maybe Bryan just didn't want any witnesses, I thought. Perhaps he'd stormed off in the opposite direction of Val, knowing that others at the bar might be watching them. Could he have doubled back and followed her out to the beach?

  Despite all of the scenarios swirling around in my head, I finally managed to drift off to sleep. I awoke just after dawn on Saturday morning. After a quick shower, I got dressed and sneaked out of the room. I was relieved that Emma finally seemed to be sleeping peacefully as I headed for the door. I'd heard her fitfully tossing and turning several times throughout the night. The poor thing had to be exhausted. Careful not to wake her, I slipped out of the room as quietly as I could and gently pulled the door closed behind me.

  As promised, I found Noa waiting for me on one of the benches in the courtyard. He was dressed in blue board shorts and a fitted black V-neck, his long, dark hair knotted in a bun atop his head—a style choice that I often teased him about. "How's my favorite hipster?" I joked, lightly tapping his man bun as I sat down beside him.

  Noa wagged a finger at me, a look of mock disappointment on his face. "If you're going to poke fun at me, maybe I shouldn't give you the surprise I brought for you."

  Ooh. I liked surprises. "Okay, okay," I said, laughing. "I'm sorry." I scooted closer to him. "What is it?"

  Noa reached down for something he'd tucked beneath the bench. "I know we made plans to go pick up a replacement phone for you this morning," he began, handing me a plastic shopping bag with my phone carrier's logo on it. "But I had some free time after my shift yesterday, so I went ahead and dropped by the shop. I know the manager, and I got your account password on the second guess." He winked. "You should really consider using something other than your birthday."

  I pulled the bag open and gaped down at the brand-new iPhone still inside the box. "These things cost a fortune," I sputtered. I shoved the bag back at Noa, feeling embarrassed. "I can't afford this."

  "You were overdue for an upgrade," he replied, pushing it toward me again. "And, like I said, I know the manager—I taught his son how to surf last year for free. He gave me his employee discount." He grinned. "I also had him sync all of your backed-up contacts from the cloud, so all you have to do is turn the phone on and you're ready to roll."

  I pulled the phone out of the box and lightly ran my fingertips over the smooth surface. "You didn't have to do all that," I said softly.

  Noa shrugged. "After the hectic day you had yesterday, I wanted to do something to make you smile."

  I felt my mouth tug up at the corners. "You're so thoughtful," I said, squeezing his hand. "It's one of the things I love about you." As soon as the words left my lips, I was hit with a jolt of panic. Oh no. I hadn't meant to say the big L word. We weren't even officially in a relationship yet! Afraid to look over at him, I dropped my gaze to my hands. "Er, thanks again for doing that," I said quickly, hoping my tone didn't betray how mortified I was. "I'll find a way to return the favor. Maybe a seat upgrade or a few drinks on the flight back from Atlanta."

  Noa went tense beside me. "That's not necessary," he said gruffly. "You don't owe me anything." I glanced over just as he looked down at his watch. "Sorry, but I've got to go, Kales. I want to knock out a web design mock-up for a new client by tomorrow, and I've got my work cut out for me." He rose quickly from the bench and stooped down to plant a chaste kiss on my forehead. "I'll call you later, 'kay?"

  "Okay," I said, though at that moment all I wanted was to sink through the bench. I watched him hurry off as if he couldn't get away from me fast enough. Then I did a mental face palm. Noa and I had only been seeing each other for a few weeks, and I'd been divorced for barely three times that. The word had just slipped out, and rather than clarifying what I'd actually meant, I'd panicked.

  While what I'd been trying to say was that I loved his thoughtfulness, what if he'd taken my accidental L-bomb to mean that I was becoming too attached to him? I thought back over the previous week, at Noa's aloofness every time I'd brought up the topic of taking him to Atlanta as my date to Emma's wedding. If he'd considered that to be moving too fast, then this must have really thrown him for a loop. No wonder he'd bolted at the first opportunity.

  I pressed the power button on my new phone, staring glumly down at the screen while it booted. I was surprised when it immediately buzzed with a new notification. There was a voice mail from a local number. It was time-stamped from yesterday afternoon. Curious, I clicked on the little icon and held the phone up to my ear as the recorded message began to play. "Hi, Kaley. It's Gabby LeClair from Gabby's Island Adventures. I'm returning your call regarding a missing purse. Koma found a black bag on our bus that matches the description you left in your message. I just wanted to let you know that I'm holding it for you in my office whenever you'd like to come pick it up."

  I replayed the recording once more, certain I'd heard Gabby wrong. My purse had been found with Valentina's corpse. Could she be talking about Val's bag? I wondered. Maybe no one had planted my purse on the body to try to frame me for the crime. Perhaps the deceased woman had simply grabbed my purse by mistake. It had been dark on the bus, and she'd been pretty intoxicated. It would have been easy to confuse the two bags.

  Maybe there's something in Valentina's purse that might point to her killer. It was a long shot, but I was willing to explore any and all possibilities.

  A new wave of hope lifted through me as I rose from the bench and hurried back into the resort lobby, headed in the direction of Gabby's Island Adventures. The little travel agency was located past the concierge's desk and close to the resort gift shop. I found the owner, Gabby LeClair, seated at one of two rattan desks. She smiled brightly when I walked in.

  "Good morning, Gabby," I said. "I just got your voice mail and happened to be right around the corner."

  "Hi, Kaley." Gabby rose from her chair, lifting a hand to smooth the dark streak that ran through her mostly blonde hair as she walked over to give me a hug. She pulled away and glanced in the direction of the other desk, where a dark-haired young woman was busy typing away at her keyboard. "Lana, could you please get the purse that Koma found on the shuttle?"

  The younger woman looked up and nodded. She smiled at me as she got up from her desk and disappeared behind the partition that separated the women's workspaces from the rest of the little office.

  When Lana was gone, Gabby returned her attention to me. Her eyes crinkled, and she gave me a sympathetic look. "I was so sorry to hear about your friend. Is it true you found the poor woman?" she asked, lowering her voice. When I nodded, she drew in a breath. "That must have been awful." There was a hint of sad understanding in her tone. I'd heard talk around the resort that she'd had her fair share of bad luck in the dead body department. "If there's anything I can do for you, just ask," she added, squeezing my arm.

  "Thanks." I smiled to show my gratitude.

  Lana emerged from the back, carrying a black leather satchel that looked very similar to the one that Emma had given me. "Here's your bag," she said, holding out the strap so that I could take it.

  "My bag," I repeated, holding it against my chest. I glanced f
rom Lana to Gabby. Both women looked back at me with neutral expressions. Was this some kind of trick, or did they really not know about my purse being found with Valentina's body? This had to be the first time the resort gossip mill had skipped over one of the juicy details. I felt a nervous heat begin to creep up my collarbone. Just in case, I'd better get out of here before they realize their mistake.

  I slipped the purse strap over my shoulder and made a show of glancing at my watch. "I've got to meet a friend for brunch," I said, backing toward the door. I thanked both Lana and Gabby before forcing myself to walk calmly out the door. I kept walking until I was out of sight of the little agency's office.

  I stopped and leaned against the wall of the lobby, not sure what to do next. I knew the right thing would be to turn the purse in to the police, which meant I should call Detective Ray. Still, it wouldn't hurt to give it a quick look-through first, would it? If there was something inside Val's purse that could provide a lead, I had to know. My mind made up, I turned down the nearest hallway and ducked into the ladies' room, murmuring a polite hello to a pair of elderly women standing at the sinks. I slipped into one of the empty stalls and then unzipped the bag's main compartment.

  Every time I'd seen Valentina, she'd always seemed impeccably put together, not a single stray hair or clumpy eyelash. The inside of her purse, however, looked like a glitter bomb had gone off. Shimmery makeup particles dusted the contents of the bag, and I coughed as the strong smell of Val's perfume assaulted my nostrils. Her wallet, hairbrush, and a tube of Retro Ruby–hued lipstick were nestled on a bed of crumpled receipts and loose change. There was one item noticeably absent from the bag, however: Val's cell phone. Did she have her phone with her when she was killed? I wondered.

  I plucked Valentina's wallet from the top of the pile and flipped it open, shoving away the flicker of jealousy when I saw her weight and height next to her flawless driver's license photo. Opening her billfold, I was taken aback by the thick stack of money inside. Though it was a glamorous job, I knew from my time as a football wife that being a cheerleader for the NFL paid next to nothing. So, what was Valentina doing to earn so much cash? I wondered as I thumbed through the fat pile of bills. Had Bryan given her the money? He could certainly afford to be her sugar daddy—he'd been the one to keep the millions when we'd gone our separate ways, thanks to an ironclad prenuptial agreement that, unfortunately for me, hadn't included an infidelity clause.

  Using a wad of toilet paper, I wiped my prints from the wallet and then dropped it back into the dead woman's purse. Instinctively, I grabbed the handful of crinkled receipts from the bottom of the bag and unfurled them one by one, scanning the contents. There were three fast food order slips and a receipt for a two-liter of Diet Coke and two bags of cookies from Walmart.

  How did Val wolf down so many Oreos and Taco Bell burritos and still look like a super model? I wondered. I dropped the four receipts back into the bag. It was unfair that she could inhale so much junk food and still rock a perfect figure, but that was hardly a reason for either Bryan or Coco to have killed her.

  There was one last crumpled slip of paper. I opened it and read over the text at the very top. It was a receipt from a pharmacy in Midtown Atlanta called Peachtree Drugs. I recognized the name—the little store was located on the corner across Peachtree Street from the condo building where Bryan lived. There was a time stamp on the receipt from ten thirty on Wednesday night, just three days ago. According to the readout, Val had purchased a bottle of Vitamin water, a box of antacids, and…

  A sudden shock tore through me. I sat down hard on the toilet seat, my head swimming as I reread the small print in disbelief.

  The last item on the receipt was a pregnancy test.

  CHAPTER NINE

  I sat in the bathroom stall for what felt like an eternity, struggling to catch my breath as I stared at the drugstore receipt. A pregnancy test. The words repeated in my mind like a broken record. Could Valentina have really been pregnant? If so, the receipts for all the junk food would certainly make a lot more sense.

  She was drinking at the Lanai Lounge on Thursday night, I thought, frowning. Wasn't she? I strained to recall the events of the night in question, but I couldn't remember actually seeing Val down a cocktail or shot. I'd been ignoring her for the most part, focusing on Emma and making sure she was enjoying her big night out. Was it possible that Valentina had only pretended to get drunk along with the rest of us to cover up her secret?

  Or maybe the test was negative, I tried to reassure myself. I'd taken my fair share of EPTs in the past only to find out that I didn't actually have a bun in the oven. Maybe Val had just had a little pregnancy scare and I was jumping to conclusions. But what if the test was positive? A horrible realization struck me, making me heartsick. If that were the case, it would make Val's murder a double homicide.

  Would Bryan know? I couldn't just come out and ask him without raising his suspicions about how I might have found out. And if he didn't know… My heart clenched. I couldn't bring myself to be the bearer of that devastating news, especially if it might not even be true.

  Feeling numb, I stuffed the receipt back into the purse and then hugged the bag to my chest. I sat quietly for several more moments, trying to compose myself. When my breathing finally returned to normal, I forced myself out of the bathroom stall. I had to call Detective Ray. I didn't know how long autopsies took, but if Val had really been pregnant, it was only a matter of time before the truth came to light. In the meantime, I couldn't tell the detective my suspicions about Val's condition, but I could turn in the purse and hope that he read the receipts and came to the same conclusion that I had.

  Retrieving my new phone from my tote bag, I dialed the Aloha Lagoon Police Department as I returned to the resort lobby. The operator patched me through to Detective Ray's office line, but he didn't answer. "Detective, this is Kaley Kalua," I said to his answering machine. "I found something that might help with your investigation into the murder of Valentina Cruz. Please call me back when you get this. I'll be at the resort."

  I had just ended the call and slipped my phone back into my tote when I heard someone calling my name from across the lobby.

  "Hey, Kaley!" I looked up to find a familiar dark-skinned man with long dreadlocks standing next to a tall, muscular blond man near the entrance to the Loco Moco Café.

  "Hey," I called back, waving to two of Dante's groomsmen, Freddy Jenkins and Will Bolero. I slung the purse onto my shoulder alongside my tote and closed the gap between us. I forced what I hoped was a cheerful smile. Until I talked to Bryan and determined if he'd known about Val's potential condition, I didn't want his friends to suspect anything was amiss—aside from the obvious, of course. "How are you two holding up?" I asked, hesitating for a moment before adding, "How is Bryan?"

  Will gave a rueful shake of his head. "Rough. He's completely shut down. Bry's barely spoken a word since he got the news."

  "That's awful," I murmured, though I felt my suspicion rise. I'd supported Bryan through grief before, and he'd never been the type to suffer in silence. My ex-husband was very vocal about his personal life, using everything from triumphs to tragedies as a ploy for more publicity. When his father had passed away last year, Bryan had almost missed the funeral after booking an interview at the same time as the service. Could the uncharacteristic stoicism mean that he was hiding something?

  "Have you eaten?" Will asked. "Why don't you join us for breakfast? My treat." He hiked his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the café. "Dante went to check on Emma, but Tom and Bryan grabbed a table out on the patio. I'm sure we could make room for one more."

  I chewed the inside of my lip. It would be hard to seek out Bryan's alibi in front of his teammates, but I wasn't sure when I'd have another opportunity to speak to him. "Thanks," I said, flashing a smile at the two men.

  Freddy led the way through the bustling café, and I fell into step beside Will. I pulled my sunglasses down over my eyes as we s
tepped out onto the bright patio. Adjusting the collar of my blue top, I strode purposefully toward the table where Bryan and Tom were already seated, sipping glasses of pineapple iced tea.

  "Look who we found in the lobby," Will said. He dragged an extra chair over from the closest empty table and gestured for me to have a seat between Freddy and him. I smiled to show my gratitude.

  Tom rose from his chair, the hard look in his eyes giving me the impression that he was ready to boot me from the table. Bryan held up a hand, and the big man grudgingly sat back down.

  "Hi, Kaley," my ex said quietly.

  "Hi," I replied in a soft voice, steeling myself against the barrage of emotions that suddenly welled up in my chest. Aside from our brief encounter at the airport, this was the first time I'd been face-to-face with my ex-husband since I'd moved across the continent to get away from him. While part of me still wanted to scream and throw things at him, I couldn't help but feel sorry for his loss. And there was another part of me still that wasn't convinced he'd had nothing to do with Val's death.

  Remember why you're here, my inner voice piped up. I plastered what I hoped was a look of sincerity on my face as I met Bryan's gaze. "I'm really sorry about Val," I said, and I meant it.

  "Thanks," he mumbled. A wave of sympathy rolled through me at the hollow sound of his voice.

  "Are you sorry you sicced the police on us?" Tom asked gruffly. I looked over to find him still glowering at me from across the table.

  My shoulders stiffened. "I couldn't just lie to the police and pretend you guys weren't here," I fired back defensively. "The detective asked me for the names of everyone from the wedding party that was staying at the resort. I didn't have a choice." I looked to Will and Freddy for backup, but they both avoided my gaze.

  "It's all right." To my surprise, it was Bryan who came to my rescue. "You did what you had to do, Kaley. Nobody's blaming you for anything."