Murder on the Great lake: A Pet Portraits Cozy Mystery Book 2

by Sandi Scott

  People started to clap and cheer.

  The woman smiled and nodded her head.

  “It wasn’t easy. All of you know what it takes to look like this.” She flexed her biceps and the room went nuts. “But once you start down this path, you won’t ever settle for less. If I achieved it, you can too.”

  “Achieve what?” Georgie asked herself. “I’m not sure what she’s talking about. I’m lost. Never come in in the middle of a speech.”

  “It’s all in my book Lifting the Weight: 117 Simple Tips to Build Your Body, Mind, and Soul. It is normally $24.95, but tonight for this event, I am offering it for $14.95. I’ll be here to sign copies and answer any questions you might have.”

  The room burst into enthusiastic applause as the woman struck a couple of poses before she jogged off the stage and took a seat at a long table stacked with books that all had her picture on the covers.

  Georgie turned and headed toward the next room. Along the way there were tables set up with people selling t-shirts, exercise balls, kettle bells, tension ribbons, sunglasses, baseball caps, nutrition journals, calorie counting calculators, and even jewelry of little barbells, flexed biceps, and inspirational words like Achieve, Believe, and Imagine.

  In the next room, there was a huge video screen playing a video of a man in front of a room full of scantily clad women with a few men in the way back background doing the most insane dance moves, sweating like they were performing in Hades to some music that was thump-thump-thumping a heavy beat.

  Some of the people in the room tried some of the moves. Others stood watching, their heads bobbing in time to the music. Georgie noticed that there was a long line to the left of people purchasing the DVD.

  “Watching all that exercise has made me hungry.” Georgie turned and went to find her sister. Back in the main ballroom she saw Aleta cornered in a conversation with a man in a tight black t-shirt with tattoos spilling out of the neck and sleeves.

  As she caught Aleta’s desperate look, she quickly swooped in.

  “Aleta, the Captain is requesting your company immediately. He wants to thank you personally for recommending that tea to help his continence. You know, the one you use?” Georgie looked up innocently at the bodybuilder who stopped speaking immediately and grabbed her sister’s hand. “Excuse me. My sister is an expert on all things colon. She’s in such high demand.”

  “Are you out of your mind?” Aleta gritted her teeth. “All things colon?”

  “I got you out of there, didn’t I?” Georgie led them to their table where they took a seat.

  “Everyone in this place is looking to drop a couple extra ounces to make their goal weight. Telling them I can recommend something to help them poop isn’t going to get them to shy away.” Aleta shook her head. “I’ll get you back. Before the night is out, you’ll pay.”

  “Okay. Maybe I didn’t think that one through.”

  “Georgie?” Richard Batt was waving from across the room. He had a beautiful redhead wearing a very short-skirted business suit hanging on to his arm. “Georgie! I’m so glad you made it.”

  “Well, how could I turn down such a great invitation? Richard, this is my sister, Aleta.”

  Richard’s huge paw completely engulfed Aleta’s hand.

  “Nice to meet you. This is my girlfriend and business partner, Megan.”

  Megan tugged at her short skirt out of habit and extended her hand to Aleta.

  Everyone exchanged pleasantries for a few moments before Richard spoke about his business with Georgie.

  “Wait until you see the painting of Harley she did.” He looked at Megan. “It looks beautiful. Like she can just jump right off the canvas.”

  “So you’re the Georgie he’s been talking about.” Megan clapped. “Richard said your pieces were beautiful and very reasonably priced. I have a pet snake I might like a portrait of. Wouldn’t that be nice, Rich?”

  “Yeah.” Richard smiled nervously. “Meg, babe, would you go get me a sparkling water. I need to talk to Georgie for a moment.”

  “Sure, babe. Be right back. It was a pleasure speaking with you, Georgie.”

  Georgie smiled and felt the sharp elbow of her sister poking her in the ribs.

  “Well, I’m sorry, Georgie but I can’t pay you tonight.” Richard rubbed the back of his neck. “There was one final payment for this event I forgot about that was automatically withdrawn from my account this afternoon. I’ve got about forty dollars to get me by the next few days.”

  “I understand.” Georgie sighed. “These things happen.”

  “I can tell by the sound of your voice you don’t believe me.” He looked at Georgie like he was speaking to a child. “Trust me, Georgie. I’ll have your money for you in a few more days.”

  “Well, Georgie, you can keep the painting until you get paid or sell it, right? There was no down payment on the piece or a commission in place, right?” Aleta stepped in and looked Richard up and down. It was obvious to Richard that Georgie had someone in the business world to confer with. It was also obvious that Aleta Kaye was the more abrasive of the two sisters.

  “Yes, yes.” Georgie smiled. “You are correct. It’s my painting until payment is received. But Richard, would it be helpful for you to make a partial payment? I am not unreasonable and can work with you if that is more convenient?” She offered in a hushed voice.

  “That would be amazing.” He looked at Georgie. “Let’s talk later. Please, enjoy the rest of the event. The food is being set out buffet style so go help yourselves. We’re going to be showing a demo of a new fitness dance that we discovered in California. It will bury Zumba.”

  “It will so bury Zumba.” Megan chimed in as she handed Richard an ice cold bottle of sparkling water. “You should come and check it out after you’ve put a little something in your stomach.”

  “We will.” Georgie acted as enthusiastic as she could and waved.”

  “Buffet is open.” Aleta stood up after Richard and Megan have slipped into another conversation at another table. “Let’s go.”

  “Go ahead and say it.” Georgie said handing a big, white plate to her sister before taking one for herself.

  “Say what?” Aleta raised her eyebrows.

  “Say I told you so.” Georgie pouted her lips.

  “Do you think this is the kind of thing I want to gloat over? It’s not.” Aleta jerked her head in Richard’s direction. “But you might want to find a person with one of those pug-nosed cats who will buy the painting from you because I don’t think that halfwit is going to pay a dime.”

  “I’ll give him one more chance.” Georgie’s shoulders slumped.

  They stood impatiently in line at the buffet leaning to each side, trying to see what was on the loaded buffet tables. Suddenly a very deep voice addressed them both.

  “So where do you ladies work out?”

  Georgie turned around to find herself looking directly into the pectorals of a man who could make The Incredible Hulk green with envy.

  “My sister and I don’t really have a specific place.” Georgie smiled up at the man. He had a boyish face with hair cropped short on the sides and longer on top with a blond Superman curl in the middle of his forehead.

  “Well, that’s good to know. My name is Decklin Zannowski. Everyone calls me Deck.” He reached out his hand.

  Georgie and Aleta both shook, taking note at how soft and gentle his grip was. He also smelled very good, like fresh cut grass.

  “Look, if you ladies ever need a place to work out, I’d be thrilled if you’d consider my place.” His smile was contagious. “I have on staff an ‘enhanced trainer’ who specializes in guiding individuals looking to get into competitions.”

  “That’s very kind of you Deck, but my sister and I are probably past the competition stage of our lives.” Both of them giggled. Deck smiled widely, too.

  “That’s okay.” He soothed. “My gym also specializes in reaching out to assist more seasoned citizens with rebuilding their muscl
es comfortably and steadily to ensure you are golden for those golden years. Not that you two ladies are anywhere close to that yet.” He winked. “You see, I also work part-time as a physical therapist at the Vandalia Veteran’s Hospital. I understand that change can be not just hard but devastating in some instances. But it’s never too late to start something good for yourself.”

  “That is very true, Deck.” Georgie agreed.

  “What kind of fees do you charge?” Aleta asked unable to hide her financial prowess. “Working with older people on fixed incomes doesn’t sound all that lucrative.”

  “Very true.” Deck said with twinkling eyes. “That’s why I do physical therapy at the hospital to keep a steady paycheck. Many of my older clients pay me a flat fee, others pay as they go, some cook me dinner, other’s make me brownies. Something can always be worked out.”

  “Well, you don’t hear of many entrepreneurs taking their pay in brownies.” Aleta smiled, her hard, crunchy shell having been cracked.

  “No ma’am. But what goes around comes around.” He reached into the pocket of his tight fitting jeans and pulled out a gold business card case. “Please take my card and if you decide you might like to have a session or two, let’s talk.”

  “Thank you, Deck. We will.” Georgie smiled and slipped her card into her pants pocket as Aleta studied hers before doing the same.

  “If I don’t get something to eat I’m going to faint.” The big lug said, rubbing his stomach.

  “Yes. Us too.” Georgie turned and started to inch her way behind Aleta down the long table of food. The tables were loaded with piles of plain steamed chicken breast, kale salad and a variety of steamed vegetables.

  “What is it with the kale?” Deck mumbled to Georgie. “I don’t care how many vitamins it has. I can’t choke it down. Am I the only one who thinks it tastes horrible?”

  “No, Deck.” Aleta piped up. “You are not.”

  “I was really hoping there might be some real food at this thing.” He shook his head as he loaded his plate full of steaming hot vegetables. “And there’s no butter, either. There’s got to be some in the kitchen. I’ll find it. Would you ladies like me to bring you some, too?”

  “YES!” they said in unison.

  Deck nodded his head and smiled as he stepped out of line and headed toward the kitchen.

  “Deck!” A woman caught up with him before he had moved more than a few feet away from the tables.

  “Great. Now we’ll have to wait.” Aleta muttered pursing her lips together. “That girl obviously doesn’t know Deck is in the middle of an emergency. I need to eat something and plain vegetables are not it.”

  “Shh. Listen.” Georgie, who wouldn’t let a juicy bit of conversation slip past unnoticed, jerked her chin at the woman who was holding Deck firmly by the arm. She was wearing a t-shirt tied in a knot at her waist. The words AdonisTech Fitness Equipment blazed in bright red and black across the front and the back.

  “Deck. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

  “Hi, Abby.” Deck’s voice dropped and his eyes looked everywhere but at the woman standing in front of him.

  “I was hoping you might have a minute when we could talk.”

  “We can talk right now.” Deck said casually.

  “I meant in private, silly.” This Abby person had more than fitness training on her mind. “I’ve got something I want to tell you.”

  “Well, I’m kind of busy, Abby. These things aren’t just all fun and games to me. This is work.” Deck sounded like a father telling his daughter she can’t have the car on Friday.

  “I know that. I’m busy, too. But can we? Can we talk later?”

  Georgie leaned into her sister.

  “She obviously never learned the rules to playing hard to get.”

  “Obviously.” Aleta raised her right eyebrow and went back to trying to fill her plate. “They don’t have any bread? What kind of cruise is this? We’ll be resorting to cannibalism before long.”

  “Deck, if you think I’m going to forget about what happened, about what you did to me, you’re crazy. I’ve hired a lawyer, Deck. I didn’t want it to be this way but...”

  “Abby. If you hired a lawyer then he can talk to me.”

  “It’s a woman. Women can be lawyers, too, you know. We aren’t just here for your amusement.” Abby snapped making Georgie’s eyes widen as she pulled her chin into her throat.

  “Fine, Abby. If you need to talk to me give me ten minutes. I’ll meet you on the deck by the Tilly’s juice bar display, okay? But just five minutes. I mean it.”

  “Fine. But it may take more than five minutes.”

  Without another word Deck left Abby, walked up to one of the wait staff and had a brief, quiet conversation that ended in smiles all around and Deck giving the man a pleasant pat on the back. He then left in a direction that was completely opposite of the woman named Abby.

  “That was worth the price of admission.” Aleta chuckled. “Where is the dessert table? I can’t eat all this healthy stuff on an empty stomach.”

  “Good idea. Let’s get a good base and then we can choke down some veggies.”

  Taking their empty plates with them they headed over to the other side of the ballroom to what was the dessert table.

  “Okay, this looks promising.” Aleta stooped over to read one of the names on a somewhat tempting looking dessert. “Lean Green energy bar. Okay, vegan. Gluten-free.”

  “What exactly is a gluten?” Georgie asked.

  “I don’t know. Oh, my goodness. This has kale in it.” Aleta stood straight and stared at Georgie who started to laugh. “Is there anything in this place that doesn’t have kale in it?”

  “Hey, you ladies look like you’re having fun!” Both of them whirled around to find a thin, very toned man in extremely revealing dark blue spandex shorts and a sleeveless shirt grinning insanely at them. “My name’s Jake. Hey, I can tell this food has really got you scratching your head. I’ve been there.”

  Both Georgie and Aleta looked at Jake like Bodhi the pug when he hears a high-pitched whistle.

  “Hey, I’ve got a meal plan that not only promises to provide you all the key nutrients you need to keep your body going all day but offers one more thing.”

  Still Georgie and Aleta stared.

  “Hey, Have you ever said to yourself what am I going to have for dinner? I don’t know what to make for breakfast. I’m in such a hurry I don’t know what I should have for lunch? With my meal plans you don’t even have to eat!”

  “Is that what they are serving here?” Aleta jerked her head toward the dessert table.

  The man stopped not quite understanding then his eyes shifted to movement behind them.

  “Sorry this took me so long, ladies.” It was Deck with a dainty little bowl of butter. “This is contraband. Don’t let anyone else see.” He winked charmingly and walked away as Georgie and Aleta thanked him and waved.

  “That was nice.” Georgie gushed.

  “So, nice. I’ll eat those veggies now.”

  “Me, too. They sound better than quinoa and flax seed brownies. I never thought I’d hear myself say anything tastes better than a brownie.” Georgie laughed to herself and watched as Jake took off at lightning speed calling after Deck.

  After slipping back in line for veggies and finding their place again at their table, Georgie and Aleta were happy to see the Captain of The Catherine O’Leary already sitting at their table. It took him a matter of seconds to get the names of the sisters and give them a quick history lesson on the ship’s name.

  “Catherine O’Leary was blamed much of her life for the actions of her cow that were said to have caused the Great Chicago Fire.” He said sipping tea from an elegant cup and saucer. “She died friendless and heartbroken.”

  “My, that is sad. Thank goodness forensic work has come so far.” Georgie said as she flopped another slab of butter on her roasted carrots and zucchini.

  “You’re very right about that.�
� He smiled. His Old Man of the Sea image was almost perfect except, instead of a pipe sticking out from his white bearded face, he chewed a toothpick and instead of a full blue naval suit buttoned stiffly down the front with brass buttons he wore a short sleeved light blue shirt with epaulets on the shoulders.

  “So, Captain, how long has The Catherine O’Leary been your ship?” Aleta asked. As the Captain scooted his chair a little closer to the table and leaned on his elbows, Georgie could feel a long story coming on. Before he got started, she excused herself and headed off in search of the powder room.

  At the furthest end of the ballroom was the word LADIES in elegant script letters with an arrow pointing to the left. Before Georgie made her way back there she saw Deck in a quiet cubby in between the ladies’ room and what appeared to have been a payphone bank at one time but that had morphed into a charging station for cell phones and computers. With him was a pretty woman of about 40 with light brown hair who looked nervous, as if she were about to miss a train. Her muscles were tight and defined but unlike some of the more extreme women of fitness this woman still looked soft around the edges. Deck was saying something quietly to the woman. He was smiling. She was not.

  “He is a popular one with the ladies.” Georgie thought before she saw Jake quickly approaching.

  “Hey, Deck!” he called and waved. Deck and his lady friend were cornered and couldn’t escape Jake’s intrusion.

  “Hey, Deck, got a minute? Hi, Maddy.”

  “Jake, I’m not so sure but...”

  “This will take a second.” Jake insisted. “You remember when I stopped by your gym last month. I showed you the nutrition plans with the corn smut and cod liver oil. Well, there is a new replacement product that paired with calf livers produces the same...”

  Before Jake could utter another word Maddy put her hand over her mouth and dashed into the ladies’ room, pushing ahead of Georgie and stopping inside the door to throw up in the trashcan. Georgie couldn’t say she blamed her. What in the world was corn smut?

  Georgie had been hard on the girl’s heels going into the ladies’ room but thought it would be best to let a few minutes go by before approaching her.