Murder at the Makeover

by Sandi Scott

  “But the divorce was really for the best.” Georgie tried to inch her way closer to the chocolate table. “It’s been more than twenty years now, but we are still excellent friends and see each other a couple of times a week. I’ve come to realize in my older age that I really enjoy being alone. I work from home, and Aleta lives next door.”

  That gave Georgie an opportunity to describe her pet portrait painting business. As she’d hoped, Mary and Greg took her business card, chattering excitedly about getting a portrait of Wrinkles done for their long hallway of family portraits.

  “Well, don’t just call me for work,” Georgie said. “We should all get to together for coffee some time.”

  “Absolutely! We’ll definitely be in touch. And Aleta, that blouse is really something. It looks like a little bit of Georgie’s attitude has rubbed off on you.” Mary and Greg gave Georgie and Aleta a hug just before they left to mingle through the crowd.

  “That was so much fun!” Aleta admitted. “I’m really surprised at all the comments about this blouse. I’m so glad you talked me into it. Let’s get some chocolate. I’m afraid everyone has picked over the pieces.”

  Finally, taking in the long sweets table covered with a cornucopia of different colored chocolates in different sizes with different goodies mixed in them, Georgie and Aleta planted themselves at one end and slowly began to fill their napkins.

  “Toffee and sea salt,” Aleta whispered.

  “Grab a couple of those. I’ll toss them in my purse.”

  “Chocolate covered cherries?”

  “I’ll toss them in my purse, too.”

  “What if they melt?”

  “I’ll lick the lining!” Georgie giggled as she opened her clutch and pretended to gnaw on the corner just as the young woman named Peg was circulating past them.

  “You ladies look like you’re having a good time.” Peg flashed her teeth in a grand smile causing her eyes to become nothing more than slivers.

  “We are,” Georgie replied.

  “Well, we are getting ready to get started. If you could join the other guests in the main room, we can begin the presentation.”

  “Presentation? What presentation?” Aleta asked holding her hand in front of her mouth full of chocolate.

  “The Better You! presentation. We’ll just be taking a little time to tell you about our products and how you can become more involved.” Peg’s face never relaxed as she explained in sophisticated terms what was nothing more than a multi-level marketing plan.

  “A pyramid scheme?” Aleta hissed in Georgie’s ear once Peg was well out of earshot. “I don’t believe it. I’m ready to go now. How about you?”

  “Okay, let’s not be too hasty.” Georgie inched her way back toward the chocolate sample table. “First, my purse isn’t even close to being full. Let’s load up on the sweets, have one more glass of champagne, and see if there is anyone else here from high school we might like to see. It was really nice seeing Mary and Greg, and even Jet.”

  “I am really not comfortable being here.”

  “I promise, just another fifteen minutes—twenty tops.” Georgie slipped her arm through her sister’s and began to gently pull her in the direction of the main room. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

  “Fine. We’ll do it your way, but we are sitting by the nearest exit.”

  “Deal.” Georgie squeezed her sister’s arm, and they walked into the main room.

  Just then a loud, extra cheerful voice piped up, and Georgie felt Aleta’s body stiffen. “Hello, everyone. Welcome! Welcome! There are plenty of seats for everyone. Find a seat, and we’ll get started. This is so exciting! Please, find a seat.”

  “That’s her.” Aleta cringed. “I’d recognize that voice anywhere. I’ll bet every cat in the neighborhood is headed this way.”

  Georgie stretched her neck past the people in front of her. Sure enough, on a platform about six inches high, Clara Lu spoke into a speaker attached to a headset.

  “Who does she think she is—Tony Robbins?”

  “Careful, Aleta. We don’t want this to turn into some contest of the urinary kind!”

  “Ha, ha. Very funny. You’re just overflowing with smart comments today, aren’t you?” Aleta followed Georgie to two folding chairs that were just a few quick steps to a door with a large EXIT sign above.

  Chapter 4

  “I’d like to thank everyone for coming. I’m Clara Lu, and I’m here to tell you about ......The Better You!”

  “I’m going to throw up,” Aleta hissed in Georgie’s ear.

  “Now, not so long ago I was in a bad place.” Clara put her hand to her heart. “Like many of the people I’ve encountered over the years, I wasn’t happy about myself. I was working a nine-to-five job, feeling unappreciated, overworked, and underutilized. Finally, I decided I wanted something better.”

  “Look at her smile. She looks like the Joker!” Aleta mumbled.

  “But I thought, what can someone my age possibly offer? Let’s face it, the doors are wide open for the young, but for those of us with a little gray in our hair and more life experience than perhaps office experience, well, if we can find a window that is cracked even a little bit open, we’re pretty lucky.”

  Clara’s eyes widened, and she nodded her head as she spoke. Many of the guests nodded in agreement.

  “Then, something happened,” she continued.

  “A piano fell on her head?” Aleta again whispered.

  “I would like to listen to what she has to say.” Georgie rolled her eyes.

  “You aren’t actually falling for this load of crap, are you?”

  “Of course not, but I’d still like to hear.”

  Aleta leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. Her right leg was crossed over her left, and it bounced like a cat whipping its tail back and forth getting ready to pounce.

  “Someone came up to me, took my hand, looked me in the eyes, and said, ‘I see The Better You! in you.’”

  “Sorry, but she looks like a bobblehead up there.” Aleta was getting huffy.

  “You sure are full of vinegar today.” Georgie scooted closer to Aleta. “I’m just fascinated at the presentation—kind of like a car wreck that is happening in slow motion! There hasn’t been an impact yet, but you can see it coming.”

  “Of course, I had no idea what they were talking about. This was just a friend I had met who asked me out for coffee. Little did I know, that morning cup of coffee changed ......my ......life!” Clara droned on.

  “Georgie, I can’t take much more of this.”

  “Yes, it’s getting a little deep, but let’s just see where it’s heading.”

  “I know where it’s heading—right to our wallets!”

  Georgie chuckled and patted her sister’s knee then put her index finger to her lips.

  “Now, on this beautiful day in the historic Craghill Mansion, I am offering you the same opportunity.”

  “Here it comes.” Aleta sighed.

  And she was right. Clara Lu described The Better You! business that offered each and every person in the room the entrepreneurial opportunity afforded by selling these beauty products.

  “Just imagine ......on Monday morning when everyone else you know is getting up at seven, getting dressed, driving to work in rush hour traffic, and working at a job where their bosses don’t value their work, you are sitting at your kitchen table sipping your coffee, reading the paper, and relaxing. How come you’ll be doing this? Because you’ve found The Better You!”

  “What the heck does that even mean?” Aleta whispered. “She is nothing more than a saleswoman, and not a very good one at that.”

  “Now, I know some of you might be skeptical. So, my associates, Peg and Nikki, will be assisting me as we offer each of you a free makeover.”

  The room started to buzz.

  “Hey, I’ll stay for a free makeover.” Georgie shrugged before she looked at Aleta, her lips drawn down at the corners, and her eyebrows up.
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  But Aleta stared back at her from underneath heavy eyelids. “Are you kidding?”

  “No, look, I’m not buying anything from this woman—not just because you’ve pegged her as your nemesis—but because I’m no dummy. But, a free makeover is still a free makeover. Let’s face it, we both deserve a little pampering.”

  Georgie could see Aleta’s hard, crispy shell starting to crack.

  “Think of it this way—your nemesis is basically begging you for money, and you will happily be telling her no! I don’t know how much better you could feel.”

  Aleta looked at Georgie sideways.

  “You’ve got a point. Okay, I’ll stay for the makeover, but then we are out of here if I have to steal Pablo and drive myself home.”

  However, soon Georgie and Aleta realized that staying for the makeover had not been a great idea.

  “Hi, I’m Nikki. I’ll be your complexion specialist today.” The tall, slender blond blinked her long, false lashes with a serious look on her face as she spoke to Georgie. “I can see you’ve taken good care of your skin, but you obviously can do a lot better. What I have is a honey moisturizer that utilizes a rather unorthodox ingredient.”

  “And what would that ingredient be?” Georgie asked with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

  “Booklice.”

  “You’re joking!”

  Nikki shook her head.

  “You’d be surprised how many beneficial nutrients there are in some of nature’s tiniest creatures. I just read an article that said the new gourmet menus will not feature lobster or filet mignon but crickets, tarantulas, and beetles.”

  “Nikki, I don’t mean to be rude, but you are not putting that on my face.”

  The blond blinked her eyes as if she’d walked into a spider web.

  “Well, uhm, then I’d suggest you try using The Better You! dark spot remover.”

  “What is that made of?” Georgie could not see Aleta who was sitting in the chair next to her having her makeup reapplied.

  “This is a little less exotic than the moisturizer. It is a feather light cream that you would use twice a day to lighten and brighten your skin.” Nikki finally smiled as she removed the top from her sample jar. She dabbed the cream with her finger and went to apply it on Georgie who dodged her like a toddler refusing mashed peas.

  “Can you tell me what’s in it first?”

  “Absolutely. This is a combination of aloe and honeydew.”

  “Honeydew melon?”

  “No, it’s the honeydew that is secreted from specific insects like aphids, mealybugs, and scales.”

  “Okay, well, you aren’t putting that on my skin either. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m beginning to sense a theme with these products.” Georgie pushed herself slowly and carefully out of the complexion specialist’s chair.

  “That’s right. They are made with all-natural ingredients, including several types of insects that have been identified as having beneficial antibodies in their chemistry.”

  Georgie nodded. She didn’t want to tell Nikki how crazy the whole thing sounded. The girl was just trying to make a living, but Georgie couldn’t help thinking this was not going to be something that caught on.

  “I’ll take a pass.” Before Georgie could explain any further, Nikki had another woman in the seat Georgie had just been occupying. The new prospect was about Georgie’s age and seemed all too thrilled to have bug juice slathered on her face.

  “How’s it going over here?” Georgie asked Aleta.

  “You tell me?” Aleta said. But as soon as she looked at Georgie’s face, she knew something was wrong.

  “What is it?”

  “Well, it’s just a totally different look than you usually apply. That’s all.”

  Georgie bit her lip and tried not to giggle.

  “Can I see a mirror?” Aleta asked Peg who had been applying her makeup. She took one look and let out a long deep sigh. “Well, it’s a little over the top, Peg. Just a little.”

  “Aleta, I really think you could use a little glamour in your life.” Peg was still smiling. “It’s you but The Better You!”

  “Georgie?”

  The only thing Georgie could do was shrug and shake her head. Aleta had been transformed from her sister into a sultry vixen with dramatically defined eyebrows, contouring blush on her cheeks that gave her a skeletal appearance, and the brightest red lips Georgie had ever seen.

  “I’ll take the lipstick if she doesn’t buy it.”

  Aleta yanked the mirror from Peg. That was all she needed to hear. Georgie was the woman who wore the red lipstick, not Aleta—never Aleta. As she looked at herself, a scream sounded so loud Georgie was sure the crystal chandeliers were going to shatter.

  “What was that?” Aleta asked.

  “Come on.” Georgie grabbed her sister by the hand. They dashed in the direction of the scream as most of the guests backed away. One of the attendees of the event—a lovely woman in a purple sweater and matching skirt—had her hand over her mouth and was pointing into what was the lower level bathroom where there was a posh seating area so ladies could sit, gossip, and touch up their makeup while the actual lavatory was through another door. It was decorated in subdued pastel colors with period piece chairs, a chaise lounge, and lovely paintings of life during the 1800s. The room was beautifully lit by natural sunlight coming from the jib windows that now stood wide open. A gentle breeze came through carrying the scent of honeysuckle and lavender from the bushes right outside. In the middle of all of this was the body of one of the guests with a single bullet hole through her head.

  Georgie gasped when she saw the woman’s face.

  Aleta was the first to approach the body. She placed two fingers on the woman’s wrist and then her neck, checking for a pulse Aleta knew wouldn’t be there. Shaking her head, Aleta looked up at Georgie.

  “Aleta, what does the victim’s nametag say?”

  “Samantha Alfred.”

  “Didn’t we go to high school with a Samantha Alfred?”

  Aleta stood up and carefully stepped away from the body that now had a halo of red around its head. Aleta thought for a moment, then nodded her head.

  “We did. She was on the debating team with Clara and me. She was great. Samantha had the kind of voice and mannerisms that could convince Eskimos they definitely needed more ice.”

  Georgie studied the body from a few feet away.

  “From the looks of it, she was doing very well,” Georgie whispered to Aleta. “Those rings on her fingers aren’t costume jewelry. And I saw those shoes in one of my magazines going for about eight hundred dollars.”

  Someone announced, “The police are on their way.”

  The Kaye sisters heard the mumbles and sobs and frantic phone calls coming from the main room. As usual, the twins stood close together, their arms linked protectively, and waited for the police to arrive.

  Chapter 5

  “I should have known I’d find you here, Georgie,” Detective Stan Toon said as soon as he walked onto the scene, unable to hide his pleasure at seeing his ex-wife. Although Georgie would never admit it, she liked the way he still looked at her. His eyes studied her like she was a T-bone steak with all the fixins.

  “Hi, Aleee ......” He stopped as he studied Aleta’s face. “That’s quite a different look for you, Aleta. Interesting blouse, too.”

  “Very funny, Stan. Can you just tend to the matter at hand?”

  Stan was an old fashioned fellow. He wore blue jeans and cowboy boots every day, a habit he picked up while out West searching for gold. His salt-and-peppered hair was a little long but had a natural curl to it that both his sons had inherited. He had what Georgie liked to call “Mountain Man scruff” as his five o’clock shadow usually started around noon.

  “Who is this woman? Anyone know?” Stan grumbled to the uniformed officer that had come with him.

  “We do, Stan,” Georgie said. “She was a classmate of ours from high school. Her name was Samanth
a Alfred.”

  “Tommy, get these people out of here,” Stan ordered and waved toward the gawkers who were standing in the doorway. “Start collecting their statements. Don’t let any of them leave until we’ve got a name and number to reach them. This is going to take a while.”

  “Yes, sir,” the officer said and quickly jumped into action.

  “Where’s Leto?” Georgie asked. Leto Murphy had been Stan’s partner for several years. Even though he was a good bit younger than Stan, he had that same gut instinct that makes good cops.

  “He’s on his way.” Stan stepped around the body, careful not to disturb it, the blood, or any other tiny element that may end up an important clue. “Well, call me crazy, but I think the cause of death is pretty obvious—bullet to head at close range.” He snapped on a pair of blue gloves and turned Samantha’s head slightly. On her forehead, around the hole was a ring of black. “See the residue?”

  Stan stood up and walked around the body again. His mannerisms reminded Georgie of an old mutt that was trying to make his bed comfortable. The dog would walk around and around, scratch here, sniff there, until he finally decided it was perfect. Then, he’d flop down and sleep.

  “The gun had to have a silencer on it. Otherwise, all of you ladies would have heard the pop.” Stan stood with his hands on his hips. Although he had a small pooch of a gut showing, he had kept his physique almost exactly the same since he and Georgie had gotten married. Although Georgie would argue she had put on more than a couple pounds, Stan always replied with the same response, “It all went to the right places.”

  Just then heavy footfalls approached the ladies’ room.

  “Stan, I’ve got the uniforms out there getting statements and—Hi, Georgie. Hi, Aleta. What a surprise!” (Detective Leto Murphy hugged both women)—“the ambulance is on its way.”

  “Whoever did this left through the window,” Stan said, touching the frame and looking up and down the tall frame for any signs of forced entry or exit. From the expression on his face, he obviously didn’t see anything that could help him. “Leto, draw a perimeter around this area. We don’t want anyone contaminating the ground in case there is a footstep or handprint or whatever.”