“Their dressing rooms are right down here,” he said, but then he stopped. I looked around him and could see a group of security guards standing at the end of the hall, and they didn’t look happy.
“What’s going on?” the man called to the team as he started walking again, quickening his pace. We all followed him, not sure what else to do. When we got to the door, we heard the word “body,” and I glanced into the room. I immediately closed my eyes, wishing I hadn’t just seen what was on the floor in the dressing room. I spun around, not wanting to face what was right before me, and saw the grannies, horror on their faces and hands clasped over their mouths. So much for a fun night on the town.
5
Lou was on the ground. And judging from the looks on the security team’s faces, I knew he wouldn’t be playing the banjo any longer.
Hattie and Irene pushed their way into the room to get a better look. “Yep,” Hattie said walking back to the hallway. “He’s dead as a door nail. There’s nothing we can do to save him. Let’s go get some peach cobbler.”
The next few minutes were a blur, and I only caught bits and pieces of conversations around me. I heard that the police had been called, and Willie and Billie weren’t in their dressing rooms. The grannies and I huddled in the hall, far enough away that we weren’t in the way but close enough that we could hear what was going on.
Then up walked Billie and Willie with Archer Nash right behind them. Judging from the looks on their faces, someone had already told them about Lou. As Willie walked by us, he stopped and gave Greta a small, sad smile. He reached up and gently squeezed her elbow. “I’m so sorry about this,” he whispered.
“It’s okay,” she whispered. “We should leave.”
He shook his head. “No, please don’t. Can you ladies stick around?”
We all nodded our heads yes. Honestly, I didn’t know if we could find our way out if we were asked to leave. I tried to picture the way we came through the halls, but my mind couldn’t shake the image of Lou.
Willie and Billie, followed by Archer Nash, disappeared into Lou’s dressing room. A few minutes later, Archer Nash came out by himself, rubbing his face and looking shook up. He talked in hushed tones to the security team for a minute, then walked over to us.
“Are you okay?” Grandma asked.
He looked up at us, truly seeing us for the first time, and he looked surprised that we were there. “Are you friends of Lou’s?” he asked. And then he noticed our backstage passes.
“I’m so sorry,” he said to us. “This is not the backstage experience we want our fans to have.”
Greta spoke up. “Willie asked us to stay. Is that okay?”
He nodded and closed his eyes. He rubbed his face again, but didn’t say anything. We stood there silently until we heard a commotion at the other end of the hall. It was the police.
Within minutes, they ushered everyone out of the room, and those of us lingering in the hall were brought back to the large theater. We were each questioned and given the business card of the detective we could call if we thought of any details that might help the case.
“Maybe we should just leave,” Grandma said, pulling her purse over her shoulder. “I feel like we’re in the way. And who knows how long the police will keep the guys here tonight.”
Greta agreed, and we turned to walk away. Then we heard someone yelling for us to wait. It was Willie, and he was running down the aisle to catch up to us. He looked over at Greta. “I know this has been a crazy night, but I’d really like to get to know you a little better. I felt like we had some kind of . . . connection.”
Greta reached out and took his hand. “We can meet some other time. I can give you my number . . .”
“We always meet at a little diner after each show. We’re headed there as soon as the police say we can leave. I know it’s late, but I’d really like it if you could meet us there.” He looked up at the rest of us. “All of you.”
“Well,” Greta paused. “If you’re up for it . . .”
“Thank you,” he said. “I know this is not the night you hoped for, and I just met you and shouldn’t lean on you, but . . . I feel like I need to be around you.”
Greta blushed. Actually, I think we all did.
He gave us the address and told us to head to the diner, and he and the others would join us soon.
Silently, we made our way outside. Once in the vehicle, Virginia typed the address into her GPS.
Irene shifted in her seat. “No offense, Greta, but I can’t believe that guy is that into you.”
Greta turned to look at us. “No offense taken. I can’t believe it either.”
As she turned around, I noticed the hint of a smile. Greta was finally being noticed by a man, and she loved it.
We sat in the diner for about twenty minutes before the men came in. Willie looked relieved to see Greta, and he took a seat next to her. Archer Nash took a seat next to Grandma, who was at the head of the table. Billie sat across from us.
“I hope it’s okay,” Billie said to us. “We invited some other people here tonight. I thought we could all have a root beer float in honor of Lou. That’s what he ordered every night we came here.”
Our waitress came over and hugged each of the guys as she wiped a tear from her face. “I just can’t believe this happened,” she said to Billie. “Did he have a heart attack?”
Billie told her they didn’t have any answers yet, but something in his expression told me he at least had an idea. I glanced at the grannies, and I could tell they noticed it too.
Soon, more people were coming into the diner and hugging Billie and Willie, then patting Archer Nash on the back to console him too.
I looked around at the table full of interesting characters, and that’s exactly what they seemed like to me, characters. Billie must have watched me take in each one, because he stood up and introduced everyone, holding in his right hand the root beer float the waitress had just brought to him.
He pointed to a big, burly man with a short beard and an eyepatch. His red-and-black flannel shirt fit tightly across his broad chest, and he looked like a lumberjack. “This here is the Kodiak King. A big man with an even bigger heart. I know you and Lou had your differences, but he could always count on you.” The man nodded in agreement, and Billie moved on to the next person at the table.
“Roxy Rococo,” Billie smiled, and she smiled back. Her black hair and dark makeup made her look just like Joan Jett. “You always keep life interesting. You’ve been a friend to all of us for years, and I know Lou had a soft spot for you, even if you did always turn him down.”
The men chuckled, and I noticed Archer Nash looked uncomfortable for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure when he saw that I was looking at him.
And then Billie looked over at a man that hadn’t yet spoken a word. There was something about him that was . . . strange. He wore a black turtleneck even though it had been a very warm day. He seemed quiet and solemn, and I had a feeling it was more from his personality than the tragedy of the night. His dark eyes focused on Billie, and I noticed that his features seemed to be perfectly sculpted. He looked like a very attractive but very troubled man.
Billie stared him down, and his voice lowered. “And you, Casius Nine, are a deceptive thief and liar, and I have no idea why Lou was ever friends with you.”
Well, that was an unexpected introduction. I saw Archer Nash wince, and the rest of the table was silent, all eyes on the mysterious man who simply looked at Billie with a grim smile and raised his glass. “To Lou,” he said, “who loved us all.”
“To Lou,” the table repeated, and we all took a swig of our root beer floats.
An hour later, Grandma leaned over to me. “These men can really put away their root beer floats. I couldn’t have another one if they paid me.”
I was pretty sure I could have another one, but I kept quiet.
Billie ordered another round as Roxy Rococo told a funny story about Lou. “Remembe
r how afraid he was of horses?” She stopped and laughed. “And we asked him one time why he was so afraid of them, and he said it was because when he was younger, he reached up and touched a neighbor’s horse, and he felt its heartbeat, and for some reason, that freaked him out.”
Billie laughed. “I don’t understand why that had such an impact on him, but it did. He sure was talented, though. He was a natural with the banjo. He could play several instruments, and he learned them all by ear.” Billie shook his head. “But boy, was he stubborn.”
I could sense some animosity, but who hadn’t felt that against a sibling from time to time?
The group of friends, all Branson performers, took turns telling their favorite stories. At times, we laughed so hard, we cried. It made me sad that I had never actually met the guy, just watched him in his last performance, making the crowd laugh and cheer as he played his banjo.
At two in the morning, Casius stood and said he was going to head home. Everyone said goodbye to him except for Billie. Once he was gone, the others stood up and said they were going to call it a night too. Willie gave them each a hug and talked to them for a minute. I assumed we were going to stick around so he and Greta could say their goodbyes, but instead Greta pulled out a little container from her purse and handed it to him before he finished talking to his friends. “I wish I could do something more to help you. But here’s a piece of my pineapple upside-down cake.”
He thanked her, and she walked out with us. It seemed strange that that was it.
“That was a weird goodbye,” Virginia said to her on the way to the parking lot. “Are you sure you don’t want to stick around for a while? Maybe give him your number or something so you guys can get together again?”
Greta shrugged. “He’s dealing with a lot right now. If he needs me, he can find me.”
I had no idea how Willie would ever find Greta. I wasn’t even sure she ever told him her last name. But I figured if that’s how Greta wanted to play this, that was her choice.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. The image of Lou sprawled out on the floor in his dressing room kept flashing in my mind. Billie knew something that he didn’t share with the table. He suspected Lou’s death wasn’t an accident. I could feel it in my gut.
My mind started reeling with possibilities. I hadn’t seen any blood on Lou. He was lying on his stomach, though, so there could have been a wound to his chest or neck I couldn’t see. But if the wound was bad enough to kill him, wouldn’t there be blood around him? He could’ve been strangled . . . I sighed. Unfortunately, I had learned in my several months with the grannies that there were many ways to murder someone.
I looked at the clock beside my bed. It felt like the red light of the numbers was searing into my tired eyes. Five thirty. I wanted to call Owen and tell him what had happened. He would be getting up for work soon—a detective like him was always up early, even when he had a day off. I could text him . . .
No, I told myself. We had left on strange terms. I didn’t even get to see him before I left town. Just a few weeks ago, he had admitted he had feelings for me—but was planning on taking a job out of state, if it was offered to him. And when that fell through, well, it felt like he had only told me about his feelings because it felt safe when he thought he was moving away. But where did that leave us, now that he was staying? And now that I knew he was looking for another job outside of Florida, it felt like anything we could have together would be short-term.
What did I want? Did I want something long-term with Owen? I felt like I did when I was with him, but for some reason, being this far away, I felt . . . indifferent. And then I thought of Joe, the hunky fireman I had fallen for, and then completely screwed up any chance of having a relationship with after my fiancé from Illinois showed up and introduced himself.
I started to berate myself, then stopped. No, that was the old Nikki. The new Nikki was not boy crazy and didn’t jump at every chance to be with a guy. I thought back to the diner when I had met the Kodiak King and that strange man, Casius Nine. Both had been close to my age, though I would guess that Casius was a bit older, maybe mid-thirties compared to my nearly thirty. Other than being intrigued by both of them, I didn’t have any desire to chase after either one. Though I never was a chaser. Guys usually came to me, and I just followed. Who knows, maybe if they had shown an interest in me, I would’ve reciprocated.
How could I be nearly thirty years old and still know so little about myself?
The last time I looked at the clock, it was nearly seven. As sunlight poured into the room, I finally fell asleep. Maybe it was because I felt safe now that it was daylight. Or maybe it was because my brain had finally worked its way through all of my worries. Either way, I was grateful for the rest.
I woke up a few hours later in a panic, not knowing where I was. I sat up and looked around. Oh, that’s right, the charming little hotel in Branson. I looked over, and Grandma wasn’t in the room, but I noticed a note sitting on her pillow.
Nikki, I’m having lunch with Archer Nash. Stop right there. Don’t read more into this than there is. We’re just having lunch. Maybe I can get some more information on what happened last night with Lou. If you have lunch with the others, please make sure Hattie and Irene stay out of trouble. You know how they can be.
Love, Geraldine
P.S. Owen called me this morning worried about you. He texted you several times this morning, and when you didn’t reply, he called me. I explained that we had a fairly wild night last night, and you were sleeping in.
First, I laughed that she signed her named Geraldine and not Grandma. While most women held that title near and dear to their hearts, Grandma Dean despised it. She said it made her sound old. She always insisted I call her Gigi, Peaches, or Mimi, which I never did. And, instead of calling me her granddaughter, I was always introduced as “her daughter’s daughter.”
I walked over to my nightstand and picked up my phone. Sure enough, Owen had texted three times. I debated whether or not to call him back, but finally decided not to. Grandma told him I was fine, so he shouldn’t be worrying anymore. Since it was nearly noon, I decided to text the other grannies and see what they were doing for lunch.
While I was getting ready, Irene texted me that they were in the lobby trying to figure out what to do. I told them I’d be right there.
Paulette was smiling when I walked in. “Your friends are on the patio,” she said, pointing to the door across the lobby. I thanked her and walked outside. Irene and Hattie didn’t look happy.
“What’s going on?” I asked. “Where are Greta and Virginia?”
Irene let out a humph. “It looks like our little Greta is craftier than we thought.” She handed me an empty plastic container, the kind Greta had stored pieces of pineapple upside-down cake in.
I took it, confused. “I don’t understand. What does this have to do with anything?”
“That’s the container Greta gave to Willie last night.”
“How did she get it back? How in the world did he find her?”
Irene scoffed. “Flip it over.”
When I did, I laughed. I had forgotten that Greta labeled all of her containers with her name and phone number. She handed out a lot of treats, and she always wanted her containers back. “Well, that sly dog,” I said, looking over the label. “And here we thought she left without giving him her number.”
Hattie had been looking at the koi pond and finally joined us on the patio. “Yeah, and Willie called her while we were out here waiting for you. He and Billie came by and picked her and Virginia up for a lunch date! Can you believe that! They stole our men!”
“Hattie,” I said firmly. “You have a boyfriend. Let Greta and Virginia have some fun.”
“Technically, Virginia has a boyfriend too,” Hattie pointed out. “That secret guy she’s dating . . . Hershel or something.”
She was right. I had forgotten all about him. Virginia hadn’t brought him up since Grandma and I first uncovered her
secret a few weeks ago.
“Well, either way,” I finally said. “They never get to be wild and free. Let them have this. I’m sure there is other trouble you two could get into.”
As soon as I said it, I regretted it. Grandma had specifically said to make sure they didn’t get into trouble, and here I was, encouraging it. Well, it backfired on me right away.
Hattie smiled and looked at Irene. “She’s right! There are plenty of other performers here we can hang out with! Let’s go find us some semi-famous men!”
Irene jumped out of her chair and dangled a set of keys. “Virginia left us her SUV! Let’s go!”
I followed them to the lobby, and Irene turned and looked at me. “Where are you going?”
“Umm, with you. To get some lunch and find some semi-famous men.”
“Oh no, you don’t have what it takes to hang out with Hattie and me. You couldn’t handle it. You would just slow us down with your guilt.”
I started to object, but knew she was right. So I stood there and watched them walk out to the parking lot. As they left, I heard Hattie make a suggestion for lunch. “Let’s go grab a fish dinner somewhere. Those koi are really giving me a hankering for some fish.
I looked up at Paulette, helpless and alone.
“You could always call an Uber,” she suggested. “You might even get one of our performers. Sometimes they drive to make extra money. Then you can explore Branson a little on your own.”
She was being so nice, but the last thing I wanted to do was to explore Branson by myself. I decided to walk across the street to the gas station to get a Mountain Dew and a Snickers bar. While I was waiting in line, I was surprised to hear my name. I turned around and saw Casius Nine standing behind me with a coffee cup in one hand and a protein bar in the other.
“Nikki, right?” he said, furrowing his brows like he wasn’t so sure.
Road Trip (Glock Grannies Cozy Mystery Book 6) Page 3
