"Yeah, except for one thing. She was at the wake today and couldn't have done this. I think we already covered the fact that she can't be in two places at once."
Josie reappeared with a fresh pail of water. "You had to ruin it for me, didn't you? Still, what does she do all day?"
"What are you talking about?" I walked past her to empty my bucket.
"Well, Liza said Charlotte was hardly ever at the spa, and Zoe hadn't seen her since Tuesday, the day before Amanda was murdered. What does she do with her time? Maybe she has a boyfriend." Josie chuckled. "I'd love to see what kind of guy would date her."
"I don't remember her ever dating anyone in high school. And for someone we always considered so meek, she sure didn't waste any time filling Kate's head with evil ideas about me." I recalled what Kate had said about ruining my business and shuddered. She definitely had the power to do it. "Do you think Kate could have had something to do with the murder? No, wait, forget I said that. The idea's just crazy."
Josie reached for a broom and began sweeping the floor. "I can't picture Kate plotting her own daughter's death. I could see Charlotte involved, though."
"Wait a second…" I remembered the talk I'd had with my mother earlier at the funeral home and headed upstairs for my purse. I pawed through it until I found the matchbook she'd given me and ran back downstairs to show Josie.
"Snake Eyes Casino," Josie read aloud. "What does this have to do with anything?"
"Charlotte had this. My mother bummed a light from her. Do you think she goes there? Maybe she's got a gambling problem?"
"I guess anything's possible, but it may not mean anything. I think I have an idea where this place is, right before the border to Niagara Falls. About an hour's drive to get there."
My mind raced. "I think we should go. We might learn something that would help. Seriously, what do we have to lose?"
"Not tonight," Josie pleaded. "I'm too exhausted to even think about it right now."
"Yeah. Me too. How about a road trip tomorrow?"
"Why not?" The bitterness in her voice was apparent. "It's not like we have a business to run or anything."
I glanced around at the mess. "If the killer hasn't been found by the time the toxicology reports come back on Vido, we're done for. We know he died from eating the cookies."
"Sal, Brian's right. This was a warning. We could be next."
"As long as we stick together, we'll be fine."
"But why waste our time on Charlotte?" Josie asked.
"If she has a gambling problem, maybe the spa was having problems too. Money problems."
"So you think she might have been embezzling from the spa to pay for her habit?"
I paused, my sponge in mid-air. "I think we have to at least consider it."
Josie emptied cookie crumbs into the garbage can. "It's not much to go on but all we have right now." She yawned. "Let's stop. Call Gianna, and tell her not to bother coming down tonight. We've got most of the frosting off and can deal with the rest tomorrow. What else do we have to do?"
I dropped my sponge back in the water and glanced around. At least the place was starting to look a little more presentable. "Yeah, there's no need to rush, that's for sure. What time do you want to leave tomorrow?"
"How about 1:00?" Josie placed the broom and dustpan in the corner. "I'll spend a little time with Rob and the kids first, and then we can put in a couple of hours cleaning this place up."
"Fine. Hey, do you have any pictures of Charlotte?"
Josie wrinkled her brow. "Only from our high school yearbook, when you and I were juniors, and she was a senior. Had I known it was necessary, I'd have arranged to take a selfie with her at the wake today."
"Stop being a smart aleck. Bring her picture from the book then. She hasn't changed at all, and we can ask people at the casino if they've seen her."
"Your sexy cop is going to need to move a little faster. With something besides you, that is." She tossed me a dishtowel so I could wipe my hands. "I'll look for the yearbook tonight. What about your copy, if I can't find mine? Have you been taking a trip down memory lane lately?"
She knew me too well. "I think it's still packed away from the move." That was a lie, for I knew exactly where the book was. Last night, when I'd returned home from Mike's, I'd spent a good portion of the evening rummaging through both my junior and senior yearbooks. There were pictures of Mike and me all over both books. We'd been named best couple, in addition to princess and prince at the junior prom. The senior prom, of course, I longed to forget.
My grandmother's words about making a choice flashed through my mind. Now I knew what and whom she was referring to.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The bells tinkled over the door behind me as I stood on top of a ladder, reaching for a glob of frosting near the ceiling. "Sorry, we're closed."
The ladder tilted slightly, and I shrieked. A pair of solid arms grabbed me around the waist and lifted me down. I whirled around to see Mike.
"Thanks," I said in surprise.
"Anything for a damsel in distress." Mike slowly removed his hands while his eyes surveyed the condition of my shop. "What the hell happened?"
"Someone broke in and vandalized the store."
"Are you all right?" His jaw hardened, and he stole a peek in the back room. "Is Josie okay?"
I nodded. "We're both fine. Josie's at the post office, but she'll be right back. We have to run an errand in a few minutes. The shop will be closed for a while."
"Didn't you have an alarm system or a surveillance camera?"
I hesitated. Mike had always been a big advocate of security systems. I'd noticed the impressive alarm hookup by his front door the other day. "I was getting around to it, but—"
Mike drew his eyebrows together. "But what?"
I twisted a sponge between my hands. "I was waiting until my finances got a little better."
"I see. Did the vandals take a lot of cash?"
I forced a laugh. "They didn't take any money. That was the only good thing to come out of this."
Mike leaned against the counter, watching me. He was wearing his work uniform of jeans, steel-toe boots, and a sleeveless, black T-shirt that showed off his hardened biceps to perfection. His tanned face made his eyes appear even bluer, and he smelled of spicy aftershave.
I wiped my sweaty palms on a dishtowel. "Outdoor work today?"
Mike nodded. "I'm putting a new roof on Julie Fitzpatrick's house. I took a quick lunch break and decided to stop by and see you. I was going to say everything looks great, but that would probably be a lie, huh?"
"Fair enough." I smiled. "Would you like something to eat? Most of our stock has been destroyed, but I'm sure I could find you something."
"Thanks, but I'm not hungry. Well, not for food, anyway." His mouth tightened as his eyes lingered over me.
I swallowed hard and concentrated on scrubbing away at an imaginary spot on the wall.
"I'll pick up a system for you and install it."
"No, thanks. I'll take care of it myself."
"Don't be so damn stubborn, Sal. Please let me do this. It would make me feel a lot better, knowing you're safe."
"When I can afford to buy one, I'll let you know and pay you accordingly."
Mike pursed his lips. "I don't think you'll have much of a choice. The insurance company might insist you put one in, unless they go ahead and cancel your policy."
A tremor of unease ran through me. I hadn't thought about that possibility. "Shoot. Maybe you're right."
"It doesn't have to be anything elaborate like the one over at Amanda's place. Something simple, and my fee will be practically free." His lips turned upward in a quirky smile.
My body temperature skyrocketed. "Did you install hers?"
"That was the initial plan. I had another job going on at the time, and she didn't want to wait. Big surprise there. She chose Arthur's Alarm Company, which was fine with me. I wasn't looking for an excuse to spend time with her." Hi
s eyes searched mine for assurance I believed him.
"How well do you know Charlotte?"
He shrugged. "Not very well. I mean, I remember her from high school, but that's about it. She's always been afraid to open her damned mouth. Especially where Amanda was concerned. Now that you brought her up, I remember hearing them argue last week. I thought it was kind of strange, with Charlotte being so timid and all. She was crying her eyes out. I guess Amanda really gave it to her."
I dropped my sponge back into the water. "You don't know why, do you?"
Mike's face was full of suspicion. "What's this all about? Are you a detective now? Betsy Drew in the making?"
"Nancy Drew." I grinned.
"Whatever. You know I was never much of a reader."
I stripped my plastic gloves off and threw them in the garbage. "I don't know. It's a theory I'm working on."
"I actually got a call from her this morning."
"Betsy Drew?"
Mike laughed. "Aren't we sarcastic? No, I mean Charlotte."
My ears pricked up. "What did she want?"
"She said business had slowed quite a bit since Amanda's death, and they were going to hold off on the Jacuzzi for a while. No big deal. It would have been an easy payday for me, but I'm fine without it."
"The spa seemed to be doing well enough the other day when I was there. The technicians said they don't see much of Charlotte. That's interesting, especially since she's in charge now." I grabbed a broom from the corner and started sweeping, mulling this over in my mind.
"Amanda did make a snide comment to me after their argument. Something about Charlotte was never there when she needed her. Said she should pay me to put a tracking system on Charlotte's car, so she'd know where she was at all times and with whom. I'm pretty sure Charlotte overheard. Amanda talked to her in a condescending tone all the time. I don't know why Charlotte didn't haul off and smack her."
I sighed. "From the sound of things, she would've had to get in line."
That got a smile out of him. "Do you think she's responsible for Amanda's death?"
"I don't know. I mean, anyone could have slipped the bee venom in her drink."
Mike's eyes widened in surprise. "Is that how it happened? So it was deliberate, with her allergy and all?"
Oops. Me and my big mouth. "That's what Brian seems to think." Uh-oh. I was really on a roll now.
The lines around Mike's mouth hardened. "Of course. I'd forgotten Officer Jenkins knows everything. He's not your type, Sal. I don't trust him."
"He's a cop investigating a murder."
"It doesn't matter. There's something sneaky about him."
I put my hands on my hips. "I seem to remember you saying the same thing about Joe Thurston in high school. Right after you punched him, that is."
Joe had been sitting next to me one day at lunch while I waited for Mike. Quiet and somewhat reserved, he'd accidentally spilled a drink on my lap. The poor guy had been beside himself and tried to help me clean it up until my jealous boyfriend came over and punched him in the face, no questions asked.
Color rose in Mike's cheeks at the memory. "I was a little headstrong in those days."
I cocked one eyebrow at him. "A little?"
"Don't change the subject. Someone's telling you to back off. Let Jenkins and his friends handle this whole mess, and please stay out of it." He extended his arms out wide as he glanced around my shop, his expression darkening. "I'm worried about you."
I moved across the room to dump a dustpan full of cookie crumbs into the garbage. "My entire business is at stake here. Josie's livelihood and mine, too. No, I'm not going to stay out of it."
"You're still as stubborn as ever." He cursed under his breath. "I think we should talk. Would you please turn around, and look at me when I'm speaking to you?"
I whirled around to face him. "We talked the other night."
A devilish grin spread across his face. "If memory serves, we didn't talk that much."
My body tingled, and I blew out a breath. "I don't think it's a good idea."
"I promise. We'll only talk. I'll keep my hands under control the entire time." I watched while he stuffed them into the pockets of his jeans to demonstrate. His eyes twinkled at me. Damn him. He knew I could never resist those baby blues.
"What did you have in mind?"
"If I told you what I really had in mind, you'd never agree."
He really was impossible. "Please be serious."
Mike reached for my hand. "Can we have dinner together tomorrow night? I'd like to cook for you."
"We're not a couple anymore, Mike." There was a lump in my throat. "I'm not going to your house for dinner."
He gazed at me, a haunted expression in his eyes. "If it wasn't for a stupid misunderstanding, we'd still be a couple. Married. With a bunch of kids."
I bit my lower lip hard while trying to decide what to do. "If I agree to come, will you leave me alone after that?"
He looked at me, thunderstruck. "What does that mean? You need time to date other people? Like your new friend, the cop?"
The green-eyed monster was back. In truth, I wasn't sure he'd ever left.
"No. I just got divorced, remember? The biggest mistake of my life was marrying Colin. Lord knows I've made others too." I stared at him pointedly. "I can't be seriously involved with anyone right now. I need time to sort things out first."
Mike was silent for a minute. "Okay. We'll have dinner. That's all. Afterward, if you don't want me bothering you again, fine. I'll give you your space. Seven o'clock okay?"
"Sure."
Mike started toward the door, then turned back to look at me one last time. "I've made a lot of mistakes too, Sal. But my biggest one was letting you go."
* * *
"Do you have the yearbook?" I winced when my car hit a pothole the size of the Niagara River as I steered on to the thruway. All I needed now was to add vehicle repairs to my growing list of debts.
Josie patted her purse. "All set. I tore the page out with Charlotte's picture on it. So I noticed Mike leaving. What was that all about?'
At the mention of his name, my face heated. "He wants me to have dinner with him tomorrow night so that we can talk."
"Busy girl. What about Brian? Didn't he ask you as well?"
I switched lanes and checked my speed, alarmed to find myself going seventy-five. Brian was right. I did have a lead foot. "Damn. I forgot. What am I going to do? This is becoming a mess."
"How can two guys fighting over you be a mess?" Josie asked.
"I'll deal with them later. By the way, Charlotte called Mike this morning to halt the installation of the Jacuzzi at the spa."
Josie didn't seem surprised. "If they're hurting for money, well then, yeah, that would be a smart thing to do."
"Doesn't Charlotte's family have money? Her dad and Amanda's father were brothers, right?"
"Yes, but Amanda's father had all the dough. I remember my mother telling me he kept the rest of the family well provided for, though. He paid for Charlotte's college tuition, car, and so on."
"Interesting how she and Amanda never went to private school." I switched lanes again to pass a Subaru that dared go the speed limit.
"Don't you remember Amanda's excuse for that? 'My parents want me to be like everyone else. A regular person.'" Josie rolled her eyes. "It was more like, I really don't want to be here with you commoners, but I have no choice."
The sign for Exit 49 was approaching. Josie glanced at her watch. "We're here already? Gee, that was under an hour."
"Forty minutes." I spoke with pride.
"Better watch out, or you'll get a ticket. Oh, wait, I guess you've got that covered now." She chuckled.
The GPS told me to take a right and proceed straight for another five miles. The houses quickly changed from middle-class range to apartment buildings sprayed with graffiti. A crowd of teenage kids was gathered on one corner, smoking and jeering at one another. The girls wore skintight jeans an
d tube tops, while the boys sported undershirts and jeans that hung halfway down their legs to reveal plaid boxer shorts. I wondered why they weren't in school. Then again, I probably didn't want to know the reason.
"Pull your pants up," Josie shouted out the window. She was rewarded with the middle finger and loud catcalls.
I stopped for a light and glanced over my shoulder. "Please don't get them started. What if they decided to run after us?"
Josie snorted. "Bunch of homies. How can you run with your pants on the ground?"
The GPS told me to take a left then announced, "You have reached your destination."
We pulled into a small parking lot with cracked blacktop and a large, green Dumpster that occupied most of the space. A dilapidated, two-story building with peeling, brown paint stood before us. On top of the asphalt roof, where several shingles were missing, a sign flashed Snake Eyes Casino. Like Charlotte's matchbook, a pair of dice was displayed on the sign. Almost all of the bulbs on the letters were blown out. I wrinkled my nose as we got out of the car. A sewage problem was evident.
Josie looked around in disgust. "What a dump. Why the hell would she come here?"
"I've no idea." Mystified, I watched the Dumpster with caution, half expecting someone to jump out and attack us. "Let's see what we can find out."
A sign directed us to use the side door, which we did. We carefully climbed the three cement steps, which were starting to crumble in various spots.
Josie gritted her teeth and opened the steel door.
The room was dimly lit, and the smell of smoke and stale beer hung heavily in the air. A small bar was set up in the left corner, an overweight barkeep absorbed in reading the classified section of the newspaper. A television was propped up next to him on a card table. To our right were several slot machines making assorted beeping noises and flashing bright colors across their screens. A security guard stood next to a cashier's window, chatting with the man on the other side. We walked past them into another room where one lone couple sat in front of a machine, making out and groping each other. Everywhere. We averted our gaze, turned around, and hurried back into the main room.
"Well, I guess now we know what purpose the dim lighting serves." Josie scratched at her arm. "My skin feels like it's crawling with something. I'll bet there are fleas in this place."
Tastes Like Murder (Cookies & Chance Mysteries Book 1) Page 16
