Was David saying he wasn’t a thief, but he was a murderer? Sliding sideways, Marla advanced toward the door, but he grasped her arm.
“Listen,” he ordered, squeezing. She clamped her lips, squelching a whimper of pain. Maybe she could appeal to his affection for her. Or maybe she should keep him talking. Her ears picked up faint sounds from below. Shark might have revived. Better the devil you know than the one you don’t, she thought frantically, praying the younger man would race upstairs to help his father.
“I cleaned things up and got out of there fast,” David continued. “I bought a movie ticket for a show that had already started, so it appeared as though I’d been in the theater for a while. Later, I realized my secretary pretended to mail the donation every year. She diverted the funds so it looked as though I had stolen the money and then skipped town before I could confront her. I figured Popeye’s heir had paid her to betray me.”
“You didn’t take the money. It wasn’t your fault.”
“I sent the proper funds right away to the organization to fulfill the terms of the trust, but I was afraid Riley would still believe I was guilty.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You killed him!”
He bared his teeth in a nasty grin. “It was easy to run downtown while you were relaxing in your room. I hoped to convince you to let me deal with the trustee, but you were so damned persistent. Then I feared that you wouldn’t believe me, either, if you read that letter.”
“Of course I would... I do. You’re an honest man, David. Please let go of my arm.”
His eyes glazed. “My father accused me of stealing. He’d always favored my younger brother. I thought Dean had taken the hundred dollars but found out it was my mother. She’d been putting away money for her retirement because Dad couldn’t save anything. She’d told Dean, and both of them were afraid to confess the truth. So I took the blame. Dad never had any respect for me after that.”
“Is this why you became an accountant? To prove you could handle people’s money and be trusted?”
He looked at her in an odd manner that chilled her blood. “You trusted me, didn’t you? I became friendly with you to get that letter back before you read it. I searched your house, but the envelope wasn’t there. Now you know what it says, and I can’t have you telling anyone else. It impinges upon my honor. Besides, you know too much. It’s a shame, because you and I could’ve been a number.”
“We still can, David. I thought you liked me. We can go away together.” She tried to give a coaxing smile, but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate. Ice sluiced through her veins. Steeling herself for action, she placed one foot forward at a slight angle.
“Shut up, liar. You’re too friendly with that cop not to tell him the truth.” He lunged forward, grabbing her by the shoulders. Marla shrieked and brought her hand up to scratch his face. He swept a leg behind her ankles to trip her. When she buckled, he tossed her like a sack of flour into the open coffin.
“Good-bye, darling. Stefano had the right idea for you, except I’ll do it without the breathing apparatus. Looks like you’ll save on the cost of a funeral, after all.”
“No, don’t do it. Please.”
He’d gripped the rim when Shark staggered into the room. Congealed blood coated his cheek. David, spying this new threat, crashed down the lid.
Blackness engulfed her. “Help!” she screamed, pounding on the solid top. How long before she’d suffocate in here without oxygen? Her fingers pushed at the heavy lid, but it wouldn’t budge. Either she wasn’t strong enough, or David had locked it somehow.
A heavy weight crashed against her casket. David must be fighting Shark. This gave her an idea. Maybe she could roll her body against the side until the thing toppled over. The lid might fall open when it hit the floor. But try as she might, she could barely turn sideways, let alone make an impact.
Despair threatened to overwhelm her, but she refused to give up. Her breathing, already rapid, grew more labored. Her sweaty fingers tried to find a hold on the lid and slipped.
Wait, what’s that cold object against my leg?
The metal shears!
Grasping the tool by its blades, she banged the handle against the solid surface. “Help, let me out!”
The lid was flung open and bright lights flooded her.
Cynthia gazed down at her in shock. “Marla, what are you doing there? And why is Stefano lying on the ground?”
Marla climbed over the edge and landed with shaky legs on the carpeted floor. “He was knocked out. Where are Shark and David?”
“David? I came here to see Stefano, but it looks like you already dealt with him. What happened?”
“I’ll tell you later. Let’s get out of here.”
Grabbing Cynthia by the elbow, she hustled her elegantly clad cousin into the hallway and around a corner past the kitchen. “There has to be a staircase somewhere,” she said, glancing down the corridor lined with closed doors. A crash sounded from below, startling her. “David must be fighting Shark downstairs. We can reach the front door while they’re both occupied.”
Opening one door after another, Marla sought the stairs in vain. It was only after they’d passed Stefano’s office that she found an exit.
Never mind looking for evidence. Saving their lives was more important.
They emerged onto the first landing and were nearly bowled over by Shark barreling into David. Both men were bruised and bleeding, and they ignored the women. Seeing that the way to the front was blocked and the side entrance was out of range, Marla urged her cousin to retreat.
They entered a laboratory at the rear of the funeral home. Metal instruments glistened on sterile countertops, while several examining tables took up space in the middle of the room.
Cynthia stumbled after her. “Will you tell me what’s going on? I came here to ask Stefano to call off Shark after learning that he is Popeye’s heir. Now that the game is over, he’ll have to quit polluting the preserve, and I don’t want his son bothering my daughter. But what are you doing here?”
“I meant to confront Stefano, also.” Marla wheeled on her cousin, eyes blazing. “David invited himself along. He’s the one who killed Ben Kline and Morton Riley.”
“Who? Stefano?”
“No, David. Quick, we don’t have much time.” Curses mixed with loud thuds from outside in the corridor. Marla couldn’t guess who would win the battle, but it didn’t matter. They needed an escape route regardless of the outcome. Her glance scanned the lab and rested on a steel door at the far end.
She scooted forward to yank on the handle and fling open the door. A blast of ice-cold air hit her. Catching a quick glimpse of what lay inside, she hastily shut the cooler. Bile rose in her throat, and she swallowed hard. This wasn’t the time to be sick. Every minute counted.
“Cynthia, do you remember Hansel and Gretel?” Marla said. “I have an idea.”
“Are you nuts? What does a fairy tale have to do with our getting away from a killer?” Cynthia aimed a frightened glance at the entrance. “I don’t get it. How could David have murdered those people, and why?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, my. He was going to kill you, too, wasn’t he? That’s why you were in that horrible coffin.”
Sensing her cousin was about to have hysterics, Marla held out a steadying hand to grasp Cynthia’s shoulder. “Listen to me. David may not have seen you. We can use the element of surprise in our favor. If he comes to get me, I’ll lure him closer while you crouch between those tables. I have to open this cooler door. Don’t look inside.”
Cynthia had just scurried into cover when David staggered through the doorway. Blood oozed from a cut on his lip, while a purplish bruise darkened one cheekbone. He loped forward like a wolf with a grin on his face.
“Now that I’ve put those two down, I can take care of you. Let’s finish what we started, Marla.” At one of the counters, he grabbed a long metal needle and started toward her.
Marla calculated the distance between them. “You told me on
ce that we make a good team,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t notice the way her voice quaked. “We can still be partners.”
“That’s not an option.” The murderous gleam in his eyes told her what he intended. He advanced, holding the needle aloft.
Marla backed away until her butt tapped the hinged open door of the refrigeration unit. David neared, snarling as he moved in for the kill.
“Now,” Marla yelled.
She hadn’t known her cousin could move so fast. In a blur of speed, Cynthia shoved David from behind. He toppled into the cooler. Marla heaved shut the heavy door after him. Together she and Cynthia sealed the latches.
David was trapped inside like the fairy-tale witch in the oven.
Chapter Twenty
“You wouldn’t believe how calmly Marla faced David when he threatened her in that funeral home,” Cynthia confided to a mortgage broker friend at Taste of the World. “I hid behind one of those tables they use for, ugh, preparing bodies. If it were me, I’d have been screaming my head off, but Marla kept her cool the whole time.”
“You helped put him on ice,” Marla added, clinging to the arm of Dalton Vail. He looked smashingly handsome in a rented tuxedo. “Now David is in the deep freeze, where he belongs.”
Despite what he’d done, she had a hard time picturing David in prison. He’d believed what he was doing was right, but for all the wrong reasons. To preserve his sense of honor, he’d killed people. David couldn’t have done a greater dishonor to himself, and yet he didn’t realize it.
Twisted minds were beyond her comprehension, more in the sphere of things Vail was accustomed to dealing with in his routine. She didn’t envy him his work.
“Marla is a hairdresser,” Cynthia said to her friend. “I love how she did my hair, and she gave Annie a great cut, too. You should make an appointment,” she urged. “Marla owns the Cut ’N Dye Salon in Palm Haven.”
“Really?” Eloise Zelman, a fifty-something woman who kept her hair an attractive shade of auburn, turned an interested eye on Marla. “How did you come to be involved with Ben Kline’s killer?”
“It’s a long story.” Marla gave her escort a pleading gaze. She didn’t want to discuss her recent troubles, but people were curious and drawn to lurid details, like spectators at an accident.
Vail caught her cue. “Let’s go for a drink. Can I get you ladies anything?” he asked the others politely.
“No, thanks,” Eloise replied. “My husband, Sam, is at the bar getting me a strawberry daiquiri. I swear, I’m going to work out extra hard after the holidays this year. Cynthia, you should join me.”
Her cousin chuckled, and Marla was glad to see her in such a cheerful mood. “I’m not into group exercise, darling. Besides, Perfect Fit Sports Club is too far west for me to drive. It’s closer to where Marla lives.”
“What is?” Tally’s voice called from behind.
Letting go of Vail’s arm, Marla whirled around. A smile split her face as she regarded Tally and Ken spiffed up for the occasion. Tally, her blond hair in an upsweep, looked great in a black-chiffon creation.
“We’re talking about a sports club,” Marla explained. “Eloise was saying she’d have to exercise more to wear off the extra calories after all these parties.”
“So will I. After that big bash you threw at your salon, you might think about it, too.” Tally’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “Not that you’re ever concerned about your weight. Maybe you should work on muscle power in case you confront any more murderers.”
“God forbid.” Vail rolled his eyes. “Come on, Marla, I need a drink.” Taking her firmly by the elbow, he steered her away from Tally’s bemused glance.
Marla glowed inwardly with satisfaction. All that she’d hoped for had come to pass. Earning her cousin’s respect was worth everything she’d suffered. Their fund-raiser was a rousing success, even if it had to be held in tents on Cynthia’s extensive estate. Bruce had even convinced the new trustee that Ocean Guard still met the terms of the agreement.
“It’s a good thing Bruce was able to get the preserve cleaned up before tonight,” she confided to Vail, as they strolled toward the bar set up on the lawn. Colorful lanterns strung among the trees lit the way, while a jazz band provided musical accompaniment for the festivities. Laughter and a steady hum of chatter sounded through the cool night air. Marla shivered in her skimpy cocktail dress. It had cost a bundle, but she couldn’t resist when she’d seen it in Tally’s boutique. Better watch what you eat, or you won’t fit into it after tonight, she warned herself.
Talk about snug outfits. Annie loomed into sight, showing off her youthful figure in a short black skirt and a low-cut top that revealed more cleavage than Marla would permit were the girl her daughter. Annie’s textured haircut set off her high cheekbones to advantage. She wore too much makeup, but instead of distracting from her looks, it enhanced them.
“Marla, have you met Cash Halliday? He’s a new friend of mine,” Annie said.
Marla eyed the youth at her side, a gangly fellow wearing distressed jeans, a casual tee shirt and a stud earring in his nose. Quite a difference from Shark’s conservative image, she thought. At least this fellow’s scruffy look was more in line with teen culture.
Marla exchanged a few more words after introducing Vail, then watched as the couple strolled away holding hands. “Annie didn’t waste any time getting a new boyfriend,” she remarked.
“How about you?” Vail said quietly. His dark eyes gleamed as he peered down at her. He seemed taller in the moonlight, sturdy like the trunk of a live oak. Silver highlights glinted in his ebony hair, slicked off his forehead.
How could I ever have been attracted to David? Marla wondered, thrilling to the pure physicality of Vail’s presence. The angles of his face sharpened as he turned partly into the shadows. Just being near him made her pulse race. David had never produced that effect. She’d been snowed by his presumed interest in her, just as Annie had been bowled over by Shark. At least both of them knew better by now.
“You’re not still jealous over David, are you?” she asked perceptively.
“Huh.” Aware that other couples passing by were giving them curious glances, he indicated they should move on.
“What did you say?” Her heels sank into the soft soil as they headed toward the catering tent.
A flush crept up his face. “I thought you were interested in, uh, seeing me, you know.”
“I can see you very clearly right now.” A betraying twitch curved her lips.
“Hell, you know what I mean.”
“Yes, you want my exclusive attention. It surprised you when I started going out with David. I have other friends, too, Dalton, and I won’t restrict myself to dating just one person. That doesn’t mean I’m not interested in finding out where our relationship can go.”
Vail’s face closed like a curtain. “I see.”
“No, you don’t.” Her voice gentled. “Please understand. I’m afraid of getting burned like before, so I can’t rush into any commitments. And you’re overly protective sometimes. Even you have to agree that I don’t like being told what to do.”
“Unlike Stan, I respect your abilities, Marla. I’m only concerned for your well-being. You’ve put yourself at risk twice now to catch a murderer.”
Didn’t things happen in threes? “I know. Next time, I’ll swallow my tongue before I volunteer for anything again.”
“Impossible.” His expression softened, and his mouth quirked into a smile. “Guess I want too much too soon.”
“Go on,” she teased Vail, “you’re just upset because I solved Ben’s murder.”
“With Newberg’s prints and DNA, we’ve got our case. I have to confess, I was leaning toward Barletti. We knew he was Popeye’s heir a while ago, but I couldn’t tell you.”
She stepped back. “After all I’ve done, you still don’t trust me?”
He grimaced. “When you stick your nose into police business, you can get badly hurt. Most people n
ever see in a lifetime what I do in my line of work. You don’t belong there, and I can’t help it if I want to protect you from that world. I’ve lost someone I cared about once already. I don’t know how I’d take it if anything bad happened to you.”
His words brought tears to her eyes. Did he really feel so deeply about her? She wasn’t ready for this, not yet. “Your life is in jeopardy every day when you’re out in the field. I’m willing to accept that risk, if you can give me the same consideration. Let me find my own way, Dalton.”
He plowed a hand through his hair. “All right, but level with me. Is there a chance that you and I might—?”
“Yes... no. I don’t know.” The heat from his body radiated toward her like the rod from a curling iron. Her insides quivered in response. Thinking of rods brought to mind certain male body parts, and that mental picture played havoc with her hormones.
“Did I tell you how much I like that dress?” he said in a husky tone, his dark glance raking over her.
“No, but you can tell me now.” Moistening her lips, she resisted the urge to move closer.
“We have unfinished business, remember? I promised you something when we said good night after the show with Brianna, but circumstances weren’t right when we met again.”
He put his hands on her shoulders, and his warmth spiraled through her like a torch. “I’d like to fulfill that promise tonight. Every time I’m with you, I feel restless. Don’t you feel the same way?”
“Yes,” she whispered. A delicious weakness swept her when his gaze lowered to her mouth.
“Maybe that’s why I come down so hard on you about your activities. I’d rather be coming—”
“What’s that?” Anita chimed, moving in with a crowd of relatives. “Marla, why are you lingering here? Go get something to eat. You’re too thin.”
“Yes, Ma.” What lousy timing! Reluctantly, Marla disengaged herself from Vail’s overpowering presence. That man raised her tension to a level that could only be satisfied one way. Okay, Marla, chill out. You’re in a public place here.
Hair Raiser Page 22
