by Rose Pressey
“This thing is sturdy, no way will I break it.” I wiggled in the chair. The chair creaked with the motion and for a brief second, I wondered if it would collapse.
“All right, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Dorothy picked up her dish of peppermint candies.
I mumbled under my breath that I was sick of peppermint candies. Never would I say that loud enough for her to hear.
She shoved the dish in my face. “Here, take one. You need it.”
“What? Is my breath bad?” I put my hand up to my mouth and blew.
“I know you’re stressed, and you know the peppermint is soothing.” She popped one into her mouth.
I was almost certain there was absolutely no basis of truth in her remedy, but I did as I was told because she would insist. I picked one out of the dish. It was already unwrapped. As a bonus it had a piece of fuzz stuck to it.
“Why do I always get the ones that don’t have wrapping? Can I put this one back and get a different one?” I asked.
She frowned so I knew the answer was no.
After picking off most of the fuzz I reluctantly placed the candy in my mouth. Dorothy watched as if she thought I might toss it in the trash can when she wasn’t looking. It was like having my grandmother here to make sure I took my medicine.
After a few seconds Dorothy must have been satisfied and walked back to her desk. I pulled the candy from my mouth and tossed it into the wastebasket with the others. Eventually Dorothy would notice the candies in the garbage. I needed to take out the trash.
As I contemplated the day’s events, I tapped my pen against the desk. It was a nervous habit.
Dorothy sighed loudly and then said, “Maggie, you’re driving me crazy.”
“You’re not exactly a mouse over there with those needles,” I said.
Her knitting needles clacked loudly, creating an echo effect around the room, and that wasn’t exactly a soothing sound. I supposed I was still a bit stressed after the pool incident. Now I had to track down Brigette Whitmore all over again. What was she up to now? Of course, I had her address, since that was how I’d discovered the earlier information. I supposed I’d have to make another trip to her home. However, it would have to wait because right now I was just exhausted from the stress.
“I suppose we should just call it a day. What do you think, Dorothy?” I asked.
She immediately stopped knitting, tossed the needles and yarn into her bag, grabbed it up, and headed toward the door.
“Well, I’ll take that as a yes,” I said.
“Try to stay out of trouble until I see you tomorrow morning, Maggie,” she said. “And send Jake my love.”
And with that, Dorothy strolled out the door, leaving me alone in the office. I supposed there was no reason for me to hang around either. My phone hadn’t made a sound all day, which meant no new cases. I was beginning to worry that I wouldn’t have enough to pay the bills this month. I’d have to do something to give my business a boost. Perhaps an ad. I needed to connect with a few divorce lawyers. Maybe they could send clients my way.
I tapped my pen against the desk again. Dorothy’s voice popped into my head, telling me to knock it off. At least she hadn’t forced another candy on me before she left. A few seconds later, I grabbed my bag and headed toward the door. Once across the room, I paused and surveyed the space. Even though business was slow, I felt blessed to be here. A tiny slump in cases wouldn’t get me down.
I clicked off the light and pulled the door shut, locking it behind me. Thoughts of how crazy my day had been played on loop in my mind. What could I have done differently? I should be glad that I hadn’t been arrested at the pool. Not going to jail could be counted as a successful day. I tossed my bag over my shoulder and headed toward my car.
Seagulls swooped down toward my head because even though I’d told Dorothy not to feed them, she still did. She claimed she didn’t, but I found the breadcrumbs in her purse and saw them on the floor around her desk.
I hadn’t even made it to my car when my phone rang. When I saw it was Jake’s number, I wasn’t sure why, but nervousness zinged from my head to my toes. Okay, I supposed I had a clue why. What if he’d heard about my pool escapades? It was tough to hide anything from him. Jake and I were supposed to go out on a date tonight. But what if he’d heard about my trip to the pool? The police would have let him know I’d been there. No, they wouldn’t have known my name. Though the entire Miami Police Department probably had my description. I supposed there was only one way to find out. I had to answer the call.
“Good afternoon,” Jake said when I picked up.
He sounded as if he was in a good mood, so I took that as a good sign. If he didn’t mention the pool incident, then I wouldn’t either.
Chapter 3
“Are we still on for tonight?” Jake asked.
I dodged another seagull and opened my car door. “Absolutely.”
I hoped that I didn’t sound suspicious. Usually when I’d done something wrong it was noticeable in my voice.
“Great, I’ll pick you up at seven,” he said.
“I’ll be ready,” I said, trying to sound cheery.
I just hoped he didn’t bring that scooter contraption to take me out. I would have to volunteer to use my car if he did. I’d had to drive that thing for some time when I’d wrecked my vehicle and Jake had loaned it to me. It wasn’t fun and I didn’t want to do it again. And the wreck had had nothing to do with my driving skills either.
I slipped into the car and shoved the key into ignition. The car chimed when I started the engine.
“Are you on your way home already?” he asked.
Now Jake sounded suspicious of me.
“Dorothy had a date, so I figured we could just call it a day.”
His silence let me know he was doubting me already. The day’s antics came out in the sound of my voice without me even mentioning what had happened. Not a good quality for a private eye. I needed to change the subject.
“I have some errands to run, so I’ll see you at seven,” I said, trying to sound casual.
“Yeah, I’ll see you then,” he said with suspicion in his voice.
I hurried and clicked off before he could ask any other questions. As I sat there in the car contemplating my next move, I realized I still had a couple hours before it was time to meet Jake. I could go to the beach and just relax for a while or I could go back to Brigette Whitmore’s house and find out if she’d gone there with her lover. After all, as fun as the beach was, frolicking in the water wouldn’t pay the bills. Pulling out of the parking lot, I pointed the car in the direction of Brigette’s address.
After fighting the traffic, I pulled my car up to the house on the dead-end street. It was typical for the area with white stucco and palm trees in the yard. No cars were in the driveway. Either Brigette wasn’t there or she’d parked in the garage. Probably to keep me off her trail. What if she knew I was after her? She could’ve realized I was watching her at the pool. Maybe I wasn’t so clever after all. I’d thought the hat and sunglasses were a perfect disguise.
Slipping out of the car, I headed for the nearest palm tree. I’d parked a bit down the street so that with any luck I’d go unnoticed. I supposed a palm tree wasn’t the best hiding place, but it was the best I had until I could make it over to the other car parked along the street in front of her house.
Once at the tree, I hid behind it. Beads of sweat formed across my face from the humid air. I pressed my body against the smooth trunk of the tree. A car drove by and I tried to act casual. How casual could I act though while hiding behind the landscaping? Maybe I should have worn camouflage. I had to make my move for that other car. I counted to three and then hurried out, heading toward the red sedan parked close to my subject’s driveway. My next feat would be inching my way closer to the house without being noticed. Which really just involved praying and hunkering down a bit. Walking out in the open for anyone to see me was risky.
Okay, yea
h, now I was crouched down behind the car and perhaps this would look even more suspicious than if I was just walking around. I hadn’t been as worried about the neighbors as I had been about Brigette seeing me. However, when I looked over and saw the woman in the yard next to me, I realized I should have definitely worried about the neighbors.
The woman with salt and pepper hair stared with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She was probably a couple seconds from pulling out her giant cell phone and dialing 911. I had to offer some kind of explanation quickly. I stood from my crouched position and waved at the woman. She still had her glare focused on me.
“Just checking the tire pressure,” I said, kicking the rubber.
She lifted an eyebrow.
“Everything is good.” I gave a thumbs up.
This could cause lots of problems. I needed to get out of the situation. I’d head toward the house as if I totally belonged there. I hoped the neighbor didn’t have Brigette’s phone number and call her immediately. I definitely hadn’t planned on that, although I should have. Why did I blunder my way through every case? At least that was the word Dorothy used to describe my case-solving skills.
I hurried toward the house, all the while trying to figure out what I would do when I reached the door. Should I ring the doorbell and say, “Hi, I’m the private investigator checking on you?” Brigette would slam the door in my face. Or perhaps hit me.
I had a few private investigator gadgets that might work nicely. Like the one I’d used earlier to find out that she was going to the pool to meet her lover. I’d come to her house earlier and worn a disguise, pretending as if I was selling something. That was how I’d been able to eavesdrop on her telephone call. But I definitely wouldn’t be able to pull that off this time. Even with a different disguise.
A big window was at the front of the house. As I made my way to the door I figured I’d take a quick peek inside. There wouldn’t be any harm if I just happened to walk by and see something. Not that I would peep in there or anything on purpose—that would be totally wrong. I glanced over my shoulder to see if the neighbor was behind me. Thank goodness she was gone. Either she’d bought my excuse or she’d gone to call the police.
Too bad there were so many bushes in front of the window. Brigette should totally cut them down so that I could get a better look. Okay, enough of my joking around—I really needed to get serious about this. Actually, it didn’t take much for me to see that something had gone horribly wrong inside Brigette’s house.
Toward the back of the room a body lay on the floor. Brigette stood over it. Her arms were by her sides with her fists clenched. She looked like a zombie standing there. Were my eyes deceiving me? My heart sped up and I was momentarily frozen. Brigette’s lover Luke Padgett lay lifeless on the tile. Since it was hard to see in full detail from where I stood on the other side of the window, I couldn’t be sure, but it looked as if he wore swim trunks and his hair was wet. Brigette had a pool? Why would she bother going to the pool club if she had one at home? Never mind that right now, I reminded myself.
Unfortunately, Brigette looked up at that exact second and saw me. Our eyes locked. Instinctively I wanted to scream but somehow, I stopped myself. Had she just killed him? In the blink of an eye she ran for the front door. I knew she was coming after me so I sprinted across the front lawn and away from the house. I hoped to make it to my car before she caught me.
I’d only made it halfway across the yard when Brigette tackled me from behind. We tumbled to the ground. A groan escaped my lips as I landed.
“Are you with the NFL?” I asked breathlessly.
That was a seriously impressive move. Somehow, even though Brigette had her arms wrapped around my waist, I managed to get to my hands and knees. If only I could crawl back to my car. Where was that neighbor when I needed her? She really would be surprised if she saw this scene.
“Get off me,” I yelled, as if that would really help.
Brigette was trying to kill me, so just telling her to get off wouldn’t work.
Chapter 4
How long would we continue to fight like this? If it was up to me it wouldn’t be long because my plan was to get away from this murderer. If I jumped in my car I could lock the doors and she wouldn’t get to me.
“I have to tell you I didn’t kill that man,” Brigette said breathlessly.
Oh, sure. She’d tell me that just so that I would let my guard down. Then she could kill me too.
“You have to help me,” she continued.
Why did she want my help? I managed to yank my arm free from her grasp. At least now I was getting somewhere. I just needed for her to release my left arm. I gave another yank, hoping to free my arm.
“I need to call the police,” she panted. “But my phone is missing. Do you have a cell phone?”
We were out of breath after the struggle. Maybe she wanted this fight to end just as much as I wanted free. Was she telling the truth? I tugged on my other arm and managed to break free. When my eyes locked with Brigette’s there was something about her stare that made me feel sorry for her. I actually believed her. In that split second, I believed that she was telling the truth and that she wasn’t going to murder me. She hadn’t tried yet, even though she’d tackled me. Maybe she just wanted to use my phone.
“Please,” she said with pleading eyes. “I just need to call for help.”
I’d managed to get to my feet now. The sensation of being watched fell over me. I looked to the left and noticed the neighbor was watching with a stunned expression on her face. I pulled out my phone from my pocket and dialed 911.
“Thank you so much,” Brigette said.
“You’re welcome,” I said, still a little confused.
The operator answered the call right away. Brigette looked a little suspicious when I rattled off the address so quickly. Yes, I’d been by here so many times lately that I had it memorized.
“What’s your emergency?” the woman on the other end of the line asked.
“There’s a man… I think he’s been murdered,” I said, looking to Brigette for confirmation.
She shrugged her shoulders.
“You think he’s been murdered?” the operator asked.
“He may or may not be dead,” I said.
“I’ll send an ambulance and the police.” Suspicion filled the operator’s voice.
“The police are on their way,” I said when I ended the call.
Brigette just stared at me with a stunned expression. When I looked to the left the neighbor was still watching. We all stared at each other. This wasn’t doing any good.
“Are you sure the man is dead?” I asked. “Maybe we need to go back and check on him. Maybe we can render first aid. I know CPR,” I said.
“Yes, yes, that would be wonderful, but I’m almost sure he’s dead,” Brigette said as she followed me.
I raced back toward the house. Was this really happening? Was I really checking on the man’s body? I had to try to help him and I sure hoped that I knew what I was doing. When I reached the front door, I paused. Of course I had to go in there, but I was still nervous. Brigette stood right behind me. Tension oozed off her.
It was now or never. I inhaled a deep breath and then released it before setting foot into the foyer of the house. Cool air hit me as soon as I walked in. The setting sunshine coming through the back windows of the house shone against the marble floor. Everything was light and airy except for the dark dread that hung over the place like a tent, but that was neither here nor there. The rooms were all connected with an open floor plan, giving me a good view of the body.
To my right was a long hallway leading to what I assumed were bedrooms. Straight ahead was the living room where the body was lying. He was right there on the marble floor at the back of the room. I knew I had to check for a pulse. I mustered up all my courage and hurried over to the man on the floor. I knelt down beside the body, although I wanted to keep my eye on Brigette at the same time.
; Wearing only blue and red swim trunks his body was mostly dry but his hair still wet. How long had he been this way? I pressed my hand to the man’s neck to check for a pulse. Unfortunately, there was nothing. I would have started CPR lifesaving measures, but his body was already cold. I stood from the body and went back to Brigette, who was still by the front door. With her face buried in her hands, she wept. A low moan escaped her lips. Soon her whimpers turned to loud sobs. She shouldn’t stand there and look at him, since it would only upset her more. I led her back outside to the path leading from the front door.
“I’m sorry. There’s nothing we can do. We’ll just have to wait for the police to arrive. Can you tell me what happened?” I asked.
“I just came home and found him that way. When I looked out the window I saw you peeking in. It was only seconds after I’d found him. By the way, why were you looking in my window?” Her hands still trembled.
I had hoped she’d forget about seeing me peeking in the window.
“I just came here to sell magazines,” I said.
She stared at me for a moment. “I’m not interested.”
I’d expected her eyes to be red from the crying, but her makeup still looked flawless. What kind of waterproof mascara was she wearing?
“Okay, forget about the magazines right now.” I waved my hand.
“I won’t ever be interested,” she said.
“Duly noted,” I said.
The sound of sirens captured our attention. When I looked to the right, I saw a police car speed up and pull in front of the house. I wanted to hide behind the bushes because I recognized the car right away. Jake had arrived. I mean, I shouldn’t have been surprised to see him here because obviously this was a death investigation. I couldn’t say it was murder because I didn’t know what had happened yet. Jake would have to get to the bottom of that.
Jake’s focus was on me as soon as he got out of the car. He walked up to the house.
“Maggie, what’s going on?” he asked.
