Rock Around the Corpse

by Lizbeth Lipperman

  Either way, it was already too late to step back. The minute he’d agreed to help with the investigation, the adrenaline had started flowing. God help me! He was about to plunge in with both feet—sure he would be opening old wounds on the way—but one way or the other, he was determined to find out who killed Brent Kershaw—and what made this woman tick.

  *****

  Naomi Patterson waited until she thought everyone would either be in the dining room or back in their rooms before she peered through the curtains. When the coast was clear, she walked back to the bed and sat on the edge. Grabbing her hiking boots, she pulled them on over her jeans, remembering the last time she’d worn them out here in the boonies.

  That had been a much happier time.

  After spraying sunscreen over her arms and face, she grabbed a visor from her suitcase and pulled it on. Even though it was early October and there were more than enough trees around the spa, the Oklahoma sun could get brutal in a hurry. Where she was headed was flat and without much shade, and she’d be out in the open long enough to get a really bad burn if she wasn’t careful.

  She walked to the door and opened it just enough to peek out one more time. When she saw that no one was there, she stepped onto the sidewalk, making sure she closed the door quietly behind her. Then she headed for the side exit which led directly to the gazebo area. If anyone saw her, she’d just say she was enjoying the fresh country air, but hopefully, she’d be able to make it into the woods without detection. The longer she stayed under everyone’s radar, the better.

  When she got to the gazebo, she noticed too late that Sam and Olivia Mason, the young couple who’d been seated at her table the night before, were huddled together on the bench, whispering back and forth. If she was a gambling woman, she’d swear they were plotting. She remembered them saying they were entrepreneurs visiting Tranquility Rock in search of a place to hold corporate seminars. When they both jumped as she came into view, she was sure they’d been talking about something they didn’t want overheard.

  “Hey, there,” Naomi said. “I see you wanted a little sunshine today, too.”

  Sam was the first to recover and nodded. “Sounds like things are going to heat up this afternoon with that limo driver and the cop asking questions. Livvy and I decided to enjoy a little peace and quiet while we can. We’re planning on going for a dip in the spa waters later. No sense spending the entire weekend in our rooms when all the amenities are available to us.”

  “I know what you mean, and I agree with you,” Naomi said, happy that he’d given her the perfect excuse for being outside. “I thought I might explore the grounds a little before I settle down for a quick nap. I may even join you in the pool later.”

  “Are you sure it’s wise to go exploring by yourself? Aren’t you worried about meeting up with some kind of wild animal out there?” Olivia asked, finally recovering from getting caught talking about whatever it was they’d been whispering about.

  Naomi laughed. “Wild animals are usually afraid of humans. I’m sure there hasn’t been any around the area for years, especially since this was where the hunters stayed.” She pulled a hatchet from inside her vest. “But just in case, I have this.”

  “Smart girl,” Sam said, standing up. “Do you want some company?”

  Naomi nearly choked on her own spit. “Oh no,” she said, way too quickly. “When I’m one with nature, I like to use the time to meditate. Maybe another time.” She hoped he wouldn’t be rude and insist.

  “No problem.” He sat back down. “Hiking might be a little more exercise than Livvy and I intend to do this weekend, anyway.” His brow furrowed. “You’re not worried that Kershaw’s killer may be running loose around here?”

  “Not with this.” She patted the pocket of the vest that housed the hatchet. “Besides, that interior decorator woman obviously killed him for whatever reason and then told that unbelievable story about some monster in the room with her and him.” Waving, she walked around to the back of the gazebo in the direction of the wooded area. “Anyhow, I’m wasting good daylight. If I don’t see you in the pool later, maybe I’ll catch you two at dinner tonight.”

  She waited until she was sure they could no longer see her before she pulled out a map of the area. The highlighted area would guide her directly to her destination about six miles into the wooded area.

  But she didn’t need the map to know exactly what she’d do when she got there.

  Chapter Eight

  It was decided that Maddy, Lainey, and Vince would go to the kitchen in an hour to chat with the waitress who’d delivered the Scotch to Brent’s room. Since Haley had insisted that all the facilities would be available as planned, Deena and Kate were heading to the pool to see if they could dig up anything that might help her cause. The idea was that when people relaxed, they were more likely to indulge in small talk.

  And small talk sometimes led to unexpected conversations.

  When she and Maddy were alone in the room, Deena made her way to the bathroom and swallowed two ibuprofen tablets. Even though her headache had dulled somewhat, it was still there—and becoming a nuisance. Once again she silently cursed the dirt-bag who’d slipped her the drugs, even though she knew she had to bear part of the blame for all the liquor she’d consumed.

  What in the hell had she been thinking? Her alcohol limit was usually two margarita swirls and definitely didn’t include several bottles of champagne plus a couple of straight shots of Scotch.

  “So, who are you going to talk to first?” Kate asked her older sister.

  “India—the waitress,” Maddy responded. “And while we’re down in the kitchen, we’ll ask the chefs and the rest of the wait staff a few questions as well.”

  Deena shook her head. “I remember India as the nice but shy waitress. Her counterpart, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as introverted. At one point, I looked across the room and thought there might be something wrong at one of the tables. After observing the people for a few minutes, I decided Arlene—that’s the other waitress—must have been flirting with Sam Mason. It looked to me like his wife was a little peeved.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind when we talk to them,” Maddy said. “But I doubt it has any significance in this case. Now if you told me that Mason’s wife had been flirting with Kershaw, that would be a whole other story. Jealousy is a pretty good motive for killing.”

  You know that old saying that beauty is in the eyes of the beer-holder. Well, anyone who flirts with Sam Mason has definitely had a few too many, Tessa said, flopping down on the bed. He must be loaded to have a wife that is so far out of his league, he isn’t even in the same sport.

  Deena ignored the ghost and concentrated on stripping off her clothes and pulling on the brand-new bathing suit she’d bought only hours before the limo had picked them up in Vineyard. When she had it up, she twirled around in front of her sister. “What do you think?”

  Maddy’s approving smile warmed her heart, and she nodded her thanks.

  “You know I never thought you needed to lose weight in the first place. I always liked you just the way you were. But now that you’ve slimmed down a little, you have a new-found confidence that I haven’t seen in you since before you were married. I love this new you.” She high-fived Deena. “And that aqua blue looks terrific on you.”

  Deena bent down and kissed the top of Maddy’s head. “I had high hopes for a really great weekend with all my sisters. With everyone’s lives so busy, it’s been a while since we could all get away by ourselves. Not in a million years would I have ever guessed that instead of doing shooters while we got pedicures, we’d be trying to clear me of a murder charge.”

  “Nobody’s charged you with anything, and if I can help it, nobody will,” Maddy quickly interjected. “Besides, you know how much we all love a good mystery. Without Colt here to lecture us about staying out of his investigation, we pretty much have free reign. It will be great with me and Lainey attacking on one front and you, Kate, and Tessa…”
She stopped talking to glance around the room. “Where is our ghostly sister, anyway?”

  Deena pointed to the bed. “She’s right there, which is a good thing since Kate and I can definitely use the help. It’s funny, but so far, I’ve been enjoying the one-on-one with her.”

  “She used to intimidate you.”

  I still do, Tessa said, raising her eyebrows at her sister. Right?

  “Not as much…” Deena grinned. “Even if it pains me to say this, she’s sort of our guardian angel.”

  “Saying her name and angel in the same breath is almost laughable.”

  Yeah, it is kinda funny.

  Maddy plopped down next to where Deena had pointed. “Hey, Tessa, we could sure use your help to find out everyone’s secrets before the police get here tomorrow.”

  You, of all people, should already know that snooping is what I do best since that’s what kept your pretty butt out of jail a few years back, Maddy. Discovering someone’s secret and then using it against them was sometimes the highlight of my day, way back when. Tessa said. The old saying that the only way three people can keep a secret is if two of them are dead is still true today.

  “Hope you’re right,” Maddy responded after Deena repeated Tessa’s words. “Vince, Lainey, and I might have to use some tricks to—”

  You know why I’m so good at catching people in their lies, don’t you? When Deena shook her head, Tessa continued. It’s because I lied so much myself.

  Deena studied her dead sister for a minute, trying to understand her. “Why were you such a shit, Tessa? You were the prettiest of all of us and could get anything you wanted out of men just by batting your eyelashes at them.”

  “Ha! All they wanted to do was jump into the sack with me. I was never the kind of girl they took home to Mama. She snickered. A lot of people treated me like dirt. I learned early on that whenever I got my wings clipped, I had no choice but to ride a broom.

  Deena burst out laughing, and after repeating what Tessa had just said, both sisters cracked up.

  “And you rode it so well, Tessa,” Maddy said with a wink. “You were the best at putting people in their places.”

  I was, wasn’t I? But enough about me. Hey, Deena why does Maddy and Lainey get the good-looking guy when they interview everyone? Tessa asked. Both of them already have a man heating up their nights. She raised her eyebrows. And now that I’ve mentioned this Vince guy, what’s up with him anyway? Do we know his story?

  A knock at the door startled them, and Deena walked over and opened it. She was surprised to find Vince Hogan standing there and even more surprised when he allowed his eyes to wander up and down her body.

  “Oh, crap! I forgot I was in a bathing suit,” she said, planting her arms protectively across her chest and hoping her face wasn’t as red as it felt.

  He walked past her. “If that’s your idea of an interrogation uniform, I like it,” he teased before he walked over to Maddy. “Are we ready?”

  Before Maddy had time to respond, Lainey and Kate came through the open doorway.

  “Now the gang’s all here,” Deena said, glad that Kate was also in a swimsuit, even though hers was hidden by a cover-up.

  “Then I guess we need to get started,” Maddy said, walking toward the door.

  Deena couldn’t help it and blushed again when she noticed Vince taking one last peek at her nearly-naked body before he walked out with her sisters.

  That man definitely gave you the onceover, Tessa said. And if you’re smart, you’ll let him know you’re interested. Maybe you’ll get lucky on this trip after all.

  “Get out of here.” Deena tried to sound indignant, but the truth was, if circumstances were different and she wasn’t fighting to stay out of jail, she might do exactly what Tessa had suggested. “Look what happened when I tried to get flirty last night.” She tsked. “Besides, a man like that must have a pretty wife waiting at home,” she said, hoping to change the subject.

  “Tessa’s back?” Kate moved to the spot where Deena’s eyes were focused.

  “Yep. Forgot you didn’t get here until after Vince arrived. I could hardly mention it then, or he would’ve thought I was still on the drugs the killer may have slipped me.”

  “Are we absolutely sure the killer was the one who gave you the drugs?” Kate frowned. “What if Kershaw wanted to make sure he was going to get laid last night?”

  Deena laughed out loud. “That might be true if I hadn’t acted like a cat in heat the entire night. I was determined to get past the most scary thing about getting back into the dating game, namely getting naked with a man again. Brent didn’t need to drug me to take away all my inhibitions. I practically—no, I definitely—seduced the man.”

  “I still find that hard to believe,” Kate said with a grin. “Now let’s get this show on the road. All this talk about cats in heat and the Garcia girls playing amateur sleuths yet again—as Colt would say if he were here—has me hotter than the healing waters we’re about to dive into.”

  *****

  The pool area was deserted when they walked into the large building located in the center of the rooms. The first thing Deena noticed was the smell of eucalyptus and other herbs she couldn’t identify coming from the water that occasionally bubbled.

  “Doesn’t look like we’re going to have an opportunity to find clues,” Kate said, testing the water with her big toe. “Ooh! That feels wonderful. Since we have a few hours before it’s time to get ready for dinner, we might as well take advantage of having the pool all to ourselves. We both could use a little stress relief.” She pulled off her cover-up and made her way to the steps leading into the water.

  “For sure,” Deena said, peeling off her own cover-up and following her sister into the warm, bubbling water. “Oh my! This feels heavenly.” She looked around and grinned when she saw Tessa in the water with them. The fact that the ghost was not wet was a mystery all in itself.

  I might have to convince St. Pete to put one of these up there. Tessa pointed to the ceiling. God knows we could all use a little pampering. It might even make Pete’s wife a little less cranky.

  Just then a woman Haley had introduced as the head masseuse appeared out of nowhere with a tray of drinks. When she got to where the sisters were leaning against the side of the pool, she bent down and offered each one a glass. “A little bubbly to go with the bubbles,” she explained with a giggle.

  Deena did a quick assessment to determine if this woman could be the killer and decided there was no way. Relaxing, she shook her head then reached for a bottle of water from the tray. “Only if you’ll join us. I’m not drinking today, but my sister would love the company.” She took a sip from the bottle before continuing, “I’m sorry, but I’ve forgotten your name.”

  “No need to apologize. A lot of names and faces were thrown at you last night,” the woman said in a thick European accent. “Plus there was plenty of alcohol being consumed at the tables.”

  Deena laughed. “Yes, and I’m paying dearly for that. That’s why I’m drinking water today.” She wasn’t about to divulge that if Vince and Maddy were right about someone drugging her last night, it was probably still in her system. Adding alcohol would only make things worse.

  The woman waved her free hand in the air. “Well, if you change your mind.... And by the way, my name is Yolanda Templeton.” She reached for her own glass and clinked it against Kate’s. “To a relaxing rest of the weekend, if that’s possible.”

  Deena took a moment to size up the head masseuse. About five-eight with dirty blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun, Yolanda Templeton had the figure of a woman in her thirties, although the wrinkles in her face suggested she was older. Dressed in a white uniform covered by a pretty blue apron, she showed off a decent set of biceps when she lifted the glass to her lips for another sip. Deena was reminded of a sign in the local spa back in Vineyard that read YOU NEED ME TO KNEAD YOU, and she smiled. Those biceps probably were responsible for a really good massage. Too bad sh
e didn’t have time to take advantage of that.

  “How long have you been a masseuse, Yolanda?” Kate asked.

  The woman sat down on the decking around the pool. “Seems like all my life. My parents owned a parlor in France, and I was introduced to massage therapy at a very early age.”

  “When did you come to the United States?” Deena asked, proud that she’d been right about the accent.

  “As a baby,” Yolanda said a little too quickly.

  “I thought you just told us that your parents owned a parlor in France,” Kate said, her face scrunched in confusion.

  Yolanda drained her glass before she nodded. “They did. When I said I was a baby, I meant I was just twelve. When we moved to San Francisco, they managed a spa for a large national chain.” She stood up. “Well, I see there are others coming in, so I must get more drinks.”

  “Wonder if Haley knows her hired help is drinking on the job?” Deena speculated before shrugging when Yolanda was out of hearing distance. “Oh well. These are not normal times, and who am I to judge?” She turned toward the door just as the young couple she remembered as Sam and Olivia Mason walked in.

  That masseuse has a secret, Tessa said, moving closer to Deena. I can’t figure it out yet, but I promise, she’s hiding something.

  “Tessa thinks Yolanda isn’t telling the whole truth,” Deena explained to Kate. “Did you get that feeling?”

  Kate thought for a minute. “Now that Tessa’s mentioned it, she did seem a little uncomfortable when she talked about when she came to the United States. First she said she was a baby, and then she changed it to a preteen when I questioned her. After that, she got out of here in a hurry.”

  “Hmmm! We definitely need to have Lainey write that down in her notes. Maybe it’s nothing, but at this point, we don’t have much else.” Deena waved to the young couple as they walked down the steps into the water, but they acted like they hadn’t seen her.

  Within minutes, Yolanda appeared with another tray of champagne for the Masons. Deena had to laugh as the older woman took one for herself and then plopped down on the decking beside the couple, exactly as she’d done with them.