Rock Around the Corpse

by Lizbeth Lipperman

  Looks like our masseuse is more interested in relieving her own stress than in easing ours, Tessa commented. A few more glasses of champagne to welcome the guests, and our little Miss Templeton might slip up and tell us her secrets.

  “If only it were that easy,” Deena said, noticing the way the young couple avoided making eye contact with her.

  Then it hit her. They thought she was a killer. She wanted to go over and reassure them that she definitely hadn’t killed anyone but decided they probably wouldn’t believe her anyway. Until they found the real killer, she would remain suspect number one in the eyes of all the guests, including her friend Haley.

  “This water feels so good,” Kate said, interrupting Deena’s thoughts. “One more glass of bubbly, and I could probably fall asleep in here.”

  “Me too, and I’m not even drinking.” Deena closed her eyes and breathed in the sweet smell of the healing herbs.

  There’s that old lady who faked the ankle injury, Tessa said, interrupting her sister’s moment of serenity.

  Deena turned just in time to see Theo Elliott wheel his wife into the pool area in a wheelchair.

  Wonder what their game is? Tessa said. I’m thinking they’re the kind of people who walk into a giant department store and purposely fall down so they can get some kind of settlement.

  “I never thought of that,” Deena said before she repeated what Tessa had said to Kate. “You may have just hit the nail on the head, Tessa, although I gotta tell you, Haley is up to her neck in debt, so there’s not much to get.” Then to make her point, she added, “Do you remember how mom always said you can’t get blood from a turnip. Well, Haley’s that turnip.”

  “I’m sure she has insurance,” Kate said. “If Tessa’s right, they’re the ones with the deep pockets. And most of the time, it’s easier and cheaper for them to settle rather than hiring lawyers and going to trial.”

  Nuisance suits, Tessa blurted. We had a few of them filed against us at the vineyards. One dipwad asked for fifty grand because he drank three bottles of our wine and then fell down the steps and broke his leg in two places.

  “I hate when people do that,” Deena said, keeping her eye on the older couple as Theo helped his wife down the steps into the pool. Slowly, they walked to the opposite end, away from everyone else. Just like she did with the others, Yolanda appeared with a tray of drinks and then joined the older couple for a toast.

  Get Yolanda over here and tell her you want another drink, Tessa said. Then invite her to join you again. She should be good and primed by then. She winked. I’m dying to find out if she’s hiding something.

  Deena waited until the masseuse finished her champagne and glanced her way and then made an exaggerated drinking motion. The smile on Yolanda’s face indicated that she got the message, and in a few minutes, she was standing over them with a full tray of drinks.

  “Have one with us,” Deena said. “After everything that’s going on around here, we could all use another one.” She reached for the glass of champagne, even though she had no intention of drinking it.

  “I’ll say.” Yolanda handed the girls a drink then made herself comfortable on the deck with her own, just like before.

  “Saw you talking to the young couple over there,” Kate said. “Anything going on with them?”

  Yolanda took a big sip of the champagne. “They’re checking out the place to see if they want to have some kind of corporate retreat up here.”

  “Haley mentioned that,” Deena said. “Do you know what kind of business they own?”

  Yolanda shrugged. “I never asked, but I got the impression they were sold on the place until last night.” She held a hand to her mouth to cover up a belch. “Sorry,” she said before focusing back on Deena. “I don’t believe for one second that you killed that man. Why, I can think of a dozen reasons why any of the others might want to see him out of the way.”

  Bingo! Tessa moved closer. Now find out her secret. Keep her talking while she’s got loose lips.

  “You mean like Gary Wharton?” Kate drained her glass of bubbly and reached for another. Then she handed one to Yolanda, who accepted without arguing.

  After she took a sip, the masseuse put the glass down and leaned closer. “Yes, but he’s not the only one.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Brent Kershaw was not a nice man, and he used people’s weaknesses to exploit them.”

  “Why do you say that?” Kate asked, sending an excited look Deena’s way. “Did you know him before this weekend?”

  “I’m familiar with that kind of man, that’s all,” Yolanda said, ignoring Kate’s second question. “He was a slimy human being, and I, for one, will not be shedding any tears over him.” Suddenly, she put her glass down as if she realized she’d already said more than she’d meant to.

  Deena needed to do something to keep the woman talking. She thought if she badmouthed Brent, maybe Yolanda would see her as a kindred spirit and say something that might help the investigation. “I agree. I wish I’d known what kind of man he was before I let him get friendly with me.”

  “I guarantee if you knew what I know, you would’ve stayed as far away from him as you could.” Yolanda lifted herself up from the deck. “Got to run. Looks like Sam and Olivia need a refill.”

  Not quite ready let her go, Deena quickly added, “Yeah, these young people can sure handle their liquor.”

  Yolanda laughed. “It’s like they have a hollow leg.” She did a half-turn. “They mentioned that they’d seen one of the other guests going for a hike in the woods, and she said she might join them in the pool. I should probably run to the kitchen to get a few more bottles of champagne.

  “Who?” Deena asked.

  “Who what?”

  “Who did they say went for a walk in the woods?” It was hard to believe that anyone would venture out into the wilderness knowing there might be hungry animals out there or worse—a killer lying in wait.

  “Oh, they said it was that young reporter, Naomi something or other. For the life of me I don’t know why she’d want to go exploring by herself, but Sam said when he asked if she wanted company, she quickly declined and got away from them as fast as she could.”

  “That’s strange,” Deena said. “Did they say when Naomi left?”

  Yolanda shook her head. “I can ask if you want.”

  “No, it’s not a big deal. When you’re that age, you don’t always think about the dangers that could be out there. She’s probably just a loner. If she doesn’t come back soon, we may have to go looking for her, though.”

  “You’re probably right.” Yolanda was upright now and moving toward the Masons. “See you tonight.”

  When she was out of hearing distance, Kate leaned in. “So what did you make of that conversation?”

  “I’m not sure.” Deena addressed Tessa’s ghost. “You’ve been awfully quiet, which is a first. What are you thinking?”

  Tessa gave the pool house a visual sweep. Okay, let’s recap. You have the older couple over there who are probably looking for an insurance settlement. She turned her focus to Olivia and Sam Mason. Then you have the youngsters over there who apparently are looking to schedule corporate retreats out here. Depending on the number of participants, that could cost anywhere from a few grand to upwards of ten K. That doesn’t happen unless the company is making a shitload of money. I have to wonder how kids so young have that kind of cash.”

  “Drugs?” Deena interrupted.

  Tessa laughed out loud. I love that you are so naïve, Sis. Drug lords usually don’t entertain their dealers at resorts. It has to be something else, but I can’t think of anything right now.

  “What she’s saying?” Kate asked, visibly annoyed at being left out of the conversation.

  “Oh, sorry.” Deena repeated the gist of what the ghost had just said.

  “She’s right. But what about Naomi Patterson and her trek into the woods? What do you think that means?” Kate asked.

 
“I don’t know, but we’re definitely going to check it all out,” Deena said, glancing toward the clock on the wall. “Let’s head back to the room. We’ve only got a few hours before dinner, and I’m anxious to find out what Maddy and the others have uncovered.”

  You’re forgetting one very important thing, Tessa said, blocking Deena’s path to the stairs. Yolanda Templeton.

  Deena’s hand shot up to her mouth. “You’re right. We are forgetting Yolanda.”

  Kate’s eyes lit up. “She’s definitely got a little hate thing going on for Brent Kershaw for whatever reason. We may need Maddy and Lainey to get her into a room to find out what that is.” She gave her sister a thumbs up. “All in all, I think we did a pretty good job on our first attempt at finding clues. In my opinion, we deserve a power nap before the others finish up. All this sleuthing has made me sleepy.”

  Sleuthing, my ass, Tessa wisecracked. More likely redneck margaritas and three glasses of champagne.

  As they walked past Sam and Olivia Mason, Deena noticed that the young wife scooted closer to her husband, and she was tempted to run toward her and say Boo. Better judgment overruled her playfulness, and she merely smiled as she passed.

  She was feeling pretty good overall. Although she was sure the warm, soothing water had played a big part in her better mood, the fact was—she’d awakened this morning believing that she’d killed a man. Right now, not only was she sure she hadn’t murdered Brent Kershaw in cold blood, but she and her younger sisters had uncovered some things that might prove to be important in finding out who had.

  Chapter Nine

  Maddy directed India to the far right corner of the dining room where Vince was waiting with Lainey. Nobody said a word as he pulled out a chair and motioned for the waitress to have a seat.

  The petite woman with the mass of curly blonde hair looked frightened but did as she was told. “What’s this all about?”

  The three of them sat down around the table, and Maddy nodded to her sister. On cue, Lainey picked up the pen and began writing on the legal pad in front of her. “Interrogation of India Adams at three-thirty in the afternoon on October 18th,” she said before she looked up. When she saw India’s mouth open in surprise, she winked at Maddy, letting her know that she was purposely doing exactly what she’d chastised her for earlier—and that it had definitely intimidated the waitress.

  “Interrogation? What’s this all about? I didn’t do anything wrong,” India said, all the while searching the room as if the cavalry would magically ride in and rescue her.

  “Nobody said you did,” Maddy responded. “As we told you all this morning, we’re interviewing everyone to try to get a head start into Brent Kershaw’s death before the police arrive and take over the investigation.”

  “You said interrogate,” India said, allowing her shoulders to relax a little. “There’s a big difference.”

  “Call it what you want,” Lainey interjected. “We just need you to tell us about last night when you took a bottle of Scotch to Kershaw’s room.”

  India’s eyes widened. “Why would you want to know about that? I only did exactly as he asked, and Haley made it clear that all drinks were gratis this weekend.”

  “Take us through the process,” Vince said, leaning forward with a smile. “From the moment Kershaw asked for the Scotch until after you returned to the kitchen.”

  The waitress shifted in her seat. “Has Arlene said anything to you about it?”

  Maddy’s eyes crinkled in confusion. “Why would Arlene say anything to us? Was she in on it with you?”

  India shot straight up in her chair. “In on what? All I did was take a bottle of booze up to the guy’s room. Nothing more.” She petitioned Maddy with her eyes. “Can I go now?”

  Before Maddy could respond, Vince, who had been studying the young girl’s face, raised his hand in the air. “You can leave as soon as you answer my earlier question and take us through everything that happened from the time Kershaw made the request to the time you crawled back into your own bed.” He reached across the table and took her hand. “That’s all we want to know.”

  The girl took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Brent and your sister”—she pointed to Maddy—“were the only ones left in the dining room when he called me over and asked me to bring the liquor to his room. Then they left, and I went back to the kitchen and placed the fifth of Scotch on the back bar while I finished clearing the room. When I was through, I carried the bottle, two glasses, and a bucket of ice to Brent’s room. The first time I knocked, nobody answered, so I laid the tray on the walkway outside his door and went back to the kitchen.”

  “So you’re saying you didn’t go into the room with the liquor?” Lainey asked. “Because I gotta tell you, my sister distinctly remembers seeing you walk in, drop off the booze, and then leave with a fifty-dollar tip.”

  India colored. “That’s true, but I’m talking about the first time I tried to deliver the liquor. Since I’d told Arlene I was only making a quick trip to my room to check on something, I couldn’t wait any longer when Brent didn’t answer the door. Ten minutes later I went back, and that’s when I delivered the stuff.”

  “Why was it so important for Arlene not to know what you were doing?” Maddy asked, noticing the beads of sweat forming on India’s forehead.

  Again, the waitress took a deep breath. “Okay, this is going to sound selfish, but you have to remember, I have two small kids at home with my mother and—”

  “What’s that got to do any with anything?” Lainey interrupted. “Did someone pay you to slip a drug into that bottle of Scotch?”

  India’s face scrunched in anger. “What? Hell no. I would never—”

  “Then what?” Maddy asked, sending a barely noticeable smile Lainey’s way for getting the response she wanted. Her sister had always said her trademark move was pissing off whomever she was interviewing. Said that’s when she got to the really good stuff.

  And India was definitely angry now.

  “This interview, or whatever the hell you want to call it, is over.” The waitress glared one last time at Lainey before she stood up.

  Vince was beside her in a flash and put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m afraid it isn’t, India. Pretend you’re at a real police station, and Maddy, Lainey, and I are asking questions. You don’t leave until we’re either satisfied with your answers or your lawyer shows up.” He pursed his lips and shook his head. “Last I checked, Kershaw was the only one here with a law degree.”

  The young woman sat back down and put her head in her hands. After a few minutes, she looked up. “Okay, the reason I didn’t want Arlene to know what I was doing is because we share tips. Like I said, I have two kids, and money is tight. I needed the money Brent gave me to pay this month’s rent.”

  Maddy thought about that for a moment. “So you’re saying the only reason you were so secretive was to screw your fellow waitress out of the tip money?”

  India shrugged. “A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Besides, Arlene lives with her boyfriend who pays most of the bills. And I’d bet my life that she didn’t turn in all her tips last night, either.”

  “You said the liquor sat outside Kershaw’s room for about ten minutes before you returned. Did you see anyone on the walkway when you went back to the dining room?” Vince asked.

  India started to shake her head, then stopped. “Now that I think about it, I did pass that Wharton guy on my way back to Brent’s room later. He pretended like he didn’t see me, but I know he did.”

  A look passed between the three interviewers before Lainey asked, “If we searched your room right now, would we find any drugs?”

  “No way.” She shook her head in rapid succession. “I don’t even use aspirin since I got sober a year ago.”

  “How long have you known Brent Kershaw?” Vince asked, taking the questions in another direction.

  India’s mouth dropped. “Who said I did?”

  “You’ve called hi
m Brent every time you’ve mentioned his name. That implies a friendly relationship—or possibly something stronger—that didn’t just happen over dinner last night.” Vince stared her down until she finally turned away.

  “I met him when he was a visiting professor at Oklahoma University a few years back.”

  “Did you sleep with him?” Maddy asked, fully expecting her to protest vehemently. She was surprised when the waitress nodded.

  “A few times, but it never amounted to anything. He helped me get my kids back from the state. The sex was only to show my gratitude since he didn’t charge me anything for his services.”

  Vince laughed. “Oh, trust me. He did.” He rubbed his chin. “Why did the state take away your kids?”

  India turned to Maddy for support. “Look, this has nothing to do with Brent’s death. I’m uncomfortable talking about my past life. I’ve moved on. Been a great mother ever since that awful time.”

  Maddy tried to look sympathetic, but the truth was, they’d just uncovered another secret that could cast reasonable doubt on her sister’s guilt, and she wasn’t about to let it go just because this woman didn’t want to talk about it. “Sorry, but if you want to prove you’re not a scorned lover who decided to extract her revenge on Kershaw, you might want to answer the questions, India.”

  “I swear I had nothing to do with Brent’s death,” she shouted. “I was so grateful to him for helping me with my kids and elated to see him connecting with your sister. He deserved someone classy like her.”

  That nearly softened Maddy’s determination before she again plunged ahead. “So back to the question. Why were your kids wards of the state of Oklahoma?”

  India hung her head. “I went to prison for a year.”

  “For what?” Lainey asked, nodding to both Vince and Maddy.

  “I got hooked up with the wrong crowd—”

  “Cut the crap, India,” Lainey fired back. “Tell us why you were in prison?”