by Jana DeLeon
“Oh dear,” Rose said.
The manager leaned closer and lowered his voice. “We’ll be more than happy to move you to another room and comp your stay because of the inconvenience. We take the safety of our guests very seriously.”
“Thank you.”
“Well, what do we have here?” a familiar voice asked behind them. “I wouldn’t be too concerned about their inconvenience if I were you.”
Rose squeezed her eyes shut as she turned around to face her current worst nightmare. “Hello, Detective Savoy.”
The sour-faced man stood several feet away, flanked by two uniformed officers. The detective pulled his wallet out of his pocket and flashed it to the manager, then just as quickly stuffed it back into his pants. “Detective Savoy. New Orleans PD. What do you think happened here?” He nodded his head to the closed door to their room.
“Our housekeeping staff went to clean Ms. Gardner’s room this afternoon and discovered that it had been broken into.”
The officer raised his eyebrows with a smirk. “Had it now?”
The manager’s brow scrunched low over his eyes. “Why do you say that?”
“Never mind. Go on.”
“Matilda discovered the room had been vandalized about thirty minutes ago.”
“Was anything taken?”
“Nothing that belongs to the hotel,” the manager said. “We can’t be sure about the guests’ belongings.”
Savoy turned to the women. “Have you been in the room yet?”
Rose didn’t want to lie, so she came up with the most recent version of the truth. “We just got here and were talkin’ to Mr. Benson and he told us what happened. We haven’t had a chance to go in.”
The detective waved his hand toward the room in what looked to be a gallant gesture, but Rose knew it was anything but. “After you, ladies.” He held up his hand to the other two officers to stay put.
Neely Kate turned to Detective Savoy and gave him a look of pure innocence and confusion. “You’re wantin’ us to go in and contaminate a crime scene?”
He smiled, but it was condescending. “You can walk in, but just don’t touch anything.”
The girls entered the room and looked around, keeping their hands to themselves. About thirty seconds later, Savoy became impatient.
“Well?”
Rose shook her head, but avoided eye contact as she continued to examine the mess. “I don’t see anything missin’. What about you, Neely Kate?”
“No.”
Savoy hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his pants and said in a smug tone, “Why does that not surprise me?”
Rose’s head shot up. She suspected he would give them a hard time, but she’d still held out hope that she was wrong. “What are you talkin’ about?”
He held his hands out at his sides. “Why would someone break into a tourist’s room and not steal anything?”
Rose’s temper was starting to get the better of her. “I don’t know, Detective. You’re the expert. Shouldn’t you be the one tellin’ us?”
His eyes widened in surprise.
“It’s obvious they were lookin’ for something.” She waved to the mess. “Isn’t your job to figure out what that is?”
He took two steps toward her, his face less than a foot from hers, but she held her ground. He was a bully, plain and simple, and she was sick to death of backing down to them. She’d faced scarier bullies than Detective Savoy, although she suspected he could inflict more damage.
“What’s a country bumpkin like you from southern Arkansas know about my job?”
“My ex-boyfriend is Joe Simmons. He used to be a detective for the Arkansas State Police and is now the chief deputy sheriff in Fenton County, so it turns out I do know a thing or two about detective work.”
But as soon as the hatred filled Savoy’s eyes, Rose wondered if she’d just frolicked headlong down the wrong path. Taylor had said involving Mason would probably cause more harm than good, and she suspected this was the same.
“Do you want to know what I think, Ms. Gardner?” He spat out her name as if it were vile.
“Not particularly, Detective Savoy, but I suspect you’re gonna tell me anyway.”
He took a couple of steps backward, did a slow circle as he took in the room, then turned back to face her, his face covered with contempt. “Here’s what I think—Ms. Colson got mad at Serafine Saint Cerano and then went back to ‘make her pay.’” He used air quotes to accentuate his point.
“You think a little thing like that is capable of torturin’ someone?” Rose asked in disbelief while swinging her hand back toward Neely Kate. “What’s the point? It was only fifty dollars.”
“Yeah,” Neely Kate said, sounding indignant. “I wouldn’t waste the time over something so trivial. Besides, it might mess up my nails.” She held out her hands, showing her latest manicure of silver sparkling nails with tiny Christmas trees painted on each one.
The detective only stared at the two women, his grin spreading.
“That cat got your tongue?” Neely Kate asked, putting her hands on her hips and jutting her right hip out to the side.
He smirked. “No, but a jail cell’s going to be slowing yours down soon.”
“You don’t have any grounds to arrest her!” Rose protested.
Savoy took a deep, satisfied breath and let it out with a malicious twinkle in his eye. “Don’t be so sure of that.” He took a step closer. “Ms. Gardner, how’d you know Ms. Saint Cerano was tortured?”
Oh, crappy doodles. That was in the paperwork. The paperwork Helena the ghost had stolen from the police headquarters. “You told us this morning.”
He shook his head. “Nope. I purposely left that part out.”
Rose clamped her mouth shut.
“Now I not only suspect Ms. Colson of committing murder, but you of being an accessory.” His grin spread across his face. “I love when I can close a case in one day.” He winked at her. “I’ve got the department record, you know.”
“How many other innocent people have you railroaded to keep that record goin’?” Rose asked.
He shrugged with a look of indifference. “Who cares? As long as the case is closed, that’s all that matters. Now I’ve got to figure out how to loop Ms. Beaumont in on this, which I’m sure I’ll manage, and I’m bound to get that promotion.” He started toward the door. “I have no doubts that I’ll be seeing you girls soon.”
“Not if I can help it!” Neely Kate shouted after him.
He walked out and gave a half wave without looking back. “You can go do your job, boys,” he said the police officers. “But I wouldn’t waste too much time trying to pin it on someone else.”
The stunned hotel manager stood in the doorway, a look of horror in his eyes.
“We didn’t do it,” Rose said, taking a step closer to him.
He took a step backward, stumbling when he hit the housekeeping cart. “I’m sure you didn’t. We’ll move you to your new room soon.” Then he took off down the hall, the housekeeper and a woman in a business suit following after him.
“Me and my big mouth,” Rose groaned, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Neely Kate sat next to her and put an arm around her back. “Don’t worry. Between you and me and Taylor and Helena, we’ll figure this mess out.”
Rose looked up at her friend. “We?”
“Shoot yeah, we. This isn’t the first mystery we’ve solved or you’ve solved completely on your own.”
Rose rolled her eyes. “A couple of those were by accident.”
“So?” Neely Kate’s eyes widened to make her point. “You’re a natural at solvin’ mysteries.”
“But this isn’t Fenton County, Neely Kate. We don’t know the first thing about anything here.”
“So? We’ll just figure it out.” Neely Kate stood and tugged on Rose’s arm. “Come on.”
Rose stood, confused. “Where are we goin’?”
“We’re going to solve a mystery.”
“How on earth are we gonna do that?”
“I know the first place to look. Take a guess.” She grinned.
Rose let out a breath. How could she be so stupid? “The scene of the crime.” She started for the door. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Twelve
The air had turned nippier as Rose and Neely Kate took off toward the psychic’s store.
“Do you think we should have heard something else from Taylor by now?” Rose asked, hunching her shoulders against the wind.
“I wondered that too, but I suspect she’s trackin’ down more leads,” Neely Kate said. “Maybe she’s wrapped up with something and can’t get away to call us with another update.”
“Let’s hope it’s not tied up to something,” Rose murmured.
“That too. But they couldn’t catch Helena. I bet she’d come tell us if something happened.”
“I would hope she’d go to the police.”
“They wouldn’t be able to see or hear her,” Neely Kate said, walking around a man stumbling while holding a plastic cup. “I’m the only one who can. I think she’d come to me for help.”
“Yeah, I suppose that’s true.” Rose cast a glance at her friend. “So how disappointed are you that you might not have a paranormal gift after all?”
Neely Kate gave a shake of her head. “Just because Taylor spouted her explanation doesn’t mean it’s true. You know my grandma has a gift.” Still, Neely Kate didn’t sound so convinced.
“I know.” Rose looped her arm through Neely Kate’s arm and pulled her close. “Why is it so important to you that you have a special gift anyway?”
Neely Kate was quiet for a moment before she answered in a voice so quiet Rose barely heard her, “So I’ll be special.”
Rose pulled her to a halt in the middle of the busy sidewalk. “What on earth are you talkin’ about, Neely Kate Colson?”
Neely Kate met her gaze but looked hesitant. “I grew up in a loud family and everyone has a special gift.”
“I thought your grandma was the only one with a paranormal gift.”
“Oh, she is.” Neely Kate waved her hand in dismissal. “But everyone else has a talent. My cousin Petey can shoot a squirrel dead center between the eyes, and Vickie can make a mean venison stew. She’s won blue ribbons at the county fair. But me… I’ve got nothin’.”
Rose’s mouth dropped open in shock. “How can you say that? You’re one of the most special people I know.”
Neely Kate scowled and tried to walk away before Rose hauled her back. “You’re not walkin’ away from this.”
Neely Kate took an exasperated breath. “You have to say that, Rose. We’re best friends.”
Rose steeled her back. “No, I don’t have to say any such thing. You’re larger than life and everyone loves you.”
A sly grin lifted her mouth. “Not Joe.”
Rose lifted her eyebrows playfully. “Even Joe. He loves that you’re so feisty and stand up to him. And especially that you have my back after our breakup.”
“He does not.”
“I promise he does.” Rose’s smile fell. A strand of Neely Kate’s hair blew into her face and Rose tucked it behind her ear. “Why can’t you just be enough as you?”
Tears filled Neely Kate’s eyes. “I wasn’t enough for my momma, was I? She took off ten years ago with some man and left me for Gran to raise. If I was enough, she wouldn’t have left me, now would she?”
Rose’s chest tightened as a lump filled her throat. She grabbed Neely Kate’s shoulders and stared into her eyes. “Now you listen to me, Neely Kate Rivers Colson. Your mother is a selfish fool. That woman doesn’t deserve you. And I promise you that if one of these giant diamonds showed up in her lap, she’d throw it away thinkin’ it was a piece of glass, because she obviously doesn’t know special when she sees it.”
Neely Kate’s chin quivered. “I’m so glad you sat by me in jury duty that day.”
Rose smiled, her eyes burning with tears. “Me too.” She took a deep breath. “Now let’s go clear our names so we can go home for Christmas.”
Neely Kate was quieter than usual as they walked the rest of the way, even though Rose tried to cajole her out of her doldrums. Rose wasn’t surprised she was taking the potential murder charges seriously, especially here in New Orleans, but the reason for Neely Kate’s obsession with getting a paranormal gift did surprise her. Neely Kate was one of the most outgoing, wonderful people she knew. She realized how people actually viewed themselves was often different from how the world saw them. Rose included.
They stopped at the corner of the street, eyeing the shop two doors down. Crime scene tape covered the front entrance.
“So what do you want to do?” Neely Kate asked.
“It will be pretty obvious if we’re snoopin’ around the front, especially you if people remember you poundin’ on the window yesterday.”
Neely Kate grimaced.
“How about I stroll by and casually look inside, like those people over there?” She pointed to a couple who stood in front of the crime tape, obviously trying to figure out what happened.
“Sounds good.”
“And why don’t you go into that candle shop and look around like you’re shopping. Otherwise it will look suspicious if you’re standing on the corner.” Although on second thought, Rose decided it took a lot more than standing on a street corner to look suspicious.
“Good point.”
Neely Kate took off for the candle shop, which was directly across from the psychic’s store, while Rose crossed the street. She pretended to look into the windows of the establishment next door. Just her luck it was a bar, which made her look more like a wino than a window-shopper, but then she figured she was in New Orleans. By looking at the number of people walking around with drinks in their hands, if someone could get away with window-shopping a bar anywhere, it was here.
When she reached the front windows of the psychic’s shop, she saw a streak of purple inside, ducking behind the counter. Gina, the employee they met yesterday, was inside. They needed to talk to her.
Neely Kate stood in the window of the candle store, holding up a hunk of wax that looked like a grotesque pirate. Rose made a slight motioning movement and Neely Kate nodded, setting the candle down and heading for the exit.
Rose moved to the street corner and waited.
“The clerk is inside the shop,” Rose said as soon as Neely Kate joined her.
“Are you sure?”
“Unless Madame Serafine hired multiple employees with purple hair, then yes, I’m sure. We need to talk to her.”
“Yeah, but how?”
“Let’s go around to the alley and see if we can get in the back entrance.”
“Oh!” Neely Kate gushed. “Good idea!”
They made their way around the side of the bar and turned the corner to the alley.
“It’s the second store,” Rose said, staying close to the wall. “And here it is.”
The back door was slightly ajar. Rose gave Neely Kate a glance before pulling her hand back into her sleeve and wedging the heel of her palm into the crack. She slowly pushed the door open, worried the old building would creak or groan, but it was surprisingly quiet. Rose held it open for Neely Kate to lean her shoulder against the edge. Rose sneaked into the dark back room and Neely Kate followed, carefully shutting the door behind them.
“Now what?” Neely Kate asked.
Rose tried to figure out their next move when she heard a voice, and she looked at Neely Kate with wide eyes. Gina, the purple-haired clerk, was talking to someone, but Rose could barely make out her words. She crept to the edge of the partially open door that led to the room where Serafine had started to read Neely Kate’s palm. It was still trashed, but the curtain to the front of the store was wider than it had been the night before. Rose still couldn’t see Gina, but the clerk was raising her voice, making it easier to hear.
“…I keep telling you I don’t know where it is!” S
he grunted in exasperation as she walked past the curtained doorway. “I’m telling you, I’m missing two bags, but she only gave away one bag to that hillbilly girl with the big hair.”
Neely Kate stiffened. “Hey!” she whisper-shouted.
Rose turned back to look at her, giving her the evil eye.
Thankfully, Gina was too worried about her own dilemma to hear them. “I’ve looked everywhere and I can’t find the second one.”
Gina was silent for a moment. “You don’t think I’m stupid, do you? I don’t want to end up at the bottom of the Mississippi.” She was silent again. “Fine. I’ll search again, but I’m telling you it’s not here. Somebody took it and it wasn’t me. But when I find it, I’m out of this, and you better keep your promise.”
There were several more seconds of silence. “Whatever,” Gina said finally, “but once the murder is pinned on those girls and that PI, I’m leaving town.”
Rose and Neely Kate exchanged worried glances.
Gina muttered “Damn it!” and slammed something on the counter. Rose wouldn’t be surprised if it was her phone. It sounded as though Gina was in big trouble.
“Do you still wanna talk to her?” Neely Kate whispered in her ear. “’Cause I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“No, sounds like she’s in on it. She’s not gonna tell us anything. We need to tell Taylor and see if she found anything else out.”
“And then hopefully go home,” Neely Kate said. “No offense, but this is the worst vacation ever.”
Rose couldn’t agree more.
Chapter Thirteen
Taylor found Helena sitting on the curb at the end of the street. The roller skates were gone and had been replaced with ballet shoes, which was confusing enough to begin with, but when combined with the camo and the smell of shrimp, made things seem even more odd.
“About time you came back,” Helena griped. “I could have died there.”
“You’re already dead.”
“Why do people keep saying that?”
