Glossed and Found

by Ink, India

  Amy swayed, and I was glad I’d gotten her to eat something. I buoyed her up, sliding my good arm through hers to give her extra support. Kyle motioned to the technician, who was clad in a mint green lab coat and a pair of white scrubs. He blinked, then gestured for us to follow him over to one of the cloth-draped tables. By the looks of the shape under the cloth, it was obviously somebody’s temporary resting place.

  The figure beneath the sheet was still as ice, not a flutter of material from breath or heartbeat. The sheet was pristine, clean beyond bleaching, and I realized then that although I’d seen dead bodies a few times before, I’d seen them where they fell, not in this state—under observation, irrefutably dead.

  Amy steeled herself, her body going rigid next to mine as the tech asked softly, “Are you ready?”

  Kyle moved to flank her other side, and I saw that his arm was linked through her other arm. Together, we’d catch her if necessary. She held her breath, nodding, and the technician drew back the sheet.

  The woman was about Lisa’s age, with blonde hair in a similar hairstyle, but she wasn’t Lisa. Even I could see that, although her face had been battered by rocks and waves. Her eyes were glassy, vacant, and I relaxed, wondering who the poor soul had been. She would remain a mystery for awhile longer.

  Amy let out a sharp breath, almost swooning as she shook her head. Her voice trembled with both joy and tears as she said, “No, that’s not her—that’s not my Lisa.”

  I nodded to Kyle. “She’s right, that isn’t Lisa.”

  He motioned, and the tech covered the body again as we turned away. “I’m so sorry to bring you down here, Amy. You, too, Persia, but we had to make certain, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t want to make a mistake. We don’t have any fingerprints on record for whoever this is, and nobody’s been reported missing that’s around this age except for . . . Lisa.”

  “I understand,” Amy said, her face a blend of rapture and sorrow. “But what happened to this woman? Did she drown?”

  “Looks that way, but as I said, we don’t know who she is,” Kyle said. “She was found up the coastline a little, but the currents have been strong, and we thought . . .”

  “You thought that Lisa might have fallen in, and her body was swept up the coast,” I said, trying to be of help. “Well, you’d better start putting out notices that you have an unidentified drowning victim.”

  “Yeah,” Kyle said. “I’ll call in a sketch artist today to get started, and we’ll notify the papers and news stations.”

  We exited the hospital, and Kyle drove us back to Amy’s. “I’m just going to drop you girls off, because it’s almost time for Elliot’s bail bond hearing. I promised Persia I’d be there,” he added, speaking to Amy.

  I swallowed hard. “Don’t let the judge free him, Kyle, because—if there is a next time—I won’t hesitate to do whatever I need to in order to protect myself. You understand what I’m saying?”

  He nodded. “I’ll do what I can, Persia,” he said. And yet, I heard an inflection in his voice that told me he couldn’t make any promises. We climbed out of the car and headed for the door. Auntie wasn’t back yet, so I followed Amy inside. She washed her face and opened the cupboard.

  “I’m ravenous all of a sudden. Lisa’s not dead . . . or at least, we have more hope than we did an hour ago,” she said, her voice faltering. “Two people couldn’t drown in the same storm, could they? You don’t think that she was with a friend and they were both swept off the pier?”

  I shook my head. “No, not really. I suppose it could happen, but remember that your sister was terrified of water. She wouldn’t be out there walking, especially on a stormy night. Now, fix yourself something to eat.”

  She nodded, slowly pulling out a can of soup. “Would you like some chicken noodle soup? It’s Olianto’s.” Olianto was a new brand that had recently come out; excellent organic products that truly tasted like they were homemade.

  “I’d love some,” I said, feeling hungry, too. Nothing like looking death in the face to make you appreciate being alive. And life meant sustenance, which meant food. Amy opened the can and poured it in a saucepan, then set it to heating while she found the dinner rolls and popped four in the microwave. I asked her where the bowls and saucers were, and set the table.

  As we ate the steaming soup and warm rolls, I told Lisa I was meeting with Candy Harrison, and that she’d been the last woman to get a makeover from Lisa on Friday. Amy looked surprised.

  “Candy? I can’t believe Lisa would give her a makeover,” she said.

  “Why? Candy sounded like a bubblehead, but I didn’t get the impression she was bitchy.”

  Amy blinked. “Don’t you know who Candy is?”

  “A nurse, my aunt told me. She works for Annabel Mason.” At Amy’s snort, I frowned. “What? What am I missing?”

  “Candy worked for our father before he died. She was his private nurse during his last months. I’m not a big fan of hers—God knows she’s annoying, but she does seem to know her job. But Lisa took an instant dislike to her for some reason. I’m surprised she even agreed to stay in the same room with Candy.”

  I put down my spoon. Now, this was an interesting turn of events and the first potential lead we’d had. “Are you sure? How odd. Candy told me she barely knew Lisa.”

  “Oh, she knew her all right. I ran interference. I’m not sure just why Lisa disliked her so much. Lisa likes almost everybody, so it was a shock when she was so rude to Candy. Let me know what she says,” she added, picking up her spoon again. “I can’t imagine it was a good meeting.”

  As I was wondering just what to think about the matter, a noise interrupted my thoughts. Amy peeked out the window. “Your aunt’s here, and there’s another car behind her.”

  I bustled outside to find Auntie standing near Baby, while a young man in a suit climbed out of the driver’s seat of a brand-new dark silver Acura RL. He handed me the keys, and I saw a temporary license plate taped in the back window.

  “Auntie—” I started to say, but she beamed.

  “I know your car was getting old, and since we’re almost at the end of the year, this was on sale. So, happy early birthday, my girl. You mentioned wanting to get one of these.” The look on her face was priceless, and I rushed over to give her a hug, grimacing when I got a little too happy and hit my shoulder against her.

  “Oh, Auntie! I love it—it’s wonderful, and the color I wanted, too!” I skirted the car, beaming. No more convertible, but no more chancing rain or breaking down as often, either.

  “What about Lisa?” she asked, interrupting my thoughts as she handed me the new insurance papers.

  Amy answered for me. “It wasn’t Lisa they found, so we’re back to square one.” She looked at me, though, and I knew she was thinking about our conversation about Candy. Maybe the nurse would be able to shed some light. Maybe Lisa had gotten in a huff and took off over something they argued about.

  “I’m glad to hear that, my girl,” Auntie said. “I was so worried when Persia told me. We’ll find her yet. You just wait and see.”

  “I want to believe that,” Amy said faintly. “I have to believe that. Persia, are you going to finish lunch with me?”

  I glanced at the car. It would be here when I finished eating. “Yeah, I want to ask you some more about Candy.” I turned to Auntie. “Thank you again, Auntie, it’s perfect. The perfect gift! I never expected this.”

  She smiled then, a broad, infectious grin. “I know, Imp. I know. That’s why I love buying things for you. You never assume I should get you anything, so it’s always fun to see your face. Now, finish what you have to do, and be careful when you drive. With your arm sore, your reflexes will be slow. Just take it easy and promise me you’ll be careful.”

  I promised and headed back inside with Amy as Auntie climbed into her Baby and drove the salesman back to the lot.

  After I finished eating, I spent a few minutes familiarizing myself with the inside of my new
car. Auntie had gotten it registered for me, there was a bottle of water in the cup holder, a jack and spare tire in the trunk, and assorted goodies in the glove compartment. I glanced at the clock. Time to head out to meet Candy.

  The coffee shop where we’d agreed to meet was almost full, but it was easy enough to pick her out in the crowd. She looked just like she’d sounded on the phone. Platinum bleached blonde hair pulled back in a puffy ponytail with little-girl bangs covering her brow, a figure that had been either enhanced or treated to the finest uplift support system in the world, fringed lashes reminiscent of Tammy Faye Baker, and garish red lipstick that didn’t suit her coloring at all. She should have used a peach or a dusty rose.

  What didn’t match were her clothes. She was wearing a linen sheath that had to have come out of a Seattle boutique, and she was wearing Jazmin Royz, an expensive perfume that was only available in a few specialty shops throughout the U.S. Made with real jasmine oil, the perfume cost over three hundred dollars per quarter ounce and was made in limited quantities. And she was wearing the actual perfume. Jazmin Royz didn’t come in an eau de toilette spray.

  She eyed me as I sat down, little in the way of friendliness in her eyes.

  “Persia,” she said, looking me up and down with an appraising eye. It wasn’t a question. She blinked, and I had the sudden desire to swat her because her eyelashes reminded me of a centipede.

  I nodded. “Candy? I wanted—”

  “I know, you wanted to ask me about Lisa Tremont. First, you should know that I used to work for her father. And second, you should know she doesn’t like me very much.” Candy spilled everything out in a whirl of words.

  My turn to blink. “Oh?” I wondered if she remembered she’d told me she barely knew who Lisa was. I decided not to say anything and just hear her out; if she thought I suspected her of lying, she might be more cautious about saying anything. “May I ask why?”

  Candy preened. “A lot of women are jealous of me.

  Maybe she thought her daddy liked me more than he liked her.”

  The way she said daddy made me cringe. I stared at the woman, wondering just what it took to inflate an ego to that size, because regardless of what she thought, Candy was no sex goddess.

  “And why would she think that?” I asked softly. There was something off-putting about the woman, and I couldn’t put my finger on it, other than I found her coarse and cheap despite the clothes and perfume, like a rhinestone set in twenty-four-karat gold.

  She darted a glance at the clock. “Oh, no reason. You know how some girls get around beautiful women. They’re insecure over everything.”

  I leaned back in my chair, staring at her, wondering what the hell was going on in her head. Candy gave me a superficial smile.

  “So what did you want to know about Lisa?”

  “First, why did you go to her for a makeover, knowing she didn’t like you?” Something was out of place, and I wanted to know what.

  “Because she’s the best on the island. Even if we don’t get along very well, business is business. And I wanted to look good for a date Friday night.” She shrugged. “Besides, Lisa needed the money.”

  “Did Lisa say anything about what she was going to do this weekend? Anything about plans she might have made?” I was pretty sure I was talking up a dead-end alley, and it didn’t take long to prove me right.

  “I wasn’t really paying much attention. I was just there to get my makeup done, and that’s all. She did my face, I paid her, that’s it. After all, we aren’t exactly the best of friends.” She stood up, gathering her purse. “I have to get going. Nice meeting you,” she said.

  As I watched her sashay out of the door, I wondered just what kind of man would date Candy Harrison. Whoever it was, I didn’t think I’d like him.

  When I walked into the police station, I caught Kyle as he was eating a sandwich. I fingered the dieffenbachia that was sitting on a low table.

  “A little late for lunch, isn’t it? And if you don’t repot this plant, it’s going to die. I bet you haven’t put it in a different container since you bought it, have you?” The poor thing was root-bound, four feet high and trying to grow.

  “I didn’t get a chance to eat because I was at Elliot’s bail hearing, and I don’t know anything about taking care of the plant. Shanna waters them. I’ll leave a note for her. How tall will that thing get, anyway?” He put down his BLT and wiped his fingers on a napkin.

  “As tall as the ceiling, and then you’ll have to prune it. Just don’t let anybody chew on it. This is a dumb cane. Also known as a mother-in-law’s plant.” I grinned.

  “What happens if I eat it?” he said, sounding genuinely curious.

  “Your throat and tongue will start to burn, you won’t be able to talk, and if you get enough of the toxins, you’ll die because your throat will be so swollen that you won’t be able to breathe. So graze on something else if you get hungry,” I said as I sat down and crossed my legs. “Okay, tell me, what did the Albatross get for bail? And can I send him a leaf or two of your plant to add to his salad?”

  He raised his eyebrows and took a sip of his Coke. “I’m going to overlook that last comment. Elliot was assigned a two-hundred-thousand-dollar bail. Unless he comes up with twenty thousand from a bail bondsman, or finds somebody who’ll take a chance on him, then he’s stuck. So quit worrying.” As he pulled out a bag of chips, my stomach rumbled. “He’ll be transferred back here from the courthouse later on this afternoon. We’re short on men this afternoon, so they’re holding all the prisoners there until court recesses for the day.”

  “Can I have a few of those?” I asked, pointing to his chips.

  He poured a handful on his napkin and passed me the rest of the bag.

  “I talked to Candy Harrison today. She was the last of Lisa’s appointments on Friday. Something’s strange about that girl, Kyle. I don’t trust her, and I don’t like her.”

  “Why not? And who the hell is she?”

  I gave him a rundown of my encounter with her. “Can you check to see if she has any sort of record? Yvonne Sanders, too. I think Karen was making a mountain out of a molehill, but you never know.”

  Kyle licked his fingers, dried them on his napkin, and jotted down a couple of notes. “Sure thing. I’ll call you this evening with the information. Amy and I’ll be out putting up posters about Lisa. It’s time we went fully public. She wanted to earlier, but I thought for sure Lisa would be home by now. I’m still convinced . . .” He shook his head. “Never mind. Listen, where did you go to get your windshield repaired so fast? My truck got a ding in the windshield, and it’s turned into a crack. I need to get it fixed.”

  I shrugged. “I didn’t. My Sebring is still in the shop. Auntie bought me an early birthday present. I’m now driving an Acura RL—the one I had my heart set on buying next year. I’m going to get the windshield fixed on the Sebring and sell it.”

  With a cough, Kyle said, “Can you ask your aunt to adopt me? I’d like a new car, too.” He grinned. “Miss Florence has a heart of gold, and you two seem like you’re getting on fine. I’m glad for you, Persia. And I’m glad for her. I think she missed having you around, but she cared about your independence too much to say so. This is better, having you back in Gull Harbor.”

  For a moment, I was worried that he was going to start up again about wanting to date me, but the look in his eye was friendly rather than romantic, and I relaxed. “It’s been good for me, too. I adore my aunt, and I can always zip over to Seattle on the ferry if I want to spend some time in the city. And . . . I wouldn’t have met Killian if I hadn’t come back. Hey, he got the funding for his new company!” I beamed, wanting to tell somebody besides Barb.

  And Kyle didn’t let me down. “Good deal,” he said. “Good for him! That Wilcox woman sure did her share of damage, didn’t she?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, she did. Okay, I’m going to get moving. My arm’s hurting, and I think I’ll go home and rest. Call me with what you find out
about Candy and Yvonne.”

  As I left, Kyle was busy organizing his desk. I happened to glance at one of the picture frames on the bookshelf behind him that looked new. Amy’s smiling face shone out from the silver frame, and I let out a contented sigh. Kyle had finally found someone, and I hoped for his sake that it lasted a long, long time.

  Auntie had gone in to work by the time I got home, and I puttered around the house, straightening up the kitchen and clearing out clutter in the living room. We needed a housekeeper, that was for sure. I should just call Maids Are Us and have them send somebody over.

  As I wiped down the shelves and plants, Nalu came up and rubbed against my legs, and I tickled him with the Swiffer duster. He batted at it a couple of times, then sauntered off to find a cozy place for a nap. I settled myself at the dining room table with a notepad, pen, and Lisa’s appointment book. Time to make a list of her appointments on Saturday and talk to them.