The Lush Life (Samantha Jamison Mystery Book 8)

by Peggy A. Edelheit

  “I want to personally thank you, Batman!”

  No costume needed here...

  Chapter 39

  Lost & Found

  In spite of Clay’s heroic feats, I still felt jumpy the next morning as I typed notes in Alicia’s office. Mona’s voice startled me.

  “Just shoot me next time I offer to take them out again.”

  “Oh, it couldn’t be as bad as my evening,” I said.

  Mona sat in the nearest chair. “Speak to me.”

  So I told her in rich and vivid detail—leaving out what happened after it was all over.

  “I think I may have you beat for the top spot,” she said.

  “This I have to hear.”

  “Teddy started out with Maker’s Mark whiskey. Before I could stop her, Scarlett ordered Southern Comfort. So far so good, until we were told dinner was delayed.”

  “Let me guess,” I said. “They kept on drinking.”

  “Pretty soon Scarlett began singing, right after your senior trio left for the ladies room. Then Teddy joined in, turning it into a duet.”

  I chuckled. “And you? You would’ve made a great trio.”

  “Trust me, Marsha Brown’s doesn’t do Karaoke.”

  “So what were they singing?”

  “The theme song for Gone With The Wind!”

  I didn’t know it had lyrics.

  “The waiter finally showed up with their food, I guess, just to shut the both of them up.”

  “So it all worked out then?”

  “Not exactly. Martha, Hazel and Betty never returned.”

  They were senior citizens. “Nothing serious, I hope.”

  “Depends on how you see it.”

  “Talk.”

  “I instructed Teddy and Scarlett to start while I went to see what happened to them. I opened the restroom door and they piled out, almost knocking me down, all talking at the same time about Tony’s mother, that crazy woman.”

  My stomach sank. “She was there?”

  “Apparently Martha was about to come out of her stall when she stopped cold, noticing Tony’s mother washing her hands, her gun resting on the sink. Martha immediately backed up and locked her door again, texting the others not to come out under any circumstances.”

  “Smart. So Tony’s mother eventually left?”

  “That nut washes her hands before she enters a stall? The standoff began when she lost her patience and banged on the stalls with what sounded like the butt of her gun.”

  “Did anyone else come in?”

  “No. The restaurant was packed, speaker music was playing, the bar was full. You couldn’t hear anything else.”

  “So then what happened?”

  “She finally stormed out. I entered as the ladies ran out. She’d disappeared. We texted Clay and left shortly after.”

  “So that was why Clay took off early this morning.”

  “There’s more,” said Mona frowning.

  “What else?”

  “Something’s not right. As we were leaving, I spotted her with Tony talking at a side table downstairs in the pub.”

  So why did Tony hire us to find her? This smelled.

  Chapter 40

  Belladonna

  Belladonna: The leaves are just as deadly as the roots.

  I thought it an offbeat place to meet, because the Worths’ house was certainly large enough to find some nook or cranny to talk in private, but Teddy insisted. Why there, I had no idea, but figured he had his reasons. He also insisted I come alone. No sleuthing crew, especially Mona.

  The sudden lack of trust in Mona was obvious. They had arrived together, but their relationship had changed since the finger/nose incident. Amazing how stitches and drugs can alter circumstances. Teddy’s swelling had gone down considerably. But his demeanor about being seen in public hadn’t changed a bit. He was still apprehensive and edgy.

  We were at Villa Vito on Bridge Street in downtown New Hope. It was an Italian restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating that was set up like a cozy grotto with tree-strung lights at night. Teddy insisted we sit outside by the running water fountain to mask our conversation from any eavesdropping by people at nearby tables.

  We ordered the house salad, wine, and Caprese pizza. Teddy’s face still spoke volumes and I guess the owner felt sorry for him and surprised us with an appetizer of roasted vegetables on the house while we waited, subtly hinting about the possible car accident Teddy was in. Both Teddy and I let him think what he wanted and thanked him.

  The finger-in-the-mail would be hard to explain.

  We were both forking the appetizer when Teddy spoke.

  “I guess you’re wondering why I asked you here.”

  I nodded. “It had crossed my mind.”

  I was instructed by Clay, Mona, and my crew to keep my cell phone handy just in case. The only one who was ignorant of this fact was Teddy. He thought we were meeting there on the sly.

  “I’m must apologize for deception on my part,” he said.

  “Deception?” I asked, playing dumb.

  “I’m just an actor who was hired to romance Mona.”

  I cleared my throat. “I figured it was an odd match-up. But don’t you think you should be telling this to Mona?”

  “I think Mona hustled me on the other side, so there is enough shared guilt on both ends of this relationship.”

  I was surprised by his astute take on the situation, but still wary as to why he chose now as the appropriate time to say something. “So, why tell me now?”

  “I received a cash bonus slipped under my door today.”

  My natural reaction was, “Was there a note with it?”

  “A short one saying my services were no longer needed. It was a pure kiss-off note. In other words, get lost.”

  “I’d be upset myself at being set up too,” I said “But it’s too late now. I do have a question for you though.”

  “Sure,” he said. “Ask away.”

  “Who hired you for this job?”

  “It was all done via the Internet and after seeing it was a harmless stunt that was described, I accepted. Besides, I was stone broke and desperately needed the money.”

  How long would he keep this pretense going?

  “Was it worth it?”

  He tapped his face, frowning. “I earned today’s bonus.”

  At that point I didn’t mention me being shot at. He was hired to play his part and did. Not very well, but when I took into consideration what happened, I’d say that Teddy got the short end of the stick in the deal, bonus included.

  ...If he was telling the truth. It was time to get serious.

  “Is that why you didn’t use your real name, Anton?”

  Teddy stiffened. “Then you know. But how?”

  “Mona,” was all I said.

  He deflated like a flat tire.

  “You think you’re the only one with perfected acting skills?” I asked. “She’s a pro at deception.”

  “She knew?”

  “The minute she dug further into your background.”

  “But I meant no harm,” countered Teddy defensively.

  “The meaning and the cause in this were intertwined.”

  “I should admit something else.”

  I rubbed my eyes at that. I hated confessions. “Shoot.”

  “Just because of this relationship, doesn’t mean I...”

  I cut him off. “Doesn’t excuse your actions.”

  “And your point is?”

  I took a wild shot. “Was Tony the one who hired you?”

  He blew out a breath, leaned back, and faltered.

  “...No...his mother, my aunt, known as Belladonna, did.”

  So Tony and Teddy were her offshoots? Some lineage.

  “I must admit, I didn’t see that one coming.”

  Maybe I should just kill myself and save her the trouble.

  Chapter 41

  Confession & Concession

  Mona, Clay, Martha, Hazel, and Bett
y listened while I recapped my bizarre rendezvous. As my story concluded, the group discussed Teddy’s fess-up. Should we play it out to catch Tony and his mother red-handed?

  I stated the obvious. “Why would Teddy take the risk on such an unpredictable job in the first place?”

  We then eyed each other. Who were we kidding? We took risks on a daily basis. We made a living off predicting the unpredictable. Sometimes those risks were borderline ethical (Martha, Hazel, Betty and me). Sometimes they were not so ethical (Mona). Clay floated in and out of both.

  “I’m sure coercion and money played a role,” said Clay.

  “Teddy isn’t the type to pull this off on his own. It had to be someone on the outside with a serious vested interest in the money angle. So what he said rings true,” Hazel said.

  I agreed. “Again it’s always about the money, isn’t it?”

  “It also leads us back to questionable Tony,” said Mona.

  “But why bother asking us to find his mother?” I asked.

  “Maybe he’s trying to stop his mother,” offered Betty.

  “That would explain him meeting her,” added Hazel.

  “Or he’s in cahoots with her,” suggested Martha.

  “Either way, it’s bound to turn sour,” I said.

  “Sounds like one specific book is everyone’s main focus and the big ticket item for a sizable payday,” said Clay.

  “Mine is hitting the lottery,” said Martha.

  “Powerball, triple play, or the state one?” asked Betty.

  “You know, I heard the odds are more favorable with the scratch-off one,” said Hazel.

  “No kidding,” said Betty. “I never knew that.”

  “Maybe we should play them all,” suggested Martha.

  Mona held up her hand in frustration. “Is this what it’s going to be like when I get older and can’t stay on topic?”

  “We call it abstract, linear thinking,” laughed Martha.

  “Let’s try and stay focused,” I said.

  “On what?” asked Martha jokingly.

  “Now, who’s going to sit down with Tony to get him to slip up to find out more on this ruse of theirs?” I asked.

  Silently, everyone’s eyes traveled the room. But then they all stopped in one place...where I was standing.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I said, raising my palm.

  “Do we look like we are?” said Clay, grinning.

  “You of all people are suggesting I play mental and physical leap frog with that two-timing, gun-toting crook?”

  “Who better to banter with than our queen of repartee herself, you,” he offered. “Besides, I trust your instincts.”

  I checked the room for any snickers of laughter, making sure everyone was on board with this plan. I personally didn’t like it, but when I gave it some thought, I figured Tony wouldn’t open up to the others for various reasons, namely he had no interest in them. He might slip up for me.

  So, reluctantly I made the concession.

  Chapter 42

  Sharkbait

  Tony’s sharkbait: me, a thirty-something blonde, who was considered sexually attractive by you-know-who, and like an idiot, had given my consent to lure a shark, Tony, into confiding to me what was really going on. I had to put a stop to this before Momma Belladonna did more damage.

  I had to put the squeeze on someone who wanted to put the squeeze on me. I fantasized over a signed statement I could hand over to the police to leave me out of this mess, remembering the guns associated with Tony and his crazy momma once before. Besides, I was much too young to die.

  I still had a huge bucket list I hadn’t addressed yet.

  Everyone congratulated me on taking one for the team.

  Since we were running out of options, I went with it. I’d be dangling out there freestyle. It was a shame he wasn’t on our side. Tony’s connections would add more dimension to our slippery crew. He possessed one virtue we valued most.

  He was just as sneaky as we were.

  * * * * *

  Getting ready to play the part, I zipped up my black cocktail dress. I heard a rap at my hallway bedroom door.

  It was Scarlett. Her face was flushed. “Have a minute?”

  “Of course, Scarlett. Come on in while I finish getting dressed. I’m running late and need to get my jewelry on.”

  I headed to the closet and put on my loop earrings then reached for a simple gold chain for my neck.

  Scarlett asked, “I need some advice.”

  “Sure. Hope I can help.”

  Have you ever regretted making a rash decision and then wished you could reverse it?”

  My hand paused, as I stared at her through the full-sized mirror in the closet. I laughed. “That about sums up my life. But what are you referring to? Past? Present?”

  She hesitated then said, “...Present.”

  I wasn’t sure where this conversation was headed.

  “Would you attach this clasp?” I asked, turning away.

  She fumbled with it, snapped it closed, then stood waiting, adding nothing more.

  I turned to face her. “And?” I slipped on heels, then headed toward the bathroom to apply some lipstick.

  She followed me in. “I don’t think this is working out.”

  I stopped mid-lip. “What’s not working?”

  “It doesn’t look good.”

  This woman was speaking on a different wavelength. I was having a difficult time following her conversation.

  “Are you talking makeup? Hair? I don’t follow.”

  “Relationships. Some men don’t understand...”

  I laughed. “Oh, them. Relax. As long as you keep them guessing, it all works out in the end.”

  “But what if you have a change of heart, aren’t sure.”

  “Look, at some point you have to decide what’s best for you. It’s as simple as that. You can’t waste your time on someone who doesn’t have your best interests in mind.”

  “You’re probably right...”

  “Are we talking about anyone I know?” The minute I said that, I knew I shouldn’t have. She tensed and backed away from me a step.

  “Look, I’ll let you finish getting ready. I should...”

  I reached out for her hand. “Hey, it’s not important who it is. I didn’t mean to get personal. That’s your business.”

  Scarlett blushed. “Having a brother and not a sister, I never had someone to confide in. During your interview, it was eye-opening about how you finally stood on your own, making your own decisions for a change which altered your future. Mine isn’t looking so good right now.”

  Was she really talking relationships?

  I glanced at my watch. She noticed and backed up again.

  “I really should let you finish getting ready. It’s late.”

  She was right. I was meeting Tony. “Tomorrow then?”

  Scarlett hesitated. “Do you regret your past?”

  What an odd question and a complicated one. But I stuck to what was best considering the time.

  Keep it simple.

  “I don’t dwell on the past, but focus on the now.”

  Scarlett smiled then. “Good advice.” She then rubbed her forehead. “I have a headache coming on, but I’d really like to finish that interview. When do you have time?”

  “I’m meeting Tony downtown. Go rest in your room. We’ll continue it tomorrow. You’ll feel better then, okay?”

  “I’d like that.”

  “Remember, you can’t change the past, only the future.”

  “It’s all about choices, isn’t it?” she asked, walking out.

  “It’s all about making the right choices.”

  Chapter 43

  Sidetracked

  I checked my watch. Good. I was on track for meeting Tony downtown, but an incoming text drew my attention as I descended the stairs. I stopped to read it.

  Bleak House’s cottage in 20. Come alone. Book title.

  I knew all about
the Bleak House and exactly where it was located from Alicia. She loved local history and had raved about the place and how it was being renovated then would be put up for sale. It also had a small cottage.

  Help from anyone at this point worked for me, whether in person or in the form of a note. I paused. Would Tony’s mother bother to lure me to that isolated site to pop me? No. She was still looking for that book herself. So who?

  I was to meet Tony in downtown New Hope for drinks to charm some info from him. Clay took the ladies for some pizza and would be standing by. Mona and Teddy left for an Italian dinner. Scarlett was resting. Lucas’ apartment was ablaze with light, as the smell of garlic drifted beneath his closed door and into the main house.

  But I was torn about what to do after getting that text.

  Should I delay meeting Tony and go to the cottage first?

  Then I received my answer: another text.

  ‘Running late. How about we meet in an hour? Tony.’

  If I hurried, I’d still make it for Tony. I texted back.

  ‘Perfect.’

  Knowing my history with dicey situations in the past, I knew I needed to text Clay where I was going, but I wasn’t about to do that just yet. I’d wait until I got there and could assess the situation before yelling wolf too soon. But I had to hurry, I was now down to fifteen minutes to be there.

  But who was waiting? No texting back: it was blocked.

  Whoever it was wanted to remain anonymous. I grabbed my purse, jacket and keys to the Jeep and took off.

  The old Bleak House’s cottage (c. 1850) was located on the same property as the late Dr. Bleak’s grander home, which was currently under renovation with scaffolding.

  I pulled off the main road, staring through the massive trees near the construction site then to the old cottage. It was eerily silent except for a few security lights on in the back area of the main construction site. The small two-story cottage had a dim light on in its lower interior.

  I made my turn into the gravel driveway, came to the fork in it, turned right toward the small cottage then eased to a stop. I didn’t like it. No other cars...