Escape Claws

by Linda Reilly

  Kellie rolled a tall tray over next to Lara and began toweling the excess water from her hair. Lara glanced over at the empty salon chair next to where she was sitting.

  The stylist followed her gaze, and her glossy lips pursed. “That’s…I mean that was Yoko’s chair.”

  “Yoko?”

  “She was my other stylist, until last week,” Kellie said sourly. “She left to take a job at one of those mall salons.” She dragged out the word “mall” like it was a cuss word.

  “Oh, that’s too bad,” Lara said. She wasn’t quite sure why it was bad, but Kellie was clearly distressed by her former employee’s move.

  “I mean, those places are okay if you’re still learning,” Kellie went on. “But Yoko has real talent, ya know? She’s too good to work in a chain salon.”

  Lara nodded in sympathy, but she wasn’t sure she agreed. She knew an artist who got her hair cut regularly at a so-called chain salon, and the woman always looked gorgeous.

  “Not that I can really blame her,” Kellie said. “See, here’s the thing. Our patoots are supposed to be tossed out of here by the end of the year. Theo Barnes—you know, the dead guy—AKA my nasty landlord? He had plans to tear down this whole block and build a shopping complex.” Kellie pulled a wide-toothed comb from her drawer.

  “I think I heard something like that,” Lara said vaguely. “So, what’s going to happen now?”

  Kellie lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “Who knows? I probably still have to relocate. Thing is, I’m having trouble finding a place in town that has the facilities I need. A lot of my customers said they’d come to my house. But I can’t run a business that way, ya know?”

  Lara’s heart went out to the woman. She knew how grueling it was to keep a small business running. Gabriela did it every day.

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Kellie. I can tell you have a lot on your plate right now.”

  It occurred to Lara that Theo’s sudden demise had left his tenants with a big question: Who was going to succeed to his business interests? And how would it affect them?

  The police, no doubt, were wondering the same thing. Had they interviewed all the tenants whose leases were being terminated? She was about to ask Kellie if the police had talked to her when a familiar voice warbled from the doorway.

  “Yoo-hoo!”

  Kellie whirled around, and a cheery smile filled her face. “Dora! Where’ve you been, girlfriend?” Switching the comb to her left hand, she scooted over to Dora and looped her right arm around her in a hug.

  Dora set a foil-covered plate on the Lucite reception counter. “Oh, well I’m doing.” She sniffled and reached behind her back to massage her lower spine. “The pain gets worse when I’m stressed,” she said. “It’s so horrible about Theo, isn’t it? Have you heard any more news?”

  Kellie shook her head. “No. Nothing. You?”

  “Nary a thing,” Dora said. “By the way, I brought you some—” A sudden little gasp escaped her as her gaze wandered to the mirror. She adjusted her lilac-tinted specs. “Oh, Lara, I didn’t see you there. You look so…different with your hair wet.”

  Lara smiled at Dora in the mirror. “Hi, Dora. I thought I’d see about getting a trim this morning. Luckily, Kellie was able to fit me in.”

  “Well, you came to the right gal,” Dora said, winking at the stylist. “She’s the best there is, bar none. Kellie, honey, I won’t keep you. I just wanted to pick up some of that shampoo and conditioner you recommended last month. It did wonders for my hair!”

  “Of course.” Kellie set down her comb. “Lara, would you excuse me? This’ll only take a minute.”

  “Take your time,” Lara said.

  Kellie went over to a set of shelves behind the reception desk. She pulled two large bottles from the top shelf and dropped them into a pink gift bag. Then, as if reconsidering, she tapped a manicured finger to her lips and then reached up for another, smaller bottle. She added it to the bag.

  “Thank you, dear,” Dora said softly. She opened her voluminous purse and began pulling out a wallet.

  Kellie instantly clamped her hands over Dora’s. “Put that away, Dora. There’s no charge for the supplies, remember? And I added a special treat—some new body cream I’m testing out. It smells heavenly—like almonds and vanilla.”

  Even through the mirror, Lara saw Dora’s eyes well up. “You’re so generous, Kellie. And such a good friend. Thank you, honey. I don’t know what I’d do without kind people like you.”

  “No worries. I’m happy to do it.” Kellie hugged her, then peeked under the foil covering the plate Dora had given her. “You brought me more of those delicious cookies—that’s thanks enough. But you shouldn’t have gone to the trouble.”

  “Least I can do,” Dora said, and then sidled over closer to Lara. “Please give Fran my love, would you Lara? I wanted to stay longer yesterday and chat, but…well, things kind of devolved, didn’t they?”

  “They did, but I’ll tell my aunt you were asking for her.” Lara freed one hand from beneath the cape and squeezed Dora’s arm.

  Dora smiled, and with a tilt of her head she said, “You know, Lara, your aunt is the only person I know who still sends handwritten cards to people. It’s such a treat to get a note from her in that lovely penmanship of hers.”

  A sudden pang struck Lara in the chest. She thought of all the handwritten cards Aunt Fran had given her during her childhood years—for every imaginable occasion. A perfect report card. A winning entry in her elementary school’s art contest. Almost every accomplishment, however small, earned Lara a handwritten note from Aunt Fran. Each one had been unique. Her aunt always bought note cards from a museum gift shop—cards with exquisite art prints on the front.

  Lara frowned to herself. Where were those cards? She was sure she’d saved them. She’d stuck them all in a special box. Where did that box end up? Had it gotten lost when they moved to Massachusetts?

  She felt Dora touch her shoulder and realized her mind had drifted again. “Thanks, Dora. I’ll be sure to tell her you said that.”

  After Dora bade them both good-bye and left, Kellie shook her head. “Poor woman,” she murmured, pulling the wide-toothed comb through Lara’s damp hair. “She hasn’t been the same since the accident.”

  “Accident?”

  Kellie set her comb on the tray and picked up a pair of scissors. “It happened three years ago, at one of the local discount stores. It’s one of those places that sells all sorts of electronics, computers, things like that. Anyway, Dora was standing next to this huge, flat-screen TV that was bolted to the wall. It was a monster of a thing, ya know? Like about forty feet long.” Kellie spread her arms way out to the side, as if preparing for flight. “When Dora turned to look at something else, her shoulder accidentally bumped it. The whole thing came crashing down on her.”

  “Oh, no!”

  “Yup. Knocked her right to the floor. Broken glass everywhere. She found out later the clerk who’d installed the dumb thing had been told to tighten the bolts.” Kellie’s face morphed into a scowl. “The fool had left the screwdriver right there, but then went off on a break in the lunchroom. He was yukking it up with his buds when that TV fell on Dora. When he heard the crash he raced back to the showroom, but of course it was too late. Someone said Dora was so delirious from the pain that she grabbed a piece of glass and tried to slash the guy’s ankle. It’s probably not true, but I wouldn’t blame her if it was. Needless to say, the guy got canned. Served him right, for all the agony that poor dear has suffered.”

  With a somber look, Kellie held up her scissors and looked at Lara in the mirror. “Ready?”

  Lara swallowed. “I’m ready.”

  She watched a strand of hair at least four inches long drop to the floor beside her.

  “Um…so, is that why Dora has to wear a brace now?”

  “You guessed it,” Kellie said, her scissors making scary cutting sounds at the back of Lara’s head. “The accident did a number on her. Gave he
r a permanent back injury. She ended up having to retire early from her job at the bank. Thank God she found a lawyer willing to sue. She ended up settling with the insurance company and got a decent amount, though I think she should’ve gotten more. At least the sweet dear doesn’t have to work anymore. Once she’s old enough to get social security, she should do okay.”

  Lara mulled that over. She didn’t realize Dora had been through such an ordeal.

  “Those cookies she supposedly makes?” Kellie said with a wry chuckle. “She gets them at the Shop-Along. She thinks they’ll look homemade if she puts them on a paper plate and covers them with foil. I always pretend I don’t know. I wouldn’t hurt her feelings for the world.”

  “Well, it’s the thought that counts, right?” Lara smiled at Kellie in the mirror. “She obviously means well. Does she live alone?”

  Snip. Snip.

  More damp curls floated to the floor.

  “Yup. She lives in the same house she grew up in. Her mom died when she was real young, and her dad had to raise her and her sister by himself. ’Course I never knew him, but everyone who did said he was a real nice man. Dora’s only sister had a bad heart. She died like, I don’t know, seven or eight years ago?”

  A thought tickled Lara’s brain. Something she’d been meaning to ask her aunt.

  “I was thinking,” Lara told Kellie, “that Dora might make the perfect mom for a cat who needs a loving home. What do you think?”

  Kellie was already shaking her head. “Dora supposedly has allergies galore. Pets are out of the question for her. Even her goldfish didn’t work out, I heard.”

  Lara drew her eyebrows together. “She really does have her troubles, doesn’t she?”

  “She does,” Kellie confirmed. “Back in the day, she did a lot of community theater. Just local stuff, but she really enjoyed it. She was kind of a wannabe actress, ya know? But after the accident, all that ended.” With a fierce scowl, she snipped another lock of hair.

  Lara’s head was beginning to feel lighter. Her brain, on the other hand, was on overload. Kellie Byrd was a fount of information.

  “Hey, enough of the sad talk,” Kellie said. She smiled into the mirror at Lara. “By the time I get through with you, girl, you’re gonna be gawwgeous.”

  The door opened on a sudden whoosh of chilly, floral-scented air. It took Lara only a few seconds to place the source.

  “Josette!” Kellie squealed. “I’ve been thinking about you, girlfriend. You doing okay?”

  Josette Barnes stepped inside the salon and quickly closed the door. She went over and gave the stylist a quick air kiss.

  “I’m doing just fab,” Josette said in a silky voice. “Better than ever. How about you?”

  Kellie shrugged and grinned. “My motor’s still ticking. I guess that counts for something.”

  Lara couldn’t resist turning slightly in her chair to stare at Josette.

  The woman’s dark hair had been swept into a messy topknot and secured with a lime-green scarf. She peeled off her black, knee-length coat to reveal a stunning plum-colored sweater over dove-gray jersey leggings.

  Where are my manners?

  “Hi, Josette.” Lara gave her a tiny wave.

  Josette’s carefully made-up eyes popped open wide. “Oh. Lily, is it? I didn’t recognize you. Hello, there.”

  “It’s Lara,” she said, smiling. “Kellie’s giving me a trim, as you can probably tell.” Lara glanced at the mounds of hair on the floor and sucked in a breath. A major trim, she thought nervously.

  All at once, a look of panic came over Kellie. “Oh, Lordy— Jo, did you have an appointment this morning? I must have forgotten to write it down.”

  “No, no. Not to worry,” Josette said, holding up her hands. “I didn’t have an appointment. But I was hoping you might have time to touch up my roots and do a highlighting.” Her face brightened. “I’m kind of, well…oh, Kel, I’ve met the most wonderful man! I’ve been dying to tell you all about him.”

  A new man?

  How convenient that Josette’s ex was so thoroughly out of the picture. Lara couldn’t help wondering how soon that lump-sum alimony payment would be landing in the woman’s stylish lap.

  I’m being catty, she thought, chiding herself. Hadn’t Aunt Fran told her that Josette was a kind soul?

  Josette launched into her story of the man she’d met through a dating Web site. According to her, they’d communicated and exchanged pics for a few months, after which he invited her to meet him in his sprawling Connecticut home.

  “I drove down early Wednesday,” Josette said coyly. “Things went so well that I ended up spending the night there. Lucky thing I was prepared,” she added. “If you know what I mean. The thing is, we really connected. Neither of us could believe how much we have in common!”

  Kellie made the appropriate squeals of joy, and the two did a little dance.

  Josette went over to the adjacent salon chair, draped her coat over the back, and plunked herself down. She crossed one leg over the other and twirled toward Lara and Kellie.

  “Anyway,” Josette went on, “I was floating on air when I left Connecticut Thursday morning. My beau had to fly to Washington on business, but I swear, I sailed up the Everett Turnpike in New Hampshire like I had wings on my car!”

  A magical car indeed, Lara thought wryly.

  Josette’s story had a bit of whimsy, too, she couldn’t help thinking. Was it pure coincidence that Theo had been murdered on the same night his ex-wife had driven out of state?

  Surely the police had already questioned Josette. And wouldn’t they also have checked with her new beau—whoever he was—to confirm her alibi for that night?

  “Josette,” Lara said gently, “you must have been so horrified when you got back that morning and heard about Theo.”

  Kellie’s face froze. Josette’s cheeks flushed into two ripe berries.

  “Why…yes. Yes, I was. But as I’ve said to everyone, there was no love lost between me and Theo. I’m sorry someone saw fit to give him what he deserved, but it had nothing to do with me.”

  “Of course it didn’t,” Lara said. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it like that. That’s not what I meant at all.”

  Kellie breathed out a noisy sigh. “Hey, look, at this point I say we let the cops worry about finding Theo’s killer. It’s not our problem, right? We all got enough of our own troubles.”

  “I agree,” Josette said. She smiled at Lara. “Actually, um, Lara, I’ve been meaning to stop by and see your aunt one of these days. There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to her about.”

  Hmm, that was a surprise. Especially since some of the locals had been calling Aunt Fran a crazy cat lady. Was this a ploy by Josette to change the subject?

  “I’m sure she’d love to see you,” Lara said. “Why don’t you give her a call one of these days?”

  “Thanks, Lara, I will.” Josette said. She leaned forward slightly, and in that moment Lara thought the woman’s eyes looked puffy, as if she’d been crying. “How long will you be staying there?”

  “I’m not sure,” Lara said truthfully. “At least for another few days.”

  Something flickered in Josette’s eyes. Fear? Worry?

  She’s hiding something, Lara thought. I just know it.

  Something else occurred to Lara. Josette had chattered endlessly about meeting her deliciously sexy new beau.

  And never once told them his name.

  Chapter 14

  Sherry spewed a mouthful of coffee into her mug and began coughing violently. She snatched a handful of napkins from beneath the counter and smooshed them against her lips. “Sorry about that, Mr. Patello—didn’t mean to spit on you.”

  The senior gent sitting at the counter—the same one who’d saved a seat for his friend Herbie the day before—gave the coffee shop owner an unsmiling nod. He shifted his mug a safe distance away from Sherry.

  Sherry turned back to gape at Lara. “Oh, my God, Lara, are you k
idding me?” she bleated. “Is that really you?” Sherry’s eyes were the size of basketballs. “I am like, seriously blown away. You are a total babe, you know that?”

  “Stop making such a fuss,” Lara hissed at her. “It’s only a haircut.”

  Lara bit off a grin. Inwardly she was beaming. Kellie’s handiwork had been nothing short of miraculous. The jumble of overgrown curls Lara had brought with her to the salon were now shorter and softer, flouncing around her face in a swirl of gentle rings. Lara wasn’t sure if she could keep it looking that way, but at least she could enjoy it for now.

  She took a stool next to the elderly man. His homburg was parked on the opposite side, atop “Herbie’s” stool. She smiled at him and then looked around the coffee shop. Her bestie had made such a production of her new “do” that she felt sure everyone must be staring at her.

  Sherry, who’d obviously read her mind, laughed. “Don’t worry. It’s not even busy right now. Although,” she said, sotto voce, “there is a delectable hunk of manliness over at the corner table whose tongue’s been dragging on the floor since you walked in.”

  “Yeah, right,” Lara said, refusing to be baited.

  “I’m serious.” Sherry swiveled her eyes toward the rear of the dining area. She poured a mug of coffee and set it down in front of Lara. “I’m surprised you didn’t recognize him.”

  Shifting slightly on her stool, Lara sneaked a glance at the tables in the back. She caught a glimpse of straight dark hair and sharp cheekbones, peering over the rim of an open laptop. He smiled when she spotted him, but then quickly looked away.

  A tiny flame ignited in the pit of Lara’s stomach. Something about the face was familiar.

  Never mind. She didn’t need any distractions right now. She returned her attention to her coffee, grabbing a packet of half-and-half from a bowl on the counter and emptying it into her steaming mug.