“Guess I’ll just wander around and get some shots,” Devon said, holding up his camera with a playful smirk.
“Have fun.” I grinned, squeezing his hand. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
Rita spotted me and made a beeline. She was wearing a red sequined cocktail dress and Santa hat. “Elle!” She stood in front of me breathless and then glanced behind me, disappointment surfacing.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“Well.” She dropped her gaze sheepishly, then gave me a shrug. “I was hoping you’d convince Talia Hill to come today. I heard you were giving her private doga lessons and thought you’d mention the party.”
I should’ve known. Gossip was a sport on this island. “Sorry, she’s kind of busy ... you know, and not in the mood for parties considering the situation with her dog missing and all.”
“Right.” She waved off her disappointment. “Of course. Well, anyway, I’ve had some coupons printed up for our services, offering the first one of each free. If you want to grab some at the counter and just mingle, hand them out, explain what your doga classes are, that sort of thing.”
“Coupons?” I smirked. “Does that work with this crowd?”
She smiled. “You’d be surprised how well. Everyone likes a bargain.” She began to walk away and then turned back. “And don’t forget to grab a Santa hat!”
I went to the desk and grabbed a handful of coupons and our required Santa hat, shaking my head. These people paid cash for six-figure cars, and they were going to be happy about a free acupuncture session for their dog? I shrugged and went to mingle.
As I adjusted the scratchy hat on my head I glanced around. The first person I spotted, and recognized, was Eva Gold. She was wearing a black pantsuit accented with a thick gold necklace. Her short, dark hair was slicked back. She was deep in conversation with Gwen, who I recognized from my doga class. Gwen had her little wire-haired terrier, Gilly, cradled in her arms.
Perfect. If I could get Eva into my doga class, I’m sure I could get to know more about her. If not me, than maybe Beth Anne could. She was great at getting people to spill their secrets.
“Hi, ladies,” I said, plastering on my biggest smile. “Sorry to interrupt your conversation. Hi, Gwen.” I reached over and gave Gilly a scratch under the ear. Her tongue caught my wrist and I chuckled. “Missed you and Gilly in class this week.”
“Yeah.” Gwen rolled her eyes. “My in-laws are staying with us for a few weeks. They’re stressing me out. I’m really going to need your class when they leave. Speaking of, I was just telling Eva she should come with Peaches.”
I turned my attention to Eva. “What a great idea. We’d love to have you both. In fact, here’s a coupon for your first class free. No risk.” I handed it to her, noting she took it with her left hand. Also, standing next to her, I realized what a tall woman she was. I’d only seen her sitting.
She glanced down at Peaches skeptically. The pug was sprawled out on the floor like a fat little rug. “Doggie yoga, huh? Might do him some good.”
“I also do private lessons in your home, if you prefer that,” I said, hoping that wouldn’t make her suspicious. Maybe if I could get inside her mansion I could find a way to snoop around for any signs of Ginger.
Her expression seemed to shut down. Or was that my imagination? She didn’t have the friendliest face to begin with.
“Did you have any luck with talking to Sunny Spillman’s boy toy yesterday?” Eva asked, a bit of venom seeping through.
What was that? Anger? Jealously? “No,” I answered. “I mean, we did speak with him, but he didn’t see anyone put the note in Talia’s mailbox.”
She nodded with a sly half-smile, her dark eyes suddenly glittering. “And I don’t suppose he’d confess to doing it himself.”
“Talia Hill?” Gwen put a hand on her chest, her cherry red polish matched her silk top perfectly. “Isn’t that awful what happened. I can’t believe someone murdered her dog nanny and stole her dog. For ransom, no less. You’d think Moon Key would be safe enough that things like that wouldn’t happen here.”
I stared at Eva. “Yes. You’d think.”
Her comeback was interrupted by the DJ. “All right, ladies and gentlemen. It’s time for the first raffle of the day so get out your tickets. This is for a chance to win a genuine Michelle Marley designer, diamond-studded collar for your canine friend.” He read off the number.
I watched in fascination as women dripping in diamonds and other jewels dug in their designer purses for raffle tickets. Humans were weird. I excused myself and went to look for Devon.
I found him having a beer with a man dressed in a Santa suit, who apparently was on break. I stole him away from his new friend. “How’s it going? Have you seen Sunny or any of the other board members here?”
“Look at you. Nice hat, Santa.” He kissed me and then stepped back and lifted his camera. “Smile.”
I rolled my eyes. He knew I hated having my picture taken. And I knew he wouldn’t give up, so I gave him my best cheesy smile. He snapped the photo and grinned at me, though I was looking at him through tiny white spots from the flash.
I blinked my eyes. “So, have you? Seen any of the other board members?”
He shook his head, adjusting his camera on his shoulder. “Just Eva Gold.”
I shifted on my feet and glanced over my shoulder. “Yeah, I already talked to her. Offered to come to her house to give her and Peaches a doga lesson. She didn’t seem too excited about the idea.”
“Elle.” Devon gave me his serious expression. “You’re not to be putting yourself in situations where you’re alone with a possible killer.”
I frowned. “You really think she’s capable of murder?”
“I don’t know the woman enough to say one way or another. Though, I’m inclined to say yes considering the stories we’ve heard about her tendencies toward violence. But that’s not the point. The point is we don’t know. So, you going to her house alone is a bad idea.”
“Fine.” I pouted.
He planted a kiss on my pouty lips. “Have to go earn my keep.”
“You know you’re working for free,” I called after him.
I spent the next hour giving out the coupons, mingling and talking. It was exhausting, and I was starting to get really nervous about the ransom drop-off tonight. Just as I was wondering if we could sneak out early, I recognized Jata, the tall board member with shoulder-length dark hair and an accent that sounded Middle-Eastern.
I watched as she greeted Eva and then walked over to the line at the bar. I crossed the room to stand behind her. Her perfume was strong and spicy, like cloves.
“Are you enjoying the party,” I asked as an icebreaker, even though I knew she’d just arrived. Zero points for imagination, I know.
Her smile, which appeared as she glanced at my Santa hat, was painted tangerine orange beneath dark, kohl-lined eyes. “Not yet. I’ve just arrived. It looks lovely, though.”
I held out my hand. “I’m Elle. I recognize you from the HOA board meeting. I teach doggie-yoga here. Do you have a dog?”
She laughed good-naturedly. “I do, two actually. They’re Scottish Terriers.”
I nodded. “Terriers are very popular dogs. Did you hear about Talia Hill’s West Highland terrier being stolen?” Not a very smooth transition, but it was all I had.
Her hand went to her neck. I noticed her nails were painted the same bright orange. “I did. She must be going out of her mind with worry. I saw on the news her dog nanny was killed, also. Just horrible.”
“Yes.” I glanced around and moved closer, dropping my voice. “One of the theories the police are batting around is that someone was actually there that night to destroy Talia’s glass dog statue, and Diggs just happened to catch them. You know, in the wrong place at the wrong time.” I watched her face for any signs she knew anything about it.
Her eyes widened. Her hand spasmed around her diamond necklace. “Someone went there to va
ndalize the dog statue?”
“Yes. Have any ideas who would do that?” I kept my gaze locked with hers.
She glanced sharply across the room. “Well, it wasn’t authorized and Eva was pretty upset about it. Her brother’s business decorates for the island, you know.” I nodded. “But, no, I can’t see her sneaking out in the middle of the night to destroy it.” Despite her denial, the corners of her eyes were still creased with suspicion or worry.
We moved up as the line shortened. “Is there anyone else on the board you could see doing that?”
She tapped her lip with one nail. “No, no one.”
“What about Nell?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Definitely not Nell. She could’ve cared less about that statue.” Then she thought for a moment. “Talia’s dog, on the other hand, she didn’t care for.”
We were almost at the front of the line now. “Do you think that if someone else smashed the statue, and Talia’s dog ran away from the commotion, Nell could possibly have used that opportunity to take the dog?”
She smiled dismissively. “Well, I don’t see what she would gain from doing that. Besides maybe upsetting Talia. But, that seems a stretch.”
I nodded in agreement. But, in my head I was thinking what she had to gain was a million dollars. Still, there was no sign of Ginger at Nell’s house. We should probably be concentrating on learning more about Eva.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
That evening, we were back in Talia’s car, heading toward the Clearwater church on Main Street with the million dollar duffle bag. Buddha was sprawled out on the back seat, unimpressed with me waking him up so late for an outing. I felt better when he was with me though, so he’d just have to suck it up.
Talia had put on a short brown wig. It made her look almost human, instead of like a silver screen goddess, as long as you didn’t get a good look at her face.
“How are you holding up?” I asked her.
“I just feel numb,” she answered, after a deep breath.
The GPS app interrupted any reply, probably for the better. There was really nothing I could say. “In a quarter mile, turn left on Duncan Street.”
My phone buzzed. “It’s Devon,” I said. “He’s just letting us know he’s in place and has a clear signal from the duffel bag.”
“In fifty feet turn left on Main Street. Your destination will be on the right.”
“Here we go,” Talia whispered, pulling into the church parking lot. She circled the large, stone building until she came to the back and parked. “Be right back.”
I nodded anxiously, scanning the area for any signs of movement. There was only one street light in front of the church, so this back area was dark. “Hurry.” I watched as she kneeled by the door and then ran quickly back to the car.
She was breathing hard when she slid back into the driver’s seat and pulled the door shut. “Here it is.”
Using my phone light, we read the instructions typed on the plain white sheet of paper.
“I’ll text this to Devon.” I took a photo and sent it to Devon.
We were off again, this time toward Tripp’s, a small diner on the other side of town. This went on for an hour, ping-ponging from one side of Clearwater to the other until tears of frustration ran down Talia’s face. “What kind of game is he playing?”
“Stay strong,” I said. “He just wants to make sure we’re not being followed. There can’t be many more places. He does want the money after all.”
Finally, at the marina the instructions were for her to place the bag at the end of the dock and leave the area immediately.
“Oh no,” I whispered, my heart sinking. “He’s still using a boat for the pick-up.”
Talia’s hands cupped her mouth. She stared out at the hundreds of boats docked there in the dark. Her hands fell into her lap and she moaned. Her expression was a mixture of frustration and anger. “He could be waiting in any one of those boats. Which means Devon won’t be able to follow him in a car.”
Panicked, I called Devon’s phone. When he picked up I blurted out. “We have to leave the money on the end of the dock. He’s still using a boat. What should we do?”
There was silence and then cursing. “Leave the money. It’s still Ginger’s best chance. If he sticks close to the shoreline, maybe the tracker will stay in range.”
“Okay.” I hung up and glanced over at Talia. “We stick with the plan.”
Talia shut off the car.
Once again, each of us grabbed a side of the heavy bag and lugged it out of the trunk. I let Buddha snooze in the back seat this time. As we hobbled along, I scanned the dark skies but saw no signs of a helicopter as we dropped the bag on the end of the dock and made our way back to the car.
“Do you think he’s watching us?” I whispered. The hairs on my neck were standing up, and I had the urge to run.
“Most likely.” Talia’s voice sounded flat, defeated. But then she stopped, her head jerking up. She turned toward the dock and screamed. “Now give me back my dog!”
Fighting back tears of my own, I wrapped a protective arm around her and led her quickly back to the car.
By the time we’d arrived back at Talia’s house, we’d received news from Devon. It was not good news. The signal from the tracker had stopped in the Gulf and then disappeared. The dognapper must’ve found it or just switched bags and thrown ours overboard.
Now all we could do was hope he’d keep his promise and return Ginger.
***
Monday morning Devon was waiting for me in the kitchen after I’d checked on Mom. His laptop bag was slung over his shoulder and he had a far-off look in his eyes.
“What’s up?” I said, coming to stand in front of him.
Rubbing my arms gently, he kissed me. “I’m going to be out today. I’ve got something to take care of that’s a few hours drive. I’ll be home really late so don’t wait up, but text me if there’s any news from Talia.”
“Oh.” I wrapped my arms tighter around his waist. I wasn’t looking forward to an evening without him, especially with all the anxiety surrounding the situation with Talia. “This isn’t anything dangerous you’re doing, is it?” I still worried about him investigating his parents’ case. There were some shady characters involved.
“It’s not, don’t worry. Just some other investigative work.” He pulled me into him. I let my head rest on his chest, breathing in his scent. Then we said goodbye in the driveway and went our separate ways. It was going to be a long day.
***
I sat cross-legged on the wood floor at the front of the doga room with Buddha sprawled out in front of me. “Good morning, everyone.” I waited for the ladies to quiet their conversations and get settled on their mats before continuing. “I’m sure you’ve noticed your dogs picking up on the more hectic holiday energy lately.”
In the back, a yellow Lab barked and pounced on her owner. A light chuckle rolled through the class.
“Thank you for proving my point, Godiva,” I said, addressing the dog with a grin. “I think today we’ll turn down the lights and do a more restorative session. If you haven’t done so, please go get three blankets each from the storage closet.”
While they did that, I picked my way through the mats to retrieve my jacket. Rita must’ve turned the air conditioning on in anticipation of the higher temps today. It was supposed to be in the low eighties but, unfortunately, this morning it was still chilly. As I repositioned myself on my mat, I zipped up my jacket and shoved my hands in the pockets. That’s when my fingers brushed something. I pulled it out and stared at the business card Alex had given me when he’d asked me to go to the HOA Christmas party with him.
What day did he say that was? I thought back and then a jolt of surprise shot through me. Tonight. The party was tonight. And Devon would be gone. Was this a sign from the universe that I should go? It was the perfect opportunity to get more information on the HOA board members, and also the perfect opportunity to talk Alex into
telling the truth about what he’d heard the night Devon’s parents had been killed.
Alex’d overheard one of the suspects, Clyde Lynch, bragging at the bar about the money he was about to come into, less than an hour before he smashed into Devon’s parents’ boat, killing them both. He’d specifically heard Clyde Lynch say, ‘time to earn my money’ as he’d left. Unfortunately, someone got to Alex—beat him up pretty badly, left him with a broken jaw—so he’d recanted his testimony, which helped Clyde Lynch get away with murder. I hoped I could change that.
I still had some misgivings about going behind Devon’s back. I knew he’d be furious if he found out what I was trying to do. He hated Alex with a passion and had already warned me to stay away from him. But, if I could help Devon bring his parents’ killer to justice by doing this, it was worth it. Besides, I wanted to give him something special for Christmas, to let him know how much he means to me. And what would be more special than a way to help convict his parents’ murderer? It was decided. I was going.
With a renewed sense of purpose, I began to instruct the class on how to roll up the blankets to create resting poses.
After my second class I pulled my bike out of the storage closet as an experiment. “Come on, Buddha, time for a run.”
Sure enough, Buddha pushed himself up slowly and made his way over to me, favoring his back leg. I couldn’t believe it. “Buddha!” I started laughing at him, even as I tried to admonish him. “You’ve been faking it this whole time!”
He plopped down on his haunches and looked up at me with his wide mouth open, tongue hanging out. Then he squinted his eyes and looked away. Yeah, he knew he’d been busted. “All right, you win.” I rubbed the top of his head and then put my bike away. “A walk in the gardens it is.”
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