by Nancy CoCo
“There is some truth in that,” Rex said, and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I figured so. I took pictures and samples.”
“Samples?”
“Yes,” I said. “I took pieces of the bloody carpet, rope, etc.”
He grinned at me.
“What?”
“You can’t use it because it wasn’t officially collected.”
“Oh.” I felt a little deflated. “Well, I can still get estimates from my insurance.”
“Yes,” he said. “You can. Any idea how they got it up in the window?”
“They had to have used a large ladder,” I said. “Come look at it from outside.” He followed me out of the room and down the stairs, out the back door. Rex was an ex-marine. He put his hat on the moment he stepped outside.
“Did you find any evidence of a ladder? Where they set it up? How they got it here?”
“I didn’t,” I said, and drew my eyebrows together. “They should have left some mark from the ladder, right?”
He went over the ground under the window. There was a tiny patch of grass, but mostly gravel alley. “Yes, with any weight on a ladder, it should leave footmarks.”
“You mean the ends of the ladder that sort of swivel and have the flat end?”
His smile widened. “Yes.”
“I can see how we should have that.” I glanced around. “Do you think they might have wiped their prints?”
“It must have been what they did,” he said. “I’m not that sure kids would think of that with a prank. Most kids who do something like this are in too big of a hurry to worry about wiping away evidence.”
“Do you think it has anything to do with the killer?”
He focused his gorgeous blue eyes on me. It made my heart rate pick up. It wasn’t fair that he had eyes that pretty and an action hero physique. “You think this is related to the murder? Why? Did you find a note?”
“No, I didn’t find a note. That’s weird, right? I mean, even if it were kids they would have left a note. Wouldn’t they?”
He shrugged. “Not necessarily. Do your cameras cover this area of the building?”
“No,” I said with a sigh. “No one had harassed my guests before. I thought having one focused on my back door was good enough.”
“And now?”
“I need to call the company. I’m going to get one up on all four corners.”
“You have people on either side of you,” he said.
“Wait, do you think they used the roof of the photography shop?” I glanced at my neighbor. “They could have come from there and crossed over to my roof and lowered the chicken down.” I frowned. “It would explain the lack of ladder prints, but it doesn’t make sense. Why choose a second-floor room and not a third-floor room? Wouldn’t the third floor be easier from the roof ?”
“I don’t like the idea of anyone on your roof,” he said, and squinted as he looked up. “It is too difficult to hang the chicken from the roof. If they went from the roof they should have targeted your apartment or the third floor at best.”
“I still can’t figure out why they targeted that room,” I said. “You don’t think it was Mr. and Mrs. Dennis who did it, do you?”
“I heard she was screaming.”
“She brought everyone out of their rooms. And demanded that they change hotels. It was quite the scene.”
He squinted at me. “What perks did you give them?”
“I moved them to the third floor in a suite room.”
“Was it a big price upgrade?”
I frowned. “A hundred dollars, plus I brought in a hot breakfast for everyone in the hotel. But I don’t think they were swindling me. Mr. Dennis said he would be fine with the room. It was Mrs. Dennis who was hysterical. I don’t think you can fake that.”
“Something doesn’t add up, but I don’t think it has anything to do with the murder,” he said. “No need to worry.”
“Okay,” I said as we walked back into the McMurphy.
“Hey, Allie, why aren’t you getting ready?” Jenn said as she saw me walking in. “You only have a couple hours.”
“What are you getting ready for?” Rex asked.
“She has a dinner date with Dirk Benjamin,” Jenn said.
I swallowed hard and gave Rex the side eye. “He wants to talk to me is all,” I said, trying to make it seem like less of a deal.
“But you need to look fabulous,” Jenn said.
I winced. “He said I might want to look good in case we’re photographed.”
“I’m dressing her to the nines,” Jenn said. “I’ve got a pair of six-inch stilettoes calling her name.”
“Now that is something I’d like to see,” Rex said. He had taken his hat off when he entered the building and his close-shaved head looked hypermasculine. Next to Rex, Dirk seemed almost too pretty. I studied him carefully.
“You realize that I am only having dinner with him because he wants to be friends, right?”
“Whatever,” he said. “It’s your choice.”
Ugh. I wanted to pull my hair out. I hadn’t thought about what Rex would think if I went to dinner with Dirk. Truthfully, all I had thought about was that Dirk Benjamin had asked me to dinner. Me. I never thought what it would mean to my messy love life.
Chapter 11
“You look amazing,” Jenn said, and clapped her hands.
I studied the mirror and pulled at the hem of the hot pink dress Jenn had loaned me. We might be the same size but clothes looked very different on me than they did on Jenn. As I pulled down on the hem, the bodice dragged down exposing way too much cleavage. I pulled up the cleavage and the hem shortened. “This is never going to work.”
“Are you kidding me?” Jenn put her hands on her hips. “It’s perfect. You have legs for miles even if you did turn down my five-inch heels.”
“Three inches are tough enough,” I said as I practiced teetering on the pointed heels of the pumps. “I’m used to solid flat shoes.”
“All you need now is a little bling as frosting.” She hung a statement necklace in twisted silver and pearls around my neck. Placed a set of silver bangles on my wrist and handed me dangling pearl earrings.
“I don’t know,” I said as I put the earrings into my pierced-ear holes. I shook my head and felt the weight of the pearls tugging on my earlobes. “It seems a bit much.”
“Only because you never wear jewelry,” she said, and pulled a long length of hair away from my dangling earring. “Remember, you are going to be photographed. You want everyone to ask who that gorgeous woman with Dirk is.”
I made a face. “I don’t feel like myself.”
“You still look like you, only . . . sexier,” Jenn said. “You would look even better if you had taken my advice and put on the false eyelashes.”
“I think a cat eye is sufficient. The outfit is a bit showy so the makeup should be understated.”
Jenn sighed and crossed her arms. She studied me with a tilted head. “I suppose you’ll do.”
“Maybe I should just call Dirk and tell him I can’t,” I suggested as I yanked on the hem of my dress.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Jenn said. “When Dirk Benjamin asks a girl to dinner, that girl goes and is giddy about the opportunity.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m going to call him.” I’d taken three steps toward my phone when there was a knock at the door.
“It’s him,” Jenn said with more enthusiasm than I had.
“Drat,” I muttered as I teetered behind her.
Jenn opened the door. “Oh, it’s you,” she said.
I looked around her to see Trent on the other side of the door. “Is Allie here?” he asked, and looked around Jenn to spot me in the hot pink dress. “Allie? You look . . .”
“Amazing,” Jenn said, and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Of course, amazing,” Trent said, and shot Jenn a look. “I was going to say you look like you are going out. Am I interrupting?”
<
br /> “Oh, no,” I said, and scooped up my phone. “I was just canceling my plans for tonight.”
“No, you’re not,” Jenn said, and grabbed my phone out of my hand and leapt away. I gave her the stink eye. She knew there was no way I could chase her in these shoes.
“Where are you going?” Trent asked.
“Nowhere,” I said, and reached for my phone. “I thought you had business in Chicago.”
“I came to see you,” Trent said.
“Paige told me that your father is retiring,” I said as I grabbed for my phone yet again. Jenn easily waved it out of my reach.
“Yes,” Trent said. He gave me a look that had me blushing. “That is a killer dress.”
I straightened and adjusted the hem. “It’s Jenn’s dress.”
“But it’s all you inside,” he said, and took a step toward me.
“Hey, kids, what’s up?” Dirk stepped into the apartment through the open door. He was wearing expensive dark jeans that hugged his every curve. His wide shoulders were encased in a cotton button-up shirt. He rolled his sleeves three-quarters of the way to show off his well-muscled forearms. He took a look at me and his grin widened. “You look amazing.”
“Thanks,” I said. I tried to find something to do with my hands so I would stop nervously tugging at everything.
“Hi, Dirk Benjamin,” Dirk said when he spotted Trent. He held out his hand.
Trent, as cool as ever, shook his hand.
“Trent Jessop,” he said. “I take it you’re here to pick up our Allie.”
I cringed a little at the tone of Trent’s voice. I half expected him to put his arm around me when he said, “Our Allie.” I took a slight step sideways to prevent it. I wasn’t anyone’s anything.
“Dirk has asked me to dinner,” I said, and picked up my purse. “We’re going to talk about my experiences with murder and how he’s going to portray the head of police in the pilot they are shooting.”
Trent raised his eyebrow. “You’re in the pilot?”
“I’m the star, dude,” Dirk said, and did a little dance that ended in a fake punch to Trent’s shoulder. The move made him look silly and I could feel how uncomfortable the entire room got. “Yeah, well, Allie, are you ready to go?”
“Yes,” I said, and walked toward the door. Dirk put his hand on my elbow and walked out with me.
When we got down the stairs, he guided me to the front door.
“Have fun,” Jenn said from the top of the stairs. I looked over my shoulder to see Trent leaning against the wall watching us with a predatory look. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she teased. “Oh wait, that covers pretty much everything. Have fun.”
“We plan on it,” Dirk said, and opened the front door for me. The bells on the door jangled at the movement. I stepped out into the cool air of the night. It was still early and that meant there were plenty of people around. “So, that guy, Trent, is he your boyfriend?”
“Was,” I said as he steered me to a horse and carriage. “Where are we going?”
“I made reservations at the Grand Hotel.”
“Wow, nice,” I said as he helped me up into the carriage. I wished desperately to have not borrowed the dress from Jenn. Unfortunately, my wardrobe consisted mostly of white polos and black pants.
“After you,” he said.
The carriage shifted as he got up and sat beside me. I couldn’t help but notice the people who stopped and stared. They took pictures. I tried not to look too awkward, but I felt awkward.
He took my hand and kissed the back. “Relax,” he said. “It’s not so bad.”
The carriage driver took off down Main Street. It was hard to ignore the flutter of the crowds and the phones raised as people took pictures. “I’m not good at this,” I said, and caught myself giving a nervous laugh.
“It’s okay,” he said, and winked. “I was horrible at first. You’ll get used to it.”
“Will I?” I asked. “That implies that I’ll be seen with you in public more often.”
He shrugged his wide shoulders and leaned back. “I told you, I want to be friends. You’re friends with Rex, right?”
“Yes,” I said.
“I’m playing him in the show. I want to know more about the dynamic between you and him.”
“There’s no dynamic,” I said, and drew my eyebrows together. The carriage finally turned off Main Street up to the Grand Hotel. “We’re friends.”
“You count on him a lot, right?” he said. “I mean, for your investigations.”
“I call him if there’s trouble,” I said. “So, yes, I suppose I do count on him.”
“Cool,” he said, and grinned at me with that movie star grin. “See, I want to be that kind of friend.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slow. “It’s hard to be friends in a fishbowl,” I said, and waved toward the crowds who talked, pointed, and took pictures.
“That’s why I have dinner reservations at the Grand,” he said. “Those guys are great at making sure I have privacy.”
“You’ve been staying at the Grand?”
“Sure,” he said with a nonchalant shrug. “It’s where the entire film crew will be staying.”
“I’m sorry,”I said. “I’m not up on island gossip. I know you’re shadowing Rex. Did I hear right? They picked the female lead?”
“Sure,” he said. “Bella Hand. She came in this morning for filming.”
I winced. “Is that her real name?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I hear she’s a looker. That’s important to viewers. More important than her real name.”
“Why aren’t you taking her to dinner?”
“Who, Bella? We’ll have time for that later. Right now, I’m still doing research.”
“We’re going to dinner at the Grand so that you can grill me for your research?”
“Sure, well, I mean, I hope we can be friends, too.”
I felt myself relax. “Won’t we make a scene at the restaurant?”
“See, that’s where I’ve got this all figured out. My man Humphries has me hooked up.”
“Humphries?”
“The manager,” Dirk said. “I told him I wanted some privacy and he set us up with this cool place.”
“The side porch?” I asked. I had heard that you could rent the smaller side porch for private gatherings.
“Even better,” he said as we arrived in front of the Grand.
“Mr. Benjamin,” a bellhop said as he opened the carriage door. “Welcome back.”
Dirk hopped out of the carriage and it rocked on its springs. Putting out his hand, he helped me down the step and onto the ground. I yanked at the hem of my skirt. Dirk took my hand and put it in the crook of his arm. “Humphries has a place set aside for dinner,” he told the bellhop.
“Right, sir,” the bellhop said. “Follow me.” He dashed ahead of us, rounding the corner of the building. “Mr. Humphries, Mr. Benjamin and his date are here.”
“Thank you, Adam” Mr. Humphries said. He was a short man stuffed into a tuxedo. His hair was blond and combed over. There was gray at the sides. “Mr. Benjamin, Miss . . .”
“McMurphy,” I said as Mr. Humphries shook Dirk’s hand.
“Yes,” he said, and looked down his nose at me. If that was possible since I was four inches taller than he was. Mr. Humphries was so short he made Dirk look like a hulking giant. “Please come this way. I’ve set you up in a private dining space.”
Dirk held my hand in the crook of his arm and walked me across the lawn. The ridiculous heels I wore kept getting stuck in the grass. They sunk in about two inches with each step. Finally, I started walking on tiptoes to keep the shoes on my feet.
“I wanted to have them set us up in the gazebo that was featured in that old movie Somewhere in Time, Dirk said. “Gotta respect that Chris Reeve, you know?”
“I guess that’s true,” I said. “But it’s not at the Grand.”
“Yeah, I learned that. For s
ome reason they moved it.”
“The film company willed it to the state of Michigan, so they moved it to the governor’s mansion. That way it’s available for all.”
“Well, I wanted to take you to dinner in the gazebo,” he said, and patted my hand. “But Humphries couldn’t snag it at the last minute. Some sort of wedding or something.”
We approached a white tent that was strung with white fairy lights. Humphries lifted the opening. “After you, ma’am,” he said, and I stepped into the stunning tent. In the center was a table set for three with fine china and various goblets from water to wine for each course.
“This is great, thanks, my man,” Dirk said, and clapped Humphries on the back.
“Yes, sir,” he said, and didn’t react to the manhandling. “Your servers this evening are Sasha and Rick.” He pulled out my chair for me and I sat. The ground was soft green grass and my heels sunk into the ground as he adjusted my seat for me. He opened my napkin for me and placed it in my lap. He did the same for Dirk. Then with a wave of his hand, he stepped back. Two young waiters stepped up and filled our glasses with water.
“I preordered everything,” Dirk said. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“I—”
“Humphries assured me it would dazzle my companion,” Dirk said. “We’ll start with the white wine and the first course.”
“Very good, sir,” Humphries said.
“Sounds like I’m in good hands,” I said, and tried not to be disappointed that I didn’t get to order for myself. “Who is the third chair for?”
“Ah, you noticed that, did you?”
“Yes,” I said as the waiter with blond hair poured a lovely white wine.
“Jeffery Jenas will be joining us,” Dirk said.
“Jeffery Jenas?” I knew I looked as perplexed as I felt. So far the whole night was odd.
“The show’s writer,” Dirk said. At that the tent curtain opened and Humphries showed another man in. “Ah, Jeffery, please come in. I’ve ordered your favorite wine.”
Jeffery Jenas was tall and thin. He wore a loose short-sleeved shirt that was open at the collar and a pair of worn jeans. His blond hair hung in his eyes. “Great, thanks,” he said, and took the empty chair. “Jeffery Jenas,” he said, and held his hand out to me.
