Thursday Club Mysteries: All 7 stories

by Sheila Hudson

  “Okay. Dish about you and Loren.”

  “There’s nothing else to say. I told you everything,” Hattie said with a smirk.

  “Why didn’t he come to your birthday party?” I asked.

  “He knew we’d be coming here. I email him almost every night.”

  “Aha! A secret lover! Now I have you Miss Hattie Sewell,” I joked.

  “You have nothing except what I tell you, Missy. And right now you have to get into this car and dress for what might be the dinner of your life,” Hattie commanded.

  “Well. That would be something to write home about, wouldn’t it?”

  Clara and Amy were in a tizzy as to what to wear. Suzie quieted their fears as best she could. Hattie went into her bedroom and closed the door.

  “What’s with her?” Suzy asked.

  “Met up with one of her gentleman friends today. Hattie has a lot of secrets tucked under her multitude of hats. Dinner should be interesting,” I observed.

  I opened my closet and asked myself what to wear for the dinner of my life?

  The car came promptly at 7:45. Hattie looked twenty years younger as she exited her room wearing an emerald green caftan and matching turban. Her jewelry looked like something out of Cartier’s and it indeed probably was. Clara chose a blue number with pearls. Amy chose a cocoa pantsuit trimmed with gold buttons and hoop earrings. The bracelet that William gave her was no longer part of her everyday accessories.

  William’s quick departure was another mystery. Ever since they met on the cruise he seemed crazy about her. I suppose that is a puzzle for another time.

  Suzy wore red and looked spectacular with her blonde hair. She added a ruby hair clip and clearly understood when less is more.

  As for me I settled on an ivory spaghetti strap sundress with black stole and black pearls earrings. I was told long ago that redheads look best in basic colors so I’ve heeded that advice ever since.

  When we reached the Paris casino, we were escorted to the elevator which took us to the 11th floor. They guaranteed a magnificent view and they weren’t kidding. The Eiffel Tower Restaurant had floor to ceiling windows and is 100 feet above the bustling Las Vegas Strip. The view was breathtakingly beautiful and it almost took my appetite away. Almost.

  Our table was quite large and set for the five of us plus Loren, Neal, and Nelle. I was also surprised to see that Kitty, Loren’s assistant, was invited as well. The setting was perfect and a bucket of bubbly was chilling. The menu was to die for and hard to decide. Maybe Loren should order for us since he seems so at ease here. It was obvious that the waiters all knew him since they addressed him personally.

  Our conversation was noisy as they always are when you have a table full of gregarious people. Suddenly Loren blurted out,

  “Nellie. I didn’t recognize you. I have been so preoccupied I didn’t realize you were here. I had forgotten that you and Neal were related to Hattie. Please forgive me.”

  Nelle was obviously abashed at being singled out. She blotted her lips with her napkin.

  “Not to worry professor. I knew you weren’t slighting me. You have other things on your mind right now.”

  “Well yes that’s true. I have been busy with the police over the shark tank Cape incident. It was a long time ago that I oversaw that million gallon tank installation. I am afraid that I’m not much help. All I could report was that our team tested shark reflexes, sonar tracking system, and sensory adaptations. Do you remember doing that?”

  “How fascinating,” Kitty interrupted.

  Nelle pushed the appetizers around on her plate. “Why, yes. I remember, but that was when I was thinking of becoming a Navy seal. Crazy now that I recall.”

  “Nelle. You are a wonder. I had no idea,” Hattie said as she beamed with delight at her niece.

  “Yes, you were quite adventurous in those days,” Kitty agreed. “The team roster did have an ‘Annaliese Sewell’ listed, but I didn’t make the connection to you.” She smiled across the table to one thoroughly flummoxed Nelle.

  “Oooh look from here we can see the fountains of Bellagio, The Flamingo, The Venetian, and the one behind it,” Clara said.

  “That’s the Palazzo,” the waiter said as he uncorked a second bottle of champagne. His counterpart began serving the entrees. Upon Loren’s recommendation, I ordered the warm lobster salad but my mouth drooled over Amy’s Parmesan crusted chicken and the salmon that Suzy ordered. I made a note that if Tom and I ever got to Vegas, we were definitely coming here even if we blew our entire bankroll.

  The caviar was excellent and so was the platter of mini crepes and roasted tomato coulis. Chef J. Joho came out to speak to Loren personally after making us his signature dessert – chocolate royal crème Brule topped with cherries and coconut.

  OMG, I won’t be able to get into any of my clothes if we continue eating like this. Tomorrow’s menu: water, coffee, and yogurt.

  13

  After last night’s feast, we agreed to sleep in and order room service for brunch. I began digging into the files Kitty helped me unearth. Dr. Wentworth aka Loren was certainly an expert in his field before he retired. The police could surely learn from his expertise.

  I wondered if the original sharks were still in that tank where the diver was killed. Do sharks have memories? How long do they live? How do you isolate a shark to test him or do research? I’ll bet if I dig deep enough I can find out. Or maybe I’ll just ask Loren.

  Nelle was such a quiet little thing. Such a lovely name Annaliese – wonder why she preferred Nelle. People are strange in their preferences. Wonder if Neal is short for a longer name – probably Nelson or Nilsson or some such.

  I must have been muttering my musings out loud because Hattie came up behind me without my notice.

  “Alistair O’Neal.”

  “His name. It’s Alistair O’Neal,” Hattie repeated.

  “Oops. You caught me thinking out loud,” I said.

  Hattie signaled for me to retrieve her coffee mug. I did and filled it up as she explained.

  “The family wanted to include ancestral names. Anna is popular in the family as is Lisa. O’Neal is a maternal maiden name so they wanted to include it.

  When the twins were born, Annaliese and Alistair seemed a little stuffy for baby names. They got tagged Neal and Nelle and have been so ever since.”

  Hattie and I sipped our coffee. I was mulling over last night, the information I gleaned from Loren’s files, and what she had just revealed of her family’s history.

  Hattie casually opened one of the files Kitty and I had checked out of the university library. A photograph slid out and onto the carpet. I picked it up for her and noticed that it was a team picture of those who conducted the shark experiments.

  “See there’s Nelle,” Hattie said with pride and pointed to a very small girl on the end row.

  “Say who’s that?” I said and reached for my magnifying glass. “Is that Franco?”

  Hattie flipped the photograph over to reveal the team’s roster. In alphabetical order, it wasn’t hard to spot Franco Adams at the top of the list alongside Nelle and a number of others.

  “Yesterday’s newspaper stated that Franco Adams was an expert diver, had been at the Mandalay for five years, and before that had led numerous experimental expeditions for universities all over the world,” Hattie mused.

  “That makes me wonder why Nelle didn’t say that she knew the diver who was attacked. Why would she keep that kind of information to herself?”

  “I’d say it was for personal reasons. Just like the reason you won’t tell us anymore info on Loren,” I countered.

  “That old saw,” Hattie said and gave me that ‘cat that ate the canary’ smile of hers. “It’s true he wanted me to marry him at one time but that was grief talking. He had just taken this position and it would mean me living here. There were his children and grandchildren to consider. I just couldn’t think about marriage.”

  “Marriage. Who’s getting married?
” Suzy asked as she made her grand entrance.

  “Why you are my dear. And that reminds me we have a bridal shower to plan. Lots to do,” and with that Hattie handed me her coffee cup for another refill and headed for the dining room table.

  “Join me girls.” Hattie indicated that we gather round. It was not a suggestion.

  “Clara. Bring your tablet. We’ve got to make some lists.”

  Clara, who had just stumbled into the room, was reaching for a cup when Hattie barked her orders. Immediately, she darted back into her room for her writing implements. Commander Hattie was at the helm and ‘pity the fool’ that interfered.

  “Now Suzy,” Hattie began and nodded to Clara to take notes. “Where would you like to do your bachelorette party/shower/shindig?”

  Suzy was clearly on the spot. She tapped her I-Phone 6 and began.

  “Caesar’s was a thought, but I hear the Venetian and the newer Palazzo are splendid as well. If we are talking a spa day then that’s one thing, but for a party I think we should try the Ghost at the Palms. I’ve been dying to try the Minus5 Experience right here at Mandelay Cape.”

  “Well I’m happy to see you‘ve given this some thought. Let’s try for tomorrow. We can start with spa services, but no Korean ones, please.”

  Hattie paused because her reference to our trip to the Korean spa made us howl with laughter. We agreed that was an experience none of us wanted to duplicate.

  “Then move onto a luncheon maybe at the Flamingo? Then perhaps some light shopping, the Minus5 Experience ice bar, dinner somewhere fabulous and ending the evening with drinks at the Ghost Bar.”

  “I love it,” Suzy squealed. “I can’t wait to tell Tony.”

  “Just don’t tell him everything,” Hattie said with a wink.

  Hattie looked in Amy’s direction. All of us were concerned about her. She perked up a little and I even saw her smile at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant. William’s sudden departure from her life had left a big hole. We were all tiptoeing around this sensitive topic.

  “Okay if there are no more suggestions, I’ll enlist Loren and his cadre to help with the details. Amy and Clara, do you want Loren to invite some of his professor friends as escorts? I think Roxy, Suzy, and I can manage to share Loren.”

  Amy blushed and shook her head. At least she wasn’t sniffing and acting like the world had ended, but of course for her it had. Clara declined but I don’t think it had anything to do with dear Derek.

  “Got calls to make, girls. We’ll talk more at lunch.” Hattie sashayed her scooter back into her suite and left the rest of us enjoying our coffee and wondering what time the madness would begin. And of course when it began, what to wear?

  14

  With Hattie occupied with decorations and reservations, Clara, Amy, Suzy and I decided to do a bit of adventuring. After all, it was Las Vegas?

  I telephoned Dom and he appeared promptly. We drove to the furthermost spot on the strip. The Stratosphere looked a little scary and Circus Circus more for the family. Beside the Trump Tower complex, Dom pointed out the Fashion Show Mall. That seemed just the ticket.

  Suzy announced that this was the opportune time to select our wardrobe for the wedding. She had decided that the color the bridesmaid’s dresses would be black. We could select the style we wanted. The flowers would be red roses and the event would be in our own Botanical Village. At 8:00 p.m. in the evening, she and Tony would say their vows by candlelight. Tom would conduct a brief ceremony followed by dinner and dancing. Thanks to Howard, Hattie’s beau, the Somewhere Bar would supply the wine and beer while another restauranteur friend took care of the dinner. All we had to do was show up in proper attire. Little Suzy had been quite busy it appears.

  The four of us entered the Fashion Show Mall and I for one was overwhelmed. The Forum Shops could fit in here multiple times.

  “Good Lord, where do we start?” Amy gasped. “There must be a hundred stores in this place.”

  “Over two hundred, actually,” I said. “Some businesses have more than one. Can you believe that?”

  I saw others just standing and staring like us. Nice to know we aren’t the only ones flabbergasted at this retail nirvana.

  “Okay, Suzy said. “I’ve studied the layout and I know they have the typical Macys, American Eagle, Banana Republic, Gap, and all of that. So let’s take a walk on the wild side and go in some stores we’ve never experienced. Everybody game?”

  “Maybe we should leave a bread crumb trail in case we get lost,” I joked.

  “No need Miss Roxy.”

  I turned to see Dom at our side complete with a portable cart for carrying our packages. Wow. Some people think of everything and by some people I mean Loren of course.

  “Could I make a suggestion?” Dom ventured.

  “Of course, suggest away,” Suzy said.

  “A good place to start is Narcissistik, then perhaps Nordstrum, Saks Fifth Avenue, with a break for lunch followed by Victoria’s Secret/Pink and White House/Black Market. Miss Hattie will let me know when she wants you back for dinner so until then we have the entire day for anything your heart desires. Of course I will stay discretely out of the way.”

  Dom blushed a little when he mentioned Victoria’s Secret. It was cute that he wanted to be discrete.

  “Sounds good to me,” I said.

  Everyone’s head was nodding, so off we went to find the perfect little black dress for the exquisite wedding of our best friend. I wondered what Suzy would choose to wear for her 2nd wedding to the same man.

  At least fifty black dresses later, we still weren’t any closer to a decision. We found a few possibilities but either they were not the right length, the right size, or the right price. Still with the strength of our pioneer foremothers, we mustered on.

  “Okay Dom, steer us to a place we can get a great lunch with atmosphere that doesn’t break the bank,” Clara said. She had gotten over her initial shyness with our companion and made an effort to joke.

  “Miss Clara. I would suggest Grimaldi’s Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria. It’s not expensive and the menu is most extensive.”

  “Lead on then,” Suzy said with a grin.

  As promised Grimaldi’s had something for everyone. White garlic personal pan pizza for me, Spinach salad for weight conscious Suzy, Calzones for Dom and Clara, and a veggie pizza for Amy. At first Dom seemed uncomfortable eating lunch with his employers but he loosened up after a while. We did forego dessert which was sad but the wedding wasn’t far away and none of us wanted to go up a dress size.

  Dom excused himself from the table to take a call on his cell. He spoke briefly then took the luncheon tab to the cashier. When he finished, he slid back into his chair and calmly said, “We need to get back to the Mandelay. There’s been another death.”

  15

  The only information Dom had was that there was another incident at the Cape. Hattie wanted us to get back pronto. Nelle and Neal were called in to identify some remains that the cleaners found. From what we could piece together, Loren’s assistant Kitty, was the victim. Cause of death, murder weapon, or suspects were all unknown as well as opportunity and motive.

  Loren was inconsolable. He and Hattie were in her room with the door closed when we arrived at the suite. I could hear his voice crack as he spoke.

  “Why Franco? Why all this interest in our shark research after all this time? Why Kitty? I don’t understand,” Loren bawled. His anger was evident. Kitty must have been important to him.

  Hattie maneuvered her way through the doorway to greet us. She had tear-rimmed eyes.

  “Ladies I’m sure you can understand that we may have to table our plans for a bit. Loren is very upset. The police detectives are asking a lot of questions. They are digging up all the old files about the shark research, the research team, and unearthing some uncomfortable facts. So in light of this, I think we should arrange for a quiet dinner in tonight and let’s things settle for a bit.”

  We nodded in agreement but I f
or one was dying to know – pun intended - what happened to Kitty, when, and where. Was it the same killer? Was it an accident? a horrible coincidence? I persuaded myself that all would be evident in good time. But there were too many unknowns for my taste.

  Where was everyone when Franco was attacked in the shark tank? Where was everyone when Kitty was attacked? I knew where some of the cast members were in this horror play but not all were accounted for. I had to get some details and for that I needed to call in some favors.

  But before anything else, I needed to speak to Tom. I missed him now more than ever. Did we have some sort of curse hanging over us that wherever we went someone died? It seemed that way. Whatever happened hearing Tom’s voice would make everything better.

  After the events of the last few days I think we agreed we needed some down time. Suzy called Tony. Clara spoke with Derek. Amy probably needed to speak with William, but I was delighted when she and Dom found a common interest in art appreciation. They sat on the sofa pouring over some brochures she picked up in the lobby.

  Nelle and Neal came to check on the group and found us in a rousing game of poker all that is but Loren and Hattie. They were content to talk quietly in the corner. All eyes turned to greet the twins. We were anxious for news. Instead, Nelle and Neal headed to the tray of sandwiches and plopped down on the love seat.

  “Okay you two. Eat up and then spill,” Hattie said what we all were thinking.

  Neal gulped down a swig of lemonade and wiped his mouth.

  “Okay. We learned lots tonight. Kitty is a federal agent who works with the gaming commission. She’s been investigating false information submitted on a grant project for the Mandelay Cape Casino and Hotel. Investors sank a lot of money into the shark reef exhibit. Permission to open the exhibit rested on the university’s research program. Loren, you were the lead on that weren’t you?”

  “Yes. I was, but that was a long, long time ago. The research was done, documented, and everything passed the board before we opened the exhibit.”

  Neal continued, “But were there special interest groups that didn’t want you to complete the research?”