On the Lamb

by Tina Kashian

  “You already have.”

  * * *

  “I wish I could have been there when Rhonda paid you a surprise visit,” Katie told Lucy over the phone.

  “She seems genuine about wanting to help her sister. And she gave us a big lead.” Lucy had called Katie and updated her as soon as Rhonda left the restaurant.

  “Gilbert was smart to keep an out-of-town office. He kept everything secret from his wife. Sophia’s divorce attorney would be all over those records, searching for more income for alimony. And I still can’t believe he thought Melanie was fair game for sex just because she owed him money,” Katie said.

  “We need solid evidence that Melanie didn’t kill Gilbert,” Lucy said. “But the condo has to be locked.”

  “Can we pick the lock?” Katie asked.

  Lucy pursed her lips. “That’s not exactly my area of expertise.”

  “Mine either,” Katie said.

  “You mean you never learned from all the TV detective and crime shows you’ve watched over the years?” Lucy asked.

  “Ha! But no. Watching and doing are two entirely different things. What about your landlady?”

  “What about her?”

  “Other than Sophia, she was Gilbert’s closest living relative. I doubt Gilbert would have left the key for his wife. Maybe Eloisa Lubinski knows where it is,” Katie said.

  Why hadn’t Lucy thought of that? “Good idea. I’ll ask her before I go out with Azad tonight.”

  “I want to search the place with you, but tonight is our bowling league with Bill and friends. If I cancel, he’ll know something’s up,” Katie said.

  “Go bowling. If I find that key, I’ll text you. Otherwise, we’re breaking in.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  As soon as Lucy came home that afternoon after work, she went in search of her landlady. Eloisa wasn’t home. Lucy didn’t like waiting, but what choice did she have? Katie’s suggestion was a good one. If Gilbert had left anyone the key to condo number nine, it would be Eloisa. Meanwhile, Lucy had a date night to dress for.

  “I have somewhere special in mind for dinner, Lucy,” Azad said as he opened the door of his truck for her.

  “Where? Or are you going to leave me in suspense?” She smoothed her skirt and carefully got in the truck with her wedge sandals.

  “It’s a surprise.”

  She smiled. “I like a little bit of excitement.”

  “You mean more than crime solving?”

  She eyed him, but his tone was light and the corners of his eyes crinkled in humor. He was teasing her about sleuthing, and a warm glow flowed through her.

  She settled on the bench and attached the seat belt. Unsure of where they were headed on their date, she’d chosen a purple sheath dress. Azad looked great in a light blue, button-down shirt, navy jacket, and gray slacks, and Lucy tried not to stare.

  She mentally shook her head. She was no longer a starry-eyed teenager, but a grown woman in an adult relationship. It was okay to find him attractive, just not too attractive. His intelligence and consideration were what really mattered.

  They passed the two stop lights in town and left Ocean Crest. Azad had taken her to Le Gabriel, a fancy French restaurant in the past, and she wondered if that’s where they were headed tonight. But they soon passed Le Gabriel and kept going. When he turned onto the Atlantic City expressway, she grew suspicious.

  “You’re taking me to Atlantic City?”

  “Okay. You guessed the location, but not the restaurant.”

  Her curiosity grew. Azad had worked in a fancy Atlantic City casino restaurant, and he was well-acquainted with all the fine restaurants in the city.

  The bright lights of the casinos came into view. They were big buildings with tall, lit signs. Some were on the Atlantic City boardwalk, others by the marina. There weren’t as many casinos as there had been in the glory days of the city, but still enough to lure gamblers and tourists from all over the state.

  He pulled into a multistory concrete parking garage and took a ticket to pay on his way out. He helped her out of the truck and took her hand in his. An elevator placed them on the casino floor—a cavernous, noisy room full of slot machines, blackjack, craps, roulette tables, and gamblers.

  Azad’s hand was warm as it held hers and he steered her through the floor. Wide-eyed, Lucy watched the scene unfold. A group of senior citizens were busy at the quarter slot machines, some preferring to push a button to spin the wheel rather than pulling the lever. Others sat at blackjack tables with their chips, intense looks on their faces as they studied their cards. A craps table had a boisterous crowd as a woman blew on the dice for a friend before she rolled the dice across the green baize. The roulette tables were also busy, and a group watched, mesmerized, as the little white balls spun and spun.

  “I’m taking you to where I used to work,” Azad said.

  Lucy’s looked up at him with surprised pleasure. “Chef Henry’s.”

  Chef Henry Wu was a famous Japanese chef who had opened pricey Asian/Hawaiian fusion restaurants in cities across the country—one in Atlantic City.

  She spotted the entrance to the restaurant. A menu behind glass was mounted on the wall outside for hungry patrons to peruse.

  A maître d’ dressed in a black suit seated them and handed them menus. Lucy was hungry and all the selections looked delicious. “You worked here. What do you suggest?”

  “The tempura-crusted ahi roll appetizer. Macadamia nut mahi-mahi and braised short ribs for the main course. And you have to try the pineapple upside-down cake for dessert. We’ll be sure to order an extra one for Katie.”

  Lucy peered at him above her menu. “She’ll be raving jealous when she finds out we came here.”

  Azad’s lips twitched with humor. “Bill will have to step up his game when he gets promoted.”

  “I’ll let him know.”

  The waiter took their orders and delivered the bottle of merlot Azad had requested. Together, they enjoyed the wine until dinner was served. Lucy nearly swooned at the first taste of the ahi roll appetizer. The tuna was of such high quality that it nearly melted on her tongue. The short ribs were tender and flavorful, and Azad’s mahi-mahi was light and flaky.

  “You were right. This is sooo good.”

  Azad studied her. “Watching you eat is one of the things I like about you.”

  Lucy lowered her fork. “You make a girl self-conscious. Should I be daintier and have ordered a simple salad?”

  “Could you have survived seeing me eat this?” He motioned to his own plate.

  Her response was unhesitant. “Never.”

  “That’s what I mean. I’m a chef. I appreciate a woman who’s not afraid to enjoy her food.” He smiled, and the sight sent her stomach into a delicious swirl.

  The rest of dinner was just as good, but the pineapple cake was fabulous. True to his word, Azad ordered an extra dessert, and the waiter delivered it with a takeout box tied with a red bow.

  On the way home, Azad stopped at the Ocean Crest beach. Lucy took off her sandals. and hand in hand, they walked by the surf. The sun was setting, and a gentle breeze blew from the ocean. She shivered at the cool air, and Azad removed his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

  His heat and cologne wrapped around her and heightened her awareness of the man. They left the surf and he led her to one of the benches by the sand dunes.

  “Let’s stop here,” he said.

  “Are we stopping for a kiss?” she teased.

  “After.”

  He gazed down at her, his look intense, and her body felt heavy and warm. She swallowed tightly. “After what?”

  Then he did something that was completely unexpected. He sank to one knee and reached in his coat pocket, which was still draped around her shoulders, to withdraw a small, black box. He opened the lid to reveal a brilliant diamond nestled in black velvet. “Will you marry me, Lucy Berberian?”

  Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, and her mouth fell open. S
he looked from the ring to the man. Azad’s eyes were full of hope and vulnerability. Thoughts flitted through her mind like dry leaves in a blast of wind.

  He was proposing. Marriage. To her.

  One more glance in his eyes and she knew. Knew that she loved him, had loved him for a long, long time. Soon after he walked into Kebab Kitchen as a teenager, looking for a summer job.

  “Yes,” she said, her voice sounding breathless. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  He broke into a broad grin that set his dark eyes alight. She touched his cheek, and his hand covered hers and held it there.

  He rose. “Now I’ll kiss you.”

  And he did.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Later that evening, Lucy returned home with a diamond ring on her finger. She couldn’t stop staring at it. It looked like someone else’s hand.

  I can’t believe I’m engaged.

  After a heated kiss in his truck, Azad had seen her to the door and left. She wasn’t worried. She knew next time he would come inside and stay the night.

  She planned on calling Katie on her cell at the bowling alley and sharing her news with her friend, but when she opened the front door and stepped inside, a whirring sound caught her attention. She was reminded of something else, something she’d planned to do tonight before going out with Azad. Rather than climb the stairs to her second-floor apartment, she went in search of her landlady.

  She found Eloisa in her kitchen using a noisy hand mixer. The whirring sounded louder and filled the kitchen as she mixed batter in a stainless-steel bowl. Cupid lounged in his dog bed in the corner.

  Lucy inhaled the scent of something delicious baking in the oven. “It smells great in here.”

  Caught off guard, Eloisa lifted the mixer from the bowl without turning it off. Batter flew at Lucy like buckshot.

  “Oh!”

  Eloisa turned off the mixer and scowled at Lucy. “What the heck were you thinking, sneaking up on me like that? You caught me by surprise.” She handed Lucy a kitchen towel.

  Lucy wiped her face and proceeded to smear the batter on her dress. Thank goodness she’d already gone on her date. “I wasn’t sneaking up on you,” she argued. “Did you think I was a criminal?”

  “Who knew? I figured this mixer made a pretty good weapon.”

  “You don’t need that. You have Cupid.” Lucy warily eyed the shih tzu in the corner. The little dog yawned. Of all the times for him not to start yapping at the sight of her. Either he set her up or he was getting used to seeing her. Too bad Gadoo was upstairs. The cat would have set him off for sure.

  The timer dinged, and Eloisa slipped on an oven mitt and opened the lime-green oven to pull out a batch of large muffins. Despite the batter all over her, Lucy inhaled the delicious smell. Even though she’d had dinner at a fabulous restaurant and enjoyed dessert, she had a sweet tooth and was still tempted.

  “What are those?” Lucy asked.

  “Blueberry muffins for the ladies after swim aerobics tomorrow.” She set the muffins on the stove to cool and eyed Lucy up and down. “I feel bad for messing up your pretty dress. Want a muffin?”

  “I ate tonight, but that looks good. I’ll have a taste.”

  A plate with a muffin and a cup of tea was set before her. Lucy got the feeling that her landlady was happy for the company despite her not-so-friendly greeting.

  Lucy bit into the muffin and her taste buds tingled in delight. “Wow! These are great. I didn’t know you baked.”

  “There’re a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

  “I’m learning.” Lucy took another bite and eyed her landlady with renewed interest.

  “Wait one minute! Is that a rock on your finger?” Eloisa snatched Lucy’s hand and examined the diamond.

  “It is. Azad proposed tonight.”

  Eloisa whistled through her teeth. “Nice ring. That explains the fancy dress. I’m jealous, but I suppose that means your hottie will be coming around a lot more now.”

  “I suppose.”

  “Did you fire him? Or does he keep his job and the boss?”

  “He keeps his job. Can I have my hand back now?”

  Eloisa let go of her death grip, and Lucy promptly took another bite of muffin. That’s when she spotted a cane resting on the side of the kitchen table that she hadn’t noticed during the batter explosion. Had Eloisa hurt herself? “When did you start using a cane?”

  Eloisa reached for it, then set it back against the table. “Do you like it? My friend, Rose, left it here. She doesn’t need it back right away and has several. I’m thinking of using it so I can get a handicapped parking spot.”

  Lucy gaped. “That’s just wrong.”

  Her reactions seemed to amuse Eloisa. “When you reach my age, nothing is wrong. Keep eating.”

  Lucy chewed and swallowed. “Can I ask you something?”

  “About your chef fiancé?”

  “No, about Gilbert.”

  Eloisa lowered her mug. “I knew burying him would only lead to more questions.”

  Lucy ignored her tone. There was much more to her landlady than social activities, sarcasm, and an unexpected ability to bake. “Did you know that Gilbert had a side business and the he loaned money to town residents?” She watched Eloisa for her reaction.

  “I’m not surprised. I told you that Gilbert was trouble. His success was never enough for him. He always wanted more and more money.”

  “Well, he had his borrowers sign loan papers and stowed them in a secret office in the Seagull Condos in Bayville. Do you know where he kept the key?”

  Eloisa tapped the side of her mug. “No . . . but . . .”

  “But what?”

  “The lawyer who read the will gave me a box that Gilbert had left for me. I haven’t had the heart to open it.” Eloisa stood and opened one of the kitchen cabinets. She returned with a small box and placed it on the kitchen table. She sank into her chair, a sorrowful expression on her face. “If it’s cash, I don’t want his blood money.”

  Lucy’s gaze was glued to the small box. “Open it and see.”

  Eloisa lifted the lid. Inside were pictures of Gilbert as a young boy and a teenager, some with a younger Eloisa. Her face softened as she traced an image on one of the pictures. “Gilbert used to be a friendly, curious boy.”

  Eloisa flipped through the pictures. “Gilbert started to change during his high school years. After college, he became greedy, and it got worse from then on. But I never would have thought he’d call me crazy in order to evict me from my own home.” One by one, she placed the pictures on the kitchen table.

  Lucy’s heart ached for the woman. Whatever Gilbert had become, he’d clearly meant something to her at one time. His betrayal must have been all the more painful.

  When Eloisa came to the bottom of the box, she reached inside to withdraw a key. “You just may be in luck.” She handed the key to Lucy.

  Lucy raised the key to the kitchen light and read the small engraving etched on its surface. “Seagull Condominiums.” She looked up. “Oh my gosh! This must be it. Can I have it?”

  “It’s yours.”

  Lucy stood. “I’m going tonight. No sense wasting time when Melanie is sitting in a cold jail cell.”

  “You’re right.” Eloisa reached for the cane. “But I’m going with you.”

  * * *

  After a heated argument, Lucy gave up trying to convince Mrs. Lubinski to stay behind. Her landlady had insisted on accompanying her and had grabbed her cane in case, she’d said, Lucy couldn’t find parking. Lucy felt an urgency to get to the Seagull Condominiums and find Gilbert’s office. Melanie’s fate just might rest in her hands.

  She would have called Katie, but her friend was out with her husband. Plus, Lucy didn’t want to tip off Bill. Not until she had something worth telling him about.

  “This is it,” Lucy said as they stood outside condo number nine. Before Lucy could reach for the doorknob Eloisa stepped forward to rap her cane on the door. />
  Not surprisingly, no one answered.

  “Go ahead. Use the key. I haven’t got all night,” Eloisa instructed.

  Lucy bit her cheek. This was going to be a test of her patience, but she wouldn’t have gotten this far if it wasn’t for Eloisa finding the key. Lucy inserted the key into the lock. She felt a click, then the door swung wide open. For a second, she could only stare. “We did it.”

  “Did you doubt it?”

  Frankly, yes.

  Lucy felt a nudge in her lower back from the darned cane and stepped inside. Eloisa was right behind her and shut the door.

  The place was sparely furnished with a desk, a chair, and a computer and had an unpleasant, musky odor. The small kitchenette looked barren, not a plate on the granite counter. A glance in the bedroom revealed no bed or furniture.

  “It wasn’t a lover’s nest. Whatever you could say about Gilbert, he wasn’t a cheater,” Eloisa said.

  Not for lack of trying.

  Poor Melanie had to deal with the pig’s unwanted advances. Lucy would never tell Eloisa. The poor woman had enough bad memories to deal with regarding her nephew already.

  “Where’s the file cabinet or safe?” Lucy glanced around, but didn’t see either a safe or a locked file cabinet by the computer.

  Eloisa had disappeared into one of the rooms. “In here!” Her muffled voice sounded through the walls. Lucy opened a door to find a bathroom, her gaze drawn to a two-drawer file cabinet pushed against the wall opposite the toilet.

  “Why on earth would he put a file cabinet in here?” Lucy said.

  Eloisa shrugged a skinny shoulder. “Reading material?”

  Ugh.

  Lucy pushed the image aside and opened the first drawer. She realized Gilbert didn’t need a safe if no one knew about his hidden condominium office. It really was the perfect hiding space. He owned half the building, so no one would question his coming and going. And if a false name was listed on the lease, not even his business partner, Craig Smith, would have known about the place.

  She opened the top drawer and peered inside. One look at the file folders and Lucy knew she’d found gold. Five files were in a section marked, “Paid.” She spotted Azad’s file. As for the others, she was surprised at the names of local business owners. Either they hadn’t qualified for a bank loan or hadn’t wanted one. Beatrice Tretola, owner of the Big Tease Salon; Nola Devone, owner of the Freezy Cone. The names of other local business owners and town residents were on more files.