. . . I’d gone to the “other side” to see a man who’d been murdered in my pool and, without mincing words, ended up with a one-way ticket to hell . . .
. . . My day boss was a pop star who I had become friends with . . .
. . . My previous evening boss had been murdered and everyone around me seemed to be a possible suspect . . .
. . . My new boss—the old boss’s long-lost son . . . I think—was easy on the eyes and kind hearted but . . .
. . . his mom was a major beyotch who had accidentally killed a famous movie star . . .
. . . And lest I forget, not a day went by that I didn’t think about my big sister who’d been missing for over sixteen years.
Oh yeah, and famous dead people visited me frequently, including pervy spirits from the dark side who wanted to nab my soul because I had the gift of healing thanks to some eagle feathers I’d found on the ground near the location where my sister had been abducted.
Well, at least I couldn’t ever say my life was boring.
After a little more feeling sorry for myself, I got dressed, brewed some coffee, and sat down to have breakfast while pondering all I’d discovered in the last few days. I got out a clean sheet of paper and started making a list. Cass was under my chair and Mac had remained in bed.
First I reread Jackson’s article, having found it online. He’d obviously been there the day Nick had been murdered. He could have come back to the bar and killed Nick after their fight. But I’m pretty sure that would have been part of Jackson’s review. Not, of course, that he needed more reasons to go to the Black Tier.
Obviously, Jackson was mentally unstable. But did that mean his entire article was bogus, the fantasy of a delusional young man with a bone to pick? I wasn’t so sure about that. He’d skewed things, for sure. I mean, I believed Joshua when he explained about the guy he killed and his subsequent jail time. And knowing Joshua as I did, I couldn’t fathom that he and Becky had been in cahoots and murdered Nick for his assets. That said, Becky was turning out to be a real piece of work and could have very likely offed Nick herself.
What if, after Nick and Jackson argued, Becky came in, caught him by surprise, and killed him? If Joshua was really Roger’s son, Becky might have felt desperate enough to kill Nick in order to provide for her son and convince him to return home. And with Nick dead, there’d be no one to contest her claim that he was Joshua’s father. Nick could have been weak and dazed from the fight with Jackson and not able to defend himself. But as much as I didn’t care for Becky, I still couldn’t quite see it.
Candace was still on my list. She had old resentments, and alcohol can make people do crazy things. A memory could have triggered her, especially with Becky showing up on the scene. Maybe.
Pietro and George. That one just seemed too neat. Too much motive, and easy for the cops to place blame. They were bad guys, no doubt, but had they murdered Nick? I really did not think so. Even though I didn’t doubt that they would have murdered me.
Simone and Dwight. Dwight maybe, but Simone was insistent I was being paranoid, and I think she had something there. There was still something about Dwight, though, that bothered me. I knew if I wanted to get any answers from him, the only way would be to touch him.
Bradley Verne? He was a nice guy who appeared to think the world of Nick. But his dependency on Raquela was a little over the top. Could his childhood jealousy of his father’s love for Nick cause him to go over the edge? And was there any truth to what Jackson mentioned in his article about bankruptcy?
Last on my list, but not least, was Mumbles. Frankly, I could never picture him hurting a fly. Then again, isn’t that what they always say when the next-door neighbor goes postal? Hmmm.
I decided there were a few things to be done. First, I needed to confront Becky about Roger Hawks. Then I needed to do the same with Candace about her past and lay it on the line. After that, I needed to find out if Bradley Verne had filed bankruptcy. As for Dwight, he’d likely accompany Simone to our meeting at the bar this evening. So touching him was key. As for Mumbles . . . I wasn’t certain.
I was determined and, yes, a bit obsessed at this point. But I felt very, very close to solving the mystery of Nick’s murder. It was time to catch a killer!
Chapter Forty-Four
AS YOU KNOW, liquid courage is one of those things I am rarely dependent on, but lately I seemed to be breaking my own rules with disturbing frequency. I fixed myself a Jack and Coke as soon as I got to the bar.
Joshua came over and put a friendly arm around me. “I’ve noticed you don’t usually drink much. I hope you aren’t stressed out from last night. And . . .” he lowered his voice to a whisper, “I hope you laid off the Ambien.” He gave me a friendly wink.
Candace’s shot me a glance. I groaned inwardly. Clearly she’d heard the whole thing.
I smiled innocently at Joshua. “Not stressed out at all. And I really do appreciate you checking on me last night. Oh, as for the Ambien, I won’t be going there again, that’s for sure. I spent a big chunk of last night feeling completely out of it.”
He nudged me gently with his elbow. “Got it. So why the drink?”
“Guess I just felt like it. And they’re on the house . . . right?” I grinned up at him. “I think I’ll go back and see if your mom needs some help in the kitchen. Oh! And my friend, the one I told you about, will be by tonight.”
“Great!” His eyes lit up. “I am looking forward to it.”
I headed back to the kitchen to find Becky over the fryer. This was not a conversation I was looking forward to, but c’est la vie.
“Hi Becky,” I said, thinking I would start this off as nice and easy as possible.
She glared at me, spatula in hand. “What do you want? I’m busy, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
Ah, yes. I could see this was going to go well. Not. “Oh, just checking in. We haven’t spoken much lately.”
She propped her hands on her hips, looking about as interested in talking to me as I was in talking to her. “About what?”
“First off, why have you gone from liking me to hating me?”
She dropped her arms and sighed. “I don’t hate you. But I think you’re too nosy for your own good, and you could get hurt. Also . . .” She chewed her lip for a moment. “Well, the truth is, I think you and my son don’t make a good pair.”
Although I was a little hurt by the remark, I laughed. “I hate to be the one to break it to you, Becky, but we aren’t a pair.”
She glanced at me skeptically. “I see the way he looks at you and how you look at him. I don’t like it.”
“We’re friends, Becky. That’s it.”
She shrugged. “Keep your distance.”
This wasn’t going how I had hoped. But the whiskey was starting to fan the flames of irritation, and I decided to throw caution to the wind.
“First off, last I checked, your son is an adult and perfectly capable of making his own choices regarding who he does, and does not, befriend. I’ll keep my distance from Joshua when he asks me to.” I glared at her, giving as good as I’d been getting lately. Her eyes widened a tad and I knew the arrow had hit home. But I wasn’t finished with her yet.
“Secondly, I know what happened to Roger Hawks.”
Becky sucked in a breath of air and an ugly flush spread across her face. “What?! What are you talking about?”
“I know he had an accident falling into the pool and hit his head. But I also know he fell because you pushed him . . . after telling him you were pregnant.”
Becky crossed her arms tightly in front of her chest, backing up to the stove behind her.
“You are out of your mind!”
I looked at her, long and hard. “Am I? I don’t think so.”
“You have no proof of anything! You’re a crazy young woman, and I want you out of my bar!”
As much as I hated confrontations, this one was kind of fun. I titled my head to one side, bringing a finger to the side of my
chin. “Technically not your bar, but your son’s. Whatever else you may have done, you’re obviously a doting parent, and I am sure it’s been hard having Joshua away for so long. Killing Nick would bring your son back because he’d inherit the bar. Is that why you killed him?”
Her expression darkened with rage. “You are crazy! I did not kill Nick! I loved him!”
“Like you loved Roger Hawks?” Zing!
She slammed down the spatula and started towards me, hands fisted into tight balls. Had Joshua not walked through the kitchen door at that moment, I’m pretty certain we would have looked like a couple of crazed banshees bashing each other over the head.
“What’s going on? I can hear you guys all the way out in the bar!” He looked from his mom to me.
Becky ran over to his side, pointing angrily at me. “She is trouble, Joshua! Trouble! Get rid of her!” She tore off her apron and stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Joshua staring at me, wide eyed.
“Uh . . . so . . . what was that all about?”
I bit my lower lip, hard. Then I shrugged. “She doesn’t like me.”
“I can see that.” He sighed heavily. “She’s never liked anyone I date.”
“But we’re not dating!”
He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “Yeah, I know, but try and tell her that. She’s like this with any woman who spends time with me, regardless of our relationship.” He hooked his thumbs over his jean pockets and sighed again. “I’m sorry. I’ll talk to her, see if I can’t calm her down.”
I nodded, feeling not a little guilty. After all, the reason Becky was so wound up was because I’d confronted her and made some pretty heavy accusations. Chances were slim to nil she’d be calming down any time soon. On top of it, I couldn’t tell if she had been lying or telling me the truth about Nick.
I walked over to Joshua and placed a hand on his arm. “Look, I’ll manage the kitchen.” Since it was pretty obvious we weren’t going to see Becky again that evening.
He nodded. “Okay . . . but people are going to want to hear you sing tonight.”
“Who else do we have out there who can cook?”
He looked at me as if I were missing something obvious. “Uh, I can. Remember?” Duh. “You tend bar and play some sets. While you’re playing, I’ll tend bar and we’ll close the kitchen. Simple solution.”
“You sure?”
“Yes,” he insisted.
“You’re not getting rid of me?”
He laughed. “No way! Like I said, I will handle my mother.”
So Joshua took over the kitchen, and I went out to tend bar.
Candace was waiting for a new drink, and Mumbles continued to nurse the one in front of him. Candace leaned across the bar towards me.
“What happened in there? We heard raised voices, and then next thing I knew, the bitch stormed out like a Tasmanian devil on crack!” She could barely contain her glee at the apparent turn of events.
Oh what the hell . . . I was on a roll, why stop now? “I accused her of murdering Roger Hawks and Nick.”
Candace’s eyes widened. Mumbles set down his drink for the first time that evening. “You did?” she said.
I nodded. “Look, I don’t believe the theory that George and Pietro killed Nick. And I don’t like to leave questions unanswered—especially when it concerns people I care about.”
“That is noble of you, honey,” she said. “I wouldn’t put it past that woman. Never knew what happened to Roger, but I’ve always had my suspicions, and it sure is convenient that after Nick died, her kid now owns this place!”
I placed my elbows on the bar and rested my chin in my hands. “I agree, but I don’t know if I am completely convinced she did it.”
Mumbles picked up his drink again and gazed into it as if he might find some answers in there. Candace raised clear eyes to me and cocked her head to the side. “If it wasn’t Becky, who else could have done it?”
And here is where I really should have made some sort of noncommittal response and mixed myself another drink. Unfortunately, I didn’t.
“Well, there’s you.”
“Me?” She laughed, her eyes wide and amused.
“And Mumbles.”
He didn’t even bother looking up, instead choosing to suck down the remainder of his drink.
“Oh, honey, you are priceless.” Candace continue to chuckle to herself as she swirled her drink around slowly. “What makes you say that?”
“You loved Nick, for starters, and he hurt you. The way I see it, you’ve been pining away for him for years. And sometimes, people snap.” I looked back at Mumbles. No reaction.
Candace’s laughter stopped abruptly. “You do have a way with words, missy.” She shook a finger at me. “I’ve never killed anyone, ever! Which is a lot more than the bitch can say. And Mumbles, well, he’s as gentle as a goddamned kitten.” From the looks of it, she appeared to be working herself into a fine state of agitation. She sat her glass down with a sharp rap and glared at me steadily.
“I suggest you get your head on straight and rethink this whole thing. This man here,” she said, pointing at Mumbles. “He’s your biggest fan, always looking out for you! And, I, well, I think of you like a daughter, but now you’ve royally pissed me off!”
Right about then I felt like a class-A heel. “I’m sorry, Candace, I was only looking at the facts and—”
“Your facts suck!” She slid off the bar stool and grabbed Mumbles by the hand. “Come on. We’re going somewhere else tonight.”
“Candace, wait.”
She didn’t turn back, but Mumbles did, and when I looked into his eye, I realized I had crossed a line. He didn’t look angry or sad, but he did look hurt. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt anyone. But it appeared I’d failed in more ways than one that evening.
Chapter Forty-Five
YEAH, OKAY, SO I was making enemies fast. But the way I figured it, someone had to ask the tough questions . . . because as far as I could tell, the cops had pretty much given up on Nick’s case entirely. I hoped once the real killer was found, I’d be forgiven my behavior and things would get back to normal again.
After Candace and Mumbles left the building, I played a few sets to get my mind off all the drama I’d created. After I wrapped up and just before I was getting ready to go back to tend the bar, I noticed an older gentleman sitting in the back, in the spot Jackson used to hang out in. He looked distinguished—expensive dark suit, silver hair, nice jewelry, but not over the top. And he was wearing sunglasses. Why was it people in LA thought it was so chic to wear their sunglasses at night? Simone did it to help disguise her from the press. Maybe this guy was doing it for the same reason? And if so, who was he?
I was about ready to go ask him if he needed a drink, to try and get a read on him, when Simone came in with Dwight on her heels. She wore a long, red wig, reading glasses, a beret, a pair of torn jeans, and a baggy, white poet’s blouse. Simone wiggled her fingers at me and walked up to the bar. I stepped around the counter as she leaned over and whispered, “Call me Alanis tonight.”
Dwight smiled at her as she plopped onto a bar stool. There was plenty of room now that Candace and Mumbles had fled.
She winked at me. “So, Evie, what do you think of my disguise?”
“It’s, uh, poetry in motion.”
She laughed, surprised, “Hey, that’s pretty good!” And then she glanced around the bar.
“Where’s the guy I’m supposed to meet?” she asked.
Oh, right. “He’s in the kitchen cooking. Would you like a drink? Joshua should be out in a minute.”
“Ooh, Joshua . . . sexy.” She glanced back over her shoulder at Dwight who was still standing. “Dude, sit the fuck down. You’re making me nervous!” He dropped onto the stool next to her like a rock.
I rolled my eyes. Poor Dwight. “So, what do you guys want to drink?”
“I’ll take a long island iced tea, and my driver here will have a regular one.”<
br />
Dwight nodded. I fixed up the drinks and slid the boozy one over to Simone. Then I handed Dwight the iced tea. I made a point of touching his fingers when he took the glass from me.
At first, I got nothing. But then, boy did I get something. Something I never expected. It was a flash of light. Bright, crisp, and instant. I tried not to yank my hand away. Maybe he had been in an explosion? A fire? When I looked into his eyes, he smiled at me and seemed calm, relaxed. So maybe I had helped ease whatever pain Dwight had. The closest I’d had to that experience was when I touched Mumbles and got blasted with sound and pain . . . yet my vision with Dwight was very, very different. Huh.
Just then, Joshua walked through the kitchen door and Simone’s face lit up. I had never seen her look like that before, and I immediately found myself regretting this whole deal.
“Hey, Evie, who are your friends?” Joshua asked, smiling politely at Simone and Dwight.
Dwight reached his hand out towards Joshua. “Dwight Jenkins.” He had a slightly grim look on his face, and I wondered if he’d seen the same thing I just had on Simone’s face.
Joshua clasped Dwight’s hand and smiled politely, “Joshua Styles.” They both turned to Simone who leaned forward and reached out her hand.
“Tonight,” she said in a low voice. “You can call me Alanis.” She flashed her amazing smile at him and he smiled back in a way that clearly said he liked what he saw. I felt sick. And then I felt bad for feeling sick. Fact is, I had no right to feel this way at all. First, there was Lucas, and while I was attracted to Joshua, I’d made no effort to take things any further than friendship.
“Maybe we should go into the kitchen and talk in private,” Joshua suggested.
My stomach flip-flopped again.
“That would be great,” Simone replied. Then she turned to Dwight and touched his arm. “I’ll be back.”
The Grey Tier Page 24
