Beauty Secrets Mystery Boxed Set 2

by Stephanie Damore

  “Don’t know yet. I’m told by my gang unit that this symbol stands for retaliation. Either she was murdered in retaliation or the gang marked the door to let the killer know that her murder won’t go unpunished.”

  Awesome. Gangs were pretty much where I drew the line. Hopefully Lucia’s murder had nothing to do with Melanie’s. I turned my attention to finding Finn but came up empty. I started to have a mini panic attack when I couldn’t spot him. I whipped my head around looking for the guy.

  “Where in the devil did he go?” I asked no one in particular.

  Detective Hart caught on and started looking also. “Oh no,” she said.

  “Don’t ‘oh no’ me. If my fiancé’s been kidnapped by some cracked-out gang member, you’re going to be in big trouble.”

  Just then, Finn whistled and caught our attention. I turned and spotted him sitting on the neighbor’s front porch with the older man who had scared the crap out of me yesterday.

  I gave Finn the same look I imagined a mother giving a child who wandered too far off. Finn waved, seeming amused, with a can of Coke in his hand. Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised. Finn could make friends with a mailbox.

  “You might want to check in with the neighbor next door, too. He’s the one who told me she had hit the road for Mexico.”

  Detective Hart nodded. “She was running.”

  “Any idea why?”

  “We’re working on it. I started looking into her after you called yesterday. We know she called off her wedding to Federico Metiva. He’s high up in the Viper Nation, a particularly violent gang in the area.”

  “That’s why she didn’t need the dress anymore and probably how she could’ve afforded it in the first place,” I said.

  “Most likely.”

  “And why she really needed Melanie to refund the cash if she was planning on running.” I imagined Lucia having a revelation and trying to escape her life, but it caught up to her instead. “That would also explain why a gang member would kill her and the symbol on the door,” I said, continuing my reasoning.

  “It would. Disrespect is all it takes,” Detective Hart said. I nodded, trying to process it all. “Here, I want to show you something. Maybe it means something to you.”

  Detective Hart took out her cell phone. I was hoping she was going to have me read a note they found or some other clue, not pull up a picture of Lucia’s dead body. I had seen my fair share of dead bodies, but I still didn’t want to get all up close and personal with them. Detective Hart zoomed in on Lucia’s neck. An intricate pattern was clearly embossed on it. “Anything in the house come to mind that could create this?”

  “No, nothing in the house or anything else I can remotely think of, sorry.” I shook my head, partially because I didn’t know the answer and also to clear the image from my mind.

  “It was worth a shot.” Detective Hart pocketed her phone.

  “Do you think Lucia’s and Melanie’s murders are related?” I asked.

  “Most likely not. So far, the dress is the only thing that connects the two. I can’t make any other connection.”

  “But...” I could sense there was more there.

  “I’m not going to completely rule it out. I’m not a fan of coincidences, and this has coincidence written all over it,” Detective Hart finished.

  That it did.

  Finn was still chatting with his buddy next door when Detective Hart and I were ready to go. I wasn’t up for making small chat, or friends for that matter, so I hollered over to Finn instead.

  “Hey, you ready to go?”

  “You guys want me to give you a lift?” Detective Hart offered.

  “Sure, that would be great,” I replied. I had a feeling we’d be hard pressed to get a cab to come pick us up. Finn jogged back over and I filled him in on Detective Hart’s offer. He was quick to accept as well.

  “First time in Vegas?” Detective Hart asked as she drove us back to Tourist Town.

  “It is,” I said, thinking it was going to be the last. I’d had enough of the dry heat, sand, and dead bodies. The warm, salty coastal air and ocean breezes were calling me home. That is, as soon as I solved this case.

  “I promise it’s much nicer when you don’t have to deal with murder,” Detective Hart said.

  “I imagine it is,” I laughed. Finn chuckled for an entirely different reason. Probably having something to do with the fact that I always seemed to find dead bodies.

  We had Detective Hart drop us off at the Cosmopolitan, but Finn and I both hesitated walking through the doors.

  “What do you want to do now?” I asked him.

  “Well, if I know you, I’m betting that you’d like to sit down somewhere to regroup. That, and you’re starving.”

  I hadn’t even realized it, but Finn was right.

  “I could definitely eat,” I said.

  “I heard there’s an awesome burger joint with the best milkshakes in town,” Finn said. I mentally calculated the calories to decide if it was worth it. “They even offer them spiked,” Finn added to the temptation. I thought of the way Lucia’s dead body had looked. I could definitely use a drink.

  “Okay, I’m down. For the record, I’m pretty sure you’re what they call an enabler,” I told Finn. Like an emotional eater needed any coaxing.

  “I am not. I’m starving too and a burger sounds really good. If you want, we could go for a run afterward or just go get a salad.”

  “Ack, no! I mean, I didn’t bring any running shoes and I’m sure we’d be hard pressed to find a salad bar.”

  Finn laughed at my lame excuses. It was true. I hadn’t packed any sneakers and I didn’t know where to find a good salad. I did, however, have Gwen holding the perfect pair of high heels along with the gown back at the salon. The look was exactly what I was going for. I had just needed to see it to know it. Speaking of the gown, I liked the way it hugged my curves, but I didn’t want it too tight.

  “How about we walk to this restaurant of yours?” I offered.

  See, I wasn’t completely lazy.

  Finn agreed, but it was pointless in the workout department seeing it was less than a block away. Oh well, I say it was an A for effort.

  The fifties-style diner, with a black-and-white checkered floor and red vinyl booths, looked as clichéd as they came until I looked at the menu. Salted caramel crunch milkshakes, BBQ-crusted burgers with smoked gouda, thick-cut steak fries, and onion rings the size of my palm. Yes, please!

  “Where do we go from here?” Finn asked after we placed our order.

  “Here’s the thing: If we take Lucia out of the equation, we’re left with Melanie’s mom, the designer Paul Frederick, and maybe even Zane. If Lucia somehow still factors in, then I’m not sure. I really don’t like gangs. They scare me.”

  This got a chuckle out of Finn. “Wait a second, back when you thought Vince was part of the Mafia, that didn’t stop you from tracking him down, or when we had a homicidal baker poisoning everyone in town, that didn’t make you nervous. Oh, and who can forget about the psychopath in Tampa.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, but this is different.”

  “No, I don’t doubt it is.” Finn was clearly amused.

  “What is so funny?” I was getting annoyed.

  “I’m just relieved to know that you have some sense of fear in you. I was starting to worry.”

  “If you’re not careful I’ll put the fear in you,” I threatened Finn with a smile on my face.

  The waitress set our food down in front of us and gave me the strangest look when I swatted Finn’s hand away from my onion rings.

  “I like it when you’re feisty,” Finn said.

  “Oh, I’ll show you feisty,” I playfully bickered back.

  A couple bites into our lunches, and we were back to talking about the case.

  “What are you thinking for the motives?” Finn asked.

  I couldn’t answer. I had taken the longest hit off my milkshake. I was sure I was going to get a brain freez
e but it was worth it. The saltiness of the caramel, the creaminess of the ice cream, and the final chocolate crunch? Divine. I was in heaven while Finn waited for an answer. What had he asked? Oh yeah. Motives, that’s right.

  “Jealousy seems to be the number one motivator for both Veronica and Zane. Plus, Veronica has the mindset that she gave up everything for Melanie. I get the sense that Melanie didn’t acknowledge that and I don’t blame her.”

  “I don’t either. What, she’s supposed to apologize for being born?” Finn asked.

  “Exactly. It’s not her fault that her mother had her priorities in the wrong place.”

  “Why was Zane jealous?” Finn asked.

  “Because Melanie’s career took off while his stalled. At least that’s one theory. They also had a history of domestic disputes, but I don’t know the details. You know what? I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before, but I should give Cee Cee Thomas a call.” She was my reporter friend who worked for Entertainment Now. She had helped me solve the last case with her Hollywood insider knowledge. I would’ve called her right that second, but that darn milkshake was so delicious.

  “What’s the story with the designer guy?” Finn asked between bites of his burger.

  “Paul Frederick. Long story short, he couldn’t stand being upstaged by a new designer.”

  “He was used to being on top.”

  “Exactly. His ego took a big hit and from what I hear, he likes to start drama. Must be from getting his start in theater,” I joked.

  “Have you talked to him?”

  “No. He’s taken a creative sabbatical.” Finn raised his eyebrows. “I know, sounds fishy, right?” I sucked down the last bit of sweet and chocolatey goodness, and then pulled my cell phone out of my purse and made that call to Cee Cee. She didn’t answer, but I left her a voicemail.

  “Hey, Cee Cee, it’s Ziva. You won’t believe it, but I’m wrapped up in this Melanie May case. Give me a call when you get a sec. Thanks, girl.” I hit end on my cell phone and thought for a minute. “You know, we’re not getting anywhere with Zane right this second, but I feel like there’s more we can do on the Paul Frederick front. It shouldn’t be too hard to track down where he lives. What do you think?”

  “I say that’s where we should head next,” Finn said.

  “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

  “I thought you were going to put some fear in me.”

  “If you’re lucky. Now let’s finish up lunch and hunt down a designer.”

  12

  We weren’t going to be able to just sneak in and snoop around Paul Frederick’s condo. He lived in a gated community with security guards who looked like they actually took their job seriously. I eyed the yellow handles of their Taser guns. Yeah, I did not want to experience that again. Finn turned around at the next light and pulled over, parking the Mercedes in front of a big-box superstore. Finn and I had borrowed the car from Aria since she and Vince were having a spa day. By borrowed I mean I stopped by Aria’s hotel room and whispered to her what we were up to and had her discreetly hand me the keys. It was easier than trying to explain it all to Vince.

  “We need a plan,” Finn said.

  I watched the people walk in and out of the store. “This is going to sound clichéd, but what if I do the whole housekeeper routine?”

  “Does this mean you’re going to buy a cute little skirt and feather duster? Please say yes.”

  “Noooo, I was thinking more along the line of a bucket, some bleach, and a roll of paper towels.”

  “Okay, but for the record, anytime you want to play dress up, I’m down.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  We ran into the store and loaded up on some cleaning supplies. I even switched up my wardrobe. To Finn’s disappointment, it did not include a cute little skirt, but rather khakis, a white cotton polo shirt, and matching white sneakers. It was the least sexy outfit ever.

  “Do you think they’re going to believe a housekeeper drives a Mercedes?”

  “Maybe I’m a housekeeper with benefits. This is Vegas after all.” Finn eyed me. “Do you have a better plan?” I asked not expecting an answer.

  Finn thought for a second. “Wait, yes, yes I do. I just can’t remember if the sign said it was today or not.”

  “What sign? What are you talking about?”

  “Hang on. Let’s do another quick drive-by.”

  Finn slowed as we pulled up to the entrance and I saw what he was talking about.

  “Bingo. An open house. Let’s use that as our cover and we can save the housekeeper routine for once we’re inside if we need to,” he said.

  “You’re right. That’s smarter. Let’s do that.” I looked down at the clock. The open house was scheduled to run for another 30 minutes. Plenty of time.

  Finn drove up to the security stand and rolled down his window. “Hi, we were just driving by and saw the sign for the open house. Is the agent still available?”

  “Let me check, sir” The security guard radioed ahead to confirm that the real estate agent was still on the property. “Yes, she’s still available. She says she’ll meet you at the unit now. Just drive forward here to the stop sign and take a right. Go down and take a left on Joshua Tree. It’s the third condo on the left.”

  “Great, thanks man. I appreciate it.” The security gate lifted up and we drove through.

  “Are we really hitting the open house?” I asked.

  “Don’t you think we should? I don’t want to not show up and have security start searching for us.”

  “Good point. Let’s do this whole open house thing and then pretend to drive around looking at the rest of the complex.”

  “Good thinking.”

  We turned onto Joshua Tree and counted off the condos. The real estate signs and blue balloons set the townhouse apart from the rest on the street.

  “They all look identical. I can’t believe Mr. Frederick lives here. It’s so vanilla,” I said to Finn.

  “I take it he’s a character.”

  “When I just Googled him, the first image that came up was him dressed like Willy Wonka. Remember that purple suit?”

  “That colorful, huh?”

  “You should see his wedding dresses.”

  We pulled into the driveway and saw the real estate agent waiting to greet us on the adobe-styled porch.

  “Hi, you two. My name is Penny Sweets. I’m the real estate coordinator here at Oasis. I’m so happy you were able to find us today.” And she seriously was. Penny’s smile was as bright as the summer suit she was wearing. “Aren’t you two just the cutest couple. I bet you hear that all the time.”

  “Oh, thanks so much,” I replied. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  “Here, come inside out of this heat and I’ll give you the full tour.”

  For as much beige and brown that was in the landscape, you’d think the townhouse’s interior designer would’ve chosen a different color palette to work with. I could’ve really used an ocean view right about then. But besides all the earth tones, the home was really quite lovely.

  “I heard there’s a lot of celebrities that live out in Vegas. Do any of them live here?” I asked as we wound up the tour.

  “We have our fair share of characters that call Oasis home. I wouldn’t say any A-listers, but we have a great community of artists and musicians.”

  “Artists? Any painters or designers?” I asked.

  “Both. The fabulous designer Paul Frederick lives here, as does the painter Ann Marie.”

  “Did you hear that, honey? We could be neighbors of Paul Frederick. I love his gowns,” I said to Penny.

  “He does have a certain style about him. In fact, he insists that his front door be painted peacock blue even though it goes against the homeowner’s ordinance. He says he doesn’t care and pays the fine every month.” Penny shrugged her shoulders. “What are you going to do about it?”

  We struck gold. This was just the little nug
get of information we needed to find his house.

  “As for the musicians who live here, it’s not unusual to have an impromptu concert by the pool. And speaking of pools, let’s ride over there now. You’ll be amazed.”

  The three connected pools and two hot tubs were pretty fabulous. Add in the palm trees, nearby bar, and lounge chairs, and I would consider it a vacation destination. Even with several residents hanging around, the area had plenty of room. The backyard of condos lined one edge of the pool and the one with the peacock blue door immediately caught my eye. Paul Frederick’s door was straight ahead. I motioned to Finn. He saw the door too. Maybe I could sneak in through a back entrance? Then I had another thought. I wouldn’t need to sneak in if I was his housekeeper.

  Meanwhile Penny kept talking about the perks of living at Oasis, “We have a state-of-the-art fitness center if you would like to see that too?” she said.

  Only when she stopped and waited for our response did I really pay attention. “Oh, sorry. I was still looking at the pools. They really are amazing,” I said, pointing to the waterfall area.

  “You have a beautiful ring. Is that a pink diamond?” Penny asked.

  “It is.”

  “I love colored diamonds. I’ve always wanted a canary. Someday maybe I’ll treat myself.”

  That got a genuine smile out of me. I liked that she was willing to shell out the cash and wasn’t sitting around waiting for a man. Naturally, I then felt guilty sitting here wasting her time. She wasn’t going to get any commission out of us.

  “Thank you so much for all of your time this afternoon. I think the two of us need to chat for a bit and then we’ll be in touch. Is that okay with you?” I didn’t want to ditch Penny, but wrapping our appointment up was the right thing to do. After she provided her contact information and listed off a few more benefits, Finn and I were on our way, sort of.

  “What do you want to do?” Finn asked as he looped around the complex.

  “I’m hoping we’ll get lucky and I can get in through the back door,” I said.

  “You?”

  “Yes, me. Let me change into my housekeeper digs and then I can pretend to wash the back windows and hopefully find a way in.” Truthfully it wasn’t the best plan, but it was all I had at the moment.