“Hang on, let me look.” We got into my truck, and Aria rifled through the papers. “First place is $10,000. There are a couple of other smaller prizes, but nothing more than $500.”
“You’re telling me all of the sponsors are giving them thousands and thousands of dollars, and they’re only giving out one $10,000 scholarship? That can’t be legal.”
“I think you’re right. Definitely warrants looking into. Would that be enough to take Devonshire down?” Aria asked.
“Probably not, but it would make good fodder for blackmail. Run it by Vince and see what he thinks.”
“Good idea. I’m betting Mrs. Atlantic has no idea.”
“You’re probably right, and I’m betting Devonshire doesn’t want to rock the marital boat he’s just set sail on.”
“I’ll call Vince right now,” Aria said.
Vince thought we had something there. Since this seemed more like a business deal now, I left it up to him to handle. This was his forte, and I was happy to let him take the lead.
I dropped Aria off at the yoga studio and went the rest of the way to Sugar & Sass. Izzy was wonderful, but I still needed to check in with my crew and put some hours in at the office. The Chicago contract should be coming through any day now, and I hadn’t even been checking my email. Plus, seeing Devonshire again had me wanting to explore developing a more natural-looking artificial tanning product. I thought my clients would love it. I was also hoping work would give me a sense of normalcy as it was the only thing that wasn’t falling apart in my life.
“Everything going okay here?” I asked when I walked into my shop.
“Ziva! It’s so good to see you,” Anna said. “Izzy’s been great but it’s still not the same without you here.”
“Well, it’s nice to know I’ve been missed. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon.” By soon I meant the sooner the better. I was tired of my life being in limbo and worrying every second of the day. I sincerely hoped Izzy’s friends would be able to peg down Kat, and that Vince could negotiate with Devonshire to call off this little game of his. At this point, I had no idea who killed Cody, but I was hopeful it would all piece together.
“I’m going to be in my office doing a little bit of computer work. Just holler back if you need any help.”
“Sure thing. Oh, I forgot to tell you. A woman stopped in for you yesterday.”
“A woman, like a reporter?” I hadn’t forgotten that the press would still love to talk with me.
“No, this woman definitely didn’t feel like the press to me.”
I stopped in my tracks. Could this have been Alexia?
“Did she leave a number by chance?” How convenient would that have been?
“No, nothing, but she did say she would look out for you.”
Well, that was cryptic. I wasn’t sure I wanted Alexia looking out for me.
“Okay, thanks. Let me know if she comes back in or if anyone else asks for me.”
“Will do.”
I walked back to my office and flicked on the light. I love my office. I had it painted Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams. It was my absolute favorite color. Depending on the light, the room looked either blue, green, or gray. It was the most soothing color I had ever seen, and I was completely in love with it. On my walls were a framed wedding portrait of Finn and me, a black-and-white photo of Captain Jack, and a picture of my parents. Aria’s family portrait was on my desk. I was becoming such a softy.
I had managed to keep the knickknacks to a minimum, and anyone who knew me knew that was impressive. I had a love for antiques. In fact, before Finn and I moved in together, I lived above the antique store downtown. White porcelain and rose glass were two of my favorites. I had only a few pieces in my office: a white porcelain elephant and a pair of vintage rose glass candlesticks with two white pillars in each one.
This was my happy place. I took a second to close my eyes, take a deep breath and just be still. It felt good to be in my space. A place that hadn’t been violated by death and was all still wholly my own.
Scratch that.
When I opened my eyes, I saw a thick white calling card had been left on my keyboard. Curious, I picked it up and turned it over. A phone number had been embossed on it. Nothing else and nothing handwritten.
Instinctively, I looked around, but there wasn’t anything else out of place. I reminded myself that the card could’ve been from anyone. Alexia was only one of the possibilities. A reporter, murderer, or maybe it was from someone who had kidnapped Kat and this was their ransom attempt. And I hadn’t been back to work in the last three days. What type of sister-in-law was I?
Without hesitating, I picked up my phone and dialed the number. A woman answered on the second ring.
“Who’s calling?” She asked when our lines connected.
“This is Ziva. A card was left in my office.” I figured that was a safe thing to say.
“Meet me at the Twisty Twirl in 20 minutes. Come alone.” The woman hung up the phone.
I stared at my receiver for a second. The Twisty Twirl, huh? Whoever heard of an assassin or kidnapper asking to be met at an ice cream parlor? Then again, maybe it hadn’t been either one on the phone. For all I knew, it could very well be another mystery from Finn’s past about to make itself known. I needed to be prepared for the unexpected.
One thing was for certain, whoever it was, they hadn’t given me much time to make it across town.
“Anna, I’m running out. I’ll try to pop back in later. I have my cell, or call Izzy if you need to reach someone right away.” I didn’t even wait for a response before I was through the door and getting back into my little pickup truck.
I got to the Twisty Twirl two minutes late. I parked and walked in, looking for someone who appeared to be waiting to meet someone. No one stood out. Not wanting to stick out myself, I went to the counter and ordered a waffle cone of mint chocolate chip. I figured I might as well indulge in my favorite sweet treat while I was there. Besides, I never did have any the other night after Agent Cooper and the mystery guy stopped over.
“Are you Ziva?” the girl scooping my cone asked me. She had choppy black hair, matching nails, and purple lipstick. I hadn’t looked at her twice, but I was now.
“Yes, I am. Why?” I eyed the young girl suspiciously.
“I have a message for you. The lady said to meet her at the park across the street. She’ll be at the fountain.” The girl handed me the cone.
“What did the lady look like?” And did she look like an assassin, I wanted to add.
“She was dark. Hair, eyes, personality.” I thought this was saying something from a girl dressed in all black. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say that was all she knew.
I gave her five dollars and walked out of the shop. I could’ve just gone back to my truck and left, or better yet called Detective Brandle, but truth be told, I wanted answers and I wanted them right now. I was tired of waiting around for something to happen.
I jogged over to the park and found the area surrounding the fountain to be completely empty. I sincerely hoped that whoever wanted to talk to me would just come out and do it. I walked around the fountain and looked under the benches for another clue but came up empty. That was a good thing. Yes, I wanted answers, but I wasn’t going to play any games.
I was about to turn on my heel and say forget it when I saw a woman step forward from the path behind the fountain and approach me. Her smooth, measured movements reminded me of the woman on the video footage. Oh yeah, this was Alexia. I was sure of it. She was even more graceful and beautiful in person.
I should’ve skipped the waffle cone.
I looked at Alexia’s hands to see if she carried a weapon, but I realized that was ridiculous. She could kill me with her bare hands, of that I was certain. The fact that Cody had been shot was another checkmark in her favor. I was eighty-percent sure she hadn’t killed him.
“Alexia?” I asked.
“You know me?” she seemed s
urprised.
“Your reputation precedes you.” I delivered the line with such smoothness, I felt like the total boss babe that I was.
Well, if it wasn’t for the ice cream cone. Was this like bringing a knife to a gun fight? I had no idea what the dessert equivalent was.
“Fair enough. Listen, I have a message that I’ve been trying to get Finn, but I haven’t been able to track him.” That gave me confidence. If Alexia hadn’t been able to find Finn, maybe the authorities wouldn’t be able to either.
“What is it?” I asked. If she was planning on killing me, this is where she’d make her move. Hopefully she had a dairy allergy.
But she didn’t strike.
“Tell him it’s not The Sugar King,” she said.
“What? Are you saying that Devonshire is not behind this?” I couldn’t believe it.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“How do you know?”
“How much of the past do you know?” Alexia responded.
“Enough to know that you guys hocked some paintings from Devonshire and you disappeared along with them.” She didn’t have to know that I learned that from Detective Brandle and not Finn.
“Right, so the paintings that we stole, the Rembrandts, they were forgeries, decoys. That’s why Devonshire never came after us.”
“You’re certain?”
“Never been more disappointed in my life.”
“Why did you disappear then?” I asked.
Alexia laughed. It was a rich, throaty laugh. “It was all a con, sweetie. I needed to make sure Finn was on board, one hundred percent. What better way than to make him fall in love with me, or with the person I pretended to be.”
I felt my temper flare in a heartbeat. This woman was a piece of work, and I hated her. Hated the way she had hurt and misused my husband. I wanted to pummel her.
“Why come back now?” I asked. My voice held the slightest edge.
“I heard about the ‘game’ and knew it was bull.” Alexia paused. “Finn was a good guy. I didn’t appreciate it then. I see that now. Call it atonement.”
So, the she-devil had an ounce of redemption. I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from saying as much. I was using up all my politeness today.
“What now? You going to stay around and help catch the killer?” I asked.
“Can’t. Interpol never stops, so neither can I. Have to stay one step ahead of them.” Alexia winked and turned to leave.
“Hey, before you go. Do you know where Kat is?” I asked.
“Who?” Alexia either had no idea Finn had a sister or she had forgotten.
“Never mind,” I replied. This time I let Alexia walk away.
12
I drove home on autopilot. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I was back to square one, just when I thought I was making headway. The dirt I had on Devonshire was pointless. It wouldn’t do me any good if he was breaking a hundred fundraising laws if it wouldn’t help clear Finn. Who else had it out for him?
I had no idea.
When I pulled into the marina, I spotted my dad outside, chatting with Mr. Murphy. I couldn’t read his expression from the car. Was he coming to make amends or was he coming to pack my bags?
I parked in front of bait shop and joined the two men.
“Right, absolutely, I know. I can’t believe they traded him either,” Dad said.
“And to the Yankees,” Mr. Murphy added. Both men shook their heads.
I wasn’t surprised they were talking baseball. All the men in my life loved the sport.
“Ziva, dear, did you solve the case?” Mr. Murphy asked.
“Working on it,” I said with more optimism than I felt.
“You’ve got one smart daughter there,” Mr. Murphy said to my dad.
He grunted in response but still smiled.
“I’m going to head back in,” Mr. Murphy nodded to his store. “Stop in if you need me.”
“Will do, thanks.”
Neither one of us spoke until Mr. Murphy went inside. Seeing my dad was the one who paid the visit, I let him go first.
“Now don’t go giving me the silent treatment. You know your mother and I are both worried.”
“Yeah, Dad, but you insulted my intelligence and my husband.”
“I know and I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.” My dad looked me straight in the eyes. Can’t say I didn’t feel a little emotional at that.
I exhaled. “Okay, apology accepted. “How’s Mom?”
“A hot mess.”
I laughed at my dad’s use of the expression.
“She asked me to invite you over for dinner.”
“Can we do it tomorrow? I have plans tonight.” I didn’t offer up any more details. Of my parents, my dad was the forward-thinking one, but I didn’t think that carried over to psychic pow-wows.
“I’m sure that’ll be fine,” he replied.
“Okay, tell Mom to call me, and I’ll figure out what to bring.” And by bring, I meant stopping by the store and picking something up.
My dad hugged me and turned to leave. “I’m sure you’ll figure this out on your own, but if you need any help, you know where to find me.”
My dad’s offer meant more to me than he’d ever know.
A couple of hours later, I was driving down Highway 17 to The Palms Motel. A number I had come to associate with Adam Cunning from TV 25 came through my phone again. I wasn’t about to answer it, but seeing he was persistent, I thought of a way my attorney could help me.
“Mr. Anders,” I said when he answered the phone. “This is Ziva. Listen, I was wondering if we could craft up a press release. Some type of statement about appreciating the public’s concern, but asking for privacy at this time?”
“I already have one written. I was just trying to touch base with you before putting it out there,” Mr. Anders replied.
See this is why he was paid the big bucks.
“Awesome. Why don’t you send it to my email and I’ll take a look at it. We can get it out tomorrow.”
“Done,” Mr. Anders replied.
“Excellent.” Now it was time to see what Izzy and her friends could come up with.
As planned, I stopped by Kat’s apartment on my way. Her car was in the same spot as before, and no one answered her door. The neighbor didn’t even pop out. Where in the world was Kat?
The Palms Motel was a basic three-star establishment. There was no room service or spa. Even a fitness center was questionable. At least it wasn’t one of the motel’s next to the gentlemen’s clubs about fifteen minutes away. This place was still a family establishment.
Izzy had texted me before I took off to see if I had anything of Kat’s that I could bring. I had to think about that one. Kat and I weren’t the type to exchange clothes. Her style was more daisy dukes and bar shirts. In fact, I was coming up empty until I remembered she had taken off her necklace at our last barbecue before jumping into the water. The necklace was gold and had the initial K dangling from it. I grabbed it out of my jewelry box and put it in purse before heading out.
Izzy was waiting for me in the lobby when I got there.
“Are you staying here?” I asked when I spotted her. If she was, I was the worst boss ever. Not only had she came up here to totally save my butt, but she was rooming in a mediocre hotel to boot. She definitely deserved a raise.
“No way, girl. I’m staying at my mama’s,” Izzy replied.
That got a smile out of me. “Good, and shame on me for not checking with you sooner.”
“It’s not like you haven’t had a lot on your mind,” Izzy said.
“You’re more forgiving than I am.” I looked around the hotel lobby. A small coffee bar was set up behind us. A rack of pamphlets lined the wall beside it and next to that, a trash can. Very basic, but clean.
“What’s the game plan?” I asked.
“Annette is the manager here and one of us,” Izzy motioned to the plump, dark-skinned woman behind the
reception desk. “She couldn’t get tonight off, but she said we could do this on her break.”
Annette gave me a winning smile over the heads of the couple she was checking in.
“We’re just waiting on Chad to join us. He’ll make up the trio. Speaking of which,” Izzy said. At that moment, a young man with tan skin and warm eyes made his entrance. He greeted Izzy with a kiss on the cheek. I didn’t have to be a psychic to see the sparks fly between them.
“Chad, this is Ziva. It’s her sister-in-law we’re trying to find,” Izzy said.
“Nice to meet you,” he said.
“Thanks for helping,” I replied.
“Are we ready to do this? I’ve got twenty minutes,” Annette said.
We followed her down the cream-tiled hallway and waited for her to use the keypad to unlock the break room. The lounge had a Coke vending machine, another one for snacks, a little fridge, and a small microwave. The Coca-Cola machine had my tummy doing a little flip-flop. Stupid Finn and his love of Coca-Cola. Annette went over to the freezer and took out a microwavable dinner. It was the low-calorie kind. The ones that claim to be healthy but in reality taste like cardboard, so you don’t eat as much. Annette peeled off the cellophane and popped her dinner into the microwave for five minutes.
“Were you able to find something?” Izzy asked me.
“Oh yeah, here you go.” I took Kat’s necklace out of my purse and set it on the center of the table. I wasn’t sure what the protocol was, but I decided to step back to let them do their thing.
“I think it would work best if we held hands,” Annette said.
“Good idea,” Chad said.
Annette took the necklace in the palm of her hand, face up, and Izzy put her hand on top. Chad completed the circle.
They closed their eyes and no one spoke for a few moments. I resisted the urge to fidget, but the anticipation was killing me. The microwave continued to hum in the background and the room started to smell like enchiladas. I started to question if this was working. It was hard to know what was going when no one was speaking.
Beauty Secrets Mystery Boxed Set 2 Page 39
