Murder among the Palms

by Jade Astor

  Ange’s voice dropped, though unfortunately Darian could still make out every word. “I knew that was coming,” she said. “I was going to suggest it, in fact. All right. Make yourself comfortable.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  “No. But you’re probably right. That’s the way it has to be right now.”

  Darian and Argo exchanged a pained glance. From down the hall, they heard the study door slam.

  Chapter 4

  This time, Darian spent a sleepless night while he struggled to understand the strife tearing through his once-tranquil home. Endlessly, his mind replayed a series of images, culminating in a replay of the moment his two moms had at last become legally married. It was a moment they had wished and even fought for nearly all their lives, and their wedding day had been a joyous occasion all around. Never had he felt prouder of his unconventional family. Nor could he ever imagine either of his moms growing interested in anyone else. He’d planned this vacation with such high hopes of getting his parents to bond with Argo. Now he was on the brink of losing them.

  No, that was going too far. He wasn’t really losing his parents. They weren’t dying, for crying out loud. So they might go their separate ways. People did. Hell, half the kids in at Birchwood had divorced parents. They were teenagers and they were okay. He was a grown-ass man. He was embarrassed at acting the way he was. Pull yourself together, he thought. He might have said it out loud, because Argo stirred and glanced at him curiously. Darian pretended he was talking in his sleep.

  That minor deception sparked another round of panic. Darian realized he wasn’t only worried and disappointed about his moms’ relationship falling apart. He was fretting that the same thing would eventually happen to him and Argo.

  They’d come close to losing everything they’d built up when Argo had been shot while foiling a robbery. As he recovered, he’d pulled away from Darian and told him flatly that they had no future. Darian had believed it for a while. He’d even considered a rebound relationship with an attractive actor who was about to debut in a cable show. Briefly Darian toyed with the fantasy of partnering with someone famous. Okay, so Victor was a smooth-talking liar. Some guys wouldn’t have found that a deal-breaker, especially considering how handsome he was. Darian did, though. And then Argo had come back to him.

  Therapy had helped Argo get over his feelings about the shooting. It had also helped him clarify what Darian meant to him. In the end, he’d wanted to hang on as much as Darian did. It seemed nothing short of a miracle. Even now, Darian could hardly believe things were going as well as they seemed to be.

  Inevitably, that made him worry. Could he bear to lose Argo a second time? Ever since they’d arrived, a vague sense of dread flared and faded in his chest like heartburn. He couldn’t help imagining something really bad about to go down.

  In the end, as he should have expected, it was Argo who came up with a plan.

  “We’ll have to get an early start to make this work, but it’s not like we’re in the mood to sleep in anyway. You’re going to ask if you can ride with Rikki to the hotel, and I’ll invite Ange to accompany me to the mall. If we talk to them individually, maybe we can bring them to their senses about this whole mess.”

  “The mall?” Darian repeated dubiously. In general, Argo was not a fan of shopping. The prospect of elbowing his way through crowds of Christmas shoppers would only make the situation less tolerable.

  “Why not? I’m thinking of getting some new clothes for the party tonight. Something more stylish than the plain brown jacket I brought with me. Maybe something in a tropical print.” Argo grinned at Darian’s horrified expression. “Besides, I need to do a little more Christmas shopping. Your mom probably does, too. Think about it. It’s the perfect excuse.”

  Now that Darian thought about it, he realized Argo was correct. Though he had brought a few gifts with him to distribute to his loved ones on Christmas morning, and he assumed Argo had done the same, he wasn’t wholly satisfied with what he’d packed away. Consulting Rikki about an extra present for Argo seemed an excellent way to segue into a serious one-on-one chat.

  The strategy worked to perfection. “What about a titanium watch?” Rikki asked as they swung into the hotel parking garage. “Supposedly they’re indestructible, which would be useful in his line of work. We have some gorgeous models right in the hotel gift shop.”

  “Great idea. I think he’d like that. I’ll definitely check those out.”

  “If you pick one out today, they can monogram it for you onsite. Guaranteed for pickup before Christmas Eve. Better still, have them call my office and I’ll authorize an employee discount.”

  “Thanks. I didn’t realize you had a high-end jewelry store on the premises.”

  “It was Gabrielle’s idea to start one,” Rikki said proudly, unwittingly taking the conversation exactly where Darian had wanted it to go. Again he had to hand it to Argo. A designer watch seemed barely adequate as a reward. “Her theory is that if she treats her guests like royalty, they’ll spend extra money to maintain the illusion. That’s how she learned to do things in Europe, she says.”

  “She sure seems to know what she’s doing.” Darian feigned admiration for Gabrielle’s ruthlessness. “I assume that’s why she depends so much on you. They say good management is mostly about recognizing good people.” Darian wasn’t sure anyone really did say that, but it sounded reasonable enough.

  “The hospitality business is a world unto itself,” Rikki agreed as she parked in her designated spot. Darian assumed Gabrielle had commissioned the special sign that spelled out Rikki’s full name and managerial title in ornate gold letters. “I spent seven years running the restaurant under the old owner. He never treated me unfairly, but at the end of the day he was still a straight white man from another generation. He assumed, like so many of them do in this trade, that there was only so high a woman should rise in hierarchy. Especially a woman with a wife. When he died and Gabrielle took over, she started asking my advice on her very first day. It was like a curtain lifting. All of a sudden, people listened to what I had to say and respected my ideas. The fact that even I was surprised when some of those ideas worked just shows you how damaging that kind of atmosphere can be.”

  Darian nodded sympathetically. Making no move to get out of the car, he chose his next words carefully. “It’s the wife part I wanted to talk about.”

  Rikki sighed. “So you noticed I was in the guest room last night. I expected you would. Budding detective with a cop boyfriend, after all.”

  “It wouldn’t take Lord Peter Wimsey to grasp what’s going on. Look, you can feel free to tell me this isn’t my concern, and you’re the moms and you’ll work it out on your own and in your own time. But I’m going to be honest here. I’m worried. So is Argo, though he’s too polite to show it. And we both want to help if we can.”

  “I don’t mean to sound harsh, Darian, and I appreciate your concern. But there’s nothing to help with.” Rikki slumped forward in the driver’s seat and rubbed her forehead. “Okay, maybe that’s not totally accurate. Mostly it’s this holiday party. I’m totally stressed out about and I keep bringing that attitude home with me in the evening. I promised Ange I’d work on it, but I admit I haven’t.”

  “I don’t believe this is only about a party, Mom. It goes way deeper, doesn’t it?”

  Rikki turned to look at him, her eyes bright with welling tears. Darian had been about to ask her point-blank if she was having a fling with Gabrielle, but at the last minute he couldn’t get the words out. Then again, he didn’t have to. She seemed to grasp what he was asking.

  “Let’s not crawl into the weeds right now, Darian. We’ll only make the situation worse. This isn’t the Christmas I envisioned for us. I wanted to spend time with you and get to know Argo. As soon as this party is over, we can start fresh. Ange will come around.”

  “Are you sure? She seems unhappy. You both do. Is any job is really worth that?”

  “I hope y
ou’re not suggesting I walk away from a career I enjoy—one that’s pretty lucrative at that. You don’t think we could live as comfortably as we do on what Ange makes as a professor, do you? I don’t have to remind you, of all people, what academic salaries are like.”

  “No, you don’t. Still…are you okay with losing your marriage?”

  Rikki winced. “Why don’t we look at it from a different angle? What if you came to me, upset because Argo was working all the time solving crimes? Or being so overprotective he was driving you insane? Would you want me to interfere in your relationship, or tell you what to do?”

  “I won’t deny Argo and I have had issues. But in the end, what we have together is more important than our differences. We’ve been able to talk things out. I’m hoping you and Ange can do the same. I’m offering to referee, if you need me.”

  “I said this to Ange, and I’m going to say it to you as well. Trust me, Darian. Please know that I wouldn’t have changed anything about my life up till now. That includes you, and Ange, and everything we’ve had together. I don’t want you ever to forget that. I hope Ange doesn’t forget it, either.”

  “Why would she?” Unexpectedly, Darian’s mind flooded with fond recollections of the three of them having adventures together, back when just about everything seemed like an adventure. “I know I won’t. Thanks to you, I had a great childhood. Two moms who were always smiling and laughing. We were happy.”

  Rikki blinked back tears. “We were. You two were the centerpiece of my life.”

  Darian didn’t doubt her for a moment. “But you don’t seem happy now,” he wanted to say. “How did it all come to an end?” But his throat tightened up, and he didn’t.

  Rikki recovered herself first. “Put all this drama out of your mind for the time being,” she ordered him, her voice steadier now. “Go and do your Christmas shopping. Do you need me to drive you back home later?”

  “No. Argo’s picking me up. I had to promise not to peek in any bags he might have in the car.”

  “I know how reliable that particular promise is. Hopefully he locked them in the trunk.” Rikki paused and chewed her bottom lip. “Darian…I didn’t want to start trouble first thing in the morning, but I’m going to get ready for the party here at the hotel. Can you let Ange know that I’ll meet all of you here tonight? I realize we won’t get the Christmas decorations up today after all. I’m sorry. I just have so many things to attend to.”

  “I’ll tell her.” Darian swallowed his disappointment as they entered the ground floor of Mermaid Towers and set off in different directions. Competing emotions warred in his mind. On one hand, he wanted to accept Rikki’s denials—despite the fact that they hadn’t actually been denials, in so many words. On the other, he realized he had no right to dictate the terms of his moms’ relationship. The sad truth was that people grew apart, split up, and moved on from one another every day. Rikki was right about one thing—they’d always keep their memories. And the memory of love, when you got right down to it, was the only luggage you could ever take with you into the future. Maybe that would have to be enough.

  On his way to the gift shop, he ran into Zara. She hugged him with a squeal of excitement.

  “Oh my god! Darian! I’m so happy to see you! My parents said you were in town!”

  “Yeah, visiting for the holidays.” Darian eyed her crisply tailored suit and shiny gold nameplate. “So what do you do around here?”

  “Ha! What don’t I do?” Zara ticked off each item on her fingers. Darian noticed her long, manicured nails, different from the unpainted nubs he recalled from their shared childhood. Zara’s tomboy days were clearly long behind her. “I manage the reception desk, supervise the housekeeping staff, and assist with all event planning. That includes the big party tonight, of course. I can’t wait. It’s going to be quite an event. I’m so glad you’re going to be around to enjoy it.” Leaning closer, she lowered her voice. “At least you timed that part of your visit well. Not very cheery around your house these days, my mom says.”

  “Oh, you heard?”

  “Sure have. Ange is over at our house all the time, and she tells my parents everything. Not that I go out of my way to eavesdrop, but you know how it is.”

  “I do.” Darian gave her a wry smile. He and his old friend were more alike than not when it came to their curiosity about their parents’ relationships. As teenagers, they’d spent many hours poring over the details of arguments they’d overhead between Iris and Bodie. Unfortunately for Zara, professors tended to quarrel using erudite vocabulary that obscured more secrets than it clarified.

  “Besides, it’s no secret that your moms are on the rocks. People here know about it, too,” Zara confided.

  Darian’s amusement faded. “Do they? What are they saying?”

  Zara tilted her head, motioning for Darian to follow her. They moved to a quieter spot a short distance away from the gift shop.

  “Just that Gabrielle wants to steal your mom for herself,” she told him in a whisper. “Old Gabi’s really turning on the charm. Rikki’s been pushing her away until recently, but now something’s changed. Rumors say she’s starting to realize what Gabs has to offer. And let’s face it, she’s not exactly an ogre.”

  “Don’t remind me.”

  “I mean, if I were into girls, I might be tempted myself. Rich, good-looking, classy and smart.…”

  “I said don’t remind me.”

  Quickly, Zara shifted gears. “But you know what? She doesn’t have what Ange can offer. Ange would never pass for aristocracy, and she’d never want to. But you and I know she truly loves Rikki. That matters more than anything else.”

  Darian felt a little better. He hoped Rikki would soon come to the same realization. Nonetheless, he couldn’t resist pressing Zara for more information. It wasn’t likely he’d get an unbiased view from either of his moms.

  “Tell me more about Gabi. Rikki says she took over the hotel recently.”

  “Yep. She used to be a tour guide overseas, taking rich people on castle jaunts around Europe. Well, she knew how to play the game from the very beginning. Met the old geezer who owned this joint, found out he was widowed, and let him have it with both barrels.”

  Just like she had with Rikki, Darian thought with a wince.

  “He didn’t stand a chance against her,” Zara continued. “Married her within a month or two. No telling whether it would have worked out, because less than a year later, he was dead. Naturally there was quite a scandal, but in the end she got all his money free and clear. His adult children weren’t too thrilled that the old man left her this place in the will.”

  “I can imagine,” Darian said. One aspect of the story intrigued him, given the current situation. “Did her husband know she liked women?”

  “Probably. She’s hardly shy about it. Maybe he didn’t care. Some guys are into that kind of thing, especially the old dried up ones. Who are we to judge, right?” Zara laughed. “If you ask me, we’re all fluid in one direction or another. Well, theoretically at least. You’re an exception. I gave it my best shot, remember?”

  They shared a smile. “Sorry about that. I did try my best to get interested in you, if that helps. It’s just not who I am.”

  “No worries. I treasure you as a friend. I’d rather have a boyfriend who lusts after my body. And I suspect you would, too. In fact, my parents said you found one.”

  Darian felt his cheeks flush at the mention, even indirect, of Argo. “Yeah, I did. We ran into them at the college.”

  “So they told me. For what it’s worth, they liked Argo. They think he should have his own show on one of those murder channels.”

  Darian thought of his actor friend, Victor, who would soon be starring on just such a show thanks to his involvement in a real-life murder. Apparently he was surrounded by budding true-crime stars. “I hope that never happens,” he admitted.

  “I understand you met him over a dead body. And he suspected you of bumping off one of your st
udents. Way to go, Darian. Turns out you’re nowhere near as boring as the people at our high school thought.”

  “It wasn’t like that,” Darian sputtered.

  “No? Maybe I misunderstood. I also heard about some kind of shootout in a convenience store. I probably mixed the two up.”

  “Actually, that was a separate incident. Argo says he saved my life that day, but I kind of feel like I saved his.”

  “Speaking of crime shows, Ange told my parents you were in a movie, too. But it got canceled when they found a dead guy sprawled across the set. She said you solved his murder before Argo even figured out what was going on.”

  “That’s not exactly the way it went down. But I did help him with a couple of cases. Three, if you count the cold case we figured out by accident. Three and a half if you consider that we saved someone who was about to be frozen to death. That was a different kind of cold case, I guess.”

  “Wow! Maybe it’s not Argo who should get his own crime show. Sounds like you could fill a whole channel by yourself.”

  “I have to admit my moms aren’t too happy about my secret life of crime-solving. The whole reason they supported my moving north was that I could live a quiet, scholarly life at a fancy private school. Too late, we found out it was a hotbed of murder, shootouts, and assault.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to convince me. Even the ritziest schools have their dark sides.” Zara grinned. “Remember that book we read in high school? A Separate Peace?”

  Darian nodded. “There are plenty of secrets at places like Birchwood. That’s partially what gives the place its charm. Granted, it’s a kind of charm some people prefer to do without, but you could probably say the same about anywhere. Even this hotel. Lots going on behind the scenes.”

  “Especially this hotel.” Zara rolled her eyes, but to Darian’s disappointment had no more to say on the subject. Instead, she returned to her parents’ account of meeting Argo, Darian, and Ange at the college. “After you left, they found poor Maurice Turnbull wandering the halls in a daze. Turns out his daughter was coming to help clear out his office, and he sneaked out of the car and into the building while she was getting some cardboard boxes from the trunk. She was worried sick until my father called to her. She had no idea Maurice had gone all the way up three flights of stairs by himself. Luckily he didn’t fall back down them.”