“I don’t know how Cookie was killed,” Marla commented to Nicole the next morning at the salon. “The police interviewed me and Tally. Cookie’s body was still pliable when they arrived, meaning she’d met her end shortly before I discovered her, but there weren’t any overt signs of violence.”
Shuddering, Marla visualized the chaos that had followed after she’d notified the boat’s crew. Then had come the fear that the murderer was still among them. Whoever had ambushed Cookie might stalk her next. Terror pursued her until she and Tally reached shore and the safety of her car.
“I imagine Detective Vail wasn’t too happy to hear the news,” Nicole said with a sympathetic grin. Cutting a client’s hair at the next station, she snipped automatically.
Marla paused, hairbrush in hand. Her next appointment hadn’t arrived yet, and she’d been cleaning her counter.
“All I heard from Dalton was how he’d warned me not to meet Cookie. Unlike the media, he’s being very closemouthed about this case.”
“Yeah, I saw the news report earlier this morning. A woman was found dead in the alligator pit at the Royal Barge dinner cruise. That’s going to hurt their business. Tourists will shy away until the commotion dies down.”
“Not necessarily,” Marla commented. “It may have the opposite effect.”
“Wasn’t she the woman who picketed in front of your salon?” asked Nicole’s customer, a scion of the community who’d been listening with interest.
“Yep, that’s her.” Marla clenched her teeth. No doubt the news story accounted for so many unexpected walk-ins today. Other folks wanted to assess her reaction.
Normally, Thursdays tended to be quiet, but this morning had been incredibly hectic. While this wasn’t the preferred method for increasing business at the cash register, Marla didn’t begrudge the extra income.
Cookie’s demise wasn’t the only news making the rounds.
“Marla, I heard you and Arnie Hartman broke off your engagement,” said Abby Whitehall, one of Marla’s clients, later that morning. Possessing boundless energy, the tall woman used up calories faster than a marathon runner. She’d been thin as long as Marla had known her.
Giorgio piped in from across the room. “You should have heard Arnie moon over that blonde. I don’t blame him.” His hands imitated an hourglass figure.
“Is that so?” Abby’s hazel eyes twinkled. “Arnie left you for another woman?”
“No, that’s not what happened at all,” Marla said. “I’ve known Arnie likes Jill, and it doesn’t bother me. He was upset because I’d spent the night at Dalton Vail’s house.”
“Oh! You’re sleeping with the detective?”
“Marla, pick up the phone,” yelled the receptionist from the front desk. “It’s Tally Riggs.”
“I’m in the middle of a highlights. I’ll call her back.”
“So give me the juicy details,” Abby urged, her gaze alight with curiosity. “Since when have you and Detective Vail been a number? Are things really hot between you?”
“Just warm right now . He’s mad at me for sleuthing on my own last night.”
“Is he jealous over Arnie?”
“I don’t think so. But our personal life is irrelevant until he solves this case. I spent the night at his house because someone threw a bomb in my window. He did me a mitzvah, that’s all. Nothing happened between us—especially with his daughter, Brianna, playing chaperon.”
“A bomb! Thank goodness you weren’t hurt.”
“I agree.” The last few days had been harrowing.
Marla finally returned Tally’s call after lunch, dialing the number for Dressed to Kill Boutique. “Have you heard anything new about Cookie?” she said when Tally answered.
“No, I was hoping you’d spoken to Dalton. I can’t forget what the poor woman looked like, lying there like a broken doll.” A heavy silence fell. “Anyway, that’s not why I called. That man was here today, the one who buys clothes for his girlfriend and tries them on.”
“What about him?”
“I realized why he looks so familiar. I think I’ve seen this guy at the sports club.”
“Who is he? One of the members?”
“I’m not sure. Want to go tonight? I’ll skip my aura class.”
“Okay. That reminds me, I should stop by Eloise’s office later. I’d like to know where she was last night.”
As it turned out, Eloise wasn’t to be found at her office, but she had signed in at the sports club when Marla and Tally showed up at seven o’clock that evening. Searching for her, they invaded the pool area, where a Splashfit class was underway—mostly senior citizens, it appeared from their uniformly gray hair. Steamy humidity mingled with a strong scent of chlorine as they passed the whirlpool, frothing and bubbling away.
“Marla,” hissed a nearby voice.
She whipped around and located the speaker, who was nearly submerged in the hot tub. Jill’s blond hair was protected by a turban, and as she emerged from the water like a goddess, Marla noted the head wrap provided more cover than her meager swimsuit. Jill grabbed a thick towel and draped it around her shapely torso.
“What are you doing here?” Marla demanded. “Have you seen Eloise?”
Jill waved a greeting to Tally. “Eloise went upstairs earlier to use the machines. It’s horrible about Cookie. You know, for a while I suspected her, but now…” She fell silent, a pained expression on her face.
Tally met her eye to eye. “You haven’t talked to Detective Vail today, have you? Marla’s not had any luck getting in touch with him.”
“No, sugar. I had a nice schmooze with Arnie on the phone, though.” Jill’s gaze brightened. “That man is such a sweetheart. Do you know he asked me to attend his daughter’s chorus concert?”
“Did you accept?” Marla thought school functions were the most boring events.
“Of course, and I’m so excited to meet his kids. I’ve always dreamed of having a family, but it didn’t seem as though it would happen for me. Arnie may be a bit older, but that doesn’t matter. He needs me.”
Marla silently wished her good luck. She had no desire to play mother hen to someone else’s children or her own. Never mind that Brianna came with Dalton Vail. That didn’t bear thinking about right now.
They walked together toward the women’s locker room. Being next to two statuesque blondes made Marla feel like a shrimp. She entered the locker room where a welcome rush of cool air-conditioning dried her skin.
“I wonder if Dalton is avoiding me. He blasted me on the phone last night for meeting Cookie. I told him you were with me, Tally, but it didn’t make any difference. That man has to learn he can’t dictate my actions. I’m not a shlemiel he can push around.”
“He cares for you,” Jill said, a lopsided smile on her face.
Marla warmed toward her. The young woman really could be nice when she exhibited her true nature. “I know, but he shows it the wrong way.” Fortune accompanied her; Eloise sat on a bench in the locker room, sprinkling yellow powder on her toes.
“What is that stuff?” Marla sought an answer to a question niggling in her mind.
Eloise glanced up. Her hair hung in wet strands as though she’d just showered. “It’s an antifungal powder. Don’t spread it around,” she added facetiously.
“Oh, gross. You have athlete’s foot?” Jill wrinkled her nose.
“Were you in here dusting your feet the night Jolene died?” Marla asked. “I saw some powder beneath her locker.”
Eloise frowned, emphasizing the age lines on her round face. “I may have used it then, but I can’t remember.”
Plopping her bag on the bench, Marla signaled to Tally. “Go ahead and get changed if you want. I’ll just be a minute.” She turned to Eloise after her friend had walked off with Jill. “What happened when you left with Detective Vail yesterday? You didn’t return for your appointment.”
Hunching forward, Eloise hesitated before responding. “I was upset talking about Sam. The detective seemed to think I might have been involved with his…accident. I know how it must have looked, my disappearing like I did. First Jolene, then Sam, and I’d suspected they were having an affair. Well, I got scared after what I saw in the parking lot.”
Hoping to disguise her eagerness, Marla raised an eyebrow. “What was that?”
“I’ll explain in a minute. After meeting you in the restroom, I had an argument with Sam over his involvement with Jolene. He wouldn’t talk about it, and I was furious. I left the restaurant. We’d driven in separate cars, because I came directly from showing a client one of our properties. When I walked toward my car, I noticed a movement near his Chevy.”
“You saw someone?”
She nodded. “Hank Goodfellow. I thought I saw your friend, too.”
“Who?”
“Hortense, isn’t it?”
“What was she doing?” Marla remembered Jill had excused herself from their table to retrieve a set of head shots from her car. She’d taken an inordinately long time in returning.
Eloise, a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes, lowered her voice. “I think she was spying on Hank. He was tinkering with Sam’s engine. I assumed Sam had a problem with his car, and he’d spoken to Hank about it at the restaurant. I thought Hank was fixing it, but instead he might have been fixing the bomb. Later, I put two and two together. Jolene was one of Hank’s customers. Maybe she’d threatened to expose his little side business. As a result, he may have killed her and then Sam because they were close.”
“Did you give Detective Vail this information?”
Reaching for a pair of socks, Eloise tilted her head. “He’s aware of Hank’s extracurricular activities. His colleagues have been investigating the illegal sale of drugs from Hank’s pharmacy.”
“So why doesn’t he bring Hank in for questioning?”
“He’s waiting to collect evidence against him, so he can use it as leverage to get the man to talk.”
Dalton has certainly confided in Eloise. Why not me? “Is Hank here tonight?”
Eloise’s gaze darted furtively about the room. “No, I haven’t seen him.”
“Does Dalton believe Hank set the bomb that killed your husband?”
“He mentioned something about trace evidence. I guess he’s working on it but doesn’t have solid proof.”
Tally rounded a corner and peered at them. “Hey, Marla, are you getting changed or not?”
“Where’s Jill?” Marla asked. “Er, I mean Hortense. She prefers to be called by her middle name, you know.”
“Hortense went upstairs,” Tally explained in a patient tone.
“Eloise, be careful.” Marla felt the woman had been right to be afraid. Whoever had killed Sam might believe his wife knew too much. “And if you have time, stop by the salon tomorrow. I’ll fix your hair.”
“What was that all about?” Tally asked while Marla threw on her gym clothes.
Quickly Marla reiterated what Eloise had told her. No one else was about, and they’d retreated to a distant corner of the locker room. “I’d like to get Gloria out of her office as we’d planned. Her files might reveal more about these people.”
Tally nodded her acquiescence. “I’ll tell her I’m considering a full membership, and I need her to go upstairs with me to answer some questions about the equipment. It won’t give you much time.”
Marla stuffed her bag into a locker and locked the door. After hoisting up her sweatpants, she pocketed the key. “Let’s do it.”
Waiting until no one else was around, Marla slipped into Gloria’s office once their target had left with Tally. She hesitated inside the door, scanning the clutter on the desk. It wouldn’t do to displace items, but where to start?
Stars rippled on a computer monitor as though a screen saver had activated. Hoping the personnel files might be listed there instead of in the locked file cabinet, Marla sat at the desk. She swirled the mouse until the Windows desktop came into view. Her heart rate increased when a search produced a folder labeled “Staff” and another one, “Members.” Scrolling down the staff list, Marla noted Tesla’s address given as the street number she knew to be Betsy’s house. That wasn’t much help. The rest of the details were mundane—names, addresses, contact numbers, positions, and vacation schedules.
Turning to the member file, Marla found a reference to a spreadsheet program. Hoping it wasn’t too complicated, she brought up another window and noticed a discrepancy between members’ initial fee dates and renewals.
She’d left the door partially closed, and when it was suddenly yanked open, she jerked upright in surprise. Slate’s large form darkened the doorway. He glared at her with knitted brows. As he approached, his amber eyes blazing like a tiger ready to pounce, Marla noticed those brows were unusually dark. They didn’t match the medium-brown hair brushed off his forehead.
Flushing guiltily, Marla clicked off the programs on screen, leaving the desktop icons displayed. Then she pushed herself up from the chair. “I, uh, was admiring Gloria’s computer. I need to get a new one, and this brand is one of my considerations.”
“Liar.” He stopped inches in front of her, fists clenched by his side. “What did you find out?”
She thrust her chin forward. “What are you hiding? Tesla lives with you, but her address given is your friend Betsy’s.”
“That’s none of your business.” Beads of sweat broke out on his upper lip.
I’m getting to you, pal. “Tesla followed Amy one night. Did she tell you why?”
“I don’t have to answer your questions.” Grabbing her shoulders, he shook her until her teeth rattled.
“You’d rather talk to Detective Vail? Get your hands off me, or I’ll charge you with assault.” His height and shape merged with an image in her consciousness, and she gasped. “You’re the man who attacked me in the parking lot with a broken bottle.”
Instantly, he stepped away. “I should have finished the job. A few cuts to your pretty face, and you’d have had a lot more to worry about. You’re too nosy for your own good. I figured I could scare you off.”
“Did you throw that Molotov cocktail through my window?”
“Huh?”
“Someone tossed a bomb into my house. The police have evidence. Would you care to confess now, or later in an interrogation room?”
“I don’t know nothin’ about that.”
“Did you kill Jolene? Is that why you want me to quit investigating? You’re responsible for the deaths of three people?”
His smug superiority was replaced by a look of fear. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Hearing voices outside in the corridor, Marla spoke quietly. “Sam Zelman and Cookie Calcone. Whoever killed Jolene might have murdered them, too. You have a history of violence. The cops will want to bring you in, especially when I tell them how you’ve threatened me.”
He stumbled backward, his bravado dissipated. “I only tried to scare you.”
“Then what are you hiding?”
“Jolene knew. She knew a lot of things, like how Gloria rakes in extra money by manipulating commissions on the computer. Jolene figured it out when Gloria sent her repeated renewal notices.”
“Is that what Jolene meant when she asked you if Keith was involved?”
“I never cut myself in for a share. Gloria would have broadcast what she’d learned about me.”
Frustrated because he was revealing information, but not what she wanted to hear, Marla shook her head. “What is that?”
“I can tell you,” Tally’s voice rang out loud and clear from where she leaned against the doorjamb. “ He’s the man who comes into my boutique and changes into women’s clothing.”
Striding into the office with Gloria at her heels, Tally pointed a finger at Slate. “I’ll bet I know why such a mystery surrounds Tesla, the elusive massage therapist. You’re looking at her. They even have the same letters in their names.”
Marla’s mouth gaped. Gloria snickered, and Slate blanched.
“Is it true?” Marla asked, even as the puzzle pieces mentally tumbled into place. Panty hose in the massage suite, lipstick smeared on Slate’s mouth, Betsy’s obvious distress. No wonder, if her boyfriend preferred to dress in drag. “And if so, why did you follow Amy?”
Slate’s face crumpled. “Keith would have told our boss if I didn’t do what he wanted. He’s hot on Amy, so he ordered me to follow her to see who she hooks up with. The jerk doesn’t understand she’s not interested.”
“That’s because Amy likes you, stupid,” said Gloria. “You’re all a bunch of assholes. I’m the only one with brains around here.” Her crimson lips pouted. “Now Marla, explain what you’re doing in my office.”
It was Marla’s turn to feel cornered. “I understand Jolene learned you were cheating on customers and boosting your commissions. Did she threaten to expose you? Is that why you killed her?” She’d learned to go for the gut reaction, but she didn’t really suspect Gloria. The girl wouldn’t stoop to making bombs.
Gloria laughed raucously. “She couldn’t have hurt me. But there were others whose reputations she could damage.” Her glance flickered to Slate.
He raised his hands. “Hey, I didn’t do it. I’d like to clear this up just to get the heat off. You were here the night Jolene drowned. Did you notice anyone other than Sharon and Amy in the lobby?”
“It was pretty quiet,” Gloria admitted. “You might ask Lindsay who was in the locker room. She didn’t leave until after Jolene went in for her massage. Maybe she saw someone else.”
“Why was Lindsay still here?” Marla queried. “Hadn’t Dancercize been over for at least a half hour?”
Gloria gave an evil grin. She was the type of person who enjoyed relating sordid gossip, Marla realized. “Hank Goodfellow had checked in earlier. I’ve seen the way those two act together. You should talk to him about it.”
“Yes, I should.” Marla signaled Tally. “Let’s get out of here. We’ve dug up enough dirt for tonight. These people need a shovel to cover their sludge.”