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Dan passed through the glass doors of Revel 18, one of the city’s swankiest salons, not far from Coffee Pot Bayou. He hadn’t been in this area for a long time, not since a case brought him to a then-closed bakery, and most of that experience he preferred to forget.
The perky woman behind the front desk beamed at him. Orchid neck tat. Six piercings in her left ear. Spot of something white on her blouse. She appeared to be around twenty and to have perfect teeth. Was that a service they provided at the salon?
“Do you have an appointment?”
“Sort of. I’m not here for a makeover.” Although as he glanced at himself in the overhead mirror, he wondered if he should. He was looking kinda ragged. Stress, he supposed. Stress, plus the fact that Maria, who normally chided him for sartorial and grooming errors, was keeping quiet. Because she thought he was under enough stress? Because she didn’t want to upset him during this tricky time in their relationship? Because she thought he was hopeless? “I’m here to see Erica.”
“She told me someone was coming. She’s on break. You can go on back if you want.”
He nodded. She led the way.
The salon was an impressively large-scale operation. He’d had a pedicure not long ago—only way to meet a witness, long story—but that place looked like a dive compared to this one. On the left were the expected berths where people got their hair cut and styled and colored, but on the left were an equal number of berths with chairs and foot boxes, where mani-pedis could be delivered simultaneously. He also spotted some rooms with curtains where he assumed facials and massages and such took place.
Peeking between the curtains, he spotted something he couldn’t identify. “Is she pouring...wax in that guy’s nose?”
The receptionist smiled. “Yes. Ear and nose waxes. The latest rage.”
“But...why?”
“Why does anyone get waxed? To remove hair.”
“It will grow back.”
“Then it’s time for another wax. Come on—no one wants to look at your nose hair. It’s super-gross. Ick.”
“That’s why God invented tweezers. How do people breathe during this procedure?”
“They only do one nostril at a time.”
“And did you say ears? As in, ear wax? Why would anyone do that?”
She smiled. “Ask me again when you’re twenty years older.”
She opened the door to the break room. Predictably small, predictably lined with vending machines, though the options were considerably healthier than most of what he usually saw in vending machines.
A woman in her late fifties rose when he entered the room. She was generous in figure and comfortably dressed. Big strand of fake pearls. Flip-flops. Dangling earrings.
“Danny!” She rushed toward him with arms spread wide and wrapped them around him, squeezing tightly.
He stood there wordlessly, not exactly sure how to respond. Danny?
“I have heard so much about you,” she explained, hugging all the tighter. “And I wanted to reach out to you. But it didn’t feel right, you know? Not fair to your mom.”
He took a step back and gave her a closer look. She looked good, not only for her age, but for any age. Tight cheekbones. Mandala necklace. Black smudge on right forefinger. “You knew my mother?”
“How could I not? We were all thick as thieves back then. Even lived together for a short while. One big weird wife-swapping household.”
“Um, excuse me?”
“Aw hell, kid. It was so long ago. Why keep secrets? Turned out horribly, sure, but we had some great times while it lasted. Your dad and Jack were both major up-and-comers on the police force. Your mom taught school. I was fresh out of cosmetology school and had my first gig as a hairdresser.”
“I’m a little confused. My dad’s former partner described you as his ex-girlfriend.”
“That’s one way of putting it. We lived together.”
“But...my mother lived in the same house?”
“Yeah. Your dad and I were together for like two years. We both had basically no family. We desperately needed someone and were lucky enough to find each other. Your mom was with Jack.”
“She was married to Jack before she married my father.”
“Correct.”
“But...she later divorced Jack and married my father.”
“Also correct.”
“And you all lived together?”
She waved her hand in the air. “It was another time. Have a seat.”
He took a chair at the card table. Between the vending machines he noticed a brown door, closed and locked. Dust on the doorknob.
She followed his gaze. “Hungry?”
“No. Just curious. Nice that you offer your employees healthy options.”
She shrugged. “It’s important for people working in the beauty industry to appear, if not exactly beautiful, at least not haggard and unhealthy. I encourage people to eat well—to the extent that anything that comes out of a vending machine can be called eating well.”
“My friend Garrett tells me you own this place.”
“True enough. Started as one of many hairdressers, and now, all these years later, it’s mine. I turned it into a much enhanced, much cooler, full-service salon.”
“I got the quick tour as I came in. It does look like you offer everything there is to make a person look better.”
“Well, we don’t have plastic surgeons on the premises yet, but we’re working on it.” She smiled. “Believe me, this didn’t happen overnight. I had to scrape together a lot of pennies. Had to make some smart investments. Had to find investors willing to take a chance on me, including a few I didn’t particularly like. But money is money. Your father taught me a lot about business, you know. If not for him, I’d probably still be cutting hair.”
That was surprising. So far as he knew, his father had no actual business experience. “What did he teach you?”
“Little stuff, Mind you, when we were together, I knew nothing. He told me to start an IRA. I did. He told me to always pay myself first, to save and invest the first ten percent right off the top. Basic stuff, but I didn’t know any of it. Till Ethan taught me.”
“Did he live the same way? Far as I know, he never amassed much cash.”
“Because he was generous. Always giving it away. And because he chose to be a police officer, not a—”
He arched an eyebrow. “A lawyer?”
“Or anything likely to bring in big bucks. He wasn’t a spendthrift. That was Jack.”
“Jack had money?”
“Every now and again. Not every day. Not regularly. But occasionally he would pop up with big wads of cash and no one had the slightest idea where it came from.”
“Did you ask?”
“Yeah, but he always blew the question off with some silly answer. Won the lottery. Inheritance from a rich uncle. Yeah, sure. Whatever it was, he didn’t want to talk about it. And he never saved any of it, so what did it matter? Never changed our lives. At least not for long. He spent some on your mother, but mostly he just frittered it away.”
How does a young police officer come into sudden significant influxes of money? “Ever heard anyone mention it since?”
“No. Didn’t matter to me what the roomies did. Your daddy took care of me. I preferred a strong man with a steady income to a flashy guy with unexplained spikes of wealth. After your dad left me for your mother, Jack made some moves toward me. Like we should all just change lobsters and dance, you know? But I wasn’t having any of it. Not interested. Your dad was the man for me. If I couldn’t have him, I certainly wasn’t going to settle for the inferior clone.”
“Sounds like...you really liked my father.”
“I adored your daddy.” Her eyes lit. “Did I say that strongly enough? I adored him. I got goosepimply when he walked into the room. I worshipped that man. I still think of our two years together as the happiest part of my life. I’ve had other relationships since, sure, and I’ve had some business success. But no one ever made me feel the way he did. He was a good man, your daddy. Through and through. They don’t make many like that.”
Dan didn’t know what to say. It was great to hear such positive comments about his father. But it also made feel as if there was a gigantic hole in his knowledge of his father. His family. More he didn’t know than he did. “I feel guilty. I...don’t recall my father ever mentioning you.”
“Why would he? He married your mother, and I suspect she didn’t want to hear him talking about his old girlfriend. You were just a kid back then, when he was still alive. I can’t imagine any reason he would ever start talking to his little boy about his ex-girlfriends.”
Valid point. “Where was this house?”
“Not far from the beach. You’re daddy loved the water.”
Just like him.
“Old Victorian-style thing. It needed lots of work, but it was the best we could afford. And the boys did a lot of much-needed repair work, so it all worked out perfectly. We had our own lives, but we all ate dinner together almost every night.”
But not forever, apparently. “When did things...start to change?”
“You mean, when did your dad drift from me to her?” Her smiled faded. “Too soon for me. I saw it coming. But there was nothing I could do to stop it.”
“Was he...unhappy?”
“Not that I was aware. But in many ways...we were an odd couple. Truth is, I was the odd man out in the whole house, not just the relationship. I was the only one of the bunch who hadn’t been to college. They were professionals. I was a hairdresser. You get the idea. They talked about books I’d never read. They used words I didn’t know. Don’t get me wrong—your daddy was not a snob. He was completely down-to-earth. He was a cop, after all, not a physics professor. But still. There was a...divide.”
“And eventually...he drifted over to my mother?”
“Yeah. And I kept telling myself not to let it get to me. She was a better match for him. And I just wanted him to be happy. I told myself.” Her eyes lowered a bit. “But I’m not quite that selfless. I wanted to be happy too.”
“Nothing wrong with that.”
“I guess. It just wasn’t meant to be. I was lucky to get the time with him that I did.”
“Do you know what happened...that night? When Jack was killed?”
“Sorry. I don’t. That was long after your dad and I stopped seeing each other. I read about it in the paper but...I don’t know anything about it personally.”
“Do you think he did it?”
“Like I said, I wasn’t there.”
“No. But you knew him. And Jack. Better than anyone. What do you think went down?”
“I don’t know.” Her voice became more forceful. She looked away, blinking rapidly. After a few moments, he realized she was blinking away tears. “When I read what happened in the papers, I was horrified. I knew how hard this was going to be on everyone involved. They didn’t deserve this. None of them did.”
“Was there bad blood between my dad and Jack?”
“What do you think? Your father took his wife and in time married her. Left him in the cold. But the two men still had to see each other almost every day at work. No way that was going to be a happy experience for any of them. I know Jack thought about getting a transfer but...for whatever reason, it never happened.”
“Do you think—” Dan swallowed. “Do you think my father was capable of killing Jack?”
She fidgeted with her fingers. “Your father was a strong man. Very strong.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means he was capable of doing anything, if he had to.”
“But was he a murderer?”
“For the right reason?” She wiped her eyes. “I know this isn’t want you want to hear. Ethan wasn’t a bad person at all. But he could do anything if he felt it needed to be done.”
“Even murder.”
She didn’t say anything.
Dan waited a few moments before he pressed ahead. “Do you know anything about me maybe...having a sister?”
She hesitated a moment, then looked at him levelly. “Dan...are you sure you want to get into this? ‘Cause let me tell you—it’s nasty. You’re not going to like what you hear.”
“I want to know what happened. What really happened. I want to know the truth.”
She nodded. “There was...a daughter. Your mom’s daughter. But not with your dad. With Jack.”
“So...my half-sister?”
“Yeah. I guess that’s right.”
“What happened to her?”
“I don’t know the details. They never wanted to talk about it. I think they considered abortion—your mom and Jack weren’t married yet—but she decided to have the baby. They kept her a few years, then give her up for adoption.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know all the ins and outs. But she resurfaced again, sometime later...there was some trouble. I don’t know that much about it, but she came back into their lives in the worst possible way.”
“Which is?”
She bit down on her lower lip. Her eyes went into deep focus.
“Please. I need to know what happened.”
She hesitated for a long moment before answering. “You know who you should talk to? Gerald Jaquith. Jack’s old partner. Back in the day.”
“Would he have been at the shootout? When Jack was killed?”
“I assume so.”
“He must be retired now. Do you know where he is?”
“I don’t.” She flashed a smile. “But you found me. I bet you can track him down too.”
“I have a friend who is an excellent researcher.”
“From what I read, you do pretty darn well yourself. You know—your daddy would be very proud of you. What you’ve become. You got dealt some tough cards. But you played them right and turned yourself into a superstar. A star who helps people. Just like your dad did.”
He did not reply. He couldn’t. He decided to change the subject. “What’s behind the door?”
“Huh?”
“The brown door. Between the vending machines.”
“It’s just...storage...and...”
He gave her a long look.
“I don't know what you’re talking about.”
He shrugged. “I’ve learned to watch people. Carefully. I saw the expression on your face when we came in, as if you were expecting someone else, even though I arrived at the arranged time. I see how you’ve positioned yourself in here. No one can get in or out without going through you. And I can tell from the building layout that there’s more back there than a mere storage closet. It’s at least the size of a massage room. Maybe bigger.”
She looked worried at first, then all at once, burst out with a huge grin. “Damnation. You are your father’s boy.”
“Well...”
“If I were thirty years younger, I’d throw myself at you right here and now.”
He tugged at his collar. “I’m...seeing someone...”
She laughed. “Just an expression, kid.”
“What’s going on back there. Smuggling?”
“Nothing quite so nefarious.”
“Then what?”
“Off the record?”
“Does it relate to what happened to my dad?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Then ok. Off the record.”
She took another deep breath. “You know anything about stem cells?”
“I know President Bush discontinued medical research using them.”
“But others quietly restarted it. The FDA has even approved stem cell procedures for treating cancer. But there are other uses for it.”
His forehead creased. “Is this some kind of...secret beauty treatment?”
She touched her finger to her nose. “Ding ding ding. Medical researchers think stem cells could be used to treat heart disease or diabetes. But some people believe it could have cosmetic benefits. Kinda like the crowd who started taking human growth hormone. People will shoot themselves up with anything it they think it will keep them young.”
“No doubt.”
“We’re not the only ones providing this service, though I think we’re the only ones in St Petersburg. Hard to know for sure, since so one’s exactly advertising it.”
“We’re talking about...?”
“Untested stem cell beauty treatments. Supposed to take years off you. Erase wrinkles.”
“I did notice you don’t have much wrinkling.”
“Because I eat right and take care of myself. I’m not injecting anything risky into myself. But some people do. One lady in California got a $20,000 facelift that put her own stem cells into her face, especially around her eyes. Except the stem cells turned to bone in her eyelid and suddenly she couldn’t see any more. Paid a fortune to undo what she first paid to have done.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. We don’t do that. But we will inject people with stem cells in low threshold doses.”
“Do you think it helps?”
“I personally think it’s mostly perception. People want to think they look better so they do.”
“Like an expensive placebo?”
“More or less.”
“Is this illegal?”
“Not to my knowledge. But maybe nothing to brag about. The Association of Plastic Surgeons has warned against unsubstantiated claims and procedures that might put people at risk. But no laws have been passed. And we don’t do anything that could be harmful.”
“So far as you know.”
She nodded. “So far as I know. So it’s not illegal, but we keep it on the quiet, just the same. Want to give it a try?”
“No thanks. I like my face just fine the way it is.”
“You might feel differently in twenty years.”
“Maybe. But I doubt it. I like my wrinkles. I earned these wrinkles. I don’t think they’re anything to be embarrassed about.” He rose to his feet. “But I do thank you for talking to me.”
“The pleasure was mine. Seeing you takes me back to another time. A happy time. Before the shooting. Before the breakup. Life seemed so much simpler than. A place to live, food to eat, a man you loved. I thought I had it all.”
He turned toward the door. “Maybe you did.”
“Not surprised you would say that. You know what? You’re just like him. You probably don’t see it, but I can.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I do. And you want to know what else?” She smiled, as broadly as it was possible to smile. “You’ve got his eyes.”