Armed and Fabulous (Lexi Graves Mysteries) (33 page)

"Why? You think I'm a bad date?"

"No. I think he has balls for asking a hot chick like you out."

"Yeah
?
I don't see you asking me on a date."
That was t
wo pretties, and one hot, not that I was counting. And Saturday
, I’d decided while wallowing yesterday,
didn't count as a date, unless someone said the
“
d
”
word.

Maddox's voice was low
,
but softer when he said, "You want to go on a date with me?"

"Nooo."
Oh, God, yes, please
. The impromptu dinner at my apartment had been pretty good. It would have been a whole lot better obviously without Solomon and Lily crashing it,
not to mention
ending with a dead body,
along with
pretty much everything else in between at Flames
. U
nless Maddox had seriously bad dating mojo, that was unlikely to happen twice. I hoped.

"I'll take you out when this is all over." Maddox smiled and my cynical insides melted a little. "I know where to get the best pizza in town."

"Monty's Slices. Everyone knows that." I picked up my stapler and attacked the pile of papers in front of me.

"Damn. How about Thai? I'll pick you up."

"I can live with that."

"Look at you. Five minutes, two dates." Maddox walked away before I could staple his tie to my desk.
Inside, I felt pretty damn pleased with myself. I had a
real
date with
a
sexy cop.

Chapter Ten

Maddox had already disappeared by five so I snuck out early and went home. My answering machine flashed with messages
and
I pressed
“
play
”
as I unbuckled m
y heels and lined them up
by the door.

The first was from my mother
,
reminding me that Thursday night dinner had switched to Saturday because she had a crochet class
;
and did I remember her message about the belly
-
dancing outfit? Thankfully
,
I had forgotten all about that, its importance eclipsed by the corpses in my life. The second
message
was from
Garrett
,
asking me to babysit Friday night. I deleted that one
,
then thought better of it and
called him back
.
I left
him a message
saying I couldn't
,
but I would the Friday after and they could even stay out post midnight. I didn't feel comfortable looking after the kids wh
ile
there was a murderer on the loose, one who might
have an unhealthy interest in my reports, and thus, me
. I felt confident I could look after myself
,
if threatened
;
but I wasn't sure about other people
,
and I'd never forgive myself if the kids got in the middle of it. Of course, there was a strong chance I'd change my mind if the kids pulled any tricks on me.

The third
message
was from Lily
,
saying hi. Finally, I pulled out my cell phone and there was a missed call from Maddox
,
but no message. I felt very popular all of a sudden. Instead of calling him back, I got my notes
with
Serena's demands and
called
the suppliers, double
-
checking everything was still on schedule for the baby shower. It had been surprisingly easy to organize
,
and I was half afraid something was about to go horribly wrong.

After I checked off my list, I called Lily back and asked her if she wanted to have a sandwich with me. Ten minutes later
,
she knew everything I knew from my day of snooping.

"I might call Scott. He was cute," she said after I remembered to tell her that he said hi.

"He's nice," I agreed. "I like him." And he was more available than my brother
,
but probably better not
to
mention that and send Lily mooning over Jord
again
.

"You know what I think?" she said.

"Tell me."

"I think we should stake out Anne."

"Why?"

"Did she look ill this morning?"

"No."

"Exactly. Maybe she's got the money? Maybe she's gone to hide it."

I couldn't imagine that somehow. Anne was mousey, past fifty and wouldn't say boo to a goose. But I hadn't gotten to speak to her and she was on my
“
unofficial suspects
”
list
along with everyone else
. It was
strange
that Anne
went
home.
“
I don'
t think I've ever seen her sick,” I told Lily.

“Exactly,” she drawled.

"She lives on Burlington Avenue," I said. "I mailed some letters for her once and she had these cute little address stickers. Let's go check her out."

“You think she could have hired hit men and set them on Dean?”

I thought about it. Then I thought about Dean’s secret hanky-spanky lifestyle. Really, who knew what other people were capable of? “Maybe,” I said.

I drove
,
seeing as my car was slightly more inconspicuous than Lily's turquoise Mini
,
and pulled
onto
Burlington, around four houses
away
from Anne's, just as she
was coming
out of her house. She carr
ied
a large bag and seemed in a hurry as she climbed into a maroon sedan, gunning the engine and pulling out.

"I don't want to break in," I said. "It doesn't seem right
while
Anne is alive." Also, Maddox might not be as lenient.
The lights were still on in the house and a shadow moved across the window.
S
omeone was in.

"Yeah, plus I don't want to find any more bodies. Let's follow her. Maybe she's making a run for it. Maybe the bag is stuffed with money."

"It didn't look heavy," I said.

"How heavy
are
millions?" Lily tapped on the dashboard and pointed
after Anne
. "She's going to make a turn."

"I don't know. I've never carried more than two hundred bucks and that was a really good week." I pulled out and followed, keeping a few car lengths behind Anne. We
trailed
her out of her neighborhood,
heading downtown
,
staying a firm two cars behind her the whole time until she pu
lled into a parking lot
at the
Elms
C
ommunity
R
ecreation
C
enter. I pulled in after her, just as she climbed out the car and leaned into the back. We parked on the far side of the lot
and stared
.

L
ean
ing
forward
, we both
watched as Anne pulled the bag out, hurrying around the side of the building.

"Definitely not making a run
to
the airport," I said.

"Maybe it's the drop?" Lily gasped, opening the door.
The overhead light pinged on.
"Are you armed?"

I scrabbled in my tote for any kind of weapon
and
found
nothing
. "Only
with my wit," I said
,
climbing
out
after Lily and
beep
ing
the car shut.

"Well, bring it." Lily shot off across the lot and I followed her in a half run, slowing to walk along the shadowed path to the front of the building. Lily pressed herself against the wall, to one side of the porch, and whispered, "She went inside."

"Guess we'll have to go in too."

The porch was dark, and one fluorescent light flickered in the lobby. The walls were littered with flyers and announcements for exercise classes and community events
;
and the only door that didn't lead to a kitchenette or bathrooms was straight ahead.

I pulled the door cautiously and peeped inside, j
umping when a large woman
coiffed in
beehive
hair
with
a silk flower stuck in it,
appeared
before
us
.

"Are you the new girls?" she asked, clapping her hands together.

"Uh...
yes?" I said, my eyes
riveted on
her hair. It seemed to
be
hover
ing
over her head like a spaceship.

"Fabulous! Wonderful!" She leaned
closer
. "Is this your first time?"

"Yes?"
I said, my voice sliding upwards in scale.
First time for what
?
I wanted to ask. I couldn't remember the
last time someone asked me that about anything.

"Great. Did you bring your costumes?"

"Pardon?"

"Your costumes, ladies."

"N
o, sorry. We didn't realize,
"
said Lily, trying to edge her way past
in order to get a better view
.

"Oh, well. Maybe you just want to watch?"

"Yes!" I latched onto that gratefully. Watching I could do. Participating might prove a problem
,
given that I couldn't fathom what Anne was doing
under the dim illumination
. Across the room was a small stage,
with
a couple of women milling around on it.

"Well, alright. You can sit over there. Hello, ladies!" she called as the door opened behind us and we were swept forward.

"What the hell is going on?" asked Lily as we slunk along the back wall. "This doesn't look like a drop site. Do you think they're all in on it? Like one of those bad
ass female gangs?"

I looked at the women. I couldn’t see that somehow. They all looked like, well, normal
,
but then who
could
tell?
Maybe they were gang moms.
"You watch too much television." I picked out two chairs and pushed them into the corner.

"Do not."

"Do too."

We shut up then because
the
music started up, a big bass streaming through the speakers. A flutter of movement on the stage at the far end of the room drew my attention. Seven women stood in a vee formation; front and center
; but d
ressed in a black corset, a skirt that wasn't much more than a ruffle of material, fishnets and Victorian
-
style lace
-
up boots was Anne
!
Her hair was swept back, her cheeks rouged, glasses gone, and she looked far from
the
dowdy
Anne I knew
. Like the other women, she held two large feather fans.
Beehive woman stood on the floor below the stage and called time.
Working as one, they danced, stomped
,
and high kicked around the stage, the fans working over time during the
more
risqué
moments.