Crazy in Paradise (22 page)

I’d barely hung up before my phone rang again with an unrecognizable number.

“Ms. Madison Westin?”

I hesitated. “This is she.”

“Campion here, your hot shot criminal attorney.”

“Oh,” I groaned. Now what?

“There went my ego,” he laughed. “I called with good and bad news.”

“Good news first, please.”

“Harder won’t be bothering you again. He completely cleared you in the death of Oscar Wyatt.”

I exhaled. “That’s a relief. I hated being a suspect. And the bad news?”

“My bill won’t be as large as I had hoped,” he said with mock seriousness.

“Sounds like a win-win for me.”

“I enjoyed sparring with Harder. He was out-lawyered and he knew it. Keep me on speed dial. You never know when you’ll need a good criminal attorney.”

* * *

Another hot, hot day, so I dug around in my clean, but unfolded, laundry pile, finding a pair of black yoga pants, and two workout tops. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail and laced up my tennis shoes. Dressed for breaking and entering.

It was way past time to tell all to Madeline. I called her number and, thank God, it went straight to voice mail. “It’s your favorite daughter. How about a girl dinner tomorrow night? You pick the restaurant, and I’ll pay. Love you.”

I hung up thinking a couple of shots of Jack and a cigar would do the trick on her mood. Then I could tell her everything, but a little light on details. The most important thing is that she’d hear everything from me.

At The Cottages, Miss January was bent amongst the rose bushes weaving around.

“Hi, Miss January. What are you doing?”

“Walking Kitty.”

“
Oh no
. When she pulled her leash out of the bushes, I was relieved Kitty wasn’t attached.

“I haven’t seen you in a while,” I smiled. “How are you?”

“That little piece of shit told me if I ever came outside of my cottage except to leave he’d throw me out. I watched them drag his ass out of here,” she said, making wheezing noises.

I reached out and put my arm around her. She was all bones. “Don’t worry. Nobody’s going to bother you again.”

“You’re nice, like Lizzie.”

Fab pulled in. “You’re not hard to find,” she said, getting out of her convertible. Shorts showed off her long tanned legs and, instead of a giant knot ball, as mine would have been after driving with the top down, her hair simply had that messy, sexed-up look.

“I’m glad you found me, since I have a lot to tell you and I need your services again.”

After being brought up to speed, she asked, “Did you call Zach?”

“I haven’t talked to him today.”

“Too bad we may never figure out who Forrest really is,” Fab said.

I asked Fab if she could get me into Will’s cottage. “That way, I can get the record books, and anything else pertaining to The Cottages.”

“I’m coming in with you. It’ll go faster with the two of us.”

I was relieved. I didn’t want to go in by myself. “I’m looking for the keys and my aunt’s original records.” We walked over to Will’s cottage where Fab pulled a case out of her back pocket and removed a small tool. The door was opened as quickly as if she’d used a key.

“I’m very impressed.” I gasped as we walked inside, “What he hell happened in here?”

Clothes, shoes, and personal belongings were strewn all over the floor. Every piece of furniture was gone, except for a small love seat. Trash was everywhere, including food on the floor; five star accommodations for roaches and mice. Someone even relieved themselves in the middle of the kitchen.

“I realize I didn’t know Will very well, but whenever I had any contact with him, he was always well dressed. I can’t imagine he would live this way. It’s nasty. I’m going to get a cleaning crew in here tomorrow.”

“All this was done deliberately,” Fab said. “When I was in here the other day, the place was neat, clean, everything in order. Forrest was obviously pissed off and served up some payback. What did you ever do to either one of them?”

“I was the biggest obstacle in their scam.”

“Well, they left in a big hurry,” Fab observed, looking around. She pulled a gun from the waistband of her shorts and went room to room. “All clear!” she called.

I walked after her, going into each room. “I guess whatever personal items those two didn’t want, they threw on the floor. But what the heck happened to all of the furniture? Even the kitchen appliances are gone.”

“I wonder when they did this?” Fab asked. “The furniture was here the other day.”

“Will never invited me in, so I have no idea. I got the impression from Dee that the real estate deal was supposed to close soon. Stripping the place suggests they had one foot out the door. Why would they slow themselves down by moving furniture? That makes no sense.”

“Didn’t you tell me Forrest is over six feet tall, and Will several inches shorter?”

“Yes.”

“My guess is that Forrest came back here last night and only took his clothes. If this is all Will had, he traveled light. That Forrest left Will’s belongings behind indicates that he doesn’t expect him to get out of jail anytime soon. No need to worry about Forrest; he’s on to his next con. Since all we have is a nickname, he’ll fall under the radar until he gets arrested again. And he will; they always do.”

I walked across the room and opened a closet door. “Ah. The record books!” I called to Fab, bending down to pick the papers up off the floor.

“These were in the back of the desk,” Fab said, holding up a big ring of keys. “I’m sure they’re the ones you’re looking for. Each one is individually marked.”

“Will you come with me while I open the empty cottages? The police tape is gone from Cottage Nine and I need to see what kind of shape it’s in.”

“Stay here. I can go do that for you,” Fab offered.

“I’m coming with you. I just don’t want to do it by myself. Honestly, I’m a little afraid of what I’ll find.”

Every unoccupied cottage was stripped of furniture and appliances exactly like Will’s cottage. Cottage Nine had also been cleaned out and it reeked of dead body stink.

“What am I going to do about the odor?” I asked.

“I have a friend who runs a disaster cleanup service. If he can’t help you, he can put you in touch with someone who can.”

I groaned as Joseph pulled an old Buick into his parking space. “I can’t believe Joseph is driving again.”

“Who’s he?” Fab asked.

“Joseph was Elizabeth’s first tenant. He knows everything that goes on around here, and in the neighborhood. Keeps his mouth shut as far as I can tell.”

“Maybe he knows something about the missing furniture,” Fab suggested.

“Joseph,” I called out. He walked over to us. “This is Fab. Did you get your license back?”

“I’ve got it handled,” he said, busy eyeing Fab.

“Did you happen to see Forrest last night?”

“Sure did. He came, got his clothes, and didn’t stay long.”

“Anyone with him?” Fab asked him.

“A couple of big guys and a truck. He left on his own, though.”

“What were his two big friends doing while Forrest packed his bag?” Fab questioned.

“It was dark out, so I had a hard time seeing. I assume they were moving Will’s stuff.”

I sighed. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“It was late, and I thought you’d be asleep,” he said defensively. “Were you going to come over here in the middle of the night and confront a couple of big guys? Besides, Forrest had left by then.”

“I wouldn’t have confronted them by myself. I would’ve called the sheriff,” I informed him.

Fab looked disgusted. She walked off to look around the property.

“She’s hot,” Joseph said.

“Her boyfriend is a pro wrestler.” That sounded nicer than telling him he was wasting his time.

“I wrestle,” he smiled.

I couldn’t help myself; I laughed. “Do you? Be careful I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Put in a good word for me in case they break up.”

“Answer me this. Did you know Will and Forrest stripped all of the empty cottages of furniture and appliances?”

“I didn’t know anything about that,” he said, refusing to make eye contact.

“Your info doesn’t do me any good if you tell me after the fact, or not at all, especially when I’m being ripped off. Anything weird going on here, pick up the damn phone,” I told him. “Stay out of trouble.” I walked across the driveway to Fab.

“He’s a piece of work,” Fab said, shaking her head. “I wanted to kick his scrawny ass. He knew exactly what was going on here and didn’t say a word to anyone. Someone should point out to him that playing both sides is a dangerous position to take.”

“He thinks you’re hot,” I said, biting my lip, so I wouldn’t laugh.

“What did you say?”

“I told him your boyfriend is a pro wrestler, and he better be careful.”

“That’s a good one. If he only knew that I don’t need anyone else to kick his ass. I can do it myself.”

“What do you do when a man won’t take no for an answer?” I asked, curious for her response.

“I pull out my gun and point it at their balls.”

What a funny mental image. “You’re hilarious. Do you always carry a gun?”

“Yes, I wear it against the small of my back,” she said matter-of-factly. “I don’t go looking for trouble. In my business, I’m always prepared. You know, like a Girl Scout.”

I had a hard time summoning up that image, unlike the gun to the balls. “I still want to go to the gun range and lunch and shopping,” I reminded her while reaching out to hug her.

She stood there, clearly assessing me. Whatever the conclusions, her poker face gave away nothing. She hugged me back.

Chapter 30

On the short drive along the beach, I checked my rear-view mirror and noticed a car on my back bumper. I hate tailgaters. The driver wore a baseball cap pulled down to cover their face.

When I swung over close to the shoulder to let the car pass, the driver rammed my back bumper. I gripped the steering wheel, eased my foot off the gas, and tried to pull off the road. The car hit me again, harder than before. Whoever it was must be drunk. Instead of slowing, I shot down the road, simultaneously hitting the emergency button on the rear view mirror.

“911.”

“I’m on the Overseas Highway going south, about a mile from Tarpon Cove,” I reported. “There’s a silver mid-size car behind me that has run into me twice. I think the driver must be drunk.” No sober driver would continue to hit a vehicle bigger than its own.

I kept one eye on my mirror, as the car swerved to my left, trying to pull around me. Once again, I moved closer to the shoulder to let him by.

“What’s happening?” the operator asked.

“He looked as though he wanted to go around me, and instead ran into my driver’s side door!” I yelled. “I’m speeding up. I’m trying to lose him and I can’t.”

“Slow down and let him pass.”

“I tried that, and he ran into me twice, and now a third time!”

“Units are on the way. Try to stay calm. What’s the description of your car?”

“I drive a black Chevy Tahoe. He hit me again!” I shouted, panicked now. “He made another attempt to go around me, and then hit the rear quarter panel on the driver side. If he keeps this up, he’ll spin me out.”

“Weave back and forth, and if he gets close, speed up. Help is only a minute or two away.”

“I can hear sirens.”

“Stay calm. I’ll stay on the phone with you.”

“Lights are flashing in the distance. The car just turned right onto Conch Street.”

“Pull to the side of the road.”

I eased over and rolled down the window. Two sheriff’s cars pulled up behind me and I was happy when Kevin stepped out of one.

“Kev,” I called, hanging out of the window. “Man, I’m glad to see you.”

“What the hell happened?”

“Someone pulled up behind me, out of nowhere, and started ramming me.”

“Do you have a description?”

“Whoever was driving was wearing a hat which blocked their face. I couldn’t even make out if it was a man or woman. I assumed they’d been drinking.”

“Where’d they go?”

“The car just turned on Conch Street.”

The other sheriff standing next to him jumped back into his car and went in pursuit. Kevin stared at me. “Any reason why someone would want to run you off the road?”

“Neal Cooper, but he’s dead.”

“So we’ll take him off the list.”

“I honestly don’t know. Do you think a case of mistaken SUV?”

“Are you okay to drive home?”

“I’m fine, and it’s not far. I’m happy you got the call.”

“I’ll let you know when we find the car. It shouldn’t be hard. Based on the size difference, it’ll have considerable damage.”

As I drove off, I had to talk myself out of not jamming my foot on the accelerator so I could get home as fast as possible. Happy to be home, I jumped out and closed the gates.

I examined my Tahoe. The driver side panel had the most damage, and the rear had the least, despite taking several hard hits. Thank goodness for those oversized bumpers.

After locking the door, I leaned against the wall, trying to calm my nerves. Why would someone want to run me off the road?

Chapter 31

I decided on an early morning swim. Stepping in, the warm pool water felt good against my skin. After swimming laps, I brought my coffee and banana muffin to sit by the pool. Looking around the yard, I realized it had been sadly neglected. I had ignored all gardening chores with the exception of watering.

No time like the present. I went upstairs to change into capri sweat pants, tee shirt and old tennis shoes. Back outside, I stopped at the garage to pick up a bucket of gardening tools. I began with the hibiscus, dead-heading the shriveled blooms. Each plant had a story. Every summer, Elizabeth and I scoured the nurseries in search of a new breed or color. We got creative and added small flowers around the base of each tree. We continued planting even when we’d run out of practical space.

My phone rang as I was busy weeding the overgrown pots. By the time I retrieved it, the caller had hung up. The screen said private caller so hitting redial wouldn’t work.