Disrobed for Death (12 page)

He took one last draw on his beer, stood, and placed several bills on the table. Never once did Gary turn loose of the envelope. He unzipped his vest, slipped the package next to his body, and zipped the vest again. With his forearm holding the envelope tightly against his ribs, he made for the door.

Tickets my foot.
The envelope was way too thick for just tickets and a brochure. It had to contain money—blood money.

No need to follow anyone now. In fact, it would be wise to give Gary and Clarissa time to disappear. While she finished her gumbo, she decided on her next move. First, she’d do a Google search for Gary on the computer, find out where he lived and what he did. Maybe that would explain how Clarissa knew him. Next, she’d have to tell Wesley what she did…and discovered. He was going be angry for sure, but if he knew what she had planned next, he’d really explode.

Susan left the restaurant with a satisfied smile on her lips and happy feet. Once on the road to Hammond, she opened her phone and punched in A. K.’s name. “I’m heading your way. Traffic’s really heavy, so I can’t go into detail, but I’m pretty sure Clarissa has hired an assassin. Are you ready for this? I know him. I’ll tell you everything when I get back to the shop.”

Traffic thinned after she left metro New Orleans, and the long, monotonous hum of the car on the Interstate lulled her into complacency. Following Clarissa hadn’t been difficult, and if she could pull off her other plan, Jack and the Grim Reaper might not meet on Valentine’s Day.

She was through trying to convince him. It was going to take saving his life to prove her story. She really couldn’t fault him. If the shoe were on the other foot, she might react the same way.

When it’s over, she decided she wasn’t going to say, “I told you so.” Maybe she’d smirk a little, but keeping him alive would be satisfaction enough.

After watching the exchange between Gary and Clarissa, Susan liked the idea that Jack didn’t believe her. Jack was a creature of habit, and that would work to Wesley’s advantage. He wouldn’t have to worry about Jack suddenly changing his routine. He’d be where he should be and Wesley would have him under surveillance.

A sly grin crossed her face. If she could pull off what she had planned, maybe there wouldn’t be any need for a stakeout.

Further down the Interstate, flashing lights indicated trouble and drew Susan’s attention back to the road. Traffic crawled to a standstill, and twenty minutes later, Susan had advanced only a few hundred feet. She called A. K. and told her she would be late.

When she finally approached the wreck, she recognized Vera Barksdale talking to one of the officers. Susan left her lane and pulled in behind a patrol car.

Exiting her rental, she waved at Vera. “Are you okay?”

Vera cocked her head to one side and gave Susan a quizzical look.

Only then did Susan realize she was still in disguise. “It’s me, Susan.”

Vera dropped her head and stared over her glasses. “I’m not hurt, but what in the world happened to you?”

“I’ll explain later. Is your car drivable? Do you need a ride home?”

She pointed to a gray Nissan Altima. “I was the last one to plow into the pile-up. Busted my radiator. A tow truck is on the way to haul me and the car to Hammond. The man who owns the wrecker service is a friend of Herman’s. Uh, here he is now.”

“Why don’t you let me drive you home?”

“Sure you don’t mind?”

“Of course not.”

“Give me a minute.” Vera talked to the driver of the wrecker, made a quick phone call, then climbed in next to Susan. “I told Herman you’re bringing me home.”

“Did you go to New Orleans?”

“I went to visit my sister. It was her birthday. We try to get together at least once a year. Okay, what’s with the disguise?”

“Ask me again after Valentine’s Day.”

“Why then?”

“Listen, I won’t squeal on biker-Vera if you don’t press me for an explanation and keep my disguise a secret.”

“Deal.” Vera looked Susan over again from head to toe and shook her head. “Can I be nosy on another front?”

“Got a feeling you’re going to be anyway.”

“I’ve noticed you don’t wear an engagement ring, and I haven’t seen you out and about with a fellow on your arm, so what’s the problem?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Then uncomplicated it. Enjoy what you can, while you can. You never know what might happen. My David was gone in a flash, and I still miss him.”

“Yes, but now you have Herman.”

Vera’s melancholy expression gave way to a slight smile. “He is a joy. I never would have thought I’d get mixed up with a bunch of bikers. Boy, did I have the wrong opinion of them. Most of the riders are professional business men or retirees. Ain’t nothing cheap about owning a Harley. If you ever decide you’d like to meet someone else, I know a couple of guys you’ll find very interesting.” She gave Susan another hard look. “I can’t imagine what you’re up to in that garb, but if you need any help, you can depend on me and Herman.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. So where do you live?”

“When you get to Hammond, take Highway 933 to Palmetto. I live in the Oaks Subdivision—431 Autumn Drive. It’s off the main highway about five miles north of your shop.”

Susan liked what she saw of the Oaks. If she decided to buy a house, she’d take another look in this subdivision. Medium to upscale homes rambled through the wooded subdivision. Curbs, sidewalks, street lights appealed to her, as well as the fact that the houses sat on large lots. Vera’s one-story, brick house had a manicured lawn and landscaped beds. Gas lights at the entrance added a warm, homey touch, not unlike Vera, herself.

Herman emerged from the front door and helped Vera from the car. “Thanks for taking care of my lady.”

“Glad I could help, and really glad she wasn’t hurt.” Susan pictured Wesley waiting for her. A certain longing washed over her. She never felt as safe as when she was in his arms.
Uncomplicate it?
Oh, Vera, if only I could
.

It was a little past closing time when Susan reached the Bawdy Boutique, but the lights were still on with the open sign on the door. A. K.’s Mustang was the only car in the lot. Wondering how long it would take A. K. to recognize her, Susan slipped in the front door and began rummaging through sweaters on a table.

“Sorry, ma’am, we’re closed,” A. K. said.

“Even for me?”

A. K. narrowed her eyes. “Girl, don’t you ever dye your hair that color. You look like…well…I’d better not say. Gotta admit, though, I don’t think anyone would recognize you in that get up. Come on to the back while I douse the front lights and lock the door. I can’t wait to hear what you found out.”

By the time A. K. joined her, Susan had pulled up an image search for Gary on Google.

“Who’s that?”

“That has got to be the hired killer. His name is Gary Bozeman.”

Several pictures showed Gary posed beside a truck with the bug mounted on top. “He’s an exterminator, probably services most of the homes and apartments in Palmetto and the surrounding area. He’d be the perfect candidate to pull off such a thing. People are used to seeing him around and probably wouldn’t give him a second glance.”

A. K. screwed her mouth to one side as if she tasted something sour. “Not much to look at, huh? And where’s your proof?”

Susan changed to a text search and found his address—433 Autumn Drive. “I can’t believe this. He lives next door to Vera.”

“How do you know that?”

Susan explained about the wreck and that she gave Vera a ride home. Then she went into details about Gary and Clarissa’s meeting at the Napoleon House. “I bet she passed Gary money. He has to be the shooter.”

“Then print out Gary’s picture so Wesley will know who he’s looking for.”

“What if we could stop Gary?”

“Uh oh, something tells me I’m not going to like where this is going.”

“Here’s what I’m thinking. I’ll call Gary tomorrow and tell him I’d like to hire his pest control services for the business. If he hasn’t changed, he’ll come on to me. That’s when I’ll tell him I’m in a relationship and introduce him to you. I know you can talk him into meeting you for drinks. If anyone can keep him occupied for a long time, you can.”

“So you can do what?”

“Search his house. If I can find and take the money, what’s he going to do? He can’t be stupid enough to kill someone for nothing.”

“Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack. He couldn’t even report it stolen. How could he account for such a sum?”

“How do you plan to get in? Break a window? I’m sure you don’t know how to pick a lock. What if he has an alarm system?”

“I have enough sense to look for signs of a security system. If he has one installed, I’ll have to figure out something else. But I’m guessing he’s still a cheapskate who would rather spend his extra cash entertaining women, not securing his house. Besides, I don’t imagine he has anything worth stealing.

“The houses are set far apart, so I don’t have to worry about the neighbors, and the subdivision is wooded. At night, it should be easy to jimmy a back window, even break one if I have to.”

A. K. shook her head. “You could go to jail.”

“Only if I’m caught.”

After closing the shop, A. K. drove Susan to Hammond to return the rental.

“Turn here,” Susan said as they headed down Highway 933. “I want to get a good look at Gary’s house while we still have a little light.”

Like the other dwellings in the area, Gary’s sat to the back of the lot with plenty of land on either side. One thing Susan noticed was that Gary took little care with his lawn. It looked shabby, compared to his neighbors. His company truck, a white Dodge Ram with the big bug on top, was parked out front alongside a navy, two-door Nissan.

“See, I told you it wasn’t close to anyone, and I’m glad to see it’s not fenced. But that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have an inside dog.”

“Uh oh, bet you didn’t give that much thought, did you?”

“I probably didn’t think about a lot of things, this being my first attempt to commit burglary. But I know a way to find out if he has a dog. I’ll call Vera, say I’m going to use Gary’s pest control business and noticed his address is next to hers. I’ll ask if she ever used him, what kind of person is he, and then I’ll casually ask if he has a dog. She’ll ask what that has to do with it, and I’ll say, ‘Nothing, but I know of a puppy that needs a good home and thought he might be interested.’”

Susan loved animals and had often considered adopting a puppy, but a cat fit into her lifestyle easier than a dog. Fresh litter, cat food, and water were all that Marmalade needed. A dog required more attention, someone to let it out morning and night, and someone to stop it from chewing up the furniture. Maybe one day she’d move into a house with a fenced yard, then she’d reconsider introducing Marmalade to her nemesis.

“You don’t want to draw any attention, so where are you going to park?”

“We passed a lot for sale a couple of doors down. I’ll pull in there.”

A. K. shot her a sideways glance. “Girlfriend, you might make a good criminal after all.”

It was six o’clock by the time A. K. dropped Susan at her apartment after returning the rental.

“Thanks for the ride. See you tomorrow.”

Once inside, Susan shed her wig. Oooh’s and ah’s flooded the room as she raked her nails across her scalp. Scratching never felt so good. She stopped only when she feared blood might run down her face. A quick shower and change of clothes energized her. Giddy with excitement about her New Orleans trip, she couldn’t wait to share her new information with Wesley. Mad or not, he had to be proud of her for pulling it off without being detected. And even though she had no concrete evidence that money exchanged hands, what else could the envelope contain? All that bluster about tickets had to be a ruse. Otherwise, why would Clarissa go all the way to New Orleans to meet with Gary if she wasn’t trying to hide something? She could have handed him tickets in Palmetto.

Her confidence grew, and she swelled with pride as she drove to Wesley’s. The front porch light bounced off his patrol car and truck parked in front. She pulled in behind the Crown Victoria and scampered to the front door.

“It’s me,” she said, pushing the doorbell. A chilly wind whipped around her, and she closed her blazer over her sweater. The temperature had dropped sharply after dark. While it seemed much later, a glance at her watch showed it was only seven thirty.

“I was hoping you’d come by,” he said, opening the door. “I passed your place earlier, saw your car, but couldn’t get an answer.”

“I…uh, was out of town.”

“Let’s go in the den where it’s warm. You want something to drink?”

“No, I’m good.” A blazing fire had warmed the room. She removed her blazer and laid it across the back of a chair. Her wool slacks and sweater would keep her toasty. “Ah, it feels good in here.”

One glance around the room and she knew she had entered a man cave. Brown and green plaid covered the couch, and matching chairs set opposite a large coffee table. A mounted fish and deer head hung from the wooden paneling. No feminine frills here, but she found the masculine décor comforting.

Embers glowed red-hot beneath the flames in the corner fireplace, vanquishing any chill from the room. She settled on the couch, and Wesley sat beside her, so close it was his body, not the fireplace, that radiated heat.

He could have sat across the room, and she still would have felt his warmth. Pressed jeans molded to his thighs. From his broad shoulders, a long-sleeve, western shirt narrowed at the waist and disappeared behind a brass belt buckle embossed with crossed pistols. All he needed was a white Stetson.
Hello, John Wayne.

“Where’d you go, today?” he asked.

His deep voice drummed in her ears. As if in a daze, she sat mesmerized by the moment. The scent of his aftershave played with her senses.

“Well?”

“Oh, I did a little window shopping in the Quarter,” she said, avoiding his gaze, still wary about how to break the news about her venture. “What about you? Did you get a chance to make any inquiries?”