Murder and Mayhem (37 page)

For the life of me I couldn’t follow her line of
thinking. “Who? Ross? He always makes his own juice. He likes to make sure you
get everything fresh with no preservatives.”

Rosie looked at me, frown lines creasing her forehead.
“I don’t mean, Ross. I’m talking about the guy with the medical degree.
Sometimes I wonder where your head is at, Bubbie.”

I shrugged, and took a bite of my sandwich. It tasted
real good. 

“Bubbie, did you know New Haven was the place where
Eli Whitney perfected the cotton gin, and Noah Webster compiled his first
dictionary,” she said between bites.

“I knew New Haven was the town where Samuel Colt
invented the revolver.”

She cocked a finger in my direction, like firing a gun
and said, “It was also the place where the first telephone switchboard was
made?” Then she took brinkmanship up a notch by adding, “It was also reputed to
be the place where the first hamburger was made, and the toy on every dog’s
Christmas wish list, the Frisbee, made its first appearance.”

Okay. I admit she’s the winner. But I’m not a bad
loser, so I said, “You really do know your American history, Hon.”

“You’d be surprised what I know.”

“When it comes to you, kiddo, nothing surprises me.
Never has. Never will.”

*****

...Not only is New Haven a place rich in culture, it’s
the home of one of the world’s most prestigious universities –Yale.

 It was also the place where Danny had arranged to
meet up another one of his old friends later that night.

* * *

 After they had checked into their room at the
Marriott Hotel on Whalley Street, they wandered around the old university town
looking at buildings and churches. Ancient bells tolled from tall steeples as
they strolled hand in hand across the New Haven Green where they spent a lazy
afternoon soaking up the sun. When the sun dipped below the horizon and the
chill night air settled around them, fairy-lights, strung through the trees,
cast a warm glow, adding to the magic of the town.

They ate an early supper on the terrace of a
restaurant in Chapel Street and watched the streets come alive with people as
the moon spread its pale cloak over the town. A little after nine they wandered
back to the hotel.

Danny was standing in front of the mirror finger
combing his hair when he noticed Nicola watching him. He smiled at her
reflection and wandered over to the bed where she was lying, leaned down and
kissed the top of her head.

“I won’t be late,” he promised, grabbed his cap off
the dresser and hurried out the door.

*****

Ross looked up from the bench where he was chopping
vegetables and smiled as we walked into the room.

“Have you girls been out
shopping?” he asked.

“No!” I tried to hide
the
bag behind my back.
It wasn’t easy. It was a big bag. I’d managed to keep it hidden behind the
front seat of the car for a couple of day shopping to drop it off at Goodwill
first chance I got, but Rosie found it and made me bring it inside.

“No? Then what’s that you’re holding behind your
back?” he asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing, just a gift from some of the
girls,” I said with a dismissive wave and formed my lips in a tight little
moue.

Ross wiped his hands on a cloth,
reached behind me and took hold of the bag coaxing it from the tight curl of my
fingers. He held it aloft, and read out the name. “Mr. Pierre’s Haute Couture.
That sounds very high class to me?”

“Believe me, it’s not,” I said and snatched the bag
back.

Rosie, watching the exchange with bemusement, said,
“Go put them on, Bubbie. I’m sure Ross would love to see what the girls bought
you.”

Fratricide, I wanted to remind her, but as Ross was
watching I said, instead, “Dinner’s probably ready. I’ll put it in the bedroom
and show Ross later.”

Ross grinned. “Dinner won’t be
ready for at least another hour so there’s plenty of time for a fashion parade.
Go put them on. I’m dying to see what your friend bought you.”

“Fashion parade? Halloween more
like it,” I harrumphed.

Rosie didn’t even try to hide the amused derision in
her voice when she said, “Come on Bee, I’ll give you a hand.”

As we headed for the guestroom, we passed Cody on his
way to the kitchen.

“Hi Cody, what are you up to?” I asked, planning to
tarry as long as I could.

“Oh, hi Aunty Bee, I’m just going to see if Uncle Ross
could drive me down to Pizza Hut to meet a couple of the guys, then we’re going
to Northgate Mall to see a movie.”

I grabbed Cody by the arm and propelled him towards
the door. “No need to bother your uncle, Cody. He’s busy cooking dinner. I’ll
drive you wherever you want to go.”

“Oh that would be great, Aunty Bee.”

“Not a problem. Dinner won’t be ready for a while.” I
hustled Cody out the door saying, “I’ll grab a cup of coffee and wait in the
car and then drive you and your friends to Northgate. It’s only forty minutes
each way. I’ll even spring for pizza and a movie. And be sure to give me a call
if you want me to pick you up later. I can drop your friends off as well.”

TWENTY-SEVEN

When I walked into the room, Ross looked up from the
magazine he’d been reading, and grinned. On the bed lay the shopping bag I
thought I had hidden in the bottom of the closet.

Ross put the magazine down and held up the bag. “What
does it say on the bottom, I don’t have my contacts in?”

I pretended to scrutinize the text closely even though
I knew exactly what it said.

“For the woman, who knows what she wants,” I mumbled
and feigned interest in my nails, studying each finger with the precision of a
brain surgeon.

“Did you say, for the woman who knows what she wants?”

“Mm...,” I chewed on a hangnail giving it more
attention than a hand-model would.

Ross grinned. “Well then, are you going to show me
what
you
want?”

“No, no. It’s nothing. It was just a small gift. I
didn’t choose it.”

“From one of your many fans?” He left the question
hanging in the air.

I thought about our friend, Mr. Takamura’s reaction to
the outfit–and blushed. “Don’t be silly. It’s just something a couple of the
girls bought for me. A silly gift. It was a joke,” I said, trying to pass it
off as something trivial.

“Well why don’t you put them on so we can share the
joke together?”

“Not tonight. I’m tired.” I picked the bag up and
tossed it into the bottom of the closet.

Ross leaned down and removed it.
“Now you’ve got me really curious,” he said as he upended the bag and watched
the contents spill across the bed in a splash of color.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” Ross said as he
picked up the pink top, inspected it; then the orange bra. I could see he was
trying not to laugh as he picked up the lime-colored Lycra pants and held them
up, turning them this way and that.

“Interesting,” he said, and held them out. “How about
you put these on?”

I yawned loudly. “Not tonight, Sweetie, some other
time. I’m really, really tired.” I made a grab for the clothes but Ross held
onto them.

“Come on, Bee. Just give me a quick look. On and off,
that’s all I ask. These pants probably won’t fit anyway. They’re obviously
meant for a woman with a much smaller ass.”

I snatched them out of his hand. “They do so!” I said
indignantly… then realized my mistake. “Oh, all right. But after this I don’t
want to hear another word out from you about them. Not ever!”

Ross made the sign of the cross
on his chest, raised his hand in the air and said, “Cross my heart.”

“And they’re going to Goodwill first thing in the
morning– Right!”

Ross picked up the pink top and inspected it–turning
it this way and that. “I think I’ll reserve my judgment until after I’ve seen
them on you.” He lay back o
n the bed,
propped his arms behind his head–and watched me undress.

I shed my jeans and top then removed my plain cotton
bra and replaced it with the orange one, pulled the pink top over my head and
wiggled into the green Lycra low riders, adjusting my knickers to avoid being
cut in half.

Ross glanced at my bare feet and tried not to laugh.
“Don’t forget the purple stilettos.”

“Oh, Ross, do I have to?”

“Humor me.”

“Oh, all right!” I slipped my feet into the glittering
stilettos and as I turned around I came face to face with what could pass as a
sixty-year-old version of Olivia Newton John’s alter ego in Grease, staring
back at me from the full length mirror on the closet door. I was speechless.
What were those girls thinking!

Ross’s voice broke the spell. “Come over here and let
me look at you?”

I walked around the bed and stood in front of him.
“Turn around,” he said.

“Ross!”

“Come on, Bee, humor me, just this once. Please!”

I heard my sister’s voice calling from across the
hall.

“I’ll go and see what Rosie wants. Don’t go away, I’ll
be right back.”

When I walked in the room, Rosie burst out laughing.
“I Hope I didn’t disturb anything?” she said.

“What? No! You’ve got the wrong idea. Ross just wanted
to see how they looked.”

“Yeah. Sure.” She chuckled.

I put my hands on my hips and glared at her. “Was
there something you wanted aside from a good laugh?”

“Sorry, it’s just that you caught me completely by
surprise.” She giggled. I glared.

“Well?”

“Just give me a minute. I’m trying to think who you
remind me of.”

“If you say the fairy on top of the Christmas tree
I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

“Not even close. Oh, I know who it was. You look like
an aging version of Olivia Newton John… In that scene out of Grease…” We
finished the thought together–and laughed.

“Only seedier,” I said.

“If a sixty-year-old Olivia Newton John could fit into
that outfit–and purple stilettos, I bet you could give her a run for her
money.”

“Well, I couldn’t see John Travolta getting the hots
for me in this get-up.”

“Maybe not. But did you see the look on Mr. Takamura’s
face when he saw you? What was it he said that made you blush when you walked
past him?”

“I did not blush,” I said with righteous indignation.
“It was probably a reflection from the orange bra.”

“Well, whatever it was, he had an enormous grin on his
face. I think that man has the hots for you!”

“He does not! Now, what was it you wanted, aside from
a good laugh?”

“Would you help me out of this? I can’t seem to undo
the buttons.”

“Sure, Hon.” I helped her undress and slipped the
nightgown over her head. “Would you like me to make you some Milo, to help you
sleep?”

“Only if you’ve got time. I would hate to keep Ross
waiting.”

“Believe me, Hon, I’ve got all the time in the world.”

“It’s just that I thought… Ross…” She giggled like a
schoolgirl. Even though I pretended to be annoyed I was glad my sister was
enjoying herself.

“Don’t you start, I’ve got enough to contend with from
that aging Harley hoon across the hall.” I could hear Ross flipping through the
pages of a magazine. I knew his attention span was self-limiting and figured if
I dragged it out long enough he’d be asleep by the time I go back. At least,
that was the plan.

On my way to the kitchen, I tripped on the living room
rug. I wasn’t used to wearing anything higher than a slice of toast. I mixed up
the Milo and put the mug in the microwave to heat a little. I set the timer and
waited, and heard a door slam.  Being a mother with eyes in the back of my
head, I knew who it was without turning around when I heard footsteps come up
behind me.

“Oh, hi, Cody. Did you and your friends have a good
night?” I asked as I watched the mug spin on the turntable while I waited for
the countdown to zero.

“Um... ah… err... ” was his
garbled reply.

The microwave pinged, I grabbed the cup and when I
turned around, Cody was staring at me−open mouthed. “Was there something
you wanted?”

He swallowed hard and tried to find his recently lost
voice. “I… um… err... ” His face flushed bright red as he grabbed the container
of milk off the bench top and poured it into a glass. In his haste, he spilled
a large portion of milk down the front of his shirt, and onto the floor.