Poison Me (12 page)

“Sometimes. Mostly it was flirting with career gamblers and planning day trips for older people.” She smiled. “Great preparation for the Cub River Retirement Palace.” She said the words with mocking tenderness.

“You’re good with Grandma and her gaggle.”

Chanel’s eyes lit up. “Thanks. I love those ladies. They make dealing with Jennalou and her sort a lot easier.”

“So, why did you leave Vegas?”

Chanel stopped walking, and her mouth tightened. “I needed a break from the idiots.” She slipped off her sandals, tossed them up the beach a few feet, and waded into the water up to her knees. She kicked some water in his direction. “Come on in. It feels great.”

Jake’s heart clutched—Chanel wasn’t afraid of water. “Guess question and vague answer period is over?” he said.

Chanel bent down, scooped up some cool water, and tossed it at him. He caught a mouthful. Spitting, he charged in after her. She laughed and tried to dodge away. The water held her back, but she managed to load her hands and catch him in the face with another handful. The water didn’t slow him down. He dove for her like a linebacker sacking the quarterback.

Her gasp of surprise was cut off by the lake closing in over both of their heads. She came up sputtering. Jake pulled her close, catching his breath in the waist-deep water. She placed both hands on his head and tried to wrestle him under.

“Not a smart move.” He twisted and dunked her again. Her hair and face glistened as he lifted her from the water. Tilting back her head, she laughed out loud, and Jake joined in.  A pang of sadness struck him, he had never been able to do something like this with Angela. They’d missed out on a lot because of her fears.

Suddenly, Chanel’s eyes widened. She broke his grip and struggled to her feet, then aimed for the shoreline. “My cell phone!”

Jake followed her, chuckling. He pulled his own phone from his pants and held it up. “Sorry. Guess I wasn’t thinking.”

She yanked her phone from her pocket and shook it for a minute, then tossed it onto the beach with a disgusted sigh.

“I’m betting it’s dead,” he said.

Sticking out her tongue, she squeezed her dripping hair onto his shoulder. “I can’t believe you did that,” she muttered.

“Yeah. I’m sorry about the phone.”

Her eyes trailed over his clinging shirt, then slowly lifted to meet his gaze. “Not as sorry as you’re going to be.” She lunged at him, knocking him off his feet and burying both of them in the shallow water.

***

Ace pulled up the collar of his polo shirt. It hid a tattoo on his neck that could identify him to the policeman standing next to him at the Atlanta Airport.

The cop glanced his way. “Boise your final landing spot?” he asked like they were old buddies.

Ace forced a smile. “I hope so. Going to Preston to meet my girlfriend’s family. Planning to get a construction job, settle down, and make babies.” There was a short silence. “What about you?” Ace asked, feigning interest.

“I’m from Nampa. I’ve been at a conference down this way.” The officer grinned. “Now I getta go home to my wife and babies.”

“Nice.” Ace nodded, wishing the policeman would get to his wife and stay away from him.

“Why are you flying into Boise? Salt Lake is probably a shorter drive to Preston and would save you an extra flight.”

Ace silently cursed Willy. Why had he let him make travel arrangements? “Better price to fly into Boise.”

“Huh.”

Thankfully, seconds later the cop grunted a goodbye and headed toward a recently vacated bench in the waiting area. Ace rushed down the hallway and into the closest restroom, hoping his seat on the plane wasn’t near the cop’s. He searched the restroom, and when he was sure it was empty except for his partner, he rapped on the last stall.

“Okay, Willy,” Ace said. “Come on out, but don’t get on the plane until everyone else has boarded. You’re in the third row from the front, so as long as you sneak into your seat and don’t get up for any reason we should be okay.”

“All right,” Willy said through the door.

Ace drummed his fingers against the metal stall. “Just so you know, there’s a cop on our flight. Pull your hat down low, and don’t forget those glasses I bought you.”

“I got it, Ace.” Willy flushed the toilet and opened the stall door. “You sure this is worth it?”

Ace backed up a step. “Following the old man?”

“Yeah.” Willy looked Ace in the eye for a brief moment.

Ace turned to catch his reflection in the mirror. His spiked blond hair looked perfect, a great contrast to the tan he’d deepened while on the cruise ship. Too bad they were deserting the coast and any sign of beaches and women. They were going to have to lay low in small-town Idaho until they found Don and got some money out of the weasel. “The old man was loaded, or at least his son was loaded.”

Willy walked over to the sink and squeezed a puff of soap onto his hands. “But how do we know he’s going to be with his son?”

Ace rolled his eyes. “He was running out of money. What do you do when that happens? You go to the gravy train.”

“But how are we going to get any money out of him?” Willy rubbed his hands under the water, squinting at himself in the mirror.

“How is it you’re some bad boy with warrants out for your arrest and you think like a schoolgirl?”

Willy’s eyes narrowed. He grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser.

“It’s simple. We find somebody he cares about and we threaten them. Gramps always succumb to your demands to protect the people they love.” Ace laughed, checking his teeth. “It’s in their job description.”

Chapter Twelve

“You ready, Rubes?” Ellie leaned out of her apartment door.

Ruby grunted. “Quiet.”

“Oh, sorry. I forgot about the secrecy crap.”

Shaking her head, Ruby placed a finger to her lips.

Ellie adjusted her black winter hat. “Marissa, Ruby says to be quiet.”

Marissa pressed her lips together. Ruby almost snapped her fingers, but caught herself. She checked the hall one more time, then motioned with her hand. They crept out of Ellie’s apartment and down the softly lit hallway.

Ellie and Marissa had dressed for the occasion: black shoes, pants, turtlenecks, and hats. Ellie couldn’t find ski masks, so she’d painted their faces and hands with black craft paint. Ruby suppressed a giggle. They might not believe or even want to listen to her theory about the murders, but both her friends were excited to be involved in a second covert operation. This time they would investigate Richard’s and Anne’s rooms. Ruby prayed they’d find something.

“You supposed to be detectives or criminals?” she whispered.

Ellie’s black-rimmed eyes narrowed. “We are private investigators, and don’t you forget it. My secretary will bill you for our services in the morning.”

Ruby and Marissa laughed, and this time Ellie gestured for silence. Ruby clamped her mouth shut, her chest rumbling from withheld merriment.

Soon, they reached Richard’s door. Ellie tried the knob, but it was locked. Ruby sighed. “I am such an idiot. Of course they would lock it.”

Ellie grinned. Her black cheeks crinkled and the thick paint began to flake. She reached into her pocket and withdrew a silver key. “Lucky for you, I am
not
an idiot.”

“Good girl,” Marissa said.

Ruby’s heart sped up. “Oh, Ellie. Richard’s room key?”

“Even better.” Ellie ran her hand the length of the key like she was Vanna White displaying the next item. “The master,” she drawled out.

Ruby’s jaw dropped. They would be in trouble if they got caught sneaking around the Palace like this, but stealing the master key? That could be a valid reason for expulsion. Ruby didn’t want to be cast out of her home again. “How did you get that?” she asked.

“How dare you question me?” Ellie retorted.

Ruby folded her arms across her chest, staring until Ellie squirmed. “Where did you get it?”

Ellie opened her eyes wider. Ruby scowled more fiercely. It was a staring contest, and she wasn’t about to give in. She wasn’t going to be dragged down with Ellie this time.

Finally, Ellie blinked and tossed her hands in the air. “Oh, heavens,” she said with a huff. “You’re so immature. I asked that cute little maid, Sara. She’s been my biggest fan since I gave her a fat Christmas bonus. We just have to get the key back to her in the morning.” Ellie’s whitened teeth flashed against her black skin. She inserted the brass key into the doorknob.

Ruby heard a sound in the hallway perpendicular to the one where they stood. She jumped. “Ellie, Rissa,” she hissed.

Ruby linked her arm through Ellie’s and clutched Marissa’s hand, strolling down the hallway. A moment later, Jennalou rounded the corner. When she saw Ellie and Marissa, she gasped and looked like she was ready to run. Then recognition flared in her eyes and she glared at both of them.

“What is wrong with you three?”

Ellie smiled, and more paint flaked off her face and onto the recently vacuumed carpet. “Whatever are you talking about?”

“What are you doing?” Jennalou demanded.

“Just out for an evening stroll,” Ellie said.

“Inside the building? Wearing black clothing and paint?” Jennalou tossed her stringy hair. “Are you thieves planning to break into my room again?”

“Nah.” Ellie chuckled. “It only took us a few minutes to realize there was nothing worth looking at in your hovel.”

Marissa giggled.

“Stay away from my room.” Jennalou glowered.

“Don’t worry.” Ellie gave a wide smile. “Next time we get that bored, we’ll go watch the seagulls poop.”

“Oh!” Jennalou seemed to struggle to come up with a good response. Finally, she grinned and flipped them off.

“Well, I never.” Ellie pressed a hand to her heart. “How crude.”

Marissa’s giggles turned to a loud laugh. Ruby couldn’t help but join in.

Jennalou lowered her finger and brushed past them. “You three are… you are psychos.”

Ellie laughed loudly. Jennalou whirled to give them one last scowl before retrieving an antibacterial wipe and brushing at her ruddy fingers. Ruby wondered how the ornery woman had any skin left, the way she constantly scrubbed her hands. Finally, Jennalou stomped out of sight.

Ellie turned to Ruby. “Now that’s scary. The quacker just called
us
psychos.”

“Takes one to know one,” Ruby said. “I wonder why she never turned us in to the managers.”

“She knows they wouldn’t believe her after the hundreds of complaints she’s decorated their desks with.” Ellie scratched at her cheek, leaving a trail of pink skin under the black.

“Or is she the murderer?” Ruby pivoted and started back down the hallway, not waiting for Ellie’s snide reply. “C’mon, let’s get in that room before anyone else comes.”

They hurried to the door, squeezed through, and locked it behind them. Ruby flipped on the lights, then paused for a moment. Everything was exactly as Richard had left it. Ruby’s fingernails dug into her palm.
Oh, Richard
. He’d watched over her since they were children. She could still see him slamming Timmy Weezer into his high school locker and telling him exactly what would happen if he ever made crude comments about Ruby again.

Richard had been her protector whenever Michael wasn’t around to fulfill the job.
Michael
. His name could still make her feel lightheaded. Just the thought of his arms around her this afternoon made her heart race.

Ellie poked through Richard’s stack of mail. She held up
Maxim
magazine, with a barely-clothed brunette decorating the cover. “Thought Richard couldn’t see.”

“Ooh la la,” Marissa said.

Ruby snapped back into the present. “Put that down.”

Ellie dropped the magazine. “What makes a pretty girl think the only thing she has to offer is her cleavage? Sad.” She picked up several credit card offers. “Think there’s anything worth looking through here?”

“Who knows? You search through those. Marissa, look in the kitchen. I’m going to look at his medicine.”

Fifteen minutes later, they exited Richard’s apartment no wiser than when they had entered. The few liquid meds Ruby found in the bathroom didn’t smell like Richard’s neck had the night he was killed. There was nothing unusual in his fridge or cupboards, and his mail only depressed them. An amazing man, reduced to bills and a girly magazine. Not one card or letter in the stack. Ruby’s temperature flared. How could children and grandchildren so easily forget and neglect someone who loved and cared for them their entire lives?

“To Anne’s?” Ellie asked.

Ruby slipped from the depressing apartment and trudged down the hall. “Might as well.”

“Buck up,” Ellie said, then locked the door behind Marissa and hurried to catch Ruby. “Maybe we’ll find some sort of connection.”

“To what?” Ruby stopped and glared at her. “We found nothing.”

“Stop raining on my sightseeing adventure—I was trying to be upbeat.”

They silently climbed the stairs to the third floor and padded down the hallway. Ellie unlocked Anne’s door and opened it.

Ruby entered the apartment and gasped. “No.”

Ellie closed her eyes, then opened them and tossed her head like an angry bull. “Spit shined. Dang management has to make a buck. It’s all ready to rent to the next poor sucker.”

Marissa shook her head. “Don’t let everyone forget about me as fast as they have Anne.”

“What a silly thing to say.” Ellie gave Marissa a one-arm hug. “You’re not going anywhere, and we haven’t forgotten Anne.”

“But we haven’t been as concerned as Ruby.” Marissa pointed at her.

Ruby walked around the empty apartment. One week and everything of Anne’s was gone. She touched a hole in the wall where Anne’s favorite Thomas Kincaid painting had hung. She brushed her fingers along the smooth marble countertop that had always held a candy dish filled with Smarties and Dum-dums for Anne’s grandchildren. Ruby’s throat tightened. Her friend was really gone. She clenched her hands. “This has to stop.”

“What has to stop?” A deep male voice asked from the open doorway. “You three breaking into apartments?”