The Prey Bites Back: A Jesse Watson Mystery Book #8 (6 page)

“Precisely,”
Billy agreed, picking up his sandwich. “All we have to do is find out who these
women really are.”

“How hard can
that be?” I asked, knowing that Billy had his ways. He could find out anything
he wanted to. That’s what he does. That’s what we both do. Get dirt. I looked
at Mom. “You can take me to
The Body Shop
as your guest. That’s a
start.”

“I can’t do
that,” Mom said as if she was scared. She picked up her sandwich and bit into
it.

“Why not? They
won’t know what we’re up to.”

“That’s what
you think. They know it all. We had to fill out paperwork when we joined. They
want to know about you, your family, and your friends—so they can help you and
make you better. That’s what Dakota said when I asked her about all the
questions. I felt like it was an invasion of my privacy, but I didn’t tell her
that.” Mom frowned. “I listed you as one of my daughters—the private
investigator one. I had to. I knew she’d find out the truth anyway, so I told
her what she wanted to know. Sorry. I guess that was a mistake. I should’ve
omitted a few details.”

“Ah, possibly not,”
I replied. “It might work to our advantage. When it involves murder, people get
paranoid, and when they get paranoid, they make mistakes.”

“Let’s just
hope Dakota Stone doesn’t get mad,” Mom said. “Mad could be bad. Dakota isn’t
the kind of woman who lets people push her around. I could tell that as soon as
I laid eyes on her. She has that superior air about her.”

“We won’t push.
We’ll snoop.”

“Hey, wait a
minute,” Helene said. “This Stone woman investigates every client, right? So
what’s the big deal? No matter what kind of job a person has, it has nothing to
do with wanting a day at the killer spa joint.”

Everyone
laughed at her reference to
The Body Shop
.

“Stone has no
idea you even know Mae Bridges. Correct, Minnie?” Helene didn’t wait for a
response. “Look. All you have to do is go back like nothing’s wrong, and take
Jesse as your guest. Make a big deal about how distraught you both are over
Sarah’s insanity episode, and tell her you need to be pampered.” She glanced
over at Billy. “No disrespect to your mother, Billy.”

“It would be
the truth,” Billy replied. “Minnie and Jesse were distraught and now they need
a little R&R. I think it’s a good cover. We just won’t tell my mother about
the insanity part.”

“So… Jesse,”
Helene said, slyly. “What happened to your car?”

“Ah, I thought
you’d never ask. It’s at the office.”

“I figured
that. Why?”

“I’m on drugs
and can’t drive.”

“Got any more?”
Helene smiled, and then looked at Mom.

Mom rolled her
eyes.

“On a more
serious note,” I said to everyone. “We’re all clear on the details of this case
so far, right?” They shook their heads in agreement. “Including the part about Mae
giving them the twenty thousand dollars in cash?”

“We know about
the money,” Mom said. “That doesn’t make her guilty of anything. She just
wanted to get those killer women off her back. She was scared.”

“Okay,” was all
I said, and then the conversation moved on.

Billy held up
his cell phone. “What’s this all about?”

I looked at the
photos I’d sent him from Lila’s phone and said, “I thought we were being
followed, so I took pictures of the SUV. Guess I was wrong. We made a turn, but
they didn’t follow. Xanax hallucination.”

“I’ll run the
license plate just to be sure. We’ll start in the morning,” Billy said.
“Tomorrow, we go after Dakota Stone.”

“Time to
misbehave!” I added with zeal.

“Let’s hit
hard,” Mom agreed with eagerness. “Time to scrape off the scab and pour alcohol
on the wound.”

“Take no
prisoners,” Eddie said, and then saluted Billy. “They all go down!”

Neither Mom nor
I mentioned anything about the stinky smelling shampoo from Dakota’s shop she
found in Sarah’s bathroom. Mom was convinced it was tainted and possibly
connected to Sarah’s insanity episode. I was convinced that Mom needed more on
the job training, but I would check it out. If nothing else, I would at least
take a whiff of the stuff. However, I wasn’t going to say a word to Billy. The
last thing he needed was for us to suggest that his mother was poisoned by bad
shampoo. To me, the whole idea was just too ludicrous.

Our plan was
mapped out. Mom and I were going to be on the frontline, while Billy and Eddie watched
our backs. We’d be safe with their help. Nothing bad was going to happen to us
as long as Sheriff Hudson didn’t get wind of our activities. He was my biggest
concern. Billy and I had promised the sheriff we’d take a hiatus from our job
and be good for six months. Even though we weren’t really breaking our promise,
we were definitely in a gray area… and black wasn’t far off.   

Regrettably, nothing
gets by Sheriff Wake Hudson.

Chapter 4

Our plan hit a bump in the
road from the start. First thing in the morning, Billy had to go over to Chief
Sam’s house after Jonathan called and said their dad was losing it and going
off the reservation—an emotional backlash most likely brought on by almost
losing his wife because of someone’s incompetence. Now that the emergency was
over, he wanted answers. That’s what Billy said when he called to let me know
how things were going. He said to go ahead with our visit to the spa, stay out
of trouble, and don’t do anything to get ourselves killed. He also said he had
confidence in us to keep a level head… or Sheriff Hudson would have ours. I
said goodbye and then called my mother.

“I was just
getting ready to call you,” Mom said. “We have a problem on this end. Eddie was
out picking up branches from the storm, and he stepped in a hole and twisted
his ankle. I told him to stop digging up those rocks unless he was going to
take the time to fill the hole with dirt so something like this wouldn’t
happen. You’d be surprised at how many holes we have in the yard. The man just
won’t listen. He could do it with his foot at the same time he digs up the
rock. One minute is all it would take. But does he listen to me? No. Now he’s
out of commission for a couple of days.”

I figured those
last sentences of hers were aimed at Eddie. I know my mother. “I hope he’s all
right.”

“He’s going to
be fine, but he’s not going anywhere.”

“Then, we’re really
out of luck. Billy can’t make it either. He’s over at the chief’s house. Chief
Sam suffered a heavy dose of reality and he’s not dealing with it well. Like
us, he wants to know about those blood pressure pills and where they came from.
He’s obsessed with finding out. I can’t blame him.” I cleared my throat and
continued. “With Eddie down and Billy out of the picture, we don’t have any
backup. Billy…”

“What’s the big
deal? They were just going to sit in the car and wait to see if we would come
out alive.” She chuckled. “I’m sorry for making a joke, but this is silly. We
don’t need them. We both have guns.”

“Billy wouldn’t
approve. He thought we’d have Eddie with us. Remember the times I did something
Billy didn’t want me to, and it almost got me killed? Does the name Rose
Hudgins ring a bell? How about my run-in with the
Greene
County
killer?”

“This is
different. We can handle it, Jesse. It’s not as if they’re going to kill us on
our first visit.” She chuckled again. “Carry an extra gun if it’ll make you
feel better.”

“They don’t pat
you down?” I joked.

“Nope, no searching
and no metal detectors, but they do have cameras in every room. They think
nobody knows, but I found them all. So… what do you say?”

“Let’s go spend
a few hours getting catered to and we can case the joint at the same time. What
about Eddie? Will he be all right by himself?”

“He’s stretched
out with an icepack on his ankle, and I dragged out an old pair of crutches.
He’ll be fine. See… he’s shaking his head.”

“Do you still have
that bottle of shampoo?”

“You bet. Why?”

“Bring it with
you. I want to ask the nutritionist why it smells so bad. What’s her name?”

“I don’t
remember, but she’s not one of them, Jesse. She gives out goody bags and asks
you if you have any questions. That’s it. She’s not real bright, either. She’s
just a peon.”

“Let’s see if
we can cause a stir over stinky shampoo.”

That turned out
to be an understatement.

An hour later,
we were in my black 4Runner on our way to
The Body Shop
. Traffic was the
same as usual, but at least the weather was nice. The sun was out and there
were no signs of rain, thunder, or deadly lightning.

The Body
Shop
was located on Rt.
29 across the street from a furniture store. The brick building was enhanced by
tall columns, fancy exterior lights in the front, and a well-manicured
landscape. Parking spaces were abundant. The name on the building was in gold
cursive letters, making the place look rich. On the outside it was a good
looking place, so I was sure the inside would be, too, but it was hard to tell.
There were no windows and the only way to see in was at the entrance.

As soon as we
entered the shop, we were greeted by a tall, bleached blond who had curves in
all the right places, dressed in clothes that looked as if they cost a fortune.
I know the heels did—I recognized the signature red soles of shoes by Christian
Louboutin. She was holding an envelope.

“Hello,
Dakota,” Mom said, smiling. “This is my daughter, Jesse. She’s my guest.”

“I don’t think
so,” Dakota said in an ugly manner. “Here’s your check. Your membership has
been canceled. I don’t need your kind in my place. I’d like you both to leave
the premises immediately.” She shoved the envelope into Mom’s hands. “Leave
now, or I’ll be forced to call the police.”

I stepped in
between Mom and Dakota. “What’s the reason for terminating my mother’s
membership? Don’t like her taste in clothing?”

Dakota looked
Mom up and down, and then said, “She could use a stylist, but no, that’s not
the reason.” She loomed over me, getting in my face with a menacing glare. “Do
you think I’m stupid? You think I don’t know why you’re here? I know all about
you, Ms.
Blackhawk and Blackhawk Investigations
.”

“What has my
job got to do with spending a day at your spa?”

“Give me a
break! I watch the news. I heard Mae’s name and saw her being carted off in an
ambulance. And guess what? In the background was your detective agency. I know she
hired you to prove I murdered her husband. What a joke! Why would I kill her
husband?”

“How do you
know what we talked about? You weren’t there.”

“Mae rambled on
about me killing her husband, and said that you were going to prove it. The
nurse who heard her delirious rant is a friend of mine.”

“So you racked
that pea brain of yours and figured you’d better do some spin control before
you wind up in jail for murder.”

“Get out of my
shop!”

“Did I hit a
nerve, Dakota? Oh, that’s right. Your name isn’t really Dakota, is it? By the
way, who were you before you stole someone’s identity? Hey, you could go to
jail for that. Then, there’s the matter of the tainted bottle of shampoo. Do you
give these out to all your clients, or just the special ones?” I looked at Mom
and held out my hand. “Give me the bottle.”

Mom handed me
the bottle of shampoo. I popped up the cap, stood, and then aimed it at Dakota.
Before I realized what I was doing, I squeezed the bottle and squirted her with
the stinky stuff. The shampoo splattered across the front of her blouse, ran
down one arm, and then dripped on the marble floor.

I don’t know
what I was thinking, but I had to do something. I didn’t want this to be my
first and last visit without making an impression. Also, I didn’t like the way
she talked to my mama.

Caught by
surprise, Dakota squealed and jumped back as she tried to wipe the gooey liquid
from her shirt and arm. From her reaction, you’d think I had just doused her
with acid, but I didn’t see any smoke coming off her. If I’d had time to think
about it logically, I guess I would’ve jump back too if I was wearing an
expensive blouse like hers.

Dakota spun
around, fast tracked it to her desk, and picked up the telephone.

“Don’t bother,
Dakota No-Name No-Person. We’re leaving.” I grabbed Mom by the arm, but
hesitated. “I thought Mae Bridges was just a sad, grieving widow looking for someone
to blame for her husband’s death, but I don’t anymore. I think you killed her
husband, and if I find out you did, you won’t be able to run far enough or fast
enough to get away from me. Have a great day. Enjoy it, because you won’t be
having too many of those anymore. Trust me.” I looked at Mom. “Come on,” I
said. “Let’s get out of this rat infested dump.”

“You’re going
to be sorry!” Dakota yelled at us as we fled.

Both of us were
laughing and shaking when we got to my car. “That didn’t go as I expected,” Mom
said as soon as she got in the car and fastened her seatbelt. “Burn rubber,
Jesse. You know she called the cops. You did ruin her designer blouse.” Mom
chuckled and then broke out laughing. “You think she’ll bill you for it?”