Elizabeth C. Main - Jane Serrano 02 - No Rest for the Wicked (21 page)

Chapter 21

While waiting for Alix to finish a phone call, I sank into her deep floral couch and rolled my head in a vain attempt to ease sore neck muscles. Sleep sounded better than just about anything I could think of, up to and including chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Was it only a week ago that Nick and I were enjoying an evening over pepper-crusted rib-eye steaks and a smooth Argyle 2004 pinot? Probably best not to think of Nick at the moment. Much as I wanted his support, I couldn’t get it until he returned to Juniper, or at least came back into cell phone range. Maybe I’d shelve everything and sleep for about a week.

“
Your choice, Mrs. Querion.
It all depends on how much you want to pay for flowers.
”

With my eyes still closed, I took in the rustle of pages being turned.
It would be wonderful if Alix and her client would discuss the merits of flowers for hours, but Alix was wrapping things up.

“
Tomorrow morning at ten o’clock? Fine. Roses are always a lovely choice. Yes, I’ll check Wendell’s schedule.
”

She clicked off and I opened my eyes, rest period over.

“
You look like you could use some wine, Jane. I’ll get it.
”
Alix threw the words over her shoulder as she disappeared into the kitchen.

I called after her.
“
I
’m
too tired for
wine.
”

Too late. Alix emerged a moment later with two stemmed goblets and handed me one, as though I hadn’t even spoken
.
“
You
just spent the day with Minnie. You need
wine
.
”
She sank onto the loveseat across the glass coffee table from me and raised her glass
.
“
Here’s to logic
.
”

I tilted my goblet at her and sipped
.
“
For someone under investigation, you’re sure relaxed. Minnie, Velda, and I have been
shredding our nerves
trying to
come up with ideas
, and Bianca and Tyler have taken over your
business commitments,
while you
calmly discuss flower arrangements
.
Even Wendell’s more on edge than you are. That could be from his porcupine encounter though.
”

Alix pulled flowered cocktail napkin
s
from a drawer and
slid one toward me
.
“
Poor
Wendell.
Three weddings this week, and
I haven’t given him
so much as an extr
a kibble for overtime.
”

“
Tough
employer. Are you as tough at your bank job
?
”
I watched as Alix’s creamy complexion turned a soft pink.
“
Irene showed me the ‘official’ letter
.
”

“
See
?
Y
ou’re a great detective. Anyway, you got more out of Irene than I expected. She wouldn’t have let me in the door.
”

“
For a while there, I didn’t think she’d see me
either. Too
bad I didn’t learn much of
use. I felt sorry for her.
She
’d been
thrilled
at her grandson’s
visit, completely blind to his
reason
for being there
.
Nice for her to have one last happy memory of him, I guess
.
”

Alix
smiled at me
.
“
Thanks for trying, really.
Now, t
ell me about your casino
adventure
.
”

“
Useless, as expected. Typical trip with Minnie.
”
I was
still
puzzled at Alix’s calmness.
“
How come all of a sudden you’re so relaxed? Yesterday, you begged me to investigate, and today you’re all smiles and ‘Have a glass of wine.’
And you don’t even seem upset that the police
might discover
the bank account
connection. What
happened?
”

Alix
set her goblet on the napkin and leaned forward
.
“
You know that kids’ story about Chicken Little? I always expected the sky to fall if people in Juniper learned I’d been married to Hunter, built the fear in my head for years
.
W
hen he turned up
dead
, I expected Arnie to
arrive
on my doorstep and, sure enough, here he came. Everybody in town
now knows
about my marriage to Hunter. That’s the thing.
It was m
y worst nightmare, but now,
”
she spread her arms wide,
“
it’s a couple of days later, and
the sky’s still up there
. Mrs. Querion is only worried about the cost of roses for her daughter’s wedding. If anything, business has picked up. Some people are actually excited by my connection to a guy who got himself ‘whacked
.’
I
think that’s the popular term
.
”

“
That’
s
sick.
”

“
How else do you explain the fact that business is booming? Think it’s the growing community awareness of Wendell’s splendor in a tuxedo?
”

“
I don’t know, but murder isn’t funny.
”

“
Come on. I make jokes about everything. Keeps me from worrying so much, the way you do. I’ll probably live longer.
”

“
I’ll wear myself out worrying about you. You’re still the best suspect they’ve got.
And what if they trace those deposits?
”

“
I’ve got my fingers crossed that
they
w
on’t, but it’s still
nothing
more than
circumstantial evidence
.
”

I thought of how many people had been convicted on circumstantial evidence.

“
So, cheer us both up and tell me about spending a whole day with Minnie and Velda, ace detectives.
”

I didn’t feel cheerful, but I tried.
“
Just Minnie. Velda had to cancel at the last minute.
”

“
Too bad. Hanging out with Minnie has spiced up her life.
”

“
Minnie and I were on our own. She insisted we have a code name for our operation.
”

“
Oh, I can believe it. Do I have a high enough security clearance … ?
”

“
Operation Hollow Feather.
”

“
Excellent. Did you have a secret handshake in a smoky room?
”

“
No secret handshake, but the smoky room was sure there. You’d have loved it.
”
I couldn’t resist a dig at Alix’s two-pack-a-day habit.
“
Smoke so thick you couldn’t breathe. Part of the top floor was supposed to be smoke-free, but we didn’t get up there.
”

“
And did you find Phil and Eileen parked under a flashing red sign that said, ‘We killed Hunter Blackburn’
?
”

“
How’d you know?
”

“
Actually, we did see
them,
and something odd was going on. They were hauling a young guy out of the casino against his will. He was having trouble walking.
”

“
Tall, thin kid with dark hair?
”

Alix shrugged
,
“
Simon. They work with him. Alcohol and gambling problems.
”

“
How
do you know anything about Simon and his problems? Working with troubled kids doesn’t happen to be another of your secret charitable causes, does it? You never mentioned—
”

“
Why would I? Besides,
Phil and Eileen as killers? Come on. That whole idea was a figment of Minnie’s overheated imagination. At least you kept her out of trouble for a few hours. Can’t beat that.
”

“
Too bad I wasn’t smart enough to deflect Velda when she followed poor Alice Durand to the post office the other day,
”
I said glumly.

“
She did that?
”

“
And she’ll probably do it again, next chance she gets. Since you know
something
about Phil and Eileen, do you have any idea why
they might
have tried
to ditch us on the way home?
”

“
You sure that’s what they were doing?
”

I sat back and sipped at the wine, mulling over what I’d seen.
“
Now that I think about it,
probably not
. I got so caught up in the chase that I practically drove off the road. Being around Minnie has an advers
e effect on rational thought.
”

“
If I’d spent a day in the car with Minnie, I’d probably have driven off the road between here and the casino on purpose. At least it was just Minnie, not both of them.
”

“
Easy for you to say. You weren’t part of the Hollow Feather op.
That’s spy shorthand.
”

“
I read
l
e
Carr
é
, too, you know. Makes a nice change of pace from
Gowns and Veils Weekly
.
”
At my incredulous look, she nodded.
“
Honest. There’s really such a magazine. Want to see?
”

“
I’ll take your word. Anyway, Minnie was really in her element. She was disappointed when we had to break off the chase, but she’s probably perked up by now
.
S
he
planned
to take Velda some homemade soup.
”

Alix laughed.
“
I’m sure Velda will be thrilled to the tips of her sturdy brown oxfords to hear about your near-death experience.
”

At Alix’s reference to Velda’s shoes, I flashed back to the sight of Velda in her sling-backs this morning.
“
She doesn’t have much to look forward to. We shouldn’t begrudge her a little excitement.
”

“
Okay, okay. Lesson delivered, Preacher. But anyone who
chooses
Minnie as a role model needs to get out more.
”
Alix picked up her cigarettes.
“
Now, let’s go outside. I’ve been good long enough.
”

“
Not if you
hope to live to a ripe old age.
”
I followed her out the French doors to the courtyard.
“
I thought you were giving up cigarettes.
”

“
Seemed like a bad week for it.
”
Alix fired up a Virginia Slim, considering.
“
Tell you what. You find Hunter’s killer, and I’ll quit.
”

“
You mean it?
”
Alix’s likelihood of having to pay off was next to zero, but I’d take the offer.

“
Sure.
”
She held out her hand, and I took it. Then we both laughed.

“
Now that we have that settled, I’ll get back to detecting. With an incentive like this, it shouldn’t take
me
more than another day or two to wrap things up.
”

“
If you really want to perform a public service, think of some way to keep Minnie and
Velda from stirring things up.
”

I groaned.
“
And how do you propose I do that?
”

“
Logic?
”

“
Yeah, that’ll work.
”