Greed in Paradise (Paradise Series) (13 page)

I found it surprising that Ron, for the first time hearing about a bogus bank check, had no reaction. Kathy had honed her acting skills.

“How did this happen?” I asked. “My bank would like to know the same thing and is investigating.”

Ron’s phone rang; he looked relieved. Nodding at Kathy, he ran to their cottage and slammed the door.

“He’s expecting an important call,” Kathy said. “I’ll take care of the check today.”

“You’ll have to pay in cash. And another thing I may have failed to mention, The Cottages has a no drugs policy, unless its prescription, and I don’t know of a doctor along the beach that prescribes cocaine.”

Her eyes flinched. “Those charges will be dropped before the preliminary hearing; it’s a case of mistaken identity. I can assure you that neither of us do drugs.”

This woman lied like a second language, very skillfully. I’d bet her hair extensions we didn’t know the half of this devious couple.

“If there’s going to be a problem with paying your rent I’d appreciate you moving out without any drama. I do have an effective eviction service that bypasses all that pesky legal paperwork.”

Her brown eyes hardened. “I’m sure we can work everything out without threats.”

Kathy flounced back to her cottage, and once again, I noticed the price tag hanging from the back of her dress. She must be one of those annoying people who purchased clothing, wore it, and then returned it.

I waved my arms at Mother to join me, and crossed the driveway to where Joseph sat hanging on to every word. “You know, Joseph, I’ve been amazingly tolerant with all your bullshit since you’ve lived here, legal and otherwise, and never said no to picking you up at the jail, even in the middle of the night.”

“You make my head hurt. What do you want?” he whined, sucking down the last of his beer and crushing the can with his foot.

Mother placed her hand on the small of my back and stroked soothing circles.

I narrowed my eyes. “How about a better attitude and some appreciation? Explain to me how you know nothing about your new neighbors while living directly across the driveway from them. I want to know everything about those two and you’re the perfect person to dig up every piece of lint.”

Joseph jerked up in his chair and started coughing, running his hand through his dirty, thinning brown hair.

“Mother, I’d like you to meet Joseph’s girlfriend, Svetlana.” I stepped back, so that she could see the overly endowed, skimpily attired attractive brunette sitting next to Joseph. The last time I’d seen her she’d been a blonde.

Mother stuck her hand out and jerked it back. “This looks like a hum…a…I like her manicure.”

“Yes, Mother, Svetlana is an anatomically correct rubber doll.”

Mother stared at her another second and then burst out laughing. She turned and continued to laugh, walking back to Mac and Shirl who looked annoyed they hadn’t been invited to listen.

I should be nicer to Joseph since the doctors insisted he’s half dead, and even as infuriating as he could be, he’d better not die without notice. I’d miss him. “I’ll be hearing from you soon?”

“Svetlana and I need a nap.” He jerked her up by her arm and disappeared inside his cottage and kicked the door shut.

Mother stuck her fingers in her ears. She didn’t appreciate that Miss January sat rocking on her porch belting out an old show tune, Kitty on her lap. I sort of recognized the melody but she couldn’t remember all of the words. It didn’t help that her electric cigarette wiggled between her lips. Her true desire was to chain smoke, but she managed to stick to a pack a day and sucked on the electric one in between cigarettes.

“We need to have a meeting in the office so no one can hear. You might as well come along,” I said to Shirl, “save Mac from repeating everything.”

“Shirl’s my best friend,” Mac said, and pouted.

She unlocked the door and sat at her desk, passing around her stash of bubble gum. It shocked me that Mother took a piece and then dropped it in her pocket.

“Have you seen Svetlana naked?” Mother asked.

“I tried to flip her skirt one day but Joseph started yelling. I looked at the rubber girls online and you can get pretty much anything you can afford to pay for and the body parts aren’t cheap,” Mac said.

“Meeting comes to order,” I said, leaning against the corner of the desk, thinking I needed a gavel or a princess wand. “Kathy will be bringing you cash today for the fraudulent cashier’s check and I want a call when it happens.”

Mac sat straight up in her chair. “Why didn’t I know anything about this?”

“If you didn’t know about the check then why am I going to be firing you?” I asked.

Shirl cleared her throat and spoke up. “I just updated her about the late night activity with the new tenants.”

I covered my eyes with my hands and shook my head. “Tell me the sheriff hasn’t been here?”

“No and not a word of complaint out of the neighbors,” Shirl said. “I peek out the blinds and watch the cars come and go, starting about ten and all through the night. Kathy bounced over one night and invited me to dinner, but I turned her down and now she’s not all that friendly. No loud music or fights, only the constant traffic in and out.”

“Liam told me Kathy and her friends always bring the party to the pool, she gets up early every morning and cleans the area. Bags the beer cans and cigarettes and walks them down the street to someone else’s trashcan,” Mac said. “I tried to talk to Joseph, since his unit backs up to the pool. He told me to mind my own business, that Kathy and Ron were ‘good people.’”

“Kathy walks dinner over to him every night,” Shirl said. “I check on him every day to make sure he’s still breathing so all I hear is Kathy this and that, and it’s annoying.”

“Make me a copy of their application, I’ll check them out myself,” I said to Mac. “Let’s hope we can get them out of here before they kill someone.” The Cottages had a poor track record in renting to locals, choosing only the ones who turned out to be big bags of trouble.

“Good news is that the other guests like her, she’s friendly, flirts with the men when their wives aren’t looking, so no complaints.” Mac handed me the Stones’ file.

“Meeting adjourned.” I slipped off the desk top. “Come on,” I said to Mother, “let’s go get lunch.” I decided on a princess wand for the next meeting, now to find one.

Mother looked over to Miss January’s cottage. “I think she’s probably passed out. At least she’s stopped singing.”

I looked at my watch. “No worries, she naps every day at this time.” I handed my phone to Mother. “Let’s call in a take-out order.”

* * *

Fab—in a silk deep-purple teddy, trimmed in wide black lace—came rushing into the kitchen where Mother and I sat finishing our pizza and salad. Didier was right behind her. He had on black silk pants and a short-sleeve silk shirt, must be date night. She hugged Mother and asked me, “Why aren’t you getting dressed?”

“I’m not the one in my underwear,” I said.

“Hurry up. Didier hates to be late,” Fab said. “Did you forget the opening of Rockstar in South Beach?” It was the newest happening in-spot to be seen and charged obscenely high prices for drinks.

“No, I didn’t forget because you didn’t invite me.” I held up my hand. “Stop. I won’t bore you with an elaborate excuse. Not going.”

Mother patted my arm. “Sounds like fun, you might meet someone. I’ll go home and you can call me in the morning, tell me all about it.”

Didier arched his brow at Fab. “Well I thought I told her,” she mumbled.

“I’d rather spend the evening with Mother. I’m in need of spending money, so I’ll be cleaning her out after a few friendly games of poker.”

Mother winked. “I may let you win a hand.”

“Bring me back a pair of blinking flip-flops,” I said.

The South Beach sidewalks were crammed with entrepreneurs selling anything they could find that lit up along with all the usual tourist stuff.

“Don’t forget your appointment in Brick’s office tomorrow,” Fab said, and shook her finger at me. “Fresh start. You don’t bring up old news and he won’t either. You two are to kiss and make up because I don’t want another cat case.”

“That’s another thing you failed to mention.” I frowned at her.

“This I thought was better to spring on you last minute. You’re not telling your very best friend no, are you?” She stared at me.

Didier tapped his watch. “Get dressed, Cherie.” He kissed Fab and she ran upstairs.

“Thank you for being more gracious than the last time,” I said to Didier.

He put his arm around Mother, drawing her into a hug and kissing her cheek. He said to me, “You seem to have overcome most of your whininess.” His mouth curved up. “But don’t think I won’t hesitate to use my high-handed techniques again.”

Fab glided back into the kitchen in a very short deep-purple V-neck dress the same shade as her teddy. Fab and Didier were a show stopping couple, both with their dark good looks and that mysterious air about them.

We watched them leave. “Why didn’t you go?” Mother lightly pinched my arm.

“I like dive bars, hamburger stands, and flip-flops. Fab does the dress up and stiletto heels, she speaks French, and professes to love caviar. The look of it makes me keep my lips tightly closed.”

Mother clasped my face in her hands. “I’ve seen you do dressed up and with your amazing red hair, you are every bit as sexy. You remind me every day of my mother.”

I blew her a kiss. “I wish I’d known her.” I smiled. “So how much cash do you got on you?”

Mother filled a glass with her favorite, Jack, and added a couple of ice cubes. “Let’s go out on the patio, so I can savor a cigar while the queen shows you how the game is played.”

Mother and I went downstairs early in the morning, passing by Fab’s door; the ribbon firmly in place, we giggled like schoolgirls. One of my black dresses hung on a cabinet knob, low-heeled slides on the countertop, along with a note in Fab’s handwriting. I read it aloud to Mother.

Brick has a delivery job for a special client and he wants you dressed up for the job. Wear what Didier picked out. He said to put your hair up, too. You’ll be leaving immediately from Brick’s office
.

“Do you suppose he picked this out?” Mother held in her hand my black lacey strapless bra that I’d only worn once.

“Oh, I hope that was Fab’s contribution.” I blushed.

“When is he going to come dress me?” Mother asked.

* * *

Since Brick and I had a disagreement about my unwillingness to help evict senior citizens, it had been a long time since I darkened the doors of Famosa Motors. He thought he could trick me, and when that didn’t work, he ordered me; he turned out to be wrong on both of those ideas.

Brick had his checkbook in a lot of what most people would call “interesting” businesses. He owned multiple pawnshops, a bail bonds business, a private investigation firm, and The Gentlemen’s Club—also known as a strip club—out in Alligator Alley.

Bitsy, his receptionist, sat at her desk in front of the roll-up doors. Brick had transferred her from his Gentlemen’s Club to Famosa’s saying she’d be good for business with her bubbly personality and voluptuous curves always on display. She had a side business selling information, but the problem was that if a higher bidder came along, she’d screw the first customer. She labored under the misconception that because she worked for Brick, she had carte blanche, but one of these days she’d cheat the wrong person and receive a painful lesson or worse.

“Mr. Famosa is expecting you,” Bitsy said as soon as she saw me.

“Nice hair.” I wanted to laugh at the look of outrage on her face. She knew that I knew her mane of long blonde hair was a wig because I’d had an occasion to rip it off her head, having been one of her disgruntled customers.

“I can do this,” I whispered when I got to the top of the stairs. Didier made a good choice, I thought, looking down at my black scoop-neck dress, which hit me mid-thigh, and my bare tan legs in red slip-on heels. I stood at the door of his office and waited until he got off the phone, enjoying the view from his second-floor window.

Brick hung up and motioned me in. “Very nice.” His dark eyes did a slow sweep of my body. “I’m happy you came.” He gestured to a chair in front of his desk.

“Why me for the job? Fab’s skills far exceed mine.” I looked him in the eye to detect any hint that I should run.

“Fab’s easily excited; the next thing you know guns come out and someone is dead.” He finished off his bottled water, indicating his well-stocked refrigerator and that I could help myself.

He continued. “You have people skills and that’s what this job requires. Your job is to escort a flatbed with a Rolls Royce Phantom sedan to my client’s door on Hibiscus Island. You will see that it is unloaded where directed, and then be escorted by a bodyguard into the house of my client, Carmine Ricci. Leave your gun in the glove compartment. Although Carmine will admire your obvious charms, there will be no problems. You will present the paperwork to him, and have him sign in the places indicated. Present this silver Mont Blanc pen for him to use and he is to keep it when finished. He will also be giving you a check.”

“Can you promise me nothing will happen, such as getting shot or going to jail?”

“This is a straight up business deal and if it goes well, I will use you for other high-end deals. Carmine is rich, he’s not coming here to sign paperwork. He’d much rather have a pretty, sexy woman come to him. He won’t touch you because he knows I’ll cut his arms off.”

“You’re assuring me the job is as described and there are no unpleasant things you failed to mention.”

“I swear.” He held up his hand. “You know I’m a man of my word. When finished, bring the paperwork to the W Hotel in South Beach where I’ll be having lunch.” He handed me a black leather portfolio.

I opened my purse, took out a piece of paper, and pushed it across the desk. “I found Foster. He’d been rescued from the animal shelter where the dirtball boyfriend took it to be put to sleep. Clever bastard dropped it off in Homestead thinking it would never be found. Thank goodness they had a waiting period. I faxed the photo to the animal shelter, and they knew the woman who rescued him and referred me on. Your niece should be having a happy reunion soon. Animal Rescue would like a donation and I told her a check would in the mail by tomorrow and, if not, to call me back.”