Guidebook to Murder (22 page)

“Look, there's a whale.” Jackie pointed toward the left.

Smiling, I watched the sea creature playing in the surf until he swam out of my sight. My luck was changing. Even if I had to make it change myself.

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, Jackie was helping me out of the car and we were walking up the steps to the house.

“I brought over some clothes and stuff. I thought I'd stay here for a couple of nights.” Jackie nodded toward the stairs. “Bed or couch?”

“There's a second bedroom upstairs for you.” It was good to be home. Even if the living room was still a mess from painting and still had one wall to finish. Now, to get the room pulled together. I stepped too quickly toward the couch and almost fell face-first into the bookcase that I'd shoved into the middle of the room.

“Hold on, Speedy, you're not one hundred percent quite yet. Now, bed or couch for you? I need to set you down so I can get you some soup made for lunch.”

“Couch, but I can make it myself.” I tried to shake off my aunt's arm but didn't get more than an inch before I felt her hand tighten around my waist.

“Yeah, I can see that. Come on, let's get you settled.” Jackie walked me over to the couch. She turned on the television and laid my purse on the coffee table. “Iced tea?”

I nodded and grabbed my purse. Digging into the bag, I found my notebook. I turned to the page where I'd written out my list of suspects. I clicked my pen several times then crossed George and Sabrina off my list. I turned to my to-do list and wrote down
Call travel agent
and
Call Jimmy
. Looking at the other items on my list, like shopping for furniture and cleaning the bathroom, I decided that maybe phone calls were more my speed, at least for today.

I found Jimmy Marcum's card in my purse and dialed the number. I should just program the number into my phone. I'd always handled my own legal business, part of the perks of three years of law school, but I knew I was too emotional about the house to be my best advocate in front of the council. Besides, I had to admit, Jimmy had more clout in the town than I did. Especially since most of Lille's regulars put me as the front-runner as Miss Emily's murderer.

His secretary patched me right through.

“Are you all right? I heard what happened. George had the nerve to call and ask me to represent him.” Jimmy's voice sounded warm and concerned.

“Are you going to do it?” I hadn't thought about Jimmy representing George.

“I told him it was a conflict of interest since I handled your legal issues with the inheritance.” He paused, then went on, “I wanted to tell him he was a weasel and to go jump in the lake.”

I chuckled. “I'm glad because I need you to help me on something.”

“What's up?” Jimmy's tone became serious.

I explained the ongoing issues with the house and the council, and Miss Emily's pile of correspondence I found with several lawyers, including the one letter Amy and I had found from the lawyer from San Francisco. “To make matters worse, now the historical commission doesn't know when they'll file their paperwork. And now, with Amy gone, the city won't approve the paint color, therefore, Jim King can't finish the outside work.”

“And you won't meet your deadline,” Jimmy Marcum finished the thought.

“It's just not fair. I've been working my butt off to get this house done by their guidelines. All I needed was a little luck from the gods, but did I get it? No way.”

Jimmy's chuckle vibrated my phone. “Relax. I'm sure I can get you an extension. Although I don't know why you didn't just file one when you got the subpoena. It's standard real estate law stuff.”

“I practiced family law. If there was property involved, one of the firm's other lawyers handled that part.” I sighed. “You think you can get me an extension?”

“I know I can.” Jimmy's voice became muffled. “My next appointment's here. I've got to go. Fax me a copy of the subpoena and the other letters.”

“I'll get it done today. Thanks.” I leaned back into the couch. Maybe I wouldn't be homeless after all.

“No problem. Take care of yourself. And be careful.”

Clicking the cell off, I thought about Jimmy's words.

I thought I had been careful, but here I was, beat up and bandaged, sitting on my couch and having my elderly aunt fussing over me. As if on cue, Jackie appeared with a glass of iced tea and a bowl of chicken soup on a tray.

“You need to take it easy.” Jackie frowned at the cell phone in my hand.

“Actually, I just handed off worrying about the house to Jimmy. He says he'll be able to get the council off my back.” I set the phone down and grabbed the glass of iced tea.

“I don't understand why you didn't ask for help earlier.” My aunt covered my lap with a blue cloth napkin I didn't recognize.

Groaning, I set the tea down and sipped a spoonful of the soup. “That's what he said.”

“So listen, for once.” Jackie flipped the television on. “Oh good, Judge Harry is on.”

I suppressed this groan. Watching television with my aunt was close to visiting a retirement center. Boring! “Hey, before you get caught up in the case of the missing false teeth, can you grab me the phone book out of the office? It's on the bookshelf.”

Jackie tore her attention away from the introduction of the plaintiff. “The phone book?”

“And the mystery that's on the desk. Unless you want me to get it myself?” I shifted like I planned on getting up, but Jackie popped up first.

“Stay there. You can rest for a few hours at least.” Jackie headed to the study. “Stubborn as a mule . . .”

Grinning, I opened my notebook to a new page and wrote
Amy Newman
at the top.

Jackie came back with the phone book. “There were five of these on the bookshelf.”

“I know, they just keep coming—and I usually don't even look at them.” I pulled open the Yellow Pages to
travel agents
. Fifteen listed in the South Cove/Bakerstown area. I wrote down the name and phone number of the first one and punched the numbers in my cell phone.

After the first ten, Jackie now was watching her favorite soap opera. And I was no closer to finding out which travel agent was TA than I had been during the trial of the two ex-best friends/roommates who broke up when the one slept with the other's man. At least Jackie knew the soap was fiction, I hoped.

At agent number fifteen I finally caught a break. Not only did she remember meeting with Amy, she'd booked her a trip.

“Where did she go?”

“Hold on, I've got the file right here. I've been out of town on a cruise junket. I can't believe after all these years, I finally won a Carnival cruise to Alaska. I've got some great pictures if you're interested?”

“I'm in the middle of a remodel and can't get away, but thanks.” I shrugged my shoulders at Jackie.

The doorbell rang as I waited on hold.

“If she's got a good deal going, maybe I should talk to her.” Jackie turned down the volume on the television and went to answer the door.

“I'm back,” the cheery voice chirped in my ear.

“So, Amy booked a trip? Do you remember where?”

“Here's the file. She didn't book this trip, she won it.” I could hear pages turning.

“How did she win the trip?” My gut churned.

“I got a letter from CD Development saying that a Miss Amy Newman had won a trip to Baratonga and I was to contact her to make the arrangements.”

“Baratonga? I've never heard of the place.” Jackie still stood at the door, talking to the unexpected visitor on the other side. I saw her shake her head.

“It's a small private island near the Mexican coast. Known for excellent surfing. All the big names go there during their downtime for practice.”

“And this letter had you set up a trip for Amy?”

“The weird thing was, we had to get her on a plane that same day because the offer ran out that Friday. The package included a new designer wardrobe provided on site, and new, top-of-the-line surfing gear. Man, you don't see prizes this inclusive anymore. When I called to get the credit card approval for the charges, the lady seemed very concerned that Amy not miss out on the opportunity.”

“Did you get her name?”

“It should be on my credit approval memo, just a second.” More rustling. “That's odd. I didn't get her name. But the charge went through with no problem. I checked it the next day just to make sure.”

“Can you tell me anything about the woman? Was she old, young, accent, anything?”

“I'm sorry, it's been a while. The only thing I remember is she kept having to quiet down her dog. It just kept barking.”

“Her dog?”

“Yeah, she called it Honey, or Sweetie, no, that's not right.”

“Was it Precious?”

“That was it. All I could think of was the ugly Gollum character from
The Lord of the Rings
.”

As if the thought of Bambi had summoned her, I watched as she pushed past my aunt and stilettoed toward my couch.

Bambi had sent Amy on the trip. But why? Access to the mayor? This wasn't making any sense. And now the woman was standing in front of me.

“So, when was she supposed to be back?”

“It was a week's stay, all expenses paid.”

“She's been gone three weeks!” Images of planes crashing into the ocean alternated with a vision of Amy, lying in a hospital bed, bandaged from head to toe.

“That's not right. She should have been back by now. Wait, here's a note from my assistant. Miss Newman called and cancelled her return flight.” There was a pause. “That's odd. She didn't reschedule a new pickup date.”

“What do you mean, a pickup date?”

“Baratonga only has air service one day a week. Even if she'd wanted to stay another week, we should have booked her for the next Thursday.”

“Hang up the phone.” Bambi held her hand out for my cell.

“Call the police,” I yelled into the phone as Bambi ripped it from my hand.

“Hey, stop that.” My aunt tried to squeeze in between me and Bambi. “You need to leave now.”

Bambi shook her head and pulled out a small handgun from the bag that usually held Precious. “Sit down or I'll shoot you.”

My aunt slipped down next to me. “I couldn't stop her from coming in. She had flowers.”

“It's okay.” I put my hand on my aunt's arm, trying to think of a way out of this. The beating I'd taken from George yesterday and the painkillers the hospital had given me made me feel like I was in slow motion. I said the first thing that popped into my head. “No Precious today?”

“He's back at the hotel. He's not fond of loud noises.” Bambi glanced around the living room. “I like this blue much better than the tan the old lady had on the walls. Too bad you won't be around to enjoy it.”

Of course, Bambi had been here before. She'd been trying to get Miss Emily to sell. But why? “You did this for Eric's development?”

Bambi laughed. “Actually, Eric did this for me. Of course, he couldn't know the real reason I wanted this run-down shack. So I convinced him that an upscale residential development would make him millions. Men are so easy. All they want are two things. Sex and money.”

“And power,” my aunt added.

I squeezed her arm, but Bambi just smiled.

“And power. Your mayor falls under all three of those vices.” She shuddered. “Luckily, I didn't have to actually sleep with him to seduce him.”

“So, why did you want the house?” I figured as long as Bambi was talking, she wasn't shooting.

“I think you know the answer to that.” Bambi smiled. “Where did you hide the coins?”

“What coins?”

“Playing dumb isn't as easy as I make it look, sweetheart. And after teaching high school for a few years, I can tell a lie a mile away.”

Kevin's story came back. “You taught history here. And had the kids tell you the town's secrets.”

“Kids will tell a cute, flirty teacher anything. And, hey, they all got excellent grades, so what was the harm?” Bambi smiled. “Now, this gun is getting heavy, so can you just tell me where the coins are and I'll be leaving.”

“And you'll let us live?” My heart leaped at the hope.

Bambi seemed to consider my question for a few seconds. While I watched her, the hope drained out of me. She was debating between lying or telling me the truth. Either way, Aunt Jackie and I were dead when she took her stilettos and left.

“Of course.” Bambi had decided on the lie.

I pushed myself into a standing position.

“Jilly, you shouldn't move,” my aunt protested.

I stared at Bambi as I answered, “I don't think it matters much right now.”

Her lips turned into a slight grin. “I think under different circumstances, you and I could have been friends.”

“I think you would have to grow a heart first in order to have a friend.” I pointed to the kitchen.

“Now, that was cruel.” Bambi waved the gun toward the kitchen. “After you.”

I shuffled slowly into the kitchen, touching the blue wall I'd just painted, saying good-bye to the house as I walked. After Bambi shot Aunt Jackie and me, no one would ever live in the house again. Too many deaths, too close together. Tears filled my eyes when I walked into the sunny yellow kitchen.

“Now, this is nice. You should have been a decorator. Your store is precious, by the way.” Bambi giggled at her wording.