Our Husband (a humorous romantic mystery) (35 page)

night."

The woman licked her lips. "I was working, and I delivered extra towels. He was alone... but he was expecting someone."

"How do you know?"

"There was a vase of red roses on the table. I made a joke about someone sending them to him, but he laughed and said it

was a special occasion—he was going to propose."

Her heart squeezed painfully at the news. Nat's eyes watered. Beatrix sat down heavily on the bed, jangling the hangers.

"D-Do you know if this woman arrived?"

"No. But when I came to clean the room the next day, it was a mess. The roses were all broken up, petals everywhere.

Shame, all that money wasted. But I didn't tell my boss because I didn't want to cause trouble for Mr. Carmichael."

"Was there a card with the flowers?"

"Not that I remember."

Beatrix extended the twenty-dollar bill, which shook like a leaf in December. "Thank you."

The woman vamoosed, and for a few seconds, the only sound in the room was the newscaster on the twenty-four-hour-a-

day news channel that Natalie had turned on. Why anyone would want to watch news all the time was beyond her. Not when

the Cartoon Network was available.

"And now to state-by-state news," the anchor said. "In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a farmer has harvested an apple that weighs in at

nearly fifteen pounds. In Paducah, Kentucky, the three wives of a bigamist have been charged with his murder. In Tecumseh,

Washington, a festival..."

Nat stabbed a button on the TV and the picture went black.

"I can't believe the bastard was going to marry again," Beatrix murmured. "The man had gonads the size of bowling balls."

Looking deathly pale, Nat hugged herself. "At least we can go home now."

Beatrix frowned. "Go home?"

"We have enough evidence to give to the police—there was another woman in Raymond's life, and something happened

between them the day he died. Let Detective Aldrich sort it out, I just want the conspiracy charges dropped, so my life can get

back to normal."

Beatrix's laugh was raw. "Let Detective Aldrich sort it out? I say we keep digging until we find out something concrete

about this woman—a description, a name. We know she was here with Raymond, so there has to be someone in this town who

saw them together. Maybe she
lives
here." She stood, a little wobbly. "Besides, I don't know about you, but I could use a

drink."

"I'd like to take a shower," Nat said, heading toward the bathroom. "Suddenly I feel very dirty."

The bathroom door closed and Ruby swallowed at the prospect of spending time alone with Beatrix. The woman could

strike at any time. But Beatrix sat at the table squeezed in the corner of the room and studied Ray's schedule book—it was as if

she and Mame weren't even there. Which allowed her to give Ray's wife a good looky-loo.

In her younger days, she must have been a head-turner, because she actually was pretty decent-looking—when she wasn't

frowning.

"What?" Beatrix asked, startling her.

"What?"

Beatrix sighed. "
What
are you looking at?"

"Your hair. It's really nice—what color do you use?"

"It's natural."

"Oh, come on."

She patted her hair. "Viva Ashe, number seventeen."

"Can I feel it?"

"What?"

"Your hair."

She sighed again. "Christ, go ahead."

Ruby fingered the strands, squinting to pick up all the highlights. "Wow, no split ends, and your scalp is so nice and pink—

do you use a conditioner?"

"Er, yes."

"Great texture. Have you always been blond?"

"Yes."

"Did you know that blondes have thirty percent more hairs on their heads than brunettes?"

"No."

"Well, they do. Have you had plastic surgery?"

"That is
so
none of your business."

"I wondered because you look pretty good, considering your age and all."

"Gee, thanks."

"How old are you?"

"Didn't you bring a coloring book or something to play with?"

Ruby retreated and lay on her stomach on the bed closest to the window that looked out over the parking lot of a

Laundromat. Mame whined until she put her on the bed with her, and the dog snuggled next to her ribcage.

"That just became your bed," Beatrix muttered. "Keep that mutt off the other one, which is mine."

Ruby shifted to find a more comfortable spot on the mattress. The baby moved a couple of times a day now, little flutters

like bubbles being blown into a glass of milk. Too bad Ray wouldn't be around to see his own little girl, but if he was planning

to marry someone else anyhow, he wouldn't have had much time to spare. She sighed heavily, hurt that he would take another

wife after he'd said vows with her only two months ago. She loved Ray—their wedding had been the happiest day of her life.

She'd felt special in her white satin dress and with a big bow in her hair. Now she only felt... discarded. Like trash. Like

always. She sighed again.

"Stop that," Beatrix said, not looking up.

"Stop what?"

"Stop making that pitiful little sound—Natalie isn't here to fall for it."

Ruby lifted herself on her elbows, cupping her chin in her palms. "Why do you hate me?"

Beatrix finally glanced up. And frowned, of course. "I don't hate you."

"Yes, you do."

She shrugged. "Okay, I hate you."

"But
why
do you hate me?"

Beatrix looked up, her eyebrows knitted. "Because you talk too much, you're too young, and you're not very bright."

"I know," Ruby said, then bit into her lower lip. "I'll bet you were smart when you were my age, weren't you?"

Beatrix got the strangest look on her face for the longest time, then she looked away. "No." Her voice suddenly sounded

weak and a little scary. "No, I wasn't very smart when I was your age. In fact" —a small laugh escaped her—"I'm not very

smart now."

Ruby stared. "How could you say that? You're rich—you live in a mansion and you drive a ritzy car. I bet you even went

to college."

Beatrix nodded, but her smile was wry. "To get an M.R.S. degree."

She knew her eyes were bugging, but she couldn't help it. "That sounds really important."

But the woman only laughed. "M-R-S, as in 'Mrs.' I went to college to find a husband."

"Oh."

"But I didn't. I dated a few young men, but they all were more interested in my Daddy's money and influence than in me."

"Until you met Ray?"

She nodded, then puffed up her cheeks and exhaled. "I thought he was different, but turns out he was simply a better actor."

Actor was a classier word than liar, she supposed. "Are your parents both gone, Beatrix?"

"Yes. Yours?"

"I never knew my father, but my mom is still kicking. She hasn't much cared for me, though, not since she thought I killed

Ham Jackson. We don't talk, unless she needs money."

"That's... terrible. Does she know you're having a baby?"

"Oh, yes, I told her right away. Invited her to my wedding, too, but she didn't come."

"What kind of wedding did you have?" Beatrix asked, and really looked interested.

"We went to a justice of the peace—it was over in about six minutes. But I wore a white dress, and Ray looked so

handsome, I thought I would die." She closed her eyes, remembering. "He had this way of looking at you—"

"That made you feel like you were the most special woman on Earth."

She opened her eyes. "Right!"

"Raymond had that effect on almost every woman I know."

Wistful, Ruby said, "I'll bet you have loads of friends, don't you?"

She laughed, the way a person would laugh at a stinky joke. "Oh, sure. As we speak, all of my so-called friends at the club

are gathering firewood to burn me at the stake."

"Because they think you murdered Ray?"

"No, because having a member who was married to a bigamist is too scandalous."

"But you didn't know—it wasn't your fault!" Miss Mame barked her agreement. "Gee, I thought rich people were at least

nice to
each other
."

"Well, we're not. But to be fair, a conspiracy to commit murder charge isn't in keeping with the membership code of

conduct."

"Belonging to this club must mean a lot to you."

Beatrix studied her perfect manicure. "I suppose."

"I wanted to be in Beta club when I was in school, but I wasn't smart enough, or popular enough."

"I figured a girl who looked like you would be plenty popular."

Ruby swallowed her surprise—she'd sounded only a tiny bit mean. "I d-didn't have the right clothes, and..." She couldn't

very well tell her she stank because her mother hardly ever paid the water bill.
Stinkin' hick
. "Well, you know better than

anyone how important that stuff is for other people to be nice to you."

"Yes," Beatrix said, but her voice was faint and she looked to be about a million miles away.

"Don't worry. The police are bound to drop the murder charges when we tell them everything we find out. Then the people

in your club will come around."

"Unless," Natalie said from the doorway, knotting the ties of her robe, "the police track down this woman and arrest her

too, then say all four of us were in on it."

With the dark circles under her eyes and her wet hair slicked back, she looked like a skinny raccoon wearing terry cloth.

"Jesus, you might be right," Beatrix said.

Nat sighed. "I keep thinking this mess will get better. Instead, every day brings a new nightmare."

"Meanwhile," Beatrix said, "Raymond is probably charming the devil's daughter out of her pitchfork."

Natalie sat down on the other bed. "Why do you think he deceived us?"

Beatrix sat back in her chair. "Money and power. Wouldn't you say that most men fantasize about having a harem?"

"But why do you suppose he chose
us
?"

"You're assuming he didn't love us," Beatrix said dryly.

"I'd say that's a given," Natalie murmured, her eyes bleak.

"If you're asking if I think he picked us because he thought we'd be easy to fool, then I'd say yes."

Ruby's vision blurred. "You mean he thought we were all... dumb?"
Dumb Ruby Hicks, she's such a hick
.

"Dumb and willing to settle for a superficial relationship," Beatrix said.

"Our relationship wasn't superficial," Natalie whispered.

Beatrix sat forward. "Did you fall in the shower and hit your head? He lied to you, woman. He lied to all of us. He

screwed around, he took our money, and he destroyed our reputations."

Nat looked positively ill. "I meant I didn't
realize
our relationship was so superficial. God, how stupid could I have

been?"

"Well, we're all less stupid today," Beatrix said, pushing herself up from the chair. "Which is why we have to get

ourselves out of this predicament we allowed Raymond to put us in. She moved to stand in front of Natalie. "Agreed?"

Ruby scrambled off the bed, not about to be left out of the huddle. "Agreed," she blurted out, then put her hand palm-down

in the middle of the circle.

Nat squirmed a little, then put her hand on top of Ruby's. "Agreed."

They both looked at Beatrix, who sighed and put her hand on top of theirs. "Agreed, already. Let's go—I'm thirsty."

Chapter 33

"I look ridiculous," Natalie said, fingering her hair self-consciously as they walked through the crammed parking lot

toward Razor's Restaurant and Bar, which, according to the noise and the neon, was the happeningest spot in Quincy,

Tennessee.

"You look righteous," Ruby squealed, proud of her handiwork. "A puff of mousse, a little teasing, and your hair is twice as

big."

Big was right. She could feel the draft on her scalp as the warmish night air filtered through her high hair. Dread had

settled in her stomach when Ruby begged to fix her up. But at the time, it seemed more expedient to acquiesce. Besides, she

simply couldn't bear to extinguish the light in the young woman's eyes.

"At least no one will recognize you," Beatrix whispered.

"Gee, thanks," she lisped, unused to the slick gloss Ruby had applied to her mouth. Her skin felt a little stiff from the

makeup, and her eyelashes were heavy with mascara. "You don't look much like yourself tonight, either." Beatrix had donned a

pair of designer jeans that flattered her slim figure, and topped them with a blue silk blouse. Her jewelry was large and flashy,

and she smelled extremely...
beguiling
for a woman who'd been recently widowed.