QUEENIE BABY: On Assignment (12 page)

He looked frustrated. "Technically, is that a hickey or not?"

"It is," I said quietly.

He looked like he might snatch the flowers back. "That's what I thought."

"Do you want your flowers back?" I asked looking up at him.

"No, but I'll take a glass of wine now."

"Okey, dokey," I said heading for the kitchen.

Two glasses of wine later and halfway through dinner we were both starting to relax again. He seemed to have let the hickey go, although I caught him staring at my neck a couple of times. So far he had learned almost nothing about Greene's. He still couldn't find any way to get in touch with his uncle.
 

"I'm waiting for a call back from a friend in Virginia. He was going over to Uncle Ed's house. I do know that David was in Virginia last week at home with his mother and Ed."
 

Mark also explained how Uncle Ed was thirty years older than David's mother, Marcie. They had married when David was a teenager. Mark's family had been scandalized at first by the age difference and had assumed that Marcie was a gold-digger. But they had been together for over a decade. Their main contention was David. He was constantly getting thrown out of school and in trouble with the law. Over the last couple of years, though, he seemed to be doing better and Ed had started including him in more business operations. Things were a little rocky at times, but David had at least been working regularly. It sounded like he had a pretty big chip on his shoulder about Ed even though the man had raised him as a son. As far as Mark knew, David's real father had never been in the picture.

I shook my head. "It sure sounds like David is up to no good."

Mark nodded. "I'm not surprised that Ed put him in charge of Greene's, but he would have told me for sure. Which tells me Ed doesn't know anything about it."

"Maybe David's mom did it," I suggested. "Is she a partner?"
 

"A good possibility," Mark agreed. "She's always trying to help David. There's not much she wouldn't do where David is concerned. And that's what worries me," he said.

"So she goes behind Ed's back and signs the lease over to David. She must have known you were coming here to look at the place."

"Yeah, and I think that's why she did it. She has always been jealous on David's behalf about me. She thinks Ed has given me more business opportunities than he has David. Which isn't true. David is ten years younger and has little business experience. No way he’s ready for a project like this."

"But she has to know that eventually Ed's going to find out. It just doesn't make sense," I said.
 

"By the way," Mark said leaning back and patting his stomach. "This is delicious. You're a great cook."

I glowed. It wasn't often I received praise for my domestic abilities. "Thanks," I replied. "I have a few culinary tricks."
 

Max gave a little yip from under the table. "Don't feed him from the table," I warned. "It makes him mean."

Mark cast a wary eye at Max. "More than he already is?"
 

I reached down to pat Max. "He's not mean," I said with a laugh. Max growled. I was infringing on his ability to beg food from Mark.

Mark shook his head. "Your dog is weird."
 

Max growled again and stalked away from the table.

Both our phones rang at the same time. I think Mark's ringtone was a Patsy Cline song. He grabbed it quickly and walked towards the living room.
 

 
I answered mine with one hand and picked up dishes with the other. "Diana, I'm coming by tonight." It was Rick. "I'm on the bridge right now."

Oh, geez! "Turn around, Rick. Right now."

"No, we've got to talk about this. I let you get away once and I'm not making the same mistake again," he insisted.

"This is not happening tonight," I said.

"Then tomorrow," he said. "I'll turn around if you will go out with me tomorrow. A real first date. Dinner. Conversation. No making out in a minivan and no hickies, except upon request. I promise."
 

I laughed despite myself. Maybe this was a sign from the universe. "Okay," I said and immediately regretted it. Forward not backwards, Diana, I chastised myself.
 

"Really?" he seemed surprised.

"Yes," I said. "Didn't think I'd say yes?" I asked.

"I thought I would have to do a lot more begging and pleading."

"You're not actually driving over the bridge right now, are you?" I asked.

"No," he said. There was an awkward pause. "We're still on for tomorrow night, right?"

"Yes, but after seven," I added. "I have a lot of work to do."

I hung up the phone. I couldn't believe I had just agreed to a date with Rick. I turned around to wipe off the table. Mark was staring at me. Looked like his conversation had ended a few minutes before mine.

"Did you actually just make a date for tomorrow night with me standing right here?" he asked incredulously.
 

Well, when you put it that way it sounded pretty bad. "Uh, I guess I did," I stammered.

"With the hickey guy?" he asked.

That sounded worse. I nodded.

"Unbelievable," he muttered.

"Do you want your flowers back?" I asked.

He said nothing and poured another glass of wine. A big glass. I held out my glass for a refill.

He got down to business. “I need you to go in and help David and see what you can find out. Tomorrow’s payroll, right?” I nodded. “Are you able to process it on your own?”

“I’ve helped Carol before. I think I can handle it.”

“Go in and do payroll and keep your ears open,” he said. “But don’t antagonize David. I will be in the building in one of the empty spaces. Call me if anything goes wrong.”

“Okay,” I said. “But what am I looking for? What questions should I ask?”

“Don’t ask questions. Just keep your ears open and do payroll. I’ll meet you at your car when you leave for your assignment.”

“Sounds easy enough,” I said.

“I’m pretty sure he’s unstable. My friend in Virginia said the house is closed up tight. Looks like even the housekeeper is gone. Ed’s secretary said she last heard from him three days ago. He was on his way to meet Marcie for dinner. I told her to send messages to both Ed and Marcie saying that if she didn’t hear from one of them by tomorrow morning she was calling the police.”
 

“That should rattle someone’s cage,” I said.

He nodded. His phone rang again. “Is that a Patsy Cline ring tone?” I asked.

“No comment,” he said and answered the call. “Where are you? And Ed? Not good enough, Marcie. I’ve got David here waving a lease at me with his name on it after Ed specifically sent me here to inspect the property. No, that was not the deal. Ed has no idea David is here, does he?” I could hear the frustration in Mark’s voice. I could hear a woman’s voice pleading in the background. “I have to talk to Ed about this. What retreat? Where? Marcie,” he said trying to reason with her, “I think David is up to his old games again. There has been money missing the last three months at the staffing company. A lot of money. I’m going to have to involve the police.” Mark held the phone away from his ear as she shrieked. “Then get Ed on the phone tonight or I’m going to the police. I’ll be waiting.” He hung up the phone.

“Didn’t go so well,” I said.

“Supposedly Ed’s at a special retreat to help him relax. A gift from her,” he said.

“So she’s at home?” I asked.

He nodded. “That’s what she said.”

“So why would the house be locked up and the housekeeper off?” I asked.

Mark shrugged.

“Mark,” I said. “I think Marcie has a boyfriend.”

Mark glanced at me. “Well, you are the expert,” he drawled. “That is certainly a possibility. But what’s signing the lease over to David have to do with any of it?”

“And why would David need to embezzle money from Greene’s?” I asked.
 

“He doesn’t need the money, that I know. He has a large salary from Ed’s company, a condo, a Jaguar. He’s never been a gambler,” Mark mused.
 

My phone rang and I excused myself and walked back towards the kitchen. It was Carol. “Hi,” she said, “I’m not going to make it tonight, but I want you to know that I talked to Mr. Hagen from Mayfield Manufacturing. I called him at home and ended up speaking to his wife who used to temp for us. She pulled some more info out of him. The Mr. Greene he was paying in cash was definitely not David. He said the man was in his fifties and had a southern accent.”

I wrinkled my brow. “That’s weird.”
 

“Yeah,” she agreed. “So how are things going there?”

“A little rocky,” I said.

“Wow—you know how to mess up a sure thing, don’t you?” she said with a laugh.

“Thanks for pointing that out. It would never have worked anyway,” I said defensively.

“You mean your rules about meeting a guy in bar, working with him, etc.?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said.

“You know a week ago I was just like you.” She paused and added, “No, I was much worse than you. You at least are a Queenie Baby Rock Star.” She sounded sleepy and her words were starting to slur. “I, however, always followed the rules and did the right thing until a couple of days ago. Now, evidently, I get drunk and sing karaoke in public, barf on strangers, and fake injuries. Add in that I did all this in front of my boss who is investigating me for embezzlement and I say to you: Fuck the rules!”

I held the phone away from my ear. “You aren’t faking the back injury.” I pointed out.

“No, but I faked fainting, which led to the back injury. Karma is a bitch,” she said.

“Um, Carol, how many pills have you taken?” I asked.

“Clearly,” she said, “not enough. I’m supposed to take two every four hours. I took two at five and then two more at nine.”
 

I looked at my kitchen clock. “It’s seven right now, Carol.”

“Whoopsie,” she said. “Maybe I’ll just lie down and take a nap.”

“Good idea,” I said. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Scheduling another date?” Mark asked from behind me.

I made a face. “No, talking to Carol who is slightly over-medicated.”

“Wish I was too,” he grumbled. I brought him up to speed on Mayfield Manufacturing. “Another wrinkle,” he said shaking his head.
 

We sat down on the couch and stared at each other a moment. I could smell his heavenly cologne from my side of the couch. I had this urge to climb on his lap and sniff his neck. The awkward silence ended with a piercing scream. Max started barking furiously and jumping at the door.
 

Someone was banging on my door and shouting, “Help me!” I raced to the door. A shaken Mrs. Kester stood in the hall. “Help me!” she pleaded. “There’s a vampire at my window. He’s trying to get in and suck my blood!”

The entranceway door knob rattled and I caught sight of a flapping red cape. “Oh, Lord, Jesus, save us,” she screamed and collapsed to the floor.
 

Mark had followed me to the door. He stepped out in the hall and glanced at the front door. “Um, there’s actually a vampire at the door trying to get in. I think he’s calling your name.”

I stuck my head out the door. Mr. Vann Pyres had his nose pressed against the glass foyer door and was waving frantically at me.
 

“Looks like your date got his days mixed up,” Mark said dryly.

C
HAPTER
T
EN

POLICE SIRENS WAILED in the distance as I opened the foyer door and stepped outside. “I’m so sorry to disturb you at home, Ms. Hudson,” began Mr. Pyres. He glanced around me at Mark trying to wake Mrs. Kester up. “Oh, dear,” he said with alarm. “That poor woman looks ill. What happened?”
 

“She’s fine,” I said. “Why are you here? How are you here?” I asked.

“I do apologize. I called Carol for your address,” he said. And she just gave it to you. Great, I thought, so much for employer confidentiality. “She seemed a bit out of sorts,” he said. “Anyway I had to come and tell you that my date is going wonderfully! Betty is the most amazing woman. We are spending tomorrow together so I’m giving you the day off, but I simply must have my manuscript pages back. Betty is quite the medieval history buff and wants to have a peek at my work.” The sound of sirens was getting louder. “Oh, dear,” he said. “I hope there’s not an accident.”

“I’ll be right back with your manuscript, Mr. Pyres,” I said and raced up the stairs. I hopped over Mrs. Kester who was just starting to come around. She looked up just as The Count leaned inside the doorway and called, “Do hurry, Diana, we are on our way to dinner and I am simply famished.”
 

Mrs. Kester shrieked and collapsed again. “Oh, brother,” Mark said as I hopped back over Mrs. Kester’s prone form with the manuscript. “This place is a loony bin.”

I handed Mr. Pyres his manuscript. “Thank you so much, Diana. For everything!” He shook my hand warmly. “I will see you Friday,” he said and disappeared into the darkness in a flourish of satin red cape.

The police pulled up as soon as I closed the door. Mark had Mrs. Kester sitting up, but she was far from lucid. I opened the door to Officer John. “Wow, Diana, didn’t think to see you again so soon,” he said cheerfully.

“Yeah,” I said more than a little uncomfortable.

“We had a call from your neighbor again about somebody peeking in her window,” he said. He leaned in and said, “I don’t know why these old girls think every Tom, Dick, and Harry are peeking in their windows.” He laughed. “Now if it was your window, then I might believe it.”
 

“Officers,” Mrs. Kester croaked, “there was a vampire trying to get in.”

John looked at me and then at Mark. “Did she say a vampire?” he asked. I nodded.

He turned and looked at this partner. “Call a 10-54. Tell them we’ve got a psych eval.”

“Do you really think that’s necessary?” I asked. Poor Mrs. Kester. “Maybe she saw something.”

“Did you see anything?” John asked.