Relatively Dead (11 page)

“Sure.”

The kitchen area was at the end of the room in front of the window. Nelly brought two glasses of iced tea and a plate of cookies she placed on a low table, and sat on a chair across from me. I took a sip to clear my throat. Nelly did the same and gave me a quizzical look.

“How did you get along with the space cadet?”

“Like you said, he’s a bit weird. But he appears harmless enough.”

“Yeah, he’s okay. He likes girls, but he’s not obnoxious about it like some of the guys. And half the time he’s too blitzed to actually do anything.”

“Do you think he could have killed Jason?”

Nelly’s mouth hung open. Then she started laughing. “He can barely get his shit together enough to feed himself. He’d never be able to plan a murder—and get away with it.”

“He said he was at the party on Friday.”

“Yeah, well, half the world was at that party. I was there. That doesn’t make us all murderers.”

“He said Jason was part of something he called a syndicate for investors.”

Nelly’s face went blank. She looked at me carefully. “Are you a cop?”

Why was everyone asking me that question? I spoke too quickly. “No. Why would you think that?”

“You came in here asking questions, like the police did. Are you sure you’re not a cop?”

I had to be careful. “I’m not with the police. I
am
interested in finding out who killed Jason. I know his grandfather. He asked me to look into the murder.”

“Okay, that begins to make sense. You’re not really a reporter, are you?”

My first attempt at being undercover and I’d completely blown it. “No.”

What makes you qualified to investigate Jason’s murder?”

“Because…because I have some experience doing detective work.” That was true. I helped find my own identity.

“You’ve got a good natural cover. You look like a model. You could be a ditz but you obviously aren’t. You’re like a Mata Hari or somebody.”

I smiled. “Thanks, but you saw right through me. I get the feeling nobody has talked to the police about this syndicate.”

Nelly had a guarded expression. “You won’t tell the police about it, will you?”

I didn’t want to make any rash statements. “Not if it doesn’t have anything to do with Jason’s murder.”

“It doesn’t.” Nelly sounded positive. Too positive. She sipped her iced tea and peered at me over the lip of the glass.

It was too early to rule anything out on Nelly’s say-so. I decided to proceed cautiously. “Evan told me the syndicate doubled investors’ money in six months. I find that hard to believe. I’d like to know how they do it.”

“That’s why we can’t talk about it to anyone. Nobody else knows about it. It’s private.”

Very
private. The police didn’t know about it, and, apparently, Jason II didn’t either.

“Anyway, it works. The first investors got double their money back.”

“Are you part of the syndicate?”

“I’m…an investor.”

“Then you’re the right person to tell me how the syndicate doubles people’s money in six months.”

Nelly hesitated. She looked embarrassed. “It’s so secret they won’t even tell the investors.”

“So you don’t know what they’re doing with your money. Doesn’t that worry you?”

“These are good guys. And gals. They wouldn’t steer us wrong.”

Famous last words.
I changed my tone. “Sounds interesting if they can really do it. Are they looking for new investors?”

Nelly’s red eyebrows went up. “You?”

“I’ve got a little money saved. I mean, who wouldn’t want to double their money in six months?”

Nelly appeared to think. “All right, I trust you. There’s a recruitment party tonight on the roof. I can fix it so you can go.”

“A party to recruit new investors?” When Nelly nodded I remembered Jason had been murdered last Friday night—at a party on the roof of this apartment house. Today was Friday. “Did Jason die at a recruitment party?”

Another almost imperceptible nod. “They don’t call it a recruitment party.”

“Are the police okay with having another party since Jason died at one?”

“Sure, so long as the building owner is. He comes to the parties. I think he’s an investor in the syndicate.”

“What do they call the party if it isn’t a recruitment party?”

“Just a party. TGIF. Happy end of the work week. Booze and screw. They want people to come, but only big spenders.”

“Whatever they call it, if Jason died at one, how can you be sure there’s no connection?”

Nelly looked worried. I suspected she was concerned about her own money.

“It was—a coincidence. It had to be. The syndicate is working fabulously.”

“Whoever killed Jason just happened to be at the party, but he—or she—had nothing to do with the syndicate?”

“Yeah.” Nelly tried to smile. “I know it sounds weak. I’m no dummy. But I don’t see how they could be connected.”

“You said you were you at the party last Friday. Did you see anything unusual about Jason?”

She hesitated. “No. And I didn’t see him fall.”

“Did you see a man with blisters or a rash on his hands?”

She thought about that. “Not that I can recall. Why? Do you know something nobody else knows?”

“Not really. Okay, we’ll pass on that for now. Are you going to this party?”

“Yes. There’s free food and drink, music, rich guys. Who knows, one of them might fall in love with me.” She laughed.

“And the syndicate group wants you there?”

“Yes.”

When Nelly didn’t expand on that statement, immediately, I sipped her iced tea and waited her out, a trick I’d learned from some of the people I’d interacted with when I was trying to recover my identity. Maybe they just wanted Nelly as candy for the male prospects, but I suspected it was more than that.

Nelly looked uncomfortable. After some seconds she spoke. “Okay, you win. I shouldn’t tell you this, but if I help recruit a new investor I get a cut.”

“You get a finder’s fee?” Interesting. “You can take me to the party then, but I don’t promise to invest.”

“All
right
. We should go now before the crowds arrive.”

Nelly was obviously happy I was going to the party. I felt a bit guilty because I suspected this was because she thought she might get a finder’s fee. She stripped down to her underwear and pulled a short skirt and low-cut top out of her closet. Shy she wasn’t.
I suddenly had second thoughts. I’d conveniently forgotten that to get to the roof I had to climb the fire escape ladder. I started to shake. I accosted Nelly who was putting on a necklace, and told her about my acrophobia.

“Isn’t there another way to get to the roof?”

Nelly was unsympathetic. “The ladder is safe. They check it all the time. I’ve climbed it often. You’ll be fine.”

“Jason fell off it.”

“He was shot. Just watch how much you drink.”

I wasn’t comforted. How could I get out of this mess? Of course, I could simply walk away. But that wouldn’t solve Jason’s murder. What I did now would show what I was made of. I looked at what Nelly was wearing.

“Won’t guys be watching when you climb the ladder? They’ll see up your skirt.”

“Yeah.” Nelly gave a little smile. “Look, I’m going to act slutty while I have the chance. I’m getting married in six months. Then I have to become a model wife.”

Trolling for rich men and acting slutty while she was engaged. She wasn’t wearing a ring. “Your fiancé…?”

“…is stationed somewhere in the Middle East. What he’s doing is classified, top secret, not for my eyes only, but he’s due back in a few months. Alive, hopefully. I didn’t want him to go.” The last was said with a pensive look, but then she became animated again. “Would you like to borrow one of my skirts? If I do say so, you’re dressed pretty conservatively for someone with your looks.”

“I’ve got poison oak.” I unbuttoned the same shirt buttons I’d unbuttoned for Evan, but with a different result. Nelly merely glanced at my chest and agreed I’d better stay covered.

CHAPTER 14

Nelly and I went upstairs to the fourth floor balcony. I borrowed a sweater from her because I knew it would be cool on the roof. I also wore my dark glasses to disguise my face, in case the scammer was there. I didn’t know what I’d do when the sun set. Nelly, with her flimsy top, claimed she never got cold. Must be her Irish heritage.

The door to the balcony was open, and a young man stood on the small platform. I stopped in the doorway and saw that the floor of the balcony consisted of metal strips with gaps in between. The metal railing around it had even bigger gaps. I could look down and see the concrete walkway three stories below, crowded with Friday evening strollers. There was a hole in the floor right in front of me where a steep staircase that was part of the fire escape system led down to the next level.

I froze. “I’m not going out there.”

Nelly, who had preceded me onto the balcony, was greeting the man with a hug. “Chas. Good to see you. This is Aiko. She’s looking for a good investment. Aiko, this is Chas.”

Chas came to the doorway and stuck out his hand. “Hi, Aiko. Great to meet you.”

I shook his hand, weakly, trembling. I did manage to notice he didn’t have a rash on his hands. He wasn’t the scammer. He
was
one of the people who ran the syndicate. Nelly had mentioned several names.

“I’m afraid of heights.”

“Don’t look down.”

I peeked around the corner of the doorway at the ladder to the roof. It looked as exposed from here as it had from the ground. “Isn’t there another way to get to the roof? There must be a stairway. I’m sure you don’t take your food up the ladder.”

“It’s not so hard. I’ll follow you up and catch you if you fall.”

I faked a laugh. He wouldn’t be able to catch me if I fell. We would both end up on the sidewalk, splattered. We might even take some walkers with them. He was counting on the fact that I looked fit and athletic. Looked better than I felt. Chas still held my hand. He gently pulled. Against my better judgment I stepped onto the balcony.

I saw Nelly step on the first rung of the ladder and then scamper up in a few seconds. Chas watched her too. I was sure he would agree she had nice legs. Why was Nelly better than I was? If Nelly could climb the ladder, I could. I forced myself to go to the foot of the ladder. I grabbed a rung firmly in each hand and started up, step by step, without looking down.

It was the longest fifteen seconds of my life. I was sure the ladder was going to pull away from the wall, hurtling Chas and me, who was following, to the sidewalk. It didn’t. We made the roof safely. I turned, shaking with relief, and thanked Chas who was still on the ladder.

“No problem. I have to go down and help other people up. Enjoy the party. I’ll talk to you later.”

I turned and surveyed the roof. It was flat and covered with a nonskid material. The lip along the edge wouldn’t keep anyone from falling, but I didn’t intend to get close to the edge. A small room stuck up from the roof. Although it was early, some people were already there. A table in the center was covered with hors d’oeuvres, and a bartender served drinks at an adjoining table. A band was setting up shop in a corner.

I spotted Nelly, with a drink in her hand, talking to another young woman. I went to the bartender and asked if he had any sparkling water. I definitely wasn’t going to get tipsy with the climb back down the ladder staring me in the face. Maybe I’d have to stay up here forever.

“Yes, ma’am.”

The efficient way he filled a glass with ice and water told me he was a professional bartender. I thanked him and put a dollar bill I had in my jeans in his tip jar. I walked over to Nelly who turned toward me.

“You made it.”

“Yes. But not without trauma.”

“Aiko, I’d like you to meet Marcia Mathewson. Marcia, this is Aiko. I can’t remember your last name.”

“Murakawa.”

“Murakawa. Sorry.”

Marcia and I shook hands and said hello. I observed Marcia closely. This was Jason’s girlfriend. Jason II had mentioned Marcia’s name to me. Although she’d been at the memorial service, I didn’t remember seeing her there. She hadn’t been one of the speakers. Did Marcia remember
me
? Had Nelly said anything about me?

I decided not to act mysterious. “I was at Jason’s memorial service.”

Marcia looked surprised.

“I’m a friend of Jason’s grandfather.”

Marcia’s look was suddenly frosty. “What are you doing
here
?”

“I wanted to see the building where Jason lived. I ran into Nelly and she said she knew of a good investment opportunity. She was very persuasive.” Nelly had named Marcia as a member of the syndicate.

Marcia looked at Nelly as if she didn’t trust her. Marcia looked as if she didn’t trust many people. She was dressed more formally than Nelly. Her skirt was longer and she wore a jacket over a tailored shirt, against the evening chill, which Nelly was ignoring. She wore high heels, and I was sure she hadn’t climbed the ladder. Her brown hair was beyond shoulder length, but every hair was in place. No loose ends. I wondered whether she’d controlled Jason like she controlled her hair.