Rest in Pieces (27 page)

“Wow. I bet she’s fun at parties.” If I hadn’t been sure before, I was now one–hundred percent convinced that the people of Lakeside were bat shit crazy. “So, where do we go from here?”

“Hold on…” Haley threw up a hand. “There’s something else about Dr. Turley. Something Daniel told me years ago. What was it?” She looked down like she was sifting through memories trying to find the right one. She snapped her fingers and looked up. “Oh, I know, he told me that Dr. Turley is usually the person who signs the death certificates for any deaths in the area that aren’t suspicious. The ones that aren’t natural causes or overdoses go to the Travis County Medical Examiner. Since Molly’s death was ruled an overdose, Dr. Turley was probably the one who signed her death certificate.”

“If his wife murdered Molly, he could have covered it up as a heroin overdose.” So Molly’s death might not have anything to do with the money blackening at all. It was a simple case of jealousy. “But if he was having an affair with Molly, presumably he loved her, so why would he help his wife kill his girlfriend? Why not just leave his wife to be with Molly?”

“Puddy has all of the money. He probably makes low six figures as a pediatrician, but she’s worth millions. If he leaves her, he gets nothing, but if he’s stuck it out this long, trust me, he’d wait for the payday.” Haley nodded.

If Puddy was as crazy as she sounded, the money wasn’t worth it, but I was in the minority, because here in Lakeside, money meant everything.

Haley shook her head. “Hold on a second.” She pulled her cell out of her coat pocket. “A couple of weeks ago, Humberto sent me a text. He was redoing all of Puddy’s front flowerbeds while she was on a month–long European vacation. He started the day after she left, which was almost three weeks ago. Unless she hired someone to kill Molly, she didn’t do it. Knowing Puddy, she’d want to do the killing herself.”

There was no denying that Haley had Lakeside wired.

“She left the week before Molly was murdered? Don’t you think that’s a little suspicious? The wife is out of town when the mistress is murdered? Does Puddy usually go out of town for a month at a time?” I felt like we were on to something. I wasn’t sure what, but Dr. Turley was involved.

“No. This was a birthday present from her husband for her seventieth birthday.” Haley tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. “Humberto said that she was shocked, but pleased.”

“So we’re back to Dr. Turley killing her. Maybe Molly threatened to tell Puddy about the affair or the baby, and Dr. Turley sent his wife away so that he could do his murdering in private?” It still felt like we were missing something. The death certificate thing was interesting, and Dr. Turley was involved in some way. “I think we need more information on Dr. Turley.”

I wasn’t sure how we were going to get it, but everything pointed to him.

“What kind of information?” Haley drummed her fingers on the plastic coated metal picnic table.

“We need his schedule. I’d love to see if he sees a new patient on Fridays now. Also, if he was having an affair with Molly, did they meet anywhere else? I guess they could have met at Molly’s house.” I thought about it for a second. “Molly said something once about spending the weekend at her boyfriend’s ranch a couple of months ago. Do the Turleys have a ranch?”

“Not that I know of, but I can ask Humberto.” She pulled her iPhone out and began typing.

I was a little jealous of her ability to thumb type so quickly. My thumbs weren’t that nimble. Starting tomorrow, I was going to do thumb exercises so I could up my texting abilities.

I glanced up to find a young mother holding the hand of a four or five year old walking toward us. Did I mention that this is the only place at the park to sit and watch your kids? The last thing we needed was an audience.

I turned back to Haley and said loudly, “Did you know that it only takes eleven pounds of force to strangle a human? It’s the getting rid of the body that makes murder so hard to get away with. I vote for chopping the body up into manageable–sized pieces and then running it through a wood chipper.”

“Then what do you do with the pounds and pounds of shreddings? It’s not like you can bag them up and set them out on garbage day.” Haley had a point. Since the mom and her child were behind Haley, I was pretty sure she didn’t know that we had eavesdroppers.

Without turning my head, I cut my gaze to the woman and her child. Her eyes were the size of Oreos and she was backing away. Mission accomplished. The way to clear out a park is to start talking about murder in very graphic terms…works every time.

Haley’s phone beeped. She picked it up. “Humberto says that Dr. Turley had him install a sprinkler system for a friend on some acreage on the east side of Austin. It’s in this old neighborhood surrounded by businesses. The friend was putting in some kind of orchard.”

Haley started thumb typing again. “I just asked him if Dr. Turley paid for the sprinkler system.”

I nodded. “If Turley paid then possibly the acreage belongs to him. Why tell Humberto that it was for a friend?”

Haley shrugged. “No idea. Maybe Puddy doesn’t know about it?”

Her phone beeped again. She read the words on the screen. “Turley paid.”

“Sounds like we might have found the ranch. Does he remember the address?” We were on to something.

She thumb typed and then her phone beeped again. “No.”

“I have an idea.” Damn I was good. “Don’t your girls each have an iPhone?”

I gestured toward the girls climbing on the ropes.

“Yes.” Haley’s brows scrunched together. “Why?”

“Ever lost one?” I can’t believe that I was asking the queen of organized if she’d ever lost anything.

“Yes and we used the Find Your iPhone app.” Slowly she nodded. “I get it. Slip one of their phones into his car and we can track where he goes. But what if he finds the phone and links it to my daughters?” When Haley was scared her voice turned high and squeaky. Right now, I was pretty sure she could communicate with dolphins.

“Good point. We can’t use any of our phones because they could be bugged.” We needed a phone that wasn’t linked to us, still had service, and that we could track. “I know. I’ll borrow Astrid’s phone. Dulce regularly hides it just to mess with Astrid. I’ll ask her to get it for me and we can slip it into Dr. Turley’s car.”

I’m so devious that sometimes I amaze myself.

Chapter 23

Two nights later, we left the kids at my house with Monica’s mother and we followed the Find My iPhone App to a house on the east side of Austin. This was our first stakeout.

We really needed tee shirts to commemorate the occasion, but as I sat behind the wheel, I was willing to admit that it was a little too late. Better planning next time.

We were parked across the street and down the block from the house where the Find My iPhone App led us. This was a very bad neighborhood. Back in its heyday, circa nineteen fifty, the rambling ranch houses were probably cutting edge. Now they were surrounded by seven–foot tall chain link fences with razor wire on top. The one we were parked in front of sold discount tire rims and offered an oil change for ten dollars if you brought your own oil and didn’t mind all of the scattered junkyard car parts everywhere.

“I can’t believe the phone thing worked.” Monica leaned in between the front seats of the black Toyota Corolla I’d borrowed from Dulce’s nephew’s neighbor. It might have been Dulce’s neighbor’s nephew. All I know is that when staking out a possible murderer, don’t use your own car.

“Why does this car smell like bean nachos?” Haley sniffed. “And dirty feet. It smells like bean nachos and dirty feet.”

“No idea, but it’s one of the most popular cars on the road. We’re blending in.” I pulled the black knit cap over my ears. Blending in meant no heat and it was like forty–two degrees outside. In central Texas that’s like polar ice cap cold. I fully expected to see polar bears frolicking on the street in front of us. Sadly, dark street was the only thing frolicking in front of me. To make matters worse, I couldn’t feel my pinky toes and I was pretty sure it was hypothermia. Or it might have been the black high heel boots I was wearing. They were a half size too small, but they’d been on sale and they were so cute.

“On TV, stakeouts aren’t this boring.” Monica propped an elbow on the passenger’s seat back. “Anyone want to sing ‘Ninety–Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall’ again?”

We’d already sung it twice and eaten a bag of potato chips. Haley had brought a cooler full of drinks that were in the trunk, but we all agreed that peeing outside was a man’s job, and the gas station down the street looked like a crack house so using their restroom was out of the question.

“We could play
I Spy
.” Monica sounded as bored as I felt. “I’ll go first. I spy something that smells like bean nachos and dirty feet.”

“I don’t know. That’s a tough one.” I laughed. “How about this car?”

“Nope. It’s me. I’ve been sitting in this thing for so long the smell is sticking to my hair and clothes.” She reached back, twisted her long dark hair into a bun, and shoved something through it to hold it on top of her head. “Think the scary gas station has some of those Christmas tree car deodorants we can hang from the rearview mirror?”

“Just hold your horses. I’ve got a surprise coming for us.” Haley breathed into her black leather clad hands.

We’d all three worn black, of course. It was the color of choice on stakeouts according to Hollywood, and since we were making this shit up as we went along, Hollywood was all we had to go on.

“I hope it’s a car deodorant delivery person.” You know like Domino’s, only they deliver a clean smell to cars across the nation. Now there’s an entrepreneurial idea ready to pop.

“Maybe we can set the upholstery on fire? I think it might be an improvement.” Monica touched the faded purple fabric.

There was a knock on Haley’s passenger’s side window and my heart just about jumped out of my chest. Haley rolled the handle and the window slowly descended. “Kim–Li, thank God you made it.”

Who the hell was Kim–Li?

“Yes, Ms. Haley, when you say emergency, I leave right then.” Kim–Li was a tiny Asian lady carrying a huge square suitcase of some sort.

“Ladies, this is Kim–Li Ho, my manicurist. I figured that we were going to be here a while, so I booked us all manicures.” Haley pointed to the backseat. “Hop in.”

Haley rolled up the window. “Monica, can you open the door for her?”

“I’m not so sure this is a good idea.” Stakeouts were serious business and I was pretty sure that James Bond and Veronica Mars wouldn’t get manicures while watching for the bad guy.

Monica opened the door, but the overhead light didn’t come on. Thank God she’d had the presence of mind to flick it to the off position before opening the door. “How can she work if we keep the light off?”

Kim–Li slid in beside Monica.

“No worries, Kim–Li work in low light all time. My eye good.” She slammed the door.

I hoped that she had more than one.

“Works for me.” Monica pulled off her gloves. “My toes could use some pedicure love, too.”

“Kim–Li only do hand no feet only hand.” Kim–Li was firm. “You want feet you call somebody else.”

“Okay.” Monica sounded a little disappointed.

Haley leaned over the front seat. “George is the best pedicurist in the state. People come from all over the world just for a pedicure. He’s a legend.”

“You’ve had a pedicure by George?” Monica was awed. “I hear they last for six weeks—no chipping.”

“Yes, check it out.” Haley upzipped her black boot, took it off, peeled off her sock, and stuck her leg over the seat. “This is four weeks old.”

“Wow.” Kim–Li and Monica said at once.

“He do good work.” Kim–Li drew out the last word as she nodded.

“Is it true that George is a little difficult? I’ve heard he takes diva to a whole new level?” Monica still sounded impressed that Haley was on George’s client list.

Haley pulled her leg back into the front seat, slid on her sock, and put on her boot. “The pedicure takes about two hours and there’s no talking. George doesn’t like distractions. If you talk, you’re out. Don’t even think about chewing gum. The last person who smacked her gum during her pedicure was never heard from again. And don’t go expecting a foot massage. George doesn’t do frills. He spends the whole two hours on your feet, but when you leave, your heels are supple and soft. He’s a miracle worker.”

“Sounds complicated.” I wasn’t that good at following the rules so George would probably disappear me in less than five minutes, and I bet he’s really expensive. Since I can barely afford fish sticks and toilet paper, pedicures were right up there with thoroughbred horses and private jets on my list of things I’ll never have. Don’t get me wrong, I’m okay with it…mostly. I am willing to admit that in sandal season I do have the pedicure blues.

Kim–Li took Monica’s hand. “You cuticle terrible.”

She clicked the locks on her case. The top folded out revealing three large compartments. One side of the top was used as a table. It even had a cup holder. Kim–Li balanced the contraption on her lap. She poured something into a red plastic cup and set it into the cup holder. “You stick hand in cup and soak.”

She shoved Monica’s ungloved hand into the cup.

“You pick color.” Kim–Li waved her hand like a game show hostess revealing the nail polish colors in the middle bottom compartment.

She looked up at me. “You choose too. Ms. Haley only want pale pink. I try new color and she say, ‘no, no Kim–Li only pale pink.’ She boring.”

I looked at Haley. “Are you sure we should be doing this?”

“Kim–Li is very discreet. She won’t tell, will you Kim–Li?” She turned around in her seat to watch the manicurist.

“No, no. Kim–Li know all Lakeside secret but never tell nobody. Kim–Li keep quiet.” She nodded. “Ms. Haley nice lady and good tipper. Kim–Li lock mouth and throw away.”

She made the lock mouth motion and then threw away the key. She pulled out a towel, plucked Monica’s hand out of the cup and dried it off.

“You cuticle so bad it make Kim–Li sad but, Kim–Li fix.” The manicurist nodded to herself.