Rest in Pieces (28 page)

An hour and a half later, Kim–Li stuffed the money Haley handed her into her bra, packed up her kit, opened the door, and stepped out.

“Bye Ms. Haley. I see you next week. If other nice lady need Kim–Li, ask Ms. Haley for card. Bye–bye.” She walked down the street like she did car manicures in the ‘hood every single day.

“Hands down, that was the best manicure I’ve ever had.” Monica studied her pink glittery nails. Kim–Li has got some serious hand massaging skills.”

“I know. My hands are as soft as a baby’s bottom.” I couldn’t get over it. Kim–Li really could see in the dark. My nails were painted a glittery purple and looked fantastic.

“I told you.” Haley waved her arms to dry her nails. “I’m going to book her for all of our stakeouts.”

“You’re a planner. That’s why we love you.” Monica patted her shoulder.

Headlights cut through the blackness at the house where we’d followed the Find My iPhone App. I leaned forward and squinted. Dr. Turley got out of the car, walked to the gate, unlocked it, went back to the car, and drove through. He stopped, got out, and relocked the gate.

“Duck down.” I whispered. Not sure why I whispered because he was a block away, but we all hunched down. As he drove by, headlights illuminated our car and then they were gone. The car didn’t stop so that was good. “Let’s wait a good ten minutes before we go over there in case he forgets something.”

“Are we staying hunched down for the whole ten minutes?” Haley blew on her fingernails. “Just checkin’ because I think I smudged a nail.”

“Yeah, I vote we stay hunched.” Monica said from the back seat. “There’s a surprising amount of legroom back here. And now that the car smells like nail polish instead of bean nachos, it ain’t half bad.”

Clearly, Monica was high on nail polish fumes. This car was a piece. Still, it was better than Bessie. Sorry, Bessie.

I stared at my wrist watch. Ten minutes dragged on…and on…and on. “Okay, ten minutes—”

A car’s headlights sliced through the inky black of the starless night. “Stay down.”

I eased up far enough to peek over the dash. The car didn’t stop at Turley’s, it drove right past and kept on going.

“I think it’s all good.” I sat up and stretched. My back was killing me. Hunching over was painful. It looked so easy on TV.

Haley’s head popped up. “You’re sure?”

“Yes, the coast is clear.” I looked around. “We’re the only ones here.”

“Okay, let’s go see what we can find.” Monica sat up and opened her door.

“Okay.” Haley opened her door, stepped out, stretched her back, and then grabbed her Louis Vuitton cross–body purse. It was about the size of an envelope. She looped it over her head so that it rested on her left shoulder.

“Really? You need your purse?” It seemed as ridiculous as the Queen of England carrying a purse. Seriously, did the Queen of England need to carry identification? A thought hit me. “Is there a gun in that purse?”

Haley grinned. “Maybe. You can’t be too careful.”

She unzipped the purse and pulled out a tiny, pink handled gun. “It’s my derringer. Only two forty–five caliber shots. You have to pull the hammer back and let go.” She pulled the hammer back showing me and then she released it. She slipped it back in her purse and zipped up.

I rolled my eyes and followed them out. I wasn’t sure having a gun with me made me feel safer. It just seemed like a bad idea. I have a temper, so giving me a means to hurt people I think I want to hurt at the time can’t be good. Haley’s not as quick to get angry. Maybe that’s the key. Anger management. But I kind of liked my anger just the way it was. It helped me think up new and inventive ways to torment Salina Atan, and it never let me back down from people who’d stolen my parking place. Occasionally it does get me into trouble, but in all fairness, I get myself into way more trouble than my anger does. Yes, I was in a good place with my anger.

We all closed our doors as quietly as we could. We jay–walked across the street and walked down the sidewalk. I hadn’t really figured this part out yet. To be honest, I was amazed that we’d gotten this far.

“Anyone know how to break and enter?” I worked my car keys out of my front right jeans pocket. Tonight, I’d brought my keychain flashlight because I couldn’t find my big flashlight. I figured I’d wait to turn it on because in this neighborhood, we’d stick out like Hell’s Angels at a Scentsy party.

“No, I thought you did.” Monica looked at me. We felt lost, and then…

“I’ve got it covered.” Haley pulled a metal key out of her back pocket. “I looked up lock picking on the Internet and learned how to make a bump key. I hope this works.” Haley held up the key. “The YouTube video said that this type of key was the most common residential model.”

“Did you use your computer?” Monica eyed her suspiciously.

“No, I used my next door neighbor’s when I went over to visit her last night. I was careful.” Haley was the slightest bit defensive.

“Just worried about you.” Monica put her arm around Haley. “If you get killed, I’d lose all chance of getting another Kim–Li hand massage.”

“You just love me for my manicurist.” Haley elbowed Monica.

“She does up your value, there’s no denying that.” Monica shrugged. “Kim–Li is brilliant.”

We walked to the locked gate.

“I don’t think my bump key will work on this.” Haley held it next to the padlock. “It’s only for house locks. It’s too big for this.”

Well crap. Here we were and we couldn’t get in the gate, much less, the house. James Bond wouldn’t have this problem. He’d just hit that lock with the laser in his watch and call it a day. I glanced at my watch. It barely told time correctly, and lock–melting lasers were more expensive then the nineteen–ninety–nine I’d paid for it at Target. I should have sprung for the forty dollar one. I bet it had a laser.

“Any suggestions?” I looked up at the fence. “I think we can climb it, but the razor wire part is a problem.”

Monica eyed Haley’s Sherpa lined coat. “I have an idea.”

Haley pulled the coat tighter closed. “Why are you staring at my coat?”

“It’s really thick. Take it off and we can throw it over the razor wire and then climb over it. If we slip, we’ll land on the coat.” Monica looked at me as she shrugged out of her coat. “We’ll stack all of our coats so it’s really thick.”

“It will get demolished. I like this coat.” Haley took a step back. “Can’t we come back tomorrow with some bolt cutters?”

“Seize the day, Chicka.” Monica held her hand out for Haley’s coat.

I unzipped mine and took it off.

“Oh, all right.” Haley huffed as she removed her purse, slid off her jacket, lopped her purse back over her shoulder and handed Monica her coat. “First it was my favorite scarf at the viewing and now my favorite coat. Next it will be one of my kids.”

“Your sacrifice is noted.” Monica handed me the coats. “I’ll climb the fence. Hand me the coats when I get closer to the top.”

Since this was the only plan we had, we went with it. Monica scaled the fence like a pro, threw the coats over the razor wire, eased one leg over and then the other one and hopped down. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that she’d done this before.

Haley was next. She climbed the fence, tossed one leg over, and then the other and hopped down. I stuck my foot into a chain link at about knee level. My foot slipped out. I tried it again and my foot slipped out.

“What’s taking you so long?” Monica heaved a sigh.

“Not my fault. Y’all made this look so easy.” I finally got up the fence, hooked one leg over, and the heel of the other foot caught in the chain link. I hovered a mere inch above the razor wire. I’m not a man so there was no chance of my manly bits being mangled by razor wire, but still, I didn’t want to land on it.

“Crap. You’re stuck.” Monica was so helpful.

“Really, I hadn’t figured that out all on my own.” Sarcasm is my go–to emotion during times of crisis or boredom or pretty much all of the time.

“Don’t get your panties in a wad.” Monica climbed a few rungs up and worked on my heel. “I can’t believe you wore high heels to a stakeout.”

“They were the only black boots I had. Hello, my only other boots are pink and don’t match this.” Sometimes Monica was so dense.

My heel came loose and I went ass over teakettle, landing with a splat on my back in the dirt. “I think I broke my ass.”

I looked up at the black night sky and tried to remember why we were here. Oh yes, Molly Miars had been murdered.

“Don’t move her in case her neck is broken.” Haley stood over me.

“Is your neck broken?” She stage whispered.

“I broke my ass, not my ears.” I sat up. “I’m sitting up, so I think my neck is fine.” I rolled to my knees. My butt really did hurt, but I didn’t think anything else was damaged. Slowly, I stood. “Let’s get this over with.”

“I vote we don’t break in through the front door. Going around back gives us more cover.” Monica pointed to another gate that lead to the backyard.

“Works for me.” Haley held up her right index finger. “I broke a nail. Can you believe it? Kim–Li’s going to be so mad.”

“If that’s the worst thing that happens to us all night, we might get out of here alive.” Monica was so levelheaded. Maybe she was a spy instead of an insurance claims adjuster. I’d never actually been to her office, so…

“Are you a spy?” Sometimes words just fall out of my mouth. I don’t know why.

“Nope. Just grew up in a rough neighborhood. Maybe I’ve done this before.” Monica waited for me to catch up.

I flicked on the flashlight and handed it to her. “Here, you might need this.”

She turned it off. “Better if we don’t draw more attention to ourselves.”

“Good point.” She was so smart.

I was happy for her to take lead.

Monica held the backyard gate open for Haley, who in turn held it open for me.

Monica aimed my flashlight at a tree. She moved it—the flashlight, not the tree—around to reveal an orchard of five–foot high trees. All were covered in individual clear plastic pup–tent greenhouse things.

Apparently, flashlights were okay in the backyard.

“Is this the tree you saw in Molly’s yard?” Haley pointed to the closest tree.

“Yes, but these have those red fuzzy pod things. But yeah, I’m sure that it’s the same tree. Looks like a cross between marijuana and a chrysanthemum.” Why in hell would Dr. Turley have the same tree in his yard as Molly had in hers? Was he the one who dug it up?

“This is a castor oil plant. I know because there’s one on the Lakeside walking trail. Riley brought one of these pods to me and asked what it was. I looked it up. Incidentally, that tree was donated by Dr. Turley.” Haley stepped closer to the tree. “It’s used to make castor oil, but the seeds…” She pointed to the pods. “…can be dried and made into ricin.”

I work for a hospital that had a disaster plan for everything, I know exactly what ricin is.

If ricin is ingested, it causes severe diarrhea and vomiting, but if it’s inhaled, it causes respiratory failure.

“I don’t think Molly was killed because she was pregnant or blackening money, I think she was killed over this.” I pointed to the trees. “I think Molly was making ricin in her garage.”

Chapter 24

“That’s ridiculous.” Haley shoved the bump key into the back door lock. She jiggled it around and turned the doorknob. The door swung open. “Um, I don’t think that key actually worked. I think the door was unlocked.”

Well, that was disappointing. Here I’d been waiting my whole life to see a bump key in action.

Monica walked in, sweeping the flashlight around the room. I stepped in next to her.

“This is just like the lab I saw in Molly’s garage.” The floor was white tile, the walls were painted white, and a massive chemistry set up dominated three long tables. There were lots of beakers, Bunsen burners, and other chemistry stuff I semi– recognized from high school chemistry.

Haley stepped around us and picked up a giant Ziploc bag full of beans. “Are these the beans you saw at Molly’s house?”

She held them close to the light for me to see.

“Yes.” I had a bad feeling that Molly was into something much worse than money blackening.

“They aren’t lima beans, they’re castor oil beans.” Haley set the bag down.

“Okay, for the sake of argument, let’s say that Molly was making ricin in her garage…why?” Monica shined the flashlight on the wall by the backdoor until she found the light switch. She flipped it on and the overhead fluorescent light hummed to life, pouring light down on the white room.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Haley looked over her shoulder at Monica.

“Think about it, which looks more suspicious, a flashlight bouncing around or the lights on? With the lights on, it just looks like Turley’s home.” Monica turned off the flashlight and handed it back to me.

I nodded. “She has a point.”

Haley’s eyebrows arched. “Makes sense.”

“Wait a minute.” Haley unzipped her purse and pulled out three tiny gold Godiva chocolate boxes and handed one to me and then to Monica. “Time to celebrate. I got us these in case we actually were successful in breaking in. There’s one cherry cordial and one dark chocolate ganache heart for each of us.”

I slipped the heart into my mouth. Heaven. And then the cherry cordial. It was even better. “Do you always have chocolate in your purse?”

Haley nodded. “Pretty much.”

“How did we not know this about you until now?” I enjoyed the lingering cherry taste in my mouth.

“Don’t know. Chocolate is important. Without it, life doesn’t make sense.” Haley popped her own cherry cordial in.

“That should be on a tee shirt. ‘Without chocolate, life doesn’t make sense.’ I’d buy one.” Or better yet, the tee shirt should be made out of Godiva chocolate, so I could eat my way out of it.

“Me too.” Haley unzipped her purse and pulled out the individually wrapped Handi Wipes.

“What all do you have in that purse?” I really needed to know where she got these purses that looked so small on the outside, but you could actually park a Volkswagen bus in them.

She dug around in her tiny purse. “Um, my gun, a couple credit cards, some cash, lip gloss, Handi Wipes, emergency tampon, and my car keys. We just ate all the chocolate.”