Slated for Death (20 page)

“Thanks, Penny. I'll just get my things together and then I'll be on my way.”

Penny opened her handbag, took out a lipstick, and applied it. She then crossed the hall to the hair salon and stood in front of the closed door. She hesitated for a moment, then made a fist and raised her hand to knock. She paused, her knuckles aimed at the door, then slowly lowered her arm and walked to Victoria's office. She peered in through the open door, then entered and sat in the visitor's chair. She waited until Victoria finished her e-mail and turned toward her.

“She's here,” Penny said. “Karis. She's getting her hair done. Alberto's door was closed and honestly, I didn't know what to do. I can't remember the last time Alberto's door was closed. I thought I'd just pop in to say hello and ask if she wanted a coffee, but then I thought if she's sitting there with hair colour goop all over her head she might not be pleased at being seen like that. So I left it.”

“You did right,” said Victoria. “Celebrities need careful handling and it takes real tact to get on with them. They develop a huge sense of entitlement and expect to be treated with a certain amount of deference. And in a way, former celebrities are worse. They no longer command the treatment they were used to, but they can't accept that their time in the sun is over. The world's moved on to the next big thing and they're pretty much forgotten. No one cares about them anymore. It's very hard on the self-esteem. Saw a lot of that when I was in the music world. Can be very sad.”

“Rhian said Karis spoke to her in rather an abrasive manner.”

“She could have been a bit imperious. That goes along with it. I'm not particularly looking forward to working with her and I still can't understand why Glenda would have asked her to sing at our concert, but I do have some experience dealing with divas, so we'll just get on with it. Which reminds me. Ifan and I need to speak to her about the songs she's chosen. Do you remember a song by The Characters called ‘If I Can't Have Him'?”

Penny laughed. “No. I can't say I do.”

“That's my point. Karis listed that on her playlist. Completely unsuitable for our audience. Can you imagine Mrs. Lloyd and Florence reacting to that?”

“Actually, I think Florence would find it rather amusing.”

Victoria gave her a sharp look. “That's my point! Songs aren't meant to be amusing.”

“Anyway, I think I'll just see if everything's all right with Alberto.” But just as she said his name, Alberto himself eased into the room and closed the door behind him. In his late forties, tall, and wearing expensive, well-fitted jeans, and an immaculate white shirt, Alberto had been with the salon since it opened and was well liked by all his clients. He was often booked two weeks in advance, so Karis had been lucky that he'd agreed to fit her in.

“We were wondering how you were getting on,” said Victoria. “How's it going?”

“I'd forgotten how some women can be,” he said. “I've done my best, but we'll have to wait and see. I gave her a nice warm chestnut with honey highlights that should really suit her. She's got a few more minutes before the rinse and then I'll give her a tidy-up trim. Her hair's not in good shape. She's been colouring it herself and those home dye jobs are so hard on hair. It should be in much better condition when I've finished with it.” He sighed. “Just thought you'd like an update. Bit of reassurance, like. Going to make a coffee for her now. She wants a caramel latte with skinny froth. Glad we've got that fancy machine.” He turned to go. “Oh, I noticed something strange.”

Penny raised an eyebrow. “Her hair,” Alberto said. “Hair is very individual. Density, weight, curl, texture, porosity, elasticity … just the way it feels in your fingers. She's completely grey and because of her age I'd say she's been grey for many years. And in all the areas I just mentioned, her hair is just like Glenda Roberts. Were they related?”

Penny gave a little start with widened eyes.

“It's so strange you should say that. Rhian just told me that the way Karis spoke to her reminded her of Glenda.”

Penny felt a vague churning in her stomach as she and Victoria exchanged puzzled looks.

“Well, I'd better get back,” said Alberto. “Mustn't keep her waiting. Just thought I'd let you know how things are going.” As he left the room he bumped into Rhian, who was wearing a waterproof coat and carrying a large tote bag.

“I'm leaving now,” she said. “I've left everything tidy and a note on the desk so Eirlys or whoever's filling in will know what's happening. Oh, and Rebeccah Roberts called and she'll be here in about half an hour to drop something off for Penny.”

Victoria gave her a questioning look.

“Sorry, Victoria. I thought Penny might have said. My granddad is very bad and Penny gave me permission to be with my family. I really do have to be with them. Mum needs my support.”

“Of course she does,” said Victoria.

“But Mum says we'll still be coming to the concert on Saturday. She said Granddad was starting to come round to the idea of it. He reckoned if it helps people remember the slate miners and all they did for the area, then he'd go along with it, so Mum says we're going.”

With Rhian gone, it was agreed that Penny would take over in reception until Eirlys arrived after lunch. Penny enjoyed reception duties every now and then and was busy cleaning the glass on the front door when Rebeccah Roberts strolled up the pathway leading to the Spa. Penny opened the door for her and stood aside.

“Hello. Welcome and come in.” Rebeccah looked around the calm reception area with its blond hardwood floor and pale green walls. “Nice,” she said and then put her hand in her coat pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “Here's the bit about Glenda for the program. I liked what you wrote, I just changed one small thing.” As she handed the document to Penny, Karis Edwards emerged from the hair salon and in long strides, proceeded down the hall toward them. “Is that her?” Rebeccah whispered to Penny.

Penny nodded. “I haven't met her yet. I'll introduce us.”

She held out her hand as Karis approached. “Hello, Ms. Edwards. I'm Penny Brannigan, coordinator of the St. David's Day concert. Welcome to Llanelen. And this is Rebeccah Roberts. Her sister, Glenda, was the original coordinator and your first contact would have been with her.”

Karis smiled at Penny, shook her hand, and then turned to Rebeccah. “Hello, Rebeccah.” She held out her hand. Her tone was friendly, but a flicker of something almost imperceptible passed between them. Rebeccah shook her hand, then took a step back, a microexpression flashing across her face that Penny caught, but couldn't read or understand.

“I do hope you like your hair,” said Penny.

“Yes, it's fine. Just fine.” Karis touched the ends of her hair and turned her gaze back to Rebeccah.

“Good,” said Penny. “Well, I understand that I'm to take you to meet my business partner, Victoria Hopkirk. I believe she's giving you lunch. She's our concert harpist and helping out with the music at the concert so I'm sure you'll have lots to talk about.” She looked from Rebeccah to Karis. “Ready? Shall we go?”

Karis broke off looking at Rebeccah whose shoulders then seemed to relax. Rebeccah's gaze followed Karis as Penny led her away.

After introducing Karis to Victoria in her office, Penny returned to the reception area where Rebeccah remained standing beside the desk.

“What just happened there?” Penny asked. “What is it?”

“I just felt the strangest sensation,” said Rebeccah. “I've never felt anything like that in my life. When she looked at me, the way she lowered her head and then looked at me in that way, I thought I'd seen a ghost.” She placed her hand on her chest. Penny steered her to a chair and then sat beside her.

“Whose ghost?”

When she didn't answer, Penny leaned closer and offered a prompt. “Was it Glenda? Does Karis remind you of Glenda?”

Rebeccah shook her head.

“No, I wasn't thinking of Glenda. My mother. She used to look at me like that. Karis reminded me of my mother.”

She gave a weak, helpless smile. “To be honest, she scares me, just like my mother used to. But I don't know why.”

“Victoria's talking to Karis now about her concert program and she might not be happy with Victoria's suggestions. It's probably best if you aren't here when she comes out.” Rebeccah considered that for a moment, then left immediately and Penny returned to the receptionist's desk to think about what she should do next.

A few minutes later Karis entered the reception area, shot Penny a thunderous look, and left. Victoria followed a moment later.

“Your suggestions didn't go down too well, I gather,” said Penny. Victoria shook her head.

“Honestly, she is the most unreasonable woman. I told her our audience is older. They don't know The Characters or their music and they don't care. I suggested that as she's singing only four songs she might want to sing something more appropriate for this audience. This is way too late to be sorting out the program. Karis and Ifan should have had all this worked out before now, but I'm guessing that when Glenda died, the song selection got overlooked.

“Anyway, I suggested she come up with some songs that might be familiar to our audience and that they might enjoy. She just sneered and said she doesn't do show tunes like ‘Oklahoma!' Argh.”

“What on earth have we got ourselves into?” moaned Penny. “We didn't ask for any of this. And now that we've lost Rhian, I suppose I'll have to look after her myself. But I wonder if I should ring Gareth and tell him that people have noticed something about her that reminds them of Glenda. And now, would you believe, Doreen.”

“What?”

“Yes. Rebeccah said Karis reminded her of her mother.”

“Three people noticing a family similarity can't be a coincidence,” said Victoria. “Do you think they're related somehow? And of that family, Glenda was murdered and we're not exactly sure how Doreen died. So if Karis is somehow tied up in all this, she could be in danger.”

“As could Rebeccah.”

“Well, I'm sorry she took my program suggestions so badly. I was looking forward to a nice lunch. I don't suppose you … no, I guess not. You're on desk duty.”

 

Thirty-six

“I'm glad you told me,” DCI Gareth Davies said over the telephone. “I'd like to hear more, but I'd rather not come to the Spa. Can you get away for a half hour or so? Perhaps we could meet here at the station and go for a walk?”

After a word with Victoria, and glad of an excuse to get out for some fresh air, Penny pulled on her jacket and walked the short distance to the town's police station that Davies used occasionally as an operational base. He was waiting on the step as she walked up the short path. He liked her confident stride and thought she looked better in practical walking boots than any woman he'd ever met.

He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, bent down, and kissed her lightly on both cheeks. “How are you? Everything all right?”

She shook her head lightly as they fell into step. “I thought we might walk along the river and through the fields to Trefriw and back,” he said. “See how the fields are recovering after all the rain.”

They walked in silence along Station Road and then turned off onto the asphalt pathway that led to the neighbouring village. Although the patchwork fields on either side were a startling, vibrant green, the trees that graced the surrounding hills were bare.

Davies glanced down at her, wondering what she'd looked like twenty years ago. Probably not much different than she did today. Her skin was well cared for and although there was a slight slackening along the jawline, she looked fresh and youthful when she smiled. But today, her face was drawn and closed. He couldn't tell what she was thinking and then the word came to him: troubled. She had something on her mind and it was burdening her. And then, as if reading his thoughts, she spoke.

“I'm concerned for Rebeccah Roberts. She's had a lot to deal with: the death of her sister and mother and now trying to look after her nephew. Teenagers can be a handful at the best of times, so she's probably finding him a challenge.”

“It's bound to be a difficult time for the lad, too,” said Davies. “He's also lost his mother. But tell me more about what people said about Karis and her resemblance to Glenda.” So Penny described how Rhian had commented that Karis's manner had reminded her of Glenda Roberts, that Alberto had noticed that the two women shared a remarkably similar hair structure, and that something about Karis's manner put Rebeccah in mind of her mother.

“And something unusual happened in that exchange with Rebeccah that I'm just not sure about,” she continued. “From what I've been hearing, Karis has been imperious and almost rude and yet with Rebeccah, she was softer and, well, quite nice really.”

“That may be a rock star kind of thing,” said Davies. “If you've ever done protection or got close to one of those people, you know they're different. There's them and then there's the rest of us. They live their lives on a plane that most of us will never know. When they're alone or with members of their entourage they're one person, and when they're with fans they're somebody else. They can turn it on and off like you wouldn't believe. And they live very comfortable, high-end lives with someone to do their bidding and take care of their every need.”

“Victoria said pretty much the same thing. But I don't think it's like that for Karis anymore,” said Penny. “She drove herself to the hotel, apparently. And I can guarantee the Red Dragon in Llanelen isn't anything like the hotels she's used to.”

“She hasn't enjoyed that lifestyle for a few years, though, has she?” said Davies. “And it's got to be hard to accept that you're not the star you used to be. Still,” he said, thinking of Penny's involvement in the drowning incident that had happened just a little further along the bank of the very river they were approaching, “life moves on for all of us. And Karis did a whole lot better than people thought she would.”