The Corpse Wore Cashmere (26 page)

“Why, indeed?” A. K. asked.

“Dylan figures the tossed gun was to be used in case Kerry couldn’t pull off the suicide without a hitch. In that case, Kerry would make it appear that Randy was murdered. Kerry couldn’t afford to have the gun in possession, so he tossed it. Should it ever be recovered, ballistics would link it to another unsolved murder. You got to give it to Kerry. He was no dummy and covered all angles. The only angle he did not count on was that of a witness.

“Dylan feels sure there are other instances of wrongdoing involving Kerry. Maybe now that he won as sheriff, his deputies won’t fear coming forward and testifying against Kerry.”

Susan couldn’t have been happier that Kerry was going to pay for what he’d done but realized that wasn’t the end of problems for Dylan. He still had Kerry’s accomplice to contend with—Betty Sue Halsey, Dylan’s ex-wife. She’d hired an assassin once; what would stop her from doing it again?

“What about Betty Sue?” Susan asked.

“More than anything, Dylan would love to gather evidence against her. He hasn’t a doubt she’s behind Randy’s death. Now she has to be worried that Kerry might turn against her in hopes of saving his own hide. Even if she manages to escape charges, Betty Sue knows she’ll be under constant scrutiny and will no longer have inside information.”

“If I were Dylan, I’d keep Kerry isolated,” Susan said. “If something happens to Kerry, Dylan will have an impossible task of pinning anything on that woman.”

“I’m sure Dylan has thought of that. I’ll let you know how things go, but for now, Kerry and Betty Sue won’t be causing me any more headaches.” Wesley rose and pulled the photo of Edith from his pocket. “Now, if only I could solve this problem.”

A. K. walked over and took the picture from him. “She was such a pretty girl.”

Wesley took the picture from her and tapped it against his other hand. “Was? I’m hoping she still is.”

A. K. shook her head. “Really, Wesley?”

Wesley’s eyes flashed a warning to A. K. It was obvious he didn’t share her opinion. And for the first time, Susan didn’t like what she saw in him—Wesley’s unwillingness to consider that he might be wrong. Had Edith’s case so dominated his thoughts that he had lost all objectivity?

Susan changed the subject in an attempt to reduce the tension brewing between the two. “Wesley, have you or Charlie found any other clues in the area you’re searching?”

Wesley continued to stare at the photo. “Nothing except the earring. There’s the possibility the abductor and Edith might have spent a time in one or more abandoned cabins. The woods are dense, making it a haven for anyone wanting to hide. He could very well still be out there with his captive…who by now is probably his sex slave or worse.”

Wesley slipped the photo back into his pocket. “A. K., I’m sorry I got upset with you. It’s just that I’ve been on this case so long I’m not willing to accept that all my time was for naught. I’m at the point now where I’ll try anything to solve it. I wish someone had a magic wand, and they could point me in the right direction.”

“No hard feelings,” A. K. said. “Well, I’d better get over to the Purple Pickle. I’m going to see if I can find another opportunity for us to sell our costumes.” She looked at Susan and winked.

Susan responded, “Remember what I said. Give us plenty of time to prepare. We had only a day to get ready for the Pirates’ Reef.”

A. K. was starting for the office door when Susan’s brother, Edward, knocked on the glass pane.

After a couple of rare visits a few months back, he had simply vanished. Susan had not heard a word from him since then. She had a feeling something was up but was unable to pin him down. He remained evasive. Now it looked like she was finally going to find out what was going on with him, and she suspected it had something to do with the fact that this time, Edward was not alone.

Edward gave A. K. a friendly hug then embraced his sister with a smile and a kiss. Stepping back, he shook hands with Wesley.

All the while, Susan’s gaze never left the woman on his arm. “So, you were keeping something from me.”

“Guilty.”

“Excuse me, but I really have to leave,” Wesley said. “I’ll call you later.”

“Please, not just yet,” Edward said. “I have news I’d like to share with all of you. Susan, A. K., and Wesley, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Ms. Kara Dubason.”

Susan couldn’t believe her ears. Edward, the confirmed bachelor, was finally taking the step. He stared at Kara with love-struck eyes and the same goofy expression he had on his last visit, the one that suggested he had a secret he couldn’t wait to share.

Kara looked up at Edward with a demure smile, and Edward seemed to wilt. Susan knew he was a goner.

“I met Kara last year outside the St. Louis Cathedral. As corny as it sounds, it was love at first sight. There’s no other way to describe it. Kara is the one I’ve waited for all my life.” He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

Susan gave another hard look at her soon-to-be sister-in-law, wishing she could get inside the woman’s head. Yes, she was happy for Edward, but who the heck was this stranger draped on his arm? She sure hoped Kara was that special person who would make her brother happy, not someone who would break Edward’s heart.

“I…I’m happy for both of you,” Susan said.

“Me too, but this is family business. I really should get over to the costume shop,” A. K. said.

“No, you don’t,” Susan said. “You’re like family and should share this happy moment.”

What Susan really wanted from A. K. more than anything was moral support and later, her honest-to-goodness opinion about this bombshell. From the slight curl of A. K.’s lips, Susan knew her friend understood. She glanced at Wesley, but he merely shrugged.
Men!
she thought.

Kara Dubason stood about five foot eight and looked to weigh about a hundred and twenty-five pounds, curvaceous and all distributed in the right places. With shoulder-length, black hair and equally dark eyes, she had an air of mystery about her.

“I wondered too when I’d meet the man whose face I’d seen a thousand times in my dreams,” Kara said. The woman’s voice was melodious and somewhat mesmerizing. “And there he was, staring up at the cathedral spires, a look of awe upon his face. I knew we were destined to meet.”

Now that really sounded corny, more than the love-at-first-sight line
, Susan thought, but this was Edward’s moment, and she wasn’t about to say anything that might dampen his happiness. Kara’s long fingers and perfectly manicured nails toyed with the hair at the nape of Edward’s neck. It was obvious she totally had him hooked.

“I must admit, brother, that you really caught me by surprise, but if you’re happy, I’m happy…happy for both of you. Does Mother know?”

“I told her last week and swore her to secrecy,” Edward said. “I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, you certainly did that. I talked to her the other night, and she didn’t say a word.”

A. K. offered her congratulations again, but Susan could tell A. K. was as surprised as she was and probably just as curious to find out more about this woman. Who was she, really? Why Edward? Sure, he was nice looking and a real gentleman, but somehow they didn’t seem to fit. Nevertheless, this stranger had captured his heart and, it seemed, his brain. “Where are you from, Ms. Dubason?”

“Please, call me Kara. I was raised on Bayou Chavois, a small community deep in the Atachafalya Basin. I moved to New Orleans to live with my aunt when I reached my teens.”

Susan would have thought that sun-filled days on the bayou would have left Kara with a tanned complexion, but the woman’s skin was fair and flawless. She reminded Susan of a Greek statue, and she could see how Edward was attracted to her.

Edward grinned. “Want another surprise? We’re going to be neighbors, Sis. My company has given me a promotion and transferred me to our Hammond office. After looking around, Kara and I have decided to locate in Palmetto. This quaint community and rural setting will be the perfect place for Kara’s business.”

“And what would that be?” Susan asked. “You’re not into merchandizing, are you? I’d hate for us to be in competition.”

“You won’t have anything to worry about. I’m a psychic.”

Susan’s jaw dropped. Was she for real? Maybe that would explain Edward’s odd behavior. Kara must have predicted his future—a future that included her—and he’d bought it. This was not what Susan needed, someone prying or claiming to pry into her mind.

A. K. gave a soft, low whistle. “I could have used your input a while back when I masqueraded as a gypsy. My crystal ball didn’t always tell the truth.”

Kara laughed. “The crystal ball takes years of practice. I…” She paused. “From the looks on your faces, I do believe you’re skeptical. I assure you I’m not a charlatan. I’ve even consulted with the New Orleans’ police on several cases. When we get settled, I’d be glad to give you a reading for free; then you can judge for yourself.”

“I’m sorry if I gave you that impression,” Susan said. “To be honest, I believe there are things that can’t be explained.” She glanced at A. K., who kept her mouth clamped tight, as if to keep from laughing.

Kara reached for Susan’s hand. “I also read palms.”

Susan stepped back quickly, avoiding contact. “Perhaps another time.” Charlatan or not, Susan wasn’t willing to take that chance. It was then Susan noticed the diamond on Kara’s finger. That rock must have set Edward back a pretty penny. If Kara ever lost her crystal ball, she could always use her ring.

“I’d love a reading,” A. K. said. “Stop by the Purple Pickle anytime.”

“It would be best if you came to my place. When I get settled, I’ll give you a call,” Kara said.

Susan seemed unable to avoid Kara’s hypnotic eyes and found the woman’s gaze unsettling. She couldn’t help but feel there was more to Kara than the woman was letting on, but just what it was, Susan had no idea. For once, she wished for a vision, one that would cut past all this hocus-pocus stuff.
Fat chance of that happening.

Susan wanted to get away from the subject of the occult, so she changed the subject. “Have you set a date?”

“Two weeks,” Edward said.

That really caught Susan by surprise.

“Wonderful,” A. K. said, breaking the awkward moment of silence that followed. “Gives me an excuse to look for a new outfit…like I needed one.”

Wesley had been exceptionally quiet during the conversation. Now he spoke up, and Susan detected a hint of excitement in his voice.

“This is a happy occasion. I hope you’ll excuse my appearance. My partner and I have been in the woods this morning.”

“Partner?” Kara asked, cocking her head to one side. “What do you do?”

“I’m a homicide detective.”

“How intriguing.”

“I still can’t believe you’re going to get married in two weeks,” Susan said.

Kara hugged Edward’s arm and gave him an endearing look. “Only because we’re not planning an elaborate affair. Edward is friends with a judge who’s agreed to marry us in chambers.”

“Of course, my family and both of you are invited,” Edward said to A. K. and Wesley. “After the wedding, it’s off for a honeymoon in the Bahamas.”

“I look forward to attending,” Wesley said, “and to meeting your family, Kara.”

“I’m afraid I won’t have anyone in attendance on my side,” Kara said. “My parents died when I was young, and the aunt who raised me is in a nursing home. She’s not well enough to travel.”

Edward patted Kara’s hand. “We’ll take plenty of pictures and visit with her when we return.”

“Your parents should be happy that you and your wife will make Palmetto your home,” Wesley said to Edward.

A big grin crossed Edward’s face. “Mom’s ecstatic, and Kara is enthralled with what she’s seen of Palmetto.”

“You don’t think such a rural setting will limit your clientele?” Wesley asked Kara.

Kara batted her lashes at Wesley. “I have regular customers who live in New Orleans. That’s only a short distance from here, and I’m sure Hammond will bring in new customers.”

Wesley had the feeling that Susan wasn’t thrilled to discover Kara’s talent, especially considering her own precognitive ability. How was that going to work out? Did Susan buy it or was she inclined to think the woman was a hoax? Between the two of them, he imagined things could get quite dicey.

But it seemed to him, if Kara was for real, she might be able to help with Edith’s case. He looked at it this way—Susan never had any insight into his cold case although he had talked with her about Edith many times. On the other hand, psychics often prophesized by handling objects belonging to the subject.

He reached in his pocket, wanting to pursue this possibility further, but one look at Susan and he changed his mind. Although Susan couldn’t read his mind, she sure left the impression that she could, and it was obvious Susan didn’t like where he was going. He kept the photo tucked away and changed the subject. “It’s good to have all the family closer.”

Kara ignored his comment and continued talking about her profession. “Like I said earlier, I’ve worked with the New Orleans’s Police Department on several cases.”

The woman was saying all the right things to pique Wesley’s interest even more. “Indeed, and were you able to help them?”

“I pointed them in the right direction where they uncovered evidence that eventually solved the case.”

He was salivating so much, he closed his mouth. Otherwise, he was afraid he might drool. His fingertips itched to pull out the photo, but first, he needed to check with the New Orleans police, see if what she claimed was true. Maybe the woman did have a gift. He had only to look at Susan to know that such things were possible.

Would he be grasping at straws if he sought her help? What did he have to lose? If she held the bracelet, maybe she would see something. But another glance at Susan told him now was not the time. Best to let Susan and this woman come to terms before he jumped between their worlds.

Taking a deep breath, he admonished himself for wanting to rush into things. It wasn’t like him to do that. He had always relied on old-fashioned police work to solve cases—verify then proceed. If Kara’s reputation checked out, then he’d approach her.