The Path of the Crooked (Hope Street Church Mysteries Book 1) (18 page)

• • •

Nathan was relieved to hear that Ashley had agreed to tail Cindi, as one of his clients’ websites had been invaded by a nasty computer virus and it would take him at least two days to undo the damage.

“Those Trojan horse viruses can be downright malicious,” Nathan told Cooper. “They chew up files in the hard drive like a garbage truck. I’d never have been able to follow Cindi around and fix this problem. Thank your sister for me.”

Cooper promised to do so. “Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you. Will your client lose business because of the virus?”

“They already have,” Nathan said, sounding glum. “And it’s one of my biggest accounts. In fact, it’s the client who interrupted our dinner Saturday night. I had to test the firewall then, because they were already experiencing some glitches on the site.”

Cooper went very still. “Who’s the client, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“RichmondMatchmaker.com,” Nathan said. “But they won’t be clients for much longer if I don’t get this issue resolved. I’d better run. Good luck with Cindi and call me later if you learn anything of interest.”

Placing her cell phone on the work van’s dashboard, Cooper sank back against the seat and looked outside at what was truly a glorious afternoon. The creamy white dogwood blossoms lining Make It Work!’s parking lot were nestled among clusters of verdant leaves. The trees cast gentle shadows upon groupings of pink and purple petunias and the flower beds were carpeted in dark, rich mulch. Bees and butterflies hummed and buzzed and the air was filled with birdsong.

“He didn’t lie to me,” Cooper murmured. “I’ve been frosty to him for no reason.”

Cooper finished her last job repairing a copier at a pediatrician’s office with a feeling of anticipation. Within the next hour, Ashley would be tailing Cindi’s Honda Civic. Cooper was already picturing her sister zipping around the Capital City parking lot with the convertible top of her Lexus coupe retracted, the latest
American Idol
soundtrack booming through the car’s powerful speakers.

“I should have told her to be subtle,” Cooper chided herself.

After parking the van, Cooper went inside the office, spent a few minutes cleaning her tools, and then changed out of her uniform into a pair of jeans and a paprika-colored T-shirt. As she was rinsing out her coffee mug in the break room, Ben limped in, looking like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“Rough workout at the gym?” Cooper asked, seeing how he favored his left leg.

Ben blinked, as though surprised not to find himself alone in the room. “You could say that,” he muttered and removed a protein shake from the fridge.

While he was guzzling his shake, Cooper examined Ben’s thin frame. “I think you’re bulking up a bit, Ben,” she complimented him in hopes of making him smile. “You going to the gym now?”

Ben tossed his empty shake can into the trash can with unnecessary force and wiped his lips with a paper towel. His hands were shaking slightly. “Anywhere but home,” he said darkly. “The only men welcome there go by the name of Jim Beam or Johnnie Walker.” And with that, Ben stormed out of the room.

Cooper was still trying to digest Ben’s remark when her cell phone rang.

“I did it!” Ashley cried. “Cindi was
so
easy to spot. I mean, she has good taste in clothes, but she just
doesn’t
know how to put pieces together. She was wearing chartreuse and black, which is a great combination, but with these beige pumps and that off-white hobo purse from—”

“Ashley!” Cooper interjected before her sister could launch into an in-depth analysis of Cindi’s outfit. “Were you able to speak to her?”

“I sure did. She only went to one store, a place called Wine Lovers. She took a long time picking out a Pinot Noir. I broke the ice by recommending a bottle of Castle Rock. I remember you telling me she was a single mom so I figured she wouldn’t want to spend more than twenty dollars, so I was mighty surprised when she decided on a bottle of Acacia for more than twice that.”

Cooper fought to contain her impatience as Ashley rambled on about how Lincoln had helped her develop a more sophisticated palate. “The nails, Ashley?”

“Oh, I’m just having a bit of fun, Cooper.” Ashley was capable of injecting a fat-lipped pout into her voice when she wanted to. “I thought you might be interested in the fact that her clothes, her wine, and that two-thousand-dollar Tiffany bracelet she’s wearing seem rather fancy for a secretary.”

“I told you about her and the married man,” Cooper said.

“Well, he must be doing all right,” Ashley said with a trace of admiration. “Anyway, Cindi uses a really nice nail place in Short Pump Mall. She has a five thirty appointment tomorrow for a full set.” She paused. “Go on, tell me that I’m a genius!”

Cooper frowned. “What’s a full set? Trish mentioned it the other day and I have no idea what that means.”

“For goodness’ sake, Coop. Do you live under a rock beneath a layer of concrete? A full set refers to having acrylic nails applied over your natural nails.” Cooper could hear Ashley’s garage door creaking open. “Personally, I prefer to get weekly manicures and show off the healthy state of my own nails, but I’m very dedicated when it comes to applying cuticle cream and taking vitamin E and keratin pills every day.”

Cooper rolled her eyes. “Thank you, Ashley. You found out exactly what we needed to know. Now Trish can do her thing.”

“You’re welcome. And I’d volunteer to come along, but it would look kind of strange if I showed up at the salon when Cindi does. Plus, I have my Roofs Overhead committee meeting. We’re holding a black-tie fund-raiser to buy a home in Church Hill for a needy family. That means another new dress for me!” Ashley turned off her car engine. “I’m home, Coop, but let me give you a teeny piece of advice before you get a pedicure tomorrow.”

Cooper’s stomach roiled at the thought. “What?”

“Shave your legs,” Ashley said, giggling. “I can’t wait to hear what color you pick. There’s a really nice OPI rose shade called Aphrodite’s Pink Nightie. Might get you in the right mood for your next encounter with Nathan.”

“I can pick out my own polish, thanks,” Cooper muttered, though she hadn’t used polish on her toes for years. It had only taken two days for it to chip off inside her work boots, so she hadn’t bothered to paint her toes since.

“If you’re really feeling daring, there’s the Australia collection,” Ashley went on unhindered. “You can get Tasmanian Devil Made Me Do It. Who knows? You might drive right over to Nathan’s afterward and be a bad, bad girl.”

“Good-bye, Ashley!” Cooper shouted and hung up to the sound of her sister’s laughter.

• • •

“Finally, I can do something useful to help!” Trish exclaimed when Cooper called to tell her about Cindi’s nail appointment. “Ever since Wesley was jailed, I’ve been listening and puzzling, but not acting. I can’t wait to use my people skills on this little lamb.”

“I’d consider Cindi more wolf than sheep,” Cooper cautioned. “And I’m glad I won’t be in your shoes, because I don’t think it’ll be easy to get information out of her.”

“Leave it to me,” Trish said confidently. “I’ll expect to see you in one of the pedicure chairs by the time Cindi and I arrive at five thirty.”

Cooper saluted the phone. “Yes, ma’am!”

At five ten that Wednesday afternoon, Cooper stepped inside the nail salon and was welcomed by burning incense and soft instrumental music. A group of lovely young Asian women immediately looked up from their work and said, “Hello!” while an older woman approached the tidy reception podium and smiled.

“I have an appointment for a pedicure for five fifteen,” Cooper told her.

The woman traced a crimson nail down the length of an appointment book. “Yes. Come this way, please.” She led Cooper to the back of the salon and pointed to a petite Asian girl who looked no older than seventeen. “Minnie will do your pedicure.”

Minnie gave a low bow and began to fill the pedicure tub with water. She then sprinkled some green powder into the bath and put a hand on a padded leather seat attached to the tub unit, indicating that Cooper should sit down. Slightly embarrassed by her footwear, Cooper removed her work shoes and white ankle socks and climbed into the luxurious chair. She slid her feet into the water and was pleasantly shocked by the warmth and the massage jets.

“You pick a color?” Minnie looked around, frowning.

Cooper shook her head. She hadn’t realized that she needed to select a shade before the pedicure began. “Would you choose one for me?”

Minnie nodded, pleased. She gathered her shining cascade of blue-black hair, twisted it fiercely in one hand, and pinned it up with a clip using the other hand. “You soak,” she directed, turned off the tap, and then pointed at a stack of magazines alongside Cooper’s chair. “You can read those,” she added and then walked off toward the chrome wall shelf containing dozens of bottles of nail polish.

Cooper decided that having a magazine available to obscure her face from Cindi’s view was a good idea, so she selected the most recent edition of
Vogue
from the thick pile. Taking note of the gorgeous brunette on the cover, modeling one of this summer’s trendy strapless tank dresses, Cooper flipped the magazine open to a page issuing advice to women on recovering from an unexpected breakup. She read a few lines of the advice, and was satisfied to discover that she had already followed several of the writer’s sensible suggestions, including creating a fresh circle of friends. However, Cooper was too distracted by the perfume ad on the opposite page to read any further.

The ad for Bondage showed a woman draped along the length of a couch clad in a clingy gold dress. She also wore a thick gold necklace resembling a collar, and a bracelet that reminded Cooper of a manacle. A white tiger knelt at her feet, wearing a gold collar similar to the model’s necklace. A man dressed in nothing but a white towel knelt by the woman’s head, offering her a bottle of perfume on a gilt tray.

Cooper took a deep sniff of the perfumed strip enclosed in the magazine and instantly recoiled. To her, Bondage smelled like some of the natural pesticides she and her father used in their garden.

“You no like color?” Minnie sounded hurt.

Cooper shut the magazine and flushed. “Sorry. I didn’t know you were back.” She took the bottle of polish Minnie held out in her childlike hand. It was a brownish pink called Dulce de Leche. “It’s perfect,” Cooper said. “Thank you.”

Offering a tiny bow and smile, Minnie returned to the black stool by Cooper’s feet and pulled a wheeled tray closer to her side. Nervously, Cooper noted an assortment of sharp metal objects on the tray.

Minnie raised a pair of clippers and prepared to clip Cooper’s big toe, but the second the metal connected with Cooper’s body, she jerked her foot away. Minnie looked up at her in surprise.

“Sorry, this is my first time. I’ll try to sit still,” Cooper promised.

Minnie smiled. “I take good care of you.”

“I’m sure you will.” Relaxing, Cooper reopened the magazine and glanced at her watch. Ten minutes to go until Cindi would appear.

Cooper winced as Minnie removed the dead skin around her toes with sharp cuticle nippers. Unintentionally, she twitched and squirmed as the aggressive metal tool took little nibbles of flesh from her toes.

Just as Minnie took a firmer hold of Cooper’s foot, Cindi walked through the door. Cooper could see that Trish was only seconds behind the secretary. In fact, Cindi had to hold the door open for her. Trish thanked Cindi and then immediately asked her where she had purchased her handbag. By the time they were seated side by side, the two women were in the midst of an animated exchange regarding their favorite Richmond boutiques.

Cooper raised her magazine to partially block her face and watched Cindi and Trish. She was so absorbed in their instant camaraderie that she barely noticed Minnie pulling the plug in the tub. As the water disappeared down the drain, Cooper grew worried. Trish hadn’t even begun to interrogate Cindi. “Am I done already?”

“Not yet. This is the good part,” Minnie said, brandishing a bottle of pink lotion. “I turn on chair for you.”

Minnie reached for a remote control dangling from the side of Cooper’s chair and pressed two buttons. Immediately, the cushions behind Cooper’s back began to churn in a soft, motorized purr. Leaning deeper into the chair, Cooper sighed as the padded knobs circled around her back. Minnie squirted a line of pink lotion on Cooper’s left leg and then spread the cream from her kneecap to the tips of her toes. Cooper closed her eyes as Minnie began to knead the muscles of her calf.

The combination of the chair massage and leg rub caused Cooper to slide into a state of deep relaxation. The magazine slipped from her lap and onto the floor and her thoughts began to wander. As her breathing slowed and Minnie pressed her powerful thumbs into the aching arches of Cooper’s feet, she suddenly had a vision of Nathan, hard at work at home, surrounded by his beloved
Star Wars
figures.

He keeps popping into my head!
she marveled as her shoulders sagged deeper into the chair.

“It feels good?” Minnie asked.

Cooper’s eyes opened and she suddenly remembered that she was supposed to be listening to the conversation between Trish and Cindi. “Yes, it does. You’re very strong, Minnie,” she told the young technician and reclaimed her magazine from the floor.

The noise of the drills hovering over Cindi and Trish’s nails had ceased, and the sound of the women’s laughter filled the void. With the exception of a client receiving a manicure, Trish, Cindi, and Cooper were the only patrons in the salon.

“I had the most annoying client,” Trish was saying loud enough for Cooper to hear. “She called me
all
the time. At home, at work, on my cell. Seriously. I couldn’t even get my roots touched up in peace!” Trish flicked her violet eyes in Cooper’s direction, as if to alert her conspirator that she was about to get to the heart of the matter with Cindi.

“You’re so lucky to be an administrative assistant,” Trish gushed when she had completed her tirade. “When your day is done, it’s done. No one calls you at all hours.”