Till Death Do Us Bark (12 page)

“Good Lord, did you hear that?” Viv’s green eyes grew wide. “It sounded like someone threatening Dr. Kent.”

Ellie blew out a breath. “Didn’t you say he stayed in Kent’s office while Arlene had the house painted for the wedding? Maybe he heard someone spit that out at the doc.”

Viv turned toward the African gray. “Tell us more, Myron. Who threatened the doctor?”

The parrot moved his head from side to side and lifted his clawed feet as if dancing in place.
“Doctor, Doctor, give me the news. Awwwk! I’ve got a bad case of lo-oo-ving you. Awwwk!”

“Good Lord, an ancient Robert Palmer tune. And Myron sang an oldie the other night, too. Could be that’s all he’s good for.”

“That and eating M&Ms. He’s one spoiled bird,” Viv said, frowning. “Maybe he heard those words on a television show.”

Silently agreeing, Ellie tried to turn the conversation back to their day. “I am so looking forward to this morning. A brilliant sun, warm white sand, and beautiful blue water—who could ask for more?”

Viv took a sip of coffee. “Me, for one. I spent some time with Arlene this morning. Alone time.”

“I’m glad you did, especially without Adrianne and your parents. Were you able to make her feel less depressed?”

“I must have, because she didn’t cry and she seemed more normal. When I got a look at her pupils, I noticed they weren’t enlarged—” Viv put down her cup. “That’s one of the signs of drug use, right? Enlarged pupils?”

“So I’ve heard, but maybe we could Google it to make sure. A person can find just about anything on that search engine.” She’d used the site for a lot of her investigative work, especially when she’d checked out the poison used to kill Arnie Harris. “Does Arlene have a computer we can commandeer?”

“I saw one in the library when I was being questioned by Detective Levy, so that one might be good.” Viv inched closer and lowered her voice. “I took a look in Arlene’s medicine cabinet. Talk about an in-house pharmacy. It reminded me of a shelf behind a Duane Reade counter.”

“Lots of little bottles?”

“Dozens. Some were marked with regular prescription labels, but many just had a white label with the type of drug written across it. I don’t remember the names and I didn’t have a pen and paper, so I couldn’t copy anything down. I have no idea what any of them were for.”

“Did you ask Arlene how she felt about the ME’s ruling on Dr. Kent’s cause of death?”

“Yes, and I was amazed by her reaction. She didn’t burst into tears or act upset, but she did say she couldn’t imagine who would want to kill Martin. According to her, he was a man among men, someone who worked tirelessly to cure illnesses.”

“And she didn’t think it was odd that his patients came at all hours of the day and night?”

“According to her, that only proved how dedicated her fiancé was. Besides, she was usually busy in her study doing astrology stuff. I doubt she noticed the traffic.”

Ellie thought about Sam and his job. He was gone all hours of the day and night, too, but she’d know if he was doing something out of character. Then again, maybe Martin Kent was acting
in
character, and Arlene simply didn’t know him that well. Or she was lying to herself.

Viv peered out at the guest cottage, where her mother, father, and Adrianne were piling into their Cadillac. “I guess the family is going to Bridgehampton for the morning. Mom said something about it last night, but I never thought they’d be so thoughtless as to leave Arlene stranded.”

“She’s not stranded. You’re here for her, aren’t you?”

Viv rolled her eyes. “She and I aren’t that close, at least not the way she is with Adrianne.”

“That might change. You could try to forge a new beginning with your big sister while you’re here.”

“Do you think so?”

“I think you need to give it a try.” Ellie watched the car back out of the lot and head up the curving drive. “Maybe they plan to pick up Arlene at the front of the house.”

“I doubt it. Adrianne said she’d had all she could take of murder and mayhem, and intimated she was finished with Arlene for today.”

Ellie and Viv turned and stared at the parrot. “Shut up, Myron,” they said at the same time.

“Now what?” Viv said with a moan.

Ellie grinned. At this rate Myron was going to squawk through every oldie song ever recorded. Hearing a noise, she and Viv gazed at the door.

“Oh, good. You’re both still here.” Arlene, wearing a red string bikini and flip-flops, struggled through the entrance loaded down with beach paraphernalia. “If you’re headed to the beach, I’m ready whenever you are.”

 

Rudy, Mr. T, and the three Boston Terriers, Corey, Isabella, and Darby-Doll, had arrived at a truce and now lay curled on a large beach towel under one of the towering umbrellas. The canines had spent the past hour darting through the waves, chasing sandpipers and seagulls, and barking at anyone who walked past their section of shoreline. Even Rudy, who didn’t usually take part in normal doggie games, had joined in and seemed to enjoy himself.

As for the girls, Ellie, Viv, and Arlene had situated the other two umbrellas so they combined the shade, which gave each of them a spot out of the sun. Viv was now walking the shore gathering sea glass, while Arlene lay next to Ellie.

The three women had talked nonsense while they slathered each other with sunscreen and bronzing gel, and Ellie finally got to see what she thought might be the real Arlene: an attractive mid- to late-thirties woman who’d buried two men she was fond of. Now, with this latest tragedy, she got the sense the deaths were beginning to sink in.

“Ellie, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Do you think I’m a jinx to the men I care for?”

Oh, boy.
“Um, well, I don’t really believe in that bad luck, jinx theory like some people do. I’d rather believe in fate . . . or maybe destiny.”

“Fate?”

“You know, what will be, will be. A plan of sorts that’s already written for us. I believe in God, but it doesn’t matter your religious faith. I think someone is in charge, directing our lives.”

“Then you don’t think Myron died because I cared for him, or that knowing me caused Martin to be killed?”

“Gosh, no. Love is a good thing.” She repositioned herself to sit on her towel Indian-style. “I think you have to look at Dr. Kent’s demise in a more realistic manner. He was dealing in drugs, or so say the cops, and that’s the reason he died. You had nothing to do with it.”

“I can’t believe we’re discussing this, but you seemed like family the moment you got here.” Arlene heaved a sigh. “It’s just so hard to see him in that light. I believe Detective Wheeling, of course, but poor Martin. To be so misguided that he’d pass out pills to anyone who asked.”

“I doubt Dr. Kent was ‘poor.’ People today think having money is the only thing that will make them happy. The lack of it accounts for about ninety percent of the crime in this country.”

“You seem so wise for your age.” Arlene raised herself up on her elbows. “Do you mind if I ask you another question?”

Ellie grinned. “Oh, but I’m not wise. Just ask Viv, and she’ll tell you about some of the ‘unwise’ things I’ve done lately.”

“But you’ll still answer another question?”

“Okay, but I can’t guarantee I’ll have a good answer.”

Rolling over onto her back, Arlene said, “You and Viv are close, aren’t you?”

“I hope so. I don’t have any siblings, so I feel as though she’s the sister of my heart.”

“That’s a very sweet thing to say. I’d like to think of her that way, too, but I’m afraid I’ve botched it.”

“Botched it?”

“You know, waited too long to try and form a bond. It’s my fault, really. I’m the eldest, so I should have taken it upon myself to be more interested in my baby sister’s life, more caring, more thoughtful of her world.”

Wow, that was quite a confession. But Vivian was the one who should be hearing this, not her. “I don’t think it’s ever too late to rework a relationship and form a bond. Viv’s a wonderful woman. I’m sure she’d listen, if you wanted to talk about it.”

“She was very kind this morning, trying to make me feel better about Martin.” Arlene sat up and stared at the shore, where Viv was on her knees inspecting whatever had been washed up by the tide. Standing, she said, “Excuse me. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

Ellie heaved a sigh. This was a good sign for Vivian. She wanted her best friend to be happy and content with her family, and growing closer to Arlene was a start. She leaned back and gazed at her legs, stretched out in front of her.

Slipping off her sunglasses, she gave her legs another once-over. Then she picked up the bronzing gel and compared the legs on the tube to the color of her own calves and thighs. Where had she gone wrong?

She tossed the tube on the towel and scrambled to her feet, ducking out from under the umbrella. She figured the blatant orange tone of her skin was probably a reflection from her peach-colored beach towel. When she stood in the sunlight, she’d get a better look.

She glanced at her arms, her hands, her fingers, and inhaled a second gasp. What in the world had gone wrong? A moan escaped her lips, and she bent to pick up the cause of her color catastrophe.

Hearing her mutter, the dogs woke from their naps and began to bark.
“Hey, Triple E, we got company,”
Rudy added to the chorus of barking canines.

She rose from her bottoms-up position. “Don’t be silly. It’s just me, not a stranger.” The Bostons settled down, but Mr. T sniffed her legs, then dashed around her.

“The Rudster is right, fool,”
he chimed.

Ellie turned and practically bumped into Agent Bond’s chest. Wearing mirrored sunglasses, a snug yellow T-shirt, and washed-out jeans that fit like a glove, he raised his lips in a smug smile.

“Forgive me for saying so, but you look a little strange. From the color of your skin, I’d say it was time you got out of the sun, Ms. Engleman.”

She reached for her cover-up and pulled it on. “What are you doing here?”

“Enjoying the day, taking a walk—whatever you want to call it.” He took her in from head to toe and back again. “Too much sun can be bad for you, or so I’ve heard.”

“No kidding,” snapped Ellie, again perusing the tube of gel. The list of ingredients, mostly chemical compounds, boggled her brain. With this much scientific jargon, it was impossible to tell if a person was allergic.

“Are you trying to find an antidote?” Jim asked, his tone teasing.

“What I need is a suggestion on how to get back to my normal skin tone. Maybe a bath in baking soda or some kind of cream or . . . something to get rid of this—this—”

“Orange skin?”

Slumping her shoulders, she nodded. “I look like a tangerine.”

“Actually, that color would be good”—he snickered—“if you were a traffic cone.”

Folding her arms, Ellie raised both eyebrows. “I’m happy to be so entertaining. Now go away.” She dropped to the sand, still scanning the squeeze tub. There had to be something written on the back about what to do if one acquired an odd color.

When she looked up, faux Agent 007 was still checking her out . . . from all angles? Great. Rudy was right. This was just what she didn’t need. “Don’t you have something else to do? Like break into an apartment or arrest some drug dealers?”

“I was on my way to Ms. Millman’s house when I saw you all out here. I got a call from Detective Wheeling.”

That brought Ellie back to her feet. “Wheeling called you? If he arranged to meet you at Arlene’s house, why didn’t he call and tell her?”

“He said he tried, but no one answered.”

“Not even Rosa or Julio?”

“According to Wheeling, no.”

Telling herself that didn’t sound promising, she gazed out across the sand and saw Viv and Arlene heading toward them. “I think it’s time you told Ms. Millman who you really are.”

He shrugged. “I guess there’s no way to hide it.”

The closer the women came, the wider Viv’s eyes opened. “What the heck happened to you?” she asked, gazing at the parts of Ellie the cover-up wasn’t covering.

“This is what happened to me.” Ellie held up the sunscreen. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into buying this overpriced tube of crap.”

“That is not crap,” said Viv, holding out a beautifully bronzed arm. “I used it, too, and look at me.”

Ellie inspected Viv’s arm, her long shapely legs, her creamy skin shaded a lovely tawny brown. Didn’t it just figure?

“You do look great,” Agent Bond said. “You, too, Ms. Millman,” he added, taking in Arlene’s string bikini.

Arlene smiled as she gazed up at the agent. “Why the formality, James? Don’t you think neighbors should be on a first-name basis?”

When he stuffed his hands in his pockets, the bump in the back waistband of his jeans caught Ellie’s eye. Good Lord! He was carrying a gun.

“We’re neighbors for a reason, Ms. Millman. Let’s collect this gear and return it to the house, where we can talk.”