When Bobbie Sang the Blues (15 page)

Christy told her about the guys in the black Mercedes and that she wanted to get a look at them.

There was a momentary pause. “Honey, I’m willing to stretch a theory for Bobbie’s sake, but this one doesn’t quite fit.”

“It may seem like a stretch, as you say, but I need to personally check these guys out.”

Her aunt laughed. “Well, I guess it won’t hurt to play detective this morning. I’ve got nothing else to do.”

A
n hour later, Christy entered the office of the marina while Dianna stayed outside to look at the boats.

Christy knocked on the door frame to get the attention of the tall, nice-looking man sitting behind the desk. “Mark, got a minute to talk?” she asked.

“Sure. What’s up?” Mark flashed a quick smile and pushed his dark hair away from his eyes.

“Your mom called me about those two guys from Tennessee. Are they here?” Christy looked through the office window at a group of men near the boats who were talking with the captain.

“No, they just called to move their time back to one o’clock.”

“Describe them to me, Mark.”

“That’s easy. They look like a before-and-after commercial for some kind of miracle tonic. One guy is about five foot eight, skinny, and losing his brown hair. The other one is about six feet and muscled, with a thick head of brown hair. Looks like he spends a lot of time with the weights. I’d guess both of them are somewhere in their forties. They’re staying at Summer Place. In fact, they mentioned grabbing lunch, so they’re probably in the restaurant now.”

“The restaurant at Summer Place?”

“Yeah. I heard the big guy say it’s the only thing he likes about this beach.”

“Thanks, Mark,” Christy said. “I owe you one.”

She went outside and waved to her aunt, who was deep in conversation with one of the fishermen. She was a striking woman, and all the men had taken notice.

Dianna glanced at Christy, then turned back to the man. “Hope you catch some big ones.”

As they hurried to the car, Dianna studied Christy. “I thought you wanted to find out something about those guys. We weren’t there three minutes.”

“That’s because the men in question are still at the restaurant at the condos. So now I’ll take you up on that offer for lunch.”

Dianna laughed. “You’re a trip, Christy. But since I’m riding back with you, I guess I have to concede that you’re the boss.” She reached for the cell phone clipped to her white capris. “I’d better call Valerie and tell her I’ll be late for my hair appointment.”

Summer Place Condominiums towered fourteen stories above the Gulf of Mexico. One could sit on any of the balconies facing the Gulf and see all the way to the horizon. An outdoor pool twice the size of Christy’s house offered a place to play, along with whirlpools, a cabana bar, and a vast stretch of sugar beach for sunbathing.

Christy and Dianna sauntered across the lobby, heads high, as confident as any paying guest. They entered the garden-style restaurant and looked around. Seated by the glass wall facing the
Gulf, Christy spotted the two men who matched Marks description. They were digging into oysters on the half shell.

An attractive hostess smiled at Dianna and Christy. “Two? Just follow me.” She led them to a table on the opposite side of the room.

As soon as they were seated, Christy leaned across the crisp linen and nodded toward the men. She whispered, “We’re a mile away from them. I’ve got to get closer.”

Dianna turned and looked at them. “What do you suggest? Should we go over and pull up a chair?”

“This is no time to be funny,” Christy hissed.

“I thought I was being practical. Maybe the couple behind them will leave, and we can—”

A pretty server appeared at their table. She introduced herself as Elisha and began an enthusiastic speech about the catch of the day and the chef’s suggestion.

Christy listened to the food choices, wondering how she could eat without choking, as the nerves in her stomach had invented a new dance.

“Sounds delicious,” Dianna responded. “I’ll have the special with raspberry tea. What about you, Christy?”

Christy went blank. What were the choices again? “Just a cobb salad. And raspberry tea.”

“Coming right up.” Elisha flashed a brilliant white smile and hurried off.

Christy turned to stare at the men again.

“Christy, they’re going to notice you staring.” Dianna spoke in
a low voice, her lips barely moving. “Try pretending we’re here to eat.”

“I’m not centered on food at the moment.”

“I can see that. I need to make a trip to the ladies’ room,” she said, grabbing her handbag. “Maybe I can overhear something as I pass their table.”

Christy shot another glance toward her suspects. The short man, who seemed to be doing most of the talking, suddenly paused and turned to look across the room at her. His ability to sense when he was being watched fueled her suspicions.

Her aunt stepped into his line of vision as she passed their table en route to the ladies’ room, saving Christy from getting caught while staring. As Dianna walked by, the men looked her over with an evident approval. Dianna seemed unaware of them.

Christy suppressed a grin of satisfaction. Dianna knew how to handle all situations.

Elisha placed their drinks on the table. Christy returned a smile, then took a sip of tea to wet her dry throat. The men were engaged in conversation again, both wearing grim expressions.

Christy stood, focusing her gaze on the path her aunt had taken to the ladies’ room. She never looked at the men as she strolled near their table, but she strained her ears to pick up a word or two.

Four words spoken in a husky, unpleasant voice vibrated in her ears. “Bodine knew better than.

Christy bit her tongue, tasting blood, in an effort to stifle a gasp as she reached for the brass-handled door of the ladies’ room.
Her aunt was in a stall, and two older women stood at the sink, washing their hands. She forced herself to wait a couple of minutes before returning to her table.

She prepared to casually stroll past the men again, but when she reentered the dining room, she saw their table was empty. Looking around, she spotted them at the cash register, paying their bill. She hurried to her table, wondering whether they had become suspicious of her stares or had simply finished their food. She sat down and darted a glance in their direction.

They walked quickly out the door.

As soon as Dianna returned to the table, Christy leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Aunt Dianna, I walked by those guys and heard them say, ‘Bodine knew better than something.”

Dianna’s eyes widened. “Really? That should help Bobbies case.”

“I hope so.” Christy fought the urge to follow them. If they were as dangerous as she suspected, this was a matter for the authorities.

The car clock read ten past two when she dropped her aunt off. She debated how best to use the information she had overheard in the restaurant. As she pulled into her driveway, she consoled herself with the fact that she had seen the guys and could identify them.

Bobbie’s truck was still gone. She hoped that meant that she and Jack were successfully completing details for her lease and getting her ready to move in. Bobbie would be safe with Jack.

Her mind buzzed as she unlocked the back door and hurried into the kitchen, trying to think how best to approach Deputy Arnold. She began to shape her words, the exact way she would tell him about the two men from Memphis, Tennessee, obviously the bookies, and what she had overheard.
“Bodine knew better than…”
The phone rang, but she let it go to the answering machine.

To her astonishment, the caller was Deputy Arnold. There was no mistaking the booming voice on her answering machine. She ran over and grabbed the phone.

“Hi, Bob…Deputy Arnold,” she said breathlessly. “I was about to call you. I have something to tell you about those guys in the black Mercedes who—”

“And I have something to tell you,” he cut in. “Where’s your aunt?”

“She’s not here, but—”

“Well, you’d better find her.”

“Why? What’s happened?”

“I’m not at liberty to say.”

“Listen, Aunt Dianna and I were at the Summer Place restaurant. Those guys in the black Mercedes were there, and I overheard one say, ‘Bodine knew better than.

“Forget about them.”

“What? You mean you don’t—”

“The reports on Eddie Bodine’s death are in now.”

“Well, I wouldn’t think a blow to the back of the head would be that complicated to analyze. I mean—”

“That wasn’t what killed him,” Deputy Arnold said bluntly.

Christy sank onto the barstool and waited, her heart hammering. When there was only silence on the other end of the line, she knew her aunt was in trouble. She also knew Bob had said all he could afford to tell her without jeopardizing his job.

“You’d better find your aunt and bring her to your house. I’m offering an opportunity to handle this with dignity.”

Christy swallowed around the lump in her throat. “She’ll be here.”

“I’ll be waiting at your house. With Detective Johanson. And Christy,” he said, lowering his voice, “find her a good lawyer.”

Stunned, Christy hung up the phone. She walked in circles around the kitchen floor, thinking about who to call first.

Seth. She needed Seth. She was amazed when he answered his cell on the first ring.

“Seth, I don’t know where you are, but you’ve got to get to my house fast. And call Mom and Dad to come too. Deputy Arnold and Detective Johanson are on their way here. I think they’re about to arrest Aunt Bobbie.”

“Why?”

“He said the reports from the autopsy have come in. Apparently, something incriminated Bobbie.”

Seth’s voice sounded calm and controlled. “We can handle this.”

Could they? “I have to go get Bobbie. She and Jack are leasing a shop.”

She hung up and grabbed her cell phone and car keys. As she ran to her car and hopped in, she tried to calm down. There was a mistake. There had to be.

She cut down the back streets, her heart hammering faster. In less than five minutes, she reached the boutique that had gone out of business and spotted both Bobbie’s red truck and Jack’s SUV. She wheeled in at the curb and ran into the vacant building. Her aunt’s laughter resounded from in the back room as she entered.

Bobbies gold head popped around the door. Smiling from ear to ear, she was obviously in a very happy state, even if her hair was a bit tousled and her lipstick smeared.

“Christy! I’m so glad you came down to see—”

“Bobbie, we have to go to my house. Now.”

Jack’s head leaned around the door, and even from a distance, she could see the lipstick on his face.

“And Jack, you’d better go home.”

Their faces drooped, melting from happiness to dismay in unison. Christy felt like she was watching a cartoon, only this wasn’t a comedy. It was a tragedy.

Bobbie and Jack walked slowly into the front room, staring wide-eyed at Christy.

Christy’s voice trembled when she spoke. “Bobbie, we have to go to the house. Deputy Arnold and that Detective Johanson are coming to see you.”

“Oh.” Bobbie squared her shoulders and tried to smile. “Well,
if that’s all it is, I can handle them.” She looked at Jack. “Like she said, honey, you’d better go home.”

“I’ll come with you,” he said, slipping an arm around her waist.

“No, Jack.” Christy shook her head.

“You’ve turned into a real sassy little gal lately,” Jack said, glaring at her. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you.”

Bobbie slipped out of Jack’s grasp and reached for her purse. “I’ll call you later,” she said to Jack, giving him a wink.

Christy said nothing more to Jack; she merely led Bobbie out to her car. Once they got inside, Bobbie’s cheerful countenance faded.

“Is it that bad?” she asked, looking at Christy as they drove off.

“I guess we’ll find out,” Christy replied.

When she turned down her street, she could see her parents’ car parked at the curb and Deputy Arnold’s SUV parked farther down. As she approached her driveway, she saw Seth in the backseat of their parents’ car. Everyone looked grim. As soon as Christy’s car turned into the driveway, car doors flew open. Beth and Grant hurried across the yard. The slam of more doors signaled the approach of Deputy Arnold and Detective Johanson.

The expression on Johanson’s face froze everyone in place.

“Mrs. Bodine,” he said, “you are being charged with the murder of Eddie Bodine.” He produced a pair of handcuffs and began to read Bobbie her rights. “You have the right to remain silent. His voice droned on as Christy fought tears.