Death at the Lake Page 3

  As we walked down the sloping hill toward the water—the same lake that surrounds Loews—I pointed out the charming, small condos with beautiful lake views that were above a section of the stores. We continued farther down the hill to my favorite store, which sold many fascinating items from Mexico. The girls really wanted to shop, and they bought a few mementos of the “wild, wild, West” before we headed to the only Mexican restaurant there. It was perfect weather, and we sat outside on the large patio with an expansive view of the lake. It was time for me to let worry go and enjoy being with my friends.

  “Do you all want a frozen margarita?” asked Nancy. “My treat.”

  After we each ordered and the waiter left, we sat munching on the tortilla chips and salsa he’d provided. Then, after the waiter handed us our cold drinks, we toasted each other. When it was my turn to raise my glass and give a toast, I spoke from my heart. “Here’s to my beautiful friends. I love you all,” I proclaimed as my eyes teared up. “You’re the best.”

  “Amen,” all three said in unison, and we smiled at the luxury of being special friends. I was beginning to unwind and relax on this beautiful evening, and it felt good. We perused the menu, and each of us ordered something different. We decided to have an assortment of things to nibble on, not caring about whether they were healthy: beef empanadas, carne asada fries, ceviche, Mexican pizza, and, of course, nachos. Nancy, more than any of the rest of us, was in seventh heaven. For her size, it was amazing that she could eat so much and still remain toned and slim.

  As we continued to sit, eat, chat, and laugh, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up. I paused, trying to figure out what was causing this reaction, and then I heard Sophia’s boss and former business partner speaking behind me. Sophia had been my supervisor at a ride-sharing service—PUP, which stood for Pick Up. I’d worked there for a few days before I started at the Purple Passion Lounge as an uncover agent working for Brian.

  I whipped around to see him lean over and speak to a couple seated two tables away. He’d frightened me when Sophia died, and I wanted nothing to do with him; in fact, I wanted to get as far away from him as possible. The other girls didn’t seem to notice my reaction, and I tried to act casual when I rose. I grabbed my purse and said, “I’m off to make a bathroom run. Be right back.”

  They nodded and Susannah added, “Hurry back, we don’t want you to miss anything.”

  I’d held back from mentioning to the girls all that’d happened at PUP during the few days I’d worked there. Sophia’s boss, Richard, had threatened my life if I told anyone about Sophia’s sudden death of a heart attack. Simply by his being a part-owner of the Purple Passion Lounge connected him to the two murders Brian and I were trying to solve, and Richard didn’t want to raise any more suspicion about any of his suspected involvement with the deaths of the two strippers. I still felt vulnerable to this man, who was now on the patio with me.

  Seeing him brought back the vision I’d had at the time of Sally’s murder. I saw him push wildly through the crowd that’d gathered there, and he’d acted distressed when he saw Sally was dead. He’d frightened me then, and he certainly was no one I wanted to deal with in any way, particularly not now with my friends here.

  The bathroom was in an odd location. It almost seemed an afterthought, tucked at the end of a long hallway and accessible only after a last-minute turn. It was certainly not a safe area, and I felt prickles along my arms as I neared it. When I turned to enter, someone came up to me from behind and covered my mouth with his hand. I was paralyzed with fear. He whispered, “Don’t make a sound.”

  When I recognized the voice, I was filled with anger and mortification at being attacked like that. “Cowboy, if you ever do that to me again, I’ll …”

  “I couldn’t take a chance that you’d scream. What the hell are you doing here, anyway? The deal was that you would stay at Loews.”

  “I didn’t realize that meant we couldn’t go to the village. Just what are you doing here? And why didn’t you call me back after I left you a message?”

  “I’m sorry about that, really I am. We’ve been tailing your PUP boss from town, hoping he’d lead us to the big boss, but we lost track of him. I was hoping he’d show up here.”

  “Well, you’re in luck. I just saw him out on the patio—but that’s not why I called you. When I was walking along the path around the lake at the resort, I was followed. I hid behind some bushes beside the path, and I recognized the man when he walked by. I’m pretty sure he was one of the guys who broke into my house.”

  Brian frowned. “Well, it seems we’ve trouble everywhere at the moment, and you’re not safe. Listen to me, Rosie, I want no bullshit argument from you, understand? You have to return to Loews right now. I mean it.”

  When he saw I was resisting, he coaxed, “You’ll be safe there. I’ve stationed someone there to protect all of you. His name’s Steve. He’s middle-aged, rather average-looking, and someone you’ll recognize because he’ll be wearing a Boston Red Sox baseball cap.”

  As it was beginning to sink in that I had to do everything I could to keep the girls safe, Brian tried to lighten the mood, “Just don’t tell Steve I said he’s average-looking, okay? He’s sensitive about that.”

  I stared at Brian, knowing his intentions were good, but I wondered whether anyone could keep us completely safe. Worry filled me, and I became lost in thought. When I realized that Brian was watching me closely, my stomach began to flutter. He bent toward me and locked eyes with me, and we stood staring at each other, never moving. Neither of us had a clear understanding of how we stood on a romantic level after the passionate kiss we’d shared when he’d rescued me and the four little girls. Then he sighed and simply kissed me on the forehead instead of repeating a more intimate kiss. He stepped back, pushed me toward the restaurant, and said in a hoarse voice, “Now get out of here.”

  When I reentered the main restaurant area, I located our waiter and called him over so I could pay our bill before joining the girls. I peered around to see whether I could locate Sophia’s partner. I didn’t find him but soon heard his voice in the bar behind me, fortunately where he was out of sight.

  I was relieved not to have to deal with him and pasted a pleasant smile on my face as I approached the table where the girls were waiting for me. “Time for nightcaps on the Loews patio, ladies.”

  “Where have you been? We were beginning to worry about you.” said Karen, concerned.

  “Just trying to hurry the waiter to figure out what we owed so I could pay him.”

  “Gee, Rosie, I was going to treat tonight,” Nancy said.

  “No worries,” I responded with a grin. “You can buy the nightcaps at Loews.”

  We happily regrouped on the patio at Loews after we retrieved Sweet Pea, yet my mind continued to wander, and I found it hard to concentrate on the girls’ chatter and the tinkling of their laughter.

  “Hey, girl, we’re talkin’ to you,” Karen said with an Italian accent. She looked at me with a twinkle in her eye. “We’ve just been saying that it’s good to see some of your ‘ole’ self again. You’ve kept us all worried ever since Jeff died, you know. You’ve been so distressed and saddened about what happened.”

  I felt my cheeks redden as I held up my thumb in victory. “It’s about time to get some of the joy of living back, isn’t it?” We fell silent, each with her own thoughts. I was tired and more than ready to go to bed. I wondered what tomorrow would bring and if, indeed, I would have what it would take to deal with things.

  “Goodnight, all,” said Nancy, the first to fold.

  “Guess it’s time for the rest of us to follow,” remarked Susannah as she stood and scooped up her purse.

  “Me too,” added Karen. “I’m ready to hit the hay.”

  “Me as well,” I said joining them.

  As I was lying in bed, I reviewed my conversation w
ith Brian. I sat straight up as I realized that he’d said they were searching for the big boss. There it was—B.B. big boss. (B.B. had been the initials on a love note attached to a large diamond ring Melissa’s roommate and I’d found in her bureau). B.B. could be anyone. It didn’t have to be a man, either; it could be a woman.

  Could it be Big Bertha, also called Mama, my boss at the Purple Passion Lounge? She certainly was mean enough. What about the chief of police? The happenings of the past few days would certainly fall into line with his own actions at the time of Jeff’s death. I snorted; death? “You mean murder, Rosie,” I muttered.

  What about Sophia’s partner, Richard? He looked as tough as he sounded. What about Tony and Johnny, the two head bosses at the Purple Passion Lounge? Truth be told, I didn’t have good feelings about any of them.

  As I closed my eyes, I could feel excitement building within me. There was something to be said about being part of taking them all down, and I was glad to be involved.

  CHAPTER 4

  The next morning, the clouds hung low, and the air was mild without harsh sunshine. I was on edge, waiting for something to happen. By the time I rolled out of bed, the girls were already on the outdoor balcony, whispering among themselves so they wouldn’t wake me. Little were they aware that I’d been lying awake in bed for hours trying to rein in my worries.

  Sweet Pea had long ago abdicated her position with me, going ahead to be with the girls. She now greeted me enthusiastically, complete with a wide smile. She brightened my mornings, and I was glad that she was along for this special little trip. I only hoped I could keep her safe—and the girls too, of course.

  Susannah was the first to see me. “Hi, Sunshine. Guess what? We’ve the whole day to spend at the spa—massages, facials, and a ‘mani-pedi’ for each of us. What do you think?”

  How perfect … and safe. “I love it,” I cried out, happy with the plan.

  “I’ve already reserved the spa, so they can take all four of us at once. We just have to take turns, so two of us will have facials and their nails done while the other two get massages.”

  “Pretty neat, huh?” asked Karen as she handed me a fresh cup of coffee. I could feel tears spring to my eyes; I knew how fortunate I was to have these wonderful women in my life. I felt the worry lift from my shoulders as I sank down into one of the empty outdoor chairs and breathed a sigh of release.

  I sensed a movement to my left, below the balcony, and glanced down to see a rather average-looking man with a navy Boston Red Sox cap walking along the path. Steve? It was a huge relief to know that he must be the protector Brian had mentioned would be here on the premises looking out for us. As we watched him make his way to the main part of the resort where the restaurants were located, the thought of food must have crossed all our minds, for Nancy and Karen both said in unison, “Let’s eat.”

  We all laughed. “Anyone for a swim first?” I proposed.

  “Why not?” Nancy responded.

  We donned our bathing suits and made our way down the trail leading to the pool, with Sweet Pea following close behind. We squealed like little girls as we plunged into the cool water and paddled around. Afterward, as I was drying off, I turned around and saw a man staring at us. He was wearing a red Boston Red Sox hat, which threw me off. Hadn’t he been wearing a blue one before? Was this even the same man?

  When we began our walk back to our suite, we passed him. I called out, “Good morning.”

  He never responded. Instead, he turned away. He was wearing large, dark sunglasses and his hat low on his head, so I couldn’t get a clear view of his face. It was strange that Sweet Pea never approached him to seek out an adoring pat as was customary for her with most people. I looked behind me to make sure that all the girls were following me. I didn’t want us to get separated and have anyone left alone and vulnerable to … who knew what?

  Before leaving for the spa, I made sure Sweet Pea was securely locked in our suite and comfortable lying on my bed. Food and water were available for her in the kitchen area.

  We were happy to enter the spa. As we did, the enticing mixed aroma of lavender and mint, which are used to freshen and relax, instantly surrounded us. We met the desk clerk and were shown lockers to hang the clothes we were wearing and were given white, fluffy robes we’d wear for the rest of our time there. While we waited in the separate lounge area that held herbal teas, special lemon water, and some healthy munchies, I sensed everyone was beginning to relax.

  “This is the life, isn’t it?” asked Susannah. We all nodded and smiled. Of all of us, Susannah would appreciate this day the most, for until we’d met at college, she’d never been in a spa before.

  “Who wants to be the first two for the body massage, and who wants to do facials first?” asked Susannah.

  “If it’s okay with you all, I would like to go first for the body massage. I need to have my back muscles worked on before doing anything else,” Nancy said.

  “Sure thing,” Susannah responded. “Why don’t you join her, Rosie?”

  “Sounds good to me.” This would give me an opportunity to decide how I was going to identify which man—the one in the red Boston Red Sox baseball cap or the one in blue—was Steve.

  As I lay there, stomach down on the table with my head in the facial support, I finally had enough quiet time to close my eyes and look back in my mind to picture the two men in their baseball caps. Their body shapes were definitely different. As I began to doze off, I knew what I was going to do.

  After my massage, it was my turn to have a manicure, but first, I asked to use the telephone to make a call. I was sitting in the one-way front window and could see both men in their caps. They were in the lounging area outside the spa, sitting far apart, ignoring each other. Pretty soon I heard the resort intercom asking “Steve” to please report to the main desk area for a telephone call. After a minute or two, the first man I had seen, the one in the blue cap, casually got up from his chair. He nonchalantly walked toward the main building as if he were not the one called. At about the same time, the man in the red cap also got up and headed toward the main building, looking as if it might have been he who had been summoned.

  I quickly hung up the phone and hoped that whoever came forward wouldn’t discover I was the caller and calling from the spa. Meantime, before he got too far away, I leaned toward the window and took a hard look at the man in the red cap so that I’d be able to recognize him—even without the hat. He definitely was not eye-catching. He had a slightly heavier upper body than the other man, and his dark brown hair was barely visible underneath his cap. When he looked behind him, I saw he had a pink scar tracing his right jawline. I hated to think how he got that. My mind was racing. Who the hell was he? Who was the other man? Which one was our protector? Before I could get my answer, I was called back in for my nail appointment.

  I found an opportunity to text Brian to ask him how to identify our protector. I also wanted to tell him what time we needed the limo to pick us up to go to The Smith Center for the performance of Idaho. He texted that Steve would drive us to The Smith Center and wait there to return us to Loews. There was nothing more about Steve’s identification except that he was wearing a Boston Red Sox cap, and Brian didn’t specify a red or a blue one. When I tried calling him back, there was no answer, so I left a voice mail saying simply “Call me.”

  By the end of our beauty treatments, we were eager to take a nap before we dressed for the night’s big event. Strangely, I fell sound asleep in spite of my worries and didn’t even stir to answer Brian’s call when it came in. He’d left me a message, and thinking I had not understood his previous message, he said, “Rosie, just call him by his name and you’ll know. Talk to you tomorrow.” Men—why is it they find it so hard to communicate? Always a tug of war.

  I’d gone overboard and bought an expensive black dress that was off the shoulders and fit me like my own skin.
With the stretchy fabric and the way it was tucked in the front, it looked dynamite on me. It made me look sexy and slim. I had also purchased high-heeled shoes that we girls had names for because they were just so …

  When I entered the room, the girls gasped and called out, “Oh my, Rosie, you look absolutely stunning.”

  In turn, I viewed them and returned the compliment. “And so do you all. Wow, we’re going to have fun tonight, ladies.”

  My friends all wore elegant but slightly more classic dresses than I, and they also wore very stylish strappy heels. There was no doubt we’d make quite a foursome. We laughed at Sweet Pea when we saw her strut around the room as if she too were seeking a compliment. She soon tired of it and went to eat her dinner in the kitchen. We left her and walked to the exclusive restaurant next to the spa. Our dinner reservations were for 5:30, and although it was a bit early, we wanted to make sure we’d have enough time to enjoy a few cocktails before dinner and still make it to the 8 o’clock show.

  We all exclaimed over the menu and settled on their special for dinner—sautéed scallops on a bed of angel hair pasta, with a classic lemon beurre blanc sauce. It was heavenly. We chose fresh fruit for dessert to cleanse our palates, and then we collected our things to head out to the limo. When we arrived at the main door of the resort, our limo was at the curb, with the back door wide open, waiting for us, and the driver was already in his seat. I was the last, but as I started to get in, my heart began to race as I felt something wasn’t right. Karen grabbed my hand and pulled me in. Before I could even sit down, the car took off, and I landed hard in my seat.

  “Whoa!” Nancy cried out. “What’s going on?”

  I leaned forward and asked, “Steve? Steve, is that you?”

  The driver never looked around, but I saw the pink scar running down his jawline, and my heart began to pound. “Stop, stop this car right now.”