Bad Hair Day 4 - Body Wave (15 page)

*Chapter Fifteen*
"What did you make of Jeremiah's last remark?" Marla asked Vail on the way back to his car. "Was it a real threat?"
His slate gray eyes simmered under drawn brows. "I didn't care for the reverend's choice of words, but he may be more bluster than brawn. Those evangelist types tend to spout off. After we get home, I'll check on a few more things, then he'll be hearing from me again. Next time, I won't be offering money."
"Did you see the gold chain he wore under his shirt? He must give himself a generous salary, or else he imports more than fish from those third-world countries."
Vail's lips quirked into a half-smile. "His ministry makes enough money from tilapia. It's an easy cash crop. Plus his television show solicits contributions. The man has good business sense; you can't fault him for using his talents."
After he unlocked his car doors, Vail rolled up his shirt sleeves and opened the top buttons at his neck before sliding into the driver's seat. Marla caught a glimpse of springy chest hairs when she settled into the passenger side. Swallowing at her body's sudden rise in temperature, she reached for her seat belt. Just as well they were an arm's length from each other. She could feel the heat radiating from him where she sat.
"It's too much of a coincidence that his missions are located in the same countries as Morris's coffee plantations," she said once they were on the road. "Do you suppose there's a connection?"
"Anything is possible."
"Morris seemed to react when he saw my note with Jeremiah's name scribbled on it, and Miriam got upset when I turned on his TV show. Logic tells me they know something about this man."
Vail gave her a sardonic grin. "What else does logic tell you?"
"Suppose he was the source of Kim's financial windfall, allowing her to pay the tuition for school and fulfill her plans to leave Stan. She had to have some kind of hold over him."
"Such as?"
"If Jeremiah fathered their child, maybe Kim was blackmailing him."
They sat in silence for a while, until their car sped south on I-75. "I don't believe Jeremiah's story about how they met," Vail said finally. "Kim didn't call him because she wanted to make a contribution. She needed his money. So where else did they meet, and under what circumstances?"
"I'll bet Kim's family is involved in this somehow." She glanced at him. "Jeremiah might have been in Kim's vicinity the morning she was murdered. The only thing we need is a motive. If he was paying her off, there you have it."
"You're forgetting about the murder weapon. How would the reverend have obtained Stan's letter opener?"
"How would anyone have gotten it? Someone stole the thing!"
"Kaufman didn't report anything missing. Wouldn't he have noticed its absence before the murder?"
"He told me he couldn't find certain objects in his house," she said thoughtfully. "I wonder if he checked with his cleaning lady."
"You're still trying to lay the blame elsewhere. Kaufman has the strongest motive, especially if the baby wasn't his and Kim was about to leave him. The highest incidence of domestic homicide occurs when a wife is about to walk out."
"And you keep coming back to Stan, even when there's something highly suspicious about Jeremiah Dooley."
Vail compressed his lips, and Marla realized he must be frustrated by his lack of progress on the case.
"Why would Kimberly shack up with Dooley at all?" Vail said. "He's old enough to be her father."
"That's reason enough for lots of women who want a wealthy man to take care of them."
"So you think they met somewhere, and he hooked up with her because she was a good-looking chick? Despite the risk of disclosure to his constituency, he had an affair?"
"He's not the first prominent figure to have an illicit love affair." She appreciated that Vail was at least trying to understand her viewpoint. "As for Kim, he was her ticket to freedom. She traded sex for money."
"I'm glad you have it all figured out." He gave her a sly glance. "And what will you trade for sex?"
His words caused an instant reaction. Her pulse rate accelerated, and her skin flushed. "Uh, I don't think that's the topic up for discussion."
"Why not? All we ever talk about when we're together is some case I'm working on. Let's talk about us for a change."
"How can we have a relationship when we stand on opposite sides of the coin regarding Stan?"
"Let's put Kaufman aside for the moment. If this weren't an issue between us, would you?"
"Would I what?" she asked, knowing exactly what he meant.
"You know." His right hand slithered across the console to rest on her thigh.
She shifted, but his hand didn't budge. Heat migrated from where his palm touched her slacks. The sensation intensified when his fingers stroked her. She felt like a melted puddle of wax, pliable to his touch. "Stop that."
"Feels good, doesn't it?" His fingers inched northward.
"Ah-h-h." She fell into a blissful silence, allowing him to explore her body. Her mind emptied of all other thoughts except what he was doing to her.
"I think we should stop somewhere," he said, taking a ragged breath as he put both hands on the steering wheel.
"Huh?" Reality returned with a blast of air-conditioning. "We can't stay overnight. You have to get home to Brianna."
"That's not what I meant." He flashed her a devilish grin. "Although I'd like to take you up on the offer some other time. I mean, we should stop for dinner. I know a place in Punta Gorda. Fishermen's Village on the Peace River isn't far from the exit, and we'd have a choice of several restaurants."
"Oh, okay." _What did you think, that he was propositioning you? Admit it, girl, you're disappointed. You'd rather Dalton hunger for you than for food._
"I should have you and Brianna over for dinner again," she said. "I'll invite my mother. There's no need for her to wait until the dance recital to meet your daughter."
"Sounds good to me. I'll return the favor. I can barbecue a mean steak on our grill."
Marla glanced out the side window. "I haven't heard from Ma lately. She must be involved with her new boyfriend."
"Good for her."
"Maybe you should check up on his background. People do that today, don't they? Hire someone to investigate their date's records."
"Only if they have reason to be suspicious. You're not giving the guy a chance. See what you think next time he comes around."
His words were prophetic, because Tuesday morning at work, who should walk into the salon but her mother and Roger himself. Accompanying them was a sandy-haired fellow with the most startling blue eyes.
"Marla!" Anita walked right up to her while she was teasing a client's hair. "You remember Roger? I want you to meet his son, Barry. He's an optometrist."
Marla, holding a comb in one hand, waved. "Nice to see you." Customers chattered in the background, competing with the whir of a blow-dryer and popular tunes from the radio.
Barry grinned, showing a row of even white teeth. "Congratulations on your thirty-fifth birthday. My father has been raving about you ever since your party. When he said you're a hairdresser, I coaxed him to introduce us." He touched his head of thick, curly hair. "Any advice? Humid weather makes it go in every direction."
Marla stepped toward him and fingered a few strands. "I'd recommend Vavoom by Matrix. It's a straightener without harsh lye like some earlier products. Like a perm, it needs to be applied, set, and neutralized. It'll leave your hair in much better condition than it is now." She smiled gently so he wouldn't take offense. "The process removes frizz and relaxes curl, but it won't turn your hair stick-straight. It'll make your hair easier to manage. If you'd like to make an appointment, please tell our receptionist."
"Hey, Marla," yelled Giorgio's customer from across the room. "My hair gets frizzy an hour after I walk out of here. What should I do? Would that work on me?"
Giorgio waved his curling iron. "You should have told me earlier, Elaine! Next time you come in, I'll use Str-8 by Rusk. It's a lotion that penetrates the cuticle of your hair, but it needs heat to react. I have to apply it to your wet hair before blow-drying. You don't need the straightener treatment. That's only for someone with really curly hair."
Finished styling her client's hair, Marla gave her a final spray of Rusk Shining. "See you next week, Alma," she said, removing the woman's cape.
"Are you free to join us for a cup of coffee?" Anita asked, her expression hopeful. She glowed with good health, aided by a tan that contrasted sharply with her layered white hair. Or maybe her inner glow came from being admired by a man again.
"Yes, doll, take a break," urged Roger, looming beside her mother. His bulbous nose gave him a quizzical expression.
Marla shook her head. "Sorry, my schedule is full today, and I have a prospective stylist waiting to be interviewed. We'll get together soon, I promise. I'd like to have you over for dinner when things calm down."
Roger clapped her on the shoulder. "Maybe you and my boy can work something out before then, eh?" He winked.
Marla raised an eyebrow. "I take it you're a rich Jewish professional who is straight, single, and unattached?" she said bluntly to Barry.
He gave her a smile totally without guile. "I don't know about the rich part, but I make a comfortable living. I'm constantly harangued by matchmaking mavens. They don't understand that I just haven't met the right person yet. It's not as though I haven't been looking."
"I don't want to raise false hopes. Did my mother tell you I'm dating a police detective?"
Anita jabbed a manicured finger in the air. "Oh, she's not serious about him. If she were, she'd..." Anita broke off, staring at Marla's left hand. Oh, yes. The amethyst ring Vail had given her.
Marla's cheeks colored. "We interviewed a suspect in his latest case yesterday. We, uh, went undercover and pretended we were engaged."
The look of shock on Anita's face was comical. "You did what?"
"I said we _pretended,_ Ma. Dalton gave me this ring to make it seem real. He said I could keep it as a Valentine's Day gift."
Barry's blue eyes clouded with disappointment. "Oh, I guess you're taken then."
"Not really. I mean, we're seeing each other but we're not, you know, committed. Yet." She noticed her next client walking in the door. "Sorry, but I'm terribly busy. Barry, why don't you make an appointment, and we'll talk more then."
The rest of the day passed by in a blur. It was only when she was getting ready to leave that Marla got a call from Leah.
"I need to talk to you, Marla. I feel bad about something I said last time you were here," Leah explained on the telephone.
"I can stop by on my way home," Marla said. She wasn't in a hurry except to let Spooks out; Vail had resumed taking Brianna to dance class. Her evening agenda consisted of bookkeeping tasks. "I'll be there in about twenty minutes."
Nicole had promised to lock up, having the last appointment for the day. Marla halted by her station, interrupting the stylist in the middle of a haircut.
"I heard some disturbing news from Stan. He said Carolyn Sutton is moving her salon to this shopping strip. I'll call Mr. Thomson tomorrow to see if it's true. There's nothing in our lease that can prevent it, unfortunately. What bothers me is that Carolyn may be siphoning off my clients."
Nicole's eyes widened, and she paused with a pair of shears in her hand. "Is that where you think your recent no-shows are going?"
"Think about it." Marla gave a mirthless smirk. "Carolyn and I have been rivals ever since we once worked together. She's always resented my success. Moving her salon from Palm Haven proved to be a big setback, and she's been itching to return. All she has to do is offer free services and a lot of clients will switch to her place. If she's planning to move back here, it's one way she can hurt me."
"Knowing her, she'll find more. That's awful, Marla."
"Don't worry, honey," piped in Nicole's client, who'd been listening. "Customers who are loyal to you won't be going anywhere. And when this other hairdresser stops offering complementary sessions, she'll lose clients, too, who will come back to your salon."
"I hope you're right." Marla addressed Nicole. "I liked that stylist I interviewed earlier. She has an upbeat personality, dresses conservatively, and seems enthusiastic. I may call her back by the end of the week."
"That's great. Someone called about the shampoo assistant job. I told her to come in tomorrow." Nicole resumed cutting the blond woman's hair.
"Thanks. I'm on my way to visit Leah. She has something to tell me." Marla had filled Nicole in on recent events earlier that morning.
"Marla, if you find Kim's killer and the deal goes through with Stan, where are you going to come up with the funds to buy his half of the property? Or do you have that covered already?"
Marla shifted her handbag to her other shoulder. "I'll worry about that when it happens. My car lease is up for renewal next month, too."
"If you need help...."
"Thanks, but I'll manage somehow."
Her thoughts turned to Leah on the drive to Coral Springs which took a half-hour due to rush-hour traffic. Last time she'd visited the woman, Leah had seemed weary beyond words. Marla wondered what happened in the interval for Leah to call her.
The tantalizing aroma of roast beef reached her nose when she approached the ranch-style house. Leah opened the door before she even rang the bell. The woman looked better than the last time they'd met. Her auburn hair fluffed in soft layers around her oval face. She'd applied a light foundation of makeup and wore a knit sweater over a pair of tight jeans.

"Stan came to see us," Leah said when they were seated in the living room. Her children were engaged in the family room watching television, so they had a quiet interlude. Leah hadn't wasted time offering Marla a drink, and she was just as glad. She wanted to hear what Leah had to say.
"I told Stan you wanted him to visit the kids," Marla replied. She leaned back in an armchair with worn upholstery. Toys littered a carpet that had seen better days.
"He's worried the police detective is going to pin Kim's murder on him. He said you and Detective Vail are dating each other, and he's afraid you'll be swayed by his opinion." Leah wrung her hands together. "If Stan goes to jail, what will happen to my child support?"
_So that's why you called me._ "I can't be sure what evidence the detective has against Stan, but he's a fair man. He'll look into other possible suspects. That's his job."
"I suppose he knows Kimberly was pregnant?"
"How did you find out? You didn't mention her pregnancy when I was here last."
Leah's charcoal eyes studied a splatter of blue finger paint on the wall. "Kimberly told me before she died." Her voice was so low, Marla had to lean forward to hear. "She came here hoping, I don't know, that I could give her money."
"Go on." She remembered Christine, Kim's classmate, had mentioned the possibility of Kim making a deal with Leah. Christine must have known Kim was pregnant.
"Kim knew my kids were Stan's beneficiaries unless he had children with her." Leah's voice cracked, and she swallowed. "The witch boasted that her baby wasn't his, but she wouldn't tell him so unless I paid her off. I laughed in her face. Me! Couldn't she see how I struggled to make ends meet? I realize this is a heartless thing to say, but her death was highly convenient because it left my children in the clear in terms of Stan's will."
"You realize that gives you a motive? Where were you the morning of her murder?"
"Getting my kids ready for school, then I left for work. Besides, Patti James saw me at the bus stop. I'm more afraid for Stan." Leah stopped, as though wrestling with emotion. Fear, mingled with confusion, crossed her face. "What if he did it, Marla? He would have been furious if Kim told him the child wasn't his. He'd already figured out she planned to leave him. You know how Stan likes to control things."
"Stan doesn't get physically violent," Marla responded, upset by Leah's lack of faith. "He gets angry and is quick to put you down, but his display of temper is mostly verbal."
"Who else do you think could have murdered her? She said the father wanted their child."
"Really?" That seemed unlikely, if it was Jeremiah Dooley. The minister would want to hush up his affair so as not to expose himself to his constituents.
"Kimberly said Gary was mostly worried about money. That's why she came to me."
"Huh?"
"She'd found a source to help her get away from Stan, but she needed more until her trust fund kicked in."
Marla waved a finger in the air. "Wait a minute. Can we backtrack here? What was that about Gary?"
Leah blinked. "Last time you were here, I told you about Gary Waterford. He was the guy Kim dated before meeting Stan."
"Yes, I've talked to him."
"It's pretty obvious, isn't it? Gary is the one who got Kim pregnant."