“She’s gorgeous,” said Claudia, finding Pollard’s behavior more than a little odd. Then her nose picked up a whiff of alcohol and she put the woman’s slightly slurred speech down to some preparty tippling.
Pollard, whose burnt orange jersey halter-neck dress did nothing to flatter her dumpy shape, grimaced. “She’s so tiny. Makes me feel like I weigh a thousand pounds.”
Claudia smiled. “I know what you mean. By the way, how’s your head? Any lasting effects from the concussion?”
“Let’s not talk about that here,” Pollard muttered, looking around nervously as if she were afraid they might be overheard. “I’m fine. That was just a random thing. Let’s drop it.”
Before Claudia could express her skepticism about the randomness of the break-in, Grusha advanced on them, bringing her famous guest with her.
“Michele, darling, Dr. Pollard you have already met, but I vant you to meet our new handwriting expert, Claudia Rose. She is visiting us from California. You may have seen her on TV before. And Claudia, I’m sure you recognize this beautiful young lady.”
Frayer might be a major-league movie star, but her manner was unaffected and sweet. She held out her hand and squeezed Claudia’s as warmly as if they were old friends. “I can hardly
wait
to have you analyze my handwriting,” she said, practically bouncing on her toes. “I had it done once before, a long time ago. It was amazing!”
Claudia returned her smile. “I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
“I already wrote my sample this afternoon. I need to have my assistant run it over to the baroness’ office first thing on Monday.” Michele slipped her arm through Grusha’s. “I’m so pumped about all this. Do you have any idea how hard it is to meet the right person in this business?”
Claudia had to grin at her excitement. “Relationships are hard in
any
business, but yeah, for someone in your position, it’s gotta be especially important for you to know the other person’s motivations.”
“You’re so right about that.”
“As long as you have the right tools, you’ll be fine. Grusha will make sure of it.”
Michele, who had to be close to thirty, had the eagerness of a teenager. She said, “I’m dying to see who the baroness matches me up with.”
I wish she hadn’t said “dying.”
Grusha gave her guest a gentle tug. “Come along, then, dahling. Let me introduce you to some of the other guests, especially the men! I know their tongues are hanging out to meet
you.
Donna, why don’t you go and talk to Mindy Jarrett; she is looking a little vallflowerish over there. Claudia, I vant you to meet
everyone
. Please introduce yourself around. They vill all be thrilled to hear who you are.”
And of course, they’ll expect me to analyze their handwritings on the spot.
Browsing the glittering crowd while she decided whom to approach first, Claudia stiffened as an arm slipped around her shoulders. “Hey, sexy,” said Marcus Bernard, leaning down to speak directly into her ear. “You look fantastic.”
She gave Marcus a glance cool enough to make him drop his arm. “Thanks. I didn’t see you arrive.”
“You were too busy stargazing,” he said, teasing her. “Damn, Michele Frayer is a hottie. Who do you think Grusha has in mind for that tasty little piece of—”
“I wouldn’t know,” Claudia snapped, cutting him off. “I’ve only seen a couple of male members—” She broke off, blushing as she realized her gaffe.
Marcus threw back his head and laughed without restraint. “I’ll be more than happy to show you mine.”
“Thanks, but no thanks. You know what I meant.”
Ian McAllister sauntered over and joined them, moving to stand close to Claudia’s side. He looked down at her, his eyebrows arched. “Have I missed the hilarity?”
“Ah, the good doctor.” At her other side, Marcus edged a little closer, as if he were staking a claim on her. Not to be outdone, McAllister favored her with his version of a smile.
“You look especially fetching tonight, Claudia. But I see Marcus has left you empty-handed. May I get you a drink?”
Marcus cleared his throat loudly and gave Ian a nasty smile. “In case you hadn’t noticed, Doc, we were talking, not dancing. That means you don’t get to cut in.”
McAllister, who was a couple of inches taller than the construction mogul, gave him a condescending look down his nose. “Isn’t the baroness looking for you, Marcus? I’d be willing to bet she has a lovely young lady for you to meet. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To connect with a lovely
young
lady? I’ll be more than happy to take care of Ms. Rose.”
“Look, Doc,
you’re
here to make people comfortable, aren’t you? Well, you’re not making
me
comfortable. There’s plenty of gorgeous women here without your trying to horn in on Claudia.”
Beginning to feel cornered and not liking the sensation, Claudia interrupted. “This is all very flattering, but I don’t currently have a need to feel like a bone between two dogs. I’ll see you boys later.” She walked away, leaving them snarling at each other, and hurried downstairs to the powder room.
Standing in front of the mirror, she almost laughed. Almost any other woman would be flattered to pieces by being pursued, not by just one, but
two
personable, wealthy men. But then, other women weren’t trying to determine whether one of those men was a vile killer.
She touched up her lipstick and blush, tipped the attendant, and headed back up to the party. She wished Jovanic were with her. Everything was more fun with him there. She headed for the bar with every intention of fortifying herself with a glass of wine. Someone had already poured several glasses and set them out on the bar top for self-service. Claudia started to take one.
“Wait!” The command came from Ian McAllister. “Don’t drink that!”
Claudia’s hand arrested midreach. Dammit, she thought she’d shaken him. “Did you and Marcus kiss and make up?” she said.
Ian damned her with a faint smile and ignored the jibe. “I’ve got something extraspecial for you,” he said. “Show me you’ve forgiven my bad behavior of last night; just give me a few minutes. Please?” He asked so nicely that she thought it would be churlish to refuse.
He led her to a table secluded behind a Chinese fan palm and with a formal little bow drew out a chair for her. On the table were a rocks glass half filled with a clear liquid and two crystal goblets, about two ounces of something green in each. Claudia took in the arrangement with more than a little misgiving. “What’s this?”
“The clear one is water,” he promised. “Watch.”
Like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat, Ian produced a plastic bag from his pocket. From the bag he removed a silver slotted spoon that resembled a small cake server. After he had thoroughly cleaned the spoon with a handkerchief, he took a sugar cube from the bag and placed it on the spoon, which he laid over one of the goblets. Next, he drizzled water from the rocks glass over the cube.
“Is this some sort of drug?” Claudia asked suspiciously.
“Of course it’s not a drug. It’s an absinthe drip.”
“I thought absinthe was a hallucinogen. Isn’t it outlawed?”
“Not to worry, Claudia dear. It’s perfectly legal these days.”
“But it’s made from wormwood, isn’t it?”
“Wormwood isn’t the problem,” Ian explained patiently. “It’s an ingredient called thujone that was thought to bring on hallucinations. There’s only a tiny amount of thujone in the modern drink, so you have nothing to worry about. It does have a very high alcohol content.” He offered her the goblet with a smile. “Here, sniff. It’s flavored with anise. Do you like black licorice?”
“Yes, I like licorice, but I’m not sure—”
“Surely you don’t think I would harm you? Oh, come on, Claudia, you must allow me to make up for the other night. You’ll love it. It’s called the Green Fairy.”
“
I’ve
heard it’s called the Green
Devil.
”
She took the goblet and put it to her nose. It didn’t smell much like licorice to her. She took a tentative sip, half expecting to keel over in a dead faint or have some other exotic reaction, but nothing untoward happened. Ian was looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to enthuse over his concoction. She gave an apologetic shrug. “I’m sorry, but it tastes like medicine to me.”
He abruptly snatched the glass away, the liquid splashing over the side and onto her hand. “Forget it,” he said, turning his back on her and muttering something that Claudia thought might have been “Philistine.”
What’s wrong with the men in this club?
she asked herself, blotting absinthe off her hand with a tissue that she dug out of her evening bag. The three whom Grusha had identified as suspects all seemed to have serious personality problems. How in the world had Andy Nicholson let them get by? How had Grusha?
She was still sitting at the table, wondering how soon she could respectably leave, when she became aware of a commotion just a few feet away, near the roof entrance. She got up and moved around the palm, which was blocking her view.
What she saw made her wonder whether she had fallen asleep and walked into a bad dream.
Chapter 27
Andy Nicholson was hugging Michele Frayer as if she were his long-lost cousin. Frayer shrieked in delight as several other guests took in her performance with questioning glances.
Across the rooftop, Grusha looked stricken. Even at this distance, Claudia could see the emotions chasing across her face. Hurrying over to the matchmaker, she took her arm, offering her support. “Don’t say anything,” Claudia said. “Just breathe.”
“What—is—he—doing—here?” Grusha whispered. Her hand was at her throat as though she were choking. Her chest heaved under the black silk of her dress. “I cannot—get—enough air.”
Claudia took in her pale face with alarm. “Should I call an ambulance?”
“
Nyet.
No.” Grusha stumbled backward, leaning against the wall. “What is he
doing
here?”
“Probably rubbing your face in what he did this morning on TV. It’s the kind of thing he would do.”
“Who does he think he is dealing with? To come to my party and—”
From the corner of her eye, Claudia became aware of someone approaching them. Turning, she saw Sonya hurrying over. The assistant pulled Grusha aside, but her voice carried enough for Claudia to hear. “Did you see who’s here?”
Grusha whirled on her in a tightly controlled fury. “Do you think I am blind? Of course I see. How did he get in? He had no invitation.”IT
“Michele Frayer invited him,” said Sonya. “They know each other. What do you want me to do about it?”
“Michele invited him?” She spat a few words in Russian. Then, back to English, “My god, it’s a nightmare!”
Sonya glanced over her shoulder at Michele, who had begun introducing Andy to some of the other guests. “Should I have the bouncers throw him out?”
“
Nyet,
you stupid girl. You just said Michele invited him. I cannot offend a client of her stature. Even if it kills me, Nicholson vill not see what he has done to me.”
Grusha sucked in a deep breath. She made a show of marshaling her strength and put a tight grip on Claudia’s arm. “Come with me, Claudia. Smile at the bastard. Maybe together ve can kill him vit our poisonous thoughts.”
Andy and Michele had strolled over to the bar together and were having a conversation. Michele took a glass of wine, laughing at something he’d said. As Claudia and Grusha moved closer, Andy pivoted as if he had an invisible antenna that sensed their approach. His stare was as cold as a shark’s and just as empty of kindness.
“Grusha, sweetheart!” He leaned forward and plastered a big, sloppy kiss on each of the matchmaker’s cheeks. “Wonderful to see you. It’s been ages.” Only Claudia was close enough to see that he was digging hard enough into her biceps to make the skin whiten under his fingers. Grusha pulled away, her body stiff with tension. She forced a smile. “Andy. I did not expect you.”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I invited him,” Michele Frayer said. “He’s the one I told you about who analyzed my handwriting years ago. I couldn’t believe all the wonderful things he said.”
Even Andy must get it right sometimes,
Claudia thought uncharitably. “Saw you on TV this morning, Andy,” she said, earning a sharp dig from Grusha’s elbow.
Andy turned his head to sneer at her. “Well, well, if it isn’t the famous Claudia Rose. I hear you’re my replacement at Elite Introductions. Will wonders never cease?” His tone was light, but the daggers behind the words had been honed to a fine edge.
With her best phony smile matching his, Claudia said, “Word travels fast. Do you have a mole in the club?” Without waiting for him to respond, she spoke to Michele. “So, is there any chemistry happening yet? Has Grusha introduced you to your soul mate?”
“Is a little too soon for chemistry,” Grusha interrupted. “But Michele, you can have a sneaky peek at someone special I have in mind for you. See if you like his looks. You may visit vit Mr. Nicholson later. Come.”
Claudia could see that Michele had caught on that something was up, but the actress went without protest, leaving Claudia with Andrew Nicholson.
When they were alone, she dropped the smile. “Why’d you come here, Andy?”
“Why do you think?” He tossed back red wine and took a second glass, leaving the empty on the bar. “Because I can.”
“Why don’t you leave Grusha alone? It’s not her fault you just phoned it in on the analyses she hired you to do. She doesn’t deserve what you did on
Hard Evidence
this morning. She’s not a bad person.”
“You have no idea what
she
is.”
“I know more than you think I do. You waltzed in, did a half-assed job, and left a mess behind for her to clean up. And I saw some of the reports you wrote. They completely ignored the red flags in the handwritings.”IT