A Season for Killing Blondes (19 page)

I drove over to the other plaza and parked my car at a distance. This time, a receptionist greeted me when I entered the office. The young woman had a hard look about her—blue-black hair asymmetrically cut with pale skin, heavily made-up eyes and piercings. She wore a black turtleneck which probably covered up multiple tattoos and more piercings. But her smile was authentic and lit up her face.

“Good afternoon,” she said. “How can I help you?” Her pleasant voice belied her appearance.

“I’m Gilda Greco. I’m here to see Jim.”

“You’ve got a four-thirty with him.” She nodded toward the closed door. “He’s on the phone right now. You can take a seat over there.” She pointed toward two chairs.

The office had undergone a major transformation since the last time I had visited. There were no loose files, odors or remnants of food. And there was a fresh coat of paint on the walls along with four Monet prints. I smiled at the young woman as I read her name plate—Mel Nelson.

She flashed me another beautiful smile. “He’s my dad.”

I gestured toward the walls. “And did you do all of this?” I watched her nod enthusiastically. “You’ve done a lovely job.”

Mel beamed. Before she could make any further comments, the door opened. Jim frowned and motioned for me to follow. As soon as I sat down, he started speaking. “What can I do for you this afternoon, Miss Greco? Doing more research for your boyfriend?”

I winced at the mention of Carlo. Jim appeared hostile toward me and didn’t sound too thrilled about Carlo. I wondered if Carlo or one of the constables had taken him to task when they visited last week. “I want you to follow these men. Let me know what they’re up to.” I handed the list to him.

He gave the list a quick glance and then threw it down on his desk. “Lady, you’re barking up the wrong tree. These guys had nothing to do with the murders.” He paused. “I’m assuming you’re still on that kick.”

“Yes, I’m still on that kick. And what makes you so sure that these men are innocent?”

“For starters, five of them are my buds.” He picked up the list and pointed to the five men who had given Anna May money. “I don’t investigate my friends.”

I wondered if we had been at school together. I didn’t recall his name or his face, but over three decades had passed, and he had not aged well.

He smiled, but seemed distracted. “I was at Sudbury Secondary when you were there, but our paths didn’t cross.”

I didn’t want to go down Memory Lane with Jim, so I decided to focus on the task at hand. “What about Michael Taylor?”

“The photographer?” He raised a brow at me. “Are you serious?”

I pushed the list toward him. “Four women are dead, and nothing is being done about it. I think a professional was involved, and that’s why I want to hire you.”

“You think that Michael Taylor is a professional?”

“He may not have committed the crimes, but I think he knows who did.” Or Jean knows. That would be one explanation for her bizarre behavior. “That’s why I want him followed. I believe he will lead us to the murderer.”

“Sounds farfetched to me, but it’s your money and if that’s how you want to spend it.” He paused. “Now if I had your money, I wouldn’t be wasting it on a police investigation.”

“What would you be spending it on?” The career counselor in me wondered what he would be doing if he didn’t have to work.

“I’d close up this business and get out of Sudbury. Start all over somewhere warm, somewhere where that little girl of mine could get a fresh start.” Jim’s face softened. “She’s had too many hard breaks for one lifetime. She deserves a better deal.”

I wondered about Mel’s past, but didn’t want to pry. In spite of appearances, Mel Nelson was still the apple of her father’s eye.

He scowled at me. “Did your boyfriend ask for your help? Is that what this is all about?”

“Carlo Fantin is not my boyfriend, and he did not ask me to get involved with the investigation. It’s a personal choice I have made, and I need your help. Now do you want to do it or not?” I had switched to my teacher voice.

Jim sat up straighter. “Let’s get something straight from the beginning. I don’t want police constables at my door. I’ll report to you and only you once a week until you decide to terminate the investigation. As for my rates—”

“Bill me at the end of the investigation.” I had no intention of bickering about money. “When can you start?”

“How about tomorrow?”

I nodded in agreement. We shook hands, and I left the office.

Exhausted, I forced myself to stay awake until after supper. My first full week in almost two years. Thankfully, I hadn’t made any plans for the evening.

Chapter 22

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Adele and I drove to Sudbury’s first holistic fair. Teresa, Laura’s daughter, was one of the organizers and very keen to help the practitioners in the city. All the booths had been allocated a few months before I decided to open ReCareering. Teresa had promised me a booth if one of the participants canceled, but that had not happened. For the time being, I was content to visit and observe.

Teresa and her committee had selected an excellent location. The Howard Johnson was one of the older hotels in the city, located within walking distance of downtown and near Highway 69. And more important, there was lots of free parking. When Adele and I arrived, we found the large hall bustling with activity. Laura and Teresa waved to us from across the room. We made our way there, nodding to a number of friends and acquaintances along the way.

Teresa jumped up and rushed toward me, arms outstretched, and gave me a tight hug. “I’m so glad you could come.” She gestured toward the crowd. “Isn’t this a great turnout?”

“You’ve got a full house here,” I replied.

“We’ll hold the fair over two, maybe three days next year. And maybe we’ll book a hall at the university,” Teresa said.

Laura touched her lightly on the shoulder. “Calm down. Focus on today. Stay present.”

We laughed. Teresa is a Reiki master who specializes in soul intuitive readings and mind clearing. Usually, she’s the one telling everyone else to calm down.

“Let’s pick our workshops,” Adele said.

I studied the day’s program and indicated my choices:
Balancing Your Energy Field
,
Blossoming Heart Healing,
and
The Forgiving Heart
. Adele picked
All About Reflexology
and
Getting Clear
. Laura would be spending most of the day manning Teresa’s booth. We decided to go for lunch at twelve thirty.

Adele and I spent some time visiting all the booths. I recognized many of modalities represented: personal health coaches, nutritional counselors, acupuncturists, emotional freedom practitioners, Reiki masters, reflexologists, and shamanic healers.

I spent some time with the young woman who did akashic records readings. These were new to me, and I listened as she explained, “Akashic records are the record of everything that has ever happened as well as the possibilities for the future. During the reading, you can ask questions about your life, relationships, work…whatever you want and I will reveal the answers. That is, if you give me permission to access your akashic records.” She handed me her card. “If you want, we could do a twenty-minute reading here.”

I fingered her card. “I’m attending a couple of workshops this morning. I’ll drop by later in the afternoon.”

As we walked away, Adele whispered, “You’re not serious about that?”

“I’m curious.” While I didn’t usually go for New Age readings, I was intrigued by the thought of someone accessing records in my brain.

My heart beat faster as we approached the largest booth in the room. Dressed in royal-blue-and-black matching outfits and flashing perfect smiles, Jean and Michael Taylor stood behind a beautifully designed booth. Blue balloons and streamers showcased the yoga clothing, accessories and books from Jean’s studio. Jean came out from behind the booth and hugged both Adele and me. Michael smiled and nodded in approval.

I longed to change direction, but I forced a smile as Jean shook a finger at me. “I haven’t seen you at yoga for a while. I hope you’re still not upset with me. You need to relax, and let things go. And you need to get out of that office. Remember, you need balance in your life.”

I had been too busy to think about yoga, but I knew I could never go back to Jean’s classes. It wouldn’t be the same. “Things should settle down in a week or two.” I changed the subject. “Your booth is amazing.”

“We have Sofia to thank for that,” Michael said. “When she heard about this fair, she volunteered to organize our booth. She arrived at the crack of dawn and spent over two hours putting the booth together. She left about thirty minutes ago.”

Why would Sofia go out of her way to help Jean? I had many questions I longed to ask my cousin, but I had to tread carefully. And I had to watch what I said about Roberto. She had always been very sensitive to criticism and would bristle at the slightest negative comment.

“Sofia did a fabulous job.” I glanced at my watch.

Adele picked up on the cue. “The workshop on
The Forgiving Heart
is starting in a few minutes.”

As we made our way to the smaller hall, Adele whispered, “You’re not that comfortable with them. Is it him?”

Before I could reply, one of Adele’s friends approached and hugged her. We spent the next two hours listening to practitioners talk about forgiving hearts and being open to change. While I took notes, I realized most of the information was not new to me. But the physical act of taking notes distracted me from troublesome thoughts about Sofia, Jean, and Michael.

We met with Laura in the main lobby. Adele volunteered to drive. Within minutes, we arrived at Culpeppers. We managed to get a booth at the far end of the restaurant, away from the entrance. We sat down and studied the menus. Adele and I decided on large green salads with grilled chicken while Laura selected the club sandwich and fries. She had been working all morning and decided to treat herself to a substantial lunch.

After the waitress had taken our orders, Laura spoke, “I’m so glad we decided to eat out. I needed a break from all that positive energy and body heat. We’re packed in like sardines, and you can barely hear yourself think.”

“Teresa and the other organizers must be pleased,” I said.

“Everyone’s ecstatic. Kudos to that lovely daughter of yours.” Michael Taylor appeared at our table. He smiled at Laura and patted her on the shoulder. He then included all of us in the conversation. “And how wonderful to run into the three of you here. May I join you?”

I watched as Laura’s face paled and Adele raised her eyebrows. None of us liked this man, but good manners prevailed, and we all nodded in agreement. Adele spoke on our behalf, “Of course.”

He sat down next to Laura directly across from me. “Isn’t this cozy? I haven’t been here in years, and on a whim, I found myself driving in this direction. And to top it all, I get to spend time with three lovely ladies.”

The waitress reappeared and offered him a menu. He shook his head. “Not necessary. I’ll have a veggie burger with a large green salad. Hold the buns and salad dressing.”

He leaned back and smiled. “Jean likes to talk about her Wednesday night class. It’s her favorite one. She feels so light and happy afterward.”

“She’s a great instructor,” Adele said. “Everyone likes her and flocks to her classes. We all missed her last week.”

While Michael continued to smile, his forehead creased with a frown. I would have liked to pursue that conversation, but he skillfully changed the subject and started talking about the different yoga poses. He described his favorite ones and made a point of using the Sanskrit names. Thankfully, we did not have to wait too long for our orders. Michael nodded in approval at his own plate and the salads that Adele and I had selected. He shook his head when he saw the fries and club sandwich that Laura had chosen.

“Calories and cholesterol. You need to watch it, Laura.”

While Laura blushed, he continued, “There’s no point doing yoga and participating in all those other activities your lovely daughter offers and then poisoning your system afterward.” He winked at her. “I still remember that cute little figure you had once upon a time. How old were you then…twenty-five…thirty?”

How dare he criticize Laura’s choices and then make such an inappropriate comment about her figure? And in that familiar tone. To my dismay, I noticed that Laura lowered her eyes and said nothing. She ate quickly. avoiding everyone’s glance. I wanted to say something but couldn’t think of anything. And then I remembered Anna May making the same comment when she and Jenny Marie visited me. I wondered if Michael had ever directed that comment toward Anna May.

Adele didn’t miss a beat. “Nothing wrong with the occasional treat. It’s all about balance, one of your wife’s favorite topics.”

As I tried to come up with my own zinger, our waitress appeared and asked if we were enjoying the meal. The moment passed, and we all focused on our food. I could sense him watching us and smiling that smug superior smile he must have perfected over the years. There were a few exchanges between Adele and Michael about the weather and the fair, but Laura and I remained quiet for the rest of the meal. He got up first and left.

“What a jerk!” Adele said. “I can’t believe he threw that in your face, Laura.”

“It’s all right.” Laura grimaced. “When I was young and foolish, I was young and foolish. I don’t know who said that, but it fits this occasion.”

“George W. Bush said it when reporters inquired about his drinking and partying days.” I wanted to hear about Laura’s involvement with Michael, but didn’t want to embarrass her any further.

We finished our meals, and when we asked the waitress for our bills, she informed us that the handsome gentleman had taken care of it.

“Now, we owe him,” Laura muttered.

No one spoke during our drive back to the hotel. After Laura had gone back to her daughter’s booth, I suggested that Adele and I walk outside for a while.

“You had already left town by the time Laura and Joe separated,” Adele said as soon as we were out of earshot. “She hadn’t met Matthew yet, and Carrie Ann had just dumped Michael. He was in bad shape, but that didn’t stop him from putting the moves on other women. He and Laura went out for several months. She stopped seeing him when she found out about his many one-night stands. I guess he’s been waiting all these years to pay her back.” Adele sighed and continued, “I’m willing to bet he’s messed up a lot of other women. Jean’s a saint to put up with him.”