Death of a Hot Chick (15 page)

“
Hey, I can be curious and also after
a story. Besides, I need to talk to someone. I’m finally
realizing....”

“
Teddy, I’ve outgrown being the weird
kid. I’m an adult who does not see imaginary stuff. It’s not the
least bit amusing to be laughed at and pointed at and stared
at.”

“
Okay, forget your darn ghost. Just
listen to me. I’m finally realizing my new column was basically a
ploy to get me working nights. They’re cutting costs. Firing the
expensive employees and keeping the cheap ones, like me, and giving
us more to do. I see what’s coming next. In fact, I know what’s
coming. Zander told me.”

This was not a walking-type chat. It was a
full-attention conversation. I stopped and turned toward Teddy. “He
told you—what?”

Teddy kept walking, which meant she didn’t
want to look me in the eye. I followed. She said, “Laid on the
accolades. Mentioned me being Miss Smith Harbor in high school, and
said I had a lot of fans who remembered me when. I mean, it wasn’t
that long ago. He’s expecting me to pull in ten percent more
subscribers. Like that’s going to happen. Everyone under forty gets
their news from the Internet. Even if anyone wanted to read
me.”

“
You could go back on television, like
you did after college.”

“
Not an option. Pushing thirty is too
old in a college town. Somebody younger, and cheaper always comes
along.”

“
Oh.” Which meant, she didn’t come
home because she missed Smith Harbor.

“
Yeah, so I didn’t tell anybody, but
that’s the way it goes. If you do find out who killed Nicole, tell
me? That would be one big story. Do you have any idea who might
have killed her? Family. Love interest. Enemies. Rivals. Do you
know Nicole’s boyfriend?”

“
Never met any boyfriends. She never
mentioned one either.”

Teddy stopped walking. “I was looking for
you and I talked to that old lady who hovers around your boat.” She
pulled out her digital recorder, and pushed a few buttons.
“Listen.”

I heard Teddy say, “Do you know when she’ll
be back?”

Lizzie answered. “When the job’s done, I
suspect.”

Teddy snapped a button and said, “No, that’s
too soon,” and pushed another button. “Let’s try this.”

Lizzie’s voice said, “...guy’s live-in
girlfriend. That’s what I think. They’d come down here once in a
while, all lovey dovey. Except, it wasn’t
all
lovey dovey if you know what I mean. I think
maybe, instead of him using her, she was using him. You get ideas.
You hear things. Girls shouldn’t live with guys unless they’re
willing to marry them. They lose out, big time. But, that gal
Nicole, she was getting more than she was giving if you know what I
mean.”

Teddy pushed the button again, and Lizzie
said, “...at him, ‘Then go, stupid!’ Hey, that ain’t loving words
like she spouted at first.”

“
Did she ever call him by his real
name?” was Teddy’s next question.

Lizzie answered. “Can’t remember. Why don’t
you just ask me right out, do I know his name?”

“
Okay, what was his name?”

“
Brandon Bates. I used to be his
neighbor when I was a whole lot younger and he was a little boy. I
wasn’t always a witch, you know.”

Teddy stopped the recording. “So, do you
know him?”

“
Brandon Bates? Her boyfriend?” Would
that explain his interest in me—for Nicole’s boat? And Lizzie used
to be his neighbor? I wiped my face with the tail of my T and
started walking again. “They probably went to the same dance class
or wherever little rich kids go.”

“
So I really need the story if you
find out who killed Nicole. Did she give you any ideas about who
killed her?”

This was way too much. Teddy wanted a
scoop from a ghost? “Hey, Nicole’s
ghost
doesn’t tell me anything. She doesn’t know
anything. All she wants is to find out who killed her. And now you
do too?”

“
Since Nicole’s ghost doesn’t know who
killed her, it must have been a stranger. Think about it. Remember
your career for the Lime Street Detective Agency. How about
it?”

“
You call that a career? A third grade
career?” I shrugged. “So you’re looking for a big story to keep
your job.”

“
You are absolutely right. A gossip
column won’t do it. I need something bigger than the latest garage
band.”

I ducked though the broken fence between
Bayside and Smith Harbor Marina. I could tell her what a big time
liar Brandon Bates was. Hardly front page news. He’d told me that
he didn’t know Nicole. “Guess you’re on the way to work.”

“
Not due there quite yet.”

“
I have ice. Stop in for a few
minutes? I seem to remember our neighborhood detective agency did a
lot of yakking.”

“
Doug was big on planning the next
move.”

After we’d settled in the relative
coolness inside
Snapdragon
—cool mainly because we were out of the
sun, Teddy and I sat and crunched ice from paper cups.

“
How do I find a big story in Smith
Harbor?” Teddy asked. “Capturing Nicole’s killer is the only one I
can think of.”

“
How about adding a little character
assassination to your column? The behind-the-scenes exposé of local
residents. You could do one on Brandon Bates. You tell me he was
engaged to Nicole and he tells me he never met her.”

“
If you believe the old lady. But
anything’s possible. Hey, you do know Brandon Bates. What’s he
like? How do you know him?”

“
He’s taking the same class I am. I’m
taking it to get licensed as a captain again. Don’t know why he’s
taking it.”

“
Okay, neither of us met Brandon, or
Nicole when we were kids. They may not have met each other. So,
why....”

“
Simple. We went to public school and
they went to private school. And how many private schools are there
in Smith Harbor? One. Figure the odds on that.”

“
Who says they both stayed in Smith
Harbor for school?”

“
Maybe not, but how many recreational
choices are there for children of the rich? The yacht club in
Queensboro. That’s it.”

Teddy sipped more ice water and crunched
more ice.

I did too until I heard, “Permission to come
aboard.”

It was Kaye. I glanced at Teddy. From her
surprised expression, I knew it wasn’t a planned event this
time.

“
Come aboard,” I yelled.

“
Oh, it is a darling boat,” we
heard.

At the same time I mouthed, “My mom,” at
Teddy, she mouthed back, “Your mother!”

She jumped up, then sat back down. “You’re
not going anywhere,” I whispered as Kaye, with Mom in tow, ducked
through the door.

“
Welcome aboard,” I said, then, acting
the perfect hostess, asked, “Ice water, anyone?”

“
That would be delightful,” Mom said.
“And my goodness, look who’s here. Teddy Huertes, I haven’t seen
you in so long. I understand you’re a star reporter now. How
thrilling.”

“
It’s good to see you, Mrs. Landis,”
Teddy said, “but I’m not a star reporter, just one of the
staff.”

I had to chuckle as I got the ice out. Teddy
had never learned how to deflect Mom from her over-the-top
admiration. But then, neither had I.

And, true to form, Mom was on a roll. “I’m
so glad you children still get together. It’s like old times, isn’t
it? Now all you need is that nice neighbor boy Doug. You do know
he’s a police officer now, don’t you? You children are all doing so
well. Your sister Pearl a perfect mother, Kaye a professor, Teddy a
reporter, Doug a police officer, and Cyd will soon be a ship
captain again.”

As I handed Mom a cup of ice water, she
added, “Cyd, I understand you own this lovely trawler. But you must
be careful. That jewel thief who formerly owned this boat is about
to get out of jail. I do hope that rumor isn’t true. Is it?”

She waited for an answer. My mouth
hung open, then I looked at Kaye. An embarrassed Kaye, I might add.
An embarrassed Kaye who admitted, “I’ve done a bit more research.
Pop did steal some jewelry that was never recovered. The rumor is,
he hid it somewhere. Evidently, no one knew about
Snapdragon
.”

And, of course, she’d told Mom, who looked
at me with the pleasant expectation that I’d answer absolutely
anything. And I would. Usually. That story could be true, but no
way would I tell her that.

“
Just a rumor, Mom,” I said. “I’ve
been cleaning everywhere on this boat. No hiding places. No
jewels.”

“
I’m sure, with your knowledge of
boats, you would know that,” Mom said, and I knew I’d worry for two
days at least. She added, “Although, it could be dangerous. I know
danger has never bothered you, but remember that terrible
criminal.”

Teddy jumped up. “I have to leave for work,”
she said, then, sensing Mom’s unspoken questions—something we’d all
perfected years ago, she added, “I work nights with my new column.
You know, Teddy Tonight.”

“
A column you have! Oh, my. You
children are amazing.”

Teddy swooped on Mom, gave her the requisite
cheek kiss, and escaped.

Kaye said, “So you see, Mom, Cyd is
perfectly okay. Like I told you on the phone. You didn’t really
need to come see for yourself.”

“
But I’m so glad you did,” I said,
hugging Mom, making points, and trying to forestall any other
scheme she might have plotted.

Didn’t work.

“
Now, Cyd, I’m sure you have this all
planned out,” she said. “You need a marketing plan to sell this
lovely boat. I happen to know a young man who is quite capable. And
I’m sure, with his help, you can overcome that lingering gangster
connotation. Why don’t I....”

“
Mom, I have a lot of work to do,
fixing the boat up first.”

But she had even more to say. “With your
career about to keep you occupied, I happen to know another young
man who....”

“
Mom. No young men. No old men.” I
threw a venomous glare Kaye’s way. “Mother, I know you are thinking
of my welfare, but please let me handle any man situation. Which is
not going to happen for a long time.”
Maybe
forever
, I told myself. “I could use your help finding
a slip for my boat. Are any of Grammy’s open right now?”

“
I should know but I don’t. I’ll get
right on it.” One thing about Mom. Her feathers didn’t ruffle
easily. She patted my hand. “Dear, I have absolute confidence in
your judgment.”
She’d obviously intercepted my scowl
at Kaye, because she added, “And I know you girls love and care for
each other. I am truly blessed with the best children in
creation.”

Kaye sighed. She didn’t say, “Group hug,”
nor did I.

Mom sipped a bit of ice water before
she said, “Kaye,
did you have anything else to tell
Cyd? You told me so many of the most amazing things.”

“
I think you hit them all,
Mom.”

“
Then we must leave. I really should
take you girls out to dinner, but I’m the Ways and Means committee
chair and we are having a community yard sale on Saturday. Tonight
is a very important meeting, and I mustn’t be late. All right if I
drop you off on the way, Kaye?”

“
Sure.” Kaye flashed that
so-what-could-I-do?
look I knew all
too well.

“
Your father sent his love.” Mom
hugged me, we did the cheek kiss at the door, and suddenly, they
left. Mom had checked in with her most difficult child, assured
herself that I’d survive, preferably due to her wise council, and
went on to take care of everyone else.

And I would survive. I simply wouldn’t think
about Al, or selling the boat, or....

I grabbed a paper cup half full of
water and threw it at the sink. Water splashed, hitting everything
but the sink. “Okay, now you’ve got something else to mop up,” I
told myself. I didn’t need to channel Scarlet O’Hara, even if
tomorrow
was
another
day!

As I nibbled my supper, I studied. I’d just
turned another page of the booklet that came with the class when I
heard a commotion on the finger pier.

A deep voice said, “Hello
Snapdragon
. Anybody home?”

Not Kaye. Not anyone I knew. I yelled back,
“No, I’m studying. It’s too late for company. Go away.” However, I
heard several clumping feet boarding my boat. I jumped up and ran
to the door.

Police, three policemen. None that I’d seen
before. State troopers—not Officer Doug.

The one in front said, “I’m sorry
Ma’am, but you’ll have to vacate
Snapdragon
. The owner has not given you
permission to live on his boat.”

Chapter 12

Three troopers—state law enforcers, huge,
burly men—stood with gun belts and bulky shirts that spoke of
bullet-proof vests underneath. I opened my mouth, but nothing came
out. No stutter, no, “What?” Nothing. The man in front held up a
paper.

“
This boat,
Snapdragon
, was the property of one Nicole Joline
who died intestate, that is, without a legal will,” he said.
“Therefore, it is now the property of the next of kin.”