Death of a Hot Chick (25 page)

But Lizzie’s reaction was the important one.
The others were far away—not with me, Lizzie, and Nicole. “What do
you see?” I asked her.

“
No,” Lizzie muttered.

“
Yes, you see her,” I
whispered.

“
I don’t,” Lizzie said. “She’s dead.
She’s gone.” Lizzie pulled away from me. “Don’t you believe her. I
didn’t see anything, ever. Just her dead body. Like you saw. After
you saw her, when the police came.”

Finally Lizzie uncovered her eyes and turned
her head. I glanced at Nicole in the corner. She threw her arms up,
then melted away.

Lizzie screamed again. So did Kaye, Finley,
and Teddy.

“
What, what...what’s happening?” I
asked.

Teddy reached over and pulled at my sleeve.
She mumbled, “Dry.” She touched her own hair.

Finley stood, her hands out, empty, keening.
“Nicole,” over and over.

I looked from one to another, then another.
Teddy, thinking I was wet, Finley’s face was wet—with tears. Lizzie
moaning, shaking her head. Even Kaye sat with her mouth open, then
repeatedly shutting and opening it, like a gasping fish. “I don’t
think all of us had the same experience, here,” I said. “Teddy, did
you see a ghost? Nicole’s ghost?”

Teddy felt my other sleeve, then her own.
She stroked the settee beside her. Mumbled, “Dry. All dry.”

“
Did you see Nicole,
Teddy?”

Teddy didn’t answer. No one did. They
muttered, or stared, or hid their faces. “Hey, everybody, Nicole’s
gone,” I yelled. “What did you see?”

Finally Teddy answered. “All I saw was
water. Like a tidal wave. Inside. Covering me. Covering us
all.”

Finley wiped her face, shook her shoulders,
then straightened. “You didn’t see Nicole getting sucked away in
the water? Just a little girl, sucked away. Right out of my
arms.”

“
She was little?” Kaye asked. “No, she
was eighteen or so, just as I first saw her.” Then Kaye nodded.
“You’re right. We each saw something different. Cyd, what did you
see?”

“
I didn’t see any water, just Nicole
in the corner.” But what had Lizzie seen? Lizzie, who again held
her hands tightly over her eyes. “We all saw her, Lizzie. Except
for Teddy. But we each saw her differently. What did you
see?”

Teddy stood and demanded, “Okay, what’s
going on? Is this some put-up job? Do you think I’m going to write
up a ghost story?”

Kaye got back to normal more quickly than
the others. “Teddy, you saw the water. No one living did that.”
Teddy shook her head, but Kaye continued. “I thought she said
something, but I didn’t hear it. Did anyone hear what she
said?”

Lizzie opened her fingers, peered between
them, then slowly lowered her hands. “She’s gone?”

“
Yes.” Maybe now Lizzie would tell me
something.

She said, “I didn’t see her, not ’til
later.”

“
What did you see just
now?”

“
Her body, like I said. In the boat
cart.”

“
That’s all?” When she shook her head,
I added, “You saw more?”

“
The water. She couldn’t breathe. I
could feel it, like I was drowning. I had to scream.”

“
That’s what I felt.” Teddy looked at
each of us, not completely convinced that we hadn’t conned her
somehow.

Lizzie kept staring at a spot near me.
Finally, she whispered, “She was dead when I saw her.”

“
But you saw her before I did?” I
guessed.

Instead of a denial, Lizzie said, “I
couldn’t do anything. She was dead.”

“
The water took her,” Finley muttered.
“It took her breath.” Suddenly she stood, hovered over Lizzie,
grabbed her shoulders and shook them. “By God, woman, if you
know
anything
, tell me right
now.”

Lizzie shrank back, then straightened. She
started quietly. “Sometimes I fall asleep out on my boat. Maybe
even most times. But noises wake me up.”

I leaned forward. “So, what did you see
after the noise woke you up?”

“
The marina doesn’t keep things oiled
like they ought to. Carts get squeaky. I’m used to hearing that.
Somebody takes a cart. Somebody returns a cart. Squeaky carts might
wake me up, but I don’t always look.”

“
But sometimes you do
look.”

“
I look when I hear other noises. Like
somebody grunting, or saying, ‘Damn,’ or like those kids
crying.”

Lizzie, who spouted off everything you
didn’t want to know about any little thing, didn’t want to talk.
But, somehow, it was coming out. “Besides the children crying, what
else did you hear that night?” I asked.

She stood, turned in a circle slowly, and
peered through the open hatch and out each port before she sat down
again. “I didn’t hear anybody taking the cart. It wasn’t at the
same place. I’m not sure where it was.” She hesitated. “I heard it
coming. I heard somebody grunting, maybe even cussing. I’m not
sure, maybe it was just grunting. Maybe that’s what woke me up.
Anyway, he pushed it into that dark spot where you found it. Then
he said something. Sounded like, ‘Damn you.’ I heard that.”

“
But it was too dark to see who it
was?”

Lizzie didn’t answer.

It was now or never. I kept up the
questions. “Or was it too dark? Did you see more?”

“
No.”

“
Hear anything else?”

“
His car. Leaving in a hurry. Couldn’t
see that either.”

“
You’re sure it was a man? Anything
you remember about him?”

“
Sounded like a man. Big, walked like
a man.”

Kaye spoke up. “Why didn’t you tell all this
to the police?”

Lizzie stood again. Went to the hatch and
went through it. She stood on the aft deck, looking all around
before she came back inside. “Too many lights. He mighta been
standing just outside the light, waiting to kill me. Besides, what
could I tell them? Didn’t see enough to make a speck of
difference.”

Kaye leaned forward. “Then why did you tell
us now?”

And the Lizzie I’d come to know was back.
She straightened her shoulders, shook her head. Spoke in a firm,
know-it-all voice. “I know when somebody’s gonna bug me to death.
And I don’t know anything worth a damn. You,” she said, pointing at
Teddy. “You be sure they know that at the paper. I don’t know a
damn thing. Nobody has to kill me to keep me quiet.”

“
But you agreed to help find her
killer. To have your name used. Remember?”

“
My memory ain’t shot that bad, kid.
You keep me hid out in some fancy place ’til you nab the killer.
Then you print up in that paper that I never knew a damn thing at
all. Okay?”

“
We will,” Kaye said. “I’ll pick you
up tomorrow and take you to my place.”

Teddy stood. “Tell me when to show up, and
where. I’ve got to get back. I’ll leave any further planning to the
rest of you.”

“
Didn’t you say Doug Yarnell was
coming?”

“
That’s right. But you don’t need me,”
Teddy said as she stepped out the hatch.

Lizzie stood, watching Teddy leave. “Me, I’m
leaving too,” she said. She followed Teddy, peered outside, then
turned back. “That guy keeps coming back. You watch out.” Then she
whispered, “Watch that Teddy, too.”

Chapter 20

“
Ladies, I don’t know what Teddy
Huertes said about my involvement in your scheme, but Smith Harbor
Police Department has no intention of allowing amateurs to conduct
a sting operation.”

“
But, Teddy said you’d help.” I
glanced helplessly at my sister, willing her to take over the
conversation.

And Kaye did. “So Doug,” she said. “Why are
you even here? What did Teddy tell you that inspired you to
come?”

“
Snookered me?” Doug Yarnell stroked
his chin, as if caressing a luxurious growth. “She mentioned
valuable information to help further the Department’s search for
Nicole Joline’s killer.”

“
Yo, ho,” Finley said. “That’s a good
one. She snookered us all. Told us that you’d help catch the
killer. Told you we had info? Well, we do, but we need more. And
brother, you’re gonna help.” She stood, flexed a few muscles, and
with her six feet plus a fraction, leaned over our startled officer
friend. “Right ladies? Now, I’m not threatening anybody here, but
seems to me, if a cop is asked to provide protection to law-abiding
citizens, he’d better do it.”

“
Finley, that’s not going to work,” I
said. “And I know this from years of experience. He bossed us
around enough one summer. We appeal to his sense of adventure, his
belief in justice, and his desire to close a puzzling case. After
all, we all swore an oath, isn’t that right? We aren’t asking the
police, we’re asking one of the Lime Street Detective Agency’s
members. Might I mention, the most important one too.”

Kaye, getting into the spirit, stood behind
him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and added, “And, we’ll
love you forever. And think of the accolades you’ll receive when
you arrest the killer and put him in shackles.”

Except for a very un-policeman-like eye
roll, Doug ignored Kaye’s arms draped over him.

“
Do they use shackles?” I
asked.

“
Thumb screws, maybe,” Finley said.
“Let’s see, rack and pinion, water-boarding, sleep deprivation.”
With a chuckle, she leaned over Yarnell again. “And that’s just
talking about our plans for you if you don’t help us.”

“
You’d leave poor, helpless damsels
out here—at the mercy of a killer?” I asked. “He’s heartless and
cruel, and he may strike again.”

Doug stared at his shoulder and the
offending arm.

“
We’re not reaching him.” Kaye pulled
away and moved around to face Doug. “I think it’s the power of the
press. We do have an in with
The
Orbit
, you know.”

“
Have you ladies had enough fun yet?”
Doug, not quite in his official capacity, asked.

“
No, seriously,” Kaye said. “Please do
remember the power of the press. Teddy is a gossip columnist. She
could skewer you.”

“
I think I can handle her.”

“
Ohhh,” Finley said. “You hear that?
Big, bad cop, he gonna take care of the lil ole gal, he do that
okay. Yes sir, that’s gonna go over big.”

We were obviously not getting through. I put
on my brightest smile and a whole lot of overconfidence. “I’m the
voice of reason here. We do have a plan. We will carry it out,
whether you assist or not. May we all have your cell phone number
just in case we really need it?”

Kaye said, “Doug? How’s that for a
deal?”

Just like years ago when faced with
the puzzling mystery of how his mother’s cat escaped the back yard,
he sat. Put an elbow on the small table and cupped his chin in one
palm. “Okay, let’s hear the plan. From the beginning.” After
glancing around, shrugging and rolling his eyes, he pointed at
Kaye. “You, Kaye. Let’s hear it from the top. After the
Sunday
Orbit
hits the street.
Right?”

“
Right,” Kaye said with a smirk and
started talking.

~
~

I didn’t bother opening my refrigerator. I
knew it was nearly empty. Lizzie had eaten all of the sandwiches.
I’d finished off the grapes myself. Finley had left the mints, but
on an empty stomach, they’d only give me a belly ache. Kaye had
taken her sugared nuts back home with her. I dipped a spoon into
the peanut butter, and licked it off. I poured a tumbler of water
and took a sip.

We’d do it. Catch the killer. Tomorrow. If I
didn’t starve first.

“
Nicole, do you know what we’re
doing?” I asked. The way she appeared this afternoon, scaring
Lizzie, she must know more than she admits. “Nicole, let’s talk
turkey. You know what’s going on. You know our plans. You’d better
be watching tomorrow when we catch your killer.”

What was I doing, threatening a ghost? I
dipped my spoon into the peanut butter jar again.

“
Permission to come aboard,” I heard
from outside.

“
Gregory? Sure, why not.” As he
stepped through the door, I added, “Want a spoonful of
PB?”

“
Don’t you ever answer your cell
phone?” he asked.

“
I guess it’s not turned on.” I licked
peanut butter off the back of my spoon. I wasn’t sure I wanted to
talk to him. I definitely wouldn’t ask him anything. Not what’s up,
not why are you here, definitely not anything about Mr. Joline and
his fishing trip.

“
You buzzed off my boat so fast
yesterday, I didn’t get to tell you all about the dinner my Scout
troop is putting on today.”

“
That right? Did they make a lot of
money? I suppose that’s why they had one.”

“
It’s tonight. Judging from your
current choice of snack food, I’d say you’d love to accompany
me.”

“
You’ll be helping in the kitchen,
right?”

“
Sort of. But I’ve got those kids
whipped into shape. I’m the adult supervisor, not one of the
working kids.” He eyed my shorts and bare feet. “I have to be there
in twenty minutes. I’ll wait on deck while you put your shoes on.
And anything else.”

He’d noticed the holes in my working T, the
splash of paint on my only clean shorts. But, no, I wouldn’t go
anywhere with him that didn’t involve business. He was danger. Or,
if I admitted it, he wasn’t the danger. My reaction to him was
really the danger. I absolutely couldn’t step out with Gregory.