On Tour (26 page)

We declined, but I accepted her offer of a home-cooked meal tomorrow night, anything to avoid another dinner of frozen fish and French fries.

"She's something else," Mark said as the SUV squealed away.

"Yep," I agreed, adding, "What about your parents? Don't they have any idiosyncrasies?"

"Not like yours," he said with a laugh. "My family's nowhere near as entertaining as yours, except maybe Ed."

Mark's Uncle Ed was definitely entertaining. Especially when he was with his trophy wife, Marcie, and her spoiled son, David.

"Well, I hope to meet the rest of your family soon." I glanced over, trying to read his reaction.

"Believe me, my mom asks me when we're coming down every time I talk to her. But I can't say 'Sure, Mom, as soon as we shake this hitman.'"

He had a point. "That wouldn't make a good first impression." I watched as Max peed on the same tree for the third time. "How are the plans for The Jetty coming?"

"I sent what I had to Mr. Simpson today and let him know I'd be out of town. Can't do much more until this gets resolved. Has Ashley checked your PO Box recently?"

I nodded. "I'm one step ahead of you. I sent her a text earlier. She picked everything up today from the post office. Some actual fan mail, but no scrapbook letters. And no new emails either." We turned and started walking back towards the apartment building. Mark helped me get my bags upstairs and bid goodbye to Aunt Pearl and Mammaw.

I walked him back to his car. "Don't take any chances," he said, pulling me close. "I'd give you a gun, but I don't have time to teach you how to use it. And I'd be worried you'd trip and shoot yourself in the foot or something."

I pulled back. "Hey, that's not fair. I'm not that clumsy."

He kissed my forehead but didn't recant his words. "Don't do anything without checking in with Andre and Marsha," he ordered.

I gave him a mock salute. He pulled me against him again and crushed his lips to mine. Hot desire swirled deliciously through my body.

"I'll be back tomorrow night." He gave me another kiss and climbed in his car. He waited for me to get back inside the apartment building before driving off.

I sighed as I climbed the stairs. When would my life be normal again?

*  *  *

I dodged breakfast with The Grands by hitting the gym. Not the best decision. I ended up hungry and depressed after the ninety-year old woman on the exercise bike next to me blew past me for the third time in the virtual race. Her cackles of, "Eat my dust, Chickie," didn't help the situation.

Andre called me on my cell as I was walking out to my car.

"Lookin' good for an ex-pirate."

I laughed and looked around. He waved to me from down the street. He was dressed like a tourist. "Nice outfit."

"Thought you'd like it. Come on down and give me a lift."

We hung up, and I drove over to pick him up.

"The ocean is south," I called as he got into the car.

"Yeah, yeah. The things I do for you."

"Has Marsha seen this?" I asked.

"Who do you think picked it out?" He pointed to the road that wound along the backside of The Meadows. "Take me on a little tour."

"So where's Marsha?" I turned the car around and headed down the tree-lined street.

"She's checking on the Hobby Shop right now. Mark gave us the run down on the picture Mrs. Kester made." Andre started laughing.

"It wasn't funny!" I insisted. "It was this big poofy sunflower with a fuzzy black spider hanging off it." I shuddered.

Andre pointed a finger to a building in front of us. "Pull in here and wait for her."

I did as he asked and turned off the engine. "I've got you where I want you. Details, please."

Andre pretended to be confused. I pinched his arm. "Come on. Out with it."

He held up his hands. "Okay, okay. I'm head over heels in love. Yes, she's mercurial, thorny, and will probably kill me in my sleep, but I love her, Diana."

"So this isn't some kind of fling?" Why was I feeling like this? A little off balance and sad. Surely I wasn't jealous. Andre and I had been over for a while. No, it was just the way he looked when he said it. Did Mark feel that strongly about me? Or better yet, did I feel that way about him?

It took me a second to realize that the brown-haired woman in the long prairie dress approaching the car was Marsha.

I rolled down the window. "Now, that's a good look for you."

"Not a word from you," she grumbled. "I traded a mountain chalet overlooking a river and a king bed with him," she said, nodding at Andre, "to come here and rescue you again."

Well, when you put it that way. "I'm truly grateful, Marsha. And I'm so happy you two have found love."

Marsha snorted. "Love? More like lust. You've seen him naked, right?"

That took me back. I looked over at Andre. He shrugged. "We're still working on her being head over heels."

Marsha leaned up. "Yeah, I'm happy with heels over head for the time being." She gave a tinkling laugh.

Ick. But Andre grinned back at her. "So what did you find out?"

Marsha sighed. "I told the Susie Sunshine hobby instructor that I'd seen one of the pictures they'd made yesterday in class. She brought out a big book of projects. And one of them was a sunflower with a spider. Case closed."

"Any other details on the instructor?" Andre asked.

Marsha pulled out a small notepad. "I ran her background with the other employees. Sherry Smithfield, thirty-one and single, employed at The Meadows part-time for a month, degree in Fine Arts, no criminal record, no psychological treatment that I could find. The only thing I don't know is where she was before here. I'm still waiting on that. She told me she'd come here from a nanny job in New Jersey." Marsha looked up from her book.

"The Five Families operate out of New Jersey," I reminded her. "That could be more than just a coin."

"They also operate out of Pennsylvania, New York, and Florida," Marsha said dismissively. "Not to mention New Jersey is located right next to Delaware."

"What's your gut on this place?" Andre asked steering away from an argument.

Marsha looked around. "Whoever The Spider or Spiders are they know she's here."

It was hard to hear someone else confirm my fears. I turned my head and looked out the window. Andre said, "We need to hold tight while Mark works things out in Miami. Sal Bonanno's the key. Until then, we've got four other bodyguards on site. All people I've worked with for years and trust. I want you to wear this." He fastened a bracelet around my wrist. "We can track you with our phones to within two feet of your location. There's also a panic button on the top. Just press it, and we'll know you're in trouble."

"When will this be over?" I leaned my head on the steering wheel.

Marsha patted my back. "Hey, look on the bright side: he hasn't gotten you yet. That's gotta be some kind of assassin record."

I felt like a sitting duck. Andre had told me to stay close to the apartment building and hang out with The Grands. After dropping Marsha and Andre off at the administration building, I drove back to the apartment. My phone rang as I was getting off the elevator. I looked at the caller ID.

"Well, blimey, this is a surprise," I said to Carlos. We'd had more of a texting relationship since Key West. I think we both needed some time apart after the close quarters of the tour.

"Aye, m'lady," he said in his best brogue. "We've got some business to discuss."

"Did you call to parley?" I asked with a laugh.

"No, just a friendly chat," he said, but I could tell he was hedging. "The boys and me are itchin' to get back on the road. Roger and Phil are working on a big deal. Could mean a world tour."

I sighed. "Carlos, I'm still in the middle of all my problems."

"I know," he cut in, "I checked on Andre's availability, and he filled me in. Just wanted to make sure there'd be no hard feelings if we went on without you. At least for a couple of months."

I was more than a little relieved. With everything going on and my obligation to Greene's Staffing I was overwhelmed, but I didn't want to give up completely on the deal with Carlos. I'd worked too hard to just let it all go. "Perfect," I said quickly. "I appreciate the call, Carlos."

"No worries. Figured ya needed some time to get your land legs back."

After hanging up with Carlos and entering the apartment, I found Mammaw and Aunt Pearl just coming back from their weekly hair appointment.

"I'm sure Myrtle could fit you in, Diana," Aunt Pearl said and Mammaw nodded. They looked pointedly at my unkempt hair.

I looked back at their white heads, teased and fluffed to the consistency of cotton candy. I never understood how they could just wash and style their hair one day a week. What was with that? My mom said it was a generational thing, but I always thought it had something to do with the war shortages.

"I'm fine. I'll just pull it back in a ponytail," I said.

"That's fine, but you'd better hop to it," Aunt Pearl said. "It's time for the Ladies' Auxiliary basket bingo."

"Didn't you go to bingo last night?"

Aunt Peal waved her hand. "That was with the men. This is ladies only. We play for baskets filled with all kinds of good stuff. Mammaw won a naughty basket last time."

"What's in a naughty basket?" I asked.

"Oh, the usual," Aunt Pearl said. "Lotions, lingerie, man parts."

Mammaw smiled and nodded. "I kept the lotion and gave Pearlie the lingerie and man parts."

"Fat lotta good it did me," Aunt Pearl cackled.

"The Ladies' Auxiliary raises money through basket bingo to fund The Meadows Citizen Assistance Program."

"Yep," Aunt Pearl said. "Bought Agnes Filbert a new set of teeth last month."

"Teeth?" I asked.

"She's on a fixed income. Ain't got money for luxuries like new teeth."

"What about her family?" I asked. Geez, poor woman had to get her teeth through basket bingo.

Mammaw shook her head. "They do worry about her, but they're not able to help in the physical sense."

Aunt Pearl must've seen my puzzled expression. "They're all dead. She's a hundred and three for cripe's sake! Now hurry up, I don't want to miss the donuts."

She had me at donuts. "Basket Bingo it is!" And, hey, I might be hunted by a hitman, but at least I had my own teeth. I planned on adding a little something extra courtesy of the tour to the basket bingo pot today.

Sherry Smithfield, Activities Director extraordinaire, greeted us as we entered the room off the main dining room that served as the bingo hall. Beautiful baskets wrapped in colored cellophane sat on tables near the front.

"Well, there are my two favorite gals," Sherry called.

"Oh, here she comes," Aunt Pearl grumbled as she steered her walker towards one of the tables near the front. "Can't stand a person that's always grinnin' at me."

"And you must be, Diana," Sherry said, extending her hand to me. "I've heard so much about you. You're quite a famous person around these parts."

She had a firm, cool grip, and her bright blue eyes had the starry look of a kindergarten teacher. Her smile was plastered to her face, but her interest seemed genuine. Shaking her hand gave me a chill. Despite all the evidence being circumstantial and her background checking out, there was something icky lurking just beneath the surface of Sherry Smithfield's enthusiastic veneer.

"Thank you," I said. "But it's all just hype."

"Not at all," she replied. "What brings you here?"

"Diana got bugs in her condo," Aunt Pearl cut in. "Let's get this thing movin'. I'm feelin' lucky today." Aunt Pearl pointed towards the donuts, and I grabbed a handful for the three of us.

Sherry excused herself and mounted the podium. I watched her go, making the decision to do a little investigating of my own after bingo.

Aunt Pearl and Mammaw each used four cards. I started with one. A lady behind us had six cards lined up. It appeared the mental decline of the elderly ceased at the appearance of a bingo card.

I saw Granddaddy's girlfriend, Margaret, and gave her a little wave. She smiled and nodded.

A mind-numbing hour of letters and numbers passed with an elderly voice calling, "Bingo," every few minutes. Aunt Pearl grumbled each time someone won. I had a text from Andre checking in with me. I couldn't stop wondering how Mark's meeting was going. I was hoping to hear from him any minute.

"Dad-burned fixed cards! I never win at this." I looked over Aunt Pearl's shoulder.

"Aunt Pearl, you've got it. She just called B2." I pointed to her card.

"BINGO!" she screamed, jumping up and down. "I won the big basket!" She beamed.

"Oh, how nice, Pearlie," Mammaw murmured.

Everyone clapped politely, but I could hear some grumbling. Wow, I never knew bingo was such a competitive sport. Aunt Pearl posed next to her giant basket as Sherry took her picture for the newsletter.

As the room started to thin out, I told Aunt Pearl and Mammaw that I'd meet them at their room with the basket. With the excuse of making a donation to stay after so I could do some detective work of my own, I went to look for Sherry.

I found her loading her car with more baskets.

"That's a lot of baskets."

She whipped around and smiled. "Yeah. I do basket bingo over at the The Pines, the sister facility in Dover."

"Keeps you busy, I'm sure. I wanted to make a donation to the Ladies' Auxiliary fund." I handed her a check. "So how long have you been doing this type of work?"

She took the check with barely a glance at it. "Oh, for a couple of years now. Thank you for the check. It is so appreciated. Say, I'm running really late. Do you mind giving me a hand with these baskets?"

I obviously wasn't going to be able to make a career out of this detective thing. So far it had been a total strike out. "Sure." I went back into the hall and carried out two large baskets.

She opened the trunk for me.

"Just put them in there. Oh, make sure you push those to the back. I've got to fit a dozen more," she said coming around to the trunk.