The Corpse Wore Cashmere (8 page)

Susan was counting on Miguel’s gregarious nature. Instead, he drew his lips tight and looked away. She decided to try a different approach, throw out her own speculations. “Her sister said Lorraine made a good salary and loved the nightlife, so why did she give up a great job to come home to a small town that had nothing to offer her? The coast and its casinos make Palmetto seem like the dark ages.”

Miguel took the bait. “I didn’t know Lorraine had a sister or where she called home. We didn’t exactly hang out together. Lorraine was into the nightlife, and that’s not my thing.” He chewed on his bottom lip as if debating to tell her more. “Maybe she left because she didn’t have a choice,” he mumbled.

“You mean she was fired?”

He shook his head. “You really should ask Mr. Fleming about Lorraine. I’ve said too much already.” Miguel looked over the mezzanine railing to the lobby below. “It’s time I check with the front desk. I’m sure they could use my help.”

Susan wasn’t ready to end the conversation, but she needed to be patient, win his trust. Maybe then he’d open up to her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you from your work, and I certainly didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Miguel tucked his clothes under his arm. “No problem. We’re cool. I’ll see you later.”

As Miguel approached the stairs, Susan called out, “Hey, if you need help with the makeup, let me know. I’ve got the eyes down pat.”

Picking up the cash box and the credit card machine, Susan pulled the brass gate across the front of the kiosk and locked it into place. She was ready to join A. K. for that drink, but first she wanted to freshen up and give Wesley a call. Once in her room, she lay back across the bed and punched in his number.

“Hi, sweetie,” he said upon answering. “How are things on the Barbary Coast?”

“If you could see the decorations, you’d swear you were there. We outfitted all the staff today and are ready to start with the guests tomorrow. I was itching to find out if anyone heard of Lorraine and couldn’t believe it when I heard she was the hostess here.”

“Okay, Nancy Drew, since you’re determined to get involved, did you find out anything useful?”

“Not really. The newly hired hostess knew absolutely nothing about Lorraine, and those who said they knew her had only a working relationship with her. I have a feeling the desk clerk knows more than he’s willing to say, and unless I’m a poor judge of character, he’s going to open up to me before long. What about you? Any news on your end?”

“A possible motive. Lorraine’s bank account reflects several large deposits.”

“Ah, blackmail!”

“It’s a possibility. But who? Someone in Biloxi? Is that why she left, to hide out in Palmetto? Or did her victim hail from Palmetto, and she moved home to be a constant reminder, or should I say threat, to him?”

“I asked Miguel if she was close to anyone here, but he got skittish and didn’t want to talk about her.”

“Miguel?”

“He’s the desk clerk manager. What better place to have an affair than at a hotel? Could be she wasn’t romantically involved with someone but had the goods on someone else. As hostess, I don’t imagine much escaped her.”

“Since there’s no stopping you, how about I fax you a couple of photos of Palmetto’s dignitaries? See if this Miguel recognizes anyone. I’ve pulled up the hotel’s website and copied their fax number. I’ll send the photos now.”

“Then I’d better let the front desk know I’m expecting a fax. I’ll pick it up on my way to find A. K.”

“In other words, you’re going to the bar.” He laughed.

“One thing’s for sure—she’s making the most of her stay here.”

“All kidding aside, be careful.”

“I will.”

“Wish I could be there with you.”

“Wish you could too. Oh, I almost forgot. Before I left Palmetto, Myrtle stopped by the boutique. I suggested that she go through Lorraine’s things and look for any photos, letters, or anything that would identify Lorraine’s friends. She said she would. I told her to call you if she found anything.”

“Thanks. Now go and have some fun.”

“I’m going to try. Love you.”

Susan ended the call and placed the phone over her heart. In her mind, she could still hear Wesley’s deep voice and longed for his lips against hers. “Soon,” she mumbled.

She picked up the hotel’s phone and punched the number for the front desk. “Hi, this is Susan Griffin. I’m expecting a fax and will be down shortly to pick it up.”

“One’s crossing now,” the clerk answered. “I’ll put it in your room slot.”

After refreshing her makeup, she headed for the lobby. The minute she touched the doorknob, she was stopped in her tracks again by a blinding light—the same light that overwhelmed her when she and A. K. had loaded the van. Its center seemed even more brilliant, and rays streaked out in all directions. Shaken by the image, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, the light had disappeared. Was it a warning? Was it trying to point her in another direction? While she thought about what it could mean, the ding of the outside elevators broke her concentration.

Susan hurried out of the room and to the front desk. “I believe a fax just came in for me, Susan Griffin.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The clerk handed her several pages. A quick look indicated that most of the pictures were taken from newspaper clippings. She slipped them into her purse and entered the casino. A. K. was nowhere to be found among the rows of slot machines. Susan spotted her at a blackjack table with a hefty pile of chips in front of her.

“Are you about to break the bank?”

“Honey, we should have done this a long time ago.” A. K. held up her hand to the dealer. “I’m cashing out. Better quit while I’m ahead. Care to join me for a nightcap?”

“Sure. It’s been a long day, and I know it’s going to be non-stop tomorrow.” Susan chose a lounge off the lobby where it wasn’t so noisy, picked out a table near the entrance, and ordered a margarita on the rocks.

“I’ll have the same.” A. K. waited until the waiter brought their drinks. After he left, she took a sip then asked Susan, “So, what’s up? I can always tell when you’ve spoken to Wesley. You get that dreamy, faraway look in your eyes.”

Susan lowered her voice. “Lorraine’s bank account showed some pretty big deposits. He thinks she was blackmailing someone.” She reached into her purse and pulled out the fax. “He sent me these, and I’m going to see if Miguel recognizes anyone.”

A. K. stirred her drink with her finger. “Girl, stay out of the casino. The odds on him implicating someone from Palmetto are slim to none. Most of these are old-time politicians and not exactly the playboy type. Who’d want any of them?”

“I know it’s a long shot, but it won’t hurt to ask. If Wesley can establish a Palmetto connection, it would make his investigation lots easier. I have to be careful how I approach Miguel, though. He’s reluctant to talk about Lorraine.”

A. K. licked a tiny bit of salt from the rim of her glass as she studied the pictures. “Palmetto’s finest leaves a lot to be desired. I wouldn’t think any of them have deep pockets, and it would take that to hook up with a real beauty.” She returned the papers to Susan. “But if Miguel is your go-to man, now’s as good a time as any to see what he knows. He just walked in.” She downed the rest of her drink and pushed up from the table. “I’ll leave you to play detective. I’m ready for a nice, warm bath.”

“And a long talk with Jack?”

“Way ahead of you there, girlfriend.”

A. K. strolled out of the lounge, pausing long enough to point Miguel in Susan’s direction.

Susan started to stuff the pictures in her purse then stopped. If she left them out, it might appear as if she and A. K. were just discussing them and that she had no intention of thrusting them upon him. She took another sip and let the delicious mixture of Tequila and Triple Sec slide down her throat.

Miguel approached and stood by her side. “You ready for tomorrow, Ms. Griffin?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be. Please, call me Susan.” Miguel had applied the mascara with the hands of an artist. “I see you didn’t need my help with the makeup. Your eyes look terrific. Have a seat, Mr. Sparrow. Can I order you anything?”

“No, thanks.” He glanced at the pictures. “What’s all this?”

“Our local big shots,” she said, turning the pages so he could get a better look. “If the festival is a success, I plan to run an article in the local paper, ask those who are interested to join us next year. A. K. and I might even hold a drawing for a free weekend on us.”

“Mr. Fleming will be glad to hear that.” Miguel leafed through the pages and stopped on one in particular. “Hey, I know him.”

“Who?”

“This guy,” he said, pointing to a man standing beside a podium.

“That’s Karl Hightower, our mayor.”

“Well, he’s a frequent visitor here…or at least he was. I haven’t seen him in a while. Come to think about it, he stopped visiting about the time Lorraine left. Maybe he didn’t trust the new hostess’s choice of girls.”

“What do you mean?”

“Not only was your mayor a high roller, he kept the escort service busy. Lorraine made sure he always had a pretty girl on his arm.”

“Well, he was from Lorraine’s hometown. Maybe she gave him special attention because she knew him.” Susan wanted to bolt from the room and call Wesley, but she had to quell her excitement. “If Karl came here often, I should take his name out of the pot. It’s only fair I give someone else the pleasure of visiting your lovely establishment.”

“You ever consider working in the hotel business? I bet you’d make a terrific hostess.”

“Thanks, but I love my line of work.”

“Have you always been in the costume business?”

Susan laughed. “This costume business is new to me. It’s the brain child of Ms. Williams, my partner. I worked in the fashion industry for several years and recently opened by own shop, the Bawdy Boutique.”

“The name sounds suggestive. Is it?”

“Oh, we have some things that will spice up a relationship, but that’s just a small part of my inventory. I handle designer clothing and other accessories.”

“Cool. But back to the costumes. What are you going to wear?”

“It’s a secret, and that reminds me. I still have to make some alterations.” She gathered the pictures and finished her drink. “Miguel, I hope you’ll be around to lend a hand if we get swamped.”

“You can count on me.”

Susan hurried up the stairs. Once in her room, she called Wesley.

“Did you get my fax?” he asked upon answering.

“Yes, and the pictures have already paid off.”

“How’s that?”

“A. K. and I went for a nightcap, and then Miguel showed up in the lounge. I left the faxes on the table, hoping he would be curious, and sure ’nuff, he was. After A. K. left for her room, Miguel picked up the picture of Karl, said he was a frequent visitor to the hotel. Get this. Seems Karl liked the escort service as much as he liked gambling, and he relied on Lorraine to find him beauties.”

“Hmm, if Lorraine was backing Karl, that would explain why she moved back home—to keep an eye on her golden goose. I’d like to see his bank records, but a
duces tecum
won’t be easy. He’s tight with all the judges, and chances are he’ll get wind of it before I can execute the warrant. I’ll have hell to pay then. You can bet he’ll demand my job.”

“Even if you can tie him to Lorraine?”

“Probably.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“What I always do—find another way.”

Susan’s feeling of elation dropped like a ton of rocks. She moaned at the possibility Wesley could lose his job. “I shouldn’t have interfered.”

“What do you mean? It’s the first lead I’ve had on this case. I’d follow up on this information no matter who gave it to me. Whatever happens, you’re not to blame.”

“But you love police work. If you lost your job, what would you do?”

“I could always re-up.” Wesley gave a muffled laugh.

“Don’t even joke about that. I didn’t come back home to see you lose your job or leave Palmetto.”

“Maybe A. K. could give me a job in the costume shop. I don’t think I’d do well in the Bawdy Boutique.”

“Get serious, Wesley.”

“Okay, if worse comes to worst, I could always do private detective work. I’ve kicked around the idea of starting my own business.”

Susan wished she could see his face, read his expression. If he lost his job, he might not blame her now, but given time, would he feel the same? “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“Right, and let’s not worry about what might happen. Let’s consider what we know. Personally, I find it difficult to see Karl as a cheater, especially since his wife is the one with all the money. It’s common knowledge that Zelda bankrolls all of Karl’s elections. If she left him, he could kiss his career goodbye. And there’s another problem. Because everyone in town knows Karl, someone would have recognized him at the Rusty Nail.”

“Maybe he didn’t meet Lorraine there. Maybe he hired someone to kill her.”

“That’s a possibility. All the more reason to see what his bank statement shows.”

Susan remembered Zelda’s visit to the Bawdy Boutique. “You know, Zelda’s no dummy. I have a feeling she suspects something. The other day, she made a rare stop at the boutique. I didn’t think much about it at the time, but now it makes sense. She wanted some sexy lingerie, said something about reigniting the flame in the bedroom. That tells me they’re having trouble.”

“I’ll run the information by a D.A. and see if it he thinks a judge would sign a warrant. In the meantime, I want you to chill with the questions. We don’t know who might be involved in this, and too much exposure on your part is never a good thing. I’d hate to have you unknowingly confront the killer.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be careful. In fact, I doubt I’ll have time for anything except customers the next few days. But I’ll keep my ears on.”

A big smacking sound came over the phone. “Did you hear that? It’s the best I can do from here.”

Susan kissed the mouthpiece on her phone. “Back at you. Good night, hon.”

Sleep was out of the question. Susan’s mind churned with the new information she had learned from Miguel and Wesley. Bounding off the bed, she hurried to A. K.’s room. “You still awake?” she called, knocking softly.