Armoires and Arsenic (14 page)

“Not at all. You look quite fine.”

Arrrghhh rattled through her brain. What was wrong with her, apologizing to this, this, GUMSHOE! She closed the door behind him and watched him walk around to the side and up the driveway to the entrance of Mrs. Harmon’s apartment. Well, at least he didn’t hassle her about the illegal unit.

Olivia wound her turquoise and ivory beads through her tangerine cashmere scarf and arranged the creation on her neck. She zipped up her cropped Alexander McQueen skinny jeans and pondered her sweater collection for a moment before grabbing a yellow cabled silk pullover, hand knit by the owner of Cobwebs and Cashmere, the yarn shop across the street. Kittie, the owner of the shop, assured her the color was made for her blond highlights. Olivia wanted to say, honey, I’ve been worked over by the masters of Rodeo Drive, but bought it anyway and wrote off the sweater as a public relations expense.

The reason she invested a few hundred dollars in the sweater when she had bins full in her closet was because Kitty Woolery, could that really be her name, was the first shop owner to give Olivia the time of day and she wanted to build on the favorable first impression she had made. Olivia did not knit: the sweater was a handmade sample she begged Kitty to part with, for twice what Olivia was sure it was worth. Business was business. She checked herself in the mirror. She was ready to meet Cody and anything else the day might have to offer. Why couldn’t Richards arrive now?

Tuesday raised her eyebrows at the tangerine, yellow and orange get up and said Olivia looked like a citrus juice commercial. Olivia kept her mouth shut about her friend’s outfit. Leather pants cut into daisy dukes, ripped fishnet stockings, a pink lace cami under a man’s 1950’s sport coat and tap shoes. Her hair was badly braided into four cornrows with frayed scrunchies at the tips and over it she had jammed on a pillbox hat, circa 1960. Olivia had gotten Tuesday to dress down for the auction. That was all she could expect in the way of fashion correctness for the remainder of this trip. But she did say, “A chapeau pour petit déjeuner?”

Just then a text came in.

“It’s Jesse,” she said.

Tuesday feigned a swoon. “The dreamy fish monger.”

Olivia held up her index finger to silence Tuesday, and then read the message.

Wuts up w Queenie and Blkmr’s dtr? Tt 1’s a nasty pce o wrk and they r in cahoots bout smthin. We noobies gotta stk 2gthr. yr bb brudda

Olivia had to sit down to read it to Tuesday.

“Okay, what’s this about?”

Olivia explained that Jesse referred to Mrs. Harmon as Queenie and this was the second time she was implicated in something with Jessica Blackman. Why was Jesse worried about Olivia’s well-being all of a sudden? His attention comforted her, but she was in the dark about the reason. They’d have a friendly chat if they ran into each other around town, but that was the extent of their relationship. When she first arrived he would fill her in on some of the local flora and fauna and that’s when he first referred to her tenant as Queenie. “Have you seen her carry that purse? I swear, I expect her to start waving to the commoners.”

Olivia liked his warmth and sense of humor, but they had never acted on their promise to have lunch. They were both too busy getting their businesses off the ground. She teased him about being the baby brother she always wanted and he said, “I’ll take that.” Hence, she explained the signoff, yr bb brudda.

“I wish we would have lunch,” she added. “I’d love to pick that Harvard marketing brain of his.”

Tuesday licked her lips. “That’s not all I’d like to do with him.”

Olivia laughed. “Can we talk about one man, just one, without you being all over him?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Tuesday had her head in the refrigerator looking for jam for her toast.

“Seriously, why is Jesse worried about me? That must be why Detective Richards was snooping around here this morning. Jessica Blackman has something to do with her father’s murder. Maybe Mrs. Harmon is her accomplice. Maybe it is my association with Mrs. Harmon that got me pulled into this. I need to know what Jesse knows.”

Before she had a chance to reply to Jesse’s message, her phone rang. She saw Elgin Fastner’s name on her screen. She held it up for Tuesday to see and mouthed, “Should I answer,” and immediately hit the button. “Hello, Elgin. What a surprise.”

The banker’s voice turned syrupy and soft, more intimate than his business voice. “Olivia, my dear. I’ve been thinking about our conversation yesterday and I believe I overreacted to your request.”

Olivia was cautious. “Oh? In what way?”

“Well, I believe I know of some documents that you might be interested in seeing, though I would have to have your word that you would not make the information public or in way implicate me in revealing them to you.”

“Confidentiality. Of course, Elgin. It goes without saying.”

She mouthed, He wants to blackmail Sabrina.

Tuesday mouthed, Yes! and gave her a fist bump.

“But let me ask you, what changed your mind?” She gave Tuesday a big wink.

“Well, I certainly can’t reveal her financial information. But there is a document you might find interesting. Given that you are implicated in her affairs by way of your relationship with, oh, how do I put this? Her late partner. It is my judgment that you are entitled to see an agreement they made.”

“An agreement? What kind of agreement?”

“Well, I’d rather not say over the phone. Can we meet for lunch and we can talk about this further?”

After she mouth, “He wants to do lunch,” Tuesday made an obscene gesture and Olivia nodded yes.

“Why that would be fine, Elgin. Shall we say noon at Hugo’s?”

“Oh, no. Not Hugo’s. Let’s go somewhere quiet. How about the Buckeye Roadhouse? I just love their Asian tuna salad and Key Lime Pie, don’t you?”

“I love the Buckeye, Elgin, but that’s half an hour away, almost to the Golden Gate Bridge.” She covered her mouth so her laugh wouldn’t seep into the phone. “Are you sure we couldn’t find a place in town that’s quiet?”

“No, no. It has to be the Buckeye. I, I . . .” She could hear him thinking on his feet. “I have to go to San Francisco and it is so convenient to the bridge.

“Well, if you say so, Elgin. I’ll see you there at noon.”

She could hear his sigh of relief. She gave him a seductive, “Bye, Elgin,” and hung up before she burst out laughing.

Tuesday plopped onto a stool. “Tell me, tell me.”

“He wants to double cross Sabrina by showing me some document that must be incriminating in some way. I knew that one was up to something. He doesn’t want to be seen with me in town, but, of course, he’s hoping I’ll, ahem, return the favor.”

Tuesday said, “Then he doesn’t know my Olivia.”

The two women burst out laughing.

Tuesday said, “Seriously, Olivia. This murder thing is getting deep and dirty.”

“I’ll say. We have Sabrina, the Ice Queen partner up to something. Then Mrs. Harmon playing some kind of grandma footsie with young Jessica and that guy in the truck with Cody last night? The Gotshalk thug shouting he knew something about the other night? And people think I had something to do with the murder? We have enough suspects to start a TV crime show.”

“Speaking of Cody, shouldn’t he be here?”

Olivia dialed Cody’s number. “Change of plans.” She told him he would have make it coffee and soon. And Tuesday would come with her. “But I’ll make it easy on you. Mohammad will come to the mountain. Name a place and we’ll meet you there.”

The threesome wedged into a red Naugahyde booth on Cody’s side of town, the area skirting the meth park.

Cody started out by complaining about how long it was taking Detective Richards to return his truck.

“And my armoire, I might add.” Olivia kicked herself for not asking Richards this morning when she’d get her belongings back.

“So Cody,” she said. “What was that all about last night. Whose truck were you in and why was that guy beating up young Gotshalk.”

He still hadn’t shaven. Did he go on a bender last night?  Or was the news about Jessica keeping him awake all night? He shook his head as if this was all too much for him. “Olivia, can we order some breakfast first? I’m starved.”

Olivia said, “sure,” knowing she would be picking up the tab. “Tues and I have eaten, so I’ll just have some decaf.” She rubbed her stomach. “To tell you the truth, I think I’ve had too much food. Not feeling that great. But you go on and order. How about you, Tues?”

“What kind of herb tea do they have?”

Cody and Olivia looked at one another,
incredulous.

“Tuesday, look around. It’s not an herbal tea kind of place.”

Tuesday saw the bikers with tats wrapped around their necks, shaven heads and long scruffy beards. “Yeah, I see what you mean. How about a chocolate shake. I don’t trust the coffee here. It’s probably not organic.”

Olivia said, “Tues, what was all that this morning about a cleanse and ditching sugar?”

“Clearly, I have to be in the right environment.”

Cody looked confused. Olivia turned her attention to him. “Okay, let’s get to it. Cody, what went down last night.”

“Olivia, I’m not supposed to talk about it. Some people could get in serious trouble.”

“Okay, just the broad outline.”

“Well, it was a drug deal gone bad. Gotrocks owes Roger some money.”

“Roger as in Blackman’s Roger?”

“The same. He has a little side business, if you get my drift.”

“I think I do. And he shorted Gotrocks?”

“No, Gotrocks shorted him. Roger figured he would get him to pay up at the country club so he wouldn’t cause a scene. But Roger figured wrong and Gotrocks started punching him out.”

“Well, what was that he shouted to Roger that he knew what he was doing the other night? I assumed it had something to do with Blackman’s murder.”

“I don’t think I should talk about that.”

“Why, because you don’t know anything?” Olivia paused. “Or you do know something?”
He looked so disheartened, Olivia reached over and stroked his hand.

“Well what were you doing with Roger last night? Tell me that. Are you involved with drugs? You can tell me, Cody. I don’t judge. You know that.”

“No, it wasn’t about drugs. That’s not my thing. But I don’t have wheels. I told you the other day. Roger wants to do some business with me. Legit business. Helping him with my truck and stuff and he’d make sure I got some delivery work from Blackman’s. After hours, you know. After I’m done with you for the day. So last night I told him I needed a ride. I had a date. He said he’d give me a lift into Darling Boulevard but that he had a quick stop to make. I didn’t know he was going to shake down Gotrocks.”

“A date?”

“Yeah. Well, not a real date. But I texted Jessica that I wanted to get together and talk and she said yes. I wanted to let her tell me about her marriage, see if she needed anything. You know, friend stuff.”

“Jessica!” blurted Tuesday. “I hear she’s bad news.”

“Sweet Jessica!  Who’s telling tales about her?” Cody came alive, looking like he would take someone out.

Olivia told him. “Jesse, if you must know. And as far as I’m concerned, his word is good. And he’s not the only one. Monica, Mrs. Blackman’s assistant said some things. Hints. Intimations. And she should know.”

“I don’t believe it. What are they saying?”

“Cody, I don’t know how to say this, but there is a rumor around that she had something to do with her father’s death.”

“I don’t believe it.” Cody looked crushed.

“Richards is investigating it. Well, he hinted that he was. I can’t say any more for sure.”

“It’s not Jessica. It can’t be.”

“Cody, are you sure of Jessica? You know for sure that she’s being straight with you?”

“Of course she is. Why would you say a thing like that?”

Before she could answer, her phone rang. Elgin needed to move lunch up another half an hour because of an emergency bank meeting. Olivia told him it was fine, then told Tuesday they needed to leave so she could drop her off at the house.

“You okay being at the shop by yourself again? This won’t take long. And Cody, listen, when I get back why don’t I pick you up from wherever you are and you can take me home and keep the truck. As long as Tuesday is here with the rented Mercedes, I have wheels. Bring it back when the PD releases yours.”

“Gosh, thanks, Olivia. Just give me a call. I’ll probably be home.”

“Not a problem, Cody. Are you sure there isn’t anything else I should know.”

He hemmed and hawed. “Well, my allegiance is more to you than Roger. Nobody else knows this and he doesn’t want it to get out to the police. Roger had a dustup with Mr. Blackman. He caught him stealing money from the shop. I don’t know why Blackman didn’t fire him on the spot, but Roger let it slip to Gotrocks that there’d been trouble. Blackman wanted to meet with him the night before we found him in the armoire. Last night Roger told me he was terrified that Blackman called the meeting because he was going to turn him into the police. But then they just talked about business, but now Gotrocks is putting it around town that Roger killed him. But I can’t believe Roger would do something like that. Off Blackman?”

“But if he’s dealing drugs, that can lead to really bad stuff.”

“I told you Roger isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. He tried one deal with Gotrocks that went sour. It scared him plenty. He wants out of the whole drug scene. You can’t let the police know about this.”