Iced (13 page)

“Please, God, don’t let it be anything that further incriminates Eben,” Louis said. “I’m going to be on an emotional roller coaster all week.”

Don’t I know it, Regan thought. Carrying the painting, Louis and Tripp followed her up the stairs. When she closed the door behind them, she immediately picked up the phone and dialed the Grants’ number. Yvonne answered.

Regan introduced herself. “. . . so I was wondering if Bessie was there.”

“No, Regan,” Yvonne said. “We just came back from a wonderful afternoon of skiing. You should really get out there and try it.”

“I know,” Regan answered. “I intend to. So Bessie’s not there?”

“She was taking the bus to Vail around this time. You saw her today. She’s a little frazzled. We did have a lot of parties in New York and I think we wore her out. So we decided we should really give her a few days off to go down and see her cousin.” Yvonne laughed. “For all our sakes.”

Regan sat down on her bed. “She wanted to talk to me but didn’t leave a number. Do you have her cousin’s number?”

“It must be around here somewhere. I’ll have to look. When I find it, I’ll call you back.”

“Thanks, Yvonne.” Regan hung up the phone and sat there thinking. She couldn’t get Eben off her mind. Where was he? Regan stood up. At least I’ve accomplished something today. For the time being, unless something else happens, Louis’s party is still a go.

There was a knock at the door. Now what? she thought. She walked over and pulled it open. Standing in front of her was her good buddy from Connecticut. “Kit!” she exclaimed and gave her a quick hug. “You’re here!”

“Am I ever!”

“Come on in!” Regan grabbed her suitcase. “I’m afraid to ask. What happened to the guy?”

Kit looked disgusted and fell back on the bed. “He told me his old girlfriend showed up with a Christmas present. A present she bought for him before they broke up.”

“The oldest lie in the world.”

“No kidding,” Kit said. “Now they have to ‘work some things through.’ He said he’d call me ‘when the dust settles.’ ”

“What did you say?” Regan asked eagerly.

“I told him to get a can of Pledge.”

Regan laughed. “Good!”

“It’s pathetic. I thought he was different. I thought this New Year’s would be different. Like maybe I’d have a date.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re here. We’ll have fun and I need you for moral support. You wouldn’t believe what’s been going on around here; I have to fill you in. But let’s get ready. Mr. Drill, Fill and Bill is meeting us at Little Nell for drinks.”

“Go, Larry,” Kit said. “Nothing like jumping right back in the swim of socializing. I’ll probably just meet a nerd and start to get all depressed again.”

“No, you won’t.” Regan chuckled.

Kit rubbed her eyes and yawned. “By the way, Regan, I hope you don’t mind sharing the room. Louis says they’re all full but they can put a cot in here.”

“That’s fine,” Regan said. “It’ll be like our college days.”

“Does that mean we’re going to sleep till noon?”

“No. It means we can lie in bed and analyze everything going on in this town. Maybe we’ll catch a few criminals while we’re at it.”

“Criminals?” Kit sat up. “Reilly, I thought you were on vacation.”

“I guess skiing isn’t enough for me,” Regan said. “Besides, we don’t want things to get too dull, now do we?”

“Dull is all I know these days,” Kit said wearily.

“Get ready,” Regan said. “You never know who we’ll meet.”

23

D
AISY DROVE TO the Woods’ house, never tiring of the scenery of Aspen. The small Victorian picture-book houses, many of which were painted bright pink or lime green or turquoise, and trimmed in equally flamboyant colors, made her smile. Painted cows on mailboxes lent a certain whimsy. And, as always, the sight of the mountains in any season made her feel alive.

Everything in Daisy’s life was going so well, even if her mother’s three-month visits did get to be a little trying.

Christmas week was a busy time for her. With all the people in town to ski, massages were in great demand. Things stayed pretty busy through the winter months. Only in the spring did business quiet down a bit, but then the crowds came back in the summer for the music festivals and all the other outdoor activities.

As she pulled into the driveway, she found herself smiling. The Woods were nice people. She always enjoyed coming to their house. It’s just so hard to believe about Eben, Daisy thought, pulling her massage table from the car.

Kendra greeted her at the door. “Come on in, Daisy. We’re drawing straws over who gets to go first. And none of us even skied today.” She introduced Daisy to Luke and Nora.

“We had a tough day,” Luke drawled. “It consisted of going out to lunch and coming back to read.”

Daisy laughed. “That makes my job easier. You’re already relaxed.”

“I know what you mean,” Luke said. “I work with bodies, and it’s much easier when they’ve relaxed.”

“Luke!” Nora squealed.

“What do you do?” Daisy asked innocently.

“I’m a funeral director,” Luke said proudly. “Only after rigor mortis has passed can we prepare the body.”

Daisy rolled her eyes. “I’ve worked on some bodies that were so stiff they felt like they were in the throes of rigor mortis. It’s usually the first day of their vacation.”

“Honestly, Luke,” Nora said and turned to Kendra. “He never used to talk about his clients like that.”

Sam, who had been stoking the fire, spoke up. “Well, why not? They can’t talk back.”

Kendra noticed Daisy looking around at the bare walls. “It’s the minimalist look, Daisy.”

“I just can’t figure out what happened to Eben,” Daisy said. “I didn’t think he had it in him.”

“The evidence is piling up,” Kendra said matter-of-factly. “Nora found a receipt that shows Eben must have been in Vail the other day when there was a big art theft there.”

“That reminds me,” Nora said. “I want to talk to Regan about it. I wonder what happened with her today.”

“Well, Nora, you get to go first. So why don’t you call Regan when you’re finished?”

“Sounds good.”

“I’ll sit here and figure out what we should do for dinner.”

“Make reservations,” Sam suggested.

Kendra turned to Daisy. “Now that my friend Eben is gone, we have no one to do the shopping and cooking.”

“Except us,” Sam said, sitting down and picking up the newspaper.

Kendra continued, “We’d planned to be lazy this week. Eben was good at taking care of everything when we were here. He left us some prepared food in there but not enough for the week.”

“He got greedy,” Luke mumbled.

“So now, disaster of disasters, we’ve got to figure out every meal for ourselves. And go out and do the shopping. What a pain.”

Daisy hesitated. Her mother was a good cook, not gourmet, but she could make some decent dishes that would taste good, especially if you’re starving after a day of skiing. And she could shop for them. Should she say something? She wouldn’t recommend her for the White House, but Kendra and Sam were low-keying it this week and probably wouldn’t expect seven-course meals. Why not?

“My mother,” she began, “is in town visiting us from Ohio. She works part-time at the dry cleaner’s but I’m sure she’d be happy to work for you a couple hours a day. She’s a pretty good cook. Nothing too fancy . . .”

Sam put his paper down. “I knew I always liked you, Daisy. When can she start?”

24

W
ILLEEN SAT IN the back of the car with the gun they kept in the glove compartment pointed at Bessie’s head. Bessie was resting uncomfortably on the floor.

“Hurry up, Judd,” Willeen said. “Step on it.”

“Willeen, the last thing I want to do is get stopped.”

“It would serve you two right,” Bessie shouted. Willeen nudged her with the pistol.

“Shoot if you must this old gray head,” Bessie said. “But you won’t get away with it.”

“Listen lady—” Judd started to say.

“Bessie’s my name. Miss Armbuckle to you.”

“Miss Armbuckle, we don’t want any trouble—”

“That’s why you dressed up as Santa and stole the painting. I should never have let you in the door.” Bessie tried to get herself into a more comfortable position. At my age, I’m crumpled on the floor like a pile of laundry, she thought. She was so angry that her fear had subsided.

She was still in shock and, as usual, reacted by opening her mouth and letting it flap.

When the car finally stopped and Judd opened the door, Bessie started to feel a sense of dread. As long as the car was in motion, she didn’t have to face what was really happening, like a baby who can ride in a car happily sleeping but the moment you stop to pay a toll starts to screech. Bessie’s nerves reacted the same way.

“They’re looking for you, you know,” she said. “Regan Reilly is a young investigator staying in town and she’s doing some first-class snooping.”

Judd and Willeen exchanged a glance. They led her to the back door of the house, unlocked it, and turned on the kitchen light. Bessie’s hands were tied with rope they kept with the gun in the glove compartment.

“Don’t you two just think of everything?” Bessie had asked sarcastically.

Judd ordered her inside the house as Willeen went around turning on the lights.

Bessie wrinkled her nose when she got a good look at the place. “This joint could stand a cleaning.”

“Maybe you’re just the person to do it,” Judd remarked.

“Fat chance,” Bessie muttered under her breath.

“Say what?” Judd asked.

“Nothing,” Bessie answered, wondering just what they were going to do with her. It didn’t take long to find out.

Willeen opened a bedroom door off the living room. “Eben,” she said. “We’ve got some company for you.”

“Eben!” Bessie said. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Sprawled on the double bed with his hands tied behind him was the man who was supposed to have played Santa, the man whose mug she’d just seen on television that afternoon.

“Will the real Santa Claus please stand up?” Judd joked.

Eben looked at Bessie. “Bessie! What are you doing here? Forgive me if I don’t get up and shake your hand.”

Willeen laughed. “I tell you, Eben, I love your sense of humor. Say hello to Eben, Bessie.”

Bessie stared at him. “You’re the slob who got mud all over my carpet last year. Which means you’re the one who got me into this mess. If I hadn’t been so worried about Santa’s boots the other night, I wouldn’t have been paying attention to this bird’s shoes.”

“A silly little thing called fate,” Eben said tonelessly. To think I’d been longing for company, he mused. This is what I get. Mrs. Clean.

“Well, I got news,” Judd said. “You two are going to have time to get to know each other because you’re going to be sharing this bed.”

“What?” they both protested in unison.

“What about the couch?” Eben asked. “I’ll take the couch.”

“It’s not long enough and it doesn’t pull out,” Judd informed him.

Where’s Bernadette Castro when you need her? Eben wondered. He’d give anything for one of those Castro Convertible couches that pull out so easily, even a child can do it. Like little Bernadette did in the commercials for her father’s company all those years ago. If I get out of here alive, he thought, I’ll have to write her a letter.

“Maybe you two will fall in love. You’ll have lots of time to share your innermost thoughts and feelings. Just like me and Willeen. Right, honey?”

Willeen wrinkled her nose. “You don’t share your innermost—”

“Shut up.” Judd turned to Bessie. “Now lay down. Eben gets a bathroom break and then he’ll jump back in the sack with you.”

“Another bathroom break so soon?” Eben said as Judd unshackled him. “I’m overwhelmed.”

“No comments from the peanut gallery,” Judd ordered.

“By the way,” Willeen said to Bessie, “who is this Regan Reilly?”

Eben’s ears perked up. Regan Reilly, he thought. Her parents were staying with Kendra and Sam. He’d met her through Louis, and knew that she was a private investigator.

Bessie realized that she shouldn’t have blabbed about Regan Reilly. If Regan was going to be any help to her and Eben, she couldn’t have these two losers after her. She’d have to keep it vague.

“Who is she?” Willeen demanded.

“A private investigator. She’s here on vacation.”

“Where is she staying?”

“I don’t know.” Bessie stared at them with a stone face.

“Fine,” Judd said. “Just fine.”

When he and Willeen climbed back in the car to head into town once again, Willeen looked worried.

“Who is this Regan Reilly, Judd? This is what I don’t like about being here so long. We were supposed to spend the week skiing and meeting rich people and then get out of here after the party. Now we’re baby-sitting and have the cops scratching their heads and sending out bulletins.”

“Willeen, what do you want? After Eben saw me, we had no choice. We had to get him out of the way if we wanted to pull off the benefit job. It’s all working out. Everybody thinks he pulled off the other jobs, so he’s the one they’re looking for.”

“I hope that’s the trail this private investigator Regan Reilly is on. I want to find out who she is.”

“We’ll find out, Willeen. Don’t you worry. We’ll find out.”

25

T
HE COYOTE WHISTLED as he showered and rushed to join the apre`s-ski crowd. As he towel-dried he snapped on the television and stared in amazement.

“What the hell is going on now?” he said to himself.

As he dressed he hung on every word between Eben Bean and the broad being brought into his bedroom. “So, Eben, you got yourself a girl,” the Coyote chuckled.

Several times he burst out laughing. He’d never been on a job that was this much fun. Willeen looked nervous. What were they saying? Regan Reilly is a private investigator? Let her investigate.

On the other hand, one of the cardinal rules in this business was not to underestimate anyone, whether it’s the cops or your competitors. Judd and Willeen hadn’t bungled the job in Vail. They had no way of knowing that he had a mole inside their ring. Theirs had actually been a well-planned heist. But as they’d learned, even the best-laid plans can sometimes go awry. The Coyote laughed. His plan wouldn’t fail.