Killer Colada: a Danger Cove Cocktail Mystery (8 page)

I thought about Ian telling me they were all a close family at one time. Was that a lie? Or was it wishful thinking? Or distorted memories? "Do you think Ian was jealous of their relationship? That maybe he felt second best?"

She paused for a moment. "I guess, sometimes, maybe. I spent a lot of time at Pandora's with Jenna, and it did seem as if she was her mom's favorite."

Was it possible Ian had become jealous of his sister? Had he felt angry about being left out of the family unit? Did he feel neglected and unloved even then, as if he was competing with Jenna for his mom's attention? And was it enough to make
him
do something to Jenna?

"Can you think of anyone else who might've wanted to harm Jenna? Did someone have a grudge against her? Had she argued with anyone before she disappeared? Was she in some kind of trouble?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. The police asked me all this at the time. Everyone who knew Jenna liked her. I couldn't think of anyone else at the time who would've wanted to do her harm. She wasn't into drinking or drugs or partying. She was always busy with her sketches and designs when she wasn't spending time with Tim. She had everything going for her." She groaned softly. "You know, I loved that girl. I still haven't gotten over her disappearance, so I could understand why Pandora fell apart after what happened. I used to try to visit her afterward, but she didn't want to see anyone."

"So you think Jenna really is dead?"

She didn't hesitate when she said, "Definitely. And I'm really glad they've finally got Tim in custody."

An hour later, Ruby and Vernon walked in.

I rushed toward them. "What are you doing here?" I took Vernon's arm. "Shouldn't you be resting or something?"

"That's what I said, but he wouldn't listen," Ruby said.

"It's a suspected ulcer. I'd be bored out of my head sitting at home twiddling my thumbs. The doc's going to schedule some tests for me. It's not like I'm dying or anything."

Ruby's face dropped when he said the
D
word. "It's a wake-up call, is what it is. You need to listen to what your body's telling you. Your gut health is central to your whole body's wellness. An unhealthy digestive system can lead to so many other problems: allergies, chronic fatigue, dementia, cancer, arthritis, eczema, autoimmune diseases. Think of your gut like a rain forest, with its own ecosystem and—"

"A gut ecosystem?" Vernon rolled his eyes at Ruby so hard I'm surprised they didn't plop out. "Seriously?"

Ruby wagged a finger at him. "It's true. You need to look after yourself better."

Vernon put a plastic bag filled with some prescription medicine on the bar top and sat at a stool. He still looked pale and in pain. As if to prove that, he rubbed his stomach and grimaced.

"You need some superfoods. Veggies, healthy protein, vitamins and minerals." She ticked them off on her fingers.

"Yes, thank you, Dr. Fournier," Vernon muttered.

"You are what you eat," Ruby said.

"We're both worried about you," I agreed. "Stop being so stubborn."

"I'm not stubborn!" he said, sounding like a toddler about to throw a tantrum.

"I've told him he should move in with me so I can keep an eye on him. Cook him some healthy things and make sure he eats right."

Vernon grunted. "I'm not a baby."

"Yes, but I know you. You won't take any notice. Right, that's settled, then." Ruby began making arrangements before he could object. "After work we'll go get some of your things and bring them to my place. Starting then, I'm taking care of you. And I'm not taking no for an answer."

I studied Vernon.

He opened his mouth to say something, but then threw his hands into the air, as if it was useless even trying. "Whatever."

*   *   *

It was early evening when Carmen strutted in looking like a Scandinavian goddess. She'd changed out of her work clothes—if you could call them that—into an ivory silk miniskirt and matching camisole, the light reflecting off the fabric, making it shimmer. She'd catch her death of cold around here dressing like that. She stalked across the floor in ridiculously high heels, heading straight toward me at the bar. She tossed her long blonde mane over her shoulder as she moved, reminding me of a cat. Sleek, smooth, predatory. But then I thought maybe that was insulting to cats.

Down, Hope!

A couple of younger guys nursing bottles of beer perked up when they spotted her, sitting up in their seats and nudging each other. She shot them a sultry smile and sat at the bar, one long tanned leg crossing over the other.

"Hi," I said. "How's the excavation going?"

She shot me a disinterested look. "I don't think I'm at liberty to discuss that with you. Do you have a menu? I'm meeting Harvey for dinner. We've got
so
much to catch up on." The sultry smile turned smug.

I thrust a menu at her before I could smack that smile off her face with it. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Vodka. On the rocks." She glowered at me, fluffing up her hair

"Coming up." I poured her vodka. Thought about pouring it over her head. And when I turned back again, Harvey was there dressed in a pair of faded combats, Converse sneakers, and a long-sleeved black T-shirt. "Hi." I smiled at him, but it wobbled a little on my face. I suddenly felt nervous and less sure of him. Of us.

"Hey." He gave me his signature sexy lopsided grin and said hi to Carmen.

"You'll never guess what I found down there today." Carmen reached out and touched Harvey's hand, letting it linger there a little too long for my liking. "A box of apothecary vessels!"

I didn't have a clue what an apothecary vessel was. Suddenly, I felt stupid and insignificant. I grabbed a bottle of cider from the fridge, poured some ice in a glass, and set it in front of Harvey.

"Oh my God, really?" Harvey's face lit up. "Wow. That's amazing. Are they bottles or porcelain jars?"

"Porcelain. And they're ornately engraved. You
have
to see them!"

He sat down on a stool next to Carmen and twisted to face her. "Wow. I was hoping to find some in amongst all those crates down there. How about British tea? Did you find any of that yet?"

"Not yet. But they don't call me Carmen the Huntress for nothing. If they're there, I'll find them."

I could think of a few other words to call her as my heart sunk into my feet. I wondered whether her "huntress" definition included men. Stupid question, right?

Vernon appeared behind the bar and watched Harvey and Carmen surreptitiously as he polished some glasses.

I served an elderly man a pint of specialty ale and tried not to watch them, too. They looked good together. They obviously had a lot in common with their work. If Carmen was after Harvey, how could I ever compete with her? I turned away, pretending to assess the bar's inventory, and caught my reflection in the mirrored panel above it. I'd never made that much of an effort with my appearance, preferring to use subtle makeup and keep my long waves au naturel, usually with a braid in the front to keep it off my face. I dressed for comfort rather than sexiness or fashion.
Don't get me wrong.
It wasn't like I grew my armpit hair or anything. But I was nothing like the glamorous Carmen, who obviously spent hours in front of a mirror applying her makeup and doing her hair to make it just so. She was polished and immaculately turned out. In contrast, I was kind of frayed around the edges and casual. Maybe it was about time I started paying more attention to my appearance.

With that decided, I turned back to them. "So what can I get you to eat?"

Carmen shot me a dirty look, as if she didn't enjoy the interruption.

"I'm famished." Harvey rubbed his hands together, caught my eye, and winked at me. "What are the specials today, Hope?"

"Um…" The specials had disintegrated from my head suddenly. I felt a bit sick, to be honest, seeing them together.

That smug smile was back on Carmen's face, but it was only for my benefit. It morphed into a friendly one as soon as Harvey turned back to say to her, "The food here is amazing."

Vernon stepped in for me then, rattling the specials off.

"I'll have the prawn coconut curry." Carmen slapped her menu closed. "And then after dinner, how about you show me round the town?" She raised perfectly shaped eyebrows at Harvey, and I made a mental note to pluck mine later. With everything that had happened lately, I'd forgotten.

Harvey glanced at me. "Er…well…I think Hope and I were going to catch up."

"Oh, come on!" Carmen flashed another fake smile at me. "Holly won't mind, will you?"

"It's Hope, actually," I corrected her.

She ignored me and carried on. "I'm new in town, and I'd like to find out where everything is. After all, I'm going to be here a long time with the project." She pouted her red-glossed lips and fluttered her eyelashes at Harvey. I was pretty sure they were way too long to be real.

Harvey swallowed hard, watching me, looking torn.

Of course I mind!
But I couldn't let my jealousy show. It would just make Carmen worse. Besides, it was a perfectly normal thing for Harvey to take his colleague around town and get her settled in.

I waved a nonchalant hand. "No, you guys go. We can catch up later." I glanced uneasily at Harvey.

"If you're sure?" Harvey asked. "I can—"

"Of course she is," Carmen butted in.

I tried not to look at them eating their dinner in one of the booths, but my gaze kept straying over there every time Carmen laughed, which she seemed to do a lot. And very loudly.

"You want to watch her," Vernon whispered to me. "She's trouble."

"I know." I wiped down the bar extra vigorously.

It was quiet after Harvey and Carmen left, so Vernon suggested Ruby and I make a start on packing up Pandora's belongings to donate to the thrift shop. Someone would have to collect the furniture, but we could sort out all the smaller personal belongings and anything that needed to be thrown away. I didn't really want to leave Vernon, but he was looking a lot better, and he insisted.

It was dark when we arrived, giving the house an eerie feel. We pulled a pile of flat-pack cardboard boxes and large black trash bags from the trunk of Ruby's car and carried them inside.

Ruby flicked on the lights in the hallway. "We should probably take one room each. Let's start upstairs and work our way down."

"Okay."

Before climbing the stairs, I glanced in the living room, my gaze catching the photos of Jenna on every available surface. Surely Ian would want to keep them. Even though he said he didn't want anything from the house and it might be too painful right now, one day he might want to look at them again.

Ruby decided to start in Pandora's room while I took the smaller one, which was the shrine to Jenna. I opened two boxes. One for the thrift shop. One for things that we should at least let Ian see before they were destroyed or removed. I had a black trash bag for clothes and another for anything to throw away.

I folded up her clothes neatly and placed them in one bag, along with her shoes, bags, and belts. In the drawers, I found underwear, socks, and swimsuits, which went in the trash.

I removed Jenna's sketches from the walls and carefully placed them in Ian's box, then sat at the small stool in front of the dressing table. I opened her jewelry box, pulling out the tangle of items, the crystal bracelets, the silver charm bracelet, earrings. Would Ian want these too? I doubted it. It all looked like costume or inexpensive jewelry to me. I put it all back in the jewelry box and added that to the thrift pile.

I was just removing the sheets and pillowcases from the bed to throw into the trash bag hours later, when Ruby appeared.

"I've finished Pandora's room." She sat down on the bed. "I've still got the spare room to do, which used to be Ian's."

"This one's done too." I sat next to her. "We can come back another time and finish it off."

"So sad." She glanced around, then patted my leg. "Come on. Let's take these boxes and load them into the car."

Ten minutes later we'd lugged the boxes and bags downstairs and were driving into town to drop them off at the rear entrance to the thrift store, which was not open at this time of night. As we drove past the Irish bar, Flannagan's, on Main Street, I spotted Carmen exiting, closely followed by Harvey. She looked pretty drunk, wobbly on her high heels. She grabbed hold of Harvey's arm and laughed.

I let out a deep growl.

The following morning I phoned The Clip and Sip hair salon. With everything that had been happening in the last few months, I'd neglected myself for too long.
Way
too long, thinking about it. I hadn't set foot in a salon for years. Bob's daughter, Elise, had called me a hippie freak, although I preferred the term boho chic. I wasn't used to spending much time on my appearance. When I was traveling the world, it wasn't like I could haul a hairdryer and endless supplies of lotions and potions around, so I'd perfected the minimalist wash-and-go look. At least I thought I had. But now with Carmen in the picture, I figured it was definitely time for a little makeover.

The salon was newly refurbished and welcoming, which was a relief. I always felt nervous coming into places like this, as if people were judging me.

A curvy blonde was behind the desk, on the phone. She flashed me a sunny smile, revealing perfectly white teeth, and carried on talking, noting down an appointment. Another member of the staff, who had heavily applied makeup and wore a cheetah-print dress with a name tag that read
Gia
on it, was styling the only other customer in the place.

The woman on the phone hung up and turned to me. "Hi, I'm Cassidi, the new owner. How can I help?"

"I'm Hope." I returned the smile. "I booked an appointment earlier."

"Great! Follow me." She led me to a comfy chair in front of a mirror along the side wall, next to the window.

I sat down and watched her in the mirror as she picked up chunks of my waves. "When did you last have it cut?"

"Um…about two years ago." I laughed.

"Wow! Well, it's in great condition. Just a few split ends that need attention. Did you want just a trim or a restyle?" She carried on running her fingers through it, pulling the ends around my shoulders as she examined it. "I think the length really suits you. Maybe you could have a few layers put in? It would frame your face and make it pop. What do ya think?"

"Sounds perfect."

"Do you want me to weave in some highlights or lowlights?"

"I'm not sure."

"I can make them subtle, just to enhance your own color?" She opened a color chart book and pointed to two samples. "I'm thinking something like chocolate brown and caramel. What do you think?"

"What the hell? Why not!"

"Okay, then. I'll mix up 'em up and be right back."

A few minutes later, she wheeled a small trolley toward me, laden with bowls of dye and sections of foil. "Can I get you anything to drink before we start?" She handed me a menu. "I do a mean limoncello." She flashed those perfect teeth at me again. "Make it myself from scratch."

I took the menu from her and studied it. "A limoncello would be great, thanks."

She disappeared, and I looked out the window while I waited. The stop sign at the end of the street caught my eye. It was leaning at a forty-five-degree angle onto the sidewalk.

"Here you go." Cassidi set a cocktail glass in front of me.

I took a sip of deliciousness: sweet, tart, zesty, all rolled into one. "This is amazing. I bet my customers would love this. Do you have any more I can buy for the tavern?" I took another sip, rolling the flavor over my tongue, already thinking about the kind of cocktail I could make with it.

"I've got bottles of the stuff."

We agreed on a price for the limoncello while she worked her magic on my hair, taking sections of it and applying dye before wrapping them in foil packets. Then she said, "Did you see that stop sign? Some maniac ran into it the other day and just drove off." She shot me a
can you believe it
look and combed through another section of hair. "I heard the skid and then
bang
! Straight into it!"

"Well, at least it did its job." I laughed.

"He was driving too fast." She wagged the end of her applicator brush at me. "He could've knocked someone over. Some guy in a flashy red Range Rover."

A tingling feeling traveled over my scalp that had nothing to do with Cassidi's fingers. How many red Range Rovers had I seen in Danger Cove in the year I'd been here? One. And that belonged to Ian Williams. "Did you see the guy driving it?"

"Oh yeah. He got out of his car to check the front of it. He was kind of skinny, with lots of freckles and strawberry-blond hair that needed a cut."

It sounded like Ian.

"I even got the plate number in case the police wanted to know. That stop sign's dangerous now, right? It could fall on someone."

"When was this, exactly?"

She told me, and I calculated backward. Yep, it was the day before Pandora had been killed.

"Can you give me the plate number before I go? I think it was the same guy who nearly ran me off the road on my bike." Oops, another little lie slipped out. I was going to have to do some seriously good deeds to get my good karma store back up.

She shrugged. "Sure. It was a vanity plate.
Cardio1
."

*   *   *

As I was passing back through town, I spotted Bernie Templeton's occult shop. I'd bought some candles and crystals from her before, and since I never did end up getting my crystal healing session with Pandora, I had a sudden urge to stop there. I was usually a well-grounded person, confident in myself, and had nurtured self-love over the years I'd been traveling the world. When I left the commune at eighteen, I'd seen myself as worthless and unlovable, and it had taken years of doing work on myself to change the way my childhood had shaped me. Change the way I thought about myself. But sometimes it's not easy to maintain positivity and keep away the doubts and anxiety. I needed more of…well, something. Something to remind me I was a worthy person. Something to stop me being jealous of Carmen. I needed a boost of confidence.

I opened the door to the small, darkened shop and was greeted with a powerful smell of incense and herbs. It instantly reminded me of being back in India and the Far East, wandering around the bustling, colorful street markets, meditating at the yoga retreat where I'd first met Ruby. A bell chimed above me as I shut the door again and looked around. I browsed the candles in all shapes, colors, and sizes. There were wicker baskets full of dried flowers and herbs that I picked up and sniffed, letting them work their sensory magic.

Bernie appeared from behind a dark-blue velvet curtain at the back of the shop. She was tall and slim, her brown hair swishing against her chin as she walked behind the counter. "Hi, Hope. Haven't seen you for a while." She smiled warmly.

"I know. Way too long."

"Did you want some more candles? I just got some new stock in."

My gaze drifted toward the display of crystals on top of the counter. More wicker baskets housed all kinds of different shapes and colors. On a hanging rack next to them were crystal bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. "Actually, I wanted to get something to enhance confidence and balance."

Bernie's smile didn't waver, although her eyes assessed me calmly and confidently, as if she was trying to read some kind of vibrational energy around me. She nodded with understanding. "What are you drawn to?" She tilted her head toward the crystals.

I picked up a tiger's-eye bracelet, the bands of golds, browns, and oranges running through it. "This is beautiful."

"Good choice. It's powerful for aiding harmony and inner balance. Also helps you release any fear and anxiety." She picked up a lump of tiger's-eye from the basket, smoothing her finger over it. "Traditionally, people carried it as an amulet to protect against curses and ill-wishing by others."

I thought about Carmen. Yes, I definitely needed a hefty dose of protection from her.

"It also gives you courage and enhances self-confidence. And its energy is very powerful, helping you work through difficult times and challenges. A perfect crystal for grounding you."

"Sold!" I grinned, handing her the bracelet. "This is exactly what I need. You don't need to wrap it, thanks. I'll wear it."

"Okay. Are you looking for anything else? Or perhaps you'd like a tarot reading?"

"Sure, why not, while I'm here?"

"Excellent. Follow me out back."

I stepped behind the curtain into a small, private room. A stained glass lamp gave off a subtle, relaxing ambience, filtering colors against the floor and walls with an ethereal glow. Wooden bookcases were crammed in every available space, shelves filled full of occult books, crystal bibles, and numerous different packs of cards: Angel Cards, Oracle Cards, Animal Cards, Goddess Guidance Cards, Butterfly Cards.

"Please sit and make yourself comfortable."

I sat in a rattan chair draped with a colorful throw. An incense stick burned in a holder on the matching table in front of me, the smoke wafting about a lovely smell of vanilla.

"There are many spreads I can do that cover things like relationships, plotting goals, or answering specific questions you have. Or, one of the most popular, is the six-card spread, which is a great reading to get a snapshot of how things are going in your life generally at this moment."

The relationship spread was tempting, but what if it told me something about Harvey and me that I didn't want to know? The question spread sounded good, but my specific question would be who killed Pandora and Jenna, and I doubted I would get a clear answer. I settled for the six-card spread instead.

Bernie handed me a pack of colorful, well-used cards and told me to shuffle them. "You can also ask a specific question with this spread, or just let your mind go blank and let the cards do the work, offering up what you need to know at this present moment."

I shuffled away, trying to empty my mind and just let the cards give me their guiding message.

"When you're ready, just pick six cards and lay them face down on the table."

I did as I was told.

"Okay." She smiled. "Let's see what we have." She turned over the first card. "This card signifies how you feel about yourself."

Great. It was
The Fool
.

"Relax." She noticed the frown edging across my forehead. "This one means that you feel uneasy or discontent at the moment. Maybe you need a change, a new adventure, or new direction. It usually means you're unsure how things stand. You may not know where you want to go or what you want to do. But it's also a time of optimism and making decisions. You need to ask yourself if what you want is really the right thing for you. Unexpected influences could have a powerful effect on whatever you decide."

What did that mean? Was Carmen the unexpected influence? Was Harvey really right for me? Oh God. Maybe I shouldn't have started this.

Bernie turned over the next card.
The Hanged Man
. Uh-oh, this was getting worse and worse.

"This signifies what you want most right now."

"Well, I definitely haven't been thinking of hanging myself." I worriedly eyed the picture of a man hanging from a tree.

She laughed. "Of course not. This card suggests that perhaps you think things aren't going as planned at the moment. But you don't want to give someone or something up. You need to trust that this moment is just the passage of one stage in your life to another. Whatever the outcome, things will resolve themselves to your benefit in the end."

Hmmm, so that was good, right?

The next card she turned over was
Strength
.
"This represents your fears. You're scared of lacking the strength and courage to deal with someone who's bothering you."

Carmen again?

"If you listen to your fears, it will only create failure, and opportunities could be lost. You need to find your inner strength. The courage of a lion within you. Be brave." She turned over the next card.

Death
.

"I'm not really liking the whole
Hanged Man
and
Death
thing. There's a bit of a pattern emerging." I tried to make my voice sound jokey.

"This is what you've got going for you at the moment."

"What, death?" Maybe it was a message in relation to Pandora's murder or Jenna's disappearance instead and nothing to do with me at all. I hoped.

"It represents endings and new beginnings. Your life is going through a time of transformation. And while it may be a rocky road, eventually you'll pull through to start a brand-new chapter in your life."

But did that chapter include Harvey? Or…uh-oh…was the rocky road about Lester arresting me again for getting involved in his investigation?

The next card was
The Magician
.

"This is what's going against you." She tapped the card. "Someone isn't quite what they seem. Their deception is cleverly disguised beneath charm and friendliness."

Hmmm…that definitely summed up Carmen.

"Be cautious and trust your instincts."

She flipped the final card.
The High Priestess
.