Point of Betrayal (17 page)

Jane’s eyes smoldered. She was a few inches shorter than Rory, and when she tipped her chin up to meet her gaze, Ari thought for sure they’d wind up in a torrid kiss, one that was entirely inappropriate for a funeral. She broke the spell and asked, “Is Sam okay?”

Jane blinked and shook her head. “He’s not okay at all. He really loved her and there’s no way he could’ve hurt her. The fact that the police suspect him is only adding to his pain.”

They looked over at the family clustered together with Nina’s aunt and her cousin as mourners continued to wander by and offer condolences. The man who’d sat by Steve at the service remained at his side.

Ari pointed at him. “Who’s that?”

“That’s Scott Kramer. He’s an old family friend and Steve’s closest political advisor.”

She studied the tall, handsome man. He was younger than Georgie and Steve by several years, but if he was that close to the family, she imagined he might know all of their secrets. He flashed a smile at something Evan said.
He should be the politician,
she thought. That smile was worth a lot of votes.

Evan waved them over and introduced Scott. “He started cleaning our pools when he was a teenager. Dad was so impressed by his drive for success that he helped him start his company.”

Scott looked appropriately humble, although she felt his eyes all over her as Evan detailed his climb from pool cleaning service to landscaping business.

“He recently landed the Montage account,” he added. “Excuse me.” He moved to another group that she assumed were schoolteachers.

Scott flashed a winning smile. “How do you all know Nina?”

“She was one of my best friends a long time ago,” Jane said.

“It couldn’t have been
that
long ago,” he said playfully.

“What are your thoughts about Nina’s murder?” Ari asked.

The question seemed to surprise him. “Well, it’s horrible. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to hurt her.”

Rory stared at him and crossed her arms. “Do you think Sam and Nina were still in love?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think they were done. It was only a matter of time before they got back together. Love’s like that, you know? Even if it’s not what’s good for you or what other people think is right, it’s there.”

She guessed he was talking from his own experience. She wanted to ask more questions, but Georgie appeared and looped her arm through Scott’s. “Well, we need to officially start the food line, although some people rudely jumped ahead,” she chided. “Excuse us.”

“She’s a piece of work,” Jane said after they left.

Rory looked at her. “We agree on
two
things. I think Georgie Garritson is the most narcissistic person I’ve ever met.”

“Ooh, good word,” Jane cooed. Ari sensed the icy wall between them was melting.

Steve and Sam joined Georgie and Scott in line while Evan lagged behind, talking to a short Hispanic man in a dark three-piece suit. They followed and Evan introduced them to Juan Bojorquez.

“I guess Juan and I were rivals, vying for Nina’s employment.”

“Really?” Jane said, surprised. “I thought Nina loved working at the school.”

“She did,” he agreed, “but we couldn’t pay her what she was worth, and frankly, I think having to deal with people like Bobby Arco was wearing her down.”

“Was she really that afraid of him?” Ari pressed.

Evan nodded. “Oh, yes. We’d actually talked about a restraining order. If she decided to stay at Brayberry I promised I’d go to the judge.”

“How did you meet Nina?” Rory asked the other man.

Juan’s face turned stony. “She helped me with my daughter. She saved her life.”

She guessed Juan would do anything to help Nina. “When was she going to make the decision?”

The men exchanged a glance. “Two days after she died,” Juan said quietly. “I think she was going to take the job. She’d completed all of the paperwork, taken the drug test. She just wanted to be sure, especially considering the situation.”

Ari eyed him carefully. “What situation?”

Juan glanced at Evan, who turned red. Apparently he’d revealed a secret. “Nina was pregnant.”

“That’s her,” Molly said, staring at the black-and-white head shot of Wanda Sells lying on the morgue slab. Even without her Lola makeup or wig and wearing the pallor of death, she recognized her talented lips and turned up nose. “How did she die?”

“Pushed off her balcony,” Andre said.

She dropped her legs into the shimmering blue water. They were poolside, Andre showing up just as she was finishing her daily routine with the chemicals and filter. The news of Lola’s death seemed anticlimactic, but she still felt vindicated and slightly pleased, or perhaps that was just a holdover from her previous afternoon with Sienna.

“Whoever did this wasn’t a pro,” he said. “Too sloppy, too many mistakes.”

“Like what?”

He told her about the moved railing, the missing glass and the wet coaster. “A pro wouldn’t have moved that railing, and he
or she
probably would’ve just shot her.”

“Not if it was supposed to look like an accident,” she disagreed. “I think your killer was trying to end the little drama with Lola.” He took out his notepad and started to jot down her thoughts. “I’m going to guess that this second woman was controlling her, but maybe she started to get greedy. Maybe she wanted more money or maybe she was threatening to go to the cops.”

He cocked his head. “Why would she do that?”

“Think about it. I don’t know what else she was into, but she didn’t break any laws with me, except giving me Ecstasy. She didn’t kidnap me, and she certainly didn’t drive drunk or destroy private property.” Realizing her voice was rising, she took a deep breath. “I did all that,” she said softly.

“So the killer needed her out of the way.”

She nodded and stood up. “She was a loose end and potentially very dangerous. Do you have any suspects other than Carnotti?”

“He could still be involved,” he said as they strolled to his Caprice in the parking lot. “Maybe he controls her handler and maybe it was the handler who killed her.”

She smiled proudly. “Those are distinct possibilities.”

He grinned. “Thanks, Mol. I still like bouncing ideas off you. I mean, Jack’s a great guy, but he gets all quiet and moody when he’s thinking.”

“Reminds me of someone else,” she said with a snort, thinking of Ari’s aloofness. “Any leads on who the handler might be?”

“We’re going through Wanda’s life right now. So far it seems she lived to work out. She went to her job at the bank and the gym. As far as we can tell, she wasn’t involved in any community groups and didn’t have any family in the area. We’re interviewing her co-workers and people at the gym, so hopefully a name will surface.”

He got into the car and leaned out the window. “You look better today, happier,” he said slowly, as if he wasn’t sure he should mention it.

She knew she was blushing. “I am.”

* * *

Sienna’s tub was just big enough for Molly’s long frame. An old claw-foot, it cocooned their bodies, Sienna nestled between her thighs, surrounded by thousands of bubbles. When she rubbed the bath sponge over Sienna’s breasts, Sienna laughed.

“I don’t think those are dirty.”

“That’s for me to decide.”

The purpose of the bath was to remove the scented body oil they’d massaged over their limbs during foreplay. She had never known anyone as attuned to complete satisfaction as Sienna, who truly believed that great sex involved all of the senses.

When she’d arrived, she’d found a note on the door. “Come upstairs.” She’d followed the strong smell of incense into the boudoir, where Sienna waited on the bed, wearing a lacy black camisole and panties. After she undressed, Sienna ordered her to lie on her stomach and take deep breaths. She’d felt the warm oil drizzle down her back, and within minutes Sienna’s hands had commanded every nerve in her body, smoothing the oil over her skin like a sculptor. When she’d turned over, she was completely aroused.

Sienna had enjoyed her front as much as her back, and once she was slick and glistening, Sienna had pulled off her camisole, kissed her stomach and slid between her legs. It had been heaven.

“You’re still thinking about it, aren’t you?” she chuckled.

“Well, when you haven’t had sex for nine months and then you get laid twice in two days, it’s momentous.”

She laughed and nuzzled against her cheek. “I’m glad I’m
momentous
, or would you have said that about anyone?”

She kissed her. “No, I’ve never met anyone who is as skillful a lover as you are.”

Sienna lifted a perfectly pedicured foot from the bubbles and caressed Molly’s calf. “Even your ex? What was her name?”

“Ari, and no, she wasn’t like you.”

“Hmm. Interesting answer. So I’m skillful. How so?”

“I can’t explain it. It’s not just that you’re great in bed, a lot of women are. It’s like the difference between someone who’s a good cook and someone who’s a chef.”

“Well, that’s quite a compliment. I guess all my studying paid off.”

She gazed into her deep blue eyes. “You
studied
love making?”

“Of course. Making love takes practice. Anyone can smash their lips together or jab a few orifices until somebody comes—”

“That’s a great image,” she groaned.

“Was Ari a chef or was she just a good cook?”

She glanced at her inquisitive face and sensed her sincerity. “Neither,” she said. “It was beautiful even if it always wasn’t skillful,” she added with a laugh, an image of the two of them falling into the back of Ari’s SUV during a camping trip because they couldn’t wait until they got to a motel.

“But to be a lover of lovers, you have to know what you’re doing,” Sienna said. She turned to face her and caressed her shoulder. “Did you know that touching the skin releases oxytocin, the cuddle hormone? The more oxytocin we generate during foreplay, the greater the orgasm, or at least that’s what I think.”

“Makes sense,” she mumbled, as Sienna’s fingers crept down her chest and circled her left areola.

“Now, yesterday was a little bit of an experiment. I wanted to know what you like. Some women don’t like their breasts touched because the nerve endings are so sensitive. You’re not one of those.”

Proving her point, Molly’s nipple grew erect and she moaned when Sienna’s tongue flicked against it. “What else do you know?” she gasped.

“Many things, but we don’t have time for another lesson today. I have a kickboxing class at six.”

Remembering Sienna went to the same gym as Wanda, she asked, “Did you know Wanda Sells? She was a regular.”

“Oh, yeah. Wanda’s in the class. That woman is strong.” When her expression shifted, she asked, “Did something happen?”

She stroked her cheek and broke the news as gently as she could. “She was murdered last night. My former partner has the case. He says that she was pushed over her balcony.”

Shock covered her face. “Murdered? I can’t believe it. Everyone liked her, and I don’t know how anyone could throw her over a balcony. She’d put up a good fight if she was ever attacked.”

“They think it was someone she knew, so she probably wasn’t expecting it. She had her guard down. You said everyone liked her. Can you remember any arguments or disagreements with anyone?”

She shook her head. “No, we all got along great. That gym is like my second home. It’s just so unbelievable.” She climbed out of the tub and wrapped herself in a robe.

Molly followed her and found her sitting on the edge of the bed in the master suite. Feeling like an intruder in the room Sienna shared with her husband, Molly said, “I’m gonna go. I’m really sorry to end our afternoon on such a downer. The police will probably want to question you about your relationship with Wanda. Did you and she...?”

“No,” she said sharply. “Wanda wouldn’t dream of hooking up with a bisexual. She’d made that very clear. It was the one fight we had,” she added absently.

Molly kissed the top of her head. “She didn’t know what she was missing.”

Sienna mustered a slight smile. “Thanks.” She reached for her phone. “I should probably call a few people and prepare them for this. Jesse and Sheila, and I should start with Biz.”

Molly whirled around. “What? Biz goes to that gym?”

Sienna looked surprised. “You know Biz?”

“Yeah, you could say that. Is she in your kickboxing class?”

“Uh-huh. All three of us.”

Ari, Jane and Rory pored over the journals scattered on the coffee table. Biz had finally shown up at the resort in mid-afternoon looking haggard and troubled. When Ari asked her what was wrong, she shook her head and walked straight to the minibar. After downing two tiny bottles of tequila, she had dropped onto the love seat. She hadn’t moved or spoken since.

The news of Nina’s pregnancy was a game-changer in Ari’s mind. While Bobby Arco was still a primary suspect, the chance that Nina’s murder was motivated by personal reasons seemed far more likely.

Evan had admitted that he and Juan were the only two people who had known Nina was seven weeks pregnant. Even Sam didn’t. Evan was struggling with whether or not to tell him, since Nina was dead.

“Why didn’t the police confront him about this?” Jane asked. “Wouldn’t they want to see the expression on his face when they announced it?”

Ari shook her head. “You’re right about that. Something isn’t right. They’re keeping it a secret for a reason.”

“Maybe Nina had another lover?” Rory suggested.

“I doubt it,” she disagreed. “She still had pictures of Sam everywhere.”

“I still think it’s Bobby,” Jane said.

“Why?” Rory asked, always ready to poke at Jane.

“His work shirt gave him away. Ari never notices these things, but when we saw him at the school, his work shirt was missing the name patch, like it had been ripped off. I’ll bet Nina grabbed it as she fell.”

Rory rolled her eyes. “If it were that simple, don’t you think he’d already be in custody? If they’d found Nina clutching a patch with the name of a parent who threatened her, I’m pretty sure they’d call that a smoking gun, wouldn’t they, Biz?”