Who Glares Wins (Lexi Graves Mysteries) (32 page)

"I think that was a double entendre," said Lily as we watched him walk away.

"I hope so."

"I still think you're busted."

"Yep." Then I ponied up for another round of drinks.

~

Maddox caught up with m
e
in my office, a half hour after Lily and Ruby went home, cash in hand, still slightly shell
-
shocked from the
day’s
events. I was three drinks to the wind and just starting in on a sobering cup of coffee.

He stepped inside
,
took one long look at the dried graffiti on my wall
,
and sighed, shutting the door behind him.

"You're not just temping, are you?" he said.

"I'm the boss' personal assistant."
I barely suppressed the giggle and gave him a lopsided smile.

"Cut the crap. Are you working a job for Solomon?" He gazed at me, his mind working furiously as I shrank in my chair. "You are, aren't you? Are you undercover?
Lexi!
"

"Keep your voice down
, Adam
!"

"Jeez, you are! I don't believe this!"

"
It's my job!
"

Maddox looked at me,
his eyes furious. "I thought you were
over
that private detective shit?"

"Why would I be?" I stood, all the better to face him down
.
M
y face
, however, was
not nearly so impassive
,
as I caught a head rush
. "It's the first job I've ever been really good at!"

"You're good at plenty of stuff! Stuff that doesn't get you hit over the head. Stuff that doesn't get you shot. Stuff
that doesn't put you in danger!
" He waved a hand at the
dried
BACK OFF BITCH currently tau
n
ting me
from the wall
.

"Yeah, filing and typing. Big yawn. Not exactly what I want to spend my life doing." And that's exactly where my life
was
heading until a couple of months ago. An endless wave of menial office work
,
before
getting
married and g
iving
it all up to pop out babies, trading in a measly paycheck for reliance on a man. Yeah, that got me giddy alright. And if I didn't solve this case, that's the way my life might still end up.
Not that it would be horrible being married to a man like Maddox, who would undoubtedly
,
be a great husband and a wonderful father
,
but I could do this. I could really do this.

Maddox's eyebrows rose as high as they could get
while I had my mini crisis
. "And this is what you want to spend you
r life doing? Chasing criminals?
Putting yourself in harm's way? Don't you hear enough of the bad shit at home with your family?"

“No. There aren’t any criminals at home.”

Maddox’s shoulders relaxed. “That’s not what I meant.”

"
I know
;
and sure,
I hear it all the time. That's why I'm not under any illusions that this stuff is glamorous
,
if that's what you're implying." It was true. The investigating stuff was about as far from glam as I could get. In some ways
,
it was worse than administrative work
.
N
ot only did I have to do that for my cover, but I had to regard everyone with suspicion, make sure I didn't get caught snooping
,
and spend my evenings writing up my notes. But I was good at it.
Pretty much. I knew I was getting closer. The graffiti told me that.
"And maybe, just maybe, sometimes
,
I want to be the one to tell the stories!"

"So, what is it... is it about respect from your family? From me?"

"No. It's about having a job
that I like and one that
I'm good at. I'm sorry that you don't agree with me. Hold up... you don't res
pect me?" I asked incredulously, my jaw locking. If I w
ere
a dragon, steam would
be
blowing from
my nostrils round about now.

"Wait up! I didn't say that
!
A
nd I didn't say I didn't agree with you. You are good at the investigating stuff
,
but there are
safer
ways to
earn
a living."

"Says the man working homicide."

"The guys I work with are
all
dead!
"

"
But t
heir murderers aren't!" I sighed, my palms still resting on the desk. I really didn't want to have a showdown with Maddox. "There are plenty of female cops.
Do
you
ever tell
them to get off the street and do the filing?"

Maddox ran a hand through his hair and looked like he wanted to kick something. Hard. "No," he said, doing his best to keep his voice calm. "This is different."

"How is this different?" I searched his face for a clue. "Oh. I get it. Because I'm your girlfriend. That gives you the right to tell me to jack in my job?"

"Yes! No. I mean, it gives me t
he right to be concerned is all a
nd
,” he pointed out, “
it should earn me the right to know what you're doing. All week I've been thinking, now I don't have to worry what Solomon's getting her into. I don't have to worry that he's got her mixed up in something dangerous. You should have told me the truth. We're in a relationship
,
dam
m
it
!
Respect goes both ways, sweetheart.
"

This was a fair point. "I didn't say I
stopped
working for Solomon. I just said I was taking a break to work at the hotel. It wasn't strictly a lie."

"Strictly," repeated Maddox, latching onto the operative word. Strictly speaking, I might have implied I wasn't working for Solomon
,
at the same time as working for the hotel. Strictly speaking, I could have let Maddox know that I was working a case
,
and not just caught in the crossfire. But strictly speaking, Solomon told me not to discuss the case
,
and he was my boss. Though, come to think of it, I had told Lily. And Ruby. But not
Maddox. Probably because this wa
s the reaction I expected to get from Maddox.

"You don't tell me everything about your cases, do you?" I asked. "You have confidentiality. Well, so do I. Solomon told me not to discuss the case. The hotel group wanted confidentiality." Also, Solomon's name was getting far too much mention at this point. His ears were probably burning as we spoke.
I expected him to
rappel
through the window at the
next
moment. I glanced at it. He probably wouldn’t fit.

Maddox moved around the desk and took my arm, his voice low
, his grip gentle,
as he said, "This
is
different."

"No, it isn't. You're just pissed because you want to know everything. I'm s
orry I hurt your feelings, okay
? B
ut I'm not sorry that I'm doing my job well."

We stood there for a long moment
,
both of us
wondering where this conversation was head
ed
. We could talk in a circular pattern about his job versus mine; how his had the law
at its base, while
mine was
purely
private business. W
e could even talk about how uncomfortable my working for Solomon clearly made him, but I had a feeling it wouldn't do much good. Maddox was angry
:
boy
friend-angry and cop-angry. H
is eyes h
el
d a mixture of disappointment
,
worry and something else I couldn't decipher. Concern? Frustration? Love? I wasn't sure.

"I have to take your statement," Maddox said
,
switching tracks, his nostrils flaring slightly as he pulled out his notebook. He released my arm, moved back around the table and took the spare chair
. H
is body language
was
now all business
as the furniture separated us
. "Were you in the exhibition when whatever the hell it was happened?"

"Yes." I sat
still
, trying not to let my lip wobble.

"Tell me."

"Everything looked normal
,
then the lights went out. Someone screamed, then someone shouted they'd been stabbed
,
and that's when everyone panicked. I could see the exit light
,
so
Lily and
I made for it, and so did everyone else."

"What were you doing when the lights went out?"

"Uh, just hanging around. Looking," I said. I decided not to mention the pony suit. Or Sylvia and Amanda's suspicious conversation.

"And Lily?"

"She was with me."

"Did you see the ponies fighting? The
gigantic
plush ponies
,
I mean?" Maddox stopped. "Seriously, Lexi what the fuck is this?
Bronies
? What kind of grown men like this stuff?"

"Lots, apparently."

"I like watching football. I have a soccer club. I play baseball every week. I
don't
play with girls
’
toys."

"Not every man is a man's man like you."

Maddox made a little huffing noise. "So, the ponies? You see them or what?"

"I didn't see them." I didn't, that was true. I was inside one
though
I kind of saw the nasty
,
purple pony as it went down
,
then squared back up for a fight.

"You want to tell me about this?" Maddox jabbed his pen towards the wall.

"Someone's warning me off the case."

"I got that.
What are you investigating?"

"It's... confidential."

Maddox sighed. "Could the stabbing today be involved?"

I actually hadn't thought of that
,
and it made me freeze, the danger level hitting the red zone
. T
hen I shrugged
,
"I don't know."

"Jeez. Take it seriously, Lexi, okay? I don't want you to get hurt. Even better, walk away. Whatever is happening here, walk away. Tell Solomon to put one of the other guys on it. Flaherty's experienced."

"I can't do that."

Maddox looked at me a long time
,
like he considered the finer points of
his
argument and who would win. "I have to get back," he said finally. "I'll call you." He kissed me on the cheek, lightly, friendly
,
but not boyfriend-like and backtracked out the door. He didn't finish
with
“
I'll call you tonight
”
or
“
later
,”
just
,
“
I'll call you
,”
leaving me
to
wonder where things now stood between us.

One thing was for sure.
I bet I
wouldn’t be getting
my pony nuts now.

Chapter Thirteen

I grabbed a complimentary copy of the Montgomery Gazette from the front lobby and slipped through the
E
mployees
O
nly door. Unfolding it as I walked
towards my office
, I grimaced as the huge headline popped into view. It read: STAMPEDE! And next to
it,
Shayne Winter's byline
and
her annoying, smiling mug
shot
:
all beautiful
,
white teeth and big, blonde hair.

She covered all the basics
of the stabbing
in sensational style and I imagined her gleefully bashing out the copy and yelling for her editor to
“H
old the press!
”
or whatever it was journalists did when they
wangled
something juicy. Even worse, accompanying the article was a candid snapshot of a
pink
,
plush
Super Pony
racing from the hordes of people exiting the conference
center
. It
s velvet mouth
was
hal
f open as though screaming, its
ridiculously long eyelashes and glassy eyeballs
gave
it a comically frightened expression
as it lurched out of the conference center
. I suspected Lily would be delighted that we had gotten our first cover shot, even if we were inside a pony
costume
.

"Yesterday's
Super Ponies
convention proved too much for some," I read out lou
d as I turned into the next corridor
. "Panic broke out, causing a stampede. Two people suffered minor injuries while the majority of
revelers
were shell
-
shocked. 'It could have been a tragedy,' said organizer
,
Brian Williamson, and
lifelong Super Ponies
enthusiast. "We're lucky to be alive. But the show will go on!"

I scanned the rest of the story. Someone had been arrested already
,
but they didn't print a name
. However,
an unnamed source said it was a fellow
“
Bronie.
”

I sighed and folde
d the newspaper, just as Edward
poked his head into the corridor. "My office," he said
, his glum expression showing me he’d already
seen
the paper as he
beckoned me.

I closed the door behind me and sat down.

"You saw the headline?"
Edward
indicated the newspaper I held.

I grimaced. "Yes."

"This is awful. The CEO already called."
He dropped his head into his hands.

"I'm so sorry. Did he give you a hard time?"

Edward looked up.
"He said,
and I
paraphrase,
‘
only The Montgomery could let a
Super Ponies
convention get out of control.
’ However, h
e was less polite.
"

"It wasn't your fault. They all went a bit mad."

"Mad? Yes. But now we're a laughing stock!
Did you see the photo they used?
"
Edward
dropped his head into his hands
again
,
and for a moment
,
I thought he was going to cry. When he looked up again, he just l
oo
ked tired and
ashen
. Bags had formed under his eyes. "I expect
now
I'll be fired," he said,
despondently
.

"Don't say that. This isn't over yet."

Edward peered at me hopefully. "Do you have any leads?"

I did the only thing I could reasonably do under the circumstances. I fibbed. "Yes," I said. "I'm definitely closing in on the culprit."

"Oh, thank God
!
Do you have
enough to make an arrest?"

"Maybe," I said.
“Though I can’t actually arrest anyone.”

Edward jumped to his feet and pointed to the door. "Get on with it then!
Get me the information that I can use to get an arrest.
"

Just as I mirrored his action, minus pointy fingers, there were three sharp raps on the door
before
the house manager, Sylvia, entered. "You have got to see this!"

"What?" Edward snapped.

"It's... oh! You just have to see!"
She flapped her hands in excitement.

"More sabotage? I can't take anymore sabotage." Edward's
brief
moment of enthusiasm vanished.

"You've got to come see," Sylvia said again. We followed her as she jogged through the corridors, up the stairs
,
and out to the gallery
,
overlooking the conference center. "Look," she said
,
pointing
. We followed her outstretched hand
,
and for a moment
,
we were
all
at a loss for words
as we gazed down
.

The conference center doors were shut
.
T
he room
was
empty except for the exhibition which had been
set up
last night
,
after the detritus
from
yesterday's stampede
was
cleared away. I couldn't see any signs of blood
,
and there wasn't any evidence of the police investigation. The
exhibition
actually looked perfect,
every inch crammed with
things to see. There were paintings, film stills, posters, artist renderings, storyboards in pencil and color, costumes
,
merchandise
,
and glass display cabinets stuffed with every
Super Pon
y
, literally,
known to man. I wondered who stayed up all night to supervise the cleaning and organization.
Probably Super Sylvia.

But
Sylvia
was
directing our attention
t
o
the doors
as
a smile spread across her face. Next to every window, and every closed door,
were girls
,
thei
r little face
s
pressed eagerly against the glass,
their
eyes eager for the toys. And next to every child was
her
mother, o
r an older sister, or a father—though after what I’d witnessed
,
that didn’t surprise me now—an
adult desperate for the nostalgia of
a
favorite childhood toy. Yesterday's event had been serious business
,
with no children
in sight.
Somehow,
they were
attracted
to it now
and the crowd was heaving.

"They mus
t have read the news
paper," I said. "They've come for the exhibition."

"They don't have tickets," mumbled Edward.

"Who cares? Invite them in for free," I told them. "In fact, tell them it's a super secret exhibition
,
especially for kids. Tell them to
ca
ll their friends
to come
down here." I turned to Sylvia. "Can you get the kitchens to make a special menu just for the kids today?"

"Little sandwiches and bite
-
sized cookies and..." Sylvia's eyes lit up and we both said, "
c
upcakes!"

"Rainbow colo
rs
with
glitter and sprinkles!" Sylvia clapped her hands together. "And cream teas and mocktinis."

My mind clouded for a moment. Sylvia was awfully excited for someone I
seriously
suspected
might
want to see The Montgomery fail.

"Exactly!" I agreed, watching her closely. "And get the waitresses to
wear
those t-shirts Lily and Ruby wore yesterday and colored clips in their hair. Let's make this an event
!
"

"We can tell them we host pageants, proms, dance recitals, and birthday parties." Edward beamed at us
as he saw The Montgomery’s future
suddenly
brighten
ing
. "Sylvia, make sure every child and every adult leaves with a brochure. Let's get the doors open.
Let’s show them what our hotel offers.
Hurry. Hurry!"

Sy
lvia
sped
off, arms flapping as she gabbled into her radio, ordering the events staff to move.

"When I saw the newspaper this morning, I thought it was the worst thing I'd ever seen." Edward turned to me. "And now
,
it might just save the hotel."

"Who'd
a
thunk it?" I said.

We returned to our offices
,
bubbling with enthusiasm, just as Louisa arrived, pausing in the corridor to speak with us. "What's with the hordes of kids?" she said with a frown.

"They heard about the exhibition
and are chomping at the bit
," I told her. "Apparently
,
we're hotter than hot."

"Seriously?" She looked at me incredulously
,
then to Edward
,
who nodded gleefully
. "They're all here for those revolting little ponies?"

I nodded. "Yep."

"But people were injured yesterday! Are they
all
mad?"

"I think
a better
word is 'enthusiastic'."

"Maybe I should call the board. Maybe I should get security to clear them."

"No, don't do that. Sylvia
already
has it under control. She's going to feed them all cream tea
s
and cupcakes," said Edward.

"Oh no!" Louisa grimaced. "What's that going to cost us?"

"A hell of a lot of goodwill," I said. "The kids will love it, and the parents will love us. They'll tell their friends
and they’ll come back
."

“Families are big business,” agreed Edward.

"I really think we should shut this down. What if a child gets hurt? There was a stabbing! What if a child gets stabbed?" Louisa's voice pitched higher.
“The lawyers will shut us down. There will be nothing left!”

"If we turn them away now
,
there will be a lot of upset children." A burst of
happy
noise
s
suddenly hit us.
We clearly heard g
iggling, shouting,
and
eager
little voices, even though we were
rather
far from the conference center. "Besides, I think they're already in."

"God!" said Louisa
as she left to
cocoon
herself in her office. A moment later
,
she stuck her head out. "While you're there, can you please
throw
the last temp's box
in the trash
?
It's a fire hazard." She slammed the door shut again
,
a
s
Edward and I exchanged glances. He pulled a face.

"What if a child gets hurt?" he asked.

"No one will get hurt," I told him. "But maybe you should call any spare staff in to help out." I steered him to my office because Louisa's comment reminded me we were long overdue
for
a conversation about Marissa Widmore. I shut the door to block out prying ears
.
"In the paper it said there was an arrest last night. The stabbing had nothing to do with the sabotage
.
"

"Th
ank God. What a relief." Edward
slumped in my spare chair. "What was it about?
I saw the headline and gave up.
"

"Apparently
,
it began as
an argument over a vintage toy and
just
got a bit heated."