Beauty Secrets Cozy Mystery Boxed Set 1

by Stephanie Damore

  “Talk about loving the dress,” I said. Aria looked gorgeous in a red satin dress and cork heels. Thick spiral curls framed her face and cascaded down her back. Aria had done the opposite of me, and played up her lips instead of her eyes. She wore a chocolate-raspberry-colored lipstick with a gold-tinted lip gloss that gave her pucker a sparkly shine. The shade matched perfectly with her fourteen-carat polished nails.

  “Look out, Savannah. We’re looking hot tonight!” Sasha said. I had to agree with her, even if I could have done without her silver sequined slip dress. At least she’d be easy to find on the dance floor, or she could fill in for the disco ball if the one at the club broke.

  We pulled up in front of the Inez’s just before nine. The restaurant was housed in a renovated warehouse in downtown Savannah, a couple blocks up from River Street. Silver-plated doors with Inez’s etched on the front, told us we were at the right place. When we walked in, I was taken aback by the beautiful artwork and warm interior. Vibrant paintings and striking black-and-white photographs set off the exposed red brick walls, creating a much more intimate atmosphere than I had expected. Overhead, an intricate glass-blown chandelier made me stop and stare. I couldn’t get over the explosion of red, orange, and yellow glass flowers. It looked like a summer bouquet on steroids.

  Sasha giggled and I looked over at her to see what was up. Of course, she had to find that one painting that looked the slightest bit provocative, and point it out. It’s not like you could really see anything. The style was abstract, of course; but if you used a little bit of imagination, it made you wonder if the man was really clothed at all. Perhaps we shouldn’t have invited Sasha. Inez’s was a classier place than I had expected. There was no mechanical bull.

  I gave the hostess my name and we followed after her. I purposely bypassed the main dining room when making our reservation, and requested a table in the lounge instead. I figured I’d have a better chance of catching Delgado’s eye closer to the bar. On this side of the restaurant, the lighting was softer and the seating a little more intimate. We weaved our way through the red island-like couches and black armless chairs to a high-backed booth right across from the bar. We couldn’t have asked for a better table.

  An attentive waiter stopped over and we ordered a round of Cosmos, otherwise known as the official girls’ night cocktail. There’s just something fabulous about sipping a Cosmo with your girlfriends. I hadn’t seen Delgado yet, but the night was young.

  Conversation started flowing about the same time the cocktails did. We ordered dinner after finishing the first round. I decided to try the seafood paella. It couldn’t possibly be as good as my mother’s; then again, I’d yet to find any restaurant that came close to my mother’s version. I had high standards in the paella department. Inez’s proved to deliver on the drinks, but I wondered how they stacked up on the food. Sometimes, it seemed like the fancier the place, the higher the prices and the skimpier the portions. Or, worse yet, the chef tried to be too innovative and the food combinations tasted terrible. I prayed that wasn’t the case. I was starving.

  We sipped on our Cosmos and talked about men while we waited for dinner. Sasha had us cracking up, talking about this new guy she was dating and his obsession with golden showers. “Have you ever tried to pee while having sex, it’s next to impossible! You got pee splattering all over the place, running down your legs. The cleanup takes forever,” she was saying.

  “You’re crazy. There’s no way I’m peeing on anyone near my bed or anywhere else for that matter,” Aria said.

  “Girlie, you need to get yourself some rubber sheets,” I said.

  “Oh, no, he has those.” The look on Sasha’s face was so serious, we totally lost it.

  Our laughter drew the attention I was looking for. I looked up and saw our waiter coming across the lounge area with another round of Cosmos, even though we each still had half a drink in front of us. “Compliments of the gentleman behind the bar,” he said. We turned our heads to see our suitor. Vincent Delgado was busy mixing up a cocktail, but he stopped long enough to give us a head nod and smile. Well, wasn’t this perfect.

  “I saw him first,” said Sasha.

  Aria pick up her half-full Cosmo and said, “Oh no, you’ve got shower boy.” She spoke while looking across the lounge and making eye contact with Delgado. Aria gave him a sexy smile and slowly brought her drink up to her lips. Delgado couldn’t stop staring. She held his gaze over the rim of her glass and finished the drink with one long sip before casually setting the glass back down on the table. Zing. With that one look, I knew any advances I had been planning would be pointless. That was okay. As long as he was interested in one of us, my plan would work. Aria would be more than willing to dish the details, if I could just fill her in on the mission … well, maybe I’d gloss over a couple of the dicer points. I just needed her to get a read on him. She was as good a judge of character as I was. None of that mattered, though, because I couldn’t tell Aria any of it, with Sasha sitting with us. I’d have to wait until Sasha went to the bathroom, and give Aria the quick rundown.

  “You still got it,” Sasha said to Aria. “If he’s got a brother, you’d better hook me up.” Sasha gazed over at Delgado, but he didn’t give her a second glance. I wanted to tell Sasha that he was an only child. Inez, after all, never mentioned anything about a brother, and I’m sure she would’ve if he did have one.

  The next move was Delgado’s, and he seized his chance a couple of minutes later by stopping by our table. “Hello, ladies. How are you doing tonight?” he asked.

  Aria batted her eyes and offered a sexy smile. “We’re fabulous.”

  I smiled in agreement, bypassing my crazed expression from earlier today for a more natural look, or at least that’s what I hoped.

  “You look familiar. Didn’t I see you this afternoon?” Delgado asked me.

  I was waiting for this. I paused for emphasis and pretended to “think” about it. “Oh my gosh. You’re right. That was you. Thanks again for your help. I really appreciate it.” My voice came out a little too sweet. Aria caught on to it right away.

  “You two know each other?” Aria was looking for an introduction and eyeing me for more of the story.

  “Sort of. He helped me with a runaway trash can this afternoon at my parents’ place. Vincent, correct?” I said.

  “That it is,” he replied.

  “I’m Aria.” Aria wasn’t about to waste any time getting to know the man. One thing you had to love about her, when she saw something she wanted, she went right for it. It was a trait that both of us possessed, which was probably why we were best friends. “These are my girls: Ziva and Sasha.”

  I waved a little hello. Sasha snorted.

  Luckily, Vincent ignored her. “Nice to meet you. I’m glad you stopped in,” he said. I was sure he was only talking to Aria.

  “So are we.” Aria couldn’t have oozed out more sexual charm if she tried.

  “I’m not sure what you ladies have planned this evening, but I’m hosting a private reception in the gallery upstairs if you’d like to join me,” Delgado offered. Aria didn’t even look to us before answering that we would love to. “Great. Well, I see Ricardo is bringing out your dinner. I’ll leave you to enjoy it, and I’ll stop by afterward.”

  “Sounds good,” Aria said.

  As Delgado walked away, Sasha squealed with delight. “Oh, a private party. Aren’t we VIPs?” I prayed Delgado was out of earshot.

  “You didn’t tell me you knew the hottie,” Aria said.

  “I didn’t recognize him,” I lied.

  “Sure, you didn’t.” Aria knew something was up. I tried to convey telepathically that I’d fill her in later. I eyed Sasha, hoping Aria picked up that she was why I wasn’t saying anything. Aria must have gotten my message because she dropped the subject.

  I take back my previous comment about the paella. Sorry, Mom, but Inez’s recipe was amazing. It was creamy and spicy, with a little salt. In other words, perfect. And t
hey didn’t skimp on the shrimp. The seafood in Savannah was truly delish. Maybe next time I’d be brave and try the raw oysters like Aria had. She said the secret to stomaching them, for novices, was bread and garlic butter. I’m all for butter, but I don’t know if I could get past the texture. Slime wasn’t a characteristic I was a fan of, especially when it came to my food. Aria happily poured them in her mouth off the shell, while I gagged on her behalf. I wasn’t an adventurous eater.

  Sasha topped both of us, though, in the way she went to town on her prime rib. She looked to be the most eager out of any of us to head up upstairs to the party. I doubted it was any type of party she’d ever been to. I hoped she wouldn’t be disappointed by martinis and jazz.

  “Girl, you’d better not choke on that. I’m not giving you the Heimlich maneuver, not in these heels,” I said to Sasha. Aria laughed. “I’m just saying, slow down. It’s good to keep a man waiting every now and then. We don’t want to look too desperate. It’s not like Del—, I mean, Vincent’s going to resign his invitation. Speaking of which, he hasn’t been able to take his eyes off Aria since stopping over here.”

  “What can I say?” Aria was far too pleased with herself.

  I had to admit, I was pretty pleased myself. I couldn’t ask for the evening to go any better. I was curious who else we might run into upstairs, or what details the night would reveal.

  In no time, Ricardo was stopping by to see if we’d like anything else. “Perhaps another drink to take upstairs?” he offered.

  “Sure, a vodka martini? Extra dirty,” Aria said.

  “So, it’s going to be like that, huh?” I said to Aria with a smile. “I’ll take a gin martini, thanks,” I replied to Ricardo.

  “You guys got Bud?” Sasha asked.

  Oh brother. Sasha had very little couth sometimes.

  Delgado brought our drinks over. He didn’t even need to ask whose was whose. Smooth. “How was your dinner?” he asked.

  “It was excellent. Thank you,” Aria replied.

  “You ready to join me upstairs?” he asked.

  “What do you say ladies, are we ready?” Aria asked.

  “Lead the way,” I replied.

  We followed Delgado back out toward the reception area, but turned left down a short hallway, as opposed to turning right to head toward the doors. He paused in the hallway and I wondered what he was waiting for, until the wall’s wood paneling slid back to reveal an elevator door. I would’ve never guessed an elevator was there at all.

  “Every month, I host a gathering for friends and business acquaintances,” Delgado explained has he punched in a security code to make the elevator operational. “It’s a way for me to catch up with everyone all at once, and remind myself to have a good time every now and then.” Maybe Delgado is taking his grandmother’s advice after all, I thought, as the doors slid shut and we headed up.

  The elevator opened to a beautiful black-and-white-marbled reception hall. Inside, we were greeted by every socialite who lived within a hundred-mile radius. Of course, my mind went straight to work. I couldn’t believe the networking possibilities. This was an entrepreneur’s dream. Sasha, already managing to slam her first beer, was headed over to the bar for another, and Delgado and Aria were walking hand-in-hand toward a more-private seating area in the back. I wasn’t worried about Aria. She was a smart girl and could hold her own. Like I said, I trusted her instinct just as much as my own, and I was sure she’d give me her read on him later.

  “Ziva, crazy running into you here,” a pretty blonde said to me.

  It took me a minute to place the face. “Kitti?” I didn’t recognize her, clothed and without her gold tassels. “You work at Inez’s too?” I asked.

  “Only at these parties. It helps bring in a little bit of extra cash, and I get to keep my clothes on. Piece of cake,” she replied. “I was going to call you. The girls and I have been thinking of having one of those beauty parties. Pamper ourselves, you know? Plus, I could use some new makeup for home. My stuff seems to get ruined at the club,” she said.

  “That’d be awesome. Give me a call and we’ll set something up,” I said.

  “Okay, the club’s closed Sundays, so maybe some time then?” she asked.

  “For sure,” I said. “And speaking about the club, I forgot to ask you, did Delgado know that Ann Marie and Roger were together?” I had been working on a theory in the back of my mind and it was starting to come together.

  “Did he know? Yeah, of course. Delgado knows everything that happens at his club. I think he’s the one who hooked them up.”

  “Really?”

  “He saw the way Roger looked at her and, next thing you know, they were together. I always thought it was bad business to hook up with the clients, but not Delgado. He knew how to keep his high rollers happy,” she replied.

  “Roger spent a lot of money at the club?”

  “Oh yeah. His nickname was Big Daddy because he dropped those big bills. Of course, Ann Marie got most of them, but sometimes he shared the wealth. Listen, I have to make my rounds, but maybe I’ll see you later tonight,” Kitti said.

  “Later?”

  “At The Palms. That’s usually where the after party ends up. I’m due on stage around one o’clock. I’m debuting a new act,” Kitti said with a sly grin. I could only imagine.

  “Yeah, okay cool. Maybe I will.”

  Kitti left to go sling drinks and I wandered around the room, pretending to appreciate the artwork. What I was really doing was thinking about the case. I figured no one would give me a second thought if I stared at a painting versus standing slack-jawed in the middle of the room.

  While I examined a beautiful real-life Degas and Renoir, I sorted out the facts. Three things I knew for sure. One, Roger was screwing over Delgado. Two, Delgado knew about Ann Marie and Roger. Three, both Roger and Ann Marie were dead. While I couldn’t prove it, I was also betting that Ann Marie knew Roger was embezzling funds from Delgado. If I knew this, I’m betting Delgado did too. It seemed his motivation for offing the two, kept getting stronger and stronger.

  “Excuse me, are you Ms. Diaz? Vincent’s lady friend tells me you’re the one I must talk to.” I turned toward the silver-haired woman. Over her shoulder, Aria caught my eye and smiled. “I’m Ms. DeVine,” the woman said, “and I hear you’re a beauty expert.”

  Turns out, Ms. DeVine was looking to turn back the aging clock and hoped I had the magic formula, which, if you asked me, I did. I told her all about Beauty Secrets’ rejuvenating line, showcasing my smooth complexion as proof. Truth be told, I probably had my Grandma Diaz’s awesome genes to thank more for my wrinkle-free face, but the peptides in Beauty Secrets’ formula couldn’t have hurt either.

  I was beyond thrilled to gain a client like Ms. DeVine. She would be my ticket into the socialites of Savannah. It turned out, her sister-in-law was the Lieutenant General’s wife, and her niece was Little Miss Georgia. Sweet sugar, I would just love to break into the pageant business. Talk about being at the right place at the right time.

  The women who lined up to talk with Ms. DeVine were amazing. Spending an hour within her social circle garnered me more contacts and private consultations than I had earned hosting all my parties last year combined. The rich knew what it took to keep themselves looking young, and they were willing to pay top dollar to achieve it. Good thing I had brought my phone with me, as I was able to schedule several appointments and enter in all the ladies’ contact information on the spot. My schedule was packed tighter than a beauty queen in a corset, and I couldn’t have been happier. What’s more, if I did decide to take my business private, which I was really leaning that way, I might have just met my first investors. The night was getting better and better. Delgado knew what he was doing in hosting these private events. I was already willing to look past a transgression or two.

  I looked up just in time to see Sasha staggering my way. Who knew how many beers she’d downed, but it was one too many. I needed to excuse myself befo
re Sasha reached us and said who knows what.

  “Excuse me, ladies. It was a pleasure meeting all of you, but there’s someone I must catch before she leaves. I’ll be in touch soon if I don’t make my way back over tonight.” I waved goodbye and reached Sasha before she could join the conversation and embarrass us. Oh my, she was drunker than drunk.

  “Lookie what I got.” Aria’s car keys dangled between her fingers. Good Lord, what was Aria thinking giving Sasha the keys?

  “I don’t think so,” I said. I swiped the keys from her hand.

  “Hey! I wanted to drive. Aria gave me the keys! You’re not being fair.” Sasha was starting to act like Arjun. That is, a five-year old.

  “Where’d they go?” I asked Sasha.

  “Where’d who go?”

  “Aria!” Sasha was mentally two steps behind me.

  “I dunno. Who cares?” Sasha made a move for the keys and I tossed them in my purse.

  “Sasha, come on. What did she say?” I asked.

  “Huh?” Sasha was off in Lala Land, scoping out the bartender.

  Aria texted me a second later. Headed to The Palms. Meet you there? she wrote.

  Right behind you, I replied.

  DON’T LET SASHA DRIVE! she texted back in all caps.

  No worries there. I looked up and Sasha was headed back toward the bar. Are you kidding me?

  “Hey-ya,” she started to whine when I caught up with her and pulled her away.

  “C’mon, girl, we got another party to go to,” I said.

  “We do? A party? Really?” Sasha got way too excited. It was like dangling a chocolate chip cookie in front of a preschooler.

  “Yep, and this next one’s right up your alley.” I just prayed tonight wasn’t amateur night.

  “Uno minuto,” Sasha replied. I gave her a look that said we didn’t have the time. “Promise, just one minute,” she said.

  I waited, not so patiently, for Sasha to go back up to the bartender. I wasn’t sure what she was doing until he handed her a pen. Instead of writing her number down on a napkin, like a sane person, she scribbled her digits on his forearm. The poor guy. At least he seemed amused.