Styled for Murder

by Nancy J. Cohen

  “Is there anyone else who might have had a reason to harm Jack?”

  Marla consulted her mental list. “Caroline and Nadia work at the design center, but they wouldn’t have the strength to snap a man’s neck.”

  Nicole put a hand on her hip. “How do you know? With the proper training, anyone could do it. Women can be warriors, too.”

  “Or maybe they got a male friend to do the deed,” Marla suggested. A whiff of holding spray entered her nose. Zoey was spritzing her customer across the aisle.

  “Do either of them have a possible motive?”

  “Nothing that seems strong enough. Nadia isn’t satisfied with her position, but she’s getting paid and has benefits. She’d like to open her own architectural firm someday. This job will add to her credentials, but not if the company goes under. George seems to believe that’s where they are headed. I don’t understand why he’d think so.”

  “What about Caroline?”

  “She and Brad are tight together. I don’t see why either one of them would knock off Jack.”

  “What about those missing paychecks? Could they have suspected Jack of taking the money?”

  Marla spread her hands. “If so, why kill him? They could have demanded restitution or fired him.”

  “Not if Jack had some hold over Brad. Your granite guy mentioned he and Brad were a team. They must have known each other’s secrets.”

  “True. Or maybe Jack was about to rat on Brad? The company president could be the one embezzling funds and Jack suspected him. He got tired of being blamed for the deficits by everyone and threatened to expose his boss. Brad got rid of Jack as a liability.”

  Marla’s timer dinged and she sent her client to get shampooed. They only had a few more minutes to schmooze.

  “Can Dalton look into the company finances?” Nicole asked, glancing at the sinks where her customer was nearly done.

  “I’ve already asked him to check on it.”

  “It sounds as though you’re on top of things then. How’s the baby? I don’t see how you have time for sleuthing when you’ve so much else to do.”

  Marla’s face split into a grin. “He’s teething and is drooling all over the place. I think that’s why he’s been fussy at night, although yesterday he slept well.”

  “Your dark circles are showing, girlfriend. You need to use more concealer.”

  “Who cares? I can barely get dressed in the morning. Each day is exhausting.”

  “That’s motherhood for you,” Nicole said with a wry twist of her mouth.

  What did that mean? Marla knew her friend had been trying to get pregnant ever since she and Kevin had gotten married. Was she wishing she had the same problems?

  “Do you still want me to bring my wild rice and barley dish to your anniversary barbecue?” she asked, remembering the event.

  “Yes, please. Memorial Day weekend is coming up too fast.” Nicole draped a clean cape around her client, who’d sat in her chair.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask Dalton about the police picnic. It’s the same weekend. I’d make two batches of my side dish and bring one there as well. I’ll mention it to him tonight.”

  As Marla got busy working on her client, she wondered if Dalton was merely being forgetful with so much on his mind. Or was he not planning to attend the picnic this year? He missed his field work, but that shouldn’t have anything to do with it. He’d see his friends there.

  Troubled for no particular reason, she determined to broach the subject that evening.

  Chapter Nine

  Marla remembered to ask Dalton about the police picnic after dinner as she washed the baby’s bottles. Ryder was asleep, his eyes closing as soon as Dalton had laid him down in his crib. She prayed he’d stay sleeping so she could get some rest. Her neck ached from the long day at work. She hadn’t gotten home until eight-thirty.

  “I spoke to Nicole about her anniversary party today,” she began, scrubbing the nipples and propping them to dry on the mat she’d bought for that purpose.

  “Oh, yeah?” Dalton said as he wiped down the kitchen table.

  Marla had waited to mention the event until after her husband filled his stomach. Wait until a man has his dinner before bringing up a touchy subject, her mother had advised. A meal always mellows a man.

  “I’m taking my wild rice dish to Nicole’s event. I could make a double batch if we’re attending the station picnic that weekend.”

  “Good idea,” he said, his head bent over his task. “Do we have a gift for Nicole and Kevin?”

  “The first anniversary is paper. I thought I’d order a set of personalized stationery. You know, memo pads, sticky notes and such.”

  “That’s boring. How about a picture frame or one of those online albums that you put together from digital photos?”

  She gave him a shrewd glance, aware he’d changed the subject. “I’ll do more research on it. Have you bought tickets yet for the picnic or notified Betsy we’ll be coming?” It was a potluck meal held at the park under a roofed pavilion. Betsy, one of the officer’s wives, coordinated the gathering.

  “Not yet. I wasn’t sure if you wanted to go or if we should spend a quiet day with Ryder.”

  “Are you kidding? He’d love the park, and you could show him off to your friends.” They were always looking for ways to entertain their son and use up his energy during the day. Why would Dalton think she’d want to do otherwise?

  Dalton scraped a hand through his hair. “All right. I’ll let Betsy know we’re coming.” He almost sounded reluctant, which struck her as odd. Usually he enjoyed the department’s social functions.

  Marla dried her hands on a towel. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “Nuh-uh. This just slipped my mind, that’s all. I’m glad you reminded me.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. He still wouldn’t meet her gaze. “We also need to talk about Brianna’s graduation party. I haven’t done a thing to plan it. Do you know how many friends she wants to invite?”

  “Are you talking about me?” the teen said, wandering into the kitchen and opening the refrigerator door. Dressed in her pajamas and without any makeup, she looked ten years younger. A pang struck Marla’s heart at the thought of her leaving for college.

  “Yes, we were discussing your graduation. Where do you want to have the celebration and when? There will probably be a lot of parties that weekend.”

  Brianna closed the fridge door, a container of yogurt in her hand. “It’s more your party than mine, with both sets of grandparents and your stylists coming.”

  “Maybe so, but we’re proud of you, honey. We want to celebrate your accomplishments with our family and friends. You can invite whoever you want to come.”

  Dalton waved at them. “I’m going to take a shower while I have the chance.” He tossed his cleaning sponge on the counter and bolted from the room, leaving them to their social planning.

  Brianna was unfazed by his departure. “Let’s hold the party at a restaurant,” she told Marla. “That would be easier. Would it work for Ryder?”

  “We’ll have to schedule it before his nap, unless we get a sitter.”

  “No way. He’s part of the family and the grannies would want to see him. We can do a brunch. Then I can go to other parties that day.”

  “Okay. Do you have a place in mind?”

  Brianna shrugged. “Not really. We’d need a restaurant with a private room. I’ll do the research if you’re busy with other stuff.”

  “That would be a big help, thanks.”

  “Will Dad be inviting anyone from work?” the teen asked, lifting her brows.

  “I wouldn’t know. He rarely talks about things there anymore. I think the desk job is getting to him.” Marla tilted her head, wondering if Brianna had made the same observation.

  “He’s good in a leadership role. I feel better about him being in an office instead of out on the street.” Brianna got a spoon from a drawer, popped the lid on her container,
and dug into her strawberry-flavored yogurt.

  “I agree.” Marla leaned against the counter and folded her arms across her chest. She appreciated these talks with her stepdaughter and hoped they wouldn’t lose their closeness once Brianna left home.

  “By the way, how’s your mom’s case going?” Brianna asked with a sparkle in her eyes.

  “I’ve met the people at the design center as well as the tile guy and the granite dealer. But I’m too tired to talk about it.”

  “You look exhausted. You’d better go to bed before Ryder wakes us all up.”

  Marla gave her a tired smile. “I’ll bet you can’t wait until you’re out of here. You’ll be able to sleep through the night again without interruption. But we’re going to miss you terribly.”

  “You’ll get over it. See you in the morning.” Brianna tromped off, her long hair swinging at her back. Marla gazed after her with fondness.

  She got ready for the night but couldn’t go to sleep right away with so many things on her mind. Cradling her laptop, she sat up in bed and checked her email. Dalton lay beside her, snoring with his eyes closed. She tapped lightly on the keyboard, not wishing to wake him.

  After looking up anniversary gifts for Nicole, she brought up the schedule for the garlic festival. She’d have to figure out the logistics for her stylists at the pageant unless Robyn had already taken care of that task.

  Uh-oh. A warning at the festival site popped up saying the restrooms were under construction due to renovations. Portable potties would be available. That would be inconvenient when they had to change Ryder.

  Dalton would have to watch the baby while she was busy backstage. She hoped he didn’t get called away by a case that weekend, although it happened less often now that he was engaged in administrative duties.

  Her eyelids drooped and she shut down the computer. Now if only she could succumb to slumber as easily as her husband.

  ****

  Marla awoke when light seeped into the room from the window blinds. Her cell phone read six-thirty. She stretched with a groan. Either Ryder had slept through the night, or she hadn’t heard Dalton get up to tend to him. His space was rumpled and empty. He must be doing the morning feeding.

  She crawled out of bed, did her morning ablutions, and trundled into the kitchen still in her pajamas. Dalton sat feeding their son, a tender expression on his face. He glanced up at her entrance.

  “Morning, sweetcakes. Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes, thanks. I was so conked out that I didn’t hear Ryder at all.”

  “He woke up a short time ago. I have an early meeting this morning. Would you mind taking over so I can get dressed?”

  “Sure. Go ahead.”

  Ryder seemed to take forever to eat, throwing half his food on the floor and laughing at her response. After he’d finished his breakfast, she put him down on his play mat in the family room. Dalton came inside, looking handsome in a charcoal suit. He’d brushed his hair back from his forehead, its silver highlights adding to his distinguished air.

  “Listen, I have something to tell you,” Dalton said, his glance raking her over. Still in her pajamas, she flushed under his perusal. “It’s about Reed. I meant to mention it last night but got distracted.”

  She stiffened. “What about him?”

  “Jack’s son was enrolled at the university when Reed was teaching there. The kid dropped out for unknown reasons. He’d been a student of Reed’s in his literature class.”

  “That’s not so unusual.” She gazed at him warily. From the glint in his eyes, there was more to tell.

  “Remember how Reed mentioned problems with kids who cheated on exams or plagiarized their school papers? What if he caused the boy to get kicked out?”

  “You said the kid dropped out from school, not that he’d been expelled. Even if Reed were to blame for his departure, it would give Jack a reason to resent him and not the other way around,” Marla pointed out.

  “What if Jack had retaliated in some way? Reed would want to avoid any further contact with him. It doesn’t make sense that he’d have chosen the design firm under those circumstances.”

  “It’s likely Reed had no idea who would be assigned to his project or even that Jack worked there,” Marla said. “That could be why Reed seemed startled the first time they met on the job.”

  “You may be right. I’m still curious as to why Reed picked this place. He must have had some connection to Davinia that drew him to her endorsement.”

  “Could they have known each other back in Reed’s teaching days? That would have been when Reed was married to his first wife.”

  “Who knows? Maybe you can ask the actress at the garlic festival since she’ll be there as a pageant judge.”

  “That’s assuming we get a chance to meet. There’s so much going on that day. Various bands are booked for the main stage. Competitions and cooking demos will draw crowds, not to mention the exhibitors and food vendors. I can’t wait to try the garlic conch fritters, crab cakes and jerk chicken.”

  Dalton’s face brightened. “I’m more interested in the Argentine barbecue, gator bites and garlic ice cream. Hey, don’t look so surprised. I looked up the menu, too.”

  “Of course, you’d be interested in the food.” She should have known that would appeal to him. “I’m hoping we can watch one of the guest chefs.”

  “You’ll be busy with your stylists, and I’ll be with Ryder. We’ll have our hands full.”

  “I suppose so. What should we do in the meantime to help my mother and Reed? Did you have a chance to look into the design company’s finances?”

  “Not yet.” Dalton snatched his keys from a set of wall hooks. “I’m still trying to learn more about their inception. I can’t get anything earlier on the firm’s president. It’s damned odd.”

  “Davinia might have the answers. She could shed light on her brother’s past.”

  “Maybe she’ll come to the funeral. I got word from Detective Wanner that Jack’s body is being released. His son will be holding a local graveside service.”

  Marla perked up at this news. “One of us should go to see who shows up.”

  “Let’s talk about it later. You’d better get dressed. I have to leave for work.”

  ****

  Hours later during a break at the salon, Marla headed into the back storeroom to grab a cup of coffee and to do more research on the case. She’d decided to reach out to the company’s customers via social media. For this purpose, she signed into her neighborhood app. A quick search found someone who had asked for recommendations on bathroom remodels.

  This request had garnered a number of responses including several mentions of Amaze Design Center. She sent off a series of private messages to the commentators of those posts.

  By the end of the workday on Friday, she had a load of replies. People were descriptive in their tales of woe.

  “The company cuts corners by sending unlicensed workers to do their electrical work. I almost had a fire in my kitchen due to improper wiring behind our oven.”

  “This company doesn’t provide the products they promise. I’d ordered sliding glass doors for my shower. The installers came and put on a fixed door instead. When I said it was wrong, the foreman tried to convince me this type of door was the popular choice. I insisted they change it to the ones specified in the blueprints.”

  “The mirror guys were awful. They didn’t remove the label. We have a smear now because we had to scrub it off.”

  “I suspect the foreman and the permit inspector are colluding together. There’s no way the latter would pass their sloppy work. I noticed an exchange between the two of them in our backyard. I didn’t see any money switch hands, but I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  Marla reread that last one. Was this customer implying the inspector accepted bribes to approve inferior work? Had their foreman been Jack Laredo?

  She shot back a query asking for the job supervisor’s name. She also asked for the name of the p
ermit inspector, which might be listed on their paperwork.

  What if the permit guy truly was accepting bribes? Jack might have threatened to expose him. Had this person killed the foreman to protect his reputation?

  Chapter Ten

  Saturday morning at the salon, Robyn greeted her from the front desk. “We have the schedule for the garlic festival. They want us there at ten-thirty. We’ll have to do makeup as well as hair. Is that okay?”

  “Sure, that will work. I’ll have to drive separately from Dalton. Then he can leave with Ryder if the baby starts fussing.”

  “Any new leads on the murder case?” Robyn asked, thrusting a strand of hair back from her face. She wore garnet lipstick, a new look for her. It gave her a gothic vibe with her nails painted the same color and heavier than usual makeup. Did she have a date after work?

  “Jack’s memorial service is tomorrow,” Marla said, not wishing to pry into Robyn’s personal life at the moment. “Dalton and I plan to attend. He called his parents to ask if they’d babysit. Kate and John haven’t seen Ryder in a couple of weeks, so they were happy to agree.”

  “You’re lucky to have both grandmothers nearby.” Robyn gave a rueful chuckle. “You and Dalton probably go to more funerals than anyone I know. It’ll be interesting to see who shows up at this one.”

  “Tell me about it. I’m hoping we can learn more about the people who knew Jack.”

  Marla went to work as her first appointment arrived. She didn’t get a chance to discuss the case again until later. Feeling an urge to touch base with Tally, she called her friend during an interval between clients. She sat outside on the salon’s front bench for privacy and a breath of fresh air. Her hair stirred in the light breeze.

  “How is Luke?” Marla asked to start the conversation. “I can’t believe he’ll be three years old in August. That’s your milestone birthday, too.”

  “Don’t remind me. How does it feel to be forty, old lady?”

  Marla grinned at Tally’s teasing tone. She was six months older than her friend and never heard the end of it. “Thankfully, it feels no different. However, being a mother has aged me ten years.”