by Gerald Lopez
“OK,” Galen said.
“‘Family hug time’,” Walter said when they were outside. “Who are you?”
“I’m a part of a family with two boys, two puppies, and a very sexy papa,” the detective said. “Louise told Galen the identity of Chambers’ blonde. It was Corinne.”
Walter gasped. “But… but Corinne never said anything. Although….”
“Although what?”
“She was acting strangely,” Walter said, then began pacing. “Normally she loved to go with me to social events, but she started waffling on invites as if she had a better offer—Chambers. Corinne and I never slept together and Chambers knew that.”
“Why did she choose you over Chambers?”
“What do you mean?”
“If she didn’t already have the puppy, then that means she chose to continue going to your parties, rather than attend Chambers’ social events.”
“Oh my God it was because of Barry Keeler,” Walter said.
“Who?”
“My movie director friend—you’ve met him a couple of times. He certainly remembers you. Anyway, I mentioned to my staff that Barry would be coming to the gala opening of a new restaurant in town and that I would be there. Corinne wasn’t sure she wanted to go as my date but then—”
“Then she found out Keeler would be there,” the detective said. “Not exactly a dumb move on her part to choose you over Chambers and a puppy.”
“Especially since I’m stupid and gullible.”
“Corinne and you both knew what you had was a mutually beneficial arrangement and nothing more. Neither of you was stupid about that.”
“Does knowing it was Corinne really help your case?”
“Yeah. Now I just need to find out who loved her enough to feel threatened by Chambers. And whether or not that love between Corinne and her unknown admirer was mutual.”
“It couldn’t have been or Corinne would’ve mentioned it to someone, even if it was only Louise. Those two talked together a lot. Poor Corinne. I did hear she’s gonna have a grand viewing thanks to Ms. Adele and Ms. Lucie.”
“So she gets some sort of fame in the end,” the detective said. He was surprised when Walter hugged him tightly.
“Don’t let go,” Walter said. “Not ever, promise me.”
“I promise you… again. Find us a place to get hitched when this case is over. A simple but binding ceremony, babe.”
“I’ll do that,” the detective said.
The next morning the detective got up before everyone else and took the stone staircase down to the beach. He was casually dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, and flip-flops when he walked up to Marianne at the restaurant where they’d celebrated Gabriel’s birthday. Her brother Arnou was there, dressed in white pants rolled up at the cuffs, slip on shoes, and a T-shirt. He stood and assumed a fighting pose when he saw the detective.
“Oh please, not again,” Marianne said. “No talk of feet in ass or kicking asses—whatever.”
“What do you want, Detective?” Arnou said.
“Who in town had it bad for Corinne?” the detective said.
“A lot of guys wanted to get in those panties,” Arnou said.
“Don’t be vulgar,” Marianne said, as she combed her hand through her loose hair.
“Thanks for the birthday lunch for Gabriel, me, and the others,” the detective said to Arnou.
“Gabriel’s a good kid, so’s his brother,” Arnou said as he slipped out of his canvas shoes. “Let’s walk, Detective.”
“Arnou,” Marianne said.
“We’re not gonna fight. The detective and I need to speak away from sensitive ears.”
“You’ll speak where you are in front of me,” Marianne said. “And don’t try to make out that Corinne was a tramp.”
“Quite the opposite is true,” Arnou said. “The girl had her legs closed so tightly you couldn’t budge them with a crowbar.”
“You tried, huh?” the detective said.
“Nope,” Arnou said. “I had no interest in what she had. And Corinne didn’t offer anything to local boys, no matter how much they might beg or plead. She was holding out for someone she thought could make her a star.”
“Like Chambers?”
“Chambers,” Marianne said, “and Corinne? But she was meeting a director friend of Walter’s at a party.”
“Nobody interested in Corinne would feel romantically threatened by Walter,” Arnou said. “Everyone knows where his interests lie. But Chambers is a whole different story. Corinne wouldn’t remain so virginal going out with him, and that’s just a fact.”
“A fact that would bother who exactly?” the detective said.
“Oh I see now,” Marianne said. “You think Chambers’ killer was someone who was sweet on Corinne.”
“More than sweet I’d say,” Arnou said. “Obsessed… I get it.”
“When have you ever been obsessed like that?” Marianne said.
“It happens when a… to a man… sometimes,” Arnou said. “And I am a man. If I didn’t need my handsome face for business, you and I could fight it out, Mr. Detective. Then my sister could really see who the better man is.”
“It’s very clear to me who the better man is, and who is the braggart,” Marianne said, then walked away.
“That was harsh,” the detective said to Arnou.
“Don’t you think I deserved it,” Arnou said.
“I’m not entirely sure what I think you deserve… yet.”
“The local boys were all crazy about Corinne. She was the one they had no hope of getting. That made her all the more desirable of course.”
“Makes sense. Who let their feelings go too far?”
“I don’t know and believe it or not I would tell you if I did, Mr. Detective.”
“But we’d fight first.”
“Who knows?” Arnou said. “Maybe you’d win the fight. You’re no girly man by any means. It’ll happen one day—the fight.”
“I’ll be sure not to put a mark on that pretty face,” the detective said.
“You noticed my face.”
“I took note,” the detective said, then started to leave.
“Naomi will like you, Detective. And she’ll be impressed with what she sees. So will you.”
“Why will she be impressed?”
“Because you’re impressive and you know it,” Arnou said. “Chambers’ killer knew he could never impress Corinne. It wasn’t about winning her for himself, but keeping Chambers from ruining her. Corinne had a reputation amongst the women, but the men here know better. She may have had the heart of a tramp ready to sell her goods for a chance at fame. But she truly did have the body of a saint.”
“And what if the opportunity for fame had arisen?” the detective said.
“How many people could say no to a roll in the hay if it got them everything they ever dreamed of in life?” Arnou said.
“Not many.”
“My sister and I own this restaurant, the club Paradis and more. Our parents died when we were young, but we made it. Sometimes we sold our bodies to do it, but the price was worth it. It beat starving, when so many around us were going hungry.”
“Spoken like a man who’s well fed, but starving still.”
“Yeah,” Arnou said softly. “Life is confusing sometimes. There’s love and hate, murder and other evil things. I’m a brute but… don’t want to b—I think I hate you, Detective.”
“Sometimes love and hate are just two sides of the same coin. A brute can be a gentleman down deep and vice-versa. The same way a quiet next door neighbor can have the heart of a killer beating inside of him.”
Chapter 29
In the House of the Dead
WHEN THE DETECTIVE walked through the door of the house, Galen ran to him, followed by his puppy. He wrapped his arms around his Popsy’s leg and hugged him.
“Popsy, you’re home!” Galen said.
“You missed puppy potty training,” Walter said, as he walked
in already dressed to meet Naomi.
“Where’s Gabriel?” the detective said. “And do I have to dress up?”
“Gabriel’s in his room with Jimmy,” Walter said. “His puppy is playing chaperone. And I already put your clothes on the bed.”
The detective picked up Galen, swung him around, then gave him a big hug. “You behave while we’re gone OK, Kiddo?”
“OK, I’ll be good,” Galen said. “I promise, Popsy.”
“Let me go check on your big brother real quick,” the detective said, then put down Galen, petted the puppy, and headed to Gabriel’s room. The door was open but he knocked on the wall beside it rather than go in. “It’s Pops, can I come in?”
“Yeah,” Gabriel said.
When the detective walked in he found Gabriel and Jimmy sitting on the floor playing with Gabriel’s puppy.
“Hey, Jimmy,” the detective said.
“I came over to help Gabriel babysit, now that there are two puppies to watch too,” Jimmy said.
“Thanks,” the detective said. “Just remember that’s what you’re here for in between the smooches.”
Gabriel and Jimmy both laughed.
“We’ll be sure to keep an eye on Galen and both puppies, Pops,” Gabriel said.
“I know you will.”
“Thanks for knocking before coming in,” Gabriel said.
“It’s all about mutual respect, right?” the detective said.
“Your Pops is so cool,” Jimmy said to Gabriel.
The detective waved bye, smiled, then left. He walked into the master bedroom and looked at the clothes on the bed—khakis, a polo shirt and deck shoes. He saw Walter walk in, smiled, then spoke.
“The big boys think I’m a cool Pops,” the detective said, as he started to strip in order to take a shower.
“You are a very cool Pops,” Walter said, then kissed his detective for a while before letting him go.
The detective showered quickly, then walked into the bedroom again and started getting dressed.
“How well do you know the folks handling Corinne’s funeral?” the detective said.
“Not very well,” Walter said. “You’ve been thinking over things while in the shower. You always said it was a good place to go through ideas and formulate theories.”
“It is.”
“If you want to stop by the funeral home, it’s somewhat close,” Walter said. “We can swing by and offer our condolences. And since I knew Corinne it won’t look strange or raise suspicions.
“Let’s do that,” the detective said.
After checking the boys again, and laying down the rules, Walter drove his detective into town. Soon the two were being welcomed into the funeral home by Maxime’s father, Jeremie. The man was tall, slim, and elegant looking, with salt and pepper color hair and a tan.
“How are you, Sir?” Walter said.
“Well, thank you,” Jeremie said.
They were ushered into a comfortable sitting room, and a slender, smartly-dressed woman entered and greeted Walter with a hug.
“My wife Annette and I just got back to town after visiting her sister,” Jeremie said.
“We just came by to offer our condolences,” Walter said.
“Oh, I didn’t realize you knew Dolores,” Annette said. “She hadn’t been here for a visit in so long. We actually had to go out of town to pick up her body when she passed away. Her funeral was some days ago now.”
“Dolores?” Walter said.
“The woman who people referred to as the bitch,” the detective said.
“That would be her,” Jeremie said. “She could be quite cruel, and extremely critical.”
“Now, now,” Maxime said when he entered the room from a door in back. “Let’s not speak evil of our clients be they dead or living.” He smiled.
“Actually, I was talking about Corinne,” Walter said.
“Corinne?” Annette said. “What about her?”
“She recently passed away, and your son has been preparing her body for viewing,” the detective said.
“Corinne,” Jeremie said, then practically growled. He was mad. “Haven’t you wasted enough time on that girl, Maxime? I hope you’re not working on her for free. Don’t expect me to donate a coffin.”
“Good God, Maxime, the girl makes a fool out of you even when she’s dead,” Annette said.
“People do have strong and not particularly kind words about the girl,” the detective said.”
“She was a slut,” Jeremie said.
“Hardly,” Maxime said.
“No not a slut, but a tease who thought she deserved whatever she could get,” Annette said. “Why is her body here, Maxime?”
“The sisters paid for everything,” Maxime said.
“The sisters,” Annette said. You mean Adele and Lucie? Their brother wouldn’t give them a dime to pay for Corinne’s viewing or funeral.”
“Corinne fell from the rocks and landed on the sisters’ big brother killing him instantly,” Maxime said.
“That means we have two funerals to work on,” Jeremie said.
“The sisters are paying big money for me to make Corinne a priority,” Maxime said. “They want her to look like an angel they can display in their beloved priest’s chapel.”
“Then keep working on Corinne, and I’ll lend a hand with the big brother tomorrow,” Jeremie said.
“Why not today?” Maxime said.
“Why today?” Annette said. “What’s going on, Maxime?
“I don’t want to be around those stupid sisters,” Maxime said, “they eyeball me like I’m a piece of meat. Ms. Adele even put her hand on my knee.”
“So what?” Jeremie said. “You’re handsome like me. And If she’s paying big money then she could put her hand on your crotch for all that it matters.”
“Jeremie!” Annette said. “Did you forget we have company?”
“We need to be leaving,” the detective said.
“Yes,” Walter said. “We just stopped by to say we’re sorry about Corinne—but we have another appointment to keep.”
“Corinne always liked you, Walter,” Maxime said. “Not many people ever got to know the real her—the sweet, innocent girl.”
“That comment alone proves that she was an expert manipulator,” Annette said.
“Like all women,” Jeremie said, earning himself an angry glare from his wife.
“Are you including me in that comment, Jeremie?” Annette said.
“You’re a woman, aren’t you?” Jeremie said.
“Papa!” Maxime said.
“Your father’s just angry because he feels like I manipulated him into attending a lavish party onboard the Renner’s yacht,” Annette said. “Marianne will be there. She’s a real beauty, unlike that Corinne. And Marianne has always been able to get any man she wanted. I can’t say the same for Corinne.”
“Mother,” Maxime said, “you’re selling Corinne short.”
“I’m merely calling things as I see them,” Annette said.
“Women,” Jeremie said, then looked at Walter and the detective.
“Lucky us,” the detective said. “No manipulative women in our lives. Good-bye.” He grabbed Walter’s arm then left.
“That was rude of you,” Walter said, as he and his detective were walking back to the car.
“Yeah. Just fitting in with the hosts.”
“Did you learn anything?” Walter said.
“Maybe,” the detective said. “That was funny about the sisters coming onto Maxime.”
“If it’s true,” Walter said.
“Is Maxime a liar?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why doubt what he said?”
“It just doesn’t make sense,” Walter said. “The sisters are so much older than Maxime.”
“And they had no real lives while their brother was alive,” the detective said.
“And what? They’re making up for it now. Is that why you think Lucie got a makeover.
”
“Y’up.”
“That’s a cynical way of thinking about things.”
“It’s just sex. Don’t be a prude.”
“I’m not a prude,” Walter said. “We had threesomes with Reynard, attended a couple orgies, and have messed around with men together. I’m no prude!”
The detective put his arm around Walter’s shoulder. “But we were always together. When you weren’t there it wasn’t the same.”
“You really are beginning to melt, detective,” Walter said. “Why? The truth, please.”
“I missed you,” the detective said.
“That’s a simple answer,” Walter said. “I wasn’t trying to manipulate you when I left to come here like I did. Part of me needed to prove my worth—to myself. Redoing La Mer from a low-end hotel to a luxury one really gave me something.”
“Confidence,” the detective said. “Enough that you knew I’d come.”
“Yeah. Did you keep track of me?”
“No, I trusted you.”
“That must’ve been difficult,” Walter said. “You don’t trust easily. And now do you trust me?”
“Completely,” the detective said, and smiled. “The people here trust you too.”
“Why do you say that?”
“The boys are with us.”
“Nobody’s fighting against it either, are they?”
“Nope.”
“Do you think that Chambers trusted his killer,” Walter said.
Chapter 30
It’s Time
WALTER DROVE TO Naomi’s home, and the detective held his free hand.
“Arnou said I’ll like Naomi,” the detective said.
“You will,” Walter said. “Everyone does. And she’ll like you too.”
“That’s what Arnou said.”
“Hmm, are you two suddenly friends?”
“He said he hates me, so I guess not.”
“Do you think he really does hate you?”
“There are strong feelings there,” the detective said. “Lucky you’ve laid your claim on me already.”
“Remember that. Arnou’s not exactly ugly.”
They both chuckled, then talked about the boys, puppies and other things until they got to a gate surrounded by a tall, white, stucco wall. The guard standing by the gate opened it when he saw Walter.