Ladies' Circle of Murder (A Lacy Steele Mystery Book 8)

by Vanessa Gray Bartal

  “They broke off awhile ago. I’m sure it’s fine.”

  “Okay. You don’t have to pick me up tonight. I’ll have Mom drop me off.”

  “Good because I’m going to walk. Grandma needs her car.”

  “Want us to pick you up?” Riley offered.

  “No, thanks, I’m good,” Lacy said. The less time spent with her mom right now, the better.

  “Coward.”

  “I just enjoy the fresh air, is all,” Lacy said. To prove it, she turned and began walking at a brisk pace. The day was beautiful and balmy for late fall. By the time she was a few blocks from Riley’s house, she had forgotten most of the morning’s misery and even managed to hum a little tune.

  The screech of tires distracted her. She turned in time to see a Cadillac barreling toward her with no intention of slowing. There was no time to get out of the way; she was going to get hit. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for an impact that never came.

  Opening one eye, she saw that it had swerved at the last minute before coming to a grinding halt. Deborah Hoskins bounded from the vehicle and charged toward Lacy, finger pointed at her face like a weapon.

  “Stop talking to people about Bob’s death,” she yelled.

  “What’s the problem?” Lacy asked. She tried to sound calm, despite the fact that her knees were shaking. Had Deb tried to run her down and had a last minute change of heart, or was that only how it seemed?

  “The problem is some cop showed up at my door this morning asking me all kinds of questions, and now the insurance people are asking questions, too. I might get my settlement taken back, thanks to you.”

  “If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear,” Lacy said.

  “That’s not how he made it sound. He made it sound like he thought I killed Bob.”

  Did you? Lacy wanted to ask. Instead she tried to make it appear that she was on Deb’s side. “The police always sound official and intimidating. It’s their job. I’m sure his questions were routine.”

  “He said you told him I did it,” Deb said.

  Lacy bit back an impatient sigh. She was sure the good detective was all too happy to hang her out to dry, but at least he was asking questions. “I didn’t tell him you did it. But you have to admit that you seem angry, and the insurance claim doesn’t look good.”

  “You bet I’m angry! You try being married to someone for twenty-five years and then have him come tell you he wants out because he cheated. I have every right to be angry. But the last couple of years, things were going better. In fact, it was Bob’s idea for me to take out a policy on him. And he had one on me, which is what I told the detective this morning. But he wouldn’t have killed me for it, just like I didn’t kill him. Maybe you should start looking into his girlfriend, the little gold digger. She’s probably going to inherit everything he kept in the divorce.”

  “Who is his girlfriend?”

  Deb tossed up her hands in a helpless gesture. “I have no idea. He kept it a secret all these years. You know someone all your life, you’re together since high school, and then it turns out you don’t know him at all.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

  “You went to high school together?” Lacy asked. Deb nodded. “Did you know my mother? Her name is Frannie Steele. That’s not her maiden name, of course.”

  “I don’t need her maiden name. There was only one Frannie. Prom princess, homecoming queen, head cheerleader. I don’t remember everyone, but I remember her.” She didn’t say it with the warm tone of friendship.

  “Did she and Bob ever date back then?” Lacy asked.

  Deb snorted. “Frannie stoop to the likes of dating Bob? I don’t think so. Miss Priss practically washed her hands anytime someone from our group looked at her. Bob had a thing for her, though. Stood up for her if anyone from our under-the-bleacher crowd made fun of her. He said there was more to her than we knew. But women like Frannie have always had a way of making men fall for them, not like the rest of us who have to work for it and then still can’t manage to keep them after two decades of marriage.” Her voice broke and she sniffed again.

  Lacy felt like she should apologize, but she wasn’t sure for what. For the fact that Deb’s marriage had ended so miserably? She was sorry for that, but she didn’t think Deb would want to hear it. Should she apologize because her mom was such a snob in high school? Or because she had instigated an investigation into Bob’s death. She couldn’t apologize for that, though; she wasn’t sorry.

  “Have you been following me all day?” she asked instead.

  “What? No, I saw you walking and decided to have a word,” Deb said. Lacy couldn’t tell if she was lying. How many people who drove a Cadillac could be angry enough to follow her?

  “Look, the truth is that I’m as anxious to be done with this investigation as you are. I want to find out the truth of what happened to Bob, write this article, and have done with it.”

  “That’s fine, but you leave me out of it. Or else.”

  Or else what? Lacy didn’t get the chance to ask. And when Deb jumped back into her car and purposely veered toward her before racing away, she thought she had her answer.

  Chapter 12

  “I can’t believe you’re doing this,” Lacy said. Riley was so big that she had outgrown all her maternity clothes. In order to find something to cover her belly while playing dodgeball, she had purchased a man’s triple extra large t-shirt and sweat pants. And they were still tight.

  “Believe it,” Riley said. The simple act of walking was making her huff and puff. Her trotters were so swollen that her legs looked like Greek columns. Not only did she look miserable, she wore the expression of someone who wanted to take out her misery on the world. Lacy began to think that dodgeball might be a good idea. Riley was so focused on the idea of throwing a ball at someone that she hadn’t snapped at anyone all day. And now having her play was a necessity because Travis had been called into work. Without Riley, they would have to forfeit. Still, they received their fair share of looks when she waddled onto the court.

  “Bring it on,” she whispered, her hands balling into fists at her sides.

  “You’re only glaring at the men,” Lacy said.

  “It was a man who did this to me. Now they’re all going to pay,” Riley said.

  “Yes, but there are women on the opposing team, too,” Lacy said.

  “Skinny women. They’ll get theirs,” Riley promised.

  “Pregnancy won’t keep you from getting arrested if you kill someone, just a friendly reminder,” Lacy said.

  “If life were fair, it would,” Riley said. “I want to see my toes again. I want to go more than twenty minutes without peeing. I want the unceasing pain in my tailbone to go away. I want caffeine. I want to put highlights in my hair. I had no idea it was going to be this hard, and I want this pregnancy to be over.” She sniffled, but no tears fell.

  “You’re in the home stretch,” Lacy said, but the platitude fell flat, especially when Riley made a noise that sounded a whole lot like a growl.

  The other members of the team made their way over. Riley already knew Celia and Marcia, but Dan hadn’t been introduced. The two shook hands and he had time to mention something about selling her a Cadillac before the whistle blew to start the round.

  Like before, Lacy was struck out immediately. She hobbled off to the safety of her bleacher fortress, but unlike before, she didn’t stay completely hidden. She poked part of her head out and kept an eye on the game. When the next round started, she went back in. Riley pulled her aside.

  “Stay by me. You were right; no one is throwing at a pregnant woman.”

  For a moment, Lacy’s heart was warmed. Her little sister was looking out for her wellbeing. But then she continued.

  “I haven’t been able to catch anything because nothing is coming by me. But with you here, I’m going to get lots of opportunity to pick up what bounces off of you.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Lacy said, an
d the whistle blew again. No one threw the ball at her. When the round finished, she and Riley were the last two standing.

  “You’re standing too close. People are afraid if they throw at you, they’ll hit me,” Riley complained. “Move over a few feet.”

  Lacy didn’t want to move away, however. Being near a pregnant Riley was almost as good as being near Jason—they offered the same level of protection. She could stand and watch the game without getting hit. But Riley was wise to her and began to move away. Lacy followed. The entire third round consisted of Lacy following Riley slowly around the court while no one threw balls at them. Once again when it was over, they were the last two standing.

  Riley growled her impatience. “Stop following me. Go away.”

  “I don’t want to get hit,” Lacy said.

  “I’m going to hit you with more than a ball if you don’t stop tracking me,” Riley said.

  “What’s the difference? No one is throwing balls at you, regardless of my proximity,” Lacy said.

  “That’s true,” Riley said. “I’m canceling you out. We need to reverse that.”

  The whistle blew and the next round found Riley trying to hide behind Lacy. A few balls headed their way, but not with enough force to hit either of them. One landed a few feet away and rolled to a stop.

  “Stop staring at it like it’s a dead mouse. Pick it up and throw it at someone,” Riley commanded.

  Lacy picked it up and threw it as hard as she could. She nailed Celia in the back and tagged her out. “Sorry, my bad,” she called, waving. Celia didn’t return her wave.

  “I don’t know what I was thinking with that. From now on when a ball lands near you, pick it up and hand it off to me,” Riley said.

  The new system worked. Enough balls came near that Lacy was able to pick them up and hand them to Riley. Riley, who had always had excellent aim, picked off their opponents, one by one.

  By the time the last round came, their opposing teammates were growing tired of being plucked out by Riley. They decided to hit her back, albeit tentatively at first so that she was able to catch the balls and throw them back. Finally one overly-muscled hulk of a guy had enough. He threw the ball with maximum force at Riley. Lacy watched in horror as it torpedoed directly toward her pregnant tummy. She did what came instinctively; she dived in front of her sister’s stomach, ready to take the blow. But her timing was off. She went sailing through the air, arms outstretched as if she were stealing home base. Meanwhile Riley moved her hands in front of her stomach and took the hit on the arm. She moved her arms up, as if she were hitting a volleyball. It zinged back toward her opponent and nailed him on the shoulder.

  The ball missed Lacy entirely and she went down in a blaze of glory, landing hard on the wood floor and sliding for a good five feet before bumping into the wall. But when she stood, she was the last person on the court.

  At first she wasn’t sure what had happened until her team came forward to congratulate her.

  “We won?” she said. Was she dazed because she was the last person in the game or because she had bumped her head on the concrete wall when she slid to a stop? She wasn’t sure, but she had never won a sporting event before, at least not on her own merit. Now she was legitimately the last person standing. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

  Her teammates took turns shaking her hand. When it was Dan’s turn, he handed her a sports drink and leaned in to whisper. “I need to talk to you privately. It’s urgent. Can you stop by the dealership tomorrow at six?”

  She found herself nodding dumbly as she guzzled the drink, not sure at all what she was agreeing to. What could he have to say to her, unless it was about Bob Hoskins? He could still be trying to sell her a car, but his tone had been more urgent than that.

  They walked outside as a group. Lacy had walked, and her mom was waiting to pick Riley up. Otherwise there were four Cadillacs parked in a row on the street. Amelia got into one, Celia into another, and that left Marcia and Dan who had apparently driven separately.

  “You sold Amelia and Celia cars, too?” Lacy said, though she wasn’t sure why she should be surprised.

  “Celia is driving a loaner. She smacked a deer with her decades-old Buick jalopy. I’m trying to talk her into an upgrade while her car is in the shop. Amelia’s is a lease. It’s a bit over her budget, but I’m willing to work with anyone,” Dan said. He gave Marcia a peck on the cheek. “I have some paperwork to finish, hon. I’ll see you at home in a bit.”

  “See you,” Marcia said. She turned to Lacy. “Can I give you a ride?”

  “No, thanks. I prefer to walk.” I prefer not to be trapped in a car with a jealous stranger I barely know, trying desperately to make awkward small talk. “Still coming down off the adrenaline from the big win.”

  “Of course,” Marcia said. She gave Lacy a friendly wave and departed. Lacy turned for home. The cool night air made her realize that she was sweaty for once. She wished for water or another one of those neon-colored sports drinks everyone was always guzzling. Except Jason, of course. He tried not to consume things that were unnaturally colored or high in sugar. She wondered how he was doing and what sorts of things he was learning. Dealing with dead bodies on the job was hard for him. Would it be equally as difficult during training? Or was it made easier knowing people had donated their bodies for the purpose of study?

  Her mind wandered so far that she was halfway home before she realized it. Suddenly she wasn’t simply aware of her surroundings; she was hyper-aware. The night was dark and moonless, the air chilly and damp. Rain was in the air and coming soon. Lacy shivered, paused, and glanced around. Had she heard a noise? If there had been a noise, it stopped when she did.

  She resumed walking. The noise started again. What was it? She couldn’t put her finger on it. Was something stuck on her shoe? She tried to keep walking as she lifted one to check, but that was a mistake. She overbalanced and toppled into a trashcan. For once fortune was in her favor because it was the soft plastic kind so it made no noise when she smacked the side of it and sent it cascading a few feet. She straightened it and resumed walking. The noise started again, too.

  Was someone following her? Was the noise someone else’s feet flapping on the pavement? She paused again. The noise paused. She marched in place and didn’t hear the noise. Her phone was in her pocket, but that didn’t provide much security. Who would she call? Jason was out of town, and so was her grandfather. Riley was home by now and probably taking a shower. Her mother was out of the question. Michael was out of town, Travis was at work, and Kimber would be as helpless as she was. She couldn’t call the police, not after her pantless incident the other night. Maybe if she knew for certain that someone was following her, she could give them a call. But she didn’t know that, and she couldn’t take the chance that her mind was playing tricks on her. If she called and reported a stalker that turned out to be a loose branch or something similarly innocuous, she would never live it down. And neither would Jason.

  Hey, Detective Cantor, is it true your girlfriend hallucinates and doesn’t wear pants? No, the best thing to do was to suck it up and hurry home. She was ten minutes away. She could make it.

  Just as she put a little pep in her step, the skies burst open and began to pour. Torrentially. When she tried to hurry faster, the wind and rain drove her back. But the weather, unpleasant as it was, also offered her cover. If someone had been following her, they would no doubt give up now. Only a crazy person would continue in this kind of weather.

  Overhead thunder rumbled. Lacy looked up to see if there was lightning. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a shape hurtling toward her, but it was too late to do anything about it. A body hit her hard and sent her tumbling to the ground. She landed in the grass, which was now a large patch of wet mud.

  Either the rain had made her slippery, or her assailant was an amateur because Lacy easily evaded his/her grasp, at least at first. The attacker pulled her back, but Lacy fought. They were evenly mat
ched in size, strength, and skill. The fight for supremacy went on for a while and became a wrestling match. For a time, Lacy was on top, the unknown person beneath her. Then the stranger gained the upper hand and pinned Lacy, smearing her head and face into the gooey mud.

  At some point while they fought, the rain stopped. The moon slipped from behind its cloud, and Lacy learned whom she had been fighting.

  “Marcia! What are you doing?” she exclaimed. She sat up and pushed the other woman away, panting.

  Marcia was breathing hard, too. She wiped a streak of mud across her forehead. “I was following you, trying to see what you’re up to. But then I got so mad.”

  “Mad about what?”

  “Mad because you’re having an affair with my husband!” Marcia said. She picked up a handful of mud and slung it at Lacy. It landed with a painful plop against her cheek.

  “Are you insane? No, don’t answer, I already know. I am not having an affair with Dan.”

  “Then why does he want to see you tomorrow? I heard him whisper, I know he was trying to keep it a secret. Everything is a secret lately, and suddenly he’s working all these hours and taking strange phone calls. I want to know what’s going on.” She put her hands over her face and started to cry. Lacy found herself in the strange position of having to console a woman who had just attacked her. She laid a grubby hand on Marcia’s shoulder and gave it a pat. She was shivering so hard, it was the best she could do.

  “Why don’t you confront him instead of following random women?” Lacy asked.

  “Why would he tell me the truth when he’s obviously been lying to me for weeks now?” Marcia said.

  “Look, I have no idea why Dan wants to see me, but I can guarantee you that it has nothing to do with a romantic rendezvous.”

  “Really? How do you know? He wants to see you privately, after hours. You’re an eligible woman, and he’s a handsome man. That spells disaster to me.”

  “Fine, I won’t go to the meeting,” Lacy said. She wanted no more of Marcia’s crazy. If the only way to do that was to recuse herself from the meeting with Dan, then so be it.