by Susan Boles
We ease into the store after peeking through the glass door to make sure Vlad didn't happen to be standing right inside. I stare in dismay at the set up inside the store. There aren't any aisles that run back-to-front all the way across. Or even side-to-side all the way across. Instead, it’s a mish mash of aisles facing in every direction conceivable.
I take a determined breath and motion Dixie to follow me. This is not going to stop me from finding Vlad and making him answer my questions.
We creep through the store sticking close together; peering around corners and down aisle full of every kind of souvenir imaginable. Along with the people shopping for them and blocking our view to some extent. We strain up on tip toes. Squat low. And lean to the side to see around shoppers.
However, no Vlad. Had he left the store while we've been skulking around in the back? The thought nearly brings me to tears of frustration.
Thinking I’ve caught a glimpse of him between to big displays of glass knick-knacks, I step forward on my tiptoes to get a better look. My feet tangle in something on the floor that I hadn't seen and my balance quickly goes south.
Flailing my arms wildly, I try to get my balance back, but gravity isn't having it. Dixie reaches out to grab one of my flailing arms but I’m moving them too fast for her. As I feel myself going over, straight toward the glass displays, I manage to wrench my feet loose from whatever has tangled them and twist my entire body as hard as I can. I take out a round of t-shirts but miss the shelves of glass objects.
It's amazing how much noise a big rack of t-shirts makes as it crashes off its legs. You’d think all that soft material would cushion everything, but apparently not. I claw my way free of the mess to find three store employees standing over me with shocked faces. Behind them Dixie is trying to stifle another case of the giggles and behind her, Vlad stares at me in consternation.
"Don't you even think about running." I say to him, trying to extricate myself from the mess of t-shirt and metal around me. Which proved surprisingly difficult and made me that much madder. "This is entirely your fault and as soon as I get myself up from here, we're going to go somewhere quiet and you're going to answer a bunch of questions. A whole bunch of them. And without any funny business."
The employees turned to see who I’m talking to. Dixie motions behind her and Vlad gives them a small wave and an embarrassed grin.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
"What the hell, Vlad?" I burst out as soon as we were in the car. He'd wanted to drive his car and follow us to the condo, but I didn't trust him an inch. Therefore, we’re all in Dixie’s car.
After I apologized profusely to the employees, and they'd righted the t-shirt rack, everything was fine at the store. Therefore, we'd decided the condo would be the quietest place to talk. In addition, Ben would be back soon and want to know everything, too.
"I've been trying to figure out what's going on. “Vlad explains as we ride toward the condo. “Without involving the two of you, or Ben."
"Why?" I demand. "What can you do working alone?"
"Look." Vlad says. "I feel like a lot of this is my fault."
Dixie swerves into the condo-building parking lot. "Ya think?" She asks in her most sarcastic tone.
Vlad has the grace to look embarrassed. "I know. I know. Alex wouldn't have even spoken to the two of you if I hadn't been running my mouth about my sleep study and hinting at a huge breakthrough." He glances sideways at me. "And implying Lily Gayle and I are a couple."
On one hand, I understand everything he’s saying. Who doesn't love to have great things happening to them and to brag about it when they were? Especially to a frenemy. However, this time, the bragging had put me, and to an extent Dixie, in a potentially very bad situation. Being told not to leave the state when you're at the beach isn't a huge burden, but we have lives we needed to get back to. Soon.
"So." I stare straight at Vlad so that he can see how serious I am. "Instead of calling and saying something like "Hey, Lily Gayle, I was an idiot and bragged to someone who's there in Destin and might try to use you to get information", you decided to high tail it down here and try to do something on the down low? Like spying."
Vlad blushes beet red. "When you put it that way, it does sound pretty stupid."
"At least tell us you were spying when Lily Gayle and Alex were on the beach and you can vouch that she left. And Alex was still very much alive." Dixie says.
"Uh. Well. Actually, I left before Lily Gayle did. So they were still on the beach together." He leans forward. "I swear if I'd thought anything I had to say would have helped you I would have gone straight to the police with it."
Dixie opens the driver side door. "I'm sweatin' like a pig out here in this heat. Let's move this meeting indoors."
As we male our way to the elevators, Dixie points to the bar. "Look. There's Lynette. I wonder if she's been here looking for you. Maybe there’s some news on the case."
I start in that direction only to be pulled up short by Vlad’s hand grabbing my upper arm. Hard.
"That's Lynette Overby." He hisses.
"I know. She helped me get released when the police took me in for questioning in the murder."
Vlad frowns. "You know her?"
"I haven't seen her since college, but we were sorority sisters back then." I glance over at Lynette staring out at the beach. "She was coming in to the building as the police were taking me in for questioning. I happened to see her and asked her to come help me. And she did."
My heart starts a tango in my chest. Dixie and I had joked about maybe she was Alex's girlfriend after we'd seen that picture. Could it be true? "Why? Do you know her?"
"She's Alex Landers girlfriend. I met her last year when I ran into him at a medical conference."
Uh oh.
Dixie grabs both of us by the arm and pulls us into the elevator. "Let's not let her see us under the circumstances."
I wonder why Lynette would go to bat for me in the case where her boyfriend had gotten killed and it looked like I'd done it. Could she have done it? And then felt bad for me when I’d gotten caught up in the mess? Was Alex the recent relationship that had had an allegedly amicable parting of the ways?
Vlad echoes my thoughts. "I'm suspicious. Why would Lynette help you out on this?"
"Maybe there's some sorority sister code of honor?" Dixie wonders as we exit the elevator and walk to our condo.
"Well, yes." I answer. "But it's not intended to protect a criminal."
Dixie got busy in the kitchen pouring glasses of sweet tea and Vlad and I sit down in the living area. Once she distributed the glasses and sat down herself, we sit in silence for a moment sipping our tea.
“It’s not protecting a criminal.” Dixie says into the silence.
I raise an eyebrow.
“You said there’s a code of honor but not to protect a criminal. You didn’t kill Alex, so therefore, you are not a criminal and it’s okay for her to protect you.”
I think that over. It makes sense. But only if Lynette is certain that I didn’t killed Alex. And how could she be certain? We hadn’t seen each other in twenty years. She didn’t know me anymore. Like I didn’t know her anymore. And how had she shown up so conveniently in time to save me?
“Did you see if Lynette was standing around outside the building when the cops took me down to put me in their car? Or did it look like she’d just come in from the parking lot and stumbled on us?” I ask Dixie.
She thinks for a moment. “I can’t say for sure. I was focused on you and how we were going to get you out of the latest mess. Why?”
I ignore her reference to my capacity to get myself into tight situations. “What if she’s the one who killed Alex?”
Dixie frowns. “Why would she do that?”
I throw my hands into the air. “Why does anybody kill anybody? Money? Drugs? Jilted lover?”
“I suppose so.” Dixie says, drumming her fingers on the chair arm. “But if she killed him, why would she come forward
to keep you from being accused? It would be the perfect cover for her.”
I tug at my hair in exasperation. “I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense. But I feel like there are unanswered questions about her floating around. I need to find her and talk.”
But she wasn’t in the bar any more when the three of us went back down to the lobby level. I pull out my cell phone and press her number. No answer, so I leave a message asking her to meet for a drink. No sense in letting her know the direction my thoughts had taken this evening.
"Okay." Dixie says once I’ve left the message. "Let's go back upstairs and leave the subject of Lynette to percolate for a bit. Vlad, tell us what you've been up to since the murder."
In the condo, Vlad leans forward, elbows on knees. "That couple that approached you on the beach, Lily Gayle?"
"The older couple?" At Vlad's nod, I say, "Bill and Betsy Carpenter from Chattanooga. They tried to extort money from me. But that's all been cleared up."
"Cleared up how?" Vlad questions.
"Ben confronted them on the beach yesterday, let them think he’s an undercover cop here, and they admitted that they tried to get money from me because they thought I'm Alex's girlfriend."
Vlad looks thoughtful. "That doesn't make sense to me. I saw them have a huge argument with Alex out by the pool the day before he was killed."
"It makes sense to me." I say. "They told Ben and me that Alex had taken most of their retirement savings as an investment in his gene sequencing research and left them high and dry."
"I've been following them and have seen them meeting with a pretty shady looking guy at a restaurant called The Crab Cracker." Vlad stands. "As a matter of fact, I need to go hang out there now and see if I can uncover any more information."
"I don't know how you're going to do that." Dixie puts in. "You're car is still at that souvenir shop and I'm not going to give you mine to go gallivanting off and getting up to who knows what."
I stand up. "We all need to go. I feel like it's important that we figure out what those two are doing."
Dixie shakes her head.
I frown.
"I need to talk to them.” I insist. “Or at least see what they’re up to. They sure had me and Ben fooled. I was feeling sorry for them. A retired couple who lost their money."
"Where is Ben?" Asks Vlad. "I need to update him on this."
"He went to the police station earlier to update them on what we found out about the Carpenters and to find out when I can go home."
"Alright." Vlad says. "You two stay here and update Ben on what I've been doing and I'll go to The Crab Cracker and see what else I can discover."
"Did you miss the part where I said I'm not loaning you my car?" Dixie says indignantly.
"Let's all go. We can update Ben later." I head toward the door. When Dixie didn't make a move to get up, I turn back. "Come on, y'all."
"Nope." Dixie says stubbornly.
"Fine." I say. "I'll just go downstairs and have the concierge call me an Uber and go by myself."
"You are most certainly not going by yourself." Dixie stands. "You are so darn hard-headed, Lily Gayle. Why can't you wait until Ben gets back and let him handle it. Or call that Officer Wilder and tell him about it and let him handle it instead of running off half-cocked and getting into trouble?"
I look at Vlad. "She's not going to let us use her car. If you want in on this, come with me and we'll get an Uber."
The elevator door had just dinged open when Dixie appears in the hallway. "Fine. I'll take y'all."
I suppress a smile. She'd had me scared for a minute there that she wasn't going to call my bluff. I wanted to be sure we had a getaway car on the scene. Just in case we need to get out of there quick.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The Crab Cracker turns out to be a pretty much hole-in-the-wall type place. I wonder how two people from out of town found it. It strikes me as a place only locals would know about. Or want to visit. We parked in the only vacant spot, which turns out to be behind the place.
"I really don't like the looks of this place." Says Dixie, voicing my own misgivings as we exited the car and walked across the parking lot.
"If y'all don't feel comfortable going in, y'all can go on back to the condo. I'll handle this and get back with you on what I find out." Vlad walks faster, getting ahead of us.
"No way." I say just as Dixie says, "Okay."
We stop walking, staring at each other.
"That's fine, Dixie." I pat her on the shoulder. "You go on back. I'll stay here with Vlad and see what's going on."
"But if something goes wrong, y'all won't be able to get out of here fast." Dixie protests.
Well, that surely was the truth. Nevertheless, I believe Vlad and I will be resourceful enough to figure something out if it comes to that.
"Truly." I tell her. "If you don't want to go in, then go on. We'll be fine."
To my surprise, she gives me a doubtful look, but turns back to the car. I can’t pretend that I’m not surprised. And just a bit hurt. However, I don't let her see that. I watch her get in the car and crank it up. But I can't watch her drive away. I take Vlad's arm like we're a couple coming in on a date and we stroll around the corner of the building and in the door.
The place is packed to the gills and as noisy as I imagine Hell is on a Saturday night. I spot a small table tucked into a corner behind a large group of partyers and point it out to Vlad. We squeeze along the wall and sit.
I scan the room, but don't see the Carpenters. Vlad squeezes back past the group and goes to the bar to get us a couple of drinks. When he returns, he's not only bought me the draft beer I asked for, but also a ball cap with A Cracking Good Time embroidered on the front.
"Do you really think I'm going to wear this?" I ask in horror.
He laughs. "I don't want the Carpenters to spot you when they come in, so I got you a disguise."
He's got me there. However, I silently wondered if there were less offensive hats and he deliberately bought this one to make me mad. I twist my hair up on my head and pull the cap on and down low on my brow. "Happy now?" I ask, sarcasm dripping from my voice.
"Delighted."
I'm sure he's tickled to death. He had better not try to take any pictures of me in this thing. Two beers later and we're still waiting. However, I have to go to the ladies room. I squeeze past the now very drunk partyers and head to the ladies room down a narrow, dark hallway. Kitchen noises come from the far end of the hall.
As I walk along the hallway checking doors for the Ladies Room sign, I pass a small open room off to one side. A glance inside tells me I've just made a big mistake. A burly man with a mean look about him is inside—along with Bill and Betsy Carpenter. Betsy makes eye contact with me and I know she's recognized me in spite of the ridiculous hat. As she takes a breath to shout, I sprint down the dingy hallway straight toward the kitchen.
I knock a waitress on her rear end with the saloon style doors as I burst through them. Fried seafood scatters across the floor. I should be thankful this is one of those make your own cocktail sauce places or I'd probably be skidding through some of that in the wreckage. Tossing an apology over my shoulder to the dazed girl climbing to her feet, I keep going, looking for the delivery door that will let me out.
I finally spot the door tucked to the side of the kitchen. Pulling empty plates and glasses to the floor, I attempt to block anyone chasing me. I hear loud cursing as I reach the back door and risk a look over my shoulder. The waitress is down on the floor again and Big Mean Dude is scanning the kitchen. I'm pretty sure it's me he's looking for. And not in a good way. I push through the back door.
As I burst out into the hot sunlight, I regret that Dixie left. She was right about trouble happening and it's a little hard to book an Uber when you're running flat out and being chased. The drivers like to know where to pick you up. And right now I have no idea where that might be. Hopefully this side of the Pearly Gates.
I'm around the cor
ner of the building heading for the street when I hear a slam behind me. I assume it's the kitchen door hitting the brick wall of the building. Big Mean Dude must be hot on my tail.
As I'm running, I hear an engine rev and gravel crunches as a car backs out fast from a parking spot ahead of me. I do a double take. It's Dixie's Taurus. She'd known I would get into trouble and need a fast getaway. I guess that's not too hard to figure for someone who knows me well.
The car reverses fast toward me and as it stops beside me, I yank open the passenger door and jump in. I'm greeted with a high-pitched yelp, followed by a growl. Glancing down I see a skinny-as-a-rail dapple Dachshund giving me the stink eye.
I slam the door shut and Dixie floors it, throwing gravel everywhere as the car fishtails.
"Nice hat." Dixie observes as she peels out onto the asphalt street.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I give her a withering look, and then switch my gaze to the side mirror trying to see if someone rolls fast out of the parking lot in hot pursuit.
"What happened to Vlad?" Dixie asks as she weaves through traffic, putting distance between the restaurant and us.
"Oh crap!" I panic. "He's still back there in the restaurant! We have to go back and get him."
Dixie eases up on the gas. "Maybe we can work our way along some side streets and get back over there?" However, her voice is doubtful.
I try to think clearly, but my adrenaline is still pumping on high and it's hard. In addition, the dog is still giving me the stink eye accompanied by sporadic growls.
"Where did you get this dog? And is it going to bite me?" I ask as Dixie turns off the main drag into a parking lot. She cruises to an area with a lot of cars already parked and pulls neatly into a slot between two big SUVs. Effectively hiding us from the street as we figure out what we're going to do.
"I found her by the dumpster at the restaurant. I'm taking her home with us." The dog thumps her tail on the seat as though she understands what Dixie is saying.