He was wearing a suit and a bolo hat and didn’t look quite as ominous as he had the night before, though he did look very well dressed. “Yes,” I answered. “And you’re the mysterious Casius Nine.”
He chuckled. “What are you doing here, other than giving yourself diabetes?” He pointed to my lunch choices.
I sighed. “My friends abandoned me. But it’s not all bad. This candy bar has . . .” I checked the wrapper, “four whole grams of protein.”
“Oh, well then,” he laughed. “I’m glad you’re taken care of.”
I turned back around. Why was my heart pounding? That’s usually how it felt after I consumed a bottle of Mountain Dew and ate a candy bar, not before it.
After paying for my not-so-healthy lunch, I started to leave, but Casius called my name again. “Wait up.” He signed a credit card receipt and then made his way to the door where I was standing. “You know, I could always run you somewhere for lunch. I have to make a quick stop first, but then I can take you anywhere you want.”
His introduction from the night before sent a cold shiver up my spine. “I usually don’t get in the car with . . . what did Billie call you . . . a thief and a liar.” I ended the sentence with a smile, you know, so he wouldn’t take offense and kill me or something.
But if I offended him, he didn’t show it. “Well, what kind of magician would I be if I wasn’t a thief and a liar?”
“You’re a magician?” I asked, though now that I looked at him, he definitely fit the part. After the introductions from the night before, I knew that the Kodiak King did animal shows, and Roxy Rococo was indeed a Joan Jett impersonator who also sang other songs from the eighties in her show. But no one had said what Casius Nine did, and he hadn’t offered up any information the night before either.
I raised an eyebrow. “So, is that what Billie meant when he called you those things? That you were just a magician?” I asked.
“No,” Casius said. “He truly meant I was a thief and a liar, though I think he’s wrong on both counts.”
Why did Casius have to be so darn charming? There was definitely something dark about him, but was he dangerous? I was tempted, really tempted, to get in the car with him. He could see my hesitation.
“I’ll tell you what, I have to drop something off at my theater, and then I’ll grab us both lunch and bring it back to your hotel. Are you staying over there?” He pointed across the street, and I nodded. “I can see some outside tables from here. We’ll eat outside, and you can be sure I won’t murder you in public.”
I thought it over for a moment.
“And there will be no lying or thievery either,” he added.
That made me laugh. “Ok, fine. I’ll wait outside for you.”
“Great!” He smiled at me, and my heart did that thing it does when I drink my Mountain Dew too quickly. Only this time, I knew it wasn’t caffeine induced.
As I walked across the street, I had to have a talk with myself. Pull it together, Nikki! You are not going to fall for this guy. You can talk to him and make sure he isn’t a suspect in case Lou was actually murdered.
I sat out there for forty minutes, wondering if I was crazy, and then I saw him pull up. My heart raced. Should I text Grandma and let her know I was having lunch with Casius just in case I ended up missing? That suddenly sounded like a good idea. She responded right away. And her text sent another cold chill down my spine.
6
“Be careful. Lou was definitely murdered. Anyone could be his killer.”
I read the text from Grandma twice and was shaking when Casius walked over and put the food on the table. He looked concerned. “You okay? You know, if you’re not comfortable, I can just give you your food and leave. I don’t have to stay.”
I looked up at him. “No, I, uh . . . I just got a text that rattled me, that’s all. But I’m fine.”
The smell from the fast-food bags filled the air and redirected my thoughts. “After you made fun of my gas station snacks, I was afraid you were going to come back with tofu or something.”
He winked. “I can tell you’re more of a burger-and-fries kind of girl.”
Should I be offended by that? No time, the burger and fries were getting cold.
He took the food out of the bag and sat down across from me. The burger smelled amazing, but you have to eat the fries while they’re hot.
I glanced up at him. “Can you pass me a ketchup packet?”
He stretched out his arm, the ketchup packet in the palm of his hand. Just as I was about to grab it, he closed his fingers over it and waved his left hand over his fist. He opened his hand, and the ketchup packet was gone.
I burst into laughter. “That’s awesome! But don’t come between me and my food. Where’s my ketchup?”
He reached over to my ear and smiled. When he pulled his hand back, he was holding the packet.
Ugh. Magicians. I guess they can’t help themselves.
“So,” I said, opening the packet, “how did you meet Lou?”
His smile faded. “In Vegas, actually. I was trying to make it out there about twelve years ago, and he was out there visiting friends. Somehow, we managed to sit down at a poker table together, and we just kind of . . . hit it off. We were fast friends, I guess you could say. He was old enough to be my dad, but he had this fun, childish way about him. We got a couple of drinks, and he told me if I couldn’t make it in Vegas, I should go to Branson. Two months later, I got in my car with what little I had and headed out here. He helped me get established, get settled.”
“But Billie doesn’t like you, I take it?” I asked.
“Ha! Billie doesn’t like a lot of people. But I don’t blame him. He was overly protective of Lou. Lou had a heart condition since birth, and Billie always looked out for him.” Casius was quiet for a minute. “I’m assuming that’s why he died. Heart attack or something. I haven’t heard if they’ve released his cause of death yet.”
I didn’t know how Grandma had heard the news, and until I had more details, I didn’t want to tell Casius. My heart filled with sadness. I had thought maybe he had killed his friend, but now I was pretty sure he didn’t.
“You all right there?” he said poking me in the shoulder. “You’re pretty up and down.”
I picked up my burger, trying to change the subject. “I think I just need some protein. That four grams from earlier didn’t do much for me.”
“You ate the candy bar anyway? Even when you knew I was bringing you food?” He laughed at me and shook his head. “You have zero self-control.”
I pulled back the wrapper of my burger. “I’m not even going to pretend otherwise.”
We sat outside and enjoyed the Branson sunshine while we ate our lunch. It wasn’t as warm as the day before, and it felt nice to be outside. We sat there and talked for nearly two hours until he looked at his phone and grimaced. “I need to head to the theater. I have a show in a few hours, and I need to take care of some things.”
He stood up and put our trash in the fast-food bag. “Maybe I can see you again sometime?” he asked. “Unless it would make your boyfriend jealous . . .”
Casius was fishing for information. “I don’t have a boyfriend,” I answered honestly. “What about you?”
He smirked. “Nope, no boyfriend either.”
I stood up next to him and lightly punched him in the arm. “You know what I mean.”
“I know, I know. No, I don’t have a girlfriend. It’s hard to be an entertainer and find a girlfriend. Women come up to me after the show all the time, but they don’t see me, they see my dark and dangerous persona. For some reason, chicks dig that.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“What? You don’t think that’s true?” he asked.
“Oh, I believe it,” I answered. “I was just thinking about how you came across last night at the diner. I definitely thought you were dark and dangerous.”
“And what do you think now?”
I thought for a minu
te. “Maybe . . . dusky and risky.”
He broke into full-on laughter. “Dusky and risky. Wow, I’ll make sure to put that in my online dating profile.”
I took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
“Uh oh, I see you’re on your way down again.”
“I’m sorry. I just feel like I should tell you that I’m not looking for anything right now. I tend to jump into things, and I know this sounds silly, but I’m on a journey to find myself. And I just can’t do that if I’m seeing someone. I tend to become whatever they want me to be. And right now, I need to find out exactly who I am.”
He looked disappointed. “I understand. He reached into his wallet and pulled out a business card. “My cell number is on the back. Call me if you need anything while you’re here . . . or when you get back to wherever you’re from.”
“Florida,” I answered.
He smiled. “You may not know who you are, but I can tell. You’re genuine. I don’t come across very many people like that.”
He picked up our bag of trash. “Maybe I’ll run into you again before you head back to Florida.”
I nodded and watched him walk away. Why did I feel so darn sad all of a sudden?
A shiny black car pulled up in the parking lot, and I could see through the rolled-down window that it was Grandma Dean. I made my way toward her, but hung back when I saw that she was still talking to Archer Nash. When she finally got out of the car, I walked over to her.
“How was lunch?” I asked.
She tried to keep a straight face, but she was failing miserably. Finally, she grinned. “It was lovely. Downright lovely.”
I was about to ask where they had gone when a large pickup truck pulled into the parking lot, music blaring.
“Let me guess,” Grandma said. “Hattie and Irene are just getting back from who-knows-where with who-knows-who.”
But to our surprise, Greta and Virginia stepped out of the truck, giggling like schoolgirls. They waved at us, and we met them halfway.
“Where have you two been?” Grandma asked.
“Willie and Billie showed us the town,” Virginia said, grinning from ear to ear. “We had a great time.”
“What about you, Geraldine?” Greta asked. “How was your date?”
Grandma straightened up. “It wasn’t a date. We got together to talk about Lou. And boy, do I have a lot to share with you ladies. Let’s get Hattie and Irene and go sit somewhere quiet to talk.”
“I don’t think they’re back yet,” I said, looking around the parking lot.
“Oh, that’s right,” Virginia said, her face falling. “I gave them my keys. I guess we’re stuck here until they get back.”
Grandma looked at her phone. “It’s nearly three o’clock. We promised that sweet girl we’d see her show again this evening and bring people with us. I’ll text them and see where they are.”
Grandma sent them a text, and surprisingly, they answered right away and said they’d head to the hotel.
Ten minutes later, we were still standing outside talking as they pulled in. I half expected them to be drunk and unruly, but to my surprise, they were . . . pleasant. Serene, almost.
Grandma Dean narrowed her eyes at them. “Are you on drugs?”
Hattie laughed. “Nothing more than we usually are.”
There was something different about them, for sure, but we were all eager to hear what Grandma had learned about Lou. We climbed into the vehicle so Virginia could drive us around while Grandma told us what she had learned.
Before Grandma got started, Virginia held up a flyer. “You ladies want to check out the Titanic Museum? Geraldine can talk on the way there, and then maybe we can put some of Amy’s flyers on some windshields or something.”
We all agreed, and Virginia headed out of the parking lot.
“Okay, Geraldine,” she said, looking at Grandma from the rearview mirror, “the floor is yours!”
Grandma Dean cleared her throat. “I think you all suspected what I’m about to say. I found out that Lou was murdered.”
“Oh dear,” Greta said, her hand over her heart. “I was afraid of that. What happened? Are there any suspects?”
“Archer Nash told me they think he was poisoned. He eats applesauce after every show, and he was eating it when he collapsed.”
“Someone poisoned his applesauce?” I asked. “Who would do that?”
“They don’t know yet,” Grandma answered. “As careful as the murderer was, they did leave one thing behind—a long strand of blond-colored hair.”
Greta looked concerned as she looked at Virginia. “Why didn’t Billie or Willie tell us about that while we were with them today?”
“They might not have known yet,” Grandma told them. “Archer said he called his friend at the sheriff’s office this morning to see if there was any information yet, and they told him there wasn’t any. But then they called him back right after he picked me up for lunch and told him the news. If Willie and Billie were out with you for a few hours, they might not have gotten the call. If they haven’t heard yet, I’m sure they will soon.”
“Poor guys,” Virginia said. “One minute they seemed upbeat and the next they were grieving.”
“It’s really a testament to their faith,” Greta added. “They believe he’s in a better place, and I think that makes dealing with death a little easier.”
“Yeah,” Irene said dryly. “But it’s one thing to go to that better place because it’s your time. It’s something entirely different if someone makes the decision for you.”
“Did Archer know anyone that has long, blond hair?” Greta asked.
“He said he didn’t,” Grandma replied. “I saw a picture of it. His friend at the police station sent it to him to see if he could identify it. It was just like he had described.”
Whoever the killer was, they weren’t at the table with us last night at the diner. No one there had blond-colored hair. But that made me think of a question. “Could the hair be from a wig?”
“It could be,” Grandma answered. “They’re going to analyze it and see if they can come up with any answers.”
We were all quiet for a minute, and then Irene leaned toward the front seat. “So, Virginia, you’re getting awfully cozy with Billie. Does that mean you’re two timin’ Hershel?”
I saw Virginia look up at Irene through the rear-view mirror. Even though I could only see the top half of her face, the wrinkles in her forehead and the sadness in her eyes told me things were not great between them.
“He dumped me,” she said with a sigh.
We were all surprised.
“Oh Virginia,” Greta said, putting her hand on Virginia’s arm. “I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?”
Virginia shrugged. “There’s not much to talk about. He told me I was boring, and he needed something . . . someone . . . more exciting in his life.”
“Does he know you’re our getaway driver?” Hattie shrieked.
Virginia laughed. “No, I don’t normally share that kind of information.”
“Really?” Hattie asked, surprised. “I’d have that in my Tinder profile.”
Irene chuckled. “Hattie, you also have your profession as a private eye.”
“Really, Hattie?” Greta asked. “You know, just because you like to keep an eye on people’s privates, that doesn’t make you a private eye.”
Hattie just shrugged. “Tomayto, tomahto.”
Virginia pulled into the parking lot of the museum, and I was shocked at what I saw. Even though there was a picture of the museum on the brochure, it was still amazing to see in person. It looked like a giant ship.
Greta pulled a handful of Amy’s flyers from her bag. “Okay,” she said once we were out of the vehicle. “I don’t know if this is legal or not, so we have to work fast.” She divided the flyers between us, and we quickly put them on as many windshields as we could. Then we made our way into the museum.
Once we paid, we were given a boardin
g pass with the name and information of a real Titanic passenger. We were told at the end we could check one of the displays and see if our name was on the list of passengers who survived or the list of passengers who didn’t. At first, it sounded like a fun game, but the more I walked through the museum and read about the passengers and what the ship was like, the heavier my heart became. Maybe it was because we were currently dealing with our own tragedy. Or maybe because it’s a little morbid to walk around with a card that has a person’s name on it, with the anticipation of finding out if they drowned or not. The grannies didn’t seem to mind. They tucked their cards into their purses or pockets and enjoyed reading about the history of the Titanic.
An hour and a half later, we reached the room where we would find out our fate. I checked the name on my boarding pass and looked over the list of survivors on the wall.
“I survived!” I yelled out.
Greta cringed. “Well, I did too, but my whole family died.”
I looked over at Grandma. “What about you?”
“I was onboard with my sister, and we both made it,” Grandma answered.
“This is so depressing,” Virginia said. “I made it, but I lost my husband.”
I looked back at Hattie and Irene. “What about you guys?”
“We decided not to look,” Hattie said. “We’re just going to say that we married Leonardo DiCaprio and lived happily ever after.”
“You know he dies in the movie, right?” I pointed out.
“Look,” Irene said to me. “In our minds, this is a Choose Your Own Adventure, and this is how we want it to play out.”
Once outside, Grandma looked at her phone. “It’s almost time for Amy’s show. We can run by a drive-through and get some food, then head over to her makeshift theater.”
So, that’s what we did. When we pulled into the parking lot of the theater, there were a few other cars there already.
“Well, this is promising,” Virginia said, pulling into a parking space.
We ate our food quickly, then made our way into the theater. By the time Amy started singing, there were fifteen of us in the audience.
Road Trip (Glock Grannies Cozy Mystery Book 6) Page 4