Deadly Dirty Martinis

by Nicole Leiren

  The tension could be felt a mile away. Any warm fuzzies we might have started to grasp on to as a family blew away in the whirlwind of this woman. Harmony jerked away from Brock and shot the woman a glare. Whoever this tattooed woman was, my mother wasn't a fan.

  Freddie moved to their side of the bar and pulled the man wearing the black fedora to the front of the entourage. He situated them in between my parents and the blonde. "Lilly, meet Donny Z, manager of The Barking Spiders. Donny this is Lilly Waters, assistant manager and bartender extraordinaire here at Smugglers' Tavern."

  The man extended his hand to shake mine, but Harmony jack-in-the-boxed off her barstool like her crank had been overturned and shoved Donny. "You stay away from my daughter. You're nothing but bad news. If you think I'll ever forgive you for bringing her into the group, you're mistaken." She redirected her glare for a moment to the blonde. Venom spewed with her words as her face turned an ugly shade of red.

  I had no idea what was going on between Harmony and the other woman, just knew I didn't want to be caught in the middle. Where was Tanner, my knight in white cotton, when I needed him? He hated that nickname but endured me calling him that as long as I followed it up with a kiss. For the record, if he were here right now, I'd totally kiss him. Guess that adage about absence making the heart grow fonder was true.

  Instead of Tanner, my favorite bald man appeared out of nowhere and stepped in between Mommy Dearest and Donny Z. "Let's all just calm down. I don't want to have to ask you to leave or call the police. I'm sure neither of you would want to be formally escorted off the premises. Am I right?"

  Donny Z's face registered shock for a moment before he blinked several times. "I know you."

  Abe paled but held his ground. "You are mistaken, as I certainly don't know you."

  To those who knew Abe well, it was easy to tell he sounded a lot more convincing than he really was about this whole scenario. Donny's identification had rattled him. I just wasn't sure why.

  Before I could step in, Donny's hands went to Abe's chest. He pushed hard, knocking the older man back on his heels and making him stumble. "You're from Chicago."

  Abe opened his mouth—to deny everything, I'm sure—but Freddie stepped in between the two men. "Hey Donny, back off, man. Abe's old and a retired school teacher. He works in the garden. I don't know who you think he is, but we all need to settle down."

  Donny lifted his hands in surrender and stepped back. He cast a final curious glance in Abe's direction before turning his attention to me. "I ain't got no issue with nobody. Harmony's got her a case of the green-eyed monster of jealousy. This ain't the first time she's shared her disapproval of my choice for our bass player. But Freddie here is right. Must be a case of mistaken identity. Life on the road takes its toll."

  Abe focused his attention away from Donny and onto Harmony, waiting for her reaction to Donny's statement, I'm sure. She grabbed her purse and tossed some bills to cover her tab. With one final longing look in my direction, she offered, "We'll talk tomorrow, baby." She smiled. "Now that we've found you, I want to make up for lost time."

  She took Brock by the hand. His gaze circled from Harmony, to me, to tattoo girl. His demeanor indicated reluctance to leave, but the tug of Harmony's grasp swayed him in her direction. He finished off his drink. "Best damn vodka lemonade I've ever had."

  Harmony leveled a final visual dagger at Tattoo Woman while Brock turned his attention to Donny. "We need to talk. I'll see you at the B&B." There was something in Brock's gaze that sent the centipedes on my spine scurrying. You didn't have to be highly perceptive to sense there was trouble in the band.

  I added a heaping tablespoon of apprehension to the fishbowl now gurgling inside my stomach. As much as I wanted this reunion between my parents and me to bring closure to the hurt of my past, I worried the obvious drama they were caught up in with the band might bring trouble to the present.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Once my parents headed out, the rest of the band members took seats at the bar. Other than the tattooed blonde, I recognized everyone. They were always mentioned in articles and images I found when looking up my parents. Wanting to return everyone's attention to their meals and away from the spectacle that had been occurring at the bar, I looked to Freddie. "Can you introduce me to the newest member of the band? I don't think I've read anything about her yet."

  Freddie moved to stand next to the woman. "This is Liza Bender. She plays a mean bass guitar and levels some sweet-as-sin vocals. Liza, this is my boss, Lilly."

  "Thanks, Freddie." She leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek, giving him a front row seat to her cleavage. The leather vest and, I stood corrected, not a tank top but a red lace bustier she wore showcased her twins quite nicely, if Freddie's bulging eyes were any indication. Geez, you'd think he'd never seen breasts before.

  She extended her hand to shake mine. Good thing she chose that form of greeting. If she'd tried to kiss me, I'd have punched her. Okay, okay. As a pacifist by nature, I wouldn't punch her. But I'd have no qualms asking Abe to do that. Speaking of Abe, he'd disappeared. Must have taken a bathroom break after his run-in with Donny. Would have to figure out what all that was about later. I made a mental note to thank him for stepping in.

  "Pleased to meet you, Lilly. Nice place you've got here," Liza offered with what appeared to be sincerity.

  I shook my head. "Not my place. Just help run things. But thank you. I'll be sure to convey your appreciation to the woman in charge."

  The ruby red corners of Liza's mouth performed an uptick into a salacious smile. "I like when women are in charge. Things run smoother that way, don't you think?"

  I didn't know what to think about this woman, but I knew I didn't want to talk to her any longer. Moving a couple steps to my right, I stood in front of Johnny Jones, or JJ as everyone called him. He'd been the drummer for the band almost since the beginning. He was skinny with long blond hair. His blue tinted sunglasses and red hat weren't necessary indoors or at this late hour, but I guess that was part of his image. Personally, I think someone should call the fashion police on him, but to each their own. "JJ, can I get you something to drink?"

  He smiled. "You know my name. Thought the fans only knew Brock."

  I shook my head. "I'm not really a fan." Realizing how that sounded, I added, "No offense, just not my style of music."

  He laughed and turned to the middle-aged man with salt and pepper, mostly still pepper, curly hair. "Hey, Tommy, have you ever met someone who doesn't like rock and roll?"

  Tommy, also known as Two-Tone Tommy Hart, one of the band's guitarists, laughed. "Never." In his blue jeans, black T-shirt, and denim vest, he looked the most "normal" out of the group.

  I couldn't even imagine what living a rock-and-roll lifestyle twenty-four-seven would be like, but there must be something to it since my parents had chosen that over the white-picket-fence version of the American dream. I shrugged and smiled. "Well, now you have. What can I get you to drink?"

  A moment later I was busy mixing their drinks. I noticed Donny had stepped off to the side and was deep in conversation on his cell phone. He scribbled notes on a small notepad he'd pulled from his pocket. I know it was rude to watch as I worked, but he'd garnered a lot of negative attention since he walked in the door. A responsible assistant manager had to be vigilant about potential problems. I'm sure that was in my job description somewhere.

  The moment Freddie walked past Donny with a bin of dirty dishes for the kitchen, the serious expression on Donny's face disappeared. He pulled Freddie into a half hug. "Looking forward to hanging out with you, kid. I think of you like the son I never had."

  Despite my own personal family issues, I couldn't help but smile as Donny ruffled Freddie's hair. Even with the disruption, the kid's hair still looked great. Maybe it was all the goop he kept in it. I followed a strict don't-ask-don't-tell policy when it came to what people did with their hair, as long as it conformed to health codes. I also didn't ask because nine
ty-nine percent of the time mine was in a hot-mess ponytail. Too busy to worry about it.

  "If Tanner makes it into town tonight, I might be able to start a little later tomorrow so you and I can hang out. Right, Lilly?"

  "I'm sure we can work something out if Tanner isn't too tired from finals." I was sure he wouldn't mind but didn't want to speak for him. He never turned down hours. Tanner Montgomery was one of the hardest working (and best looking) men I'd ever met. Since losing his father, he'd been watching out for his mother and younger sister. Even with scholarship money and grants, as the man of the house, Tan still worked hard to provide for his family.

  "Let me know, kid. Need to take care of a few things. Me and the band are going to head out, but we'll be back tomorrow." Donny peeled off two crisp hundred-dollar bills and laid them on the bar. "Will this cover our tab?"

  More than cover it. "Let me get your change."

  Donny shook his head. "You keep it." He leaned closer, "Use it to help forget about your loser parents. Don't waste your time wondering. You're better off here than life on the road with us. That father of yours is a piece of work, even if he kicks ass on the stage."

  Of all the things I'd expected him to say, that wasn't one of them. Apparently my parents' relationship with me wasn't the only complicated one in their lives.

  Donny looked at Freddie. "Walk me out?"

  Freddie turned to me for approval. I had a hard time saying no to him. "Just a few minutes, okay?"

  "Okay, thanks."

  Freddie's grin would make a Cheshire cat jealous. He apparently had some hero worship going on for the band's manager, though I wasn't sure why. They'd certainly bonded through their interactions on social media. I guess friendships formed on social media could work if given enough time and attention.

  Donny turned to the others. "C'mon, let's head out. Been a long day, even for us."

  The others nodded and finished their drinks. Freddie and Donny led the way with the rest of the band following. Liza gave me one last interested look and then slid her arm around Freddie as they left.

  Mandi emerged from the kitchen with a tray of food. "Why don't you take ten, Lilly? You've been on for hours now. Go grab some hot tea and relax."

  I did a quick check of my patrons and those in the restaurant. Everyone seemed happy and fed. Now was probably as good time as any. "Okay, but if you need me sooner, just send Freddie to get me. You know where I'll be."

  She nodded. "Grab your jacket. There's a bit of a chill in the air tonight."

  A few minutes later, Tara had hooked me up with the tea, and I was relaxing on my favorite bench behind the tavern. You couldn't really see much this time of night, but Abe was working hard to transform this garden area into a peaceful haven. I could even smell the paint from where he'd started to put a new coat on the shed.

  Voices from the other side of the shed broke into my peaceful respite. I closed my eyes and tried to make out what they were saying. The voices belonged to a man and a woman though not familiar, as far as I could tell. One of my favorite, yet pesky, internal nemeses, curiosity, got the best of me. Many people were familiar with Hello Kitty, but Nosey Kitty had been with me since childhood. Before I could stop myself, I started walking toward the source of the voices. A heated argument, but I still couldn't discern who or what they were saying. They spoke only in urgent, whispered tones. It would be helpful if they'd speak up. My nose caught a whiff of something it didn't like, prompting a tickle in my throat. I shifted my focus from the voices to stopping my cough before it revealed my eavesdropping.

  "Lilly, we need you inside," Freddie's voice called out from the back door. Guess Nosey Kitty and I would live to see another day. No curiosity killing us this time. The voices quieted and transformed into soft footsteps moving in the opposite direction. Whoever it was had heard my name being called and decided to move their conversation elsewhere.

  An hour later, we were getting ready to close for the night. My emotions were shot, but I'd wait until I got home to try to sort through how I should feel about being in the same town with my parents for the first time in almost twenty-four years. I noticed everyone was bustling around in the dining room, making sure we were set for tomorrow.

  "Thanks for a great team effort, everyone. Head home. Get some rest. I'll see you in the morning, and we'll do it all over again."

  This was my favorite time of night. I ran through the closing checklist, making sure everything was in order. I made a quick stop upstairs to feed Hope's cat and grab her mail. What little feel-good vibes I'd managed to muster disappeared when I got to my bike. The chain had slipped off the gears. Not a big deal. I'd been riding bikes long enough to know how to fix them. Just annoying this late at night.

  A flash of bright green appeared in my peripheral vision but disappeared before I could figure out what or who was there. Or maybe I was just seeing things. Fatigue and the eeriness of the world after midnight played tricks on the mind sometimes.

  "Everything alright?"

  Abe's deep voice startled me. "What? Oh yes. Just a slipped chain. I thought you'd gone home."

  He shrugged, knelt next to the bike, and began to get my ride in working order. "I always like to make sure everyone is out and on their way home before I leave. I don't understand why you haven't bought a car yet. It's not like you can't afford it. Riding this thing home in the dark isn't safe."

  Guess watching over "the kids" was something a school teacher never stopped doing, even after they retired. Abe was the closest thing to a grandfather figure I'd ever had. Though he and I disagreed on occasion, we'd managed to be there for each other. "I just live around the curve and down the hill a bit. The road is well lit. My motto has always been to only buy what I need, not what I want. Since I neither need nor want a car, it wasn't even on a list."

  "Still, always good to be cautious when it comes to your safety." Abe finished the repair on my bike and stood. "All done. Perhaps you can call me when you get home? Just so I know you made it without incident."

  The thought crossed my mind to ask him about the incident between him and Donny earlier, but since Abe deflected my questions about his past ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, I decided to save that discussion for another day. Besides, he had just fixed my bike. "I'll text. Deal?"

  He smiled, and his blue eyes lit as the crinkles formed around them. "Deal. Thanks for humoring an old man."

  I shook my head and grinned. "Not old. Thanks for fixing my bike and pulling double, maybe even triple, duty tonight. See you tomorrow."

  The trip home seemed longer than usual with shadows jumping out at me around every bend. I pedaled as fast as my short legs would take me. Too bad I didn't have a Fitbit on, because I would be logging some serious cardio about now. Maybe one of those should be on the list of things I should get.

  Hazlitt Heights came into view, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Home sweet home. Hope had suggested I invest in some real estate, a small house to call my own. It was tempting and something I was considering, but I wasn't sure if I was ready for that level of commitment. Since Gram died, I'd moved every year or so looking for something. Maybe if I still wanted to call Danger Cove home at the end of my apartment lease, I'd take her advice and start house hunting.

  I locked my bike up on the rack provided and bounded up the stairs two at a time. My momentum came to a screeching halt at the pile of rocks spread out in front of my door. What in helium was going on? First, the challenge with the reappearing parents. Now two strange, well one strange and one bizarre, things happened to me in less than thirty minutes.

  Thank goodness all that waited for me on the other side of the door was a hot cup of tea and a warm bed. Tonight, I needed both.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Not even completing the opening checklist helped my sour disposition this morning. I'd tossed and turned all night running through a million different scenarios for how a conversation with my parents…correction, conversation with my mother, would go. I ha
d nothing to say to the sperm donor partially responsible for my existence.

  To add to my distress, I felt bad about not texting Abe when I got home. The mess in front of my door upset and distracted me. By the time I had it all cleaned up and settled down enough to remember, it was too late. My first order of business this morning was to find him and apologize. Since he wasn't hanging out by the back door, I headed to the shed to see if he was finishing up the paint job before we opened. "Abe, are you out here? I brought hot tea as a peace offering."

  Might as well start off with that, right? No response. No sign of Abe. This was not good. He must really be angry at me. Not the way I wanted to start off an already bad day. "C'mon, Abe. Don't be mad. Wait till you hear what happened when I got home."

  Stepping around some cans of paint and supplies, I noticed a hat lying on the ground that looked a lot like the one Donny Z had been wearing. I grabbed it so I could return it to him later. No idea why it would be out here. Continuing with my quest to find Abe, I walked closer to the back of the shed and peered behind it. An explanation for the hat presented itself in ghastly colors.

  Donny Z.

  Cold. Blue. Dead. The metal wires around his neck removed any hope of alternate possibilities. The hat dropped first, followed by the cup of tea crashing to the ground and shattering into a million pieces when it struck a large rock. The sound startled me and sent my heart racing. I really, really hated finding dead bodies. I'd managed not to stumble across one until I moved to Danger Cove. Now, this made body number two in less than a year. Not good. The hat had landed inches from his face. Shitzu!