Highlights to Heaven

by Nancy J. Cohen

  “What was he excited about?” Marla blurted. “Did he indicate he’d be getting a lot of money soon?”

  Vail shot her a dark look, and Marla realized she should have left the question more open-ended. Too late. Oh well, he might have more practice interviewing people, but she knew how to encourage confidences.

  “I didn’t get any impression that Kyle expected to get rich. It was more like he was keeping a secret, you know?” Jenny replied. “He did say something about a payment, but not as though it were a good thing.”

  “Sometimes it helps to get secrets off your chest.” Marla tilted her head expectantly. “If he couldn’t tell his sister, who else would he share things with?”

  Jenny clucked her tongue. “He took something from those other people he worked for. Something valuable. He did it to protect the animals, he said. Do you think they got mad enough to frame him for this murder?”

  “Who else did he work for, ma’am?” said Vail. “I thought he just had the pet-grooming business.”

  “Why, I thought you knew he worked at that ranch part-time. He picked up extra cash to sock away in his bank account.”

  Marla’s heart thudded faster. “A ranch, you say? With horses, or cattle?” Some cow pastures remained in Broward County, although not many.

  Jenny’s even features scrunched in a frown. “Now that you mention it, I asked him if it was a farm. Kyle said there weren’t any big animals, just birds and snakes and such. I thought it sounded a bit peculiar, but he seemed happy to be working there.”

  Marla and Vail exchanged a glance. “Evan Fargutt,” she muttered. “Goat worked at his ranch. Evan and his cousin, Cutter, were mixed up in something involving Yani Verkovich.”

  “That’s the connection you were looking for, isn’t it?” Jenny asked Vail.

  He rose to pace the room. “Your brother may have met Verkovich at the ranch. I’ll check it out when I talk to Fargutt. If that’s the case, and your brother took something belonging to them, it could be they were after him to return it. Something went wrong, and Verkovich got killed”

  Marla stood, rocking on her heels. “The hair tonic. It could be that Cutter approached Yani to help refine the formula derived from my history-paper research. Let’s assume they created a makeshift lab on Evan’s property. Goat got wind of what they were doing while he worked there.”

  Vail regarded her steadily. “There’s more to Verkovich’s background that figures into this case. I’m hoping his uncle will shed more light on things.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “Don’t tell me-you want to know about Yani’s Chinese colleague because you’re still fixated on that pet-fur trade idea. It’s more likely Goat was protecting animals from skin tests conducted by the dead man in his attempt to develop the formula.”

  Jenny shot to her feet. “Are you saying Kyle killed a man to save a few pets?”

  Marla hastily reassured her. “Not at all.” She returned her attention to Vail, ignoring his waggling eyebrows meant to shut her up. “Here’s something else to consider. When I was at Evan’s place, I overheard the rancher talking to Wake Hollander about a shipment. They mentioned a person named Tiger. Do you suppose this could be the Chinese associate? If so, perhaps we’re dealing with a smuggling ring. They may be bringing in exotic animals, not pet-fur products. Goat spied on their activities, threatened to expose them. They meant to eliminate him, but they got Yani instead.” She shook her head. “I’m so farmisht…confused. There are too many possibilities.”

  Shaking his head in resignation, Vail stuffed his notebook and pen into a pocket. “We still have a lot of angles to investigate. You’ve been very helpful,” he said to Jenny. “At least now we have a possible connection between your brother and Yani Verkovich through the ranch owned by Evan Fargutt.” He paused. “I’d still like to check out your place on Siesta Key. Your brother might be nearby, or someone may have spotted him.”

  “I’ll give you my spare key, and you can mail it back. There’s one more thing.” Jenny stepped closer to Marla. “I’m thinking of cutting my hair. What style do you suggest?”

  Chapter Eleven

  “What should we do now?” Marla said after they emerged from Jenny’s house.

  “I’ll make a reservation at the Lakeside Inn. Why don’t you go into the shops and ask if anyone has seen Kyle lately.”

  “I’m so used to calling him Goat. I think it’s what he prefers.”

  “Whatever.” Vail glanced away as though distracted. “I’ll meet you later.” Jangling his car keys in his pocket, he strode toward the center of downtown.

  Marla hurried to catch him. “Are you sure we can’t head to Siesta Key? It’s only three o’clock.”

  “It’s a long drive. I’d rather spend more time here, see what we can dig up. I’m not certain Miss Stanislaw was sharing all she knows.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Did you notice how she never looked me in the eye? I think she either knows where her brother is hiding, or she has a good idea.”

  “You may be right. I’ll see what I can find out. Where shall I hook up with you?”

  His flinty gaze met hers. “How about in the hotel lobby at five? We can cover more ground by splitting up.”

  Right. You can avoid talking to me about personal issues that way, too. “Okay. Until later, then.” Clutching her purse, she veered toward the main shopping street. This would also give her the chance to look for a matching piece to Brianna’s chess set.

  She began at a corner shop that sold an eclectic assortment of gift items. Just inside the entrance, she stopped to admire a blue ceramic coffee jar, sets of brightly colored kitchen towels, and a rack of regional cookbooks. She reached out to pick one up when she stopped herself. Schmuck, you don’t have time for shopping. Lenox collectibles, Peggy Karr glass plates, pewterware, and fancy stationery tempted her. Not a wooden chess set in sight, although she saw one with colored crystal pieces.

  Scooping up the coffee jar that she just couldn’t resist and a package of dish towels, she approached the counter. “Excuse me,” she said, digging into her purse for her credit card.

  A white-haired woman with a short, layered cut smiled at her.

  “Shall I ring these up?” she asked in a pleasantly modulated voice. Over her shirtwaist dress, she wore an apron that Marla noticed came from a selection on sale hanging on a set of hooks.

  “Go ahead,” Marla replied, reminding herself of her mission. “This is my first time in Mount Dora. It’s a lovely town. I came to visit my friend, Jenny Stanislaw. Do you know her family?”

  “Sorry.” The saleslady shook her head. “I only work here part-time, and I live across the lake. Don’t know the folks from these parts. Besides, we get mostly tourists in the store.”

  Marla had similar encounters in the next few places: an art gallery, jewelry store, antique shop, and bakery. She tried another gift shop, with toys in the window, but they didn’t have any chess sets in their inventory.

  “You know where you could look, dearie?” warbled the cashier, an elderly woman with a round face and owlish eyes. “I’ve seen wooden ones in gift catalogs.”

  “Oh, yeah. I meant to sift through my pile, but I got too busy. I’ll remember when I get home.”

  “Or try doing an online search. You can find anything on the Internet these days.”

  “You’re right.” If she had been thinking clearly, Marla thought, she might have accomplished this task already. “Do you know anyone I could ask about a friend of mine who lives here? I haven’t been able to contact him. His name is Kyle Stanislaw.”

  “Go see Alma in the Gourmet Kitchen. She makes it her business to know everyone in town. Now, can I interest you in one of these brain teasers?”

  Feeling guilty about asking questions without buying anything, Marla purchased a puzzle as a gift for Brianna and a Cameo Girl vase for herself. Her arms grew weary from carrying shopping bags after she added a few delicacies from the gourmet food store. />
  “I’ve known Jenny and her brother for years,” said Alma, grinning at Marla from behind the cash register. “Just saw her in church this morning. Funny you should mention Kyle. He stopped in last week to stock up on his favorite jelly beans.” She held up a cellophane package. “Kyle likes the Key lime-flavored ones. Wanna try some?”

  “No, thanks.” Her nose sniffed a strong aroma of coffee beans. She’d rather have a cup of Java. “You say Kyle was here? Did he seem okay?”

  Alma leaned forward. “The boy looked as though he’d stuck his ringer in an electric socket. His hair was all askew, and his clothes, well, they needed a good cycle in the washing machine. Told me his sister would fix him up, and then he was heading out of town.”

  “Did you happen to see what kind of car he was driving?”

  “How would I know? He used to drive a van. Maybe he left it parked at Jenny’s house.”

  “What does she drive?” Marla asked, a glimmer of suspicion rising in her mind.

  “She got herself a new Buick. Nice little white car.”

  “Did Kyle say where he was going after he saw his sister?” She almost mentioned Siesta Key, but held her tongue. Vail’s interview techniques were rubbing off on her.

  “Can’t help you there. Something was troubling that boy, though. I hope Jenny was able to straighten him out.”

  “Thanks so much for the information. Goat-Kyle-is my friend. If he drops by again, please tell him Marla is looking for him.”

  Lugging shopping bags that seemed to grow heavier by the moment, Marla hightailed it back to Jenny’s house. It took an effort to plaster a bright grin on her face when the woman opened the door.

  “Hi. I’m sorry to bother you a second time,” she said, breezing inside before Jenny could shut the door in her face. “I’ve been shopping, and I didn’t want to stop in a restaurant. Would you mind very much if I use your bathroom? The one without Kyle’s snake, of course.” She held her breath, waiting to see if her bluff worked.

  “Oh, I keep Junior on the patio. Can’t abide the thing myself, and I wouldn’t let Kyle put it in my new car.” Jenny’s face pinched as she glimpsed Marla’s expression. “My heavens, you didn’t know, did you?”

  “I guessed. Your brother stopped off to leave Junior here, and you traded cars. Why didn’t you tell the truth?”

  Jenny gestured for Marla to follow her into the living room. “He’s my brother, what else could I do?”

  She took a seat on the couch. “I understand you want to protect him. So do I, especially if the people who killed Yani Verkovich are after Goat as well. We need to catch them to guarantee your brother’s safety.”

  Jenny sank into the same armchair she’d occupied earlier. Her posture slumped, she regarded Marla with a morose expression. “I don’t know where he is. He came by in a hurry, said he was in trouble, and dumped his snake here. We exchanged cars. He told me I had to keep his vehicle in the garage.”

  “He didn’t bring his work van. By any chance, was he driving a dark Corolla?”

  Jenny nodded. “How did you know?” Her gaze bespoke fear mixed with anxiety.

  “One of the neighbors told me he saw that car parked beside Goat’s van in his driveway the same night as the murder.” Vail never told me the actual time of death or how the guy was killed, she realized. He will now, in exchange for the information I’m learning here.

  “I wondered where he got it, but I was afraid to ask. It’s stolen, isn’t it?”

  “It’s likely the Corolla belonged to Yani.” Another thing to ask Vail. “The only person who can tell us what really happened that night is your brother. That’s why it’s imperative that we talk to him.”

  Jenny clasped her hands. “He asked me if anyone was using our place on Siesta Key. I assumed that was where he meant to go, but when I phoned there, no one answered.”

  “Maybe he didn’t want anyone to know he was there,” Marla said. “We’ll check it out. Did he mention anything else about his associates at Evan’s ranch?”

  “Nope.”

  “How about suppliers for his pet-grooming business? Do you know where he buys his shampoos and such?”

  Jenny’s facial lines creased as she concentrated. “He gets them wholesale from a pet-store owner. Not one of the chains, like Pet Supermarket, but a privately owned place. I remember it’s named after a book. Animal Kingdom? No, that’s a Disney park.”

  “Does he keep an address book for his customers? He’d have to have notified them that he was out of town.”

  “I’m sure he canceled his appointments. Kyle seemed to be making a genuine effort to succeed at this business. If only he hadn’t gotten involved with the wrong people again.”

  Marla shifted in her seat. One of her shopping bags toppled over, and as she bent to fix it, she noticed a ring glinting on Jenny’s hand that hadn’t been there before.

  “Um, did your brother mention anything about receiving a large amount of money?” she asked. Goat may have dipped his hand in the pie before running away and shared it with his sister. Or maybe that hadn’t been his first payoff.

  Jenny’s face flushed, and she averted her eyes. “He said he didn’t get the windfall he’d expected, but he gave me some money to offset expenses for taking care of Junior. I got the impression Kyle had more than enough for his immediate needs, because for once, he didn’t ask me to loan him any cash but instead gave me some.”

  “You told me on the telephone he’d had a run-in with one of his neighbors,” Marla said, redirecting their conversation. “Who did you mean?”

  Jenny pulled at a long strand of blond hair. “He had a disagreement with the Colombian man living next door. The guy complained that he had ants in his house. He said they were coming from Kyle’s yard, but my brother wouldn’t spray. He has too many pets to use insecticide. Well, one day Kyle comes home, and one of his cats is dead in the backyard. He sees granules on the lawn.”

  Marla leaned forward, aghast. “The neighbor killed the cat? You must mean Hector. I can’t believe he would spread poison on someone else’s grass.”

  “That man has a temper. He yelled at Kyle for spreading ants through the neighborhood and boasted that he’d taken care of the problem.”

  “What did Goat do?”

  “My brother isn’t a violent sort, but he doesn’t like being made a fool. He gave Hector another problem to worry about. It wasn’t the smartest thing, considering the neighbor has small children. He dropped a few tarantulas into the guy’s house through an open window.”

  “Bless my bones, I’m surprised I never heard about this.”

  “The outcome was that the neighbor promised to get back at Kyle. I doubt anyone would kill another person over a bug problem, though.”

  You’d be surprised, pal. “I appreciate your honesty. Do you mind if I share this information with Detective Vail? He may come across as harsh, but he’s dedicated to learning the truth.”

  “I’m afraid for my brother. What he knows may get him murdered.”

  “If your brother is scared, we understand. But coming forward is the only way we can help him. Please tell him so if you speak to him again.”

  “Kyle mentioned your name, and he said you’re in danger. From the context, I thought he meant you should watch out for your neighbor, but now I’m not so sure.”

  Thanks for the warning, Goat. You’re a little late. “You’ve been very helpful, Jenny. Please contact me if you have anything to add.” She rose and stretched. “I really would like to use your bathroom.”

  A few minutes later, she strolled toward downtown, shlepping her packages. With time left before her appointment to meet Vail, she wound through a series of eateries and stores. No new information came her way, but she found a great boutique where she lost thirty minutes along with two hundred fifty dollars for a red suede jacket, a matching purse, and a slipover black and silver velvety top by Rafaella.

  “What a steal,” she told Vail in the lobby of the Lakeside Inn. “Th
e suede jackets in Macy’s cost that much alone.”

  He gave her a wry glance. “You’re a dangerous woman to leave to your own resources. Either you end up getting attacked by bad guys, or you take out your angst on the nearest credit card. I’d better watch my wallet.”

  “Very funny. Did you get our room keys? I’d like to put these packages upstairs.”

  “Sure. We have a lakefront view. I think you’ll enjoy the accommodations.”

  It wasn’t until he opened the door that she realized he’d used the plural pronoun. “Don’t we…have separate rooms?” she asked, her tone a bit breathless.

  Carrying her bundles in both arms, he shoved the door open with his hip. “I should have put these in the car,” he muttered. “And, no, this was the only thing available. The Renninger Antique Fair is this weekend. Everything else is booked solid.”

  “Is this a good idea?” She tossed her purse on the queen-size bed and turned to face him. “I mean, things seem to be at odds between us right now. Maybe we should-”

  “Maybe we should kiss and make up, at least for tonight.”

  His heated glance roused body parts traitorous to her logic. “You want my body-and my brains, when it pertains to solving your cases. But when it comes to including me in household decisions, you shut me out. Why should I go to bed with you if you’re unwilling to compromise?”

  Stepping forward, he drew her close and gyrated his hips against her. “I might be persuaded to your viewpoint,” he said, nuzzling her neck. He smelled like herbal shampoo and spice cologne.

  Does it matter what happens tomorrow? Seize the moment! Are you going to deny yourself this luscious male because of the uncertainty of your future together? Lust has a place in life, too. Go for it.

  Bolts of pleasure shot through her as she responded by rubbing her breasts against his chest. He groaned as his rising need became evident. A surge of female power emboldened her. Raising her arms, she rifled her fingers through his soft, thick hair. Reveling in its silky sensuality, she pulled down his head until his lips met hers.