11-Lipstick, a Long Iron and Lifeless

by Cindy Bell

  “She is quite magical,” Bekki laughed and winked at Sammy who was at the register processing the transaction for Mrs. Davis.

  “I get it from you, Bekki darling,” Sammy replied with a wide smile. After Mrs. Davis left Bekki looked over some of the paperwork on the desk.

  “Do you want to take the rest of the afternoon off?” Bekki offered. “I know you came in as a favor to me this morning.”

  “Are you sure?” Sammy asked as she tidied her station. “Do you really feel up to working after yesterday?”

  “I need to work,” Bekki nodded quickly. “It'll take my mind off things.”

  Sammy narrowed her eyes and set the broom down against the counter as she studied Bekki.

  “You mean you want to hear all the gossip. Are you getting involved in the case, Bekki?” Sammy asked with a wag of her finger.

  “No, not exactly,” Bekki replied and cleared her throat. “But you know what good friends Dave and my father are. This is breaking his heart.”

  “Oh yes, I didn't think about that,” Sammy frowned. “I bet he is taking it pretty hard. Well, in the interest of you digging into the case I will happily take the afternoon off. But, I hope you remember what you and Nick discussed.”

  “I remember, I remember,” Bekki said with exasperation. “But this is different.”

  “Sure,” Sammy nodded and smiled slyly as she grabbed her purse. “If you need me, call me, I'm just going to see if Morris will meet up with me for a picnic at the park.”

  “Sounds romantic,” Bekki teased lightly.

  “Well, if you call playing ball and mosquito bites romantic,” Sammy giggled and slung her purse over her shoulder. “Luckily, I do.”

  “Enjoy,” Bekki said and gave her friend a quick hug. Just as Sammy was leaving, Nick stepped through the door. Bekki was a little startled to see him but gave him a quick kiss.

  “Shouldn't you be resting?” she asked as she looked up into his green eyes.

  “I could say the same to you,” he pointed out and slung an arm around her waist. “But at least it doesn't look too busy.”

  “Not yet, but I have about five appointments this afternoon,” Bekki said as she leaned against his side.

  “After such a busy morning?” he asked with mock surprise and eyed her in a knowing way.

  “I don't know what you're talking about,” she stammered out. “I just got here.”

  “See, the thing is,” Nick continued to studied her intently. “I sent a few uniforms over to the country club to see if they could pick up any chatter about Josh. Imagine my surprise when most of these women mentioned that they had seen and talked to you this morning.”

  “Oh, well I,” Bekki cleared her throat and began straightening out bottles of nail polish on the counter. “I might have gone in for a bite to eat,” she mumbled and accidentally knocked one of the bottles off the counter. Nick snatched it swiftly out of mid-air. He held it out to her with a smile.

  “I didn't think you usually spend much time at the country club,” he said as he met her eyes. Bekki took the bottle of nail polish and frowned.

  “I don't.”

  “So, you went there because?” he asked.

  Bekki sighed and looked into his eyes. “I went there because I wanted to see if there was any gossip about Josh, or Dave, or anything that happened.”

  “So, why didn't you just tell me?” Nick asked as he leaned his hands on the counter and continued to study her.

  Bekki hesitated for a moment and then shrugged. “I didn't want you to think I was getting involved in the case.”

  “But you were,” he pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

  “It was just a little girl talk,” Bekki insisted uncomfortably.

  “Bekki,” Nick sighed and ran his hand across his forehead. He took one of his long, slow breaths, and Bekki prepared herself for a lecture about the difference between being a detective and being a beautician. When he spoke he looked back up at her.

  “Look, I know that this isn't just any case, it involves your father and a close family friend. I know what I've said, and I know what we agreed to, but Bekki I never ever want you to be in a position where you think you can't tell me the truth.”

  “I didn't lie,” Bekki pointed out with a slight frown.

  “It isn't about whether you lied or not,” Nick said with a sigh. “The point is, I don't want you to feel like you have to hide anything from me, or not be yourself around me.”

  “I'm sorry,” Bekki shook her head and glanced out the front window as a customer was approaching. “I just don't want to worry you or upset you.”

  “But you're not going to stay out of the case?” Nick said with a grimace.

  “Not this one,” Bekki said firmly. “I can't. Not this time. But I'll be careful, Nick, I promise. And I won’t do anything I shouldn’t but there’s no harm in having a few conversations to see what I can find out,” she smiled at the woman who stepped into the salon. “Can we talk about this later?”

  “We will,” he nodded and brushed his lips lightly across her cheek. “I'll text you when I'm on my way home.”

  “Be careful,” Bekki reminded him before walking over to greet the customer who was flipping through a magazine. “How can I help you today?” Bekki asked as she walked up to her.

  “Just a wash and style,” the woman replied tersely. Bekki swept her gaze over the woman's face several times as she escorted her to a chair. She knew just about everyone in town, but this woman she was sure she had never seen before.

  “Are you visiting?” Bekki asked as she got the woman into a cape.

  “Something like that,” the woman replied evasively. Bekki guided her to her feet and led her to the sink to wash her hair.

  “Well, I'm Bekki,” Bekki said as she turned the water onto a warm setting and began running it through the woman's thick, brown hair.

  “Claire,” the woman replied. “Claire Louis,” she added quietly as Bekki shampooed her hair. Bekki's hands froze for a moment at the mention of the woman's last name. She knew that it was a fairly common name but it also seemed to be too much of a coincidence. Louis was also Josh's last name.

  “Nice to meet you, Claire,” Bekki said as she rinsed her hair and then began to condition it. “Are you in town long?”

  “Just long enough to bury my brother,” Claire replied and looked up at Bekki as Bekki tipped her head back to rinse her hair once more.

  “I'm so sorry,” Bekki said as she helped Claire to sit up. “I didn't realize.”

  “It's okay,” Claire said as Bekki walked her back to the chair in front of her station. “I wouldn't expect you to know. I've never set foot in this little town,” she sighed as she slouched down in her chair. “I wouldn't be here at all, if it wasn't for Janet.”

  “What?” Bekki asked with surprise and busied herself with combing out Claire's hair. “Are you here to support her?”

  “Support that psycho?” Claire laughed at that. “I think not. I told my brother the day he married her that he was a complete fool, and he deserved whatever he got.”

  Bekki shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. She didn't want to speak against Janet, but she also didn't want to offend Claire, who had just lost her brother.

  “Were you and Josh close?” Bekki asked in a neutral tone.

  “We were at one time,” Claire replied. “But life gets in the way, pulls people apart. I never thought he would marry Janet, and when he did I just didn't want much to do with him, to be honest.”

  “Did you and Janet not get along?” Bekki asked curiously as she warmed up the blow dryer.

  “You could say that,” Claire narrowed her eyes. “She announced to me that she was going to have my brother, whether I liked it or not. I didn't like the idea, because I knew other guys she had been with, and knew she was really high maintenance.”

  “How do you mean?” Bekki asked.

  “She expected to be waited on hand and foot, was very controlling, very j
ealous over everything that her previous boyfriends did,” Claire explained. “I didn't want my brother going through that.”

  “I'm sorry,” Bekki shook her head slowly. She didn't know Janet or Josh well enough to have an opinion on their relationship. But it was clear that Claire had a very strong opinion of her. “It must have been hard when he didn't listen to your advice.”

  “It wasn't just advice,” Claire corrected her. “I begged him not to marry her. He told me if I couldn't accept her then I couldn't be in his life. So, we stopped talking.”

  Bekki frowned into the mirror. “That must have been heartbreaking.”

  “It was just him and me, you know,” Claire admitted quietly. “Our parents died when we were in our late teens, and we had always been there for each other. But that all changed when Janet decided that she was in charge of his life. Now, she's even in charge of his death. I know that Josh would have wanted to be buried beside our parents. We talked about it in the past. But since she's his wife, she gets to make that choice. She's taken everything from me, and now she gets to decide what to do with my brother's body,” she growled her last words, clearly disgusted by them.

  “I'm sorry that you're going through so much,” Bekki said as her two next appointments walked in together.

  “I heard the ceremony is going to be short,” one of the women was saying to the other. “I just hope she doesn't have the nerve to show up there.”

  “Could you imagine?” the other woman asked with widened eyes.

  “Excuse me,” Bekki said quickly and walked over to the two women. She settled them down in chairs in the waiting area, along with magazines. Then in a quiet voice she murmured to them. “Please be considerate, a relative of Josh's is in the salon.”

  “Oh?” the two women looked up and immediately in Claire's direction. Bekki rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath.

  “So much for being discreet,” she walked back over to Claire.

  “How would you like me to style your hair?” she asked gently.

  “Just a slight curl and parted in the middle,” Claire replied with a shrug. “I didn't really come in here for a haircut.”

  “Huh?” Bekki began curling Claire's hair.

  “No, I came in here to see you,” Claire explained as she looked through the mirror at Bekki. “Janet told me that you were the one who found Josh out on that golf course.”

  “Well I…” Bekki began to say.

  “And that you're married to the detective that's investigating the case,” Claire added. “Detective Nick Malonie?” she asked.

  “Well, yes I am,” Bekki nodded.

  “So, maybe you can tell me,” Claire took a deep breath as Bekki continued to curl her hair. “Who do they think killed my brother?”

  “Oh, I'm sorry,” Bekki shook her head slowly. “I don't know. But I'm sure that Nick will find out as much as he can. He's an excellent detective.”

  “Well, hasn't he already found out?” one of the women asked as she walked right up to Bekki. “I mean, they have arrested Dave Brunner, haven't they?”

  “Oh?” Claire glanced over at the woman. “Is that true, Bekki?” she asked as she looked back at Bekki.

  Bekki frowned. “I'm sure the police have people they are looking into,” Bekki replied evasively. “Nick is most likely keeping Janet up to date. You should ask her about it.”

  “I can't,” Claire sighed as she leaned back in the chair and took in the sight of the style Bekki had created.

  “Why not?” Bekki asked as she spruced up Claire's hair just a little more.

  “Because,” Claire turned to look directly at Bekki. “She's not speaking to me.”

  “Times of grief are very hard on everyone involved,” Bekki pointed out. “I'm sure Janet is still in shock. If you just give her a little time to calm down, I'm sure she'll come around.”

  “I don't think so,” Claire shook her head and then met Bekki's eyes again. “I accused her of murdering my brother.”

  Bekki was startled by Claire's words. Of all the things she had been working out in her mind she had never even considered Janet as a suspect. She had been sitting in her salon just days before after all. The woman didn't seem as if she could harm a fly. Bekki’s eyes narrowed slightly.

  “Do you really think that?” Bekki asked as she studied Claire closely.

  “Like I said,” Claire said without blinking an eye. “She's psycho. Anyway, thanks for the style,” she said as she stood up from the chair. “I didn't expect such talented work in a little, no-name salon.”

  Bekki narrowed her eyes further. Sure it was a small family salon, but she wouldn't call it no-name.

  “It's on the house,” she said and arranged her features into a more sympathetic expression. “I'm sorry for your loss.”

  “Thanks,” Claire nodded. She smiled briefly at the two women who were staring at her as if she was the most fascinating creature they had ever seen, and then walked out of the salon. Bekki stared after her for a long time, until one of the women waiting cleared her throat. Then she turned back and began taking care of them.

  As Bekki went through the motions of their requests her mind kept returning to Claire. The woman did not behave as if she was a grieving sister. If Josh really was the only living relative she had left, wouldn't his death cause more devastation? A suspicion crept up in her mind. She spent the rest of the afternoon taking care of customers. When she finished she closed the salon. She knew that she should head home in case Nick got off early, but she had one stop she wanted to make along the way.

  Chapter Six

  When Bekki pulled up in front of the house she wondered once more if it was the right thing to do. But she ignored her doubts and opened the car door and stepped out. She closed it quietly behind her and walked up to the front door. She knocked twice. There was no answer. She glanced at the windows to see if there was light on in the house. She knocked again, harder this time. When she looked back at the windows she saw one of the curtains drawn aside. A moment later the door swung open.

  “What is it, Bekki?” Stacey asked as she stood in the doorway. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and her face was blotchy. Bekki was sure she had interrupted a very difficult moment.

  “I just wanted to see how you were doing,” Bekki said quietly.

  “How am I doing?” Stacey asked and shook her head. “I'm waiting for my husband to come home, and I'm starting to think that he never will.”

  “Oh Stacey, I'm sorry,” Bekki said quietly.

  “Why are you here, Bekki?” Stacey asked with a hint of animosity. “Your husband is the one who took Dave in. Why are you here?”

  “I know that Nick came for Dave,” Bekki frowned. “I asked him to. I didn't want it to be a big scene, and I knew Nick would keep things discrete.”

  “Well, thanks,” Stacey said with exhaustion in her voice. “I guess.”

  “Stacey, I know this is a very difficult time,” Bekki said hesitantly. “But my Dad said Dave was home sick the day we were supposed to be playing golf. So, doesn't he have an alibi?”

  “No,” Stacey closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. “He doesn't because I went to spend the night at my mother's house. He was so sick, he told me to leave so I wouldn't get sick.” Fresh tears filled her eyes. “If only I had stayed home, maybe the police would believe him. But Nick said even if I had, it wouldn't be much of an alibi.”

  “Do you have any idea how Dave's club could have gotten there?” Bekki asked, her eyes widened.

  “No, of course not,” she sighed and shook her head. “I don't understand any of this.”

  “Stacey, you and Janet were close, weren't you?” Bekki asked hesitantly.

  “As close as we could be,” Stacey replied. “Janet is not very open and we haven’t known each other that long. She wouldn't share much personal information with me.”

  “What about her sister-in-law?” Bekki suggested. “Claire? Did she ever mention her?”

  Stacey tho
ught about it for a moment, and then shook her head. “I do remember Janet mentioned there was a bit of a tiff at the wedding between Josh and his sister.”

  “Do you remember what it was about?” Bekki pressed.

  “Honestly, no,” Stacey shook her head. “Bekki, I'm really tired. I just want to go to bed.”

  “Of course,” Bekki nodded. “But I have one other question for you.”

  “What is it?” Stacey asked impatiently.

  “Is there a way to tell when someone flew into the area?” Bekki asked. “I mean, is there some kind of record I can check to see when they arrived?”

  “Well,” Stacey frowned. “There is a system that documents the passengers on all flights, but no one can publicly access it. You have to have certain codes.”

  “Do you have those codes?” Bekki asked hopefully. Since Stacey worked as a travel agent Bekki hoped that she would.

  Stacey peered past her out into the driveway and up and down the street. Then she stepped back, allowing Bekki room to step inside.

  “I don’t, but I know someone who can look it up. Come on in, I’ll make some calls.”

  Bekki smiled with relief. She knew it was showing a lot of trust on Stacey's part to allow her inside considering the situation that her husband was in.

  “I just want to see if Josh's sister, Claire, really flew in after Josh’s death like she said she did.”

  “Why?” Stacey asked as she led Bekki over to her phone.

  “I think she might be a person of interest,” Bekki replied honestly. “Some of the things she said, the way she was talking about Josh, it just didn't all add up.”

  “Huh,” Stacey muttered as she picked up the phone and dialed. “Well, I'd be happy to help you find some evidence to prove that Dave is innocent, although I'd hate to think of a sister doing something so horrible to her brother.”

  “You never know what people are capable of,” Bekki said quietly as she sat down beside Stacey.

  “Hi, Bruce,” Stacey said into the phone. “It’s Stacey. I was wondering if you could do me a favor and see when someone flew in.” She smiled and nodded to Bekki as she told Bruce Claire's name and the state she would have traveled from, which she presumed was where Josh and Claire grew up, as well as the location of arrival. She nodded and listened to his response. “Thank you, I appreciate it,” she said and then she hung up the phone.