Dirty Sexy Murder

by Cathleen Ross

  Lizzie’s blue eyes widened like a startled rabbit. “Um...um.”

  Marina suppressed a smile. She knew how hard it was for Lizzie not to give anything away, especially when confronted with Peta’s intimate style of questioning.

  “Honey. What kind of answer is that?” Peta stripped off her leather jacket, to reveal a black lace see-through top.

  Despite Peta’s slender torso, Marina noticed her back was strong and wide like a man’s. She suspected she could run fast too with those long legs of hers.

  Peta reached behind her back and unclipped her bra, flinging it on the bed, then wriggled out of her skirt to reveal a black leather G-string. “You ready for me, ladies?” Peta climbed on the massage table.

  Marina walked over to the stereo and turned it on. The first Elvis CD started playing. “What do you want done today?”

  “It’s only been a couple of weeks since I last saw you girls so I just need maintenance. I’m prick...ly.”

  Lizzie giggled.

  “My eyebrows seem fine.” Peta rubbed her jaw. “I think my face feels a little nasty though.”

  Marina ran her forefinger expertly along Peta’s jaw line. “I can feel a few hairs.” Momentarily, she closed her eyes seeing if she could sense anything from Peta. Not a thing. When she opened them Peta was watching her, her gray eyes gleaming as if she could tell what Marina was doing. Marina quickly smoothed some wax on Peta’s jaw line and started working. If she could hear the murderer’s thoughts, what if the murderer could hear hers?

  “So how’s work?” Peta asked.

  Lizzie shrugged. “The usual.”

  “More clients being killed?” Peta asked.

  Marina glanced at Peta. Talk about getting to the point.

  “It’s a pity the killer hasn’t knocked off that bitch of a boss of yours?”

  “What do you mean?” Marina asked. Peta’s tone had a spiteful quality about it. She hadn’t heard Peta speak that way before.

  “Don’t start on Natalia. We like her,” Lizzie said.

  “That’s because she didn’t accuse you of stealing the nail polish.”

  Marina remembered that Lizzie had mentioned Peta used to do the massages at the salon. “What happened. Did she fire you?”

  “Let’s just say we parted ways. Still don’t like the bitch. She was never the same to me once I had the implants. Some people are so narrow-minded.”

  Peta was angry. She could feel it running up her fingers like a current, yet at the same time the feelings were muted. She couldn’t get much off her.

  “Get every last hair, honey. I need to be smooth. I’m certain the man of my dreams is going to ask me out tonight.”

  “Is that the same one as last time?” Lizzie asked. She started on Peta’s legs with the strip wax.

  “Yes. I know he likes me. He’s there every time I dance. He even tucks money down my front.” Peta giggled. “I’m playing hard to get. Hard being the operative word.”

  “I bet,” Lizzie grinned.

  “So what about you?” Peta asked. “Your boyfriend treating you right?”

  “It’s off,” Lizzie replied. She kept her head down and worked, clearly hoping Peta wouldn’t ask her anymore questions.

  Marina looked at her surprised. At last count she thought it was still on.

  “So you’re not getting any.”

  “No.” Lizzie didn’t meet his gaze.

  A small frown crossed Peta’s face. “What about you, Marina? That caveman hunk giving you the bone?”

  “Peta!” Lizzie squealed. “James wouldn’t shag his flatmate.”

  Marina flushed. Was she that obvious? How did Peta know what was going on? Even Lizzie hadn’t worked it out. She put her hand on Peta’s cheek avoiding her penetrating gaze, pretending to feel for stray hairs. She tried to get a feeling off her, something that would give away the underlying feeling of violence. Nothing.

  “Look. You’ve embarrassed her. She’s gone all pink.” Lizzie laughed.

  “She’s very quiet. Hello, Marina. Are you still talking to me?” Peta teased.

  “Quieten down a bit, you bad girl, while I do your jaw,” Marina said firmly. It was hard to stop Peta’s inquisitive questions once she got going.

  “So what are you girls up to this weekend?” Peta asked, ignoring Marina’s command.

  “Nothing,” Lizzie said.

  “Who you seeing now, Lizzie?” he persisted.

  “No one,” she answered.

  “What about you, Marina?”

  “Nothing happening in my life,” she answered.

  Both girls continued waxing as fast as they could to get the job done. Marina finished with Peta’s face and moved on to her chest.

  Peta rolled her eyes and was silent.

  Perhaps she got the hint that they weren’t in a talkative mood, Marina thought. Lizzie was doing well. Normally she talked as much as Peta. She’d never seen her so quiet.

  “I’m having my penis chopped off next week.”

  “What?” Both girls stopped work.

  “Ha! That got your interest.” Peta looked from girl to girl. “Yes. I am becoming a woman. Maybe that cave hunk will take me seriously once I’m a woman. What do you think, Lizzie?”

  “I...I...”

  Lizzie was speechless. Rare for her.

  Peta’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Marina. “Unless he’s involved with someone else. Do you think he’d fancy me? I’m a redhead like you now.”

  Marina put her hand on Peta’s chest. The intensity of Peta’s gaze unnerved her but she left her hand there. Jealousy. The word floated in the air. She could feel it coming off Peta.

  “Are you jealous, Peta?” Marina asked her.

  “Of course I am.” Peta raised her eyebrows. “He used to look at me before you moved in. I liked it. Now he only has eyes for you.”

  Marina’s cheeks felt hot. Lizzie was staring from her to Peta.

  “No offense, Peta, but James is straight,” Lizzie said gently.

  Peta just smiled. “Pity. I had my eye on him first. I won’t give up without a fight to the death. You remember that, Marina!”

  Chapter 19

  “Evelyn the clairvoyant doesn’t want to see me until her kids are in bed.”

  Marina sat next to James who drove his Lexus along Parramatta Road. She wasn’t sure whether it was the drive or what she might be about to find out that left her nauseated, her stomach pinched. She eyed row after row of nondescript red brick houses that lined the busy road as they traveled out to Sydney’s west.

  “Check this screen out.” James nodded toward the satellite navigation system on his dashboard. “I’ve put a flag on where we’re going. I programmed the system to show me the fastest way to get there without traffic lights.”

  What was it with boys and their toys? Marina glanced at the small screen. An arrow that represented the car moved slowly toward Strathfield, a dignified suburb with a mix of beautiful Victorian houses and apartments. Dark lines marked with names of streets she didn’t recognize surrounded the orange and black flag, which marked their destination. “I suppose that’s useful.”

  Seeing as her sense of direction had disappeared with the onset of puberty she was mildly impressed, but she had difficulty garnering enthusiasm in her present mood.

  “Yeah. The system even tells you where the petrol stations are, plus the restaurants.” He pressed the screen whilst driving one handed. “Is this seriously cool or what?”

  Irritation prickled up her spine. Just drive, she wanted to say.

  “There’s the greatest DVD player in the back.”

  James looked like he was about to launch into a further explanation, but she jumped in first. Marina found the thought of a DVD in a car as interesting as James’s Xbox. One glance was enough. She changed the subject. “I have to warn you, this woman I’m going to see sounds a bit different. Weird even. She said she saw my father.”

  “What? Like a vision or something?” James gave her a qu
ick glance, one eyebrow raised.

  She noticed a wary expression cross his features. “No. In spirit form. Dad’s dead.”

  James screwed up his face in disbelief. “Huh? Dead people. Man.” He tapped the steering wheel with one hand. His mouth dropped open and his eyebrows rose at the same time painting a mixture of disbelief and confusion.

  “Evelyn named my father and described him right. She said he has an urgent message for me.”

  “Do you really believe in this? I mean, I know Lizzie does, but she believes in whatever she reads in those magazines of hers. Meditation, visualization, vibrations, crystals. Blah, blah, blah.”

  She sighed. Did she believe? She was desperate. A sharp pain jabbed at her stomach. She rubbed her tummy to no avail. She’d always wanted to lose a few pounds but had found it hard. Now her clothes were loose. “It’s a big leap of faith. I just hope Evelyn can help me.”

  Six weeks ago she had been the one who couldn’t cope with anything different. Her cross-dressing groom had started the change. Now searching for answers to things she didn’t understand consumed her life. “So much has happened since I moved here. I guess there’s a lot going on in the world that I don’t know about.”

  “Yeah. Fine,” James said, off-hand. “I don’t believe in clairvoyants though. I’m just doing this to support you. How can someone possibly know my future? It’s ridiculous. I make my own decisions.”

  But was the world that simple? She used to think it was when she lived in her small town. She’d had her whole life mapped out. First she had established her business, then planned her marriage and hoped to have two children. The planning seemed farcical now.

  Marina rubbed her lips together. They were dry and chapped. “You believe in me, don’t you? I see what’s going to happen in the future. I mean with the murders. How do you explain me?”

  James reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze. The heat of his fingers and sturdy grip warmed her ice-cold hand. “Yeah, well, I know you. You’re the real thing. I saw the evidence myself. You gave me a real shock when you saw I was thinking about having sex with you.”

  “That I didn’t need to be psychic for.”

  James laughed.

  She reached over and massaged his shoulder. The muscles under her fingers were tense, bunched with knots.

  Their light banter kept them going, she realized. Buried the fear like crust over a volcano.

  “Let’s meet Evelyn and see what she has to say. I know there are lots of charlatans out there but she might be for real,” she said.

  “Guess we have to. I mean she’s probably a total waste of space, but we’ve run out of options. Somehow you have to get a fix on this guy before he strikes again. We know he can get into your head. Maybe Evelyn can show you a way to get into his.”

  “Even though you don’t want to believe in this stuff.”

  “That’s right.” James grinned. “Guess I’m feeling desperate too. I mean, I know I can protect you girls when I’m there, but what if I’m not?”

  Marina put her head back on the headrest. If James weren’t with her, she’d have to rely on her own resources. She shivered. She took a deep breath to steady herself. Would her strength match that of a murderer? Fear pressed inside her like a fist to the heart. She gazed out of the window. It was dark but she could see Wentworth Road where they had to turn off.

  James turned into Wentworth Road and then into a street lined with bungalows. He pulled over and parked. Winding down the window, he leaned out squinting. “Evelyn’s house should be the house across the road.” He pointed out a run-down, red-brick home with loose gutters.

  Marina wasn’t sure what she expected. Certainly not a wreck of a house in a suburb where people took care of their houses. She got out of the car, waited for James, and crossed the road with him. The garden was wild and dense with trees that needed clipping. It looked like no one had mowed the lawn for months. The gate was swinging partly off its hinges. There was a yellow toy truck on the path turned on its side. She bent and scooped it up.

  “What a mess,” James said, looking around him. “You sure you got the address right?”

  Tucking the truck under her arm, Marina pulled out the piece of paper where she’d written the address. “Yes. This is it, all right.”

  The porch light was on.

  Marina glanced at James. She could see the concern in his eyes as if he expected attackers to jump out and mug them at any moment. “We’re only visiting a clairvoyant,” she whispered. “Calm down.”

  “I’m calm,” he said. His eyes darted from side to side.

  She knocked on the door. Footsteps and a sharp cry of a child signaled Evelyn’s approach.

  A woman about thirty opened the door. She had dark hair roughly tied back in a ponytail. Her skin was sallow and she looked like she could do with a moisturizing facial. There were shadows under her eyes as if she hadn’t slept well. In fact, a whole makeover would do.

  “Hi. I’m Marina.” She handed Evelyn the toy truck. She motioned to James. “This is James.”

  “I’m Evelyn.” She placed the truck on the wooden floor boards near some other scattered toys. “Please come in quietly. I’ve just put the kids to bed so try not to make too much noise.”

  Marina looked around. Children’s clothes were scattered on the floor. It looked as if Evelyn was allergic to housework. The house smelled of cabbage.

  “I haven’t had time to tidy.” Evelyn clearly noticed her gaze.

  Marina hoped she didn’t appear rude.

  Evelyn turned to James. “You can sit on the lounge and wait. There are some car magazines that might interest you.”

  James’s green eyes opened wide with surprise. “Cool. Did you read my mind?”

  Marina noticed his hopeful expression. She guessed he needed an answer as much as she did.

  Evelyn scratched her hand. “Actually, they’re my husband’s. He likes fast cars. Can’t afford to buy one so he settles for the magazines.”

  “Right.” James, deflated, sat on the lounge.

  “Come this way.” Evelyn motioned Marina to follow her into a converted garage, which she had set up as her study. She closed the door behind her.

  Marina looked around her. The room was Spartan with unclad brick walls and concrete on the floor. A desk with a computer sitting on it sat in the corner. Three spindle-back chairs were placed in a triangle facing each other.

  Evelyn signaled Marina to sit. “Have a seat opposite.”

  Marina sat.

  Evelyn sat too, her hands on her lap. Suddenly she turned looking at the closed door. “Will you just go away? How many times have I told you not to bother me when I’m working? Of course they didn’t eat their vegetables. I told you the kids don’t like cabbage.”

  Marina tensed. “Who? What?” There was no one in the room except for her and Evelyn.

  “Sorry. My mother-in-law died some time ago and now she’s driving me nuts. She can’t stand the house in such a mess, but I’m a working mother. What does she expect?”

  Evelyn glared at the doorway. She turned back to Marina. “Good. She’s gone. She’ll be back though. Worse luck. I haven’t learned to block her out. Couldn’t manage to do it when she was alive either.”

  If Evelyn couldn’t block out the unwanted, what hope did she have? The pin-prick of hope that stayed in her heart flickered like a candle in a draft.

  Evelyn settled back in her chair. She seemed to be staring at a space over Marina’s right shoulder. “Your father, William Henry, is here. There are others here, too, but William won’t let them speak.” She screwed up her face. “I really hate it when one of the spirits gets bossy.”

  “Dad?” Marina looked around her. She hadn’t given Evelyn her surname, had she? She couldn’t remember. Had Evelyn plucked it out of the air? A surge of emotion set her heart beating. “Why does he need to contact me?” Did she believe in this? It was too wacky and yet, she was the one who had contacted Evelyn.

  E
velyn frowned. “All right, old man. I’ll get on with it.” She sighed dramatically. “Your father says you’re in danger. So is the man sitting outside who loves you.”

  Marina reeled. Acid filled her stomach. She clenched it. Talk about a hard start. “Are you sure?” She stared down at her fingernails, noticing they were looking ragged. She fought an urge to bite her thumbnail, a habit she’d given up years ago.

  Evelyn looked her up and down, her expression concerned. “Sorry. Thought I’d throw in that love bit. Don’t like to be the bearer of bad tidings.” She shook her head, her expression grim. “This isn’t going to be an easy reading.”

  “Go on,” Marina urged. “I know I’m in danger. I guess I didn’t expect you to pick up on it so clearly.”

  Evelyn nodded. The expression in her eyes sympathetic. She swayed slightly as she concentrated on a spot just above Marina’s head. “There’s an evil man in your life. A man who is not what he seems. He’s dark but he wears a mask.” She gestured in front of her face with a flurry of her hands.

  “What do you mean a mask?”

  “A mask of civility. Of humanity.” Evelyn squinted and leaned forward so that she was closer to Marina but she continued to look past her. “Your father is holding up a photograph of a woman.” She shook her head. “This is very strange. I haven’t come across this before.” She beckoned to the air with her hand.

  “Huh?” Marina urged.

  “Wait.” She held up one hand to Marina. “Bring it closer, old man. I can’t see that far away.”

  Something, like the barest wisp of air brushed past Marina’s arm. Every hair stood on end. Yet she wasn’t frightened. She watched as Evelyn looked from the unseen to her.

  “You have a double.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked from Marina to something in front of her. “Why did you throw the picture away? That was a gift delivered to you by your father. Your father says he worked very hard to get it to you.”

  Marina gasped. She put her hand to her mouth. This reading was real. Too real. “Dad’s talking about the photo of the nude model?” Her throat was hoarse as she remembered the terror the photo held for her.

  “The one who looks like you,” Evelyn continued, “has brought you great trouble that is not of your making.” She shook her head as if to clear a trance. “Jeez, your father speaks like someone from the Bible.”