by Ink, India
“We’ll be careful,” he promised.
I leaned forward, resting my head on my knees. I still felt nauseated from the stun gun attack. “Those things are legal?” I finally asked, pointing to the gun that was now in an evidence bag.
He nodded. “Yeah, they pack one hell of a punch, don’t they?”
“Sure do,” I said. I looked up and saw that he was holding out a bottle of water for me. I took it and drank slowly. “So, Colleen murdered Lydia. She and Debbie stole my keys while my purse was sitting near my counter, they made copies, and somehow they lured Lydia into the shop and Colleen killed her.”
“Why did Colleen do it? All of this violence just for a beauty crown title?” He shook his head. “I don’t understand people.”
“There was a lot of money attached to that crown, at least in Colleen’s eyes. And a lot of self-validation. You’ll piece together the rest. When you question Debbie, remember she’s not very strong emotionally, Kyle. Be careful with her.”
“Why?” He gave me an odd look. “She helped with—or at least kept quiet about—two murders. What makes you care about her feelings?”
I shrugged. Something in Debbie reached out to me. A longing to be accepted, a feeling that she didn’t belong anywhere. I didn’t understand it, but I couldn’t deny feeling sorry for the girl. “She saved my life at the end. She turned the stun gun on Colleen instead of me. By the way, what took you so long?” I grinned at him.
Kyle let out an exasperated snort. “You wouldn’t have needed us if you’d kept your nose out of things like I told you to! I’m just glad I followed my gut and got my ass over here when you called.” He gave me a long look, then draped his arm around my shoulders as we headed for the door. “So Colleen’s perfume tipped all of this off.”
I nodded. “The minute I smelled it at the grocery store, I remembered that I’d smelled it before—in Marta’s apartment.”
“That’s one hell of a nose you’ve got there,” he said. “You ever want a job as a bloodhound for the station, give me a call.”
“You might say that I’ve got a nose for murder!” I said, laughing.
He snorted. “Right, just don’t let it lead you into trouble again.”
Chapter Twenty
By morning, the storm had blown itself out and we were treated to clear skies and a crisp breeze coming off of Puget Sound. Auntie, Barbara, and I were walking along Lighthouse Spit, a long, narrow strip of land that stretched into the water. At the very end stood a lighthouse that was still used by the harbor. It was open to the public, and next door, the Lighthouse Café took advantage of the tourists who came to snap pictures of the beacon.
I was feeling shaky, but better. The shock of the stun gun had worn off, but every muscle in my body ached as if I’d had a full-fledged iron workout and hadn’t bothered to stretch out afterward. Auntie had insisted that I go to the doctor even though the EMT had pronounced me fit, and I’d submitted to a thorough exam and come out with flying colors.
Barbara, of course, had been properly horrified. She and Dorian had come over for dinner and brought with them every delicacy they made in their bakery. Auntie and I had looked at the pile of goodies and threw caution to the wind, digging in for all we were worth.
This morning, though, I just wanted fresh air and a long walk. As we silently passed the lighthouse and came to the edge of the beach, Barbara pointed out a long driftwood log where we could sit and watch the tide as it flowed quietly into shore. While they sat on the log, I stretched out on the sand and leaned back, letting the sun beat down on my face. The air was warm enough to bask in, and it looked like we were due for some nice weather for a change.
The sound of the gulls echoed as they soared over the water, looking for clams and oysters. Come low tide, they’d feast as the waters rolled out, leaving a smorgasbord for the critters who frequented the shore.
I sighed. “When’s Kyle supposed to show up?”
Auntie reached over and patted my shoulder. “He said he’d be here by nine. It’s only eight forty-five.”
But he was early—showing up five minutes later. He joined my aunt on the log, and we all turned to him expectantly. Finally, I spoke up.
“So? Did Colleen confess?”
He nodded. “She didn’t have to, considering everything we got on tape, but I guess she’s praying for an easier sentencing. She confessed to both murders. She exonerated Debbie—at least from the actual crimes. Debbie’s still an accessory, but I have the feeling that by the time this is over, she may end up in a mental hospital rather than a prison. She’s losing it pretty quick.”
Auntie clasped her hands. “I just can’t get over it. Those girls . . . they’re so young. To do something so horrible, what could they be thinking?”
Kyle shrugged. “Well, we know why she killed Lydia, and we found out what went down with Marta. Apparently, the old girl went over to borrow some coffee and she stopped in the bathroom while she was there—just like you did, Persia. Debbie’s bedroom door was open and Marta saw the mirror. If she would have kept quiet she’d still be alive, but she put two and two together and tried to blackmail Colleen. Colleen gave her all her savings—that’s where the five thousand dollars came from, but Marta wanted more. So Colleen killed her.”
“I heard that Radiance Cosmetics is dropping their China Veils line. It was on the news this morning. Of course, they have no comment about Colleen yet—their PR department is going to have to scramble on that one.” Barbara chuckled. “Talk about what goes around, comes around. They rigged the contest and look what it did for them.”
Kyle grinned then, and he looked almost happy. “Speaking of rigging contests, if you like their makeup I suggest you stock up on it now. I reported the whole seedy mess to the Attorney General, and I also told them about the judge who insisted Lydia sleep with him. Mr. Wallace Clifford Dover isn’t going to be keeping his job as a lawyer much longer.”
I gasped. “Wally Dover? Oh my God, he’s one of Seattle’s highest profiled attorneys. I didn’t know he was one of the Radiance judges.”
Kyle snorted. “Well, his fame train just jumped the tracks. And his money. His wife owned stock in Radiance Cosmetics, that’s how he got on the judging committee. But that’s a fraction of her wealth. Now he’s losing his job, and when this scandal hits the papers, you can be sure she’ll take her fortune and walk. I have a feeling that Radiance Cosmetics isn’t going to be around much longer. Not when their customers hear this whole sordid story.”
He had a good point. People wanted to trust the companies they did business with and Radiance had been so corrupt that they’d never keep their clientele.
“Have you let Trevor out yet?”
He reached over and patted my hand. “Yes, Persia, thanks to you, Trevor’s a free man. I let him out of jail this morning, and apologized to him.”
“What I still don’t understand is why Colleen pinned the crime on his shoulders.” Auntie said.
Kyle spoke up. “Trevor was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Colleen witnessed the argument between Lydia and Trev, and it fell together in her mind right then. It was easy enough for her to grab his hammer out of his truck while he was off eating lunch. And Colleen was the one who called Trevor, pretending to be Lydia to get him alone so he wouldn’t have an alibi.”
I stared at the water as the waves crested gently against the shore. Trevor had given his heart to Lydia and look what it had gotten him. Love . . . one of life’s greatest gifts, and one of its greatest banes. Which reminded me. Elliot was moving to town. Shit, what the hell was I going to do about him?
Kyle interrupted my thoughts. “Persia, can I talk to you for a moment?”
He walked me down to the water’s edge. “I know I’ve been acting pretty snotty to you. I think I’ve realized why. I was looking at a picture of Katy today—she was my wife. You know, you remind me of her. You were both strong women, both brilliant.”
I just nodded, letting him talk.
I didn’t want him to be attracted to me, but I couldn’t be rude. Couldn’t shake off his confession like it meant nothing. I touched his arm. “Kyle, everything’s okay. It must be hard. I never met Katy, but from what I’ve heard about her, she was pretty special.”
He smiled then, a broad smile that lit up his face. “Yeah, she was. I’d like to tell you about her sometime. Would you consider going out to dinner with me? Not a date—I promise. Just two old friends, having dinner together.”
Not a date. That was good, because the last thing I needed was to get involved with someone like Kyle. Good friends? Yes. Lovers? No. Besides, my mind was still on Bran Stanton, who I found intriguing and altogether delicious. But dinner with a friend? That I could do.
“Sure thing. I’d like to hear about Katy. Bring pictures, okay?”
He let out a long sigh of relief. “Thank God. After that stupid mistake with the kiss, I was afraid to ask. You pack a good punch, lady. You know that?”
I snorted. “Of course I know it. And I’m proud of it.”
We rejoined the others, where Kyle said a quick good-bye and headed off to work. I linked arms with Auntie and Barbara and we strolled along the shore. The waves were crashing and the constant susurration of the wind sounded like wind chimes and voices mingling into a melody fresh in off the ocean. Barbara said something silly—I don’t remember what it was—and we all laughed.
We stopped at the foot of the lighthouse, and Auntie turned to me and gave me a fierce hug. “I am so glad you came back to Gull Harbor, Imp.”
As I stared out at the ever-changing dance of the waves, I knew it was true. I was home. Regardless of exboyfriends moving to town and local beauty queens getting murdered in our shop, regardless of anything else that might happen, I was home.