Facials Can Be Fatal

by Nancy J. Cohen

  Returning to her car, Marla considered her next move. She should go home and work on bookkeeping but couldn’t let this case rest. She wanted to help Dalton wrap things up so he could enjoy New Year’s without any burdens.

  So she drove to KB Fitness on Nob Hill Road. Doubtless Kat had been there already, questioning the personnel and members, but maybe Marla could learn something new. A short while later, she approached the front doors.

  “Are you a cop?” the lithe blonde who greeted her said from behind a reception counter, after Marla asked about Nadia Welsh.

  “No, I’m not. You’ve probably been talking to a lot of people today about Nadia. I was a friend of hers, and we were mutual friends with Valerie Weston. I don’t suppose Val ever came in here?” She glanced at a workout room filled with gleaming machines and sweating patrons going through their paces. Lively music played on a soundtrack, competing with the splash of water from somewhere beyond. Her nose sniffed a faint eucalyptus scent.

  “You’re not the only one who’s mentioned her recently. Val’s death shook everyone up. I can’t say that I knew her on a personal basis, though.”

  “People here were acquainted with her?”

  “Yes, she was a friendly sort. I believe Ms. Weston supported some historical group.”

  “Friends of Old Florida.”

  “Right. This other lady from their organization hits us up every year for gift certificates. They do raffles at their spring tea party.” She scrolled through a file on her computer. “Here she is. Lora Larue.”

  Marla raised her eyebrows. “Lora? Is she a member here?”

  “Yep, although she doesn’t come in very often. Lora said she travels a lot for business. That must be cool. I’m stuck in this same spot day after day.”

  “Would you know if she and Nadia took a Pilates class together?” Marla wondered if Kat had learned about their connection at the sports club.

  “You’ll have to ask the instructor.” The blonde checked their daily schedule. “Sandy has a session finishing in ten minutes. Go past the machines, and you’ll find the workout room back there.” The receptionist smiled as a couple of young women approached. “Hello, how may I help you?” At their inquiry, she directed them to the membership office.

  “I should let you get back to work,” Marla said with a wave. “Thanks for your time.”

  Sandy was a tanned woman with a pert expression and a lean form who wore her auburn hair in a high ponytail. Marla hated athletic instructors. They always made her feel like a slouch.

  “Hi, I’m Marla Vail, a friend of Nadia’s,” she said to introduce herself. The rest of the class had dispersed, leaving her alone with the Pilates instructor.

  Sandy’s face sobered. “I heard about her death. A detective came here and questioned us. It’s a terrible tragedy. Imagine going for your morning run and being hit by a reckless driver. I hope they catch the guy.”

  “Me, too. Tell me, did Nadia appear worried about anything the last time she was here?”

  “She’d been upset after that other lady died. They’d been together for a few years.”

  “Which other lady?” Did she mean Val, or was she referring to Lora?

  “You know, her girlfriend.” Sandy’s eyes narrowed. “Were you that way with Nadia?” Her glance fell to Marla’s wedding ring. “Oh, I guess not. Maybe you don’t know.”

  Marla’s blood ran hot and cold. “Hold on. Are you saying Nadia was gay?”

  “You couldn’t have been a good friend if you weren’t aware of her nature.”

  “I’m sorry, but which girlfriend do you mean? Lora Larue? Or their mutual friend, Valerie Weston?”

  “Why are you asking these questions, Mrs. Vail?”

  “I’m married to the detective on the case. You might have met his partner, Katherine Minnetti. I’m involved because Val died at my workplace. I own a hair salon and day spa.”

  “I see. And you’re doing police work now?”

  “No, I need answers for myself. If it’s relevant to the case, I’ll tell my husband. So who was Nadia’s significant other? I presume that’s what you mean.”

  “Why, Val of course. They kept things discreet so as not to ruin Val’s reputation, but Lora knew about them. She and Nadia were both in my class. The last time I saw them together, Lora said something to Nadia that made her storm out in tears.”

  Marla pondered this for a moment. “Could Lora have been jealous? Was she that way, too?”

  Sandy erupted in laughter at her suggestion. “Not her. You really don’t know beans about these people, do you?”

  “So why don’t you enlighten me?” Marla pressed her lips together, annoyed that she had to pry the answers from Sandy. But she was more annoyed with herself that she hadn’t detected this trait in Val earlier. Why had the housekeeper mentioned nothing about Val’s persuasion? Was it because she didn’t know?

  Sandy packed up the last of her belongings. “These tales aren’t mine to tell, but I have a suggestion. You could sign up for my class and catch Lora then. Or are you two already acquainted?”

  “Yes, we are. Lora hired my salon staff to work Yolanda Whipp’s fashion show at FOFL’s annual ball.”

  She pictured the plump woman in the Pilates class. It wasn’t a pretty image but at least Lora tried to keep in shape, however infrequently. Another visit with the FOFL board member was in order.

  After taking her leave from Sandy and heading toward her car, Marla considered whether she should drive to the police station to tell Dalton her latest news, or save it until later. She hated to disturb him at work. Instead, she texted him the following message:

  Did you know Nadia was gay? I learned it from her Pilates instructor. It appears Nadia and Val were an item, and Lora Larue knew about them. Lora and Nadia were in the same Pilates class.

  There, that should keep him busy. An urge to discuss the case with Tally hit her. Her friend had always proven a wise sounding board whose perspective brought Marla fresh insights.

  She also yearned to see Luke. The thought of holding his soft body and smelling his sweet baby scent drew her in their direction. Maybe Tally had been a bit curt the last time they’d spoken because she was feeling shut in. A new mother could feel deprived of adult company. Marla should make it a point to call more often.

  “Sure, Marla, I’m home,” Tally said when she phoned. “Would you mind picking up some diapers on your way? I’ve been stuck here and haven’t gotten out, and Ken is staying late at work again.”

  “Okay.” Marla got instructions as to what brand to buy. She intended to question Tally about Ken’s movements to ensure he was paying proper attention to his family. He’d hear from her if he wasn’t. Her fierce protective nature extended to her friends.

  Her resolve weakened when Tally dumped Luke in her arms so she could put away the diapers and the cute outfit Marla couldn’t resist buying while in the baby store. She couldn’t believe how costly some of the things were in there. Was Ken feeling the financial pinch from having a child? Or was his interest diverted elsewhere for reasons she already suspected?

  Marla kissed Luke on the forehead, holding his softness close. He made smacking sounds with his lips, scrunching his eyes as she peered down at him. His facial expressions were fascinating to watch. Swaddled in a blanket, he squirmed as though eager to break free. Tally would have her hands full whenever he started to crawl. When did that happen? She knew practically nothing about a child’s stages of development. If she was to be a proper godmother, perhaps she should buy a book on the topic. Or she could just ask her friend.

  “Here, I’ll sit him in his stroller so you can be free. I’ve made some coffee.” Tally led her into the kitchen that had various dishes lying on the counter. They were clean but not put away.

  “So how are things?” Marla settled at the kitchen table, her gaze drawn to Luke kicking his legs, strapped into the stroller that likely cost a few hundred bucks. She didn’t envy Tally all the gear she had to pack whenever
she and Luke went out anywhere. That part would be a pain.

  Tally, busy pouring them both mugs of coffee, didn’t look her way. “Things are fine. You needn’t worry about us.”

  Marla detected the raised pitch in her tone. “By the way, how is Ken’s gemstone mine doing? Did you ever ask him about it after our last talk?”

  “Yes, I did.” Tally brought the cups over, plopped them down, then took a seat opposite Marla. She brushed a hand through her wavy blonde hair. “He sold his share. The mine was becoming less profitable, so it made sense. He’s invested the money wisely this time, and his insurance firm is doing well.”

  So what’s wrong? Marla wanted to ask. “Does he help you with Luke’s care, or is he too busy at work?”

  “Ken does what he can. Where are you going with this, Marla? Don’t you have enough on your own mind?”

  “I’m just concerned, that’s all. I want the best for you. You know that.”

  “I do, and I appreciate it, but maybe this time you should stick to your own affairs.”

  Rebuffed, Marla fell silent. Tally had never snapped at her like that before. “So is Luke rolling over on his own?” she asked shortly, switching to a safer topic.

  Tally’s mouth, which had pinched during their conversation, eased into a smile. “He is, and I’m hoping he’ll be able to sit soon. That will make going to the grocery store a lot easier.”

  “His head is still wobbly.”

  “I know. He’s the dearest thing to me, Marla. And I know you love him, too. Promise me you’ll take care of him if anything happens to us.”

  “Of course I will. But why are you even thinking like that?” What the hell are you not telling me?

  “All parents worry about these things. How about you and Dalton? Any thoughts about having one of your own now that you are married again?”

  Not you, too! “Heck, no. We have enough anxiety about Brianna driving.”

  “Tell me about the woman who died in your day spa. Any progress on the case?” Tally stuck a pacifier in Luke’s mouth when he started fussing. He made loud sucking noises but seemed happy.

  Marla marveled at his tiny hands and had an irresistible urge to kiss his fingers. What was it about babies that made you want to cuddle them?

  Not all parents felt that same instinct. Some of them murdered their kids. She couldn’t fathom the darkness in their souls.

  “Val’s friend Nadia was killed by a hit-and-run driver,” she replied. “I wonder if it’s because someone feared Val had confided in her. Or else it was because of the journal.” She explained the latest findings to Tally.

  “So Nadia belonged to the same gym as Lora Larue?”

  “That’s correct. She must have been meaning to tell me this when she wrote ‘Pilates.’ ”

  “For what reason? To point the finger at Lora in Val’s death?”

  “It’s a possibility. But the gym instructor brought up a new angle. Val and Nadia were more than friends.”

  “Yes, I got that. Do you think this is why Val never remarried?”

  Marla gave a firm nod. “It could be why she divorced her husband in the first place.”

  “And Lora knew about it but has said nothing to the police.”

  Marla sat forward as a thought occurred to her. “Lora belongs to that sports club, which might have other branches. I wonder if she visits their facilities when she travels to different cities, assuming they offer reciprocal membership.”

  Tally’s gaze brightened. “Maybe Val knew what she did on those trips, if it wasn’t all related to the organization’s business. And since Lora knew Val’s secret, Val had to keep quiet or risk exposure. Even with today’s liberal views, people still care about such things.”

  “And Nadia had honored her bond of silence until now.” Marla sipped her coffee while mulling over the implications. “First Val is killed, then Jason, and now Nadia. I still can’t see how it all ties together.”

  Tally got up, walked to the pantry, withdrew a box of cookies, and brought them to the table. “Here, I forgot to offer you something to eat.”

  Marla helped herself to a chocolate chip cookie while Tally peeked at Luke. He’d fallen asleep in the stroller. Perhaps he found their voices to be soothing.

  “Let’s start at the beginning,” Tally said, retaking her seat. “Give me a rundown of what you’ve learned so far.”

  Grateful to have Tally’s attention and mindful that it was a diversion from whatever bothered her friend, Marla put forth her theories. “Somebody hired our shampoo girl, Patty, to add liquid latex to the face cream Rosana used on Val. She’d accessed Rosana’s records to see which jar to taint and also changed Val’s appointment to first thing in the morning.”

  “How did Patty get hold of this substance?”

  “Anyone can buy it on the Internet. Makeup artists use liquid latex in the entertainment industry for special effects. Patty could have been instructed on where to order it, or the killer could have provided it for her.” Kat hadn’t revealed to Marla how the girl had obtained the item. Hopefully, the detective had already thought to trace the source.

  “What about that makeup lady at the fashion show?” Tally asked. “She’d be the most likely person to know about this stuff.”

  “Her name is Joyce Underwood. She was quite open about her resentment of Val, which dates back to their high school days when Val stole her boyfriend. But that was years ago, and Joyce would have nothing to gain by killing Val now.” Or so Joyce had implied. But she was present at the scene of Jason’s murder. Had Dalton or the other detectives determined when Joyce had left the hotel in comparison to the time of death?

  Tally frowned at a chipped fingernail. “What about the models at the show? Any of them moonlight in the acting biz?”

  Marla felt a stab of sympathy for her friend. Gone were Tally’s days of manicures and massages. For a birthday present, Marla should consider giving her a gift certificate to their spa services along with an offer to babysit.

  “Joyce did point me in the direction of Ashley Hunt, the headliner model at the show. I spotted Ashley with Dr. Ian Needles, another board member. It appeared as if they were well acquainted. Ashley came to me later and confessed they’d been seeing each other. The doctor had dumped her, and she wanted to get even. She said I should tell Dalton that the doctor freely prescribed pain meds for his patients.”

  “How would she know?”

  “She’d gone to him for a cosmetic procedure and mentioned a recent back injury. He offered to treat her with a prescription. If Ian was our killer, I think he’d have murdered her and not Jason. It doesn’t make sense for either of them to be involved.”

  “Anybody else on your list have acting aspirations?”

  “Not that I know, but it’s a good point. We haven’t looked into that angle.”

  “Okay, let’s go back to Val. She had two passions: painting and historic buildings.”

  “Hence her support of FOFL, which she might have been about to withdraw. We’ve been down that path. Loss of her funding would affect several people. Lora’s trips might be curtailed. The fashion show might not take place without another underwriter. And the group’s finances would suffer.”

  “No problems there, I take it?”

  “Howard Cohn is treasurer. I assume his bank is where Val has her accounts, as he’s trustee of her estate. Howard is related to one of the men in her father’s journal.”

  “That’s a significant lead. But concerning Howard’s role as the group’s treasurer, has Dalton examined their ledgers?”

  “He hasn’t mentioned any irregularities, except the FOFL secretary might be inflating the catering bill from their annual ball and pocketing the difference from the actual expenses.”

  “That would give this woman a motive if Val noticed the discrepancy.”

  “Solomon Gold, the president, is another contender. He favors bids from companies for restoration work that help him in return with his personal remodeling projects.
”

  Tally tapped her finger on the table. “Who else from this group has something to hide?”

  “Andrew Fine, their publicist, has been slanting articles in favor of Rick Rodriguez, the developer. Rick wants to convert a strip of historic buildings on Hollywood Beach into condo towers. Val was fighting him on the group’s behalf.”

  “So Rodriguez is another person of interest. What happens to his project with Val out of the way?”

  Marla shrugged. “I haven’t heard any more about it. I’ll ask Dalton.”

  “Those are Val’s business relations. What about her personal life? Is there anybody among her household staff, friends, or family who might have wanted her out of the way?”

  “Sean, the brother-in-law, felt his wife should have inherited more of her parents’ estate. I’m not sure why they left the house and the bulk of their fortune to Val. Either they didn’t trust Cathy’s husband, or Val had a more stable personality.”

  “Was Sean hoping Cathy would inherit everything from Val and regain her rightful inheritance that way?”

  “Cathy was already dead when Val was killed. I believe the sister’s portion will pass to her kids, not the husband, so I don’t see Sean as a murderer. Anyway, he knew Val meant to leave a bequest to Friends of Old Florida.”

  “You said Val and Jason had a connection through the art gallery. Val’s other passion was her painting. Could anything skanky be going on at that place?”

  Restless, Marla stood and paced, careful not to disturb the sleeping baby. “But then, how would Nadia be connected, unless the killer feared Val had told her what she knew?”

  “Maybe Val put her paintings in that particular store so she could keep an eye on Yolanda’s shop next door.” Tally reached for a cookie, but Marla also noticed her furtive glance at the clock.

  “I showed Yolanda the photo of Henutt and the other guy Jason had sent me. She said he was a funeral director.”