Her shoulders relaxed some. “Okay. What can I do?”
“Tell me about the scuttlebutt behind stage. Is there anyone who’s been acting strangely? Specifically about Scarlet?”
She rubbed her throat. I’d obviously made her uncomfortable, which I hated to do. But time wasn’t on my side right now.
Bennie had opened her mouth to speak when the waitress appeared. Servers had a knack for showing up at the worst possible times.
I ordered some soup, and Bennie perused the menu for what felt like hours before finally deciding on just French fries and a soda.
Finally, the waitress walked away and Bennie turned back to me. “I don’t know, Gabby. Actors are kind of weird sometimes, so it’s hard to tell what’s normal and what’s not.”
“Anything would help.”
She let out a long breath. “Well, Jerome is always watching people. I don’t know why. Maybe he wants to be a character actor? Who knows?”
“Go on.”
“Arie thinks she’s hot stuff. She’s desperate to gain some of her fame back. I have a feeling that she only befriends people if they can do something for her. I don’t know if she has a sincere bone in her body.”
I’d thought the same thing before. “I can see that.”
“I saw her after practice one day. She was talking to Roberto.”
“You know Roberto?”
Bennie nodded. “I’ve seen him around the school a couple of times.”
I tilted my head. “Really?”
“Sure. He stops by during the day on occasion to talk with Paulette.”
I stored that information away for a rainy day. Why would she be talking to Roberto? I really didn’t trust the man.
“This is all very helpful. Is there anything else you can think of? Anyone else?”
“The Shining Twins, as I call them.”
“I thought the same thing!”
Bennie smiled. “Something seems off about them, which doesn’t make them guilty necessarily. But they do know the backstage better than anyone else, you know?”
I nodded. “I do.”
“I can also say that Scarlet and Arie both had strong opinions and they weren’t afraid to voice them. They’d had some disagreements about the direction of the play. I overheard Arie saying there was someone else she knew who’d easily fit into the lead role if Scarlet didn’t straighten up.”
Sure, that person had been Arie herself. She’d wanted to star in the play.
Had they fought over Roberto? What was his connection exactly? He was fast enough and strong enough to be behind the murders.
“Did Arie say anything last night at practice when I didn’t show up?” I asked.
“She was gloating because she got to fill in as lead.”
So what if Arie blamed everything on me, just so she could be the star of the play? It was a decent theory. But I had no idea how I would prove it.
***
I finished my lunch with Bennie and gave Riley directions to Peter’s place. I was meeting with him before I met with Marjorie. My day was packed, but I didn’t have any time to waste. The idea of spending more time in jail had spurred me into action.
As we drove, my mind turned everything over at such a fast pace that a headache began to develop.
“What are you thinking?” Riley asked.
I shook my head. “I’m thinking that everyone could be guilty, but everyone also had a reason why they couldn’t have done it.”
“What’s your gut tell you?”
I drew in a long breath. “That’s the thing. My gut isn’t giving me any good indications as to who might be guilty here. No one person stands out. Just when I think I know who’s responsible, my mind jerks to someone else.”
“Why are you doubting yourself?”
“I’m not. I’m just being honest.”
“It sounds like you’re questioning your instincts.”
I shrugged. “Maybe I am. I guess I’m just saying that this whole case started out seeming relatively simple. I was going to look into people’s backgrounds, keep an eye on things behind stage, listen to the scuttlebutt around the cast and crew. Now two people are dead, and I was accused of a crime I didn’t commit. If I’m not careful, they’ll charge me with the murders, too.”
Riley squeezed my shoulder. “Just take some deep breaths. It will come together. What connects all of this? The victim? The play?”
“The school,” I muttered. “The school is what all of this has in common.”
“Why would two people be killed over an old building?”
“Maybe someone wants the property for themselves. Someone wants the building shut down. Maybe something is going on there that I’m clueless about.”
“What could be going on at the school?”
“Drug deals?”
“Couldn’t the dealers just move the location? That would be easier than killing people.”
“Maybe they’re hiding something there.”
“Why not just move it?”
I rubbed my temples. “See? This is complicated.”
“Who are we going to talk to now?” he asked.
I explained who Peter was.
“Let’s see what he has to say then.”
CHAPTER 35
“Peter, I’m Gabby St. Claire. I met with you last week about your sister Rose.” I waited on the stoop outside his apartment door, realizing this was a cold call and that it might not be productive.
“Of course. Of course.” His gaze traveled to Riley.
“And this is my friend Riley.”
The two shook hands, and Riley muttered something about it being nice to meet him.
“My mind isn’t as good as I thought it was. I thought for certain the young man with you last time had a British accent.”
Great. He realized Riley wasn’t Garrett. Riley didn’t seem bothered, though, and instead he smiled affably.
“What can I do for you, Gabby?” Peter asked. He invited us in out of the cold, and we sat on the couch of his neat little apartment. He perched across from us, his eyes darting back and forth between Riley and me.
“Peter, someone found a red wig in the maintenance closet,” I started. “Do you know anything about that?”
He was already nodding. “Sure do. I found it stuffed in a locker. I didn’t know what to do with it exactly, so I stored it in the closet and decided to wait until someone reported they’d lost it. Is that a problem?”
“No, not at all. When did you find it?”
He shrugged. “Memory’s not that great, but I think it was just a couple of days ago.”
“Is there anything else strange you’ve seen at the school, Peter?”
He sucked in a long breath, his gaze nervously darting about. “Well, I did find some money the other day. I turned it in to that temporary manager lady.”
“Paulette?” I questioned.
“No, the other one. Bennie.”
“How much did you find?” Riley asked.
“It was a Benjamin Franklin.”
Another $100 bill? Who had been losing that amount of money without reporting it? Something fishy was going on.
“One more question, Peter. The gym door. Why do you keep leaving it ajar at night?”
He cringed. “What are you talking about?”
I leaned closer. “Someone keeps leaving doors to the Cultural Arts Center unlocked. Why don’t you tell me why you’re doing that?”
His hands trembled. “I don’t know what you’re—”
“Peter, there are a lot of lives hanging in the balance right now. The longer you wait to tell me what’s going on, the more trouble you could be in.”
He let out a moan. “I knew it was just a matter of time before someone discovered me. I didn’t mean any harm.”
“Who asked you to leave the door open?”
He shook his head, hanging it down in shame. “You’ve got to believe me. I have no idea. I got a note with some money. The janitor job do
esn’t pay that much. It seemed so harmless.”
“Then Scarlet died.”
“I got another note saying that if I didn’t keep leaving the door open they’d report me. Then I’d be out of their hush money and out of a job. Without a job, I’ll be out on the streets. I just couldn’t face that possibility. I’ve been there before. I couldn’t go back.”
I stared at him, trying to gauge the sincerity of his words. His shoulders drooped and his eyes were downcast, as if the guilt were eating him alive.
I decided I believed him. He was desperate. Guilty perhaps, in his own way, but not guilty of murder or vandalisms.
“Is there anything else you can think of?”
“I found some paper.” He wandered into his apartment and returned again with something in hand.
“May I?” I reached for it.
He nodded.
I took it from him and studied it. This was the same paper Bennie was using for her scrapbook. I didn’t see how this was connected. “Where was this?”
“Outside the gym door one morning.”
What? How did that tie in to this? Or did it?
I didn’t know, but I had to find out the answers soon.
***
“I miss this,” Riley said as we walked back to his car. With one finger, he pointed back and forth between him and me.
I smiled. “Me too.”
He let out a long sigh. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel like things are ever going to return to normal, does it?”
I knew exactly what he meant. “No, I guess life is always about change. Adapt or die. Isn’t that what the saying is?”
Just then, my phone chirped. I saw Garrett’s number on the screen. “Can you excuse me for a minute?”
“Of course.”
I stepped away and answered. “Hey there.”
“How’s it going, Gabby? I wanted to check on you. Can I swing by tonight?”
I thought of Riley and something twisted in my stomach. He was taken now, I reminded myself. And so was I, I supposed. “Of course. I’d love to see you.”
“Great. I’ll come by after work.”
“Call first, okay? I’m out doing some work. I want to make sure I’m there.”
“Of course.”
I walked back to the car and smiled at Riley.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
I nodded. “It is. I just have one more person I need to speak with. You want to come along or drop me off at the car?”
“I’m with you, Gabby. All the way.”
***
“Hello again,” Marjorie said.
Her words sounded dull and monotone, just as they had before. Was this grief or was this the way she always was?
“Thanks for taking time out of your schedule.” I waited for her to invite us inside, but she never did so I remained in the hallway. “This is my friend, Riley.”
They nodded at each other.
“I don’t have much time between classes. But you said it was urgent. What’s going on?” She crossed her arms, apparently content to have this conversation in the hall.
That was fine. I’d just get straight to the point. “Things are getting complicated. I just need to ask you—did you remember anything else strange about Scarlet’s final days? Anything at all?”
She stared at me a moment, looking a little dumbfounded. “Not really. Why?”
“It’s of the utmost importance. Someone is on the verge of being … wrongfully accused in her death. I need to find the real culprit.”
“Wrongfully accused? How do you know that? Doesn’t everyone claim to be innocent?”
“Well, yes. But I know this for a fact.”
She continued to stare. “How?”
She wasn’t going to let this drop, was she? “Just trust me.”
“Why should I trust you? I don’t know you.”
I let out a sigh. “This person has actually been accused of vandalizing the theater, but they’re trying to nail her for Scarlet’s death, too. That person is me.”
Her eyes widened.
“I knew it was better if I didn’t tell you.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t be here.” She took a step back.
“I assure you that I didn’t kill anyone.”
“Like I said, every killer says that.”
I sighed again. “But I mean it. I was set up. I have to find the real killer before I go to prison.”
“I don’t know what you want from me, then.”
“I need information. I need to know who didn’t like her, who she didn’t like, who broke up with her.”
“It wasn’t me,” a deeper voice said.
The door opened farther and I spotted a man there. A Latino man wearing a soccer jersey. My lips parted. “You’re not Roberto.”
“Who’s Roberto?” he asked.
“Scarlet’s boyfriend.”
“I was Scarlet’s boyfriend.” He thumped his chest.
“But you’re not Roberto.” Okay, I was a little dense sometimes, but I’d really thought Scarlet and Roberto were together. This didn’t fit the mental image I’d developed. It didn’t fit my theory. At all.
“No, I’m Luis.”
“Are you Brazilian?” Maybe he was related to Roberto.
“I’m from Venezuela.”
“But you play soccer …”
“For ODU. What’s going on here?” He put his hands on his hips and looked back and forth between Riley and me.
I shook my head, realizing I’d jumped to conclusions a little too quickly. “I was wrong, that’s what.”
“What’s the nature of this visit?”
“I’m trying to figure out who killed Scarlet. I was hoping to find out more information.” I wanted to keep shaking my head, shaming myself for assuming things. I should have known better.
“What do you need to know?” Luis asked.
“Why are you here?”
“I miss Scarlet. I wanted to pay my respects.”
“How long did you date?”
“Only a few weeks. Then she was cast for this play and seeing her was nearly impossible with both of our schedules. This play was important to her. She’d been taking dance classes and voice lessons since she was three or something. All she wants is to make it on Broadway one day. All she wanted, I should say.”
I heard the tenderness in his voice and realized he did care about her. “Luis, what if someone got in Scarlet’s way? How do you think she would have reacted?”
His arms moved from his hips to cross over his chest. “What do you mean?”
“What if someone was an obstacle to achieving her dreams? What do you think she would have done?”
“She’s the one who died here, so it seems pointless to accuse her of anything.” His voice hardened.
“I’m not accusing anyone. I’m just trying to find out some answers. Would she have provoked someone enough that they might kill her? Anything you know would be helpful.”
His jaw relaxed slightly. “She had some disagreements with the playwright.”
Arie! There she was, coming up again. I couldn’t ignore that.
“What did she say?”
He loosened his arms as he shrugged. “She just didn’t like Arie that much. Nothing Scarlet did was good enough for her, Arie kept threatening to fire her if she didn’t shape up, and she was also critiquing her. I just thought that was Arie’s job, not that she was necessarily being hostile. I also remember that Scarlet said Arie was a wannabe actress who had no idea what she was talking about.”
“Sounds like she didn’t like her very much.”
“Scarlet could be a bit snooty sometimes,” Marjorie added. She glanced at Luis and tilted her head to the side. “It’s true.”
“This has all been helpful. Thank you.” I stepped toward the door.
“There’s one more thing I remembered,” Marjorie said.
I paused. “Okay.”
“That argument I heard outside of my window a couple of
nights before she died? The person Scarlet was talking to had this strange way of emphasizing what seemed like every other word.”
Arie! Just what was she up to?
CHAPTER 36
After we talked to Marjorie, Riley dropped me off so I could pick up the car. He said he had some business to discuss with Nolen.
I hurried back to the apartment, utterly exhausted and my mind racing a million different directions. Just as I stepped inside, Garrett called and said he was on his way over and bringing dinner.
For some reason, I felt uneasy, but I pushed the impending feeling of awkwardness away. I had no reason to feel off balance. Life was going on.
He arrived fifteen minutes later with some Thai food in hand. We settled at my kitchen table, loaded our plates with pad Thai and spring rolls, and began digging in. As we ate, I told him what I’d learned, strategically leaving out any details concerning Riley.
“Sounds like you’ve had a busy day.”
“I’d say. If there’s one thing jail taught me it’s that I never want to go back there again. It also taught me that our law system doesn’t always work the way it should.”
“Life is flawed, Gabby, no matter how much we might want to be idealistic and not believe that.”
I squeezed his hand. “Yes, it is. Thanks for sticking by me, even with all the flaws.”
He leaned closer. “It’s been a pleasure.”
I closed my eyes as his lips brushed mine.
I wasn’t betraying Riley, I mentally told myself. I couldn’t live in limbo forever.
A loud knock sounded at the door. I jumped up, overreacting at the noise. “Who could that be?”
I pulled the door open and saw Nolen and Riley standing there. Riley walked right in and instantly grasped my arms. “Gabby, I’ve got good news.”
“I could use some good news.”
Riley’s gaze fell on Garrett and then on our leftover plates of food. He dropped his hands and stepped back. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”
“We’re fine,” I insisted.
Nolen stepped inside and nodded. “Garrett.”
“You’re Garrett?” Riley said. He extended his hand. “I’m Riley.”
“You’re Riley?” Garrett said.
Christy Barritt - Squeaky Clean 08 - Foul Play Page 22