by Kim Alexis
She paused, the bottle at her lips. “What?”
“Sorry,” Lisa said, “we were just talking about you.”
Crystal bristled. “Oh?”
Lisa wrapped both hands around her coffee mug, a sympathetic expression on her face. “Yeah, Vin was telling us about this morning, with the sign. You poor thing. Seems like you keep coming onto the scene right after some terrible event has happened.”
Crystal hesitated. Just what were they insinuating? She looked for guile but saw only concern—especially with Vin. He’d been the one to take down the sign that morning, as soon as the policeman gave the go-ahead.
“Are you doing okay?” he asked.
Crystal shrugged. “Sure, I guess.” She wasn’t used to people expressing concern for her welfare and didn’t quite know how to respond.
“What were you doing here so early?” asked Beth.
“I was supposed to lead the retreat guests on a sunrise hike.”
Lisa gasped. “With all that’s been going on here? A hike in the dark?”
“Well, that was the plan. But we ended up making it a sunrise stretching session instead. Security didn’t want a bunch of women trooping around alone in the woods, and there weren’t enough guards on duty to go with us. I knew we could get a pretty good view of the eastern sky from the tennis courts, so we walked over and did our stretches there as the sun came up. It was nice, actually. And it helped calm me down. The sight of that sign was pretty disturbing.”
“You can say that again.” Vin shook his head. “I can’t imagine what kind of a sicko would do that.”
“I heard it was written in blood,” Beth said, her eyes wide.
Vin grunted. “Not blood, just red paint. See, that’s how rumors get started.” He got up from the table and left after that, though Crystal wasn’t sure if that was because his break time was over or if he was just irritated at the turn in the conversation.
“Well, it’s no rumor that Raven’s death was a murder,” Beth said once he was gone. “They confirmed it on the news this morning, that it was intentional and not an accident.”
“I know, I was so shocked when I heard.” Lisa took a sip of her coffee. “I felt sure it was an allergic reaction, especially given what happened that other time.”
Crystal again looked their way. “What other time?”
“Last summer. That big mess when Raven filed a complaint and Reggie forwarded it to corporate?”
“I’ve only been working at Palm Grotto for a few weeks.”
“Oh, right. Of course. So you wouldn’t know.” Turning in her chair, Lisa leaned forward and lowered her voice, eager to share some tidbit with the newbie. “Last summer, when Raven was here for her regular visit, she had an allergic reaction to one of the products used during a treatment.”
“A reaction? Like a rash or something?”
“More like a burn, if you could call it that. I mean, it wasn’t all that bad. She didn’t need to see a doctor or anything. Her skin was just a little pink. But of course this is Raven we’re talking about. She made it into a huge deal. Filed complaints all the way up the line.”
Beth jumped in to finish the story. “Reggie was new at the time, and he didn’t realize that Raven filed at least one complaint with every visit. The old manager had always just played along—and then tossed her report in the circular file once she was gone. But stupid Reggie took her seriously. Sent the report about the ‘burn’ along to corporate.”
“Oh no.”
“Yeah. A couple of people here ended up getting in big trouble for the way the incident was handled. One was even fired. Spa management was furious at Raven—and at Reggie.”
Crystal’s mind began to swirl. This must be what the cook had been talking about yesterday when he said folks like Xena and Andre didn’t want anything to do with Raven any more. No wonder. The woman got them all in trouble with the head office!
“Anyway,” Lisa continued, “that’s why I felt sure Raven’s death was caused by an allergy, because of that reaction she had the last time. When I learned it was murder this time, I was shocked.”
Beth shook her head. “I didn’t buy your allergy theory because the same thing has happened too many times, with too many other clients. We’ve had other burns before, but nobody else has ever died.”
Crystal nearly choked on her last gulp of water. “Wait a minute. Other clients besides Raven have gotten burned here?”
Both women nodded.
“It’s gotten worse in the last year or so.” Lisa shook her head. “I think it’s a quality control issue at JT Lady. Their products are usually fine, but then once in a while you open up a jar or a tube and it smells odd or it looks funny—or, worst of all, it’s uncomfortable to the client. I’ve been bugging Andre to switch to a different brand for a while now, but so far he hasn’t. I figure after all this, he just might.”
Crystal was stunned. She wasn’t sure what was going on here, but she’d been working with and selling JT Lady products from her previous spa back in Seattle for years and they’d never, ever had a single incident of spoilage or toxicity. Something had to be wrong on this end, like maybe Palm Grotto was storing the products at too high a temperature.
She was about to say as much but then held her tongue when she saw a pair of spa aides, both known for gossip, coming up the walk. The last thing she wanted was to discuss JT Lady quality control issues in front of these two. Ironically named Harmony and Karma, they seemed to stir up trouble wherever they went.
Sure enough, as soon as they stepped inside and spotted Lisa and Beth, Harmony headed toward them, speaking in a loud whisper. “Guess what we just found out? You’ll never believe who’s one of the prime suspects in Raven’s murder case.”
Crystal rose from her chair and tossed her bottle into the recycling bin as Harmony went on to answer her own question.
“Juliette Taylor!”
Crystal’s head jerked around. Juliette Taylor? A murder suspect? Oh please. Not in a million years. Not in a trillion. She hesitated, trying to think of a way to nip such a ridiculous rumor in the bud.
“How do you know?” Lisa looked like a puppy begging for a treat.
“My sister’s boyfriend is a cop. He said that a patrolman came here late last night and picked Ms. Taylor up then brought her down to the station for questioning. She was there for a long time.”
“No way!” Lisa gushed.
“Unbelievable!” cried the esthetician.
“Wait till you hear what happened next.” Harmony’s face was alive with the drama of it all. “While she was in there being interrogated, the chief got a call from none other than the FBI, saying that they were working a different but related case that involved Ms. Taylor and wanted to send someone in to observe the interrogation.”
“No way!”
“What did they mean? Why?”
“Nobody knows for sure.” Glancing at Karma, Harmony nodded. “You want to tell them the last part?”
Karma grinned as she turned to the others. “Okay, have you guys seen the guest here, he’s a super-hunky older man—real muscular, silver hair, killer blue eyes?”
“The one who brought his mother for the retreat?” Lisa sighed. “He’s yummy.”
“That’s the one. Well, guess what?”
Crystal listened with rapt attention, no better than the others.
“The agent that the FBI was talking about was him. That guy works for the FBI—and I think he came here to spy on Ms. Taylor!”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
JULIETTE GAPED AT DIDI, her breakfast turning to a cold, solid lump in her gut as she tried to take in the news. The FBI was conducting a raid of the JT Lady offices? At that very moment? Incredible!
How had they managed to get a warrant for the files they’d been denied just the day before? And what was with this timing? On Saturday mornings the main office at JT Lady was closed, with just a handful of people on duty in the warehouse and in Shipping and Receiving. Had t
he FBI been aware of that, and shown up just when they wouldn’t have to deal with management or a building full of irate employees?
Outrageous.
Didi went on. “The good news is that the moment the FBI showed up, the warehouse guys contacted Elsa. She rushed right down, but by the time she got there, things were well underway. The FBI agents had already run backups of the computers and the server, disconnected everything, and were loading up a van with their equipment and boxes of files. She couldn’t do a thing but watch.”
“Poor Elsa.”
“I know.” Didi’s face grew even more somber. “There’s something else. Unrelated to that.”
Juliette’s eyes widened. What now?
Didi took a deep breath. “This morning around five, I got a call from Palm Grotto security. They needed me to come up to the main parking lot because, well, here.” Didi pulled out her cell and tapped the screen. “It’s probably easier to show you the pictures than try to explain.”
Juliette took the phone and braced herself as she took a look. The photo was of their new sign, the big one near Palm Grotto’s main parking lot that welcomed their guests to the event. Someone had added graffiti to the bottom, but it wasn’t until she enlarged the image that she could make out what had been written there: . . . to be murdered.
Unbelievable.
Pulse surging, Juliette turned and gestured to Marcus, who’d been hovering in the distance but now came rushing to her side. She handed him Didi’s phone and watched as he absorbed what he was seeing.
His eyes were riveted to the screen. “Who did this?”
Didi’s mouth grew tight. “We don’t know. At least it’s being taken seriously. Police came and dusted for fingerprints and everything, and even one of the detectives came to take a look.”
“I can’t believe this.” Juliette shook her head. “Who would do such a thing?”
Without reply, Didi reached out and flipped to the next photo. “That’s a partial shoeprint I spotted near the base of the left pole. I was hoping the police would do a plaster cast of it or something, but they seemed more interested in fingerprints than footprints.”
Juliette studied the picture, which showed a distinct impression in the soft brown earth of the front half of someone’s shoe.
Didi took back her phone and pocketed it. “At least we were able to get the whole thing down and out of sight before the sunrise hikers started showing up. But a whole handful of Palm Grotto staffers saw it. Who knows what kinds of rumors are flying around here now?”
“This is just awful.” Juliette closed her eyes.
“Didi’s right, though, it’s good that the detective is taking it seriously.”
Juliette knew Marcus was trying to console her, but she opened her eyes and gave him a sharp glance, unable to contain her anger. “You mean the detective who thinks I’m a murderer?”
Didi gasped.
Marcus kept his voice even and calm. “You know as well as I do that they’re grasping at straws.”
“Thorough? Right. Those cops can’t even catch some vandal with a can of spray paint, and we’re expecting them to nab a killer? Please.”
Didi was staring at the two of them, her mouth slack. “What are you talking about? Who thinks you’re a murderer?”
Juliette felt heat rush to her cheeks. Oh boy. She’d known she would have to tell Didi about last night at some point, but she hadn’t meant for it to come out like this. Quickly she launched into an explanation, but as she spoke she could see Didi’s jaw clenching ever tighter, her eyes narrowing into slits.
“And why didn’t anyone think to notify me of this development?” Didi’s voice was tight.
“It was so late, there was no reason to wake you up last night. Marcus came down to the station and was waiting for me when they released me, so I didn’t even need a ride. I was going to tell you about it this morning, as soon as we could get a few minutes alone.”
Didi glared at Juliette and then at Marcus. “Clearly you chose to spend your alone minutes with someone else. Excuse me for breaking in on your private little party.”
With that, she stood and walked away. Juliette sighed, watching her go.
“Will she be okay?”
Juliette turned back to Marcus. “Yeah. This is just how Didi fights. I’d rather settle things up front, but she likes to cool off first and talk later.”
“I see.”
Juliette checked her watch, just seven more minutes before she’d have to head to the conference center. She sighed again, wondering how this beautiful morning could’ve fallen apart so quickly. On the other hand, why was she surprised? Things had begun to fall apart the moment she stepped off that plane and spotted Raven in the crowd at the airport.
“How about you? Are you okay?”
“I don’t know.” She hadn’t even told him yet about the whole FBI mess back home. Now there was the matter of the sign to contend with as well? Weariness filled her soul.
“Why would someone write that, Marcus? Do you think it was done by whoever killed Raven? Or was it someone else, just trying to make some sort of statement?”
She looked at him, wishing he had all the answers. In response he simply shrugged, but then he reached out and took her hand, clasping it tightly in his. The gesture reminded her that though he may not be able to stop this avalanche of disaster from falling on her head, at least she wasn’t facing it alone.
THERE WAS NOTHING MARCUS could say in the moment that would make the situation any better, so rather than spout some empty reassurance or platitude, he simply held onto Juliette’s hand. After a beat, he could feel her leaning into him, her head fitting perfectly against his shoulder. They sat there for a long while, the only sound was the birds chirping from the trees. Soon Marcus could feel a prayer rising up within him, and he closed his eyes, intending to offer a silent supplication. But somehow the words found their way to his mouth and out into the morning air.
“Father, I just ask Your protection on this woman and her ministry and her business. Thank You for bringing her back into my life again, and please help us both to seek Your will in this relationship. Keep us safe, and help us today and in the days to come as we seek the truth about all that has happened. Guide her through this difficult time, and make Your presence so real that she’ll find strength and encouragement and reassurance in Your loving grace with every moment of every day. Amen.”
A part of him almost felt embarrassed, like he’d had no right to do something so intimate as pray for her, with her. Even though they had discussed their mutual faith at length twenty-five years ago, he wasn’t sure how she felt about it now. Perhaps she would view his act as inappropriate. He was trying to decide what to say when she sat up and turned toward him, her eyes brimming with tears.
“No man has ever done that, just prayed for me, out of the blue, in a moment when I so desperately needed it.” With a brave smile, she wrapped her arms around Marcus and gave him a hug, whispering a soft “thank you” in his ear before pulling away again.
“You’re welcome.” The scent of her hair filled his lungs and made his head spin.
“I’m out of time, but there’s one more quick thing before I go. The main reason Didi came out here.”
Marcus waited, hoping she had some good news for a change.
“I can’t explain in full right now, but I’ll give it to you in a nutshell. Do you know what counterfeit goods are?”
Marcus froze. Surely she could hear the sudden pounding of his heart. “Yes. I’m very familiar with the term—and the problem.”
She sighed her relief. “Good. Well, long story short, my company, JT Lady, has become a target for counterfeiters. There are fake products bearing our label for sale all over the world.”
He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Glancing again at the time, she explained that yesterday afternoon her home office had a visit from the FBI, who wanted information that might help with their counterfeiting investigation. They were nice and al
l, she said, but when they requested more info than she was willing to give, she put them off, telling them she needed to speak with her lawyer first.
“The main reason Didi came over here just now was to let me know that the FBI showed up at our office again this morning—but this time with a warrant. They’re probably still there now, seizing our records and our computers. And apparently there’s nothing we can do to stop them.”
Marcus stared at her. A warrant? A search-and-seizure? What on earth were they thinking? He couldn’t even begin to come up with a response, but he was saved from having to try when Juliette once more checked her watch and told him she had to go.
“I’ll be tied up all morning, but I have a little free time after lunch. Meet up with you then? We can connect at the restaurant.”
“Absolutely.” It was all he could manage to say.
She gave him one last quick kiss and was on her way.
Marcus dragged in a deep breath, his hands clenched into fists as he realized what the FBI had done. When he called Nate last night and told him that the police had picked up Juliette for questioning in Raven’s murder, he’d handed over “probable cause” on a platter. No doubt the matter of getting a warrant was a breeze after that. What judge wouldn’t green-light the search-and-seizure of a company whose products were being counterfeited—and whose owner was on a terrorist list and the subject of a murder investigation?
Incredible.
Heart pounding, Marcus wanted to call Nate right there but couldn’t chance being overheard. Glad that his mother would be tied up with retreat functions all morning, he set off down the path for his suite. Once he was behind closed doors, he was going to give his FBI buddy a piece of his mind and then some.
Brother.
CRYSTAL WAS IN TORMENT. She had to tell Ms. Taylor what she’d learned in the break room, she just had to. Even though they’d only really spoken that one time when they met in the supply closet, she’d always had great respect for the woman and thought she deserved to know what was going on. Crystal’s boss at the spa in Seattle had thought so highly of Juliette Taylor and of JT Lady. To hear her and her products being maligned here among Palm Grotto staff was heartbreaking.