A Healthy Homicide

by Staci McLaughlin

  “Yep. Did my last facial a few minutes ago.”

  A fly buzzed in my ear, and I swatted it away. “Before I forget, I learned this afternoon that Miguel isn’t married, after all. Turns out he’s divorced.”

  “So he’s not a total scumbag,” Gretchen said. “I probably should have been nicer to him during our session, then.”

  I laughed. “Maybe he’ll think you were playing hard to get.” We stopped at my car. “I don’t suppose he said anything about Carla’s murder while he was here.”

  “Not a word. I tried to work it into the conversation a couple of times, but he always changed the subject. The guy’s slick.”

  “I’ve noticed that myself.” I unlocked my car door. “Thanks, anyway, for trying to get him to talk.”

  “I only wish I’d learned something to help. Oh, well, see you tomorrow.”

  “See ya.”

  She walked to her car while I climbed in mine. The drive home was mercifully short. As soon as I got in the apartment, I kicked off my shoes and sank onto the couch, doing my best to ignore the open magazines, the half-full bowls of cereal, and the flip-flops that covered the coffee table. I’d leave all that for Ashlee. I closed my eyes and let the day melt away.

  I was starting to drift off when a sound penetrated the fog in my brain. I heard someone clomping up the outdoor stairs and then a key being inserted in the lock. I opened my eyes and groaned. Ashlee was home.

  She bounced into the room and kicked the door shut behind her. “Hey, Dana. Brittany’s coming over in a minute.”

  I sat up and surveyed the room. “That doesn’t give us much time to clean up this mess.”

  “Who says we’re cleaning anything? It’s only Brittany.”

  “Still, we should make an effort,” I said. “And since this is your mess, I’ll let you start.”

  Ashlee made a face but moved toward the coffee table. “Fine, whatever.” She swept the magazines into a stack and picked up a cereal bowl. She pointed at the table. “I knew it. Isn’t that your napkin?”

  I held up the napkin by two fingers and inspected it as if I was a detective at a crime scene. “I don’t see my fingerprints on it, but I’ll throw it away, anyway.”

  “See? I knew this mess wasn’t all mine.”

  “You’re right. That one napkin is obviously what ruined the whole look.” I carried it to the kitchen and dropped it in the trash can under the sink.

  Someone, presumably Brittany, knocked on the door. I went to answer it, but Ashlee said, “Wait!” She scurried into the bathroom, probably to make sure her makeup hadn’t moved since the last time she checked.

  Another knock sounded, and Ashlee yelled, “Coming!” Before I could reach the door, she brushed past me and flung it open. Brittany waited on the other side.

  “Well, don’t just stand there,” Ashlee said. “Get in here.” She grabbed Brittany’s wrist and pulled her into the room.

  Brittany giggled. “Good to see you, too.” She looked at me. “Hey, are you coming with us tonight?”

  Before I could ask where they were going, Ashlee piped up. “Yeah, you should come. We’re going bowling.”

  “The two of you?” I asked. Usually Ashlee went bowling only with her latest love interest. She swore the lighting in the place made her look like Heidi Klum.

  “One of my friends spotted a bunch of hot guys there last time she went. Now that I’ve got a slot open in the boyfriend department, I thought I’d try my luck,” Ashlee announced.

  Ah, that explained it. I considered my exciting plans for a Friday evening, which involved a frozen meal and watching TV. I needed to get out more. Plus, bowling was fairly cheap. “Sure, I’ll go.”

  “Cool. Let’s hurry up and get ready,” Ashlee urged. “I want to stake out a spot at the alley before the after-work crowd shows up.”

  I went to my room to get cleaned up. Twenty minutes later I’d showered, dressed, and primped. I found Brittany on the couch by herself, reading one of Ashlee’s fashion magazines. Apparently, the poor girl had been left to entertain herself while Ashlee and I had both gotten ready. We really needed to work on our hosting skills.

  “Ashlee’s not done yet?” I asked, though I already knew the answer. I’d never known Ashlee to be ready before me.

  “Haven’t seen her.”

  “Can I get you a soda or anything?”

  Brittany flipped the magazine closed. “I’m good.”

  I sat on the other side of the couch. “Are you searching for a new job now that the spa’s closed?”

  “Naw. My uncle’s got a dentist office in town. His admin’s having a baby, and I’m filling in for her while she’s out on maternity leave. With any luck, she’ll stay out and I can work there full-time.” Brittany giggled. “Don’t tell my uncle I said that. He thinks she’s the best admin he’s ever had.”

  “What about that other girl who worked with you at the spa? What was her name? Jessica?”

  “She had to move back in with her parents in Oakland. I’m sure she’ll find a gig down there.”

  Ashlee came out of her room. “Okay, girls, let’s go find some guys.”

  I studied her miniskirt. “How will you bowl in that?”

  She self-consciously tugged the hem down. “I’ll be fine. And this skirt guarantees that every guy in the place will have his eyes on me.”

  “Well, sure. It’s a free peep show.”

  Ashlee rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Let’s go.”

  We all tramped downstairs and piled into Ashlee’s car. I hurried to buckle myself in as she revved the engine and floored it in reverse. She took the turn out of the driveway too fast, and I grabbed the back of Brittany’s headrest to steady myself.

  “This will be way cool,” Ashlee said from the driver’s seat. “Dana, since you’re already stuck with Jason, you can be my wingman, or wingwoman, if you’d rather call yourself that.”

  I leaned forward in my seat. “I’m not helping you pick up guys. I’m there to bowl.”

  “You can do both. But be sure the guy’s cute. And when you’re talking me up, try to mention that I used to be a cheerleader. Then he’ll know how limber I am.”

  I threw myself against the car seat, too disgusted to reply. I was no one’s pimp.

  Ashlee adjusted the rearview mirror so she could wink at me. “I’m kidding about the cheerleading. I mean, you can talk about it if you want, but it’s not totally necessary. There are so many other fabulous things you can say about me.” She watched me in the mirror, waiting for my reply.

  “Stop sign!” Brittany shrieked.

  Ashlee slammed on the brakes, and the car shuddered to a stop, the nose of the Camaro well over the line. “Sheesh, when did they put that there?”

  “Back when we were in elementary school,” I said.

  She stomped on the gas, and we surged forward. “That can’t be right. I would have noticed it before.” She looked at me in the mirror again. “So will you help me?” She stared at me so long that I began to worry she’d run another stop sign.

  I threw up my hands and said, “Fine. I’ll help you.”

  She nodded and returned her eyes to the road.

  A few minutes later we arrived, relatively unscathed, at the bowling alley. Brittany got out and popped the seat forward so I could slide out and join her. The three of us marched in together. The guys playing at the nearby lanes and seated in the snack area all watched our grand entrance. It helped that we were the only girls in the place.

  “Eat first or bowl first?” I asked, raising my voice to be heard over the techno music beating out of the speakers.

  Ashlee scanned the crowd. “Definitely better odds at the snack bar. We’ll start there.”

  Like some sort of coordinated man-hunting routine, she brushed her long blond hair over her shoulder, while Brittany patted her own shorter style. Together, they sashayed to the snack bar. I trailed behind at a slower pace, giving them room to maneuver.

  They stopped before the
giant menu board posted behind the counter and looked at it, nudging each other and giggling from time to time. I had no idea what was so hilarious about nachos and corn dogs, so I tuned them out.

  When they didn’t edge any closer to the counter, I moved around them to place my order. Whoever was working the snack bar had his back to me as he bent down and shoved packages of napkins into a storage area under the counter. When he’d finished emptying the box, he stood up and turned around.

  I almost fell back a step. It was Ricky. If he was already working as a mechanic, what was he doing here?

  Chapter 29

  Ricky’s eyes widened when he saw me, his expression probably a mirror image of my own startled one.

  “Oh, hey,” he said. “How’s it going?” He grabbed a nearby rag and started wiping the counter.

  “I didn’t realize you worked at the bowling alley. Someone told me you were a mechanic.”

  He grunted. “I wish. I sweep the floors for the mechanic is more like it. He’s supposed to train me one of these days, but I had to get a second job if I wanted to eat.”

  I nodded in sympathy. Even with Ashlee and me both working full-time, I still worried about all those extra bills that showed up unexpectedly, like car repairs and doctor visits. “At least this is a cool place to work.” If you liked loud music and even louder bowlers.

  Ricky finished wiping the counter and tossed the rag underneath it. “It’s all right, and the food’s free.”

  “Can’t beat that.” I leaned on the counter, wondering how I could find out more about why Carla had offered Ricky money for school and then had changed her mind. If he couldn’t afford to buy food, he’d definitely need Carla’s money to pay for his classes.

  Ricky looked past me. “Are you gonna order?”

  I turned around. Not only had Ashlee and Brittany gotten in line behind me, but so had three other people. Our little conversation would have to wait. I hurriedly read the board. “Give me a corn dog and lemonade.”

  He turned to fill my order while I dug money out of my pocket. By the time I extracted the right bills, he’d placed my lemonade and wrapped corn dog on the counter. I tried not to think about how long that corn dog had probably been lying in the heated case. I handed him the money, took my change, and stepped to the side to wait for Ashlee and Brittany.

  After ordering, they came away with a bottle of water for each of them and an order of fries to share. That was their dinner? That wouldn’t keep me full for fifteen minutes, let alone the whole night.

  We found an empty booth that looked like it was older than all of us combined, and sat down to eat. We were done in five minutes.

  “Ready to do some bowling?” I asked as I wiped mustard off my fingers.

  Ashlee scanned the snack area. “Yeah, there’s only a bunch of old guys in here now. Maybe the hot guys are already bowling.”

  I slid out of the booth and tossed my trash in the can. Ricky was still busy helping customers. I’d have to wait to speak with him. With any luck, everyone would run out to see Ashlee bowl in her ridiculously short skirt, and I could talk to him in private.

  We paid for our games and got our lane assignment, then moved over to the shoe rental. Ashlee immediately rejected the brown-and-white saddle shoes the guy offered her, and insisted on a black-and-white pair. She held them up for me.

  “These match my outfit,” she declared.

  “Fantastic,” I said.

  I took the first pair the guy gave me, and we made our way to our assigned lane. I swapped out my shoes before hunting for the lightest ball on the racks that I could find. A bright pink number at the end of the row drew my attention. I tested the weight before I returned to our spot.

  When I got back, Ashlee was sitting with some guy I didn’t know. They had their heads bent together, and Ashlee was twirling her hair, while he kept rubbing the stubble on his chin and nodding. Brittany was lacing up her shoes at the other end of the row of chairs, and I took a seat beside her.

  I gestured to the cozy couple. “Who’s that?”

  Brittany straightened up and tipped her foot first one way, then the other, frowning at the bowling shoe. “I think he said his name’s Zach. He came over right after you left. He thinks Ashlee’s hot.” She giggled.

  How did Ashlee do it? I’d been gone for five minutes to pick out a ball, and she’d already snagged a guy? At least she didn’t need me as her wingwoman anymore.

  I entered our information into the console and bowled first. Gutter ball. On my second roll, I knocked down two pins. Brittany didn’t fare much better. We waited for Ashlee to take her turn, but she was busy smiling and whispering with Zach. I went over to the two lovebirds and tapped her bowling shoe with my own. “You’re up.”

  Ashlee gave a start, as if she’d forgotten we were even at the bowling alley. She batted her eyelashes at Zach. “Gosh, it’s been so long since I bowled.”

  He stood and offered his hand. “Let me show you how.”

  Oh, gag.

  They went over to the ball return, and Zach picked up a ball and handed it to her. Then he stood close enough behind her that I couldn’t have wedged a shoehorn in between them. At least no one could see how short Ashlee’s skirt was with Zach blocking the view. He guided her arm as she swung the ball forward and released it. My stomach roiled as I watched them.

  Beside me, Brittany giggled. “Aren’t they the cutest couple ever?”

  I settled back and got ready for what would turn out to be the longest bowling game in history. Every time it was Ashlee’s turn, I’d have to remind her. Then she and Zach would bowl together like conjoined twins. After each turn, Ashlee would have to tug down her skirt so she didn’t get arrested for indecent exposure. Then Brittany and I would bowl. In between turns, I checked on Ricky at the snack bar. A steady stream of customers kept him busy.

  Finally, the tenth frame arrived. I was so happy to see the end of the game, I bowled a spare. Brittany closed out her round, followed by Ashlee and her new friend. All our scores were abysmally low.

  “Another game?” Brittany asked.

  I couldn’t imagine sitting through another ten frames of Bowling with Lovers. “Let’s take a break.”

  Zach’s eyes lit up, and he put an arm around Ashlee’s waist. “I can show you my crazy skills in the arcade,” he told her.

  “Okay,” Ashlee said a little too brightly. I knew Ashlee hated dating guys who spent time playing video games rather than paying attention to her. Maybe Zach wasn’t such a catch, after all.

  “I need to freshen up my makeup,” Brittany said, grabbing her purse off the seat.

  That left me to stake out the snack bar. I loitered near the napkin dispensers while Ricky waited on the two customers in line. Once they left and no new customers appeared, I stepped up. Ricky placed his hands on the counter and looked at me.

  With my corn dog still sitting in my belly, I ordered a small soda.

  He set a cup under the dispenser and pushed a button. When the cup was full, he popped on a plastic lid and set the soda on the counter. “Two bucks.”

  I made no move to get my money out. “Prices have gone up since I was a kid,” I said.

  He eyed me. “Aren’t you in your twenties? You can’t be much older than me.”

  I was getting awfully close to thirty, but who was counting? “I’ve been noticing how expensive everything is these days. I don’t know how Erin manages to pay for school.”

  “Her aunt helped her out some. And with this extra job, I might be able to give her a hand.”

  I was touched that he cared enough about Erin that he’d help pay for her school. “I heard Carla offered to help you out so you’d be able to afford a few classes, too.”

  Ricky crossed his arms. “I’m my own man. No one pays my way.”

  “Is that what you told Carla?”

  “You bet. She accused me of refusing the money because I didn’t want to bother with school, but that wasn’t true. A guy needs to support
himself on his own. I didn’t want any help.”

  Was it that simple? Had Ricky’s pride kept him from accepting the loan, or had Carla withdrawn the offer? Did Ricky tell people he’d refused it to save face? Patricia seemed to believe that Carla had retracted the loan offer.

  A cough came from behind me. An overweight, balding man had gotten in line and was waiting to order. I guessed my time was up. For now.

  I pulled two ones from my pocket and handed them to Ricky. I stuck a straw in my soda and wandered through the bowling alley, sipping my drink. Ashlee was still in the arcade, looking totally bored. At least until Zach talked to her. Then she plastered a smile on her face and nodded at whatever he was saying.

  Brittany had finished her bathroom run and was now chatting with a good-looking guy in the lane next to ours. Score one for Brittany.

  When I’d finished walking the length of the bowling alley, I tossed my soda cup in the trash and went back to the snack area. Ricky was finishing up with another customer.

  When he saw me, he gave me a wary look. “Back again already?”

  “Bowling makes me thirsty. Another soda, please.” I’d better slow down on the beverages, or I’d spend the rest of the night making bathroom pit stops.

  He retrieved my drink and set it on the counter. “You know, I’m glad you came back. Erin feels real bad about pulling those scissors on you the other night. She told me she wants to apologize, but she doesn’t know where you live or anything.”

  And as long as she was a murder suspect, I wasn’t going to tell her. “Well, I did surprise her when I dropped by the spa unexpectedly like that. I can’t blame her for being on edge after her aunt was murdered there.”

  “I hear ya, but she’d love a chance to tell you how sorry she is. She knows she scared you pretty bad.”

  I bristled at the comment. Sure, I’d been petrified, but I didn’t want other people to know that. “She freaked me out a little,” I conceded, “but I think a lot of that was my own fault. It’s just that I heard . . .” I paused, unexpectedly embarrassed to be accusing this guy’s girlfriend of stabbing someone. What if it wasn’t true?