by Diane Bator
Gilda laughed. "I'm sure he leaves his needles at the shop."
Marion flared her nostrils. "Yeah, but he might have a knife."
"A lot of men in town have knives," she said. "Mostly pocket knives for opening packages and stuff."
"Oh yeah? Well, I'm not stuff anyone's going to slice open." Marion ordered a roast beef sandwich, chips, and a cola. "Have you seen Fairy Girl lately?"
"Just in passing." Gilda ordered a turkey sandwich with mayo.
"Me too. Although, I hear she was going to dinner with Kane tonight."
Gilda raised her eyebrows. "Who told you that?"
"I saw Kane at the police station earlier. I'm not sure if they were going on a date or what you want to call it, but he seemed kind of nervous."
"Nervous doesn't seem like a trait Kane usually has."
Marion shrugged. "Maybe he plans to fire her."
"Then I doubt he'd take her to dinner first," Gilda said.
A shadow fell across their table. "Are you ladies talking about Kane?"
Gilda looked up and met Randy's gaze. "Yeah."
He set his platter and drink on their table and pulled up a chair, straddling the back of it while he picked up his sandwich. "I doubt he's firing her. They're usually too busy making gooey eyes at each other to get any work done. It's just creepy."
"How would you know?" Marion asked. "Your shop is next to Kane's."
"I've seen them at the front counter when I go out to get lunch. A couple times I've even almost lost my pickles watching the two of them." Randy shoved a slice of pickle into his mouth. "I can't say I've ever seen them kiss or anything though."
An odd sense of relief washed over Gilda, and she studied Randy as he ate. It wasn't that she didn't like Aislin. She just didn't want Kane to like her or keep her working at the shop. Her thoughts went back to the picture of Miss Claudia and Aislin she'd found, and she itched to go back to the apartment to get it.
"Relax, baby girl." Randy patted Gilda's arm. "Those two won't last. She'll get bored with him and go off to something new soon enough."
Marion frowned. "How would you know that?"
He shrugged. "It's just a hunch. She seems like one of those transient types. A gypsy. I hear she tells fortunes. I might just have to check her out."
"Did you really just say that?" Marion asked as she scrunched up her nose. "Eww!"
Randy glared. "You really don't like me, do you?"
"Dude, you're a leprechaun. What's there to like about that?"
He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "I can't argue with that."
Gilda opened her mouth to ask if he'd ever met Aislin, but he gave her a nod and stood.
"I guess I'd better go. I've got someone watching the shop while I grab a bite. I've got a couple customers this afternoon that I've got to have a steady hand for." Randy gave a two-fingered wave. "See you ladies around."
"See you." Marion crunched on a chip as Randy left. "I don't know about you, but that little leprechaun gives me the heebie-jeebies."
"I don't know about the heebie-jeebies, but he certainly makes me nervous."
"And yet, you let him tattoo your leg when you first met him. What were you thinking?"
She scowled. "I was thinking I needed some answers."
"Oh, yeah?" Marion picked up her sandwich. "Well, just don't let him con you. The guy probably has a rap sheet longer than both of Kane's legs."
Gilda stared. "You already checked him out, didn't you?"
"No." She pulled a wad of folded papers out of her purse. "But Thayer did."
While Gilda itched to examine Randy's rap sheet then and there, she forced herself to keep her hands off and eat first.
"It's driving you crazy, isn't it?" Marion asked. "You want to know if he was involved with Gary in anything, don't you?"
"Gary?" Gilda met her gaze then reached for the papers after eating three chips. "Why would you bring up Gary's name? Unless you already read the report."
"Enough to keep me away from both him and his dirty needles." Marion took a bite of her sandwich. "You might want to read through it carefully."
Gilda stared at the stack of papers then winced. "How bad is it?"
Marion rolled her eyes. "Actually, it's only the first sheet. The rest are blank. The only thing Randy had was a couple parking tickets."
"Parking tickets?" Gilda glanced up. "From here in Sandstone Cove?"
Marion raised her eyebrows. "I'm not sure, but one was from a few days ago."
"Let me see those." Gilda looked at the papers. "One was from Detroit in late August. The other was from here in Sandstone Cove the day Miss Claudia was killed. I'm not sure where exactly this address is, though. Is it in the newer part of town?"
"What is it?"
Gilda showed her the paper. "Trenton Avenue B?"
Marion frowned. "I'm not surprised you don't know that one. It's mostly a slang name at the station from years ago when Armadillo Street was an even rougher part of town and used to be called Trenton Avenue. It's the alley behind the tattoo parlor."
And behind Miss Claudia's fabric shop.
Gilda hoped that was a mere coincidence.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"Did you see this?" Gilda shoved Randy Vines' rap sheet in front of Fabio's face.
He glanced up. "Yes, it does look familiar."
She huffed. "And what do you have to say about it?"
"It's a nice-looking splotch of mustard."
Gilda turned the paper over and scowled at the yellow stain she'd tried so hard to avoid getting on it. "I meant the parking ticket Randy Vines got the day Miss Claudia was murdered."
Fabio met her gaze. After several seconds, he sat back. "You're serious."
"Darn straight I am." She placed her hands on her hips. "He could have parked in the alley then snuck into the fabric store to kill her."
Across the room, Thayer snickered.
Fabio clapped a hand over his eyes. "Why don't we step outside?"
"Why?" she asked. "Do you have something to hide?"
"No." He stood and grabbed her arm then dragged her toward the front door. "But you need to get out of here, and I need a coffee."
Thayer followed. "Actually, that's his way of getting you out of earshot of our boss. I think he wants to have a private conversation."
"You don't say," Fabio growled. "Now that you've gotten the hint, why don't you go back to doing that paperwork I asked you to catch up on earlier? I need a word with Gilda while I walk her back to the hospital."
Once Thayer had gone back inside the station, Fabio tugged Gilda toward Café Beanz. "How did you find out about Randy getting a parking ticket?"
"From a friend."
"Uh-huh. Marion gave you a copy of his rap sheet, didn't she?"
She hesitated. "Maybe."
"Did you bother to ask who she got it from and why?"
Gilda shrugged his hand off her arm. "Thayer gave it to her."
He cleared his throat. "Is that what Marion told you?"
"Yeah. She said Thayer checked him out. Why are you asking me all these questions? Please don't tell me she did something wrong."
Fabio grabbed her arm again and stopped, meeting her gaze. "That report went missing from Thayer's desk earlier this morning, and he's been going crazy looking for it. I had a hunch she'd grabbed the rap sheet while she was hanging around chatting with one of the other officers, but I couldn't prove anything until you walked back in with it."
Gilda closed her eyes. "Oh no. You know she only took that information to help me. She'd never do anything like that otherwise. She loves her job."
He nodded. "I know."
"Do you think they'll fire her?"
Fabio shrugged and opened the door to Café Beanz. As they walked into the coffee shop, he remained quiet until they'd ordered their drinks and wandered toward the beach and their usual spot.
Finally, Gilda couldn't stand the suspense any longer. "You won't get her fired, will you?"
&n
bsp; "I'll let it go on one condition."
Gilda swallowed hard. "That I butt out of your investigation and stay out of trouble?"
"Okay, two conditions." Fabio folded his arms. "I'd also like you to spend a lot of time with Gary and make sure he stays out of trouble as well."
She raised her eyebrows. "Gary? Because of what he saw before his accident?"
"Yeah, partly. I've also heard some things from a few of his friends that have me concerned for his safety." He waited until a couple people passed by. "Between you and me, someone's been making moves to take over his territory."
Gilda snorted as Adam Vines came to mind. "What a surprise."
"I know who you're thinking, and it's neither of the Vines boys. In fact, I'm not even sure it's anyone local. I do know it's someone he has a history with who knows him and has found his weak spots. Including you, Sherlock."
A chill ran over her arms. "Which is why you really want me to leave this investigation alone and stay close to Gary. You think they'll be looking for both of us. Wouldn't we be safer separate and far apart from each other?"
"Not if you're both under police protection," he said. "It's a lot easier to keep an eye on you both if you're together in one place."
"Oh crap." Gilda's vision swam, and she began to hyperventilate. "But I don't have anything to do with Gary's business. He and I aren't even related."
Fabio placed a hand on her shoulder. "No, but you found Miss Claudia's body, and you've been snooping around ever since. In their eyes, you're just as dangerous as Gary."
She sat on their usual log and blew out a breath. "So what do we do now?"
"Now, we wait."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Gilda's phone rang at six the next morning, jolting her from a bizarre dream about fabric, building materials, and clowns. She had no idea where the clowns came from, but she knew she didn't like them. Grateful for the interruption, she answered with a clump of hair stuck to her lower lip. "What do you want?"
"Gilda? It's Aislin." Her voice came as a thick whisper. "I need your help."
"Now?" She ran a hand through her hair and blinked. "It's not even morning yet."
"Please. I'm at Kane's store. Meet me there."
"Okay." The instant Gilda hung up the phone, she dropped her head to the pillow and groaned. If she'd been more alert, she never would have agreed to get out of bed so easily.
She had no idea why Aislin would want to meet her at the Healing Spirit shop so urgently that morning. After she'd pulled on sweatpants and a hoodie, she peered out the front window.
A police car sat out front. Fabio was true to his word. Not wanting to answer a dozen questions before she'd even had her morning coffee, she snuck out the back, grabbed a large coffee and a green tea from Café Beanz as it opened, then headed toward Armadillo Street.
As she turned the corner, she spied a man's black dress shoe lying in the middle of the road and raised her eyebrows. Somewhere in town there was a well-dressed man walking around with one very dirty sock.
The smell of her coffee wafting on the breeze distracted her. She hoped whoever lost the shoe had an interesting night, but it was far too early in the morning to worry about some unknown party animal with a wet foot. Overhead, black storm clouds began to break and allow the sun to peek through. The chill in the early September morning kissed the back of her neck. She tugged her hoodie closed and hoped the day would warm up soon.
Gilda scanned the street for oncoming traffic as she approached the next corner. While there was no traffic in sight, a lime green bikini top lay in the middle of the intersection. She took a closer look then realized it was actually a strapless bra. Someone would miss that this morning for sure.
Gilda giggled, her mood lightened, and turned down Armadillo Street, half-expecting to find a skirt or a pair of high-heeled shoes. Instead, a man's blue suit jacket hung on the doorknob of the Healing Spirit Gift Shop, and all the blinds were closed. Her heart fluttered. Either Kane had gotten into a bottle of trouble and passed out in the shop or…
Gilda didn't want to even give her other idea a clear thought.
Was that why Aislin wanted to meet her at the shop? She probably intended to throw her relationship with Kane in Gilda's face and warn her to stay away from him for good again.
She could open the door and find out for herself, or she could back away now and pretend something else came up. All she needed to do was walk the other way and call Aislin later with some lame excuse like she fell asleep or the police officer in front of her house wouldn't let her leave. She wanted to wipe her moist hands on her sweatpants but glanced down at the hot cups in her hands. Finally, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door with one foot.
When no one answered, Gilda glanced around. The street was empty, just like right before a Wild West showdown. Was she being set up? Fabio had warned her she and Gary were in danger because someone wanted to take over Gary's turf. What if they thought she was all that stood between them and Gary?
She knocked again, her heart racing. After about a minute, she stacked one cup on the other, then grabbed the suit jacket and used it to turn the doorknob. "Aislin?"
Someone had left the door unlocked, and it swung open to reveal a woman's discarded green dress on the floor inside. Gilda stepped inside and dropped the man's jacket on top of the dress. She left the door open in case she needed to make a hasty escape. "Aislin? Are you here?"
Harsh, hushed whispers and the rush of scurrying of feet came from the back room. A door opened and closed before Aislin, wrapped in a bright purple blanket, emerged from the back room. Her hair was disheveled and her face smeared with makeup and guilt.
"I didn't realize you had a bed in the backroom." Gilda didn't bother to be nice.
"There is no bed, just a ratty old couch squashed in a storage room." Aislin's voice was husky with a lack of sleep. "You got here faster than I expected."
Gilda swallowed a nasty comeback and feigned innocence. "You said it was important that I meet with you right away. It looks like someone had a good night. Is he gone?"
"Who?" As Aislin's gaze seemed to fall on the pile of clothes on the floor behind Gilda, her face paled. She rubbed the back of her head and sighed. "Oh. Well, that doesn't look good. I guess there's no point in lying to you, is there?"
Gilda glanced back over her shoulder. "The evidence pretty much speaks for itself."
When Aislin adjusted the blanket around her, a large purple bruise and angry red scratches on her torso showed briefly. "It's not how it looks."
"You're hurt." Gilda handed Aislin the tea and examined her back and side. "Is everything okay?"
Aislin bowed her head then rocked it from side to side, as though she had a stiff neck. "I'd say yes, but I really don't remember. Kane and I went out for dinner, then we left the restaurant and…then nothing."
"Yeah, I'll bet." Gilda glanced back at the pile of clothes on the floor.
Aislin must have thought she was gullible or something.
"You don't believe me." Aislin blew out a breath. "That's fine. I don't expect you to. I just thought…I didn't know what to do when I woke up, and he was here, so I called you. I'm not sure what I'd hoped you'd do, but—"
"Let's get one thing straight. Kane Garrick is not my concern." Gilda clenched her jaw. "Yes, he's my friend, but he's a big boy. He can do whatever he wants with whomever he chooses." Including some skinny, two-bit psychic.
Aislin rubbed the back of her head beneath her hair again. "That's why I called you. It wasn't Kane I woke up with."
Gilda glanced back to the suit jacket as her stomach lurched. "Then who?"
"The cute cop."
"Thayer?" Her throat tightened. "Is he still back there?"
"No. I pushed him out the back door. All he was wearing was a blanket and his dress pants."
Gilda covered her mouth before she could burst into laughter. "I don't understand. If you went to dinner with Kane, how did you end up here wit
h Thayer?"
Since Aislin's legs were hidden by the blanket, she seemed to glide across the room to the front counter. Then she sat on a stool. "I know. It's weird. I wish I could explain what happened. I guess I should go find Kane and ask, but…" Her face reddened.
"But you're too embarrassed." Sympathy made Gilda's stomach twinge. She joined Aislin at the counter and leaned on the countertop. "I don't get it. Kane would never just abandon you. He would have made sure you were home safe before he left you alone, especially here with Miss Claudia's murder and the vandalism that's been going on since."
"Are you sure?" Aislin winced.
"I'm positive. The only way Kane wouldn't have bothered to make sure you were safe was if he was dead, injured, or in jail." The words seemed harmless enough until Gilda realized what she'd said. "Oh, crap. I'll call him. There has to be a logical explanation."
Her phone hummed in her pocket before she could even reach for it. A text from Kane. Where are you? I'm at your house with coffee.
"I have to go." Gilda turned away from Aislin.
"It's Thayer, isn't it?" she asked. "Kane told me you two were close."
Gilda froze. "We used to be. Thayer and I broke up a long time ago."
"Really? He made it sound like your breakup was pretty recent."
Gilda rolled her eyes. That figured. Thayer must have played the sympathy card to have his way with Aislin. "Sounds right. If you knew that, why did you call me to meet you here? If you were trying to make me jealous, it didn't work."
Aislin's gaze dropped to the countertop. "Actually, it's because, besides Kane, you're the only person I know in Sandstone Cove, and I kind of needed someone. A friend."
"Fair enough." Gilda closed her eyes. Guilt worked every time. She looked back over her shoulder. "How did you end up with Thayer?"
She paused for a sip of tea. "I told you, I really don't know how that happened. Like I said, everything that happened after we left the restaurant is a huge blank. Thayer was in too big a hurry for me to ask him what he knew."