Dog Gone

by Shannon Esposito

  Once my bike was stowed, he happily followed me out of the French doors, without the slightest sign of a limp. I couldn’t believe it. “Guess I underestimated you, big guy.”

  I was standing in the garden, watching Buddha pounce after a lizard, when a text came in from Devon:

  Salma says Eva Gold has motive. Bad investments & money troubles. Her brother has been keeping her afloat financially for almost a year. She’s also refused to answer any questions.

  Interesting. Eva could use the million dollars. So she has motive, not just to smash the statue of Holly, but also to take Ginger.

  I texted Devon back: Does she have an alibi?

  She does not.

  Very interesting.

  ***

  Alex seemed shocked when I called him and told him I’d meet him at the clubhouse for the party. Luckily I still had possession of Hope’s black Dior cocktail dress and her promise that she would go to the party, too, to bail me out if Alex got too creepy.

  Alex was waiting for me outside the door, his suit jacket slung over one arm.

  “Elle!” He beamed at me with a smile that may’ve once charmed the ladies, but had yellowed with age and lax dental hygiene.

  I cringed as he came at me for a hug, and then shoved my hand into his stomach, holding it out for him to shake instead. Hopefully, he’d get the message that just because I’d agreed to accompany him tonight did not give him license to paw at me.

  “Good evening, Alex.”

  Taken aback, his smile faltered as he took my hand. His eyes tracked down my dress. I had a feeling it was muscle memory. “You look amazing tonight.”

  “Thanks,” I answered, forcing myself not to roll my eyes. I suddenly didn’t know if I could go through with this. How on earth was I going to convince this man that I was enjoying his company?

  “Shall we?” I didn’t wait for an answer. Instead I moved through the door and into the clubhouse. I felt his presence behind me like a dark, cologne-saturated shadow.

  The clubhouse had been transformed from a meeting hall into a winter wonderland.White lights twinkled over everything and a large buffet had been set up along the back wall, complete with a meat carving station and sushi display. A band was playing Christmas music from a corner stage and couples were already swaying together on the dance floor or standing around chatting at the bar. I scanned the room for Hope and Ira, but I didn’t see them yet.

  “Let’s get a drink,” I said, as Alex stood too close to me. If I was going to stomach spending time with him, I’d need some liquid courage.

  I downed a shot of whatever their signature Candy Cane drink was tonight and then ordered a glass of wine while Alex got a beer. The warmth traveling to my gut felt like a fire being lit. I could do this.

  As we made our way into the center of the room, Alex said, “So, you want to dance? I was known as fancy feet in high school. And not just for my football skills.”

  I forced a smile. “Maybe later.” I needed to get his focus off me. What could distract a guy like him? Then I smiled for real. “So, tell me about your high school football career. You were pretty good, right?”

  He grew a little taller. “Good? I was the best.”

  Jackpot. As he talked about himself, I scanned the room for Eva Gold. I spotted her just as she was pushing through the glass doors that led to the pool area, two men at her heels. One was a dark-haired older gentleman in a tux and the other was younger, but had the same build and dark, wavy hair.

  Wait. Was that the Christmas elf who tried to hit on Lulu? Hard to tell from the back but probably, he was Eva’s nephew after all. And the older guy could be Eva’s brother, Georgy. They even had the same walk.

  I had to get out there and see if I was right. How to ditch Alex for a few minutes? In desperation, I downed my glass of wine and held it out to him. “Would you be so kind as to get me another glass?”

  His expression morphed from surprise to a sly smile as he accepted my empty glass. It wasn’t hard to guess what he thought my intoxication would mean. “Whatever you need, I’m at your service.”

  I fought the grimace that was threatening to manifest, but with the new warmth sprouting in my belly, I managed to keep my voice pleasant. “I’m just going to the ladies’ room. I’ll meet you back here.”

  Once I was sure he wouldn’t see which direction I was headed, I walked as fast as I dared to the glass doors and slipped outside.

  A breeze lifted the cool, damp air from the Gulf and caressed my bare arms. I shivered as my gaze darted around. Spotting the three of them huddled together on the left side of the lighted pool, I removed my heels. Keeping to the shadows as much as possible, I tiptoed from one palm tree to the next, hopping over the bushes, until I was close enough to hear their conversation. Fortunately it seemed to be rising in volume. I brushed off the mulch sticking to the bottom of my feet and scooted a lizard out of the way as I pressed myself against the base of a Queen Palm.

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Eva’s voice was smug and condescending.

  “You know very well what I mean, Aunt Eva. Sunny told me what you did and it’s not right.”

  Yep, definitely the Leo Gold kid. What did Eva do? Could he be referring to her smashing the statue and taking Ginger? Would Sunny know about that and not tell the police? Maybe she would hold on to the information in case Eva tried to blackmail her again. If so, that was pretty big information to withhold from the police. Whatever Eva had on her must be bad.

  Eva chuckled. “What she did was not right either. And you know that.”

  “That’s water under the bridge, Eva,” Georgy’s voice boomed naturally, like a man used to being in charge.

  “Oh, is it?” She sneered. “Ask your son about that.”

  “It is, Aunt Eva,” Leo answered.

  “And it’s none of your business anyway.” Georgy seemed to be losing patience with the conversation. “I’d think you have more important things to worry about.”

  There was silence and then Eva seemed to deflate. “I did it for you, anyway, Georgy. For all the hard work you put into the Christmas lights display here.”

  “I know and I appreciate it. Just ... be careful. We don’t need this kind of scandal.”

  She had to be talking about smashing Talia’s statue.

  “And besides, I can take care of my own business,” Georgy growled. “No need for you to get involved.”

  Wait. Take care of his own business? Was Georgy the one who’d smashed the statue? He was definitely the right height. We hadn’t even considered him as a suspect.

  I held my breath as they walked mere inches from my hiding place. Something crawled across my bare foot. I forced myself to keep still. Their voices faded and then disappeared as they went back inside. I waited a few minutes before jumping out of the mulch with a shiver and slipping back into the party.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  My mind was spinning with possibilities and questions ... and wine ... and I wasn’t ready to deal with Alex again. Scanning the crowd, I caught a glimpse of Georgia Waters. Instinctively, I slid behind a potted palm. I had to make sure to stay off that woman’s radar tonight.

  Then I spotted Leo and his dad, Georgy, on the edge of the dance floor. Leo’s hands were shoved in his pockets and his eyes were glued to the floor. Georgy was gesturing wildly about something, his face red. I got closer, waiting for an opportunity to see if he was left-handed. Unfortunately, he trudged away, leaving Leo standing there looking like a scolded puppy.

  I approached him. “Leo, right?” I said cheerfully, holding out my hand, proud of myself for being so brave. Or maybe just stupid.

  Startled, he glanced up at the sound of his name. It took a moment for him to focus on me, but eventually his softened and he shook my hand. “Yes, I’m sorry. You look familiar but I don’t remember catching your name?”

  “Elle Pressley and that’s perfectly fine. Usually men don’t care to catch my name when I’m with Lulu.” At his confusion, I
added, “Tiny cute girl, amazing green eyes, head full of curls.”

  His blue eyes sparked with recognition. “Yes, of course, I remember now. I was working on the beach bungalow ... in those stupid elf ears,” he mumbled. “That’s her name then? Your friend who’s ... expecting?”

  “Yes. She really is a sweet girl. She’s just been through a horrendous ordeal and has sworn off men at the moment.” I remembered her veiled interest in Leo and smiled at the thought of getting her back on the dating horse. I knew from experience that swearing off relationships forever wasn’t healthy. I’d done that for years, until I’d met Devon. “If you’d like, I can hold onto your number in case she ever changes her mind. That is, if you don’t mind a baby being in the picture.” It didn’t seem to deter him before but one can never tell.

  His smile spread to his eyes. “That would be fantastic.” He glanced around and then motioned for me to follow him to the bar. Grabbing a bar napkin, he scribbled down his number. “Look, can you tell her I’m not going to be doing menial labor forever. It’s just my dad. He’s making me learn the family business from the bottom up. But one day I’ll be taking over.” He sighed as he handed me the napkin, his voice holding a touch of frustration. “It may take a while.”

  I smiled, feeling bad for him. “Don’t worry. She’s not the kind of girl that cares about income bracket.”

  “Elle, there you are.”

  We both looked up as Alex approached. He was forcing a smile, while his eyes blinked in confusion at the napkin in my hand. Leaning over, he took in Leo’s number. “Hitting on my girl?” His eyes flashed at Leo. “Not cool, bro.”

  Leo looked amused but said nothing, letting me take the lead.

  I simply smiled and tucked the napkin into my sparkly black purse—well, Hope’s sparkly black purse—and looked him directly in the eyes. “Your girl? You imply ownership where there is none, Alex. That’s not cool.”

  Speaking of Hope, where the heck is she? I slipped my glass of wine from Alex’s hand and walked off to find her. I didn’t know if Alex was following me and, at the moment, I didn’t care. He was getting carried away with this whole date thing and needed to be put back in his place.

  I found a quiet spot and texted Hope. Where are you?

  Her reply was immediate. Almost there. Got stuck in traffic coming back from Tampa. Need rescuing?

  Not yet. Handling it.

  K C U soon

  I spotted Sunny and Valentino coming off the dance floor. She was wearing an emerald green chiffon dress with a thick silver belt and he was wearing a black tux. Despite their age difference, they did make a nice couple.

  Shoot. I should’ve asked Devon if Valentino gave Salma his DNA willingly. If not, he was still a suspect and so was Sunny. If Valentino was the one who’d smashed Talia’s statue, it would’ve been on her behalf. Could she be that vindictive of a person? As I sipped my warm wine and watched Valentino leave her side, I decided to go say hello to Sunny.

  “Enjoying the party?” I asked, coming up behind her.

  Whirling around, her thin lips formed a polite smile. It didn’t reach her eyes. “Yes. The band is excellent this year. You?”

  I nodded. “The board throws a lovely party.” She was glancing around, seemingly losing interest in small talk, so I decided to try to catch her off guard. “I happened to be at the last board meeting. In the restroom before it started.” This got her attention. Her ice-blue eyes cut towards me sharply. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation ... Eva Gold blackmailing you with something she knew. To change your vote about her brother keeping the decorating contract, correct?”

  And boom. There it was. The widening of eyes, the flare of nostrils. The almost imperceptible mixture of anger, guilt and surprise. Then her face relaxed as she regained control of her emotions. I watched her take in a deep, slow breath in through her nose. Then she nodded in concession.

  Touching my arm gently with a slender hand, she leaned in with a ghost of a smile. “You’re young, Dear, unversed in the ways of how calculating women can be. My advice, never share a secret with a friend because you never know when that friend will become your enemy.”

  “So, you consider Eva Gold your enemy?”

  A perfectly plucked and penciled-in brow raised in amusement. “Well, I certainly don’t consider her my friend.”

  I nodded. I needed more. Time to push her a bit. “Speaking of secrets. I’ll let you in on one.” I moved closer to her and put on my most earnest expression. “The night Talia Hill’s dog nanny, Diggs, was murdered, the police think whoever did it was there to destroy the glass statue of her dog, Holly. The one the HOA board wanted her to remove. Even if the board member didn’t swing the hammer, but had someone else do it, they would be guilty of accessory to murder.” I wasn’t sure if that was true or not, I was just looking to shake her tree a bit and see what fell out.

  “Oh?”

  I watched her for any signs of panic or guilt. Her face was smooth, unreadable. In fact, she seemed bored and then her eyes glittered happily. I turned to see where her attention had gone. Of course, Valentino was back.

  Handing her a glass of wine he nodded at me, his eyes narrowing. “Miss Pressley, wasn’t it?”

  I felt a prickle of discomfort at his dark, intense gaze. It didn’t look friendly at all. “Yes. Hello, good to see you again.”

  Shoving a hand in his black slack’s pocket, he glanced around. “Haven’t seen your P.I. boyfriend around tonight. I wanted to thank him for sending the police to swab my cheek.”

  Ouch. He was definitely angry. Why did he think Devon was the one who sent the police? Salma would never throw Devon under the bus like that. Guess he just put two and two together since we’d been there questioning him. Might as well go all in. “And did you give them one?”

  He didn’t blink. “Of course. I have nothing to hide.”

  I nodded and glanced at Sunny. “It wasn’t just you they wanted to swab, Valentino. Would it surprise either of you to know Eva Gold wouldn’t cooperate with the police?”

  Valentino cocked his head and glanced at Sunny. She was shaking her head. “Not in the least. That woman wouldn’t cooperate with God if He was standing right in front of her.” Then Sunny’s demeanor softened as she changed the subject. “Elle, you teach that quaint little doga class at the Pampered Pup Spa, right?” When I nodded, her eyes lit up. “Do you happen to do private classes? My Leona just doesn’t get along with other dogs, so I haven’t been able to attend. Heard great things from the ladies, though.”

  “Sure.” I dug a business card out of Hope’s purse. “Give me a call. We can set something up.” Hopefully soon. I would either have a solid suspect or a new client.

  They both looked behind me. My body tensed. I knew who would be standing there when I turned around. Time to deal with the second reason I came here tonight.

  “Excuse me,” I said to Sunny and Valentino. Turning to face Alex, I was surprised to see Hope standing there grinning at me instead. In relief, I wrapped my arms around her. “Thank heavens,” I whispered, as she squeezed me back.

  She grabbed my hand. “Come and refresh your drink with me and tell me what’s been going on so far.” We moved through the crowd, which was getting merrier by the minute, to the bar. “Oh that food smells divine. I’m starving,” she said, getting in line. “We haven’t had time to eat since breakfast.”

  “Where’s Ira?” I asked, looking around.

  “He got caught by one of his golfing buddies outside.” She made a twirling motion with her hand. “Sooo ... what’s going on? Have you talked to Alex yet?”

  I shook my head. “I’ve been busy learning more about Eva Gold and Sunny.”

  She gave me a chastising but sympathetic look. “Remember why you put yourself in this God-awful situation to begin with. For Devon.”

  “I know.” I groaned. “I’m working up to it.” I raised my half-empty wine glass as evidence then glanced aro
und. “I hope I haven’t run him off. I haven’t been the most polite date.” Understatement of the year.

  We stepped up to the bar. Hope ordered two shots of tequila and two glasses of wine. Clinking our shot glasses, her face serious, she said, “To doing what’s necessary for justice.”

  “Amen,” I whispered. We both grimaced after downing the shot and grabbed our wineglasses. I consolidated mine, hoping it would be enough to get me through what I was about to do next. “Ok, I’m going in. If he hasn’t ditched me. Wish me luck.”

  She gave my hand one more squeeze. “Luck. You can do this. For Devon.”

  I checked the hallway where the restrooms were first, wondering if he was waiting for me there. Instead I found Georgia Waters. She practically ran into me on her way out of the ladies’ room.

  “Well, well, well.” She sneered, looking me up and down. “If it isn’t little Miss Cinderella all dressed up in someone else’s clothes. Come for the free food?”

  Her words were like a vice around my chest. The humiliation set my face on fire, but I’d had enough to drink that, instead of freezing or having an anxiety attack, I opened my mouth and unleashed my own attack.

  “I’m sorry, Georgia. I’m sorry you’re so miserable that you have to spend all your energy trying to make other people miserable, too. And I’m sorry you’re so insecure about your relationship with Sammy you had to stoop to tipping off the press about where the ransom exchange would be. Yeah, we know it was you. What a petty, petty thing to do. But, I would expect nothing less from you.” My body was shaking but I didn’t care. Her mouth had dropped and she had nothing to say for once, so I added, “Not that you don’t have a right to be jealous. I was there when Sammy came to Talia’s house, and I could see the love he still has for her in his eyes. Who can blame him, though. She’s so sweet and kind. Just such an easy person to love. God knows why he’d leave her for a mean-spirited, gold-digger like you.”

  Her face drained of color. Her blue eyes had narrowed and were glittering dangerously. Time to go. Whirling around on my heels—and catching myself on the wall before I fell over—I hurried away without a glance back. I half-expected to feel a yank on my hair, or her jumping on my back, but I made it to the dance floor without being attacked.