I felt a tiny stab to my heart. Devon didn’t tell me that. Of course, when would he have? After he found me in his enemy’s arms? “Sure. That’d be great. We’re heading to the Pampered Pup.”
“Hop in.”
I crinkled my nose at the smell of disinfectant in the backseat. “So, Eva. She’s your number one suspect?”
Salma glanced back at me. “She’s a strong suspect.” Then she sighed. “I shouldn’t be discussing this with you, but I suppose Devon will tell you anyway. Sunny’s friend, Valentino, his DNA didn’t match what we got off the collar. I’m reluctant to rule him out though.” She reached down at her feet and then handed me a sheet of paper. “Take a look at that and tell me who you think it looks like.”
I studied the computer-generated photo of a man’s face. “This was created from Sammy’s description of the guy on the boat?”
“Yep,” she said, her arm stretched back to give Buddha a scratch under the chin.
“The dark wavy hair, the high cheek bones. It does look like Valentino.”
“That’s what we think, too.” She took the paper back. “But Sammy’s not sure he got a good enough look for this to be accurate. He only had a few seconds struggle with the guy in the dark before he was knocked out of the boat. We’ll still keep an eye on him anyway. By the way, Devon said Talia completed the ransom drop Sunday night. Any word on whether he’s returned her dog?”
I shook my head. “He got his money but no, I haven’t heard any news from Talia yet.”
“A shame.” We pulled around the fountain and stopped in front of the Pampered Pup. “Well, if we get anything suspicious from Eva Gold, we’ll be able to get a search warrant for her property. Maybe we’ll get lucky and a search will turn up Ginger there.”
I didn’t say what I was thinking ... turn her up alive was the question. I dug into my yoga bag and pulled out the baggie with the threatening note. “I found this on my front door this morning. It’s a threat to stop investigating. The dogs were barking around two this morning so, I think that’s when it was left.”
Salma pulled on a glove and opened the note. Her face darkened. “All right, I’ll get this analyzed, though I doubt the person touched it with bare hands. They haven’t been that reckless so far. And tell Devon he really needs to get security cameras up around that place.”
I nodded. “Will do. Thanks for the ride.”
Dragging myself and Buddha through the Christmas music and decorations in the lobby, and managing a few forced smiles, I made it to my doga studio and closed the French doors firmly behind me. Leaning against them, I fought the well of tears once again. If I was going to be fighting my emotions all day, it was going to be a very long day.
I took in a deep breath. Blew it out. Repeated until I didn’t feel on the verge of losing my mind.
The sketch Salma had shown me came floating back. I’d immediately thought of Valentino because that’s who we’d just been discussing but ... now that I thought about it, it also looked a bit like Georgy.
A low, friendly woof! came from Buddha at my feet. I opened my eyes. There, sitting in the middle of my studio, was the spirit form of my childhood dog, Angel.
Crap. Angel’s visits never failed to precede danger.
I thanked my little ghostly guardian and promised her I’d be careful. She stayed for a few seconds and lifted her paw before fading. I choked back the hot tears that familiar gesture brought on. Good heavens, Elle, you’re a mess. Now, besides being heartbroken over the situation with Devon, frustrated with my mother and worried about Talia, I also had to watch my back.
As I put on some calming music, I noticed my hands trembling. I’d have to bury myself in work. It was all I could do.
As the ladies and their dogs began to file in, I forced a cheery greeting. There was no fooling Beth Anne and Violet, though. They unrolled their mats and then approached me with their arms crossed.
“What’s happened?” Beth Anne asked, as Shakespeare greeted Buddha with lots of sniffing and tail wagging.
“Nothing, why?” I squeaked out. Even Buddha looked up at me with an unconvinced stare. My posture deflated. “Everything.” I told them about what I’d done to Devon and about not being able to reach Talia, fearing the worst for Ginger, and about the threatening note I’d found on my doorstep this morning.
“Oh, Elle.” Violet gave me a tight hug, her spiky red hair prickling my cheek. “First of all, you have a lot to learn about men. You hurt Devon’s ego, that’s all. He’s a good guy, though, and he’s crazy about you. He’ll come around.” Beth Anne was nodding in agreement. “And as far as the threatening note is concerned, that just means you and Devon are on the right track. He won’t let anything happen to you.” She paused and then shared a glance with Beth Anne. “Now Talia not calling yet, that is troubling, but let’s not worry until we know something for sure.” She clapped her hands. “But, in the positive news department, Beth Anne found out what Eva Gold could be using to blackmail Sunny with. Tell her.”
Beth Anne glanced behind her and then leaned in closer to us. “So, I found out from Celia Barns, who dated Georgy Gold for a while, that one of Sunny’s previous boyfriends was apparently underage.”
I stared at her. “Underage? Like under the age of twenty-one?”
“Like under the age of eighteen.” Her eyebrows rose.
Violet smirked.
I shook my head slowly, as if that would help process this information. “Besides being really creepy, she could go to jail for that, right?”
“Yep. Hence the term jail bait,” Violet said.
I thought about what this new piece of information meant, but I couldn’t fit it into the puzzle. “Well, it’s scandalous but I don’t think it has anything to do with Talia and Ginger. What we really need is to find out who wanted that statue gone bad enough to destroy it themselves. And commit murder to cover it up.”
“And steal Ginger for a million dollar ransom,” Beth Anne added.
I rubbed my forehead. “I feel like we’re out of time. At least Ginger is.” A hopelessness settled over me that was heavier than any emotion I’d ever felt. I plopped down on my mat. “Thanks,” I said, mumbling something about starting class.
Beth Anne leaned down in front of me. “Are you sure you’re all right to teach today?”
I nodded, feeling numb. “I need to keep busy.”
“Tell you what,” Violet said, resting a hand on my shoulder. “If you haven’t heard from Talia by the time your next class is over, we’ll go pay her a visit.”
“Good idea.” I nodded, feeling a little better.
***
Beth Anne, Violet and I all piled into Beth Anne’s Ford Expedition with our dogs. I still hadn’t been able to reach Talia on the phone and was getting more worried by the second. When we arrived at her place the gates were closed and locked for the first time. I pushed the call button and a familiar voice answered.
“Marcel, it’s Elle. Is Talia all right? I haven’t been able to reach her. Can we come in?”
“I’m sorry, Miss Elle. She’s ... fine but she doesn’t want to see anyone right now.”
I peered through the gate, biting my lip. This was not good. I mashed the button again. “Marcel, she shouldn’t be alone right now. Please, let us see her.”
“I wish I could.” His voice broke and then lowered. “She’s in quite a depressed state. She won’t eat or sleep. But I’m sorry, I have to obey her wishes.”
My forehead hit the call box. “I understand. Will you try to talk to her? Tell her I really need to see her.”
“I’ll try, Miss Elle.”
“Thanks, Marcel.”
With one final helpless glance through the gate, I made my way back to the black SUV and climbed in. It smelled like pine and dog breath. “She won’t see anybody. Marcel said she’s not eating or sleeping. We have to find some way to talk to her.”
“We could scale the gate,” Violet said, eyeing it like she was considering it.
>
“Then what?” Beth Anne asked. “Break a window?”
“I appreciate your enthusiasm but we can’t force her to talk to us. We can only be there when she’s ready.” I checked my phone again. No messages or calls. She wasn’t the only one I couldn’t force to talk to me. Devon, where are you? “Let’s go.”
***
After my four o’clock class, I closed and locked the studio doors and turned to face the holiday cheer in the lobby. In front of the towering Christmas tree now sat an oversized gold chair with a man in a Santa suit. He was holding two white Chihuahuas in his lap—one wearing a green sweater, one in red. I wondered if it was the same Santa that Devon had made friends with at the party. The dog in the red sweater kept jumping up trying to pull at his beard. The other one looked like it was going to flee at the first opportunity. When the camera flash went off, that’s exactly what it did.
“Pip! Come here!” squealed his owner.
There was a cluster of dogs and owners waiting their turn in a line around the lobby. I hoped Rita was paying Santa well.
I’d called Hope to pick me and Buddha up and take me to my car. Better to wait for her outside where I’d only have to face some lights and a few mechanical flamingos with Santa hats. And make small talk with the guard. “Hey, Marvin. How’s things?”
He reached down and scratched Buddha’s head with a large hand. “Evening, Elle. Quiet here. Just enjoying the cooler weather. Yourself?” Buddha was nudging his pocket. He chuckled.
“Not a big fan of the cooler weather but I don’t have to work outdoors. And go ahead, he can have one. Just make him sit first.”
Buddha inhaled the treat and licked his lips, looking hopefully up at Marvin, who chuckled and checked his hand playfully. “Thanks for leaving my fingers in place.”
Hope’s black Jaguar pulled smoothly around the fountain.
“Have a good night.”
“Thanks,” I said, sinking into the soft leather seat of Hope’s car. “You’re a lifesaver.”
As we navigated the crowded street toward the clubhouse and my abandoned car, she kept throwing worried glances my way.
“I’m fine,” I assured her.
“Liar,” she said. “Talk.”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re bossy?” Folding my arms, I spoke to her glove box. “I haven’t heard from Devon yet today. He’s probably finding a crappy rental apartment to move me into to get me out of his life.”
Hope snorted. “You and your imagination.”
“And Talia is holed up in her mansion, not eating or sleeping or seeing anyone.”
“Losing a pet is hard. She’ll be okay ... eventually.”
I glanced up at her. I guess I hadn’t accepted yet that it was over, that Ginger was gone, because her words struck me hard. “Do you really think she’ll never see Ginger again?”
Hope’s brown eyes softened as she nodded. “I’m sorry.”
A sick feeling in my stomach pushed aside the numbness as we pulled up to my Beetle.
Hope reached over and hugged me. “Hey, don’t worry. Devon just needs some time. You guys will work it out.”
“I don’t know, Hope. I really screwed up. But, I’m actually more worried about Talia right now. I don’t know her well enough to know if she’d ... you know, harm herself. She seems so fragile. And she’s already lost Holly. I just wish she would talk to me.”
Hope nodded. “I wish she would, too. Just keep trying. Maybe one of these times, she’ll pick up.”
“You’re right. It’s all I can do, I guess.” I opened the door and let Buddha out of the back seat.
“Let me know as soon as you hear from either of them,” Hope said.
“I will. Goodnight.”
The musty smell of the sun-cracked seats was more pronounced having just come from the leather and lemony smell of Hope’s new Jaguar. I cranked the engine and my car sputtered to life. “Well, at least I have you, Buddha. What more does a girl need.” I reached over and scratched under his chin, getting a string of slobber on my forearm. Somehow it was comforting.
As I was about to back out of the parking space, my phone buzzed. My heart leapt. Devon? Shoving the gearshift back into park, I grabbed my phone.
The message was from Devon, but it wasn’t at all what I’d expected.
Something’s happened. Meet at the guest marina asap
CHAPTER TWENTY
I stared at Buddha, a million questions running through my mind. Devon’s on Moon Key? When did he get back? “What do you think’s happened, boy?” Buddha cocked his head. “You’re right, only one way to find out.” With a trembling hand, I fought the gearshift, wincing as it made a loud scraping sound and then, finally, wrangled it into reverse.
I was only three minutes away. As we rumbled noisily down the narrow, palm tree lined road that led to the marina parking lot, I could already see the activity. Car lights crisscrossed the mostly empty lot, while a red ambulance light pulsed in the trees. As soon as I pulled in, I was ordered to stop by a young uniformed officer. He approached my window as I rolled it down.
“Evening, Officer—” I began. Buddha started barking frantically, his paws on the dashboard, slinging saliva onto the window. “Buddha!” I yelled. He didn’t stop. Confused and terrified as I saw the officer back up a step and place his hand on his gun, I grabbed his collar. “Buddha! Enough!”
Buddha finally glanced at me and then rested his haunches back on the seat, his intense stare focused somewhere in front of us, a pathetic whine building in his barrel chest. “I’m sorry, Officer, he’s not dangerous. Something’s just got him worked up.”
A figure approached us. “It’s all right. She’s with me.”
Devon! Thank heavens.
The officer nodded and pointed to the dark, empty corner of the lot. “Just leave your vehicle over there, ma’am.”
“I’ll wait for you over there,” Devon said, pointing to the circle of black sedans, police cars and a firetruck. Then glancing in the window, he frowned at Buddha. “Better leave him in the car for now.”
“You be a good boy,” I said breathlessly, kissing Buddha on the head. “Stay.” I rolled the windows down halfway, even though the night was in the low 60’s, and rushed over to Devon.
He was standing with Salma. Both of them had their arms crossed as I approached.
“What’s happened?” I managed. Breathing was starting to get difficult as my chest tightened with anxiety.
“Hi, Elle.” She glanced at Devon. “Go on, fill her in. I’m going to check on the progress.”
Devon reached out and touched my fingers, bringing them gently into the fold of his hand, then he smiled. “There’s good news and bad news.”
“Good news first please.”
As he opened his mouth, a faint bark echoed through the night air. A responding bark came from Buddha. My head whipped around to the circle of cars. “Oh God, please tell me that’s Ginger,” I whispered.
“That’s Ginger,” Devon said. I could hear the relief in his voice. And I could see it in his face as I looked back up at him.
“She’s all right?” I couldn’t believe it.
“She is, as far as we can tell.”
I leaped forward and wrapped my arms around his neck with a cry. “She is!”
When I pulled back, I felt his hands stay on my waist, holding me there. Then he seemed to catch himself and released me. I decided not to think about that at the moment. “Does Talia know yet?”
“We couldn’t reach her. Salma’s sent a car to her home. Hopefully she’ll know soon.”
I couldn’t stop smiling. After all the stress and worry, it didn’t seem possible it was over. Ginger was going home. “So, what’s the bad news?”
He pointed at the bulk of the activity. “The apparent dognapper is dead.”
I stared at all the vehicles, the flashing lights. “Was there a shoot-out? Who is it?”
“There was no shoot-out. He was found in the truck, alread
y deceased. Ginger was in a crate beside him. Salma thinks he may’ve been trying to make a run for it by boat tonight and had a heart attack or somethin’. Though, they haven’t found a blue and white Bowrider in the marina. A suitcase full of money was in the back of the truck, so Talia’ll get whatever’s left of the million returned along with Ginger. There was also a toolbox with a hammer that they’ll test for Diggs’s DNA.” Devon turned to watch the bursts of flash as the forensic photographer worked. “The ME will be able to tell more about the young fella’s death upon examination.”
I shook my head in disbelief. The dognapper keeling over from a heart attack moments before he escaped Moon Key with Ginger? Especially a young man? That seemed a little too tidy to me. “Was there ID in the truck?”
“There was. His name was Leo Gold.”
Shock silenced me. I pictured Leo’s handsome face as I spoke to him at the HOA Christmas party. I remembered him writing down his number for me to give to Lulu. He did write with his left hand. And he was the right height. Then I thought about the police sketch Salma had shown me. Of course, I can see the likeness to him, now that I know.
Devon kept talking. “Probably related to the Gold family somehow, which doesn’t look very good for Eva. Salma’s thinkin’ Eva must’ve hired Leo Gold to destroy the statue. When Diggs surprised him, he knocked him on the head and decided to take Ginger for ransom.”
“Huh,” was all I could manage. Leo Gold being the killer hadn’t even crossed my mind. He seemed so nice. Heavens, I’d almost set Lulu up with a murderer. At that thought, I felt faint. “He was Eva’s nephew, true. But I don’t get why he’d risking taking Ginger for ransom? His family has plenty of money.”
Devon shrugged. “Young lads do stupid, irrational things.”
I wrapped my arms around my body, unable to get Leo’s smile out of my mind. I couldn’t believe he was dead. He was so young and had such a bright future ahead of him running his father’s company. Didn’t he?
Then I remembered something he’d said and turned to Devon. “You know, his father was making him learn the family business from the ground up, so maybe he didn’t have access to the family money. The first time I met him, he was putting up Christmas lights outside the bungalow, wearing elf ears. Maybe it was too humiliating for him, and he wanted to get out from under his father’s thumb. Georgy Gold doesn’t seem like the nicest of fathers. And I’ve been thinking about Georgy being a possible suspect. Maybe it wasn’t Eva, but Georgy who put Leo up to smashing the statue. Even though he doesn’t live on Moon Key, Georgy could’ve been offended by Talia’s statue of Holly.”
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