Murder by Manicure

by Nancy J. Cohen

  "But why would Jolene take it if she knew that?"

  "Maybe she didn't. She'd swallowed gelatin capsules in the locker room when I was there with Cookie, so that's one possible route. She'd gotten a manicure earlier that day and was in the habit of biting her nails, because I caught a glimpse of Bite No More in her bag. So maybe the sedative was painted on her nails. Then again, she had a snack after your dance class. Could someone have slipped a Mickey Finn into her drink? Somebody got to Sam Zelman last night, which makes me think their deaths were related. I guess Detective Vail concurs because he's still investigating."

  "Why are you so interested, Marla?"

  "Jolene was my client. She shouldn't have died that day. It won't make any difference now, but I want to understand what happened."

  Stooping over, Lindsay reached for her dance bag and slung the strap over her shoulder. Her short-sleeved leotard allowed Marla a glimpse of sculpted arm muscles. She must work out with weights, Marla figured with a twinge of envy.

  "I noticed Eloise wasn't here today,” Lindsay commented as they strolled toward the exit. “I heard about the disaster last night. It's such a shame. We'll all miss them."

  "I'm not so sure Eloise was in the car. Although it's a natural assumption, we're not even sure they arrived together. Hortense only caught a glimpse of Sam sitting in the vehicle."

  Lindsay's eyes widened. “You were there?"

  She gave a wry smile. “Hortense and I were double-dating. We went with our guys to dinner at the restaurant."

  "And you didn't invite me?” Keith clucked his tongue as he approached the cluster of people outside the dance studio.

  Hortense had apparently been holding court by dramatizing last night's incident. Since many of the people knew the Zelmans, she had gathered quite an audience. Keith hastened to introduce himself to her and Tally before sidling back to Marla.

  "So, babe, want a fitness consult today? We still need to review your diet.” His chocolate brown eyes swept her body.

  "Haven't you heard the news?” Hortense cried. “She's engaged to Arnie Hartman."

  Marla groaned inwardly as others heard the announcement and came over to congratulate her. When the circle of acquaintances finally dispersed, she gestured to Tally. “Let's do fifteen minutes on the virtual reality bike. That's all the time I can spare. I have things to do at home."

  While they were cycling, Marla's gaze followed Keith. He flirted with Hortense, showing her the equipment and apparently finding reasons to put his hands on her. When he headed downstairs, Marla decided it might be a good opportunity to catch him alone. If she must endure his sexual advances in order to gain information, so be it. She left Tally after arranging to meet her friend in the lobby.

  On the lower level, she rounded a corner just as Keith emerged from the massage suite. His eyes were stormy as he conversed with Slate. “You're not keeping close enough tabs on her,” Keith muttered, jabbing a finger in the air.

  Marla paused by the partially open door to Gloria's office, staying just out of either man's visual range.

  "You're crazy; I can't be on the chick every minute. Besides, Amy doesn't want you, man. She has the hots for me."

  "When I tell her what I know, she'll drop you like a rock."

  Slate made a growling noise. “You'd better not, or I won't follow your orders anymore."

  Keith cursed. “Don't worry, your secret is safe with me as long as you do what you're told. Just make sure she doesn't end up like Jolene."

  "What does that mean?” Slate snarled.

  "Amy overheard you arguing with Jolene. What'd you do, slip something into her glass of water?"

  "That's ridiculous."

  "Oh yeah? Remember how you smashed Jolene's headlights after she refused to go out with you? I'm surprised she let you give her a massage."

  "She had something to tell me about Gloria and wanted to know if you were involved. I told her you're too dumb to even know what's going on."

  They strode away, giving Marla a moment to consider what she'd heard. Slate, as well as Gloria, had something to hide. Before she reached any conclusions, a cough sounded from inside Gloria's office, and she backed away. I wonder if Vail has checked the personnel files, she thought. Imagine the wealth of information that must be in Gloria's records! If only she could get into that office when no one else was around. Gloria probably had profiles on all the customers as well.

  "Marla, I thought you were getting changed,” said Tally from behind her.

  Marla swirled to face her friend. “I just overheard an interesting conversation,” she said in a hushed voice. “I'll tell you about it when we're outside.” Gesturing toward Gloria's office, she indicated they should hasten past.

  In the locker room, Hortense stood by a bench, conversing with Cookie. The shorter woman had pulled an oversized T-shirt over her Jockey zip-front sports bra and black capri pants. Her strawberry blond hair, in disarray after class, looked as though she'd been in a windstorm. Despite her dislike of Cookie, Marla's fingers itched for a hairbrush to tame the unruly locks.

  "Marla, we were just talking about you,” Hortense stated.

  "Oh?” She walked toward her locker.

  "Cookie was telling me you use bad products in your salon."

  Grasping a clean towel, Marla spun to face the troublemaker. “Are you spreading false rumors about me? If you slander my salon, I'll take legal action."

  Cookie's emerald eyes gleamed defiantly. “You promised to weed undesirable items from your stock, but you haven't done anything!"

  Marla gritted her teeth. “I told you earlier that I haven't had a chance to take inventory regarding which products comply with SETA standards. It's not the highest thing on my priority list. I'm worried about Eloise."

  Cookie's gaze hardened. “She's not my problem. You are."

  Tally butted in. “Leave my friend alone, or you'll answer to me. Marla isn't doing anything to offend you. You're the type of person who picks a fight because you don't know how to get close to someone. You could be attractive, but your sour attitude puts people off."

  "It's a shandah," Marla said to Tally on their way out later. “Cookie is a driven woman. What a shame she's misusing her talents by being so aggressive."

  "She attacks people verbally because it alienates them. By latching onto different causes, she reminds me of a lost child who lacks a sense of self-direction."

  "Since when are you a psychologist?” Marla paused in front of a Dodge minivan, thinking that the parking lot could qualify for a foreign car show. Down one aisle alone, she noted two Mercedeses, two Jaguars, a gold Lexus RX-300, three Toyotas, and a Honda Odyssey. Typical of upscale west Broward County.

  "Cookie irritates me. I'm just trying to understand what makes her tick,” Tally said, squinting in the morning sunlight. “She strikes me as a lonely person."

  "Well, I don't feel sorry for her."

  "Do you have time to stop for coffee? You didn't tell me what you learned from Keith after following him downstairs. I'd like to hear more about Dalton, too. Ken and I should double-date with you guys one night. That is, after your engagement to Arnie breaks off.” A wide grin split her face. “I can see why he'd be floored by Hortense. She's got equipment in all the right places."

  "Dalton noticed that, too.” Marla glanced at her watch. “I have to go directly home. This afternoon is the West Regional Fair, and my Child Drowning Prevention Coalition is handing out leaflets supporting a proposed bill in the state legislature. If passed, it'll mandate safety measures on all new pools and hot tubs built in Florida after the law goes into effect. If you've got nothing else to do, maybe you'd like to join us. Volunteers get a potluck supper."

  Tally's lips compressed. “I saw the article in the newspaper this morning about the two-year-old who drowned in his family pool. You'd think people would keep their doors locked."

  "I know,” she said sadly. “Childproof locks are readily available. Alarms can be set to go off when anybody o
pens a door. People just don't think about the most basic safety measures until something bad happens."

  And even then, tragedies still occurred. Hadn't she lived through one herself? Drowning wasn't the only danger. She'd seen the statistics. For every ten children who drowned in Broward County, 36 were admitted to hospitals, and 140 were treated in emergency rooms after near-drownings. Some children suffered aftereffects as serious as brain damage. It was a tragedy that could be prevented through education, and that was why she'd gotten involved. If only someone had educated her when she was nineteen years old, little Tammy might still be alive. Drowning was still the main cause of death for children under four years of age in South Florida.

  "What time do you have to be there?” Tally asked.

  "It's at Central Park. I have to check in by one, and I promised to bring noodle kugel for the supper. Lord save me, I have so many things to do! I never took Spooks for his walk this morning because I was in a rush to get here, and I need to call my mother. Oh, and I told Goat I'd let him plant impatiens in front of my house. You know I have a brown thumb, and he's been nagging the neighbors to put more flowers in. He's going to do Moss and Emma's house next door, too."

  "That's generous of him.” They strolled toward Marla's white Camry.

  "Goat may be one socket short in the lightbulb department, but I believe he's got a good heart. Even if weird animal noises do come from his house. Look, why don't you meet me at my place? I'll put on a pot of coffee, and we can have an early lunch. Then you can decide if you want to come with me to the park later."

  * * * *

  Spooks greeted Marla with wild barking when she entered the town house through her garage. Tally trailed along, having parked in the driveway behind her. Throwing down her purse on the kitchen table, Marla bent to pet the poodle. His cream-colored hair felt springy and soft, but it was also growing too long over his eyes. Call the groomer next week, she noted mentally, scratching behind the dog's ears.

  Goat ran a pet-grooming business out of his van, but Marla was satisfied with the woman who came to her house. Besides, Goat claimed to have a big snake among his menagerie, and she wouldn't want Spooks near if the creature got hungry.

  After Spooks finished sniffing Tally, Marla let him out into the backyard. Tally seated herself at the kitchen table and read the newspaper while Marla set a pot of coffee to brew. When it was percolating, she picked up the phone to call Anita.

  Her mother answered on the second ring. “There you are! I called you earlier, but you weren't home. What's this I hear about you and Arnie Hartman?"

  Marla cringed. “It's nothing, Ma. We're pretending to be engaged so Arnie's former classmate doesn't bug him, except now Arnie likes Hortense. We got Dalton to double-date with us, figuring he'd be attentive to me so Arnie could snow her. But things didn't work out that way—at least not at first."

  "Whoa, slow down, you're losing me."

  Marla heard Tally's snicker. “Don't talk about our engagement to anyone, okay?” she pleaded to her mother.

  "People have already started congratulating me. I always said Arnie was right for you. Such a sweet man. He'd make a stable husband, Marla. Not to mention that he's Jewish, unlike this Lieutenant Vail who's taken your fancy. Maybe you should take advantage of this situation and claim Arnie for your own."

  "I don't think so."

  "So why continue the pretense if Arnie likes the woman?"

  "We're planning to have a fight and break up. He took Hortense home after the excitement at the restaurant last night, but apparently he didn't have the guts to confess the truth."

  "Restaurant? Were you at that place where the cars blew up? Marla, if I didn't already have white hairs on my head, you'd be causing them!"

  "I gotta go, Ma. Tally is here. Are Michael and his family coming for dinner tonight?” she asked about her brother.

  "Yes, and you're still invited. We need to talk about your birthday next month."

  "Thanks, but I have a date with Lance."

  A snort of exasperation followed. “Is he the man who works in the body shop?"

  "No, that's Ralph. He's been busy with night school, so I haven't seen him in a while. Lance is my computer friend. I called him after I got home last night and asked him to look up car bombs on the Internet to see if a normal person could figure out how to make one. I'm invited to his place later; he's barbecuing chicken."

  "Is that kosher when you're going steady with Lieutenant Vail and are engaged to Arnie?"

  "I'm not attached to anyone, Ma. Now I've got to hang up. Give my love to Michael, Charlene, and the kids. Love you, bye."

  She turned to Tally. “Bless my bones, our conversations always turn to my love life."

  Tally's eyes twinkled. “Doesn't Lance usually ask you over to view his favorite web sites?"

  Marla pursed her lips. “Don't worry. I'll tell him Arnie and I are engaged. Being taken does have its advantages!"

  Spooks scratched at the door, so she let him back in. He headed for his water dish while she made tuna sandwiches and poured their coffee. Marla tossed the poodle a biscuit before sitting opposite Tally. Her body sagged as she delved into lunch. She hadn't realized how tense being at the sports club made her feel. Wasn't that the place where she was supposed to relax?

  "I was hoping Dalton would call,” she began. “He might have found out more information about the explosion last night, or if Eloise was there. I wonder if anyone has tried calling her house."

  "Did the Zelmans have any kids?"

  Marla swallowed a piece of sandwich. “Two grown children. Eloise talked about them when she came into the salon.” Her eyes misted. “I'll have to see when she made her next appointment. Guess I'll have to cancel it."

  They finished eating in silence. Marla brought the dishes to the sink, then turned to Tally in dismay. “Oh, no, I forgot to make the noodle dish! Would you mind if we talk while I work around the kitchen?” Already she'd found an apron and donned it before Tally responded.

  "Can I help?” Tally jumped from her seat.

  Marla crouched to withdraw a soup pot from the cabinet. “No, thanks. It'll take me longer to do the dishes than to make the kugel.” Filling the pot halfway with water, she set it on the electric burner to boil.

  "Do you really think Jolene's death was not an accident?” Tally asked, watching Marla stride to the pantry.

  Marla grabbed a sixteen-ounce bag of wide egg noodles, a tall can of crushed pineapple, and a jar of cinnamon. Placing them on the counter, she turned to face her friend.

  "Vail is suspicious, and so am I. He's never said outright that he's investigating a murder, but that must be why he's on the case. Lab tests detected sedatives in Jolene's blood. Why would she take something that would make her drowsy when she still had to drive home? It doesn't make sense."

  "So the alternative is that someone drugged her."

  "Tell me about it. But how? She'd swallowed two gelatin capsules, but Vail said the rest of the capsules in her bottle were genuine. Could it have been in the nail-biting solution?"

  When the water boiled, Marla tossed in the egg noodles and set her kitchen timer for eight minutes. Next up was to melt a stick of margarine in the microwave. Spooks followed at her heels, eager for any particles she might drop on the floor. His nose worked overtime sniffing the different aromas.

  "It's also possible the guilty party slipped a drug into Jolene's drink at the snack bar,” Tally said, snatching up a clean dish towel. “Anyone walking by could have done it if her attention was diverted."

  Rummaging in the fridge, Marla selected four eggs. She brought them to a bowl beside the kitchen sink. Cracking each one, she beat them together until blended.

  Tally regarded her steadily. “So who do you suspect?"

  Marla grinned wryly. “Everyone we've encountered at Perfect Fit Sports Club."

  Chapter Twelve

  "Gloria must be doing something crooked,” Marla said to Tally, draining the hot noodles in a co
lander. “According to Slate, Jolene informed him about Gloria's activities that Friday night during her massage. She'd wanted to know if Keith was involved. If I could get into Gloria's office, I might learn more.” She poured the noodles into a large bowl after rinsing them in cold water.

  Putting aside her damp dish towel, Tally opened the microwave and retrieved the dish holding the melted margarine. “Gloria might have wanted to get rid of Jolene to shut her up."

  "That's one possibility.” Marla stirred a couple of hot noodles into the beaten eggs, then added all the eggs to the noodles. A half cup of sugar went in the bowl next, followed by the margarine and quarter teaspoon cinnamon. “Meanwhile, Keith is forcing Slate to follow his orders in return for his silence. That means Slate is involved in some dirty business. Jolene could have found out what he's hiding."

  "Don't forget Amy, who was jealous of Slate's attention to Jolene,” Tally contributed.

  "Maybe they're all in it together!” Marla tossed the drained crushed pineapple into the mixture along with the juice from a fresh lemon.

  "Don't you add raisins?” Tally asked, peering over her shoulder.

  "That's an option. You can add a half cup of raisins, or cut the butter to a quarter pound and add a pint of sour cream. Or you can put in one teaspoon of vanilla instead of lemon juice. I'm using the ingredients I have available.” She spread the mixture in a greased rectangular pan, sprinkled two tablespoons of cornflake crumbs and cinnamon-sugar over the top, then put it in the oven at 350 degrees to bake for one hour.

  The phone rang, and Marla resolved for the umpteenth time to get Caller ID.

  "Hi, Marla. It's Stan."

  Lord save me. She threw Tally an annoyed glance. “Yeah, what's up?” Her ex-spouse was the last person she wanted to talk to on her day off.

  "Kim and I are going to be in your area this afternoon. How about we drop in to say hello?” His smooth tone oozed oil.

  "Sorry, I won't be home."

  "We'll come now, then. We've had a new offer on our rental property. It's a good deal, Marla. A good deal. Let's unload the place before values go down."