"It was Marian. She had a little jealousy problem herself."
"Damn, Jamie! These people are nuts!"
"That's saying a lot, coming from you, Duke!" I laughed, and then he did, too.
"Why are you here, anyway?" he asked, perking up a little.
"I came here to save you. Well, most of you. Your liver is a lost cause, I'm afraid."
Even Brendan the bartender smiled at that.
"Actually," I said, "I came to tell you that Adam's in the clear, but I still need your help. If we're going to take Marian down, I need proof I can take to the state attorney, that smug little weasel. You in?"
"You bet I am, Darlin'. But what do you say to some breakfast first? What are you havin', a Bloody Mary or a Mimosa?"
Chapter 22
After a breakfast of scrambled eggs with a side of grits (minus the Mimosa), I helped Duke find a taxi to take him home; he was in no condition to drive. Then I headed over to Aunt Peg's house; I wanted to check on Adam after his rough morning and bring my aunt up to speed.
My aunt opened the door before I could knock and ushered me in. She gave me a quick hug and whispered, "Hey Jamie."
I whispered back, "Why are we whispering?"
She pointed at the sofa where Adam was sleeping with Angus, the Scottish terrier, dozing on his chest, and Bono, the Irish setter, crashed out on the floor. I followed her into the kitchen where we could sit and chat.
"How's he doing after this morning?" I asked.
She smiled. "Dr. Simon was so pleased with the progress they made. He thinks that, given time, Adam will be back to his old self. In fact, as we were driving home, Adam said, "Mom, I miss Spike."
"I'm so happy to hear that! And I have more good news for you--the state attorney doesn't believe Adam had anything to do with Spike's murder. He thinks it was Steve Michaels, the music teacher." I decided not to throw Marian into the mix.
"Oh, thank God! But, poor Rosa…I heard on the news she'd been killed, do they think that was Steve, too?"
"They do."
She shook her head sadly. "Jamie, she was the nicest woman, so kind and caring--what a tragedy!"
"It won't bring her back, but I'm confident justice will prevail."
"I hope so," my aunt said.
As we were saying our good-byes, I thought of something. "The last time I was here, I forgot to look at Adam's "music stuff" in his room. I feel bad, what did he want to show me?"
Aunt Peg thought for a second. "Oh, I know what it was! He wanted to show you the video recordings of him playing different instruments."
"Oh, he records himself?"
"No, Spike recorded all of their lessons."
Chapter 23
"Really? Tell me more about that," I said.
"I'm not sure, but I think Spike installed a camera in the ceiling to record all the lessons."
"Good to know."
We said our good-byes after I'd promised to come for dinner on Sunday. My dance card was full these days!
What I had to do next was so unpleasant I almost talked myself out of it. Just get it over with, Jamie, like ripping off a Band-Aid. So I did it. I went home and called him, the snarky state attorney, my sworn enemy, Nick Dimitropoulos. He didn't even say "Hello." Such a pleasant fellow.
"If you called to read me any more statutes, Quinn," he said, "don't bother. We have a new suspect."
As soon as I heard his voice, I pictured him, from his slicked-back hair all the way down to his shiny shoes. I felt my blood pressure rising.
"Well, Nick, you know how you had the wrong guy last time? You're two for two. Steve Michaels didn't do it."
"First of all, I didn't say your client's been cleared as a suspect, and, second, why do you care if we have the wrong guy? Or is he your cousin, too?" I could almost see him sneer through the phone.
"So what if Adam's my cousin? It's not like I lied about it. And I care because the real murderer's still out there. Isn't it your job to protect the public?"
"You're thinking of the police, but I get your point. Who is it, then?" He sounded genuinely curious.
"It's not a guy at all. It's a woman--Marian Wolinsky. She was Spike's bookkeeper and bitter ex-girlfriend."
"Interesting theory, Quinn, but where's your proof? I'm sure her prints and DNA are all over the crime scene, maybe because she worked there."
"Are you always this sarcastic, or am I special? The proof is in the camera Spike hid in the ceiling. You may have the murder on film."
Take that, you smug son-of-a-bitch, I thought.
"I'll check it out, Quinn…and, um, thanks for the tip."
"You're welcome." That was a surprise. Maybe there was hope for him. Anything's possible.
After I hung up, I wondered--what if the camera hadn't been recording? Then what?
Chapter 24
I clearly needed a back-up plan, so I sat down at my computer and opened up the website for Florida department of motor vehicles. I knew that Marian drove a silver Volkswagen Jetta because I'd seen it at Starbucks, but I wanted to know what Steve Michaels drove. It turned out to be a Toyota Corolla, also silver. I pulled up the news story of Rosa's murder and learned that it was a small silver car that had run her over. None of the witnesses could identify the make of the car, or whether the driver was a man or a woman. Looking at them side by side, I saw the Corolla was very similar to the Jetta. Of course it was! Because nothing's ever easy. But then I had to ask myself, if Adam was now in the clear, why didn't I just walk away?
If I walked away, I could go back to my life and never have to deal with Slick Nick again, or chase around town looking for Duke. But I knew the answer. I couldn't go back to my old life because I had no life. I'd been living in the shadows, doing nothing, seeing no one, just existing. All I did was rattle around an empty house all day, keeping company with a cat that hissed at me. And, if you didn't count the stress, panic, fear and aggravation I'd been through in the past few weeks, this was the most fun I'd had in years. And it was a challenge I could sink my teeth into. When this was over, I needed to get back into the world. Why hadn't I seen it before?
As I contemplated my life, I walked over to the freezer in search of something to microwave. It was dinnertime and I was starving. While I waited for my vegetarian burrito to cook, I fed my ungrateful cat. Then I heard a beep and thought my burrito was done, but it was Duke calling on my cell.
"Hey, Darlin', I got just one question."
"What's that?"
"Where the hell's my car?"
Chapter 25
"You really don't remember?" I asked.
"Well, sort of, some of it. Not really…" Duke sounded embarrassed.
"Jeez, Duke. Maybe it's time for a twelve step program. You went home in a taxi because you were drunk, so--where is your car?"
"The Big Easy?"
"Yup." I took my burrito out of the oven and covered it in salsa.
"Can you give me a ride over there in the mornin'?"
"Sure thing," I said, and then I caught him up on everything he'd missed: Adam's revelation under hypnosis, Spike's camera in the ceiling, my conversation with Nick D., and the two silver cars that looked alike.
Duke whistled under his teeth. "This story just keeps gettin' weirder. When you pick me up tomorrow, let's stop at that hotel Rosa stayed at. I have an idea."
"Are you being serious, or is this one of your less raunchy pick-up lines?"
"Ouch, that hurts! Of course I'm being serious. You'd know if it was a pick-up line. Nobody ever accused me of being subtle."
I laughed. "If they did, they'd be lying."
***
Duke lived in a fourplex on Roosevelt Street. It looked nice enough, the yard was kept up, and there was a kid's bike in front of the farthest door. He looked none the worse for wear when he slid into the passenger seat. He was clean-shaven and he smelled good.
"Hey there, you doin' alright today?" he said.
"Couldn't be better, you?"
"I'm ready to kick some ass," he said.
"So, just a regular day, then?" I smiled.
He laughed. "That's right, Darlin'."
"Where to?"
Duke directed me to a small hotel called Villa Alfredo on A1A, near the beach. He asked me to wait in the car while he went in. I turned on the radio and listened to the news on NPR. He was gone quite a while, but when he came back, he was grinning.
"Spill it," I said.
"I've got it! Witnesses say Steve Michaels was here the morning Spike got killed. He didn't do it."
"What was he doing here?" I asked. "And why would they remember him?"
"'Cause he was creeping them out! He sat in his car in front of the hotel all morning. He must've been stalking Rosa."
"That's great news! Look out Marian; we're closing in on you. Duke, you're the best!"
Duke just smiled and nodded his head. "That's what all the girls say, Darlin'."
Chapter 26
"Duke, let's stop at the state attorney's office. I want to tell him about this. Also, I'm dying to hear if they found Spike's video camera."
"Sure, whatever."
It was impossible to get past Nick's secretary. She insisted that we needed an appointment and she wouldn't budge. I said 'no problem' and we walked away. But once we were in the hallway, I called Nick on his direct extension and said I had information for him. When he agreed to see me, I asked him to let his secretary know. It was déjà vu walking back to her desk again, except that this time she was scowling at us. Without a word, she ushered us in, then closed the door in a huff.
"You sure know how to make friends, Quinn, I'll say that for you. What's up?" Nick asked.
"Nick, this is Duke Broussard, he's a PI who's been helping me. Duke, please tell Nick what you found out this morning."
After Duke finished, Nick looked impressed.
"That's good work, but we still have a problem proving Marian did it. We can place her at the scene, but she told police she had arrived after the murder."
"What about the camera, did you find it?" I asked, literally on the edge of my seat.
Nick frowned. "Yes and no. The camera was there and it was recording, but it didn't capture the murder. They must've been out of range."
The three of us sat there, absorbing that information. And then something clicked in my brain.
"That's still good news," I said.
"What the heck, Jamie?" Duke muttered.
"How do you figure?" asked Nick.
"Marian doesn't know about the camera! If she did, she would've erased it or taken it down," I said.
"So what? Duke said.
I just smiled. "Watch and learn, boys." I took out my cell phone and called Marian. I still had her number in my phone from our Starbucks meeting. My call went straight to voicemail, like I hoped it would.
After the beep, I said: "This is Jamie Quinn, sorry to bother you, but I have a quick question. Adam told me Spike had a camera in the ceiling to record his lessons. Before I tell the police, I want to know if it's true. Could you let me know? Thanks."
I turned to Nick. "You need to send someone over to The Screaming Zombie because she's going over there to grab that camera."
Duke looked quizzical. "How do you know she'll listen to the message?"
"Because she's cautious," I said. "She needs to know if anyone's onto her, so, of course, she'll listen to her voicemail. Once she hears about the camera, she'll race over there to destroy it. She doesn't know there's nothing on it." I was feeling pretty smug, I must admit.
Nick leaned back in his chair and smiled. "Not bad, Quinn," he said. Then he picked up the phone on his desk and made some calls. When he was done, the trap had been set. We just had to wait for Marian to make her move.
Chapter 27
"She almost fell off the ladder when the police barged in!"
Grace and I were sitting in her office and I was telling her how I'd outsmarted Marian. Actually, how we had outsmarted Marian because, without Grace and Duke, Susan Doyle and Adam, Aunt Peg and yes, even Nick Dimitropoulos, Marian would've gotten away with murder.
"I love it! I would've paid money to see the look on her face," Grace said.
"But wait, there's more," I said.
"I'm waiting," Grace said, drumming her fingers on the desk. "And not patiently either."
"Not only was Marian taken away, so was her car, and it turned out to be the other murder weapon." I let that sink in.
Grace gasped. "She killed Rosa, too!"
"She was crazy with jealousy. She thought Spike and Rosa were sleeping together. She probably wouldn't have cared about that, actually, since Spike slept around, but, when Adam told her Spike was in love with Rosa, Marian totally lost it."
Grace looked thoughtful. "So, there really was a love triangle, just not the one we thought. Marian loved Spike, Spike loved Rosa, and Rosa?"
"She still loved Steve, her high school sweetheart, even after he was so abusive."
"But what happened with Spike, do we know?"
"Here's the timeline: the night before the murder, Spike took Rosa to a hotel to protect her from Steve. We know that Spike received calls that night from both Steve and Daryl, one of the Zombies. Steve was probably looking for Rosa. The next morning, Spike had breakfast with Daryl at the diner next door and they had an argument. Then, after breakfast, Spike went to the music store where Marian was waiting. She was furious because she thought he'd spent the night with Rosa. She started screaming at him and then she totally lost it, picked up Adam's didgeridoo and whacked Spike on the head. When she realized what she'd done, she left the building so she could pretend she arrived later. Poor Adam walked in a few minutes later and found Spike dead on the floor."
"Wow! That's some story," Grace said. "You can't make stuff like that up. I mean, who would've imagined a didgeridoo could be a deadly weapon?"
"No one, especially since nobody even knows what a didgeridoo is!" I laughed.
"I think this is a great excuse to go out and celebrate," Grace said.
"Since when do we need an excuse?" I asked. Just then, my phone rang. I looked at the number, and said "Sorry, I have to take this" to Grace.
"What can I do for you, Nick? Is it okay if I call you Nick? I never really asked." I laughed. "I see, okay, no problem. I'll be right there."
I looked at Grace, "Do you mind if we make a stop before we go celebrate?"
Chapter 28
I knocked on Aunt Peg's door. Adam answered, looking better than he had in a long time.
"Hey, Jamie!" He said, giving me a hug. "I didn't know you were coming over."
"Hi Adam! Can you help me unload my car?"
"Sure, is it something heavy?"
"See for yourself." I said, as Grace opened the car door and Beast, Spike's German shepherd, jumped out of the backseat.
"Beast!!" Adam yelled, running over to hug the dog, which gave him a big sloppy kiss. Within thirty seconds, they were playing together and rolling around on the ground.
My aunt came out of the house. "Are you sure you don't mind?" I asked her.
"It'll be fine," she said. "Look how happy you made him!"
"I think they both look pretty happy."
Grace waved from the car and my aunt waved back.
"I have to get going," I said. "We're having a 'Girls' Night Out'."
"I'd say you earned it. Thanks for everything and don't forget about dinner on Sunday.
I was about to get in the car when Aunt Peg stopped me. "Jamie, I just want to say, your mom would've been proud of you."
"She would've been proud of you too," I said, and blew her a kiss.
Chapter 29
"So, what's next?" Duke asked me.
I'd taken him out for a steak dinner at The Capitol Grille as a thank-you for all his help. Since I was a vegetarian, I was eating a baked potato and a salad.
"Not sure," I said, my mouth full of potato and sour cream. "How about you?"
"Some work, some
play, you know me, Darlin'. Are you thinkin' about going back to being a divorce lawyer? You were damn good at it." He shoved a big piece of rare steak in his mouth.
"Maybe, at least until something better comes along. I just know it's time I got back to work."
"Maybe you could recommend me to your lawyer friends, especially those hot lady lawyers." He smirked at me.
I shook my head and smiled. "Keep dreamin', Duke."
He pretended to look hurt.
"There is one thing I'd like to do," I said, "now that my mom is gone…"
"What's that?" Duke asked.
"I'm curious about my father. I don't know much about him, except that he was 'big trouble.' I need to know his story. I mean, maybe he's mafia, or an international art thief--or maybe he's 'the fixer' for dirty politicians. All I know is I'm going to find out."
"I'm at your service, m' lady," Duke said, tipping his imaginary hat.
"You'd help me?" I said, touched.
"What do you think, Jamie?" He was grinning. "I'd love to tell you who's your daddy."
I groaned and threw my napkin at him. "I don't know why I put up with you."
"Cause I'm one of a kind," Duke said with a wink.
I laughed. "That's for sure."
I realized then that I was happier than I'd been in a long time. I had a new life and people who cared about me; I even had a mystery to solve. Maybe I should design my own "Life is Good" t-shirt: one with a smiling stick figure, surrounded by friends.
A preview of the second Jamie Quinn mystery, "The Case of the Killer Divorce"
Chapter 1
"With all due respect, Your Honor--" I interrupted, desperate to keep my client out of jail. I knew better than to argue with a judge, but still, I had to try.
"Counselor," Judge Marcus said, clearly annoyed. "Do you know what 'with all due respect' really means? It means you think I'm a crazy old man and I'm dead wrong. Now, I've made my ruling, Miss Quinn, this hearing is over."
With that, the judge stood up in a huff and exited the courtroom, black robe flapping in his wake. He'd made it clear that I was done talking--at least to him.
Death by Didgeridoo (Jamie Quinn Mystery Book 1) Page 6