Thrilled To Death

by Jennifer Apodaca

  Rosy put her hand on Nikki’s arm and turned to me. “She didn’t kill Shane. We need you to find who did, so Nikki and her baby can have some peace.”

  I understood Nikki’s need. She had fallen in love with the wrong man and now she was having his child. I had done that myself. But TJ and Joel were worth every second of my lifeless marriage. I would tell Nikki that another time. Right now, what she needed was for Shane’s murderer to be found so she could move ahead with a life for herself and her baby. “I’ll do what I can.”

  I drove right to work, hoping to catch Gabe before he went to canvass the campground. I parked my T-bird and spotted the painters’ trucks. The front of Heart Mates looked like an office supply store had thrown up. Chairs, desks, lamps, and office equipment covered in blankets were stacked all over the sidewalk. I wove my way through the mess and caught the pungent smell of wet paint.

  My stomach clenched. I’d chosen a pale rose for my side, a light pecan for Gabe’s, and cream for the center where Blaine sat. I’d chosen a beautiful wood trim for the floor and ceiling, and the rose, brown, and cream carpet would bring it all together.

  But what if Gabe hated it?

  “Why are you standing here with that frozen look on your face?”

  I turned and saw Cal grinning at me. He had paint splatters on his old jeans and white T-shirt. “Does Gabe hate it?” Damn, I’d meant to say hi and thanks for staying with the boys.

  He laughed. “The painters started painting his office that pink color. He was sorted of speechless. Lola figured out the mistake pretty quick and set everyone straight.”

  “Bet Blaine loved that.”

  “Blaine was out of the office somewhere when Lola showed up. Blaine just got back about twenty minutes ago, and he’s about ready to blow.”

  “Uh-oh. Why is Lola here, anyway?”

  Cal shrugged. “Where else would she go? She doesn’t have a job now, and she’s at loose ends.”

  Blaine stormed out the door. “Get rid of her, Sam, or I quit!” He stomped off to his car and opened the trunk.

  “God, I hope he doesn’t have a tire iron in there,” I muttered, and turned to go into Heart Mates. The paint smell was stronger. I could see through to my office. It was a sheer rose. “Beautiful.”

  Gabe strode across the reception area to me. “They tried to put that in my office.”

  I laughed. “Maybe you shouldn’t have sicced my mother on me when I went to the stadium.”

  He leaned down and kissed me. “So that’s your revenge? A pink office? ’Cause Lola already fixed that.”

  “Did she? Guess I’ll have to think of something else.” I turned and headed to Gabe’s side and hung a left down the short hallway, then looked into his conference room on the right. The room was nearly done. There were two men in there rolling on the light-pecan-colored paint. Perfect. I turned to Gabe. “Did you go to the campground yet?”

  He shook his head. “About ready to just now.”

  “Grandpa didn’t find anything on Bo, and I just talked to Nikki. She swears she didn’t kill Shane. She says she couldn’t have.”

  Gabe arched a single eyebrow. “Because she loved him? Lots of women kill the men they love.”

  He was so cynical. “Because she’s pregnant by him.”

  “And he dumped her when she told him?”

  I nodded. “She gave me a CD with all her research on Shane.” I summed up Nikki’s TV show.

  “So she loses the show now that Shane’s dead? Would it have been worth losing that chance for national TV exposure to kill Shane?” He took a step back from me and added, “How hormonal is Nikki from her pregnancy?”

  Men. “If she were that hormonal, it seems like she would have killed him when he first dumped her, not a couple weeks later.”

  “Had to ask,” Gabe said. “We’ll see what I get from the campground. What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to try to look at this CD.” I glanced around the office. “Are any of the computers hooked up?”

  He shook his head. “Use my laptop. I’ll get it for you; it’s in my truck. Be right back.”

  I followed him back out to the reception area, then watched him walk outside. I was admiring the view of his broad shoulders, trim waist, and tight ass when I heard Blaine swear. Then Cal strode past me, glanced over, and shrugged, flashing his sunny grin.

  I heard Lola say, “It was an accident!”

  I sighed and headed down the short hallway to the end where it opened into Gabe’s office. His heavy desk and been moved to the center and was half-covered with a drop cloth. Lola stood by the desk with her back to me. She wore a pair of capri-length jeans that hugged her shapely Jennifer Lopez butt, a yellow T-shirt, and a pair of wedge sandals. I could see the defensive line of her spine and shoulders.

  Blaine stood across the room holding a couple light switch plates and a screwdriver. Furious color crawled up his neck from the opened collar of his blue work shirt. “You spilled a whole can of grape soda on the carpet!”

  I looked down. Yep, a can rested on the carpet, spreading a dark stain. I gathered that Lola was trying to cover the desk for the painters and knocked the can off. But so what? The carpet was being replaced tomorrow.

  I could see Lola’s long, dark ponytail swing as she waved her arm expressively. “I’m sorry! I’m just trying to help!”

  Blaine yelled right back. “You’re not helping, you’re just in the way. Go away, Lola.”

  I thought about what Cal had said about Lola not really having any place to go. I felt sorry for her and walked up to stand next to her. “Blaine,” I said softly, “it’s okay. We’re getting new carpet tomorrow.”

  He sucked in a huge breath, exposing a hard line in his face. “You don’t get it, Sam. She’s useless. Her sole job for that magician was to look pretty and distract the audience. Where’s the skill in that? She’s living on her looks and doesn’t have a skill in the world. She expects me to take care of her. I would have done that once, with pleasure, but no more.”

  “I am not useless!”

  I needed earplugs. But before I could put a stop to this, Blaine shot back.

  “You don’t have a job. How are you going to support yourself? Your meal ticket is dead, and now you are following me around like lost puppy thinking I’ll adopt you.” He took two steps until he stood in front of her. “I have my own life now, and it doesn’t include you. You walked.” His voice dropped to the low thrum of a powerful engine idling. “Beauty only lasts so long.” He stalked past her.

  She whirled around, smacking me in the face with her ponytail. “I’m not useless! I’ll show you! I’m going to help Sam find out who murdered Shane!”

  “What?” I stared at Lola.

  She turned to face me. “That’s right.” She lifted her chin and thrust out her chest. “I’ll be your inside person. I knew Shane. I worked on the act. I can help. I. Am. Not. Useless.”

  She was stunning with her Noxzema-clean skin mixed with a Latin sultry face flushed to a glow. Blaine was right that she was beautiful, but he missed her eyes. In those dark eyes, I saw grim determination. Still I tried to reason with her. “Lola, thank you for the offer. I’m sure I’ll have some questions for you and you’ll be a big help, but—”

  Her eyes filled with huge tears. “You think I’m useless too.”

  Sheesh. “No—”

  Gabe walked in holding his laptop computer. “Hiring more people already, Sam? I thought Lola was a client.”

  Lola turned to look at Gabe. “I don’t want to be a client. I want to be useful. I know I can help Sam.”

  Gabe stared at her, then said, “I’m sure Sam can use the help.” He held out the laptop to Lola and flashed her—swear to God—a goofy smile.

  What the hell?

  Lola took the laptop. “Where do I start?” she asked Gabe, while staring at him as if he were chocolate and she were having the worst PMS day in the history of womankind.

  “Start?” Gabe said.
>
  Lola smiled. “Working. On the case.”

  “Right. Shane’s murder. The case.”

  “Hello!” I said, though it might have sounded like a snarl. “I’m standing right here.” I glared at Gabe, hoping to snap him out of his sexy-beauty-induced stupor.

  He blinked and looked at me like I’d suddenly gone stupid on him. “No one said you weren’t standing there.”

  He was so dead. I turned to Lola and handed her the CD case with Nikki’s files on Shane. “Go find somewhere to set up that laptop and open this CD. You do know how to use a laptop, right?”

  She nodded. “Thanks, Sam. You won’t regret letting me help.” She turned and practically skipped out.

  “Nice kid,” Gabe said.

  I turned back to my hunky Italian Romeo. “Is your brain powering up again, stud?”

  He frowned, going from besotted fool to the darker, dangerous man I knew. “Come again?”

  I pointed out the events of the last few minutes. “You were flirting with Lola and you just gave her a job.”

  “I didn’t . . .” Gabe snapped his mouth shut and turned to stare at the empty doorway. Then he lifted his hand and ran it through his straight black hair. “Humph.”

  “Coming back to you now?” He looked so put out that I almost laughed.

  He turned his gaze back to me. And took a step. “I wasn’t flirting with her.”

  I tried to arch one eyebrow, but it felt like a lopsided squint. “So you are hiring a replacement for me?”

  Another step brought him toe to toe with me. “I’m not replacing you. I wasn’t flirting with her. I just don’t like women to cry.”

  I gave up on trying to arch an eyebrow and rolled my eyes. “Whatever. Go canvass the campground. It’ll save me from having to drag in a hose and cool you off.” I hated being jealous. But I refused to beg for reassurance, not after what Gabe had said at the police station about needing to feed my self-esteem every three hours. I wanted to be a strong, successful woman, not a bottomless hole of insecurity.

  Gabe leaned down. “Are you planning on making me hot?”

  A skitter of warm desire ran through my belly and almost made me forget my need to be strong. “Don’t try to charm your way out of this.”

  He grinned. Not the dopey grin that Lola got out of him, but the sexy, wicked, and dangerous smile that promised decadent things. “Sure, babe, Lola is one hot girl. But she’s a kid. I would watch her walk down the street, then forget about her.” He lowered his face and softened his voice. “But it’s you that makes me want to rip your clothes off and devour you.”

  Well, hell, that was reassuring.

  “Sam,” Cal interrupted from the doorway, “Bo’s here and says he has to see you right away.”

  I forced myself to turn from Gabe. I had to focus. “Thanks, Cal.” I went out to the reception area.

  Bo was crawling on the floor in the reception area with the plug from Gabe’s laptop in his hand. The laptop itself was on a small card table that I’d bet Cal set up for Lola.

  “I’m sure there’s a plug somewhere,” Bo said.

  “Bo, get up,” I sighed. I would have yelled at Lola, but she was busy opening up the laptop. Honest to God, she was used to men crawling around floors to help her. She wasn’t even trying. I wondered where Blaine had stormed off to. I owed him for bringing Lola on as a client in the first place. I didn’t want him to ever hear that we’d kind of hired her. I was going to talk to Lola about that as soon as I finished with Bo.

  “Just a second, Sam. I need to plug this in for Lola,” Bo said.

  How long had Bo been here? Maybe five minutes, and he was now good friends with Lola? I needed a couple Tylenol. And a drink.

  Gabe walked out with his brother and came over to me. “I’m going to the campground. You be careful.” He glanced at Bo. Then he kissed me and left. But I saw him look at Bo scuttling around on the floor and smirk.

  Men.

  I was done being nice. “Bo!”

  “Found it.” Bo got up and brushed off his hands, beaming at Lola.

  “Thanks, Bo,” Lola said, and pressed the power button to boot up the computer.

  I went up and tapped Bo on the shoulder.

  He turned. “Hi Sam.” He leaned down and kissed me. His face dropped all the charm and went grim. “Barney called me early this morning and told me about Shane and that the police want to talk to me.” His serious look turned angry. “What happened to your face?”

  Bo had shaken off the Lola haze. “Shane didn’t like me ordering him off our property much.” I explained about the argument with Grandpa and Shane smacking me. Bo already knew from Grandpa that Shane had found a fake thumb.

  Bo nodded, a slight flush staining his cheeks. “That was me. I did try to break into Shane’s trailer. I was desperate, Sam. My agent said that if Shane spoiled my show this weekend, there was a chance it would blow the Magic Bo cartoon deal.” He glanced at Lola, who was busy at the computer. Then he looked at me. “I didn’t kill him. I can prove it. I left Elsinore by noon and have a debit card receipt from Orange County around the actual time of the murder.” He reached into his back pocket and took out his wallet. Once he opened it up, he fished out a receipt and handed it to me.

  I studied the receipt. It was for gas at an off-ramp off the 91 Freeway at least forty miles from Elsinore. That did seem to clear Bo. I tried not to think about how Gabe and I broke into his room. “I’m sorry, Bo. We had to tell the detective everything.”

  He shook his head, then reached out and took my hand. “It’s not your fault, it’s Shane Masters’s. The surprise is that someone didn’t kill him sooner.” He gently touched my cheek with his finger. “I might have killed him for this.”

  I was getting used to the overreaction of men. “Grandpa and I handled it. But I’m sorry for the trouble this might cause you.”

  “Barney’s a good friend of mine, Sam. I came here in part to see if Shane was going to expose my show. But the other reason was that I wanted to give Barney moral support. And I’m going to stay here through the week. I’ll be around once I clear this up with the police.”

  “Thank you, Bo. Do you want me to go with you to the police station?”

  He shook his head. “No. I just wanted to check in and make sure you are okay before I talk to the police. Then I’m going to grab a shower and a couple hours sleep. I went to a party last night and met a woman. . . .” He shrugged with male smugness.

  “And yet here you are flirting with Lola,” I scolded him.

  He laughed. “Darlin’, I didn’t get married. Just met her and had a good time. I’m going to head over to the police station now. I’ll call you or Barney after I get some sleep.”

  I watched him walk out, then turned to help Lola search through the CD Nikki gave us.

  Blaine came through the interview room, presumably from the storage area in the back of Heart Mates carrying some old sheets. He stopped and stared at Lola.

  Then he looked up at me and said, “She’s in the way. Get her out of here.”

  I was getting really sick of this. “Blaine, are you forgetting who is the boss here?” He stopped beside me and looked down. His brown eyes were ringed with dark half moons and topped by heavy lids. His face was tight with faint white lines around his mouth. He had been working damn hard, and I felt bad about my snotty remark.

  Blaine said, “Have you forgotten we are painting this reception area once the offices are done?”

  I winced and put my hand on my assistant’s arm. “I’m sorry. Listen, we’ll go to my house and work there, okay? You can call me on my cell if you need anything.”

  His arm stiffened under my hand. “Keep her away from me, that’s all I need.” He walked across the reception area to Gabe’s side.

  I turned. “Let’s pack up and go to my house.”

  She was already closing up the computer. “He’s never going to forgive me.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that.

  “Wher
e’s Fletch?” I asked Grandpa when Lola and I walked into the house.

  The microwave dinged, and Grandpa headed into the kitchen while saying, “He left. He has an appointment with some guy to try wakeboarding.”

  I shook my head and dumped my purse and the laptop on the kitchen table. “Stubborn, isn’t he?” Then I turned to Lola. “Want some coffee? Or water? Or a soda?”

  “Do you have diet?”

  I went to the fridge and pulled out two Diet Cokes.

  Lola found a way to plug in Gabe’s laptop all by herself and was booting it up. I set a Diet Coke in front of her and took a seat.

  Grandpa went to his computer carrying his warmed-up coffee. His shoulders were hunched, and the stray gray hairs that clung to his balding head were ruffled. “Did you eat breakfast, Grandpa?”

  He looked up with surprise in his blue gaze. “Yes, I did. And I fed Ali. I’ve been real good today.”

  At least he had his sense of humor. I opened my can of Diet Coke and caught him up on my chat with Nikki while Lola stuck the CD into Gabe’s computer and started going through the files.

  “Pregnant,” Grandpa said in a sad voice.

  He was thinking of my mother, of his own regrets. “She’ll be okay. Rosy is there for her. And Nikki’s a strong gal.”

  Grandpa sighed. “Sam, after you left, when we couldn’t find anything on Bo, Fletch and I looked into Nikki.”

  I set my can down on the table. “Her bank account?”

  He nodded. “Two large cash withdrawals in the last few days.”

  Oh Nikki, I thought helplessly.

  15

  Lola looked up. “Sam, these files are a complete timeline of Shane’s shows, which magician’s acts Shane spoiled, and interviews with some of the magicians.”

  I turned to look at Lola. She sat with her back to the sliding glass door that led to our backyard. The sunlight cascaded gently over dark, long hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. “Anything that points to a killer?”

  She squinted at the screen. “Not exactly. But three of the five magicians whom Nikki interviewed said they knew ahead of time that Shane was spoiling their act.”