Peter glanced up at the stage. They still seemed to be the center of attention. “Feel like I’m on a fuckin’ reality TV show with those morons up there.”
“Focus Peter,” Jonelle said, drawing his attention back to her. “After you talked about friendship, what did she do?”
“Instead of calming down, she got more upset. So, I offered to… uh… well I told her I’d take her out for a drink.”
That piqued Jonelle’s interest. “And did you two go out that night?”
Peter nodded. “Just for a few drinks.”
“When did you pick her up and where did you two go?”
Peter leaned forward and put his arms on the seatback in front of him.
“I finished up here at nine-thirty so I picked her up at her place around ten.” He smiled. “She had on her favorite green dress.”
“Where did you go?”
Peter mentioned the same LGBT hangout that Marcella told her about.
“Listen,” he said, turning and placing his hand on top of Jonelle’s arm. “When I left her at the club, a little before midnight, she seemed happy.”
Peter’s hands were dry and warm and Jonelle made no attempt to move away from Peter’s touch. When he smiled at her, she noticed how white and straight his teeth were.
“I’m real sorry you and I got off on the wrong foot,” Peter said. “How about when I’m done here, we go out for a drink. You can ask me anything you want about LucieB.” He looked around. “I get a little tense in here sometimes. Everybody wants to know your personal business and believe it or not, I’m really a private sort of person.”
She didn’t know what to say. Six months ago she had to solve the mystery of her husband’s missing body. Since that time, Jonelle had not gone out socially with anyone except her aunt and uncle, Adrienne and another friend from her former job. Now here was an attractive man asking her out. Even though it was strictly business.
“Sure, why not? I’d like to get more of a feel for LucieBlu from someone else. So far, most of the information I’ve received has been from Marcella and Sherman. Do you still have my business card?”
Peter nodded. “Super. I’m usually done around seven. There’s a bar right across the street. It can get noisy sometimes, but they’ve got great appetizers.” He took his phone from the pocket of his sports jacket. “Just to make things easier, why don’t you give me your personal number and I’ll program it in my phone.”
Jonelle recited the number and when he flashed another one of his brilliant smiles, felt pleased in spite of herself.
CHAPTER 19
Some small part of Jonelle secretly hoped that Peter wouldn’t call. She didn’t even tell Adrienne that she was going out with him because she knew her friend would make a huge fuss. And it wasn’t a big deal. They were just going to meet for a drink to discuss LucieBlu. After trying on three outfits, Jonelle decided on beige linen slacks, white tunic top with silver beaded embroidery around the neck and hem and white sandals. Her phone’s ring tone startled her. She looked at the clock which read seven-thirty. Right on time.
After agreeing to meet Peter at the bar in a half hour, Jonelle grabbed her purse and keys. As she locked the door, she heard the mellow sounds of a cello played by her upstairs neighbor Hamilton Yee. Jonelle stood in the hall a few moments and enjoyed the rich music that floated down from above. She took it as a good sign that her meeting with Peter would go well. That is, until Mathilda Brobish opened her door, took one look at Jonelle and squealed with delight.
“Franklin! Come quick. Our Jonelle is going out.” Mathilda stepped outside. She clasped her hands in front of her waist. “Don’t you look adorable,” she said.
Adorable wasn’t the look Jonelle was aiming for. “Thanks, Mattie. I’m kind of in a hurry, so…”
“Do you have a date? I hope it’s someone special and you’re not going out with that friend of yours, what’s her name again?” Mathilda wrinkled her nose.
Jonelle sighed. For the life of her, she couldn’t understand why Adrienne and Mathilda didn’t get along. Adrienne called Mattie a nosey old bitty, and Mathilda contented herself with frowning every time Adrienne showed up at the condo.
“Oh come on, Mattie. You’ve known Adrienne for years. No, I’m not going out with her. I’m just meeting someone to discuss a case I have.”
“Franklin! Where is that man? I want him to see how cute you look. Well, I hope you have fun. You deserve it.”
“Thanks, Mattie. You and Franklin have a good night.” Jonelle rushed out before her neighbor could say anything else.
Nervous in spite of telling herself all she was doing was gathering information on a case, Jonelle drove around the parking lot of the restaurant, rehearsing the questions she needed to ask. On the third go round she found a space and parked her Jeep. Peter had agreed to meet her at the bar, and even though it was crowded, she noticed him right away.
He turned around as soon as she walked up and stood next to him. “Hey, you look really great. Not that you didn’t before, of course,” he said.
“Nice recovery,” Jonelle said with a smile.
Peter shrugged. Jonelle noticed right away that the tension displayed around his eyes and mouth earlier at the theater had vanished and he appeared much more comfortable. “What would you like to drink?” he asked.
“A glass of Cabernet would hit the spot.”
Peter signaled to the bartender, who came right over. After ordering a vodka, rocks for himself, he paid for the drinks, and the two walked over to the dining room section. Much to Jonelle’s relief, they found a table next to the window.
“This isn’t bad,” Jonelle said, looking around her. “I’ve avoided coming here because it always seemed as if it would be packed inside.”
Peter nodded. “It usually is. On the weekend, you can barely move. Tuesday nights, it’s manageable. You can hear yourself think.”
Jonelle sipped her wine as Peter tasted his drink. Silence hung in the air between the two. A waitress approached and asked if they wanted something to eat. Conscious of her weight, Jonelle was always reluctant to order food in front of strangers. Peter saved her from having to make that decision.
“How about a few appetizers? I’m starved,” he said. Peter ordered spinach dip with veggies and loaded potato skins. After the waitress left, the two sat quietly looking at each other.
They both started speaking at the same time.
“You go first,” Peter said, laughing.
“Right,” Jonelle said. She liked this Peter sitting across from her. She hoped the other Peter wouldn’t show up once she started asking her questions.
After another sip of wine, Jonelle sat back in her chair. “I understand your reluctance to get too close to LucieBlu professionally. I don’t agree, but I can understand. What I don’t get, is why you two went out? I think it would be confusing for someone in LucieBlu’s position.” To Jonelle’s relief, Peter didn’t get an attitude.
“See, the thing is, LucieB was, I mean is, a great person. You never met her, but she really had a good outlook on life, considering all she went through. Five minutes in her presence and you almost forgot she was transgender.” Peter paused as the waitress placed the food on the table. He munched on a potato skin before continuing.
“She auditioned so many times at the same theater that we all felt we were part of a family. She always wanted to do something for birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, all the kinds of things actors don’t usually bother with. Mostly, we’re too self-absorbed. There, I said it.”
All the while Peter talked, Jonelle ate spinach dip and veggies. After his last remark, she wiped her mouth with a napkin before she spoke.
“I’m getting the impression that theater people are a close knit group. At least during the current production. Do you know if she saw anyone else socially during your runs?”
Peter drained his glass and motioned to the waitress. He pointed to Jonelle’s almost empty glass. “Sure,” she said.<
br />
“The only other thing I’m aware of is that she attended those ridiculous Spirit Circle things.” He placed the order for another round of drinks. “Besides that, I think I’m the only one that she went out with who’s connected to the theater.”
“How often did new people join the cast?”
Peter’s eyes squinted as he pondered the question. “Hmm. Not often. This time Kendra is the only newbie.” He made a face as if his drink contained something sour.
“You don’t like her?”
“It’s not that. She’s not talented enough for the role. Guess I’ll have to deal with it.”
Peter pushed the potato skins closer to Jonelle. She tried her best to ignore the enticing smell, but lost the battle and took one.
“Community theater is just about as small as you can get, and still be legit. Everybody knows everybody. I didn’t see anyone out of place, and I was there just about every day. You could ask Sherman, but I think if someone weird was hanging around, he would’ve told you. He really liked LucieB.”
So far, Jonelle hadn’t heard anything that would help her find the missing woman. Whatever happened to LucieBlu, it didn’t seem as if anyone connected to the theater was involved.
“Let’s go back to the last time the two of you went out. What kind of mood was she in?” Jonelle needed Peter’s version of events to compare with other people at the club.
He reached for the last potato skin and raised his eyebrows at Jonelle, who shook her head. She got the feeling he was stalling for time.
“She was fine when I picked her up. All the way to the club, she was laughing and telling jokes. That episode in the theater seemed forgotten. Everything was fine when we arrived and went upstairs. I thought—”
“Just a sec,” Jonelle interrupted. “How many times did you take her there? It caters to people with, uh, alternative lifestyles right?”
“Spoken like someone who doesn’t hang with theater people,” he said, laughing. “Drama is our middle name. Besides, I can’t think of a better place where everyone’s inhibitions are left at the door. Can you?”
Jonelle shrugged. “Go on, sorry I interrupted.”
“I guess I’ve been there five or six times. So,” Peter continued, “we ordered some drinks and were thinking about food, when this other tranny… uh… I mean person, came up and asked her if she got the part. Based on her reaction, I got the feeling LucieB didn’t like this person at all.”
“Do you know who it was?”
Peter shook his head. “I’d seen her around there before, but don’t know the name. I bet LucieB’s friend could tell you. About my color, maybe a little darker, with reddish natural hair combed out to here.” Peter raised both hands on either side of his head, several inches apart. “I remember she had on so much makeup, it almost hurt my eyes.”
“What was LucieBlu’s response?”
A crooked smile formed on Peter’s lips. “She said to fuck off. The tranny said something like ‘at least you’re hanging with a better class of people’, laughed and walked away. That was the end of that.” He paused and looked around the restaurant.
Jonelle waited for Peter to continue.
“Anyway, next thing you know, LucieB did a one-eighty. She became sullen and uncommunicative. I tried to reason with her. Tried to tell her not to care what other people thought. Bad choice of words. She threw my remarks back at me and called me a hypocrite. She was yelling so loud, that even in that place, people started to stare.”
Peter drained the last of his drink and sat back in his chair. “I got fed up,” he said, his voice tight. “All I wanted to do was go out and have fun, and there she was bitching about the same shit again.” Peter shook his head over and over. “I realize now, I shouldn’t have left her there.”
Jonelle had barely moved as Peter told his story. “You brought her to the club. How did you think she would get home?”
“If she couldn’t get a ride from someone she knew, she’d take the bus,” he said. “She’d told me that living where she did, there were several busses that served her area. She was a big girl. I knew she could take care of herself.”
Jonelle studied the man before her. “Except she didn’t.”
“Excuse me?”
“If she could have, she wouldn’t have gone missing.”
CHAPTER 20
Three days after her meeting with Peter, Jonelle drove to Marcella’s apartment. They had agreed that Jonelle would drive them both to the LGBT club Rainbows and Lollipops. It was understood that the two would only stay long enough for Jonelle to get information on LucieBlu.
On the way to the club, Jonelle discussed her conversation with Peter.
“Peter admitted that he took LucieBlu out as a consolation prize,” Jonelle said. “He was worried she seemed so upset. According to him, a light-skinned transgender upset her. Was that Autumn?” Jonelle glanced at Marcella.
She sighed. “Must’ve been. Autumn told me she was going to the bathroom. Guess she confronted LucieBlu instead. Damn. She might’ve seen me too.”
Jonelle continued. “Peter said he left LucieBlu at the club. I’m hoping to either corroborate or dispute that fact with the people inside.”
Jonelle searched the area around the club twice before she found someone pulling out of a parking spot two blocks away.
The heavy night air covered everyone and everything with a fine sheen of moisture. They crossed the street in front of an old brownstone, now converted into a Thai restaurant. The smell of curry and other exotic spices, permeated the air.
“LucieBlu told me about him,” Marcella said as they walked toward the club. She was dressed in yellow cotton pants and a white silk, short-sleeved blouse. A silver headband held thin hair away from her face. Unsure herself of what to wear, Jonelle had asked Adrienne for advice. In typical Adrienne fashion, she’d wondered if Jonelle wanted to dress to impress or dress to attract.
“Oh, don’t be stupid,” Jonelle had said. “I’m just going there to ask a few questions. Since that place is where regulars hangout, they’re going to know I’m new. I just don’t have a clue what to wear.”
They both agreed Jonelle should dress as if she were going out to a good restaurant. She chose a peach floral cotton dress with cap sleeves. The dress had gathers at the waist and was flared at the bottom. Her late husband Del had picked it out for her. She had few occasions to wear it since his death.
Marcella was talking. “I’m sorry, Marcella,” Jonelle said. “What were you saying?”
“I said, LucieBlu didn’t really like him all that much. At first, he came on like he wanted some kind of physical relationship. Then, when she seemed agreeable, he backed off.”
“Really? He told me he knew right off she was transgender.”
“Yeah. A lot of guys are like that. To them it’s a big joke. First, they’re curious and then they get scared. I kept telling her to forget about him, but she knew his reputation as an actor was growing, so she thought he could be her contact in the theater.” Marcella shrugged. “After a while, she hinted that there was something a little ‘off’ about him, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.”
Somewhere in the distance, emergency vehicles wailed. After threading their way through crowds exiting a subway station, they arrived at the entrance to the club. Now that she stood before the chrome and glass double doors, Jonelle felt a little uneasy.
“What did she mean by Peter being her contact?” Jonelle asked, trying to delay the inevitable.
“She thought that if she could get him to accept her physically, she could show everyone that being transgender was no big deal. He didn’t buy it and now, she’s gone.”
“What did she say was ‘off’ about Peter?”
Marcella shrugged. “She never explained the comment and I didn’t push her. Relationships are hard for a transgender.”
“Let’s go inside,” Jonelle said. A quick look at her watch told her it was coming on nine-thirty.
As
she opened the double doors, the size of the place caught Jonelle by surprise. A wide foyer, its walls covered in multicolored Spanish tiles, led to an immense archway made of highly polished dark wood and inlaid with the same tile. Red carpet hugged the floor. Inside the main area, several round tables occupied one side of the room. A large bar curved around next to the far wall on the opposite side.
“Well, Jeeze,” Jonelle said, taking it all in. “I’ve never seen so many bottles of alcohol outside of a liquor store.”
Marcella smiled. “I know, right. I love this place.”
The two women strode past the tables and chairs, already full of patrons drinking and talking. The carpet ended in front of a large square dance floor shined to a glossy black. Several couples danced to the latest “hot” artist dance mix. Jonelle had expected to see shirtless men dressed in leather and women outfitted in who knew what costume. Instead, most of the dancers looked as if they’d just got off work. Around the edges of the dance floor, recessed multi colored lights pulsed to the beat of the music. Steps behind the floor on the left arched up to the second level.
“Do you want to go upstairs?” Marcella asked.
“Sure,” Jonelle responded. “This place doesn’t look this massive from the sidewalk.”
Jonelle let Marcella lead the way. Once upstairs, Jonelle walked over to the wrought iron railing and looked down. The main floor was even more impressive from up above.
“Wow,” she said. Not wanting to give the impression she didn’t go out much, Jonelle struggled to take the awe out of her words and use her best professional voice.
“So,” she said, turning around and taking in her surroundings, “I’m guessing this is where you’d want to sit and eat and watch all the activity below. Am I right?”
Marcella made a beeline for a table close to the railing where they could sit and still see the dance floor below. “Right,” she said. “Sometimes when all we wanted was a drink and a meal, we’d just come on up here. The food is great, and you can actually hear yourself think. Once it gets crowded down there, just about the only way to communicate is by sign language.”
Gone Missing: A Jonelle Sweet Mystery Book 2 Page 12