Forward progress, though slow, still counted as progress. Thank goodness smoking wasn’t allowed or she would have left an hour ago. A quick check upstairs rewarded her with two thumbs up from Malcolm. She must be getting close. Ah, there they were.
Two men stood against the wall next to the arched entryway. They leaned in with their heads together, said a few words she couldn’t make out, and laughed. Both men were dark-skinned with close cropped hair and chunky builds. As she moved closer, Jonelle saw they both wore heavy workman’s boots. They were so similar in appearance, they looked like brothers.
Jonelle inhaled and plunged in. “Hi,” she said, loud enough for them to hear over the noise.
Both turned at the sound of her voice.
“Pretty weird place, huh?” she asked, hoping to get them talking.
As she stood next to them she picked up differences in their appearance. The one closest to her was a bit thinner. The other one had a diamond stud in his right ear lobe.
The two men exchanged glances. “Suppose so,” said earring.
“This is my first time here,” she said. “How about you?”
“Nope,” earring replied.
“C’mon Denny, let’s go,” said the thin one. He indicated with his head that they should move away from Jonelle.
“Denny, huh?” Up close Jonelle noticed some kind of swirly design shaved through his hair. The thin one had more hair on top than on the sides, resembling a mini-Mohawk.
Denny gave his companion a dirty look and sneered at Jonelle. “What’s it to you lady? Like what you see?”
Both men sneered and turned their backs on Jonelle.
“Just curious. You guys in here lookin’ for dates or something?”
Denny turned back around. His nostrils flared and even in the dim light, Jonelle noted fierceness in his eyes. She willed herself not to move.
“Hell no. C’mon,” he said to his look-alike. “Let’s get outta here. I’m gettin’ bored.”
She followed as they headed toward the entrance. Without slowing their forward progress, they bumped into a handful of people coming in as they tried to leave, ignoring dirty looks and indignant shouts.
Jonelle shadowed the two men out onto the sidewalk.
“What the hell,” the thin man said when he noticed Jonelle.
“You guys must be brothers, ‘cause you really do look alike,” she said. “So. If he’s Denny, then you must be… Dougie? Darryl? Davey?”
“Don’t say anything, Davey… oh shit.”
Jonelle loved it when she scored a point. “Aha. Denny and Davey.” She smiled.
The two men exchanged glances. Jonelle detected a hint of wariness in their eyes.
“What do you want lady?” Denny asked.
Jonelle reached in her bag and pulled out her phone. She found the picture of LucieBlu that Marcella had given her.
“I noticed you guys taking pictures in there,” she said.
“So what? It ain’t a crime to take pictures of freaks,” Denny said. He nudged his brother in the side.
“Maybe not,” Jonelle replied. “But it is a crime if you had anything to do with a person’s disappearance.” She held out the phone and showed the picture of LucieBlu to each brother in turn.
“Have either of you seen this person before?”
Both shook their heads, though they had barely glanced at the photo.
“You were seen taking pictures the night she went missing. Do you mind if I take a look at your phone?”
Davey shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at his brother.
“No way, lady,” Denny said. “I don’t gotta show you nothing unless you got a warrant. We’re leaving.” They turned and walked away.
Jonelle pushed through the crowded street, still thick with party goers this late in the evening. She tailed the two men as they walked toward Dupont Circle. At first she thought they were headed for the subway, so it surprised her when they stopped at a dark blue Toyota. Denny used his key fob to disengage the locks.
“C’mon guys,” she called out. “I’m not a cop. I want to know if you remember seeing her. Her friends are concerned about where she is and if she’s all right.”
Davey scrambled into the passenger seat. Denny turned and glared at Jonelle.
“Look,” he said. “I don’t remember that particular he/she. We come up here to freaksville when we get bored. That’s it. End of story.” He got behind the wheel and slammed the door.
The Toyota was wedged between two other vehicles with only a few inches clearance between fender and bumper and Denny had to go forward and back several times. With a sly grin on her face, Jonelle took her phone and snapped several pictures of the car, its occupants, and the license plate.
Two more attempts later finally released the sedan from its spot. As the car sped away an arm reached out the driver’s side window and flipped her the bird.
“Have a safe drive back to Delaware,” she called.
As she headed to the club, Jonelle realized she was too tired to go back inside and face the noise and the crowd. She reversed direction, intent on returning to her car. Approximately twenty feet away from Rainbows and Lollipops, she noticed a few people at the bus stop. It would make more sense for a depressed and inebriated LucieBlu to have hitched a ride with a friend instead of taking the bus, but she had to find out for sure.
Inside the bus kiosk, an older black man and a Hispanic woman sat on the wooden bench, several feet apart. A young man slouched against the outside support. He looked as if he came from the club.
“Excuse me,” Jonelle said. “What time does the bus arrive?”
The woman and the young man ignored her. The black man answered. “In about five minutes,” he said. He squinted at Jonelle. “Haven’t seen you before. Don’t get many new folks taking this line this time ‘a night.”
“I’m hoping maybe you can help me,” she said, standing in front of him. “I’m a private investigator looking into the disappearance of a person who frequented that club over there.” She used her thumb to indicate Rainbows and Lollipops. “Since she didn’t have a car, it’s possible she may have taken the bus.”
She showed him the picture. “Have you seen this person before?”
He took the phone from her hand. The young man tried to look at the picture without turning his head. The woman stared straight ahead.
“Hey,” the black gentleman said. “That’s Lucie you got there. I hadn’t seen her in a while.”
Jonelle couldn’t believe her luck. “You know her? That’s great. Do you remember when you last saw her?”
The elderly man’s thin face creased in concentration. “Guess it musta been around this time a week ago. Or mebbe Sunday. She seemed upset and didn’t want to talk which was kinda unusual.”
“What can you tell me about her?”
“Always friendly. We’d been taking this bus together here for oh, going on three years now. Sometimes we’d ask each other how things were going, sometimes she’d share a dirty joke or two.” He chuckled and looked at the woman sitting next to him, who continued staring straight ahead.
“Does she speak English?” Jonelle indicated the woman.
“When she wants to,” he said. The woman turned her head and gave him a dirty look. “What’d I tell you?” He laughed.
“Going back to that night she seemed upset. What did she do?” Jonelle asked.
He shrugged. “Just got on and went all the way to the back and sat down. Us late night folk respect others. Nobody bothered her that I could see.”
Bright headlights and the roar of a large engine signaled the arrival of the bus. It stopped at the kiosk.
“Gotta go, Miss,” the black man said, as the bus hissed to a stop and the doors opened. “Hope Lucie isn’t in any kind of trouble.”
Jonelle brought up the rear as the three boarded the bus. She stood on the bottom step.
“Can I ask you a quick question?” she inquired of the driver.
“Be nice to her, Marty. Lucie is missing,” the black man called from his seat.
Marty turned around. The black man nodded.
“What’s going on with Lucie?” Jonelle thought it was a testament to the woman that so many people were genuinely concerned.
“She’s missing and I’ve been hired to find her. What do you remember about the last time she rode your bus.”
He motioned for Jonelle to sit on the seat behind him. “I gotta move this bus,” he said. “I got a schedule to keep. I’ll drive down a stop or two, but you’re gonna have to walk back.”
“No problem,” Jonelle said. “I had to park a ways away.” She sat down as the bus pulled away from the curb.
“I’m guessing Eustis there filled you in a little. He and Lucie were friendly with each other.”
Jonelle nodded to the black man. “He was very helpful,” she said.
“Right. Anyway, right now the bus isn’t very crowded. But it really picks up the more stops I make.”
Jonelle couldn’t figure out what this had to do with LucieBlu’s disappearance, but decided to let the man talk.
“So, that last time Lucie was on the bus, I wasn’t keeping track of who got on or who got off.” He swore at a cab driver who came too close.
“Sorry about that.” He paused to open the doors to let several people on.
Jonelle waited.
“This is my last run,” he continued. “At the end of the line, the bus was empty. Or so I thought.”
“What do you mean?” Jonelle asked. She looked in the driver’s mirror and saw a worried expression on his face.
“I’m letting you off here. The route gets a little complicated from this point on.”
She stood and moved over to let two people board and pay their fare.
“At the end of the line, we hafta go through the bus,” Marty said. “We check to see if there’s anyone left behind, sleeping on the seats. I found Lucie lying on the back seat, snoring away.” He smiled at the memory.
“What did you do?”
He shrugged. “Woke her up and told her my bus was out of service, and I had to take it to the garage. Said she could go across the street to catch a new bus. I pointed her in the right direction.”
The bus driver gave Jonelle the address where his bus went out of service. She made a quick note in the pad she always carried.
“So the last time you saw her, she headed for the stop across the street?”
He shook his head. “That’s the thing,” he said with a pained expression. “I guess I should’ve done something. I should have stopped her.”
“Stopped her from doing what?”
“When she started walking, she wasn’t going to the bus stop. She was walking in the opposite direction.”
CHAPTER 24
Jonelle let herself into the deserted office. She knew she’d have the place to herself on a Sunday morning and relished the quiet. She sat behind her desk and typed furiously on the computer. Even though LucieBlu’s case was heating up, Jonelle still needed to resolve the unusual occurrences happening at Sally’s. It made her nervous that the elderly woman lived alone in that house. Since Sally forgot to place her jewelry in the safety deposit box, Jonelle decided the items should remain locked in the office safe for now. The next time Jonelle took her to the bank, she’d try to convince Sally to stay at a friend’s house for a few days.
Jonelle picked up her desk phone. Hand poised over the buttons, she changed her mind. Instead of calling Sally, she’d stop by the house. An unannounced visit might catch her client with Hugh.
She made it over to Sally’s in record time and found her outside with a woman who looked a few years younger, a few inches taller and a couple pounds thinner.
Sally waved as soon as she saw Jonelle. “Hi, there. What a surprise. Let me introduce you to my neighbor, Irene.”
Jonelle smiled and nodded hello.
“Sally’s told me so much about you,” Irene said. “I’m glad you’re helping her with all this nonsense going on.” Bright eyes studied Jonelle. Light brown hair with gold highlights framed a delicately lined face.
Jonelle looked at Sally.
“Irene doesn’t think Percy’s moving stuff around. She thinks it’s probably William.”
That got Jonelle’s interest. “Really? Any particular reason?”
Irene walked over closer to where Jonelle stood in front of the porch steps. “Who else could it be? Sally’s got all her marbles, and while I do believe in the hereafter, I do not believe Percy Piedmont would go wandering around the house moving things. He was too lazy for that. Sorry Sally, but you know how he was.”
Sally shrugged. “I know. And I was almost ready to believe you, except for my new locks. William doesn’t have the key.”
Irene placed garden gloved hands on her hips. “Oh, shoot. I forgot about that.”
One topic Jonelle wanted to ask Irene about but wasn’t sure how Sally would react gave her pause. Since it appeared the two seemed to share confidences, Jonelle plunged ahead.
“What do you think about Hugh?” Jonelle asked.
Sally blushed.
Irene glanced at Sally. “I think Hugh’s a nice man,” Irene said, articulating each word. She inhaled deeply. “He’s a bit peculiar, though.”
“How so?”
“Irene,” Sally said, a slight edge to her voice. “You can’t hold what happened the other day against him.” She looked over at Jonelle. “Our tea time is special for me and Hugh.”
Jonelle turned and gazed across the street. A workman’s truck was parked in front of Hugh’s house. She didn’t think repairmen worked on the weekends. “Tell me what happened, Irene.”
Irene removed her gloves and went over and sat on Sally’s step. Jonelle sat beside her. “Well,” Irene said. “I came over the other day to return the plant food, and there Mister Fancy Pants was, fiddling with the most delicious looking pastries and pouring tea. Sally, being the sweet person she is, asked me if I’d like to join them. Well, you would’ve thought I was about to assault the Queen the way he acted. Got all huffy. Told me there wasn’t enough, when it was clear he had enough tea and sweets to serve at least four people.”
A red tinge covered Sally’s face so Jonelle waited for a response. When none came, she wanted to hear more of what Irene thought of Hugh.
“Have you ever had tea with Sally and Hugh?”
Irene shook her head. “No, and to tell the truth I never wanted to. It was just that day I craved something sweet and everything looked so delicious.” Irene glanced at Sally. “I know the teas are a treat for you two. I was just surprised at his reaction, that’s all.”
The fact that Irene had picked up on Hugh’s odd behavior confirmed Jonelle’s own thoughts about the man. She’d talk to Irene about Hugh when the two were alone.
Jonelle noticed the workman gather tools from his truck and head up the path to Hugh’s door.
“The reason I stopped by Sally, was to see if you’d be able to come with me to the bank tomorrow to put the rest of your jewelry in the safe deposit box.”
“Of course,” Sally said. Her brow wrinkled. “But you didn’t have to come all the way out here to ask me that.”
“True. But it’s such a nice day for a drive and I wanted to see how you were doing.” And also see if that old bugger was around. Jonelle kept her eye on the man at Hugh’s door. He knocked several times, but got no answer. He scribbled something on a piece of paper and placed it somewhere between the door and the frame.
“Looks like Hugh’s not home,” Jonelle said.
Sally turned and looked across the street. “Oh darn. I was supposed to let him in if Hugh hadn’t come back in time. He’s got some kind of emergency where water’s leaking downstairs. Tell him not to leave while I go get the key and let him in.” As Jonelle waited for Sally to return with the key, she got an idea.
“How about
I go over and let him in,” Jonelle said, holding out her hand for the key. “It’ll save you from crossing the road. You weren’t going to stay there while he finished were you?”
Sally gave Jonelle the key. “Hugh just said to let him in. He said the man would know what to do.”
“Well, there you are then.”
Jonelle rushed across the street just in time to see the plumber open the door to his truck. “Excuse me. Hold it a sec. I have Mr. Rhys-Morton’s key so I can let you in.”
“Thanks, lady. Mr. Rhys-Morton said someone was supposed to let me in, but he didn’t say who. I didn’t know whose house to go to, to check for the key.” The man turned to lock his truck again.
“Good thing he didn’t,” Jonelle said under her breath.
“He’s paying premium for this, so I kinda hated to leave.” The repairman headed back to the house.
Jonelle used the key to let the plumber inside. “You know what to do, right? And I understand once you’re done, you’d let yourself out?”
He nodded and headed upstairs. Jonelle waited until she heard his footsteps recede then hurried over to the low bookcase she’d seen on her first visit. She glanced at the wooden box that held Sally’s spare keys. On the top surface of the bookcase was a stack of papers. She flipped through several bills, travel brochures, and a few letters with British postmarks. An advertisement from a Realtor caught her attention. A handwritten note was scribbled across the surface. The note read: “I talked to this one and she sounds interested. Let me know what you think.” The message was signed, “William.”
“Well, well, well,” Jonelle said under her breath. She took out her phone and snapped a picture of the note. A quick look at the remaining papers revealed nothing else interesting. She let herself out of the house and hustled back to Sally’s.
Gone Missing: A Jonelle Sweet Mystery Book 2 Page 14