by Lori Drake
Mrs. Lee’s eyes widened. “How did you know?”
“Something similar happened to the other victim.” I added the information to my notes. “But you said this was his favorite game?”
“Yes, he thought it was funny to hide her things, or put them out of her reach. Desperate bid for attention, if you ask me.”
I mulled this information over, tapping a finger against the edge of my phone. Mindi had mentioned her things moving around, but not them being hidden or placed out of reach. Still, I couldn’t ignore the similarities. “Do you know where I can find Kyle?”
She blew her nose daintily and nodded. “Yes. Well, if he’s at work, anyway. He works at Whenever Fitness. That’s how they met.”
“Janitor?” A guy can hope. There are two kinds of people who work at gyms: Fitness nuts and slackers. One of those is far easier to teach a lesson to, and the other is far more attractive to pretty girls. The odds were not in my favor.
“Personal trainer,” she said, and my hope of being able to teach the guy a lesson diminished. I work out, but not as much as a trainer.
Once more, I made myself focus on the matter at hand. I asked Mrs. Lee a few more questions: which Whenever Fitness Kyle worked at, where her daughter had lived, did she have any professional rivals, close friends, all the usual stuff. When I was finished, I thanked her for her time and took my leave.
The small gaggle of ghosts on the lawn failed to surprise me. I strode over to the five of them. Two vanished before I got close enough to converse, but three lingered, a man and two women. Their manner of attire marked the two women as long-dead, but the man’s T-shirt and shorts appeared relatively modern. He was a black man, older and balding, and he wore a fitness armband around one bicep. If I had to bet money on it, I’d guess a heart attack while jogging.
“Hey, have any of you seen the ghost of a young woman around here? Recently deceased, about yea high”—I held out a hand—“Asian descent?” It was a long shot. If Kim’s spirit lingered, it’d most likely be tethered to her place of death, her body, or her killer.
“Not that I can recall,” the man said.
The two women shook their heads, but one paused. “Wait, there was that one Asian girl…”
Her companion spoke up before my hopes rose too high. “That was decades ago, Muriel, and she wasn’t Asian. She was a Jap.”
I winced at the slur, but given that the ladies looked like they’d died in the fifties, I supposed it wasn’t as inappropriate in their time. Ghosts are like time capsules, reflections of the era they lived in. No matter how long they linger or how much the world around them changes, they never do.
Muriel huffed. “Japs are Asian, Lucille.”
The man beside them gave me a long-suffering look. I hated to think about what sorts of monikers the two ladies had for him.
“Thanks. Is there, uh, anything I can do for you?” I asked. They all looked taken aback, as if it were the last thing they’d expected. But their astonishment didn’t last long.
Lucille was the first to recover. “Well, now that you mention it…”
15
“Hi, you’ve reached Amber’s voicemail. Please leave a message after the beep.”
*beep*
“Hey, Amber. It’s Dean. I thought I’d check in since I haven’t heard from you yet. I’ve got a lead. The first victim had an abusive ex. Anyway, I want to hit up the gym where he works and thought it’d be a good idea for you to come along and see if he looks familiar. Call me?”
I hung up and dropped my phone onto the table.
“Can I get you anything else, sugar?”
“No, I’m fine, thanks.” I pushed my mostly empty plate away, and the waitress picked it up.
“Are you sure? You look like you’ve had quite a day. We’ve got some terrific apple pie.”
I considered it a moment, then shrugged. “Okay, sure. Why not?” I’d spent the rest of the afternoon helping Muriel and Lucille cross over, and I felt like I’d done a kindness to their companion in the process. I never did catch his name… Anyway, I didn’t have anywhere better to be.
“A la mode?” the waitress asked.
“Yes, please.”
She nodded and headed off to fetch my dessert. My phone buzzed a few seconds later. There was a text message from Amber.
Send address. I’ll meet you there.
I pulled up the address and sent it off just in time for my pie to arrive. I thanked the waitress with a smile and picked up my fork. She slid the narrow black check presenter onto the edge of the table.
“No rush, sugar,” she said and moved off.
I caught myself shoveling dessert in quickly and made myself slow down. I’d been waiting on Amber all damn day. If she got to the gym first, well, she’d just have to wait. I was feeling petty enough to be okay with that.
When I pulled into the parking lot of Whenever Fitness about forty-five minutes later, I spotted Amber’s MINI and parked the Jeep a few spaces down. The parking lot was crowded, so the gym would be too. Early mornings, lunchtime, and evenings were prime time for gyms. I’d called earlier to make sure Kyle was working that day, under the guise of a client who wanted to touch base. He’d be there until 9 p.m. Lucky us, I suppose.
I’d expected Amber to wait in the car but found it empty. Muttering a curse, I strode for the front door, walking right out in front of a car in the process. The car stopped inches from my legs, and the driver leaned on the horn. I gave him a distracted wave and hurried on my way.
I found Amber in the lobby, sitting with a clipboard on her knees and fiddling absently with a pen. As usual, she wore a long sleeve shirt, pants, and gloves.
“In a rush, eh?” I said.
She smiled and shrugged, getting to her feet. “Thought I’d take a look around.” Then she surprised me, leaning in as if to kiss my cheek but stopping just short of doing so. Her breath was warm on my skin as she murmured, “They wouldn’t let me in the back without a membership, but offered a tour. I told them I was waiting on my husband.” She pulled back and flashed me a warm smile.
Still annoyed, I took one of her gloved hands in mine. Her eyes widened, but she stopped short of jerking away. “Okay, darling. Let’s see about that tour.” I smiled broadly and drew her toward the front desk.
The receptionist, whose name tag read “Hannah,” was rather accommodating once Amber produced the filled-out guest cards.
“Great, it looks like everything is in order,” the receptionist said. “I just need to see a photo ID and we can get you on the floor.”
Amber produced her wallet from her purse while I panicked briefly, then made a show of patting my pockets. “Aw, crap.”
“Something wrong, dear?” Amber asked.
“Yeah, I must have left my wallet at work.” I shot Hannah an apologetic look. “Is that a problem?”
Hannah winced. “I’m afraid I can’t let you in the back without your ID. But your wife can still go. We don’t allow photography in the workout area, but she could tell you about it.”
I didn’t have to fake a grimace. The idea of Amber going in without me wasn’t a pleasant one. What if Kyle Meadows was the killer? The investigator in me reminded me that the gym was in proximity to both victims’ residences, and the fellow was known—at least to Mrs. Lee—to be a real sociopath.
While I was working out whether or not to allow Amber to go without me, she took matters into her own hands. “Can’t you make an exception, just this once?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. It’s company policy, for the safety of our members and staff,” Hannah said.
Amber whirled on me. “Perfect, just perfect! I take off work early and you’re not only late but you forgot your wallet. This is so typical.”
I blinked and leaned back, glancing past her to the woman behind the desk. Hannah looked distinctly uncomfortable, which was no doubt Amber’s aim. Ingenious. “I’m sorry, baby—”
“Don’t you ‘baby’ me, Dean Michael Reed!” Ambe
r jabbed a finger into the center of my chest. “I don’t complain about all the nights I eat dinner alone because you’re so busy with work, or that the only way I know you came home at all is when you leave the toilet seat up, or that you forgot my parents’ anniversary, but I ask you for one thing, just one measly little thing…”
If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought she was well and truly upset. My own improvisational skills weren’t quite on par, so I settled for shooting a pleading look in Hannah’s direction. I legitimately had done nothing wrong, and even I wanted to appease my pretend wife.
The receptionist dithered a moment while Amber continued her tirade, then grimaced and leaned forward. “Mrs. Reed,” she said, repeating it louder when the first time failed to get Amber’s attention.
Amber spun to face the desk. “I’m so sorry for wasting your time.”
“It’s okay, ma’am. I think we can make an exception this once. Just don’t tell my boss, okay?”
Relief washed through me, and I didn’t have to fake the grateful smile I sent Hannah’s way. “Thank you, Hannah.”
Amber shot me a ‘I’m not done with you’ look, and I bit the inside of my lip in an effort not to smile while Hannah tapped away at her computer.
“Someone will be up in just a moment to give you a tour, Mr. and Mrs. Reed,” Hannah said.
After a brief wait, the door into the gym proper opened, and a muscular man walked into the lobby. I glanced at Amber, but her lack of reaction told me it wasn’t the killer.
Hannah came out from behind the desk to make introductions. “Mr. and Mrs. Reed, this is Sanjay. He’s one of our trainers, and he’ll be giving you your tour today.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Sanjay said, offering an easy smile and a handshake.
He had a grip like a bear trap, but I smiled and squeezed back, refusing to show weakness. It’s a guy thing. “Likewise.”
He offered Amber a handshake, but she just smiled and kept her hands at her sides. “Nice to meet you too, Sanjay.”
Sanjay recovered smoothly and motioned us to follow him back to the door he’d entered through. He swiped his badge and led us into the gym proper, explaining as he went how we’d get our own cards once we were members.
I pretended to listen while Sanjay extolled the virtues of Whenever Fitness and showed off the state-of-the-art equipment, alternating between searching the room for Kyle and glancing at Amber to see if she reacted to anything. I’d seen pictures of Kyle on Kim’s social media feeds, so I knew what he looked like, but I didn’t see him anywhere on the floor. In retrospect, I guess it might’ve been simpler to show Amber Kyle’s picture. She’d seen the killer’s face, after all, when she touched Mindi’s mattress.
“I don’t see many trainers on the floor,” I observed when Sanjay paused for a breath.
“We have six full-time trainers on staff, but unless we’re working with a client there are usually only one or two of us on the floor, keeping an eye out to make sure no one is using the equipment in an unsafe manner.”
“What do you do when you’re not with a client or walking the floor?” Amber asked, and I gave her a mental gold star.
Sanjay glanced around as if to make sure no one was in earshot and leaned in to murmur candidly. “Surf the ‘net in the breakroom, mostly.” He lifted his index finger to his lips and winked.
Amber tittered, but I smirked. “Sounds like a pretty easy job, all things considered.”
Sanjay shrugged. “It has its moments. We get busier when there are membership drives, and of course around New Year’s. Come on, let’s check out the locker rooms.”
“I used to know a guy that worked here. Kyle. Is he still around?” I asked casually.
“Yeah, Kyle’s still here,” Sanjay said.
“I’d like to say hi to him while we’re here. Do you think you can flush him out?”
“We’re not supposed to have visitors while we’re on the clock, but I’ll see what I can do.” Sanjay flashed me his pearly whites again before launching into an explanation of just why their locker rooms were so awesome.
I tuned back out, but something tickled at the edge of my awareness. I turned to look behind me and found Mindi across the room, staring at a woman running on a treadmill. It was difficult to read the ghost’s expression on account of her savaged features, but the hatred in her eyes was obvious even from afar.
Amber nudged my foot with hers, bringing my attention back to the tour. “Er, sorry?”
Sanjay glanced over my shoulder, then back at me with a knowing smile, like he understood how the svelte woman on the treadmill might have distracted me. “I was just asking if you wanted to tour the locker room itself.”
“Oh! No, that’s okay. Unless you want to, dear?” I glanced at Amber. She shook her head.
“Okay,” Sanjay said. “Well, that’s about it then.” He started to lead us back toward the exit but paused outside a door marked “Employees Only” along the way. “Hang on a sec, let me rustle up Kyle for you.”
He left us standing there while he ducked into the hallway beyond the door. I turned to Amber once we were alone. “See anyone familiar?”
She shook her head but glanced in the direction of the woman on the treadmill and arched a brow. “You?”
I smirked. “Mindi’s over there giving her the stink eye. Good job with the angry wife routine, by the way.”
“Thanks. I took a few improv classes once upon a time. I used to want to be an actress.”
“Used to?”
She shrugged. “It’s hard to be an actress when you can’t touch someone without getting flashes of their past.”
Oh. Right.
Before I could respond, she sighed. “Don’t look at me like that.”
I frowned. “Like what?”
“Like you pity me. Poor little Amber, denied human contact.”
“That’s not—”
Sanjay’s return brought the conversation up short. “Ta-da!” He gestured at Kyle as the other man followed him out of the restricted area.
Kyle cocked his head and gave me a puzzled look. I have to admit… I hadn’t thought this through. Now what? I glanced at Amber, who didn’t display any hint of recognition as she gazed at Kyle, but she’d proven herself to be a good actress.
“Kyle Meadows?” When in doubt, stall for time.
The trainer’s expression turned wary, but he nodded. “Sorry, I’m confused. Sanjay said—”
I stuck my hand out. “Dean Torres, PI. Sorry for the charade, but I’d like to ask you a few questions about Kim Lee.”
He was on me in a flash, grabbing the lapels of my leather jacket and yanking me toward him. “What did you say?”
“Did I stutter?” Trish always said my smart mouth would get me in trouble. She was often right.
“Whoa, whoa!” Sanjay forced his way between us.
I backed off willingly once Kyle released me, but Sanjay had to keep a hand on Kyle’s chest to keep him from pushing past him in pursuit. “Easy, man, he’s not worth it.” He looked over his shoulder at me. “I think it’s best if you leave before I call security.”
I backed away, hands up in surrender. “No problem.”
I made sure Amber was coming with me and caught Mindi’s eye on the way to the door, motioning with my head for her to tag along. She gave the woman on the treadmill a lingering glare, then followed us.
Once we got back to the lobby, Amber and I begged off on signing up for a membership and took our leave.
“Well? See anyone familiar?” I asked Amber while we crossed the parking lot, angling for her car.
“No. It definitely wasn’t the ex-boyfriend. You should see his aura, though. It’s a writhing mess. He may not be the killer this time, but I get the feeling he could be, one day.” Her features were tight. Troubled.
“A serial killer in the making? You can tell that from his aura?”
“Maybe not serial… but I think he could easily kill someone in the heat of
the moment. I mean, look at the way he went after you.” She stopped near her car and faced me. “Anyway, that lead was a bust. What else do you have?”
I grimaced. “As much as I hate to say it, I really would like to talk to Kyle. He might know something about Kim’s murder that the Lees don’t.”
“Kyle’s an ass,” Mindi said and folded her arms.
I ignored her and went on, “He must’ve been a suspect, given that the Lees pointed a finger at him and there was a restraining order against him. If so, he was questioned by the police and may be privy to information about the case that wasn’t released to the media.”
“Maybe,” Amber said. She didn’t sound convinced. “He didn’t seem inclined to answer questions in there. What if we could—”
Mindi’s comment finally registered. “Hang on. I need to talk to Mindi for a minute.” I kept my eyes on Amber, though. I hate getting caught talking to my “invisible friends.” “You know Kyle, Mindi?”
The spirit huffed. “I guess you could say that. He was my trainer. Really hands-on, if you know what I mean.”
My brows shot up and I barely stopped myself from turning toward her. “You were a member of this gym?”
Amber’s eyes widened.
Mindi said, “Yeah. For the last six months, anyway.”
A piece of the puzzle snapped into place—a very important one. “That’s it. That’s what connects the victims,” I said, this time to Amber.
She nodded, still wide-eyed, but held her tongue.
I glanced toward Mindi. “Did you know the first victim, Kim Lee?”
“No,” the ghost replied.
“What was the deal with the girl on the treadmill?”
Mindi’s ruined features tightened, and she shot a glare at the building, over her shoulder. “Oh, that’s Candy. She’s a cunt that used to make oinking noises at me in the locker room.”
Blinking, I decided to let that one go. Mindi was a voluptuous woman, but far from “oinker” territory, in my opinion. “Okay. So now we know that both the gym and Kyle connect Kim and Mindi. That makes me want to talk to him all the more. I mean, he’s not the killer but he still might be involved.”