Chapter 40
CHAPTER 40
V isalia Jones spins around right here in the Blue Water Café and her eyes widen slightly as she takes me in.
“Oh, Trixie!” She gives a little laugh. “You scared me. And you also caught me red-handed.” She holds up a jelly donut, perfectly dusted with powdered sugar and a dollop of red raspberry jam oozing from the side. Wow, that looks delicious. I really should get to dessert once this is over. I give the donut station a quick glance and suck in a quick breath once I see an entire row of Boston cream pie donuts.
Wes really does love us.
Visalia leans my way. “I’m sorry, did you say you wanted to speak to me about something?” She lands the jelly donut onto a small dessert plate and quickly scoops up a glazed donut with pink sprinkles.
I’ll be honest, there is no better scent than that of a fresh from the fryer yeasty glazed donut.
“What’s this about?” Visalia says, blinking innocently.
“Oh, for the love of donuts,” Merritt grouses as she knocks her elbow into my ribs—and right through to the other side. And ouch . Why does it feel as if I’m being electrocuted each time she touches me with her ghostly talons? “It’s as if those donuts cast some spell on you,” she hisses .
The blonde laughs. “Don’t tell me you’re here to fight me for the last double chocolate donut.”
“No, actually,” I say, clearing my throat. “I just have a question to ask.”
But I so would have fought her for the last Boston cream pie donut.
Visalia smiles. “Ask away.”
“Why did you kill her?” I step closer and my eyes lock over hers. “What did Merritt do to you to make you angry enough to strangle her to death?”
The woman gasps and her eyes widen with horror. “I didn’t kill her.” Her voice shakes as she says it.
“I didn’t ask if you did it. I asked why .”
“ Burn ,” Merritt cheers the old schoolyard taunt—one that I hadn’t heard since we were in high school. It makes sense that her mental state is still there.
“You lied about still working for Merritt,” I press on, my eyes still narrowed in on Visalia. “That day at the museum, you said you were pouring yourself into work because Merritt was a full-time job. But Merritt dumped you last summer, didn’t she? You wanted to come back, but she wasn’t convinced. And yet, you somehow convinced her to let you come along on the cruise. You were hoping to mend fences—or at least that’s how you sold it. What you really intended was to commit murder.”
Her chin lifts a notch and her eyes harden to stone. “Stanton threw out the invite. In fact, he picked up the tab. That’s the only reason Josie or I was able to come along. And yes, I did tell Merritt I wanted to mend fences. Josie is my witness. You have all the facts wrong, Trixie. Josie is your killer. She’s the one who suggested we have a party in Merritt’s cabin. Sounds to me as if she was thinking ahead.”
“Wait a minute…” Merritt’s eyes narrow on the suspect at hand as well. “Visalia is the one who suggested I have the party in my private luxury suite, not Josie.”
“Was there a witness?” I ask just below a whisper and Merritt shakes her head with a menacing growl.
“Was there a witness to what?” Visalia hisses, her features elongating and looking sharper by the minute in the shadows .
“To the fact that Josie made the suggestion,” I say, thinking quick on my feet. “I mean, because Josie just told me that it was you who made the suggestion. She said you and Merritt were speaking together and she and Kimball were directly behind you and that they both heard you suggest to Merritt that the bon voyage party be held in her suite.” I double down on the lies without hesitating.
“Good going,” Merritt says, bumping her shoulder to mine and I feel a sizzle.
Visalia’s mouth opens and closes. She glances at the ceiling a moment as if trying to relive the scene.
“Oh well, maybe I did.” She shrugs. “Either way, it clearly worked to Josie’s advantage.”
“It may have,” I say. “But it worked to your advantage, too. I think you knew that the only place this ship doesn’t have security cameras is in a private cabin. There were so many people coming and going the entire time. Merritt didn’t even shoo them out when she retired to her bedroom.”
“I never do that,” Merritt says quickly. “Visalia always said the best publicity is a party that never ends.” She gasps hard. “She’s been setting me up for years!”
Or riding on the back of some good PR advice that can kill two birds with one stone—and one Merritt Garrett.
Visalia shakes her head at me with a marked look of frustration. “I heard there were feathers found near the body. I looked into the room as they were cordoning it off and I saw them myself. Feathers are practically Josie’s brand. I’m sure you’ve noticed that yourself.”
“I most certainly have,” I say. “And I saw those same feathers myself when I discovered the body. Josie said they came from you.”
Her eyes spring wide and she absentmindedly lands the plate down on the counter.
“You can’t prove anything,” she says just above a whisper.
“When you bent over to place the feathers down, some of the psyllium husk you brought along in your purse must have spilled out. There was so much, it was hard to miss.” Yet another lie because I totally missed it. “Ransom had the lab test it. And I have a feeling that if we search your cabin right now, they’ll find the rest of that powder and it will be a perfect match.”
Okay, so I highly doubt anyone is going to conduct a test on the psyllium husk powder in her room looking for a match, but I’ve been doling out the lies like Halloween candy ever since this conversation began. Why stop now?
“You planted the peacock feathers to frame Josie,” I say. “And I’ll admit, you did a darn good job. She was a perfect red herring—I almost arrested her myself.” True, and we’re talking citizen’s arrest , which I think is still perfectly legal on a cruise ship.
Visalia’s face grows increasingly pale as her gaze shifts nervously to the exit. “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” she hisses.
“Oh, I think I do,” I say, stepping closer. “You hated Merritt for what she did to your family. She slept with your father, didn’t she? She broke up your parents’ marriage.”
Visalia’s mouth contorts into all sorts of unflattering shapes.
“Yes,” she spits out. “She ruined everything. My parents were happy. They had a good marriage, and she destroyed it because she could—because she was bored and needed someone to play with.”
I shake my head. “Maybe that’s true, the part about Merritt’s boredom. But Visalia, your father had a reputation. I don’t think the blame lies entirely with Merritt. However, I’m betting she was the final straw.”
Tears stream down the blonde’s cheeks and she quickly wipes them away.
Visalia’s face twists with fury, her hands balling into fists. “She destroyed my family,” she says with her voice shaking. “She took everything from me, and she didn’t even care. She just moved on to her next victim.” She holds her arms out wide as if to bring home the point.
“Merritt rarely strikes without provocation,” I say. “What happened between the two of you?”
Visalia lifts her chin and presses her lips tight.
Her arms might be open, but her lips are sealed.