Chapter 2
Chapter
Two
“Something’s been bothering me,” Rory said as we finished filling the notebooks in with the facts of the case. “I’m not sure it’s about Mercy Sunquist though.”
I looked up from highlighting the areas where we needed more information. There was a lot of yellow. Rory was staring at her notebook. I could see she had a page of questions. Maybe having a new set of eyes that didn’t know New Orleans would be helpful. “What?”
“You said that man who was watching us was dating your cousin?” She focused on Bubba. “So why was he even there?”
“Dating my cousin? Who knows? She’s such a loser,” Bubba grumbled as he stared at the white board where I’d been making notes. He’d finally gotten up and got his own notebook and was copying the information from the whiteboard into it.
“No, I don’t mean, why is he dating your cousin.
Well, that’s part of it, I’m sure. But why was he following us?
If the scam was just Paige talking your mom about taking care of her or giving her money, she didn’t need him to watch us.
Besides, from what Tessa said, she was in the hotel room, waiting for him to come back with cigarettes.
She had to realized he’d ghosted her or was doing something else.
” Rory ticked off all the things that were bothering her about the last twenty-four hours.
“She came to talk to Heather yesterday, right? What did she say?”
Bubba and I exchanged a look. With all that was going on with Catherine, neither one of us had followed up with Paige’s story.
Maybe she wanted to get Heather to supplement her lifestyle, but if that was the only motivation, Rory was right, her boyfriend wouldn’t be stalking us.
“We missed that. Bubba, can you call your mom and ask what she found out? Maybe that’s all we need. ”
“It’s a bad idea, but I’ll do it. Mom doesn’t like to be wrong. Especially about people she loves. He stood up and moved to a corner of the room. “If I start drooling, take the phone from my ear and tell my mother she’s won. She’s bored me to death.”
“Heather’s not that bad. Besides, we asked her to talk to Paige.” Bubba and I had been heading back to the store when Nic had diverted us to the compound. He’d been afraid for our lives. We hadn’t thought about Heather. “I hope she didn’t let her go home with her last night.”
“She wouldn’t have with all that was going on, would she?” Now Rory was concerned about my interior design partner.
“She might be here already,” I said, trying to defuse Rory’s concern.
Bubba came back from the alcove where he’d been talking on the phone. “She’s just coming in the door. Paige didn’t go home with her, but she has a story for us. I’ve asked her to come straight to the conference room.”
Even as he said that the door opened and Heather walked inside.
“I can’t believe your cousin was so horrible last night.
I guess this guy she met in Miami asked her to come with him here and get in my good graces.
Like the girl could even act good for more than a week.
He had the totally wrong impression of her. I wonder if he was casing my house?”
“She met him in Miami?” I repeated.
Heather had taken her jacket off and hung it on a chair with her bag as she went to get coffee.
“Yes. At least that’s what she said. Who knows the truth.
I’m so mad at her. I told her not to come here ever again.
Not even for Christmas. I said that if I’d offered anything to help her, the offer was rescinded.
Then she started crying and when I asked her why she was crying it was because she wanted new jeans.
I would never have talked to my aunt that way. ”
“Heather, I know you’re upset. But what did she say about this guy she met in Florida?” This might be the one clue we need to find him. Even though Paige had thought it was all about her and he was just a walking ATM.
“That’s the story she told me. Like I said, she met him in Miami.
He followed her here and found her at the coffee shop the first day I’d left her there.
Then he asked for a favor. He said that she needed to get on staff at the antique store.
So she conned me into working here. He promised her jewelry and money, and I guess, his services, if you know what I mean.
She said he was cute, so she said yes. She betrayed me for a few dollars and maybe some costume jewelry? ”
“And sex,” Bubba added, watching his mom’s face turn red. “What? You said it.”
“I didn’t say sex, but yes, she also got sex.
Although I think he played her there. He told her they couldn’t be seen together so he couldn’t meet her.
The hotel room yesterday was the first time she’d seen him in days, and he kissed her a few times, then left for cigarettes and a bottle of wine.
He didn’t come back. The knock on the door that she thought was him, was hotel security, kicking her out for non-payment as my card had a freeze on it. ”
“So she came to meet you.” Bubba finished her story.
Heather nodded. “I packed everything she’d left at my house and put it on the front step. After I called the locksmith and changed the locks.” She dug into her pocket. “Which reminds me, here’s your new key.”
Bubba took the copy, then pulled out his keyring and put it on, taking another off. “At least you did that. I worry about you.”
“Kind of like closing the barn door after the horses get out. Too little, too late, I guess. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you about Paige. I was hoping she’d changed.” Heather sipped her coffee. “What happened to the two of you? I thought you were coming by to question Paige?”
I wasn’t sure exactly how much to tell Heather, but Bubba took care of it.
“There’s someone going around killing people who work in the fortune telling shops that Nic owns.
He was worried, since Eddie worked in the business years ago that she might be a target.
So he asked her to spend some nights at the compound.
Overprotective big brother vibes, if you ask me. ”
Then he winked at me.
“Well, I think it’s sweet. Nic is the best and he takes care of his sister.
I’m sorry you never had a sister, but two boys were enough for me.
” Heather sipped her coffee. “If you don’t need me, I have a meeting with a client, Mrs. Zamzow.
She says the blue we picked out for her bathroom isn’t working with the rug set she just bought.
I’m taking her all the blue samples as well as a book on rugs this morning.
Either we repaint or just buy a new rug.
I’m hoping she chooses the rug. And so, probably, is Mr. Zamzow’s pocketbook. ”
“Just be careful. If you see Paige or the guy she was with, let us know.” Bubba hugged his mom. “Oh, I’ll get you a driver. That way you don’t have to worry about all this summer traffic.”
“That’s so nice of you, but I don’t want to be a bother,” Heather turned to me.
“Actually, I was going to use a driver today, but my plans got changed. This way, we don’t have to pay him for showing up and not doing anything.” I met Bubba’s eyes. “You’d be doing me a favor.”
“Well, in that case, I’d love to accept.
As far as your cousin goes, I think we’ve seen the last of her.
She said something about going back to Miami where it was civilized.
” Heather rolled her eyes. “Paige never understood that it wasn’t the place she was in that was the problem.
No matter where you go, you’re always there. ”
“Very wise of you,” I wrote down what Heather had said. “One more thing. Paige met this guy in Miami. Did she tell you his name?”
“She called him Bobby,” Heather paused before grabbing her coat and tote. “Is it important? I can call her and ask?”
I thought about her offer. If the guy had Catherine, it might tip him off to hear that Heather was asking for his name.
Paige wasn’t the type to keep secrets, which is how he probably found out that Heather worked here.
For me. I shook my head. “Not unless she calls just to chat or for you to take her back. Then maybe you could ask where this guy was – what was his name again? And why wasn’t he taking care of her? ”
Heather’s smile grew. “You’re a sneaky one, Eddie. That’s why I love working for you. You always see the angle.”
After Heather left the room, I looked at the other two. “Seems funny that Paige is in Miami and just happens to meet this guy. And there were killings in Miami too.”
“We’ll have to remember to tell the others tonight at dinner,” Rory nodded. “It feels like a clue.”
“So what else do we have?” I looked at the two of them. “I’d like to go back to the fortune telling shop where Mercy was killed. Maybe she’ll talk to me again.”
“Maybe we can get into her apartment or house?” Bubba asked me.
“Text Nic and see if he can make that happen. Maybe we can claim she had company property like a laptop there. Don’t make it sound like she was wrong for having it.
Just standard procedure to get it back. And, if I could get inside, maybe she’d say something or lead me to a clue. ” I tapped a pen on my lips.
“You need to write down everything you can remember about your visit with Mercy. Sometimes spirits leave us with clues, but they hide them so well, we don’t see what they’re trying to tell us.
” Rory explained the communication. Then she blushed.
“Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to. According to Esmeralda, your family’s talent is off the charts. ”
“It doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing.” I laughed off Rory’s embarrassment. “I’ll admit, I have a lot of natural talent, but I didn’t stay around home and train in the family business. Not like Nic.”
Bubba shook his head. “I have enough problems understanding the living in a one-on-one conversation. I’d hate to have to decipher clues that the spirits of the dead leave for me.”