Chapter 4 #2
“It won’t for long enough,” Gertie said.
“I never saw Kim and Zion together, so I couldn’t tell you how far it’s gotten.
But I don’t need your CIA skills to read her body language.
She’s fallen for him hard and unless someone intervenes, he’s going to have her inheritance sunk into a business she’s not qualified to run any more than Eleanor was. ”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’m not giving up just yet. I want to check out this Zion anyway. If his play is taking advantage of lonely people who are grieving, I’d like to change that.”
Gertie perked up. “If you could shut him down, that would be something at least.”
“Unless he’s doing something illegal, I wouldn’t count on it,” Ida Belle said. “Even if you exposed him as a fraud and a parasite, he’d just move somewhere else and pick up the same tactics. Those kinds of people never change.”
“They don’t,” I agreed. “But at least I might be able to send him down the road. And if he took his maneuvering too far, there could be a case for police action.”
“How are we going to manage a closer look?” Ida Belle said.
“If he targeted Eleanor at that charity event, then he’s working off a playbook.
He’s already met Gertie and even if you or I put ourselves in his path, he’d do his research like any good scammer does.
It won’t take him five on Google to know to steer clear. ”
“Where is Zion’s retreat located?” I asked.
“South of NOLA,” Gertie said. “Maybe an hour’s drive from the city.”
“I wonder how he targeted Eleanor then,” I said. “Because I agree that whole charity-event thing reeks of a setup. Why would someone who lives two hours away be at a church in Mudbug for a charity gig?”
“It’s easy enough to read the obits and cross-reference them with property records,” Ida Belle said.
“If he’s a pro, he’d make it a full-time job.
These days, AI can eliminate a lot of the research time, but that also makes it harder for us to take a run on him as he can research us just as easily. ”
“What’s the name of his property?” I asked Gertie.
She told me and I did a quick search. “He’s got a two-day retreat starting tomorrow and there’s still openings.”
“Even if that man walked into my house and shot Walter, I still wouldn’t wear a leotard to catch him,” Ida Belle said.
“What if he scratched your SUV with a screwdriver?” Gertie asked. “Or detuned your boat engine?”
Ida Belle frowned but finally shook her head. “Nope. Not even then. Besides, I’ve already told you it wouldn’t work anyway. He’d see us coming a mile away.”
“What if he didn’t?” I asked, an idea starting to form.
“Are you planning on gouging his eyes out?” Ida Belle asked.
“Nothing that dramatic, but I’ll keep the suggestion in reserve. I was thinking of an undercover operation.”
“There’s no way different hair and a change of wardrobe would fool him with Gertie,” Ida Belle argued. “He’s spent too much time with her already. And all it would take is a quick picture of either of us and a reverse image search and he’d know exactly who we are as well.”
“What if he didn’t research us at all because we went as people who were above suspicion?”
“No one is above suspicion.”
“To us, no. But to the rest of the world…”
I looked back at Gertie. “You think we can get two more nun costumes by tomorrow?”
It took some convincing, but finally we talked Ida Belle into playing Catholic for a couple days.
She still refused to let spandex touch her body, but since we were going full habit for maximum concealment, she could keep her regular uniform of flannel and jeans underneath and no one would be the wiser.
My plan was simple—I was a young nun whose parents had recently died.
I had inherited a significant amount of land, including a small collection of cabins.
Ida Belle and Gertie, my senior sisters, were worried about me and felt that some time away to reflect and mourn would be helpful.
They overheard a parishioner talking about Zion’s retreat at mass and, taking his name as a sign, they’d booked the three of us for the two-day event.
While we were there, I’d spread my story and see if Zion took the bait.
If he was really a scammer, then a young, innocent, grieving woman with property should be right up his alley.
On the way back to Sinful, Gertie called up the shop in NOLA where she’d bought her nun costume, and they had put two aside for pickup the next morning on our way to the retreat.
“I still don’t see why we have to be nuns,” Ida Belle said. “Can’t we just get some wigs and different clothes and leave Gertie at home?”
“No way!” Gertie said. “And good luck doing yoga and keeping a wig on.”
I shook my head. “Zion will be on high alert after Eleanor’s death. By default, nuns won’t be subject to the same sort of scrutiny as regular people.”
“Yes, but part of Zion’s tactics includes romancing his targets,” Ida Belle said. “He can’t romance a nun, so he might decide to pass completely on the opportunity.”
“That’s possible,” I agreed. “But if I went as a regular woman and he tried to put the moves on me, how long do you think I’d be able to maintain cover?”
Gertie snorted.
Ida Belle sighed.
“Besides, a nun will have the whole innocence thing going for her,” I said. “So he’ll be able to play on that end of things. I’m young and lost my family and have no worldly tendencies or knowledge, especially since I was homeschooled and entered the convent at eighteen.”
“Good Lord, talk about having no life,” Gertie said. “This is the worst undercover gig ever.”
“Nuns can drink,” I said.
“So can Baptists,” Gertie argued.
“But we’re supposed to hide it,” Ida Belle countered.
“We don’t check in until noon, so it’s really only a day and a half,” I said in an effort to make Ida Belle feel better.
“Thirty-six hours too long is what it is,” she said. “And what do you plan on telling Carter? Because we’ve got to get our stories straight.”
“We’re going to NOLA and staying overnight as we intend to gamble, drink, eat, and shop, not necessarily in that order.”
“Carter will never buy that you’re going to shop, especially if we go without Ronald.”
“It’s a girls’ trip.”
“And that excludes Ronald, how exactly?”
“Point taken. I’ll let Ronald in on it and tell him he has to fake an illness or bursitis. Whatever. Even if Carter suspects us of doing something, he won’t ask. He knows better.”
“That’s true,” she allowed. “Good God, I can’t believe I’m going to have to wear a dress and be a Catholic.”
“It’s easier than being Baptist,” Gertie said. “You just do whatever, then go to confession and it’s like you didn’t do it. And Father Michael isn’t even allowed to tell anyone what you said.”
“Father Michael wouldn’t remember what you said or that he even talked to you,” Ida Belle pointed out.
“Like I said, seems like a better deal.”
Ida Belle dropped me off and I headed next door to put Ronald in the loop. He was disappointed that he couldn’t tag along but understood that he didn’t exactly meet the criteria for the mission. And he had a therapy session the next day and said he really needed it, so it was just as well.
Since I figured Carter’s day would be long and frustrating, I threw a slab of beef on the grill to cut up for fajitas. I was just taking it off when Carter walked out the back door.
“What did you do?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“You’re cooking. You never cook.”
“Grilling is not cooking and I cook.”
“Scrambled eggs are not cooking. A five-year-old can make them.”
“Then find a five-year-old to start cooking yours.”
He raised one eyebrow. “We could always make one of our own.”
I froze as all witty comebacks fled my body.
After several uncomfortable, silent seconds, I saw his lips quivering and then he started laughing.
“I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you afraid,” he said.
“I should shoot you for even joking about it.”
“It would probably be easier to ask me to move out.”
“If you keep talking about making five-year-olds, I will.”
He took the tray of beef from me. “Looks good. I appreciate you throwing this on. I didn’t feel like eating a sandwich but didn’t have the energy to cook either, and since that idiot Calahan was headed to the café, I refused to get takeout.
If I spent one more second in his presence, I was going to be the lead suspect in the next Sinful homicide investigation. ”
“That bad, huh?”
“I’m surprised he didn’t drug test me when I went to the bathroom.”
“How long does he plan on sticking to you?”
Carter took out a huge knife and started hacking the meat in strips as if he were using a machete on the enemy. “He hasn’t said. Unless he gets called back by his boss, my guess is until he finds something to use against me.”
“I could probably persuade him to move on.”
“Your methods of persuasion aren’t legal and are often permanent.”
I waved a hand in dismissal. “Details. Are you going to make a statement about the case anytime soon?”
“Still waiting on forensics and the ME. I should have reports tomorrow.”
“Okay, well, I’m going to make the next couple days easier on you. Ida Belle, Gertie, and I are clearing out tomorrow. Going to hit NOLA, do some gambling and drinking. I’m going to get us a room at the casino so no worries on the whole drinking and driving thing.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re voluntarily going to NOLA overnight? You don’t even gamble.”
“I was CIA. Of course I gamble.”
“Okay. I’m sure I don’t want to know. Did you call Detective Casey and let her know you’re headed her way?”
“One, I don’t need to because Casey’s a homicide detective. And two, she’s on extended vacation with her daughter. They’re hitting half of the islands in the Caribbean.”
“Good. They deserve a vacation.”
I nodded. “Maybe Calahan will loosen his grip if he knows I’m out of the way.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it, but it can’t hurt. Please don’t get into any trouble.”
“I’m taking Gertie.”