Chapter 11 #2
“Is everything okay?” I asked as I got my first look at Gertie.
She wore a bright pink swimmer’s cap, and her entire face was covered in some sort of green gel-looking stuff. Her G-string bodysuit was bright pink like her cap. The lettering across the bust read Too Hot to Handle.
That and a disgruntled look was all she was wearing.
Good. God.
Zion’s eyes widened as he caught sight of me and he stammered, probably because he was now picturing a naked nun standing behind the bathroom door and he wasn’t sure what to do with that mental image.
“Everything is fine, Sister Britney,” he said. “I was…um, I was just checking on you after the disturbance tonight.”
“We should probably be asking if you’re okay,” I said. “Did a woman really pass? Should we pray for her?”
“That won’t be necessary,” he said, clearly ten different kinds of uncomfortable. “I mean, it’s a nice thought and maybe we could revisit it tomorrow after meditation. I’ll just leave you ladies to it. Have a good night.”
He slammed the door and Gertie went immediately to the window and peered between the blinds. I stepped out of the bathroom and realized that she’d stuffed pillows under the covers of Ida Belle’s bed.
“Nice,” I said, pointing at the pillow-stuffed bed.
“I was hoping you’d turn up in the bathroom,” Gertie said. “I didn’t figure he’d make a stink over not seeing Ida Belle in person, but you’re his target audience, so to speak.”
I nodded. We’d definitely been on the same wavelength on that one.
“Where is he now?” I asked.
“Just turning the corner headed toward the Barbies’ cabin.”
I sent Ida Belle a text telling her it was safe to head inside, then grabbed some clothes and hurried back into the bathroom to dress.
Ida Belle was sitting at the little table when I came back out, staring at Gertie with a mixture of fear and admiration.
“Did she really answer the door like that?” she asked and waved at Gertie.
“Oh yeah. Between the very real visual in front of him and him imagining me naked behind the bathroom door, he couldn’t get out of here fast enough.”
Gertie frowned. “I have no idea what you’re getting at. I look good.”
“You look like a Komodo dragon stuffed in pink spandex,” Ida Belle said.
“Oh crap!” Gertie said. “I completely forgot I had on the face mask. This thing really is like a second skin.”
Ida Belle stared at her in dismay. “You weren’t dressed like that to scare Zion off?”
“Why would I be? I didn’t know he was going to come here.
When you didn’t check in at the fifteen-minute mark, I looked outside and saw him coming up the walk.
I stuffed the pillows in the bed to account for you sleeping and figured I could pass Fortune off as in the bathroom, which played out perfectly, but I didn’t have time for a wardrobe change. ”
“So this is all intentional? Good God. We might really have to start praying hours every day for you.”
Gertie waved her hand in dismissal. “Wait until you feel the skin on my face when I get this peel off.”
“I’m more concerned about the overexposure of the skin on your butt. If you’d like to put on some pants and wash your face, Fortune and I have important business to discuss.”
“Didn’t know there was a dress code for talking in my own room,” Gertie grumbled as she headed into the bathroom.
A couple minutes later she came back out, her face clean, and pulled on a pair of white shorts with hot pink firehoses on them and plopped down in a chair next to Ida Belle.
I queued up the recorded conversation and let Gertie listen while I listened closely again.
When it was over, we told Gertie what happened with Zion and Sapphire’s car, which led to his subsequent journey to our cabin, leaving us no time to give her a heads-up.
“Good Lord,” Gertie said when we were done. “That’s a lot gained in a short amount of time.”
Ida Belle nodded. “And I have the mosquito bites to prove it, but where does that information leave us?”
“Well, we know Carter found drugs in their cabin,” I said. “Neither is claiming ownership, which I find interesting.”
“Of course they’re both denying it,” Ida Belle said.
“Especially to each other. They both have good reason to want the other one on the hook. If Zion is on the hook, then Sapphire gets her quiet, pain-free divorce. If Sapphire is on the hook, then Zion probably leaves with some of her money in his pockets.”
“Well, someone’s fingerprints should be on them,” Gertie said.
“Not if they’re trying to hide their involvement,” Ida Belle said.
“True,” I agreed, “but if neither one’s fingerprints are on the bottle then that would be interesting. I wonder what the prescription was for.”
“Well, we’re not going to find out from Carter,” Gertie said. “We better hope he tells Mildred. Otherwise, we’re playing with only half a deck.”
Ida Belle snorted. “You’ve been playing with half a deck for years. Hasn’t held you up any.”
I smiled. “We’re not going to solve this tonight, so let’s try to get some sleep. It will be interesting to see how Zion acts tomorrow.”
Gertie sighed. “With Sapphire gone, our chances of being served those awful smoothies again goes way up.”
I nodded. “I think that might be the only thing in this investigation I’d bet on.”