Murder By Manicure Part 16

She slid onto a counter stool and beckoned to a waitress whose name tag identified her as Sherry. Hunger took precedence over work, and Marla ordered a quarter-pound burger with french fries and a c.o.ke. Forget the diet food, she told herself as she sniffed the aroma of freshly baked bread.

"This is a neat place," she said when the waitress delivered her meal.

"Yeah, it's popular with the tourists." Sherry stuck a wad of chewing gum in her mouth. "Nine o'clock in the morning, this place is full. You should see the line out front."

"I'm visiting the area," Marla went on in casual tone, "but my friend, Hortense Crone, recently moved to my neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale. She told me how much she missed this restaurant, so I thought I'd stop by while I'm in town."

The girl's face crinkled into a frown. "Huh? Hortense came in here as usual this morning. She ain't moved nowhere. Who are you talking about?"

Marla stared at her. "A tall blonde, s.e.xy figure, wears tight tops and short skirts."

"She moved south about two weeks ago?" At Marla's nod, a knowing look sprang into Sherry's hazel eyes. "Oh, that was Jill. She got a b.o.o.b job. Big hair and big t.i.ts. She thinks they'll get her more acting stints."

Hortense said we should call her Jill. "I don't understand. The girl I met said she was Hortense."

Sherry sc.r.a.ped a lock of listless bluish-black hair off her wide forehead. "Beats me, lady. Maybe you should talk to Hortense while you're here. She had a heavy conversation with Jill last time they both came by."

"Really? This keeps getting more curious. Where can I find your Hortense?"

"Dr. Crone works down at the Marine Annex. She's one of them ocean scientists. If you go into the gift shop, one of the volunteers can put you in touch with her."

Fortunately, Marla didn't need an appointment, and her befuddled brain didn't have to wait long for clarification. As soon as a volunteer connected her via telephone to Dr. Crone's office, and she mentioned the names Arnie and Jill in the same breath, a garbled background conversation followed.

"You can come right now, and Dr. Crone will see you," said a woman's controlled voice at the other end. She rattled off directions and then hung up abruptly.

Feeling as though she were rousing a hornet's nest, Marla followed the road signs until she reached the area indicated. It was near a huge vat that held swimming sea creatures of indeterminate origins. A strong fishy odor permeated the place, which was outdoors but protected from the sun by a canvas awning.

A white-coated brunette carrying a clipboard strode in her direction when she emerged from her car. Steel-rimmed gla.s.ses s.h.i.+elded a pair of intelligent cocoa brown eyes. Emitting an aura of competence, she wore her hair in a business-like bob.

"You're Marla Sh.o.r.e?" the woman asked in a firm voice.

"Yes, I am," Marla said, smiling hesitantly.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Dr. Hortense Crone."

Feeling the heat on her back, Marla stepped inside the shaded portion. "I thought I met Hortense in Palm Haven, but she doesn't look anything like you."

Dr. Crone's shoulders slumped. "No, that's Jill. I suppose I should explain."

"Please do." This better be good, or I've come a long way for nothing.

"Let's sit down." The woman indicated a concrete bench.

Marla sank onto the hard surface. Dr. Crone sat beside her and regarded her with a frank stare.

"You're Arnie's fiancee, aren't you? I heard all about your exploits."

Marla's eyebrow shot up. "Oh?"

"Jill calls me every day. You see, I thought of approaching Arnie because I had a special fondness for him since high school. I couldn't go to Fort Lauderdale myself, and Jill seemed the perfect type to catch his eye. I hadn't realized he was engaged. Silly me, I heard he'd been widowed, but it never occurred to me that Arnie might have found someone else."

Marla squirmed uncomfortably. Their engagement was a deception, but apparently, so was Dr. Crone's sending Jill to pose as herself. She kept silent, putting aside until later the decision whether or not to reveal her own truth.

"Who is Jill?" she demanded, seeking the scientist's confession first.

"She's an actress I met at Seagulls and Saucers. Jill wasn't happy working as a publicity manager for a local company. In her spare time, she traveled to Orlando for acting jobs. Miami is a bigger market, and she was thinking of moving there. I knew right away she'd be perfect for the role I had in mind."

Marla had an inkling where Hortense was going next. "What role was that?" she asked, unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice.

"Arnie always admired tall, slender women. We hadn't seen each other in so many years-not that he'd ever noticed me before. But let me start from the beginning." Her soft brown eyes captured Marla's. "I'm Jolene Myers's cousin. We weren't terribly close, but we did see each other at family holidays. A couple of months ago, Jolene mailed me a manila envelope with a note that said not to open it unless something happened to her."

Swatting away a buzzing insect, Marla leaned forward. "Did you speak to her and ask why she sent it to you?"

"Yes, but she wouldn't explain. She said something very strange, though." Her voice lowered. "I'm doing something I'll probably regret later. In case anything happens, you can set things right. Guess how I felt when I heard about her death?"

"She must've known something was wrong."

"d.a.m.n right. Jolene wouldn't drown in a whirlpool. She was too disciplined, always in control."

Marla studied an ant crawling along the ground. A fallen leaf obstructed its path. At first, it tried to climb up and over, but the height was too great. Instinct moved the creature along the obstacle's edge.

Jolene hadn't seemed terribly in control that day in the locker room. She'd admitted to being stressed, and Cookie had made things worse. She appeared rattled when she downed the two capsules. Did she regard Cookie merely as a mild interference? Or did the issues between them go deeper, making it more difficult for Jolene to find the right path? Instinct hadn't helped her; she'd chosen the way to death.

"Detective Vail mentioned that Jolene had taken sedatives," said Dr. Crone. "I told him my cousin subscribed mostly to homeopathic remedies. Gelatin is a natural substance, you know, derived from animals."

Ah, so Vail knew Jill's true ident.i.ty. She felt a momentary irritation that he hadn't shared that knowledge with her. "Did you give Vail the envelope Jolene had sent you?"

Hortense stood. "I didn't mention it to him. After opening the package, I understood why she'd mailed it to me. We're both in the science field, you see. Come to my office; I have the papers there. I know you've been trying to help."

She pointed to a squat building in the distance. "We can take my buggie," Dr. Crone said, indicating a golf cart, "or you can drive us. You're not really supposed to park here."

"Let's take my car." Marla was glad to get away from the fishy smell. She'd been afraid it might linger in her car, but the air-conditioning soon dispelled any briny odors.

"I hope Jill hasn't interfered in your relations.h.i.+p with Arnie," Hortense said after they emerged from Marla's car a few minutes later. "She was only supposed to use him as a jumping-off point to meet other contacts who knew Jolene. From our conversations, I surmised that Jill likes him."

"You could fool me. She was doing a good job on Detective Vail when we all went to dinner together."

"You're right; she was doing her job-for me. It was a lucky break that brought you all together. Meeting the homicide detective in charge of Jolene's case gave Jill an excuse to question him. She learned quite a bit at dinner that night, listening to y'all and meeting Mrs. Zelman."

Marla suppressed a retort as they approached the building. Dr. Crone pushed open a double set of white doors leading into a concrete structure that looked more like a bunker than an administrative wing. Nodding at a receptionist who waved in return, she walked ahead to a corridor lined with cubicles occupied by clerks and research a.s.sistants. Apparently, the large private offices with picture windows overlooking the grounds had been appropriated by the upper echelon. Marla was impressed by the size of Dr. Crone's allotment, but she smirked at the mess inside. Boxes and papers were strewn across the floor and piled a foot high on the counters.

"My laboratory is a lot better organized than this," Hortense said, gesturing toward her desk. Marla hesitated just inside the door while Dr. Crone strode straight ahead to a tall four-drawer file cabinet.

"I'm still unclear on why you hired that actress," Marla said. "What's her real name anyway?"

The scientist whirled around. "Jillian Barlow, or at least that's her stage name. Promise me you won't expose her ident.i.ty until she finishes what I sent her there to do." Anxiety radiated from her intense gaze.

Marla planted her hands on her hips. "Give me a good reason why I shouldn't tell the whole town who she really is."

The real Hortense pursed her lips. "As I said, I sent Jill to investigate Jolene's death by playing my part. As a former cla.s.smate of Arnie's, I figured this would be a good means of inserting Jill into the company of those who'd known my cousin. Arnie would introduce her around, and she'd question anyone who'd been close to Jolene. As it turned out, many of those people disliked my cousin. I can't say that I blame them. What she did in her lab goes beyond the pale."

Turning back to the file cabinet, Dr. Crone retrieved a sheaf of papers from one of the drawers. She handed them to Marla, who examined the various graphs and numbers with puzzlement. They might as well have been Egyptian hieroglyphics from her viewpoint.

"Would you care to interpret?" Marla asked dryly.

A fatigued expression transformed the scientist's face. "They're product test results ... from another company."

"Not Stockhart Industries where Jolene worked?" She felt as though her mind were slogging through mud.

Hortense nodded, gesturing for Marla to have a seat. Before continuing, she sank into a plush armchair behind the desk. "These results supposedly came from Jolene's laboratory, but as you can see, that's not the true source."

"I still don't get it."

"Jolene was buying data from somewhere else and pa.s.sing it off as her own. See these other sheets?" Dr. Crone waved a cl.u.s.ter of papers in the air. "These are the real stats, and they show a much more dangerous toxicity level."

Realization dawned. "Your cousin was falsifying statistics, using results gained from another company." Cookie had been right, then. Possibilities tumbled through her head as she reviewed the animal activist's accusations. "Do you know where this other data originated?"

"Unfortunately, no. Is there another chemical company in the vicinity?"

"There's a place called Listwood Pharmaceuticals." Marla moistened her lips. "Now I have a confession to make. Arnie and I are not engaged. He, uh, prevaricated to avoid an entanglement with Jill when he thought she was you. I mean, when she first called him to say she was moving back to town, he panicked." A blush stole over her features. This wasn't coming out right.

Dr. Crone laughed, a pleasant, infectious sound that made Marla smile despite her embarra.s.sment. "I gather Arnie wasn't too pleased. It's no wonder. Other kids used to call me Horrible Hortense in high school. Short and fat was not a great combination in those years. Add to that clunky eyegla.s.ses, dowdy clothes, and a shy personality, and you've got a teenage tribble: something to avoid before it multiplies."

Marla's eyes sparked with admiration. "You've certainly changed," she commented, realizing the scientist's charisma reached beyond her improved appearance.

Hortense's eyebrow lifted. "Self-confidence made all the difference. I love my work, and once I realized public speaking would be required, my views s.h.i.+fted. I've always been very goal oriented. During high school, aiming for the career I wanted was my main focus. Guess I was a late developer s.e.xually, too. College was where I started to care about how I looked."

"Well, as a hairstylist, I can say that your cut is great for the shape of your face. It's very flattering."

"Thanks, Marla. Coming from you, that's a real compliment. Now tell me, are you going to keep my secret?"

"You mean Jillian's secret? I don't know. Arnie likes her, but I don't know how he'll feel when he learns the truth. I just don't want him to get hurt."

"He's a dear man." Hortense's eyes glowed with affection, but then she frowned. "Jill thinks you're engaged to him. Even if she likes him, she wouldn't encroach on your territory. It might seem that way because she's trying to get information, but Jill is a decent character. I made sure about that before I hired her. So what is your relations.h.i.+p to Arnie?"

"We're good friends. I love the guy, but I'm more interested in Dalton Vail."

"I see."

Marla struggled with her conscience. She should tell Arnie so he wouldn't fall for Jill's allure. But then again, if Jill sincerely cared for Arnie, how would she feel about their deception? The situation appeared to be a catch-22. And what about Vail? Jill was perfectly placed at a position inside Stockhart Industries. If either of them blew her cover, would the girl be dismissed?

"How did Jill get a job at Stockhart Industries if she was pretending to be you?" Marla asked, trying to understand the different angles.

"She obtained the position under her own credentials," Dr. Crone replied, picking up a Mont Blanc pen. "Jillian Barlow graduated college as a communications major. She worked for a few years in Orlando while doing acting jobs on the side; then she accepted an offer for a better position here in Vero Beach. The girl might look like a bimbo, but she has brains."

"I suppose she does, especially when she's playing the role of undercover detective. You must be paying her well."

Hortense didn't answer right away, doodling instead on a scratch pad. "She'd intended to move to south Florida anyway. I found out about the opening at Stockhart Industries and figured she'd be perfect for a job in public relations. My influence helped to land her the position. She's happy enough about that much, but I also offered to supplement her moving expenses and apartment costs until she could manage on her own."

"That's very generous of you."

Her gaze hardened. "Make no mistake about it, I intend to find out what happened to my cousin. She meant for me to air the truth about those lab tests, but I don't want to tip my hand until Jill discovers who killed her. Now that you're in on the game, will you help us?"

Biting her lower lip, Marla considered her response. If she continued to play along, she'd be deceiving everyone except Vail, and they'd have a better chance of unmasking a murderer. Perhaps that was why Vail had kept his lips sealed up to this point.

"All right, I'll join your scheme for now. But I'm going to warn Jill not to play false with Arnie. I won't let him get hurt." She looked at Hortense speculatively. "When this is over, I hope you'll meet him. I don't think he'd be so disappointed in you now."

Dr. Crone's face eased into a grin. "I may have had a crush on Arnie during high school, but that was a long time ago. If Jill wants him and you have no claim, she can have him."

Holding up her left hand, she let a low chuckle escape her throat. "I don't wear rings because of my laboratory work; otherwise you'd see my gold band. I've no interest in Arnie because I'm married."

Chapter Fifteen.

Marla drove straight home so she could let Spooks out and grab a bite to eat before deciding her next move. The message light blinked on her answering machine, so after a quick trip to the bathroom, she spent a few minutes in her home office. Anita had called, and so had Tally and Dalton Vail. Maybe she wouldn't have to take Brianna to dance cla.s.s tomorrow night.

Aware that it was past six and that he might be in the middle of dinner, Marla dialed Vail's home number first.

"h.e.l.lo," Brianna responded.

"Hi, this is Marla. Is your father there?"

"Nope, he's still at work." Chewing sounds emanated from the phone receiver.

"Oh. I guess I'll give him a call at the office, then."

"Is it about the case he's working on? Because if not, you shouldn't bother Dad at his job."

Marla wondered if those were his actual instructions to his daughter. "I don't think he'll mind. Am I taking you to dance cla.s.s tomorrow night, or will your father be free?"

"I dunno. Guess you'll have to drive me again, unless you're busy."

"I'm never too busy for you, honey." Lord save me, where did those words come from? "I'll pick you up the same time as last week, okay?"

"Sure."

"Are you home alone? Because if you want company, I can-"

"No. I don't need anyone else."

Stung by the abrupt refusal, Marla stuttered. "W-well, I won't disturb you further."