Death of a Hot Chick

Death of a Hot Chick - Chapter 18

Finley kill Nicole? "That is too—too, too, too..." She couldn't. Not her cousin, after all that she'd told us. I felt hysterical laugher threatening to burst out. I bit my lip. Shook my head. "No! That's impossible." I knew, I just knew. "And how did you find out about her bags, anyway?"

"I saw the evidence when I took a potty break before you came."

"She did not kill Nicole. I refuse to believe that. Maybe she's changing apartments."

"Don't be surprised if you never see her again."

Firmly, I said, "Kaye, listen to me. Finley did not kill her cousin. I'd stake my life on her."

"You're that sure?"

I nodded.

Kaye continued, "Let's say, if she comes tomorrow, you are right."

I watched as my sister drove away. She was wrong. She had to be. I headed for my dock and realized Wes must have replaced a light bulb. As I got closer to Snapdragon, I realized someone was on board, sitting in my only folding chair.

"Hi, Lizzie," I said, before I got close enough to startle her completely. I added a completely unnecessary question. "Waiting for me?"

Lizzie didn't answer at first.

"Lizzie?"

"Wait till I stir my stumps a bit," she said, then rocked her shoulders and rubbed her eyes. I sat on the deck box and waited.

Lizzie leaned forward and whispered. "That guy was here again. The same one. I scared him off."

"We're going inside." As I punched in my combination, I added, "Hot chocolate, okay?"

"Got marshmallows?"

"No. Sorry." Nothing looked disturbed. "I do have graham crackers."

"Nobody got inside this time," Lizzie said. "It was the same guy I saw before. Wes thinks I'm seeing that turkey that made like he was dead. You know, Chester somebody."

"Maybe you're not safe protecting my boat. Not that I don't appreciate it like crazy, but he could be the killer."

Lizzie plunked herself down on the settee. Shook her head. "Hard figuring out what this world is coming to. Killers."

"We have to catch him, whoever he is, or we won't be safe." I saw a golden opportunity to get Lizzie's cooperation. "There's a lot of people who want to catch him. Me, my sister, Nicole's cousin, and the police. If I promise you'll be safe, will you help?"

"Nobody can promise that."

"Yes, I can. You wouldn't be here at all. You'd be spending the night at my sister's house in town. Away from the marina. All you have to do is let Teddy use your name in her article and we'll do the rest. We'll get the police. We'll stay in your boat to protect it."

She didn't say, "No," so I told her more as I heated water, poured it into cups with cocoa mix, and served it up. I ended with, "We'll get together tomorrow at one-thirty, here, to make final plans."

"Stay at your sister's house?"

"You bet."

"What's she got to eat?"

"She's a fantastic cook."

"Might as well." She took a graham cracker. Nibbled it, blew on a spoonful of cocoa and sipped it. "Tomorrow, you say? You don't make any plans without me."

After Lizzie left, after Teddy returned my call and agreed to include our names in Sunday's article, I pulled out the note Nicole had hidden in the anchor locker. I rubbed it, I caressed it, I laid it against my cheek.