Клео Коул - Murder Most Frothy

“Shows what you know, bitch,” Kenny spat. “It’s what my client wanted.”

“So Bom Felloes was the stupid one?”

“Yeah, it was his idea to shoot David at his own party. He wanted to kill two birds with one stone too. David would be dead. And the public shooting would start rumors, ruin David’s businesses by making it look like someone from organized crime wanted him dead. Like he was mobbed up.”

“OOOOOOH!”

Alberta rushed to David’s side, to comfort him. It was obvious the reality check was just too much for the man.

“Too bad you failed to kill the right guy,” said Jim. “You had to come back and try again. Guess you weren’t up to the mission, after all, eh, partner?”

“Go to hell, Rand. I would have done the job just fine. If it wasn’t for you, this asshole would be dead now.”

Jim snorted. “You give me undo credit, pal. It wasn’t me who nailed you.” His eyes found mine. “It was Clare.”

I sighed, relieved beyond belief we’d gotten a confession without more bloodshed. Hadn’t David Mintzer been through enough without having to endure more crimson stains on his beautiful floors?

Unfortunately, the interrogation wasn’t quite over yet.

I turned to Graydon and Joy, who’d been watching everything in wide-eyed silence. I didn’t take pleasure in involving my daughter in all of this; but, as it turned out, she had already involved herself. Please, please, my darling daughter, learn this now: when you make your choices, you have to live with the consequences .

I stepped up to Graydon Faas, looked him in the eye, and asked, “Why were you talking to Bom Felloes this afternoon, Graydon? And why were you visiting his home tonight?”

Graydon appeared defiant for a moment, until he saw the way my daughter Joy was watching him with a mixture of horror and disgust. Suddenly his chest sank.

“I needed money,” he said.

“But your family is wealthy.”

“Richer than you know,” Graydon said. “But they disowned me several years ago, when I dropped out of college to be a surf instructor. They said they didn’t like my lifestyle choices, so I told them to shove their money.”

“How did you hook up with Felloes?”

“I met Bom at a club. He already knew I was waiting tables for extra cash at Cuppa J. He set me up with some good coke and a stack of Benjamins for doing him one little favor on July Fourth. I slipped David Mintzer something that would give him a migraine. Payback for losing the restaurant—that’s what Bom told me. I had no idea anyone was going to get shot. After it happened, Bom told me it was just a weird coincidence that someone wanted to murder Treat. He called me every so often for more information on David…I was so worried about Bom blackmailing me, getting me into trouble, I just gave him what he asked for. When he called today, I thought he wanted more info. Instead, he just offered me more cash and coke for helping him. I drove over to get it, then Joy freaked out and we came here—”

“You’re lucky,” I told Graydon. “After tonight, Bom wouldn’t have needed you anymore for information on David, and I think he was trying to make sure you never talked to the police.”

“What do you mean never talked—”

“She means he was going to kill you, stupid,” Jim snapped. “That cocaine he was going to give you? I watched him cut it with something. It was probably laced with enough PCP to fry every molecule in your brainpan. Smarten up, kid.”

“Oh, my god,” said Joy.

I heard sirens screaming—despite the disturbance to the neighbors. I glanced at Jim. “The police.”

Two hours later, things had calmed down again at “Leisure with Dignity.” The police had taken Kenny Darnell and Graydon Faas into custody. Thomas Gurt went with the cops to assist in pulling Bom Felloes out of his luxurious Sandcastle and depositing him behind bars (the metal kind). We all gave our statements and were told the detectives would follow up with us the next day.

Madame had come home by now, and she was sitting with Joy, David, and Alberta in the mansion’s great room, hearing the tale of Kenny’s capture from beginning to end. Everyone was agitated and upset and would likely be up half the night.

Jim Rand hadn’t said much during the hours the police were here. Now that they’d gone, he stepped through the back door of the mansion, onto the cedar deck. I followed him outside.

“Jim? Are you okay?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, shook his head. “The DA will want the big fish. If Graydon and Kenny testify against Bom, their sentences will be plead out to relatively minor time, and that’s better than that son of a bitch partner of mine deserves.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry ?” He turned to look at me. “Wow, Clare. That’s disappointing.”

I blinked. “Disappointing?”

“Hell yeah.” A slow smile spread across his rugged face. “And here I thought you’d be grateful.”

“You know, I’m going to miss the way you smell,” said Jim, nibbling my ear.

“How do I smell?” I asked.

“I never told you?”

“No.”

“Like freshly roasted coffee.”

“Oh, that’s a surprise, I mean, given the hours I spend in the Village Blend roasting room. But that’s just one of the perks of my job.”

“Clare, that is so bad.”

Jim Rand had his arms wrapped around me. We were happily naked, in the double bed of his yacht’s cabin. He’d finally made enough money by the end of summer to have bought his own.

It was early September. The summer season was officially over, and I’d already moved back to the city. But Jim had convinced me to drive out from Manhattan to enjoy one more Hamptons sunset with him—and sunrise too.

We had seen many sunrises together since Treat’s murder was solved. After the wave of publicity had passed and things had calmed down, Jim had shown up late one night at Cuppa J. He’d ordered an espresso to go, then asked me to go with it. I did, deciding at last to have a summer fling of my very own.

But the summer was over now.

“You know what I never got about that whole Mintzer thing?” Jim said. “What was the deal with your wanting all these close-ups of Marjorie Bright lurking around the man’s mansion on July Fourth?”

“David’s trees,” I informed him, tracing the outline on his SEAL tattoo. “They partially blocked her view of the ocean. In my opinion, she was smoking like crazy, trying to burn them down with one of her butts. Probably figured David would think a stray spark from one of the fireworks caused it.”

“How neighborly.”

“Well, as it turned out, your recon photos helped resolve that little war.”

“How’s that?”

“David’s lawyer showed shots of Marjorie lurking around David’s property to Marjorie’s lawyer. He threatened to charge her with trespassing and attempted arson. So she pulled back her lawsuits against David and his trees. And in return David agreed to trim the tops and sides of the things.”

“What’s wrong with looking at trees?” Jim asked. “Trees are good, aren’t they? They attract birds…when they’re not migrating.”

I sighed. “That’s what you’re going to do, isn’t it? Migrate? I mean, now that the celebrity shooting season is officially over, you’re heading south for the winter just like the birds, right?”

Jim caressed my shoulder, kissed the nape of my neck. “I’d ask you to come with me, but I know you won’t.”

I laughed. “You won’t ask me to go with you because you’re worried I might. You’re just like my ex.”

Jim didn’t hesitate. “Come with me.”