Marjorie Thelen - Designer Detective

“How about my word?”

“How about a signed contract for redesigning Opal’s house and a deed to her little place. Photos would be nice, too, just to make sure I like it. Let me talk to Opal.”

“Right, here she is.”

“Fiona, it’s true. I want you to have this nice bunkhouse that’s sitting empty on my place. It’s got a pretty view of the mountains and a tree. It doesn’t sit too close to my house and is on a little knoll so you won’t have to worry about spring flooding. You’ll like it. I’ve been meaning to find just the right person to live there. I’ll write out a contract and a letter deeding the place to you.”

“It’s a deal.”

The drive around the Capitol Beltway gave me time to have second thoughts. It was late. I was tired. By the time I arrived at the Marriott Tysons Corner in Virginia where the Wild West show was staying, I had decided my return was a bad idea. As I drove by the front entrance in that humongous truck, looking for a parking space, I spotted Alice under the portico. I did a double take. She was in profile, standing alone by the door. But it was her. I needed to talk to that woman.

I found a place to park which, unfortunately, was at the end of a long row of fancy cars, the only place big enough for the monster truck. Even though it was dark, I put on my sunglasses, shouldered my bag, and, carefully, made my way toward where I saw Alice standing. She was gone. I hurried inside, gyrating in all directions but at the same time trying to be cool behind the Hollywood glasses. I almost collided with Jake who came into the lobby from the bar.

“Fiona, you are a princess.” He pulled me into his arms and hugged me till I cried time out.

“Wait,” I said, “I’ve changed my mind. I can’t do this. I could end up in jail.”

“We all could. But let’s not worry about that now. The important thing is that you are here.” He released his grip and his hands drifted down my arms. “You want to share my room? It has a king bed,” he said, with a twitch of his lips. “We wouldn’t have to get close. We could just be friends.”

I laughed. “Is this part of the incentive package?”

“Part of my incentive package.”

I studied him and saw hope in those big browns. I hated to turn him down but I had my standards. Trouble was they were slipping. But I had to be strong.

“Thanks, but I snore, and I always sleep alone.”

“Too bad.” He still held my arms, seeming reluctant to turn me loose. “You’re going through with the alibi, aren’t you? We’re counting on you.”

“I have to think it over. We need to talk about how this is going to play out and when I have to perjure myself and what the consequences are. Our stories all have to be straight.”

“Right. No problem. Opal, Hudson and I have already thought it through. You tell the police that all of us including Hudson were at your place for a little party and that we all had a little too much to drink so we all stayed over. Very simple.”

“Sounds more like an orgy than a party.”

He shrugged. “Whatever. I know how much you like Hudson. You’d be saving his ass.”

“Put it that way, I have to do it.”

“That’s my girl.”

“By the way, you didn’t see Alice around here, did you?”

“Don’t tell me you’re back on Alice. You have Alice on the brain. Why would she be here?”

“That’s what I want to know. I saw her when I pulled in. She was standing out front, alone. I went right by her. By the time I parked and came in, she was gone. I thought maybe you saw her in the bar.”

Jake looked around. “I was the only person I knew in there. But let’s look again. I’ll buy you a drink. You could probably use one.”

The No Name Lounge, as it was oddly called, featured the elegant carved wood look. We settled at a high top table for two.

“This is a stake out,” I said, pulling my sunglasses down to look around.

“Fiona, take off the shades. You’re overdoing it.” Jake said, signaling for the waiter.

“Sure.” I slipped them into my purse. “We don’t want to draw attention.”

“Red wine for the lady,” he said, “and a Sam Adam’s on tap.”

I smiled at the waiter who looked no more than ten years old. I contemplated carding him.

“Excuse me,” I said. “You didn’t happen to notice a striking woman in here who looks a lot like Elizabeth Taylor.”

“Elizabeth who?”

“No, you’re too young. You wouldn’t remember. She has black hair, wears lots of makeup, dresses nice.”

He crinkled his wrinkleless brow. “We have a lot of ladies come in here look like that. I’ll get your drinks.”

He scurried off, probably to report us to the police.

“So much for our stake out,” I said and scanned the room which for the lateness of the hour was pretty crowded. The younger set was in predominance, and they were the usual loud bunch. The waiter was half right. Every girl in the room seemed to have black hair and wore layers of makeup in a rainbow of color. I couldn’t say a lot for their skimpy dresses, because there wasn’t much to them.

“Will you tell me why you are so fixated on Alice?” Jake asked as we waited for our drinks to arrive.

“Jake, don’t you get it? Alice is the key. The man in the fedora who we fled from in the garage was last seen in the company of Alice. She was the woman at the door when Cody answered. Cody said so himself. Cody reminded me several times that the man wanted me disappeared, as he put it. Alice is connected to that man. I want to know how. I want to know what she is doing here, the same place you, me, Opal, and Hudson are tonight.”

“You better stay in the room with me. I can protect you then. Besides I doubt they have any more rooms. There’s a big dentist convention in town, and people with perfect smiles are here from all over.”

I considered his suggestion, believe it or not, more seriously this time. “You think she might try to abduct me if I stayed in a room by myself.” I’d heard this line before.

Our drinks arrived, and the child hurried off before I could quiz him again. Smart boy.

“You bet. She may try. Or one of those guys will try. I think you need my protection for the night.”

I sipped my wine and knew that if I had too many of these, my morals would slip again. I frowned. My thinking ran wild.

“You’re just saying that because you want me in the sack.”

He shook his head. “I’m serious. If you think Alice is a threat because she’s connected to Cody’s business associates, we better take precautions.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re finally coming around to my way of thinking. I propose we ask if there is a woman named Alice registered here and search the hotel.”

“We don’t know her last name.”

“Yes, we do. Her last name is Wonderland. She’s Alice Wonderland. Don’t her parents have a great sense of humor?”

“More like strange sense of humor. Okay, we can give it a try.”

“Bottoms up. We’ll do some sleuthing. Are Opal, Hudson, and the boys tucked in for the night?”

“Opal went to bed,” Jake said. “Hudson and the boys went out carousing.”

“Hudson carousing? That seems out of character for him.”

“He’ll be fine. He’s in good hands. They promised to have him back by the stroke of midnight.”

“It’s way past midnight.”

“Then I’m sure they’re back.”

“Is Opal’s room beside yours?”

“No, we’re all over the place. The boys and Hudson are in one room.”

“Maybe we should all stay in one room for the night. I worry about Opal.”

Jake didn’t look like he was too pleased with that picture. “Let’s see if we can scare up the mythical Alice,” he said.