Donally, Claire - Cat Nap (A SUNNY & SHADOW MYSTERY)

“They didn’t bring out the rubber hose,” Sunny told her. “Fitch was his usual sunny self, but he didn’t give me much attitude. Trumbull tried to pick my story apart when I told him about meeting the waitress, but all in all, he was just double-checking.”

“Even so, it can’t have been fun.” Jane spoke with the certainty of someone who’d gone through a real interrogation. “I’m sorry you had to get hauled off. Seems to me he could have come to you, or even sent Fitch to ask his questions.”

“He could have,” Sunny said. “But I think he had another reason for getting me down there.”

She described the byplay between Fitch and Trumbull. “They had no reason to discuss alibis in front of me,” Sunny finished. “And knowing that I’m friendly with you, they had good reason not to.”

“Unless they wanted me to hear about it.” Jane’s voice grew tight. “If he’s crossed Ralph and Christine Venables off his suspect list, then he’ll be coming after me again.”

“If.” Sunny emphasized the word. “The thing is, police can lie.”

“So we’ve got to check up on those alibis right away,” Jane said. “I’ve got to call Tobe.” But instead of hanging up, she paused. “How would you feel about an undercover assignment?”

“Questioning Ralph or Christine? I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sunny said.

“Actually, I was thinking you might have a chat with their daughter, Kristi.” Jane rushed on before Sunny could interrupt with objections. “I happen to know where she’ll be from about noon till one tomorrow. I always bump into her at the beauty salon.”

“It’s a small world,” Sunny said. And a weird one, she silently added. This Kristi kid is supposed to be unemployed. How can she afford a weekly visit to a pricey salon? It must be nice to have well-off parents. For that matter, why would someone as gorgeous as Jane need such regular beauty treatments?

“I can switch you into my appointment,” Jane went on, her enthusiasm growing. “And you can do your reporter thing on her. It would be perfect. And you know you need a trim, Sunny. Come on. I’ll pick up the tab.”

“All right,” Sunny capitulated. “On one condition. You’ll have to cover for me at the office. If any important calls come in, you’ll have to get me on my cell.”

They made the necessary arrangements, with Sunny silently shaking her head. If Ollie Barnstable caught wind of this, she’d probably end up owing him a week’s work.

*

The next morningwent smoothly enough. The good news was that Ollie didn’t turn up to try and make life difficult. Jane arrived at the office early, so Sunny had a chance to get her set up comfortably. Then Sunny got in her Wrangler and headed for the salon. The place was actually on the outskirts of Saxon, the next town up the coast, which in recent years had gone considerably upscale, and this beauty parlor was definitely part of that process. It wasn’t just a hairdressing establishment anymore; it was a day spa—not that Sunny had a day to spend there.

She sat in a gown provided by the management, waiting for her shampoo and looking over the other clients. Kristi Venables was easy to spot. Most of the customers were somewhat older than Sunny. Kristi looked like a younger edition of her mom, her face perhaps a bit plumper, with the start of bags under her eyes.

No wonder she’s in here every week, that critical voice in the back of Sunny’s head whispered. Either she’s out partying all night, or she’s up worrying.

As the two youngest people waiting for treatments, it was easy enough to strike up a conversation with Kristi. “It’s nice to get away from the job for a little bit, even if it’s only a long lunch hour,” Sunny said.

Kristi sighed. “I just wish I had a job to get away from. When I graduated college, I thought I was lucky, scoring a public relations gig in Boston. I thought the two summers I’d worked for them as an unpaid intern were paying off.”

She scowled. “But then they laid off my whole department, I couldn’t keep my place in Boston, and I ended up back here with my folks. Do you know how hard it is to get a PR job around these parts?”

Actually, Sunny did. When she couldn’t find any journalism work, she had made the rounds for any job that might use her skills at writing copy. “You probably have a better shot than a lot of people,” she said, trying to put some sympathy in her voice. “You’ve got some experience, but not so much that you’d price yourself out of the market here.”

Kristi looked a little surprised. “I never thought of it that way. All I’d see when I went on interviews was a lot of people with better résumés than mine.”

“A better résumé doesn’t necessarily get you a job—not when a company figures you’ll be out the door as soon as you can use that résumé to find a better salary.” She’d had several interviews where she’d heard as much. “You just have to keep trying.”

“That’s for sure,” Kristi said. “I hate depending on my mom and dad for everything. I’m even on their insurance again. I kinda need it, since I have asthma. That doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

She looked very young for a moment. “Most of the time, it’s not like I’m even with them. Dad’s away in Augusta, ‘running the state,’ as he likes to say. And Mom isn’t home much. Sometimes I think they just don’t like to see me hanging around.”

“Maybe we just majored in the wrong stuff in college,” Sunny suggested with a smile. “We should have gone out for something more practical, like being a vet.”

Kristi laughed. “I don’t think my allergies would let me do that. And maybe it’s more dangerous than you think. A vet got killed in Portsmouth last week! My mom used to bring our dog to him, and do you know what? The cops came yesterday, asking questions. I guess they must be getting desperate if they thought my mom could tell them anything.”

Sunny kept her voice light. “What was it like? Were they all, ‘Where were you on the night of the twenty-third?’”

She did her best cop voice, and Kristi laughed again. “You know, you’re pretty close. They did ask where Mom had been, but as it turns out, she was home with me all evening. She was supposed to go out, but then she didn’t.”

The girl looked a little embarrassed. “It’s the first time I ever saw it happen. Mom opened a bottle of wine — and finished it. I had to put her to bed. She was out like a light”

21

Sunny returned tothe office feeling a little bit lighter and definitely more stylish. Her stylishness factor declined considerably when she saw Jane sitting behind her desk. The office furniture might be on the beaten-up side and the computer was definitely last generation, but Jane looked high-fashion and perfectly groomed in spite of missing out on her weekly beauty fix.

“I’m back,” Sunny announced as she opened the door. “Please tell me that Ollie didn’t stop by.”

“ Nobody stopped by,” Jane told her. “The phone didn’t ring. This was the quietest hour and change I’ve spent in I don’t know how long.”

“I’m surprised,” Sunny said with a grin. “With you in the window, I’d have expected our foot traffic to go up a couple of hundred percent.”

Jane gave her a skeptical look. “When you start spreading it that thick, I know you’re setting me up for bad news.”

Sunny shrugged. “It looks as if Trumbull isn’t playing head games. The police did talk with the Venables family, and Kristi did indeed give her mom an alibi.”

Jane slumped in the desk chair, her hands clasped together way too tight. “That means he’ll be coming after me again. I guess the only thing that’s slowing him down is that he can’t put me in Portsmouth at the time of the murder.”