Barking with the Stars Page 7

  It’s five o’clock somewhere, right?

  “So, what are you doing here, Geoffrey?”

  “You seem to have some pull with the homicide detective.” He leaned back in the cushions. “I thought you could put in a good word for me.”

  The absolute embodiment of an ego so huge that he truly believed the woman he had cheated on, destroyed professionally, and now was attempting to put out of business would “put in a good word.”

  “What planet are you from?” I could not believe he’d just said that.

  He looked confused.

  “So what happened, Geoffrey?” I took my glass and sat in the chair opposite him. “As crazy as it seems, I actually don’t think you killed Purple. But I’m pretty sure the police don’t have any other suspects.”

  “She was dead when I got there.” He shrugged. “I was supposed to meet her, and the door was unlocked when I got to her suite. I went in and there she was.”

  “You’re sure she was dead?” I leaned in to look him in the eye. Though I didn’t have the best track record with Geoffrey Carlisle lie-detecting. “You checked?”

  “No, I panicked and left.” He looked away.

  Now that sounded much more like the Geoffrey I knew.

  “Did you see anyone?”

  “No one.” He shook his head. “I mean there were people in the courtyard and around the hotel but I didn’t really notice.”

  “How far into the room did you go?”

  “Far enough I could see her and the blood on the rug.”

  “You didn’t even call for medical help?” I downed my wine. “What if she were still alive and could have been saved?”

  “Trust me, she wasn’t alive.” He exaggerated a shiver. “Still, you have to know running out like that makes you look guilty.” “Like I said, I panicked. I wasn’t thinking about whether or not it made me look guilty.”

  “Well, it does.” I resisted the urge to add additional commentary on how incredibly heartless it was to not give aid. To not call someone. “What did Detective Malone say?”

  “He said they were going to check security cameras, but I needed to stay close. Not to leave town. That sort of thing.” He cleared his throat. “I think I need to get an attorney. Do you have any recommendations?”

  I couldn’t tell Geoffrey that the cameras were not going to be any help. Frankly, I thought the tampering confirmed that he wasn’t involved. Unless he had an accomplice, and why would he, dealing with electronics was beyond his area of expertise.

  “I can get you some names.” I regretted the offer as soon as it was out of my mouth. I’d wanted to hear his side of the story, but I sure didn’t need to be Hannah Helpful with all that he’d done to make my life miserable.

  “I should go.” He drained the last of his wine and handed me the glass.

  I didn’t disagree. I’d been civil about as long as I could, and my patience was wearing thin.

  He stood. “Here’s my cell number.” He handed me a card.

  I didn’t even look at it. Placing it on the coffee table, I walked him to the door.

  He stopped in the open doorway. “And you’ll put in a good word with your pal, Detective Malone?”

  “I’ve already told him I didn’t think you did it.”

  “Thanks, Carolina.” He leaned in as if to kiss my cheek.

  I backed up. “You’re welcome. Don’t make me regret it.”

  I closed the door quickly and leaned on it.

  Walking back to the couch, I picked up the wine glasses and rinsed them in the sink.

  I picked up my phone to check the time. I had missed a call from Diana, probably with a time and place for the committee meeting.

  I called her back right away and grabbed Dogbert’s leash from its hook by the door. He heard the sound and came galloping down the hallway from the living room.

  Diana picked up immediately. “How are you, sweetie?” she asked.

  “I’m okay.” I clipped the leash to Dogbert’s collar and we stepped out into the warm evening. “I’m so sorry I missed your call. I’m afraid I just crashed after I got home and then when I woke up my mother called.”

  “Oh.” Her pause said she knew what that meant. “How did that go?”

  “As you might imagine.”

  The sun was just beginning to set, and the slight breeze off the ocean reminded me of all the things I loved about Laguna. I breathed in the fragrance of my neighbor’s evening primrose mixed with salt air. The perfect SoCal evening.

  “The committee would like to meet for brunch tomorrow at ten at the hotel to discuss our next steps.” Diana brought me back to the conversation at hand. “I hope you can make that work.”

  “I’ll be there.” Dogbert picked up the pace a bit and I let him. We both needed to stretch our legs and a brisk walk would do us both good.

  “Great, I’ll see you then.”

  Dogbert and I finished our walk in no time. Once we were back home, I suddenly realized I had not only skipped lunch but I’d also missed supper.

  I tried Sam as I was throwing together a sandwich but got his voicemail again. These meetings must be keeping him hopping. I checked the time and left a message. Tomorrow I’d keep trying until we connected.

  THE NEXT MORNING, I lay in bed a few minutes after I woke up, hoping it was all a bad dream. Life can take the most tragic turns at the drop of a hat. I thought about Purple and the plans that she’d had. A new house, a career taking off, and it sounded like a significant someone in her life.

  I shifted cats from against my legs, Thelma on one side and Louise on the other, and made myself get up. The two looked at me in offense and meowed in protest before stretching and settling back into the soft covers. Dogbert, on the other hand, was a morning person and was immediately ready for whatever was to come next.

  Starting coffee, I turned on the local news. The heat wave continued. Thunderstorms were predicted for the evening, which was unusual for SoCal. High surf warnings were a possibility as the storms moved in. Of course, the murder was the biggest news story but the coverage simply recounted what the police spokesman had said the day before.

  I dressed for the day knowing I’d be going to my pet appointments directly from the meeting with the committee. Dark Lucky jeans and a lightweight, pink silk shell were simple and casual. I threw on my embroidered Valentino varsity jacket over the shell in deference to the brunch crowd.

  I checked Diana’s message. We were to meet in the Sea Horse Room for brunch and talk about what would happen now that the event had no headliner.

  I arrived and again handed the valet my keys. I checked with the desk to make sure I knew where the Sea Horse Room was. It was the other side of the courtyard and didn’t have a view of the lobby. The quiet breakfast and brunch bistro had been situated to take full advantage of the ocean view.

  Diana was already seated but rose to kiss my cheek and give me a badly needed hug. Her bright-blue Michael Kors wrap dress matched the bright blue of her eyes and cheered me immensely.

  Diana’s presence had drawn the attention of a few people in the restaurant. She was genuinely loved by all ages. Her fans were, certainly, people who’ve seen her movies or even re-runs of her movies. And she continued to do special projects. But she’d moved from movie star to animal advocate in recent years and was in the news as much, if not more, than she had been in her heyday.

  A young woman approached just as I arrived at the table.

  “I’m very sorry to bother you.” She held out a notebook to Diana. “But could I have your autograph? It would mean so much to me.”

  “Of course, you may.” Diana was always gracious with fans. She signed the notebook with a flourish and smiled at the girl.

  “Who is that with Diana Knight?” I heard a whisper from th
e table behind me.

  “Oh, she’s nobody,” the whisperer’s companion responded.

  That’s right. That’s me. I’m nobody, and I am thoroughly thrilled about that fact. I’d had enough fame and notoriety to last me a lifetime. When Geoffrey’s affair with a client back in Texas where we’d shared a joint counseling practice had resulted in both of us losing our licenses, there had been a media feeding frenzy. As well as an almost daily feature in the Dallas Morning News about all the details, the lawsuits, and the divorce. I was beyond happy to be “nobody.”

  “How are you?” Diana patted the chair next to her.

  I cringed a little, remembering. “I’ve been better. You?”

  “I’ll be better when we can figure out what we’re going to do for a star for our event.” She tapped the table with one polished nail. “I don’t mean to be unfeeling, but we’d booked Purple months ago and we were lucky she was willing to fit us in. Now with only a week to go, it’s going to be difficult to find someone who is both willing and available.”

  “That’s true.” I sat down and placed my tote on the floor. “Do we even go on at this point?”

  “I hadn’t considered that possibility but I suppose we have to think about it.” Diana leaned back.

  “It would be a shame. Warriors for the Paws is doing such important work and so many people are not even aware of what’s happening with our veterans. I had no idea the scope of the problems before you told me about them.”

  Diana raised a brow. “You know you’re preaching to the choir, hon.”

  “Ah, there you are.” Sunny had arrived, looking sharp as always but with a furrow in her brow that hadn’t been there the last time we’d met. We chatted only a few minutes more, and Ben and Danny were seated. A quick look at the menu and we all ordered.

  “Let’s get down to business, shall we, while we’re waiting for our food?” Sunny was a straight-shooter, but I could tell she was shaken by both the murder and what this might mean for the fundraising efforts. “Do we go on? Is there time to find someone else?” She looked at the group.

  “Diana and Sunny, you’re better at this than the rest of us,” Ben commented. “You’ve probably done tons of fundraisers. What do you think?”

  “Our biggest issue, I believe, is finding a big name to take Purple’s place.” Danny reached for the energy drink he’d brought with him. He was right, of course. Without Purple we had stars, but no one as big as she was. No one with her following.

  “When I spoke with a few of the stars today, they were shaken but no one was talking about bailing on us,” Diana spoke up.

  “What would you think of Nora Worthington?” Danny asked.

  “She’d be great. And I know she’s an avid animal lover.” Diana beamed at the thought, but then her face fell. “But I can’t imagine she’d be available at this late date. And if by some miracle she was, would she be willing?”

  “Her agent has been putting out feelers about Nora being on Search for Signs,” he said. “I could have my office call the agent and see if we couldn’t arrange some sort of in-kind agreement.”

  “I love her stuff.” I’d recently been listening to her latest. She was a gutsy R & B singer who’d had several hits and had also dipped her toes into acting with cameos on several popular television shows.

  “Of course, you all would have to be sworn to secrecy. If it gets out that I’m open to barter, it will be the end.” Danny finished the rest of his energy drink in one gulp.

  We laughed.

  “You all laugh, but I’m serious. I don’t want my office staff to find themselves in the middle of Let’s Make a Deal.”

  “I think she’d be a great choice.” Ben signaled the waiter for more coffee. “If you can make that happen, I’d say go ahead.”

  “We might think about a sort of tribute to Purple as a part of the show,” I added. I thought about the people in the lobby yesterday and their reactions to the news. “I’m sure her fans would appreciate that.”

  “Any word on services?” Sunny asked.

  “Not that I’ve heard.” I could ask Mandy. Or one of the super-fans, they seemed to know everything.

  “I met with Drake Owen this morning on another matter.” Danny drummed his fingers on the table. “He’s been in town working with us on a new project. His expectation was that there would be a private service at a later date.”

  “Drake Owen?” I knew who the country mega-star was but I hadn’t made the connection when I’d heard the Purple fans mention Drake.

  “Yes, her fiancé, he’s pretty broken up over this.” Danny moved to tapping his phone on the table. Maybe he needed to lay off the energy drinks.

  “I think a tribute of some sort would be a great idea,” Sunny leaned forward to say. “Look around you at all the Purple fans in the hotel.”

  We agreed to hold for one more day before making any sort of decision. Danny would contact Nora Worthington’s agent and see if she would consider helping us out and if her schedule would permit. He would let us know. We really had a very short time to decide what to do. If we could find another headliner with star power to step in, there would still be a lot of work to do to see if we could salvage the remains of this event.

  Food had arrived and Danny asked to have his food boxed so he could take off. The rest of us moved on to small talk as we ate. I don’t know if Diana had briefed them or if they were all just extremely well mannered, but no one mentioned the questioning of my ex-husband in conjunction with the murder investigation.

  As soon as we were done, I left the hotel and turned back toward downtown. I had one appointment to attend to and then, I’d decided, I would pay Mandy a visit. I’d phoned her, but she hadn’t returned my call. Tania had confirmed for me that Purple’s suite was still being treated as a crime scene and that Mandy was back at Purple’s Laguna Beach house. I decided to take a chance on stopping by. It would give me a chance to clear up some things with Mandy. Besides I really wanted to check in on Lavender.

  Chapter Seven

  PURPLE’S HOUSE was in Diamond Cove, a super-gated community that was into privacy and security in a big way. As I drove up to the guard shack, I wondered if I was still on the list. I had been because of working with Lavender, but who knew if the very efficient Mandy had had me removed when Geoffrey replaced me. I probably should have called ahead.

  “Good morning, Ms. Lamont.” The guard was the regular one for this time of day, and after asking me to sign in on his tablet computer, he waved me through. Diamond Cove was so high tech, I was surprised they didn’t just use your fingerprint or one of those retina scan things like they have in the movies. If eye scans aren’t already in play, they are probably coming soon to a paranoid SoCal subdivision near you.

  I drove through the winding streets and pulled into the half-circle driveway. The beautiful modern house was so new I couldn’t imagine what needed to be remodeled. But apparently, the project continued as there was a Pacific Coast Construction truck already in the drive. I parked beside it.

  The doorbell was answered quickly by a redheaded apron-wearing woman I’d not met in previous visits. I wondered where Pat, the usual lady, was. Maybe they had particular days and I’d come during one of her off days. I would have definitely remembered this one. My hair is red—as in my-ancestry-must-definitely-have-some-Scots/Irish—but apron lady’s red was more of a Crayola primary red color. I explained to her that I was Lavender’s pet therapist and was just here to check on her.

  “Yes, yes.” The lady motioned me to come in. “The doggie is out on the terrace with Sheron, the hair lady.”

  I was confused by that. I thought Purple was very much the hair lady herself. Not sure what to expect, I followed her as she wound her way through the living room and out to the stunning pool and patio.

  An ash-blond woman in white capris and a
gauzy taupe top played fetch with the little dog. Lhasa Apsos, like most dogs, need enough exercise to keep them fit, but most of all they need attention. They’re such a loyal breed that they crave as much attention as a pet parent is willing to give. Part of the reason I’d been concerned about Lavender’s state, given her dog mom’s death.

  “Very good, girl.” The lady picked up the little dog and cuddled her to her chest. The dog leaned in and tucked her head.

  Aww. I felt my throat tighten. I was so glad that Lavender had someone to comfort her. So many people are dismissive of the effect of grief on animals, but believe me, they know. They often provide comfort to us when we’re dealing with a loss, but sometimes they also need comfort themselves.

  “Sheron,” the apron lady called out, “it’s the doggie therapist.”

  Sheron turned and set Lavender down on the terrace. She stepped forward and held out her hand. “Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Sheron, the resident hair stylist.”

  I clasped her hand. Strong fingers and unpainted nails. Not like the stylists I’d been used to on the beauty pageant circuit.

  “You do . . . uh . . . did, Purple’s hair?” I wasn’t sure how much doing that entailed but I guessed it was all about the look.

  “That’s right.” Sheron stepped back and patted Lavender who’d not left her side since she’d set her down. “All the wigs and such. And then when a person is wearing wigs all the time you’ve got to worry about the health of their real hair.”

  I hadn’t considered the perils of wig-wearing but it made sense.

  “I also do Lavender’s hair.” She patted the dog’s head. “I’m not a groomer, but once the groomer has the trim completed I take care of the purple hair coloring.”

  “Oh, I see.” I reached down and let Lavender sniff my fingers. “I guess you’re one of the few people who actually saw her, Purple that is, without her face almost totally covered by hair.”

  “I guess. Though that was mostly about being out in public. Around home she was like anyone else.”