divorced divas 02 - crimped to death (19 page)

The large glass courthouse door that was up the steps in front of me, swayed a little, as if someone had gone in. I looked at my watch. It was well after seven and I knew they closed at five.

“Not if you have a key because you are redecorating the courthouse.” I whispered. A little tickled hit erupted in my gut when I realized that Charlie was probably the designer and it would be a perfect place for her and Dr. Russell to have a little rendezvous. 

One-by-one I took the marble courthouse steps up to the large glass door. I inhaled deeply and gripped the brass handle. Slowly I glanced behind me to see if anyone was looking. When I saw that the coast was clear, I opened the door and slid in.

The century-old courthouse was creepy during the day, downright terrifying at night. The red dot on the fire alarms and sprinkle system was the only light, which was no bigger than an ant on the wall.

“What did you say?”
A voice echoed down the hallway.

Lightly, I walked down the hall, following the murmurs. I stopped shy of the door where the light was coming from. With my backside and palms pressed up against the wall, I slid my way along until I reached the crack of the slightly open door.

Charlie and Dr. Russell were about an inch apart. Charlie continually wiped her eyes as though she had been crying.

“I didn’t say anything,” Charlie said. “There wasn’t anything to say.”

“Did you say anything about me wanting you to spy on him?” Dr. Russell grabbed her by the arms and jerked her to look up at him.

“No. They are assuming I smacked him at the bar because they believe he told me he was getting back with that fat wife of his.” She jerked away and stepped back. “When I really smacked him for grabbing my ass.”

“You keep doing what you are doing. Including the baked good for Barbie and keep your mouth shut,” Dr. Russell warned.

A deep-set fear made me rush back down the hall and into the shadows of the courthouse when I realized they were coming out of the room.

“I will meet you at the office tomorrow at lunch to discuss the plans.” Dr. Russell walked behind Charlie giving him instructions. “The Barn Dance is in a couple of days and hopefully Bernadine will be in jail and this whole mess will be over. No one ever has to know.”

“How do I look?” Charlie turned around and tousled her hair, making me all sorts of jealous. I never looked that good after I cried. “I can’t let Sean see me like this.”

“You keep Sean oblivious to what is going on. Hear me?” Dr. Russell swept a strand of Charlie’s hair behind her shoulder before he tucked his hand behind her neck. Bringing her closer to him, his lips covered hers in the most passionate kiss I had ever seen. Certainly one I had ever seen a doctor give to his interior decorator.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.” My mind was reeling after they let themselves leave one before the other, giving them enough space so members of the committee wouldn’t notice them together. I took my cell out of my pocket. I had to get ahold of anyone. Someone. “Charlie and Dr. Russell killed Henry.”

I held the phone in the air trying to get some reception.

“You knew the whole time.” Sean came out of the shadow and into the dimly lit hallway. “You knew she was playing me for some type of fool and laughing your ass off.”

“No. No I had no idea.” I took my hands out of the air. “But I think she and Dr. Russell killed Henry.”

“Why do you think that?” he asked.

“Because she was the interior decorator for Henry. She had access to his office. She went on a date with Henry before she cherry-picked you and she just kissed Dr. Russell.” I put my phone back in my pocket.

If I had to get all of this off my chest and Sean was the only one there to be a sounding board. . .so be it.

Damn, did he look good. And his natural scent that drove me crazy when we were younger and got me into bed, was even more aromatic tonight.

“That makes her a killer?” He laughed and ran his hands through his loose locks. “She isn’t a killer.”

“Dr. Russell didn’t want the competition from Henry. I know Henry was taking all his clients from him and Dr. Russell would stop at nothing to get rid of Henry.”

“He didn’t kill Henry, Holly.” Sean looked down at his feet. “Bernadine did.”

“She did not,” I defended her.

“They made an arrest as soon as she left your shop tonight.” Sean’s eye stared at me intently as if he was trying to see what I was going to do.

There was no time to waste. I rushed to the door and tugged on the handle. I had to get to Bernadine as fast as I could. I had to give Noah Druck the information about Dr. Russell and Charlie’s affair.

“Why won’t it open?” I tugged harder.

“Bernadine had the most to lose.” Sean continued to talk as I continued to tug. That was one quality of his that didn’t fit into our relationship. He loved to ignore me. “There was a five million dollar insurance policy on his life in Bernadine’s name. If he died before the end of the alimony payments, she was to be awarded five million dollars.”

“Five what?” I shook my head in disbelief. “Did you and Charlie knock back a few before the meeting?”

I pulled on the handle more.

“Open!” I screamed and banged on the glass. I put my hands over my eyes and shielded them to look out at the Barn Dance meeting, but it looked like they had dissipated and everyone had gone into the barn, way across the lawn. “Shit. We are locked in here and no one can hear us.”

I planted my back up against the glass door and slid down with my hands in my face.

“Did you hear me?” Sean babbled on while I tried to think of ways to get out of here. . .away from him.

“Phone! Donovan!”

Donovan.
. .my stomach churned. I had completely missed our eight o’clock Second Cup dessert date because I was stuck in here with Sean. I held the phone in the air and swirled it around when I saw that I still didn’t have any bars. I felt sick. I was already walking a thin line with our rocky relationship, no thanks to me.

“Donovan. Weee!” Sean waved his hands in the air and began to clap. “Yippee! Donovan can come save us. Poor us, helpless us.
Right,”
he mocked me. “And you won’t be able to use your phone in here. All the equipment blocks the cell tower signals.”

“He’s going to be so mad at me.”

“I hope you tell him you were with me.” Sean grinned and winked. “It will send macho man right over the edge.”

“Shut up,” I snapped. “What did you say about five million dollars?”

“Sweet Bernadine had it out for Henry.” Sean popped a squat next to me after he took a tug on the door handle. “She didn’t like the fact that he was taking her back to court to stop the alimony. I guess she left out the little bit of information about the five million dollar life insurance policy she made him take out to ensure she got her full installment of the alimony payments even after death.”

“Wait,” I interjected. “Are you telling me that there was a life insurance policy worth five million dollars payable to Bernadine?”

“Yes. If Henry was alive and finished out the alimony payments, the life insurance policy was voided. If Henry died before the alimony payments were complete per the divorce decree, then Bernadine was the beneficiary of the five million dollar policy.” He tapped his temple and leaned over. He whispered, his breath hot against my cheek, “One smart divorcée.”

“And that proves she killed him?” I asked, knowing it was a great reason to kill someone.

“Come on, Holly.” His face contorted. “Five. Million. Dollars.”

“Too bad you weren’t worth that much and I didn’t have that policy or you would’ve been dead a long time ago.” I sat shocked.

Why didn’t Bernadine tell me about the policy?

“That can’t be true.” I turned to Sean, not looking into his green eyes. “Bernadine didn’t have the crimp tool. It was in the
Under
.”

“What?” Sean had a perplexed look on his face.

Quickly I gave him the run down on the crimp tool and how I knew Charlie had been making bracelets at home.

“Charlie may be a lot of things. And I mean that. . .” His lips turned up like he had a dirty little secret about her, but knew not to tell me. “But she is not a killer. Killer body maybe.”

“Shut up!” I pushed him over and he laughed the whole time.

“Holly, she isn’t a woman like you.” He sat back up. His jaw tensed. His eyes locked with mine for a moment too long.

My heart fluttered. I took a deep gulp as his upper body leaned in a little too close.

“I have to get out of here.” I stood up and dusted off my backside. “There is no way she killed Henry. Money or not.”

Something didn’t add up and I was going to figure it out.

“They aren’t going to hear you.” Sean’s harsh laughter echoed throughout the halls of the courthouse as he got a kick out of me pounding on the glass.

“What time is?”

“Why? We aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.”

“What time is it?” I screamed and grabbed my phone. “Nine o’clock. Shit! Shit!”

I could picture Donovan over at Second Cup waiting on me. Another chance and I blew it.

“Were you and muscle man supposed to go out tonight?” Amusement danced around Sean’s face and his dimples deepened when he saw the look on my face and he was right. The look I always hated. “I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Shut up.” I slid back down the glass door, giving up on all hopes. There was no way I was going to be able to explain to Donovan what had happened. Twice in two days with Sean. It was over. “You can’t just leave well enough alone. Why? Why Sean? You don’t want me. You just want to say that I fell for you all over again, just so you can break my heart.”

About that time, I heard footsteps walking up the marble courthouse steps outside.

Ginger’s face planted up against the glass door looking into the darkness of the courthouse.

“Ginger!” I jumped to my feet and banged on the door. “We are in here!”

“Okay! Hold on. I will get someone.” She rushed off.

“Thank God I don’t have to be in here with you any longer.” I threw my arms down to my side. “Ouch!” I yelled out when something poked me.

I put my hands in my pocket and pulled out the piece of metal Willow had found under the rock at Bernadine’s house and the feather from Henry’s office. I put them back in my pocket when I saw Ginger and Patsy walking up.

They got the door open with a key.

“Patsy was talking to the Mayor about his remodel and he gave us the keys to let you out.” Ginger and Patsy looked at us suspiciously. “What were you two doing in there?”

“I came in to go to the bathroom and he followed me.” I shrugged and walked out before the glass door closed again on me. “He’s asking me out. Right Sean?”

I didn’t wait for him to answer. I grabbed Ginger on one side of me and Patsy on the other as we made our way to the barn.

Chapter Twenty One

“How long were you in there?” Patsy blue eyes practically leapt out of their sockets with concern. “I would have a nervous breakdown if I was in that creepy place in the dark.”

She handed the keys off to the Swanee mayor as we passed him. He smiled and she gave him a sweet smile and quick thank you.

“And with Sean.” Ginger wasn’t going to let that part go. “Was he really hitting on you? What about Charlie?”

“Charlie?” Patsy’s hat flew when she lifted her head. “Charlie St. Clair?”

“Long, long, long story.” I bent down and picked up the Burberry-inspired hat.

The straw fedora had the infamous Burberry plaid fabric around the base of it, giving it the touch of class we all knew Patsy encouraged. I handed it back to her.

“Cool hat,” I said with a bit of jealousy in my gut.

Patsy Russell was stylish, beautiful and much nicer than Charlie. Kevin Russell would be crazy to cheat on her, which made me think I was way off base with him being part of Henry’s murder, though Charlie was still number one suspect in my book.

“I love this one. I’ve had it so long that I don’t even mind the wear and tear.” Patsy laughed and brushed off the brim before she stuck it back on her head. “I’m missing some bling and feathers, but I think I like it better without them.”

“Still cute.” Ginger gestured to the table where all the strings of lights still needed to be strung. “Let’s go help out over there.”

I looked around. Sean and Charlie were in a heated conversation at the front of the stage, away from the lights. That was where I needed to be. . .away from him.

“I’m going to work on the table decorations.” Patsy waved bye and headed over to the adorable table lanterns where they were putting cute bling and candles in them. That was definitely her cup of tea. Bling looked good on and around her.

“Spill it.” Ginger walked over and picked up the balled-up, mangled set of lights that was going to keep us busy for a while.

“More than ever I believe that Charlie had something to do with Henry.” I could feel it in my gut. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was something. “When Patsy came to the shop, she confirmed that Henry and Charlie were having an affair. But. . .” I bit the edges of my lip. I looked over at Charlie. My eyes clouded with anger as she and Sean seemed to be making up. “Sean told me that Bernadine stood to gain millions of dollars upon the death of Henry Frisk to pay out the rest of the alimony. And if Henry changed the alimony, the insurance policy would be deleted too.”

“So that was the evidence they had to arrest her?” Ginger’s eyes grew bigger.

“Yeah.” I didn’t understand why Bernadine hadn’t told any of us about it.

“That’s a big deal.” Ginger held up the ball of lights, sighed, and put them back down. “It gives her motive much larger than killing for alimony. Especially if it’s millions.”

“That’s what I thought too. But why didn’t she ever mention it?” I asked. “I walk with her every day and she never mentioned it. Ever.”

“Some people don’t like to talk about money.” Ginger handed me the ball of lights. “Do you think you can figure this out?”

“Can I talk to you?” Charlie walked up behind us unannounced.

“I’ll go get us a drink.” Ginger looked between me and Charlie before she bolted off.