Hazy Grooms and Homicides (A Raina Sun Mystery #8) Read online

  Brian clenched his jaw, holding back his words.

  “And you saw someone leave from the side entrance,” Raina continued. “You were a witness.”

  “I don’t want any trouble.”

  “Why would you be in trouble? You didn’t kill Claire.”

  “I don’t want to get involved. I have trouble enough of my own.”

  “But it’s your civic duty to help the police. Don’t you want the police to capture Claire’s killer? We can’t have a murderer roaming the streets.”

  “You don’t understand.”

  “Then explain it to me. I’m a good listener,” Raina whispered, using her most soothing tone.

  “I was good friends with Claire’s husband. They used to come every year to the Rock and Jam Convention. When her husband died, we still kept in touch with the occasional Christmas card. And two years ago, Claire finally started coming back.”

  “And when she asked you to be her lookout, you agreed,” Raina guessed.

  “Claire has several patents outside of her work with NASA. She was meeting a potential buyer for one of her patents, but she didn’t trust the person. So she wanted me close by in case the man tried to steal her prototype. I didn’t see this prototype, so I assumed it was small enough to fit inside her purse.”

  Raina raised an eyebrow. Either Brian was a chump, or he was lying. “And you just said yes?”

  “I had no reason to say no. What kind of man would I be if I didn’t help my friend’s widow?”

  “But why were you outside? I don’t see how you could help if you weren’t even within shouting distance.”

  “I could see through the glass panel with binoculars. When the Asian man came out, I stepped into the hedges to hide from him. I must have lost my badge then.”

  “After the Asian man left, you didn’t check on Claire,” Raina said. If he did, he would have shown up on the surveillance video or run into the killer maid. “If you had gone to check on her, you might have been able to save her.”

  “It’s not my fault.” Brian’s voice came out in a squeak.

  “Did Claire tell you anything else about the man she was meeting?” Raina asked, changing the subject. Now that Brian seemed emotionally vulnerable, it was time to press him for answers.

  “I don’t know anything about the deal. But while I stood outside waiting for her, I realized I had made a mistake. I didn’t feel comfortable with the situation at all. If the sale was on the up and up, why would she need to meet the buyer in the laundry room?”

  Raina didn’t have an answer to his question. “Why did she ask you? She didn’t know anyone else at the convention?”

  “I don’t know why. Maybe because we’ve known each other for a long time.”

  “Why didn’t you check the laundry room?”

  “I didn’t see her with the binoculars. I even waited, so I assumed that I missed her when I was hiding in the hedges. I went around the front of the hotel-casino to join the convention again. As soon as I got there, people came up asking me questions, and I completely forgot about her.”

  “When did you find out about her death?” Raina asked.

  “After lunch. I was shocked.”

  “Weren’t you upset with her for stealing the ten thousand dollars?”

  Brian stared at Raina like she grew another head. “Yeah, but I didn’t want her to die.”

  Raina cocked her head and studied Brian for a long moment. His anguish seemed real enough, but there was an undercurrent of another emotion. “Do you feel guilty?”

  Brian shifted from foot to foot. “Um, about what?”

  Raina zeroed in on his tone. Did he sound evasive? He didn’t appear to be talking about survivor’s guilt. “About the money?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Raina knew she was on the right track.

  Brian continued to avoid her gaze. “I have no idea how much Claire was supposed to get for selling a patent.”

  Raina narrowed her eyes, willing him to look at her. She hardened her voice. “I’m not talking about Claire’s patent deal. I’m talking about the missing ten thousand dollars. You embezzled the money and let Claire take the fall for it.”

  Brian finally met her eyes. He had turned ashen like the underside of a dead fish. “She was already dead. It wasn’t like the board members could do anything to her now. I planned to put the money back…”

  “I bet you took the money before you were hospitalized.”

  “Please don’t say anything. I just need time to pay it back.”

  Raina gave him a deadpan stare. If she hadn’t guessed correctly, would he volunteer to return the loot? “What did you spend the money on? Or maybe who did you spend the money on? Willie?”

  Brian hung his head, and his toupee slipped forward. “You can’t blame me for dreaming. A woman like Willie would never look twice at someone like me without the money.” He gestured at his stoop-shouldered frame.

  His assessment of the situation was probably right. Already in his late forties, with what her grandma would call a flat backside and zero muscle tone, he was scant competition for Detective Stafford.

  “Once the money runs out, she’ll probably walk out too,” Raina said.

  “But at least I got the girl for once.”

  At the look of anguish on Brian’s face, Raina didn’t have the heart to press him further. She could ask more questions about his relationship with Willie, but it was none of her business. And if Brian had no idea Willie was seeing somebody else, Raina didn’t have the heart to tell him.

  As Brian stepped through the double swinging doors, Hendricks came out of the storage room to stand beside Raina.

  “Did you hear the conversation?” she asked.

  “Every pathetic word,” Hendricks said.

  “What do you think? Do you believe him?”

  “I don’t see why he would lie. Not after his confession of stealing the money.” Hendricks’s face twisted into a sneer. “Some men just have to pay to get laid. I’m glad I never have that problem.”

  Raina grimaced inwardly. Why did some men always feel the need to brag about their sexual conquests?

  “And he mentioned the Asian man who got arrested. Brian would have to be outside to see this,” Hendricks said.

  Raina nodded in agreement. She wasn’t surprised Hendricks knew of Matthew’s arrest earlier, but she was surprised he didn’t insist the police already got the killer. Maybe he had more faith in her than she realized. “Can your staff find Gloria Tanaka for us?”

  Hendricks pulled out his cell phone. “They can try.”

  17

  Packing It Up

  Raina and Hendricks cooled their heels while the security team looked for Gloria Tanaka in the surveillance videos. The maid came out once to go across to the storage room and went back into the laundry room, giving them covert glances.

  Hendricks stepped outside into the loading dock to take a call.

  Raina pulled out her cell phone, but there weren’t any messages. The battery bar on her phone was at thirty percent. With the excitement of last night, she had forgotten to plug in her phone. Should she call or text Matthew? With the morning traffic, he probably hadn’t even arrived at the police station yet. Maybe she should wait until after lunch. She might have time to run upstairs to charge her phone. She would hate to cut their call short because of a dead battery.

  She texted the Posse Club. With Hendricks and his team helping to locate Gloria, she didn’t expect the senior citizens to do more than pretend to be detectives.

  I’ve talked to Brian. He’s not our killer.

  Maggie replied back.

  Okay. We’re in the exhibit hall, helping your grandma sneak into the back of each booth. She thinks the killer hid the disguise down here.

  Raina blinked at the message. She didn’t know what her grandma thought the killer would hide at such a public place, but maybe that was the point. Criminals had been known to hide things in plain sight. In this case, would it be the mai
d disguise?

  She made a mental note to circle back to have a chat with Joanne Littleleaf. Her grandma had mentioned finding a maid T-shirt among the box of wigs. Could the killer have discarded pieces of his or her disguise among the booths? That would be a smart thing to do. If Joanne was the killer maid, she would be stupid to hide the evidence in her own booth. And the saleswoman was anything but stupid.

  Raina replied back to Maggie.

  Keep a tight rein on Po Po. Ask Frank to restrain her if she does anything stupid.

  Maggie’s answer was almost immediate.

  Then we need to lock her in a padded cell!

  Raina chuckled at the message. This sounded about right. Po Po had spent most of her youth being an obedient Chinese wife. By the time Raina’s mom had moved home with her three children, her grandma threw off the yoke of conformity and became this new and improved version, reliving a second childhood. While it could be trying at times, Raina wouldn’t have things any other way.

  Hendricks came through the side exit, interrupting Raina’s wandering thoughts. He held up his cell phone. “They found Gloria. She’s at the buffet.”

  They trotted toward the casino floor. Hendricks pushed open the double swinging door and held it for her.

  “Thank you,” Raina said, stepping through. “Is Gloria by herself?”

  “She’s with some dude with long dreadlocks. I’m telling you, this convention always brings out the weirdos.”

  “Gloria is a NASA researcher.”

  “That’s even worse. Those types are always so uptight in their everyday life. When they come here, they think it’s like Woodstock or something. My boss is a prime example of this. She trades in her pants suit to run around in a skimpy dress with half her ass hanging out and an ugly wig.”

  Raina gave Hendricks a sideways glance. Boy, did he sound bitter. “What’s your problem? Are you upset because you don’t get to join the fun?”

  “I get to spend all week telling couples to go get a room—literally. Then I gotta turn a blind eye on the drugs unless it gets out of hand. And housekeeping is moaning about all the puke and mess they have to clean up. Trust me, lady, you don’t want to be on the staff this week.”

  Raina never considered how the people who worked here felt about the convention. “Some people might call this heaven.”

  Hendricks grunted. “Some heaven.”

  “Look on the bright side. With the murder, they might not come back again next year.”

  “Or it might grow bigger, which seems to be the case every year.”

  By this time, they were at the buffet line, and Hendricks stopped his complaints. He used his tank of a body to get to the head of the line. Raina followed on his heels. When people protested, he growled out, “Security,” and they gave way uneasily.

  “She’s sitting in a booth next to the restroom,” Hendricks said, striding ahead.

  Raina trotted to keep up with his much longer legs. She probably looked ridiculous like a high-spirited puppy keeping up with a foxhound in a chase.

  Hendricks got to the booth first. From the way he was frowning, Raina knew it wasn’t good news even before she got there. The booth was empty with no sign that Gloria would return with more food. The used plates with half-eaten food were still on the table with crumpled napkins on top of them. The receipt was turned upside down, indicating the previous occupants were done eating.

  “I guess we’re back to square one,” Hendricks said. “Do you want to hang out here while I ask my staff to look for her again?”

  “No. Why don’t you call me when you hear something? There’s someone else I would like to talk to,” Raina said, thinking of Joanne Littleleaf.

  She also didn’t like her grandma snooping around the exhibit hall without supervision. The members of the Posse Club were more likely to egg her grandma on than to urge caution. Senior citizens with free time on their hands and a c’est la vie attitude were a horrible combination for mischief.

  Hendricks narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What are you planning to do? Our deal was for me to take down the killer.”

  Raina gave him a deadpan stare. For someone who was the head of security, he had more faith in an amateur sleuth than himself for cracking the case. She didn’t know whether to be flattered or to be worried about this partnership with him. After all, she was counting on Hendricks’s muscle to keep her from physical harm.

  “Yes, I remember our bargain, but I need to check on my grandma. You know how she is,” Raina said.

  Hendricks rolled his eyes. “Oh, I remember your grandma, all right. I’m just thankful my granny was nothing like yours.”

  Raina was offended by his comment, but she kept a neutral expression. Her fun-loving grandma was the epitome of love and generosity. So what if she had eccentric characteristics? She was never ill-mannered or vulgar.

  Instead of replying with a snide comment about removing the stick from his bum, Raina rattled off her cell phone number. They agreed to check in with each other later.

  As Raina left the buffet, she wondered if Hendricks would try to confront Gloria without her, thereby cutting off Raina’s role in the murder investigation. He could play big man on campus for all she cared, but she didn’t want him to tip Gloria off. The NASA scientist moved about the convention like a sly cat already, and she wasn’t even trying to evade them. How much more difficult would it be if she tried?

  Raina pulled out her cell and texted the Posse Club.

  I’m going to the exhibit hall.

  Po Po replied back.

  We’re in the main hall, waiting for our turn on the stage.

  Raina frowned at the message. When did the three of them learn to perform rock music?

  Even if they rented the instruments, wouldn’t they need time to practice before a live stage? At least this would keep the three senior citizens from getting in trouble. She replied back.

  Have fun.

  Raina strode into the exhibit hall and made a beeline for Joanne Littleleaf’s costume booth. The vinyl banner with the business name was taken down. Only half the merchandise was still on the racks. Boxes were all over the small twelve by twelve space, some closed and taped up and others halfway full. She frowned. Were they in the middle of packing up? The convention wasn’t scheduled to end for another day.

  Instead of Joanne Littleleaf in the booth, a Native American man was taping up a cardboard box. His skin was brown and weathered—an outdoorsy type. Though his hair was completely white, he still moved with the energy and vigor of a much younger man.

  “Hi, are you Joanne’s husband?” Raina asked.

  He glanced up from his task. “Yes, ma’am. My name is John Littleleaf.”

  “My name is Raina Sun. I met your wife a few days ago when we bought several costumes from her. I was hoping to catch her before she leaves. I thought you would be here for the entire convention.”

  “Our eldest fell off a ladder. We have to get home to help with the grandkids.”

  “Oh, no. Is he all right?”

  “I don’t know. It sounds like he got banged up bad.”

  “I hope he makes a speedy recovery.” Raina hesitated. It would sound callous to broach the subject of the murder investigation at the moment. “Do you need a hand?” She stepped into the booth and grabbed a costume off the racks. “Which box does this go into?”

  “No, I can’t have you help me,” John said.

  “I don’t mind at all. If your wife were here, I would do the same thing. I like being helpful.” And often people felt obligated to talk with helpful people.

  John gestured at a box to Raina’s right. “The boxes are labeled by costume types. Just put all the sizes for a particular costume together.”

  Raina studied the labels. Western, superhero, rock, and a few others. She hadn’t noticed the other type of costumes the first time she was here. She had been too busy pumping Joanne for information. “Do you have an online store? Some of these costumes have fantastic details.”r />
  John finished taping the box and stacked it on top of the other closed boxes at the rear of the booth. “Not us. We do it the old-fashioned way by going from show to show. Our other son maintains the online shop for us. He packages and ships from our garage. It’s getting harder to make a living with the competition online. Every other customer shows us a lower online price with their cell phones. The fabric these online sites use is cheap plastic that lasts for one or two wearings.” He droned for several minutes on how technology had changed their livelihood.

  Raina didn’t have the heart to mention that technology had disrupted every industry. When he paused for breath, she asked, “Were you able to make a profit from this year’s show? Joanne was worried about this when we last spoke.”

  John hesitated. “So how long have you known Joanne?”

  “Just a few days.”

  “And she told you all this?”

  Raina shrugged, pretending a nonchalance she didn’t feel. He must wonder why his wife would confide to a virtual stranger. “You know how it is with women. When we get together, we chat about everything.” She hoped he would take her explanation at face value.

  John rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know how she is.” He got another box and started filling it. “With the cost of gas and the increased fees, we lost money this year. We might break even if we stay another day, but our son needs us.”

  Raina winced. “I’m sorry. With the holidays just around the corner, this must come as another blow.”

  “We’ll get by. We have some savings.”

  “She made it sound like you guys would lose the house if you don’t make a profit.”

  John chuckled. “We inherited the farm from my family. If worse comes to worst, the vegetable garden and the chickens will keep us fed. It’s not like we’ll eat cat food in our golden years.”