Masking for Trouble Page 16

  “You better do it soon. It’s already after seven, and I’m going to need an answer so I can make this thing happen. If he says no, we’re going to be celebrating Halloween at the PCP.”

  Proper City had been known to stage celebrations at the PCP, most regularly the Sagebrush Festival that took place every summer. But while the park was the perfect central location for pop-up tents, games, rides, and the occasional musical performance, it wasn’t right for Halloween and Ebony knew it. The houses in West Proper would be perfect as long as we could get permission, transform their appearance, and get the word out. A borderline impossible deadline, if it wasn’t for Ebony.

  “I’ll make it happen. Trust me.”

  I went to the counter and found the file with Sol’s phone number and address. Halfway through his phone number, I set the phone back down on the cradle. I didn’t want to take a chance on him saying no over the phone.

  Instead of Sol, I called Bobbie. “I’m heading out to talk to Sol Girard about Halloween. You want to join me?”

  “I thought you were going to talk to Tak?”

  “Not yet. The store has been busy and now there’s this to deal with. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

  “You’re avoiding confrontation.”

  “I’m confronting the very real possibility that Proper City isn’t going to have Halloween because of a murder investigation.”

  “Tomato, tomahto.” She laughed. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to go to West Proper? That area can be a little rough.”

  “It’s ten after seven. We’ll be there by seven thirty and home by eight.”

  “I can’t get away for another ten minutes. Where do you want to meet?”

  “Main Line Road dead-ends into the mountain. Let’s meet there and then drive to Sol’s together.”

  “Okay, see you soon.”

  I went upstairs and found a navy blue quilted nylon coat that fit over my flight attendant outfit. Ivory chased Soot from room to room. Soot stopped in the middle of the kitchen, turned around, and hissed at Ivory. The white puffball of dog whimpered for a moment, looked up at me with his big brown eyes, and then back at Soot. My grumpy gray cat stuck his paw out and swiped at the air between the two of them, but even I could see that his claws were retracted. It was clear that Soot enjoyed the chase as much as Ivory.

  I scooped up Soot and cradled him like a baby. His front paws jutted straight out and crossed slightly. His back legs twitched and sought for something to leverage himself against. I ruffled the fur on his ample belly, and then leaned down and kissed him square on top of his head. His hind legs caught my arm, he pushed until he was sitting up, and stuck his paws over my shoulder. Ivory hopped around my ankles and Soot looked down at him and meowed. He hopped from my shoulder to the top of the refrigerator, then moved down to the counter and the floor. The second he hit the ground, Ivory took off after him.

  Kids.

  I went back downstairs and told my dad where I was going. “Are you going to be here when I get home?” I asked.

  “Sure I will.” He looked at me funny. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay out later? Maybe see one of your friends?”

  “No. Tomorrow’s a big day. I’ll be home within the hour.”

  For the first time in my life, I couldn’t read the expression on his face.

  * * *

  THE scooter was low on gas, so I topped it off and then continued on my drive. Like earlier that day, traffic on this side of town was slight. I spent more time stuck at an out-of-service traffic light than any other part of the job. Whoever was in charge of road maintenance needed to know about that.

  Streetlamps illuminated the drive down Main Line Road. The farther I went, the more desolate it appeared. I was glad that I’d asked Bobbie to meet me. I slowed as I approached the dead end at the end of Main Line and looked for Bobbie’s car. There were no signs of her. I pulled off to the side of the street and raised the visor from my helmet. Behind me, a pair of headlights approached. I hopped off my scooter and pushed it behind the sign advertising strawberries. It would make more sense for us to arrive together.

  As the headlights grew closer, I realized that the car approaching wasn’t Bobbie at all. I was at a dead end in West Proper—completely vulnerable and alone.

  Chapter 23

  TAK PULLED HIS SUV up alongside me and rolled down the window. “Long time no see,” he said.

  “Two whole days.”

  “You’ve been avoiding me,” he said.

  It wasn’t so much avoiding him as it was trying to understand where we stood. Cooper’s comments about Tak playing the field and keeping relationships secret and Gina’s comments that he and Detective Nichols had been to Candy Girls to rent their costumes for the party would have been enough. But there was something else. I didn’t like the sneaking around. I didn’t like how we pretended to barely know each other in public. If he was embarrassed to be seen with me, then there was no point pretending.

  “I’ve been busy.” I cringed at the sound of my voice. It had a note of distance to it, as if I were talking to a stranger. “The store, and the murder, and . . . stuff.”

  “I’ve been busy too,” he said. “The restaurant, and my parents, and . . . stuff.”

  “That’s what I figured.”

  His engine idled for a few seconds. He sat in the SUV and I stood on the street. I was still wearing my helmet, and if Bobbie wasn’t going to get here soon, I was going to have to drive off alone. I looked down the road behind his truck. There were no other cars in sight.

  “You told Bobbie about us,” he said.

  Realization dawned on me. She’d set me up. I was going to get her when I had a chance.

  “Climb in. I’ll take you to Sol’s house and we can come back and get your scooter when we’re done.”

  “How do you know I’m going to see Sol?”

  “Bobbie told me that too.”

  Oh, yeah, I was definitely not letting her off the hook.

  “You can take your helmet off if you want,” he joked when I got in the car.

  I unbuckled the loops under my chin and set the helmet on the floor by my feet. I pulled the flight attendant hat from the pocket of my coat and pulled it on over my flat hair.

  “How was the town hall meeting last night?” he asked. His voice was light and cautious.

  “Fine. Interesting. Francine Wheeler was there. So was Paul Haverford’s business partner. What do you know about silent partners and verbal agreements?”

  “Silent partners put money into businesses but have no say in the company. Verbal agreements are shaky at best. They have to be proven in a court of law.”

  “Bill Perth—that’s Haverford’s partner—said he and Haverford had a verbal agreement on the development of Havetown. And now that Haverford is dead, if the agreement is proven, wouldn’t Perth benefit from all of the plans for Havetown? So instead of halving the profits, he’ll be the sole owner of the property?”

  “It’s possible, I guess, but it’s going to be a long road for him to prove it. You’re not— Wait—this isn’t about your interest in the Alexandria Hotel, is it? You’re trying to find out who killed Paul Haverford. That’s the real reason you’re going to visit Sol.”

  “You heard Cooper. He said that Sol owns the property out here. I was talking to Dig Allen this morning, and he said Havetown will make Sol’s property worth nothing. I just want to talk to Sol and hear from him.”

  “I thought you were here to talk to him about using his property for Halloween?”

  “Bobbie told you that too?”

  “Ebony told me that.”

  A rush of heat climbed my face. “Oh yeah? Well, Cooper told me that you date around, and Gina Cassavogli told me you and Detective Nichols came into Candy Girls to pick out costumes together. Want to compare any other notes?” I glared at him for a
second and then faced forward.

  Tak slowed the truck down and pulled into the driveway of a white stone house. The mailbox said Girard. The lawn had been landscaped in small river rocks with a pathway of pavers surrounded by tiny orange pebbles leading up to the front door. I was out of the car before Tak had it in park. He caught up to me by the time I rang the bell.

  Sol Girard was less imposing in regular clothes than he was when dressed like a monster. He was about the same height as me, which was short for a man. His hairline had gradually receded from the forehead back, and somewhere along the line he’d taken to parting what was left on the side and combing it over the top. The comb-over had gotten thinner and thinner, and was now only enough strands to barely conceal the shiny skin underneath.

  What he lacked in hair on his head was more than made up for with big thick eyebrows in a dark shade of almost black. His natural expression was sour, which probably helped him during the monthly poker game. During the years when he’d been a client of the store, I’d gotten to see a softer side of Sol, that of the man who enjoyed throwing costume parties, complained about his wife without really meaning anything by it, and bragged about his grandchildren on a regular basis.

  “Margo, come on in.” He held the door open. “What brings you out this way? Car trouble?”

  “No, actually, I—we—came out here to talk to you about Halloween.” Sol looked back and forth between Tak’s and my faces. “Do you know Tak Hoshiyama?” I said. “We’re trying to find a location for the annual Proper City Halloween party.” I shot a look at Tak, who seemed surprised by my answer. I looked back at Sol. “I was talking to Dig Allen this morning, and he said you own some property out this way.”

  Sol wasn’t paying much attention to me. He stared at Tak. “Your parents own that sushi restaurant, don’t they?”

  “It’s not sushi. It’s teppanyaki.”

  “Yeah, that’s right. Cook it in front of you. Make a volcano out of an onion.”

  I felt Tak go rigid next to me. He stood straighter and squared off his shoulders. “My father is an award-winning chef. He and my mother have fused Japanese and Hawaiian foods on their menu.”

  “Sure. Just don’t let them stop with the onion volcano. It’s a hit with my grandkids.”

  Sol smiled at Tak, but it didn’t seem genuine. I reached down and squeezed Tak’s hand. He squeezed back. Whatever was going on between us, I wanted him to know that I was on his side.

  Sol turned back to me. “You said something about the Halloween party? What did you have in mind?”

  We followed him into his living room. Overstuffed chenille sofas faced each other with a worn wooden table between them. A fire burned in the fireplace at the end of the room, lending a cozy atmosphere. A plug-in room freshener sat on the mantle above the fireplace next to a row of photos of Sol’s extended family. It looked like every other living room in Proper.

  Tak and I sat on one sofa and Sol faced us. I didn’t waste time with small talk. “As you probably know, the Alexandria Hotel was supposed to be the location of the annual Halloween festivities this year. Because of what happened on Monday, the hotel is off-limits. Ebony Welles—you know Ebony, of Shindig Party Planning, right?—she’s been trying to find another location, with no luck. After talking to Dig, I thought— I wanted to ask— Would you consider—”

  “Dig Allen told you about my property?” Sol said. He leaned forward. He had one hand in a fist with the other hand wrapped around it. His knuckles turned white. “What else did he tell you?”

  Tak pressed his thigh against mine. Even without the cue, I knew to proceed with caution. Everything I knew had come from Cooper or Dig. Rumor and innuendo. If Sol was keeping secrets, he wouldn’t be eager to know that the rest of us had been talking about his finances.

  “He didn’t say much. Just that he inherited his mother’s house, and that the houses on either side of it were owned by you. I didn’t know that you invested in property.”

  “It’s not common knowledge,” he said. “And I’d like to keep it that way.”

  “We don’t need to tell people that you own the property, we only need your permission to be able to come in and use the buildings. But if you wanted people to know, it would be a nice gesture to the town. Proper City hasn’t missed a Halloween in decades, and it’s either this or the PCP.”

  Sol leaned forward and propped his forearms on his thighs. He looked down at the carpet, giving me a square look at the bald dome of his head. When he looked up, he shook his head back and forth. “I’m afraid I can’t say yes.”

  “But why? You’re a member of the community. You know what it means to everybody.”

  “It doesn’t have much to do with me. That property is in probate.”

  “But I thought you owned it?”

  “I did. Until Paul Haverford made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

  Chapter 24

  “PAUL HAVERFORD BOUGHT your property?” I asked. “When?”

  “Haverford has been after me for that stretch of land for a while. I had my own plans and didn’t want to sell. But the more property he bought up, the more it seemed that the only way to recoup my investment was to sell to him.”

  “But I thought you wanted to develop a stretch of lower income houses for families just moving to Proper? Havetown is the opposite of all of that. It’s about bringing in expensive stores and loud businesses and gambling. It’s about changing everything Proper City stands for.”

  Sol leaned back against the sofa and his eyes narrowed. “You know more than you let on. Who have you really been talking to?”

  Tak cleared his throat. “She’s been talking to me. I used to work in the Clark County Planning Office. We went out to visit a friend earlier this week and it came up in conversation.”

  “I’d appreciate it if you leave me and my investments out of your conversations.”

  “But you investments are a matter of public record, aren’t they?” I asked.

  Sol reached forward and picked up a wooden serving tray that sat on the coffee table. He slammed the tray down. We jumped at the sudden, violent action. Tea from a mug that sat nearby sloshed out upon impact.

  “You didn’t come out here to ask me about Halloween, did you?” he asked. “You’re on a fishing expedition. Well, cast your net somewhere else. My business is my own.” He stood up and walked to the door. We followed. I had never seen this side of Sol, this private, angry, closed-up man. He wanted us gone, and suddenly that seemed like a very good idea.

  Tak and I didn’t talk until we got back to where I’d left my scooter. He parked his RAV4 behind it and let the engine idle.

  “Do you think—” we both said at the same time. And then, “I don’t know.”

  He turned the engine off and unclipped his seat belt. “Are you in a rush to get home?”

  “Not really.” I unclipped my seat belt too. “What do you think got Sol so angry back there?”

  Tak glided his fingertips over the steering wheel, and then let his hands drop into his lap. “It sounded to me that he doesn’t want word to get out that he was doing business with Paul Haverford.”

  “But that can’t be a secret, can it? Like I said to him, it must be a matter of public record.”

  “There’s a lot of ground between public record and common knowledge,” he said.

  “Okay, so there’s an even bigger connection between him and Haverford. The only thing is, if Haverford made him a good offer, then he’d have no motive. Wouldn’t he want the deal to go through?”

  “Depends. With Haverford out of the picture, the deal falls through. Sol not only keeps his property, but he has an inside track on the rest of the land that Haverford owned. Perfect timing to grow his own piece of the Proper pie.”

  I giggled. Tak laughed too. The pent-up tension we’d both felt in Sol’s living room manifested in a wave of
silliness. This wasn’t the first time I’d dissolved into giggles around Tak, and he knew once I started it took me a while to get control of myself. When I finally had, he reached over and threaded his fingers through mine.

  “I like it when you laugh,” he said. “It’s been a while.”

  And then the concerns, about Tak keeping me at a distance, about his costume shopping with Detective Nichols, about him playing the field all came back. I heard Bobbie’s voice in my head.

  “There’s nobody else,” he said, reading my mind.

  “But Cooper said—”

  “Cooper likes you,” Tak said. “He probably wanted to clear the playing field.”

  “I thought you two were friends?”

  “All’s fair in love and war.”

  Under the cloak of darkness, I smiled to myself. Bobbie had been right. All I’d needed was to talk to Tak face-to-face. My concerns dissipated and I felt like I was cocooned in a warm glow of security. Except for one thing . . .

  “So you weren’t at Candy Girls renting a costume with Detective Nichols?”

  Tak’s expression changed. “Actually, that part was true.”

  I pulled my hand away from his and got out of the truck. He scooped up my helmet from the floor before I could grab it. He got out of his side and caught up with me as I was wrestling my scooter out from behind the STRAWBERRIES FOR SALE sign. “Margo, don’t be mad. It’s not what you think.”

  “Really? Because what I think is that you went to our main competitor to rent a costume with your ex-girlfriend.”

  “Okay, it is what you think. But hear me out.”

  “I don’t think so, Tak. It’s going to take something big to make me see things differently. But maybe I’m not wrong. Maybe the fact that we aren’t willing to be seen in public means something. Maybe we’re just fooling ourselves.”

  We stared at each other for a few moments, no words spoken. I wanted to be wrong. I wanted to go back to the beginning and forget about trying to keep our relationship a secret. I wanted him to tell me that we got a do-over.