Read Online Alibi in High Heels by Gemma Halliday - Free Book Online
Authors: Gemma Halliday
Tags: General, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, cozy mystery, Weddings - Planning, Women fashion designers
Ads: Link
she was wearing?"
"Well, duh!" she said, shooting out another Americanism. "Everyone noticed the necklace. Gisella made sure of that. She told everyone that Jean Luc was letting her keep it in the safe in her room."
Great. So a room full of people who knew exactly where to find it. Sorry, Felix, I had a feeling the necklace was long gone.
"When was the last time you saw Gisella?" I asked, changing tactics.
Angelica cocked her head at me. "You know, the police already asked me this stuff?"
Right. They would have. And, as sure as I was that Moreau was on the wrong track, I had a feeling he was covering that track very carefully.
"Humor me."
Angelica grinned. "All right. Last night. After the fittings were over. I saw her in the bar, then later I heard her in her room."
"You heard her?"
"Uh huh. Her room is right next to mine."
I glanced at the shared wall. "What exactly did you hear?"
"She had a guy in there. At first I just heard her voice. A lot of giggling, you know. Then some moaning and tumbling around. It was quiet for a few minutes after that. Then the fighting started."
"Fighting?" Now we were getting somewhere.
"Uh huh. He never raised his voice much, but I could tell it was a man. Now, Gisella, she was shouting, yelling, throwing a terrible fit."
"When was this?"
Angelica pursed her lips, letting a thoughtful frown settled between her brows. "I first heard her go in a little after midnight. But the fighting started closer to one."
"Could you hear what they were arguing about?"
"She was saying that she didn't deserve this. That she was a supermodel. That she wasn't going to take it lying down."
"And did he respond?"
"I'm not sure. Like I said, she was doing most of the yelling."
"What happened next?"
"That's it. I heard the door to her room open and slam shut, then nothing. She was silent."
"But you never saw the guy?"
She shook her head. "Like I cared who Gisella was screwing."
I thought about the implications of this new information. Maybe it had been quiet after Mystery Man left because Gisella was already dead. Was it possible that she'd been murdered in her room? I thought about the pool of blood on the runway. Not likely. But she could have been drugged, unconscious. Maybe he'd left, only to come back later, drag Gisella to the runway, then kill her. Either way, Mystery Man bore some looking into.
I thanked Angelica and left her room. As soon as I stepped into the corridor again, I heard the bass beat resume. At least Angelica wasn't taking the death of her friend too hard.
I glanced to my right. Gisella's room. No crime scene tape, no policemen guarding the door. I looked down the hallway to my left. Empty.
Gingerly I hobbled over and tried the doorknob. As expected it didn't budge. On a whim, I shoved my own keycard into the slot. No green light. Obviously not going to work. Unless I had a lock pick in my purse, I wasn't getting into Gisella's room. Which, of course, I didn't.
Luckily, however, I did happen to know someone with a full set.
* * *
As soon as I stepped off the elevators into the lobby, I spotted Felix. He was leaning against a marble pillar, his back to me, talking to a blonde woman I didn't recognize. She was tall, almost the same height as Felix in her heels, long blonde hair, expertly colored with trendy highlights shot throughout. She wore a black dress that looked painted on her slim form. Tanned skin, long legs, one of those women men instantly drool over and other women instantly hate.
As I watched Felix lean in closer and drape an arm around the woman's waist an odd sensation shot through me. I wasn't exactly sure it was it was but it came with a satisfying vision of clawing the woman's perfect blue eyes out.
I didn't get to examine it any further, though, as my cell started singing from the depths of my purse. I pulled it out, checking the caller ID. Dana.
"Hello?"
"Maddie, ohmigod, what's going on there?"
"You heard, huh?"
"Are you kidding, it's all
"Well, duh!" she said, shooting out another Americanism. "Everyone noticed the necklace. Gisella made sure of that. She told everyone that Jean Luc was letting her keep it in the safe in her room."
Great. So a room full of people who knew exactly where to find it. Sorry, Felix, I had a feeling the necklace was long gone.
"When was the last time you saw Gisella?" I asked, changing tactics.
Angelica cocked her head at me. "You know, the police already asked me this stuff?"
Right. They would have. And, as sure as I was that Moreau was on the wrong track, I had a feeling he was covering that track very carefully.
"Humor me."
Angelica grinned. "All right. Last night. After the fittings were over. I saw her in the bar, then later I heard her in her room."
"You heard her?"
"Uh huh. Her room is right next to mine."
I glanced at the shared wall. "What exactly did you hear?"
"She had a guy in there. At first I just heard her voice. A lot of giggling, you know. Then some moaning and tumbling around. It was quiet for a few minutes after that. Then the fighting started."
"Fighting?" Now we were getting somewhere.
"Uh huh. He never raised his voice much, but I could tell it was a man. Now, Gisella, she was shouting, yelling, throwing a terrible fit."
"When was this?"
Angelica pursed her lips, letting a thoughtful frown settled between her brows. "I first heard her go in a little after midnight. But the fighting started closer to one."
"Could you hear what they were arguing about?"
"She was saying that she didn't deserve this. That she was a supermodel. That she wasn't going to take it lying down."
"And did he respond?"
"I'm not sure. Like I said, she was doing most of the yelling."
"What happened next?"
"That's it. I heard the door to her room open and slam shut, then nothing. She was silent."
"But you never saw the guy?"
She shook her head. "Like I cared who Gisella was screwing."
I thought about the implications of this new information. Maybe it had been quiet after Mystery Man left because Gisella was already dead. Was it possible that she'd been murdered in her room? I thought about the pool of blood on the runway. Not likely. But she could have been drugged, unconscious. Maybe he'd left, only to come back later, drag Gisella to the runway, then kill her. Either way, Mystery Man bore some looking into.
I thanked Angelica and left her room. As soon as I stepped into the corridor again, I heard the bass beat resume. At least Angelica wasn't taking the death of her friend too hard.
I glanced to my right. Gisella's room. No crime scene tape, no policemen guarding the door. I looked down the hallway to my left. Empty.
Gingerly I hobbled over and tried the doorknob. As expected it didn't budge. On a whim, I shoved my own keycard into the slot. No green light. Obviously not going to work. Unless I had a lock pick in my purse, I wasn't getting into Gisella's room. Which, of course, I didn't.
Luckily, however, I did happen to know someone with a full set.
* * *
As soon as I stepped off the elevators into the lobby, I spotted Felix. He was leaning against a marble pillar, his back to me, talking to a blonde woman I didn't recognize. She was tall, almost the same height as Felix in her heels, long blonde hair, expertly colored with trendy highlights shot throughout. She wore a black dress that looked painted on her slim form. Tanned skin, long legs, one of those women men instantly drool over and other women instantly hate.
As I watched Felix lean in closer and drape an arm around the woman's waist an odd sensation shot through me. I wasn't exactly sure it was it was but it came with a satisfying vision of clawing the woman's perfect blue eyes out.
I didn't get to examine it any further, though, as my cell started singing from the depths of my purse. I pulled it out, checking the caller ID. Dana.
"Hello?"
"Maddie, ohmigod, what's going on there?"
"You heard, huh?"
"Are you kidding, it's all
Similar Books
