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Authors: Nancy J. Cohen
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exclaimed, spotting her next customer walking in. “You'll have to excuse me. I need to get back to work."
"One more thing.” His glance dropped, his heavy-lidded eyes making a lazy perusal of her body that brought a flush to her cheeks. “Maybe we can have coffee together later this week."
Marla's jaw dropped. Was he serious? Or was this a line to throw her off guard, perhaps a new way of cross-examining murder suspects by pretending a personal interest in them? “W-why, ask me later, Lieutenant,” she stuttered.
"Dalton. My name is Dalton."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter 5
Detective Vail makes me uneasy,” Marla said. Huddled in a booth at the Mason Jar, a local steak restaurant, she dug into her house salad and conversation with equal fervor. Tally sat across from her, an expression of rapt interest on her face. Marla had filled her in on events since the weekend.
"I don't understand,” Tally said, her perceptive blue eyes noting Marla's troubled expression.
"Vail ... Dalton ... makes me feel guilty,” she explained, his given name sounding awkward. She preferred his formal title while the case remained unsolved. To hide her discomfort, she took a bite of mixed greens dribbled with raspberry vinaigrette.
Despite being vigilant about her diet, Tally indulged in a Caesar salad. She looked great in a leopard silk blouse and flowing raven trousers, while on Marla the outfit would swim. Broad-shouldered with wavy blond hair, Tally displayed her tall stature with a flamboyant flair. Marla preferred her own denim skirt and sky-blue sweater, but then she was a conservative dresser. Luckily, she didn't gain weight as easily as Tally.
"Sounds to me like you're attracted to the man.” Tally's eyes twinkled playfully.
"How can I like someone who suspects me of being a murderess?"
"You've described him as a tall, dark, and ruggedly handsome detective who fights for justice. If you ask me, that's akin to hero worship."
Marla snorted. “Not in my case. He's trying to pin a homicide on me; I know it. It's clear his interest is merely a ploy to get me to confess."
"Then you'll just have to accept his offer to find out what he really wants, won't you?"
"Yeah, we'll go to Arnie's Bagel Busters for coffee. At least he's a friend I can trust."
"I like Arnie. He'd be more than a friend if you gave him a chance.” Tally's face sobered.’ ‘Who do you suspect so far?"
Marla put down her fork. “Wendy's husband, Zack, may be having financial difficulties. He's worried about Wendy taking time off from her job when she has the baby, and she did act evasive when I asked about his business. Maybe he views her inheritance as a saving grace."
"Is there any way to check on his work status?"
"Wendy didn't say whether he's an independent consultant or if he works for someone else. I'll ask Todd when I meet him tomorrow night."
"Holy smokes, you're not wasting any time. Shall I come with you?"
"No, thanks. We're meeting at Scudders at nine o'clock. Plenty of other people will be strolling the Strip by then. Besides, Todd expects me to come alone, and I don't want to scare him off."
"Why talk to you and not the cops?"
"Who knows? He's such a scumbag, Wendy might be right about him."
"You mean about earning money illegally? That could give him a motive if his mother learned about it.” Tally signaled to the waiter to remove their empty salad plates. “What about her business partner? Didn't you say he was pulling some shenanigans on the company?"
"My cousin's husband hinted at a tax-evasion scheme, but Lucille said it was nothing. She mentioned Roy had been acting against the company in some manner, but she didn't explain. I'll ask Lance to examine the company's records. He's a whiz at accessing data."
Tally winked. “Especially when you're leaning over his shoulder. Hey, do you think Lucille resented Bertha for firing her?"
"She didn't seem angry about it. You'd think she'd be more upset by Roy since his
"One more thing.” His glance dropped, his heavy-lidded eyes making a lazy perusal of her body that brought a flush to her cheeks. “Maybe we can have coffee together later this week."
Marla's jaw dropped. Was he serious? Or was this a line to throw her off guard, perhaps a new way of cross-examining murder suspects by pretending a personal interest in them? “W-why, ask me later, Lieutenant,” she stuttered.
"Dalton. My name is Dalton."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter 5
Detective Vail makes me uneasy,” Marla said. Huddled in a booth at the Mason Jar, a local steak restaurant, she dug into her house salad and conversation with equal fervor. Tally sat across from her, an expression of rapt interest on her face. Marla had filled her in on events since the weekend.
"I don't understand,” Tally said, her perceptive blue eyes noting Marla's troubled expression.
"Vail ... Dalton ... makes me feel guilty,” she explained, his given name sounding awkward. She preferred his formal title while the case remained unsolved. To hide her discomfort, she took a bite of mixed greens dribbled with raspberry vinaigrette.
Despite being vigilant about her diet, Tally indulged in a Caesar salad. She looked great in a leopard silk blouse and flowing raven trousers, while on Marla the outfit would swim. Broad-shouldered with wavy blond hair, Tally displayed her tall stature with a flamboyant flair. Marla preferred her own denim skirt and sky-blue sweater, but then she was a conservative dresser. Luckily, she didn't gain weight as easily as Tally.
"Sounds to me like you're attracted to the man.” Tally's eyes twinkled playfully.
"How can I like someone who suspects me of being a murderess?"
"You've described him as a tall, dark, and ruggedly handsome detective who fights for justice. If you ask me, that's akin to hero worship."
Marla snorted. “Not in my case. He's trying to pin a homicide on me; I know it. It's clear his interest is merely a ploy to get me to confess."
"Then you'll just have to accept his offer to find out what he really wants, won't you?"
"Yeah, we'll go to Arnie's Bagel Busters for coffee. At least he's a friend I can trust."
"I like Arnie. He'd be more than a friend if you gave him a chance.” Tally's face sobered.’ ‘Who do you suspect so far?"
Marla put down her fork. “Wendy's husband, Zack, may be having financial difficulties. He's worried about Wendy taking time off from her job when she has the baby, and she did act evasive when I asked about his business. Maybe he views her inheritance as a saving grace."
"Is there any way to check on his work status?"
"Wendy didn't say whether he's an independent consultant or if he works for someone else. I'll ask Todd when I meet him tomorrow night."
"Holy smokes, you're not wasting any time. Shall I come with you?"
"No, thanks. We're meeting at Scudders at nine o'clock. Plenty of other people will be strolling the Strip by then. Besides, Todd expects me to come alone, and I don't want to scare him off."
"Why talk to you and not the cops?"
"Who knows? He's such a scumbag, Wendy might be right about him."
"You mean about earning money illegally? That could give him a motive if his mother learned about it.” Tally signaled to the waiter to remove their empty salad plates. “What about her business partner? Didn't you say he was pulling some shenanigans on the company?"
"My cousin's husband hinted at a tax-evasion scheme, but Lucille said it was nothing. She mentioned Roy had been acting against the company in some manner, but she didn't explain. I'll ask Lance to examine the company's records. He's a whiz at accessing data."
Tally winked. “Especially when you're leaning over his shoulder. Hey, do you think Lucille resented Bertha for firing her?"
"She didn't seem angry about it. You'd think she'd be more upset by Roy since his
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