Marjorie Thelen - Designer Detective

“When are they coming? I have to leave.”

“Within the hour.”

“You can wait in the lobby for them.”

“I can’t go out like this.”

“Stop stalling, Cody. I’ve had enough.”

“What if I say I’m staying?”

I was afraid of this. I wondered if Jake was going to be on my side if we got into a standoff. I should have been nicer to him. I should have kissed him. I looked out the window, considering my options, which weren’t many. The rain had stopped. The sky was overcast. The gray, dreary world matched my mood. How did I get stuck with this odd assortment of humanity? I’d have to retire from interior design if I kept getting clients like these. How was I going to get rid of this crew?

A spectacular idea came to me. It was something Olympia had said once about plot. When the plot is floundering, kill someone. The problem was that I didn’t have a gun and that was another of those acts that carried a jail sentence. Knives were an option but I had never been good at carving a roast. I couldn’t kill anyone, so who was I kidding?

The phone rang as I was mulling over the possibilities. I looked at caller ID and didn’t recognize the number. I debated if I should answer. Given my current predicament it might be an improvement.

“Hello,” I said.

“Miss Marlowe?” a familiar voice said.

“Yes?”

“This is Hudson.”

“How are you?” I wanted to blurt out, I’m so glad to hear your voice and I’m so glad you are alive, but I held back, playing it cool.

“I’m quite fine. There’s been a fire at the Lodge house. I called to let you know. I didn’t know if I’d catch you at home. I’m so glad I did. Is Opal with you? Is she all right? Has she heard about the fire?”

“Yes,” I said, not turning around to see who might be listening.

“Is something wrong, Miss Marlowe?”

“Yes.”

The doorbell rang. Cody jumped up to answer it before I could. I didn’t want to hang up on Hudson. In the commotion made by Cody’s answering the door, I said to Hudson, “I need help now. Cody is holding me hostage. Send help.”

“Where are you?”

I gave him the address and hung up, still watching the door. I caught sight of a fedora and, could it be? A woman. Cody stepped outside and closed the door. I hadn’t got a good look, it all happened so fast but she looked like the Liz Taylor double from the party. What was she doing here? It was everything I could do not to follow Cody. Maybe Opal knew her.

“Opal, come, we are going to get you dressed.”

She followed me to the studio.

“Do you know who that man and woman are?” I said.

“What man and woman?”

“The ones who were at the door when Cody answered. Didn’t you see them?”

“I’m sorry, Fiona. I couldn’t see from where I was sitting. I wondered why he went into the hall.”

I helped her from the boa wrapper and into her street clothes. “Do you remember a woman who looked like Liz Taylor, who was at the wake?”

Opal seemed to reach into the dark recesses of her mind. “I’m not sure.”

“Black hair, striking eyes, voluptuous figure, lots of cleavage. She was with several straight laced men when I saw her.”

“Oh, that woman. Yes, Cody said she was a friend of his, but if he said her name, I’ve forgot. I didn’t get to speak with her. We were with some other people at the time.”

That meant I had to ask Cody who she was. I tried a different tack with Opal.

“Who inherited the house?” I said.

“Why, Hudson. That’s what the lawyer told us.”

“Did you see the actual written will?”

“Well, no.”

“Do you know this lawyer well?”

“No, but Albert knew him for years. He handled my brother’s legal work.”

My mind was racing. The lawyer could be in cahoots. Albert had to have someone who knew the ins and outs of an international business. Who better than a lawyer, a lifelong friend who could cover for you when necessary, who you gave a piece of the pie? Hudson had said he had inherited the house in a manner of speaking. That didn’t sound affirmative. Maybe Hudson was a cover for something. Cody wouldn’t have been surprised at a fire that he had orchestrated. Hudson must have known about the fire and that was why he wanted Opal out of harm’s way. Why hadn’t Cody taken care to make sure his aunt was out? Unless he had told Hudson to. Cody must be blackmailing Hudson, and that’s why Hudson said he inherited the house in a manner of speaking. But why?

Jake appeared in the doorway as we were gathering up Opal’s coat and purse. He came in and closed the door.

“Fiona, I made some phone calls. I’m trying to get help for you and Opal.”

“Are you on our side or theirs?”

“Yours, of course.”

“How do I know I can trust you?”

“Opal, can she trust me?”

“Oh my, yes,” said Opal.

Remember, this was the little old lady who was on drugs and made up stories. I wasn’t comforted.

I said, “I’m not sure we’ll be able to get out of the building. Cody may still be in the hall with those people. Do you know who they are? Who that woman is? Did you see her at the wake?”

“What woman?”

“The woman in the hall. The Liz Taylor look alike that Opal says is a friend of Cody’s.”

He seemed genuinely puzzled.

“C’mon, Jake. Don’t tell me you didn’t see her at the party. She was very striking.”

“Yes,” said Opal. “She didn’t stay long. As a matter of fact, I remember now that Cody excused himself, said he had to talk to someone and left me with some friends. I happened to see him walk this nice looking woman, if it’s the same one, to the door. But I lost sight of them because I was talking to a lot of people it seemed all at the same time.”

“I didn’t see any woman in the hall,” Jake said. “But the woman at the party. . you mean, Alice?”

“Alice?” Opal and I said in unison.

“Alice. I talked with her while Fiona was dancing the night away. I mean a woman looks like her you want to at least talk.” He managed a weak grin and shrugged. “She seemed nice enough but she was with a tight lipped guy who didn’t seem to like me talking with her. I mean I was just making conversation. I mean I was supposed to be the private investigator, right?”

“Keeping digging yourself into the hole, Jake,” I said. “Let me understand this. You talked to this good-looking Alice woman, but you didn’t find out who she was, what she did, or why she was there?”

He shrugged again. “I don’t know. She told me how Albert created the card hedge out in the patio for her because she liked the Alice in Wonderland story. That’s all. Besides, the guy with her was trying to escort her out of the room.”

“Albert created the hedge for her? How intriguing.” My mind went into overdrive again. Alice was the name Opal had said was Albert’s lover. Alice was the good looking woman at the wake. I needed to know if she worked with Albert. I bet Cody knew that detail. A friend of Cody’s indeed.

“I hate to end our little chat,” Jake said, “but we have a crisis situation here. Is there any other way out of the building?”

“The stairs,” I said. “In a pinch we can try the fire escape. I know my neighbor pretty well on the floor below. Maybe he’s home and would come to our rescue if we came down the fire escape.”

“My rodeo buddies are coming to pick Opal and me up. You’re coming, too, Fiona.”

This should be good. I wasn’t sure I needed to be rescued but climbing down a fire escape didn’t excite me. I’m afraid of heights.

“Let’s see what Cody is up to,” I said. “Maybe he left. Maybe we won’t need the fire escape alternative.”

“I’ll check.” Jake started for the entrance. He listened at the door, cracked it, opened it wide, and peered down the hall.

“No one there. C’mon. We’ll use the stairs.”

Jake steered Opal out the door.

I had the presence of mind to run to the kitchen and pull plugs on the appliances. I took one last look around. Who knew when I’d be back?

Of course, I had no intention of going anywhere with Jake and Opal. Australia, here I came. I headed for the basement, taking the elevator to avoid the stairs since Jake and Opal had gone that way. For some perverse reason the elevator stopped at the lobby level and opened. There stood Cody with his back to me in jeans and leather jacket. I wondered what he had done with my pink sweat suit. I rather liked it. The man in the fedora was with him but the mysterious woman was not in sight. The two seemed to be holding high level talks with cell phones stuck in their ears. Cody didn’t seem to be in any rush to get to Albert’s burning mansion.

I punched the close door button in rapid succession. The door stuck. What a time for mechanical breakdown. Maybe I had scrambled its computer brain by pushing every button in sight, trying to get it to do something. Cody turned toward the open elevator door, phone still appended to his ear.

“Fiona,” he said with a grin, “just the girl we’re looking for.”

“I’m not really here.”

Why-oh-why wouldn’t this stupid door close so I could get to the basement, my car, and freedom. My escape had been working so well. In desperation I kicked the door. It belched a metallic croak and slid closed. Regrettably, Cody managed to shoot his hand into the opening, and the electric eye sensor stopped the door. He wedged in and the door slid open again.

“Where are you going, Fiona?” he said.

The door tried to slide close. Cody got caught in a banging elevator door routine. I let out a nervous laugh and kept punching buttons.

“I was checking my mail,” I said as the door banged Cody.

“Do you check mail wielding a carry-on bag?”

He grabbed my arm and tried to pull me from the elevator.

“Get your hands off me,” I said.

He wouldn’t let go of my arm.

“I’m going to scream if you don’t unhand me,” I said and whacked his arm hard with my purse.

“What do you have in that thing?” he said, wincing.

I brought it down on his arm again. With the added inconvenience of my whacking his arm, he lost his grip on the banging elevator door and stumbled back out. His buddy had been watching the scene at a distance. I guess he didn’t think Cody needed help. The elevator door slid closed but started up. Now where was it going?

It stopped on floor five. An old gentleman got in. I smiled at him and exited, deciding to risk the stairs. I certainly didn’t want to get hung up in the lobby. I worried that Cody would figure out that I was on my way to the basement to get my car. But maybe he was so out of it last night he wouldn’t remember where my car was or how to get there.

I started down the stairwell, trying hard not to make clicking sounds with my cute black Bruno Magli boots. I stopped and listened on the first floor, holding to a bare minimum my gasps for breath. I heard no one on the stairs.

I sneaked past the lobby door. One more level to go. At parking level one I inched the door open a crack. No one appeared in my line of sight. I opened the door until I could squeeze through and started for my car.

I had wondered as I fled down the steps, exactly what Cody wanted with me. The problem was I knew too much, and I didn’t like the looks of Cody’s friend. I hurried to my car, hoping it was still there, that no one had done something stupid like steal it. Praise all the gods of Olympus. It was there. I guess I was too focused on getting to the car and getting out of there. The next thing I knew someone grabbed me from behind and spun me around.

“You’re not trying to get away are you?” Cody said, holding me in a King Kong grip. I struggled side to side, trying to free myself. Dammit all. I had almost made it to the car and now this had to happen.

“Let me go,” I said between grunts. “Whatever do you think you’re doing, Cody. Unhand me.”

“First, tell me where Jake and Opal are.”

“They left ahead of me. Jake said they were taking a taxi.”

Of course, I was lying.

“Where are they going?”

“To Albert’s house to straighten out the mess you left behind. Let me go. I can’t breathe, and you’re ruining my clothes.”

He eased his grip, and I stood trying to catch my breath.

“Let me go, and I will disappear from your life forever. I never heard of the Lodge family, estate or anything related.”

Cody’s piercing blues drilled into mine. “Fiona, there’s just one problem. You know about the rifles. We can’t have this. My friend is concerned that you and Jake know about our clandestine operation. If it got out, they might go to jail. I might go to jail. You wouldn’t want that would you?”