“Hudson, are you being charged with arson?”
“Not yet. The police have not finished the investigation. But they seem less friendly now than when they came to investigate Mr. Lodge’s demise.”
“Where are you?”
“In a hotel. We’ve been asked not to leave town. We are wanted for more questioning.”
“What’s your alibi?”
“I was at the same party at your place with Jake, Cody and Opal. You will cover for me, won’t you, Miss Marlowe?”
“I don’t know. I have to think this over.”
“It would certainly help. I would be forever indebted to you.”
“Hudson, you need to get away from that bunch. You are small potatoes in this caper.”
“No, Miss Marlowe. I’m the big potato, as you say. I’m the one with the money.”
How dumb of me not to make the connection.
“Did you make a deal with the family?”
“Yes.”
“They get a cut of the money?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
He lowered his voice. “Quite a bit. But the estate was left to me, and I can’t get the money if I go to jail for arson, can I? This complicates matters now that the house will have to be renovated before I can sell it.”
“I’d hate to see you go to jail. But something doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Yes?”
“How did you set the fire?”
“Accomplices,” he said in a mere whisper.
“And they will go un-named.”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to tell me who’s black mailing you and why?”
He cleared his throat. “Jake wants to talk to you.”
“Hudson, wait. . .”
“Fiona,” Jake said, “are you going to help us? What can I promise you?”
“You don’t seem to understand that I am trying to separate myself from the Wild West show.”
“Opal said she’d give you a nice little place she has on the ranch and a few acres, if you’ll help us out.”
That was a clever bribe. I didn’t answer and Jake said, “She also needs her house redecorated. She’d like to engage your services.”
“Really?” I said. This sounded lucrative. I’d never been bribed before, but I could see its advantages. I’d always nursed a hankering for a place out west. I wondered what Opal’s spread looked like. I pictured herds of cattle, cowboys on horseback looking like the Marlboro Man, big skies, rattlesnakes.
“She says you have free reign, no budgetary limits. What do you say? A nice decorating job, a little place out west, get away from the big city.”
The lure was too good to pass up. “What’s my guarantee that you’ll make good on these bribes.”
“Bribes? Fiona, these are incentives.”
“What’s to keep you from backing out after I show up and perjure myself?”
Jake didn’t answer at first. I pressed the phone closer to my ear. “Jake?”
“How about my word?”
“How about a signed contract for redesigning Opal’s house and a deed to her little place. Photos would be nice, too, just to make sure I like it. Let me talk to Opal.”
“Right, here she is.”
“Fiona, it’s true. I want you to have this nice bunkhouse that’s sitting empty on my place. It’s got a pretty view of the mountains and a tree. It doesn’t sit too close to my house and is on a little knoll so you won’t have to worry about spring flooding. You’ll like it. I’ve been meaning to find just the right person to live there. I’ll write out a contract and a letter deeding the place to you.”
“It’s a deal.”
Chapter 14
The drive around the Capitol Beltway gave me time to have second thoughts. It was late. I was tired. By the time I arrived at the Marriott Tysons Corner in Virginia where the Wild West show was staying, I had decided my return was a bad idea. As I drove by the front entrance in that humongous truck, looking for a parking space, I spotted Alice under the portico. I did a double take. She was in profile, standing alone by the door. But it was her. I needed to talk to that woman.
I found a place to park which, unfortunately, was at the end of a long row of fancy cars, the only place big enough for the monster truck. Even though it was dark, I put on my sunglasses, shouldered my bag, and, carefully, made my way toward where I saw Alice standing. She was gone. I hurried inside, gyrating in all directions but at the same time trying to be cool behind the Hollywood glasses. I almost collided with Jake who came into the lobby from the bar.
“Fiona, you are a princess.” He pulled me into his arms and hugged me till I cried time out.
“Wait,” I said, “I’ve changed my mind. I can’t do this. I could end up in jail.”
“We all could. But let’s not worry about that now. The important thing is that you are here.” He released his grip and his hands drifted down my arms. “You want to share my room? It has a king bed,” he said, with a twitch of his lips. “We wouldn’t have to get close. We could just be friends.”
I laughed. “Is this part of the incentive package?”
“Part of my incentive package.”
I studied him and saw hope in those big browns. I hated to turn him down but I had my standards. Trouble was they were slipping. But I had to be strong.
“Thanks, but I snore, and I always sleep alone.”
“Too bad.” He still held my arms, seeming reluctant to turn me loose. “You’re going through with the alibi, aren’t you? We’re counting on you.”
“I have to think it over. We need to talk about how this is going to play out and when I have to perjure myself and what the consequences are. Our stories all have to be straight.”
“Right. No problem. Opal, Hudson and I have already thought it through. You tell the police that all of us including Hudson were at your place for a little party and that we all had a little too much to drink so we all stayed over. Very simple.”
“Sounds more like an orgy than a party.”
He shrugged. “Whatever. I know how much you like Hudson. You’d be saving his ass.”
“Put it that way, I have to do it.”
“That’s my girl.”
“By the way, you didn’t see Alice around here, did you?”
“Don’t tell me you’re back on Alice. You have Alice on the brain. Why would she be here?”
“That’s what I want to know. I saw her when I pulled in. She was standing out front, alone. I went right by her. By the time I parked and came in, she was gone. I thought maybe you saw her in the bar.”
Jake looked around. “I was the only person I knew in there. But let’s look again. I’ll buy you a drink. You could probably use one.”
The No Name Lounge, as it was oddly called, featured the elegant carved wood look. We settled at a high top table for two.
“This is a stake out,” I said, pulling my sunglasses down to look around.
“Fiona, take off the shades. You’re overdoing it.” Jake said, signaling for the waiter.
“Sure.” I slipped them into my purse. “We don’t want to draw attention.”
“Red wine for the lady,” he said, “and a Sam Adam’s on tap.”
I smiled at the waiter who looked no more than ten years old. I contemplated carding him.
“Excuse me,” I said. “You didn’t happen to notice a striking woman in here who looks a lot like Elizabeth Taylor.”
“Elizabeth who?”
“No, you’re too young. You wouldn’t remember. She has black hair, wears lots of makeup, dresses nice.”
He crinkled his wrinkleless brow. “We have a lot of ladies come in here look like that. I’ll get your drinks.”
He scurried off, probably to report us to the police.
“So much for our stake out,” I said and scanned the room which for the lateness of the hour was pretty crowded. The younger set was in predominance, and they were the usual loud bunch. The waiter was half right. Every girl in the room seemed to have black hair and wore layers of makeup in a rainbow of color. I couldn’t say a lot for their skimpy dresses, because there wasn’t much to them.