“It could, actually.”
“But it’s not. Jake, Maddie was shocked when we left the salon, but she was also frightened. And angry.”
Jake wearily rubbed his forehead. “You’re grasping at straws.”
“I’m not. This is fact. Maddie and Peggy both went to the same hair salon. The same salon Mother uses, by the way.” A.J. very nearly slipped and added that Massri-or someone visiting his apartment-had also used The Salon products. As far as she was concerned that was the clincher in her argument, but unfortunately she couldn’t reveal she had been in Massri’s apartment.
“A.J.-”
“There’s another fact,” A.J. said stubbornly. “Two of these women, Mother and Maddie, went on Egyptian cruises. Maybe Peggy did, too. You could check, couldn’t you?”
“Honey. A.J. I know you want to help your mother. But this is… silly. This Graham woman and the vic-er, Ms. Sutherland-were friends. Just like your mom and Sutherland were friends. They all probably shopped at the same stores and dined at the same restaurants, too. For all we know they might have read the same books or watched the same TV shows or listened to the same music. It doesn’t prove anything.”
“You’re not giving this fair consideration, Jake. There’s more to this than it sounds.”
With an obvious attempt at patience, he said, “These women are about the same age and the same income bracket, correct?”
“I have no idea what Peggy Graham was like.”
“Let’s leave Peggy Graham out of it for a second. Your mother and Sutherland fit the same approximate profile. They’re friends. They talk. One likes where she gets her hair done, she tells her friends. One has a good time on a cruise, she tells her friends. There’s no mystery-or even surprise-to any of this.”
When A.J. didn’t have an answer, he said more gently, “Let’s look at it from a different angle. Say there is a connection here. Say that somehow the beauty parlor and the Egyptian cruise are all linked together. Maybe the salon is getting a kickback for every client they refer. What does this have to do with Massri? How does this lead to murder? How does it lead to suicide?”
“That would be your job to figure out,” A.J. said shortly.
“Okay, and what am I supposed to be figuring out?” He was equally curt. “What angle am I pursuing here? What is it you suspect the beauty salon of? Overcharging for haircuts?”
“Maddie was frightened and angry when we left The Salon. She wouldn’t say why, but she was. And obviously with good reason.”
“If she wouldn’t say why, then maybe she wasn’t frightened. Maybe she was just shocked and upset to hear that a friend had committed suicide. Isn’t that possible?”
“She was murdered only a few hours later. I thought you didn’t believe in coincidence?”
He was silent. Finally, he said, “I don’t. I’ll look into Peggy Graham’s death. And I’ll check out the hair salon. Maybe there’s something hinky there. Maybe it’s mob funded. Maybe… I don’t know. I’ll look into it.” He met her eyes. “But I don’t think you should pin your hopes on that line of investigation.”
A.J. nodded.
“And I think you should also be prepared for the fact that the victim’s connection with Massri and her homicide while your mother is a guest in her home is liable to look pretty bad for Elysia.”
A.J. swallowed hard. “You think she’ll be remanded to custody?”
“I’m not going to lie to you. I think it’s very possible. The DA really thinks we’ve got the makings of a watertight case. On top of that, after last year’s allegations of nepotism, he wants to make it clear to the media that no favoritism will be shown to anyone, including celebrities.”
“So he’s making an example of my mother?”
“He’s not making an example of her,” he said wearily. “He wants it played by the book. And if this was anyone but your mother, I wouldn’t hesitate a second to put her back behind bars.”
A.J. nodded tig htly.
“I’m going to be a while here. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
A.J. nodded again. Jake’s cell phone rang.
“Excuse me.” He moved away. A.J. watched his expression change and her heart sank. Something told her this call was not business-maybe it was feminine intuition, but the expression on his face told her the call was personal, private, and not unwelcome.
For a few seconds she stood frozen.
“I suppose you’re driving back with that brute?”
A.J. started. She hadn’t noticed Elysia’s return. “No. Are we cleared to leave?”
“According to Detective Lennon, yes. And I don’t know why we wouldn’t be. We’ve been interrogated, tested for gun powder residue, and had our luggage pawed through in search of the murder weapon.”
“It’s not personal, Mother. They do have to investigate us.”
“I know,” Elysia said bitterly. “But it’s not pleasant either.”
A.J. did not see Jake again before she and Elysia packed the Land Rover and left.
As they pulled around the crime scene vehicles, lights flashing in the twilight, A.J. said, “I’m sorry, Mother. I know you were friends a long time.”
Elysia nodded, for once having nothing to say.
The trimmed yards and tidy houses rolled by in the deepening twilight, some dark, some lit by cheerful lamps. Comfortable facades that hid… well, that was the point. Who knew what lived behind the pleasant surface?
“Mother, when we were talking with Maddie about Dicky, you said something about your hairstylist recommending the Egyptian cruise line. Was that your stylist at The Salon?”
“Yes.”
“Who’s your stylist there?”
“I’m not really locked into any one stylist,” Elysia said indifferently. “I tend to go with whoever is available.”
“Do you remember who recommended the cruise line?” Out of the corner of her eye, A.J. noticed her mother’s purse-which was positioned behind the driver’s seat-give a sudden jump. This so distracted her, she nearly missed Elysia’s answer.
“Alessandro.”
“The Alessandro I had today?”
“That’s the one. He’s very popular, from what I understand. I think Roberto actually gives a better cut, but he’s not as personable.”
A.J. ignored the summation of stylist social skills that followed. When Elysia finally paused, she said, “I’m beginning to think there really might be something to this idea that The Salon is somehow mixed up in all this. Alessandro spent most of his time with me asking me all kinds of personal questions: was I married, did I have a boyfriend, did I have kids-”
“He probably wants to date you.”
“I didn’t get that impression.” Elysia’s purse gave another, more forceful jump. “Mother… your purse is moving.”
“That will be Morag waking up, I imagine.”
“Morag?” A.J. reached behind the seat and dragged the purse over. Sure enough a pair of tiny beady eyes met hers.
“You stole Maddie’s ferret? Why?”
“What was I supposed to do? I could hardly leave the wee beastie there. She’d have been handed over to animal control.”
“You don’t know that. Besides, you can’t take evidence from a crime scene.”
“I sincerely doubt anyone was going to devote themselves to finding her a good home. The way those idiots kept leaving all the doors open it was a mere matter of time before she got out in the street where a car or a dog might kill her. As for evidence, I don’t think Morag is concealing the murder weapon. Nor do I think she’s going to make much of a witness.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Or perhaps you think she’s a suspect?” Elysia tossed over her shoulder, “Morag, did you do it?”
“Very funny.”
Elysia shrugged.
“What are you going to do with a ferret?”
“I’ve no idea. I only know that little creature was… very dear to Maddie. And Maddie was very dear to me.”