False Prophet

“My partner is going to talk to her soon. I’ll tell him you’d like to speak with Miss Brecht. Back to the list, Kelley. I’m especially interested in the men who work here—cooks, janitors, handymen, teachers. Do you have male instructors?”

“Just Eubie Jeffers and my broth—Oh, you can’t possibly think they had anything to do with Lilah.”

“What kind of suit is this Ms. Betham involved with?”

Kelley wrinkled her forehead. “Ms. Betham is a psychotic old witch. She actually had the audacity to claim that … that one of the men who works here made a pass at her.”

“Which one?”

“The whole suit is ridicu—”

“Which man?” Marge pushed.

Kelley hesitated, then said, “My brother, Mike. If you knew my brother, you’d know how inane the suit is. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but since you’re not investigating that … she was the one who made a pass at my brother. And when he refused, she became vicious. We have none of that kind of nonsense in Valley Canyon Spa. Most of our clients have been referred to us by former clients. She was what we call a ‘walk-in.’ They’re always the ones who give us the most problems.”

“Was your brother, Mike, here last night?” Marge asked.

Kelley’s eyes narrowed. “What are you saying?”

“I’m not saying anything. I’m not even suggesting anything, Kelley, I’m simply asking. Was your brother on the premises last night?”

“He lives here.”

“Your brother often visits Miss Brecht’s house, doesn’t he?”

“No, he doesn’t often visit Miss Brecht’s house!”

“I mean to pick vegetables from the garden, maybe fix the sink … that kind of thing.”

“Oh …” Kelley relaxed her shoulders. “Yes. Lilah does send him on errands for her. That should show you how much she trusts him.”

Marge remained casual. “You want to start compiling that list, I’ll look around the grounds, get my bearings. You don’t mind, do you?”

Kelley had turned pale. “I’m not sure I should do anything without Ms. Brecht’s say-so.”

“Ms. Ness, why aren’t you jumping to help out? Your employer was attacked, beaten. Don’t you want to find who did it?”

“Of course I do! It’s just such a shock—My God, this is unbelievable!”

Marge stood, slung her purse over her shoulder. “You know the best thing to do when you’ve been jolted by something like this? You do something concrete. Like make a list. The little details always bring you back to earth. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about.”

“I guess—”

“I’ll be wandering around,” Marge said. “Page me when you have the list.”

“Detective!” Kelley blurted out. “Detective, no offense, but I don’t want to scare the women by having the police nose around.”

“I understand completely. I guarantee you, I won’t be disruptive.” Marge winked. “Hey, I’ll grab myself a guava juice and blend in with the crowd.”

5

The group had begun the cool-down portion of the workout when Mike Ness heard his name over the loudspeaker. Towel wrapped around his neck, tank top soaked with perspiration, he told his ladies to “keep it moving” while he answered the page. The afternoon high-impact aerobics class was held in the Jazzarena, its back wall a giant mural of famous musicians. The room’s phone was embedded between Dizzy Gillespie’s eyes. Ness picked up the receiver.

“Mike, I just want to warn you. The police are here, poking around.”

Ness couldn’t answer. He felt his heart race.

“Apparently something happened to Lilah last night—”

“What!”

“She was attacked, Mike.”

Ness felt his knees buckle. Why did everything he touch turn to shit? “Wha … what happened, Kell?”

“I only know that she’s in the hospital. I don’t even know which one. I’m going to do some calling around. You don’t know anything about this, do you?”

“Of course not!”

Kelley paused. “Please. Just act normal. If the detective asks you where you were last night, say you were sleeping in your room, okay?”

“I was sleeping in my room. What the hell are you saying?”

Kelley sighed. “I’m nervous, Mike. I mean, the detective—she’s a woman by the way—she was professional but pushy. All of us should just stay calm and cool, all right?”

“I am calm and cool.”

“Well, bully for you.”

“That was mature, Kell.”

Kelley paused again. “Michael, I’m scared!”

“Have you spoken to Davida?”

“She’s not in. I don’t even know if she knows about it. The detective didn’t want me talking to her but screw that! I can’t get hold of Freddy, either. I don’t know what to do, Mike.”

“There’s nothing to do, Kell. What are you worried about?”

“I just didn’t like her attitude. She was too inquisitive.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t detectives supposed to be inquisitive?”

“No, it was more. She was like accusing everyone.”

Ness felt the phone slipping out of his hand. He wiped his sweaty palm on his gym shorts. “Accusing who?”

“She wants a list of all the men who work here.”