A Secondhand Murder by Lesley A. Diehl Page A

dwarfish lust.
    A threesome? As if reading my mind, Randolph shrugged his shoulders and pursed his lips. I didn’t want to imagine what he had in mind, but I couldn’t help it. An unpleasant vision of Cory interrupting a naked Randolph as he pursued Madeleine and me around the pool almost caused me to lose my Johnnie Green into a bed of azaleas.
    â€œ You don’t look very well.” Madeleine reached out and put her hand on my arm. “Are you okay?”
    â€œ You need to sit down?” Alex took my other arm.
    â€œ I could use a stiff drink.”
    â€œ You just had one. Back there.” Madeleine gestured with her head toward the house.
    â€œ I didn’t get to finish it. You up for a drink, PI Montgomery?” I gave him my best flirty look. I even batted my eyelashes.
    â€œ You got something in your eye?” Madeleine was just being mean.
    I rode in Alex’s car, afraid that if I let him take off by himself, he’d bolt. He had to have known that I was up to something. He wasn’t a total idiot. Madeleine was driving behind us and I kept sneaking glances of her in the rearview mirror. She looked as if she was having an argument with herself. I hoped her better side—the one telling her to drive home and leave me to flirt—wouldn’t win.
    Once we were all safely in the bar, I grabbed his hand again. He had questions to answer.
    â€œ You can let go now,” said Alex. The three of us had selected a booth at the rear of the bar. “I think the circulation in my arm has been cut off for so long that it’ll have to be amputated.”
    â€œ I’ll give your arm back if you answer my question.”
    â€œ I can’t promise anything, but for you, I’ll try.” He mimicked my eyelash batting and gave me a sarcastic smile.
    â€œ Fine. Point taken. Let’s get down to business.” Thank goodness. Another eyelash bat and my lids would fall off.
    The bartender came out from behind the bar. “We got no table service here. You’ll have to order at the bar.”
    â€œ Can’t you take our order?” Madeleine produced her most winning smile.
    â€œ If I take your order, I’ll have to take everyone’s order.”
    We looked around. There was no one else in the place.
    â€œ Rules is rules.” He returned to his station.
    Madeleine’s smile slipped. “Oh, I’ll go. I think the two of you have some things to work out.”
    â€œ There’s nothing to work out. I just need to know what the hell Alex was doing at Cory’s house.”
    â€œ I’ll have a Bud.” He pointed at me. “She’ll have a scotch.”
    â€œ I’ll have one, too.” Madeleine licked her lips.
    Alex shook his head. “You’ll have a coke. You’re driving home.” I chuckled at Madeleine’s look of irritation before she headed for the bartender. Now she could finally appreciate how annoying this man could be.
    Alex turned his attention to me. “As for your question, it’s none of your business. Why were you there?”
    â€œ Consignment shop business.” I smirked at him. We were at a stalemate.
    He ran his hands through his windblown hair. I’d love to have done that for him and messed up his coif a bit more.
    â€œ Have you considered this, Eve? Maybe the killer made a mistake and wasn’t after Valerie Sanders, but someone else.”
    What an interesting speculation. I wondered what had provoked it. Had his chat with Cory uncovered a new lead? My heart raced with excitement and eager curiosity. “Oh yeah? Like, who?”
    â€œ You.”
    I laughed.
    Madeleine returned with our drinks. “You think Eve was the target?” She slid into the booth beside me. “Yeah, I could see that.”
    A small sliver of fear crept up the back of my neck. I ignored the feeling and took the offensive. “You can? Why is that? Because people find me irritating,