“You kept muttering about it in your sleep. Something about being seduced by working oranges.”
“Why are y’all leaving? We’ve got to capture Elmer tonight. I can’t do it by myself.”
“We can’t all go to Elmer’s for dinner,” Scarlet said. “He’s an old man. You’ll be able to take him down easy. Remember to go for the little bones. Hurts like a bitch. Besides, it’s a luau theme tonight down at the beach. We don’t want to miss that. They’re giving away those little pineapple drinks with the umbrellas.”
“I can’t believe y’all aren’t going to have my back,” I said. “We’re supposed to be a team. What if he pulls a gun? Or tries some funny business?”
Rosemarie looked at Scarlet. “I told you she was going to make us go with her.”
Scarlet sighed and put her hands on her hips. “What’ll you give us if we go with you?”
The hangover was making my stomach pitch and my head was pounding. I was feeling aggravated and a little bit mean. I narrowed my eyes. “How about I let you collect your share of the million-dollar reward instead of bashing you over the head and taking it from you?”
“Million-dollar reward,” Rosemarie said. “Nobody told me that. What’s my cut?”
“Your cut comes out of Scarlet’s take,” I said before Scarlet could answer.
“I told you you were a Holmes through and through,” Scarlet said. “I can’t believe you’d take an old lady’s money.”
“I don’t think you’re an old lady. I think you’re the Devil in an old lady suit.”
Scarlet cackled and her hula skirt rustled. “Don’t you know it, girlie. I’m too bad to die. Nobody wants me. Not even the Devil himself.”
“Good, I’m glad that’s settled,” I said. “Let’s get moving. You can go to the luau after we’re done. I just want someone watching from outside in case things get out of hand.”
I checked my phone, but I didn’t have any messages from Savage. I’d given him the address and Elmer’s villa number, but we were getting down to crunch time and I was wondering if I was going to be flying solo when it came to making the collar. I couldn’t see Rosemarie and Scarlet being a lot of help.
“Small bones,” I said under my breath.
“There you go,” Scarlet said, and we headed out the door to go catch a murderer.
* * *
The sun had started its descent and the paths between the buildings were already dark, so tiki torches had been placed to light the way. I walked to Elmer’s in my flip-flops and the lei Rosemarie had put over my head as we walked out the door. Oddly enough, the lei made it feel like I almost had clothes on, so I was walking with a little more confidence, not caring that Rosemarie and Scarlet were following my shining pink behind from somewhere in the distance.
They weren’t too far back because I could hear them muttering and clomping through the palm fronds. I wasn’t sure what kind of spy Scarlet had been during the war, but it must not have been the silent type.
“There you are,” Elmer said from somewhere to my left.
I almost jumped out of my skin. He was standing in the shadows and I hadn’t heard him at all. I needed to focus. I was not going to be outsmarted by a ninety-something lothario. That would be embarrassing.
“Oh, you scared me. I was in my own world.”
“It’s easy to do that here,” he said, holding out his hand and helping me up the stairs to his back deck. Lanterns were placed so the deck was awash in a romantic light and the sun reflected off the waves. It would have been an awesome sight any other time or with just about any other person.
I’d managed to keep my gaze at eye level. I wasn’t interested in seeing a repeat performance of what had happened down at the beach, and the squishy feeling in my stomach had intensified by about a million. I’d left my Glock back at Scarlet’s, but I knew Scarlet was armed and Rosemarie was carrying zip ties in case I needed
“Why are y’all leaving? We’ve got to capture Elmer tonight. I can’t do it by myself.”
“We can’t all go to Elmer’s for dinner,” Scarlet said. “He’s an old man. You’ll be able to take him down easy. Remember to go for the little bones. Hurts like a bitch. Besides, it’s a luau theme tonight down at the beach. We don’t want to miss that. They’re giving away those little pineapple drinks with the umbrellas.”
“I can’t believe y’all aren’t going to have my back,” I said. “We’re supposed to be a team. What if he pulls a gun? Or tries some funny business?”
Rosemarie looked at Scarlet. “I told you she was going to make us go with her.”
Scarlet sighed and put her hands on her hips. “What’ll you give us if we go with you?”
The hangover was making my stomach pitch and my head was pounding. I was feeling aggravated and a little bit mean. I narrowed my eyes. “How about I let you collect your share of the million-dollar reward instead of bashing you over the head and taking it from you?”
“Million-dollar reward,” Rosemarie said. “Nobody told me that. What’s my cut?”
“Your cut comes out of Scarlet’s take,” I said before Scarlet could answer.
“I told you you were a Holmes through and through,” Scarlet said. “I can’t believe you’d take an old lady’s money.”
“I don’t think you’re an old lady. I think you’re the Devil in an old lady suit.”
Scarlet cackled and her hula skirt rustled. “Don’t you know it, girlie. I’m too bad to die. Nobody wants me. Not even the Devil himself.”
“Good, I’m glad that’s settled,” I said. “Let’s get moving. You can go to the luau after we’re done. I just want someone watching from outside in case things get out of hand.”
I checked my phone, but I didn’t have any messages from Savage. I’d given him the address and Elmer’s villa number, but we were getting down to crunch time and I was wondering if I was going to be flying solo when it came to making the collar. I couldn’t see Rosemarie and Scarlet being a lot of help.
“Small bones,” I said under my breath.
“There you go,” Scarlet said, and we headed out the door to go catch a murderer.
* * *
The sun had started its descent and the paths between the buildings were already dark, so tiki torches had been placed to light the way. I walked to Elmer’s in my flip-flops and the lei Rosemarie had put over my head as we walked out the door. Oddly enough, the lei made it feel like I almost had clothes on, so I was walking with a little more confidence, not caring that Rosemarie and Scarlet were following my shining pink behind from somewhere in the distance.
They weren’t too far back because I could hear them muttering and clomping through the palm fronds. I wasn’t sure what kind of spy Scarlet had been during the war, but it must not have been the silent type.
“There you are,” Elmer said from somewhere to my left.
I almost jumped out of my skin. He was standing in the shadows and I hadn’t heard him at all. I needed to focus. I was not going to be outsmarted by a ninety-something lothario. That would be embarrassing.
“Oh, you scared me. I was in my own world.”
“It’s easy to do that here,” he said, holding out his hand and helping me up the stairs to his back deck. Lanterns were placed so the deck was awash in a romantic light and the sun reflected off the waves. It would have been an awesome sight any other time or with just about any other person.
I’d managed to keep my gaze at eye level. I wasn’t interested in seeing a repeat performance of what had happened down at the beach, and the squishy feeling in my stomach had intensified by about a million. I’d left my Glock back at Scarlet’s, but I knew Scarlet was armed and Rosemarie was carrying zip ties in case I needed
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