Twisted: A Tracy Turner Murder Mystery Novel (The Tracy Turner Mystery Series Book 1) by Keyla Hunter Page B
Authors: Keyla Hunter
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our compliments of course.”
“Thank you, that’s so nice of you, dear. Please call me Katherine.”
I turned toward the waiter and shot him a wink and mouthed, “Thank you, I owe you one.” He turned his shoulders up and threw his hands into the air in an exasperated shrug but was probably glad I had rescued him from the situation.
I led Katherine back to her room. She calmed down as we walked together. I waited till she caught her breath and stopped trembling.
“Mrs. Walters, I mean Katherine, are you Frank Walters wife?” I asked. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I heard about this morning’s tragedy.”
“I’m not. In fact, I was celebrating,” she said with a light toss of her sauce-drenched hair.
“I’m sorry?”
“Frank and I were estranged.”
“Yes, I think I heard about that.”
“We were finalizing the divorce and the bloodsucker wanted to take away my business from me. The one I built with my father while he gallivanted across the country and screwed anything and everything that he came across. The man was absolutely out of control and I’m glad he is gone.” Her tone was deadpan, almost matter-of-fact and it caught me off guard.
“You know, young lady…”
“Tracy, call me Tracy.”
“Tracy, be careful with who you decide to spend your life with. A man can make your life a living hell. Take it from me, twenty-six years of a life wasted. No woman deserves a man who does not give a damn. At least he never raised his hand to me,” she said. “Women today are so much smarter. Back in those days we had no choice, we just stuck it out. My family would have been horrified if I divorced Frank back then, but I couldn’t take it anymore. Do you know what happened at the end?”
“I heard that he kissed a bridesmaid at your niece’s wedding?”
“Hell that was the least of my worries. The truth was that he was doing the downward-facing dog with Gina Fey.” She nodded her head from side to side and burst out in a fit of hysterical laughter.
“Sorry, Gina?”
“Gina, Gina, Gina. The woman was supposed to be our yoga instructor, our therapist. Between you and me, I’m sure it was Gina who killed him.” She lowered her voice and looked around the desolate corridor. “She was eyeing the settlement, you see. He was really taken by that one. He even had his insurance policy changed so she would be the sole beneficiary.”
“What were you doing at the time Frank… you know…?”
“Are you playing at detective, young lady?” she demanded with a laugh. “As I told the police, I had an la carte breakfast: buckwheat pancake with grilled pear, chocolate fudge sauce, and hazelnuts. Erico gave me a double serving of that scrumptious whiskey maple syrup.” She paused and added, “There’s nothing like a sweet start to your day and what a day it has been.” She looked ahead, sighed, and smiled wistfully. “It was the same breakfast Frank and I shared when he first brought me for a golf tournament all those years ago. He was a great golf player back then, and he swept me off my feet. Now I wonder what I ever saw in him. I still love this place though.” She sighed again. “It has only grown lovelier with age. I wish that I could have said the same about our marriage.”
“Did you know he had a gambling problem?” I asked.
“I know he’d play a game or two on occasion. I didn’t think he had a problem. Wouldn’t surprise me though… His father was the same. Nothing surprises me about him anymore.” She shrugged. With a deep bellowing sigh, she said, “I got to know that he has been siphoning money from the family trust for ages. He had a secret account in the Bahamas. Two can play at PI games, you know. Anyway, now it’s all over. I’m free.”
She turned toward the door with the number 666 etched on a gold-plated plaque. “Here we are, Tracy dear. Thank you, you’ve been so kind,” she said.
“It was my pleasure.” I paused. “I was wondering…” I flicked
“Thank you, that’s so nice of you, dear. Please call me Katherine.”
I turned toward the waiter and shot him a wink and mouthed, “Thank you, I owe you one.” He turned his shoulders up and threw his hands into the air in an exasperated shrug but was probably glad I had rescued him from the situation.
I led Katherine back to her room. She calmed down as we walked together. I waited till she caught her breath and stopped trembling.
“Mrs. Walters, I mean Katherine, are you Frank Walters wife?” I asked. “I’m so sorry for your loss. I heard about this morning’s tragedy.”
“I’m not. In fact, I was celebrating,” she said with a light toss of her sauce-drenched hair.
“I’m sorry?”
“Frank and I were estranged.”
“Yes, I think I heard about that.”
“We were finalizing the divorce and the bloodsucker wanted to take away my business from me. The one I built with my father while he gallivanted across the country and screwed anything and everything that he came across. The man was absolutely out of control and I’m glad he is gone.” Her tone was deadpan, almost matter-of-fact and it caught me off guard.
“You know, young lady…”
“Tracy, call me Tracy.”
“Tracy, be careful with who you decide to spend your life with. A man can make your life a living hell. Take it from me, twenty-six years of a life wasted. No woman deserves a man who does not give a damn. At least he never raised his hand to me,” she said. “Women today are so much smarter. Back in those days we had no choice, we just stuck it out. My family would have been horrified if I divorced Frank back then, but I couldn’t take it anymore. Do you know what happened at the end?”
“I heard that he kissed a bridesmaid at your niece’s wedding?”
“Hell that was the least of my worries. The truth was that he was doing the downward-facing dog with Gina Fey.” She nodded her head from side to side and burst out in a fit of hysterical laughter.
“Sorry, Gina?”
“Gina, Gina, Gina. The woman was supposed to be our yoga instructor, our therapist. Between you and me, I’m sure it was Gina who killed him.” She lowered her voice and looked around the desolate corridor. “She was eyeing the settlement, you see. He was really taken by that one. He even had his insurance policy changed so she would be the sole beneficiary.”
“What were you doing at the time Frank… you know…?”
“Are you playing at detective, young lady?” she demanded with a laugh. “As I told the police, I had an la carte breakfast: buckwheat pancake with grilled pear, chocolate fudge sauce, and hazelnuts. Erico gave me a double serving of that scrumptious whiskey maple syrup.” She paused and added, “There’s nothing like a sweet start to your day and what a day it has been.” She looked ahead, sighed, and smiled wistfully. “It was the same breakfast Frank and I shared when he first brought me for a golf tournament all those years ago. He was a great golf player back then, and he swept me off my feet. Now I wonder what I ever saw in him. I still love this place though.” She sighed again. “It has only grown lovelier with age. I wish that I could have said the same about our marriage.”
“Did you know he had a gambling problem?” I asked.
“I know he’d play a game or two on occasion. I didn’t think he had a problem. Wouldn’t surprise me though… His father was the same. Nothing surprises me about him anymore.” She shrugged. With a deep bellowing sigh, she said, “I got to know that he has been siphoning money from the family trust for ages. He had a secret account in the Bahamas. Two can play at PI games, you know. Anyway, now it’s all over. I’m free.”
She turned toward the door with the number 666 etched on a gold-plated plaque. “Here we are, Tracy dear. Thank you, you’ve been so kind,” she said.
“It was my pleasure.” I paused. “I was wondering…” I flicked
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