cleavage at a pock-faced kid, and then winding up in church, where she really could have confessed quite a bit of her own sins of the day, she’d forgotten to make the one phone call she’d meant to.
It was after hours but she placed the call anyway to the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla. Since it was also Sunday, she had to go through a whole rigmarole of voice mail, until she finally found the person she thought she’d need. She left a message, but figured that to get what she wanted, which was to visit Bernadette Debussey, she’d probably have to call back in the morning.
Janie came out of the shower looking a bit better than the night before. Nikki needed some downtime from thinking about Georges and she figured that Janie would appreciate that, too. They decided to eat dinner, share the wine, and watch sitcoms until about nine o’clock when both of them started to drift off to sleep. Nikki covered Janie up on the sofa and headed into her room. As she crawled into bed, she couldn’t help wondering why she hadn’t heard from Andrés. She truly missed him. They hadn’t spoken all day and that was unusual, but in a way she felt relieved, because if they did she knew that the topic of Spain would come up, and she wasn’t prepared to give him an answer yet. These thoughts running through her mind along with the itinerary of her day finally put her into a fitful sleep.
The following morning, Nikki, still irritated over Derek’s reaction to Andrés wanting to take her to Spain, decided to take another day off and continue seeing what she could find out about Georges’ murder.
At a little after nine she headed to the spa. Janie was still asleep, and Nikki figured that was the best thing for her. She would have to do some more follow-up on Rick Moran today, but there were a few other things she wanted to check out.
She really needed to get the personnel files at the spa, which she was sure the cops already had. She didn’t want to go back to the office to access anything via the computer.
Even though she knew she’d get grief for going about it this way, she decided to ask Simon for the information she needed. He answered his cell right away. “Halooo, Goldilocks. I could see on my caller ID that it was you. What’s shakin’, bacon?”
“Cute. I need something.”
“You do? Why do I have a feeling this isn’t good?”
“I don’t know. It’s not a big deal. I need Charlotte’s address and phone number.” There was silence on the other end of the phone. “Simon?”
“I heard you. You mean Charlotte, the therapist who ran the Syrah bath splash for Georges?”
“Yes, that’s exactly who I’m talking about.”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?” Nikki asked. “I need it. I want to talk to her about a facial.”
“You can’t lie to me. I so know you. And, no. I know what you’re up to. Charlotte didn’t take out Georges. She didn’t even know him.”
“That’s what you say.”
“Nikki, for once let the cops do their job. I’m sure they’ve already been to see her, and honestly I don’t want you bothering her. She’s a good therapist and aesthetician. I don’t want her quitting on me because you think it’s your job to be a vigilante.”
Nikki sighed. New tactic must be taken. “Simon, you should know me.” She switched the phone to her other ear as she made it to her car. “I won’t bother her. Besides, if that Detective Robinson has been to see her she might already want to quit on you. I can smooth out his rough edges. Let her know that we as a company support her and know that she would not in any way have been involved in this.” No reply. “I’ll buy you dinner.”
“Dinner in the city?”
“Yes, in the city.”
“A night at the W?”
“What? I don’t make that kind of cash! And you know if you don’t give me what I want, I will find a way.”
“Oh okay, fine. But you be careful, dammit. You always go and get in these messes and
It was after hours but she placed the call anyway to the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla. Since it was also Sunday, she had to go through a whole rigmarole of voice mail, until she finally found the person she thought she’d need. She left a message, but figured that to get what she wanted, which was to visit Bernadette Debussey, she’d probably have to call back in the morning.
Janie came out of the shower looking a bit better than the night before. Nikki needed some downtime from thinking about Georges and she figured that Janie would appreciate that, too. They decided to eat dinner, share the wine, and watch sitcoms until about nine o’clock when both of them started to drift off to sleep. Nikki covered Janie up on the sofa and headed into her room. As she crawled into bed, she couldn’t help wondering why she hadn’t heard from Andrés. She truly missed him. They hadn’t spoken all day and that was unusual, but in a way she felt relieved, because if they did she knew that the topic of Spain would come up, and she wasn’t prepared to give him an answer yet. These thoughts running through her mind along with the itinerary of her day finally put her into a fitful sleep.
The following morning, Nikki, still irritated over Derek’s reaction to Andrés wanting to take her to Spain, decided to take another day off and continue seeing what she could find out about Georges’ murder.
At a little after nine she headed to the spa. Janie was still asleep, and Nikki figured that was the best thing for her. She would have to do some more follow-up on Rick Moran today, but there were a few other things she wanted to check out.
She really needed to get the personnel files at the spa, which she was sure the cops already had. She didn’t want to go back to the office to access anything via the computer.
Even though she knew she’d get grief for going about it this way, she decided to ask Simon for the information she needed. He answered his cell right away. “Halooo, Goldilocks. I could see on my caller ID that it was you. What’s shakin’, bacon?”
“Cute. I need something.”
“You do? Why do I have a feeling this isn’t good?”
“I don’t know. It’s not a big deal. I need Charlotte’s address and phone number.” There was silence on the other end of the phone. “Simon?”
“I heard you. You mean Charlotte, the therapist who ran the Syrah bath splash for Georges?”
“Yes, that’s exactly who I’m talking about.”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?” Nikki asked. “I need it. I want to talk to her about a facial.”
“You can’t lie to me. I so know you. And, no. I know what you’re up to. Charlotte didn’t take out Georges. She didn’t even know him.”
“That’s what you say.”
“Nikki, for once let the cops do their job. I’m sure they’ve already been to see her, and honestly I don’t want you bothering her. She’s a good therapist and aesthetician. I don’t want her quitting on me because you think it’s your job to be a vigilante.”
Nikki sighed. New tactic must be taken. “Simon, you should know me.” She switched the phone to her other ear as she made it to her car. “I won’t bother her. Besides, if that Detective Robinson has been to see her she might already want to quit on you. I can smooth out his rough edges. Let her know that we as a company support her and know that she would not in any way have been involved in this.” No reply. “I’ll buy you dinner.”
“Dinner in the city?”
“Yes, in the city.”
“A night at the W?”
“What? I don’t make that kind of cash! And you know if you don’t give me what I want, I will find a way.”
“Oh okay, fine. But you be careful, dammit. You always go and get in these messes and
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