Flowers for Her Grave

Chapter Twenty-seven

Casey went cold. Richie? Andrea was involved with Richie? The “sweetheart” instructor who hadn’t known anything about his job? Who couldn’t show his face anywhere near or Sissy would take him to court? Not Brandon, the stud con-man? But Richie had been gone for…she didn’t know exactly how long he’d been gone. Casey looked up, hoping to see Death to compare reactions, but Death was—for once—nowhere to be seen.

Casey’s fingers shook. Everything she’d been told about Richie was that he had taken off, never to be heard from again. That if he did show up, Sissy would have him thrown in jail, or would take him to court, or whatever.

A few more weeks, he said in the note. A few weeks from when? From when he disappeared? From much, much later, when everyone else thought he’d disappeared for good?

And then she remembered, the one time she’d talked to Andrea about the previous instructors. She had said, “Richie is a sweetheart.” Not was. Is. Casey hadn’t picked up on it at the time, but now it stuck out like Death at a baby shower.

Casey smoothed the note out on her leg. “Mrs. Parker, does the name Richie mean anything to you?”

Mrs. Parker’s face remained impassive. “No.” She brightened. “Is that Andrea’s fiancé?”

“I don’t know. I just…I found this note.” She held it out.

Mrs. Parker read it, her brow furrowing. “What does he mean? Once what is taken care of?”

“I don’t know. May I keep the note?”

Mrs. Parker absently handed it back over, the spark disappearing from her eyes.

Casey stood. “I need to talk to someone. I’ll be in touch, okay? Are you all right here? Do you need anything?”

She got no response, and left them to their silence. She ran down to her apartment and waited for Death to join her, so she could share what she’d just found. But Death didn’t come. When she couldn’t wait any longer, Casey jogged down the service stairs to the weight room, where she met her personal training client. It was one of the older men she’d had on Wednesday, and she basically just stood by, making sure he didn’t drop a weight on his head.

She couldn’t believe what she’d found. Andrea had been involved with Richie? What did that mean? Why would that get her killed? Maybe it didn’t. Maybe someone else was under the same false impression Casey had been—that Andrea had been involved with Brandon.

But why would anybody think that in the first place?

Casey put her guy on the treadmill, and got her next client started. Again, an older woman who didn’t take a lot of thought. As soon as her time was over, Casey hustled down to the reception area, hoping to catch Maria. She was still there, with a young woman who was signing papers. Sissy’s door was closed, but light showed at its base. Casey hung back, and saw Jack getting the bar area ready for the night’s happy hour.

She walked over. “Sorry about last night.”

He looked up. “Hey. No problem. I figured you were exhausted after these past few days, and hit the sack early. Was I right?”

“Exactly.”

He picked up a glass and looked at her expectantly.

“No, thanks. I’m waiting to talk to Maria.”

“Anything I can help you with?”

Casey thought for a moment, then pulled the note out of her pocket and shoved it across the bar. “What do you think of this?”

He read the note. “Who was this to?”

“Want to take a guess?”

His eyebrows rose. “Andrea?”

She nodded. “I just found out she was engaged. I thought it was to Brandon, but it seems I was wrong.”

“Andrea and Brandon?” Jack let out a sharp laugh. “No way.”

“How come?”

“Because she was smart. And a good person. She saw through him from the first.”

“As did you.”

“Of course.”

Casey frowned. “Then why didn’t you do something about it?”

“What was I going to do?”

“I don’t know. Tell somebody.”

“And who was I going to tell, exactly? The manager of the condo, who just happened to be sleeping with him, and makes all of the hiring decisions? I would’ve been the one without a job, not him.”

Casey winced. “Did everyone know?”

“About Sissy and Brandon? I don’t know about everyone, but let’s just say it wasn’t as big a secret as she thought.”

“How old was he?”

“Twenties. Late twenties, maybe, but still just twenties.”

Casey shuddered. “What is wrong with the people here?”

“The same thing that’s wrong with people everywhere. They want to be loved.”

“You call that love? Going after men young enough to be your sons? Or seducing women twice your age just to get their money?”

“I don’t, no. But most people just want someone. Look around you, Daisy. Who are you surrounded by? Single people. I know they advertise this place as a home for singles and young professional couples, but all the couples I know of—married ones, anyway—are out in the other two buildings, all retirement age and beyond. The Flamingo?” He held out his arms. “It’s filled with people who just want something better than what they have. Than what they are. Everyone wants to be younger, fitter, richer, sexier. No one’s happy with just…being themselves.”

“Just like high school,” Casey said, repeating the words she’ said to Sensei Asuhara.

Jack nodded. “Only worse. Because these people are old enough to know better. You wouldn’t believe the things I see…” He grabbed his cloth and began polishing the shiny metal area on his side of the counter.

“What about things you saw?”

He looked up.

“Who did you see Brandon with? Anyone other than Sissy?”

“I never saw him with her. And beyond that, he was pretty discreet, if you can believe it.”

“Afraid of all the women he was screwing,” Casey said.

Jack laughed. “As he should’ve been. It’s a wonder…” He stopped and shook his head.

“What is?”

“I was going to say it’s a wonder he’s not dead.”

He looked like he wasn’t done talking, so Casey waited. He picked up a lemon and began cutting it into wedges. “There was one woman who really bothered me.”

“She was after you?”

“No, I mean it bothered me to see her with Brandon.”

“And who was that?”

He finished that lemon and grabbed another one. “The other fitness instructor.”

“Laurie?”

He cut the lemon in half with a whack. “She could be so pretty. She’s fit, she energetic, she’s nice with the residents—older ones, especially. I always wished…” He shook his head.

“What, Jack?”

“When I saw her with Brandon, the way she fawned over him, and they way he treated her like she was just a plaything…it made me want to spike his drink.”

“And did you?”

His seriousness broke, and he laughed. “Just in my fantasies.”

A movement by the office caught Casey’s eye, and she saw the woman in Maria’s office accepting keys and grabbing a suitcase. She came out of the office and turned left, toward the elevator.

Casey slid off the stool. “So did you ever tell her?”

“Who?”

“Laurie. Did you ever tell her you think she’s pretty?”

“You crazy? Look at me. Do I seem like the kind of guy she’d want?”

Casey smiled. “Good-looking, energetic, nice with residents…sounds like a good combination to me.”

His face clouded. “Yeah, but you’re not like the other women here, are you? You really are who you claim to be.”

Casey gave a small laugh. “Oh, Jack. I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

He put down his knife and looked Casey right in the face. “Are you just pretending to be my friend? Or to care about Andrea? Or to be disgusted with the toxic atmosphere this place can produce?”

“No.”

“Then I don’t care about anything else. You know what’s important.”

“Do I?”

“Look in your heart, Daisy Gray. See what’s important there. That’s who you are. Not blond hair or tan skin or white teeth. Your wishes. Your desires. Your honor. Look in your heart and tell me none of that’s there.”

“And if I told you that everything you see in front of you is a façade? That I’m nothing like you think I am?”

Jack smiled. “Then I’d say you’re a liar. And I’d be right. Now, weren’t you needing to talk to Maria? Looks like she’s free.”

He tossed the lemon in the air, caught it, and moved down the bar, turning his back on Casey, the big, fat liar.