“Of course.” Whenever that was, Rosa thought as it suddenly dawned on her she wasn’t in any hurry to book that return ticket. For some reason, England seemed like a receding object in her rearview mirror.
Aunt Louisa turned back to the pool.
“Actually, Aunt Louisa, if you have a few minutes, I’d like to talk to you about your charity work with the Polio Foundation.”
“Come join me at the pool,” her aunt said.
“I’ll take Diego,” Gloria offered, then lifted the kitten.
“I’ll bring you both some iced tea.” Señora Gomez went back inside while Rosa and Aunt Louisa sat at a glass patio table.
Aunt Louisa’s lacy pink dress billowed in the breeze. She crossed her legs then tilted her head. “How is your investigation going?”
Rosa jumped right in. “There was another murder this morning.”
Aunt Louisa’s jaw dropped. “That’s a shock.”
“The man’s name is Jason Brewster. Does that ring a bell?”
Aunt Louisa’s gaze moved to the pool as she considered the question, then she shook her head. “No, I don’t think I’ve heard that name. Who is he?”
“He’s an accountant in town, but the police also suspect he sold drugs. He was at the fundraiser.”
Aunt Louisa tucked her chin. “What? Not as a guest, he wasn’t. I knew everyone on the list.”
“His house is located up the beach from where the party was, so he could’ve just been a random person in a public place. The thing is, Aunt Louisa, I saw him arguing with Florence Adams not long before her body was found.”
Señora Gomez arrived with two glasses of iced tea. Grateful for the refreshment, Rosa and her aunt both took a sip.
Rosa continued. “Mr. Brewster was also at the scene of the crime, but he walked away when he saw me watching him.”
Louisa clicked her tongue. “A drug dealer at my event. As if a murder isn’t bad enough.”
“Aunt Louisa, did you know much about Florence’s personal life? Did she have a boyfriend? Was Jason Brewster her boyfriend?”
“Flo had many boyfriends.”
Red spots appeared on Aunt Louisa’s cheeks, and Rosa knew she’d hit a sore spot. Clarence had been one of those many boyfriends.
“I’m afraid Flo’s reputation in that regard was in tatters,” Aunt Louisa said. “If it weren’t for her relationship to Shirley, I would have sent her packing.”
Rosa waited, knowing that if the silence stretched out too long, Aunt Louisa might fill it. She was rewarded.
“I’ve already told you about Flo’s tendency to drink too much, so I guess I am not totally surprised that she was somehow connected to this drug dealer.” She paused for a moment. “Do you think the two murders are connected?”
“It’s possible. What was Florence Adams’ role in planning the charity event?” Rosa took out her notepad from her purse.
“Mostly, the allocation of funds. We all voted on it, but she had a heavy influence on where the money was spent.”
“Such as?”
“Well, there were campaigns to promote and support the new vaccines currently used to combat polio. The hospital in Santa Bonita is always in need of new equipment to treat the disease. In particular, the iron lung machines, although they cost more than they’re really worth, so we are not concentrating on those much anymore. There was an expansion of the children’s ward last year with more staff and equipment needed for polio rehabilitation.”
“I see.” Rosa scribbled on her notepad and then looked up, “Who else is on the board?”
“Shirley Philpott, of course. She helps with the promotion of our events. Then there’s Raul Mendez. He takes care of our accounting—”
“How long has he been on the board?” Rosa took another sip of her drink.
“Several years now. He lost a younger brother to polio a few years ago, but that was before I was with the charity. Rod Jeffers is on the board. I think you met him at the event. He’s a polio survivor.”
“The man with the leg braces?”
Aunt Louisa nodded. “He also helps with promotion of the events and is our liaison and spokesman to the press.” Louisa took a final sip of tea and pushed away from the table. “I am afraid I have a meeting this morning. We can talk later if you want.”
Rosa smiled with appreciation. “You’ve been very helpful, thank you.”
Aunt Louisa stepped away, paused, and looked over her shoulder. “I just want to say that I am relieved that you are on this case. I know you had reservations.”
14
Though Vanessa Forrester and Rosa had technically been related through marriage, her divorce to Clarence had been finalized, so Rosa felt assured that Vanessa wouldn’t feel very cousinly toward her. Having told Miguel that she’d do the interview, she knew she needed to get moving.
Deciding that Gloria’s presence would probably put Vanessa at ease and more willing to answer Rosa’s questions, Rosa approached her. “Gloria, I need to speak to Vanessa again about the case. Would you like to come along?”
Gloria’s eyes brightened. “As part of your investigation? I could take notes. You know, maybe I should become a journalist!”
“We don’t want to scare her,” Rosa said. “It would be best if you committed the conversation to memory and wrote up notes later.” Having notes to refer to would be a good thing, Rosa thought. Gloria could come in handy, after all.
Gloria worked her lips. “You’re right, of course. It’s best if we act natural.”
Rosa, delighted with Gloria’s enthusiasm, fought back the grin that edged its way to her lips. “Precisely.”
Leaving Diego in Señora Gomez’s care, Rosa and Gloria took the Bel Air, with Gloria driving, to the north district of town. Gloria twisted the large knobs on the chrome-plated radio and gaily sang along with “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and the Comets.
“I love this group, don’t you?” Gloria’s smile was as bright as a clear summer day. “Their tunes make me want to dance.” She swayed her shoulders to emphasize the fact, causing Rosa to laugh out
