“Where do you suppose he’s going?” Cheryl asked. She wasn’t the least bit out of breath. In fact, she looked cool as the proverbial cucumber despite the heat and humidity. Meanwhile, I was panting and sticky, the armpits of my shirt suspiciously soggy. There wasn’t enough deodorant in the world to get me through this week without having to wash some shirts in the sink of my room.
I shrugged. “His room maybe?” It was in the direction we were going. “Or to meet up with his co-conspirator.”
Cheryl’s eyes widened. “Piper?”
“Who else? I bet dollars to donuts they’re in on this together.”
“We still don’t know for sure Jason inherits. Maybe he doesn’t.”
“They’d still have motive. Revenge if nothing else.”
Cheryl sighed. “True. Just...Piper seemed so nice. I have a hard time imagining her in on it.”
“That’s because you’re a nice person instead of a suspicious so-and-so like me.”
She held back a giggle. “You’re a nice person, too.”
I snorted. “Have you met me?”
She shook her head. “Really, Viola, you do say the oddest things sometimes.”
Which was probably why we were friends. Not the me saying odd things part, but the her believing I was a nice person part. I supposed I was nice, as much as anybody, but while Cheryl always believed the best in people, I usually suspected them of being serial killers. It came from being weaned on murder mysteries.
“Look.” Chery’s whispered voice jarred me out of my woolgathering. “It’s Piper’s room.”
Sure enough, Jason rapped on the room to Piper’s door. It swung open almost immediately, so she’d obviously been expecting him. Maybe she’d been waiting to report her failed attempt to murder me?
Piper wrapped her arms around Jason’s neck and dragged him inside, all the while peppering him with kisses. It was like a really bad romance movie. Or one of Natasha’s books. I might get sappy on occasion, but Natasha Winters had taken schmaltz to a whole new level.
“Well, darn.” Cheryl sounded disappointed. “They’re just being normal lovebirds.”
“Were you hoping for another murder?” I asked dryly. “Mr. Winters in the hotel room with the ballpoint pen, perhaps?”
“Don’t be snarky. I was just hoping we’d find out something more useful. We already know the two of them are an item.”
I sighed. “True. We really need to question Jason right away. Should we knock?”
Her eyes widened. “And what? Just barge in, accusing them of murder? We’re not the police, you know.”
It was true. If I were Costa, I definitely would have been barging in. Unfortunately, people tended not to be so forthcoming. An idea popped into my mind. I rummaged around in my purse and pulled out a twenty.
“Here.” I shoved it at Cheryl. “Go buy a cheap bottle of wine and bring it back. I’ll stay here and watch the door, make sure they don’t leave.”
She stared at me, eyes narrowed, twenty-dollar bill clutched in her hand. “What are you planning, you minx?”
“Oh, you’ll see.” I waggled my eyebrows mysteriously. “Now hurry up before we miss our golden opportunity.”
I GAVE AN IMPERIOUS rap on Piper’s door, then stood back, wine bottles clearly visible to anyone peering through the peephole. The door swung open almost immediately, revealing Piper with disheveled hair and an awkwardly buttoned shirt. The woman had insanely long legs. I ordered myself not to be jealous. She stared at the wine bottles and then at me.
“Viola.” She seemed genuinely surprised and not particularly alarmed. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not.
I waggled the bottles in the air. “I wanted to stop by and say thank you. And bring you these. Wasn’t sure what you drank, so one white and one red.” I gave her my most beguiling smile.
A tiny frown line marred her otherwise perfect face. “Thank you? For what?”
“Well, you know, today. That whole ghastly episode.” I shuddered dramatically. My mother claimed I was one of the most dramatic people she knew. She was one to talk. “You were just so kind. Very helpful.” Piper had been no such thing, but in my experience, people generally thought they were better than they really were. If you told them they’d been kind, they’d take it. Even if they couldn’t figure out what you were talking about. “I can’t thank you enough. For being there. Taking my mind off the whole business. I thought we could share a bottle.” I gave her a hopeful smile. “The three of us.” I waved to Cheryl hovering in the background. She gave a little finger wave.
“Well, I do have a visitor...”
“Splendid!” I crowed, charging in through the open door before she could protest. “The more the merrier. Oh, Jason. How nice to see you again.” I gave him a mournful look. “My condolences. You must be in shock. Here. Join us in some wine.”
Jason, clad in a worn undershirt and unbuttoned khakis, stared at me with glassy eyes and a mouth slightly hanging open in shock. I could be a bit much when I wanted to—and oh, how I wanted to. I gave him a wide smile and cocked my hip in a sassy manner. “Corkscrew?”
Piper, after donning a pair of pajama pants beneath what was obviously Jason’s shirt, obligingly found a corkscrew and four glasses while Cheryl made cheerful chitchat with Jason. The meaningless talk seemed to calm him down. He looked less like a rabbit in headlights and more like his old self. Not that I knew him that well, but I’d seen him around over the years, toddling behind Natasha like a good little minion.
I poured four generous glasses and held mine up in a toast. “To friends!” I declared cheerfully. “And living to fight another day.”
Cheryl nearly choked on a mouthful of wine. Piper looked only mildly interested as she took a seat on the sofa, curling one
