I’d figured his motive for seeking Susie out had little to do with her pregnancy—if he was, in fact, as much of a jerk as they claimed. Now that I knew more, my guess was he needed a place to go, and Susie’s was as good a place as any.
I gave Margot a thoughtful look. I didn’t really need verification, but I asked anyway in case there was something I could learn from their affair. “So Luca really did cheat on Susie with Mitzy?”
“As plain as the day is long, he did. I saw him coming from Mitzy’s room when it happened,” Margot assured me with a harsh gaze. “I told her it was shady as a maple, but Mitzy never cared about things like that. She always took whatever she wanted because that was how Mitzy’s world worked.”
She paused for a moment, and then she looked me in the eye. “You know what I do feel bad about, though? Susie. I really liked her. She was always nice to me whenever I saw her at conventions or parties. Had no idea she was thirty, but then, I don’t really care. She’s an amazing makeup artist, and to boot, she’s a nice person who didn’t deserve all this ugliness—especially with a little one on the way.”
“Trixie?” a deep male voice said, pulling me from the conversation. Higgs appeared behind me, putting his hand at my waist. “Everything okay?”
I leaned into him and smiled, grateful for the warmth of his chest against my side. “Everything’s fine. Everyone, this is Higgs. My date tonight.”
He smiled and shook hands while each of the women smiled back and fought obvious coos of appreciation.
“Figured you might be cold out here. Brought you my jacket,” he said, draping his suit coat over my shoulders.
Each of the women sighed, sounding a little breathless, and I decided there was nothing left to ask at this point. “Ladies, thank you for talking with me. I hope the police straighten this out as soon as possible, but if you can think of anything else, or you need someone to talk to, or someone to pass the time with until you all can go home, here’s my card. I own a tattoo parlor on Peach Street, called Inkerbelle’s. I know lots of great little out-of-the-way eateries and coffee shops.” I handed them each a card with a smile.
Margot held it up and squinted. “Tattoos, huh? Maybe I’ll get one to celebrate my freedom,” she joked. Then looked at us all and asked, “Too soon?”
Sally swatted at her with a shiver. “Yes, it’s too soon! Knock it off, Margot. You never know who’s listening.” With a smile, Sally turned on her heel and waved to me. “And on that note, I’m going back in to do what we intended. Send Mitzy off properly. Nice meeting you, Trixie. Your makeup is iconic.”
We all waved goodbye as Higgs turned me in his arms to face him, pulling me close and clasping his hands around my waist. “What was that all about? I see the sleuthing gleam in your eyes, Sister Trixie. I’m guessing your talk proved fruitful, mistress?”
I rested my face against his chest and smiled, inhaling his cologne, letting the clean scent of it soothe me. “I did get some stuff that could be useful.”
“And now I guess you want to go home and hit the laptop to research ‘stuff,’ right?”
Lifting my head, I smiled up at him. “Has anyone ever told you you’re dreamy, Higglesworth?”
He chuckled a deep rumble that resonated against my torso. “So that’s a yes? Home?”
“Yes.”
“Amen. I don’t think I could have listened to another song about tossing my hair back and checking my nails.”
My head fell back on my shoulders as I laughed out loud, making people stop and look at us on the sidewalk. “That’s Lizzo, buddy and that you didn’t know that? It means you’re old, Higgs. So old.”
“I’ll show you old,” he teased before he picked me up, threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and made a run for the car, with me laughing and sputtering the entire way.
Higgs and I said goodnight at about one in the morning, both of us yawning. I’d told him everything I’d learned tonight with Margot, Sally and Julie, and that I planned to talk to Sophie, the other volunteer, and maybe even Mickey, too.
I had to wonder if I could get Mitzy’s parents to speak with me. Tansy hadn’t asked me to help her with them either, so I’d have to be delicate if I did contact them.
Higgs opened the passenger door of his car for me and held out his hand, which I took willingly, then pulled me close again.
“So let’s do lunch tomorrow? The kale and quinoa are on me.” Then he gave me that quirky smile of his that meant “yuck, but I like you, so I’ll eat something that’s good for me.”
I giggled, mostly because our running joke was how he ate enough for ten men and everything he put in his face was going to clog his arteries.
Poking him playfully in the chest, I teased. “Talk dirty to me. You’re on. Now, I have to go before I fall asleep standing up.”
Cupping my cheek, he said, “I’ll poke around online tomorrow and see what I can see, and if I find anything before lunch, I’ll text you.”
I gripped his wrist and smiled. “Same. Kiss Jeff for me, and take one for yourself, too.”
Reaching up, I pressed my lips to his.
As our kiss deepened, my heart sped up and my legs turned to butter. Higgs slowly pulled away and cleared his throat. He tipped my chin up with his index finger and whispered, “I’d
