She looked lovingly at her pooch, then nodded. “I guess so.”
I pried open the box, showcasing rimless sunglasses with diamonds in the shape of hearts on the pink lenses. I held it just above Babycakes’ head like I said I would.
A soft growl started at the back of her throat (uh, the baby dog, not the baby girl). I remained calm, but I had zero confidence teenage blondie could handle her itty bitty doggie.
“Are you sure that’s the right shade of pink?” Shar asked.
Baby’s almond eyes stared me down. “Positive. Pink Bubble Gum.” I closed the box and moved out the line of biting.
Shar whipped out her pink Coach wallet and handed me her black credit card. I rang up the doggles, then handed the receipt and bag to Shar.
“I put a couple of sweet potato treats in the bag.”
“Thanks, Mel.”
I followed them to the door, locking it as soon as their baby feet hit the sidewalk. I quickly hung the closed sign before more business wandered inside. I was a woman on a mission. I’d clear Darby’s name and, in the process, find out who hated Mona so much they killed her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The sun had quickly burned off the morning clouds. It was noon, and the day promised to be full of sunshine and hope. I headed to Mona’s without calling, fingers crossed Camilla would be apron deep in recording Mona’s possessions. By now the security guard didn’t bother to stop me and passed me through. At some point I’d been promoted to resident status.
Is that what had happened the night Mona had died? Had he waved through a murderer? Or did they live in the community? I made a mental note to talk to the guard on my way out.
I parked in Mona’s circular driveway. I marched up to the door, and knocked as I opened it.
“Camilla? It’s Melinda. Are you here?” I yelled out, closing the door behind me.
She came rushing downstairs. “Why you here? Fluffy OK?”
Camilla looked really comfortable hanging out in Mona’s house in her black t-shirt and designer jeans. Uh, hello? Since when did housekeepers wear two hundred dollar jeans?
Instead of the “butler did it,” could it be the housekeeper did it?
“She’s fine.” It probably wasn’t smart to let on I suddenly considered her a possible suspect. “Did you hear about the will?”
“Si, I got phone call.”
The meeting at Owen Quinn’s was in three hours. I needed to hurry this up. I peered over Camilla’s shoulder searching for what would be a logical office for Mona.
She looked over her shoulder too. “What?”
“So, you’ll be there? At the meeting.”
She shook her head. “No. My sister’s leaving town. I taking her to airport.”
“She can’t take a taxi?” If I was broke and thought I might be on the receiving end of a windfall of cash, my sister would be finding her own way to the airport. Okay, not really. But if Camilla didn’t attend the meeting, how would I know for sure if she was guilty or innocent?
“Taxi?” she asked confused.
“You’re not leaving town, too, are you?”
She laughed lightly, wiping her hands on her jeans. “No, no. I take my sister to the airport. She’s flying to Kansas.”
“Camilla, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course, Miz Melinda. Come with me.”
I followed Camilla to the sunroom and kept my eye out for an office. I positioned myself onto the settee across from her. “Did you know Darby Beckett was Mona’s daughter?” I asked.
She shook her head, her brows furrowed in concern. “No. It was big surprise. Do you think there are more children?” She asked the last part in a whisper.
Good grief. I hadn’t thought about that possibility.
I studied Mona’s former housekeeper with a critical eye. Was she curious, or was she more devious than I’d given her credit for? Maybe she thought if there were more offspring she’d get a smaller slice of the money pie.
“I doubt it,” I said. “Did Mona and Cliff argue last week about Fluffy?”
She shook her head automatically. “No.”
“No, you don’t know, or no they didn’t?”
“No argument.”
“Are you sure? Think carefully. Did Cliff stop by unannounced or call?”
She scowled. “No. He never come here. Once she kicked him out,” she jerked her thumb over her shoulder, “he never be back.”
She was lying. Kate, from the dog park, had been very clear-Cliff had been here, and they’d fought. Unless Kate was lying. Or maybe she didn’t know what Cliff looked like and just assumed the man Mona had argued with was Cliff.
But what other man would Mona have fought with? Alex?
Was Alex lying?
What if they were all lying?
I rubbed my temples. I was giving myself a headache. I leaned in closer. “You’re certain, Cliff was never here?”
She shifted her weight, mirroring my posture. She stared at me, freakishly unblinking. “Si.”
Camilla was lying. Was she hiding behind the same confidentiality agreement as Alex? Could she be protecting Mona? Or herself? Where was Camilla the night Mona had died?
“The police think Darby may have had something to do with Mona’s death,” I said, trying to work in a way to ask for an alibi for the night of the murder.
“She killed Miz Mona?” She crossed herself and looked to the ceiling.
I caught myself wanting to look at the ceiling, too. “No. That’s why I’m here. She cared about Mona.”
“She loved Miz Mona?” Skepticism tinged her question.
“I wouldn’t go that far, but she did care.”
She considered my words before she spoke. “Miz Mona was mad about a letter from her lawyer,” she offered.
“From Owen Quinn? Do you know what it was about?”
“I don’t snoop,” she said, full of indignation.
I’m sure if she did know, she’d never tell. If word got out that she was into Mona’s business, Camilla wouldn’t find another job within five hundred miles of the OC.
“I didn’t mean to imply that you do. Did,” I corrected myself. “I thought Mona might have confided in you.”
“No, no, no. She not like me.”
Well, I wasn’t expecting that. I wanted to ask outright if she’d killed her, but my gut told me it wasn’t her. If so, she’d have thrown Darby under the bus without hesitation. But that didn’t explain why she lied about Cliff.
“I’m just curious, where were you when Fluffy and I found Mona? I called out your name. I expected you to pop out of a room any moment.”
She shook her head. “I not live here. Monday night my day off. All staff have Monday night off. Miz Mona liked to be alone.”
“Do you know Kate?”
“The dog walker? Of course.”
“When was the last time Kate walked Fluffy?”
“The day of the Fur Ball,” she answered automatically.
Kate was telling the truth. “I met her at the Bark Park. She said Cliff was here that day, and he and Mona argued.”
Camilla didn’t say anything. She pushed her lips together, telling me they were sealed. She fought her own silent war.
I reached out and patted her knee. “You can tell me. Mona isn’t here to punish you for telling the truth.”
Out of nowhere, the water works spewed like a geyser. Fat salty tears spilled out of her eyes and splashed onto us both. Holy cow.
“I lied,” she wailed. “Mr. Michaels was here. He come a lot. They argue about the other Mr. Michaels. Miz Michaels make me promise not to talk about it.”
She pulled out a wadded used tissue from her pocket and eventually found a section to blow her nose. And blow her nose. And then blow it one more time. Eew.
“The other Mr. Michaels? Cliff has a brother?” I guessed.
“Si. Mr. Ted.”
“Do you have a picture of Ted?” I had no idea what he looked like.
“Si.” She got up, still sniffling, and rummaged through the antique buffet table’s drawers. She pulled out a frame that had been shoved into the back and handed it to me, then returned to her seat.