Getaway Girlz (20 page)

Before Vivian could respond, Kate said, “At your house? Sure, we’ll be there.”

Hey, is that a good idea
?

“Maybe I take you out on boat. We have good time,” Shorty said as he lifted his chin and gave them a look like “you know you want me.”

Gross
. Vivian didn’t even want to think about what he was insinuating.

Just then his phone rang. It was conveniently in the cockpit so Vivian glanced at the number. It looked familiar.

Shorty walked over, picked up the phone and set it face-down.

Vivian figured she had nothing to lose, so she asked, “Didn’t we see you a couple of nights ago at the Purple Peacock hanging out with Jon and Pierre, the Canadians?”

His eyes narrowed a little as he responded, “
Si
, like me for my boat.”

Egomaniac
.

The phone rang again, Shorty glanced at the incoming number and silenced the ringer.

“
Matarlo. Pinche bendejo
.” He muttered.

The girls exchanged nervous looks with Wendy who put her hand to her neck and tried to nonchalantly draw her finger across it.

Vivian wanted to get his mind off his phone, so she got to the purpose of the visit. “Did you hear about what happened to Jon?”

Shorty had a blank look on his face. “No, whaz up with
hombre
?”

She glanced at the girls, then looked back at Shorty. “He’s dead. Murdered.”

“
Aye yo Santo
!” Shorty exclaimed. “What happen?” He seemed genuinely shocked.

“We don’t know,” Lucy said, “but there’s the man doing the investigating right over there.”

She pointed toward the marina office where Detective Vega stood talking with Ponytail.

Vivian’s throat went dry and Shorty seemed to have turned pale, or at least as pale as possible for a Mexican.

Vivian coughed and looked at the girls with wide eyes. She turned to Shorty. “Uh, it was nice to meet you, but we’ve got to go cuz we’re meeting Jon’s friend, Pierre, soon. Plus, I need some ice cream.”

Lucy, such the bad actress, said, “Ice cream? Oh yeah, ice cream. Sounds delish. Let’s go.”

They thanked him for the margaritas and said goodbye as they climbed off the boat. It was all Vivian could do not to run like hell back to the rent car.

THE GIRLS walked quickly through the marina parking lot and jumped into the rent car, Kate behind the wheel.

As soon as the doors were shut, Vivian broke down in tears. “I’m officially freaked out now. What’s with Detective Vega and Ponytail talking? Lucy, did they see us on Shorty’s boat?”

“I’m sure they did,” Lucy replied. “How could they not? I’m a little freaked out, too.”

“Maybe he was checking up on the lead we gave him. You know, questioning him,” Kate said.

“It didn’t look like that. Vega wasn’t scowling at him like he scowls at me.” Vivian wiped her tears and pulled up the call history on her phone, though her hands were shaking. “Al called me from his cell phone earlier, remember? I think he just called Shorty. I think this was the same number on Shorty’s phone when it rang a few minutes ago.”

“Why would Al be calling Shorty?” Kate asked.

“Are you sure that was Al’s number, Viv?” Wendy asked. “How good a look did you get?”

“I dunno. Good enough I think.”

“Maybe they can’t act like they know each other in public,” Lucy suggested. “You know, like maybe they’re involved in some illegal mob activity? Drug trafficking? Money laundering? Sex trade?”

“Oh geez,” Kate said. “Sex trade?”

“You never know,” Lucy shrugged.

“Why did you tell Shorty we were meeting up with Pierre?” Wendy asked. “We don’t have any plans with him.”

“I said it just in case he was thinking of taking off with us still on the boat,” Vivian said. “I wanted him to know someone would be looking for us in a little while if we didn’t show up.”

“Good thinking,” Kate commented.

Vivian put her head in her hands and took a deep breath. “Oh my god, y’all. This whole thing is starting to spin out of control. What if they don’t let me out of Mexico in a few days? I’ve got to get home to my kids. Wendy, you’re the only one of us who knows anything about boats. Do you think you could hijack Shorty’s boat and get us to Galveston?”

Wendy tried to be the voice of reason. “Whoa, Viv. No, I couldn’t get us to Galveston. The cockpit and gauges on his boat are complicated, and I don’t know if I could figure it all out in time for us to make a clean getaway. We would have to stop and refuel, and besides, we need keys.”

“We can search his house for them at the party Friday night,” Vivian said. “If they haven’t arrested me by then.”

“Viv, you don’t want to run,” Kate said. “It will look like you’re guilty. We’d probably be picked up by the Coast Guard anyways, and you don’t want to bring this mess home with you.”

Lucy backed Kate up. “She’s right, Viv. You didn’t kill Jon and have nothing to hide.”

Vivian let out a big sigh. “I know, but between Al, Shorty and Ponytail, my head is spinning. Our passports are with the cops, and I’m getting nervous.”

Wendy reached over the seat and squeezed her shoulders. “Calm down, Viv. This is going to work out. Let’s do what we talked about earlier and go to the Purple Peacock and Club Caliente and ask around. Maybe the bartenders or the waitresses know something.”

Wendy. Always level-headed.

“It’s not like me to freak out like this but I am overwhelmed with the facts,” Vivian said. “Fact one: Someone besides me killed Jon. Fact two: Ponytail is somehow connected to Detective Vega and he chased after us today — what was that about? Fact three: Shorty and Al are somehow connected. Al seems like a nice guy, but he may be connected with the mob and now he’s calling Shorty. I’m starting to sound like Lucy!”

Wendy let go of her shoulders. “Hang in there, Viv. You’ll get cleared of this, and we’re going to help with that, starting now. Hang on to your ‘oh-shit’ handles ladies. Kate, get us over to the Purple Peacock pronto!”

Kate, a.k.a. Mario Andretti, got to the Purple Peacock in no time flat. The chase earlier must have given her a new lease on driving.

The girls grabbed four swings at the bar and Vivian ordered a round of beers from the same bartender who waited on them two nights ago. Hunkalicious recognized them and called Vivian “birthday girl.”

Lucy took on the role of Detective Vega, asking him a slew of questions.

“Do you remember the crazy girl in here the other night? She had a black spider tattoo on her back.”

The bartender stopped cleaning glasses and put down his towel. “Ah, the lady who cry. She drinking Sangria margaritas, many many.” He held his arms wide for emphasis. “
Muchas
.”

Hunk thought she paid cash but couldn’t remember, didn’t know what hotel she was staying in, and thought she came in alone. The only time he remembered her talking to anyone was when she made the big production with Jon. “That girl
es loco
,” he concluded.

No help.

“What about the short guy with the two ladies?” Kate piped up. “Do you know anything about him?”

“Julio? He
es
party animal
y
get in fights. He have two girlfriends,” he raised his eyebrows on “girlfriends” then continued, “Sells tequila, that all I know.”

“Fights with who?” Wendy asked.

The bartender shrugged. “Guys in
de
bar.
Cinco en dos meses
.”

Some customers grabbed a swing across the bar and he walked off to serve them.

“That’s five in two months,” Wendy translated.

“Damn,” Lucy said. “What a hothead.”

Vivian hoped Stella would walk in. They needed to find this girl.

They swung for about an hour waiting to see if Stella would show, but the Loco lady did not come in. They decided it was time to high tail it over to Club Caliente. Though they never actually saw Stella there, she had sent Jon/Dominik a drink, so they knew she had been there somewhere.

The girls drove back to the hotel in silence. Arturo waved them quickly into “special parking,” then went back to his post. They walked to the club from there and Vivian felt like everyone they passed on the street was looking at her funny. Locals and tourist alike had heard about the Canadian who was killed and the blonde, female, American suspect. One couple even purposefully crossed to the other side of the street as Vivian approached.

Kate kept turning around to see if they were being followed. “All clear,” she reported every so often. At least it was only a five-minute walk.

The same bartender from the night before was working and they ordered a round of Tiempo Loco margaritas. Vivian tried to recreate what Lucy had done at the Peacock.

He spoke good English, but didn’t have much information. He remembered the woman who ordered a gin martini straight up, then had it delivered somewhere, but he didn’t know where or to whom.

“Not the typical drink around here, but she paid cash and tipped well.”

“Is the waitress here?”

“
Si
.” He pointed toward the balcony.

They made their way outside and picked a table.
Cooler air
!

They already had margaritas, but the waitress came over anyway. It was still early for a night club, and she must have been bored.

“
Hola. Mas margaritas
?”

“
Habla Ingles
?” Vivian asked.

“Yes, some.”

“We were here last night with a group inside and you brought a drink to our friend.”

“He was very fair skinned,
blanco
,” Wendy threw out.

“Anyway, you brought him a martini that someone bought for him. A
señorita
.”

“
Si
.”

“Do you remember what she looked like?”

“Black hair, green eyes.”

“Did you notice if she had a tattoo.”

“
Si, la araña aqui
,” she said and pointed to her back.

“That means spider,” Wendy said. “
Muchas gracias
.”

She nodded and walked off, leaving Vivian in a somber mood.

“So there,” she said. “We officially know that it was crazy Stella who ordered the drink. We have got to find this lady.”

Wendy took a sip of her margarita. “It does help a little to confirm she’s the one who sent the drink, but we pretty much already knew that. Now the question is, what was she doing in the hibiscus by the pool last night?”

“She had to have been spying on Jon and me,” Vivian said. “Did she kill Jon, or did she see who did?”

Lucy swirled her straw around. “Maybe she thought Dominik was cheating on his soap opera wife and it pissed her off?”

“That’s jacked up,” Wendy said. “She kills Jon because she thinks he’s really Dominik, returned from the dead, and cheating on his soap opera wife. It’s a stretch.”

Kate shrugged. “She clearly isn’t the brightest bulb in the pack.”

Vivian sucked on her straw, getting the last bit of margarita. “I’d say she’s a three-watt.”

AFTER NOT seeing loony toons, a.k.a. Stella, at Club Caliente, they headed back to the hotel. Vivian felt a bit dejected in general and not finding Stella added to it. That nobody seemed to know anything more about the woman. Apparently she had no friends, paid cash and kept to herself. She could be long gone.

The girls had to walk around to the far side of the hotel to avoid the ever-growing crowd of paparazzi. Evidently word had traveled fast about the previously semi-famous, now infamous, soap star.

They ran into Adrienne and Al in the lobby, who were going to the poolside bar. Though Vivian wasn’t really feeling up to it, Al convinced her she needed to pretend it was happy hour, on him! She did love happy hour.

Al ordered them a round of margaritas and Adrienne asked for an update.

Vivian gave her and Al the lowdown on going back to the Purple Peacock and Club Caliente. She conveniently didn’t tell them they spoke with Shorty. Vivian didn’t know what the connection was with Al, but she figured it was best to not bring it up.

“Nobody seemed to know anything,” Vivian said.

“When that’s the case, you can bet someone knows something,” Al said.

“What do you mean?” Wendy asked.

“Someone
always
notices something, whether they realize it or not,” Al said. “You’ve gotta find the right person and ask the right questions. Sometimes, you gotta apply the right pressure.”

Al’s shirt buzzed and he excused himself.

He was only six feet from the bar when the vultures, (three horny men), descended on the girls and Adrienne.

“Hey, girls, can we buy you a drink?” This from a guy in a tangerine orange see-through shirt.
Cheesy
!

Lucy felt game and was apparently in need of another drink. “Margaritas are always welcome. Or tequila shots.”

“Done. And what’s your name?” He turned his full attention to Lucy. The other two guys flanked him and turned toward Vivian, Kate and Wendy.

Vivian rolled her eyes. She was in no mood, so she threw out their bar names, secretly signaling her dis-interest to the girls.

“I’m Roxy, this is Rita (pointing to Wendy), Consuela (pointing to Lucy), and Maria,” (pointing to Kate).

“And I’m Portia.” Adrienne stuck out her left hand and flashed her ginormous rock. She gave Vivian a wink.

“And what are you lovely ladies up to tonight?” Cheese-a-rama flashed a car salesman-y grin, showing off his crooked teeth.
He should have saved the money from these margaritas and put it towards braces.

Nobody got to answer because Al walked up at that point and used his girth to move the cheese balls out of the way.

“You fellas got a lot of
conojas
talking to these ladies. Trust me — if you know what’s good for ya, you’ll steer clear of them. They tend to have a deadly effect on shmucks. Especially ol’ blondie.”

With that, the girls and Adrienne smiled innocently at them.