Domestic Affairs (Tiara Investigations Mystery) by Lane Stone Page B

answer Tara in the affirmative.  
      He had someone with him. “This is Alyssa. I wanted to introduce you since she’ll be my replacement this week and next. I’ll be in Cancun. I won an all expenses paid trip!”
    I took a look at the petite young woman with him.   Alyssa? What was she trying to pull? It was Janice Marshall from the funeral home. And I’m not even kidding. A gold satin jacket covered her jog bra and short shorts, more or less. The eyeliner on her upper and lower lids met and kept going, forming curlicues.   No eyeglasses today.      
    “Congratulations.”
    “That’s great.”   Tara and Victoria’s voices were as flat as we were at age eleven so I figured they recognized her too.  
    “I don’t remember entering it, but I must have, because I won!”
    Did I think something was wrong then? Or am I imagining that I did in telling the story?   “Enough chit-chat, ladies. Let’s get started.” Julio was even more animated than usual.
    “We were just getting water. Will you show her to the workout room?” I was wide awake by then, but needed a minute to think.    
    “What’s wrong with the water cooler in the basement?”   Julio asked, innocently.
    “This water is better.” It wasn’t, but Julio didn’t know that. “Just drop that anyplace.” I pointed to the gym bag slung over the replacement trainer’s shoulder.   
    She hesitated, then let it drop to the floor by the stairs to the basement.
    “I’ll show you to the workout room, then I’ll take off.”   Julio led her away.  
    Tara watched them walk down the stairs. “Well played, little girl.”
    As soon as Julio and said little girl cleared the first landing, we went to town on that gym bag. In the very, very bottom, I found a chain and pulled on it. It led to an employee identification badge for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Janice Marshall,” I read.   It looked brand new.  
    Victoria was looking over my shoulder. “Shut the front door!” Yes, that’s Vic cussing. “Leigh, are you thinking she had anything to do with killing Thomas Chestnut?   Or stealing his body?”
    Tara glanced down the stairs. “Maybe she just wanted to see him naked.”  
    Victoria jerked.   “Why would anybody want…?”
    “I wouldn’t have minded seeing him naked.” Tara touched Vic’s arm.   “Or could she have been involved in Bea’s kidnapping? We don’t know her whereabouts after we left for the restaurant.”
    I dropped the badge back in the bag. “Want to play along and see what her game is?”   
    Victoria grinned. “If she was, let’s say, more professional, I’d vote for either calling the police or treating her the way we did Al last night, but she’s comical.”  
    “Here comes Julio.”   Tara jumped up and we trotted downstairs.     
      “I’ll let myself out.” He saw Abby and stopped.   “Are you going to put her in a bedroom, out of the way?”
    “Sure thing,” I lied. I didn’t think we’d need any back up, since there were three of us, and there was no way she was packing in that skimpy getup.  
    He left and we went to the workout room. Alyssa had tricked out her smart phone with my music system speakers and was adjusting the volume.   She pointed to the cell phone in my hand and then tapped the top of the water cooler. “You won’t need that for the next hour, girls.”   Julio never barked at us like that.  
    “We wouldn’t dream of it.” To the uninitiated, Vic sounded earnest, but Tara and I knew a smart ass remark when we heard one. We choose not to take business calls in front of anyone.  
    “Ever tried belly dancing?” Vic and I shook our heads, no.   
    I didn’t know if it was not knowing what Janice Marshall was going to pretend to be next, or not caring for how bossy she’d become, but Tara, who ordinarily would have been digging learning to belly dance, didn’t respond.  
    We took off our shoes and then she showed us some