The Corpse Wore Cashmere by Sylvia Rochester

about that. I didn’t come back home to see you lose your job or leave Palmetto.”
    “Maybe A. K. could give me a job in the costume shop. I don’t think I’d do well in the Bawdy Boutique.”
    “Get serious, Wesley.”
    “Okay, if worse comes to worst, I could always do private detective work. I’ve kicked around the idea of starting my own business.”
    Susan wished she could see his face, read his expression. If he lost his job, he might not blame her now, but given time, would he feel the same? “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
    “Right, and let’s not worry about what might happen. Let’s consider what we know. Personally, I find it difficult to see Karl as a cheater, especially since his wife is the one with all the money. It’s common knowledge that Zelda bankrolls all of Karl’s elections. If she left him, he could kiss his career goodbye. And there’s another problem. Because everyone in town knows Karl, someone would have recognized him at the Rusty Nail.”
    “Maybe he didn’t meet Lorraine there. Maybe he hired someone to kill her.”
    “That’s a possibility. All the more reason to see what his bank statement shows.”
    Susan remembered Zelda’s visit to the Bawdy Boutique. “You know, Zelda’s no dummy. I have a feeling she suspects something. The other day, she made a rare stop at the boutique. I didn’t think much about it at the time, but now it makes sense. She wanted some sexy lingerie, said something about reigniting the flame in the bedroom. That tells me they’re having trouble.”
    “I’ll run the information by a D.A. and see if it he thinks a judge would sign a warrant. In the meantime, I want you to chill with the questions. We don’t know who might be involved in this, and too much exposure on your part is never a good thing. I’d hate to have you unknowingly confront the killer.”
    “Don’t worry. I’ll be careful. In fact, I doubt I’ll have time for anything except customers the next few days. But I’ll keep my ears on.”
    A big smacking sound came over the phone. “Did you hear that? It’s the best I can do from here.”
    Susan kissed the mouthpiece on her phone. “Back at you. Good night, hon.”

Chapter 6
    Sleep was out of the question. Susan’s mind churned with the new information she had learned from Miguel and Wesley. Bounding off the bed, she hurried to A. K.’s room. “You still awake?” she called, knocking softly.
    A. K. opened the door. “Your timing is perfect.” She tossed her cell phone on her pillow. “I just finished talking with Jack. So, how’d it go with Miguel?”
    Susan closed the door and plopped down on the bed. A. K. sat beside her. For the next several minutes, Susan told A. K. everything she had found out from her conversation with Miguel and Wesley.
    “Are you serious? Karl with a hottie? Bet he had to pay extra.” A. K. laughed out loud. “I can see him cheating on Zelda, but murder? No way. At least, not by his hand. And I don’t ever remember seeing or reading where he owned a boat.”
    “Me either.” Susan got up and paced the room. “I’m thinking he hired someone…someone from here.”
    “Whoa! You’re reaching there, kiddo. Better wait and see what Wesley finds.”
    “It’s just that I have this feeling….”
    “Well, put it on hold. The crowds should be terrific tomorrow. It’s going to take both of us to handle them. You can’t be running off playing Dick Tracy.”
    “I’m not going to leave the kiosk. I’ll be right there with you. What time do you want to start? How about we do the breakfast buffet about eight then open for business?”
    “Works for me. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
    On the way back to her room, Susan paused to look down from the mezzanine into the lobby. Group after group of people made their way into the casino. The clinking of coins being fed to the slots and cheers from winners at various gaming tables spilled out through the open doors. The sound only drew in