Blonde and Fabulous

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  BLONDE AND FABULOUS

  by

  ANNA SNOW

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  Copyright © 2017 by Anna Snow

  Cover design by Estrella Designs

  Gemma Halliday Publishing

  http://www.gemmahallidaypublishing.com

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  To all my readers. Thank you. Barb's adventures continue because of your loyalty.

  To my dear friend and PA, Yvette, I cannot thank you enough for your support, hard work, and most of all, friendship.

  And last but certainly not least, I cannot thank my editors, Wendi, Jennifer, and Susie, and of course my publisher, Gemma Halliday, enough for putting up with me, prodding me along, and generally just cracking the whip on me to make this book a reality.

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  CHAPTER ONE

  "The human body was not meant to be twisted into this position," I complained in a hushed whisper to the yoga mat beneath me because from my position I couldn't look directly at Mona or Mandy, and if I tried there was no doubt I'd fall flat on my rump.

  I was fairly certain that at that very moment, if a pretzel could speak, it would ask me how I got twisted into the particular position I currently found myself in. I still couldn't believe I'd let the girls talk me into taking a yoga class. Me. Cake-lovin', wine-in-my-yoga-pants-on-the-sofa, pizza-adoring, Chinese-food-gobbling, Barb Jackson, private eye.

  I shook my head mentally. Who was I becoming? Yoga? Ugh…

  But my being in yoga class wasn't as surprising as my best friend Kelly agreeing to come along. I'd been surprised when she agreed to join us since her idea of working out was about the same as mine (the walk from the microwave to the sofa), but when we'd arrived outside the studio and I'd gotten a good look at her, the surprise melted away.

  Kelly was currently sitting along the far wall with a chocolate shake in one hand and her new cell phone in the other. Ever since Mandy started teaching her about all the wonderful technology in the world today (Mandy's words not mine), I'd doubted she'd put her new iPhone down for more than five minutes. YouTube was her latest discovery and obsession. I'd been forced to watch cat videos about every ten minutes since the moment she'd discovered them. Before the iPhone, she'd still been using some flip phone from the Paleolithic era. Okay, so maybe it wasn't that old, but you get the idea.

  "Oh, stop complaining," Mona said with way too much cheer for someone currently twisted up so perfectly and with such ease a slinky would be jealous. "Just think about how good you're going to look in that pink bikini Kelly helped you pick out, and how much Tyler is going to love you in it."

  I pictured my dear old Aunt Mona waggling her eyebrows the way she always did when she was talking about what she called the naughty business, even if what she was talking about at the time wasn't really that naughty at all, and smiled to myself.

  After my mom and her sister, my Aunt Hannah, were killed in a car accident when I was seventeen, leaving me with not even one living relative, their best friend, Mona, stepped up to the plate and took me in. Since then, I was as protective of Aunt Mona as she was of me. The way Mona acted, you'd never guess she was fifty-three years old. She was a total go-getter, in better shape than most women in their twenties, and always up for an adventure. Needless to say, life with her was never boring.

  "Shh," I said quietly when the yogi pursed his thin lips at us for our chatter, then whispered, "Tyler likes how I look right now," as I moved into another twisted beyond belief position, something the yogi called Bird of Paradise. I struggled to suppress the urge to tell him where he could shove his calm breathing and his bird position. I was currently in anything but paradise. My legs burned.

  "True, but you were just saying how you wanted to lose about five pounds before your cruise," my friend and co-worker Mandy decided to chime in from her mat on the other side of Mona. "I've found that yoga is the best and easiest way for me to lose a few pounds, and it relaxes you," she said with her usual amount of cheer.

  I know I had said five pounds, but it was really more like fifteen. Five just sounded better, and I would have less guilt when I grabbed a cheeseburger after the torture class I was currently in. At that very moment a bead of sweat dropped on the floor from my forehead, and my legs decided to start shaking like Jell-O on a trampoline.

  Yeah, really relaxing.

  "Do you remember everything I say?" I asked between clenched teeth. My legs were on fire.

  "I try to. It makes my job easier."

  The yogi frowned at us and shook his head. I had a feeling we wouldn't be invited back, but honestly, I can't remember a time when the ladies beside me were quiet for more than five minutes. It's just who they were as people.

  The yogi stepped in front of the class wearing his now sour expression and called out the next position.

  When I started to unwind my arms from between my legs and place both feet back on the floor, one of the things I'd feared since walking into the yoga studio happened.

  I lost my balance and toppled over. Arms flailing, I slammed into Mona, causing her to fall onto Mandy. We crashed to the floor like dominos. The rest of the class spared us a short glance then went back to their business. Only a few small chuckles could be heard from them.

  "Man, I missed it. Could you three do that again?" Kelly laughed from her seat against the wall.

  I didn't even bother to try to get up. I just lay there like a flounder out of water gasping for air. Whoever said yoga was easy was full of it.

  As far as I was concerned, my yoga practice for the day, and possibly life, was over.

  "No way, and you better not be recording any of this." I waggled a finger halfheartedly in her direction. I glanced up at the clock. Only five minutes were left in the class, and I'd never quit anything in my life, so I decided to give this yoga stuff one more shot.

  The instructor called out the next position. This time he called it Down Dog, or as I secretly called it, Cat Warming Butt in Sun.

  "Party pooper," Kelly said with a chuckle. "A little YouTube fame never hurt anyone."

  "Yeah, right," I answered.

  "Just think, Barb," Mona said, completely ignoring Kelly. "In two weeks you and Tyler will be soaking up some sun on the deck of a fabulous cruise ship. A seven-day, six-night cruise to the Bahamas? Sign me up." She giggled. "Especially if it comes complete with a man as good-looking as Tyler."

  I'd never taken a real vacation with a boyfriend. Actually, I'd never taken a vacation at all, and I hated to admit it, but I was nervous. Sure, Tyler and I had been together for months, and we'd spend a few days at each other's place during the week, but this was different. This was one full week of him experiencing me, Barb-the-cont
rol-freak-work-a-holic-Jackson in all my not-so-splendid glory. Morning hair, morning breath, and all.

  The thought scared me a little. There were times I could barely tolerate myself. How was Tyler going to deal with moody ol' me?

  "I'm not sure Tyler knows what he's getting himself into," I said, not even bothering to whisper anymore and changing positions when the yogi called out to lower ourselves to the mat and relax. I'd been waiting on this position since about five minutes after class started.

  Mona lowered her voice. "You're just looking for a reason to back out of this vacation. Tyler is crazy about you. He's seen you in the mornings with bed head and bad breath. He's seen you after a three-day stakeout, and believe me, that's not a pretty sight," she added as a sidenote. "And he's seen you go neck deep into a box of leftover Chinese after a long day. If he hasn't run away from you screaming by now, then I'm pretty sure he isn't going to."

  "Maybe you're right," I relented and closed my eyes while I relaxed into my mat.

  "You know I am," Mona stated confidently. "I'm never wrong."

  "I agree with Mona," Mandy chimed in. "About Tyler anyway," she clarified. "Tyler loves you. I don't think a week alone on a cruise is going to change the way he feels. Especially after he sees you rocking that bikini." She raised herself up on her elbows long enough to grin at me over Mona then lowered herself back down onto her mat. I still couldn't get over how fit Mona was. She ate like a garbage can and only did yoga about once a week, but in the hour that we'd been twisted and tormented by the yogi, she'd barely broken a sweat.

  I really needed to step up my fitness game.

  A few minutes later the yogi dismissed the class with a calm namaste and a frown in our direction. I rolled up my mat with more vigor than I'd intended and then slung the strap over my shoulder while Mona and Mandy did the same.

  "Big date with Detective Boyfriend? A night in with the cats?" Kelly asked sarcastically and laughed as we approached her.

  Before Tyler came along, the going joke among the four of us was that I would become a crazy cat lady before I even hit forty.

  There had even been a betting pool, and with two cats already calling my house home, I'd had a firm head start on the old cat-lady status.

  Mona, my dear old auntie, had held out hope that I'd meet a man and have a whole tribe of little babies for her to spoil. When I met Tyler and our relationship hit the three month mark, Mona won the betting pool. A whopping ten dollars.

  "So, what's on your agenda for tonight?" Kelly asked when we joined her where she waited for us by the exit.

  "Well, all of the cases at the office are wrapped up or on the schedule for when I return, and Tyler is working late which means I won't see him until tomorrow sometime, so…nothing I suppose." I shrugged.

  "Same here," Mona said. "I'm off for the next three days while the captain and his wife get moved into the new house they just bought."

  "My nephews went home last night, so I've got nothing to do either," Mandy said. "What about you?" she asked Kelly.

  "Silas is out of town at some artist-schmartist convention and won't be back until sometime tomorrow, so it looks like a pint of Ben & Jerry's and a cheesy action flick for me."

  "Why don't we meet at my place in about an hour, order some Chinese takeout, put on one of those cheesy flicks Kelly mentioned, and call it a night?" I offered.

  "I'll bring the wine," Mona said. "I'll see you girls in about an hour." She patted my sweaty shoulder, grimaced at the palm of her now equally sweaty hand, and then hurried out the door.

  Kelly, Mandy, and I exchanged looks and shrugged.

  "See you in an hour." Kelly smiled, and the three of us left the building.

  I watched the girls get into their cars and pull away from the curb. As I walked toward my car, I started searching for my key fob in my bag.

  It wasn't until I bumped into someone and dropped my purse that I looked up.

  "I'm so sorry," I apologized and met the gaze of the woman I'd run into.

  "Cindy?" I smiled. "I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

  I'd had the pleasure of meeting Cindy back in the summer while working a case. She was a dancer at the Double Trouble Gentleman's Club, and she'd been a huge help in solving the crime.

  "Oh, um, things are good," she said and glanced around nervously before meeting my gaze. "I'm still working at the club," she said with a small nod.

  Her sky blue gaze darted around the busy street as she fidgeted with the key ring in her hand.

  I stepped forward and lowered my voice. "Are you alright?"

  The corners of her full lips turned downward in a frown. "Yes." She nodded her head then bit her bottom lip. "Well," she said hesitantly. "I'm…I'm not sure to be honest," she finally said.

  "What do you mean?"

  She reached up, ran the fingers of her left hand through her shoulder-length platinum blonde hair, and blew out a breath. "There's been some trouble at the club in recent weeks, and it has me and the other girls on edge."

  I frowned. "What kind of trouble?"

  Cindy glanced around again and leaned closer to me. "Two girls were killed. Murdered right there backstage at the club." She took a deep breath. "The first girl was killed about a month ago, and the second just two weeks ago."

  "Murdered? I didn't hear anything about any of this on the news," I said with confusion.

  "The news doesn't report on every murder in the city. I'm sure you know that. And my thinking is they didn't want dead strippers all over the evening news."

  She had a point. Not everyone was as understanding as I was about women doing what they had to do, or just what they wanted to do, to survive. Stripping included.

  "You're right," I agreed. "Do the police have any leads?"

  She shook her head. "None. I've seen a few cops around the club now and then since the first dancer was killed, but they don't seem to have any leads that I'm aware of, and honestly, the rest of us who work there are getting worried. Two of us have already been killed, and we don't know by whom or why. What if this guy is just some sicko who gets his kicks killing half-naked women? What if one of us is next?"

  Her lip trembled, but she calmed herself.

  Being the awkward duck I was, I wasn't good at comforting people, but I at least tried. I reached over and patted her shoulder. "Is there anything I can do?"

  She looked at me with her big blues, and I could practically see the exact moment the idea hit and sparkled in her eyes.

  "Yes," she said with a growing excitement that vibrated in the air. "You're a private investigator." She grabbed my shoulder. "You could look into this for me." Her smile grew along with her excitement. "I normally wouldn't ask, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared, and so are the other girls. So far you've solved every case you've been given, if what the news says is true. If anyone can find who killed those girls and why, it's you."

  Now it was my turn to bite my lip with hesitation.

  I was supposed to be wrapping up cases and preparing for my big cruise with Tyler, but how was I supposed to look Cindy in the eye and tell her no when she was so visibly distraught? How could I live with myself if I turned her down and then something happened to her, or one of the other women for that matter?

  The bottom line was I couldn't.

  Tyler, Mona, Mandy, and Kelly were going to throttle me, but Cindy was genuinely frightened. I couldn't tell her no if there was even the slightest chance I could help her. Besides, I had two weeks until our ship set sail. I could wrap up this case by then. I'd been known to do more in less time.

  I took a deep breath and ran my hand over my messy ponytail. "Okay. I'm in, but I'll need some information from you and maybe some help if it comes down to it."

  "Anything," she said and nodded so fast she looked like a bobblehead on the dashboard of a taxicab. "Whatever you need. Just say the word."

  I looked at my watch then back up at her. "It's getting late. Meet me at the office tomorrow morning, an
d we'll get started. I want to make myself perfectly clear. I'm not making any promises," I said firmly. "But I'll do my best to figure this all out."

  "I know you will." She smiled at me and clasped my shoulder. "I'll be at the office first thing in the morning." She released my shoulder and waved as she hurried away toward the same yoga studio I'd just left.

  I watched as she disappeared inside and then shook my head. How did I always seem to get myself into these situations? It was a question others had asked me a million times over the years but one I'd never asked myself. I was supposed to be relaxing and prepping for my first ever cruise with Tyler, not chasing down yet another murderer. But that's exactly what I was doing. I wanted to deny it, but I knew what my problem was. I just couldn't say no to people, but if it meant I was helping save their lives, did I really want to turn them away? Absolutely not.

  Once inside my car, I tossed my blue yoga mat into the back seat, then my purse into the passenger seat, and started the ignition. I sat with my hands gripping the steering wheel, staring out the windshield in complete silence for a few moments, wondering what I had just gotten myself into and whether or not I'd bitten off more than I could chew.

  I took a deep breath and cleared the doubt of my abilities fogging my mind. Whatever the situation might be, I was more confident that I could handle it much better than how I was going to handle the girls' and Tyler's reactions when I told them I'd just taken on another murder case.

  CHAPTER TWO

  After a long night of yoga-ruining Chinese food, wine, and talk of the upcoming vacation, I'd gotten about four hours of sleep.

  The office was the last place I wanted to be at seven thirty in the morning, but that's exactly where I was. It wasn't often that I was alone there, and the silence was nice and something I rarely got to enjoy, but this morning I couldn't seem to keep myself still. The idea of solving another murder case pecked at my curiosity almost painfully. I was so wound up at the prospect of cracking another case that I was practically bouncing up and down in my chair in a hurry to get started.