Part 23 (1/2)

”Why do you think?”

”She must have killed Sanjay,” I said doubtfully. ”Or somehow she's involved in his death. But I was sure she didn't have anything to do with it. At least--”

”At least what?”

”Nothing.” I didn't want to tell him about the Delano and her offer to help solve the crime. Then I'd have to admit to having done some Nancy Drew-type sleuthing. Exactly the kind of thing he'd ordered me not to do. ”I just can't believe it. What would her motive be?”

”That's what we need to find out.”

”She might be protecting someone else, the real killer, I guess.”

”Any idea who that might be?”

”No.” I felt like I was grasping at straws. ”You're sure you can place her in my apartment? Not just outside?”

”We have a couple of footprints we lifted from the kitchen floor. If we put those with the fingerprints on the outside handrail, we've got a strong case. She certainly has some explaining to do.”

”That she does.”

I clicked the phone shut and sat for a few moments thinking. Miriam Dobosh had been inside my apartment looking for something, but what? I needed to move her up a few notches on my suspect list. This changed everything.

I had just finished showering and was going to call Vera Mae to go over the day's show when someone knocked at the door. Was it Miriam Dobosh? I peered out the peephole, feeling a little silly, and saw a young girl, probably still in her teens, wearing a maid's uniform. I relaxed and pulled the door open.

”Hola,” she said shyly. Her name tag said NINA and she worked at the Seabreeze.

”Hola,” I stood back. ”Please come in.”

”I am Francesca's niece, Nina.” She looked nervous and was twisting her hands together in front of her. ”Francesca told me that Lark is accused of killing Sanjay. I have something you need to see.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a fortune cookie.

”Where did you get this?” I turned it over in my hand.

”Sanjay. He gave it to me. That night he was killed.”

”He gave it to you?” I motioned her to the couch, and she sat down. ”Did it come as part of a take-out dinner?”

”Si. I saw it myself. The dinner was on the bed. It was in one of those--how do you say--” She frowned, her eyebrows knitted together.

”A container? Like this?” I jumped up and grabbed the Golden Palace container off the kitchen counter and showed it to her.

”Si, si!” Nina nodded her head vigorously. ”That's it. That's what I saw in his room.” She tapped the red logo in the center. ”I remember this very well.”

”How did Sanjay happen to give it to you?”

Nina shook her head in disgust. ”He called down to the front desk. He wanted more towels. I brought them in, and when I arranged them on the towel rack, he tried to pinch me. You know, here. On the b.u.t.t.” She made a face. ”He was a disgusting old man.”

”And what happened then?”

”I got out of there as fast as I could. He caught up with me at the door and said take this cookie for good luck.”

”So you took it?”

Nina's mouth twisted. ”I put it in my pocket and forgot about it. I was too busy getting out of there as fast as I could.”

”Nina, I'm so glad you told me this.” I took both her hands in mine.

”I had to,” she said shyly. ”I know Lark would never hurt anyone. I should have said something before. I didn't think of the importance.”

”That's okay, Nina. Now the police will know what to do. With your testimony, we can prove that there really was a sus.h.i.+ dinner in Sanjay's room that night. It's a good thing you brought this--better late than never.”

”Mas vale tarde que nunca.”She grinned. ”We say the same thing in Spanish.”

She was about to leave when suddenly we heard a voice that turned my blood to ice.

Chapter 30.

”What a touching moment. Don't let me interrupt.”

A chill pa.s.sed through me when I heard the low voice, the sarcastic laugh. It was one of those moments when you're pretty sure you're dreaming, but you don't want to count on it.

I whirled around to the sliding gla.s.s door that opened onto the balcony. It was wide-open. Travis Carter was framed in the doorway, and we locked eyes for a long moment. I stood frozen to the spot, raw terror clawing its way up my throat. My mind scrambled to make sense of what I was seeing.

Then he walked into the living area and pointed a gun at Nina's chest.

”Don't make a sound,” he said. He moved closer and stared at us. He had beads of sweat popping up on his forehead, and I could feel the tension rolling off him.

”Travis, you're making a terrible mistake.” Nina was trembling beside me, making a little choking sound in her throat. I rested my hand lightly on her arm.

Travis put a finger to his lips in an eerie gesture. His eyes were glazed, from either psychosis or drugs, and I felt a stab of terror go through me. How could I ever reason with someone like this? He appeared to be deranged. Completely unhinged.

Nina's hand flew to her mouth, and she gulped back a sob. She rattled off a barrage of Spanish, and I couldn't understand a word except ”Dios mio, Dios mio,” which she repeated over and over.

I felt like sobbing myself. If ever there was a time for divine intervention, this was it. I flattened myself against the wall as Travis came closer, the gun still pointed at Nina. ”Tell Chiquita Banana here to shut up. Or I'll silence her myself.”

”Nina, it's okay,” I said softly, putting my arm around her. ”Take deep breaths. You're going to be fine.” She was shaking with sobs and buried her face in my shoulder. I was still reeling from shock and trying to unscramble my thoughts. So it had been Travis Carter all along? Mom had been suspicious of him that day we'd met up with him at Sanjay, Ltd., but I'd never come up with a motive. What did he have to gain from Sanjay's death?

”Let her go, Travis,” I said coldly. ”It's obvious I'm the one you're after. She doesn't know anything.”

”Really? Then what's this?” He spied the fortune cookie on the counter and waved it in my face. ”I saw you out at the Dumpster, Maggie. Snooping around, sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. And I followed you to the Golden Palace last night. You just don't learn, do you? Funny, I thought that's what psychology was all about. Helping people learn from experience. But then, you're not much of a psychologist, are you? More of a talk show jock. What are your ratings like? I bet they can't be very good.” He gave a wild, maniacal laugh. ”I knew it wouldn't take long before you connected the dots.”

I bit my lip, trying to slow my racing pulse. I was supposed to be a professional, calm and in control, but my heart was slamming against my rib cage like a battering ram. I started to edge slowly toward the door, but Travis was too quick for me.

”Sit down,” he ordered. ”Both of you, on the sofa.” He looked around the room and then backed up slowly and closed the sliding gla.s.s door. He never took his eyes off us.

I glanced at my cell phone, which was tucked away in my purse hanging over the back of the chair. Was there any way I could reach it? Did I dare risk it?

”Travis, don't make a bad situation worse. We can talk about this, straighten it out.”