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“Remember Ted Bundy,” Derek said ominously.
“Oh, come on.”
“He was a very attractive man, by all accounts,” Vi
“And charming,” Robin added.
Vi
“Yes, of course, I know you’re right.” I stared at the names on the legal pad. “But in the interest of considering all the possibilities, I’d like to reassess Naomi. She had much more to gain than anyone else, both monetarily and professionally. Or there’s Cynthia Hardesty. She hated Layla.”
“But what are their co
“I know, I know. I’m grasping at straws.” I stared up at him and grasped at one more straw. “It’s still possible that Gabriel isn’t co
“But, darling,” he said gently. “If our killer is Alice, they’re all co
“But how in the world is Alice co
“I can’t answer those questions yet,” he said. “But we’ll start with the fact that she was in Dharma when Gabriel was shot. And she might’ve known Mr. Soo through Layla.”
“Gabriel was shot while she was at the spa,” I countered.
“According to whom?”
I had to think. Alice and my sister Sava
“Oh, hey,” Robin said brightly. “Maybe Layla was having an affair with Gabriel, and Alice was—”
“Stop right there,” I said, thoroughly disturbed by the image. “If I hear that another man I know was having a sleazy affair with Layla, I’m going to join a damn nu
My friends laughed while Derek coughed discreetly. Then he laid his hand on my shoulder. “Brooklyn, how well do you know Gabriel and Alice?”
Troubled, I sat back and considered the question. I’d made light of it in the past, but it was clear to me that Gabriel was a thief, pure and simple. High-end, gorgeous, heroic, and sophisticated, but a thief nonetheless. So why had he sought sanctuary with Guru Bob? Who was after him? I knew Guru Bob trusted him and I’d bet my father did, too. And I trusted Guru Bob and Dad. I needed to think about Gabriel awhile longer before I divulged his secrets.
Alice was a different story. If she’d been playing me all this time, I would have no problem throwing her to the wolves.
“All I know for sure about Alice is that she came to BABA through Layla.”
“That’s suspicious right there,” Robin said dryly.
“True,” I admitted, then stood up to pace the length of the couch and back. I could think better on my feet. I told them everything I thought I knew about Alice, some of which I’d already told Derek. The Catholic boarding school, the stomach problems, the conference where she and Layla first met. “Oh, and she’s engaged to a guy named Stuart,” I added.
“Stuart? Who would make up a name like that?” Suzie asked, mystified.
Our chuckles broke the tension.
“According to Layla,” I added, “Alice’s background is in arts fund-raising.”
“Art and money,” Vi
I sighed. “Okay, Gabriel’s drawn to that world, too, so I’m willing to acknowledge a co
“But why would she shoot him?” Robin said. “That’s so disturbing.”
“Perhaps Gabriel recognized her,” Derek said. “Or more likely, Alice saw him first, recognized him, and knew she had to get rid of him before he saw her and blew her cover.”
“To protect her band of thieves,” Suzie murmured, and her eyes widened in amazement. “It’s just like Oliver Twist. Far out.”
“Oh, my God,” I said. “Layla was Fagin.”
“But Alice is Sikes,” Suzie said, wagging her finger at me. “Talk about a psychopath.”
I shivered. Bill Sikes was the personification of evil in the story of Oliver Twist.
“It’s all speculation,” I said halfheartedly.
“Oh!” Vi
Suzie gazed fondly at Vi
“I guess anything’s possible,” I conceded finally, and turned to Derek. “So what do we do now?”
“This is Derek Stone, everybody,” I a
“Nice ride,” Whitney whispered.
I had to agree. “He’s going to hang out and see what we do here. Hope nobody minds.”
“Fine with me,” Gina said, her voice suddenly sultry. She exchanged glances with Whitney, who dipped under the table, pretending to fiddle with her purse. When she surfaced, she wore pert red cheeks and fresh lipstick.
Similar behavior was repeated by many of the women around the table.
“How you doin’?” Mitchell said, bobbing his head in acknowledgment of Derek.
“I’m well, thanks,” Derek murmured. “You?”
Mitchell grunted, thus giving his male seal of approval to Derek’s intrusion into his domain. That was it. The male ritual dance was concluded.
I stole a glance at Alice, who stared at me meaningfully, then wiggled her eyebrows and winked. I returned her smile, praying I was acting as natural with her as I had in the past. I felt like a complete impostor.
We’d stayed up late the night before to work out our plan of attack. Derek was to wander around my class and occasionally pretend to check his e-mail while he actually took pictures of my students. Then we’d show the photos to Gabriel to see if he recognized anyone.
Since Robin had indulged in several glasses of wine, Derek had insisted she spend the night, and he’d driven back to his hotel. As far as Derek and me getting together went, I was begi
Tonight, as my students completed their second journal book, I threw in a lesson on how to mix PVA glue with certain powders and pastes to achieve different textures and results.
“The thi
Thickening was another story. I showed them what happened to the glue when wheat paste was added to the mix. Then a different result occurred when methyl cellulose was used. Essentially, the addition of another compound tended to slow down the drying process, allowing the bookbinder to manipulate the textblock or pastedowns as desired.
“Methyl cellulose can also be used to thicken the water bath when marbling paper.” I held up a small bag of the compound. “It’s important to always check the pH balance of any solution to determine its effect on the paper you’re applying it to.”
At that moment, I noticed the blank look on Mitchell’s face and knew I’d given the class more than enough information.
“Okay, I’ve said too much.”
Everyone laughed and I suggested we all take a break.