Murder by Manicure Read Online Free PDF Page A

it in a few bites before pushing his plate aside. Marla noted his unusual silence. His brows were drawn together, as though he were troubled.
    Concerned, she reached out and touched his arm. “What's the matter? Do you know something about this case you're not sharing?"
    Grimacing, he lifted his gaze. “No, it's not that. I'll have some late nights ahead, and that brings up a problem with Brianna. I don't want to burden you."
    "Bless my bones, Dalton, how do you expect our relationship to progress if you don't confide in me? Of course I want to hear about your daughter."
    He rested his large hand on top of hers. Its warmth seeped into her skin, conveying reassurance. “Brianna goes to dance class every Tuesday evening. Working late means I won't be able to drive her there. I suppose I could ask Carmen."
    "Your housekeeper leaves around five, doesn't she?” A widower after his wife died of cancer over two years ago, Vail had hired part-time domestic help.
    He nodded his head. “Yeah, after she fixes our dinner."
    "What time is the class?"
    "Eight o'clock."
    Sitting back in her seat, Marla pursed her lips. Unfortunately or not, depending on how you looked at it, Vail didn't have a swarm of relatives in the area like she did.
    Her next words tumbled from her mouth before she could retract them. “I'll take her,” she offered, hoping she wasn't biting off more than she could chew.

Chapter Three
    "What's wrong, Marla?” asked Nicole, the dark-skinned stylist at the next station. “You're not your usual talkative self today. Did you stay out too late last night?"
    Waiting for her next client, Marla scraped hair off a brush with deliberate strokes. “I met Dalton Vail for dessert. He needed information. Didn't you listen to the news? Jolene Myers was found dead at Perfect Fit Sports Club last night."
    Nicole's jaw dropped. “She was your client, right? The attractive woman who worked at the chemical plant?"
    "Tell me about it.” Marla glanced furtively around the salon. Saturday mornings were always hopping, and today was no exception. Miloki and Giorgio were occupied with customers as were the stylists across the room. An assistant swept the floor while the new receptionist hugged the front desk. Clients strolled back and forth, sampling the bagels, sipping coffee, and greeting their friends.
    Spotting her next client walking through the door, Marla leaned forward. “Jolene drowned in the whirlpool. The television report this morning said it was an accident, but Vail is waiting for the medical examiner's results. I was there."
    "What do you mean?” Nicole asked.
    "Just before she died, Jolene had an argument with a woman in the locker room. I overheard her plans to go for a massage before soaking in the Jacuzzi. Shortly thereafter, I saw her body.” Squeezing her eyes shut, Marla blanked the painful images from her mind. “It reminded me of Tammy."
    Nicole put down the water bottle she was using to spray-clean her counter. “Don't you go on about that again,” her friend said, waggling a finger. “You've atoned for that tragedy a hundred times over."
    Marla waved a hairbrush. “So how come bodies show up wherever I go? I've got more tsuris than those lab animals Cookie was talking about."
    "Nonsense. Jolene's death had nothing to do with you, so don't complain you have too many troubles.” Nicole's gaze widened. “Wait a minute. Whose name did you just mention?"
    "Cookie Calcone. She was the one talking to Jolene in the locker room. Apparently, she's an animal rights activist because she was railing against lab research techniques used at Jolene's facility."
    Nicole grimaced. “Anytime there's a cause worth defending, you'll find Cookie at the front line. She's a real fruitcake."
    Now it was Marla's turn to gape. “How do you know that woman?"
    "She was a senior in my high school when I was a freshman. I heard she staged a sit-in with her classmates to protest dissecting frogs in biology. Another time, she