The Bad Always Die Twice (25 page)

“I was afraid you weren’t going to call,” Julius said, slipping into the chair across from her. He’d changed into street clothes and was wearing a ball cap. If she hadn’t heard his voice, she might not have recognized him. “I left a message at your office last week. When you didn’t call, I was afraid you were blowing me off.”

“You’re kidding. I never got the message.” She smirked. “I thought you were blowing
me
off, Julius.”

He looked one way and then the other, then met her gaze. “What do you think?”

She raised one eyebrow, just the way her mother did when she thought Nikki had said something ridiculous. “Of?” Now she was
sounding
like her mother. It was
the tone
. It was all about
the tone
.

“My disguise,” he whispered loudly. “In memory of Rex.”

Nikki pressed her lips together. The kid was completely serious. She cleared her throat. “It’s good. So, what did you find out? Would you like some coffee? Something to eat?” She pushed the menu across the table to him.

Again, he looked left, then right. There were about a dozen people scattered in the coffee shop, none of whom was in the least bit interested in Nikki
or
her undercover bellhop. “You’re not going to believe what I found out,” he said excitedly. Then he lowered his gaze and fiddled with the fork and knife in front of him. “I was wondering . . . my granny is coming out to visit sometime this winter and it would be absolutely amazing if she could meet Victoria Bordeaux in person.” He sneaked a peek at her.

Fortunately, the waitress came to the table, giving Nikki a second to consider her reply. She ordered a caramel latte, decaf, and a piece of lemon icebox pie. He got a Coke and the apple pie à la mode.

Nikki waited until the waitress walked away. “I can’t make you any promises like that, Julius. Still, I hope you have some real information so we can catch the killer of one of your childhood heroes,” she said. “A hero to a lot of people.” She knew the childhood hero part was laying it on pretty thick, but it was worth a try.

He made a face. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like I was trying to . . . blackmail you or anything.”

She leaned back, amused. “Which is a good thing, because you don’t have any information on
me
that you can’t share with anyone and everyone. I’m the world’s worst blackmail target.” The things in her past that might have been blackmail-worthy had played out publicly in the papers long ago, but she didn’t bring that up. No need to muddy Julius’s waters.

“It’s just that having your mom call Granny, it was like the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to her. To her whole town.”

“I’m glad.” Nikki folded her hands on the table and leaned forward. “So, what did you find out?”

“He
was
there the day you asked about! In February.”

“I knew it!” She slapped the table in celebration of her finely honed detective skills.

“Mr. Atlas.” Julius sat back and grinned.

“Pardon?”

“Mr. Atlas. That’s the name he uses . . .
used
,” he corrected. He looked sad for a moment, then perked up again, obviously pleased with his own detective skills. “Whenever Mr. March checked in, he used the name Mr. Atlas. I checked the hotel’s records. I’m not allowed to do that.”

“I understand. But I’m so glad you did.” Nikki pressed both palms on the table. She didn’t know how this affected the case, but it was just too good. Mr. Atlas? It was
sooo
Rex, there was no doubt in her mind that Julius had the right hotel guest.

“It gets better,” Julius said, adjusting his ball cap.

“It does?”

Again, Julius glanced around.

“It’s okay,” Nikki whispered. “We’re not being watched.”

The waitress showed up again, this time with their order, and Nikki had to wait until she walked away. “So, you were saying?”

“You’re not going to believe this!” He popped his straw out of the wrapper, dropped it into his drink, and took a long sip, so long that Nikki was tempted to take the straw out of his mouth.

“He was there. Mr. March.”

Nikki waited.

“That weekend!” Julius said excitedly. “The weekend before he was found dead in that woman’s apartment. He was at our hotel Friday and Saturday.”

Nikki felt like she’d stepped off a cliff. Her mouth was so dry, she took a sip of her latte. “You’re positive?” she said as she ripped off the corners of two packets of sugar. She was so excited that her hands were shaking.

“Positive.”

“You saw him?”

He shook his head and stuffed a fork full of pie into his mouth. “No, I was off both nights. If he’d been there, I’d have known it was him. No matter what he was wearing: fake beard, a wig, whatever. I always recognized Rex. Me being such a big fan and all.”

Nikki noticed that “Mr. March” had become “Rex,” as if Julius and Rex had been best buds. “So how do you know Rex was there, if you didn’t see him?”

“I checked the computer. It’s all in there. You just have to know
where to look
. He checked in on Friday. He never checked out.”

She squinted at him half suspiciously, wondering if he would lie just to get her to get Victoria to meet his granny. “But
you
didn’t see him?” She stirred her latte.

“No, but my girlfriend did. She works in the kitchen. Delivers room service.”

This was like being on a roller coaster. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” It made sense. Rex never checked out of the hotel because he didn’t get a chance. Because he
really
checked out.

He shook his head, grinning. “She saw him Friday around seven. She delivered steaks.”

“As in plural?” Nikki asked.

He put another forkful of pie in his mouth. “Sorry?”

“You said your girlfriend said she delivered
steaks
to Rex March’s room. Was there someone else with him?”

“That’s the funny part.” He laughed.

She waited.

“Laura said—she’s my girlfriend—she said he had this girl in the room. She looked just like Julia Roberts in
Pretty Woman
. When she’s wearing the blond wig. Have you seen it?”

Nikki nodded, wondering if there was anyone who hadn’t. “Mm-hmm,” she said.

“The dress, with the big hat.” He motioned. “But by then, in the movie, she had red hair. Not the girl in the hotel room. Julia Roberts. I like red hair.” He smiled.

Nikki had been fiddling with her hair. She dropped her hand, trying to make sense of what he was saying. “Rex’s lady friend was wearing a big hat in the hotel room?”

Julius shrugged. “You see a lot of crazy things in my work.”

She couldn’t help but smile, but refrained from saying
mine, too,
for fear he’d get off the subject again. “Did this
Pretty Woman
have a name?”

“Laura didn’t hear a name.” He sipped his Coke. “Oh, but she said she had a southern accent.”

Nikki practically fell out of her chair. “You’re kidding? A blonde with a southern accent?” It had to be Tiffany . . .

He nodded excitedly. “Guess what else I found out? . . . From Laura’s friend Macy, who works the front desk?”

Nikki had fully intended to buy Julius’s meal. She was wondering if she could offer to put him through college. “What?”

“He got a call Friday night. A Mrs. Atlas for Mr. Atlas.” He lifted one brow, nodding as if he were a rapper. “Only the woman who called, she was older. She was
not
the Pretty Woman.”

Chapter 21

T
he next day, Nikki sat in her car in the rear parking lot of Barney’s Beanery and checked her vintage art deco–style Benrus wristwatch for the third time. It was 10:45. Tiffany would be pulling up at any minute.

After meeting with Julius, Nikki had decided she would talk to Tiffany before she confronted Edith about her call to the Sunset Tower the night before Rex died, or the fact that she had lied about knowing Rex was alive. Nikki had gone straight to the Barney’s Beanery on Santa Monica. Tiffany wasn’t working, but Nikki had exchanged a gift card for a thirty-day gym membership to a place in West Hollywood for information on when Tiffany was working that week. With the freebie in his back pocket, the muscle-bound dishwasher having a smoke behind the restaurant had been happy to check the work schedule to see when Tiffany would next be in.

At the time Victoria had forced the gift card on her, Nikki had tried not to take it, arguing she had her
own
gym membership, which she didn’t use. Walking away from Barney’s the previous night, she’d been glad she’d had it to bargain with. She’d have to keep that in mind the next time Victoria was stuffing things in her handbag as she went out the door.

At exactly 10:51, Nikki spotted Tiffany pulling into the parking lot in her old blue BMW. Nikki was out of her car before Tiffany, in shorts and a Barney’s t-shirt, was halfway across the parking lot.

“Tiffany!” Nikki left her bag in the car and just took her keys and BlackBerry. “Tiffany?”

The minute the young woman spotted Nikki, she walked faster, headed for the employees’ entrance in the rear of the restaurant.

“Tiffany, please. Can I talk to you?”

“
Ah haf
to be at work.”

“I know. I’ll only keep you a minute.” Nikki stepped in front of her, blocking her path. “I wouldn’t be bothering you if this wasn’t really important.”

“Oh,” Tiffany groaned, letting her hand, which was gripping a canvas bag, fall to her side. She looked away, not making eye contact with Nikki. She knew she was busted.

“I talked to someone at the Sunset Tower Hotel, Tiffany. Why didn’t you tell me you saw Rex a couple of weekends ago? The weekend he died. You told me you didn’t know he was still alive.”

To Nikki’s surprise, Tiffany’s eyes welled with tears. She glanced at Nikki and then off into the parking lot again. “
Ah’m
sorry.
Ah
didn’t
main
to
lye
to you.” A fat tear ran down one cheek.

Nikki felt like a total jerk. Either this girl really could be a movie star, or she was genuinely upset. “It might be easier to tell me than to tell the police,” she suggested softly. “You saw Rex Friday night, the weekend he died. In the hotel.”

Tiffany nodded and sniffed.

Nikki wished she had tissues to give the girl. “Tell me why you went to the Sunset that night.”

She pressed her lips together. “Ya already know
whya
.”

Nikki felt her cheeks grow warm. “To have sex with Rex. Right. I understand.” She gave a wave. “I don’t care about that, Tiffany. I really don’t. What I need to know is how you came to be there that night. Did Rex call you and ask you to come to the Sunset Tower?”

She nodded. “
Hey
tol’ me
tuh
wear the dress and that
haht hey
bought me.” She sniffed. “
Hey
liked the big
haht
.”

A young woman in a Barney’s tee stepped out the employees’ entrance. “You okay, Tiffany?” the girl asked.

Tiffany nodded. “
Ah’m
fixin’ to come in in
jest
a minute. Could you punch my card for me,
Ai-mee
?”

The young girl glared at Nikki, making Nikki feel like an even bigger heel. She’d made Tiffany cry.

“Come sit in my car,” Nikki suggested.

“
Ah cain’t
.
Ah
got
tuh
get
tuh
work.
Ah
need the money.”

“I understand.” Nikki found herself reaching out to rub the young woman’s arm. “Just tell me what happened, Tiffany. Tell me everything. You said Rex called you. Where had he been all this time? What did he say when he called? He knew you thought he was dead.”

Tiffany rubbed her nose with the back of her hand. “
Hey
called me that Frahday’. At first,
Ah
thought it was some kinda joke.
Hey
tol’ me how sorry he was that he made me think he was
deid
.” Fresh tears filled her eyes. “He
sayd
he came back for me because he missed me so much. He
sayd
he couldn’t live without me.”

“He came back from
where
to get you?” Nikki asked, certain what Tiffany was saying was true.

“
Ah
don’ know.
Hey
didn’ say.”

“Did he say
where
he was taking you?”

She shook her head. “No.
Hey
just
sayd
we were goin’
tuh
a place where
Ah
could order umbrella
drainks
all the day long.” She smiled through her tears. “Rex knew how much
Ah
like those frozen
drainks
.”

“Did Rex tell you why he’d disappeared?”

“He
sayd
he ran away from home.”

“Meaning he faked his death?”

“
Hey
didn’ say how
hey
did it. The plan and all.
Ah
was just so glad
hey
wasn’t
deid
that
Ah
didn’t care.”

“Did he say
why
he faked his death?”

“
Ah
asked him why
hey lyde
to me.
Tuh
the whole world. His fans and all.
Hey
. . .
hey sayd
something about
hey
didn’
wanna fayde
away.” She looked at Nikki, her pretty face blotchy with tears. “
Ah
didn’t really understand what
hey meynt
.
Ah
was so happy to hear his voice.”

Nikki ignored a car that pulled into the lot and parked next to hers. “But he said he came for you?”

She nodded. “
Ah
went
tuh
the hotel. We had dinner in the room. It was very romantic. He tol’ me
hey
had a business meetin’ Saturday night, but that we would go on Sunday.
Hey sayd hey
already had the plane tickets. First class.” Fresh tears rolled down her pretty face.