Elaine Viets & Victoria Laurie, Nancy Martin, Denise Swanson - Drop-Dead Blonde (v5.0) (pdf) by Unknown (howl and other poems .TXT) 📕

Libby put her hand down to help him to his feet. ``You're a charmer, Santa. Feeling okay?''

``Not bad.'' He stood up unsteadily and dusted off his velvet pants. ``How about we check my vital signs over coffee?''

``I'm too young for you.'' Libby handed his bucket back to him.

``You won't know what you're missing until you try.''

I scrambled to my feet and put the tripod upright again. While Santa tried to pick up my sister, I grabbed Libby's gifts that had tumbled onto the sidewalk and stuffed them back into their shopping bags. I found a rolling pin and slid it into a Williams-Sonoma bag. The boxed bottle of Chanel perfume went into the Haymaker's bag. The heavy autobi- ography of a former president had come out of bag marked SLAY BELLES 71 BARNES & NOBLE.'' The red leather bustier, coming unrav- eled from its tissue paper, flummoxed me.

Libby snatched the bustier and stuffed it into her purse without missing a beat. ``You took that hit like a real tough guy, Santa. Do you work out?''

``Down at the Y, sure. Aerobics class three days a week. Some free weights on Tuesdays and Thursdays.''

``It's paying off.'' She felt the muscle in his arm. ``You must have played football in your younger days.''

``Linebacker at Rutgers,'' he said with pride. ``Now that I'm retired, it's easier to stay in shape, though. You ought to think about power lifting. You've got the build for it. You don't mind my saying, you're built like a brick outhouse.''

``I hope that's a good thing. You really okay?''

``Sure.'' Manfully, Santa pulled himself up to his full height.

I handed all the bags back to Libby. ``I can't believe you.''

``Hey, you're both pretty cute,'' Santa said. ``How about an early lunch? There's a place around the corner that makes a top-notch grilled cheese sandwich. My treat.''

``Sorry.'' Libby tucked a twenty into his bucket. ``But we've got to track down a criminal.''

``Oh, yeah? You girls undercover cops or something?''

``Or something,'' Libby agreed.

As I tried to calm my heart into a normal rhythm again, I saw a familiar figure come out from around the corner of Haymaker's and cross the street. I grabbed Libby's arm. ``Look! It's Calvin!''

``Who?''

``The security guard who probably shut down the elec- tricity to the store when Popo was murdered. There he goes.''

``Must be his lunch hour.'' Libby squinted after Calvin as he strode away from us. ``He's kinda cute.''

``He's bald,'' said Santa. ``I've got all my hair, see?''

``I'm going to follow him,'' I said.

``Not without me,'' Libby shot back. ``You've already knocked down one innocent bystander.''

``Who you calling innocent?'' Santa asked. 72 Nancy Martin

I took off after Calvin with Libby in hot pursuit. She wobbled on her high heels and struggled a little with her heavy shopping bags, but she kept up the pace. We tailed Calvin for two more blocks, keeping a safe distance so he wouldn't observe us. The lunch hour crowds hadn't hit the sidewalks yet, but plenty of holiday shoppers made good cover for us. I explained to Libby more fully about what Darwin had told me and Calvin's connection to Cindie Rae.

Eventually Libby began to limp. ``I didn't plan a ten mile hike when I got dressed this morning. These shoes are kill- ing me.''

I stopped dead and ducked closer to the nearest building. ``Look, Calvin is window-shopping.''

Libby bumped into me from behind. ``For what?''

We hung back and watched as Calvin slowed down and peered into the window of Victoria's Secret.

Libby said, ``Here's an Easy Spirit store.''

I was afraid to tear my gaze from Calvin. ``Uh-huh.''

``If I keep walking on these shoes, I'm going to be crip- pled. I'm going in. Wait for me here.''

``I'm not waiting, Libby!''

``It'll just take a minute. Here, hold some of my bags.''

She handed me two enormous shopping bags and disap- peared into the shoe store. A moment later, Calvin started walking. I followed. He went another block before pausing again, this time in front of a take-out deli. I watched as he pulled out a cell phone and made a call.

Two minutes later, Libby reappeared, out of breath but no longer limping. ``These Easy Spirits feel great! You should try some. Very comfy. Not terribly attractive, maybe, but I didn't have time to be choosy. What's he doing?'' She leaned over my shoulder to watch.

``Ordering some lunch, I think.''

``I could use a bathroom myself.''

``Libby, why don't you go back to Haymaker's and finish your shopping?''

``Because I'm making sure you stay out of trouble. Look, he's going inside that take-out shop.''

We watched Calvin haul open the door and step into the deli.

``I bet there's a restroom in there,'' Libby said.

``You're not going in.'' SLAY BELLES 73

``Why not? He doesn't know who I am. I could slip inside and figure out what he's doing.''

``He's reading the menu board.''

Libby stewed for another two minutes. ``I'm going in,'' she declared. ``It's unhealthy to walk around with a full bladder.''

``Libby--''

``Here, hold a couple more of my bags, will you?''

My sister thrust two more shopping bags into my hands and dashed for the deli before I could grab her. I had to admit she was lighter on her feet in her new shoes. Chapter 8

When Libby disappeared, I shifted all the shopping bags from one arm to the other, straining under the weight of gifts my sister planned to return, but keeping my eyes on the small restaurant. Minutes ticked by, and my feet began to get cold.

Libby came out of the deli. With her fingers, she oh-so- casually combed her hair away from her face. Then she tossed her hair over her shoulder and strolled toward me, hips swinging.

I recognized all the signs.