Murder Among Us (A Kate Austen Mystery) by jonnie jacobs

Author:jonnie jacobs [jacobs, jonnie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-08-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

As soon as class was over the next morning, I called Marlene and set up an appointment to have my hair done. Lacquered curls weren’t really my style, but I considered them a small price to pay for information— as long as they were only a temporary phenomenon.

“You off to a big party tonight, honey?” Marlene asked, wrapping a towel around my dripping, freshly shampooed hair.

“Don’t I wish.”

The salon was small, only two chairs without much space in between. The walls were gray, the floor a marbled turquoise linoleum. It smelled like the beauty parlor my mother had gone to every Thursday afternoon when I was growing up.

“Most gals your age don’t get themselves done regular. Takes something kind of fancy to bring them in.”

I gave her a smile by way of the mirror. “I’m just feeling down, I guess. Thought I’d do something to cheer myself up.”

“That’s smart thinking. Pamper yourself a little. Does a world of good.” She wiped a rivulet of water from the side of my face. “You want to go for something completely different? I could cut off a couple inches easy, and put a little more wave near the front.”

With a shudder, I flashed on Julie’s dead body and the chunk of lopped-off hair. “Nothing quite so . . . drastic.”

“How about something upswept then? Pulled back on the sides, curls up top?”

“Okay, just so long as it’s not irreversible.”

Marlene gave a knowing smile. “A pickup, not a makeover. I understand.” She poured a dollop of purple gel on her palm and worked it through my hair. I wound up smelling like grape bubble gum. “What’s got you down, if my asking isn’t too personal.”

It was a perfect lead-in to the reason for my visit. “The high school girl who was murdered in Berkeley last week—she was a student of mine. And a friend of my . . . niece’s.” Explaining Libby’s relationship wasn’t worth the trouble. “It’s shaken me, I guess.”

Marlene nodded in sympathy. “You’re talking about Julie Harmon, right?”

I nodded in return and gave her a quizzical look. “The couple she was staying with,” Marlene announced. “Her aunt and uncle, they’re neighbors of mine.”

I’d been wondering about the best strategy for garnering information. But Marlene seemed ready enough to talk, so I decided to stick to the truth. “I know. My mother-in-law was in earlier this week,” I explained. “She mentioned that Julie sometimes took care of your granddaughter.”

Marlene grinned. “You must be the gal married to Andy, am I right?”

I opened my mouth to clarify her use of the term “married” but she cut me off.

“No wonder you’re feeling down, honey. When things aren’t right in a marriage, seems like the whole world’s against you. I know, I’ve been there. So has my daughter. The key is to work on fixing the problem instead of letting it take over.”

“Well, actually Andy and I are—”

“Relationships are like everything else, they sometimes need a little tuning up.”

“Yes, but—”

“If you have a leaky sink, you don’t walk away and sell the house.

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