The Rose Thorn: A Suspenseful Mystery (Echo Rose Book 3) by Thomas Fincham

Author:Thomas Fincham [Fincham, Thomas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-11-29T23:00:00+00:00

FIFTY-TWO

The nail salon was located inside a mall. It had a row of comfortable leather chairs on the right, and tables with matching chairs on the left. Two customers were already seated in the leather chairs. Employees massaged their feet and gave them pedicures. Another customer was at a table, getting a manicure.

When Skip and Bud entered the salon, a woman got up and came over. “Would you like a massage?” she asked with a smile.

Skip flashed his badge and said, “Can we ask you a few questions regarding Alison?” Alison Medley owned the salon. It was what enabled her to pay for her house.

The smile on the woman’s face faded. “Did you find out what happened?” she asked instead.

“Not yet, but we’re still looking into it,” Skip replied. “Who’s running the business now?”

“I am,” the woman replied. “I was with Alison for many years, so I know how it works.”

“What about Darren Medley?” Bud asked.

She scowled. “He’s not a good man. He’s very mean to the girls who work here.”

“He drops by?” Bud asked.

“Yes, every month.”

“Why?”

“For the money,” she said. “The first month, I gave him all the sales, but then I found out he didn’t pay the rent, and then he didn’t even pay us. So for the second month, I gave him only the money that was left after the expenses.”

“How did he take it?” Bud asked.

“He was mad. He said it was his wife’s business, and that makes him the boss. I told him if he didn’t like what I did, I will quit. I know a lot of the girls will quit with me. The salon still has a three-year lease on it, so he can run it himself. He knows nothing about the business, and he knows if I leave, then he’ll be responsible for the remainder of the lease. So just as long as he gets some money, he doesn’t care.”

“Were there any problems between Alison and her husband?” Skip asked.

“Yeah, a lot. Darren would always come around, asking for money. Alison would get mad at him, but then she would give it to him. She loved him too much, but he took advantage of her, and she let him.” The woman paused. “I only stick around because of Alison. She was a good boss and a good friend. We shared a lot of good memories at the salon together. But if Darren makes life hard for me, I’ll quit and go someplace else.”

“Right before Alison’s death, did you notice anything suspicious?” Skip asked.

She thought about it. “Yeah, I did. One time, Darren showed up here with a black eye.”

“A black eye?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Alison was really upset about it. He said he had gotten into a fight outside a bar, but he said everything was taken care of.”

Skip looked over at Bud. He was thinking the same thing. Darren had had a fight with Zoran, and somehow they had come to some agreement.

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