Permed To Death [Bad Hair Day Mystery 1] by Nancy J. Cohen Page B

sensible course, but whoever said she had nothing but practical bones in her body?
    "All right,” she conceded. “But if this turns out to be another interrogation session, I'm outta here."
    Tossing his head back, he laughed. The pleasant, masculine sound aroused her senses. A closer look revealed he wasn't attired for work unless the undercover mode counted. He wore a gunmetal gray knit shirt that brought out the silvery highlights in his hair. She liked the casual windswept style better than his usual slicked-back look, and it engendered an unwanted feminine response. Avoiding his perceptive gaze, she dropped her eyes to his broad shoulders which stretched the shirt fabric taut across his chest. Her glance trailed downward to his trim waistband. He kept himself fit, she realized, wondering what sports he engaged in. Don't even think about it, she warned herself. So what if he's attractive? He suspects you of being a murderess. The man is off-limits, at least for now.
    Entering the restaurant, they were seated at a table facing the ocean. There wasn't much of a view as the blackness of night obliterated any hint of a horizon. Vail didn't seem to mind. He ordered two coffees and focused his attention exclusively on her.
    "So are you going to tell me what you're doing on the Strip?” he asked, a steely glint in his eyes.
    "I thought you weren't going to question me.” His company made her nervous, which she tried to hide by twisting her fingers under the table.
    He shrugged. “Call it curiosity. I doubt a pretty lady like you needs to frequent bars to get a date."
    Inwardly she preened at his calling her pretty before reason took hold. Maybe he hadn't spotted Todd Kravitz after all. Deciding to test him, she confessed her assignation. “I met Todd Kravitz for a chat. He'd indicated at his mother's funeral that he had something important to tell me.” Waiting for Vail's reaction, she was mildly disappointed when he merely raised an eyebrow.
    Their coffees came, and she took her time adding cream and sugar. Vail drank his brew black, which she might have expected. It seemed strange to be sitting in a restaurant with a police detective who considered her the prime suspect in a murder case. Vail appeared remarkably at ease, as though he had asked her out for social reasons, but she knew that wasn't likely. Hoping to persuade him of her innocence, she continued.
    "Todd said Zack Greenfield might have had a motive for killing Bertha.” She repeated what he'd said about Zack's financial status.
    "Did Todd mention the names of these creditors?” Vail asked, his heavy brows drawn together.
    Shaking her head, she gave a negative response. She neglected to inform him about Lance's efforts, figuring Vail's department was already looking into the backgrounds of Bertha's relations. Would he share his information with her?
    "What have you learned about the Greenfields?” she queried.
    He took a sip of hot coffee. “Not much more than you at this point. Zack works for a large investment firm. He steered his investors down the wrong path and is now paying the price.” Leaning forward, he captured her eyes with his piercing gaze. “What puzzles me is what game you're playing."
    The intensity of his glare made her breath come short. “What do you mean?"
    "Sounds to me like you're snooping in places you don't belong. Why?"
    She clenched her jaw. “I want to expose Bertha's murderer as much as you do. She expired in my salon. That makes me partially responsible, but I didn't put the poison in her drink. I intend to find out who did."
    Vail didn't respond immediately, as though weighing the truthfulness of her remark. “You should leave this investigation to professionals,” he finally commented, his expression hooded.
    "I'm not going to do anything foolish, and I'll tell you what I learn.” Did he believe her, or did he already know about the envelope? Briefly she considered admitting its existence and what it signified, but she