then Marco and I have to come to the rescue.”
Please. “Yes, I know. I promise, I’ll be careful.”
She clicked off her phone after writing down Charlotte’s address on a piece of paper.
As she drove to Charlotte’s place she made two more calls. One to Janie, who told her what she needed to know about the interior decorator, and then to the interior decorator herself. The woman, a Ms. Redmond, was in and agreed to see her that afternoon.
Nikki pulled into the apartments where Charlotte lived on F Street. They were nice and looked pretty new. Granted they weren’t five-star, but Nikki had lived in some dumps while “acting,” and this place beat them hands down.
She found number 23 and rapped on the door. A young woman with red hair pulled back in a long ponytail opened it. She wore workout clothes. “Hey,” she said.
“Hi. Charlotte?” Nikki asked. She didn’t recognize her, and didn’t know if she would anyway. She hadn’t met all of the aestheticians at the spa yet.
“No. I’m Monica. I’m her roommate. Can I help you?”
“Maybe. I’m Nikki Sands. I work at the Malveaux Estate. Charlotte works there at the spa.”
“Not anymore,” Monica said.
“What do you mean?”
“Not after what happened on Saturday with that murder out there.”
Nikki took a step back. “Have the police been by?”
“Oh yeah, and they had poor Charlotte in tears. She’s pretty sensitive. Some cop named Robinson was here late Saturday night when Charlotte got home from her other job.”
“Other job?” Nikki asked.
“Yeah. She works at Auberge du Soleil in St. Helena.”
“I know the place. Nice.” Real nice. Simon, Marco, and Nikki had taken a trip up there when the spa was being built. It was a Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous hangout all the way. But not exactly what they wanted at Malveaux. They wanted something a bit quainter, plus the kind of cash it took to run Auberge was far more money than even the Malveauxs had. “Well if she’s working there, then what about Malveaux?”
“I don’t know, but she was freaked about what happened. Said there was some weird stuff with that guy who was killed. I think she told the cops about it, but I don’t know.” Monica glanced at her watch. “I gotta go. I have a class to teach at the gym in fifteen.”
“Right. Sorry. Do you know if Charlotte is working at Auberge today?”
The woman shrugged. “Don’t know. She’s my roommate, not my kid. It’s not like I keep tabs on her.”
Nikki backed away as Monica came out and locked the front door. Well, she had to go to St. Helena anyway. The interior decorator’s place was up there. Hopefully she’d kill two birds with one stone. She called Auberge and discovered that Charlotte was working. Nikki asked if she had any openings. It turned out that they’d just received a cancellation, so Nikki took it, knowing that getting a facial might be the only way to get to speak Charlotte. She then called Stacey Redmond back and asked the interior decorator if she’d join her for lunch at Auberge. Nikki appeased her by adding that she so much liked the decorating she’d done at the spa, hotel, and restaurant, that she was interested in having her do some work on her place. Hey, whatever it might take to get the answers she needed. Ms. Redmond agreed to the lunch date.
Half an hour later she made it to Rutherford Hill, where the gorgeous hotel and spa were located. The place had a French influence to it, but with a California flair as it sat atop the hill with amazing views of the valley below. The cottages were done in earth tones, all with French doors leading out onto terraces. It looked like a wonderful place to stay, but at five hundred a night for the least expensive room, Nikki figured it might be some time before she soaked up the luxury between the sheets at Auberge. She’d take the more rustic, homey feel of the Malveaux spa and hotel any day, even though they weren’t in her price range
Please. “Yes, I know. I promise, I’ll be careful.”
She clicked off her phone after writing down Charlotte’s address on a piece of paper.
As she drove to Charlotte’s place she made two more calls. One to Janie, who told her what she needed to know about the interior decorator, and then to the interior decorator herself. The woman, a Ms. Redmond, was in and agreed to see her that afternoon.
Nikki pulled into the apartments where Charlotte lived on F Street. They were nice and looked pretty new. Granted they weren’t five-star, but Nikki had lived in some dumps while “acting,” and this place beat them hands down.
She found number 23 and rapped on the door. A young woman with red hair pulled back in a long ponytail opened it. She wore workout clothes. “Hey,” she said.
“Hi. Charlotte?” Nikki asked. She didn’t recognize her, and didn’t know if she would anyway. She hadn’t met all of the aestheticians at the spa yet.
“No. I’m Monica. I’m her roommate. Can I help you?”
“Maybe. I’m Nikki Sands. I work at the Malveaux Estate. Charlotte works there at the spa.”
“Not anymore,” Monica said.
“What do you mean?”
“Not after what happened on Saturday with that murder out there.”
Nikki took a step back. “Have the police been by?”
“Oh yeah, and they had poor Charlotte in tears. She’s pretty sensitive. Some cop named Robinson was here late Saturday night when Charlotte got home from her other job.”
“Other job?” Nikki asked.
“Yeah. She works at Auberge du Soleil in St. Helena.”
“I know the place. Nice.” Real nice. Simon, Marco, and Nikki had taken a trip up there when the spa was being built. It was a Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous hangout all the way. But not exactly what they wanted at Malveaux. They wanted something a bit quainter, plus the kind of cash it took to run Auberge was far more money than even the Malveauxs had. “Well if she’s working there, then what about Malveaux?”
“I don’t know, but she was freaked about what happened. Said there was some weird stuff with that guy who was killed. I think she told the cops about it, but I don’t know.” Monica glanced at her watch. “I gotta go. I have a class to teach at the gym in fifteen.”
“Right. Sorry. Do you know if Charlotte is working at Auberge today?”
The woman shrugged. “Don’t know. She’s my roommate, not my kid. It’s not like I keep tabs on her.”
Nikki backed away as Monica came out and locked the front door. Well, she had to go to St. Helena anyway. The interior decorator’s place was up there. Hopefully she’d kill two birds with one stone. She called Auberge and discovered that Charlotte was working. Nikki asked if she had any openings. It turned out that they’d just received a cancellation, so Nikki took it, knowing that getting a facial might be the only way to get to speak Charlotte. She then called Stacey Redmond back and asked the interior decorator if she’d join her for lunch at Auberge. Nikki appeased her by adding that she so much liked the decorating she’d done at the spa, hotel, and restaurant, that she was interested in having her do some work on her place. Hey, whatever it might take to get the answers she needed. Ms. Redmond agreed to the lunch date.
Half an hour later she made it to Rutherford Hill, where the gorgeous hotel and spa were located. The place had a French influence to it, but with a California flair as it sat atop the hill with amazing views of the valley below. The cottages were done in earth tones, all with French doors leading out onto terraces. It looked like a wonderful place to stay, but at five hundred a night for the least expensive room, Nikki figured it might be some time before she soaked up the luxury between the sheets at Auberge. She’d take the more rustic, homey feel of the Malveaux spa and hotel any day, even though they weren’t in her price range
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