Free Murder with a Twist by Tracy Kiely

robe slip off them in the process. A tattoo of a dove adorned her left ankle. A kaleidoscope of butterflies decorated the right. I suspected more creatures were soaring in the wings. Lizzy lit a cigarette and slowly exhaled. Her eyes never left Nigel’s. “We haven’t met before, have we?” she asked after taking a drag. “I think I would have remembered meeting you.” Her eyes moved to Skippy. “Especially the dog. He’s a bull mastiff, right?”
    “That’s right,” Nigel said. “Well spotted. Not too many people are familiar with the breed.”
    Lizzy gave a throaty laugh. “Honey, you’d be surprised at the things I’m familiar with. So, how can I help you?” she prompted.
    “Well, we’re trying to find Leo Blackwell,” I said. “I understand you might know him?”
    “I know him,” she said with a slow smile.
    “Excellent! We’re on the right track. We can’t seem to get hold of him,” Nigel answered. “But then we were told to look you up,” he paused to cast an appreciative eye over her tanned legs. “They sure didn’t exaggerate about you,” he added with a wolfish grin.
    Lizzy slowly ran her tongue over her full lips and returned the smile. I produced a polite cough. “So, we were wondering if you know where Leo is?” I asked.
    Lizzy glanced over at me, almost surprised to find me on her couch. “And who are you?” she asked, her tone a shade less friendly.
    “Girlfriend,” Nigel answered.
    “I also go by Nicole.”
    Lizzy took another look at me. This one was more searching. Whatever she was looking for she didn’t find. “Doesn’t look your type,” she finally said to Nigel.
    “I get that a lot,” I answered.
    “What can I say?” Nigel admitted with a shrug. “I’m partial to sloe-eyed girls with gimpy legs.”
    Lizzy looked pointedly at Nigel’s ring finger. “Nice wedding ring,” she said.
    “Thanks,” he said, with a wink. “It was a gift from my employer, if you know what I mean.”
    Lizzy threw her head back and laughed. “Oh honey, do I ever. But let’s cut the crap, shall we? You aren’t friends of Leo’s any more than I’m friends with that pathetic wife of his. You’re Nic and Nigel Martini. In town to attend the sainted Audrey’s birthday party bash. Don’t you two read the papers? You should. You were the lead item today on page six of the Post. ”

fifteen
    Nigel sat back into the couch and crossed his legs. “I told you the Times was overrated,” he said to me. “You miss all the good stuff.”
    “Well, now that introductions are out of the way, do you have any idea where Leo is?” I asked.
    Lizzy took another drag off her cigarette before answering. “Why the hell should I tell you anything? I don’t owe the Martini family one damn thing. They’re no better than the rest of us. Bunch of hypocritical snobs.”
    “From your palpable hostility, I gather that you are acquainted with the family,” I said.
    Lizzy looked away and shrugged. “Not really, no. Just what I read in the papers. And what I hear. Who told you about me?” she asked.
    “Frank Little,” I answered. “Seems Leo owed him some money.”
    Lizzy’s eyes widened at this. “And Frank thought that I knew where Leo was? I told him I haven’t seen Leo in days. Did he really send you here?”
    I nodded. “He said he didn’t think you knew anything, but we wanted to double check.”
    She seemed to relax a little at this. “Well, he’s right. I don’t know where he is. Frank and I go way back. He knows he can trust me. But why the hell do you care where Leo is? Seems to me that Leo would be the type of guy the Martini family would like to see disappear.”
    “His wife is worried,” I answered.
    Lizzy scoffed. “His wife . Please. She’s not worried about Leo. The only thing that little bitch is worried about is her reputation. She can’t stand the idea of him not being there for her silly, little society party. The women in that family are no good. They only like