Free Shampoo and a Stiff by Cindy Bell Page A

want it red, it can be red,” he laughed as he continued. “I might advise paint instead of spaghetti sauce though.”
    “ Very funny,” Bekki grinned and they shared a slow, soft kiss. When Bekki pulled away to dish out the spaghetti Nick leaned back against the counter.
    “ So, I found out a little information about Mr. Blake,” he murmured as he breathed in the scent of the sauce. “He's a stand up businessman with a clean record. I'd be very surprised if he was involved in this.”
    “ What about Jack, did you hunt him down?” Bekki asked hopefully.
    “ No, I did speak to his wife, but she said she hasn't heard from him all day, and as far as she knew he was at work,” Nick filled two glasses with sparkling water to go with their meal.
    Bekki paused with the spoon hovering just above the sauce. “So, he's missing?” she asked hesitantly. She hoped nothing had happened to him as a result of talking to her.
    “ I haven't been able to find him yet, Bekki, but that doesn't make him missing. It could be that he didn't want to speak to the police for other reasons. Maybe he has a past not even his wife knows about,” he carried the glasses to the table and Bekki followed with their plates.
    “ Maybe,” Bekki sat down at the table and Nick sat beside her. “I just hope he's okay.”
    “ I'm sure he's fine. As for that reporter,” he narrowed his eyes. “He's been threatened with nuisance and harassment charges more times than I could count. He might be a pest, but that does prove he's a reporter, if he's managed to make that many people angry.”
    “ Good point,” Bekki laughed and swirled some spaghetti onto her fork. “So that leaves us with Steven...”
    “ Tom,” Nick spoke at the same time she did. He sighed at who she suspected. “Bekki, you know Steven has a solid alibi.”
    “ Maybe not as solid as we think,” Bekki set her fork down. “I happen to know that he was at the factory until after eight. My father says he arrived at the bar about ten minutes after nine.”
    “ The factory is at least forty-five minutes away. He would have had to kill Brad, stash the body in the truck and get to the bar in about an hour,” Nick said thoughtfully. “It would be very tight.”
    “ Is it possible that the predicted time of death could be off?” Bekki asked.
    “ Yes, it is still just an estimate. It depends largely on where he was killed and when the body was put in the truck because the temperature inside the truck is different to the temperature in the warehouse or outside. We will know more once the tests from the autopsy are complete?” Nick frowned and then raised his eyebrows. “I'm guessing you know about Steven being at the factory because of your secret source?”
    “ Did you get any results on that mug?” Bekki asked in an attempt to change the subject. She wasn't expecting much from it.
    “ Yes, actually,” Nick pursed his lips with confusion and leaned forward. “It tested positive for traces of brinwood. It's some kind of oil.”
    “ Brinwood?” Bekki's eyes widened. She remembered seeing that oil on Steven's shelf. She also remembered reading a warning about it when she was looking up the list of oils in the shampoo. “That can be a dangerous oil if too much is ingested,” she was breathless as she spoke, the pieces beginning to fit together. “It can cause severe disorientation. Why would that be in a mug from Doug’s?”
    “ I don't know,” Nick took a bite of his spaghetti and chewed it quickly. “But if it was in the mug, I'm guessing it was no accident. Brinwood doesn't just happen to show up in a test. It can be pretty hard to come by.”
    “ Steven has a collection of oils,” Bekki murmured as she stared down at her food. She simply could not get the whole picture in her head. Sure, Steven might have put the brinwood into the beer, but why would he? By the time she and Nick went to bed that night her brain was working overtime as she attempted to fit in the