The Temporary Detective

Chapter Forty-Seven

Dexter was still clearing out the club as Isobel, James, Percival, and Delphi settled down at their table again next to Felice, who had passed out on the banquette. Percival held an ice pack to the back of his head, while James massaged the hand he had used to punch Frank.

At the next table, Frank and Stan sat in stony silence with Detectives Harvey and Kozinski. Xavier Barques, the club's owner, sat at a third table nearby with one of the other policemen, guarding the glass of Amaretto.

Detective Harvey pulled his chair around and looked sternly at Isobel. "Suppose you tell us what's going on."

Isobel unfolded her well-worn copy of Doreen's blackmail log. "This piece of paper is a list of people that Doreen Fink was blackmailing."

"You gave that to us," Detective Kozinski reminded her. "We've been examining it, and we've spoken to everyone on the list."

"You've spoken to Stan?" Isobel asked, surprised.

"Yes."

"I know what he told you. That is, if he told you the truth." Isobel turned to Stan. "Doreen wasn't blackmailing you at all. She was taking money from all these other people and giving it to you, so you could get the operation you wanted. Is that what you told the police?"

Stan nodded.

"You and Doreen were married once," Isobel continued. "The marriage was annulled when Doreen realized it would never be consummated. But she loved you. She's always loved you, and you stayed in touch all these years. And stayed friends."

Isobel saw tears begin to leak silently through Stan's long-lashed, heavily made-up eyes and down his face, leaving black streaks of mascara in their wake. In full makeup and dress, but without his wig, he was a pathetic sight. Isobel felt suddenly, deeply sad for Stan. She reached over and touched his hand.

"I said I was sorry for your loss, and I meant it. Oh, and Maybelline makes the best waterproof mascara."

"Why are we here if Stan didn't kill Doreen?" asked Detective Harvey impatiently. "Which, by the way, we never thought he did."

"Because he was trying to kill Frank." Isobel pointed to the glass that Xavier Barques was holding. "It's poisoned."

Xavier recoiled from the glass, then leaned his head closer and sniffed. "Smells like Amaretto."

"Test it for prussic acid," Percival said. "They both smell like almonds."

Isobel shook her head sadly at Stan. "Amaretto is a weird thing to order if you're having bottle service. You could never make it through the entire thing in one night, and they won't let you take it home." She shot Xavier a look. "By the way, we have to talk about this crazy bottle service thing."

"All right, but why did Stan want to kill Frank?" asked Detective Kozinski.

Isobel looked at her like she was crazy. "Oh, come on! There's only one possible reason for that. Because Frank killed the only person who ever loved Stan for who he was."

They all looked at Frank.

"Why would I kill Doreen?" he asked indignantly. "She was a very competent secretary. I relied on her. I've been lost without her." He gave Isobel a dirty look. "You haven't been much help, you know."

"You killed Doreen because she was blackmailing you like she was everybody else."

"No she wasn't." Frank gestured at the paper. "My name isn't anywhere on there."

Isobel shook her head solemnly. "She wasn't blackmailing you for money, she was blackmailing you for sex. Doreen had the hots for you, Frank, and you knew it. She was obsessed with sex, and she wasn't getting any. You weren't interested in her, for all reasons, but she, being the keeper of your secrets, was blackmailing you about being gay."