I walked toward her and drew out one of two thick white leather chairs on the other side of her desk. “I was hoping you’d talk to me.” The heat wafted over my skin, prickling and making my shoulder blades itch. It was way too hot in there, but it made sense that the place was built solidly with the dead bodies and all. No wonder the heat was trapped. “It’s cooler outside. Do you want me to open the door?”
“No. I have all the windows open because they’re screened. We can’t risk bugs in here by opening the door. Can you imagine a fly buzzing around during a funeral?” She blanched, her blue eyes wide. “We had a skunk make it inside one time, and people decide to sue you when a skunk ruins their funeral. Trust me.”
“Good point.” I should’ve brought a latte or something, but I didn’t know what Kelsey liked. She had a half full bottle of what looked like flavored water next to her. “I’m hungry, and it’s hot in here. Do you want to grab lunch? I’ll buy.”
“I can’t. Have work to do.” She tapped several peaceful cream-colored file folders into a neat square with her pretty pink nails. She wore a light white sleeveless blouse and what looked like blue capri’s that matched the jacket she’d ditched. Her makeup was soft and her blondish-red hair in curls that frizzed wildly, and in the heated day, she looked a lot like Tessa. Apparently Danny had had a type.
I gentled my voice. “I totally understand and apologize for bugging you at work. Just a couple more questions. Are there plans for Danny’s funeral?”
Her eyes started to glisten. “Yeah. We’re having something small on Sunday. His cousin wants it to be family and close friends, and I’m going to say some nice words about him. He was a good guy beneath all the problems, and I hope he’s at peace now.”
So the funeral would not open to the public. “I really am very sorry for your loss.”
“Me too,” she said, a tear caught on her lashes. “His cousin is paying for a nice headstone and for him to be buried in the cemetery down the road. It’s so much more peaceful than the old one across town.” She wiped her eye clear. “At least this way I can visit him sometimes.”
“That’ll be nice. This has to be driving you crazy, and I’m so sorry about that. Do you have any idea yet on who killed him?”
She sighed. “Besides your sister or boyfriend? Nope. My guess is that he was bugging Tessa, and she killed him.” Kelsey blanched. “Sorry. But that’s my guess.”
“Tessa wouldn’t kill anybody,” I said, not sure if Aiden would or not. Yeah, he probably would, but it would have to be in self-defense. “I know she didn’t.” When Kelsey glanced at her watch, I pushed on before she could ask me to leave. “What’s the deal with his cousin, Rich? He seemed a little over the top at your house.”
She glared. “He’s hurting that his cousin was murdered. So am I.” It wasn’t a subtle hint.
“I know, and I’m sorry. Surely you’d do the same for your sister, and try to follow up with any leads,” I said, feeling for her. This really did suck.
“Yeah, I would.” She looked up and faced me directly. “I don’t know who killed Danny, Anna. If I did, I’d tell the cops because I cared about him. I know he had problems, but I still loved him.” Her hands shook, and she put them in her lap. “I hope the police find out who did it.”
“Me too,” I said softly. “Before I go, what does BGC mean? It was on Danny’s tattoo on his arm.”
She tilted her head. “How do you know about his tattoo?”
I couldn’t think of a gentle way to give her the truth. “I saw the autopsy report.” My stomach ached. “I’m sorry.” Then I cleared my throat. “I think it was the same tattoo that Rich has on his arm, but I didn’t see the top of his, so I can’t be sure. Was it the same tattoo, and what does it mean?”
She glanced down at her nails. “Um, I’m not sure if it’s exactly the same tattoo, and I don’t know what the initials mean. I think I remember some story about them getting drunk in Vegas and getting tattoos.” She snorted. “The initials are probably something stupid like the first names of their first loves or something like that. I asked Danny once, and he just said it was dumb and wouldn’t tell me the truth. So I stopped caring about it.”
That did sound dumb, and I couldn’t determine if she was being honest. “Is there any chance this business Rich and Danny were involved in could’ve led to his death?”
“I don’t see how,” she said, looking toward her computer. “It’s just a tactical training business. You know, self-defense, wilderness survival, basic weaponry. They train corporate travelers, preppers, people in high pressure and dangerous jobs. They hired some good ex-soldiers to handle the weapons because they can’t due to their records. They were smart about the business, and it makes money. Why would anybody want Danny dead?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I don’t know much about him. Could there be a different ex-girlfriend in his background who might’ve been mad at him?”
“Not that I’d know of,” she said.
A door to the side opened and Krissy walked in, wearing scrubs with her hair up in a ponytail. “Any news on the A/C guy?” she asked before she saw me.
“Not yet,” Kelsey said, stiffening.
Krissy’s gaze landed on me and narrowed. She held a couple of bottles of cleaning solution in her hands. “What are you doing here?”
“Just talking to Kelsey to see if we can figure all of this out,” I said. “Is there a way you’d answer some questions?”
“No,” Krissy said, glancing at her watch. “I’m busy, and so is Kelsey.” She focused on her sister again. “Did you get the programs for the Daily and Johnson funerals printed yet?”
“Yes.” Kelsey tapped the top file folder. “I also finished the obituaries for our website and updated the notification for the county of the times you want to run the crematorium.” She grabbed a notepad. “Lana can’t be here until ten the day of Mrs. Daily’s funeral to do her makeup.”
Krissy grimaced. “That won’t give her much time, but that’s not my problem.”
I cleared my throat. “You two work well together. It’d be fun to work with my sisters, but we’ve all chosen different careers.”
