Killer Calories

around.”
    “Snooping? Is that what you think I’m doing?”
    “That’s exactly what I think you’re doing. Are you going to deny it?”
    Savannah thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No. I’d say ‘snooping’ about covers it.”
    “Then you lied to me. You told me you weren’t here to investigate my wife’s death.”
    “I told you I wasn’t here on behalf of your life-insurance company. And that’s still true.”
    “Then you’re working for the cops.”
    Savannah laughed. “No danger of that, I’m afraid. The San Carmelita Police Department and I parted ways long ago .“
    “But you’ve been reporting back to that Detective Coulter guy.”
    “I don’t report to Dirk or anybody else anymore. That’s the nice thing about being self-employed.”
    “But you’ve been telling him what’s going on around here.”
    “Dirk is a friend of mine. We talk about a lot of things. Besides, I wasn’t aware there was anything ‘going on around here.’ Have I missed something?”
    Lou gave her a searching, hostile look. “I don’t think you miss anything, Miss Reid.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Hanks. I’ll take that as a compliment .“
    “I didn’t mean it to be. My wife’s death was a sad and unfortunate accident. Your poking around here only makes the tragedy that much worse.”
    “I can understand why you feel that way. But what if your wife didn’t have an accident?”
    “She didn’t kill herself! I told you that before! Kat didn’t commit suicide!”
    “What if it wasn’t an accident or suicide? What if she was murdered?”
    His face went a sick shade of white that reminded her of some kind of chalky antidiarrhea medicine.
    “Murdered? You think somebody actually killed her. Deliberately?”
    “I don’t know yet. But I think Kat deserves to have it checked out. If there’s any possibility it might be homicide, you would want that person caught and punished. Wouldn’t you?”
    He sputtered and stuttered for a moment, then said, “Well, I … I guess so. I mean, yeah, sure I would.”
    “Then it’s a good thing that I’m a guest here at this particular time,” she said smoothly, giving him her most conciliatory smile. “I’ll keep my eyes open to possibilities. And that way, if anything does ‘pop up,’ I’d be the first to know. Probably even before the police, right?”
    “And would you tell me if anything ‘popped up,’ that is?”
    “You’re Kat’s ex-husband, her closest living relative, the owner of the spa.”
    “Is that a ‘yes’?”
    She shrugged and gave him a grin. “It’s a ‘maybe.’ ”
    Looking only a little mollified, he turned to leave the room. At the door she stopped him.
    “By the way, Lou,” she said as he waited, hand on the doorknob. “Kat’s life-insurance policy... you said it wouldn’t pay off if she committed suicide. Let me guess... an accident or homicide would fly, right?”
    He left. And slammed the door so hard behind him that Savannah could swear her teeth rattled.
    “Bingo,” she said.

    “You asked to see me?” Savannah said as she stuck her head into the spa’s office, where Bernadette sat at her desk, phone in hand.
    “Oh, yes. Please come in, Ms. Reid,” she said, slamming the receiver down without saying good-bye to the person on the other end.
    Savannah steeled herself, figuring she had been called on the carpet to receive her walking papers. Lou Hanks probably didn’t have the gonads to do it himself, so she was expecting the edict to be handed down by his secretary/pool buddy.
    The skinny young redhead jumped up from her desk and ushered Savannah to a comfortable chair. “May I get you some sparkling water or a protein drink?” she offered.
    “No thanks. I suppose a double-malted chocolate and peanut butter milk shake would be out of the question.”
    Bernadette gave her a nervous chuckle, as though she had just overheard some blatant blasphemy while standing in a church and wasn’t sure how to react.
    “So, why did you ask me to come to the office?” Savannah said, wanting to get her eviction over with as soon as possible. There was no point in prolonging the humiliation.
    “I realized that when you registered with us the other day, I forgot to have you sign one of the release forms. It’s a very important one. I hope you don’t mind.”
    Savannah studied the form that the redhead thrust at her. “I signed one of these already. I’m sure of it.”
    “I’m sorry, but I don’t have it in my