The Body in the Beauty Parlor

Book 6: Jazzi Zanders Mystery

by Judi Lynn

Genres: Cozy Mystery; Animal Cozy Mysteries; Crime Fiction

Synopsis

In addition to her house-flipping talents, Jazzi Zanders is breaking ground as a sleuth. But she’s going to need every tool at her disposal to solve two crimes . . .
 
In their hair salon, Jazzi’s sister Olivia and mother are savvy businesswomen whose creativity brings fashion and flair to the folks of Rivers Bluff, Indiana. So when their newest hairstylist Misty is caught scamming clients’ debit cards and selling beauty products during off hours to pocket the profits, Olivia fires her. But Misty retaliates by hitting back with a defamation lawsuit—which she is more than happy to drop if Olivia pays her ten grand.
 
But neither blackmail nor courtroom fees are accrued after Misty’s body is discovered in the salon with Olivia’s scissors stuck in her chest. Olivia may be the number one suspect, but her murdered employee had a reputation for making enemies.
 
Then Jazzi’s

Release date: March 2, 2021

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Print pages: 256

Sample

Chapter 1

Jazzi grimaced at her reflection in the mirror. It was Thursday night—girls’ night out. She was meeting her sister, Olivia, and their friends for supper. Her sister the hairdresser. Her sister who’d drive to Don Chava’s Mexican Grill straight from the salon she and Mom owned. Olivia would be dressed in something trendy, her makeup would be perfect, and her dark blond hair would look stylish and wonderful.

She turned off her curling iron in defeat. Ugh. She’d had bad hair days for two weeks in a row. She’d hear about it. Glancing at her new spring top and bright green pants, she hoped Olivia would focus on her clothes and not her hair. Jazzi rarely bought anything this bright, pants this snug. And she never wore them with heels. Olivia should give her brownie points for that, right?

When she walked downstairs and Ansel looked up at her, he did a double take. “Whoa! Look at you!”

She bit her bottom lip, nervous. “Is it too much?”

His sky-blue eyes lit up. “You look great.”

Maybe her plan would work. Maybe Olivia would be surprised by her stab at being stylish. She reached for the cardigan she’d tossed by her purse. It was mid-March and she didn’t need a coat, not even a jacket. Her mood brightened. Spring was in the air. More than that, the house she, Ansel, and Jerod were working on in Kirkwood Park was close to being finished and had already sold. They’d reached the part of the job she loved, putting on finishing touches to see how their choices worked.

This time around, they’d gone with a farmhouse theme to fit the older neighborhood and the style of the Dutch Colonial. So far, she was happy with the way everything had worked out. Plus, another cherry on the cake was that everyone could make the Sunday meal this year for Easter. She and Ansel were really looking forward to it. Her Norseman was excited about planning an Easter egg hunt inside and outside for the kids, if the weather held. He wanted to have games in the basement, too—pin the cottontail on the bunny and balancing an egg on a spoon for a relay race. He’d played both when he was a kid.

Walker and Didi’s little boy, River, had promised he’d split any eggs he found with his new baby sister, Noreen. She was only three months old. Walker and Didi had given her Brooklyn as a middle name, in honor of River’s mother, who’d died. Easter was a month away, though, so she pushed those thoughts away and raised her face for Ansel’s kiss.

“Have fun,” he told her.

“You too.” When the girls met so did the guys. They were going to The Tower Bar and Grill for wings tonight. George, Ansel’s pug, opened an eye to watch them walk to the door. He knew the routine on Thursdays. He also knew Ansel would bring home a treat for him. If anyone spoiled a pet more than her Norseman, she hadn’t met him. He’d even started doting on her cats. When they left for a night out, on their return he threw cat treats across the kitchen floor for them to chase and eat.

It took her fifteen-minutes to reach Chava’s, and when she pulled in the lot she had to park in the last row to find room for her pickup. Her sister’s car was already in the lot. Walking into the restaurant, Jazzi scanned the booths until she saw Olivia. She was dressed in a cherry-red jumpsuit, sipping a margarita. Her lips were as red as her outfit, and her hair was scraped into a tight bun. She must have been going for drama today. When Jazzi slid into the booth across from her sister, a frown creased Olivia’s forehead and she stared.

“What?” But Jazzi already knew what Olivia’s comment would be.

“What did you do to your hair?”

Jazzi pushed the heavy, honey-colored strands behind her ears. “I tried to make it look decent.”

“I couldn’t tell. When was the last time you came in for a cut?”

She tried to remember. “I don’t know. Isn’t it on your books?”

Olivia shook her head, annoyed. “I’m not your nanny. I’m your hairdresser.”

Thankfully, the waitress came for Jazzi’s drink order, offering her a short reprieve. Then she stared at the two empty seats. “Will the other two ladies be joining you shortly?”

Jazzi nodded, and when the waitress left Olivia jabbed a finger at her. “Eight o’clock. Tomorrow morning. You look like crap. We have to get you in before the salon opens. We’re already getting busy for the holidays.”

That settled, Jazzi leaned back to relax. The waitress brought her strawberry margarita, and she scanned the menu. Silly really. She always ordered the spicy beef chimichanga. Just then, Didi and Elspeth walked in together. Didi still wore a loose-fitting top. She was breastfeeding, and she hadn’t lost all the baby weight yet. Didn’t matter. She was plenty attractive. So was Elspeth, in a quiet, understated way. She wore her long, light-brown hair twisted back in a soft knot, as usual.

Elspeth’s eyes widened at Jazzi’s white, flowered top and neon-green pants. Her brows shot to her forehead. “Ready for spring?”

Jazzi laughed. “That, but mostly I wanted to give Olivia a run for her money.”

“No, she wanted to distract me from her awful hair.” Olivia took another sip of her drink.

Didi sighed, watching her. “I love margaritas, but I still can’t have any alcohol. Nursing.”

Elspeth made a face. She didn’t like hearing any of the messy details of motherhood. “You can’t have caffeine either, can you?”

“No, and the baby wakes me up two or three times a night. I could sure use some.”

Could Jazzi live without caffeine? Babies demanded a lot from a person. She wasn’t ready to take that on yet, but she wasn’t getting any younger either. She’d be thirty in two years.

“When I have a kid it’s strictly bottles for me,” Olivia declared. “I still want to work at the salon, and I’m not pumping myself to freeze milk.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “With bottles, Thane can get up for night feedings, too.”

“Walker would be happy to.” Didi closed the menu, having made her decision. “But this time of year his cement business goes berserk. He’s working ten hours a day sometimes. He needs his sleep.”

“And you don’t?” Olivia countered.

“I can work from home doing medical transcripts. My hours are flexible. I don’t even have to hire a babysitter.”

Olivia reached for a package she’d propped on the floor and handed it to Didi. It was a cute dress for a baby, with rabbits prancing around its hem and a matching stretchy headband.

“It’s adorable!” Didi beamed, looking at it.

“I couldn’t resist.” The outfit looked like something Olivia would pick, with lots of frills and ruffles. She either wore ultrafeminine or ultrachic, bouncing between them.

The waitress interrupted to take their food orders. When she left, Jazzi turned to Elspeth, changing the subject. “I heard that your house is finally coming together.”

She and Ansel had been helping his brother and Elspeth renovate the old, brick house they’d bought near downtown River Bluffs. Elspeth smiled. “We’re almost ready for furniture. It’s been hard living there while we worked on it, but all the big stuff is done.”

The women raised their glasses to toast her. “Congrats!” they cheered in unison.

Elspeth fidgeted under the attention and focused on Olivia. “How’s the new girl you hired at your salon working out?”

Olivia wrinkled her nose. “Oh, fine.”

A noncommittal answer if Jazzi ever heard one. “You don’t like her?”

“Most months she can’t make her booth rental. And she hasn’t brought in the business we expected her to. Things haven’t worked out like we’d planned.”

“But she’s still new, isn’t she?” Didi asked. “Doesn’t it take a while for a hairdresser to build clients?”

Olivia drained her glass. “That’s the thing. When we looked at her résumé she got such high recommendations, we thought she’d bring in clients. She was supposed to know cutting-edge coloring and cuts. Not so much. And the shop’s actually making less money than before. I don’t know how to explain that.”

“Is Dad giving you grief about it?” He’d been against Mom and Olivia hiring someone new.

“Mom’s so unhappy about it, he hasn’t pushed it. It’s a touchy subject.” Olivia scowled. “Thane avoids it, too, if he can. He knows it upsets me.”

Their food came, and Olivia and Jazzi ordered second drinks. The talk turned to members of the family or kids. By the time everyone paid their bills, they’d covered a wide range of subjects. On the drive home, though, Jazzi thought about Olivia and Mom’s salon again.

How could they have hired a new girl who brought in more clients and lose money? It didn’t make sense.

Chapter 2

Ansel pulled in the driveway behind Jazzi. She waited for him to park so they could walk into the house together. George, Inky, and Marmalade came to greet them and, as expected, Ansel had brought home a few boneless chicken wings for the pug. While he cut them into smaller pieces, Jazzi tossed treats for her cats.

Once the pets had enough snacks and attention, she and Ansel went to the living room and stretched out on their favorite sofas. The room was so large, it held two seating groups, perfect for entertaining. The men usually congregated in one area, the women in another. For now, though, they headed to the red leather sofas and chairs closest to the TV. The cats jumped on the couch with Jazzi. George nuzzled against Ansel.

“Did Olivia notice your hair?” Ansel asked, a gleam in his eyes.

Jazzi nodded. “I have an appointment for a haircut at eight tomorrow morning. It needs it. It’s so tangled in the mornings, I can hardly get a brush through it.”

“Did she talk about the new girl at the shop? Thane says she’s a pain to work with, and the shop’s losing money with her there.”

“Olivia didn’t say she was a pain.” But then, her sister didn’t want to admit that she and Mom might have made a mistake hiring a third person.

Ansel situated his pillow to be more comfortable and rested an arm behind his head to prop himself up more. He was so tall, six-five, his feet were propped on the opposite sofa arm. “Thane thinks it’s only a matter of time before something blows. He said the new girl has a mouth on her, doesn’t mind being pushy. Your sister has a short fuse. She doesn’t put up with crap.”

Jazzi wrinkled her nose. “I hope she doesn’t lose it while I’m there. It’s too early in the morning. I don’t need the conflict, but I should be safe. We’re going in before the salon opens, so hopefully I won’t even meet the girl.”

“How do you want to work things tomorrow?” George nuzzled to his side, and he reached out to stroke his head. “Will you drive straight from the salon to meet us at the Kirkwood Park house?”

“Might as well, but then we’ll have to drive home separately.”

“I can pack our lunch and take the cooler to work with me. Then you don’t have to worry about it.”

He’d never made their lunch before, but it would be easy this time. She’d bought a pound of deli roast beef to make sandwiches and had lots of chips. “Thanks. That’s sweet.”

He grinned. “I’m a sweet guy. That’s why you married me.”

“And humble. You forgot to add humble.”

He laughed. “I’m humbler than Jerod.”

That wasn’t saying much. Her cousin could be downright cocky. On occasion, he’d been known to be full of himself, but that didn’t last long in their family. Anyone with a big head got knocked off their pedestal pretty fast. Truth was, Ansel didn’t realize how good-looking he was, and that was fine with her.

He must have had a good time tonight because he gave her a naughty smirk. “Maybe Jerod and I will stop somewhere for a beer on our way home because you’re driving separately. But I won’t be too long, so don’t worry about us.”

If he thought that would bother her, he was wrong. “Good, maybe I’ll stop someplace, too.”

He raised his brows. “A gorgeous blonde at a bar on her own? Isn’t that asking for trouble?”

“Doubt it. I’ll be in my work clothes. Not much of a turn-on.”

“Honey, you haven’t seen yourself in those worn jeans. You even look good covered in sawdust.”

She rolled her eyes and yawned. Her husband was biased, bless him.

“Tired?” He rolled to his feet, waiting for George to jump off the couch. “I could call it an early night. How about you?”

She could, too. She followed him up the stairs. And it was a good thing they crawled into bed earlier than usual because she could barely force herself up in the morning, but she had to make it to Olivia’s shop by eight. Ansel padded downstairs while she got ready, doing all the morning routines she usually did. He had toast and coffee for her when she came down to join him. “I have everything covered,” he said. “Just enjoy your sister and make yourself even more beautiful.”

Right. But she stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “You’re a keeper.”

He tugged her closer for a hug. “Good, ’cause you’re stuck with me.”

Poor her. She downed the last of her coffee and started to the door.

“Better wear your hoodie,” he called after her. “It’s chilly today.”

That was the thing about spring in Indiana. Temperatures bobbed up and down. It was mild yesterday, but the weatherman said it would only get to the high fifties today. She pulled on her hoodie and headed out the door. The salon was on the southwest side of River Bluffs, and there was more traffic than usual. Olivia and Mom lived close to the shop, but it was a trek for her.

Forty minutes later, she parked near the salon’s back door. Olivia wasn’t there yet, but lights were on inside and two cars were parked near the front door.

When Olivia pulled in five minutes later she frowned, unhappy. When Jazzi joined her, she motioned toward the vehicles in front. “That’s Misty’s SUV. I don’t know how she got inside. Only Mom and I have keys.”

Jazzi gave an inward sigh. The morning might be off to a bumpy start. Olivia had come dressed for battle. She couldn’t have known she needed to, but she wasn’t wearing her usual style. She’d donned Kate Hepburn trousers and a striped, button-down blouse. Jazzi pursed her lips. “Are you trying for early Hollywood glam?”

“Thane and I watched Bringing Up Baby last weekend. He likes old movies and I liked Kate Hepburn’s style.” Just like her sister. She hadn’t wasted any time copying it, but then, Olivia loved to shop. So did Mom.

With a sharp twist of her key, Olivia unlocked the back door, then charged into the storage room. Music blared, so loud even back here, that Jazzi covered her ears. Olivia held up a hand, warning her to advance slowly. Cracking the door to the salon wide enough for them to see, they watched Misty finish highlighting a girl’s long, dark hair. That process took a while. Jazzi wondered how early the women had gotten there. She frowned, studying Olivia’s new employee. The girl looked rough, with harsh makeup and bleached blond hair and dark roots. Her shirt was too tight, exposing an inch of skin above the waistline of her hip-hugging pants. Not the professional vibe Olivia and Mom tried for. Had she looked like this when Mom and Olivia hired her? Maybe. Olivia had said they wanted someone new and cutting edge.

Neither woman noticed the cracked door, they were laughing and talking so much. When the girl was ready to leave she paid Misty, and Misty put the money in her pocket. Then she went to Olivia’s station and took products to her friend.

“They’re on sale for half price now.”

The friend paid her, and that money went into Misty’s pocket, too. Jazzi glanced at her sister. Olivia looked like she might explode but waited until the friend left the shop. Then she stomped to the speaker system and turned off the music.

The abrupt silence felt deafening. Misty whirled to see who was there, and her eyes flew wide. “I can explain.”

“How did you get into the shop?” Olivia’s hands went to her hips.

Misty’s expression turned sly. “Your mom made me a key for when I had an early client and she wouldn’t be in until later in the day.”

“Mom and I never come in the front door. We always use the back. Why would Mom give you a key to the front?”

“She was locking up for the night and had that key in her hand, I guess.”

That didn’t sound like Mom. She’d take the time to find the key she wanted. Olivia wasn’t buying it either. She’d check on it later in the day when Mom got there.

Olivia arched an eyebrow. “We all buy our own products here. I just saw you take some of mine for your friend.”

Misty pressed her lips together. “Sorry about that, but Tish didn’t call me until late last night to ask me for a favor. She needed her hair done pronto for a job interview. I didn’t have time to run to the beauty supply store. I’ll buy new for you, I promise.”

The girl was saying all the right things, but Jazzi didn’t trust her. Her answers were too glib. She didn’t have any solid reason to think she was lying, but she didn’t like the girl. And she’d learned to trust her instincts.

Olivia’s voice was brittle. “I brought my sister in early for a haircut. I’d better get busy or she’s going to be late for work.”

Jazzi got the message. So did Misty. Olivia didn’t want to confront Misty now. She’d talk to Mom first. Olivia motioned for Jazzi to take the chair at her station and then turned to focus her full attention on her, ignoring Misty. But her brows furrowed when the front door opened and another client zipped inside for Misty to do her hair. Twenty minutes later, Jazzi’s waves fell into place like they were supposed to. No one could rival her sister’s expertise. She paid for the cut, even though Olivia insisted she didn’t need to because they were family, but she didn’t leave a tip. Olivia drew the line there. Then she wished her sister a good day and got out of there. Olivia might not say anything to Misty now, but the tension between them was palpable.

As Jazzi drove to the house in Kirkwood Park, she decided she wouldn’t want to be Misty when it was closing time tonight.

Chapter 3

Traffic was still heavy on the drive to Kirkwood Park. Most people had already gone to their jobs, but others were venturing out to shop or do chores, or maybe they didn’t start work until nine, like Jerod, Ansel, and her.

She wasn’t as late as she’d feared when she reached the Dutch Colonial. She found Jerod and Ansel in the kitchen, finishing the backsplash tiles they’d ordered—the last detail to complete the room. White subway tiles and white walls accented the light-gray cupboards the three of them had installed. They’d chosen metal handles for the doors and drawers along with butcher-block countertops, giving them a clean but old-fashioned look. A long, dark table worked as the kitchen island, with chairs along one side for seating.

The kitchen opened into the living room with shiplap siding, built-in bookcases, and a fireplace. An Oriental rug centered two armchairs with white slipcovers, two Federal-style wooden chairs with padded backs and seats, and a love seat facing the fireplace. The space was warm and inviting.

Ansel turned to look at her when she entered the room. He gave a low whistle. “Your sister sure knows how to make you look good. Your hair’s all sexy and soft.”

Jerod turned to see her, too. “Yeah, you look better.” He grinned. Her cousin would rather eat raw liver than give her a compliment. “How was Olivia anyway?”

When Jazzi told them about the new girl, Misty, Jerod shook his head. “Sounds like she’s. . .