Saturday's Excerpt – Partners: The Wrong Corpse

The women watched as the Porsche’s driver side door opened and Cassandra stepped out. She quietly closed the door behind her, then pushed the remote to lock the car. Johanna snapped a few discreet pictures. Cassandra’s blonde hair glistened in the motel’s overhead lights. She wore a tight, short, red dress, which showed off her curvy well-endowed body. Her spike heels made clicking sounds on the pavement as she headed toward the far end of the motel then turned the corner.

"She looks more like a hooker than the heiress to the Reynolds’ fortune, and the wife of a wealthy financial advisor," Frankie observed as she pulled out of the parking space and drove in the opposite direction to the back of the motel. Cassandra wasn’t in sight.

"I wonder where she went," Johanna said. "It couldn’t have been too far." She squinted as she read the sign. "These rooms in the back are equipped with kitchenettes, an extra room, and are available for long-term lease."

"Sounds almost like a small studio apartment." Frankie parked the car and turned off the ignition. "McHenry said she’s typically gone for hours at a time."

"He also said besides visiting a ‘friend’, she tells him she’s going to Riley’s Gym for a workout," Johanna interjected.

Frankie lifted an eyebrow. "Well, I’ll bet she’s getting a workout all right." She took a pen flashlight and shined it on her notes. "We should talk to the manager of Riley’s Gym to see if she does indeed go there. They’d have a record if she has a membership."

"She could just be telling McHenry that."

"Why? I mean if she wanted out of her marriage, why not get a divorce? She’s rich. And face it; he’s old enough to be her father. He’s not very good looking either." She made a face. "Maybe she’s getting a little from some hot stud to fortify herself before climbing into bed with him every night."

Johanna was thoughtful for a minute. "Could be. Maybe she doesn’t want the publicity and cost of a messy divorce. So she has a fling with no strings attached."
A door two spaces from where they were parked opened. Cassandra slipped outside. Frankie and Johanna scrunched down in their seats. Johanna angled the camera and snapped a picture before
Cassandra turned and disappeared around the building.

"She parks out front when it would make more sense for her to park back here where no one can see her car. Face it, a Porsche is going to stand out in a place like this."

"If she’s hiding her whereabouts she’s not doing a very good job of it," Johanna said. 

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