Wilmington, NC 05 - Murder On The ICW

confessed. "This new you is going to take some getting used to."
    "Oh, look!" she cried, stopping at a leather works craft booth. "A tool belt. I have to confess, Ashley, I've always envied you wearing that macho tool belt of yours, but look at this one. It's girly!"
    "I painted those flowers myself," the lady inside the booth said proudly, and lifted the leather belt to show off her handiwork. The pale leather of the tool belt was decorated with colorful flowers, and the handles of the hammer and other tools were painted with similar flowers.
    Melanie lifted it and held it around her waist. "What do you think?" she asked me. "My new look."
    "You know I approve. Every woman needs to learn how to handle a tool," I replied.
    She wagged her eyebrows at me.
    "Don't even think of saying it," I said but grinned.
    Melanie said to the painter, "I'll take it, but do you have a sturdy shopping bag to hold it?"
    The woman rolled the tool belt into a tight bundle. "This heavy plastic bag will carry it just fine."
    Melanie took the bag but looked weighed down. "Here," I said, taking one of the other shopping bags from her, "I'll carry this in my good arm. I'm lucky my right arm was not injured when I fell."
    We passed by food booths with their savory smells. I said, "I'm still full from Thanksgiving dinner. I couldn't do justice to that spread we were served last night at the kick-off party at the Blockade Runner."
    "You're losing weight, baby sis, and you look better than I've ever seen you look. The right man is good for a woman's appearance. And good sex will make your skin glow like no expensive beauty product." She gave me a wry smile. "I like the way you're wearing your hair a little longer. See, I told you that letting it grow would draw out some of that curl. Now you've got soft waves. Very pretty."
    "Good sex, huh? And is that why your skin looks so smooth and clear? You know everything, don't you, big sis?" But I laughed.
    The temperatures had dropped from near summer-like record highs and we both had on jeans and suede jackets. But the air was dry and the sun was warm.
    "Well, I do know a lot when it comes to fashion and hair styles. Comes from my beauty pageant days. And I knew the police would find Ali without our involving ourselves and me getting accused of murder again. Gosh, I wish they'd catch this killer and let me off the hook. Sometimes I swear they're following me. Like now."
    We both turned around but didn't see a person we recognized or anyone who was acting suspiciously. A lot of moms and dads and little tykes, seniors with stuffed shopping bags like ours.
    "I don't see anyone," I said.
    "I know. I never see anyone either, but I could swear someone is there. The hair on the back of my neck gets all prickly and I get goosely bumps. It's an instinctive reaction we humans have left over from our cave man days when we were stalked by predators."
    "That's exactly how I felt right before that guy attacked me in the park. There is a predator out on the loose, that's for sure," I said. "I have to tell you, I know who had a strong motive for killing Ali. David Boleyn!"
    I told Melanie all about seeing Crystal and Ali together at Prima's restaurant. "And the way they were glued at the hips on the cruise! They were almost daring him to react."
    "Well, why wouldn't he just divorce Crystal? Wouldn't that be simpler? And maybe that's why she's been flaunting Ali in front of him. To get him to let her go. He's mighty possessive. After all, she told us she had a pre- nup . He doesn't have a thing to loose ," Melanie argued.
    "Only his pride," I said, "and the man's an egomaniac."
    "What about Clay Bitterman ? Ali was giving Brie a hard time about something. Maybe it was him. Protecting his little girl. Or just a quarrel that got out of control."
    "I can't see Clay Bitterman pulling the trigger, can you?" I asked. "He just doesn't have it in him."
    "We all have it in us. But why were they in Joey's apartment if it was Clay? Why meet there?"
    "I don't know. The police told me Ali lived in the same complex. Did he and Joey know each other? Maybe he had a key to Joey's apartment."
    "Not that I know of. And Ali was on tour with Brie during the summer when I was . . . uh . . . seeing Joey. What were Brie and Ali fighting about anyway? Do you know? He's been with her from day one," Melanie said.
    "And that's what it's about," I replied. "I think she's dropping him and changing managers. He was pretty upset about it."
    "And what