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Chapter Thirty-six
Later, Luke followed Linda to her car and sat inside with her to get out of the heat and into the air conditioning. Looking her way, he saw the middle-aged sweetheart for who she was… a woman whose warm blue eyes shone with her concern for others.
“So, what’s all this about Honey’s sister?” His intention to pump her for more information had been uppermost on his mind since she mentioned it.
“Katrina. Yes. Honey came to me a while ago asking if I might know of anyone working at Nudies now who might have worked there twenty years ago. When I asked her why she needed to know, she told me about her sister. How she’d been brutalized and murdered, and they’d never been able to find her killer.”
Luke remembered the incident from when it happened and also from reading the details just recently. “What made her come to you though? I don’t get that part.”
“Oh, right. Well the detective from the case had called her to the station to inform her that a convict on his death bed had recently admitted he and another person had murdered Katrina. He wouldn’t give up his accomplice’s name, but he wanted forgiveness for his own part before he passed on from the cancer that would take him within hours. Seems she found out from the detective on the case that his partner in the crime worked at Nudies, but she had no names.”
“Worked at the bar? Then or now?”
“Kind of what I asked, and she seemed to think he’d been a musician twenty years ago and could still be doing the same work now. Not sure if that jives, but from what I know, most of the guys working here today are younger.”
Luke’s brain twirled like a skater spinning. Images of Katrina the last time he saw her. The beautiful smile she’d send his way… acknowledgement of him that had always made him feel important. “Katrina Bolden used to teach at my school when I was young.” He turned to Linda. “She was good people. When I heard about her passing, I stayed drunk for some time, even lost a gig. It was around that time I met up with Ham, and he kicked my ass outta the gutter and made me smarten up. I owe him big time.”
“I’ve heard that story more than once. He was a huge support to a lot of lost souls back then.”
“Except the two who really counted.” Luke’s voice held a shitload of sadness.
Linda sighed. “Yeah. That had to suck.”
“So, about Honey. Was that what brought her to the bar the first time?”
“Nah. I think she and Melanie heard about the new band and had come to check it out. While there, she found out I was a part-time hairdresser and ended up reaching out to me at the salon. Something about that girl really pulled on my heartstrings.” She looked at Luke, her eyes softening. “Honey’s extremely sincere and kind… you know? Guess she got to me. So I tried to help her. That’s what I was doing here today with Hamilton.”
“Excuse me?”
“Fred, an old bartender who’d trained me when I first started working at Nudies, suggested if I wanted to know about the musicians back then, the one to ask would be Ham.”
“Ahh. I get it. That’s why you were here.”
“Yeah, but I never meant to upset him. You missed his reaction when I mentioned the name Harv Branson. I thought he’d pass out.”
Luke shut down on purpose. His expression void in a way he’d been trained to act whenever he had information he was not willing to share. “I’m sure you just stirred up old memories he’d just as soon forget.”
Linda’s head swiveled his way, but she just nodded. “I guess so. I feel bad though. I’d never upset that old man. He’s like an icon of Nudies, a part of its past that I love.”
Luke opened his door but put his hand on her arm before getting out. “Do me a favor. If you find out anything else about this case, come to me. I’d hate to think of either you or Honey unleashing a possible incident. I’ll do some digging for you, okay?”
“Thanks, Luke.” She looked at her dash and grinned. “Uh oh, looks like we both have a place to get to if we don’t want to be late. See you at work.”
***
On the way Nudies, Luke put in a call to Dale. “Hey Bro. I want you to delve into the twenty-year old murder of Katrina Bolder.” He gave him the information he’d recently learned and hung up.
Christ, he wished he could be the one doing the digging but right now, he had a job to do that needed all his concentration.
Chapter Thirty-seven
Honey almost refused to take the catering job. When Melanie dissed her about twiddling her fingers while waiting for something to happen, she recognized the truth, and it didn’t sit well with her.
“Okay. Sure. You going to pick me up Saturday night so we can go together?”
“Absolutely. I’ll be there early with your uniform, so be ready. It’ll be like old times. I understand from some of the other waitresses that the Jackson mansion is gorgeous, and this woman’s parties are crazy. Suppose to be around two hundred people there. Probably just an intimate meeting of close friends for her.”
“Meow!”
