Last Dance

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

Grant’s grunting and heavy breathing flowed from the doorway when Alexis and Penelope made it to his home gym.

He lay on a leather weight bench, holding a two hundred and fifty pound weight with the strength of a star athlete forty years younger.

“I’ll...” Grant lifted the weight above him, his ample shoulder muscles expanding. “Be with you in a second.”

Alexis took out her notepad, trying to ignore how Grant’s spandex shorts clung to his huge crotch.

“Jesus.” Penelope grasped her bosom. “How does he stay in such great shape?”

“Who cares?” Alexis shook away the distraction and grabbed her pencil. “The last thing we want is Grant thinking we find him attractive.”

“Yeah, but you got to admit...” Penelope grinned. “He’s got it going on.”

Alexis rolled her eyes. “You trying to make me puke?”

Penelope nudged her. “You’re not blind.”

“To what do I owe this visit?” Grant grabbed his towel and stood. “Not that I ever need an excuse to see two beautiful women such as yourselves.”

Penelope smirked.

Grant dabbed sweat from the front of his spandex top, forcing Alexis’ attention to those monstrous pecs and six-pack.

Alexis struggled to open her notepad. “We need to ask you about Gari Hancock’s murder.”

“You nervous?” He wiped his glistening neck. “Or impressed?”

She kept her gaze on the n***d pad. “Why would I be?”

“Come on.” He stuck his Zeus chest out. “You’re wondering how I stay in such wonderful shape.” He switched his gaze to Penelope. “See all these machines?” He pointed to the various exercise contraptions. “I’m on them every day. I run marathons, jog, and do cross fit.” He wiped his forehead. “I swim, dance, I do whatever I can to stay in shape.” He licked the corner of his mouth. “My stamina’s off the charts. Maybe I can show you one day.”

“Not in either of our lifetimes, Grant,” Alexis mumbled.

He raised an eyebrow. “We can work out sometimes, Firecracker. But be warned.” He winked. “I won’t take it easy on you just because I’m ‘old’.”

“I’ll pass.”

“Tell me.” He moved closer, his ivory cologne mixing with his sweat. “Do you see anything on this body that needs further improvement?”

“This is serious, Grant,” Alexis said. “Anything you can tell us about Gari Hancock?”

Grant placed the towel over his shoulder. “She was just someone who danced at my club.” He got the water bottle from the floor and sipped. “You still owe me my birthday dance.” He screwed the top on the bottle, swallowing. “I won’t give up until I get it.”

“Did you know Kevin resumed a friendship with Gari?” Alexis asked. “They reconnected at Boomerang, and he’d given her money.”

“What?” The veins in Grant’s neck pulsated. “Why on earth would Kevin do that?”

“He said he wanted to help her out and felt sorry for her,” Alexis said.

“Kevin’s good nature sometimes outweighs his common sense.” Grant threw the towel on the bench. “Is he a suspect?”

“No,” Alexis said, alarmed. “Kevin wouldn’t kill anyone.”

Grant’s eyelids drooped. “I wondered what you thought.”

“I believe in him completely. I love Kevin.”

He lifted his chin. “You do, don’t you?”

“So you weren’t close to Gari at all?” Penelope asked Grant.

“Never said anything to the woman beyond, ‘Give me a lap dance’.” He cackled. “Why on earth would I need to associate with a stripper?” He curled up his nose. “There’s better ways to spend my time. Is that all? I wanna get back to my workout.”

“You mind telling us what you were doing yesterday afternoon?” Alexis asked.

“Hello.” He waved his arms. “I threw a huge birthday bash. You were here, remember?”

“Your party didn’t start until seven.”

“Once again it’s got to be me right, Firecracker?” He held his arms out toward her. “I was here all day working with the wait staff, caterers, the party planner and a million other people. I didn’t have time to breathe let alone go anywhere. Go interview my staff.” He pointed to the door. “Everyone will tell you I was here all day. I never left.”

“We’ll make sure you didn’t sneak out when no one was looking.” Alexis raised an eyebrow. “You have a habit of sneaking around. Like driving past my house at night.”

He tilted his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Right.” She put up the notepad. “Thanks for your cooperation.” She followed Penelope to the doorway.

“Hey,” Grant called out. “You owe me a dance and a dinner.”

Alexis shrugged him off. “Whatever.”

“At first I thought you didn’t wanna go out with me because you hated me.” He tapped his hairy chin. “Now I wonder if it’s because you like me but wish you didn’t.”

Alexis rolled her eyes on the way out.

****

“Yes?” The tatted up, yellow-toned black woman turned from the man she tattooed. “I’m Divina Develin.” A red Mohawk sat on top of her short, brown hair. “What can I do for you, ladies?” She lowered the buzzing tattoo g*n, her size D’s confined in a tight T-shirt with the words, the Baddest b***h scribbled on it.

Alexis and Penelope flashed their badges and introduced themselves.

“s**t,” the bearded man on the table whispered, his incomplete pinup tattoo wiggling on his stomach. “The cops.”

“Well, I ain’t done nothing.” Divina flashed the silver stud in the center of her tongue. “Not lately anyway.” She grinned, winking at Penelope and Alexis. “But, hey whenever two foxy women come to see me I can’t complain.”

“It’s about Gari Hancock,” Penelope said.

Divina held the tattoo g*n in midair. “Did something happen?”

“Can we speak to you in private?” Alexis asked.

Divina called a coworker to finish the man’s tattoo and led the detectives into a small room with a couch, table and vending machine.

“What is it?” Divina crossed her arms, pulling at her lip piercing. “Is Gari okay?”

“We’re sorry to say this but she was found dead last night,” Penelope said.

“Dead?” Divina fell back into the table.

“Whoa.” Penelope grabbed her. “You okay?”

“f**k, man.” Divina slumped into a chair. “Are you sure it was Gari?”

“She was strangled in her home,” Alexis said.

“Strangled?” Divina clenched as if she struggled not to cry. “I can’t even process this right now.” She patted her huge breasts. “How long had she been dead?”

“The autopsy suggests between noon and five yesterday,” Alexis said. “The manager at the Boomerang said Gari was bisexual, and you were dating.”

“Yeah, we had something going.” Divina nodded with her eyes closed. “I didn’t kill her though. I swear.”

Alexis got out her pad and pencil. “Mind sharing more about your relationship?”

“We met about six months ago.” Divina tapped her foot, wearing black and white converse sneakers. “It was my thirty-second birthday, and my friends threw me a surprise party. They hired Gari to strip. She gave me a lap dance that lasted all night long.”

Alexis lowered the notepad.

“We had s*x,” Divina whistled, balling a fist. “The way she used that tongue—”

“We get it.” Alexis waved.

“We had a deep connection.” Divina stroked her hands. “We thought it would be a one night thing, but we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. We were together four months.”

“Why did you break up?” Penelope sat across from her.

“Gari wouldn’t commit.” Divina shrugged. “I got sick of hanging on a string. I have no reason to hurt her though. Gari and I agreed to go our separate ways.”

Alexis tapped the pencil against her pad. “Where were you between noon and five yesterday?”

She patted the Mohawk. “I was getting my hair done.” She gave them the stylist’s contact information.

“We appreciate the cooperation,” Alexis said.

“Do you have any leads?”

“We can’t discuss that,” Penelope said. “But if we feel there is anything you need to know we’ll tell you. Call us if you need to.”

They handed her, their cards and headed out.

“Have you talked to Heath yet?” Divina overlooked the cards. “Her baby daddy?”

Alexis turned. “Yes, why?”

“Hell, if you’re looking for a suspect don’t ignore that motherfucker.” Divina put the cards in her pocket. “He was pissed that Gari wanted custody of Latasha. She told me they’d been arguing, and he said he’d kill her before he let her get their daughter.”