Shampoo and a Stiff Read Free

squinted his eyes. He drew his lips into a long, thin line. “Better get this to the station,” he said before kissing Bekki goodbye.

Chapter T wo
     
    The next morning Bekki arrived at the salon to get things ready to reopen. The police had given her the go ahead to open the salon doors the next day and she wanted to schedule a few clients whose appointments she had been forced to cancel. As she went down the list she checked off each name with a blue plastic pen. When she finished she laid the pen on the desk in front of her.
    Bekki stared at the pen sitting on the desk. It was just an average pen, but it made her think of the pen she had found in the box of shampoo she had received. Nick had asked her to stay put and let him sort things out, but he had never even spoken to Steven before. She had a legitimate reason to meet with him, considering that she had contracted to receive several months of deliveries from him. She snatched the pen off the desk and tucked it into her purse. She locked the door of the salon on the way out and headed for her car. As she glanced up and down the quiet main street of the town she noticed that there were a few people strolling along the sidewalks. She recalled that she was supposed to meet with Sammy for lunch, so she would have to make this trip quick.
    The factory was located two towns over. It took Bekki about an hour to reach it because the traffic was thick. When she arrived at the factory she noticed that there were several cars in the employee parking lot. It was business as usual despite the fact that one of the owners of the company had been found dead the day before. As she walked up to the office she heard a voice coming from inside.
    “ Just keep producing,” she heard a stern, cold voice state. “There's no reason for a slow down.”
    “ Sir, the employees are a little afraid,” another voice rumbled in return. “They've heard about Brad's death and they know it wasn't an accident.”
    “ And so what if it wasn't?” Steven demanded in return. “What does that have to do with production?”
    “ Well, I guess they're afraid one of them might be next,” the other man, who Bekki guessed was likely the foreman, replied.
    “ That's ridiculous,” Steven sighed. What he said next made Bekki cringe from the callousness of his words. “Tell them, they can either risk getting murdered or risk getting fired, because I have plenty of men chomping at the bit for these jobs. I won't tolerate any slacking off. If anyone doesn't show up for work, they're automatically fired. This is nonsense.”
    “ And what about the funeral, sir?” the foreman asked.
    “ What about it?” Steven snapped back. “It's for family only. I don't think any of them are related, are they?”
    “ No sir,” the foreman replied. As the door of the office opened Bekki stepped back and pretended she was just walking up. “Excuse me, ma'am,” the burly foreman murmured as he moved past her. She could tell from the frown he wore that he didn't agree with Steven's responses, but she only smiled as if she hadn't heard a word.
    “ Bekki,” Steven said as he stepped into the doorway. “What are you doing here?” he settled his icy blue gaze on her. Bekki noticed his arrogant manner. It was one of the first things she noticed about him. His brother Brad had been friendly enough and was quick to smile. But Steven had a look that made her wonder if there was something stuck in her teeth.
    “ I just wanted to offer you my condolences,” Bekki explained sympathetically. “I know I could have called, but it seemed to be more appropriate to come in person.”
    “ Thank you,” he replied grimly. “But I'm actually very busy.”
    “ I noticed that you're still open for business,” Bekki said softly. “How are you handling all of this?”
    “ If you're worried about your next delivery you will get it on time,” Steven responded gruffly.
    “ Oh no, not at all,” Bekki narrowed her eyes sightly as