Page 30 of Wild Fever

Kara gave it some thought. "The obvious place is the hotel bar. That would have been the easiest delivery mechanism."

Jack dropped the car into gear, and we headed up to the Seven Seas. He pulled up to the valet, and the kid hustled to grab his door. We piled out, and I gave Kara a hand. Jack told the valet to keep it up front after flashing his badge.

We strolled inside and walked across the lobby to the bar. There wasn't much of a crowd at this time of day, but a few hard-core day drinkers had staked out a position at the bar.

I leaned against the counter and got Evan's attention. He made his way over and smiled. "Afternoon, gentlemen. What can I do for you?"

"I just have a few more questions about the other night."

"Ask away."

Evan noticed Kara, but he didn't make the connection. She looked quite different the other night in the platinum blonde wig.

"Did you serve all the drinks to Mr. Yan and his companion?" I asked.

"I was the only one on duty at the time. I can't say what they had before they came in."

"Did anybody approach you about spiking either of their drinks?"

I surveyed him carefully as he answered.

His face wrinkled. "No. Why? Was he poisoned?"

"No. But she might have been."

"No shit? Did you find out who she was?"

"No," I lied. "Not yet."

His face wrinkled with confusion. "Then how do you know she was poisoned?"

Evan was sharp.

"This is a long shot," I said, "But you didn't happen to see anyone else slip something into either of their drinks, did you?"

"Man, I was pretty busy that night. I don't really remember. Somebody could have. If I see somebody do that kind of thing, I will definitely call it out. But there's no way I can keep track of that kind of thing."

Isabella had sent me background information on Evan. The guy didn't have a criminal history. Not so much as a parking ticket. I didn't figure him for a would-be assassin. But money has a strange influence over people.

I thanked him for the info, then we stepped back into the lobby. A guest had taken a seat at the baby grand piano and was tickling the ivories. He wasn't half bad.

"I can't really rule anybody out," I said. "But do you have any stronger leads?"

Kara thought about it for a moment, then recognition flashed on her face. "The mall!" Her face tightened. "I don't know why I didn't think of this before. A woman in a department storeoffered me a perfume sample. She shoved it in front of my nose. I couldn't help but inhale. Didn't much care for the fragrance either."

20

The overwhelming amount of scents that bombarded customers in the average department store was insane. You almost needed a Niosh-approved respirator at the perfume counter. The clerks, dressed in black smocks, must have burned out their olfactory senses long ago. With hairdos that contained enough spray to be flammable, and makeup thicker than most house paint, they looked like characters in a bizarre nightmare of consumerism. $400 face creams, $300 exfoliating scrubs, $500 moisturizers, and of course, the perfect fragrance to enhance your natural beauty and spark desire.

I flashed my badge at the counter, and Kara surveyed the clerks, looking for the woman who had accosted her with a sample.

Kara shook her head.

"We're looking for a woman who was handing out perfume samples two days ago," I said.

The brunette with the updo behind the counter looked at me with worried eyes. "She's not in any kind of trouble, is she?”

"We just need a word with her. Is she working today?”