Trouble in Paradise(11)

“Birds move around,” Toni said. “It’s probably just visiting.”

“Oh, come on,” I said. “There’ve got to be other houses with green shutters.”

“You see any?” Toni asked. She had me there.

Bailey strode up the front walk and knocked on the door. There was no response, so she knocked harder. After a few seconds, a woman’s voice yelled from inside, but I couldn’t make out what she said. Not over the noise of a barking dog. Toni nudged me, but I shook my head. So what if Madame Junaida said there’d be a dog? From what I’d seen, everyone around here had dogs. I was about to say as much when I saw Erica staring at the door as though it were the Rosetta stone. No need to squash her hopes. She’d see for herself soon enough that Tammy Susie wasn’t here. I held my tongue.

Finally, a tall, heavyset woman in a caftan opened the door. Her creased face and disheveled hair said we’d disturbed her afternoon siesta, and she looked plenty annoyed about it. Bailey held up her shield and spoke in her most official Joe Friday voice. “Police. We’re here for Tammy Susie.”

“What…?” The woman appeared more puzzled than scared. Then she looked past Bailey as though expecting to see someone else.

I stepped forward and flashed my badge. “Your name, ma’am?”

She jerked her head toward the front window. “It’s right there on the sign.”

“Right there on what sign?”

“Excuse me,” she said as she leaned out the door to look at the window. “Oh, yeah, I forgot. I took it down so I could get some rest. My name’s Babu Maduro, I’m a—”

“Fortune-teller,” I said.

“Right.”

For the record, Babu the fortune-teller had a surprisingly American accent.

She reluctantly stood aside, and we entered. Erica let out a yelp and grabbed my arm. There, on a table to my left, was a red-and-pink scarf. The next thing I knew, Erica was running past us toward sliding glass doors that opened onto the backyard.

The backyard. Where a little blonde girl in cutoffs and a blue T-shirt was playing with two kids who bore a strong resemblance to our host, Babu Maduro.

I pointed. “Tammy Susie, I presume?”

Babu gave me a “no duh” look.

“How did she wind up here, Ms. Maduro?” Toni asked, her voice stern.

Babu was indignant. “Someone brought her here, of course. How else?” With an irritated expression, she said, “Excuse me, will you? I’ve got to make a call.”

She wasn’t acting like a kidnapper. And, based on the happy abandon with which Tammy Susie was currently jumping rope, the child was not acting like someone who’d been kidnapped. I let Babu make her call and went out to see Erica, who was squeezing the little girl so tightly I thought her head might pop off. But Tammy Susie endured the embrace stoically, the way kids do.

“Hey, Erica,” I said. “Do you happen to recognize that woman in there?”

Erica finally pried herself off Tammy Susie. “No. Why would I?”

Because I had a hunch. “What about the name Babu Maduro?”

Erica mouthed the name to herself a few times. “It does sound familiar.”

“Might that be the name of the fortune-teller who was going to be in the next episode?”

Erica’s features opened with the realization. “Oh, yeah! It might be.” Her brow furrowed, and she looked up at me. “How did Tammy Susie get here?”

“Why don’t you ask her?”

Erica did. “Mikey’s friend Sasha brought me here,” Tammy Susie said. “She told me we were playing hide-and-go-seek with you. You found me.” She didn’t look terribly pleased about it.

“Who’s Mikey?” I asked Erica.

“Mike Borden. One of the producers,” she explained.

Uh-huh. “One of the producers who’s been texting you about Tammy Susie all day?”

“Yeah. Him and Sasha. Sasha’s his new assistant.” Erica stood up, still holding Tammy Susie by the hand.

I gestured for Bailey to come over and take charge of Tammy Susie and pulled Erica aside.

“Is there bad blood between you? Any chance he might see you as a threat, want to get you fired?”

“No way. I’m just a PA. In fact, there’re rumors Mike’s going to get promoted to co–executive producer next season. And Sasha’s sleeping with him, so she’s good.” She paused, looking perplexed. “And I’ve never had any problems with either of them. So…”

I left Erica with Tammy Susie and went to bring Bailey and Toni up to speed. I’d just finished when Babu came in.

“Do you mind my asking who you just called?” I said.