Between Love and Murder

by Chris Bedell

  Gemma tossed her hair behind her shoulders with one flick of her neck, accentuating its dark color. “If you’re miserable then that doesn’t help you.”

  “Mallory said the same thing,” I said.

  She giggled. “For once, she isn’t wrong.”

  “You’re absolutely right—I deserve to be happy.”

  “Fantastic. I’m glad I could help.” Gemma peeked at her watch. “Anyway, I have a conference with a teacher, but I’ll see you in baking class.”

  “Thanks again for letting me vent.”

  “You don’t have to thank me for anything, but please be careful. Something unusual is definitely is going on.”

  “You’re gonna have to be more specific.”

  Gemma cleared her throat. “Tommy’s trust fund was completely drained on July 5th—the day before he went missing.”

  “What are you saying?” I asked.

  “Either someone was blackmailing him or he wanted to leave town.”

  “Have you shared your concerns with the police?”

  “My family doesn’t exactly gain sympathy, given our wealth. However, I really have to go.” Gemma darted down the hallway without another word while the pit in my stomach widened. No matter how challenging my first relationship might be, I owed it to myself not to stew in my own confusion, misery, and worry. If a problem developed, then I’d deal with it then, but not a second sooner—not when I was close to getting everything I wanted.

  FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2018

  I tapped Archie’s back while he stood by his locker, getting the stuff he needed before first period.

  He looked into my eyes. “Someone’s in a good mood this morning.”

  Yeah. I wouldn’t deny it—I just cracked a smile. For once, I wouldn’t let the universe or anything else stand in my way. Not when being proactive about my happiness meant I’d get everything I wanted.

  “I was wondering if you had a sec,” I said.

  “Anything for you.”

  “I thought about what you said.”

  “And?” Archie demanded.

  “If you’re still interested, then I’d like to give things a shot between us.”

  His smirk expanded. “What makes you think I’d have a better offer so soon?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s just no being certain of anything these days. Why? Do you have a better offer?”

  Archie elbowed me. “Don’t be ridiculous. But yeah, I’d be thrilled to have a fresh start. No drama. Just you, me, and a hotel room to ourselves.”

  I didn’t respond.

  “I’m kidding,” Archie continued. “We’ve got plenty of time before we have to worry about that.”

  “Good.”

  “Are you gonna kiss me, or what?” he asked.

  I pulled Archie in for a quick kiss, and he even gave a little tongue. Yet he did it so subtlety that I didn’t feel like a clown was seconds away from molesting me. The embrace continued for another minute, and his hands graced my cheeks, creating brief static from our skin pressing against each other.

  My lips twitched after we pulled back from each other, though. Mallory stood at the end of the hallway, and her eyes remained glued on us. Almost as if she might’ve witnessed my entire interaction with Archie—like the first day of school when Archie and I flirted with each other.

  So, yeah. I couldn’t be certain of anything—including whether Mallory wanted me to mend my relationship with Archie. The real test of character was when nobody was observing.

  Whether I wanted to know what Mallory thought about me when nobody was around could be pushed to another day. For now, Archie was the only thing mattered.

  AFTER

  MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2018

  Archie and I stood by his front door.

  A thick blanket of snow covered the front lawn, displaying shadows casted by the moonlight. I shivered a little yet couldn’t bring myself to say or do anything. In a matter of seconds, I’d meet Archie’s parents and sister, and I prayed the evening would go well. It only took one wrong event to ruin a first impression.

  He snickered. “Don’t tell me your nervous?”

  “Wouldn’t you feel the same way if you were me?”

  “They’re going to love you.”

  “How can you be certain?”

  His cheeks flushed. “Because I love you.”

  Hold on. I might’ve needed to get my hearing checked. Archie couldn’t have said he loved me—not this early in our relationship.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “You never said that before.”

  “But it’s true. And we’ve also slept together.”

  Archie had a point. He hadn’t proposed to me—he just told me his feelings. And that wasn’t terrible. More honest communication might’ve saved us drama in the past. Like with Mallory’s indecent proposal.

  Shit. Everything came back to Mallory no matter what I did or said.

  “We should go inside now—we wouldn’t want my parents to worry,” Archie said.

  “One more thing.”

  He furrowed his eyebrows. “Yes?”

  “Is the dinner gonna be awkward because of Mallory revealing your father’s unemployment?”

  “That doesn’t matter.”

  I blinked. “It doesn’t?”

  “Nope. He found a new job as a VP at another advertising firm, so don’t panic.”

  Maybe, just maybe, I should’ve been a little more grateful. For once, the universe wasn’t against me, and that fact should’ve been cherished. Whether I accepted the truth or not, problems occasionally resolved themselves.

  He laughed louder this time. “Enough stalling. My parents must be worried about us.”

  “I’ve gotta say another thing.”

  “I never knew you had such a big mouth.”

  “Thank you for driving me to your house even though I have a car,” I said.

  He pushed my chin up. “You don’t need to thank me for anything—that’s what boyfriends are for.”

  Boyfriends. The word surpassed the beauty from a church’s stained-glass window. Something nice existed from getting my way for once in my life. No matter how cynical I might’ve been, I couldn’t deny how life would be easier if every day wasn’t such a struggle. There was no point to living if I’d never be able to have fun.

  Wind swooshed through the air, scattering snow on the front lawn before stinging our faces. Yikes. The weather was colder than I imagined.

  “Come on.” Archie grabbed my hand, then we entered his home and went to the living room.

  Three buckets of champagne rested on the living room table, and a man, woman, and girl—who was probably only a couple of years younger than Archie and I sat on the beige couch. I couldn’t stop thinking about the champagne. I wasn’t sure if the goal was to get better acquainted or party like it was New Year’s Eve.

  The woman rose before clapping her hands together. “We almost sent a search party for you.”

  No offense to Archie’s mother, but melodrama wasn’t necessary. Archie and I were entitled to steal a moment for ourselves. Doing so was the least we deserved after every twist and turn in our lives since the beginning of the school year. It wasn’t like we were that late. Probably only ten or fifteen minutes at best.

  “Great to meet you.” Archie’s mother hugged me before I could respond with a greeting, and my breathing picked up a little.

  Whatever. Not a big deal if his mother liked firm hugs—there were bigger things to get upset about. Like if my friends and I would go to jail because of the Tommy situation.

  “Anyway, please call me Doreen,” she said after releasing me from my hug.

  I gave her a quick look over. The ugly Santa sweater and jeans might’ve indicated that she wasn’t uptight—I didn’t expect a parent to dress so casually during the first meeting of the boyfriend—yet something needed to be done about her hair. Her blonde lowlights and highlights resembled stripes.

  Archie’s fath
er stood next. “I’m George. Nice to meet you.”

  George extended his hand and I took it. Except my hand almost detached from my arm, begging the question: Did George and Doreen care about hospitality or were they without qualms about killing their guests within the first couple minutes of meeting them?

  Archie’s sister hugged me before I could catch my breath. Her greeting wasn’t like a python wrapping its body around me, yet she kept rubbing my back. Almost as if she might’ve been feeling me up.

  Archie removed his sister from me. “That’s enough Andrea.”

  “I wanted to see what the fuss is about.” Andrea tossed her hair over her shoulder, emphasizing its color. Her hair was blonde like mine, except she had pink streaks. “You also said he’s bisexual like you.”

  “Let’s keep the dinner G-rated,” George said.

  Andrea pouted. “Don’t be a buzzkill.”

  Doreen squealed. “I’ve got an idea. How about we open some champagne?”

  “But we aren’t twenty-one,” I said.

  Andrea jabbed my shoulder. “I didn’t you realize you were as uptight as my father. Perhaps I can help with that.”

  “Save your sex crazed fantasies for boarding school,” Archie said.

  “Doesn’t matter if you three are underage,” Doreen said, pointing to Andrea, Archie, and I. “Christmas Eve is a special occasion and I won’t be burdened by an arbitrary drinking age. You can also stay the night if you don’t feel like going home.”

  Andrea’s eyes lit up brighter than the Christmas tree a few feet away from us. “I’d love it if Chad stayed the night.”

  “In your dreams,” Archie said.

  Andrea giggled. “I’ve never had a threesome before.”

  Doreen almost dropped the flute glass when she handed it to me. “Andrea, please!”

  “I’m trying to lighten the mood,” Andrea said.

  “Nobody asked for your commentary,” Archie said.

  “Let’s not fight,” George said.

  Archie glared at his sister. “It’s a miracle you haven’t been kicked out of boarding school. What were your grades this past semester?”

  “My teachers have till January 3rd to upload the semester grades,” Andrea said.

  “Likely story,” Archie said.

  Doreen raised her glass. “Not even Andrea’s bad grades can spoil the evening, because I propose a toast. You’ve got no idea how nice it is to finally meet you, Chad.”

  I glanced at Archie. “You’ve mentioned me?”

  How exciting. I hadn’t once considered that Archie might’ve discussed me with his family. I just assumed Archie was like me and spent most of his time hoping we wouldn’t be exposed for the Tommy situation.

  “Only a couple of times,” Archie said.

  Andrea adjusted her dress, accentuating her boobs. “Don’t be modest. You should’ve seen him this morning at breakfast, Chad. He gave us an hour speech about how he’d disown us if we fucked up this evening.”

  “Language!” George exclaimed.

  “Get your stick out of your ass, Dad,” Andrea said. “Because I already have.”

  George spat out his champagne, then Doreen handed him a napkin. He dunked it in a nearby water glass before wetting his shirt. But he didn’t speak. Instead, the shade of red dotting his cheeks grew brighter.

  Doreen turned to her daughter. “What did I say about having more discretion?”

  “I don’t know; I wasn’t paying attention,” Andrea said.

  I leaned into Archie’s ear. “Your family is rather colorful.”

  “Don’t remind me,” Archie said.

  “Don’t worry about it.” I sipped my champagne. The mixture of the sweet, tart, and carbonated flavors electrified my taste buds while the beverage lingered in my mouth for a beat before swallowing it. “I’ve got a lot of material for a new short story.”

  “You better change the names,” Archie said.

  “If you’re lucky,” I said.

  Doreen drew in a breath. “I’ll give you five hundred dollars if you behave yourself for the rest of the evening, Andrea.”

  Andrea didn’t even stroke her chin. “Fine. But I want it in cash.”

  I wouldn’t chastise Andrea for her behavior no matter how much I almost cringed. Moments like these provided more relief than a monsoon in a desert. Borderline inappropriate relatives were the greatest problem I should’ve dealt with—not a murder situation, which had the power to send me to prison for the rest of my life. I also knew the difference between Andrea and someone with malicious intentions—she was only a harmless flirt who’d move onto the next guy in a matter of time.

  WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018

  I exited Starbucks sometime in the afternoon, gripping my caramel macchiato, only to bump into Gemma.

  She smiled. “Belated Merry Christmas.”

  “You too.”

  “Did you have a good Christmas?”

  “Yes. What about you?”

  “It was great,” Gemma said.

  I inhaled sharply. Even an innocent conversation with Gemma could be problematic. Watching what I said was my only option when there was no telling what Gemma was planning. Like if Gemma knew Tommy had still been alive and planned on leaving town after Tommy got the money from Mallory.

  So, I only had one option. Scurry away from Gemma before she could probe the Tommy issue and make me admit something terrible.

  She cackled. “What’s the hurry?”

  “I have to do grocery shopping—I promised my mother I’d cook dinner.”

  “It won’t kill you to chat for several minutes. We’re baking buddies. Or do you no longer care about how we used to be partners in baking class?”

  “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

  Gemma folded her arms. “I can imagine.”

  “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I’m not stupid. You and your friends are hiding something about Tommy and I’m gonna find out what it is.”

  I pursed my lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Save it. Tommy and I were planning on leaving town the night of the Snowflake Ball once he got the money from Mallory. What I don’t know is where Tommy disappeared to. But don’t worry, because I’m gonna uncover the truth if it’s the last thing I do.” Gemma’s hair smacked her in the face after wind rippled through the air.

  “All you’ve got is conjecture,” I said.

  “It’s not conjecture if it’s true.”

  I arched my eyebrows. “What do you want from me?”

  “There’s no reason for you to go down. Mallory is the only one I’m after.”

  “I guess forgiveness would’ve been too much for you.”

  She put her hands in her coat pockets. “Kindness is overrated—punishment is much more enjoyable.”

  Wow. Despite all my interactions with Gemma, I hadn’t once pondered that she might’ve been as bitter about Mallory as me. Perhaps it was because a small part of me wanted to believe the best in Mallory no matter much we feuded. The alternative would’ve been too grim because I didn’t know what I would’ve done if I admitted my friendship with Mallory was over forever.

  “It’s not your job to punish people,” I said.

  “I disagree.”

  The wind roared even louder this time, pushing a crushed can down the sidewalk. So much for people caring about littering in this town.

  Gemma and I just continued staring at each other. I wasn’t sure what I’d say at this point, because I had to regain the upper hand in the conversation. Even if it meant throwing something in her face—something that would’ve turned the entire world against her. Whether I had the guts to mention said fact was another thing. There was no taking back what I said once I revealed I knew about her and Tommy.

  Fuck it. Whether it Gemma, Mallory, or anyone else, I wouldn’t be pushed around. Not this time. It wasn’t like I wanted to harm Gemma. She just needed to know I wasn’t someone to be trifled
with.

  “I know about your relationship with Tommy,” I blurted.

  Her jaw lowered. “I’m not gonna apologize for that.”

  “What? You aren’t even gonna deny your relationship with Tommy?” I asked.

  “No point in wasting time.”

  “You didn’t answer my question. What do you want from me?”

  “Help me destroy Mallory. Anyone can see how she’s still a threat to your relationship with Archie,” Gemma said.

  My heart fluttered. I couldn’t accuse Gemma of being soft. Her comment enticed me more than it should’ve. Mallory and I could pretend to be friends all we wanted, but I’d never lie to myself concerning my relationship with Archie. I’d always wonder if Mallory would ruin my relationship with him once we got passed the Tommy situation.

  “What if I told you I knew what happened to Tommy?” I asked.

  Yeah. No harm in teasing what I knew—I had time to decide whether I’d actually reveal to Gemma everything that happened the night Tommy died.

  “I’d be interested,” she said.

  “I’m only gonna tell you this because you’ve got no way to prove it.”

  Gemma made a tsk-tsk sound. “I meant what I said. I have no interest in hurting you. Alienating the one person who hates Mallory as much as I do would be a mistake. It’s not like I’m wearing a wire or have a tape recorder.”

  Perhaps the CIA should’ve recruited Gemma. She might’ve been what the agency needed when recruiting assets. If I didn’t know better, then I couldn’t deny that Gemma went out of her way to reassure me of whom I could trust. Almost as if she wasn’t lying and wanted Mallory gone as much as I did.

  “Tommy was gonna kill me because Mallory didn’t have the money, but Mallory saved my life,” I said.

  “I assume Archie was with you two. I saw him and Mallory hanging out a lot before the Snowflake Ball.”

  Apparently, the universe wasn’t in the mood to protect. I would’ve kept Archie out of the situation in a perfect world, yet I couldn’t deny his involvement.

  “Yes,” I mumbled.

  “Relax. I’m also not interested in hurting Archie either,” Gemma said. “Tell me something else. Do Rebecca and Dan know about the situation?”

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  “They aren’t a target either.”