What the heck, is this guy spying on me? I’m ashamed to say that I did think about it, for like a millisecond before, once again, telling him that I wasn’t interested and he’d be better off ringing someone else up. I hung up before he could say another word. I had to get ready for tonight.
19
I arrived at Mrs. DeVine’s just after six PM. I hadn’t felt like dressing up, but I couldn’t show up looking like a bum either. I decided to wear a red-patterned cotton romper with leather, heeled sandals and gold hooped earrings. Tonight’s party was a garden-themed event and my wardrobe choice was perfect. The air was warm, the humidity had lifted, and I found myself wondering what Mrs. DeVine treated her yard with to keep the mosquitoes away. For whatever reason, the suckers usually ate me alive if I didn’t plan ahead, and tonight was one such occasion.
Mrs. DeVine greeted me with a hug and kiss on each cheek. “Wonderful to see you, darling,” she said.
It could’ve just been my imagination, but I swear she sniffed my hair. I hoped she picked up the subtle grapefruit notes in my shampoo and not the lasting scent of eau de dog.
“You too.” I swept my hair over one shoulder.
“I can’t wait to stop by and see our new retail space.” Mrs. DeVine announced the last part over her shoulder so a handful of guests heard her.
I gave a non-committal, “Uh-huh.” I couldn’t wait to see it either, wherever “it” ended up being. Cassandra still hadn’t called back. I was going to have to quickly locate a new space if that one fell through. Mrs. DeVine eyed me expectantly, and I was about to spill the beans when none other than Whip McGovern interrupted us.
“You didn’t tell me you’d be here tonight.” He had come up from behind and I almost didn’t move fast enough to avoid his kiss on the cheek. Whip laughed it off and whispered into my neck, “Playing hard to get, are we? I like it,” before greeting Mrs. DeVine. “It was nice of you to throw this party for me tonight. I’m honored. I see you even made my favorite—crab cakes.” It was hard to tell if he was joking. Mrs. DeVine’s expression faltered for just a second, but it was enough for me to see that she shared my impression of the guy. Unfortunately, she didn’t know that and excused herself so Whip and I could, “enjoy ourselves.”
“Now, where were we?” Whip said when she left.
“Listen, I’m flattered and all, but this,” I motioned between us, “it’s not happening.”
“Not yet.”
“Not ever.”
“You say that now.”
For the love of all things chocolate, this man is hopeless. I thought about smacking him across the face, or spilling my drink on him, but I knew that would only encourage him. Instead, I played to his ego. “You know, I might change my mind, but the truth of the matter is, you deserve someone better than me.” That caught his attention. “I’m just a small business owner with not much to call my own. You need someone with a much more impressive résumé. Someone who deserves to be the mayor’s wife … No, make that, the governor’s wife, or maybe even the First Lady.” I thought I might have gone a little too far with that last part, but Whip had stars in his eyes. Man, he was totally delusional. I knew he was picturing it now.
Whip turned serious and coughed to clear his throat. “That must have been painful for you to admit, but I see now that you’re right. I do deserve someone with an equal pedigree to my own.”
“And aspirations,” I added.
“No, no, we don’t need her to try and outdo me now,” Whip said, and chuckled as if he found himself hilarious again.
Oh brother.
I watched him survey the gardens to see if such a woman would appear.
“Well, good luck with that.” I said, with a fake smile. Whip paid no attention to me. I walked away from him as quickly as I could and ended up walking right into Suzanne Butterfield.
“Oh sorry, I was just—”
“Running away?”
“Exactly.”
“I can’t stand that man.” Well, there’s a shocker. Another man who Suzanne hated. I looked behind her, half expecting to see Mayor Potts. I wondered how much longer their relationship was going to stay secret. I spotted Jeffery instead. He came up and stood next to Suzanne. She completely ignored him. I greeted him with a smile and a friendly “hello”. Only then did Suzanne look over her shoulder to see who I could possibly be talking to.
She changed the subject. “So, did you get a chance to try my honey? It’s the best,” she said the last word all sing-songy.
“Not yet, but it’s on my must-do list, and soon.” Could whoever killed Paulette turn themselves in? It would really save me some time and let me focus on my own life again.
“Well, have you at least tried the baklava? It was made with my honey. I was just telling Mrs. DeVine how much I love helping area business out.”
Does baklava have chocolate in it? I didn’t think so, which is why I had no intention of trying it. I did however plan on having another drink. I paid homage to my heritage and nabbed a piña colada from the waiter when he stopped by. I took a sip of the sweet rum cocktail and, for just a moment, I was transported to Flamenco Beach, with its soft, white sand and calm, crystal waters. I closed my eyes and could almost hear the waves rushing in. I needed a vacation in the worst way. Sun, sand, Finn by my side. I was ready to book it today. I wonder what Finn would say? If I was feeling brave, I’d mention it to him when he got back. I swear, I was a total badass until it came to relationships.
Since I wasn’t on vacation now, I did the mingling thing, chatting with this person and that, skirting around Mrs. Devine’s inquiry on how business was going. “It’s been very busy!” I replied, a little too enthusiastically. Once again, I didn’t offer any details, and thankfully another guest joined the conversation, sparing me from having to elaborate. I had been very busy, just not in the way she might have thought. I could’ve continued to work the garden and make some new contacts, but my heart just wasn’t in it.
I was thinking about my next move when I spotted Vicki walking toward me. If I could’ve disappeared right then and there, I would’ve. I prayed she hadn’t seen me fleeing her backyard. I tried to think up a story quick, like maybe Captain Jack got loose and I chased him through her backyard?
“Hey, I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” I said when she reached me.
“Oh yeah, Cynthia and I go way back. She’s a flower lover like me.”
“That’s nice.”
“It is. Sorry I missed you earlier today.”
“Er… my dog… um, I…” My face must’ve looked panicked.
“The beauty bag, on my doorstep.”
“Oh, yes, yes, yes, that’s right. Sorry, it’s been a long day.” Major understatement. “I just wanted to drop that off and let you try out a couple products.” And see what secrets you had hidden. “You’ll have to let me know what you think.”
Vicki assured me she would and then I excused myself from the conversation. Last thing I needed was to slip up and let her know that I had been snooping.
I looked toward the dessert table and saw a woman about my age busting her butt, trying to keep everything stocked and looking just so. I knew a girl boss when I saw one. Now, she is someone I should network with. My bet was she was a new caterer on the scene, and tonight was Mrs. DeVine’s way of introducing her. That was just the type of thing she did. If that was the case, tonight would be huge for her. Mrs. DeVine had that type of star power. Most caterers would kill for an opportunity to host one of her parties.
“Hey there, need a hand?” I asked. The caterer was holding a baking sheet in one hand and arranging appetizers on a plate with the other.
“No, thanks though, I’ve got it,” she said with a smile.
“I’m Ziva, by the way. I saw you over here working your tail off and thought I’d come over and say hi.”
“Megan Kennedy, and thanks. I think everything’s going okay, right?”
I looked around and surveyed the crowd. Ever
yone seemed to be eating and enjoying themselves, maybe a bit too much. Are those two making out over there? Someone else appeared to be hunting for coins in Mrs. Devine’s fountain. Maybe it’s time to cut off the alcohol, buddy. I tried to refocus and assure Megan that everything was fabulous.
“Good to know. After my last gig, I need everything to be perfect.” I looked at Megan and waited for her to elaborate.
“I had my first wedding at Park Place and, let’s just say, it didn’t go as planned. I’m not sure I’ll get booked there again anytime soon.”
“Oh, the fire alarm…” How could I forget? “My girlfriend’s supposed to have her reception there Friday, and we’re not sure if the ballroom’s going to be repaired in time. She’s super stressed out.”
“Yeah, here’s the thing, they tried blaming me for it at first. I mean, I get it, a fire alarm goes off and you blame the cook, but that’s not even remotely possible. The only open flame I had were those little heaters that keep food warm. There’s no way the chaffing fuel would cause the fire sensors to go off.”
“They blamed you? That’s crazy.”
“They tried to, until I realized that I caught the real culprit on camera.”
“You did not? That’s awesome. How’d you manage that?”
“I was taking a quick promo video, and you can clearly see someone pulling the alarm in the background. I turned the video over to the hotel the next day. The only problem is, no one knows who she is.”
“Can I see it?”
“Yeah, of course. I wanted to ask around and see if anyone recognized her. Only problem with being new is that’s kind of hard to do.”
Megan flipped through her phone, and then handed it over to me. I watch as a video played across the screen. Up-close shots of the wedding cake, panning over to the bacon-wrapped asparagus and crostini’s topped with goat-cheese hors d’oeuvres. The food did look delicious, which reminded me that I should ask Megan what her plans were for Friday night. As far as I knew, Aria still needed a caterer.
“There, right there.” Megan pointed to a figure moving along the back wall. I peered a little closer and gasped. I’d recognize those stupid little braids anywhere. I watched in a mixture of amusement and horror as Christina reached over and nonchalantly pulled the fire alarm. Megan then must’ve dropped the phone. I could hear the siren going off in the back ground before the video cut off.
“Then, less than a minute later, another alarm goes off and then another. The girl must’ve pulled a couple more on her way out,” Megan said. I remembered the wedding coordinator saying that the entire system wouldn’t have been activated, unless it was a multi-sensor trigger.
“I know her.”
“You do?” Megan’s face lite up.
“Yep, and I’ll make sure she pays. Here, do me a favor, text me that video and I’m going to go hunt her down.” I had a feeling Christina was behind all of Aria’s wedding disasters.
I turned around just in time to see Whip running buck naked around Mrs. DeVine’s back yard. I slapped my hand over my mouth. Whip was shouting something about being king of the world, but from where I stood, it looked more like the prince of the pea pod, if you know what I’m saying. If I were his campaign advisor, I’d be telling him to keep his pants on at all further public appearances. Out of nowhere, that goofy guy with the trench coat and fedora jumped down from a tree, took photos of Whip, and ran across the backyard, through the hedge.
I looked around, expecting everyone to be shocked, but truth be told, they were acting kooky too. Even Mrs. DeVine seemed goofy. “My arms, they’re all tingly!” she happily explained. Suzanne might have supplied the honey for the baklava, but I had a feeling Vicki supplied the bud for the brownies. Seriously, they were all tripping out.
Megan was the only other person who seemed horrified. “I’m out of here,” I told her. I had no idea what was going on, but I did not want to be a part of it.
“I’m right behind you,” Megan said as she started packing up.
Before leaving, I promised her I’d pass on the video and the girl’s name directly to the police, and then call her tomorrow and let her know how it all went.
“Excellent. Thank you so much,” she said.
“No, trust me, thank you.”
20
I called Aria the minute I reached my truck. She answered right away.
“Hey, girlie, got a minute?” I asked.
“I’m about to walk into Nine’s and hand my wedding over to Christina. I’m done. She can just take over and do her thing.”
“Don’t!”
“What? Why?”
“I’ll explain when I get there. Just order yourself a drink,” maybe two, “and I’ll be there in a jiffy.”
I drove fast on most occasions, and tonight was no exception. I thought about all the drama Aria had put up with this last week and all the stress Christina had caused—the missing dress, the cancelled flowers, the ruined reception venue… I was willing to bet there hadn’t even been a catering issue, Christina just made that last part up. I was steaming by the time I pulled in front of Nine’s. Part of me wanted to ask Christina to step outside, but I thought of my mother again. Bar fighting always got her so worked up.
I walked into the lounge and spotted Aria and Christina, sitting at the long booth that ran the length of the side wall. Well, Christina was sitting in the booth. Aria sat on a chair across from her. I pulled a chair over from the next table and joined their two-top, effectively blocking Christina from being able to make a run for it, and cementing my position next to my bestie. Christina had her notes neatly placed in front of them along with color swatches, seating charts, and pictures of flower arrangements.
“Hey, girls,” I said with a little wave. Christina looked surprised to see me. Perfect. Aria hadn’t tipped her off. Christina recovered quickly though and replied with the fakest smile ever. Keep smiling, I thought. I noticed that one of the tiny braids that zig zagged up her head had come loose and fallen across her face. For once, her hair didn’t look perfect. If she was frazzled now, I was excited to see how she would be feeling in a few moments. This is going to be fun.
“Sorry to crash your little shindig here, but I need to show Aria something. It’ll just take a minute.” I handed my phone over to Aria and smiled. “It gets really good at about a minute fifteen.” I turned my attention to Christina. “So, you’re taking over the wedding plans now?”
“Well, somebody has too.” Christina’s expression turned smug.
“I don’t know; it looks like you had plenty of time to think all this through.” I motioned to the wedding plans spread out on the table.
“I work fast.”
“Uh-huh.” Yes, you do.
“Right there.” I pointed to the figure on camera. Aria gave a little gasp and I knew she recognized Christina.
“And bingo,” I said to Aria as we watched Christina pull the alarm.
Christina tried to look over at what we were watching. “What’s that?”
I folded my hands and placed my elbows on the table, leaning forward and batting my eyes. “Just a little video I found from last week’s disaster at Park Place.”
The color drained from Christina’s face.
“You’re busted.”
“I didn’t. It was an accident. I just—” Christina looked side to side. On one side of her was a wall, on the other side was me.
“Christina! What’s wrong with you? Seriously!” Aria shouted.
Christina stammered some more, threw in a swear word or two, and then crawled under the table and tried to make a break for it. I meant to grab her shoulder, but grabbed one of her braids instead. Christina screamed and pivoted around. She lunged for me, arms outstretched as if she were going to choke me. I flipped my hand upside down and grabbed her by the wrist, twisting it over. Her purse had been on her arm and the contents of it spilled out onto the floor. I wasn’t paying any attention, but Aria was. She picked up a little green bottle and handed
it to me. I dropped Christina’s wrist. The bottle had a picture of a poison ivy plant on it, which I could now identify, thanks to Vicki’s class. Above the image was a giant warning label. Sweet sugar! Christina was the one tampering with my products. Christina turned and snatched the bottle out of my hands. I readily let her have it. She wasn’t expecting that and, in her aggression, she slipped and hit the ground. Glass crunched underneath her and I took a giant step back. Christina rolled over and her entire shirt was soaked in poison ivy oil.
“No one touch her!” I shouted to all the lookie-loos standing around. Aria grabbed a pitcher of ice water from a nearby table and doused her in it. Christina shrieked. Aria looked up at me as if to say, “What? Bad idea?” I shrugged my shoulders. Worked for me.
I wasn’t quite sure how it all was going to go down, but I didn’t expect cops! A couple of the boys in blue walked in a minute later and tried to figure out what had happened. Apparently, a few fingers were pointed at me and, before I could talk my way out of it, my butt was sitting in the back of a cop car. This wasn’t a first. Hopefully, my mother wouldn’t find out. Finn would probably find it hilarious. Before the door was shut, I did manage to say, “Call Detective Roxy and tell her I solved the poison-ivy case.”
Thankfully, the cops listened to me, or maybe it was Aria. I could see her flapping her arms and pointing at me in the police car, trying to get them to let me go. Detective Roxy showed up not too long after and opened the squad-car door. I stepped out as I saw Christina ducking into the back of another.
Detective Roxy was in biker-chick apparel, black leather pants with a matching vest. She was a bigger badass than I was. I just had to do something about that lavender lipstick she was sporting. Blech.
We stood on the sidewalk for a few minutes while I filled her in and showed her the video.
“Mind texting that to me?” the detective asked.
“No problem. Like I said, I got it from the caterer, Megan Kennedy. You’re going to want to chat with her, too. I’ll text you her info.” I took a mental note to give Megan a heads up that Detective Roxy would be getting in touch with her.
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