by R K Dreaming
Underneath the dress I put on some black tights shot through with sparkling gold threads to add a bit of interest. One couldn’t just walk into Club Nocturne wearing something boring. The doormen would turn you away.
I got back into my bedroom to see Allegra topping up her eyeshadow in a sparkly gold shade from a compact she had taken out of her purse. Then she applied some red lipstick and pressed her lips together with a satisfied pop.
She was looking gorgeous in a scarlet figure-hugging dress that I was sure hadn’t been in the bag of stuff that we had brought over. She shrugged when she saw me looking at it.
“It was green,” she said. “But I thought red was better for tonight.”
I whistled. “You thought right.”
“You look great,” she said eyeing up the peach dress in approval. “But don’t tell me you thought you were finished. You can’t go like that! At least put on some make-up and some earrings!”
I groaned, but let her drag me over to the dressing table and set me down in front of it.
She fussed, combing out my hair and straightening it with her wand to make it sleek. Then she gave me some of her glittery gold eyeshadow as well.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to change your hair back to pink for you?” she said, eyeing it up longingly. “It would look so cute.”
“I don’t want to look cute.”
When she realised that I hadn’t bought any of my own jewellery or make up with me on my journey she was dismayed.
“Gosh, you really did run away, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t run,” I said irritably. “I just didn’t want to hang around and have to look at his stupid face any more. Or I might have done something I would have regretted.”
“Forget about him,” she said. “Tonight is about having fun. Here, have some of my lipstick. And I’ll lend you some jewellery next time, but you’ll have to do as you are for now.”
I didn’t particularly care about jewellery. Allegra knew that. However, the beautiful little teardrop diamond studs in her ears were very attractive. Allegra liked classy things and she could afford to treat herself, given how much money she made from her products at Flaffiness Emporium.
“Do you want my studs?” she said suddenly, noticing my eyes lingering on them.
She immediately put her hands to her ears and started taking them off.
“Don’t even think about it,” I protested. “I was just admiring your taste. And anyway, you know I don’t like wearing jewellery.”
“Yes, but you’re the one going on a date tonight. Not me.”
“I told you it’s not a date!” I insisted.
She sighed at me as she attacked her hair with her wand. “If you say so.”
“I do say so.”
“Because he is really very cute.”
“If you think so, then you can have him.”
“Don’t say what you don’t mean, because I just might take him,” she shot back.
She had curled the ends of her hair but, being dissatisfied with it, she now straightened them again.
I grinned at her. “Remember what a big crush I had on him in school? It’s weird thinking about it now.”
“Aaw!” she said. “Is it bringing back all those teenage butterflies?”
“Yuck,” I said. “I hope not. I’m done with men.”
“Don’t say that,” she said, suddenly serious. “You used to be such a romantic.”
“Yeah, back when I hoped my fairy tale might be good.”
“But Drew was not your fairy tale,” she said in a firm voice. “All he was is a big fat mistake. Do you think that he and Sarah were…”
Her voice trailed off.
I knew what she had been going to ask. I nodded.
“Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure that they’ve been seeing each other a long time. All those years that I thought he just had cold feet about getting married, but it turns out he just had cold feet about getting married to me.”
She looked sympathetic. “Git!” she muttered.
“Whatever,” I said briskly. “It’s done now. I don’t want to think about it anymore tonight.”
We went downstairs to find Jasper in the kitchen, scoffing down some tiramisu. A little smudge of cream was on the corner of his lip. Allegra leaned over to wipe it off. He thanked her.
“You want some?” he said to both of us, lifting up his dish of the half-eaten stuff in an offering.
“Too full,” I said.
“Make sure you’re all hungry by the time you get back tonight,” said Aunt Adele cheerily. “I’ll leave out some special treats for you all.”
“Thanks Aunt Adele,” said Allegra, unable to resist stealing a large spoonful of Jasper’s dessert.
As she put it into her mouth, he watched her with a smile. “Good, isn’t it?”
Aunt Adele was looking at me strangely out of the sides of her eyes. So I excused myself and followed her out into the hallway.
“Are you any closer to finding out anything about Lily?” she whispered anxiously.
I shook my head. “That’s what we’re going to the club tonight to investigate. Allegra and Jasper know about it.”
Her expression cleared. “Oh, that’s wonderful!” Then she frowned disapprovingly. “Although I do think Allegra might have thought better of wearing a red dress on your date!”
I laughed. “I think she looks gorgeous. And really, Aunt Adele, I’m not in the headspace to even think about dating. And maybe Allegra is hoping to see her mystery man tonight. I might even find out who he is!”
I was excited at this thought.
“Good for her,” Aunt Adele said. “But don’t let that Jasper slide through your fingers. He seems such a lovely young chap. You have to seize the moment while the feelings are hot, you know. You can’t let things fizzle out.”
“There is nothing sizzling in the first place,” I told her.
“We’ll see about that,” she said with a small smile. And added, “And you three be careful tonight. We want to set that poor girl’s spirit to rest, but I couldn’t bear if anyone else was hurt.”
“Don’t worry. I’m a very cautious sort,” I promised her.
* * *
Club Nocturne was opposite Brimstone Bay Beach, on a street which we locals called The Strip. In the daytime The Strip was a bustling tourist haven, full of souvenir shops and cafés and restaurants. In the night time it was a hot spot for nightlife, with all the clubs and pubs open until the early hours.
The doorman took one look at Allegra looking ravishing in red and grinned. His fangs gleamed in the streetlights. It was a bit rude for him to have them out on display like that, but I guess it added to the excitement for tourists. It also let the locals know that the security in Club Nocturne was not to be messed around with.
“Ladies,” he said, tipping his hat at both of us.
“Gent,” said Allegra, tipping an invisible hat back at him.
Inside, the club was packed to the seams. It had been many years since I had been in a nightclub, and I had forgotten how it felt to be thrust into a sea of bouncing, writhing bodies.
The music was pulsing so loudly from the speakers that I could feel the vibrations running through my entire body, the strobe lights flashed above, catching the odd ecstatic face here and there.
It was heady. And a bit daunting.
But hey, I was here on a mission, not for fun.
I didn’t have to worry about getting bored and being the dull one who wanted to go home when everyone else wanted to party.
Tonight it wouldn’t matter if I ended up feeing out of place amongst all of this revelry.
Jasper however seem to have forgotten the mission. He put one arm around me and one arm around Allegra and started leading us towards the bar.
“But don’t we want to…” My voice trailed off. There was no way I could be heard in this din anyway.
Jasper leaned close to me to shout in my ear, “Let’s have a coup
le of drinks first. We don’t want to frighten people off by questioning them as if we were the police.”
He had a point.
He ordered a mojito for me, a prosecco for Allegra, and something in a crystal cup that was letting off strange rainbow coloured smoke for himself.
Oh what cutely ominous rainbows. They made me laugh.
“Want to try it?” he shouted in my ear.
I shook my head.
Allegra nodded, took a sip, and then let out a whoop. “Whoa, that’s good!”
He grinned at her approvingly.
“You should try some,” Allegra shouted in my ear.
I shook my head again.
She said something. By the movement of her lips, I was sure it was, “Spoilsport!”
She leaned in close to me to say, “You need a little bit more than that!” And she pointed her wand at my drink.
She raised an eyebrow enquiringly.
I shrugged and lifted my glass closer.
Whatever incantation she said was lost in the din. When I took a tentative sip of my mojito it tasted exactly like I wanted it to taste. Tangy and minty and delicious.
But by the time I was done drinking it I felt as light as air, as if I had inhaled dozens of Bubblicious Bubbles and all that happiness was merrily jostling around inside of me.
And when Jasper dragged us both onto the dancefloor, I laughed and happily went.
Pretty soon, I was having the time of my life.
Jasper was a good dancer, and he paid equal attention to me and Allegra. The music was incredible all of a sudden, no longer the din that I had originally thought it was. I was having more fun than I had had in years.
I could feel the rhythm thumping in my blood and in my heart and in my head, and I loved it. I loved the way Jasper was swirling me around. I loved the three of us dancing in a circle, our arms around each other.
This felt like the happiness that I felt had been lacking for so long. It felt like being home.
I wasn’t even startled when someone threw their arm around my shoulders from behind. I turned to see Oberon Maltei Junior laughing at me.
“Someone’s having fun,” he shouted in my ear.
I nodded enthusiastically. He laughed, and grabbed my arm and twirled me around.
“Hey, don’t steal my date,” shouted Jasper.
Oberon only shrugged and started dancing with me. He was a good dancer, very confident, and fun. He hammed it up for me, exaggerating his shoulder shimmies, and making me laugh.
Lorcan, Paolo and Petra were with him. When the song ended Oberon and I returned to our little group.
Petra had flagged over a waiter carrying a tray of drinks. This made me laugh even harder. Trust Oberon to have a waiter following him around in his father’s club.
Lorcan picked a drink from the tray to give to Allegra, but Petra took it from him and gave it to me.
“You look like you could do with it,” she said, grinning.
She was right. I was out of breath and parched from all the dancing.
It was good as well. Some sort of fruity tropical cocktail with pineapple and coconut in it. Two of my favourite flavours.
It was too loud to talk in the club, so we danced instead.
The only times before that I had been to a club like this in my adult life had been with Drew and his friends, and it had never felt as fun and relaxed as this. I had always felt awkward, especially with the dancing. But whatever happiness that Allegra had put in my drink tonight made my feet feel light and free. I didn’t feel self-conscious at all.
I vaguely wondered how we were going to sneak away from Oberon and his group to find the outdoor construction area that they had told us about. I wanted to take a look around it. And I intended to ask whatever security guard was standing at that exit a few questions about the night of the murder.
The problem was that I was in such a good mood and having so much fun that it seemed a shame to ruin it. And I knew that Jasper and Allegra were having the time of their lives too. I didn’t want to spoil it for them. So I went with the flow.
Within half an hour however my mood had changed.
I felt sick. My stomach was roiling, and I had an immense urge to throw up. I felt suffocated. I wanted to go home.
It was the drink, I thought. The drink that Lorcan had been handing to Allegra, and which Petra had given to me instead.
The smarmy git. What had he done to it?
It looked like I was the only one feeling sick though, because Allegra and Oberon were dancing now, and she looked happy as anything. So maybe it was just me. Maybe it was all too much excitement for me. Gosh, this murder had made me paranoid.
Jasper noticed the look on my face and put his arm around me. “What is it?” he said, his breath warm against my ear.
I shook my head, and looked around desperately for an exit.
“I need some air!” I said to him.
He nodded, leading me back the way we had come towards the front exit.
But I shook my head. Across the dancefloor I had spotted something that should have made me feel incredulous, but which I was getting used to by now.
A black cat was arrogantly prowling through the dancefloor as if he belonged there, hissing at anyone whose feet threatened to trample him and frightening some big, burly guys out of his way.
It was Captain Villain. He looked over his shoulder right at me, the strobe lighting catching his green eyes and making them dazzle.
Are you coming? he said. You’ll want to see this.
“There,” I said to Jasper, pointing towards the fire exit that Captain Villain was headed towards.
When we followed him through it, we found ourselves in a dimly lit corridor. We were in the back of the club, somewhere where customers probably were not allowed to go.
Captain Villain was up ahead, and he seemed to know exactly where he was going. And maybe he did. Kitten Cove wasn’t all that far from here. The cats from there roamed the town at free will, enjoying treats from the more generous residents. I got the feeling this was not Captain Villain’s first time in here.
He led us down the corridor, and turned into another one. We went past many closed doors, but nobody stopped us.
We went all the way up a set of spiral staircases, and arrived at a door at the top. Captain Villain stopped outside it. Clearly he wanted us to go through.
Excitedly, I turned the handle and was glad to find it wasn’t locked. Which wasn’t surprising, seeing as the club staff probably didn’t expect anyone to come up here.
“Hey, what are you guys doing?” said a voice behind us.
Allegra had followed us.
“Investigating,” I said, pushing the door open.
I found myself looking out at a rooftop where building work was being carried out. Half-built brick walls were everywhere. The ground underfoot was half paved. Piles of timber and bricks and pallets of materials were stacked up to one side.
The fresh night air carried a hint of sea salt, and it made me feel much better immediately. The nausea that I had been feeling subsided. But I felt a bit dizzy, a bit reckless, a bit strange.
More than a bit strange.
I staggered out into the night, ignoring Jasper’s cry of, “Be careful,” behind me.
I was excited. This was the construction site that Oberon had been talking about.
It was dark out here but lit up with enough safety lights to be able to see.
Ahead of me was what was clearly a swimming pool in construction. The area was huge. It looked like they were in the middle of building a rooftop bar out here. It looked like it was going to be a lot of fun.
I could imagine it in my mind. Tiny lights strung up everywhere, the pool filled with water, the edge of it looking like it was blending in with the sea of the bay. People laughing and floating in the hot tubs that joined onto the pool. This place was going to be hugely popular when it was ready.
Letting out a whoop of excitement, I staggered o
ver to the edge of the pool. Jasper ran after me, and grabbed me by the arm.
“Are you feeling all right?” he asked me in concern.
“Brilliant!” I said. “This is amazing! I can’t wait till they finish building it. We should come. Promise me! This is gonna be so much fun.”
I threw back my head and laughed and laughed.
Allegra was looking at me worriedly, but when she reached for me, I brushed her hand away.
“Don’t fuss. I’m fine. Gosh. I feel like I’ve never been this alive.” I giggled.
I threw my arms into the air like wings with which I was going to soar, and kind of just floated forwards.
Unfortunately for me, I was floating right at the edge of the pool. I felt a falling sensation as I went diving towards the concrete bottom.
And then a jerk as Jasper grabbed hold of my dress and yanked me back.
“You don’t look too good,” he said. “We should get you home.”
“No way,” I said. “I wanna make the most of this. This is amazing. And anyway, I bet the security people and the club staff come up here to have a smoke. A sneaky cigarette. We need to find them and ask them…”
My voice trailed off. I had lost my train of thought. I couldn’t remember what I was going to say.
My eyes caught on a big black metal drum beside the pool. I went over to it. Charred bits of wood were inside it. The sooty remains of a fire.
“This must be the fire they built that night,” I said.
A whiff of something in the air caught my nose. Not just the soot. I inhaled deeply. The air carried an iron tang that made my mouth water. It was disgusting, and exhilarating.
“Blood,” I said.
“What?” said Allegra.
“Can you smell it? Blood. I can smell it. It’s everywhere.”
“I can’t,” she said.
“Jasper can,” I said looking at him to back me up.
He shook his head.
“Come on, you, I think you’ve had enough fun for one night. You’ve only had two drinks!”
“Two crazy, crazy drinks,” I sang.
The gaping hole of the empty swimming pool was right there in front of me. I had a mad urge to dive into it. As if it was full of water, even though I could see that it wasn’t.
