My eyes widen a notch as she steps into view. It’s the same girl he was arguing with just before the lights went out.
Interesting.
The show begins, and Julian regales the crowd with a never-ending rainbow handkerchief he yanks from his sleeve, then her sleeve, then from the bottom of her skirt much to the audience’s delight. He then proceeds to do a few more run-of-the-mill routines before he gets around to pulling a live rabbit out of a hat—to which the rabbit replied internally, not this again. Leo and I were the only ones who laughed at that one.
And once his cheesy birthday party tricks run out, Julian’s tricks take on a darker, far more polished feel, and he proves himself to be every bit the mystic he introduced himself as earlier.
About twenty minutes in, he asks his lovely assistant to introduce herself to the audience, and the brunette leans into his mic apprehensively.
“My name is Bernie.”
“Bernie.” He runs a gloved finger across her cheek, and I’d swear I saw her flinch. “Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.” He leads her to an elongated table with a purple cloth draped over it. “Come, lie down.” He helps her do just that. “Close your eyes and think of better times. Think of the one your heart loves most.”
She glances to the crowd, specifically to the far left corner of the room, and it makes me wonder if that means the one her heart loves most is within our midst.
Julian says a few mystical sounding words before giving a sharp roar and snapping away the purple tablecloth, revealing what looks to be nothing underneath the girl.
The crowd gasps as Bernie floats seemingly suspended in midair.
Julian quickly scoops up a few glowing pink hoops off the floor and trails them around the entire circumference of the girl’s body, proving that, in fact, she is floating freely through the air.
A thunderous applause breaks out, and I lean toward Jasper.
“How is he doing that?” I whisper. “Is he really that good?”
Jasper shakes his head. “I don’t know. But I’m betting you’ve asked that question a time or two about me.” He gives a playful wink my way. “It’s almost as if I could read your mind.”
A dull laugh bucks from me as I elbow him in the ribs.
Aside from Leo, Jasper and Georgie are the only ones apprised of my strange gift as well—outside of my friends in Honey Hollow, that is.
Julian snaps his fingers, thus breaking the spell, and he catches the woman as she falls limp into his arms. He helps land her upright and the entire room is roaring with applause.
“And now”—he gives a slight bow—“my final act of the night is one that I am loath to share with you. Let’s hope I can get this right.” He grins out at the audience, assuring us the opposite is true. “Ever since I was a young boy I’ve been terrified of tight spaces and bodies of water.”
I look to Jasper with amusement because we both know I share the same two fears.
“But tonight, performed for the first time in years, I will be shackled and placed in this aquatic chamber that just might be my tomb.”
Fish burrows her head into the crook of my arm. I don’t have the stomach for this.
“Me neither,” I whisper.
Zeke and Archie step up and help wrap enough chains around Julian’s body that he qualifies as a metallic mummy. They help him step up to the top of the tank and onto a bench that sits over the expanse of it as they shackle his ankles together and his hands behind his back.
“Ladies and gentlemen”—Julian’s voice bellows over the room with an eerie echo—“should I not live to take another sweet breath, know this…” He dips his chin a notch and the room grows silent. “The answers you seek are often buried in your own backyard.” A nefarious smile takes over his face for a moment. “Now let’s hope I can get this right.”
A titter of laughter circles the room as Zeke moves a lever and Julian is plunged into the waiting water below.
Zeke and Archie work to secure the lid over the top and not an inch of air is left behind. It’s terrifying to witness. My worst nightmare is coming to fruition right here in the heart of my inn.
A blue stage light illuminates Julian as his hair fans softly back and forth while he writhes to free himself.
“I can’t watch,” I say as Jasper wraps an arm around me.
“Trust me,” he whispers. “Not one of those locks was secured.”
“That makes me feel better,” I whisper back.
Julian struggles as his body jerks from side to side, and one by one the chains fall off, first from his ankles, then his hands, and then the chains that are coiled around his body begin to slide off as he swims for the top.
An applause begins to build as Julian’s hands land over the lid, but nothing happens.
He turns over and tries to kick the lid open, but again it doesn’t budge.
“Oh, I hate this,” I hiss.
“It’s all for effect.” Jasper touches his stubbly cheek to mine. “It’ll be over in a second.”
Julian swims to the front of the glass box and pounds as he looks to the audience and a mixture of laughter and gasps emits.
“Jasper.” I stand. “He looks as if he’s in real trouble.”
“Sit down, lady,” someone calls from the back. “It’s all a part of the act!”
Julian’s body begins to squirm and writhe, and soon Jasper, Leo, Caleb, and his groomsmen run to the front, but by the time they climb the ladder Julian’s body goes limp.
A series of screams go off as the house lights flick on.
It takes Jordy and a hammer to loosen the glass lid and Caleb plucks Julian out of the water and onto the floor below.
I race over just as Jasper and Leo begin to administer CPR. It goes on seemingly forever until finally Jasper checks Julian’s pulse one last time, and he shakes his head my way.
Julian won’t have to worry about getting another act right.
Julian Fletcher is dead.
Chapter 3
He’s dead.
The room roars to life with thunderous whispers and a round of screams.
Jasper and Leo take command of the scene, waving their badges for all to see. And just a few minutes later, there’s a swarm of sheriff’s deputies joining them.
Jasper steps over and wraps his arms around me, ensconcing Fish between us.
“I’m sorry, Bizzy.” He dots a kiss next to my ear. “But this is just procedural. It’s clear this was an accident.”
Leo pops up before I can say a single word.
“It was a horrible accident.” Leo nods past me. “I’m going to take Emmie home.” He glances to Jasper. “I’ll be right back.”
Jasper nods back to the scene. “I’d better get over there.”
They take off just as my mother and sister run up.
“Oh, Bizzy.” My mother wraps her arms around me. “Try not to think about it. The only thing you should be focusing on is your wedding.” My mother, Ree Baker, is a no-nonsense throwback from the eighties with her strawberry-blonde feathered hair and her popped collar blouses.
“Mother,” I whisper. “There’s a dead man lying less than ten feet away. I can still see him. I’ll be thinking about him for a good long while.”
She frowns. “Well, if my words can’t help, allow me to at least take Fish. I’ll have her spend the night at my place with my sweet cats. They really miss her.”
Fish lets out a chipper meow as my mother plucks her from my arms.
Mistletoe and Holly! Sorry, Bizzy, but you’ll have to find someone else to sleep on your head tonight. I haven’t seen my furry friends in weeks.
“Have fun at the sleepover.” I give Fish a kiss on the forehead. “Behave for Grandma.” My mother adopted a pair of adorable kittens last Christmas, and their names couldn’t have been more suited to the season.
Mom chuckles and starts to take off before stopping in her tracks.
“And don’t think I’ve forgotten that you don’t have a wedding dr
ess, young lady. I’m not letting you walk down the aisle naked.” She frowns a moment. “Not that your father hasn’t experienced a naked bride before.”
My sister gasps. “Is that why you forbade us from going to wedding number four?”
Mom rolls her eyes. “That, and the funny cigarettes they were passing out as wedding favors. Goodnight, girls.” She takes off and Macy steps in close.
“Knew it. Our mother made sure we lived a sheltered childhood. It’s no wonder we have issues with men.”
“I don’t have issues with men,” I tell her. “And I don’t see what one has to do with the other.”
My sister is older than me by one year and feistier than me by miles. She dyes her ebony locks a platinum blonde and wears her hair in a cheeky bob. She has a peaches and cream complexion, and apparently a complex that involves both men and our mother—the latter of which is news to me.
Macy scowls my way. “Hush, Bizzy. This is no time for your armchair psychoanalysis. Look at those hunky men hovering by the dunk tank.”
“More like the tank of death. The man hovering above the tank is the groom, Caleb Reed. Hands off. Don’t even think about winking his way.” I don’t mind at all threatening my man-eater of a sister. “The other two are fair game as far as I know. The one with dark red hair is the groom’s brother, Zeke. And the guy with the dark hair and tan is Archie. I don’t know too much about them, but I have a feeling I should find out.” I pull my sister along until we come upon them.
I nod up at Caleb as he teeters at the top of that now infamous acrylic box.
“Do you see anything in there?” I ask just as Jasper and Leo head over as well.
Caleb jumps down to the floor with a heavy thump, and that despondent look on his face says it all.
“I don’t know how he didn’t get out. The lid wasn’t locked.”
Zeke tips his head back as if considering this as well. He looks a touch younger than Caleb, and even though they share the same fiery-colored hair, his brows are peaked and jagged, his features a little more chiseled.
“I think I know.” Zeke climbs up on the ladder in the back of the contraption and flicks his finger over a metal hinge. “It’s loose. There’s a metal pin in it, and if it angled just right it might have made this lid impossible to open.”
“Meaning?” Jasper steps over.
Zeke shakes his head. “I think it may have turned and created a blockage, inadvertently locking him inside.”
“Does that make sense, though?” I ask, heading to the other side of the glass box. “I mean, it still would have lifted on this end. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s right.” Jasper heads over and points to the same hinge on the other side. “Unless, of course, this one was dislodged as well.”
Caleb climbs up and gives the latch a jiggle and it spins like a top, proving that it’s loose enough to turn just enough to have created a death trap.
Jasper and Leo exchange a look.
“Caleb?” I look up at the stunned man. “Do you think he checked to see if the equipment was faulty?”
“Absolutely,” Zeke pipes up. “If Julian Fletcher was anything, he was a perfectionist. He wouldn’t risk a smaller stunt to go wrong, let alone a whopper like this.” He’s too damn egotistical to let that happen.
Caleb nods to Archie. “What do you think?” he asks as he looks to Jasper and Leo. “Archie is a fellow magician. He knows this business inside and out.”
Archie gives a somber smile. “I wouldn’t go that far. I’m small-time compared to Julian. Julian was one of the greats.” He was also a thief and a liar—and those are just his finer points. “I’m not sure why the latches would be faulty. I know this tank has been in storage for a bit. Maybe Julian didn’t have time to test it.”
A thief and a liar?
Jasper nods to Leo. “Just to be on the safe side, I’m opening this up as a homicide investigation.”
“What?” Zeke howls as he stalks on over. “Look, Julian is gone. And the last thing my brother needs is for that piece of trash to tarnish his wedding.” He glowers at the rest of us. If only they knew what a jackass Julian really was. They’d throw a party now that he’s gone. “Sorry for the outburst, but this is just like Julian.” He takes off, and I glance to Jasper with surprise.
Caleb shakes his head. “My apologies. Do whatever you need to do, Jasper. I can promise you, it’s not tarnishing my wedding.” He rakes his fingers through his hair in haste. “I’d better find McKenna.” He speeds off as well just as Sherlock and a handsome looking Siberian husky with brilliant blue eyes stride up.
“Sorry, big guy.” Archie gives the husky a pat on the back. “You just missed him.” He winks over at my sister. “This is Lucky.”
A flirtatious giggle bounces from her, and I cringe as she sashays his way.
“And here I thought I was the lucky one. Macy Baker.” She holds out a hand his way and he shakes it obnoxiously slow.
Obviously, the two of them have forgotten all about the tragedy that just unfolded.
Sherlock barks over at Lucky. This is Bizzy. He nuzzles his nose to my leg. The one I told you about.
The adorable husky vocalizes once again. Sherlock says you can understand us. What’s happening to Caleb? He’s not to blame for this tragedy, is he?
“No, no,” I say, giving Lucky a scratch behind the ears. “Everything is just a bit of a mess right now. Let’s go find Caleb. I’m sure he wants to get McKenna home.” I lean toward Macy’s ear. “And don’t you dare take anyone home.”
I spot McKenna by the exit, and both Sherlock and Lucky follow me over.
“McKenna.” I offer her a firm embrace and her kitten, Misty, squirms between us. “Oh, sorry.” I give her a quick pat. “Lucky was looking for Caleb.”
She nods as she glances down at the cute pooch. “Caleb just stepped out to see if he could catch his brother. I told him I’d find Lucky and meet him at the car. What a disaster. Poor Julian. And Caleb said something about a homicide?”
“That’s right,” I say just as her sister, Michaela, heads over.
The blonde wraps her arms around herself and shivers.
“I’m taking off.” Michaela gives McKenna a quick hug. “I’m sorry this put a bruise on the night.” She glances to the carpet. “But I promise I won’t do anything to ruin your wedding.” Her lip tugs to the side and she runs out of the ballroom before her emotions get the better of her.
McKenna gives a hard sigh. “That’s just like Michaela, always over apologizing. Taking the blame for things she has no control over. We were raised by the same two people, and yet she’s always so hard on herself.”
“Maybe there’s something going on that you don’t know about?” I’ll admit, my curiosity is more than a little piqued at the thought of her apologizing even loosely about something like this.
That scene from earlier this evening plays through my mind. I distinctly saw Michaela and Julian arguing. She pushed him in the chest.
McKenna tips her head to the side. “Who knows? Everything seems upside down right now. I’m just glad Caleb’s mother didn’t think the kids should be at the show tonight. That was a pretty grisly scene. Poor Julian.” She pats Lucky on the back as he nuzzles up to her. “Goodnight, Bizzy. I’ll be in touch about the wedding.”
“Don’t worry. This was just…”
She makes a face. “One of those things? An accident? According to Caleb, it just might be murder.” She squeezes her eyes shut. “As selfish as it sounds, I’m going to try to focus on my wedding, and I want you to do the same with yours. Face it, the nuptial trains have left the station. I’m afraid we’re going to have to roll with all the punches the universe has to offer. Oh, and your mother mentioned you still need a dress.” She gives a little shrug. “For what it’s worth, Michaela works part-time at Minty’s. You should probably head over.”
“Isn’t that a high-end boutique out in Rolling Oaks?”
“Yes, and I want you to sneak away
tomorrow and head on over. No excuses. I’m sure she’d love to help you find something.”
A dull laugh rattles through me. “I’m sure they verify tax brackets at the door. I’m positive I won’t qualify. I’m sort of on a budget.”
She shakes her head. “Don’t worry about the budget. Michaela gets a massive discount—and she can share it with friends and family. You more than qualify as both.” She gives my cheek a kiss before she takes off with Misty and Lucky in tow.
Sherlock growls out at the crowd. There’s a killer in here somewhere.
I nod. “Or at least there was,” I muse just as I spot that pretty brunette, Bernie, watching as the coroner takes pictures of Julian Fletcher’s body.
My feet carry me in that direction, and Sherlock follows as I try to zero in on her mind.
There he lies, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Her lips curve as if this pleased her. Filth to filth. Goodbye, Julian. I’m so very glad we will never meet again.
She turns and runs out of the ballroom before I can intercept her.
It turns out, Bernie wasn’t all that sorry to see him die.
Her words were spoken like a woman scorned.
But were they spoken like a killer, too?
Chapter 4
The next morning, the Cottage Café is bustling despite the fact a storm front looks as if it’s moving in. Coastal Maine does love fall, and I won’t say that I’m all that sorry to see those hot, humid, summer days go. It was fun while it lasted, but autumn not only ushers in a new season as far as the weather goes, it’s ushering in a new season of my life. My wedding day is almost at hand.
Emmie strides forward with her arms full of dirty dishes.
“Where did all these people come from?” She blows a loose hair from her face.
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