by Rosie Sams
“No one knows,” one of the bridesmaids answered, fiddling nervously with her bouquet.
“Robin has been missing for hours,” a groomsman said.
All of a sudden, a piercing cry shot through the air, causing everyone in the room to freeze.
Chapter Four
Alvin shot into action, moving swiftly down the hallway toward the sound of the shout. At the doorway to Dorinda’s room, he turned back, putting a hand out to stop Melody. “I’d better check on them first.”
Melody wrung her hands impatiently in front of her as he slipped inside. Only a few moments passed before she disobeyed the sheriff’s command and followed him.
The cries had grown substantially louder, and Melody’s insides grew cold when she realized it was Dorinda who was now sobbing uncontrollably. However, what she noticed next was far worse… the groom!
Robin Werther lay in the center of the room….. dead. At least, it was safe to conclude that he was dead, considering the amount of blood that pooled around him and the fact that his skin was as white as snow.
“Dorinda, step away, please,” Alvin ordered the trembling bride who sat crumpled next to her fiancé’s corpse. With shaking hands and wobbling legs, she stood, stepping away. She almost dropped once more to the ground, but Melody reached her just in time.
“I’m so sorry, Dorinda,” she said, only causing Dorinda to sob harder. She wrapped an arm around the distraught bride’s shoulders and glanced around the room. “What on earth happened?”
“I did it.”
Melody, Alvin, and Dorinda turned to the sound of Dr. Ambrose Mitchum’s voice. A few moments of tense silence passed as the threesome stared wide-eyed at the bride’s elderly father, all dressed in a pristine, white tuxedo. His face was pale as a ghost.
“No, Dad,” Dorinda cried. “Don’t say that.”
Melody continued to hold Dorinda’s shaking shoulders, wracked afresh with sobs. The old doctor’s eyes were rimmed with tears.
“I killed that man,” he repeated. “I killed him because he didn’t really love my daughter. The truth is, he was taking advantage of her. He was using her to build his career. I could not let anyone do that to my precious daughter! I should have stopped it before now, but I just couldn’t.”
“This is absurd,” Melody muttered softly. “There’s no way you could have….”
“You didn’t do it, Dad!” Dorinda cried hysterically. Melody’s heart broke for Dorinda and her father. She caught Alvin’s gaze and easily confirmed that he too didn’t know what to think of the situation.
Dorinda squirmed out of Melody’s hold and went to his father. He caught hold of his daughter as she began to sob again.
“I’m sorry, Dorinda. I’m sorry!”
Melody watched the doctor closely, wondering at the fact that he was so quick to claim he’d just committed murder. Once again, something wasn’t right.
“Dad, no. Please, you didn’t do it. I know you didn’t,” Dorinda insisted.
“I have to bring you both to the station,” Alvin said.
Dorinda and her father looked over at the sheriff with something akin to shock, as if they’d forgotten his presence completely. Dashing tears from her face with little regard for her carefully laid wedding makeup, Dorinda nodded. However, Dr. Mitchum wasn’t quite so quick to agree.
“You don’t have to bring my daughter. It’s all my fault, Sheriff.”
“Are you telling the truth, Doc?” Alvin asked. “Or are you protecting someone?”
“I’m not protecting anyone,” Dr. Mitchum confirmed once more. “Just leave my daughter out of this, please.”
“We can’t accept your confession yet until we’ve investigated the situation further,” Alvin explained, stepping aside, motioning for father and daughter to proceed with him from the room.
“I’m telling you, I’m the guilty one, and she has nothing to do with it!”
Alvin glanced over at Melody. When Dr. Mitchum embraced Dorinda once again, he crossed the room to speak with her. “I’m going to go and call the station. Will you stay here with them for a few more minutes?”
Melody nodded, mutely. Once Alvin had left the room, she angled away from the sight of the dead body, going over in her mind all that could have possibly happened. If Dr. Mitchum didn’t commit the crime, then who did? And why was he so adamant that he was the guilty one? Poor Dorinda….
“More officers are on their way,” Alvin said, snapping Melody out of her reverie. “I think now would be a good time for you to bow out.”
Though she wanted to help, Melody obliged, readily.
This was too strange—it was best to let the law handle it from there. As she made her way down the hall, she tried to think up the best words to say to the bridal party, waiting to hear the news.
What a tragic way for a day that was supposed to be so joyous to start. Melody couldn’t help going over, and over the misgivings she’d had during Dorinda’s visit to the shop…. and Kerry’s words about Robin… even her color selection for the cake. Blue chrysanthemums had seemed far too innocent to her. What had she chosen instead? Red. Roses as red as blood on the hands of a murderer.
The bakery door felt as if it weighed 100 pounds as Melody pushed it open, stepping into the shop. The fact that the lights were on assured her Leslie and Kerry were already there.
“Hey,” Melody greeted them as she entered the kitchen. Both Leslie and Kerry leaned against the counter, cups of tea in hand.
“Melody,” Kerry immediately said, straightening. “Is it true? Is Dr. Werther really… dead?”
Leslie’s eyes were as large as saucers behind her glasses as she waited for her boss to answer.
Melody exhaled, nodding. “Yeah.”
Silence fell over the room.
“You want some tea?” Leslie finally offered.
“Sure.” Melody joined Kerry by the counter.
“How was Dorinda?” Kerry asked.
Melody released a dry laugh. “How do you think?”
Kerry shook her head. “I just can’t believe it. Are there any suspects yet?”
“Ambrose Mitchum claims he is responsible,” she said.
Kerry’s brow furrowed. “He just admitted straight out that he did it? But why?”
“It’s a great question. Thanks, Leslie,” Melody said, accepting the large mug of Constant Comment.
“What on earth did he say his reason was?” Leslie interjected.
Melody shook her head at the memory. “He said that Robin was only marrying Dorinda in order to further his career and that he couldn’t let her go through with a marriage based on only that.”
Kerry and Leslie exchanged a confused glance.
“I know, it’s strange,” Melody said, taking a cautious sip of her hot tea.
“Did you see his body?” Leslie asked, her voice hushed.
Melody nodded. “Al went to check on Dorinda when we heard loud cries from her room. There, we found the poor lifeless Robin at his bride’s feet. He had what appeared to be a stab wound, but I didn’t see a weapon around. Then, Ambrose came in and confessed to the murder.”
“You were smart to take a police officer as your date, I guess,” Kerry remarked though the morbid attempt at humor didn’t elicit any response. “At least, there’s no need to search for the murderer.”
“There still might be. There’s no proof yet that Ambrose is guilty.”
“But, he confessed, didn’t he?” Leslie said.
“That doesn’t automatically mean he is. And I wouldn’t be so quick to accept what the doctor is saying. Can either of you truly picture Ambrose killing anyone?”
Kerry and Leslie muttered that they couldn’t, shaking their heads.
“There are lots of questions that need to be answered,” Melody said.
“I, for one, am grateful that it is Al and his guys who have to do the questioning and not me,” Leslie said, bringing her empty tea mug over to the sink.
“Can we head home n
ow?” she asked. “I don’t think I’d be able to work more today even if I tried.”
Kerry and Melody agreed. “Kerry, I’ll just close up shop and then give you a lift since you’re on my way,” Melody offered.
“Sure, thanks, Mel.”
“See you all later,” Leslie said, grabbing her keys from her pocket. “Try to get some rest.”
“Yeah,” Melody said, even as she determined that such a thing would be impossible. “You too.”
Chapter Five
“Did you notice anything strange when you dropped off the cake?” Melody asked as she and Kerry got into the van.
Kerry shook her head. “The only thing I do remember is that none of the bridesmaids seemed excited when I saw them at the venue. They were all so quiet, like Laurel.”
“So, it wasn’t just Laurel?” Melody mused. “So odd.”
They drove in silence for a few moments.
Melody looked out the window as they passed the church. The bridesmaids in their pink taffeta dresses were still outside the church, along with a few other guests. “I thought Al would have cleared everyone out by now.”
“Hard to keep people from sticking around when something so drastic has just happened,” Kerry remarked.
“Yeah….” Melody slowed the van down before pulling up to the curb and coming to a stop. “I think I’d like to have a word with one or two of them.”
“Wait a minute, Mel,” Kerry protested. “Didn’t you just say that you’re glad that it’s the police who are investigating this and not you.”
“No, it was Leslie who said that.” Melody’s seatbelt was already off, her hand on the door handle. “I, for one, want to know what happened, and this is the perfect opportunity.”
Kerry looked concerned but eventually shrugged. “I’ll wait for you here.”
“Thanks, Kerry. This will be quick,” she promised and got out of the car. She moved across the manicured grass, listening as the people around her offered their own unfounded speculations on Robin’s untimely death. Melody offered solemn smiles to a few familiar faces, most of them customers from the bakery. After making her way through the onlookers, she made it to the bench where the bridesmaids were gathered.
“Excuse me?” she greeted.
All eyes turned to fix on Melody. She gave a small wave. “Hi, I’m Melody Marshall, the cake decorator.”
Laurel nodded. “Hey, I remember you. Is there something you need?”
Melody paused, debating over the best way to glean information. The last thing she wanted was for the girls to think she was suspicious of them even though, at this stage, everyone was a suspect. “I just wanted to check on everyone. How are you all holding up?”
Laurel stepped forward as she took the liberty of speaking for the entire group before any of the other girls had a chance to speak up. “It’s a little difficult to grieve for someone as vile as Robin Werther,” she said.
Melody was taken aback by Laurel’s fierce and terribly blunt comment. “That’s quite an accusation, Laurel. What makes you say that Robin was vile?”
Laurel sighed before speaking. “We all heard the rumors, Melody. I’m sure you did too.”
Melody offered a slight nod.
“I know how Dorinda adored him, but I never liked the man. Especially after learning what he really wanted from Dorinda and how he behaved around women,” Laurel explained.
A few of the bridesmaids murmured words of agreement.
Perhaps this was why Laurel had been so lackadaisical at the shop. If this is truly what Laurel believed of Robin, Melody could hardly blame her.
“Robin didn’t deserve Dorinda. I will not shed any tears over his death. He has fooled many women, broken many hearts,” Laurel said.
“Wow, that’s really sad to hear,” was all that Melody could say. “Is that how you all feel?” she added, remembering what Kerry said about the general lack of enthusiasm.
“We feel the same way Laurel does,” one of them said. Everyone nodded in agreement.
“He had a fling with one of my friends while he was engaged to Dorinda,” another bridesmaid piped up. “The woman was so broken after I told her that he had a fiancé.”
“I heard him bragging once to his friends about how lucky he was to catch an innocent fish like Dorinda. He said she would be the key to secure a position in the hospital,” a fellow bridesmaid noted.
Melody would have thought nothing could shock her after what had already transpired, but she felt thoroughly overwhelmed by the bridesmaids’ stories. If this was running in circles for a while, didn’t anyone care for Dorinda? “If all of you felt this way, why didn’t anyone think to warn Dorinda? Maybe this tragedy could have been avoided if someone had spoken up.”
“Oh, most of us did, I assure you,” Laurel said, “but Dorinda was too deaf to hear us. She was also too blind to see how Robin behaved with other women. She only wanted to see the best in him. I told her to leave the guy alone because it was plain to see that he was no good. But, instead of listening, she just kept on defending him. I don’t know what kind of spell he cast on her. I guess that’s why they say love is blind.”
Everyone nodded in agreement, except for one petite brunette who kept her eyes on her lap as she fiddled with the wilting bouquet she still held in her hands. She looked even more heartbroken than the others and sat on the far end of the bench, separating herself from the other girls. The bridesmaids lapsed into their own conversation amongst themselves then, and Melody jumped at the opportunity to speak with the reticent brunette.
“Are you doing all right?” Melody asked. It seemed a bit redundant, but the girl had kept herself far from the conversation, so perhaps she hadn’t felt included enough to offer any input.
The girl glanced up and nodded before looking back down at the bouquet.
“How do you know Dorinda?” Melody asked, sitting down next to the young woman.
“Dorinda’s a friend of mine from back in our university days,” she said. A sad smile came to her mouth. “We suffered through chemistry lab together.”
“I see. What’s your name?” Melody asked.
“Cathy Peck.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Cathy. I’m sorry about all of this. I’m sure Dorinda would be grateful to have you with her at a time like this. Perhaps you can see her once they’re all finished at the police station.”
Cathey nodded, looking close to tears. Her sorrow prompted Melody to ask if she was close to Robin.
Cathy tensed at the question. “Do I have to be close to Robin to feel this way? Doesn’t he deserve someone to grieve for him? Is it also a crime to grieve for someone even though he was not that nice of a person?” Cathy asked.
Cathy’s defensiveness was tangible.
“No. Of course, it’s okay to grieve for someone. I’m sorry if it came out differently,” Melody was quick to say. “It’s natural to be sad when something so tragic has happened.”
A moment of silence passed before Melody spoke again. “So, you only knew Robin through Dorinda?”
Cathy nodded. “Yeah, Dorinda talked about him all the time.”
Melody hated to jump to conclusions, but she wondered if Cathy’s genuine grief on Robin’s behalf stemmed from some sort of deeper attachment that she wasn’t prepared to disclose. Perhaps she had been one of his “women”?
“You really had no other… connection with him?” Melody ventured. The moment the words were out of her mouth, she wished she’d been able to figure out a more tactful way to phrase the question.
“What—what are you saying?” Cathy demanded, her proverbial bristles shooting back up again. “I hope you don’t think that I… I mean, Robin and I….”
Melody waited on Cathy to find the right words, but the distraught bridesmaid only grew more flustered the more she tried. “I won’t be accused of anything,” she finally said, her voice taut.
Before Melody could contradict her statement, the livid bridesmaid stalked toward the church w
ithout so much as a goodbye or a backward glance.
“Wow, okay,” Melody said, feeling more suspicious than ever. She glanced at her watch, remembering Kerry before standing to bid the bridesmaids goodbye.
“Anything?” Kerry inquired as Melody resumed her place in the driver’s seat.
“Did I find out who committed the murder? No. However, I did find out that almost everyone feels the exact way Laurel does about Robin.”
“You mean that he was a no-good, manipulative womanizer?”
“Yeah, that.” Melody threw the van into drive and steered away from the church. “Each bridesmaid had a story about why Robin was no good. Except for one….”
“Oh?”
“Her name is Cathy Peck. She seemed far more genuinely distraught. But if you ask me, she seems to be more upset about the loss of Robin than about what this whole ordeal has done to Dorinda….”
“Seriously?”
“She says that he deserves someone to grieve for him.”
Kerry scowled. “No one has a heart big enough to feel sorry for that despicable character.”
“Unless…..” Melody ventured.
Kerry’s eyes lit up with recognition. “Unless she had a deeper connection to him….. unless they were involved.” She crossed her arms, her face contorted with thought. After a few moments, she shook her head, straightening up. “Okay, this is all very interesting, but I think you’d better leave things to the police from here on out. This is getting a little too weird, and I don’t think you should be involved. None of us should.”
Melody didn’t promise Kerry anything. This was too weird….. and she wanted to get to the bottom of it as much as anyone.
Chapter Six
Smudge was so excited to see Melody enter the house that she hopped around like a kangaroo as her owner set down her belongings. After the unimaginable stress of the day, Melody couldn’t have been more grateful that she had such a happy little companion to come home to.
“Hey, buddy,” she said, ignoring her fancy dress and getting right down onto her knees with the dog. “I’m sorry I was gone for so long. You wouldn’t believe how this day turned out.”
