Wedding Woes
Page 6
As she lay in bed, waiting for sleep to come to her, she wondered how Jennifer was doing. The other woman was staying alone in her room tonight out of respect for tradition. Sean and Rudy were down in the office, having moved the other twin bed into the room earlier that day. Jennifer, she thought, would likely be having an even harder time sleeping than she was. Or maybe not – for all Hannah knew, she was one of those lucky people who could sleep through anything.
When she finally did fall asleep, it was fitful, and she woke up what felt like only minutes later to a light knocking on her door.
“What is it?” she asked groggily.
The door cracked open. “It’s Jasmine,” a voice whispered. “Can I come in?”
“Yeah…” Hannah sat up, rubbing at her eyes. “What’s going on?”
“I just wanted to talk to you,” Jasmin said softly as she came in the room. “Now that Eliza is finally asleep…” She trailed off, standing there silently. Hannah squinted at her in the darkness.
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
“I think she’s the one who did it,” Jasmine said at last, her voice barely above a whisper. “I think she is the one who killed Kiersten, and I’m worried that as soon as the wedding is over, she’s going to disappear.”
Chapter Eleven
“Why do you think she’s the one who did it?” Hannah asked, reaching over to turn on her bedside light.
Jasmine came further into the room. “Look, everyone always thought I hated Kiersten the most of any of us. Maybe I should have – she completely overshadowed me at my own wedding on purpose. But Eliza… she was the one who really hated her. They had clashing personalities from the first minute they met, and Kiersten’s problem with stealing only added on top of that.”
“It doesn’t mean she killed her, though,” Hannah said, still trying to fully focus on what was going on. What time was it, even? She felt like she had just fallen asleep, but it must have been hours since according to Jasmine, Eliza was asleep now. “From what I’ve seen, a lot of people had a reason to dislike her.”
“Yeah, but the thing is, she’s been acting really weird ever since Kiersten died.”
“You think she feels guilty?” Hannah asked with a frown, trying to think back and remember if she’d ever seen Eliza look the slightest bit put out about Kiersten’s death.
“No, nothing like that. The opposite, in fact. She’s been acting like nothing happened. Like Kiersten’s death meant absolutely nothing. I mean, I could barely stand her, but it’s still horrible for her and her family. I would’ve completely supported Jennifer if she wanted to cancel the wedding, but Eliza has been very gung-ho about going ahead with it. And, if you look at it from her point of view, if she’s the one who killed her, it makes sense. She wants to get the wedding out of the way so that she can leave afterward, without needing to feel bad about dropping out of her maid of honor duties for Jennifer. There is also the fact that no one knows where she was when Kiersten fell. You were in the kitchen, Jennifer was in the living room, Sean was in town, but Eliza? No one had eyes on her.”
“The same could be said about you,” Hannah pointed out quietly.
“I was in the bathroom, so it makes sense that I didn’t have an alibi. Like I said, I think what happened to her is horrible. I’m not a violent person, just ask anyone.”
“I’m not trying to blame you,” Hannah said. “I’m just pointing out that the evidence you’re using could apply to almost anyone.”
“Just… will you help me keep an eye on her until after the wedding? If she tries to run, we have to stop her.”
“All right,” Hannah agreed. “To be frank, I don’t think anyone should leave until we have a chance to sit down with Jennifer and Sean after the reception and try to figure out what really happened. You haven’t spoken about any of this with Eliza, have you?”
Jasmine bit her lip. “Actually, I did ask her about it. You might have noticed that we have been a little bit more distant with each other the past little while. During the drive to the restaurant, I decided I couldn’t take it, anymore, and I asked her if she had been in the room when Kiersten went out the window. She got really mad at me, like… over-the-top mad. That’s another reason I think she did it. Why else would she overreact like that? But then, she apologized to me a little while before dinner tonight. She said she understood my concerns about what happened to Kiersten and offered to help me look into it. I didn’t know what to think. I still don’t, but I haven’t seen anything to convince me that I’m wrong.”
“So, she knows you suspect her?” Hannah said. “I’ll keep a close eye on her. Will you be okay? You don’t think she’ll try to hurt you or anything, do you?”
“I don’t think so, but that’s why I have been sleeping in the living room. Just to be safe,” Jasmine said. “I’ll let you go back to sleep, now. I just wanted to tell someone. This whole thing has been a disaster, and if she did do it, I don’t want her to get away.”
“Neither do I,” Hannah said. “I promise, I’m going to do my very best to make sure whoever killed Kiersten faces the consequences for what they did.”
Chapter Twelve
Hannah’s alarm woke her up far too early the next morning. She could already hear other people up and active in the house. Someone was in the shower next to Hannah’s room – probably Jennifer, since she was the only one Hannah had given permission to use the master bathroom –and someone else was playing music.
With a groan, she stretched and got out of bed, mentally tallying up a list of everything she had to do to make sure the wedding went smoothly. Since she was a bridesmaid, she wouldn’t be able to help much with the food preparation, but in the break between the wedding and reception, she intended to change and do what she could in the kitchen. She had faith in her restaurant staff, and knew that everything should be okay, unless a major appliance broke down. She would have her hands full with getting ready this morning. On top of that, she had to make sure that everyone else was happy, and that Jennifer didn’t get cold feet again.
While she waited for Jennifer to get out of the shower, she packed a bag with a change of clothes for after the wedding, so as not to get her dress dirty in the kitchen. Once the bathroom was empty, she claimed it for herself, taking the time to exfoliate and let her hair soak in conditioner before she got out. Knowing that Jennifer probably had more to do in the bathroom, she snagged the blow dryer and did the rest of her preparations in her bedroom.
They were planning on helping each other with their hair before leaving, so she simply dried it and brushed it out, letting it fall loose to her shoulders while she put on her face cream and did her nails. She planned on changing into the dress just before they left, so she put her sleeping clothes back on and decided to get some breakfast.
Thankfully, she had planned ahead, and there was a fruit platter and some muffins and bagels in the kitchen. None of them would have the time to cook this morning, and a bagel with cream cheese would be a lot easier than making eggs and bacon.
Downstairs, she found her guests in varying states of readiness. Amy was there, and they exchanged a quick hug before she moved on to greet her brother. Sean was walking around with his tuxedo jacket unbuttoned and his tie loose around his neck. Her mother was quick to corral him and started straightening out his shirt. Jasmine was chatting with Lorelle, who was the only one of them who looked ready for the day. She had a new camera around her neck and waved Hannah over when she saw her.
“The bride mentioned she wanted to get a picture of the bridal party before you head to the restaurant,” Lorelle said. “How long do you think it will be until everyone is dressed?”
“Probably another hour and a half. We want to be at the restaurant in two hours at the latest.”
“In that case, do you mind if I run to the restaurant really quick to get a feel for the layout? I’ll be back here in time to take the photo, but I’ll need to know where to set up prior to the ceremony.”
Lorelle nodded and walked away. Hannah turned to get a bagel for herself, but Jasmine grabbed her arm and pulled her away to a quiet corner. “Eliza is upstairs with Jennifer. I’m trying to stand where I can keep an eye on the stairway without being too obvious about it. You’ll help, right?”
“I will,” Hannah said. “I doubt she’ll come down now, though. She’s probably going to stay with Jennifer most of the morning. And Jennifer won’t come down until Sean leaves, I know that for a fact. She really doesn’t want him to see her until the wedding.”
“I can’t even imagine what she’s going through,” Jasmine said with a sigh. “This has got to be the most stressful wedding in history.”
“I don’t know about that,” Hannah said. “I used to work for a high-end restaurant before I moved here, and we catered some weddings. At least, Jennifer doesn’t have to worry about Sean leaving her at the altar or being caught with a bridesmaid before the ceremony.”
“True,” Jasmine said. “I have to go finish my makeup. Please keep an eye out for Eliza for me?”
“I will,” Hannah promised.
Jasmine nodded and hurried off. Hannah grabbed a bagel and popped it in the toaster oven, pulling a tub of whipped cream cheese out of the fridge while she waited. Her mother was still tugging at Sean’s tie, trying to get it straight, and her dad looked to be giving him last-minute advice. She didn’t interrupt them; today was his day, and he deserved some time alone with their parents.
With her toasted bagel in hand, she walked into the living room to eat in front of the big window that looked out over the yard. She glanced at the stairs on her way by. She didn’t think Eliza would make an appearance yet; she seemed pretty determined to see the wedding through, and if she was planning on running, it probably wouldn’t be until later. She might be a killer, but she still seemed to be a pretty good friend.
“Howdy,” a voice said. Hannah turned at the voice and saw Jennifer’s father approaching her.
“Hi,” she said. “I didn’t realize you were here yet.”
“We arrived an hour ago,” he said. “I got kicked out of Jennifer’s room so the three of them could have some girl talk. Are there any bagels left?”
“There are a few,” Hannah said. “You’d better hurry, though. I’m sure they won’t last long.”
He thanked her and moved into the kitchen. Hannah sighed, going back to her window gazing. There really wasn’t much she could do right now – Eliza, Jennifer, and Jennifer’s mother wanted time alone, and she doubted she would be welcome. Not because Jennifer didn’t like her, but she wasn’t as close to her soon-to-be sister-in-law as the other women were. Sean was still with her parents, Jasmine was finishing her makeup and Rudy… Where was Rudy?
Deciding to track down her errant guest, Hannah made her way to the makeshift bedroom in the office. The bedding had been folded and stacked on both beds, but there was no sign of Rudy. Frowning, and wondering if maybe he had gotten cold feet of his own last night, she moved back toward the kitchen, intending to ask Sean where he was, when she realized there was one more place she could check.
Upstairs, she knocked softly on Kiersten’s door. A male voice responded with, “Come in,” so she turned the knob, opening the door and stepping inside.
“I was wondering where you were,” she said. “Everyone else is busy getting ready.”
“I know,” Rudy said. “I’m just… I needed a moment.”
He was still wearing the sweatpants and the ripped T-shirt that he slept in, and his hair was a mess. In her experience, men didn’t take anywhere near as long as women did to get ready to go somewhere, but she still had to fight the urge to tell him to hurry. She would be able to relax a bit once everyone was at the restaurant without any issues arising.
“It was nice of you to say that Sean could still have the wedding even after what happened to Kiersten,” she said quietly. “I know the two of you weren’t dating anymore, but it’s obvious you cared for her.”
“She was the sort of person who needed someone to care for her, you know? She was… vulnerable, I guess.”
“I understand,” Hannah said. “Sometimes, you can’t help who you love.”
“I just feel so…” He shook his head looking helplessly around the room. Eliza and Jasmine must have put everything back, because the room was spotless.
“Maybe it will help when we figure out who did it,” Hannah said gently. “Don’t tell anyone, but we’re going to gather people together after the reception and try to get some answers once and for all.”
“Do you think you have an idea of who it was?” he asked, looking up at her.
She hesitated, but he had such a pained expression on his face that she answered anyway. “I think it’s either Eliza or Lorelle,” she said softly. “Jasmine is almost convinced that Eliza was the one who did it. She came to me last night to talk about it. I’m not sure what to think, but we are going to keep an eye on her and confront her after everything is over.”
Rudy opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, the bedroom door behind Hannah slammed the rest of the way open to reveal Eliza. She was standing in the doorway with a curling iron clenched in one hand and a furious expression on her face.
Chapter Thirteen
“So, everyone thinks that I’m the one who killed that miserable excuse for a human being, is that it?” she asked.
“No,” Hannah said. Behind her, she heard Rudy stand up and take a step forward. “We were just –”
“I heard what you said about Jasmine.” Eliza huffed. “We’ve been friends for years, and she thinks…” She shook her head. “She’s telling people I’m a murderer. I guess that shows what friendship gets you. I’ve had her back for years, and the second she has any doubts about me, she turns around and does this. Where is she? Is she downstairs?”
“Now is not the time to cause a scene,” Hannah said.
“I’m not the one causing a scene,” Eliza said, glaring daggers at her. “I wouldn’t call finding out that someone I trusted accused me of murder ‘causing a scene.’ I put everything into this wedding. Everything. But apparently, the only thing I get out of it is everyone thinking I’m a deranged killer.”
“What on earth is going on in here?” Jennifer asked, coming up to the doorway next to Eliza. Her makeup had just been finished, and her hair looked like it was half done
“Nothing,” Eliza spit out.
Hannah hesitated, then said, “Nothing. We’ll talk to you about it later. Just focus on the wedding, okay?”
“No,” Jennifer said, crossing her arms. “I’m sick of being treated like I’m made of glass. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Jasmine apparently thinks I’m the one who killed Kiersten, and Hannah here believes her,” Eliza said sourly.
Jennifer looked at her, her expression considering for a moment, and Eliza flinched back.
“You’re not telling me you think that, too?” she asked, her voice softer.
“I don’t know what to think,” Jennifer said. “I think we’ve all come to terms with the fact that someone was up there when Kiersten went out the window. We don’t know what happened or why, and I’ve been too focused on the wedding to pay as much attention to everything else as I should have. But it could’ve been anyone, Eliza. Yes, even you. No one liked Kiersten. Even Lorelle, who had only met her earlier that morning, had a reason to dislike her. So no, I haven’t completely taken you off the list of suspects that I have in my mind.”
“You’ve known me for years, Jen,” Eliza said. “You’ve seen me at my worst. Do you really think I would do something like that? What about Hannah? Is she on your suspect list, too?”
“No. But only because I know she was in the kitchen when it happened,” Jennifer added quickly. “I ran into her when I was going to see what happened. There’s no way she could
have gotten downstairs that quickly. I saw her coming out of the kitchen, and only seconds had passed since I heard Kiersten scream.”
“Hey, what’s all the commotion?” Sean appeared in the hallway, trying to squish into the doorway as well to see what was going on. Hannah sighed. This was exactly what she hadn’t wanted to happen this morning.
“Jennifer is losing her maid of honor, that’s what’s happening,” Eliza snapped. She turned as if she was about to walk out of the room, but couldn’t quite make it through the doorway with everyone in her way.
“What?” Sean asked, moving closer as if he could physically stop her from leaving the wedding party. “You can’t drop out at the last minute. You’re Jen’s best friend.”
“You can’t stop me!” She tried to move forward again, but Sean wasn’t getting out of her way. With a muffled shriek of frustration, she shoved him with both hands, inadvertently jabbing the curling iron into his neck. He stepped back with a shout, pressing a hand to his neck. When he removed it, the skin was red. The curling iron was still hot.
“I didn’t mean to do that,” Eliza said quickly, dropping the curling iron. Jennifer bent to pick it up before it could burn a hole in the carpet. “I – I didn’t mean to hurt him. I was just frustrated and –”
“You were frustrated with Kiersten all the time,” Jennifer said quietly. “If you’ll shove my fiancé – the man who will be my husband in just a few hours – why would I believe that you didn’t do it to Kiersten?”
“I didn’t,” Eliza said, her voice breaking. “I swear. I never stepped foot in this room with her. Jennifer, please. You have to believe me.”