Gemma laughed and opened the bathroom door. “Let’s get dressed for dinner, William.”
“Of course, Carolyn - let’s. You’re going to need to keep up your strength for tonight when I finally get you alone,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and then he swatted her on the bottom.
Shocked and surprised at his behavior, Gemma’s mouth flew open and Nick stifled anything she might have said with a kiss.
“We gotta get their attention,” he whispered to her. His warm breath tickled her ear. “And then give them something to try and blackmail me with.”
It was almost dark when they strolled back down the path to the lodge. Strategically placed solar light were coming on, one by one, to highlight their path. Harold, who was now dressed in a suit and had combed his hair, appeared to be waiting for them at the front door to the lodge. He greeted them warmly and immediately escorted them to a very private booth in the restaurant.
The restaurant itself seemed to have been transformed in the short time they’d been at their cabin. The lights were low and flickering candles decorated every table, aiding in the romantic mood of the approaching holiday.
“Will this be suitable?” Harold asked.
“Absolutely,” Nick assured him.
“Good. I’ll bring the wine list,” Harold said and was gone.
“Wow, it was almost like he was waiting on us,” Gemma voiced her thoughts from earlier. “Does that mean he knew we were on our way?”
“Now I see why Ross thinks you’d make a pretty good detective,” Nick teased.
At the mention of Ross’s name, Gemma couldn’t help but smile. Just when she thought she might be getting herself back under control emotionally after the death of her parents, Detective Ross Ferguson had galloped into her life, turning everything upside down. Both men were being patient, not really forcing her to choose while still managing to confuse her even further. She’d known Nick since second grade. He was familiar, warm and loving. Her feelings for Ross were new and exciting. And his kisses as well as the hungry way he looked at her sometimes promised untold pleasure.
Harold interrupted her thoughts when he returned with the wine list. Appearing to know what he was doing, Nick easily chose one, correctly pronouncing the French name with barely any hesitation at all. A waiter brought their wine and a menu moments later. They made their choices and whenever anyone was close enough to listen, Nick dropped a name or two of some well-known billionaires.
About halfway through their meal, Joel Cunningham stopped by their table. “Is everything satisfactory for you and your lovely wife?” he asked.
“Oh, absolutely,” Nick assured him.
“Where is Mr. Muzak?” Gemma asked. “I was sure he would be putting in an appearance this evening.”
“Oh, he’ll be here soon,” Joel said and Gemma could tell by the tone of his voice that he wasn’t happy about it. “He never misses an opportunity to play Cupid.”
“And Mrs. Muzak?” Nick asked.
“She retired early with a migraine, I’m sad to say,” Joel reported.
“I hope she feels better soon,” Gemma said. “I’ve never had one but I understand they are brutal.”
Before Joel could respond, Mr. Muzak made his appearance, to the obvious delight of the couples in the restaurant. Nick and Gemma watched the show, both of them smiling as Cupid moved from table to table, greeting guests, blessing some of them with his little foil arrows and, in general, spreading Valentine’s Day cheer.
It wasn’t until several moments passed that Gemma noticed that Joel had disappeared.
“He’s gone,” Nick said when she pointed it out to him. “Left right after Cupid arrived.”
“And I’ll bet I know where he went,” Gemma said with a grin.
“Perhaps to check on Mrs. Muzak’s headache,” Nick suggested.
“Bingo,” Gemma said.
They enjoyed the show a while longer, finished their dinner, and then Nick spoke briefly with Mr. Muzak before leaving the restaurant. Harold was at the front desk talking to Missy. Neither of them looked happy, either.
“Harold, we’re heading back to the cabin now,” Nick told him. “Thank you for everything.”
“You’re welcome sir,” Harold said, brushing his hair back out of his eyes with one hand. “Would you like a wake-up call?”
“No, I think we’ll just enjoy some time alone and sleep in tomorrow,” Nick said with a wink.
Gemma let him guide her to the door and they stepped out into the cold mountain air. She pulled her coat tighter around her, while Nick didn’t seem to feel cold at all. The walk back to their cabin was a quick one and the moment they were inside, Gemma knew someone had been in their room.
Chapter Three
Without giving her time to say anything, Nick swept her off her feet. While Gemma protested, he carried her to the bed and pinned her there.
“Nick, someone was in here while we were at dinner,” Gemma whispered. “I think they went through our things.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.” Nick punctuated each word with a little kiss.
“What were they looking for?” Gemma asked, shivering at his warm breath in her ear.
Nick dropped hot wet kisses down her neck. “Maybe just trying to find out if we are imposters.”
“Do you think they suspect something?” Gemma asked, squirming underneath him. Suddenly, the room was really, really hot. “Nick, this is getting kinda scary.”
“They have no reason to think we’re not who we say we are,” Nick assured her, finally propping himself on one elbow and looking down at her. “And you have no reason to be scared. I promised Ross I wouldn’t let anything happen to you and I always keep my promises.”
“I know,” Gemma said, with a shy smile. “It’s one of the things I love about you.”
“Good. Now why don’t you slip into something more comfortable and let’s go to bed,”
Gemma hesitated.
Nick lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “I know I told you we’d have separate rooms but we talked about this when the idea for the story came up. They think you’re my mistress. And there is only one bed,” Nick told her.
“I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea,” Gemma said. She wasn’t sure she could tell Nick no if he pushed the situation, and sex wasn’t what their relationship needed right now. It would only make things twice as confusing for her.
“I promise not to get any ideas at all. None. Nada. Now, come on, I’m beat. I’m too tired to have any ideas.”
In the bathroom, Gemma readied herself for bed. When she came out Nick was checking all the doors and windows to make sure they were locked. At the same time, she noticed that he was taking his time about it. Finally, she realized that he was looking to see where cameras might be located throughout the space.
At last, he crawled into bed beside her. “Did you see the cameras?” she whispered so no one could hear her.
“Yeah. We’re probably putting on a show right now, or at least they’re recording what they hope is a show,” he told her, turning out the lamp beside the bed.
Gemma giggled and curled into his side. Within minutes, they were both asleep.
For the first few seconds after opening her eyes the next morning, Gemma couldn’t remember where she was. Then the memories of the day flooded back and she became very aware of Nick sleeping beside her, snoring softly. She turned her head to look at him and smiled.
Her mother’s words came to her in a rush. “He’ll make some awfully pretty babies,” she had said when Gemma told them Nick had proposed.
Trying to avoid that situation altogether, Gemma quietly crawled out of bed, grabbed the robe that she’d draped across a chair the night before and padded into the bathroom. Once she finished there, she went into the kitchen area and started a pot of coffee.
When she turned around again, Nick was awake.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, sliding his arms around her from
behind and kissing the back of her neck.
“Good morning,” she said turning in his arms and hugging him close.
On camera they were supposed to act like a loving couple and she imagined someone watching them right at that moment. Harold? Joel? Mr. Muzak?
“You were an animal last night,” he whispered in her ear so low that only she could hear.
Gemma giggled and wiggled out of his arms. “Shut up.”
Nick laughed. “So, what’s on tap for today?”
“I’m going shopping,” Gemma announced as she handed him a steaming mug of coffee.
“I might just tag along,” he told her.
“You’d better tag along,” she reminded him. “I’m spending your money.”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot.”
Dressed in jeans, her favorite boots and a pale blue cashmere sweater, Gemma brushed her hair while Nick was in the shower. She was surprised that her wild curls seemed to be easier to tame than usual. “Maybe it’s the altitude,” she said to her reflection.
After sharing toasted bagels and cream cheese, they left the cabin. It was colder than it had been the day before. There wasn’t even a hint of sunshine, even though it was past nine in the morning. The cold air seemed to go right through Gemma’s heavy coat.
“Before we go shopping, I thought we might just explore the area a bit,” Nick said, once they were several yards away from the cabin.
“You mean the lodge,” Gemma corrected him.
“No, I’m really interested in this old theater where we’re supposed to have dinner tonight,” Nick told her. “It’s behind the lodge, sort of tucked away.”
Gemma had to admit, she’d been thinking about exploring as well and she followed him down the path toward the main building. Instead of going inside, they followed a barely visible trail that ran down the hill, away from the lodge and toward an old barn. The wooden structure, though old, looked sturdy and strong. It still smelled of sweet hay even though Gemma was sure it hadn’t been used for anything but equipment storage for a long time. They even climbed up into the loft so they could see out over the property.
“Looks like a smoke house or something over there,” Nick told her, pointing to a small building off to their right.
Gemma agreed. “What is it used for now?”
“Let’s go find out,” he said.
Back outside, they started down a frozen path hand in hand, looking for all the world like a loving couple exploring their surroundings. Was someone watching? Gemma felt pretty sure someone at least knew where they were.
All of the outbuildings held either landscaping equipment or other items necessary to run a place this size. They ended up walking a steep path that led to the back of the lodge. The old theater wasn’t really part of the main building but built very close behind it. Gemma could tell that, at one time, it had been grand.
“I guess this was probably the place to be back in the day,” Nick told her.
“Oh, yeah. I’m sure of it,” Gemma said, looking at the once-beautifully painted signage. Now it was fading away and seemed a little sad, but very historic.
He nodded. “I read that there used to be vaudeville players and even burlesque shows held here.”
“How scandalous,” Gemma gasped, the back of her hand pressing to her forehead. “I may swoon.”
“Okay, I think you’re taking this acting thing a bit far,” Nick said after laughing at her antics.
She loved making Nick laugh. “Can we go inside?” she asked.
“Let’s find out. I would imagine they’ll already be working on it for tonight’s celebration,” he said.
Nick walked up to the huge wooden doors and pushed gently with one hand. It swung open slightly, almost as if inviting them inside. He cocked his head and Gemma could tell he was listening for voices.
“Come on,” he finally whispered, pulling her into the dark.
Gemma blinked, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the gloomy interior. Directly in front of her was a counter with an antique cash register covered in dust. She tiptoed on the wide-planked wooden floors toward another set of double doors which were already partially open. Just inside, were two sets of stairs. The one on the right curled upward to what Gemma assumed was a balcony. The other led to a little platform and a closed door.
Directly in front of them, what had originally been rows of theater seats was an open floor with round tables covered in clean white table cloths. They looked like little ghosts in the eerie semi-darkness. Nick was right - they had already started setting up for tonight. All of the tables were oriented toward a low stage, barely a step up, where someone had already strung twinkling lights along the front of the little platform. A huge, red heart served as a backdrop.
“Looks like they’re going all out,” Nick whispered.
“I’m sure Mr. Muzak insists on it. It’s his shining moment,” Gemma said and turned to look behind her and up. The balcony was even darker and she could only imagine how long it had been since anyone had been up there.
“Let’s go up and have a look,” Nick whispered, when he saw her looking.
“Are you sure it’s safe up there?” Gemma asked.
“We’ll be careful. Come on.”
Gemma followed him, just like she had when they were children, exploring a new cave or an old barn they had discovered or a part of the river that was new to them. She’d always trusted him to keep her safe and she found herself doing so again without even a thought. The steps leading up to the balcony were covered with threadbare carpet so their ascent was silent. And then just before they reached the top, Nick squeezed her hand hard and turned to put his finger to his lips.
“Oh, darling, what are we going to do?”
Gemma’s mouth flew open in surprise and her gaze rose to meet Nick’s. That was Natasha Muzak talking.
“We’ll just have to make our move sooner.” A man’s voice reached their ears and Gemma recognized it as belonging to Joel Cunningham. “I should have known he would catch on.”’
“Are you sure we can pull this off?” she asked.
“With you by my side, I can do anything,” he told her.
“Oh, Joel,” Natasha said.
At the sound of kissing, Nick and Gemma quietly backed down the steps and hurried through the open doors into the old theater lobby. Just as they reached that area, Gemma heard the front door bump to a close - but not before she saw a flash of white and the flutter of a gauzy wing disappear from sight.
Chapter Four
Gemma stood there beside Nick, trembling and waiting for him to decide what they should do next. She was suddenly freezing. The last thing they wanted was for Natasha and Joel to find them snooping around. But she was sure he didn’t want to give their presence away to the fleeing Mr. Muzak, either.
Finally, Nick tiptoed to the door and peeped outside. He opened it just wide enough for them to squeeze through, motioned for her to follow and stepped out into the weak sunshine. Running to keep up, Gemma followed him around the side of the building furthest from the lodge and the front door. Together they scrambled down the bank toward one of the paths that meandered across the property - not an easy task on the frozen ground with her high-heeled boots.
“That was close,” Gemma said breathlessly as they hurried even further away from the old theater.
“You know that was Muzak who darted out the door just ahead of us, right?” Nick said.
Gemma nodded. “And I’ll bet he heard Natasha and Joel talking.”
“Or at least knew they were up there,” Nick added.
“What do you think they’re going to do?”
Nick shrugged. “I’m guessing something permanent. It sounded like Muzak found out something they were trying to hide from him.”
“The blackmailing scheme?” Gemma wondered aloud.
“I doubt that. It seems to be pretty elaborate, so it would be hard to keep that kind of thing under wraps. I’m pretty sure he’s in on it, too.”
> “Money,” Gemma said.
Nick nodded. “That’s what I’m thinking.”
“Do you think someone will contact you soon with the threat to release the recordings of us together?”
Nick shrugged. “From what we’ve discovered it could happen right before we leave or right after. It’s usually pretty quick.”
“It might be quicker if Natasha and Joel are going to make some kind of move.”
“It’s too confusing right now,” Nick said. “Let’s go shopping and let me think about it for a bit.”
The shops were less than a ten minute drive from the lodge and Gemma found them to be more than what she expected. They were clustered along a narrow main street and looked as if they had not been touched since the fifties. It was difficult to act as if she was not impressed with the workmanship displayed in every window.
After a light lunch at a little café, they headed toward the last few shops which, as promised, displayed expensive and one-of-a-kind boutique clothing. She and Nick were already inside before they realized that Natasha Muzak was in there as well.
Their eyes met and they made sure to stay well hidden in the crowded racks of clothing. Natasha appeared to be purchasing a flowing red gown with long sleeves. The little bell over the door jingled and Joel entered the shop. Gemma and Nick exchanged glances.
“Why Natasha, I didn’t realize you were coming into town,” he said.
“I was feeling better so I thought I’d come down for a lunch and maybe do a little shopping,” she explained, holding the dress up in front of her.
“For tonight?” he asked.
“Yes, you know red is Boris’s favorite color,” she replied.
“And the color looks stunning on you,” he told her.
They were putting on an act, Gemma was sure of it.
He followed her around the shop, waiting while she picked up a pair of red high heels that matched the dress perfectly and then made her purchase.
“Why don’t you let me buy you a coffee,” he suggested as they left the shop together.
“Why thank you. That would be lovely.”
Cupid's Corpse: A Cozy Mystery (Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery Book 3) Page 3
