Swindled

by Mayes, June

  Vickie, who had answered the door, walked back into the kitchen looking stunned. Beth turned to look at her. Vickie was pale and even more enormous then ever. In the last few days it seemed that the baby had grown. It certainly had shifted and Vickie was finding it incredibly hard to get comfortable. Beth had a feeling that any day now the baby would arrive. She and Scott had been trying to keep Vickie as relaxed as possible in the light of the impending birth. At the moment though, Vickie was looking anything but calm. She was shaking gently.

  “Is it that detective again?” Scott asked looking angry as he rushed over to his wife. This would be the last straw, Beth thought, if the detective was once again on their doorstep causing upset. She knew he had a job to do but this was getting ridiculous. Just how many times was he going to come and harass them?

  “No, it’s the funeral home,” Vickie answered faintly as Scott moved to pull out a chair and help her sit down. For a minute Beth felt relief. At least it wasn’t the detective. She could see that a problem with the funeral would throw Vickie although she was surprised how much her sister was reacting. Beth figured it would be something they could fix and went back to finishing up the dishes quickly.

  “They’re delivering Brian’s body,” Vickie said quietly as if she couldn’t believe it. She was still shivered in her seat.

  “What?” Scott asked frowning thinking he misheard. Beth swung around to look at her sister and repeated the question. The forgotten pot in her hand dripped bubbles and water onto the terracotta tiled floor. The sleeves of her top were rolled up to the elbows and she tried to tuck an errant hair behind her ear without getting her entire face wet. She wasn’t very successful.

  “Apparently there was a miscommunication,” Vickie said looking wide eyed at her family. Both Scott and Beth looked astonished. What was going on here? “They assumed that the memorial service would include the body.” Huh?

  “But we’re having the memorial service here,” Beth said stunned. She tossed the scrub brush and pot back into the sink, grabbing a dish towel. “Tomorrow,” she squeaked. Vickie couldn’t be serious. Someone had brought a dead body to their house? Here? She shared a glance at Scott. So much for keeping Vickie relaxed.

  “That’s why they’re delivering the body,” Vickie explained. Her skin had taken on the slightly green tinge of someone who is about to be physically ill. She shifted slightly in her chair as Scott propped an extra seat cushion under her.

  Leaving her sitting as comfortably as possible, Scott and Beth rushed to the front room where, in fact, Brian’s body had already been installed. The funeral director was a small Italian man who was beside himself with the pleasure of having done his job so well. He was wearing a black formal suit which set off his silvered hair and black moustache. His ultra efficient team of young twenty something’s had eagerly moved the settee from the windows and placed Brian’s coffin on a specially designed table. Luckily the curtains were pulled shut so at the very least none of their noisy neighbours would be having heart palpitations. Beth was incredibly thankful for both that small piece of luck and for the fact that the lid of the coffin was still sealed shut.

  When she ventured to say that the guests had planned to go to the funeral home to pay their last respects, the funeral director waved Beth away.

  “So much better this way,” he said gesturing with his hands. “Everyone would be able to spend some real quality time saying their goodbyes. So few families actually did it right anymore,” he added with a tear in his eye. While he explicated on the merits of doing the funeral this way, Beth was silently cursing the funeral broker’s associate. Obviously somewhere in the mess of his paperwork something had gone wrong. Beth planned on calling him as soon as she could get her mind around what was happening. She looked over the shoulder of the funeral director as his team shuffled around putting the finishing touches together. There really was a coffin in their sitting room.

  Before either Scott or Beth could muster comment in regards to the return of the body, the ever helpful funeral director lifted the lid of the coffin to show them how lifelike Brian looked. He explained that as long as they didn’t leave the lid up for longer then a few hours, the body would be fine until it was picked up again. Well that was one less thing to worry about, Beth thought. Not a huge relief but things could have been a great deal worse. With that last comment made the director and his team vacated the house, wishing Beth, Scott and Vickie their heartfelt condolences.

  Beth and Scott retreated to the kitchen to sit with Vickie. There didn’t seem to be anything they could say, well at least nothing appropriate. All three of them were faintly stunned and wary of going anywhere near the formal sitting room. With no answer at the brokerage so there was nothing to be done until the next morning. Mustering the last of her energy, Vickie had made them tea and as they drank it each seemed lost in their own thoughts. There was no hope for it. After a brief attempt at talking about something else entirely, all three decided that it was a good day to retire early. There was just no way the three of them were going to be staying near the corpse any longer then necessary.

  Later as Beth took stock, lying in her bed, she realised that David hadn’t called her. She missed him. She wanted to hear his voice and listen to his day. She wanted to talk to him. More importantly, she wanted to share with him the fact that at this moment was that there was a dead man lying in their front room wearing too much make-up and a dated tux.

  Chapter 28

  Since Brian’s death, Beth and Vickie had gone through every family and friend they had to notify them of Brian’s death and his funeral. His secretaries at the office had called around to do the same with all his business associates. By the big day, Beth felt they had contacted just about everyone possible. Where they couldn’t speak to people directly, they left messages to explain about the funeral.

  The net result of all that work was that there could be any number of mourners turning up to pay their respects. Beth rather thought it was more likely to be in the single digits given the response of some of the people she had spoken to. Brian had burnt a lot of bridges.

  At about eight in the morning of the funeral, Beth came downstairs to find Vickie and Scott making breakfast. Around them the caterers were starting to unpack the tools of their trade. All the pre-prepared food was already lined up on the kitchen counters. The bar was being set up at the one end of the kitchen and the doors to the garden were open. Thankfully the weather was nice enough that the majority of people would probably loiter outside with the help of the gas heaters scattered on the lawn. The perfect day, Beth decided, for a brunch with wine and a dead body holding court in the front room.

  After a long discussion with the funeral brokerage earlier in the morning on the merits of a few of the finer points of funeral details Beth had extracted numerous apologies but no retrieval of the body. Apparently, if it were any consolation, there was a family not far from here who were irate that their dearly beloved was still packed away in a freezer rather then being ensconced in the family home. No Beth decided, it really wasn’t a consolation. The funeral home where the body was to be held in state was not available. The long and the short of it was that Brian’s body was staying with them.

  Beth was downing some much deserved coffee as she walked up the entry hall to answer the door. There standing on her doorstep were Karin, Charlotte and Bee bearing comical expressions of extreme sadness. Beth laughed. It was just what she needed to help her face the rest of the day. En-mass they headed into the study to hide from any more disasters that might be lurking waiting for them. It was a room thankfully dead body free. Instead it was filled to the brim with lingerie in piles, patterns pinned to the walls and stacked boxes filled with fabrics. With sighs of relief, her three friends threw themselves into the overstuffed chairs that were buried under everything.

  “Ugh I can’t believe that you have a dead body in the house,” Bee started after Beth explained about the uninvited guest residing in a coffin in the front roo
m. Charlotte just rolled her eyes and Karin sat hunched in the chair quietly snickering. They had all come to expect this kind of thing when she was involved, Beth decided.

  Charlotte smirked, “What, don’t you remember Beth’s last boyfriend? We had bets going to whether he had a pulse or not.” They all laughed including Beth. That had been a short-lived and uneventful relationship.

  “To tell you the truth I sometimes wondered as well. Now tell me why all of you are here so early. I can’t believe that all three of you are willing to spend even a minute more time then you have to with Brian. Even if he is dead,” Beth said slinging her legs up on the desk as she leaned and surveying her kingdom.

  “We thought you would need a little help getting ready for the party,” Charlotte muttered as she pawed through a box at her feet. She pulled out a bra and held it in front of her, “what do you think girls? Do I suit red lace and feathers?”

  “Mmm, I think you might be more of a purple silk with pink ribbons,” said Beth as she tossed a version of it to her friend. “By the way, I am expecting all of you to last to the end of this. We need to celebrate another death in style.”

  “Oh goodie… who are we going to kill today then?” asked Karin who was practically bouncing in her chair with glee.

  “It’s not a joking matter Karin,” Bee said as she made a shushing movement with her hand. “They really think Beth may have had something to do with it.” Beth looked fondly over at her friend. Bee was sitting perched at the edge of her chair trying not to crush the materials under her. Charlotte had simply pushed most of the contents of her seat onto the floor and Karin was sitting squarely on top of everything. They really were all one of a kind.

  “Nonsense,” said Charlotte. “They must know that they are barking up the wrong tree. Besides they don’t have any evidence to suggest any of us were anywhere near him. And at the time he met his untimely end he had made quite a few enemies. All we have to do is wait for the police to use their brains and find the real killer.”

  “There’s no hope for us then is there?” Karin retorted and they all laughed. She continued, “Which brings us back to whose death we are celebrating after the funeral.”

  Beth took a deep breath and put her feet back down on the floor. “Not whose… what. We’ve decided its time to call it a day with the business,” she said quietly. She didn’t want it to be a big issue. After all the discussions and debates, it seemed like it was the right thing to do.

  “I’m sorry Beth,” Karin said. Her former gaiety stilled. The study was quiet and all three friends had sat up to look at Beth.

  “So am I,” Bee said looking sincere and sad. None of them would have wanted it to come to this Beth knew.

  “Isn’t there anything we can do?” Charlotte, ever the optimist, asked. She had stopped fiddling with the bra and looked like she was really concentrating as if she was trying to come up with one of her outrageous ideas.

  “Look there is no real option. If we don’t get orders in by the end of the week, as in tomorrow, we won’t be able to make the payments,” Beth took a deep breath and tried to smile. “So we’re going to mortgage this house to make the repayment in full. That way, in a few years, we can try and launch the company again. It just makes sense,” Beth explained with a shrugged. It didn’t even hurt that much to think about it anymore. The tears would come she was sure but for now, well they had a plan and a plan that would work. She couldn’t ask for anything else.

  “How are you feeling about it?” Bee asked gently.

  “Doesn’t this add a big financial drain? You might loose the house if you can’t make the repayments. You’ve managed so far to keep it free and clear. Isn’t there anything else you can do?” Karin looked like she was going to cry for Beth. They had come so close to realising their dream. It was an emotionally charged moment.

  “Well Vickie, Scott and I figured it will be okay. With the baby coming and trying to sort out things, it’s probably better to take time out for a few years. I’ve even got a job interview lined up. Repayments shouldn’t be too difficult. Scott and I will pool our salaries. We’re just really lucky that Vickie and I inherited this house; otherwise it would have been a complete disaster. It could be a lot worse.” Beth explained. She had actually come to terms with putting the company on hold. It was heartening though that her friends were heartbroken for her. They would always be there with their support and to Beth that was worth more then any company.

  “Agreed,” Charlotte said pulling herself upright. She had done the bra up over her top and looked ridiculous but she sounded serious.

  “Yup if you are feeling okay with this then we’re behind you,” Karin nodded.

  “Hey I think we should see the company out in style,” Charlotte suddenly said smiling at Beth.

  “What?” Bee glanced at Charlotte and started giggling.

  “Let’s see it off in style,” she repeated tossing a bra at Beth and another at Karin. “I think we should use the funeral to parade your wares one last time. It’s what Brian would have wanted,” Charlotte continued earnestly. Well it was one of Charlotte’s crazy ideas, Beth had to admit. It wasn’t about to save the company but it might be fun so why not she thought.

  “This is his funeral! How could he have wanted that?” Karin asked with a big smile on her face. Beth started laughing. She couldn’t help it. Only her friends would consider doing what she thought they were about to do. Beth shook her head in mock despair as she picked up the bra that Charlotte had thrown her way.

  “Well a load of women in sexy underwear wandering around his sublime body would have made him a very happy man.” Charlotte said with a shrug as she dug once again through the pile of silks next to her.

  “He’s dead!” Bee exclaimed outraged. Apparently she wasn’t sure that what they were planning was entirely appropriate for the occasion.

  “Yes, well you can’t have it all. Or rather he couldn’t,” Charlotte said nonchalantly and shrugged again. “Think of it as a kind of launch,’ she pursed her lips at one of the outfits she found and then dropped it back into its pile. She gave a cheerful grin at Beth and winked.

  “Okay you’re on,” Beth agreed suddenly moving into action. “Why not?”

  Ten minutes later, Vickie poked her head around the door and burst into laughter.

  “What on earth are you four doing?” she asked coming more fully into the room with a hand over her mouth. She was trying to stifle her giggles but it wasn’t working. Beth smiled at her sister fondly. It was fun to see their creations at work so to speak. It was the levity they needed.

  Standing in the middle of the room Karin was braced against the work table. She was being tied into a black leather bra and corset combo with black faux feathers which framed her pushed up bust. With her pale porcelain doll like face and her blond hair falling in curls from a high up ponytail, Karin looked like an exotic dessert in bondage. A topless Charlotte was cursing under her breath as she tugged at the ribbons at Karin’s back trying to get everything tucked in. Karin, Bee, Vickie and Beth were beside themselves with laughter watching as Charlotte fought with the ties.

  “We’re dressing up for the occasion. Care to join us?” Beth asked holding up a peek-a-boo number. Charlotte was right she figured. This might be the only chance to ‘launch’ the range. It seemed sort of fitting somehow that it would be at Brian’s funeral.

  Vickie giggled.

  “Why not?” she asked echoing Beth’s feelings and stepped up to the table.

  Bee pulled a white frothy creation from the pile in front of her and said “I have just the thing.” Beth smiled as she looked up. That little number would just perfect. In minutes, Vickie had pulled off the stretchy low black scoop necked top she was wearing and was pulling it on. When she was redressed, there was a soft flutter of white peeping over the edge of the neckline. It showed Vickie’s engorged cleavage off to its full pre-birth advantage.

  Bee meanwhile had opted for a turquoise number that offset her ch
ocolate brown eyes and sleek black hair. She had added a matching piece of ribbon to tie all that hair back from her face making her look exotic and sophisticated. Leaving her top unbuttoned Bee managed to reveal just the ideal glimpse of the turquoise lace. With a sheer black shirt over the lace trimmed satin brassier she looked like a Christmas present waiting to be unwrapped.

  Having finally got Karin into her leather corset, Charlotte put on a halter necked black velvet bra top. Closer up there was a faint pattern of tiny embroidered leopard paw prints marching across each breast in bronze thread. Her hair was tousled after her fight with Karin’s outfit. Charlotte looked wild, sexy and like a combination of Barbie meets Tarzan.

  On the other side of the room, Beth had dug through another box and slipped on a bright red velvet piece with trailing ribbons. With her black wrap around sweater tied low, her breasts looked lush and full, cupped in luscious red. To top the outfit off she tied a beaded red ribbon around her neck as a choker. Beth looked in the mirror over the fireplace. The ensemble against her dark auburn hair and bright blue eyes gave her the look of a fallen angel. Perfect.

  Finally all of them were ready. Laughing they headed into the kitchen where Scott could happily look down their tops. Around them the caterers seemed to have a hard time concentrating on their work as they cast furtive looks at the outfits. The friends ignored the chaos they were causing.

  “Celebrating?” Scott asked with a big smile on his face as he looked at his wife then glanced at her companions. He looked like a kid in a candy store.