Killer Party

by Lynn Cahoon

  We could read each other pretty accurately. That was one thing I noticed when we were at The Castle. The other couples did the same thing. Except Levi and Jessica. I rarely even saw them talking, let alone casting glances that soon to be newlyweds should be casting. Like, I can’t wait to get you to the room and take off that skimpy bathing suit glances. What was up with that?

  I turned toward Greg, wanting to share my observation. “Levi and Jessica didn’t look at each other.”

  “What are you talking about?” He plopped down on the leather recliner he’d brought from his bachelor pad. I had to admit, it was comfortable and kind of went with my sofa set. Especially if Emma would stop eating the throw pillows I tried to decorate the leather monstrosity with. “I’m pretty sure they knew what each other looked like. They’d been living together for a while now.”

  “No, I meant like the glance we just did when we talked without talking.” I leaned forward. “All the other couples were throwing those kind of looks to their partner all weekend.” I had to admit, a lot of them were eye rolls when Levi was pontificating on one subject or the other. No wonder Allison swam all the time. She was probably tired of hearing her host’s stories. I’d only been to one event and I had gotten tired of the Levi show.

  “Sure they did.” But now I could see Greg reeling the tape of the weekend back in his head. When he’d looked at me again, he’d remembered I was right. “That’s so strange. I didn’t notice it while we were there. I guess I was too involved in Levi’s world but you’re right, they didn’t.”

  The doorbell rang and my aunt appeared out of the kitchen to answer it. On the way to the door, she paused and looked at the two of us. “Who didn’t what, Greg?”

  She didn’t wait for an answer, just continued to the door and opened it for Harrold. He walked in and kissing Aunt Jackie lightly on the cheek, announced, “I come bearing food.”

  Greg jumped up to take the bag from our new guest. “Let me take this into the kitchen.”

  Aunt Jackie held up a hand. “No need. You two need to relax after your trying weekend. So who wasn’t talking?”

  “It’s nothing.” Greg tried to take the bag from Harrold again. “You sure I can’t help?”

  The older man shook his head. “Son, if I’ve learned anything this last few months is never argue with the woman. You can’t win.”

  Greg put his hands up in surrender. “I guess they’re cut from the same cloth then.”

  “Hey, what is that supposed to mean?” I threw one of my pillows at him, hitting his legs.

  Greg picked it up and tossed it back on the couch. “You throw like a girl, for one. And you know you and your aunt have the same stubborn streak.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Greg King.” Aunt Jackie stomped toward the kitchen. “And there’s nothing wrong with throwing like a girl. Women can do anything now; we’re not just housewives waiting on our man’s arrival home from work.”

  “No, but you were awaiting my arrival from Diamond Lille’s.” Harrold grinned as he held up the bags. “Shall we get dinner started?”

  “Toby should be here in a few minutes.” I looked at the clock. “I bet he’ll walk in right when we sit down.”

  “Then we’ll set a place for him.” Harrold sat the bags on the counter. “Lille filled my bags a little too full. Have you seen her new photo collection? She’s calling it the wall of fame. Right now, she had Mayor Baylor and that actor from the sixties sitcom that came into the place a few years ago. She thinks once she starts the wall, other people will want their pictures to be added.”

  “I’m not sure she should have the mayor as one of her first additions. Maybe no one will want to be on a wall with him.” I grabbed plates out of the cupboard.

  “That’s not nice. Marvin and Tina have done a lot for this town.” My aunt pulled out a pitcher of iced tea from the fridge and sat it on the counter as Greg grabbed glasses. Harrold cut up a lemon and put it on the counter.

  I smiled as I set the table. Somehow over the last few months, the four of us had become comfortable as family. It showed as we prepared to eat Sunday dinner together. Maybe we should make this a weekly thing?

  I reconsidered my thought. Maybe monthly.

  “I’m with Jill on with this one. Marvin can be kind of a hard ass.” Greg grabbed silverware. “And, I don’t think he’s much of a celebrity.”

  “Well, Lille’s happy with the start of her wall, so that’s all that matters.” Harrold started pulling out the food from the bags. “That girl has worked her butt off to make that place successful. She deserves our support.”

  Greg and I shared a look, again. Harrold and his now deceased wife, Agnes, had been friends with Lille probably since she opened the diner next to The Train Station years ago. Harrold acted more like a father figure than just a neighbor to the woman who was now as hard as stone, at least to everyone else but Harrold. I’d gotten a glimpse of what had started to harden her heart a few summers ago. The fact I knew her secret didn’t make us closer, just gave her one more reason not to like me.

  “You’re right, dear.” Aunt Jackie laid a hand on his arm. “We should be more supportive. I bet Nathan Pike would send us a photo for Lille’s wall. In fact, we might be able to find one where he was eating dinner there on his last trip?”

  “I’m sure he’d love to. Nathan definitely considers himself a celebrity.” I put paper napkins on the table by each plate, followed by Greg who was placing the silverware as we rounded the table. As I finished, I turned into him, putting my hands on his chest. “Maybe you should call him, honey? He’d love to hear from you.”

  Both Jackie and Harrold laughed as Greg shook his head, squeezing me into a bear hug. He chuckled as he squeezed. “I needed that laugh. It’s been a long day. But you are totally evil. You know that right?”

  Greg and Nathan hadn’t quite got along during Nathan’s last visit. Well, Nathan thought everything was peachy, but Greg had been happy to see the guy go. He’d been like a puppy dog, hanging on everything Greg did and said for over a month while he did research for his next book.

  When I caught my breath, I went to the counter and poured myself a glass of tea. Greg joined me and I watched him reach for a glass. He looked better. The grief was still there, hanging on him, but he looked more settled. Maybe the impromptu meal was doing its magic. “It’s a good thought anyway. I’ll e-mail him tomorrow and see if he’ll send Lille a photo.”

  “Two celebrities down, a whole wall to go.” Greg filled his own glass. “Harrold, Jackie, can I get you some tea?”

  “That would be lovely, dear.” My aunt and her beau sat down at the table and started filling their plates.

  The front door opened and Emma bounded into the room, finding me at the counter. I leaned down and gave her a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  She licked my face and gave me a puppy smile. My dog had the best expressions. Sometimes I thought she was more like a human toddler than a dog, especially when she was happy.

  “Jill, I’m so sorry about this. I’ve paid the vet bill already and Sissy says she should be fine.” He held out a piece of paper. “Here’s her visit record so you can see exactly what they did.”

  I took the paper from him and sat it on the counter. “I’ll look at this later. Now, it’s time for dinner. I looked at my dog. “Emma, do you want to go outside?”

  She wagged her tail, code for “Yes, please,” and I opened the screen door.

  Greg pointed to the extra place setting. “Have a seat. Iced tea?”

  Toby looked a little anxiously at the screen door, then nodded. “Sure.”

  As we ate, we talked about everything but Emma or the murder that had happened less than a day ago. Mostly we talked about a wedding that wasn’t happening until next summer. I couldn’t help thinking about another upcoming wedding that, now, would never happen.

  When everyone left, Greg and I cleaned the kitchen as Emma snoozed on her bed in the corner. “Poo
r Jessica. I mean, I know she’s taken care of financially, but I would be devastated if anything happened to you.”

  He came up behind me as I stood rinsing dishes in the sink and gave me a quick squeeze. “The same here. I watch Jackie and Harrold plan for their wedding and wonder why they don’t just elope. We could tag along and be witnesses, maybe even spend a week in Las Vegas and get Elvis to marry them off.”

  “Believe me, I’ve offered to pay for the trip.” I sprayed hot water, cleaning off a plate to get it ready for the dishwasher.

  Greg took it from my hand and put it in the rack. “You got nowhere?”

  “Aunt Jackie wants a proper wedding and reception.” I turned off the water and put the last glass into the top rack. “She said she was only doing this one more time, she might as well get the kind of wedding she always wanted. She did her first one at the courthouse, just before Uncle Ted left for his basic training.”

  “I can see how a woman wants the big production. Sherry was just like your aunt, we had a huge wedding. But Ted and Jackie’s marriage did better with a trip to the courthouse than my first one did with the expensive show. Greg held out his tea glass I’d missed. “I didn’t know Ted was in the service. What branch?”

  “Army, but that’s about all I know.”

  “You ready for a beer and some deck time?”

  “I’d love a beer before I crash. It’s been a long, exhausting weekend. For both good and bad reasons.” I thought about the fun we’d had on Friday, before everything fell apart. The entire weekend had been packed with emotion and activity. No wonder I was beat. I took his glass and put it into the dishwasher, starting the machine. Emma and I followed him outside and I sat on the swing. Emma circled the porch, then finally sank into a spot, her head between her paws, watching us. “I think Emma’s worn out too.”

  “I just can’t believe he’s gone. I know I haven’t seen him for years before this week, but I knew he was there. And that we’d get together someday. I feel like I’m abandoning him by letting Terrance run the investigation. And then there’s the problem of you.” He considered me as he took a sip from his bottle.

  I narrowed my eyes. I could see the wheels turning in his head. “What? What about me?”

  “Just wondering if I’m making a mistake getting you involved in this investigation. I’m usually trying to keep you out of trouble. Now, I’m sending you into the lion’s den.” He pulled me closer, laying my head on his chest. “You stay safe, okay? I may not be there to protect you.”

  “I’m perfectly able to protect myself.” I snuggled closer. “I’ve got the day off tomorrow and thought I’d take a trip into Bakerstown. I haven’t seen Doc Ames in weeks.”

  Doc Ames was our local mortuary owner and, the county coroner. Greg chuckled. “I’m not sure what you’ll get him to tell you, but anything at this point would be more than what we have. I feel so out of the loop. I know I shouldn’t be investigating Levi’s death, but on the other hand, I can’t just stay out of it. It feels like I’m turning my back on him.”

  “I think as long as we don’t go crazy, we might be able to help Terrance out with a few things. I know he’s probably not half the detective you are and when you add me into the mix, you know we can solve the mystery of who killed Levi in half the time it would take the Bakerstown group to even get all the players right.”

  “I know you’re right, but still, I’m breaking protocol here.” He pushed my hair back from my face. “I just feel like I have to figure this out. I owe it to Levi.”

  We sat out on the deck, watching the sun fade from the sky. Emma snored from her bed. And except that there was a murderer running around South Cove, at that moment, all was right with the world.

  The next morning, Greg had already left for work by the time I sat downstairs at the kitchen table with my coffee and a notebook in front of me. I’d told Greg I’d visit Doc Ames today. And I needed to go to Bakerstown for groceries anyway. If I timed things right, I could be back in town in time to have lunch with my best friend, Amy. Usually, we had brunch on Sunday, but this weekend we’d put it off due to the bachelor party. I texted her my morning schedule and told her I’d try to be back by eleven thirty. She responded quickly asking if I’d stop by the local event planning shop and pick up the list of local venues. Apparently the list was too long to fax. Her boyfriend, Justin, had proposed last weekend and Amy wanted to celebrate with five hundred of her closest friends. Between her, Aunt Jackie, and the ill-fated Levi and Jessica, I was surrounded with happy couples planning their future lives together. I was just as happy sitting out on the porch with Greg last night.

  Moving in together had been a big emotional step for me. Mostly because I felt like a failure in the happiness area, at least where my love life was involved. I’d been married once, but it was more like we were friends who lived together. He didn’t seem at all interested in my life, and I was too busy building a road to nowhere at the law office to notice.

  Greg and I were different. I got that. At least my head did. My heart was still scared of committing. I’d made myself a promise that if I did remarry, this would be the last one. So I had to be sure. Besides, I wasn’t comfortable with setting up events—not like Aunt Jackie and Amy. I’d rather do the spur-of-the-moment thing. In high school, we had to put together a notebook with all of our wedding planning. I got an A. Then a friend loved my setup so much, she had borrowed the book and copied all my ideas for her upcoming wedding. I was great at the planning part; I just didn’t like implementing the plan.

  I added Amy’s stop to my list and then went through the refrigerator to plan for this week’s meals. The good thing is Greg insisted on helping me cook the nights he was here. If we’d been cooking a lot, he’d suggest a night out. And several times, he’d brought home pizza, especially if he was in Bakerstown on business that day.

  He did the laundry on Saturday when I worked. If we were out of town that weekend, I did it on Monday. As far as our life together, I thought we’d divided up the chores pretty evenly. I suspected Jessica and Levi had never even talked about things like this. Mainly because Levi’s wealth put them into a lifestyle that included servants and cooks.

  I felt sorry for them for a moment. Building a life together took trial and error. They didn’t have time together for any of the little fights to learn about each other and what was important. Their fights, if they had fought, would probably be about big things. I tried to imagine what rich couples fought about? Maybe how many kids, what nanny to hire, and what the prenup would say. Of course, all those topics were over and done with before they’d even come up. Except for the prenup. And Jimmy had said that Jessica would be kept in the manner she was accustomed to. Which meant to me, the girl was rich. Which gave her reason to be on the list of suspects for Levi’s murder. I thought the ultimate list we put together would be pretty long. The guy didn’t seem to have social skills or the willingness to go along with the crowd. That could have made him unpopular with a lot of people.

  I guess you can never put your own expectations on another couple’s relationship. What happens between a man and a woman made sense to them and shouldn’t be questioned. Except by the time the investigation was over, Levi and Jessica’s relationship would be examined, torn apart, and left open for all to see. I just hoped they didn’t have any skeletons hanging out in their closets.

  CHAPTER 7

  As soon as I walked into the Party Palace, I knew I was in trouble. The woman at the counter took one look at me and came around to greet me like we were old friends. “Jill Gardner, I’m so excited to see you. I’ve heard that you and that man of yours are starting to take the next steps.” She must have seen the confusion I felt in my face. “Or maybe you are here about your lovely shop? I do all my book shopping there. I’m not much of an internet kind of girl. I do love your little author meet-and-greets. I have some great ideas on how I can help you expand your business.”

  I held up a hand to stop the verbal on slot. “Actua
lly, I’m here as a favor for a friend. Amy Newman said you were holding some kind of list for her?”

  “Oh, Amy, she’s such a sweetheart. I’m so glad Justin has finally seen to take her off the market. Women like her don’t stay single long.” She turned to a file cabinet, then spun around. “Oh, my gosh. You must think I’m a terrible person.”

  Actually I thought she was stuck in the fifties, but I hadn’t gotten to terrible yet. She looked a little younger than my aunt, but apparently had the same philosophies about the roles of men and women in this world. Girls were made to be married. “No,” I said, hesitantly, not sure what to follow up with.

  “Now don’t be polite and pretend you didn’t notice my error. I didn’t even introduce myself. I’m Martha Folks. I’ve run this party planning store for over twenty years. Of course, back then, we had some crazy parties, not expensive, mind you, but imaginative.” She held out her hand. “I make a point of knowing most of the people around the area including South Cove. But it seems like every time I go into your coffee place to introduce myself, you’ve just left.”

  “I’m sorry about that.” Actually, I wasn’t sure why I was apologizing to this woman I’d never met before. I’d read a book that said one of the ways women give up their power is by saying I’m sorry for things that weren’t their fault. I decided right then and there that I was going to make a rule not to apologize unless it really was my fault. I’d start a sorry jar and every time, I said those words inappropriately, like just now, I’d throw a dollar in.

  “Oh, no need to apologize.” Martha squeezed my hand. “Meeting people happens when it’s supposed to happen. I believe Fate keeps a close eye on our comings and goings.”