Killer Party

by Lynn Cahoon

  “John was a little crazy.” I knew he loved The Castle, and it was that love that had eventually sent him over the edge.

  “He was a bad man.” Vladimir stepped forward and put his arm around his older daughter. “Jessica has had her fill of bad men in her life. Now I hope she finds a good one.”

  “Papa, we talked about this. Levi was a good man. Besides, I don’t need a man to take care of me. I’m going to help you out with Alana and the shop.” She smiled at me. “My father is a true romantic. He believes in love.”

  There were worst things to be called. “Since we’re talking about The Castle, have you decided what you’re going to do with it?”

  Jessica sank into one of the chairs. “Jimmy Marcum had a letter for me with the legal papers. Apparently, Levi saw how much I loved the place, and knowing that my papa was here, he decided to give me my own business to run. It was his wedding gift to me.”

  “That’s some wedding gift.” Levi could be a generous man. Or he could be a royal butt. The man had been complicated.

  Jessica laughed. “I’d gotten him new shirts. He was always complaining that his buttons fell off after a few washings, so I bought him five tailor-made shirts for his suits. I spent over a grand on the stupid things and I thought I was being extravagant.”

  “Well, he out did you there.” I stood, carefully returning the stacking doll into the bag. “I’m sure he would have loved the gesture.”

  Jessica wiped tears from her eyes. “Now those shirts along with the rest of his clothes are going to a charity where they help people get jobs. Those guys are going to walk into their interviews dressed to the nines.”

  I could see the pain in her eyes; she’d loved Levi, no matter what we’d found out about the guy, he’d saved her and she loved him. She shook away the tears forming in her eyes.

  “Anyway, you asked about The Castle. Brenda and I had a long talk and she has some great ideas on how to get the place back on its feet financially. I hired her to manage it. The prenup left me enough money to burn, so I guess I’ll burn it by taking care of that landmark.”

  The Castle had always been a big draw for tourists to South Cove. So much that the mayor loved supporting the business in any way he could. Now that Jessica owned the place, I was sure he’d try to become hers and Vladimir’s best friend. Politics. It was something I could think about later. Right now, I was just glad the place wasn’t being closed or turned into a night club. It had found someone who loved it just the way it was.

  As I walked home with the gift bag feeling heavy in my arms, I felt lighter than I had for a while. We had two, no, three new residents of South Cove. And I thought they would fit in just right.

  CHAPTER 23

  Jackie had been out of sorts all day. She’d spent yesterday in the city with Mary and now, the day of Amy and Justin’s engagement party, she didn’t seem to be all that interested in the event she’d spent the last two months helping plan. We were at The Castle, doing the final touches to the party that was scheduled to start in ten minutes.

  “Aunt Jackie, are you okay with the gift table being over here?” I waved my hand toward the entry area. People could come into the patio area, drop off their coats and gifts, and then head straight for the bar. But before I moved on to talking to the bartender, I wanted her blessing on where everything had been set up.

  In a pink lace dress, with white flats, she looked younger than her years. Harrold had arrived a few minutes earlier and sat talking to Greg over near the pool. She looked at me, then at the patio. “It’s fine.”

  I stepped closer, unsure of what I’d just heard. She didn’t seem to be in a party mood. “People will be arriving any minute. Do you need something? Are you all right? Is this about your doctor appointment yesterday?”

  “You ask too many questions.” My aunt put her hand over her mouth, trying to call back the sharp words. She took my arm and pointed me toward the kitchen. “Look, why don’t you go check on the caterers. We don’t want the guests to be without food.”

  “Sure, I can do that.” I paused before I left her side. “But, are you sure you’re all right?”

  She put a hand on my shoulder. “I’m as good as I need to be.” A smile creased her lips, but I could see she didn’t feel it on the inside. Something was bothering her. I knew I should have gone into the city with her and talked to her doctor. But she’d wanted to make the trip with Mary, and I had too much homework to press my point. “Go check on the caterers and then find Amy and Justin. They need to be enjoying this.”

  “We need to do a girls weekend in the city sometime before the holidays.” I hugged Aunt Jackie quickly. “Especially since soon you and Harrold will be newlyweds and won’t want to leave each other sides.”

  “I think we’re a little old to be clingy, dear.” She glanced over at Harrold who seemed to be arguing football with Greg. She glanced at her watch. “Go check on the caterers. I’d hate to disappoint everyone with no food.”

  I walked away, but something made me turn back to look at her before I disappeared into the main building. She was staring at Harrold, and I swore I saw a tear drop fall from her eyes. Something was definitely wrong and she was going to tell me. I just wouldn’t press her tonight.

  Brenda met me in the lobby. “We have a problem. The wine delivery hasn’t arrived.”

  “Let me call Darla. I’m sure it’s just a hiccup, although they should have been here hours ago.”

  “We have a case to start the night out, but that’s not going to last long. And we don’t have any champagne for the toasts.” Brenda checked her phone. “I texted your aunt hours ago, but didn’t hear back from her. She told me not to bother Amy. And then I kind of forgot. This is all my fault.”

  “It’s not your fault,” I consoled Brenda as I stepped toward the counter to use the land line. Why had Aunt Jackie not responded? After planning this event for months, it wasn’t like her to not follow up on every last detail.

  It took me almost a half hour to find the mix up and get the wine on its way to The Castle. Then, I went into the kitchen and checked on the caterers. The party had started by the time I returned to the patio.

  “You look lovely.” Greg whispered in my ear as I paused by his side. “Your aunt knows how to throw a party.”

  “She does.” I glanced around but didn’t see her nearby. I pointed to the bandstand. “Justin and Amy just arrived.”

  Greg handed me a glass filled with an amber liquid. “Apparently, they were low on wine when I got our drinks. I see they just brought out a new case. Do you want me to get you some or will the beer work for now?”

  “I’m dying of thirst. I’ll deal with the beer.” I watched as Vladimir and Jessica walked up to us.

  “Lovely party. I’m so happy you invited us.” Jessica kissed me on both cheeks and her father followed suit. “I love the way the lights make the patio seem so magical.”

  “You look stunning.” Jessica was decked out in a long dark blue gown with silver heels. Around her neck was a single diamond, large enough to sparkle in the dim light.

  “The one thing I do have is party clothes. Levi liked me to look the part of the rich guy’s arm candy.” She smiled, a little sadly. “It’s been hard being just a normal girl for a while.”

  Toby stepped into the circle and slapped Greg on the back. “You clean up good, boss.”

  “I could say the same about you.” Toby had on a black suit, with a light blue dress shirt, open at the neck.

  “Jackie would kill me if I showed up in jeans and a T-shirt. Where is she, anyway?” Toby looked over at Amy and Justin, then quickly looked away. I could see the pain of his own recent breakup still affected him.

  I glanced around, but still didn’t see my aunt. “She didn’t seem to be feeling well. Maybe Harrold took her out for a little air.” I turned back into the circle to see Toby staring at Jessica. He saw me and blushed, then stepped out of the circle.

  “I’m on the way to the bar. Does anyone
want something?” He paused.

  “I’ll come with you. I haven’t had a shot of vodka for years. Maybe Jessica will have to drive her papa home tonight.” Vladimir looked at Greg. “What about you, police man? Do you want to drink with the Russian spy?”

  Greg laughed. “I take it you’ve heard the rumors.”

  “If I was a spy, I would have more money in my bank account.” Vladimir held out his hands. “Unfortunately, you only have a poor Russian shopkeeper in your little village.”

  “We love having you here.” I wanted to kill Josh who still hadn’t given up the idea that Vladimir was KGB.

  “And you aren’t as poor as you play.” Jessica put her hand on her father’s arm. “Go drink with your new friends. Just make sure you don’t take off without me. I’ll play designated driver tonight.”

  “We have drivers available to take people home.” Toby said. “We hired college kids from Bakerstown. They’ll drive you home, leave the car and the keys with you, and then someone picks them up to return to The Castle.”

  “See, you can drink a bit too.” He pulled Toby into a hug. “Come my friend. Let’s talk.”

  Jessica and I stood and watched as the men made their way to the bar. “I’m afraid my father is feeling at home. You may not like him as much once you get to know the real man.”

  “Don’t be silly. Everyone has their own odd habits. Around here, especially.” I watched the mix of people drinking, eating, and talking. Everyone from town was here. Well, everyone except my aunt and her soon to be husband. If they had snuck off to have a little alone time in one of the guest rooms, I was going to kill her.

  “Toby, he seems like a nice guy.” Jessica was still watching the bar area. She turned to me. “Is he seeing someone?”

  “No, he and his last girlfriend broke up late summer. Sasha was an amazing girl. He was lucky to have her, but she went off to build a career.” I stopped talking and looked at her. “Wait, are you saying you’re interested in Toby?”

  “I didn’t say any such thing. It’s way too soon for me to even be thinking about a future.” Jessica blushed. “But he is a nice guy, right?”

  I watched as Toby and Greg stood talking to Vladimir. “Toby’s the best.” Jessica wandered off to greet someone else and to get away from me asking any more questions. I liked the possibility of Toby and Jessica. I just didn’t know if either of them were ready to move on from their last relationships.

  Brenda stepped toward me and took my arm. “You have a phone call.”

  “From who? Everyone I know is here at the party.” I glanced at her face and stopped short. “Is Aunt Jackie okay?”

  “How did you know…” Brenda shook her head. “Never mind, I don’t want to know. Just follow me. She says she needs to talk to you.”

  I hurried after Brenda, winding through the maze of paths and around the fountain that was alight with the little tea lights and appeared to be pulsing blue and silver water through the stone angel statue. I took a deep breath, hoping that my aunt hadn’t needed to be taken to the hospital. She’d been acting off and snarky all day, but I thought it was the upcoming party. My aunt liked things to be perfect. And when they weren’t, she got annoyed. Aunt Jackie lived that mantra: If Mama ain’t happy, no one’s happy.

  Brenda waved me into her office, then picked up the phone on her secretary’s desk. “I just happened to be in the office putting away the receipt from the winery delivery, and the phone rang. If the wine hadn’t been late, I wouldn’t have been here.”

  I took the handset she held out for me and took a deep breath to settle me after nearly running into the office. “Hello?”

  “I need you to handle the party.” My aunt was direct and sounded fine. “There’s an envelope with Brenda that has everything you need to do listed out. Amy’s your friend, you should be handling this anyway.”

  I closed my eyes, pushing away all of the possibilities that had run through my mind. “Are you all right? Where are you? The hospital?”

  “Why would I be at the hospital?” My aunt asked, a level of frustration in her voice. “I’m fine. I just need you to do a favor for me. Is that too much to ask?”

  “Where are you? Why aren’t you and Harrold at the party?” I leaned on the desk, and noticed Brenda standing a few feet away, trying not to eavesdrop but looking as concerned as I felt.

  “Just deal with things, please. Harrold dropped me off at the apartment and he’s gone home to his house.”

  I blew out a breath. “Seriously Jackie, you are driving me crazy. You worked for months with Amy on this party. She’s going to want to thank you. You can’t just walk out because you decide you don’t want to stay. Come back and at least say how happy you are for Amy and Justin. She’s going to think something is wrong.”

  I didn’t hear anything on the other end of the line after my tirade. Well, good, maybe I’d woke her up. I couldn’t believe she was doing this. There was a time to be a diva but this wasn’t it. I softened my voice, “Aunt Jackie? Do you need Greg to come and get you and Harrold?”

  She blew out a breath. “That’s just it dear, there is no more me and Harrold. We just broke up.”

  “What are you talking about?” I envisioned Harrold’s face every time he looked at my aunt. The man was in love. And I’d never seen Aunt Jackie happier. “It’s just pre-wedding jitters. Amy’s engagement is making you nervous. By the time June comes along, you’ll be excited to start your new life.”

  This time, the silence went on longer. “I don’t think you’re hearing me, dear. I broke off the engagement this evening.” I heard the crack in her voice. “Harrold and I are not getting married in June.”

  The line went dead and I was left holding the handset, my mind unable to wrap around what my aunt had just announced. This was crazy. My gaze met Brenda’s. “This isn’t good.”

  “Is she okay?” Brenda liked my aunt. Everyone liked my aunt. She took the handset out of my hand and listened for the dial tone before setting it back on the phone. “Are you okay? You look a little sick.”

  “She went to the doctor yesterday and, today, well, let’s just say she’s not herself.” I shook my head. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m supposed to handle the rest of the party. What do you need me to do?”

  The music slowed and as the band leader stepped toward the microphone, my heart was beating fast. I didn’t like being in front of so many people. This is why Sasha or Aunt Jackie handled the author events. I was better behind the scenes. Greg stood next to me. “Are you okay?”

  I looked up into his eyes and smiled. “As much as I can be. Seriously, Aunt Jackie knows how I feel about these things.”

  The music died and the band leader waved me toward the microphone. My dress shimmered in the lights from the stage and for a second, I felt like a princess. I glanced at Greg who nodded, giving me the strength to make the announcement.

  “So, we’re so glad you all came out to celebrate with us.” I wetted my lips. I’d put on lipstick earlier, but I was sure, I’d bit it all off now. My teeth were probably glossy red. I ran my tongue over the top row and hoped it didn’t show. The crowd stepped closer to the stage, and for a second, the murmuring stopped, waiting for me to continue.

  I took a deep breath and jumped in. “We’re here to celebrate the upcoming marriage of Amy and Justin.” I continued my impromptu speech about Amy, our friendship, and how much I liked her with Justin. The words took over and my nervousness fell away. I finished up and called the couple forward.

  The crowd was silent for a minute then, as Amy and Justin made their way up to the stage, they started clapping. Amy hugged me and whispered in my ear. “Thank you.”

  “I love you.” I stepped away from the microphone and let Justin talk with Amy staring adoringly at her soon to be husband. Greg met me at the edge of the stage.

  “You did great.” He squeezed me. “Do you want to go talk to your aunt now?”

  I shook my head and angled him to the bar.
“Nope. I want a glass of wine, and maybe another, and then we’re going to dance and help Amy and Justin celebrate their upcoming nuptials. I’ll talk to my aunt tomorrow.”

  That was an understatement. I knew something had happened to cause this change of heart for my aunt. And I knew it wasn’t Harrold’s decision. I wasn’t ready to find out why she’d made this decision, but it would be tomorrow.

  Tonight I was taking the Scarlett O’Hara way out and I’d dance while Tara burned.

  Tomorrow would be soon enough to dig through the damage.

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  Photo Credit: Angela Brewer Armstrong at Todd Studios

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Lynn Cahoon is an Idaho expat. She grew up living the small town life she now loves to write about. Currently, she’s living with her husband and two fur babies in a small historic town on the banks of the Mississippi river where her imagination tends to wander. Guidebook to Murder, Book 1 of the Tourist Trap series, won the 2015 Reader’s Crown award for Mystery Fiction.

  In the gentle coastal town of South Cove, California, all Jill Gardner wants is to keep her store—Coffee, Books, and More—open and running. So why is she caught up in the business of murder?

  When Jill’s elderly friend, Miss Emily, calls in a fit of pique, she already knows the city council is trying to force Emily to sell her dilapidated old house. But Emily’s gumption goes for naught when she dies unexpectedly and leaves the house to Jill—along with all of her problems… and her enemies. Convinced her friend was murdered, Jill is finding the list of suspects longer than the list of repairs needed on the house. But Jill is determined to uncover the culprit—especially if it gets her closer to South Cove’s finest, Detective Greg King. Problem is, the killer knows she’s on the case—and is determined to close the book on Jill permanently …