Wrapped In Shadows

by Eugene, Lisa

  Luke

  I had been in police custody for two hours before my lawyer arrived, and I was fuming. After being fingerprinted and taking a mug shot, the officers had repeatedly questioned me. When they realized I was not about to relinquish anything more than my pedigree, they’d given up and thrown me in a holding cell. I’d been allowed to call my daughter, and for that I was grateful, but the sounds of her cries still echoed disturbingly in my head. Livy was scared and wanted to know when I was coming home.

  I looked around the barren pen and wondered the same thing. I sat on a hard bench in a small, dirty prison cell, the rank scent of urine burning my nose. The sound of approaching steps drew my attention, and I stood stiffly as an officer appeared. The uniformed officer drew out a ring burdened with keys and opened my cell door. I was handcuffed before being led from the room, and I numbly put one foot in front of the other as we made our way upstairs.

  I was shown into a room where my lawyer, Jack Mason, waited, and relief finally loosened my tense limbs. I opened my mouth to speak, but Jack put a finger to my lips, indicating I should wait for the officer to exit the room. Jack was a longtime friend and I was glad to see him.

  “I don’t know what the fuck is going on! It’s absolutely ridiculous that I’ve been arrested. I haven’t done anything.”

  Jack indicated for me to sit and pulled some papers and a notepad from his briefcase.

  “You don’t have to convince me of your innocence, Luke. I’ve known you for too long. My advice is to not talk to anyone until the case is formally ready.”

  “I wasn’t even aware I was a suspect.”

  “The way these detectives operate is they gather all their information first, question witnesses, look for evidence, and gather forensics. The suspect is the last one to know. All they need in probable cause to arrest you.”

  “I still don’t understand why I’ve even been arrested.” I made a move to run my fingers through my hair and cursed at the limitations of the handcuffs. “Do I have to wear these damn things?”

  Jack nodded. “It’s procedure.”

  “This is ridiculous! Listen, when do I get out of here? Livy is hysterical and scared. I have a business to run, for God sakes!”

  “I don’t have any details on the case yet, but they wouldn't have arrested you without probable cause. We’ll know more at the arraignment.”

  “When will that be?”

  “In New York State, the prosecutor has twenty-four hours to bring formal charges against you. I can pull some strings and probably get a felony arraignment in about fifteen hours or so.”

  “Fifteen hours?” I exploded.

  “And that’s with pulling strings. You’ve got a business and strong ties to the community, so I don’t think bail will be an issue. Your arresting officer—”

  “Is an asshole!”

  Jack scratched his chin. “He doesn’t seem to like you. Charged you with resisting arrest.”

  “I just wanted to talk to Livy! I was not resisting arrest! Lawson is a dick.”

  “What’s his beef?”

  “Let’s just say we have a history.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure I can make those charges disappear.” Jack turned a few pages of his notepad. “From what I can gather, you’re going to be charged with the murder of Carmen Alexander. I remember reading about her murder at Sensations in the news a few weeks ago.”

  “I was at the club that night.”

  “Why don’t we go over a few things. Tell me about your…ah…time with her. You know I’m not here to judge you.”

  “I wasn’t with Carmen Alexander!” I bristled. “I spoke with her briefly in private and then I left her in the room. I was with someone else.”

  “Great.” Jack perked up. “If you have an alibi at the time of the murder, this case is over. Who were you with?” Jack picked up his pen and started scribbling again. He looked up at the abrupt silence in the room.

  A sweeping hollowness tunneled through me, leaving me helpless and empty. I looked down at the silver handcuffs and shook my head. Katie’s beautiful face came to mind, her smile as she talked to the host of the morning show and her avid enthusiasm when she’d told him about her role at the Vandercamp Foundation. Another image filled my head, a darker more terrifying image that made my blood heat to a boil: one of Josh standing in my office and curling his fist in barely leashed anger. The man’s potential rage truly scared me and it made my gut seize to think of it directed at Katie.

  “I can’t say,” I whispered softly.

  Jack’s thick brows shot up. “What do you mean?”

  I sighed and threw my head back, feeling the concrete walls closing in on me. “I can’t tell you that information, Jack. We’ll have to find some other way to prove my innocence.”

  *************************

  Katie

  I was thrilled when the waiter of La Château announced that the last course was being served. My mother had scheduled a menu tasting at the elite French restaurant where she planned on hosting the rehearsal dinner. Diana had already sent back several dishes to the kitchen with scathing criticisms. I found nothing wrong with the food, but I just wasn’t in the mood for this excursion today. The only thing that made this tolerable was my generous consumption of the excellent French wine.

  I’d had a long day at the foundation and was exhausted. At least it had been a productive day, I mused. I’d signed on two more donors for the autism fundraiser and their contributions were sizable. A lot of the money raised went to research, though what I liked about this particular organization was that the money was also used to fund special needs programs in local schools and help families cover the cost of health care, transportation, and providing aides for children diagnosed with severe autism.

  Across the table, my mother was saying something about the holiday party coming up on Saturday night, and I had to force myself to tune in. Josh sat next to me, slowly swirling a Napa Valley merlot in his glass. His left hand was resting possessively on my thigh beneath the table. I felt the warmth of it through my skirt. I’d always love the fact that he was so touchy-feely. It made me feel loved and wanted. I’d grown up in a home where it was considered improper to show such displays of affection. Josh and I would be happy together. We had our problems, but in the end we loved each other and were committed to making this work.

  “Perhaps we can do a special dedication to your upcoming nuptials,” Diana said, dabbing a napkin to the corner of her mouth.

  “It’s an annual holiday party. I don’t want it to be about the wedding. Let everyone just enjoy the party,” I stated.

  “What did you have in mind?” Josh asked.

  Diana’s blue eyes lit up conspiratorially. “Just think, it would be a wonderful prelude to the grand event. Perhaps the band can perform a special song just for the two of you to dance to, or we can have Bill O’Connor make a special champagne toast.”

  “Bill O’Connor? The network producer?” Josh asked excitedly.

  “Yes. He’s a friend of Jerome’s. He’d be honored to do it.”

  Unable to help myself, I rolled my eyes. Because the holiday party was so close to the wedding, I knew that most of the conversation would center around that event anyway. There would be countless inquiries about how the preparations were going, well-wishes from guests, questions about our plans for the future, and a host of contradictory advice on marriage and children. By the end of the night I’d be lucky to not develop lock-jaw from my concrete smile, or a tick from having to restrain myself from strangling someone. I didn’t need any additional spotlights. The wedding would be here soon enough.

  Silence fell as the waiters appeared to serve the last dessert with port wine pairing. I was so deep in thought I didn’t catch the presentation of the frothy white balls on my plate described with an exaggerated French accent. The wine, though, was definitely screaming my name.

  Katie! Drink me! Drink me! I imagined I was Alice in What-the-fuck-land and my world was
completely upside down. I would guzzle the dessert wine and shrink down to the size of a peanut, then jump onto my plate and toss frothy balls around the room! I could see them exploding all over my mother’s Chanel suit.

  Splat! Splat! Splat!

  I started giggling at my silly thoughts. How much wine did I drink? The extent of extravagance my mother wanted for just a rehearsal dinner was absurd! Perhaps we could all just sit around a table and use chopsticks to eat Chinese food out of a carton!

  My breath hitched in my lungs and I squeezed my eyes shut. Luke’s handsome face filled my mind, a dull ache following. I was most definitely drunk. I should not be thinking about him. Besides…there was a snake moving up my thigh! No snake. That’s Josh’s hand, you drunk fool! Okay. Definitely ixnae on the inewae. Damn, I still had to sit through this last course!

  Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Did I say that aloud? I peeked open one eye. No. My mother didn’t look mortified. Okay. Definitely. No. More. Vino.

  “Well? What do you think?” Diana asked when the waiters left.

  I popped opened both eyes and regarded my mother curiously. Huh? Oh, yes. The holiday spectacle!

  “No. No,” I drawled. “No wedding events at the holiday party. No dancing clowns. No flying acrobats. No pigmy puppies. Just a regular party.”

  Diana huffed and blew out a frustrated breath. “That is not funny, Katherine Regina! Why must you continually thwart my every effort to uplift you? You can be as popular as any of these two-bit socialites parading around town! And at least you don’t need to degrade yourself with a reality show, or have a sex scandal, or…or date some rap music ghetto-thug to garner attention! You are much better than that! You come from a long line of Vandercamps! Yet you insist at working at the foundation and surrounding yourself with those mangy, drug-addicted women! I try my hardest to help you, and you do not appreciate it!”

  Because you do it all for you! You always have! It’s never about me. Not even my wedding is about me! I sighed. Did I say that aloud?

  No. My mother didn’t look mortified…incensed, but not mortified. Well, I didn’t care. The woman was pissing me off, as usual. I reached for the port and took a super-sized sip, wondering if I could ask for a funnel.

  “I can’t believe the things that come out of your mouth sometimes!” I tossed the words in my mother’s direction, feeling Josh squeeze my knee. “I don’t want to be a socialite and I love working with those women! Simply having money does not make one superior or immune to life’s pitfalls—like your friend Aaron Saunders!”

  I folded my arms across my chest and gave my mother a smug look. Aaron Saunders was a wealthy businessman who’d been a long time friend of my parents. He’d been recently found dead in his Manhattan apartment from an overdose of cocaine. I knew that drug addiction was as big a problem for the upper class as society’s poor. In fact, I’d heard of many wealthy people who had a steady supplier who brought drugs to their homes like a grocery delivery. For my mother to pretend this was purely a matter of low socio-economics was hypocritical.

  “Well, what do you think, Josh?” Diana turned to Josh, deliberately ignoring me. “Should we plan a small celebration?”

  Josh smiled and leaned close to me, kissing me lightly on the cheek. His fingers drew circles on my thigh. “Whatever Kay wants.”

  I couldn’t help the satisfied smile that turned up my lips. I looked into Josh’s eyes, feeling warmth spread through me. He could sometimes surprise me. He probably sensed an all-out brawl with my mother on the horizon, and was picking the safest side.

  I took a hefty sip of the thick liquid, looking across the table at my mother. Instead of the pinched white lips I’d expected, Diana smiled mildly, her gaze absorbing the two of us.

  “It’s nice to see that the two of you have made up. I apologize for barging in the other night.”

  Fuuuuuck!

  My heart collapsed in my chest. With unsteady hands I returned the glass of port to the table. Josh’s fingers stilled on my knee, and I could sense the sudden tension in his body. My cloudy brain fumbled miserably, trying to stick a thought together. My mother opened her mouth to continue and I felt blind panic grip me.

  Think! Think! Change subject! Distraction! Now! Think! Faint? Return of whooping cough? Yell “snake under the table!”? No! Think you drunk fool!

  “The next time I will call before I interrupt—”

  My hand suddenly connected with the glass of port. I’d intended for the wine to spill onto my own lap, but instead, it flipped over toward my mother. Diana jumped from her seat with a gasp just as the liquid showered the front of her blouse in a dappling pattern of bright red.

  I sprang up, feeling horrible and a tad unsteady. I’d truly intended for the wine to spill on myself, then had hoped to make an excuse for a hasty exit. What a fucking nightmare!

  “I’m sorry!” I screeched, taking stock of the shocking red stains on my mother’s blouse. Splat…splat…splat…splat… Good going, Alice!

  Diana grabbed a napkin and brushed at the spots, streaking the stains even worse until they looked like she’d been bludgeoned. The corners of her mouth turned down in grim dismay.

  “You really must improve your social graces, Katherine Regina! Look at what you’ve done!” she admonished as a waiter came rushing over. Diana asked for her coat and for someone to bring around her Jag while I looked on, guilt replacing my mental stupor.

  “It was an accident, Mother. I’m sorry.”

  “I will see you both on Saturday.” The waiter helped Diana shrug into her coat before she took off with a toss of her head.

  I bit hard on my bottom lip, afraid to turn and face Josh, who’d surprisingly kept quiet throughout the entire fiasco. Was he contemplating what my mother had almost said? Was I about to face his terrifying anger?

  I disciplined my features and sank into my seat, bracing myself as I turned to him. Josh’s expression was strangely calm, his blue eyes moving over my face. He took a sip of his merlot and smiled slowly.

  “What did Diana do this time?”

  I grazed the inside of my cheek with my teeth. “She showed up at the penthouse while I was barely dressed.” True…

  “Wish it had been me,” he said with a wink, then replaced the hand on my knee and squeezed. “Don’t let Diana get to you. We’ll be married soon enough. Just indulge her. You’re her only daughter and she means well.”

  I nodded and reached for his port, deciding I was not nearly drunk enough.

  I exited my building and walked swiftly to the corner. Extending my arm, I angled my neck to peer up the busy street in search of a cab. The morning sun sliced through my head like an ax through butter. I wasn’t a big drinker, and last night’s over indulgence was costing me. My head and stomach vied for most wretched. I took a quick peek at my watch and cursed. I was meeting with Michelle and then heading downtown for an appointment with my broker and I didn’t want to be late. I needed to have my deposit in before one o’clock today. Apparently there was another party interested in the brownstone apartment and the owners needed to know I was serious. I knew this was a common tactic used to secure a tenant, but I wasn’t taking any chances. We’d already negotiated terms of the lease and I was satisfied with the agreement.

  After my mother’s departure, last night had not improved. I’d told Josh about my plans to move and he’d practically blown a blood vessel. He wanted us to live in the penthouse and didn’t understand my need for independence from my parents. But bolstered by the alcohol, and already in combat mode from dealing with my mother, I’d put my foot down. The brownstone had plenty of space for the two of us and was even closer to his job. He wanted me to wait and talk to my parents on Saturday night at the holiday party, but I knew he’d only find an ally in my mother. And I refused to be swayed. I was moving. End of story.

  A yellow cab swerved to the curb. I was just about to pull open the door when a cacophony of sound startled me. I looked over the top of the cab to see a frazzled dog-walker ent
angled in a net of leashes. Trying to create order out of chaos, he yelled frantically at his charges. Another dog had apparently crossed their path and incited a riot of canine indignation. I was about to slip into the cab when something behind the melee caught my eye. A man. He had been facing me and was now turning away, but there was something about his features that were strangely familiar. I frowned, not liking the prickly heat that nettled my back. Trying to shrug off the discomfort, I folded my body into the back seat of the cab, but couldn’t help twisting my neck around to get another view of the man. He was gone.

  I shook my head and blamed my disquiet on my raging hangover. Fishing my cell from my purse, I searched my contacts and called Michelle. I was running late and wanted to inform her I was on my way.

  Michelle answered on the third ring.

  “Oh, shit, Kay! I’m so sorry. I forgot all about it!”

  I heard the alarm in Michelle’s voice and felt my brows squeeze together.

  “I should have called you earlier. I’m sorry. I wasn’t feeling—”

  “It wouldn’t have mattered. I wouldn’t have been able to make it anyway.”

  “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “I’m at work.”

  “I thought you were off today?”

  “I was, but it’s total chaos here! Something horrible has happened! I had to come in.”

  I immediately felt the chills return, this time to coat my flesh in a thin sheet of ice. I’d spoken to Josh this morning and he hadn’t mentioned anything, yet Michelle’s tone scared me.

  “What’s going on?” I was surprised at the nonchalance in my voice because inside I was starting to shiver. Luke? Was he okay?

  “Hold on while I close my door, Kay.” I heard Michelle moving about and the few seconds seemed like a decade. “It’s my boss, Luke Davenport. He’s been arrested for murder.”

  The chills turned my body to a solid block of ice and the cold threatened my very breath. “What?”

  “It’s so hard to believe! There’s no way he’s capable of what they’re saying! He’s such a good guy!”